Heavenly Vision

The Bian Kingdom.

On the evening of the eighteenth day of the Twelfth Lunar Month, dark clouds pressed low over the sky, and rain poured down like a waterfall. Cloud Province City, a provincial capital of the Bian Kingdom, was experiencing a rare winter rain.

This was not a good thing, at least for ordinary people.

And for Zhang Yuan, who was in a ruined temple outside Cloud Province City, it was an even worse thing.

Rain battered the broken roof tiles, every patter like a sob.

Cobwebs filled the ruined temple, and its divine statues lay in disrepair. Only a Bonfire still burned.

Perhaps because of the damp chill brought by the rain, the flames were noticeably weak and listless, as though they might go out at any moment. Even so, the Bonfire was in better shape than Zhang Yuan, who sat against the wall.

Cracks covered Zhang Yuan's body like a piece of porcelain on the verge of shattering, blood seeping from every fissure.

"Oh dear, brother-in-law, just look at you. How did you get hurt so badly? If my sister found out, she'd be heartbroken."

At some point, a young man dressed in sumptuous brocade had entered the ruined temple and spoken with a smile.

He carried nothing to shelter him from the rain, yet not a trace of rainwater marked his clothes.

His name was Li Jiehua, a Cultivator at the peak of Foundation Establishment and the son of the current patriarch of the Li Aristocratic Clan in the Bian Kingdom.

"Li Jiehua, have you come to kill me?" Zhang Yuan's gaze was calm.

Li Jiehua changed his form of address, his tone mocking. "Zhang Yuan, oh, Zhang Yuan. Why don't you take a look in a mirror? A stinking Outer Heavens native like you thinks he's worth this young master killing personally?"

Zhang Yuan said nothing more.

This realm was called the Azure Sky Dust-Stained Realm, a vast cultivation realm in every sense of the word. Beyond the Outer Heavens of this realm, countless lesser domains and worlds of varying sizes clung to it.

With so many of them, it was hardly unusual for someone from a Minor Realm to arrive in the Azure Sky Dust-Stained Realm by chance, whether through "ascension" or a "misstep."

Though the natives of the Azure Sky Dust-Stained Realm did not call for these Outer Heavens people to be hunted down and killed, their attitude was generally that "these stinking Outer Heavens people have come to the Azure Sky Dust-Stained Realm to beg."

Zhang Yuan had arrived through just such a misstep, from a certain twenty-first-century Minor Realm beyond the Outer Heavens.

His luck had been excellent, however. Not only had he come with a cheat ability, but he also possessed the superior aptitude of an Immortal Spirit Root.

What was more, he had landed among the Li, a cultivation Aristocratic Clan in the Bian Kingdom. Once his Immortal Spirit Root was detected, he was immediately betrothed to a daughter of the clan, with the agreement that they would marry once he reached Foundation Establishment.

Compared with other Outer Heavens people, who had nothing at all and might drop dead on any given day, all this amounted to a heaven-blessed opening hand.

Even so, Zhang Yuan had never let down his guard. As the saying went, one must think of danger in times of peace—and danger was right at his doorstep.

The very instant Zhang Yuan arrived in the Azure Sky Dust-Stained Realm, he had awakened an innate ability.

[Heavenly Vision]

[Based on your current circumstances, extrapolate three predetermined futures.]

[1. You gladly accept the betrothal. After you reach Foundation Establishment, the Li use immortal arts to trade away your Immortal Spiritual Root and cultivation. Ultimately, you die from the collapse of your cultivation realm.]

[2. You reject the Li, stating that you do not wish to be controlled by others. A Li Cultivator kills you on the spot.]

[3. You pretend to accept the betrothal but never cultivate seriously. The Li lose patience and decide to take only your Immortal Spiritual Root. Ultimately, your Immortal Spiritual Root is traded away, leaving you gravely wounded and dying in a ruined temple outside the city.]

Without question, Zhang Yuan chose the third future, in which he was gravely wounded.

During that time, he had also tried to change the course of the future through his actions. Yet no matter how hard he tried, the three futures never changed in the slightest.

Seeing Zhang Yuan remain silent, Li Jiehua immediately lost interest. He looked him up and down before finally fixing his gaze on a bag at Zhang Yuan's waist.

A Heaven and Earth Bag.

This Heaven and Earth Bag was of the lowest grade, with only as much space as a cupboard. It was the sort of thing he would not want even if it were given to him for free.

What truly interested him was what his Li clan had placed inside the bag in exchange for the Immortal Spiritual Root.

Immortal Spiritual Roots were expensive and impossible to buy even with money. Whatever was in that bag should be enough to fund several months of his lavish spending.

Li Jiehua snatched the Heaven and Earth Bag away and smiled. "Brother-in-law, your little brother will gladly accept this. Take care of yourself, and make sure you don't catch a chill."

With that, Li Jiehua kicked over the Bonfire without the slightest hesitation.

With the discerning eye of a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, he could naturally tell that Zhang Yuan already had one foot in the grave and lacked the strength to light another Bonfire.

He was indeed unwilling to kill Zhang Yuan personally. It would dirty his hands and bring him no benefit. But kicking over the Bonfire and leaving Zhang Yuan to freeze to death in this ruined temple was something he was quite happy to do.

The Bonfire went out, and the ruined temple immediately darkened.

Zhang Yuan shivered involuntarily.

Without the Bonfire, on this rainy winter night in the Twelfth Lunar Month, he would surely not survive until morning.

Zhang Yuan's gaze remained calm. There was no anger, no plea for mercy. He merely stared ahead.

[Heavenly Vision]

[1. Li Jiehua kicks over your Bonfire. You close your eyes and are gradually swallowed by the cold. Ultimately, when you open your eyes again, you have been saved by a passing master.]

[2. You choose to curse Li Jiehua. Your exquisite twenty-first-century vocabulary drives him into a humiliated rage. He uses a spell to summon rainwater and pour it over your head, rendering you unconscious. Ultimately, you are saved by a passing master.]

[3. A flash of inspiration strikes you, and you speak to delay Li Jiehua's departure. Ultimately, just after Li Jiehua leaves, a master appears before you. You answer the master's question, and the master decides to heal you and grant you one request.]

Looking at the three predetermined futures, Zhang Yuan called out to Li Jiehua, who was about to leave the ruined temple.

"Li Jiehua, if you don't kill me now, you're going to die."

Zhang Yuan's voice was weak, but his tone was utterly certain, bringing Li Jiehua to a halt just as he was about to step outside.

Li Jiehua turned around and clutched his belly, Laughing so hard that tears nearly streamed from his eyes.

"If I don't kill you, I'm going to die?"

He had imagined Zhang Yuan might curse him viciously or beg for mercy, but he truly had not expected him to say something like this.

Putting aside the fact that he was at the peak of Foundation Establishment and only a Golden Core Realm Cultivator could kill him, even if a Golden Core Cultivator were here, they would never dare act after learning his identity.

The Li of the Bian Kingdom were a cultivation Aristocratic Clan standing at the pinnacle of the Azure Sky Dust-Stained Realm. Aside from a few great sects, they feared no power.

Who could kill him? Who would dare?

"Wonderful, wonderful! Zhang Yuan, you're dying a fine death! You can still give me a laugh before you go. Your life really was worth something!"

Li Jiehua applauded, not the least bit angry, then stepped out of the ruined temple and cut through the wind and rain toward the city.

Only at the Golden Core Realm could one ride the wind and fly. As an Outer Dao Foundation Establishment cultivator, he still had to travel on foot until he formed his Golden Core.

Wind leaked into the ruined temple from every direction. With cold gusts pouring in and his source of warmth gone, Zhang Yuan could only curl up as tightly as possible to preserve his body heat.

Suddenly, a short while after Li Jiehua left.

Heaven and Earth fell silent. The cold wind vanished in an instant, and the overturned Bonfire returned to its place on its own, its fierce flames illuminating every corner.

Zhang Yuan's spirits lifted. He knew the master had arrived.

A Daoist dressed in a shabby gray robe slowly floated inside, his back turned toward Zhang Yuan.

Zhang Yuan furrowed his brow.

Floating in backward? What was wrong with this master?

Hmm... he really was a master. Even his entrance was so unlike anyone else's.

After a moment's thought, Zhang Yuan decided to speak first.

"Master, please turn around."