“ yú yīn wèi xiǎng yào jìn shí ér yǎo ěr 。 zhè xiē guāng tuán suǒ qiú de ， yòu shì hé wù ？”
“鱼因为想要进食而咬饵。这些光团所求的，又是何物？”
"The fish bite the bait because they want to eat. What do these light orbs desire?"
duān zuò yú wú jìn xīng kōng zhī shàng ， jì shào lí zài sī kǎo zhe zhè ge wèn tí 。
端坐于无尽星空之上，季绍离在思考着这个问题。
Sitting atop the endless expanse of stars, Ji Shao Li was pondering this question.
“ cóng yǐn yuē de jīng hóng yī piē lǐ ， kě yǐ kàn dào zhè xiē guāng tuán nèi ， yīng gāi dōu shì wù pǐn 、 gōng fǎ yì huò zhě shén tōng 、 zhàn dòu jīng yàn zhī lèi de cún zài 。”
“从隐约的惊鸿一瞥里，可以看到这些光团内，应该都是物品、功法亦或者神通、战斗经验之类的存在。”
"From a fleeting glimpse, it seems that these light orbs contain items, mystical techniques, or even divine powers and combat experiences."
“ zhè diào yú chí ， huò xǔ shì yī jiàn shè zhì le mǒu zhǒng mén kǎn 、 zhuān mén fā fàng jiǎng lì de xiān qì 。”
“这钓鱼池，或许是一件设置了某种门槛、专门发放奖励的仙器。”
"This fishing pool might be an artifact designed with certain thresholds to reward those who catch them."
shì xiàn zài bái qīng lán zǐ chéng bù tóng de guāng tuán zhōng sǎo guò ， jì shào lí ruò yǒu suǒ sī 。
视线在白青蓝紫橙不同的光团中扫过，季绍离若有所思。
Scanning his gaze over the white, blue, green, purple, and orange light orbs, Ji Shao Li seemed contemplative.
“ nà xiē yuè yǒu jià zhí de dōng xī ， suǒ shǔ céng jí yě jiù yuè gāo 。 nà me xiǎng yào xī yǐn tā men ， yě jiù yuè nán 。”
“那些越有价值的东西，所属层级也就越高。那么想要吸引它们，也就越难。”
"The more valuable the item, the higher its tier. Thus, attracting it becomes harder."
“ dàn wǒ xiàn zài ， zhǐ yǒu yì shí cán cún 。 jiù suàn xiǎng yào diào shàng nà xiē bái sè guāng tuán ， yě zhǐ néng quán píng yùn qì 。 gèng bié tí gèng gāo jí de guāng tuán le 。”
“但我现在，只有意识残存。就算想要钓上那些白色光团，也只能全凭运气。更别提更高级的光团了。”
"But I only have a residual consciousness now. Even if I try to catch those white light orbs, it's purely by chance. Forget about the higher-tier ones."
cháng shì le zhū duō fāng fǎ ， jì shào lí réng rán wú fǎ zài chuí luò de yú xiàn shàng ， jiā shàng “ ěr ”。
尝试了诸多方法，季绍离仍然无法在垂落的鱼线上，加上“饵”。
Despite numerous attempts, Ji Shao Li still couldn't add "bait" to his fishing line.
ér tā yě yùn qì shí zài bù hǎo 。
而他也运气实在不好。
And he was indeed unlucky.
guò le xǔ jiǔ ， shèn zhì méi yǒu bái sè guāng tuán bèi tā xī yǐn 。
过了许久，甚至没有白色光团被他吸引。
After a long time, not even one of the white light orbs were attracted.
ér zài zhè xīng kōng zhōng ， sì hū yě shì yǒu shí jiān xiàn zhì de 。
而在这星空中，似乎也是有时间限制的。
It seemed there was a time limit in this starlight expanse.
zhōu wéi de xīng guāng yuè fā àn dàn ， hǎo sì céng céng shuǐ bō sàn qù hòu ， jì shào lí yòu huí dào le xiàn shí shì jiè zhōng 。
周围的星光越发黯淡，好似层层水波散去后，季绍离又回到了现实世界中。
The surrounding stars grew dimmer, as if Ji Shao Li had returned to reality after the layers of water waves dissipated.
zhè yī cì de chuí diào jié guǒ ， jìng rán yǐ kōng gān shōu chǎng ！
这一次的垂钓结果，竟然以空杆收场！
This fishing session ended with an empty rod!
yì nán píng de jì shào lí ， dāng jí zhǔn bèi zài xià yī gān 。 què wú nài de xiǎng qǐ ， yī tiān zhǐ yǒu yī cì yǐn dòng chuí diào xīng kōng zhī lì de jī huì 。
意难平的季绍离，当即准备再下一杆。却无奈的想起，一天只有一次引动垂钓星空之力的机会。
Disappointed, Ji Shao Li prepared for another cast. However, he remembered that he could only activate the fishing starlight power once a day.
zhǐ dé shēn xī yì kǒu qì ， děng dài míng tiān de dào lái 。
只得深吸一口气，等待明天的到来。
He took a deep breath and waited for tomorrow.
jiē xià lái shí tiān shí jiān ， jì shào lí měi tiān dōu cān yù yī gān chuí diào 。
接下来十天时间，季绍离每天都参与一杆垂钓。
For the next ten days, Ji Shao Li participated in one fishing session each day.
zǒng gòng zhǐ diào shàng lái liù gè guāng tuán 。
总共只钓上来六个光团。
In total, he caught six light orbs: five white and one blue.
wǔ bái yī lán 。
五白一蓝。
The white light orbs contained mere minerals and spirit herbs—nothing of great value.
bái sè guāng tuán zhōng ， dōu zhǐ shì xiē kuàng shí 、 líng cǎo zhī lèi de dōng xī 。
白色光团中，都只是些矿石、灵草之类的东西。
But the blue light orb yielded an jade slip.
méi yǒu tài dà de jià zhí 。
没有太大的价值。
"《Tai Kang Gengjin Jianqi》?"
ér lán sè guāng tuán zhōng ， què shì kāi chū le yī méi yù jiǎn 。
而蓝色光团中，却是开出了一枚玉简。
Ji Shao Li carefully read the contents on the jade slip.
“《 tài kāng gēng jīn jiàn qì 》？”
“《太康庚金剑气》？”
"Sure enough, it's not from the Xuanhuang Realm."
jì shào lí zǐ xì yuè dú qǐ le yù jiǎn zhōng de nèi róng 。
季绍离仔细阅读起了玉简中的内容。
This "Tai Kang Gengjin Jianqi" originated from a technique of the Taiyi Sect in the Taiyi Realm—a place similar to the Xuanhuang Realm.
“ guǒ rán bú shì xuán huáng jiè chǎn wù 。”
“果然不是玄黄界产物。”
However, five top cultivators didn't ascend to the Immortal Realm; instead, they transformed into the Dao and were called the Five Sovereigns of Taiyi.
zhè 《 tài kāng gēng jīn jiàn qì 》， lái zì nǎi shì 【 tài yì jiè 】、 shén jiàn zōng de yī mén gōng fǎ 。
这《太康庚金剑气》，来自乃是【太易界】、神剑宗的一门功法。
Tai Kang was one of these five sovereigns.
tài yì jiè yǔ xuán huáng jiè qíng xíng dà dǐ xiāng tóng 。
太易界与玄黄界情形大抵相同。
"Can I advance to the realm of union with the Dao by relying on Tai Kang's power?"
bù guò què yǒu wǔ zūn xiū liàn dào dǐng diǎn de dà xiū shì ， méi yǒu fēi shēng xiān jiè ， ér yǐ shēn huà dào 。
不过却有五尊修炼到顶点的大修士，没有飞升仙界，而以身化道。
"Why is it only a blue quality?"
yǔ tài yì jiè tiān dào róng wéi yī tǐ 。 bèi tài yì jiè xiū shì chēng zhī wèi 【 tài yì wǔ fāng dì zūn 】。
与太易界天道融为一体。被太易界修士称之为【太易五方帝尊】。
After reading through the jade slip, Ji Shao Li felt somewhat surprised.
tài kāng ， biàn shì zhè wǔ wèi dì zūn qí zhōng zhī yī 。
太康，便是这五位帝尊其中之一。
Only after attempting to practice "Tai Kang Gengjin Jianqi" did he realize:
“ jiè zhù tài kāng dì zūn zhī lì ， kě jiāng jiàn jué yī lù xiū liàn dào hé dào jìng jiè ？”
“借助太康帝尊之力，可将剑决一路修炼到合道境界？”
"The technique was tailored for specific circumstances. The necessary condition for cultivation was Tai Kang's power. But there's no Tai Kang in the Xuanhuang Realm."
“ zěn me cái shì lán sè pǐn zhì ？”
“怎么才是蓝色品质？”
Without the union with the Dao, this technique couldn't be practiced.
tōng dú yù jiǎn nèi róng zhī hòu ， jì shào lí bù jīn yǒu xiē cuò è 。
通读玉简内容之后，季绍离不禁有些错愕。
If not for its Dao realm quality, it would have been classified as white.
dāng tā shì tú xiū liàn zhè 《 tài kāng gēng jīn jiàn qì 》 zhī hòu ， zhè cái fǎn yìng guò lái 。
当他试图修炼这《太康庚金剑气》之后，这才反应过来。
"This fishing platform actually reassesses item value based on location?" Ji Shao Li marveled silently.
suǒ wèi yīn dì ér zhì yí 。
所谓因地而制宜。
Although he had little to show for his efforts, Ji Shao Li wasn't angry.
zhè mén jiàn jué ， nǎi shì gēn jù tài yì jiè jù tǐ qíng xíng suǒ zhuān mén chuàng zào de gōng fǎ 。 xiū xíng de bì yào tiáo jiàn ， jiù shì tài kāng dì zūn zhī lì 。
这门剑决，乃是根据太易界具体情形所专门创造的功法。修行的必要条件，就是太康帝尊之力。
He observed Zhong Shen Tong's fishing process over the past ten days.
ér xuán huáng jiè ， gēn běn jiù bù cún zài shén me “ tài kāng ”。
而玄黄界，根本就不存在什么“太康”。
Zhong seemed to know some tricks and hadn't cast an empty rod once. He got eight white and two blue light orbs—far more than Ji Shao Li!
suǒ yǐ zhè mén gōng fǎ zì rán yě jiù wú fǎ xiū xíng le 。
所以这门功法自然也就无法修行了。
After considering this, Ji Shao Li decided not to waste any more time.
rú guǒ bú shì yǒu zhe hé dào pǐn zhì ， kǒng pà jiù yào guī yú bái sè nà yī dàng le 。
如果不是有着合道品质，恐怕就要归于白色那一档了。
That day, after Zhong Shen Tong had finished his meal, he was about to take a nap when something changed his expression.
“ zhè diào yú tái ， jū rán hái huì gēn jù suǒ chù huán jìng ， chóng xīn píng gū wù pǐn jià zhí ？” jì shào lí bù jīn àn zì jīng tàn 。
“这钓鱼台，居然还会根据所处环境，重新评估物品价值？”季绍离不禁暗自惊叹。
A golden light shield enveloped the small temple and the fishing pool. Numerous golden snakes of lightning were forming in the sky, as if ready to strike at any moment.
suī rán jī hū xiāng dāng yú méi yǒu shōu huò ， dàn jì shào lí yě bìng wèi nǎo nù 。
虽然几乎相当于没有收获，但季绍离也并未恼怒。
"Master!" the young apprentice, who was washing dishes, gasped in fear.
tā guān chá le zhè shí tiān lǐ ， zhōng shén tōng de chuí diào guò chéng 。
他观察了这十天里，钟神通的垂钓过程。
"Lustrous, come behind me quickly!" Zhong Shen Tong grabbed the young apprentice and shielded him with a command flag he pulled out.
bì jìng bǐ tā zǎo jiē chù zhè diào yú tái ， zhōng shén tōng sì hū zhǎng wò le mǒu xiē jué qiào 。
毕竟比他早接触这钓鱼台，钟神通似乎掌握了某些诀窍。
A yellowish energy formed into a ball, enveloping both of them.
shí cì jī huì ， méi yǒu yī gān shì kōng de 。
十次机会，没有一杆是空的。
"Who is this fellow? Can you please show yourself?"
suī rán zhǐ shì bā bái èr lán ， dàn réng rán shèng guò jì shào lí tài duō ！
虽然只是八白二蓝，但仍然胜过季绍离太多！
"There might be some misunderstanding!"
sī suǒ le yī fān hòu ， jì shào lí jué dìng bù zài hào xià qù 。
思索了一番后，季绍离决定不再耗下去。
Zhong Shen Tong shouted loudly.
zhè yī rì ， dāng zhōng shén tōng jiǔ zú fàn bǎo zhī hòu ， zhèng zhǔn bèi qián qù wǔ shuì 。
这一日，当钟神通酒足饭饱之后，正准备前去午睡。
But Ji Shao Li noticed that despite his words, Zhong had already secretly taken out a wooden sword.
què shì hū de miàn sè yī biàn 。
却是忽的面色一变。
Even though he was several levels higher in cultivation, Ji Shao Li sensed a thread of lethal danger from the wooden sword.
yī dào jīn sè de guāng zhào ， jiāng zhěng zuò xiǎo miào 、 bāo kuò diào yú chí quán dōu lǒng zhào zài nèi 。
一道金色的光罩，将整座小庙、包括钓鱼池全都笼罩在内。
Ji Shao Li didn't appear. He simply said coldly, "Zhong Daoist, if you don't want this fishing pool to become common knowledge..."
yǒu wú shù jīn shé bān de léi tíng ， zhèng zài tiān kōng zhī shàng shēng chéng 。
有无数金蛇般的雷霆，正在天空之上生成。
"Then I advise you not to resist!"
fǎng fú xià yī kè jiù yào pī xià lái 。
仿佛下一刻就要劈下来。
"In truth, I have no ill intentions."
“ shī fù ！” zhèng zài xǐ wǎn de xiǎo dào tóng hài rán shī sè 。
“师父！”正在洗碗的小道童骇然失色。
"I merely share your curiosity as a fisherman!"
“ liú lí ， kuài dào wèi shī shēn hòu lái ！” zhōng shén tōng yī bǎ zhuā guò xiǎo dào tóng ， hù zài shēn hòu 。
“琉璃，快到为师身后来！”钟神通一把抓过小道童，护在身后。
These words made Zhong Shen Tong lose his composure.
tóng shí qǔ chū yī méi lìng qí ， chā zài dì shàng 。
同时取出一枚令旗，插在地上。
The biggest secret had been exposed. He was panicking inside and changing his expression rapidly before finally sheathing the wooden sword.
tǔ huáng sè de néng liàng xíng chéng yí gè yuán qiú ， jiāng èr rén bāo guǒ 。
土黄色的能量形成一个圆球，将二人包裹。
"Very well, come out then! Hiding behind someone else's back won't work!" he said sternly.
“ shì nǎ wèi dào yǒu ？ kě fǒu chū lái yī jiàn ？”
“是哪位道友？可否出来一见？”
"Haha, Daoist friend, you don't know how many treasures I've obtained from that fishing pool. How could you not be careful?" Ji Shao Li didn't budge but asked about the method to catch higher-quality light orbs.
“ zhè qí zhōng huò xǔ yǒu shén me wù huì ！”
“这其中或许有什么误会！”
"You can't fool me; I know your entire harvest over these ten days," Ji Shao Li said with a mocking tone.
zhōng shén tōng gāo shēng shuō dào 。
钟神通高声说道。
Zhong Shen Tong's heart sank.
ér jì shào lí què kàn de qīng chǔ ， suī rán zuǐ shàng zhè me shuō ， tā shǒu lǐ què shì yǐ jīng qiǎo rán qǔ chū le yī bǐng mù zhì xiǎo jiàn 。
而季绍离却看的清楚，虽然嘴上这么说，他手里却是已经悄然取出了一柄木制小剑。
For so many days, he had been thoroughly observed. Yet, he remained oblivious.
jí biàn jìng jiè gāo guò duì fāng ， jì shào lí réng rán cóng zhè xiǎo jiàn shēn shàng gǎn dào le sī sī zhì mìng de wēi jī 。
即便境界高过对方，季绍离仍然从这小剑身上感到了丝丝致命的危机。
This proved that his opponent was far more powerful than him.
jì shào lí méi yǒu xiàn shēn ， zhǐ shì lěng lěng dì shuō dào ：“ zhōng dào yǒu ， rú guǒ bù xiǎng diào yú chí de shì qíng ， nòng dé shì rén jiē zhī 。”
季绍离没有现身，只是冷冷地说道：“钟道友，如果不想钓鱼池的事情，弄得世人皆知。”
Despite overwhelming strength, the opponent still acted cautiously...
“ wǒ quàn nǐ hái shì bú yào dǐ kàng de hǎo ！”
“我劝你还是不要抵抗的好！”
Zhong Shen Tong cursed inwardly.
“ qí shí ， wǒ yě bìng méi yǒu shén me è yì 。”
“其实，我也并没有什么恶意。”
Reluctantly, he revealed what he had learned.
“ zhǐ shì shēn wèi yī míng diào yú rén ， tóng yàng duì qí hào qí de jǐn bà le ！”
“只是身为一名钓鱼人，同样对其好奇的紧罢了！”
"The more times you cast on the fishing platform, the stronger your connection becomes."
cǐ yán yī chū ， zhōng shén tōng chè dǐ bù dàn dìng le 。
此言一出，钟神通彻底不淡定了。
"Perhaps there used to be a way to increase this connection directly. But now, it's only through repeated attempts and time."
zuì dà de mì mì yǐ jīng bào lù ， zhōng shén tōng xīn zhōng yī zhèn huāng luàn 。
最大的秘密已经暴露，钟神通心中一阵慌乱。
"When the connection is strong enough, you can use your 'intention' as bait to attract nearby light orbs."
liǎn shàng shén sè bù duàn biàn huàn ， zuì zhōng tā hái shì jiāng mù jiàn shōu qǐ 。
脸上神色不断变幻，最终他还是将木剑收起。
"The light orbs seem to have intelligence; they can sense the content of the intention bait."
“ jì rú cǐ ， hái qǐng chū lái yī jiàn ！ cáng tóu lù wěi suàn shén me ！” tā chén shēng dào 。
“既如此，还请出来一见！藏头露尾算什么！”他沉声道。
...
“ hē hē ， dào yǒu bù zhī dào cóng nà diào yú chí zhōng ， dé le duō shǎo bǎo bèi 。 bù xiǎo xīn diǎn zěn me xíng 。” jì shào lí bìng méi yǒu bèi tā shuō dòng 。
“呵呵，道友不知道从那钓鱼池中，得了多少宝贝。不小心点怎么行。”季绍离并没有被他说动。
Zhong Shen Tong confessed honestly.
ér shì wèn qǐ le néng gòu diào qǐ gèng gāo pǐn zhì guāng tuán de fāng fǎ 。
而是问起了能够钓起更高品质光团的方法。
Ji Shao Li listened carefully while discerning the truth in his words.
“ nǐ yě bié xiǎng piàn wǒ ， zhè shí tiān nǐ de shōu huò ， wǒ dōu yì qīng èr chǔ 。” jì shào lí yòng xì xuè de yǔ qì shuō dào 。
“你也别想骗我，这十天你的收获，我都一清二楚。”季绍离用戏谑的语气说道。
"You don't need to worry about me deceiving you. Try it yourself and see."
zhōng shén tōng yī kē xīn ， zé shì chè dǐ chén le xià lái 。
钟神通一颗心，则是彻底沉了下来。
"Since I discovered the secret of this fishing pool, I knew that I couldn't keep it all to myself forever."
duì fāng zhè me duō tiān ， jī hū jiāng tā kàn le gè biàn 。
对方这么多天，几乎将他看了个遍。
Zhong Shen Tong sighed deeply.
ér tā duì cǐ jū rán yī wú suǒ jué 。
而他对此居然一无所觉。
"Unfortunately, the fishing pool seems to be fused with the heavens and earth, fixed in place. It can't be moved or taken away."
zú yǐ shuō míng duì fāng shí lì bì rán yuǎn chāo zì jǐ 。
足以说明对方实力必然远超自己。
"Otherwise..."
shí lì yǐ jīng niǎn yā ， què yī jiù rú cǐ xiǎo xīn jǐn shèn ……
实力已经碾压，却依旧如此小心谨慎……
Zhong Shen Tong said helplessly.
zhōng shén tōng xīn zhōng bù jīn àn mà le jù 。
钟神通心中不禁暗骂了句。
"I only hope you spare Lustrous's life. Kill me if you must," he pleaded.
wú nài zhī xià ， zhǐ dé jiāng tā zì jǐ suǒ zǒng jié de xīn dé gěi shuō le chū lái 。
无奈之下，只得将他自己所总结的心得给说了出来。
Finally, Ji Shao Li revealed himself.
“ zài diào yú tái shàng ， huī gān de cì shù yuè duō ， gēn qí chǎn shēng de lián xì yě jiù yuè qiáng 。”
“在钓鱼台上，挥杆的次数越多，跟其产生的联系也就越强。”
"Haha, Daoist Zhong, put your treasure away."
“ huò xǔ céng jīng yǒu qí tā ， néng gòu zhí jiē zēng jiā lián xì de fāng shì 。 bù guò rú jīn ， zhǐ néng kào zhe cì shù yǔ shí jiān zuò shuǐ mó gōng fu 。”
“或许曾经有其他，能够直接增加联系的方式。不过如今，只能靠着次数与时间做水磨工夫。”
"I have no intention of monopolizing this secret."
“ dāng lián xì jiā qiáng dào yí dìng chéng dù zhī hòu ， biàn kě yǐ zì shēn 【 yì niàn 】 wèi ěr ， xī yǐn zhōu wéi guāng tuán 。”
“当联系加强到一定程度之后，便可以自身【意念】为饵，吸引周围光团。”
Hearing this, Zhong Shen Tong looked suspicious but still clutched a purple gourd tightly in his hand.
“ guāng tuán shì yǒu líng xìng ， néng gòu gǎn zhī yì niàn yú ěr zhōng de nèi róng 。”
“光团似有灵性，能够感知意念鱼饵中的内容。”
(End of Chapter)
"The fish bite the bait because they want to eat. What do these light orbs desire?"
Sitting atop the endless expanse of stars, Ji Shao Li was pondering this question.
"From a fleeting glimpse, it seems that these light orbs contain items, mystical techniques, or even divine powers and combat experiences."
...
"This fishing pool might be an artifact designed with certain thresholds to reward those who catch them."
Scanning his gaze over the white, blue, green, purple, and orange light orbs, Ji Shao Li seemed contemplative.
"The more valuable the item, the higher its tier. Thus, attracting it becomes harder."
"But I only have a residual consciousness now. Even if I try to catch those white light orbs, it's purely by chance. Forget about the higher-tier ones."
Despite numerous attempts, Ji Shao Li still couldn't add "bait" to his fishing line.
And he was indeed unlucky.
After a long time, not even one of the white light orbs were attracted.
It seemed there was a time limit in this starlight expanse.
The surrounding stars grew dimmer, as if Ji Shao Li had returned to reality after the layers of water waves dissipated.
This fishing session ended with an empty rod!
Disappointed, Ji Shao Li prepared for another cast. However, he remembered that he could only activate the fishing starlight power once a day.
He took a deep breath and waited for tomorrow.
For the next ten days, Ji Shao Li participated in one fishing session each day.
In total, he caught six light orbs: five white and one blue.
The white light orbs contained mere minerals and spirit herbs—nothing of great value.
But the blue light orb yielded an jade slip.
"《Tai Kang Gengjin Jianqi》?"
Ji Shao Li carefully read the contents on the jade slip.
"Sure enough, it's not from the Xuanhuang Realm."
This "Tai Kang Gengjin Jianqi" originated from a technique of the Taiyi Sect in the Taiyi Realm—a place similar to the Xuanhuang Realm.
However, five top cultivators didn't ascend to the Immortal Realm; instead, they transformed into the Dao and were called the Five Sovereigns of Taiyi.
Tai Kang was one of these five sovereigns.
"Can I advance to the realm of union with the Dao by relying on Tai Kang's power?"
"Why is it only a blue quality?"
After reading through the jade slip, Ji Shao Li felt somewhat surprised.
Only after attempting to practice "Tai Kang Gengjin Jianqi" did he realize:
"The technique was tailored for specific circumstances. The necessary condition for cultivation was Tai Kang's power. But there's no Tai Kang in the Xuanhuang Realm."
Without the union with the Dao, this technique couldn't be practiced.
If not for its Dao realm quality, it would have been classified as white.
"This fishing platform actually reassesses item value based on location?" Ji Shao Li marveled silently.
Although he had little to show for his efforts, Ji Shao Li wasn't angry.
He observed Zhong Shen Tong's fishing process over the past ten days.
Zhong seemed to know some tricks and hadn't cast an empty rod once. He got eight white and two blue light orbs—far more than Ji Shao Li!
After considering this, Ji Shao Li decided not to waste any more time.
That day, after Zhong Shen Tong had finished his meal, he was about to take a nap when something changed his expression.
A golden light shield enveloped the small temple and the fishing pool. Numerous golden snakes of lightning were forming in the sky, as if ready to strike at any moment.
"Master!" the young apprentice, who was washing dishes, gasped in fear.
"Lustrous, come behind me quickly!" Zhong Shen Tong grabbed the young apprentice and shielded him with a command flag he pulled out.
A yellowish energy formed into a ball, enveloping both of them.
"Who is this fellow? Can you please show yourself?"
"There might be some misunderstanding!"
Zhong Shen Tong shouted loudly.
But Ji Shao Li noticed that despite his words, Zhong had already secretly taken out a wooden sword.
Even though he was several levels higher in cultivation, Ji Shao Li sensed a thread of lethal danger from the wooden sword.
Ji Shao Li didn't appear. He simply said coldly, "Zhong Daoist, if you don't want this fishing pool to become common knowledge..."
"Then I advise you not to resist!"
"In truth, I have no ill intentions."
"I merely share your curiosity as a fisherman!"
These words made Zhong Shen Tong lose his composure.
The biggest secret had been exposed. He was panicking inside and changing his expression rapidly before finally sheathing the wooden sword.
"Very well, come out then! Hiding behind someone else's back won't work!" he said sternly.
"Haha, Daoist friend, you don't know how many treasures I've obtained from that fishing pool. How could you not be careful?" Ji Shao Li didn't budge but asked about the method to catch higher-quality light orbs.
"You can't fool me; I know your entire harvest over these ten days," Ji Shao Li said with a mocking tone.
Zhong Shen Tong's heart sank.
For so many days, he had been thoroughly observed. Yet, he remained oblivious.
This proved that his opponent was far more powerful than him.
Despite overwhelming strength, the opponent still acted cautiously...
Zhong Shen Tong cursed inwardly.
Reluctantly, he revealed what he had learned.
"The more times you cast on the fishing platform, the stronger your connection becomes."
"Perhaps there used to be a way to increase this connection directly. But now, it's only through repeated attempts and time."
"When the connection is strong enough, you can use your 'intention' as bait to attract nearby light orbs."
"The light orbs seem to have intelligence; they can sense the content of the intention bait."
...
Zhong Shen Tong confessed honestly.
Ji Shao Li listened carefully while discerning the truth in his words.
"You don't need to worry about me deceiving you. Try it yourself and see."
"Since I discovered the secret of this fishing pool, I knew that I couldn't keep it all to myself forever."
Zhong Shen Tong sighed deeply.
"Unfortunately, the fishing pool seems to be fused with the heavens and earth, fixed in place. It can't be moved or taken away."
"Otherwise..."
Zhong Shen Tong said helplessly.
"I only hope you spare Lustrous's life. Kill me if you must," he pleaded.
Finally, Ji Shao Li revealed himself.
"Haha, Daoist Zhong, put your treasure away."
"I have no intention of monopolizing this secret."
Hearing this, Zhong Shen Tong looked suspicious but still clutched a purple gourd tightly in his hand.
(End of Chapter)