Six-Line Ghost Diviner

The Gambling Pavilion was deathly silent.

The four pavilion masters looked at one another, their hearts having long since sunk to the bottom with Shen Yuan's verdict.

In this gamble, they held the home-field advantage. Even the Gambling Pavilion Master, acting as the dealer, had deliberately favored them, allowing them to exploit loopholes in the rules to secure their greatest odds of victory.

Yet before an immortal sword and two Earthly Fiend Divine Abilities, the little schemes they had prepared looked absurdly laughable.

If it had only been one Earthly Fiend Divine Ability, they could still have claimed Shen Yuan had simply been lucky enough to receive the teachings of some predecessor.

But two Earthly Fiend Divine Abilities, coupled with a broken sword suspected to be an immortal sword, were enough to prove that Shen Yuan himself was anything but ordinary.

Thinking back to the third contest, where Shen Yuan had designated the Divination Pavilion Master to calculate his origins, an ominous feeling rose in the hearts of the four pavilion masters.

"Our Ghost Market prides itself on harmony bringing wealth. How about we end this gamble here? We will do our utmost to meet your demands. What do you think?"

A bewitching smile appeared on the Gambling Pavilion Master's freshly healed, charming face, and there was a trace of respect in her voice that hadn't been there before.

As soon as she said that, the Treasure Pavilion Master hurriedly echoed her.

"The Gambling Pavilion Master is right. There's no point in continuing this gamble. Why don't we each take a step back and let harmony bring wealth?"

The Arts Pavilion Master was still muttering to himself in a crazed state, while the old, murky eye beneath the Divination Pavilion Master's bamboo hat stared directly at Shen Yuan, his expression shifting between light and shadow.

Shen Yuan paid no heed to the lowered posture of the two pavilion masters. His right hand gently stroked the transformed Dark-Bright Sword as he said carelessly,

"I said, next!"

Clang!

A crisp sword cry rang out from within the sheath. Centered on Shen Yuan, invisible sword intent spread rapidly in every direction.

From the Torch Dragon Inscription on the sword guard, great quantities of Ghost Mist continuously poured from the Dark-Bright Sword, turning into a ghost domain that swallowed the entire gambling house.

The four pavilion masters could clearly sense that although the sword intent erupting from the Dark-Bright Sword sent a chill through their hearts, it wasn't particularly high in level and posed no truly fatal threat.

Instead, it was the ghost domain formed by the spreading Ghost Mist that gave them the stifling feeling of facing the Ghost Market itself.

Shen Yuan's disregard made the Gambling Pavilion Master's face change drastically. She snapped furiously,

"Don't refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit! You may have won two rounds, but if you lose the final round, the dealer still wins. You'll have to offer up this flesh, blood, and skin of yours as well!"

The Treasure Pavilion Master's expression darkened as he sneered.

"We kindly gave you a way out, out of consideration for the great figure who bestowed those Earthly Fiend Divine Abilities and this broken sword upon you.

"Yet you don't know what's good for you. Don't blame us for being impolite, then."

The Divination Pavilion Master, who had been watching coldly from the side, finally rose to his feet. His clouded eyes fixed unblinkingly on Shen Yuan as he suddenly laughed coldly.

"Though I don't know what you're relying on, if you think some divine ability or treasure that conceals the secrets of heaven can easily handle this old man, then you're gravely mistaken.

"The strength of those three comes from the Ghost Market, so they are bound by the Ghost Market itself. But this old man is different."

As he spoke, the Divination Pavilion Master's withered right hand formed a seal. Surging mana crashed heavily onto the gambling table before him.

The table's surface slowly dissolved. The gambling table covered in chips became a tranquil pool, where fish could even be seen swimming through the water plants.

The Divination Pavilion Master drew the fishing rod from his back and, with an unhurried air, took a jet-black worm from his pocket. Its writhing form resembled a living character.

After threading the worm onto the hook, the Divination Pavilion Master cast it into the pool, his face full of pride.

"This old man came from Langhuan Blessed Land and is a Book Ghost born from the Six-Line Divination Classic.

"Because I failed to attain the proper Dao, Langhuan Blessed Land cast me aside, leaving me no choice but to humble myself within the Ghost Market. Yet I am still, in the end, a member of Langhuan Blessed Land."

"You think that with a treasure concealing the secrets of heaven protecting you, I cannot glimpse your true origins.

"But before Langhuan Blessed Land, which gathers all the words beneath heaven, what can your trifling tricks amount to?"

"This Bookworm was born from words. Even after the hundred thousand-odd volumes of divine abilities and cultivation arts within the Arts Pavilion had nurtured them for a thousand years, one might not appear.

"I offer this Bookworm as tribute and ask the Book Demons of Langhuan Blessed Land to investigate your identity. No matter how many methods you possess, you will find it difficult to escape."

"You're destined to lose this round!"

The Divination Pavilion Master's words immediately invigorated the other three pavilion masters.

They knew the Divination Pavilion Master's origins were extraordinary, but they hadn't expected him to have ties to the renowned Grotto-Heaven Paradise, Langhuan Blessed Land.

Langhuan Blessed Land itself wasn't especially powerful, but it housed countless Book Demons with profound attainments in all manner of strange arts and secret techniques. They would surely be able to bypass any treasure concealing the secrets of heaven and discern Shen Yuan's identity.

Even Shen Yuan couldn't help being slightly taken aback. He had heard of Langhuan Blessed Land before—the once-renowned Heavenly Emperor's Library, one of the most unique Blessed Lands in the world.

But he wasn't flustered by it. With a trump card powerful enough to flip the table, victory or defeat alone wasn't important to Shen Yuan.

He was even rather curious to see whether Langhuan Blessed Land could truly glimpse the traces of the Falling Cloud Sect from ten thousand years ago and bear witness to his identity as the Falling Cloud Sect Master.

Beside the pool, the confident Divination Pavilion Master began waiting for the fish to bite.

But as time passed, the pool on the tabletop remained perfectly still, showing no sign whatsoever of taking the bait. This made the Divination Pavilion Master faintly uneasy.

Though anxious inside, the Divination Pavilion Master showed no weakness on the surface and maintained his haughty bearing.

At last, several hours later, the fishing rod finally stirred.

"It's here!"

Delight appeared on the Divination Pavilion Master's face. He quickly lifted the rod and pulled up the item, only to see a folded slip of paper hanging from the straight hook.

The Divination Pavilion Master hurriedly opened the slip, wanting to see what it contained. The other three pavilion masters also crowded around him.

As the paper unfolded, the smile on the Divination Pavilion Master's face instantly froze.

Four large characters were written upon it.

"NO SUCH PERSON FOUND!"

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

A ghostly, savage expression appeared on the Divination Pavilion Master's withered face, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"Langhuan Blessed Land gathers the words of all under heaven. There are hundreds of Book Demons born from divination arts within it, and their attainments in divination are not even inferior to the Great Xia Dynasty's Imperial Astronomical Bureau.

"How could such a Blessed Land possibly fail to uncover even his information?"

Seeing this, Shen Yuan revealed an utterly genuine expression of disappointment and shook his head lightly.

"Looks like this so-called Langhuan Blessed Land is nothing special after all."

"You've lost this round too."

The Divination Pavilion Master's expression turned deranged. His murky eyes bulged as though they were about to burst from their sockets.

"No! I haven't lost yet!"

"The Book Demons may not be able to find it, but Langhuan Blessed Land still has Book Immortals. There is also the Old One on duty. He will certainly be able to find it!"

Three more Bookworms appeared in the Divination Pavilion Master's hand. He threaded all three onto the hook and cast them into the pool.