Do Not Dare Calculate a Divination to Its End, in Awe of Heaven, Earth, Ghosts, and Gods

With the scholar and the other joining him, short-distance travel had already lost all meaning for Chen Qiu.

With instantaneous teleportation, so long as he did not encounter some great power who restricted space, he could go anywhere under heaven.

In the blink of an eye, he returned to Heaven-Question Market and arrived at the auction house Fat Dragon had pointed out.

"Zhao Clan Merchant Association."

It was said to be a Lineage enterprise with considerable influence, relying mainly on trade and auctions for income. The Lower-Grade Heavenly Dao Retrospection Talismans he wanted were sold here—not auction items, but loose goods sold directly in the shop.

"Can't you make it any cheaper?"

Standing inside the Zhao Clan Merchant Association's shop, Fat Dragon looked at the shopkeeper with utter sincerity written all over his face as he bargained. "How about ten Spirit Stones each? Hardly anyone has any use for this thing. You know that too. If you sell it so expensively, no one will buy it."

The shopkeeper glanced at Fat Dragon, his expression strange. "If no one can use it, why are you buying it?"

"If no one buys it, how can it have a price?"

"Of course it has a price because people buy it."

"Ninety percent of people in the Qi Refining Realm never get the chance to choose one of three traits, but opportunities exist in this world. This item is prepared for those people. Since you've come to buy it, that means you can use it. Fifty Spirit Stones is already a fair price. It can't go any lower."

"..."

Fat Dragon was briefly struck speechless. It made perfect sense, and he had no way to refute it.

"Fine. We'll take it at that price."

Chen Qiu did not wish to waste any more time. Time was what mattered most to him now. Money and goods changed hands, and after tucking the two Lower-Grade Heavenly Dao Retrospection Talismans into the storage pouch at his chest, he turned and walked out of the shop.

Chen Qiu did not slow in the slightest after leaving the shop. He headed straight out of Heaven-Question Market along the main road. The scholar and the other were waiting for him at the old spot.

He had killed the Huang Family's Seventh Elder. Whether the Huang Family had yet to receive the news or simply had no time to come after him, no further repercussions had come for now.

Just then—

"Young friend, please wait."

An old man with a head full of silver hair sat by the roadside, holding up a tattered black banner as he called out to block Chen Qiu's path. "I see quite a few wandering souls and wild ghosts clinging to you. Their resentment is heavy, your glabella is darkened, and I fear you will suffer a bloody calamity in the coming days."

"One Spirit Stone, and I'll tell your fortune. It may save your life."

On that black banner, two somewhat crooked lines of words had been embroidered in white thread.

"Do not dare calculate a divination to its end, in awe of heaven, earth, ghosts, and gods."

"Words cannot be spoken plainly, for fear the world will fall into great chaos."

"..."

Chen Qiu casually glanced at the fortune-telling old man without stopping. He merely nodded slightly to show that he understood, then continued onward. He did not know whether the old man had simply been talking nonsense or had truly seen something.

There were indeed quite a few wandering souls and wild ghosts clinging to him, but they were all resentful spirits.

Only he knew his own affairs. They were his methods, not some case of resentful spirits possessing him.

Before long, he left Heaven-Question Market and reached the edge of the cliff.

Just as he was about to speak, he saw the scholar and the other gazing into the distance from the cliff's edge, apparently watching something. Chen Qiu followed the scholar's gaze, and his eyelids twitched slightly as a trace of shock flashed through his pupils.

In the clouds on the horizon, slightly below the cliff—

A middle-aged man over forty zhang tall carried a broadsword more than thirty zhang long over his shoulder. Lotus flowers bloomed beneath his feet with every step as he calmly walked through the air toward Heaven-Question Market under the watchful eyes of countless people.

"Good heavens..."

Fat Dragon could not help opening his mouth slightly, rooted to the spot with disbelief written across his face. If that blade came smashing down, even without an edge, merely using its flat would crush a whole swath of people to death. Was this really a cultivator?

Was he not basically no different from a giant race?

The scholar, who sat cross-legged on the ground, instead spoke softly. "His name is Zhao Yishi. He ranks one hundred and seventh on the Great Xia Prodigy Rankings. He is at the Sixth Level of the Foundation Establishment Realm and has no Lineage behind him."

"In his early years, he was an utterly ordinary Rogue Cultivator. Later, it was said that he encountered some great opportunity and subsequently joined the Heavenward Sect."

"He possesses the pink trait 'Sky-Piercing Giant.' Every time he kills a demonic beast, his height increases by one li, and his physique grows accordingly. It is a rather powerful pink trait for body cultivators. He is also a prodigy whose fame has only risen in recent years."

"That doesn't sound right, does it?"

Fat Dragon, standing nearby, looked in confusion at the towering brute in the distance, who was stepping on azure lotuses one footprint at a time as he approached them. "His height grows by one li for every demonic beast he kills. Yet after all these years, he's only a little over forty zhang tall?"

"Shouldn't he be over a hundred zhang at least? With that ability, he could specifically seek out demonic beast clans that are weak but numerous. Wouldn't that be easy?"

"Mhm."

The scholar nodded and explained softly, "Pink traits are of an extremely high grade. Ordinary people could live their entire lives without ever obtaining one, but most pink traits cannot be directly converted into combat power."

"For example, the pink trait 'Sky-Piercing Giant.'"

"A pink trait has only one effect: it can endlessly increase a certain aspect of you. For instance, 'Sky-Piercing Giant' increases one's height and physique. I also know of a pink trait called 'I Have a Sword.' Its effect is that every time you kill a demonic beast, your flying sword's speed increases by one hao."

"And in the cultivation world, talents emerge in endless streams and powerful experts are as numerous as clouds. A body over forty zhang tall is nearly useless. Instead, it turns you into a living target, the focal point in any crowd."

"Only by gathering complementary traits—such as traits where the larger one's body becomes, the greater one's physical strength, or suitable cultivation techniques—can one fully unleash a pink trait's power. Otherwise, a single pink trait alone does not offer much strength."

"What makes pink traits powerful is their rarity and their limitless growth potential. To truly bring out a pink trait's strength, however, one must possess other traits that complement it."

"But..."

"There are countless traits in this world. Aside from traits gained when breaking through major realms, how difficult is it to obtain additional traits through other means?"

"Before acquiring those complementary traits, no matter how tall or large he becomes, it means little. And the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm appearing this time happens to match his cultivation level's entry requirements. A secret realm of this level may yield additional traits."

"This man has suddenly come here because he is likely preparing to enter this Heavenly Dao Secret Realm and make a desperate gamble as well."

"..."

Chen Qiu stood where he was, watching the towering man in the sky. Though the man was clearly still far away, he looked as if he were right before them. Chen Qiu's expression was complicated, and he said nothing. He, too, possessed a pink trait.

"Dantian Expansion (Unique)."

And it was a unique pink trait. He had already paired it with a compatible white trait. Once he broke through to the Foundation Establishment Realm and learned a spell, his combat power would rise dramatically.

Only then would he truly possess some say in this unfamiliar world.

"Let's go."

He said no more and signaled for the scholar to prepare to depart. The scholar nodded in understanding. As Qingfeng shot into the clouds, the four of them vanished from the spot in an instant.

.