Can't figure it out, and still want to fake it?

Zhuge Qingchen stared at Su Li, scrutinizing him back and forth for a long time. At times he would frown, and at other times, confusion would cloud his features.

His actions made Yun Wanchu and Hua Yunxiao look on with anticipation, believing he had found a way to solve the problem.

"Huh?"

"That's not right!"

"How could this be?"

"Impossible?!"

"Still this kind of result?"

"Strange, truly strange!"

Zhuge Qingchen examined him repeatedly for a long time, forming various bizarre hand seals and unleashing streams of incredibly mysterious energy tinged with a faint golden aura.

However, the results clearly did not satisfy him.

His face, which had been full of confidence moments before, now showed a hint of dejection.

While not entirely unsightly, it was a far cry from his previous radiant demeanor.

Seeing the rich tapestry of expressions flickering across his face, akin to the rapid changes of Sichuan Opera masks, Su Li couldn't help but curiously open Zhuge Qingchen's Life Archive.

The next moment, Su Li saw his current archive information.

[On September 1, Yunhuang Calendar Year 3030, at 15:27, Zhuge Qingchen attempted to utilize his innate talent 'Profound Mechanism Deriving the Way' in conjunction with the ability 'Severing Karma' to divine Su Li's fortune and misfortune, and to find a solution for Su Li's peculiar physique in cultivation, but to no avail.]

[The results of Zhuge Qingchen's divination were like clothing without a crown, or wood without roots; an illusion built in the air, a reflection in the water.]

[Zhuge Qingchen felt that all of this was beyond his comprehension. In past divinations, regardless of the outcome, even if it was impossible to divine, he had never encountered a result that felt like divining 'air'.]

[Zhuge Qingchen's judgment was: this person Su Li (or Su Li's friend) had either already severed their life force and died years ago, turning to dust; or, this person was utterly incompatible with all things in heaven and earth, an individual outside of Destiny.]

[Zhuge Qingchen felt deeply ashamed of such a result. Announcing it would only tarnish his reputation and bring shame upon the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion. Therefore, he decided to tell a lie: Su Li's friend's soul had mutated and was an individual beyond Destiny, unaffected by Heavenly Secrets.

Simultaneously, he planned to injure himself, feigning that the divination had backfired, to demonstrate how he had poured his heart and soul into this endeavor, even to the point of spitting blood...]

Zhuge Qingchen's current information appeared completely before Su Li's eyes.

Seeing these recorded details, Su Li couldn't help but frown slightly and fall into thought.

To be honest, he wasn't too disappointed, as he had already considered the worst-case scenarios.

"This Zhuge Qingchen, how should I 'Reason to Convince' him to reap him? He seems like a talented tool, and reaping him should yield a lot of Heavenly Secrets Value."

Su Li pondered for a moment, then without hesitation, walked directly to Zhuge Qingchen's side and said, "Stop divining. I know you can't figure it out."

"Who says I can't figure it out?"

Zhuge Qingchen immediately became flustered.

"Are you planning to lie and say my friend's soul mutated and he's someone outside of Destiny? And then injure yourself to show you suffered a backlash for divining for my friend—"

"Pfft—"

Before Su Li could finish speaking, Zhuge Qingchen spat out a large mouthful of blood mist.

Then, Su Li and Zhuge Qingchen stared at each other, wide-eyed.

The scene was so awkward that even Su Li felt embarrassed for Zhuge Qingchen.

Su Li glanced at the system's virtual panel. On the light and shadow panel, another message popped up—

[Reasoning to Convince, exposing Zhuge Qingchen's hypocritical facade, gained 1888 Heavenly Secrets Value.]

Su Li felt a sense of satisfaction.

"Alright, you saw through it. This isn't deception. How can matters of a Heavenly Secrets Mystic Master be considered deception?

It's just that the divination result for your friend truly surprised me, as if I were divining something non-existent...

Ultimately, I didn't want to lose face for the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, which is why I acted this way. Please forgive me, please forgive me."

Zhuge Qingchen seemed to feel the attention from Yun Wanchu and Hua Yunxiao, feeling his face flush with embarrassment.

"Mystic Master Zhuge, in this regard, you are not as straightforward as Master Su!

If it works, it works. If it doesn't, it doesn't. As a Mystic Master, you should understand this better than I do.

I, Hua Yunxiao, detest such deceitful individuals!

I had a deep friendship with your father and watched you grow up!

You have disappointed me greatly!"

Hua Yunxiao frowned slightly, clearly displeased.

Was this what Zhuge Qingchen had repeatedly guaranteed, that he would have a solution? That he wouldn't disappoint?

This was it?

Couldn't figure it out, and then tried to deceive?

In front of Master Su, my reputation has been completely ruined this time.

"Imperial Lord Hua..."

Zhuge Qingchen was reprimanded by Hua Yunxiao on the spot, and for a moment, he realized that he had indeed gone too far.

"My apologies, Imperial Lord Hua. This time, it was truly Qingchen's vanity that got the better of him, and I momentarily lost my head. However, Qingchen's judgment may not be entirely wrong.

If Master Su's friend is truly an individual outside of their destiny, then such a situation would indeed occur.

In that case, if they wish to cultivate, we must find another way."

As Zhuge Qingchen pondered, he began to deduce once more.

This time, a faint golden light emanated from his entire body, and his brow seemed to open a faint, shimmering golden void door, appearing extremely awe-inspiring.

Su Li, who had been contemplating how to gain Heavenly Secrets Value, couldn't help but look at him more closely upon seeing this.

"Still no luck, there's no possibility of deduction at all. However, regarding Master Su... I do have some ideas about the cultivation path for Master Su's friend."

Zhuge Qingchen retracted his divine ability, his face noticeably paler, and his voice trembled slightly as he spoke.

"Actually, I have some ideas as well. Senior Hua, Holy Lord Yun, Mystic Master Zhuge, perhaps you can discuss them together and see if they are feasible."

Su Li said after some thought.

"Please, Master Su."

Hua Yunxiao replied.

Yun Wanchu and Zhuge Qingchen remained silent.

"I've considered that the issue might be with my friend's body. Therefore, there are two methods we can try. The first is to find a place with spiritual springs and dragon veins, and continuously nourish my friend's physical body with the spiritual energy of the earth and heavens. This way, the physical body will be truly bathed and tempered by the spiritual veins of heaven and earth, and over time, the body should become sentient.

Once the physical body is sentient, they can naturally embark on the path of cultivation."

"What is the second method?"

Hua Yunxiao asked after pondering for a long time.

Su Li replied, "The second method is to directly find an incredibly heaven-defying body, such as a monstrous sacred body, and then I will help my friend's soul leave their body and possess the other person, using their body."

As soon as Su Li spoke, Yun Wanchu trembled all over and instinctively took a step back.

Clearly, he was afraid of being targeted and becoming a candidate for possession.

Zhuge Qingchen's eyes, however, lit up, and he immediately began to deduce again.

A moment later, he looked towards Hua Yunxiao.

Hua Yunxiao's expression was calm and unreadable, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

Zhuge Qingchen shook his head, a hint of regret on his face.

Hua Yunxiao remained silent for a long time before saying, "Master Su, your two methods, in essence, are just one method—possessing a sentient physical body."

"Correct."

Su Li did not deny it.

"It's difficult, very difficult. Based on my experience, even without deduction, I would say it's almost impossible to achieve."

Hua Yunxiao's tone was solemn.

Su Li's heart sank.

The worst possible outcome had occurred.

Su Li certainly didn't believe that Hua Yunxiao and Zhuge Qingchen were deceiving him.

Although he could outperform these three through various 'deductions' using the 'Life Archive System', in reality, any one of these three was a supreme expert who could suppress an entire region.

Since they said so, there must be a valid reason behind it.

"Three days ago, when Yan... A Li mentioned you to me, I already started thinking about how to help your friend cultivate. I've been considering it these past few days.

Based on my experiences over the past thousand years, your friend's situation is actually quite clear.

The root of your friend's problem lies in the mutated soul, not the physical body. I imagine that when your friend was just born, their talent was exceptional.

However, as time passed, the acupoints in their physical body became blocked, and they have completely 'become mortal.'

Therefore, even if you were to give your friend a Nine-Aperture Glazed Exquisite Immortal Body that could perfectly fuse with your soul, they might live comfortably for a while, but before long, they would revert to their current state.

The abilities they cultivated would gradually decline, and they would eventually become an ordinary person.

So, the only method truly suitable for Master Su's friend is to create a cultivation technique that prevents their soul from constantly changing and simultaneously fits their physical body.

This way, they can gradually recover.

However, similarly, if such a cultivation technique truly exists, then once their soul's fluctuations return to normal and stop changing constantly, they might lose some of the special abilities born from their soul's mutation.

The gains and losses involved depend on what Master Su's friend chooses."

Hua Yunxiao spoke with a hidden meaning.