My Longevity Simulation - Chapter 857
Ji Shaoli spoke eloquently, “If my guess is correct, the treasures each person can obtain from this fishing pond are independent of one another and do not interfere with each other. In other words, you and I are not in a life-or-death competition. That is the first point.”
“Furthermore, we both have a common goal—keeping the number of cultivators who know the secret of this fishing pond as small as possible. Fellow Daoist Zhong, do you think you alone have the strength to keep this secret safe?”
“Today, I was able to discover the anomaly here. Sooner or later, other cultivators will also discover it. Can you stop them?”
Ji Shaoli stared intently at Zhong Shentong, questioning him bluntly.
Zhong Shentong could only remain silent.
“However, with our help, the risk of other cultivators discovering this place will be significantly reduced. It might even be possible to occupy this supreme treasure forever!” Ji Shaoli said with a smile.
“Our?” Zhong Shentong’s expression finally changed.
After a long hesitation, he sighed, put away the purple-gold gourd in his hand, and said helplessly, “Come down and talk, Fellow Daoist.”
Only then did the overwhelming sense of danger lingering in Ji Shaoli’s heart completely disappear.
“Fellow Daoist Zhong, was this purple-gold gourd also fished out from the pond?” Ji Shaoli’s eyes flickered as he asked, though he did not move closer.Zhong Shentong chuckled, “I’ve guarded this fishing platform for most of my life and only managed to fish out this one treasure.”
“The Hunyuan Purple Gold Gourd, of violet-grade quality. I don’t know which cultivation world it originates from, but inside, it contains the Primordial Qi. In a single thought, the Two Primordial Qi can be transformed into flying daggers to attack enemies. It is said that even a Soul Transformation cultivator can be instantly slain by it. Unfortunately…”
Zhong Shentong shook his head slightly, “That’s only in other cultivation worlds. In our Xuanhuang World, once a cultivator reaches the Nascent Soul stage, they become one with the heavens and earth. As long as the heavens and earth endure, the cultivator will not perish. Because of this, the Hunyuan Purple-Gold Gourd is not as powerful here.”
His words revealed why he hadn’t chosen to act rashly.
With the overwhelming aura emitted by Ji Shaoli, enhanced by numerous protective treasures, he had already exceeded the realm of a Golden Core cultivator.
Zhong Shentong couldn’t gauge Ji Shaoli’s true cultivation level and lacked the confidence to kill him in a single strike.
After hearing that Ji Shaoli might have an organization behind him, he had no choice but to back down.
“How many years has it been since you discovered the mysteries of this fishing pond, Fellow Daoist Zhong?” Ji Shaoli finally descended from the clouds.
A trace of reminiscence flashed in Zhong Shentong’s eyes. “I can’t quite remember. That was back when I was still young… Time flies.”
Ji Shaoli, however, silently observed the young Daoist child standing behind Zhong Shentong.
Delicate as a porcelain doll, their appearance was exquisite.
Dressed in a wide Daoist robe, at first glance, it was difficult to determine their gender.
At this moment, the Daoist child, Liuli, peeked out, eyes filled with defiance rather than fear, glaring at Ji Shaoli angrily.
“This little one…”
Zhong Shentong forced a stiff smile and said, “Just an orphan I took in.”
But at that moment, Liuli widened her eyes in shock and looked up at Zhong Shentong. “Master, didn’t you say that I was also fished out of the pond—”
“Mmhh!”
Before the words were fully spoken, Zhong Shentong hastily covered her mouth in regret.
“Hahaha.” Ji Shaoli laughed heartily but then abruptly stopped, his expression turning ice-cold as he stared at Zhong Shentong. “Fellow Daoist Zhong, if you insist on being stubborn, don’t blame me for showing no mercy.”
“Lin Ling!”
Liuli realized her mistake and immediately stopped struggling.
Zhong Shentong did not scold them but instead gently stroked the head of the teary-eyed Daoist child, comforting them.
The two sides remained in a tense standoff.
Then, as a figure appeared in the sky, the pressure of a Dao Integration cultivator descended upon them.
Zhong Shentong’s face turned deathly pale. He let out a long sigh and finally relented.
“Little Liuli… was indeed fished out from the pond.”
“At first, it was just a transparent fruit, as clear as colored glaze. I was about to eat it when I faintly heard the cry of an infant from within.”
…
Zhong Shentong, having given up on resisting, plopped down onto the ground and slowly recounted his tale.
Meanwhile, Lin Ling was quite curious about this pretty little Daoist child and continuously scanned her with spiritual sense.
Surprisingly, the young girl seemed to sense this and, unwilling to back down, glared at Lin Ling in return.
The two of them locked eyes, neither willing to yield.
This scene left Zhong Shentong both amused and exasperated, and the unease in his heart began to dissipate.
When the other party revealed the strength of a Dao Integration Immortal Sage, he had felt utterly hopeless.
However, judging from this Immortal Sage’s actions, things did not seem as dire as he had imagined.
At this moment, Ji Shaoli also walked over to the fishing pond.
With his back facing Zhong Shentong, he slowly spoke:
“I am not one who kills indiscriminately. Unless absolutely necessary, I do not wish to commit needless slaughter. However, the secret of the fishing pond must never be revealed.”
“Fellow Daoist Zhong, you now have two choices.”
“The first is to give up your life and end yourself. If you do so, I promise you that this child will live the rest of her life without worry.”
“As for the second…”
Zhong Shentong narrowed his eyes as Ji Shaoli deliberately paused.
“That would be to join our Federation of All Worlds. If we are family, then there will be no need to worry about secrets being leaked.”
“Federation of All… Worlds?” Hearing this completely unfamiliar name, Zhong Shentong was momentarily stunned.
However, with a Dao Integration cultivator overseeing it, this organization was definitely no ordinary force.
Having no real choice, Zhong Shentong quickly and decisively agreed.
“I am willing to join you.”
“Good! Fellow Daoist Zhong, you are indeed a man of vision!” Ji Shaoli clapped his hands and praised him.
“Lin Ling!” he then called out.
Lin Ling looked at Ji Shaoli before lightly pointing into the air.
Immediately, a blurred image of a faceless stone statue appeared above Zhong Shentong’s head.
Though its features were indistinct, an intense sense of dread surged in Zhong Shentong’s heart.
After spending countless days in the fishing pond, surrounded by orbs as vast as the stars, he had developed an almost instinctive ability to assess the rank of artifacts.
With just one glance, he knew—this statue had to be something extraordinary!
Sure enough, Ji Shaoli spoke in a tone of deep reverence:
“This is the statue of the [Merciful True Immortal of Salvation and Mortal Compassion]. Anyone who joins the Federation must recite an oath before it.”
With that, a lengthy oath of over two hundred words was transmitted into Zhong Shentong’s mind.
“True Immortal…” Zhong Shentong’s heart trembled.
“Could it be that behind this Federation of All Worlds…”
He dared not think further.
Having seen countless artifacts from different cultivation realms within the fishing platform, he was utterly convinced of the real existence of the Immortal Realm, which stood above all cultivation worlds.
With an incomparably solemn expression, Zhong Shentong, before everyone present, recited the oath to join the alliance.
The process seemed endlessly long, and the oath itself seemed to contain a mysterious and unfathomable power.
