HCB Chapter 119 Divine Calculation of Heavenly Secrets
Chapter 119 Divine Calculation of Heavenly Secrets
Beidi City.
The most famous megacity in northern Xinjiang, with a population of hundreds of millions and covering an area of millions of miles.
Legend has it that a Celestial Emperor once emerged in the Northern Frontier in ancient times, and the Northern Emperor City was the place where he attained enlightenment. Therefore, this place has been a gathering place for powerful cultivators since ancient times.
Besides the Celestial Court and the major powers of the Northern Frontier, the great lineages from the Central Continent, Southern Ridge, Western Desert, and Eastern Wilderness also have branches here.
Arriving here via the teleportation array, one is greeted by a bustling and prosperous scene!
Various gigantic buildings stand side by side, and the flow of people is dense. There are even some huge celestial palaces floating in the air, majestic and magnificent, giving people a great sense of oppression.
Leaving the teleportation array and walking into the main street, one could see cultivators coming and going, many of whom were powerful, and even some immortals who had passed through the barriers of the immortal path.
Beidi City was the center of the entire Northern Frontier, not to mention the current turbulent situation, which naturally attracted powerful figures.
He entered a restaurant in the city, ordered some food and drinks at random, and first learned about the situation in the city.
"Have you heard? One of the old leaders of the Sun Moon Sect has awakened and declared that on the day the gray fog descends, the Sun Moon Sect will not retreat an inch and will fight to the last man!"
"Really? I've heard that several forces are searching for a way out of the Immortal Realm, hoping to reach the legendary Nine Heavens and Ten Lands!"
"Indeed, many forces were preparing to flee before this, but the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths belong to forbidden races. Unless those races allow it, the human race simply cannot find a way. This is just wishful thinking!"
There has been much discussion about the impending doom of the world caused by the arrival of the gray fog.
In particular, the movements of various forces cannot be kept secret at this juncture, and many rumors are circulating on the streets and alleys.
"Why have primordial races such as true dragons and phoenixes disappeared in the last few thousand years? It's because they foresaw this day long ago, so they left in advance. They had finally managed to hide themselves, so why would they risk exposing themselves to guide the human race?"
Some people sighed.
"Therefore, the idea of fleeing has gradually been abandoned. Currently, there seem to be two opposing voices: the Sun Moon Sect and the Sword Sect advocate fighting the Gray Mist, while the Li Clan, Qin Clan, Zhu Clan, and others advocate peace..."
An elderly man with white hair and beard sighed and spoke.
Someone in the restaurant immediately questioned, "That's gray fog! How can we possibly make peace with it? Do you think that if we prioritize peace, the gray fog will stop invading?"
The old man said, "Only the leaders of the various forces know the specific details. However, what is certain is that the differences between the two sides are widening, which is why this jade gambling event is being held!"
The person next to him immediately became interested: "Old man, do you mean that the jade gambling event is related to the fight against the gray fog?"
The old man nodded: "Of course! Are you familiar with the Heavenly Mystery Sect?"
"Of course, the Heavenly Mystery Sect knows all the secrets of the world and is elusive. It is said that at its peak, even immortals and saints treated them as honored guests. However, the Heavenly Mystery Sect has not had a successor appear in the world for nearly a thousand years. Occasionally, news of them will surface, but they are nothing more than charlatans..."
The old man said, "This time, a true successor of the Heavenly Mystery Sect has emerged!"
He dropped a bombshell: "The 34th generation successor of the Heavenly Mystery Sect has been summoned by the Li family. After his deductions, he asserted that a Primordial Divine Source is hidden in the raw stone quarry of the Northern Emperor City!"
Primordial Divine Source!
These four words surprised many people in the room!
"The divine source alone is already astonishing enough, but there's actually a Primordial Divine Source?"
"The Primordial Divine Source... In legend, it is a treasure of creation. A single piece of the Primordial Divine Source can give rise to a world. Some even say that whoever obtains the Primordial Divine Source will surely become an immortal saint!"
"Immortals and saints? That's too narrow-minded! This thing is related to the most fundamental source of heaven and earth. If it falls into the hands of a master, it could even affect the rules of the entire world... This is something from myths and legends."
The crowd erupted in discussion.
Even Li Lan frowned slightly.
He's no longer a novice; he has some basic knowledge about Originium.
Source stones are also divided into different levels. Ordinary immortal source stones are only the lowest level. Above ordinary immortal source stones, there are many different kinds of alien source stones.
Different sources often contain special elements such as metal, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, thunder, and lightning, making them more valuable.
But the rarest of all is the "Divine Source"!
The immense energy and matter contained within the Divine Source go without saying, but the key is that the Divine Source also has a special function: sealing!
The elixirs and other medicinal herbs were sealed within the divine source. Even after thousands of years, when they were opened, they remained exactly the same as before, their medicinal properties intact, as if unaffected by time.
Some super-powerful forces even use divine power to seal people!
Elderly powerhouses who are about to pass away, or young prodigies born in the wrong era... as long as they are sealed within the divine source, they can resist the power of time!
Therefore, once a divine source emerges, it will inevitably be sought after by all the major powers in the world!
As for the Primordial Divine Source... that is a product of mythology. It is said that the rules of heaven and earth are all forged from this thing. Li Lan does not know much about its wonderful uses, but once this thing is born, it will undoubtedly cause a huge wave. Even immortal saints will probably not be able to sit still!
If a Primordial Divine Source truly exists in the Northern Emperor City, perhaps this object... could indeed influence the overall situation of the world.
"Whoever obtains the Primordial Divine Source will be able to mobilize the power of the Immortal Realm and thus possess the greatest say. Therefore, the Sword Sect and Sun Moon Sect, which advocate war, and the Li and Zhu families, which advocate peace, will naturally compete with each other."
The white-haired old man sighed.
"Now that we know it's in the Northern Emperor City, why don't the major powers cut all the raw stones open? That way, the divine source will naturally appear!"
Some people asked questions out of confusion.
"What do you know!"
The white-haired old man said solemnly, "The rarer something is, the more spiritual it is! Once it senses danger, it will flee immediately. Not to mention a supreme treasure like the Primordial Divine Source, even if a Celestial Saint were to take action, he might not be able to keep it!"
"Only those who are proficient in Source Arts can find and control the Primordial Divine Source using Source Dao methods before it is detected, and thus obtain it!"
Everyone in the restaurant suddenly realized what was going on.
"No wonder all the major powers are recruiting Source Masters these days, and they're even competing with each other!"
"Indeed, I've heard that Gu Shengtian, a genius from the Gu Yuan lineage, has emerged and is being treated as an honored guest by the Sun Moon Sect. With him around, I'm afraid the Divine Source won't escape his grasp!"
"Not necessarily. I've heard that the Li family has invited several extremely powerful and mysterious Source Masters. It's still uncertain who will emerge victorious!"
Everyone was filled with emotion. At this moment, someone asked, "Old man, now that the diviner of the Heavenly Mystery Sect has emerged, what is his judgment on the matter of the gray fog?"
After these words were spoken, the restaurant fell silent for a moment; clearly, everyone was very concerned!
The Tianji Sect's divine calculations are so famous that they are never wrong. With the world facing great calamity, their judgments... will have a great impact on ordinary people.
The old man said, word by word, "The divine calculations have revealed countless possibilities, and the final conclusion is that war will inevitably lead to defeat, while peace offers a glimmer of hope!"
"This is why some previously wavering forces have now sided with the Li and Zhu families!"
Upon hearing this, another commotion broke out in the restaurant.
"Even the diviner has said so... it can't be wrong!"
"I also think that the Li and Zhu families' approach might actually be feasible. The battle against the Gray Mist is really too difficult... Putting aside everything else, didn't the Bright Venerable and the Saints also disappear without a trace back then?"
"Be careful what you say! But then again, if we can coexist peacefully, that would be a good thing... Why should the Sword Sect and the Sun Moon Sect be so fixated on this?"
"The peace faction has a high chance of winning... But what does that have to do with us? You and I, lowly cultivators, are born without knowing why we are born, and die without knowing who caused it. Whether we oppose or support, it doesn't affect the decisions of those above!"
There was a wave of emotion in the room. After the old man revealed his divinely ordained judgment, most of the people in the restaurant... actually leaned towards the peace proposal.
……
The heated discussion continued in the restaurant, while Li Lan paid the bill and left.
He never expected that a single sentence uttered by Sword Saint Dugu Yibai after he left the Ten Thousand Yuan Mountain Range would cause such a huge uproar.
That's normal, though. The northern frontier is too vast, and the interests of various forces are intertwined. Each has its own agenda, so naturally there will be disagreements and struggles.
Leaving aside the vast immortal realm, even in mortal nations, when faced with external invasion, all sorts of people and factions will emerge...
However, peace?
Li Lan scoffed at this!
He personally returned from the gray fog and witnessed the truth within it.
How can I reconcile with the gray fog? Will I become a monster that is neither human nor ghost? Or will I, like Lin Ruoxue, embark on a path of evil from which there is no turning back?
If there were a peaceful way, why would the Venerable One and all the saints have fought to the death and ended up perishing?
However, in Beidi City now, it seems that someone is stirring up trouble regarding the divination of the heavens, and the news has spread throughout the streets and alleys. Wherever he goes, people are discussing it, and the public's inclination seems to have been swayed by this person towards peace...
This made Li Lan frown.
With such a powerful external enemy, if everyone inside harbors wishful thinking and the consensus is to seek peace... that would truly be a disaster!
But the key point is that the power of the Heavenly Divination is truly immense!
After all, it has a reputation that has stood the test of time for thousands of years!
As he pondered, he wandered around and soon arrived at the city's famous raw stone mining area.
The raw stone mines of all the major powers are located in this area.
"Congratulations on discovering a unique mineral today!"
"All stones in this mine are original, old stones. We are honest and trustworthy. Welcome to come in and appreciate the stones!"
"A hidden treasure awaits, only those with the right destiny!"
Besides the super-powerful forces, many other mines of all sizes have also been set up, with all sorts of "advertisements" galore, creating a lively atmosphere.
It's just like a casino.
"Sun and Moon Mine?"
Suddenly, he saw a magnificent gate, and the four large characters on the plaque indicated that this mine belonged to the Sun Moon Sect!
Li Lan immediately stepped forward.
"Heavenly secrets and divine calculations reveal good fortune and misfortune. Friends, if you intend to gamble on stones, how can you not consult your luck?"
At the entrance of the quarry, a familiar figure suddenly appeared.
The old Taoist looked at the Taoist Immortal, who was holding a cloth sign with eight large characters written on it: "Divine Calculation of Heavenly Secrets, Predicting Human Fortune and Misfortune!"
The old man was accompanied by a young Taoist boy, who possessed an exceptionally intelligent appearance. The boy followed the old man, chanting, "I can foresee fate, fortune, misfortune, marriage, wealth, life, death, good or bad—nothing is unpredictable!"
Li Lan couldn't help but smile slightly. He hadn't expected to run into this master and apprentice pair here!
--When Li Lan went to the Sinful State to bury his bones, he encountered the other party. This pair of charlatans were good at pretending to be gods and ghosts and swindling people out of their money.
But at that moment, Li Lan was preoccupied with something, so when she suddenly saw the other person, a flash of inspiration struck her!
He vaguely seemed to have found a way to break the peace faction's propaganda offensive!
……
"Brother, these lucky copper coins are handmade by my master and can increase your gambling luck. Buy one..."
The young Taoist boy was tireless, holding some ancient copper coins and stopping people to sell them.
"Get out of my way!"
"You dare call yourselves divine fortune tellers? You fraudulent swindlers, get lost!"
"Heh, the real diviners are in the Li family. You street swindlers still think you can fool people?"
People passing by were very impatient, making sarcastic remarks and completely ignoring the comments.
"Master, what should we do... no one believes us anymore."
The young Taoist was pushed aside once again, and said helplessly.
"Don't worry, as long as you're skilled enough, someone will always fall for it... oops! Someone will always know its value!"
The old Taoist priest remained calm and composed, showing no signs of panic.
"Old man, are you from the Heavenly Mystery Sect?"
At that moment, a young man suddenly approached and smiled leisurely.
Upon seeing this, the old man's eyes lit up. He puffed out his chest, stroked his beard, and said, "Indeed! Immeasurable Heavenly Venerable, I am the thirty-third generation successor of the Heavenly Mystery Sect, the True Man of Heavenly Severance!"
"I see you're here today with the glow of fireflies, you must be here to gamble on stones, right? What a pity, what a pity!"
He feigned a sigh, and Li Lan, not calling him out on it, said, "What's a pity?"
"It's a pity you're having bad luck gambling lately; you need to get rid of it!"
How to resolve this?
"It's simple! Come, come, this is a Yin-Yang Wheel Fortune Coin made by the old Taoist himself. Just one coin can turn your luck around in gambling. Before each time you gamble on stones, sincerely bow three times, and your luck will improve by three points!"
The old Taoist priest took out a box of copper coins and placed it in front of Li Lan.
Li Lan glanced at it and realized that the old Taoist's copper coins were indeed quite impressive, made of extraordinary materials that ordinary people couldn't see through.
But now that Li Lan's spiritual eyes have reached a high level, he can naturally see that these copper coins are all worthless!
"Ok?"
Suddenly, he noticed one of the copper coins. It looked like a piece of junk, but it had an inexplicable aura flowing through it. If he hadn't been so observant, he probably would have missed it.
"How much?" Li Lan asked.
The old Taoist's eyes darted around: "If it's not meant to be, I wouldn't trade it for a thousand pieces of gold! But I have a connection with you, young friend, and the price for that connection is... one hundred high-grade spirit stones!"
"One hundred high-grade spirit stones? Why don't you just rob someone?"
Li Lan rolled her eyes at him and turned to leave.
"Wait a minute, young friend, you are also a person of destiny. How about this, I will give you some more discounts: one hundred snacks and two copper coins. This is the bottom price!"
The old Taoist priest looked heartbroken.
Li Lan was somewhat absent-minded: "Give me all one hundred spirit stones."
Before the old Taoist priest could even haggle, Li Lan suddenly said, "Forget it, they all seem to be junk, let's not bother with them..."
The old Taoist priest panicked and hurriedly shoved the item into Li Lan's hand, saying, "Deal!"
Li Lan took the copper coins, secretly amused, and then paid with the spirit stones. Suddenly, he said, "By the way, sir, there have been rumors in the city recently that a gray fog has descended. What do you think of this?"
"I think that advocating peace is probably not going to work, and advocating war is the best course of action... Since you seem to know about fate, could you please tell me?"
He asked the question on purpose.
Upon seeing the master and apprentice pair, Li Lan already had a plan in mind!
Sure enough, the old Daoist Duan Tian paused for a moment, then looked at Li Lan and nodded solemnly:
"Young friend, you have insight! I have already calculated that if peace is the prevailing trend, then all will be bleak. If war is the prevailing trend... perhaps amidst the chaos, there will be a few individuals with great karmic connections who will be able to carve out a path for themselves!"
"Too much talk leads to mistakes, too much talk leads to mistakes. This old Taoist has said all I have to say!"
Li Lan smiled; he had already expected that experienced answer.
Because this old Taoist priest was a fraud, a charlatan who cheats people out of money by making things up to please others. Li Lan first expressed his inclination to fight, and the old man would definitely agree.
"Thank you for your guidance, senior!"
Li Lan said something, then, with a lot of copper coins in his pocket, turned and headed towards the Sun and Moon Mine.
After he left.
"Pack your things and get out of here!"
The old Taoist priest Duan Tian hurriedly spoke to the young Taoist boy.
"Ah? Master, are we leaving already..."
"Nonsense! What if he loses everything and then comes back to cause us trouble?"
"Master, how do you know he will lose everything?"
"He can even fool us, master and apprentice. He's obviously not very bright. There's no way he can win in a place like this. Let's go!"
The old Taoist priest packed up his things, took the young Taoist apprentice, and disappeared into the crowd in a flash.
……