On the Verge of Perishing!

"Cough, Master Su, you jest. In the path of cultivation, besides ordinary cultivation, there are also special methods. Heavenly Secrets Cultivation, which deduces karma, is one of them.

And isn't this cultivation divided into the ordinary entry-level 'Observer of Trends,' the 'Heavenly Master' who has attained mastery, the 'Mystic Master' who has comprehended the profound, the 'Spirit Master' who perceives the Heavenly Secrets, and the 'Sage Master' who 'controls the Heavenly Secrets'?

Master Su can deduce so many karmic connections. You must have reached the 'Spirit Master' level, where one perceives the 'Heavenly Secrets'!"

Yun Wanchu thought he had analyzed the situation quite thoroughly.

In truth, Su Li wasn't even an ordinary Observer of Trends—his deductions relied entirely on the system.

Without the system, he couldn't reach even one percent of his father's half-baked Observer of Trends level.

Seeing how confidently Yun Wanchu spoke, Su Li felt the other man might be more of an expert in the "Way of the Heavenly Secrets" than he was.

"No. The cultivation I practice is the special Way of the Heavenly Secrets: 'observe mountains, waters, and terrain; seek dragon lairs and spiritual veins; deduce the Heavenly Secrets and karma; control life, death, and reincarnation.' So it has none of the hodgepodge you mentioned. As for the level I've reached, you'll find out in time."

Su Li made it up as he went.

"Master, so you cultivate the Way of the Heavenly Secrets from the Era of Demise. No wonder..."

Yun Wanchu suddenly understood. Then a person came to mind: Zhuge Wuwei, the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, who had appeared out of nowhere two hundred years ago!

That man controlled the Heavenly Secrets, commanded karma, possessed cultivation that reached the pinnacle of creation, and was unfathomably profound!

Yet even someone of his stature seemed less at ease with certain deductions than Master Su was right now.

In terms of experience, Master Su might not compare to him, given his youth.

But in terms of potential, Master Su might far surpass the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion. After all, the Pavilion Master couldn't break the Goddess's fate calamity or resolve his crisis, but Master Su clearly could!

Yun Wanchu's thoughts were already growing restless.

At that moment, Su Li stood aboard the Phantom Spirit Boat with his hands behind his back, looking every bit like an otherworldly master.

He didn't respond to Yun Wanchu's guesses or probing, leaving the other man to let his imagination run wild.

All of Su Li's attention was focused on continuing to examine Yun Wanchu's Life Archive.

From Yun Wanchu's past, Su Li had found a True Disciple of the Wanli Holy Land with extraordinarily good looks...and outstanding talent: Yun Qingxuan.

Yun Qingxuan was Yun Qinghong's older sister. She was twenty-six years old and had reached the ninth level of the Golden Core Realm, close to its peak.

Yun Qingxuan was cold and ruthless. She was strict with herself and the disciples of her sect alike. She also had a strong grasp of the bigger picture and always put interests first, to a frightening degree of rationality.

None of that was the key point.

The key point was that when Su Li opened her Life Archive, he found that her fate was also marked "On the Verge of Perishing."

Then Su Li brought up the Life Archives of the Wanli Holy Land's True Disciples who were close to Yun Qinghong and Yun Qingxuan. As it turned out, most of them were marked "On the Verge of Perishing" as well.

Su Li's heart sank.

He had fought so hard to build these connections, and now they were all going to be wiped out?

What was going to happen to the Wanli Holy Land?

Was everyone there about to die?

"Master, the area ahead is Yanmen Pass.

I've secretly activated the Killing Talisman Array here. It's laid out in three layers, inside and out. If something still goes wrong, Master, you needn't worry. I've got seven more special methods in reserve.

And if we've used every one of those methods and still can't resolve the problem, Master, you needn't worry then either. I have more than ten ways to escape..."

As Yun Wanchu spoke of his escape plans, even his short, scruffy beard seemed to flutter in the breeze with excitement and confidence.

Su Li felt conflicted at his words. It seemed that every Nascent Soul Realm old monster had a long, winding story behind him.

"Master, I've sensed the killing aura of the Puppet Death Warriors. They cultivate dark techniques that thirst for blood and devour souls. They're difficult to deal with! No wonder A Li could run into trouble despite her strength and skill against cultivators of the same realm."

Yun Wanchu suddenly grew solemn. Then his eyes glimmered with golden light once more, making him look imposing.

Standing beside him, Su Li curiously scanned the surroundings, but all he could see was the blue sky and white clouds above, the barren plain and stream valley below, and Hua Ziyan and Mu Yuxi flying on their swords above the plain.

That's right, Su Li was currently above Hua Ziyan and Mu Yuxi.

"Master, look. Those Puppet Death Warriors are lying in ambush over there. They're hiding extremely well; they're very difficult to spot."

As Yun Wanchu spoke, he raised his hand and swept it across the empty space in front of Su Li. A vortex of energy gathered at a visible speed, turning into a bright screen clearer than a mirror.

On the screen, seven black-robed cultivators, shaped like vengeful ghosts and covered in dried blood, were concealed among the clouds in the sky, arranged in a strange arrow formation.

"Holy—"

Seeing these ghostly figures suddenly appear right in front of him, Su Li held his breath and shuddered. His heart began pounding wildly, and he couldn't help exclaiming "Holy—" in his mind.

"Master, there's no need to be afraid. The Phantom Spirit Boat can conceal and shield its aura, so they can't see us. Besides, this is only a simulated projection of spiritual energy."

Yun Wanchu hurriedly reassured him.

Su Li let out a breath and explained, "Afraid? Why would I be afraid? It's just that the evil techniques these Puppet Death Warriors cultivate are so evil they're utterly appalling."

Yun Wanchu nodded, then looked down at Su Li's hands.

Su Li came back to himself and immediately released Yun Wanchu's robes from his grip. If the man had been wearing modern casual shorts, Su Li might have pulled them all the way down to his ankles by now.

"They're about to make a move, right?"

Su Li changed the subject and asked.

Yun Wanchu pondered briefly. "Yes. Wait fifty-seven breaths, and they'll have prepared their killing strike. I'll wait for the crucial moment to interrupt their attack. That way, they'll suffer backlash for sure."

Su Li said, "I've finished deducing the situation with these Puppet Death Warriors. If you want to act, you can do so at any time."

As he spoke, Su Li immediately brought up the pale blue system, locked onto the seven Puppet Death Warriors, and examined their Life Archives one by one.

Through their Life Archives, Su Li also saw the Life Archives of many cultivators who had come into contact with them.

Following the trail...

After a bout of desperate "deduction," Su Li finally confirmed that this ambush had indeed been planned long ago.

Moreover, Yinshang Cave Heaven wasn't the mastermind. It was only being "remotely controlled."

The mastermind was a force behind Yinshang Cave Heaven called the Heavenly Blood Ancient Clan.

"Master, how is the situation?"

Yun Wanchu asked, his gaze fixed coldly on the Puppet Death Warriors on the screen.

"They're truly just puppets. They barely have any will of their own left—they're nothing but war machines.

"The person behind these seven Puppet Death Warriors is Wu Xu Hong, the Grand Elder of Yinshang Cave Heaven. He's highly skilled in alchemy and formations. And behind this Grand Elder is Yun Yifan of the Heavenly Blood Ancient Clan..."

Su Li didn't hide much when it came to this.

But as soon as he said it, Yun Wanchu's expression turned extremely grim.

"Master, please keep this matter confidential for me. Don't mention it to A Li and the others. This has already gone beyond what I can handle, so let's leave it at that. I'll report it to A Li's father and let him deal with it."

Yun Wanchu bowed to Su Li and pleaded with him.

Yun Yifan was clearly someone Yun Wanchu couldn't afford to provoke!

"All right. Since you've made up your mind, I won't interfere."

Su Li wasn't interested in all the grudges and gossip behind this anyway.

"They're here!"

Yun Wanchu's expression turned solemn.

Then, in an instant, his whole body transformed into a streak of light.

The next moment, before Su Li could react, the sky shook violently. An invisible cloud of energy exploded in the air like a mushroom cloud!

A cloud of blood-red mist had barely appeared before it was annihilated.

It all happened in a flash, gone even faster than it came.

The sky filled with waves of chaotic, violent, and utterly terrifying energy!

Though Su Li wasn't caught in the blast, his mind was still shaken to the core.

It felt as if he had witnessed a nuclear explosion with his own eyes. The apocalyptic force that had erupted in that instant left an unforgettable impression on him.

"So this is the slaughtering power of the Nascent Soul Realm? Seven Puppet Death Warriors at the ninth level of the Golden Core Realm, with cultivation at the very peak and techniques that devour everything, were killed in an instant. They vanished into ashes without the slightest power to fight back!"

Su Li took a deep breath, suppressing the unease and shock churning in his chest as he tried to calm his wildly twitching eyelids and pounding heart.

Then Su Li brought up the Life Archive System, Pale Blue.

Sure enough, after the seven Puppet Death Warriors died, a system notification appeared on the virtual panel in Pale Blue's system information bar.

[Hua Ziyan's Life Archive has undergone a minor change. Obtained 1200 Heavenly Secrets Value.]

[Mu Yuxi's Life Archive has undergone a minor change. Obtained 250 Heavenly Secrets Value.]

"The Heavenly Secrets Value finally went up!"

Su Li looked at his current total of 2240 Heavenly Secrets Value and broke into a gratified smile like a doting father.

Right now, Yun Wanchu, Yun Qinghong, Yun Qingxuan, and the others were all potential customers. If he could resolve their impending "demise," even if only temporarily, he could probably earn quite a bit of Heavenly Secrets Value.

And the Heavenly Secrets Mall was clearly a system shop where he could buy things with Heavenly Secrets Value.

There were no shortcuts to instant success in the real world. But what about the system shop? There had to be some, right?

"Master Su."

Hua Ziyan and Mu Yuxi flew over from a distance. The moment they entered the Phantom Spirit Boat, they bowed deeply to Su Li with the utmost respect.

Only afterward did they bow to Yun Wanchu.

"Mm, you two—"

Su Li smiled and was just about to tell them that their crisis had been resolved when he suddenly froze.

Because the moment he saw them, he had instinctively used Pale Blue to lock onto them again and opened their Life Archives.

In the fate section of both their Life Archives, four blood-red characters had appeared: "On the Verge of Perishing!"