Chapter 100: From Now On, I'm Taking Off!

After capturing Ye Chao, Wang Ping didn't go far. Instead, he found a nearby cave, ducked inside, and took out the Six Desires Heavenly Demon Flag once more.

"This won't be easy to deal with."

Wang Ping frowned, his fingers forming hand seals. Because he was currently maintaining both the Old Immortal Bliss and Ye Chao personas, his perception was exceptionally clear.

"Ever since I captured Ye Chao—the protagonist of this grand play—destiny has been in constant flux. It's trying to drag in powerful experts to cause trouble for me, creating an opening for Ye Chao to escape. If I hadn't also channeled the 'Ye Chao' persona to offset that influence, I probably would have met with disaster by now."

This kind of formless influence was the hardest to deal with.

At the very least, according to Old Immortal Bliss's divination, in just the short trip from the riverbank to this cave, no fewer than three Loose Immortals had passed within a thousand-li radius.

"If my destiny were even a sliver weaker right now..."

"...those three Loose Immortals would have changed course, 'coincidentally' passed by here, taken an instant dislike to me, and killed me, rescuing Ye Chao in the process."

Wang Ping sighed to himself.

Kidnapping the protagonist really wasn't a job for ordinary people. It was genuinely a perilous endeavor at every step; the slightest mistake, and he would end up failing to steal a chicken and losing the bait rice.

"Good thing I have a cheat."

Entering the flag's inner space, Wang Ping looked at the unconscious Ye Chao and made a surprising discovery—fragments of consciousness were continuously leaking out from around Ye Chao's body.

Fragments of consciousness only leaked out when a person was actively thinking.

In other words:

'This kid woke up a while ago. Is he just playing dumb?'

Wang Ping smiled. It didn't really matter. After all, only with consciousness fragments continuously leaking out could he renew his 'Ye Chao' trial card. This suited him perfectly.

Next, Wang Ping circulated his spiritual sense and began to further explore Ye Chao's body. Soon, beneath Ye Chao's flesh, he saw something familiar—a piece of ghastly white bone engraved with countless intricate patterns. Yet, it occupied only a small portion of Ye Chao's sternum.

The Fate-Peering Bone-Slicing Mirror!

"It really is this magic artifact... Then there's no mistake. Every grand play so far was indirectly orchestrated by Ye Chao through this artifact."

More accurately, the magic artifact had simply responded to his desires.

However, just as it was for the Soul-Falling Studio Master, the price for Ye Chao to activate the Fate-Peering Bone-Slicing Mirror was equally massive. His own destiny was continually being eroded by it.

Yet, the difference between him and the Soul-Falling Studio Master was...

"Ye Chao's destiny is simply too tough."

"So tough that even when activating the Fate-Peering Bone-Slicing Mirror, he can completely withstand it. So far, this magic artifact has only claimed a small piece of his sternum."

In contrast, the Soul-Falling Studio Master had almost his entire skeleton devoured back then. This showed just how absurd Ye Chao's resilience was. From this perspective, the reason Book Mountain schemed against him was nine times out of ten because they valued his destiny. That was why they had embedded a magic artifact into his body.

Wang Ping's expression shifted slightly.

He once again pondered the bold plan he had just formulated: was it possible for him to replace Ye Chao and become the protagonist of Book Mountain's grand play?

Operationally speaking, it was doable.

Since Ye Chao was currently his prisoner, as long as he ensured the boy kept producing consciousness fragments, his 'Ye Chao' trial card would renew for free!

"However, the 'Ye Chao' trial card only grants me Ye Chao's destiny. It doesn't give me the wishing function of the Fate-Peering Bone-Slicing Mirror. Therefore, even with the trial card, I can't replicate Ye Chao's ability to make his wishes come true—unless I transplant the Fate-Peering Bone-Slicing Mirror into my own body."

Unfortunately, a transplant was impossible.

On one hand, while Wang Ping very much wanted the benefits of being the destined protagonist, he didn't want to pay the price. On the other hand, the restriction lay within the magic artifact itself.

For the Fate-Peering Bone-Slicing Mirror to change owners, its previous master had to die.

So as things stood, he could only leave the Fate-Peering Bone-Slicing Mirror in Ye Chao's body. He would let Ye Chao suffer the hardships, while he himself enjoyed the blessings using the trial card.

As for how to achieve this... it would require a little maneuvering.

With this in mind, Wang Ping let out a deep breath. He immediately circulated his spiritual sense, activated his Divine Intent, brought two fingers together, and gently tapped the air within the flag space.

"Rumble!"

In an instant, Wang Ping felt his mind sink heavily, as if he were carrying a massive mountain on his back. This was the necessary price for using Divine Intent to activate the Six Desires Heavenly Demon Flag.

After all, he hadn't yet cultivated magic power, nor had he reached the Martial Dao Grandmaster Rank. When activating magic artifacts or divine weapons, he always felt a sense of powerlessness, like a child trying to drive a massive cart.

"Six desires manifest, heavenly demons descend to the world... arise!"

As Wang Ping's incantation fell, ripples spread across the dark flag space. Finally, a demon—half-real and half-illusion—stepped out and bowed before him.

"I'll leave it to you."

Wang Ping pointed at Ye Chao. The demon immediately understood. With a long howl, it lunged at the boy. The originally "unconscious" Ye Chao instantly jolted awake.

"Wait! Wait..."

Before he could finish, the demon drilled straight into the center of his brow. His eyes quickly grew glazed and distant. Finally, his head lolled to the side, and he slumped to the ground with a thud.

"Demons excel most at playing with people's hearts. No matter how tough Ye Chao's destiny is, right now he is just a Mortal. It's impossible for him to block the demon's influence. From now on, I'll use the demon to cast him into an illusion and force him into my perspective. This way, I can indirectly harness his ability to make wishes come true!"

A moment later, Wang Ping left the flag space.

"It's done!"

Wang Ping looked up at the sky, his eyes half-closed as he silently savored the wonderful feeling that came when the 'Ye Chao' trial card took effect—the sensation of heaven and earth aligning to support his every move.

With the biggest problem solved, he could fully replace Ye Chao's identity. From now on, he was the Child of Destiny officially appointed by Book Mountain!

In order to nurture the protagonist, Book Mountain would definitely spare no effort.

Even if he just sat there doing nothing, endless benefits would be delivered right to his doorstep. The true Ye Chao would foot the bill in advance; he merely needed to sit back and enjoy the blessings.

He would do this right up until the truth was exposed, or there was nothing left to squeeze out of them.

Then he would just slash his own neck to fake his death and abscond with the loot. He would pocket all of Book Mountain's benefits without hesitation, and not lift a finger for Book Mountain in return!

Of course, there were still some minor issues.

Namely—Book Mountain definitely knew of Ye Chao's existence early on, and they had even stuffed the Fate-Peering Bone-Slicing Mirror into his body. It wouldn't be easy to fool them.

What should he do?

Wang Ping emptied his mind. Instead of overthinking it, he followed his instincts, walking step by step into the deepest part of the cave until a crisp crack interrupted his thoughts.

"Hmm? This is..."

Wang Ping looked down, discovering that he had stepped on the leg bone of a skeleton. The deceased was wearing a tattered Daoist robe and gripping a book in its bony hand.

He picked it up and flipped it open.

"The Heaven-Deceiving Great Method. It can perfectly conceal one's aura. Even if you're hiding a magic artifact on your person, once you use this method, not even a Loose Immortal would be able to find it."

"Aside from that, it also has the effect of altering one's physical appearance."

"Isn't this a perfect fit for me? ...And it even comes with a full set of cultivation notes?"

"How thoughtful!"

Wang Ping tucked the book away and gave the skeleton a respectful bow, thanking destiny for the gift. As for the price, the real Ye Chao would foot the bill in full.

"With this Heaven-Deceiving Great Method, even if the people from Book Mountain can't detect the Fate-Peering Bone-Slicing Mirror on me, I'll have a reasonable explanation. I don't even need to specifically disguise myself as Ye Chao. I can just say Ye Chao turned the tables, killed me, and then disguised himself as me. It makes perfect sense either way!"

Wang Ping quickly sorted out his new persona.

"From today onward, I am Ye Chao—the one who killed Yin Hu of the Tribute Hall in a counterattack, then used a disguise technique to impersonate him, thereby successfully infiltrating the Tribute Hall!"

With destiny itself bearing witness, who would dare deny it?

It was flawless!

A moment later, Wang Ping walked out of the cave. He retrieved the still-unconscious Chen Luoyan, whom he had casually tossed outside earlier, and hoisted her back onto his shoulder.

From now on, sorry to say, but I'm taking off!

"Rumble!"

Wang Ping's figure rapidly disappeared into the night. Above his head, deep within the rolling black clouds, the faint sound of thunder echoed, only to vanish as quickly as it came.

..........

Shuzhong, Book Mountain.

As the extraordinary person sect that dominated Shuzhong, Book Mountain's blessed land wasn't located in the mortal realm. Instead, it was a solitary suspended peak situated high in the sky, deep within the sea of clouds.

Its shape was perfectly square, like an open book bobbing amid the sea of clouds. From the foot of the mountain to the summit, every step was carved with a massive number of talismans. These were left behind by generations of Book Mountain disciples, arranged from lowest cultivation to highest. Those able to leave their names at the very peak were the past generations of Loose Immortal patriarchs.

And at the summit of the mountain stood a Daoist platform.

The platform was divided into eight directions, corresponding to the eight trigrams. It resonated with the sun, moon, and stars above, and aligned with the mountains, rivers, and seas below. Sitting upright upon it was a youth with red lips and white teeth, a sword resting across his knees.

He was none other than the sect master of Book Mountain.

The founding patriarch of Book Mountain bore the Daoist title Xuanhe, and every subsequent sect master had inherited this title. Five hundred years had passed, and the mantle had now reached the third generation.

And right at the moment Wang Ping achieved his goal and officially walked out of the cave under the identity of 'Ye Chao,' this sect master of Book Mountain suddenly opened his eyes.

"Hmm...?"

The Daoist's brow furrowed tightly. "The heavenly secrets have changed. Ye Chao met with a tribulation? That shouldn't be. This is only the beginning. By all rights, this is when he should be reaping his opportunity to enter the Dao."

The plot no longer matched up!

It didn't make sense. He couldn't be clearer on the immense power of the Fate-Peering Bone-Slicing Mirror. The origin and background of this magic artifact were incredibly profound; it was absolutely impossible for it to fail.

"No, caution sails a ship ten thousand years."

"I must divine this!"

The Daoist stood up, holding a stick of incense in his hand. He bowed deeply toward the sky. "Your disciple respectfully invites the patriarch to descend to the mortal realm and reveal the secrets of the heavens."

The smoke immediately spiraled upward.

..........

The Immortal Gate, outside the Eight Trigrams Furnace.

A young Daoist sat cross-legged. Suddenly sensing something, he opened his eyes. Reaching out a hand, he pinched the rising plume of smoke.

"A message from Book Mountain... Something went wrong with the Child of Destiny?"

The young man was none other than Xuanhe.

As Daoist Nun You's junior brother and the disciple tending the Eight Trigrams Furnace, he had been standing right by her side when she set up her schemes in Longxing County, yet he had nearly been implicated.

He had finally managed to endure past that ordeal, only for Book Mountain—his crucial source of income—to suddenly send a message. This made him feel a vague sense of unease.

However, shortly after reading the message contained within the smoke, he relaxed again.

Because the Child of Destiny's destiny was too tough, he couldn't divine exactly what the boy had experienced. But he could still glean enough from the margins to deduce his current status.

"Ah, it's nothing fatal!"

He casually cast a hexagram and chuckled softly. "It's a sign of a scare without real danger. This shows that although the Child of Destiny ran into a little trouble, his life isn't at risk."

"In fact, this is actually perfect."

"After all, the Child of Destiny can only grow rapidly when constantly placed in danger. As long as his life isn't at risk, turning disasters into auspicious signs is only a matter of time."

Daoist Xuanhe calculated for a moment and quickly came to a decision:

"Just in case, though, I'll let him access some of the fateful opportunities previously prepared for the Child of Destiny a little early. That should help him turn danger into safety as quickly as possible."

Thinking of this, Daoist Xuanhe was filled with anticipation.

"Five hundred years of cultivation and toil, and the time for the harvest has finally arrived."

As long as this matter succeeded, he would definitely be able to take another step forward and become the third True Transmission disciple under his master.

This way, once his master's lifespan ran out and he passed on, he would have enough status and standing to compete with his two senior sisters for their master's legacy!