Chapter 837

"Lord Tianji, the foremost in qi fortune of the immortal realm, and also the foremost in divination."

Cui He said:

"Just a few days ago, Brother Gu was summoned by Lord Tianji, who performed a divination for the elder regarding his path to enlightenment."

Li Rui’s expression grew even more grave.

A divination by Lord Tianji held immense value.

Cui He sighed lightly: "The hexagram showed: dragons fighting in the wild, celestial-human calamity—great misfortune."

"This tribulation... the elder may not survive it."

"Lord Tianji calculated that at least five Dao Jun will strike when the elder seeks enlightenment. Further divination even caused Lord Tianji to be counterattacked, unable to glimpse the heavenly fate again."

Li Rui’s expression remained calm.

If even Lord Tianji was counterattacked, it meant the hidden entity yet to appear was stronger—even surpassing Lord Tianji.

For any other True Jun, this would be a death sentence, yet he did not descend into despair.

Instead, he calmly asked: "Why did Lord Tianji tell me all this?"

What manner of being is Lord Tianji?

Why would he waste words on a True Jun destined to die?

Cui He continued: "Heaven’s evolution yields forty-nine; humanity escapes the one. Misfortune and fortune interdepend; survival lies within peril."

"Lord Tianji still believes the elder might have a single thread of hope."

"If he succeeds, he will be like the ancient Green Emperor, attaining the supreme Dao."

"He wants to try."

The Tianji clan has always been gamblers. In ancient times, they failed to bet on the Green Emperor, instead backing another—and they have long regretted it. Whenever they speak of it, they are filled with deep remorse.

Precisely because of this, Lord Tianji was willing to place his bet on Li Rui.

Li Rui took a deep breath: "Thank Lord Tianji on my behalf."

If his guess was correct, the one who caused Lord Tianji’s counterattack was almost certainly the Mortal Immortal.

"In the end, karmic ties were formed."

That single glance before the Southern Heavenly Gate had already sealed the karmic bond.

Or rather—

Once Li Rui obtained the Immortal Court, this fate was unavoidable.

The only consolation was—

The Mortal Immortal likely had not yet noticed him; after all, his cultivation was too weak. Why would he pay attention to an ant?

To an immortal, a True Jun was merely a slightly larger ant.

Only when one became a Dao Jun did one earn the attention of the immortals.

That meant—

When he formed his Dao Fruit, the Mortal Immortal would almost certainly learn of his possession of the Immortal Court.

No despair.

Li Rui became even calmer. He told Cui He: "Xiao He, go on my behalf and thank Lord Tianji."

"Understood."

Cui He agreed and immediately left the Eastern Provincial Military Command.

Only ten days later.

Cui He returned to the Eastern Provincial Military Command.

Li Rui smiled and asked: "Knowing I face nine deaths and one life, why still bet on me?"

Cui He replied: "I’ve already wagered everything I own. There’s no turning back now."

After that,

Cui He remained at the Eastern Provincial Military Command.

Life continued as before.

Li Rui spent most of his time in seclusion, venturing out less and less.

Cui He asked again: "Elder, knowing the Dao path is so perilous, how can you remain so composed?"

Li Rui’s reply then was: "Back in Qinghe County, I knew I had only a few years to live—yet I still ate, drank, and lived as usual. Now I have centuries ahead, why should I fret and waver? That makes no sense."

Yet the news Cui He brought reminded him—

His foundation was still too thin.

It could be thicker.

That year,

A flash of golden light passed through Li Rui’s mansion.

He had opened the Youque Cave Heaven, located in the Kidney Palace, belonging to Kan Water, governing the storage of essence.

From this point,

The Hunyuan Wanda Fa had finally reached its second layer.

He did not rush to place a Dao Seed within the Youque Cave Heaven, leaving it empty for now. After all, even the [Sitting Forgetfulness Abyss] had not yet been secured. If one seeks to strengthen one’s foundation, one must not be greedy—otherwise haste leads to failure.

Opening the Youque Cave Heaven was not entirely useless.

Was the Hunyuan Wanda Fa, created by his Wu Zhong senior and personally revised by his master, the Lord of the Immortal Court, truly such a worthless technique?

"Nourish primordial essence, repel cold poison and yin miasma."

It purifies external evils and clarifies the mind.