Choice

In the previous divination, I did not know Duobao's identity. I intended to lie in wait and launch a surprise attack, only to end up reduced to ashes.

Now that I know his origins and purpose, if I refuse to go up the mountain, will I still face a life-or-death crisis?

The next moment, the silver grains within the Fate Compass slowly stirred, forming an image.

Outside the cave, Duobao Daoist waited for a long time before finally losing his patience and breaking through the formation.

His lips moved as he said something, while Bai Ze kept shaking his head after hearing it.

Then Duobao suddenly struck. With a lift of his palm, he heavily wounded Bai Ze, scattering more than half the grains from his body.

He then confined Bai Ze within his palm and took him away directly.

"..."

"What's the difference between this guy and a bandit? They already refused, yet he still wants to force it. Doesn't he know that forced fruit is never sweet?"

Bai Ze's eye twitched, leaving him thoroughly speechless.

If he were merely severely injured, he could still accept it. But according to the divination, even after being injured, he would still be taken away.

He understood that Duobao was this overbearing. Refusing was clearly not an option.

With a sigh, he asked, "Since refusing won't work, is there any chance I can escape halfway there?"

As Bai Ze's thoughts arose, the silver grains within the compass continuously reshaped themselves.

The next moment, the result of the divination appeared.

He saw himself voluntarily opening the formation. After exchanging a few pleasantries with Duobao, he left the cave dwelling with him.

Halfway through the journey, Bai Ze suddenly used his Concealment Divine Ability with all his strength, deceiving Duobao for an instant.

He took the opportunity to flee, but after only two steps, he accidentally entered the Primordial Annihilation Formation, suffered severe injuries, and was subsequently found by Duobao.

"Fine. Playing along won't work either. Kunlun Mountain is full of primordial formations. With my current strength, I'll be severely injured at best and turned to ashes at worst."

Bai Ze shook his head helplessly. If he refused, Duobao would not accept it, and Bai Ze would still get beaten up.

If he pretended to agree and secretly ran away, he would be severely injured by the primordial formations lurking everywhere.

It seemed that going up the mountain was his only path.

Just as he was deep in thought, Daoist Duobao, who had waited outside the cave dwelling for a long time, suddenly asked, "Fellow Daoist, are you done getting dressed yet?!"

Hearing the impatience in Duobao's voice, Bai Ze hurriedly replied to keep him from breaking through the formation and entering directly.

"Oh, almost. I'll be ready once I finish tidying up."

"Then please hurry, Fellow Daoist. Do not keep my Master and martial uncles waiting for too long."

Bai Ze gave a perfunctory response, then took the chance to ask,

"Fellow Daoist, I do not know your Master. May I ask whether your honored Master has some important matter for asking me to go up the mountain?"

Standing before the Primordial Concealment Formation, Duobao could not see what was happening inside the cave. Hearing Bai Ze's question, he replied impatiently,

"My Master only said that he wished to see you. He gave no specific instructions."

Bai Ze gave an "oh" and said no more. The Three Pure Ones had not stated their purpose, so whether he should go up the mountain needed to be reconsidered.

If I go up the mountain this time, will I face a life-or-death crisis?

The next moment, the silver grains within the Fate Compass began to jump.

Above him stood three figures with indistinct faces.

Bai Ze himself was lying in a small courtyard. Beside him were a Mouse, a Flood Dragon, and a figure surrounded by purple qi, all cultivating together.

"Could it be... they want to take me as a disciple?"

Bai Ze narrowed his eyes, unease filling his heart. To be honest, he truly did not want to become entangled in Karma with the Jade Pure One or the Supreme Pure One among the Three Pure Ones.

But given the current situation, it seemed he had no choice but to go up the mountain.

"According to the divination, at least I won't face a life-or-death crisis after going up the mountain. As for whether I should become a disciple, I'll wait until I get there and adapt to the circumstances."

He did not dislike taking a master. He merely disliked the people he might take as masters.

Especially the Three Pure Ones, who carried such immense Karma!

If he merely became a disciple of the Three Pure Ones, that would be no issue. What truly troubled him was that after doing so, he would inevitably become entangled in Karma with their disciples.

The simplest example was Duobao Daoist.

If Bai Ze took the Supreme Pure One, Venerable Lingbao, as his master, he would inevitably become involved with Duobao Daoist. That was cause.

If either of them encountered trouble in the future, the other would be dragged into it as well. That was effect.

He also understood that in the Primordial World, completely avoiding Karma was exceedingly difficult.

But if he assessed the situation and stayed as far from Karma as possible, he could keep the risks within an acceptable range.

On that foundation, he could continuously build up his hidden cards, developing steadily and advancing cautiously!

Bai Ze sighed. He could not defeat them, could not hide from them, and they would not listen to reason. Thus, he could only maximize his own benefits as much as possible under these limited conditions!

After pondering for a moment, he made his decision. He put away the Fate Compass and tidied his fur, making himself appear more dignified.

Then the blue gemstone between his brows flashed with blue light as he used the Concealment Divine Ability to mimic all things.

The next moment, dense Primordial Spiritual Qi surged around him.

When the Primordial Spiritual Qi dispersed, a handsome youth with two horns, clear features, and eyes like stars appeared.

Though he could not yet reach the Transformation Form Realm, his Concealment Divine Ability could mimic all things.

He also knew that Duobao could see through his Concealment Divine Ability, but he had only made this move after careful consideration.

His purpose was to display his worth. He remembered a famous saying from his previous life.

When traveling the world, one's identity is self-made.

Though his cultivation was weak, he could not let the other side look down on him!

After all, the reason the Primordial Concealment Formation had been seen through was due to Duobao's talent.

If it had been someone else, they might not even have been able to find the entrance to his cave dwelling!

Once everything was ready, he removed the Primordial Concealment Formation outside the cave dwelling and opened the entrance.

Looking at the round-faced young man standing outside, his blue eyes stirred slightly.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting, Fellow Daoist. I am Bai Ze. Please lead the way."

Duobao, who had been squatting outside the cave and studying the formation, immediately straightened his posture when the formation suddenly vanished.

With a stern expression, he said, "Why did you delay so long before opening the formation?"

Bai Ze remained calm. Although Duobao had reacted quickly just now, Bai Ze had still caught sight of him studying the formation.

An answer immediately came to mind.

"Please do not blame me, Fellow Daoist. I was at a critical juncture in my cultivation and hope you will forgive me."

Bai Ze cupped his hands slightly and spoke unhurriedly.

Duobao raised his head slightly, his expression arrogant as he snorted.

Seeing this, Bai Ze picked up a piece of jade from the ground. Countless mysterious silver patterns appeared within his blue pupils.

Using his finger as a brush, he gathered vast amounts of Primordial Spiritual Qi at his fingertips and carved an array formation into the jade. In only a moment, the jade was covered in formations.

"Since this is our first meeting, please accept this formation as a small gift."

Duobao disdainfully glanced at the formation in Bai Ze's hand, thinking, I do not accept just any piece of trash...

Yet the next moment, the intricate patterns captured his gaze. He hurried forward and examined them closely, his eyes growing brighter the more he looked!

The disdain in his heart vanished completely as he asked in disbelief,

"Th-this... is this the Primordial Concealment Formation from outside the cave dwelling just now?"