Chapter 3307: Mutations

In the southwest of Xuanguang Continent lay the Xuanhao Mountain Range.

A golden light appeared in the distant sky. Soon, it materialized above the Xuanhao Mountain Range as a resplendent golden palace. On its plaque, three large silver characters spelled "Xuanji Palace."

Wang Changsheng and others stood inside Xuanji Palace, gazing into the distant sky.

Not long after, Xuanji Palace arrived above a massive valley shrouded in white mist.

The white mist churned violently, revealing a thousand-acre manor. Cheng Yao and Shentu Xiao emerged to greet them.

"Greetings, Senior Ye."

Cheng Yao and Shentu Xiao bowed respectfully.

Cheng Yao had already advanced to the Integration Stage, while Shentu Xiao was currently in the mid-Integration Stage.

Ye Xuanji and her companions flew out from Xuanji Palace. She formed a hand seal, and the palace rapidly shrank, disappearing into her sleeve.

Cheng Yao led Ye Xuanji and the others to a secluded courtyard, where Mystic Lord Xuanji sat in a hexagonal stone pavilion.

"Immortal Ye, who are these individuals?" Mystic Lord Xuanji's gaze fell upon Wang Changsheng and his group.

"This junior, Wang Changsheng (Wang Ruyan), greets Senior Xu." Wang Changsheng and the five others bowed respectfully.

"They have some past connection with me and have assisted me before. He wishes for your disciple to perform a divination. Since divining for one is the same as divining for two, please divine their fortunes! Consider it practice for young friend Cheng," Ye Xuanji stated. Given Wang Changsheng's offering of Profound Nether Ghostwood, she didn't mind assisting him.

Mystic Lord Xuanji nodded and instructed, "Yao'er, divine for young friend Shangguan and young friend Wang."

Cheng Yao acknowledged and walked to a green stone table.

"He is going to the Underworld; divine his fate. Tell her your birthdate and time," Ye Xuanji commanded.

Shangguan Tianhong dared not delay and truthfully provided his birthdate and time.

Cheng Yao took out a pale green tortoise shell, gently shook her wrist, and poured out three golden copper coins, her fingers continuously moving in a hand-seal.

After a moment, she said, "According to the divination, your journey to the Underworld will be very dangerous. I advise you not to go."

"Will I definitely perish if I go to the Underworld?" Shangguan Tianhong asked with a frown.

"There's a high probability you'll die, but you can still go. Perhaps you might defy fate, gain a great opportunity, and significantly advance your cultivation. Divination doesn't represent the will of Heaven," Cheng Yao explained.

Shangguan Tianhong's brow furrowed tightly, his face filled with worry. Ye Xuanji was determined to go to the Underworld. If Shangguan Tianhong followed, his life would likely be in danger, but he couldn't afford not to go.

Ye Xuanji frowned slightly and asked, "Fellow Daoist Xu, if I take him to the Underworld, will I also be in danger?"

Mystic Lord Xuanji shook his head. "I don't know. He is himself, and Immortal Ye is Immortal Ye."

"Divine for young friend Wang instead, specifically his fortune," Ye Xuanji commanded, seemingly having thought of something. If Wang Changsheng had a great opportunity, she wouldn't mind lending a hand, or perhaps benefitting from his good fortune.

Cheng Yao asked for Wang Changsheng's birthdate and time, which he truthfully provided.

Cheng Yao placed the three copper coins back into the tortoise shell, gently shook it, and poured them out again. Incredibly, all three copper coins landed upright, neither heads nor tails facing upwards.

Mystic Lord Xuanji and Cheng Yao were stunned; they had never witnessed such a phenomenon before.

Cheng Yao's delicate brows furrowed as her fingers moved ceaselessly, meticulously performing calculations.

A rumble of thunder echoed from high above as a massive thundercloud appeared in the sky, accompanied by lightning and thunder.

"What's going on?" Ye Xuanji's beautiful face changed. Mystic Lord Xuanji's expression shifted dramatically, his face filled with disbelief.

They quickly dispersed, moving away from Cheng Yao, their faces all etched with shock.

A deafening thunderclap rang out, and a thick silver lightning bolt struck down, heading directly for Cheng Yao. Cheng Yao paled in fright, quickly summoning a white-glowing shield to block in front of her. At the same time, she patted the golden jade lock on her chest. The lock emitted a dazzling golden light, and a dense golden barrier materialized out of thin air.

The silver lightning struck the white shield, instantly shattering it into a silvery electrical discharge that engulfed Cheng Yao. The stone pavilion exploded.

"Immortal Ye, who exactly is he? We've known each other for many years; tell me the truth," Mystic Lord Xuanji asked in a deep voice, his gaze fixed on Wang Changsheng. Diviners often suffer backlash when divining for others, typically losing lifespan or true essence. In more severe cases, the lightning tribulation for breaking through major realms becomes stronger. It is extremely rare for divination to summon a lightning tribulation.

Either a powerful individual skilled in divination concealed Wang Changsheng's fate, or Wang Changsheng is a direct descendant of a powerful being, and attempting to divine his fate implicated that being, thus summoning the lightning tribulation. Even if a Mahayana cultivator concealed Wang Changsheng's fate, it wouldn't summon a lightning tribulation, unless it was a True Immortal.

"He's just an Integration Stage cultivator! What's the problem? He ascended from the lower realm," Ye Xuanji asked, bewildered.

"What? Ascended from the lower realm? He couldn't be a True Immortal who reincarnated through possession, could he? No, if he were a True Immortal who reincarnated, the first lightning tribulation would have killed Yao'er. Even if it were a Mahayana cultivator who reincarnated through possession, Yao'er divining for him shouldn't summon a lightning tribulation. Could he be a close relative of a True Immortal from the lower realms? That shouldn't be it either! Unless they are exceptionally close kin. Are you sure he ascended from the lower realm? Has anyone from their family ascended to the Immortal Realm?" Mystic Lord Xuanji spoke slowly.

Upon hearing this, Wang Changsheng and the others were dumbfounded. Shangguan Tianhong's eyes nearly popped out. A True Immortal's kin...

He recalled something and transmitted a message to Ye Xuanji: "Master, when Fellow Daoist Wang and Immortal Wang formed their Nascent Souls, they caused unusual phenomena. However, several other cultivators also caused phenomena when forming their Nascent Souls at that time. Is this related?"

Ye Xuanji's brows furrowed. If only Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan had caused phenomena, then there would indeed be a problem. But since several cultivators caused phenomena when forming their Nascent Souls, it wasn't a significant issue.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, has anyone from your family ascended to the Immortal Realm?" Ye Xuanji asked in a deep voice.

"No! If so, we wouldn't be here in Xuanguang Continent seeking opportunities," Wang Changsheng replied truthfully, completely bewildered.

The thunderous roars continued ceaselessly as lightning tribulations struck down one after another.

After the seventh lightning tribulation struck, the thundercloud churned violently, giving rise to electrical arcs of eight different colors.

"Eight-colored Divine Lightning!" Mystic Lord Xuanji's face tightened. Cheng Yao had merely attempted to divine Wang Changsheng's fate, and it had summoned Eight-colored Divine Lightning. If she continued, would it summon Nine Heavens Divine Lightning?

A rumbling sound of thunder erupted, and a thick eight-colored lightning bolt struck down, merging into the silvery electrical discharge, which intensified greatly.

The eight-colored thundercloud churned violently, transforming into a massive eight-colored lightning dragon that swooped down from high above. The eight-colored lightning dragon plunged into the silvery electrical discharge. A massive eight-colored lightning glow erupted, and a powerful shockwave shattered the entire manor.

After a moment, the eight-colored lightning dissipated. The manor had vanished, replaced by a massive, smoke-billowing crater. Cheng Yao lay in the giant crater, her body charred black, her aura weak. Had she not obtained a Skyhaze Pill early in her life, which enhanced her physical body's ability to resist lightning tribulations, she would have been annihilated.