Chapter Forty-Nine: Prophecy from the Heavens

Ji Feichen hurried off to help Master Heichi gather medicinal herbs. This was one of those matters where everyone involved understood the tacit rules. Master Heichi was aware that Ji Feichen had gone to confess to Lord Kanming, admitting to double allegiance. Yet he assumed that Ji Feichen, backed by the drought demoness Lady Chen, would naturally favor their alliance and merely feign loyalty to the other side. Lord Kanming, confident that Ji Feichen was no fool, believed that before a mighty Earth Immortal like himself, Ji Feichen would not dare play tricks.

Thus, caught between the schemes of two factions, Ji Feichen managed to leave Wujin Mountain smoothly.

Yet Ji Feichen was nothing if not cautious. Upon departure, he immediately used the Ink Dragon Scale to shield his fate, thoroughly obscuring all traces of his destiny. The three lurking senses following him lost their target altogether.

Lord Kanming was the first to open his eyes, muttering, “Shielding fate... Is this a favor granted by that brat Heichi? Good, very good. The more that brat trusts him, the more useful he’ll be when he turns on them.”

Soon, Heichi and Heilie returned to themselves. Heichi said, “I didn’t expect this boy to shield himself from the eyes of an Earth Immortal. Is it the drought demoness aiding him in secret? But in Master’s and Senior Brother’s eyes, it must seem my doing.” Heichi resigned himself to bearing the blame, protecting an ally who didn’t truly exist.

Heilie’s thoughts mirrored those of Lord Kanming, but with even more wariness toward his own disciple. “When Master ascends, and I take command of the Black Vein, I’ll demote him to Demon Dragon, strip his intelligence, and ensure he never opposes me again.”

Breaking free from the pursuing senses, Ji Feichen slipped back into Yueyang Garden.

“The moon sets in the western hills, the morning sun shines upon the nine heavens.” The couplet by the gate of Yueyang Garden perfectly matched Ji Feichen’s name.

Entering the courtyard, Ji Feichen changed into a new robe of azure, immediately feeling refreshed and clear-headed. Here in Yueyang Garden, there was none of the oppressive atmosphere of the Demon Sect; everything was under Ji Feichen’s control. “This place is truly peaceful,” he mused, as the baleful energy within him gradually reverted to its original elemental form, restoring a calm and balanced aura.

He surveyed the garden. Outside, the seasons cycled and time flowed, but the spiritual retreat remained unchanged. Peach blossoms and crimson buds still adorned the forest; green bamboo and jade stalks flourished. Only the herbs planted at the start of the year had grown, their lush leaves now sheltering clusters of golden fruits.

Here, Ji Feichen felt at home—a true immortal’s abode.

Casting his thoughts to Lord Kanming’s domain, Ji Feichen shook his head repeatedly. “When I finally leave the Demon Sect behind, I’ll devote myself to cultivating this immortal estate.”

He went to inspect the Dew Terrace, finding that the accumulated lunar dew and starlight had reached three feet. Ji Feichen carefully collected this precious nectar before returning to the main house. He took out the Wenwu Jade Seals, running his fingers over the twin dragon engravings.

Each seal bore a different beast: the slender dragon-like Fuxi, lover of literary fortune; and the mighty tiger-shaped Bixie, the judge and punisher.

“If I throw these two seals into the tower, I’ll never again enjoy the leisure of waiting for fortunes to come in my estate.” Yet the Ninefold Celestial Golden Dragon Tower was what mattered most. If properly refined, this treasure would become his weapon against the sacred lands.

He casually tossed the seals into the Ninefold Celestial Golden Dragon Tower. As they entered, the twin dragons manifested. On the first tier of the tower, the embryonic treasure now displayed the shadows of Yazi, Qiuniu, and Jiaotu.

Five dragon beasts circled the core, causing the embryonic Nine-cloud Crystal Disk to reveal its first form.

After viewing this, Ji Feichen went to the entrance and threw the statue of Suanni into the tower. The statue, originally a town-guarding beast forged by a mortal immortal, was of extraordinary quality.

Six dragon beast phantoms appeared around the disk, but there were three empty spots left—no dragon forms yet.

“It’s said that the dragon bears nine offspring, each different. But there are countless beasts of dragon lineage; it doesn’t have to be the nine sons, and even which nine is debated, with several answers.”

Ji Feichen picked up a Jade Tide Pearl, inside which was imprisoned the Golden Lake Dragon Prince. This dragon prince was of dragon blood, originally a medicinal puppet for Ji Feichen’s cultivation. But traveling with the drought demoness, Ji Feichen dared not reveal his demonic nature, and the prince escaped his fate.

“Now that I’m transforming into a true cultivator, my technique is about to reach completion. Your dragon blood is no longer of interest,” Ji Feichen muttered, placing the Jade Tide Pearl on the disk, but there was no resonance; the little golden dragon was insufficient for the disk.

“Is it because the dragon prince is still alive, still a living spirit, unable to forge the crystal disk? So, I need to use treasures instead?”

Ji Feichen put the dragon prince away. “Keep him—he may prove useful later.”

Since the prince had no resonance with the treasure’s core, Ji Feichen sought another method. He activated the Jade Micro Celestial Calculation Scripture, using the embryonic disk to divine the whereabouts of the dragon beasts.

The Nine-cloud Crystal Disk was designed to amplify divination of fate. With this unfinished disk, Ji Feichen possessed powers akin to those of a mortal immortal. His consciousness blurred, entering the disk as a divine dragon coiled at its center. The vast force of the Dao surged from the dragon’s form, letting Ji Feichen truly experience the authority of the immortal realm.

“So this is the immortal Dao fruit…”

If the mundane stage is just an individual, then the immortal realm establishes a bridge to communicate with heaven and earth—the Dao fruit golden core. In his previous life’s knowledge, if heaven and earth were a giant signal tower, the Dao fruit golden core would be the receiver.

Without Dao fruit, one wanders the world in ignorance; even if the signal passes nearby, it cannot be sensed. Only after achieving Dao fruit can one truly comprehend a portion of the Dao. As the Dao fruit grows, more of the great Dao can be received.

The Nine-cloud Crystal Disk was crafted for this purpose. It would let ordinary cultivators touch the Dao ahead of time. Used with Ji Feichen’s Jade Micro Celestial Calculation Scripture, a mysterious will plucked secrets from heaven and earth.

A fierce wind howled, spirits shrieked, as if the disk was leaking the secrets of fate. The disk trembled endlessly, and Ji Feichen’s mana poured into it, nearly depleted.

“So much consumption?” Ji Feichen was shocked; powering this disk took more energy than fighting. He hurriedly gulped down lunar dew and starlight.

After some time, the whirlwind swept up divine script talismans, finally forming several prophetic verses on the disk:

“Jade of the eastern hills, calamus for prison, golden chimes in the wind, pen hidden in the mouth.”

“Unmarked merit, unheard in the wilds, the wind of the overlord, strength to support mountains and rivers.”

“Great fortune in the south, lone foot dances, wind and fire connect the heavens, water dragon avoids.”

“Ill omen in the south, devourer of sky, foul winds and bloody rain, endless calamity.”

“Gazing at the hall, purple air comes from the east, disaster mocked in the wind, fate uncertain.”

Seeing these five prophecies, Ji Feichen was dumbfounded. “What on earth is this?”

The disk’s divination had revealed the whereabouts of five dragon beasts, but the prophecies were cryptic. Ji Feichen could barely decipher three.

“These five dragon beasts are meant for my Nine-cloud Crystal Disk?” Ji Feichen wanted to give up, but couldn’t bear to. He decided to set the matter aside. “Fine. While I’m out, I can accumulate merit. Let these dragon beasts come as fate allows. Right—I need the Nine Nether Water too.”

He tried to divine the location of the Nine Nether Water, but its origins were too profound for easy calculation.

“If the heavens won’t answer, I’ll have to ask others.”

Ji Feichen descended to the dungeon. The gloomy underground chamber lit with fire, he donned a smiling face and greeted the captured demon heads. “Esteemed brothers and sisters, how are you? I’ve been away for some time and couldn’t pay my respects.”

He cupped his hands to the group.

The five looked spiritless; even Simakong, the last imprisoned, had lost the will to resist. It wasn’t that Ji Feichen was cruel, but the bloodwood tree in the dungeon.

This bloodwood, eight hundred years old, had gained intelligence. Once it survived the millennium lightning tribulation, it would naturally achieve immortal Dao fruit. These demons, tangled beneath it, were becoming its nourishment, but kept alive enough that their souls could not reincarnate. Each day, it drained a portion of their power. This tree was far darker-hearted than Ji Feichen himself.

None lifted their eyes. Ji Feichen was not annoyed, smiling as he asked, “Brothers and sisters, does anyone know about dragon beasts? Preferably dragon-related treasures—like the Qiuniu Zither or Yazi Blade?”

All lowered their heads, ignoring him.

Ji Feichen sighed and began rummaging through the implements.

“Wait…” Zhang Ya spoke up. “I’ve never heard of those items, but I vaguely recall that years ago, Western Demon Sect members gathered dragon beasts.”

“And? What was their goal?” Ji Feichen thought of the two treasures he possessed.

“Not sure,” Zhang Ya said, puzzled. The Western Demon Sect worshipped demonic tigers—what connection could they have to dragons?

“Senior Sister, that’s hardly satisfying. You know I’m terribly curious.”

Zhang Ya, thoroughly resigned to Ji Feichen, closed her eyes, unwilling to be cowed. “I remember seeing a Baxia Stone Stele while traveling years ago—supposedly erected by the previous dynasty, abandoned in the wilds without worship.”

“A merit stele?”

“Seems so.”

“Unmarked merit, unheard in the wilds, the wind of the overlord, strength to support mountains and rivers,” Ji Feichen murmured. Baxia’s immense strength could bear mountains and rivers; if it was a merit stele, it matched the disk’s prophecy.

Ji Feichen asked for the location and pressed further. “Anything else?”

None replied; evidently, nothing else came to mind.

“What about the Nine Nether Water? Any insights?”

“My White Lotus Sect doesn’t practice the Nether Way. That belongs to your Yin Nether Sect—why ask me?”

Simakong said coldly, “The Nine Nether Water is at odds with our Radiant Sun God Sect. How would I know?”

“Exactly,” Yang Siwen of the Six-armed Demon God Sect added, helpless. “Regarding Nine Nether Water, all our belongings are with you; we truly have nothing. Besides, it’s a nether item—rarely found in the living world.”

“Rare, but there are ways,”

“There’s one method, though it’s luck. Whether you’re willing is the question,” came a hoarse, aged voice from another cage.

Ji Feichen turned. “Ah, Senior Gu of the Heavenly Heart Demon Sect. What wisdom do you offer?”

“Catch ghosts!” The old man croaked, pausing.

Ji Feichen understood, and the elder continued, “Typically, when a person dies, their body returns to earth and the soul enters the nether. But those who die with unresolved grievances sometimes become fierce ghosts in the mortal world. Newly formed fierce ghosts can be dealt with by a few inexperienced disciples. However, some encounter great fortune, finding nether caves in the living world. Thus, they gain powerful abilities. Such ghosts should possess Nine Nether Water.”

Ji Feichen smiled, slipping a pill into the elder’s mouth. “I do admire the clever ones, especially elders like you. Your wisdom is invaluable to me.”

Indeed, fierce ghosts born in nether caves could be the approach, and capturing them while subduing demons would also let him accumulate merit in the mortal world.