As the floating text indicating level completion dissipated in mid-air, an ethereal card gently descended into Bai Yi’s palm.
On the card, a deep night sky stretched over a young Taoist standing on an observation platform, gazing at the heavens. His blue robes fluttered in the breeze, his expression calm, as if he might ascend to immortality at any moment. The night’s shadows clung to him, while another figure stood diagonally behind him in the shadows, dressed in fine silks and holding a wine cup that reflected the moonlight.
From the cup, ripples of moonlight spread outward, forming a hazy compass rose on the card as a backdrop behind the two figures. The stars of the celestial sphere seemed to illuminate as the compass rotated.
—[Heavenly Master of Divine Calculation ★★★]
“So this is a special combination card…” Bai Yi mused, curiously examining the card in his hand. His thumb and forefinger at the bottom of the card suddenly made a slight rubbing motion, reminiscent of shuffling a deck of playing cards.
With a swoosh, an invisible illusion spread from behind the card. Golden ripples appeared in mid-air, and two faint card phantoms “shuffled” out as Bai Yi rubbed, neatly arranging themselves on either side of the original card.
As these two cards floated to the sides, the two figures on the main card seemed to come to life, drifting left and right to settle on the two new cards.
The central Divine Calculation card, now devoid of the two figures, was left with only the dark night sky and the empty observation platform.
On the two phantom cards that had split off…
The figure on the left, in robes as blue as rain-washed sky, was casually tossing and catching a wine cup that had somehow found its way into his hand. The figure on the right, discovering his cup “stolen,” could only bow his head and idly fiddle with the jade pendant at his waist.[Heavenly Master · Qi Jiu ★☆]
Divination lv1
[Note: An unremarkable novice diviner. Achieving lv1 is already an incredible miracle. Success once in a hundred divinations would be rare.]
Immortal Arts lv10
[Note: Mastery of any immortal art except divination comes naturally.]
[Description: After seven years of secretly learning from Su Huaijia, you’ve surpassed the master. Proof that you’re a natural-born prodigy in immortal cultivation!]
Words Come True lv10:
[Aura skill, limited to curse-type divinations. Combined with Immortal Arts lv10 to create misfortune, success rate approaches 100%.]
[Divine Calculator · Su Huaijia ★☆]
Divination lv10
[Note: A born divine calculator, a prodigy among diviners. Your current skill level doesn’t do justice to your talent; your progress is lightning-fast. Failure once in a thousand divinations would be rare.]
Immortal Arts lv1
[Note: No talent for any immortal art except divination. Despite years of diligent study, lv1 is your limit. A born failure at immortal cultivation, but a genius in calculation!]
Focus lv10:
[Aura skill, limited to learning divination. Your cultivation and improvement speed is over ten times that of others.]
“One’s a prodigy in immortal cultivation but a failure in divination; the other’s a failure in cultivation but a genius in divination…” Bai Yi remarked, surprised and intrigued as he examined the two cards with their drastically different attributes and levels. He could only marvel, “As expected of the Heavenly Master and Divine Calculator, truly a special combination card that only shows its full potential when combined.”
In comparison, the abilities and attributes displayed by the combined [Heavenly Master of Divine Calculation ★★★] card were indeed worlds apart.
His fingertips rubbed together again, and the two phantom cards flew back to the center, merging into one. The two figures that had left the observation platform reappeared on the once-empty platform.
Bai Yi twirled the complete [Divine Calculation] card between his fingers, suddenly pointing it towards the window. He lightly tapped the center of the card face with his finger, and with a swoosh—
“It’s not yet time for you to take the stage. Stay put for now.”
The card flew out, dissipating into specks of light in mid-air. Bai Yi’s soft murmur followed.
“Heavenly Master? Divine Calculator? This profession could learn from the Flower Speaker, appearing randomly here and there, at least to gain some Legend Degree.”
Simultaneously, the [Personality Mask] skill on Bai Yi’s interface lit up briefly. In his consciousness, tiny specks of light seemed to float out along the connection with the card.
After this, Bai Yi browsed through his inventory.
Invisible ripples formed in the air as the black-covered [Puppet Master’s Diary] slowly descended from mid-air.
“The ‘Divine Calculation’ card seems to perfectly complement the previous script…”
“Is this really just a coincidence…”
Bai Yi thoughtfully reached out to receive the black hardcover notebook, placing it on the table. He casually flipped to a fresh blank page and began writing a new script.
[…Since the departure of Pei Hefeng, the Hanguang Sword Master, along with his numerous followers, Blue Star had been devoid of spiritual energy for several hundred years.]
[Everything related to the extraordinary had become legend.]
[Until a century ago, when two friends who had failed the imperial examinations stumbled upon ancient cultivation scrolls from a thousand years past while traveling famous mountains and rivers, thus embarking on the path of immortality.]
[One friend possessed exceptional talent in divination, while the other was a natural prodigy in immortal cultivation. For a hundred years, they supported each other. The former used divination to help them avoid dangers and seek opportunities left by past extraordinaries in this magic-deficient era. The latter’s formidable power ensured they didn’t falter in their quest, and he shared cultivation opportunities with the former to prevent him from aging and dying like an ordinary mortal.]
[Thus, a hundred years passed in the blink of an eye.]
[Both were naturally indifferent to fame and fortune, content with wandering mountains and rivers, rarely showing off in public. As a result, the world remained unaware that two true immortal cultivators now walked among them.]
[In their travels, they had saved lives, attempted to take disciples, and searched for other cultivators, but the results were disappointing. Even when they passed on the cultivation scrolls, their disciples couldn’t grasp the basics. In the end, their only companions through a century in the mortal realm were each other.]
[Through ancient texts and fragments collected over a hundred years, combined with Su Huaijia’s masterful divination skills, they gradually pieced together the truth of the past.]
[Long ago, when spiritual energy was abundant, setting aside other countries, the Yao Country had always regarded the path of immortal cultivation as the fundamental, righteous way. Little did they know how many emperors of old had yearned for eternal life, praying for divine favor, yet remained unworthy of the immortal path.]
[The immortal path spoke of fate, talent, and destiny. As the saying goes, “Without the right moment in one’s fate, forcing it is futile.” Moreover, cultivators often distanced themselves from the mortal world, leading ordinary people to believe immortal cultivation was mere legend. Only those with the right talent, destiny, and opportunity had a chance to encounter an immortal, be accepted into their sect, and learn true methods.]
[In that bygone era of the extraordinary, the immortal path was the absolute righteous way; everything else was considered a side path.]
[Even the most revered martial arts masters were insignificant before cultivators. The pinnacle they reached after immense effort was merely the starting point for cultivators. Thus, countless people practiced martial arts to their limits, hoping to transition into cultivation and gain the favor of immortals, seeking a chance to cultivate the immortal path.]
[Then, five hundred years ago, a man appeared out of nowhere.]
[He possessed unparalleled martial arts talent, quickly dominating the martial world and becoming number one under heaven.]
[At this point, he finally qualified to learn about the existence of the immortal path. Faced with this truly extraordinary power, he, like every predecessor, decided to embark on the immortal path, starting a new life.]
[But as strong as his martial arts talent was, his aptitude for immortal cultivation was equally poor. Despite his immense efforts, he failed to catch the eye of cultivators. Instead, many martial arts failures he had once looked down upon received immortal opportunities and quickly surpassed him.]
[The latter, who prided themselves as noble cultivators, couldn’t tolerate that their former selves had once been beneath a mortal. Some had begged on their knees to escape death at his hands, some had flattered and praised this world’s number one, some had served him… His existence was a stain for all of them, symbolizing everyone’s shameful past.]
[— This man must disappear!]
[As people from a later era, Qi Jiu and Su Huaijia didn’t know exactly what happened 500 years ago. They only knew that the former world’s number one had once become everyone’s enemy, like a stray dog. If his enemies hadn’t been mere novice cultivators, he wouldn’t have had a chance to escape. He eventually disappeared for ten years, living in anonymity.]
[Later generations only knew that when he reappeared after a decade, he had elevated the mortal martial arts, once scorned by cultivators, to another realm—he had pushed ordinary martial arts beyond mortal limits, creating true “Martial Dao.”] (TL: Martial Way/Path)
[The emergence of Martial Dao changed everything.]
[He generously spread his martial arts techniques, attracting countless followers to this new path. He also ruthlessly eliminated his enemies who had already progressed far in immortal cultivation, demonstrating that Martial Dao was no weaker than the immortal path.]
[As Martial Dao flourished, the immortal path began to decline.]
[Cultivators who couldn’t tolerate mortal martial arts rivaling their path came to challenge him in a battle of great Daos, but were almost all killed. More and more cultivators began to inexplicably die from cultivation deviation, with numbers gradually increasing.]
[After more than a decade, the immortal path had unknowingly become a thing of the past, replaced by Martial Dao. The number of Martial Dao practitioners expanded to thousands within decades. The number of martial arts enthusiasts who hadn’t yet entered the path was countless.]
[Through clues gathered from later generations and Su Huaijia’s divinations, the two men had no doubt that if not for the sudden depletion of spiritual energy, the founder of Martial Dao would have led the world into a golden age of Martial Dao, instead of hastily leading his followers to leave this realm.]
[…They finally understood why they had never encountered another immortal cultivator in all these years, and why they had always struggled to teach a satisfactory disciple.]
[It wasn’t just because of the difficulty of cultivation in this magic-deficient era. It was because someone didn’t allow the immortal path to revive.]
[Even though that person had left, his influence remained.]
[As the saying goes, “Heaven conceals one of fifty.” No matter how absolute the other’s methods were, the Heavenly Dao would always leave a glimmer of hope for the immortal path. They were that glimmer of hope. This was why they could embark on the path of cultivation in this magic-deficient era.]
[Having uncovered the past stories, since the other party had long left, the two men treated the history as mere dinner table tales.]
[However, they had never divined before that hundreds of years later, as spiritual energy would resurge, those who had long departed would return…]
[At the same time, they saw endless disasters and the impending calamity of the Returning Void!]
[The two had no intention of reviving the immortal path, and the events that happened to the former cultivators were unrelated to them. Surely the Hanguang Sword Master wouldn’t seek to eliminate them completely. There was no enmity between them, on the contrary, they now had a premise for inevitable cooperation.]
[Although worried about future natural and man-made disasters, the all-calculating duo wouldn’t lose their composure. They continued as usual, traveling the world hand in hand, hidden in the bustling mortal world.]
At this moment, in an unknown, remote small town.
Accompanied by billowing steam, the red oil in the hot pot boiled and bubbled, wafting the aroma of meat far and wide.
At the entrance of the old, wood-decorated restaurant, an antique deep red banner fluttered in the heat-filled breeze, revealing the ancient characters “Zhang’s Eatery” in the undulating waves.
Most tables inside were full. Tourists who had come from afar to taste the famous food used chopsticks to fish out meat from the pot, eating large mouthfuls, then gulping down water as the spice hit them. After a few big swallows, they couldn’t help but give a thumbs up, praising repeatedly. “Hiss, delicious, absolutely delicious! Boss, this is the most authentic donkey meat hot pot I’ve ever had! In one word: perfect!”
Other diners around also showered praises endlessly.
A local proudly explained, “Of course! Boss Zhang’s shop has been passed down for generations. It’s been at least 100 or 200 years now, and even the great war 50 years ago didn’t interrupt the tradition. They say Emperor Mingzong particularly loved this donkey meat and even invited Zhang’s owner to the palace to cook for him. If Emperor Mingzong praised it, we’re essentially eating imperial cuisine!”
“Really? Is there such a legendary story?”
“Just ask around, everyone knows…”
Amidst the sounds of diners clinking glasses and exaggerating tales, Zhang’s Eatery’s owner sat at the front desk, a faint proud smile on his chubby face.
He wasn’t boasting; he had never neglected this ancestral skill. When it came to donkey meat hotpot, no one could do it better than him!
The customers’ enjoyment was his greatest praise!
Just then, a very light scent of sandalwood wafted in from the door, and the wind chimes under the doorway tinkled softly.
With the chimes, a figure in blue robes drifted in. He lingered at the entrance, letting out a light sigh.
“It’s been so long, yet this shop is still here?”
The owner looked up at the sound.
In the sunlight stood a young man of about 27 or 28, dressed in sky-blue Taoist robes. His appearance was extremely handsome, with a faint and tranquil aura that immediately inspired goodwill.
In today’s society, being a Taoist or Buddhist monk had become a common profession. Although it was uncommon to see people dressed as monks walking brazenly on the streets, it wasn’t rare either.
However, someone with such a perfect aura, who looked like he truly belonged in a Taoist temple, was exceptionally rare.
…Could he be an actor from some film crew?
…If today’s celebrities were all this handsome, no wonder his foolish daughter was always supporting her “brothers” online.
These thoughts flashed through his mind briefly. Even the barely-educated owner felt inexplicably restrained in front of this young Taoist, as if overwhelmed by his presence.
“Welcome!” The owner collected himself and smiled warmly. Imitating TV dramas, he tried to speak elegantly, picking up on the young man’s words, “Taoist master, have you perhaps visited our humble shop before? I, Old Zhang, couldn’t possibly forget a customer like you!”
The young Taoist nodded with a smile. “I have indeed visited before, but at that time, you weren’t the owner here.”
As he spoke, there was a hint of nostalgia in his eyes.
The slightly plump owner laughed, his chubby cheeks quivering. “Taoist master, you really know how to joke. I’ve been running this shop for almost thirty years now. Young Taoist master, how old are you even?”
As he said this, his gaze turned to another young man who had arrived with the Taoist.
This person wore a light blue robe with a brocade crown and jade belt. He was also good-looking, dressed like a young noble from a TV drama. As he entered, he looked around with a bright and cheerful smile.
…So there must be a film crew shooting nearby? It seems this Old Zhang’s deductive skills are not too shabby!
While making wild guesses in his mind, the owner warmly welcomed them, “Is it just the two of you? Our donkey meat hotpot is the most authentic here, you must try it.”
Facing the young Taoist, even suspecting he might be an actor, the owner found it hard to recommend donkey meat hotpot due to the man’s “otherworldly” aura. However, the other customer seemed much more approachable.
“Of course, we must have donkey meat hotpot!” The second customer indeed seemed more down-to-earth, agreeing without hesitation. He then joked with his companion, “My good friend here has been craving this taste for years. I’m just here to accompany him in satisfying his craving.”
“Accompanying me?” The young Taoist looked at him silently.
“Cough.” The man who had been joking coughed a few times, straightened his face, and added seriously, “Not just that. I’m also making up for the few meals of donkey meat hotpot I owe you from back then. After all, if it weren’t for me stopping you, you would have eaten the little donkey several times by now.”
As he spoke, he pointed behind him. The owner then noticed that behind the two men, there was actually a small donkey.
The donkey’s lively eyes were moving around, meeting the owner’s gaze, startling him a bit.
Bringing a donkey to eat donkey meat hotpot seemed too cruel, even for the donkey. Most people wouldn’t do something so outrageous!
Although he wanted to criticize, customers were customers. The owner quickly helped them tie up the donkey and welcomed them into the shop.
Because this pair was so eye-catching, even after returning to the counter, the owner’s gaze couldn’t help but drift to their table.
Soon, he saw the young man in Taoist robes pick up the chopstick holder on the table, casually shaking it, causing a few chopsticks to fall onto the table.
Looking at the overlapping chopsticks on the table, the young Taoist paused, then smiled at his companion. “I casually did a divination. Can you tell what this hexagram means?”
The other man glanced at it without hesitation.
“Great fortune. Meeting an important person.”
At this, the two men looked at each other, a silent understanding passing between them.
“It seems we’ll meet that person soon. When the time comes, we’ll tell him about the situation. Let him bear the weight of the sky falling.”
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