Chapter 1380: Divination

Jiang Fan hadn't forgotten that he had met with Priest Lingyin before leaving the mainland for Taicang Great State.

Priest Lingyin had given him a letter, instructing him to deliver it to an old man named Tianji if he ever had the chance to meet him.

Now that he had finally met the old man, it was time to fulfill Priest Lingyin's request.

Old Man Tianji looked surprised. "Who is it?"

"I'm not familiar with anyone from your Taicang Great State."

Jiang Fan shook his head. "I'm only responsible for delivering the letter; I don't know anything else."

He was also quite puzzled.

Before meeting Old Man Tianji, he hadn't thought there was anything unusual about Lingyin's letter.

However, having witnessed Old Man Tianji's cultivation, which was at least at the Divine Transformation Venerable level, he couldn't help but be surprised.

What exactly was Priest Lingyin's true strength? How could she be connected to a mysterious and powerful figure like Old Man Tianji?

Old Man Tianji also looked perplexed. He extended his hand and said, "Let me see the letter."

Jiang Fan took out the letter, and in the next instant, it teleported from his hand directly into Old Man Tianji's dirty, aged grasp.

Old Man Tianji furrowed his grizzled brows and unfolded it to read.

With just one glance, he let out a frightened shriek!

He stumbled, tumbled off the broad back of the green ox, and fell into the sea.

Yet, he held the letter high with both hands, refusing to let it get wet, much like a commoner in the mortal world reverently holding an imperial decree, filled with trepidation.

He clambered back up, trembling all over, and stammered, "She... she... she's still alive?"

Jiang Fan's face was filled with doubt.

Who was "she" referring to? Priest Lingyin? Or someone even more powerful?

Even the Bodhisattva felt curious, his wise eyes flickering as he pondered who "she" could be, spoken of by Old Man Tianji.

He could barely imagine what kind of divine being could command such reverence from Old Man Tianji.

Old Man Tianji swallowed hard several times, finally calming the stormy waves in his heart. His ancient eyes trembled as they scanned the letter's contents.

It was a small letter, with only a few strokes of content.

Yet, Old Man Tianji stared at it for a full minute!

He read each word carefully, not daring to skim.

After reading, his face showed both reverence and a hint of embarrassment.

Finally, his gaze fell upon Jiang Fan, his eyes filled with caution. His attitude became polite, even somewhat respectful.

He cupped his hands and said, "Daoist Jiang, that person..." He paused, then corrected himself: "Does the person who wrote this letter have any other instructions?"

Jiang Fan was surprised.

Was Old Man Tianji wary of Priest Lingyin?

He was somewhat shocked himself.

What was Priest Lingyin's true identity? How could she possibly frighten Old Man Tianji like this?

When he had interacted with her, he hadn't felt anything particularly special, other than her being mysterious.

He remembered that the first time he met Priest Lingyin, he had even threatened her with the aphrodisiac powder Liuhe Immortal.

And yet, he was still alive and well, full of vigor?

He looked thoughtful and replied, "There were no other instructions, just for me to deliver the letter to you."

"But what did the letter say?"

"You look quite troubled, senior."

Old Man Tianji's old face flushed red. He said, "The letter instructed me to do two things: one is to divine your fortune and misfortune."

"The other... is for me to run naked around the Nine Provinces of Middle-earth."

Jiang Fan's eyes nearly popped out.

What? Run naked? Around the Nine Provinces? And it's Old Man Tianji, the mysterious and unpredictable one?

How dare Priest Lingyin write such a thing? Wasn't she afraid of provoking Old Man Tianji?

However, to Jiang Fan's utter astonishment, Old Man Tianji showed no sign of resistance.

Instead, he urged, "Come here, I'll divine for you."

Jiang Fan was thoroughly shocked.

Priest Lingyin, wasn't she just a priest of the demon race?

He walked forward blankly, his eyes wide with shock.

Old Man Tianji cautiously glanced towards the mainland, his face filled with apprehension.

He was about to perform the hand seals.

Heavenly Auditor Bodhisattva pondered for a moment, then said, "I've heard that Old Man Tianji can glimpse the heavenly secrets of all things, knowing both past and future."

"This Venerable One wishes to offer a Heavenly Auditor's great vow, requesting Old Man Tianji to divine the future for me once."

Old Man Tianji thought for a moment. "Alright, I'll divine for both of you at the same time."

He paused, then glanced at Daoist Liu Dao.

"You were also affected by my divination back then, and have become entangled in karma."

"You come over too; I'll divine for you as well."

Jiang Fan had asked Daoist Liu Dao to impersonate the Bodhisattva's lay disciple to shake off suspicion regarding the Voidstream Thunder Force.

Having been initiated into Buddhism, he had some karmic ties with Old Man Tianji.

Daoist Liu Dao naturally had no objections.

So, the three gathered before Old Man Tianji.

Old Man Tianji closed his eyes, accessing heavenly secrets.

Immediately, a colossal eye appeared in the sky, obscuring the sun and covering the earth, immensely majestic.

It seemed capable of seeing through the roots of all things.

A moment later, the giant eye vanished.

Old Man Tianji, however, kept his eyes closed for a long time.

Heavenly Auditor Bodhisattva had a premonition and calmly said, "Is it that one of us has a very unfortunate destiny?"

Only then did Old Man Tianji slowly open his eyes.

His gaze swept over the Bodhisattva, Daoist Liu Dao, and Jiang Fan in turn.

In his eyes, a succession of emotions flickered: solemnity, pity, and surprise.

After looking at all three, he spoke in a very complex, slightly hoarse tone:

"The three of you."

"You will all die."

A heavy hammer seemed to strike the hearts of all three, producing a dull thud.

Even though Heavenly Auditor Bodhisattva had long anticipated his own fate, hearing the divination still caused a moment of stunned discomposure.

After a long moment, he put his palms together and said, "Amitabha."

"Birth, old age, sickness, and death are all natural; why cling, why resist?"

Daoist Liu Dao, however, appeared quite composed. "I am but a remnant soul, barely reborn through possession. My lifespan was never much to begin with."

"I'm not afraid of death."

"I just wonder if I can find my daughter before I die."

Jiang Fan, however, stood dazed for a long time, finding it difficult to accept.

He pointed to himself. "Senior Tianji, you mean I will die too?"

Despite having faced so many perilous life-or-death situations, truly knowing that he would die one day was still difficult to accept.

Old Man Tianji looked at him and nodded seriously.

Jiang Fan bit his lip slightly and asked, "Will my body be destroyed, but my soul remain?"

If his soul remained, he could possess another body and start anew.

Old Man Tianji shook his head, his expression complex. "It will be body destroyed, soul extinguished, returning to dust."

Jiang Fan's body swayed.

Had he struggled so hard to reach this point, only for it all to end abruptly?

In his mind, he saw the expectations of the people from the Heavenly Secret Pavilion, the faces of Fairy Yunshang, Gong Caiyi, and True Word Venerable, and the hopeful gazes of Xu Youran, Chen Siling, Yuemingzhu, and Ling Shu.

A pang of pain and unwillingness surged within him.

He clenched his fists and asked, "How far in the future will this happen?"

Old Man Tianji replied, "Not far."

Jiang Fan staggered slightly, then asked, "How will I die?"

Old Man Tianji was silent for a moment, then slowly said:

"You will die at the hands of someone you trust most."