Chapter 1387: Heavenly Secrets Hall

“Then I’ll leave it to you, Brother Luo!”

Zhang Xuan wasn't familiar with the Saint Son Hall and couldn't find his way around. Hearing Luo Xuanqing's confident assertion, his eyes immediately lit up. Having someone lead would save him a lot of trouble. Besides, he was more than happy to give Zhang Chun a beating, especially since that guy still owed him spirit stones. It had been long enough; it was time to collect that debt.

"No need to be polite with me..." Luo Xuanqing chuckled and strode forward, leading the way.

Although Zhang Xuan's cultivation level wasn't high, he possessed extraordinary abilities, whether it was setting up formations or guiding others to breakthroughs. Befriending him would be greatly beneficial. He certainly wouldn't let such an opportunity slip away.

As they walked, Luo Xuanqing sent a message via a jade token. A moment later, he turned with a slight smile. "That fellow isn't in the inner courtyard; he's in the Hall of Heavenly Secrets. Let's corner him there!"

"The Hall of Heavenly Secrets?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

"Yes, the Hall of Heavenly Secrets is a branch for a special profession within the Saint Son Hall, just like the Formation Master Guild we went to for our assessment earlier," Luo Xuanqing explained.

"Are you talking about... Heavenly Diviners?" Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up.

He had heard rumors about this profession before. It was considered one of the 'upper nine streams' of professions, extremely mysterious. Practitioners could use special techniques to predict immediate future events, deduce fortune and misfortune, and foresee good or ill omens. Saint Clans typically employed several Heavenly Diviners for major ceremonies and to help anticipate outcomes for various decisions. He had only ever heard rumors about them, never seen one. He was surprised the Saint Son Hall actually had them.

"That fellow just got thrashed by your beast pet. He probably feels his luck has turned bad and wants to get a divination, or perhaps he wants to find someone to deduce your origins!" Luo Xuanqing chuckled. The fact that they knew Zhang Chun was in the Hall of Heavenly Secrets so quickly indicated that the Saint Son Hall had many informants, making it not too difficult to discover someone's whereabouts or intentions.

"Deduce my origins? Wouldn't it be simpler to just ask someone?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. Did his origins really need to be divined? Asking around should be simpler and more accurate!

"The Zhang Clan has always been quite superstitious; what they venerate most is this heavenly divination. Putting everything else aside, the current clan head, Sword Saint Xingmeng, has invited every nine-star Heavenly Diviner from across the entire continent over the years!" Luo Xuanqing scoffed.

"Why would he invite Heavenly Diviners?" Zhang Xuan asked, curious. As the continent's foremost clan, the Zhang Clan possessed stable power and countless geniuses. What else could they possibly be dissatisfied with that would require a Heavenly Diviner's insight?

"Who knows! In any case, the Zhang Clan members are the most peculiar; you must be careful if you encounter them..." Luo Xuanqing waved his hand dismissively.

The Hall of Heavenly Secrets, like other professional assessment centers, was located within the Hall of Wisdom. The two traveled swiftly and arrived before it in no time. Although located within the Hall of Wisdom, this place was entirely different from other professional assessment centers. It appeared very ancient, exuding an aura of antiquity. The entire building resembled an inverted turtle shell, with various strange cracks on its surface. It seemed to embody the will of the Heavenly Dao, or perhaps it was a special formation peeking into the mysteries between heaven and earth. The doors of other assessment centers were open, but here, they were tightly shut.

"This is the Hall of Heavenly Secrets?"

"Yes, I also studied the Heavenly Diviner profession. I researched it for days but couldn't even grasp the basics, so I gave up! This profession, well, if you call it deceitful, sometimes it's surprisingly accurate. But if you say it's genuine... relying solely on a few turtle shells and copper coins to deduce fortune and misfortune is truly difficult to accept. I'm not entirely clear on the specifics myself!" Luo Xuanqing shook his head.

"If it exists, there's a reason for it! The fact that this profession has endured for tens of thousands of years without being wiped out by history indicates that it truly has value," Zhang Xuan remarked thoughtfully. History always moves forward. For something to have been passed down for so long and sought after by countless master teachers, it's certainly not as simple as it appears on the surface.

"Why do you sound just like my sister? Last time we discussed Heavenly Diviners, she said the exact same thing..." Luo Xuanqing glanced over and shook his head. His sister had indeed said the same thing before.

"It's my honor to share the same thoughts as the little princess..." Zhang Xuan chuckled softly.

"No need for flattery!" Luo Xuanqing's expression grew wary. "I advise you not to entertain any ideas about my sister. First, someone of your strength wouldn't even catch her eye. Second, the intentions of the Zhang and Luo Clans are not something an outsider like you can contend with! It's best to simply abandon such thoughts!"

Through their interactions over the past few days, he had noticed that while Zhang Xuan was excellent in every other aspect, he seemed a bit too concerned about his sister. Any other person would have been thoroughly thrashed long ago, but Zhang Xuan had helped him immensely and even enabled his breakthrough... so he couldn't help but offer advice instead. Although he genuinely wished Zhang Xuan could become his brother-in-law, he also understood that it was absolutely impossible. As a core descendant of the Luo Clan, he couldn't even alter his sister's fate, let alone a minor figure who was only at the peak of the Out-of-Body realm! So, it was better not to think about it. The more one thought, the more sorrow one would feel. He certainly didn't want a friend he had finally come to acknowledge to fall into crisis because of his sister.

"She wouldn't look at me? That's not necessarily true; fate is a curious thing..." Zhang Xuan couldn't help but interject. He and Luo Ruoxi had met in the vast mountain ranges. If not for those spirit beasts, and his sudden whim to offer help, their paths might never have crossed. The concept of 'fate' sounds wondrous, often manifesting in a single glance.

"Many others who thought that way before have been crippled by me, and some were crippled by Zhang Chun..." Luo Xuanqing grunted, about to continue, when suddenly he heard a "creak!" and the large door before them slowly opened.

Immediately afterward, a young man dressed in a long robe emerged from within. "Senior brothers, my teacher requests your presence!" Approaching them, the young man clasped his fists and offered a respectful inviting gesture.

"Your teacher, are you referring to... Master Feng Chongquan?" Luo Xuanqing was taken aback, his eyes immediately lighting up.

"That's right!" The young man nodded, a proud expression on his face.

"Master Feng Chongquan is famously reclusive. I heard Zhang Chun tried to visit him seven times in a row and was refused entry every single time... and he wants to see *me*?" Filled with excitement, Luo Xuanqing nearly jumped. The Zhang Clan held Heavenly Diviners in high regard, and Master Feng Chongquan was the most formidable one in the entire Saint Son Hall. Zhang Chun had repeatedly attempted to visit him but was always turned away. Yet, Luo Xuanqing hadn't even sent a calling card, and the master sent someone to welcome *him*. Didn't this signify that he was far more distinguished than Zhang Chun? If that were the case, he could properly mock Zhang Chun when they met.

"You're overthinking it. He didn't ask to see you; the teacher specifically requested to see this young friend beside you." Seeing his expression, the young man raised an eyebrow and waved his hand dismissively.

"Me?" Zhang Xuan was stunned. "Why?" He had just arrived and didn't even know who the person was, let alone why they wanted to see him.

"I'm not entirely sure either. You'll find out when you go inside." In truth, the young man himself found it somewhat incredible. Given his teacher's status, even the acting Hall Master and elders of the Saint Son Hall would be powerless if he chose not to grant them an audience. Yet, now he wished to meet a nameless newcomer who appeared to be only around twenty years old, and had even sent him personally to greet them... His mind was filled with questions. If the guest possessed extraordinary strength like the little princess, that would be one thing. But he was only at the peak of the Out-of-Body realm—a talent elsewhere, perhaps, but in the Saint Son Hall, such individuals were common and unremarkable.

"To see Master Zhang?" Not only was Zhang Xuan surprised, but Luo Xuanqing's eyes also widened. He had thought he finally had a chance to show off in front of Zhang Chun, but to his surprise... the person requested was Zhang Xuan, standing right beside him.

"Alright then!" Though it was strange, seeing that the young man didn't know either, Zhang Xuan said no more. He followed closely behind and stepped through the main door.

The interior of the Hall of Heavenly Secrets looked even more ancient. Peculiar flagpoles were stuck into the ground, dividing a corner of the hall into countless small, partitioned areas. Dozens of young people sat within these spaces, some holding copper coins, others turtle shells, their eyes closed, deep in thought, seemingly in the process of deduction. In front of them, a bluish-red beetle was propped over scorching charcoal, appearing as if it could die at any moment.

"This is... a Light Armored Beetle that can survive in lightning?" Zhang Xuan was filled with questions. Although he had never seen a Light Armored Beetle, he had read about them in books and heard rumors. It was said that these creatures neither ate nor drank, only emerging from the ground during thunderstorms to soar into the sky and survive by absorbing the power of lightning. They were rare and extremely scarce. Some beast tamers couldn't even find them, yet here they were, being roasted over a fire... it was baffling. He had never heard that these creatures were edible. Even if they were, a single thumb-sized beetle wouldn't be enough to feed a dozen people...

"This is standard training for Heavenly Diviners," Luo Xuanqing explained via telepathy, noticing his confusion. "They are isolated in a confined space, with their six senses sealed, using their minds to seek heavenly secrets and deduce whether the Light Armored Beetle will be burned to death by the charcoal fire or manage to escape from it." Although he wasn't a Heavenly Diviner, he had studied here before and understood the practices.

"This..." Zhang Xuan was perplexed. A Light Armored Beetle placed on charcoal fire could be burned to death at any moment, or it could potentially escape. Without direct observation, there would be no definite outcome regarding its life or death—it was a paradox, much like Schrödinger's cat. How could one possibly deduce heavenly secrets from something so uncertain?

"Light Armored Beetles, capable of fearlessly facing lightning, are actually contending with the Heavenly Dao. Therefore, they are also known as Heavenly Secret Insects. Deducing the life or death of such a creature helps one to better understand elusive opportunities and the impermanence of the Heavenly Dao's laws!" As if he had overheard their telepathic exchange, the young man turned and explained.

"Oh..." Zhang Xuan seemed to understand and not understand at the same time. He glanced at the beetle on the charcoal fire and frowned slightly. "With such scorching flames, this beetle should die very soon, shouldn't it?"

"Die?" The young man smiled. "I've deduced that this beetle can live for a hundred years; it won't die..."

Before his words had even finished, there was a sound like a balloon bursting. The Light Armored Beetle, which had been lying on the charcoal, suddenly inflated and exploded into powder in an instant.

"Uh..." Zhang Xuan looked over, his expression peculiar. "Could it be... today is its hundredth birthday?"

"..." The young man was speechless.