Xun Yuanjia was not afraid of Li Chang’an. What he feared were the several Nascent Soul True Monarchs backing him. If any other cultivator had been suspected by a Nascent Soul of being a Demonic spy, they would be in for a miserable time, even if they managed to escape with their lives. Yet, Li Chang’an was completely fine. This alone was enough to prove the formidable strength of his connections.
"Daoist Liu, can you swear a Dao Heart oath?"
"Naturally." Liu Xuanfeng immediately swore an oath, promising not to tell anyone about this matter.
Meanwhile, deep within the Changqing Mountain Cave Mansion.
Countless treasures floated and sank around Li Chang’an. The mysterious aura surrounding him grew increasingly dense, making him seem as though he no longer belonged to this world. Thousands upon thousands of profound threads of power spilled from his body, scattering into the vast firmament. They crisscrossed above Xun Yuanjia, weaving into a massive, invisible net.
This was a special ability Li Chang’an had acquired after becoming a Tier Four Middle Grade Divination Master.
Covering Heaven!
He was going to cover Xun Yuanjia’s heaven! Once successful, Xun Yuanjia would no longer be able to deduce the true Celestial Secrets. He would only be able to see whatever Li Chang’an wove for him.
In a split second, the Covering Heaven net completely took shape.
Almost simultaneously, Xun Yuanjia sensed something. He looked up at the firmament, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes.
"How strange."
"Grandmaster Xun, what’s wrong?" Liu Xuanfeng asked, putting on a concerned expression.
Xun Yuanjia frowned. "I don’t know why, but I suddenly feel restless. I fear someone is secretly targeting me."
"Could it be Li Chang’an?"
"No, Li Chang’an cannot see through my methods, unless he is a Tier Four Divination Grandmaster." Xun Yuanjia shook his head slightly, dismissing the possibility that it was Li Chang’an. This was simply because he knew Li Chang’an valued his own life. The path of Divination easily depleted one’s lifespan. To cultivate to Tier Four, one would have to sacrifice an unknown amount of longevity.
"Allow me to perform a divination," Xun Yuanjia said as he closed his eyes slightly and remained motionless.
A moment later.
A profound aura emerged from his body. Sitting to the side, Liu Xuanfeng did not disturb him, quietly waiting for the result. Not long after, Xun Yuanjia opened his eyes. He smiled, breathing a sigh of relief. "So that’s why. No wonder I sensed something."
"Grandmaster Xun, do you need my help?"
"There’s no need. It’s just a small matter, not too troublesome. I am more than capable of resolving it myself," Xun Yuanjia explained. The reason he had felt restless was that a few Golden Core Cultivators were secretly plotting against him. "Those people once formed a grudge with my master. My master was magnanimous and let them go, but they harbored resentment and now hate all the disciples of his lineage."
With Xun Yuanjia’s current status, dealing with a few ordinary Golden Core Cultivators was not difficult.
Liu Xuanfeng kindly reminded him, "Grandmaster Xun, since those people could make you feel restless, it shows they have some skill. They should not be underestimated."
"Rest assured. If I hadn’t known beforehand, I might have fallen into their trap, but now I know everything." Xun Yuanjia was brimming with confidence. He told Liu Xuanfeng that he had just performed a divination for himself, and the result was auspicious. In other words, his path ahead was perfectly smooth, devoid of any danger.
Hearing this, Liu Xuanfeng couldn’t help but feel envious. Divination Masters could predict good and ill fortune. This was an ability countless cultivators yearned for. Unfortunately, this skill was simply too difficult to learn; many people practiced it their entire lives but still failed to grasp the basics.
Liu Xuanfeng then asked, "Grandmaster Xun, there won’t be any changes regarding Song Yu’er and Li Chang’an, right?"
"No, everything is under control." To set Liu Xuanfeng’s mind at ease, Xun Yuanjia performed another divination for him on the spot, yielding a result virtually identical to the previous one.
"That’s good." Liu Xuanfeng finally relaxed. He smiled and said, "Grandmaster Xun, if we can successfully kill Li Chang’an this time, I will definitely reward you handsomely!"
"Then I will await Daoist Liu’s good news," Xun Yuanjia replied with a smile.
Both men believed the matter was absolutely foolproof. Little did they know, all the divination results Xun Yuanjia had deduced were illusions woven for him by Li Chang’an. In this silent magical combat across space, Li Chang’an had come out on top!
Deep within the Changqing Mountain Cave Mansion.
The silver light in Li Chang’an’s eyes slowly faded, and the dozens of treasures floating around him gently descended. His aura suddenly plummeted, and his face paled slightly. This wasn’t because he had suffered a backlash, but because he had expended too much energy. Targeting a Divination Grandmaster who had also reached Tier Four, all while keeping the other party completely unaware, was no easy feat.
"Fortunately, it’s not a big problem." Li Chang’an took out a few Elixir Pills and a Tier Four Spirit Medicine, swallowing them all at once. As the medicinal efficacy spread through his body, his aura slowly recovered. He looked at the turtle shell in front of him. "Thank goodness I obtained this item."
There were many reasons why he had won this time. First, Li Chang’an’s own Divination Skill and the treasures he used were all superior to Xun Yuanjia’s. Furthermore, he was highly experienced, having immersed himself in the path of Tier Four Divination for many years. He also possessed the insights of numerous Celestial Secret Sect seniors from the Celestial Secret inheritance. In contrast, Xun Yuanjia had only broken through a few years ago; his methods were unpolished, and his experience was shallow.
"This person is a nuisance. I’ll deal with Liu Xuanfeng first, then take care of him." With a casual wave of his hand, Li Chang’an stowed away his many Divination Treasures and began preparing for his trip to the Secret Realm in two days.
Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
At dawn, the morning sun rose in the east. Li Chang’an brought along his two juniors, Song Xianglan and Song Yu’er, as they left Changqing Mountain for the Ten Thousand Valleys Secret Realm.
Song Xianglan felt a bit helpless about Li Chang’an tagging along. "Elder Li, Yu’er and I will be fine on our own. Even a Golden Core Master wouldn’t be able to do anything to us. You really don’t need to protect us personally."
"I’ve just been sitting still for too long and felt like stretching my legs. I simply wanted to go for a stroll," Li Chang’an replied gently with a smile.