Chapter 3157: Divination (No More Today)

Two days passed quickly.

In a secluded manor, Wang Yingjie and over fifty Void Refinement cultivators gathered in a hexagonal stone pavilion, sipping tea and chatting. They were all human cultivators, and Cheng Yao was among them. As Divine Monarch Xuanji's youngest disciple, Cheng Yao had received invitations from many Void Refinement cultivators to various gatherings. However, being human, she chose to attend the gathering organized by human cultivators first.

"Fairy Cheng, I've heard your master is the top diviner in the Xuanyang Realm. Is your master also on Qianyuan Continent?" a refined-looking young man in a blue shirt asked curiously. The young man's shirt bore a Taiji symbol, the emblem of the Qiankun Palace. This was Qin Hao, True Monarch Qiankun's youngest disciple, a late-stage Void Refinement cultivator.

The cultivators all looked at Cheng Yao. They had heard that Divine Monarch Xuanji was the Xuanyang Realm's foremost diviner, and meeting him would be a great honor.

"My master's movements are unpredictable; we disciples aren't fully aware of his whereabouts," Cheng Yao said vaguely.

"If your master comes to Qianyuan Continent, he's welcome to visit the human territory. My master has long heard of Divine Monarch Xuanji's great reputation and has wanted to befriend him, but unfortunately, there hasn't been an opportunity," Qin Hao said enthusiastically.

"If I see my master, I will certainly relay your message," Cheng Yao promised.

"Fairy Cheng, you're also a diviner, aren't you?" Zhang Ruofeng asked curiously.

"Indeed. Why? Does Fairy Zhang wish for a divination? My fees are quite high," Cheng Yao replied with a proud, subtle smile.

"In that case, is Fairy Cheng's senior apprentice-brother also a diviner?" Qin Hao asked, puzzled.

"No, my second senior apprentice-sister's divination skills are superior to mine, but she is with our master and not with us," Cheng Yao explained. She clarified that it's impossible for all disciples to inherit their master's exact profession. High-level cultivators usually accept disciples based on talent and potential. An alchemist's disciple isn't necessarily an alchemist, nor is a sword cultivator's disciple always a sword cultivator. Divine Monarch Xuanji had three disciples: his eldest disciple possessed extraordinary strength, while two of his disciples understood divination.

"I can only perform divinations for cultivators below the Integration stage. These are the items I'm looking to collect. If you can find any one of them, I can perform a divination for you on a first-come, first-served basis." Cheng Yao took out more than a dozen jade slips of various colors and distributed them to Wang Yingjie and the others.

"Profound Nether Ghost Wood, Nether River Sand, Heavenly Nether Crystal... Profound Nether Divine Jade – these are all unique to the Underworld. Only a few dangerous places might yield them!" Qin Hao said with a frown.

Wang Yingjie's expression remained calm, but inwardly, his thoughts churned like raging rivers. Before leaving Qinglian Island, Wang Changsheng had instructed them to bring some valuable materials for exchange if they encountered rare items. Among these were two pieces of Profound Nether Ghost Wood, over 200,000 years old. What did Cheng Yao need Underworld materials for? Was she going to the Underworld? Or was she planning to set up a ghost-path formation like the Heavenly Ghost Grand Formation? Wang Yingjie remained discreet. Even if he were to ask Cheng Yao for a divination, he would do so privately. Revealing Profound Nether Ghost Wood in front of so many people would draw too much attention.

The cultivators one by one sent spiritual messages to Cheng Yao and presented items for her inspection, hoping their rare materials might catch her eye. Cheng Yao inspected the items presented by the cultivators, her brows slightly furrowed, and she shook her head.

Qin Hao took out an exquisite green jade box and handed it to Cheng Yao. Cheng Yao opened the lid, glanced inside, and nodded. "Fellow Daoist Qin, what you've presented is excellent. I can perform a divination for you after the gathering." The other cultivators looked on with envy, while Qin Hao's face lit up with joy, and he repeatedly expressed his thanks.

The cultivators continued exchanging items. Wang Yingjie acquired two portions of Dharma Idol materials, Wang Zongyun also obtained two portions of Dharma Idol materials, and Liu Hongxue exchanged some pills for various millennium-old spiritual herbs.

Two hours later, the gathering dispersed, and the cultivators departed one after another, leaving only Qin Hao and Cheng Yao.

"Fellow Daoist Qin, what do you wish to divine? Fortune, life and death, or something specific, such as your luck if you were to seek treasures in a certain place?" Cheng Yao asked. Qin Hao had presented a Soul-Suppressing Stone, one of the Ten Great Rare Stones, which was why she was willing to perform a divination.

"I want to know where my great fortune lies," Qin Hao said gravely.

Cheng Yao shook her head. "I only divine fortune; whether it's great or small is not for me to decide, but rather depends on whether you can seize it. As for the specific nature of the fortune, I don't know."

Qin Hao frowned, thought for a moment, then politely said, "I'd like to divine whether I will face mortal danger if I go treasure hunting in Qianyuan Grotto-heaven."

Cheng Yao took out a light blue turtle shell, lightly flicked her wrist to pour out three golden copper coins, and asked for Qin Hao's birth details. Qin Hao truthfully provided them.

"You'd best not go to Qianyuan Grotto-heaven, or you might not survive," Cheng Yao said slowly. "Of course, my divinations aren't always absolutely precise. Fate isn't set in stone; it can be changed. It depends on the individual. My master once divined for an Integration cultivator who was going to a dangerous place to seek treasures. The omen was ominous, yet he still went, survived, and even advanced to the Mahayana stage."

Qin Hao frowned again and continued, "Could you divine whether there is any fortune for me in Qianyuan Grotto-heaven?"

"This would be a second divination. Even if you presented other rare items, I cannot perform two divinations for you within a single day," Cheng Yao politely refused.

Qin Hao felt somewhat disappointed but said nothing. A single Soul-Suppressing Stone had only bought him Cheng Yao's words. If Divine Monarch Xuanji's reputation hadn't been so immense, he might have felt cheated. After a brief casual chat, Qin Hao bid farewell and departed.

***

Xuanling Continent, Floating Cloud Island.

In a vast manor, Li Yan and Li Yaoyao sat in a blue stone pavilion, sipping tea and chatting. Li Yaoyao's aura was significantly stronger than before, having evidently advanced to the Integration stage. After the racial war, Zhenhai Palace intensified its efforts in nurturing disciples. So far, four new Integration cultivators had emerged: two from the Ascended faction and two from the local faction. The Xuanqing Sect had dozens of Integration cultivators, while Zhenhai Palace had just over ten. There was still a significant gap, but they were slowly catching up.

"Junior Sister Li, take good care of yourself and consolidate your cultivation. We will hold your Integration grand ceremony a little later," Li Yan said with a smile. Li Yaoyao was a core strength of the Ascended faction and had received strong support from Zhenhai Palace, so her advancement to the Integration stage was expected. "Take this bottle of Blood Qilin Pills and use them to recuperate well." Li Yan took out a blue porcelain bottle and handed it to Li Yaoyao.

After Yang Qinglong's death, Zhenhai Palace temporarily lacked a seventh-tier alchemist. Fortunately, they had an inventory of seventh-tier pills, but each bottle consumed meant one less, so they had to use them sparingly. Li Yaoyao was a seventh-tier talisman master. Zhenhai Palace currently only lacked a seventh-tier alchemist. Seventh-tier talisman masters were rare in both Xuanling Continent and Qingli Sea Region. Talisman crafting was easy to start but difficult to master. Zhenhai Palace once had a seventh-tier talisman master in the past, and now they possessed one again. All major powers hoped for comprehensive development and a diverse pool of skilled talents. However, for various reasons, this was often not fully achieved. For instance, after Yang Qinglong's death, Zhenhai Palace temporarily had no seventh-tier alchemist.

Li Yaoyao nodded. Zhenhai Palace had contributed significantly to her advancement to the Integration stage. Had Chen Yueying not advanced to the Mahayana stage and acquired abundant cultivation resources during the racial war, it would indeed have been difficult for Li Yaoyao to reach the Integration stage.

***

Qianyuan Continent, a secluded manor.

As soon as Cheng Yao saw Qin Hao off, a communication talisman flew in. She crushed the talisman, and Wang Yingjie's voice sounded, "Fairy Cheng, I have something to discuss with you. Is now a convenient time?"

Cheng Yao opened the courtyard gate and saw Wang Mengbin and Wang Yingjie standing at the entrance.

"And this senior is?" Cheng Yao asked, puzzled.

"I am Wang Mengbin, a clansman of Yingjie. I'd like to request a divination for Yingjie," Wang Mengbin said politely.