Chen Cheng could not understand it, nor did she need to. All she had to do was do as Qi Zixiao had instructed her.
***
Strange Peak.
The seat of Fang Wu, the Divine Seer and one of the top ten disciples of the Sacred Violet Manor.
Like its namesake, everything was strange here.
The environment here, for example: the leaves and grass were all black and white.
Peculiar boulders, as if sculpted by uncanny workmanship, filled the rugged mountain as well, but the stones on top of the mountain were perfectly round and shiny, as if people had been meditating over it for untold years.
Aside from Fang Wu the Divine Seer, there were some disciples of his inner sect as well as his followers staying on the peak too.
As a matter of fact, many prime or personal disciples had many followers themselves…
"Who goes there!"
Someone promptly stopped Chen Cheng when she arrived.
"Chen Cheng, guardian disciple, coming under orders of her grace the Saintess, seeking the Divine Seer."
Chen Cheng was not worried, however, and stood there indifferently with outstanding composure.
Though she and her fellow peers prostrated themselves humbly before Qi Zixiao, outside their sect, their status was not low as the Saintess's guardian disciples.
"The Saintess's guardian disciples?"
The other disciple was taken aback, but quickly said, "Please, follow me."
As she followed the disciple up the mountain, Chen Cheng was not startled by the sights along the way since she was used to it already, and they soon arrived at the gates of the manor atop the mountain.
"Brother…"
Just as the disciple was about to report in, someone spoke from inside the building.
"Sister Chen Cheng, please come in."
"Thank you, brother."
Chen Cheng smiled lightly, opened the door and entered, with the door closing itself behind her despite a lack of wind.
"The Saintess asked for me?"
Though Fang Wu appeared very young, he had white hair, but that appearance somehow did not leave anyone unsettled—as if it was how he ought to look.
"Her grace had asked for the Heaven and Earth Divination in exchange for this."
Chen Cheng went straight to the point, showing the jade pendant and leaving it hovering in the air with a flip of her hand.
"Brother Divine Seer, would you be willing to trade?"
Despite Chen Cheng's inquiry of the Divine Seer's intention, her tone was extremely overbearing, directly hinting that the Saintesss wants the Heaven and Earth Divination, and was not asking for a trade…
"…"
Staying impassive, Fang Wu spoke calmly, "It's this school's honor if the Saintess wishes for it. Is a trade necessary?"
With a wave of his hand, the luminous jade flew out and back into Chen Cheng's grasp.
"Her grace had always lived with her head held high, never once owing favors. Would this not be a daylight robbery otherwise? Please, take it."
In truth, Chen Cheng was very taken aback that Fang Wu would so easily give the Heaven and Earth Divination. Still, she did not show it, and after repressing her inward curiosity, she 'threw' out the jade pendant again, watching the Divine Seer and gesturing for him to keep it.
Fang Wu: "…"
"If that's the case, I'll keep it. You may report back to the Saintess."
Chen Cheng left then.
Fang Wu, however, remained seated, and did not move for a long time.
Later, the follower who escorted Chen Cheng returned and asked in surprise, "Brother, why would you give out the Heaven and Earth Divination?"
"Even if she is the Saintess and holds a noble rank, you've only managed to get your hands on the Heaven and Earth Divination by a stroke of great fortune and from outside the sect. Even she does not have the right to demand it…"
"And that so-called trade is in no way an equivalent exchange. The jade pendant is a fine item, but…"
…the Heaven and Earth Divination was too famous.
It was the top technique of foresight in the realm, its name echoing over all corners!
And the reason that Fang Wu could become the Divine Seer and one of the top ten disciples of the Violet Manor was because of the Heaven and Earth Divination.
But now, the Saintess sent someone to demand it and did not even come personally, and yet the Divine Seer would give it out just like that?
The follower absolutely could not understand it…
"You don't get it."
And yet, Fang Wu slowly shook his head. At the same time, his composed expression instantly contorted horrifically!
"I… can't see it."
The follower was stunned, but Fang Wu gestured that he was fine, as his thoughts returned to a moment ago, when he had been in seclusion…
Suddenly sensing something about to happen that was connected to him, he made a divination…
And immediately foresaw that the Saintess would send someone to ask for the Heaven and Earth Divination.
Naturally, the Divine Seer was unwilling to just give it out, since it was an assurance that allowed him to settle down and get on with his pursuits.
As such…
He made another divination, divining the outcomes and consequences of the different choices he made in this matter.
Somehow, his divination had failed!
Fang Wu certainly could not remain calm at that. Ever since he had gained the Heaven and Earth Divination, there had not been more than a handful of matters he was unable to divine!
Hence, Fang Wu made a third divination.
Subject… Qi Zixiao!
But what he saw then, he would never forget for his lifetime!
Whenever he divined about someone else, he would 'see' a 'shining ball', and he would see a part of the future by breaking the 'ball' with a special move. If the subject was weak and the ball small, he could divine the person's entire future—in fact, the shining ball of mortals were pretty much just speckles.
He could break those with a finger and peer into their whole future.
Moreover, the rank of a person's cultivation, luck, and future developments all affect the size of the shining ball.
The bigger the ball, the harder it was to break—Fang Wu might even have to pay a price to break it.
Lives… were not to be divined lightly.
Even so, Fang Wu expected that Qi Zi Xiao's shining ball would be the size of a human's head, but he would at least see a part of her future with some effort.
And yet…
When he started diving, what he saw was…
Boom!!!
A planet-sized shining ball, borderless, gigantic, and immeasurably horrific, appearing in his mind out of the blue!
Dazzling, beautiful… and possessing an unmatched force of attraction!
Fang Wu's heart and mind were instantly captivated by the 'planet', and he unwittingly started to fly towards it, as if wanting to be a part of it.
Even so, his own body was like a speckle of dust in comparison to the planet…
As he got closer and closer…
He lost all his wariness in heart and soul.
Nonetheless, at the critical moment, the Heaven and Earth Divination blared a warning. Regaining his consciousness, Fang Wu promptly severed the divination—even so, he suffered a terrific recoil that maimed his body, leaving him puking buckets of blood…
***
So, why would he so easily give out the Heaven and Earth Divination?
Fang Wu sighed inwardly.
Did he even want to give it out? But Qi Zixiao's future… was too scary!
Not only was it obscure and beyond explanation, even peeking into it seemed to be a divine offense…
Therefore, being on such a person's good side would be much better than being on her bad!
That was why Fang Wu yielded.
He certainly had his misgivings, but it was not in handing out the Heaven and Earth Divination. Instead, he missed the chance of having Qi Zixiao owe him a favor…
"Phew…"
The look on Fang Wu's face appeared more bitter and terrible then. "Leave me. I'm going into seclusion for the next few months, and I won't receive any visitors."
Overthinking it was meaningless at this month. It was more important that he saw to his wounds.
Because what else could he do?