What appeared before his eyes was no longer a tiny pool of water.
Instead, it was a boundless expanse of stars!
Countless brilliant orbs of light were concealed within it.
From the scenes flashing across them, Ji Shaoli caught fleeting glimpses of strange beasts, Dharma treasures, and even cultivators locked in combat!
Meanwhile, Ji Shaoli was seated high above this starry sky.
A single fishing line dangled down!
Those innumerable orbs of light were like fish in a pond. At first startled, they all instinctively fled, but after a moment, a few grew curious and slowly drifted closer.
The orbs were divided into various colors: white, green, blue, purple, and orange.
The white orbs gave off virtually no distinct aura.
Yet from green to orange, the pressure carried by the orbs grew steadily stronger.
There were even flashes of gold and purplish-gold orbs traversing this sea of stars whose auras sent chills through Ji Shaoli—even though he had witnessed both a Longevity Heavenly Venerable and the remains of a True Immortal.
*What on earth is this thing...?*
Even after a hundred reincarnated lifetimes and seeing countless grand spectacles, the sight unfolding before Ji Shaoli at this moment made him momentarily lose his composure.
His mind was shaken to its core, and his calm mindset faltered.
In a flash, he was expelled from the state of fishing the starry sky!
The boundless starlight vanished, leaving behind only an ordinary little pond before him.
"This..."
Ji Shaoli instinctively clenched his fists and drew a deep breath.
With his extraordinarily refined perspective, he had already realized that he had likely stumbled upon something truly astounding!
Even with his mental fortitude, it took a long time for him to completely settle his emotions.
Adopting the mindset of a pure angler once more, Ji Shaoli cast his line!
And yet...
The scene before him did not change in the slightest.
Ji Shaoli gripped the fishing rod, pondered for a moment, and recalled how Zhong Shentong and his disciple had cast their lines only once.
"It seems there is a limit to how many times one can fish within a certain timeframe."
Feeling a bit of regret, he put away the rod, dispelled his obscuring illusion, and once again concealed himself in the distance to watch.
Inside the little temple, the daily life of master and apprentice seemed changeless.
Every day was spent in the same simple routine: eating, resting, and fishing.
When Zhong Shentong fished again, he reeled in only a single white orb of light and returned disappointed.
After the little Daoist child also caught nothing, it was finally Ji Shaoli's turn to act.
Taking a deep breath, he adjusted his mindset to peak form like a seasoned fisherman.
Then he cast his line!
An instant later, Ji Shaoli arrived once again in the endless starry sky!
Because this was not his first time witnessing this magnificent spectacle, he was already accustomed to it.
This time, he managed to maintain the state of fishing in the starry sky.
*Fishing requires bait. What does it take to catch these orbs of light?* Ji Shaoli mused, watching most of the orbs dart away and leave a vast empty space.
This place was clearly outside the bounds of the Xuanhuang Realm.
It was a separate, independent dimension.
With only a bare fishing rod in hand, Ji Shaoli's very body was merely a manifestation of his intent.
Naturally, there was no way to bait the hook.
*Could it be that they take the hook entirely of their own accord?* Ji Shaoli could not help thinking.
He noticed that as time passed, the orbs seemed to grow accustomed to his dangling line and gradually began to approach.
Some even seemed drawn to it, nudging it out of curiosity.
When a white orb drew too close, it was instantly sucked tightly onto the line.
Ji Shaoli felt the rod sink.
Instinctively and uncontrollably, he jerked the rod upward.
The scene before him shattered, and he was back in the mountain temple.
Only now, he held a white orb of light in his hand.
Inside the orb seemed to be a separate miniature world, impenetrable to divine sense.
Imitating Zhong Shentong's earlier movements, Ji Shaoli reached in and felt around.
Finally, he pulled out a dark green stone, and the orb slowly dispersed.
"This is..."
By now, Ji Shaoli could certainly be considered well-informed and knowledgeable.
Yet after examining it, he found that he had never seen an ore with this texture before!
"It is either an exceptionally rare variety, or..."
"Something not of the Xuanhuang Realm!"
"A white orb should be the lowest tier in that starry sky. It shouldn't be so precious that I've never even heard of it."
"In that case, my guess is likely correct."
Ji Shaoli's eyes flickered.
This fishing pond was likely a supreme treasure from another cultivation world.
It was even very possible that it was an immortal artifact from the Immortal Realm!
Near the end of his life in the 115th lifetime, Li Fan had used the Medicine King Cauldron to breach the Immortal Ruins, where he had seen the remains of a True Immortal.
Thus, he had personally experienced the might of an immortal.
Yet at this very moment, from the endless starry sky within this fishing pond, he had once again sensed auras possessing power on par with that True Immortal's remains!
And it was not just a single wisp!
Those fleeting purplish-gold and dark gold orbs streaking across the starry sky had given him a feeling that was undeniably no lesser than that of a True Immortal!
*It shouldn't be an illusion on my part.*
*Even if my judgment is slightly off, the grade of this fishing pond is bound to be extraordinarily high.*
A sharp gleam flashed through Ji Shaoli's eyes.
He recalled the rumors he had heard before.
In ancient times, the Xuanhuang Realm did possess immortal artifacts.
However, when the great calamity struck, all immortal artifacts and even immortal remains vanished without a trace.
*Could it be that this fishing pond is a fortunate remnant of an immortal artifact?*
*Is the reason Zhong Shentong—a mere mortal with no background whatsoever—was able to obtain the Profound Art of Life and Death and divine abilities like the Seven-Colored Divine Light entirely due to this pond?*
In an instant, Ji Shaoli pieced together the likely sequence of events.
*This fishing pond is extremely peculiar. One can only discover its secret with the mindset of an angler. Perhaps that is why it managed to survive intact to this day.*
Countless thoughts raced through Ji Shaoli's mind, and greed welled up within him, impossible to suppress entirely.
Still, his temperament was far superior to that of ordinary men, and he quickly brought his greed under control.
His attempt for the day had been used, so Ji Shaoli chose not to act rashly.
Instead, he temporarily retreated.
On the third day, after master Zhong Shentong once again came away empty-handed, Ji Shaoli cast his line before the pond once more.
At the thought that this pond likely contained power connected to the realm of immortals, a ripple of excitement stirred in his heart.
Perhaps because of that very distraction, only moments after entering the starry sky, he was forced out.
Ji Shaoli was momentarily taken aback.
Then comprehension dawned on him. *Those who seek treasures or try to probe its secrets cannot stay?*
*Only a true angler can enter that starry sky.*
Understanding this, Ji Shaoli shook his head inwardly.
He had no choice but to wait for the following day.
At the same time, he adjusted his mindset.
Once his inner greed was thoroughly suppressed, Ji Shaoli successfully entered once more.
This time, he cast his line with absolute sincerity.
The fishing line dangled slowly down, and countless orbs of light began to stir once again.
Chapter 853