Chapter 1369: Voyeur
Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric
Instead of replying to Zhang Xuan’s words, the young man walked up to the Light-sh.e.l.led Beetle and examined it closely in disbelief.
His divination ability as a seer had reached the level of 8-star, allowing him to foresee many events with a high level of accuracy. He had divined the beetle before him multiple times, and the result he got each time was that it would die of old age. Why would it suddenly blow up now?
Of course, saying that it would be able to live up to a hundred years old was just a metaphor. It wouldn’t just literally live to its hundredth birthday!
Furthermore, even if that was the case, it didn’t make sense for it to explode into dust right after those words were spoken?
The young man stared at the beetle with a conflicted look on his face for quite a while, but he was still unable to make sense out of the situation. In the end, he decided not to think too much into it and continued leading the duo forward.
Not too long later, they arrived before a room. Before he could even knock, a voice already sounded from within, “Come in.”
Following which, the room to the door slowly cracked open.
Taing a look within, Zhang Xuan saw an elder seated at the center of the hall. The young man standing beside him was no other than the person they were looking for, Zhang Chun!
At this moment, he had already recovered from the injuries he had sustained, and his aura felt a little sharper and purer than before. It seemed like the vicious pummeling he had received previously had helped to beat out the impurities in his body, bringing about a considerable rise in his fighting prowess. A blessing in disguise indeed.
“It’s you?” Upon seeing Zhang Xuan walking through the door, Zhang Chun’s face immediately turned livid.
As a genius of the Zhang Clan, he never thought that he would be pummeled by the tamed beast of a n.o.body in the Sanctum of Sages, nearly losing his life in the valley. Recalling the embarra.s.sment and humiliation he had been put through, his face swiftly reddened in fury.
However, he swiftly remembered something and turned to look at the old man beside him in astonishment, “Elder Feng, is the esteemed guest you spoke of… him?”
Previously, in the midst of their conversation, Elder Feng suddenly tasked his student to head out and usher an esteemed guest in. Back then, he had thought that it would be a top-notch expert or a respected elder of the Sanctum of Sages. Never in his mind had he even fathomed that it would actually be this fellow!
That fellow only managed to overwhelm him by lucking out and taming the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast. Otherwise, there was no way a mere Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle would possibly be able to face him straight on! Surely there was no need for Master Feng, whom even their clan head would have to show deep respect to, to view him so highly?
“That’s right.” Elder Feng stood up and a.s.sessed Zhang Xuan intently. The more he looked, the brighter the gleam in his eyes became, and a while later, he couldn’t help but exclaim in amazement, “It’s indeed the Discarnate Const.i.tution of Divination!”
“Discarnate Const.i.tution of Divination?” Zhang Xuan frowned in bewilderment.
Even though he was unable to determine his own condition through the Library of Heaven’s Path, he did possess a deep knowledge of the various unique const.i.tutions there were out there from the books he had a.s.similated so far, and there was none that corresponded to his own condition.
In other words, he was an ordinary man who couldn’t be any more ordinary!
So, what in the world was the Discarnate Const.i.tution of Divination? Why hadn’t he heard it before?
If he really possessed such a unique const.i.tution, why would his cultivation still advanced so slowly, such that he wouldn’t even be able to catch up with his student and his girlfriend?
“The Number of Grand Divination, 49 with a discarnate 1, and you happen to possess that ‘discarnate’ physique.” Elder Feng stroked his beard and explained. “To use conventional terms, it means that it’s impossible to use the means of divination to determine your fate and thus, future!”
(The Number of Grand Divination is a terminology from Zhou Yi, which is the core of Yi Jing or I Ching, an ancient Chinese divination text. However, there is no clear grasp as to what Grand Divination truly means, and so, the Number of Grand Divination remains an enigma to the world.)
Before Zhang Xuan could make sense of what was being said, the young man beside him had already widened his eyes in disbelief.
“Teacher, that legendary unique const.i.tution really exists?”
“I also thought that it was a legend until that incident, which made me understand that not only does such a unique const.i.tution exists, there are even a couple of them out there in the world…” Elder Feng shook his head and said, seemingly unwilling to linger too long on this matter. “If you don’t believe me, you can give it a try.”
“This… Alright then.” The young man was stunned for a few seconds before taking out three copper coins. He held them tightly in his grasp and mused for a moment before tossing them into the air.
The copper coins swiftly dropped onto the ground and spun non-stop, but before a divination could appear, resounding ‘Kacha! Kacha! Kacha!’ sounded, and cracks appeared on the coins.
And soon after, just like with the Light-sh.e.l.led Beetle, ‘peng!’, the copper coins exploded into dust.
The young man’s face immediately turned pale, and as if having sustained a heavy blow, he was forced to retreat several steps back. A trail of blood seeped down the corner of his lips as stupefaction rippled across his face.
The young man was clearly right before his eyes, but for some inexplicable reason, his divination was unable to work on the young man, or to be more exact, it felt as if he was attempting to divine something that didn’t exist in the world at all, a discarnate ent.i.ty.
How could the concepts of karma and history possibly apply to a discarnate ent.i.ty?
“How is it?” Having known this outcome, Elder Feng looked at his disciple and said.
The young man took in a deep to suppress his injuries before replying in resignation, “I really can’t divine anything at all…”
“Of course, he’s a void in the world. Not only his fate, even everything he has done and is going to do will be veiled from the eyes of the world!” Elder Feng said.
“This…”
In this moment, the young man could finally understand why his teacher wanted to meet this fellow.
Discarnate Const.i.tution of Divination, this was the const.i.tution that was most suited to become a seer. There weren’t any records of anyone possessing such a const.i.tution, but even in the entire history of mankind, there should only be several dozen of them existent in this world. He could have never thought that the ordinary-looking man before him would actually possess it as well.
“Everything I have done and am going to do will be veiled from the eyes of the world?” Zhang Xuan frowned upon hearing the words exchanged between the duo.
It took him a while before he could fully grasp that notion.
Most likely, the reason why divination didn’t work on him was due to the Library of Heaven’s Path.
The Library of Heaven’s Path could probably be considered as the very manifestation of the heavens, so naturally, concealing the will of the heavens and impeding others from looking in was probably just a walk in the park for it.
In other words, he didn’t possess the Discarnate Const.i.tution of Divination at all.
“Indeed. In other words, you are a fault in the world. If you were to become a seer, no matter how you peer into the secrets of the heavens, you still wouldn’t suffer any backlash at all!” Elder Feng exclaimed with glowing eyes.
The act of divining the future was equivalent to revealing the secrets of the heavens, and naturally, seers would have to suffer the retribution of the heavens for their actions. For this reason, high-ranking seers usually didn’t end well.
When one looks into the abyss, the abyss looks back at one. If one were to just divine smaller affairs, one might still be able to avoid the notice of the heavens. However, if one were to attempt to divine something that would affect the trajectory of the world… they would soon find the very ill will of the heavens directed against them. Eventually, most of them would meet their ends while undergoing the tribulation of the heavens.
Despite the seemingly glamorous exterior of seers, they were, in essence, voyeurs who sought to peer into the secrets of the heavens, and thus, the dangers they faced were greater than any other occupation.
However, there was one exception to the rule—the Discarnate Const.i.tution of Divination. Those who possessed such a const.i.tution were existences who weren’t even within the calculations in the heavens, and no matter how they peered at the secrets of the heavens, they wouldn’t face any punishment from the heavens…
A const.i.tution that allowed others to flout the rules openly without being punished—it was as if it was made just for seers!
“I was only able to notice it when Zhang Chun requested me to divine your background and your teacher.” Elder Feng explained.
Hearing those words, Zhang Chun’s face turned crimson. He felt so stifled that he could explode on the spot.
After the pummeling he had received, he had been wanting to get even with Zhang Xuan. For this reason, he spent a heavy price to request for Elder Feng’s help, wanting the latter to help him divine Zhang Xuan’s background… Yet, his efforts only seemed to have placed Zhang Xuan on a higher pedestal!
Not only had he not found out anything more about Zhang Xuan, the latter even became Elder Feng’s esteemed guest!
It was as if even the world was on his side!
“Your Discarnate Const.i.tution of Divination is most suited for seers.” Elder Feng looked at Zhang Xuan with pulsating excitement in his eyes. “So, what do you think about becoming my direct disciple?”
“Elder Feng, you want to take that fellow in as your direct disciple? But you have never taken in any direct disciples before…” Zhang Chun’s face twitched in shock.
While seers might not possess exceptional fighting prowess, due to the unique nature of their occupation, they were respected as one of the Upper Nine Paths occupations. This was especially so for Elder Feng, who was considered to be one of the greatest seers in the world…
Just the fact the polite att.i.tude their clan head maintained before Elder Feng showed his standing on the Master Teacher Continent.
If Zhang Xuan were to really become Elder Feng’s direct disciple, all his hopes of vengeance would be dashed!
“Direct disciple?”
The young man by the side showed a face full of envy and admiration.
He was only Elder Feng’s ordinary student, which meant that he wasn’t ent.i.tled to inheriting the crux of Elder Feng’s heritage. Most likely, he would only remain an 8-star seer for life, unable to take a step forward anymore.
But again, there was nothing he could do. The Discarnate Const.i.tution of Divination was something one was born with, and no amount of hard work would change that.
On the other hand, Zhang Xuan didn’t expect Elder Feng to request him to become his direct disciple on their first meeting. Instead of responding to that question straight, he looked at Elder Feng with a doubtful look and asked, “Is the Discarnate Const.i.tution of Divination very rare?”
“Very much so. I only know of four people in the Master Teacher Continent who possesses that const.i.tution, and that’s including you.” Elder Feng replied.
“Four people? May I know who are they?” Not expecting that there would be three people who would possess that const.i.tution, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but be a little curious.
At the same time, Zhang Chun also quickly stemmed the thoughts in his mind and turned his attention over.
“You must be the Luo Clan’s Luo Xuanqing, right?” Instead of replying Zhang Xuan’s question, Elder Feng suddenly turned to Luo Xuanqing and asked.
“Xuanqing pays respect to Elder Feng!” Luo Xuanqing clasped his fist and said.
“Un, there’s no need to stand on ceremony. Back then, when your younger sister sealed her cultivation and left the Luo Clan, your clan head paid me a visit and requested my help in divining her location. However, I was unable to divine her exact whereabouts, and if my guess fails me not… it’s like that that she possesses the Discarnate Const.i.tution of Divination too!” Elder Feng said.
“My younger sister possesses the Discarnate Const.i.tution of Divination?” Luo Xuanqing was surprised by the revelation before nodding in realization.
Previously, he had been wondering why despite the many seers there were in the Luo Clan, they were still unable to find his younger sister’s whereabouts for such a long period of time… It was due to this incident that he had a biased view toward seers, thinking that they were just fraudsters out to dupe money and prestige out of others. However, if his younger sister possessed the Discarnate Const.i.tution of Divination, that would explain everything.
Elder Feng nodded in response.
“What about the other two?” Zhang Chun asked.
“The first person I have found to have possessed that const.i.tution is the young prodigy of your Zhang Clan… No matter how I attempt to divine his whereabouts, I was simply unable to find any trace of him anywhere. It’s as if he has never existed in the world at all!” Elder Feng said.
“The young prodigy?” Zhang Chun heaved a sigh of relief.
It was fortunate that the young prodigy possessed such a const.i.tution as well, or else he would be spending the next few years hearing the gleeful Luo Xuanqing harping on this matter.
“The last person is a mysterious young lady I met a few months back. She is roughly Zhang s.h.i.+’s age, and she possesses extraordinary strength, unlike anything I have seen before… However, it’s a pity that she disappeared before I could catch a word with her.” Elder Feng shook her head and sighed.
“I see…” Zhang Xuan nodded.
All along, he had been hearing about how formidable the young prodigy was, and after hearing what Elder Feng had said, he was really starting to catch a glimpse into what kind of figure he was going up against.
He was only able to avoid the divination of seers due to his possession of the Library of Heaven’s Path, but to think that the young prodigy would actually possess the Discarnate Const.i.tution of Divination…
It was no wonder why he was able to remain hidden for so long… It turned out that not even the Luo Clan had any way to figure out where he was!
“Wait a moment… You said that it’s impossible to fathom my fate and my history due to my Discarnate Const.i.tution of Divination. If that’s the case, how did you know that Brother Luo and I have just arrived before your doorstep previously, even sending out your student to receive us?” Zhang Xuan suddenly thought of something, and he couldn’t help but frown in confusion.
Since it was impossible to divine his whereabouts, there should be no way Elder Feng should have known that he would be coming by today!
Furthermore, thinking back, the door to the room also opened right when they have just arrived outside it…
“This…” Seemingly not expecting to hear such a question, Elder Feng was visibly taken aback for a moment before directing a bizarre look at Zhang Xuan. “Have you… never used your Spiritual Perception before? This room isn’t located too far away from the entrance, so it’s very easy to extend one’s Spiritual Perception over.”
“…” Zhang Xuan.