Chapter 867: One Who Seeks Liberation
Chapter 867: One Who Seeks Liberation
"I suspect the only reason a minor Foundation Establishment cultivator like Zhong Shentong could hold onto a treasure like the Seven-Colored Gilded Light without being robbed was the protection he received for handing over the Fishing Pool."
A touch of wonder filled Li Fan's thoughts.
He shouldn't have overlooked that detail.
But first, he had been elated by acquiring the treasure, and then he'd successfully broken through. The combination had made him a bit complacent, letting the success go to his head.
And so, he had ignored this peculiar point.
"Still, it's not entirely a bad thing. At the very least, I now know that the seven-colored divine light cannot be used carelessly. And it drew out this heavyweight."
Li Fan cast an unobtrusive glance at the scholar with the stone slate behind him.
Within the surging earth veins, the scholar simply strolled along as if taking a leisurely walk.
They were unnervingly calm.
They even refused to respond to Lin Ling's calls in the slightest.
Li Fan cursed inwardly and urged Lin Ling to continue on their way.
Meanwhile, in Nine Mountains Province.
At their previous meeting spot.
Not long after Li Fan and the scholar had departed together, A cultivator dressed in the attire of the Five Elders Council arrived, quite late.
He waited for a long time, but no one appeared.
He was left utterly bewildered.
...
Yongyun Province.
In a small temple nestled in the mountains, just outside the Fishing Pool.
"Senior, please look," Li Fan said respectfully, gesturing toward the small pond before them.
Because Ji Shaoli had sent word ahead of their arrival, Zhong Shentong was already aware that someone was coming.
He looked at the scholar with the stone slate and Li Fan, not daring to even breathe too loudly.
He pulled Liuli behind him, firmly holding her head down to keep her from peeking out to get a better look.
The scholar with the stone slate studied the pond with great interest for a long while.
"It's nothing more than an ordinary little pond..."
"Could there be some hidden mystery?"
The scholar's curiosity was piqued.
Li Fan gave Zhong Shentong a meaningful look, signaling for him to demonstrate.
"Today's attempts have already been used up," Zhong Shentong said with a helpless expression.
Seeing this, Li Fan had no choice but to step up himself.
He sat by the edge of the pond, his back straight and perfectly composed.
He cast his line.
The next moment, a peculiar light erupted in the eyes of the scholar with the stone slate.
When Li Fan reeled in his line and returned, the scholar took the white ball of light from his hand to inspect it, and a look of sudden understanding dawned on his face.
"So that's how it is."
He eagerly stepped forward, wanting to try it for himself.
Li Fan was just about to speak up and remind him of the correct method for using the Fishing Pool.
But he saw the scholar with the stone slate pause in thought. Then, his figure blurred, and his appearance shifted completely!
Li Fan was quite familiar with the new face.
It was the mad Fisherman Elder!
The only difference was that the fishing basket on his back had been replaced by the heavy, green stone slate!
"Ah, I forgot to mention. This scholarly guise is not my true form,"
"I was merely imitating that fellow from the Five Elders Council."
The "Fisherman" smiled, humming a little tune as he cast his line.
His expression and posture were nearly identical to those of the real Fisherman Elder.
Li Fan's heart sank.
Based on their previous encounter, he had, in his heart, somewhat underestimated this Longevity realm expert.
After all, the surveillance function of the Creation Stone Slab only worked in certain areas.
And this man had not only failed to see through his true identity but had also reacted with the same unrestrained delight as any common cultivator upon seeing the Fishing Pool.
Subconsciously, he had lowered his estimation of the man's power and mystique.
But now, it seemed...
This one was also hiding his true depths.
Though he had not achieved his state by reversing the logic of heaven and earth, he was absolutely not to be underestimated.
Li Fan stood to the side, not daring to make a single rash move.
Zhong Shentong was like a statue, his expression and body frozen solid.
Of those present, only Lin Ling and Liuli, the two boldest ones, secretly peeked at the stone-slate-bearing Fisherman.
The Fisherman's first attempt at fishing was extraordinarily long.
And he seemed to be completely immersed in the process.
Even after half a day had passed, he remained seated and motionless. It reached the point where Li Fan began to suspect he had already failed and was just keeping up appearances.
However, as a brilliant golden light once again illuminated the small mountain temple, Li Fan's doubts vanished without a trace.
Staring at the golden ball of light in the Fisherman's hand, Li Fan couldn't help but start questioning reality itself.
Zhong Shentong, too, was utterly dumbfounded, unable to believe what his eyes were seeing.
The Fisherman with the stone slate stared at the ball of light for a moment. "The *Heavenly Emperor Qi Canon*?"
"Become the sovereign emperor of the world, gather the fortune of the dynasty and all living beings. One can become a powerhouse comparable to the Longevity realm without even cultivating..."
"All they ever think about is fighting and killing. How utterly dull."
The Fisherman sounded bored. "Here, you can have it."
With that, he casually tossed the golden ball of light toward Li Fan and the others.
Although Zhong Shentong wanted to reach out for it, a subtle, murderous glint in Li Fan's eyes made him reconsider.
Li Fan caught the golden light and quickly examined it.
Its contents were exactly as the Fisherman had described.
It was a unique cultivation method from a world devoid of spiritual energy.
"Quite ingenious, I suppose."
"Unfortunately, to gather fortune on the scale described in this canon would require hundreds of years and the tireless efforts of more than ten successive generations."
"Hardly worth the effort."
Li Fan commented with a hint of regret, though he still stored it carefully in his storage ring.
He looked at the Fisherman, who was still postured as if fishing, and couldn't help but say, "Senior, the Fishing Pool can only be used once a day."
The Fisherman yawned. "I know."
"But I'm just fishing."
Li Fan was taken aback.
The Fisherman with the stone slate seemed to genuinely enjoy the act of fishing itself.
He didn't seem to care whether he reeled in a treasure-filled ball of light or not.
Compared to Zhong Shentong and Li Fan, he was like a true angler.
"From now on, I'll be living here."
"There's no need to be so tense. Just pretend I'm not here."
"I don't want the things I fish up. You can have them all."
The Fisherman suddenly announced.
Li Fan had anticipated this, but even with the man's assurance, how could he possibly ignore the presence of a Longevity realm expert?
"Senior, are you perhaps trying to find something useful from this Fishing Pool?"
The Fisherman didn't seem to harbor any ill will.
Li Fan mustered his courage and asked.
The Fisherman's reply was disarmingly direct. "I am. In the entire Xuanhuang Realm, there is nothing that can remove this stone slate from my back."
"Perhaps something that can exists within this Fishing Pool."
The answer was so unexpected that it left Li Fan speechless, and he fell into a thoughtful silence.
Zhong Shentong and Liuli, however, stared with intense curiosity at the ancient stone slate on the man's back.
"It's so tiring. So painful."
The Fisherman sighed deeply, still holding his fishing rod.
"Everything that happens in the Xuanhuang Realm. Every event, every single moment."
"Even if you don't want to know, it all appears in your mind, uncontrollably."
"You think that's a good thing?"
The Fisherman with the stone slate shook his head again and again.
"In the beginning, I tried splitting my own head open."
"But as long as the slate is indestructible, I cannot die."
"Even if I'm nothing but a skeleton, the memories will still flood my mind."
(End of Chapter)
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