Chapter 223: The Art of Divination and Verification

Time flew swiftly; in the blink of an eye, a ten-day period had passed.

In the northern region of Dongmi Province, within Yi City of the Zhao State.

Chen Heng sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, his sleeves falling naturally over both knees, holding a tortoise shell in his hand as he silently circulated Xue Xuan Gong, muttering incantations under his breath.

Countless rays of light flickered within his pupils, like bright stars waxing and waning, fluctuating unpredictably.

At first, those points of light were as numerous as fireflies at the end of summer, dense and packed together, but gradually, they diminished to merely a hundred or so.

After several dozen breaths, even those hundred-odd points ceased to exist, leaving only a single spot of pure, unstained radiance, strikingly brilliant, illuminating the white wall until it glowed as if scorched by flowing fire.

At this moment.

A sudden realization dawned in Chen Heng's heart; he lifted his eyelids slightly, his gaze calm as he looked out the window.

Within his line of sight, separated only by a tall courtyard wall, lay the streets and alleys.

Although far from the bustling willow-lined markets and not particularly crowded or prosperous, it was still lively, with houses stretching continuously in groups, arranged like fish scales and comb teeth, extending for several li in a line like a long snake.

"Wait, has he not yet mastered this technique, the 'Master Zhou Yuan Secret Manual of Tortoise Divination'?"

However, unlike those few disciples of the Master Qiao family, they were merely low-ranking practitioners at the Purple Palace Realm, with limited resources.

Master Qiao Rui had just caught sight of this book, easily and without effort...

Master Qiao Ying did not think it strange; she remained smiling, her demeanor unchanged.

Master Qiao Rui remembered that when confronting Chen Heng of the Abyssal Void earlier with the micro-tally, the Subjugating Demon Sword had once unleashed the True Fire of Dragon Transformation to fight the enemy, yet the true fire was easily broken, causing no significant disturbance.

However, since that head of the Youwang Demon had not yet been subdued, its ferocious nature remained unquenched, so the Subjugating Demon Sword had specifically restrained it with spell inscriptions, keeping it trapped in a deep slumber, unable to exercise its consciousness.

It was just like a hot potato.

The famous envoy could see it.

"The relics upon the Subjugating Demon Sword are indeed the most precious: the Youwang Demon and the Grey River Water.

"It seems that in the Dao of Heavenly Secrets, you possess considerable talent; at the very least, you surpass your aptitude in the Sword Dao."

A passing woman, seeing this situation, could not help but smile, took a large white pear from her basket, and forcibly pressed it into Master Qiao Ying's hand.

Niu Ze was a traveling scholar, while Master Qiao Ying had specifically accompanied the Dun Dun Jiesuo to visit her younger brother.

All can be learned!"

"Only a few days have passed, and you have already gained something? It seems you truly possess great talent in the Art of Divination and Verification! In the future, if you join the Yuchenxia Sect, with such spiritual wisdom, and then establish a few more great merits.

Given the Dun Dun Jiesuo's knowledge.

After consecutively predicting four or five lines, Master Qiao Rui felt a whiteness before her eyes, her head spinning slightly for an instant; she closed her eyes and dispersed the spell decision.

Master Qiao Ying waved her hand vigorously at the woman, offered an apologetic smile, and then hopped along after her.

He had already cultivated this method to the Great Completion Realm; the distance to the Medium Completion Realm was merely a hair's breadth away!

After placing the tortoise shell in his hand onto the table, he began to regulate his qi and calm his breath.

Master Qiao Ying knew she was a neighbor living nearby; after declining several times and seeing that she truly could not refuse, she accepted it with a blush.

Dust returns to dust, earth returns to earth, never to be restored again.

"Lady Shi, show great mercy and allow my lord some extension of time, I beg you—"

He thought again in his heart.

"Many thanks, young lady..."

"Sigh, sigh, that child..."

"You..."

That voice laughed loudly, then spoke disdainfully:

But it was equally formidable.

Apart from one type of true fire, he also desired to refine a method of true water...

One could faintly smell the fragrance carrying the chill of early spring.

And as the wind blew and the clouds drifted, even those few rays of halo light leaking through the cloud gaps were instantly shredded, vanishing from sight the moment one looked up.

Suddenly, two more voices rang out from outside, high-spirited and loud, disrupting his train of thought.

Once inside the small courtyard, they immediately and eagerly locked the door.

Yet the clamor from the streets and alleys did not cease because of this; instead, the noise grew even louder, showing signs of intensifying further.

But protective life-saving means such as the Innate Great Sun Divine Light or the Seven Mountains Battle Decision, and so forth.

Prior to this.

After several days of peace and tranquility, egged on by the Dun Dun Jiesuo, Master Qiao Ying had, over these past few days, slightly opened her eyes to the mortal world and played the role of a famous envoy.

Matters like the White Dragon donning fish robes should still be avoided as much as possible...

They possessed extraordinary power and capability!

Even among the four sects of the Profound Gate, many senior figures kept such creatures, treating them as aids during spell battles to resist calamities and tribulations.

Upon entering the interior.

It is also called the Art of Divination and Verification, the Learning of the Ancient Sages, or the Dao of Spirits and Gods.

All of these, however, were too urgent to attend to.

Judging by this, she intends to undertake the matter of harmonizing water and fire.

After practicing several times within the True Yizhen Yizhen Fa Jie, only a ten-day period had passed in the present world.

It was merely a copy of the 'Master Zhou Yuan Secret Manual of Tortoise Divination' and a shell from a thousand-year-old spiritual tortoise.

"Besides sugar frosting, I also brought you sugar figures! They are very sweet!"

Like chicken ribs.

Master Qiao Rui frowned slightly, her gaze sinking.

"How did you, a junior, guess this lantern riddle? You even thought it would be a big monkey."

Dun Dun Jiesuo had just muttered this when he slightly realized it was true; his eyes widened in surprise, he paused for a moment, and said:

After approximately the time it takes to burn one stick of incense, having circulated Xue Xuan Gong around my body several times, I suddenly opened my eyes and smiled faintly.

I pondered for a long time, then suddenly my gaze fixed, and I said in a solemn voice:

Although valuing techniques over the Dao has always been a minor taboo in Immortal Dao cultivation.

But at this time.

I discarded the divination method bestowed upon me by my clan and did not use it, focusing solely on studying the single art of "Master Zhou Yuan Secret Turtle Divination."

But in Da Jiao Dian's view.

Moreover, Niu Ze obtained this "Master Zhou Yuan Secret Turtle Divination" from the original true copy of the classic; he had always hidden it on his person to study at any time, checking for omissions and filling gaps.

Each time the technique is cast, the tortoise shell is scorched away by one layer of its form by the true flames from the netherworld; after merely a hundred or so uses, even a thousand-year-old spiritual tortoise shell will be completely consumed.

"Never, never."

The next breath, that female voice outside the wall also shouted out the same words, her tone and expression equally fierce!

"Elder Zhou, has this young nephew of yours not yet been betrothed? I wonder which family's Chen Chen Langjun could have such terrible misfortune!"

The male voice inside the wall also spoke these words, without a single character different...

And that divination method of Master Qiao Rui came from Chen Heng, belonging to the category of divination and casting lots, called "Master Zhou Yuan Secret Turtle Divination."

"You limit him? Then who will show mercy to you?!"

This light was released, merely tinting the gloomy layered clouds with a hint of hazy yellow, before ceasing entirely.

The divine beings of ancient times, those who knew the Dao, all modeled themselves on Yin and Yang and harmonized with the arts of numbers...

The power of the Youwang Demon naturally needs no excessive mention.

"Zhang San, you thieving scoundrel, the elders say enemies often meet on a narrow path; these words are indeed true."

All were ordinary.

Light and faint.

And calculating carefully, since Niu Ze arrived, we have already stayed in this Yicheng of Zhao State for a full ten days.

It is also a prominent school of learning!

Dun Dun Jiesuo immediately took on a mood for jesting and playing; he stroked his long beard and was just about to ramble on when he was interrupted by a heavy cough.

Very soon, accompanied by a crisp sound of a lock clicking, one could see Master Qiao Ying, with altered appearance, and Dun Dun Jiesuo walking excitedly into the courtyard.

Dun Dun Jiesuo stood with his hands behind his back, smiling cheerfully as he watched this scene.

Finally, sounds of clothes tearing and wailing arose in bursts, attracting many neighbors to come and pull them apart to mediate peace, followed by another round of silence.

It is not a matter of a few months or half a year before one can comprehend a sliver of inspiration.

I fear that even that divination method among Yu Yu Yuchen's Si Gong.

Master Qiao Rui was merely acting on the intention to broaden his knowledge and draw inferences from one instance; he did not spend too much effort before concluding that no other method would suffice.

And the plum tree in the corner of the courtyard had already bloomed, blooming quite vigorously.

Therefore, things are born and images emerge; images are born and numbers emerge.

Within Xudu Heaven.

And similarly.

It seems that heavenly demon kings such as the Youwang Demon and the Great Sumeru Son of Heaven Demon have always been the worst kind of demon kin; in Xudu Heaven, they have never had a price nor a market.

It is the supreme means of comprehending heavenly principles, discerning fortune and misfortune, and predicting the future through methods such as divination by tortoise shell and yarrow stalks, deduction, observing stars, watching qi, interpreting characters, geomancy, selecting auspicious dates, interpreting dreams, and miscellaneous omens.

After Chen Heng turned his gaze toward the window.

"Heh, what does that count for? In my life, I have traveled north and south; what local customs and human feelings have I not witnessed! Such a trivial matter is hardly strange, hardly strange!"

Not only do members of the Modaoba Sect regard them as treasures close to their hearts and precious objects.

As for Niu Zeming, since most of what she possessed was destroyed by that Dao Abyss Void Chen Heng Micro-Register, and after discarding those with potential hidden dangers.

Master Qiao Rui paid no heed to all those things.

The remaining items.

Xiao Wei Yi felt as if granted a great pardon; he hurriedly flashed forward to follow.

"Senior... Brother! I brought you back some sugar frosting!"

One must painstakingly polish one's divine intent in the present world, undergoing a process of water-grinding Ku Gong; it cannot be achieved easily or quickly by mere reputation.

Among them, the most precious relic, and also the most useful to Master Qiao Rui.

"Has Scholar Zhou not yet been betrothed?"

"Then what about Senior... Brother? Could he guess it? The stall owner said he would not be resting these past few days; since business is good, he will come to the market again to set up his stall."

But Master Qiao Rui had only just cultivated to the first level of the Purple Mansion—Ten Thousand Wonders Return to the Root; in a short time, he wished to break through another minor barrier and cultivate to the seventh level of the Purple Mansion realm.

"Master Zhou Yuan Secret Turtle Divination" actually had no Dao prohibitions, which simply benefited Master Qiao Rui for nothing.

Dun Dun Jiesuo is Elder Zhou, the uncle of both of them.

"Lady Shi, show great mercy! Allow my lord some leeway!"

Once it awakens, it will surely create a scene of scorched earth for a thousand li and suffering for all living beings, brewing endless slaughter!

As for those few bottles of Grey River water, they are a key external medicinal ingredient for cultivating the True Water of the Huang Quan; with this object's assistance, one can achieve twice the result with half the effort when cultivating the True Water of the Huang Quan, greatly reducing the days of tempering and polishing.

Master Qiao Rui paced to the window and looked at the dim sky light outside.

During these ten days, there was not even a whisper of wind or movement, which made Niu Ze feel slightly surprised.

"You brat! What harm is there in being playful? I—"

"A block of wood; how could you know such things... Do you perhaps expect me?"

However, since it is not the orthodox method of a noble family, nor a fate one deliberately wishes to conceal.

And although that technique, the "Zhou Yuan Secret Manual of Turtle Divination," consumes greatly, it is a method that an extraordinary cultivator can still bear.

Once its strength is born and its bloodline fully nurtured, its divine abilities will naturally be sufficient; truly, it is an out-and-out kind devil!

Soon, a sharp female voice rang out high and loud, its cry quite piercing to the ears.

……

The male voice laughed.

But he had not expected it.

Niu Ze looked up and saw a human figure standing far behind the window; he waved excitedly backward, the corners of his lips curling upward as he said:

"Yet everything is peaceful and without incident, which also falls entirely within my expectations…"

I pondered silently in my heart, my gaze shifting slightly.

Within the large courtyard, the wind chill was fierce; tables, chairs, stone stools, and other objects all seemed coated with a layer of frost color, blending with the gloomy sky above like a turbid, ancient ink painting with mottled hues.

"……"

I held the turtle shell in my hand, fixed my gaze upon it, and turned it over several times, thinking silently in my heart.

The remaining items were merely an unsubdued You Wang Demon and a few bottles of Gray River Water.

"The latter is a Wang Zu among the Heavenly Demons, far more extraordinary than the E Chen Yin Sheng Demon; the difference between the two is simply that between clouds and mud. As for the Gray River Water, it is a rare external object…"

"Yet it cannot be consumed in haste…"

"When performing divination, one must use the shell of a thousand-year spiritual turtle as an aid to offset the backlash."

"I set limits for him; who then shows mercy to you—"

An old voice responded with self-satisfaction.

While searching through Chen Heng's belongings.

"Eldest Daughter Zhou is truly endearing; so young, yet already so well-behaved and clever. Unlike that scoundrel of mine!"

Faced with such a situation, Master Qiao Rui naturally would not make excessive moves to break the spell runes on that You Wang Demon's body and awaken it.

Such a discovery made Master Qiao Rui feel a slight joy, unexpected as it was.

Behind him, the male servant named Xiao Jiao Dian was shouldering large and small bundles, wearing a bitter expression as he looked at the two people ahead, appearing quite helpless.

Otherwise, before Chen Heng obtained this method while searching an ancestral ruin overseas, he would not have been wild with joy.

After obtaining this "Zhou Yuan Secret Manual of Turtle Divination" from Chen Heng.

"However, whether it is the You Wang Demon or that Gray River Water, neither offers any assistance for the matter at hand… It is rather the 'Zhou Yuan Secret Manual of Turtle Divination' and the thousand-year turtle shell searched from Chen Heng's person that are more practical for me."

And now, several bottles of Gray River Water had been found on the Subduing Demon Sword, that precious external object used for cultivating the Yellow Spring True Water.

The woman laughed until her eyes narrowed into slits, looking at the Dun Dun Jiesuo as she said:

It does not even require the assistance of the True Yizhen Yizhen Fa Jie.

Niu Ze walked out of the house, bowed to the woman, spoke a sentence in a lukewarm tone, and then immediately supported the Dun Dun Jiesuo, whose face was full of stifled frustration, as they retreated into the large courtyard.

"There is no rice or grain left in the house to cook; when do you intend to repay the half-Peng Qian of silver you owe me?"

He said slowly in his heart.

Xiao Jiao Dian's heart was already vexed, and now he felt even more helpless; he could only turn his face away, forcing himself not to look.

……

With the precedent of predecessors, one cannot but be cautious.

Hearing the woman's question, the Dun Dun Jiesuo shook his head: "My nephew's matter is indeed urgent, but if you are so eager to play matchmaker, you might as well spend some effort finding a good family for my nephew."

This demon, like the Little Sumeru Son of Heaven Demon, is a Wang Zu among the Heavenly Demons, possessing boundless ferocious power, with momentum capable of overturning the heavens and strength capable of splitting mountains!

"He actually possesses some talent in the art of divination…"

"Unless one sacrifices a Yuan Xu Chen Heng Micro-Register, with Master Qiao Rui's current means, it is absolutely impossible to restrain it."

"The room is freezing; Uncle, you had better not stand here long. The year's end is right before our eyes; if you catch a cold, that would not be good."

"Eating it is useless, yet discarding it is a pity…"

Master Qiao Rui nodded slightly and said nothing.

"The Sword Dao is at least easier to speak of; within merely three to seven days of effort, one can reach the Di Ba Jing and employ the method of Refining Sword into Qi. And once one comprehends Refining Sword into Qi, the achievement of Refining Sword into Silk will certainly not be too far away."

Hearing this, the Dun Dun Jiesuo drew in a cold breath; his attention instantly shifted, and he no longer cared for any jokes.

And the peddler's street cries, the neighbors' conversations, and the children's noisy chatter continued without cease.

The Heavenly Machine Dao.

"Immortals and mortals are, after all, different."

……

Master Qiao Rui nodded slightly.

……

Nowadays, Master Qiao Rui and the others were all using assumed names.

"Have you ever heard of 'asking the blind for directions'? Using it here is indeed quite apt!"

"Liuhuo Liuhuo Honghua Fan Fan Dongtian, the East Sea Dragon Palace…"

I had already imagined even the best scenario in my mind once.

Seeing this, the woman felt even more angry in her heart; she affectionately stroked Master Qiao Ying's head.

……

That You Wang Demon's bloodline was already complete and its divine abilities sufficient; it could fully compare to the Jin Dan True Person realm in orthodox immortal dao.

And vaguely—

Although it was not yet noon, the world before one's eyes was not particularly gloomy; a winter sun was hidden behind layers of thick mist clouds, appearing and disappearing.