Chapter 1359: Intuition?

The terms are enticing, but there is no free lunch in the world. Yan Buji asked in a low voice, "What is the price?"

"If the young friend is fortunate enough to enter the core of the ancient array, or to bring out any non‑physical 'information', 'insight', 'rune trace'… anything that helps understand the essence of that ancient array, you must share a portion with this old man." Jingxu Zi's gaze burned, "What I seek is not a material treasure that may exist within the array, but the 'Dao' and 'principle' it contains. For you this causes no loss; rather, having an extra person involved may allow the mysteries to be unraveled more quickly. Of course, if the young friend unfortunately falls within it, the agreement is naturally void."

Yan Buji fell silent. A Great Vehicle Stage cultivator, trapped by the mysteries of the ancient array for years and even damaged by it, now sees a sliver of hope for a breakthrough and proposes this deal; logically it makes sense. Moreover, the other party's goal is "knowledge" rather than a material object, so there appears to be no direct conflict.

But the thoughts of a Great Vehicle Stage practitioner are not so easy to gauge. Does the so‑called "sharing" carry hidden restrictions or ulterior motives? And has the Fixed Void Pearl fragment been tampered with?

"Why does the senior think the junior can reach the core of the ancient array alive? And why does he believe the junior will keep the agreement?" Yan Buji asked the crucial question.

A faint, meaningful smile appeared on Jingxu Zi's gaunt face: "Intuition. I have lived too long and have seen too many people. The young friend's steadfast will and booming fortune are things I have rarely witnessed in my life. Chaos chooses its master; it is not ordinary. As for the pact…"

He extended a finger and traced in the air, a strange contract formed between void and substance, composed of countless fine wind patterns and silent runes, slowly materializing and emitting a faint Law Fluctuation. "This is the Silent Wind Covenant, witnessed by the circulation of wind and bound by Silence Extinction. You and I each contribute a strand of divine thought, and the agreement is sealed. It will not force you to act, but if you voluntarily breach it, the contract will backfire, triggering a 'Heart Wind' at your most critical moment, disturbing your soul in an instant. For those perilous explorations of the ancient array, a momentary lapse is a matter of life and death. Of course, if I conceal anything from you or cause you harm, the contract will also backfire on me."

The contract's contents are essentially consistent with what Jingxu Zi said, emphasizing information sharing and containing no coercive or enslaving clauses. The "Heart Wind" backlash sounds more like a deterrent and a check.

Yan Buji carefully examined the contract with his divine sense; the Chaos Force subtly resonated, revealing no obvious traps or hidden malice. Yet he still did not agree immediately.

"Senior, why don't you go with me yourself? With your cultivation, wouldn't your grasp be even greater?"

Jingxu Zi shook his head and sighed: "I was injured back then; my Dao Foundation and the returning‑to‑origin intent of that ancient array subtly conflicted. Approaching its core would provoke even more violent repulsion and backlash, a certain death. Over the years I have searched for others with special abilities or constitutions, but alas… you are the most suitable, perhaps the last chance."

A trace of barely perceptible desolation and obsession lingered in his tone.

Yan Buji weighed the pros and cons. Refusing meant possibly losing crucial path information and the Fixed Void Pearl fragment, and venturing alone into the unknown Fractured Star Wasteland and the ancient array, greatly increasing the risk. Agreeing required sharing the obtained "information" and being bound by the contract, but would grant partial assistance from a Great Vehicle Stage cultivator, and the contract itself seemed relatively fair.

More importantly, he vaguely felt that Jingxu Zi's words about the ancient array and the return‑to‑origin might also enlighten his own understanding of his Chaos Force.

"Very well. I shall accept this pact," Yan Buji said, no longer hesitating, splitting off a fine strand of divine thought and merging it into the Silent Wind Covenant. The contract's radiance flashed, splitting in two, each strand sinking into his and Jingxu Zi's foreheads.

A genuine smile widened on Jingxu Zi's face; he said no more, snapped his fingers, and a beam of spirit light shot into Yan Buji's hand, transforming into a rustic jade tablet and a palm‑sized gray stone fragment, riddled with cracks but with a stable silver glint at its core.

The jade tablet contained a detailed map, marking several terrifying dead zones on the Fractured Star Wasteland that even a Great Vehicle Stage cultivator must detour around, as well as a few relatively stable "anchor points" around the outer array. The gray stone fragment was the Fixed Void Pearl shard; held in the hand, one could feel the surrounding chaotic spatial fluctuations settle slightly.

"The road ahead is perilous; take care of yourself," Jingxu Zi said, then closed his eyes again. The absolute "Silent Domain" around him slowly expanded, enveloping his form, gradually merging with the black monolith as if he had never existed.

The gale wind in the canyon roared violently once more.

Yan Buji cast a deep glance toward the direction where the elder vanished, tucked away the jade tablet and shard, lingered no longer, his figure merging with the gale wind as he sped toward the deeper part of the canyon.

In his heart he thought coldly: indeed, the hidden realm teems with hidden masters.

The Dark River of Weak Water stretched before him.

Unlike the raging torrent one might imagine, this river's surface was unusually broad, its water a dead‑silent deep black, calm and motionless, like a massive obsidian mirror reflecting the bizarre sky of the vaulted realm without a ripple. Above the surface a layer of grayish mist spread, blocking divine perception; even the light seemed swallowed by the water, rendering the scene dim and oppressive.

The strangest thing was that the water exuded a "weighty" and "dissolving" Dao resonance. Legends say that weak water does not float a feather, and birds cannot cross it— not idle talk. This weak water also contained a trace of nether‑earth death silence, a property that erodes the vitality of all things, exerting a strong corrosive and suppressive effect on a cultivator's magical power and soul. Ordinary treasures dropped into the water lose their spirit rapidly, turning into mundane iron. Even a Great Vehicle Stage cultivator, without special means or a strong protective cultivation shield, would find crossing this river difficult; one must constantly fend off the all‑pervasive sinking death intent.

Yan Buji stood on the riverbank, feeling the oppressive Dao resonance wash over him. The Chaos core within his body slowly rotated, releasing an essence that embraces all phenomena and can devour all laws, quietly neutralizing and absorbing the death‑silence trying to corrode him. The pinnacle of Great Vehicle Stage cultivation, combined with the nature of Chaos Force, greatly reduced the threat of this dreaded weak water to him.

The map Jingxu Zi provided indicated that a crossing point lay a hundred li ahead, a relatively "gentle" stretch of river where several massive "Soul‑Anchoring Ancient Stele" wrecks protruded above the water, usable for leveraging a foothold. Yet even so, unknown dangers still lurked beneath the surface.

He was about to set off when something caught his attention; his gaze turned upstream of the dark river.

In the grayish mist, a figure stepped onto the waves. The newcomer used no treasure, merely bare feet on the dead‑silent weak water; each step sent a faint silver ripple spreading, quietly dispelling the sinking‑dissolving force. Their posture was slender, clad in a plain white palace robe, the hem moving without wind, their face shrouded in a hazy, moon‑like halo, indistinct, with a pair of cold, pond‑like eyes piercing the mist, gazing from afar.

Another Great Vehicle Stage!

And their cultivation was profound, not inferior to Jingxu Zi at all; that aloof, ethereal aura was even more enigmatic. A pure, icy moon‑light power flowed around them, clashing with the river's death‑silence yet subtly forming a counterbalance.

"But the Moonlit Fairy of the Guanghan Palace?" Yan Buji thought, recalling information from the Qiong Hua Realm: Guanghan Palace is one of the top powers, its palace‑guarding technique "Great Yin True Explanation" cultivates moon‑light power of unparalleled purity, and the most renowned Great Vehicle Stage ancestor of the palace is a female cultivator titled "Moonlit," who lives in seclusion and rarely appears.

A white silhouette materialized in an instant, stopping ten zhang ahead of Yan Buji, hovering three chi above the weak water. The moon‑light halo contracted slightly, revealing a face of exquisite beauty yet as cold as frost—the Moonlit Fairy herself. Her gaze fell on Yan Buji, bearing scrutiny and a barely perceptible surprise.

"Chaos aura… though tightly restrained, its essence is hard to conceal," the Moonlit Fairy's voice rang like a jade chime, clear yet icy. "Old Jingxu indeed found a good 'key'. However, relying solely on Chaos may not unlock the 'Lock of Return‑to‑Origin'."

She even knew Jingxu Zi's transaction with him? It seems that among these peak Qiong Hua Realm Great Vehicle Stage cultivators, there exist unknown connections and information channels. The "Lock of Return‑to‑Origin" she mentioned clearly refers to the core of the ancient array.