Chapter 69 ·Peering into the Future, The Trace of Heaven’s Gaze!

Three ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍months later, the Azure Wave Sect announced to the entire sect.

The ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍former Sect Master, Yun Yazi, due to unhealed old injuries, voluntarily stepped down.

The ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍new Sect Master, Su Wanyue, took office immediately.

When ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍the news reached the Demon Blade Sect, Yu Xiaogang was still sitting in silence, staring at the completely intact life tablet of Sect Master Wan Tuxiao.

Another ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍three months had passed.

There ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍was still no news from the Sect Master and the two Supreme Elders.

Yet the two late-stage Nascent Soul Supreme Elders of the Azure Wave Sect were still alive?

They had merely changed their sect master.

What did this imply? It was already self-evident.

......

Azure Wave Sect, Inner Sect Hero Island.

Nether Soul sat cross-legged on a reef at the eastern cliff of the island, gazing at the ebb and flow of the tides for a long time without moving.

The sect master had stepped down.

The Supreme Elders had designated Su Wanyue as the successor.

And he, Nether Soul, happened to be one of Su Wanyue’s nominal disciples.

This meant that his current status in the Azure Wave Sect had risen from an ordinary heaven’s favored disciple to a direct disciple of the sect master.

And in the future, when Su Wanyue stepped down—whether by retirement, ascension, or otherwise—who would the position of sect master fall to?

The Supreme Elders Qingxu and Xuanyun were already advanced in age.

After this battle with the Demon Blade Sect, although they had not suffered fundamental damage, their lifespans were fixed.

They would not be able to hold on for long.

As for the other Golden Core cultivators in the sect, either they had been infiltrated by the Demon Blade Sect—so even if cleared of suspicion after the incident, they would never again enter the core of power—

or their seniority was too shallow to command authority.

As long as he, Nether Soul, did not make mistakes.

As long as over the coming years, he gradually raised his surface cultivation from the current late-stage Foundation Establishment to mid-stage Golden Core, then late-stage Golden Core—

and as long as the two Supreme Elders passed away at the appropriate time—

then would not the Azure Wave Sect fall into his hands?

......

Southern Sea No. 73, mortal world.

Taiyi Dao Sect.

Within the Longevity Residence, Gu Yan opened his eyes.

Three feet before him, suspended in the void, was the supreme-grade innate spiritual treasure—the Haotian Mirror.

At this moment, reflected within the mirror was the entire Azure Wave Sect.

Gu Yan watched for a while.

Then he raised his hand and brushed across the mirror’s surface.

The image dissipated, replaced by layer upon layer of overlapping phantoms.

That was the future.

Countless tributaries of time surged before his eyes.

Within every wave was wrapped a segment of fate yet to occur.

He saw Nether Soul flipping through jade slips in the Azure Wave Sect’s affairs hall.

He saw Su Wanyue still refining pills at Qingxia Peak.

Then the wave shattered, and another tributary surged forward.

Gu Yan’s brows moved slightly.

He extended his hand, attempting to draw that particular future closer.

The mirror suddenly trembled.

All the images shattered simultaneously, turning into billions of streams of light, reflecting only Gu Yan’s figure.

Gu Yan stared at the mirror, silent for a long time.

This was the fourth time today he had observed the future.

The previous three times, the moment he saw Nether Soul take over as sect master were respectively forty-seven years later, fifty-two years later, and—

Su Wanyue’s death, and the destruction of the Azure Wave Sect.

The same matter, three outcomes—and likely more, though Gu Yan did not continue to deduce further.

Gu Yan slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air.

Just as he had previously known, the future shown by the Haotian Mirror was not fixed—it was variable.

What it reflected was not destiny that must occur, but the most probable direction the future would take if nothing were changed at this moment.

Thus, the different outcomes he saw corresponded to different premises.

The direction of every wave was determined by countless reefs upstream.

And he, Gu Yan, was currently standing at the upstream of the river of time.

Every thought of his could potentially change the position of one of those reefs.

This was a good thing.

And also a bad thing.

Gu Yan put away the Haotian Mirror and did not continue deducing.

He had used it too many times today to observe the future—he vaguely felt something was not quite right.

But he could not pinpoint it.

Three days later.

Gu Yan once again took out the Haotian Mirror.

This time, it was not to observe the future, but to deduce something that had been increasingly concerning him.

He had discovered that deep within his soul, something was slowly accumulating…

He could not describe what it was.

It was not karmic burden, not causality, nor any tribulation that ordinary cultivators feared.

When Gu Yan used the Haotian Mirror to reflect upon himself, what appeared in the mirror was an extremely faint dark trace.

The dark trace coiled around the surface of his soul.

He did not understand what it was.

And the result deduced by the Haotian Mirror—

left Gu Yan in silence.

This was the Trace of Heaven’s Gaze.

Every time he activated the Haotian Mirror, crossing the river of time to窥视 the future—

a thread of rejection originating from the source of the Heavenly Dao would attach itself to him.

Once, twice, a hundred times.

If the Heavenly Dao were compared to a still pool of water—

each time he peered into the future, it was like tossing a pebble into the water.

The pebble was small, the ripples fleeting.

But if enough pebbles were thrown, the ripples would eventually converge.

And the Heavenly Dao would remember the one who kept casting stones.

Gu Yan closed his eyes and inspected his soul with his divine sense.

That dark trace was extremely faint—so faint that without deliberate searching, it would be impossible to detect.

He used the Haotian Mirror to calculate the power of his tribulation when breaking through to the Void Refinement Realm.

The answer in the mirror was that it would be ninety percent stronger than if he had not obtained the Haotian Mirror.

Gu Yan silently stopped the deduction.

He thought of a novel he had read before transmigrating.

There was a character who, every time he used foresight abilities, increased the probability of being corrected by the world.

In the end, he died miserably.

Back then, he had read it as wish-fulfillment fiction, clicking his tongue in amazement.

Now that it had happened to him, he realized it was not nearly as amusing.

The Haotian Mirror was a supreme-grade innate spiritual treasure.

It could resist all divine abilities and spells below the Immortal Emperor Realm.

With his current Transformation Spirit cultivation, he could reflect one thousand years into the past and five hundred years into the future.

It possessed the power to seize the fortune of heaven and earth.

However, resisting everything below the Immortal Emperor Realm meant—

the Heavenly Dao was not within that range.

Gu Yan once again fell into deep thought.

After a long while, he decided that from today onward, he would peer less into the secrets of heaven.

At most, at the beginning of each year, he would use the Haotian Mirror to deduce the key turning points within the next hundred years of his life.

At other times, unless absolutely necessary, he would not peer into the future.

In truth, using the Haotian Mirror to deduce heavenly secrets was like scrolling on a phone before he transmigrated.

Knowing full well that excessive use would harm the eyes, yet still unable to resist opening it.

But he had to restrain himself.

Perhaps when he peered into the future, the Heavenly Dao was not in a hurry to settle accounts.

It was merely keeping track.

But once too much was recorded, it would eventually have to be repaid.

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