NOVPUBJi Shaoli spoke confidently, "If I’m not mistaken, the treasures one can obtain from this Fishing Pond are independent of one another, unaffected by others. That is to say, there is no life-or-death competition between you and me. That’s one thing."
"Furthermore, we all share a common interest. That is, the fewer cultivators who know the secret of this Fishing Pond, the better. Brother Zhong, do you think, with your power alone, you can keep this secret safe?"
"Today, I have discovered the anomaly here. Sooner or later, other cultivators will do the same. Can you stop them!" Ji Shaoli asked, without a hint of politeness, staring intently at Zhong Shentong.
Zhong Shentong could only remain silent.
"However, with our help, the risk of other cultivators discovering this place could be greatly reduced. To even occupy this supreme treasure forever is not impossible!" Ji Shaoli said with a laugh.
"Us?" Zhong Shentong finally changed color.
After hesitating for a long time, he finally put away the Gold Purple Gourd in his hand and said helplessly, "Please, come down and let’s talk."
Only then did the sense of crisis that had been lingering in Ji Shaoli’s mind completely vanish.
"Is that Gold Purple Gourd also fished out from the Fishing Pond, Brother Zhong?" Ji Shaoli asked, his gaze flickering, but he did not approach.
Zhong Shentong chuckled, "Old Daoist me has been guarding this Fishing Pond for half a lifetime, and this is the only treasure I’ve fished out."
"Golden Purple Gourd of Chaos, of purple quality. I wonder which Immortal Cultivation World created it, containing the two qi of chaos. With a single thought, it can turn the two qi into flying knives and strike down enemies. It is said that even God Transforming cultivators can be instantly slain by it. If only..."
Zhong Shentong shook his head slightly, "That’s in other Immortal Cultivation Worlds though. In our Xuanhuang World, cultivators from Nascent Soul and above embody Heaven and Earth. As long as Heaven and Earth remain, cultivators do not perish. So, this Golden Purple Gourd of Chaos isn’t that formidable here."
These words revealed why he had not chosen to act rashly.
With the augmentation of various protective treasures, the aura revealed by Ji Shaoli had far exceeded the realm of a Golden Core Cultivator.
Zhong Shentong could not be sure of Ji Shaoli’s real cultivation base and lacked the confidence for a one-hit kill.
Having heard that there might be an organization behind Ji Shaoli, he had no choice but to give up.
"Brother Zhong, how many years has it been since you uncovered the mysteries of this Fishing Pond?" Finally, Ji Shaoli descended from the clouds.
A hint of reminiscence flashed in Zhong Shentong’s eyes, "I can’t quite remember. It was when I was still young, how time flies..."
Meanwhile, Ji Shaoli quietly observed Taoist Luli, who Zhong Shentong had been guarding behind him.
Like a porcelain doll, with delicate features.
Wearing an oversized Taoist robe, at a glance, it was hard to distinguish the gender.
At this moment, Luli stuck her head out, her eyes showing little fear.
She just glared at Ji Shaoli, fuming.
"This little child..."
Zhong Shentong said with a forced smile, "Is just a mortal orphan I adopted..."
At that moment, Luli’s eyes widened in shock as she looked up at Zhong Shentong and said, "Master, didn’t you say that I too was fished out from this pond..."
"Hush..."
Before she could finish speaking, Zhong Shentong quickly covered her mouth, regretting it deeply.
"Hahaha..." Ji Shaoli laughed loudly, then suddenly stopped.
With a murderous look, he regarded Zhong Shentong, "If Brother Zhong insists on this, then don’t blame me for not showing mercy."
"Lin Ling!"
Luli also knew she had caused trouble and no longer struggled.
Yet Zhong Shentong did not blame her. Instead, he gently stroked the Little Daoist’s head, continually comforting the nearly weeping Luli. 𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙥𝒖𝒃.𝒄𝒐𝒎
The standoff between the two parties lasted for some time.
As a figure emerged in the sky and the pressure of Unity-Path descended, Zhong Shentong’s face turned extremely pale, and with a long sigh, he finally settled down.
"Little Liuli, I indeed fell out of the Fishing Pond," he said.
"At first, it was just a translucent fruit, similar to liuli. I was about to eat it when I faintly heard the cries of a baby from within."
...
Having given up resisting, Zhong Shentong sat down on the ground with a thud and slowly began to recount.
Lin Ling was very curious about this beautiful little Daoist child, with his spiritual consciousness continuously sweeping over her.
And this little girl actually sensed it, defiantly staring back at Lin Ling.
The two of them held each other’s gaze, neither willing to back down.
This scene made Zhong Shentong both want to laugh and cry, and the uneasiness in his heart disappeared as well.
When faced with the display of Unity-Path strength, he had felt despair.
But from the actions of this Unity Immortal Monarch, it seemed that the situation might not be as bad as he had imagined.
At that moment, Ji Shaoli also walked to the edge of the Fishing Pond.
With his back to Zhong Shentong, he spoke slowly, "I am not one to kill needlessly. Unless absolutely necessary, I do not wish to commit senseless slaughter. However, the secret of the Fishing Pond must not be revealed."
"Brother Zhong, you now have two choices."
"The first is to take your own life. If you do, I promise you, I’ll ensure that this child will have a worry-free second half of their life."
"Or alternatively..."
Zhong Shentong squinted his eyes, deliberately pausing as he listened to Ji Shaoli’s words.
"That is to join our United Federation of All Realms. As long as we’re all one family, you don’t need to worry about any secrets being leaked."
"The United... Federation?" Zhong Shentong was momentarily stunned upon hearing this completely unfamiliar name.
Still, with an Integration Cultivator at the helm, it must certainly be no trivial organization.
Zhong Shentong, having no real choice, quickly agreed.
"I am willing to join you."
"Excellent! Brother Zhong truly knows the ways of the world!" Ji Shaoli applauded and praised.
"Lin Ling!" he called out again.
Lin Ling looked towards Ji Shaoli, then pointed gently up into the air.
Afterward, the blurry image of a Faceless Stone Statue appeared above Zhong Shentong’s head.
While the features of the statue could not be made out, Zhong Shentong suddenly felt a terrifying chill in his heart.
In the Fishing Pond, he faced the star-like clusters of light every day.
He had developed an almost instinctual ability to assess the grade of the items.
Zhong Shentong almost immediately saw that this statue must be of significant origin!
As expected, he heard Ji Shaoli speak with a respectful tone, "This is the image of the ’Crimson Compassionate Immortal.’ All who join must recite an oath before the statue."
As he spoke, an oath of more than two hundred words was transmitted into Zhong Shentong’s Spirit Consciousness.
"A true Immortal..." Zhong Shentong’s heart grew cold.
"Could it be that behind the United Federation of All Realms..."
Zhong Shentong dared not think any further.
He had seen too many items from different Immortal Cultivation Worlds in the Fishing Pond.
He was utterly convinced of the real existence of the Immortal World, which transcended all Immortal Cultivation Worlds.
With a very solemn expression, Zhong Shentong recited the initiation oath in front of everyone.
The process seemed incredibly lengthy, and the oath itself seemed to be imbued with an extraordinarily mysterious energy.
