Chapter 162: The Price of Fate and Destiny, Nine Netherworld Ice Lotus Seed and Primordial True Dragon Origin Blood

The fragrant steam from the spiritual tea curled into the air, creating a tranquil atmosphere inside the wooden hall. But the hearts of the two people were anything but calm.

Qingyun placed his teacup down gently, his eyes looked at the old man. "Senior, regarding the heavenly phenomenon just now... the shower of golden lotuses and the ethereal sound of the Heavenly Dao."

Ao Huang also leaned forward a little. "Yes, Senior. The fluctuations were too terrifying when I tried to see through it. We... need to know the details."

Daoist Master Tianji didn’t open his eyes. He slowly took another sip of his tea, his cloudy pupils swirled gently before he finally looked at them. A gentle, knowing smile appeared on his wrinkled face.

"You two kids want to know who caused it, right?"

Qingyun and Ao Huang nodded heavily.

Tianji chuckled softly. "But tell me, why is it so important to you? With your cultivation, worldly affairs should be like passing clouds. Why are you so anxious to find this person?"

Qingyun sighed, his expression turning solemn. "Senior, you know our situation. Ao Huang and I are both stuck at the half step Divine Lord realm. We have been trapped at this bottleneck for centuries. The Origin Realm... comprehending the literal Law of a technique at the Foundation Establishment stage, this is a very strange and most bizzare anomaly. If we can observe this genius, or even receive a sliver of enlightenment from his Dao, it might be the exact catalyst we need to take that final step and truly break through to the Divine Lord Realm."

Ao Huang nodded in agreement, his golden eyes flashing with a fierce light. "The old turtle speaks the truth. Moreover, a genius who attracts such a massive heavenly phenomenon will inevitably face deadly threats. His soul might get cursed, his foundation might crack, and what if that piece of sh—"

"Ahem," Qingyun coughed interrupting him.

Realising his mistake Ao Huang smiled little awkwardly and continued, "That Abyss Sovereign might send his minions to crush that genius. If they perishes midway, it would be such a massive loss for the world."

Qingyun nodded as his voice turned cold and sharp. "Most importantly... the Abyssal Sovereign Domain is not idle. Our spies in the Void Sea have confirmed that the Abyssal Sovereign is plotting a massive scheme. Like the "Harvesting" they did just some time ago, and for some reason Demonic Sects sided with one another this time, I had no choice but to convience other sects to cancel missions fearing something terrible might happen.

He paused a little. "I fear something very big is about to happen. The human domain is currently lacking a true, supreme powerhouse to lead the resistance. If this genius can grow up safely, he will be the ultimate sword to cut through the Abyss Sovereign’s schemes. We must find him, protect him, and guide him."

Listening to their detailed explanations, Daoist Master Tianji’s smile deepened. He let out a hearty laugh.

"Hahaha! Good, good. Your intentions are noble, and your vision is far reaching. Very well, I will reveal the truth to you." Tianji paused, his eyes suddenly locked onto them, the friendly demeanor from before vanished completely replaced by an unfathomable depth. "But... what price will you pay?"

Qingyun and Ao Huang’s expressions turned serious. They knew the rules of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion.

To understand the price, one must understand the terrifying nature of the Fate and Destiny.

Fate was not just a vague concept, it was a tangible, invisible, and infinitely complex web that connected every living being, every event, and every particle of the universe. Destiny was the grand river that flowed along this web. To calculate the future or reveal the identity of this genius who had just attracted the Heaven’s attention was equivalent to forcefully plucking the core strings of the universe.

The risk was astronomical.

A slight miscalculation would cause the karmic backlash that could very well erase the diviner’s existence from the cycle of reincarnation. It was a profession that walked on the blade of the Heavenly Dao every single second.

This was exactly why the Heavenly Secret Pavilion was so mysterious and revered.

Thousands of years ago, the Heavenly Secret Pavilion appeared out of nowhere in the cultivation world. At first, no one believed their claims of being able to calculate destiny and peek into the future. They were mocked as frauds and charlatans. But after a series of various flawless minor verifications such as predicting the exact time of spiritual beast tides, the sudden collapse of secret realms, and the hidden betrayals within sects, this slowly proved their terrifying abilities.

However, where there is profit, there is greed.

When some of the orthodox and demonic factions realized that this pavilion could truly control the flow of information and predict the future, malicious intent brewed endlessly.

Several powerful families and sects formed a secret alliance. They decided to take the Heavenly Secret Pavilion by force, intending to enslave the diviners and turn them into their personal slaves.

They thought the diviners were just some weak scholars who only knew how to calculate and could easily crush them.

That was one of the biggest mistake in the history of the cultivation world.

The day those allied forces besieged the pavilion, the previous Pavilion Master, the master of Daoist Master Tianji, finally stepped out. No one knew his name, and no one ever saw his face. But that day, the world witnessed what true, absolute strength really meant.

It was a day the world would never forget.

The previous Pavilion Master didn’t even draw a weapon. He simply stood in the void and pointed at the sky. In an instant, the destiny threads of the invading forces were violently severed.

The sky rained blood for three consecutive days.

When the blood rain stopped, the powerful families that had led the siege completely disappeared from the face of the earth. Their ancestral grounds were flattened, their hidden old ancestors were turned to dust, and their fate lines were completely erased.

It was as if they had never existed in the first place.

From that day on, no one, not even the most arrogant Demonic Sect and Abyssal Sovereign, ever dared to use force against the Heavenly Secret Pavilion.

And the price they demanded for seeing through fate and destiny was never just spiritual stones, it was equivalent exchange of value.

Recalling the terrifying history, Qingyun and Ao Huang didn’t hesitate. They knew that trying to haggle with the Heavenly Secret Pavilion was asking for death.

Qingyun waved his hand, and a jade box emitting a chilling cold aura appeared on the table. "This is the Tier 7 High Grade Nine Netherworld Ice Lotus Seed, a supreme treasure I obtained from the far away regions."

Ao Huang snorted and slammed a crystal bottle onto the table. The bottle contained a drop of thick, golden liquid that seemed to contain the roar of a dragon. "This is three drops of Primordial True Dragon Origin Blood. It contains the purest physical essence of my ancestor, capable of rebuilding flesh and blood."

Master Tianji looked at the two precious treasures, he nodded with satisfaction. He waved his sleeve, and the items vanished into his spatial ring.

"Good, Very good. The transaction is complete," Tianji smiled, picking up his teacup again.

Qingyun and Ao Huang leaned forward, their eyes burning with intense anticipation.

"Then, Senior," Qingyun asked, his voice slightly trembled with excitement. "What is his name? Where is he?"

Daoist Master Tianji took a slow sip of his tea. He looked at the two of them with a deep and mysterious smile.