Chapter 972: Void White Fish (2)

Unlike Liu Shaji’s pure silver Lotus Sword, Li Xiaofei’s White Lotus Killing Sword had a different hue due to his own unique attributes. This had been well within Li Xiaofei’s expectations.

His main purpose in cultivating the White Lotus World-Cleansing Killing Scripture was to break through to the Golden Immortal Realm, not to seek strength from the technique itself. The scripture had its own distinct features in the flow and circulation of Immortal Force, which was only natural, after all, for a technique that could elevate someone to the quasi-Emperor Realm.

Li Xiaofei closed his eyes and entered cultivation. Petals swirled gently around him, scattering through the void. A massive lotus flower, gleaming with gold and silver, shimmered behind him and slowly bloomed.

No one knew how much time had passed as Li Xiaofei concluded this round of cultivation. A faint golden light flashed across the surface of his skin, then disappeared. The aura he released had reached an entirely new realm. The Golden Immortal Realm. He was now level eight the way the Reapers measured it.

"Time's about up." Li Xiaofei knew he couldn’t afford to waste too much time.

He stepped out of the Secret Time Pavilion and returned to the base of the cliff in the Land of Sacred Fall. The black rocks blocked the terrifying wind and rain. Li Xiaofei was just about to release the undead bone dragon and continue his journey when he suddenly sensed something.

He turned his head and saw a solitary figure walking slowly toward him a few hundred meters away.

Someone is here?

Li Xiaofei’s heart tightened, and he immediately grew alert.

It was a tall and lean man, just over 1.8 meters in height. He carried a fishing rod on his shoulder and a fish basket at his waist. He had a straw raincoat and a conical hat, and hummed a tune as he strolled leisurely along the mountain path.

There was no overwhelming aura coming from him. He looked just like an ordinary person. But Li Xiaofei didn’t dare let down his guard for even a moment. How could an ordinary person possibly appear in a place as perilous as the Land of Sacred Fall?

The man wandered casually until he arrived near Li Xiaofei. When he looked up, Li Xiaofei discovered the face beneath the conical hat was rather young and handsome.

"Taking shelter from the rain?" The man spoke with a gentle smile on his face.

He gave Li Xiaofei an unexpectedly warm and friendly feeling.

Li Xiaofei nodded and replied, "The rain’s too heavy. Doesn’t look like it’ll stop anytime soon."

The man chuckled and said, "Who knows how long it’ll take if you’re just waiting around like this. Why not come fishing with me instead?"

Li Xiaofei froze for a moment, unsure how to respond. But the man continued enthusiastically, "It’s just around the bend. There’s a deep pool with white fish in it. The fish is sweet and flavorful, unmatched through the ages. If I catch some, you’ll get a good meal too."

Li Xiaofei thought for a moment and said, "Alright."

The young fisherman beamed with joy. He slung the fishing rod over his shoulder and led the way ahead.

"I got lost."

"Haha, interesting. You're the first in all of history to get lost in the Land of Sacred Fall."

"Then, how did you come here, senior?"

"Ah, I was feeling greedy, so I came to fish. If I’m lucky enough to catch one, that’ll be enough to keep me happy for a few hundred years."

With this casual exchange, the two of them quickly reached the bend in the cliff.

When they rounded the corner, a thunderous roar greeted them. A silver waterfall, dozens of meters wide, came crashing down from the cliff top and slammed into the deep pool below, stirring up a thick veil of mist.

The waterfall descended like three thousand feet of silk. It truly seemed as though the Milky Way had fallen from the Ninth Heaven. Lines of poetry surfaced in Li Xiaofei’s mind.

The young fisherman moved with practiced ease. He found a protruding rock ledge, sat down with his legs dangling over the edge, then flicked his fishing rod with a swish. A fine, long fishing line arced through the air and vanished into the misty pool below.

He looked as if he had been fishing here for a very long time. Everything about his movements showed deep familiarity. Li Xiaofei stood quietly to the side, observing.

This young fisherman was anything but ordinary. That handsome, refined face exuded youth and nobility, and there was a transcendent, ethereal air about him—something far removed from the mundane world.

The motion of the fisherman casting his rod made Li Xiaofei’s eyes light up. That was a sword technique. And not just any sword technique, it was one Li Xiaofei had previously seen at the Burial Ice Cliff.

It was one of the sword forms Lin Beichen had left behind on the cliff. When he stared at the silhouette of the young fisherman, waves surged within Li Xiaofei’s heart. This was truly one of those moments where one searched far and wide in vain, only to stumble upon what they sought effortlessly.

"Senior, are you Lin Beichen?" Li Xiaofei couldn’t help but ask.

The young fisherman smiled faintly but did not answer. Instead, he raised a finger to his lips in a gentle shushing gesture. Of course. He was fishing. When one fished, one needed silence. Otherwise, any startled fish would scatter, and all effort would be wasted.

Li Xiaofei had no choice but to fall silent. As he watched the young fisherman focus with his full attention on fishing, a strange sense of serenity filled his heart. The entire scene before him felt incredibly harmonious.

Thunder crashed and lightning split the sky. Rain lashed down and winds howled. But a man fished at a cliffside pool beneath a waterfall.

Li Xiaofei couldn’t help but wonder,

is this truly fishing?

He had been watching carefully and discovered that the thin line the young fisherman had cast was not made of any tangible material. It was a strand of sword qi. A single thread of pale silver sword qi. But there was no hook or bait at the end of the line.

Is this like the tale of Jiang Taigong’s fishing, where only the willing would be caught?

Li Xiaofei focused his gaze, peering intently into the pool below. The turbulent waters churned violently beneath the veil of mist. A deafening roar filled his ears, and the water’s surface shimmered with an unnatural silvery hue. Not a single fish could be seen.

The young fisherman continued to fish in silence, and Li Xiaofei stood quietly beside him, waiting. The sound of the wind and rain no longer seemed to belong to this world.

In the blink of an eye, half a day had passed. During that time, the young fisherman had not caught a single fish, and Li Xiaofei had not seen even a hint of a fish in the pool below. He had begun to wonder if there were any fish in the pool at all.

"Tell me, is it truly the man fishing, or the fish fishing for the man?" The young fisherman suddenly let out a sigh and asked aloud.

Li Xiaofei replied, "Of course it’s the man fishing."

"But have you ever considered," the young fisherman said, "that spending an entire day without catching a single fish means the fish have murdered twenty-four hours of your life?"

"But at least I’m still alive. Once a fish is caught, it has to die," Li Xiaofei answered.

Debates like this had long existed online back in the Earth era, before his transmigration. To Li Xiaofei, people who argued over such things simply had too much time on their hands.

Even if the question came from this mysterious fisherman, who quite possibly was Lin Beichen, it still didn’t make the answer any more profound.

The young fisherman smiled and said, "But what if it’s a great shark? The moment it breaks the surface, it might swallow the fisherman whole."

Li Xiaofei chose not to respond. He thought the debate was idiotic and utterly meaningless. The young fisherman fell silent again and flicked his fishing rod. This time, ten lines flew out at once. Each line now had a hook. And each hook was adorned with a glimmering speck of light, something that resembled bait. This time, it took less than half an hour for a fish to bite.

Plop.

A large white fish, half a meter long, was flung onto the bank, flopping wildly as it landed.