Elder Longbrow had occasionally seen coins crack during divination before, but never had they first split and then crumbled into powder. This was a first.
“What the hell is going on?”
He stood there completely baffled.
“Second Brother, the coins turned to dust. Did you fail again?” Lin Da Niao asked.
Ye Qiu added, “I told you, with your half-arsed fortune-telling, there’s no way you can locate a supreme opportunity.”
“You lot know nothing,” Elder Longbrow snapped. “I didn’t prepare properly just now, that’s why this happened.”
“Wait and see. This time I will definitely find it.”
With that, he pulled another three copper coins from his sleeve, cupped them in both hands, shook them vigorously, and muttered incantations under his breath.
Moments later, he flung the coins upward. Instantly, the three coins hovered above his head, spinning rapidly with a shrill whistle.
Taking the chance, Elder Longbrow declared, “I said it before: once I locate the supreme opportunity, none of you are allowed to fight me for it, or don’t blame me for turning against you.”
Lin Da Niao replied, “Second Brother, let’s see you actually find it first.”
“What do you mean by that? Don’t believe in my skills?” Elder Longbrow said confidently. “This time I will definitely…”
Poof!
Before he could finish, the three spinning coins exploded into powder.
“This…”
Elder Longbrow was stunned speechless.
Lin Da Niao burst out laughing. “Second Brother, you really can’t do it!”
Smack!
Furious, Elder Longbrow slapped Lin Da Niao across the forehead, making the latter hiss in pain.
“You little bastard, how dare you say I can’t do it? Want a beating?”
Elder Longbrow glared murderously.
Lin Da Niao shrank back, clutching his head with an aggrieved look. “This isn’t the mortal world anymore. Can’t I even speak the truth?”
“Shut up! Nobody will think you’re mute if you keep quiet,” Elder Longbrow growled.
Lin Da Niao refused to back down. “I’ve got a mouth. I’ll say what I want.”
“Shut it! One more word and I’ll beat you to death,” Elder Longbrow snarled, his face dark.
He had divined publicly for two reasons: first, to locate the supreme opportunity and claim it; second, to show off and earn everyone’s admiration. Now that the divination had failed, everything was ruined.
Having already failed, Elder Longbrow was seething. Lin Da Niao’s taunts only fanned the flames.
Seeing that Elder Longbrow was truly angry, Lin Da Niao finally closed his mouth.
Elder Longbrow placed his hands behind his back, his long white eyebrows fluttering in the wind, a strange Daoist aura flowing around him. He suddenly looked like a profound immortal.
“To tell the truth, I can locate the supreme opportunity, but I must not.”
He put on a mysterious air. “As you all know, divination ranges from avoiding misfortune to deducing the secrets of heaven. Its mysteries are boundless.”
“A supreme opportunity is a matter of enormous importance. If I force the divination, at best I suffer backlash and lose all my cultivation; at worst, Heaven sends down tribulation and I perish completely.”
“We are all good friends. Surely you wouldn’t want me to die here just for one opportunity?”
Dead duck still quacking!
Lin Da Niao cursed inwardly. You clearly can’t do it, yet you spout all this high-sounding nonsense. Shameless.
Ye Qiu had long grown used to Elder Longbrow’s thick skin and said nothing.
Yun Xi smiled. “The Daoist priest is right. It wouldn’t be worth sacrificing your life for a single opportunity.”
“Whether a supreme opportunity even exists here is uncertain. Even if it does, we cannot let the Daoist priest risk his life.”
“Opportunities depend on fate and timing. They cannot be forced.”
Elder Longbrow hurriedly bowed to Yun Xi. “The fairy is wise and understanding. This poor Daoist is deeply impressed.”
Yun Xi smiled. “No need for formalities, Daoist.”
Elder Longbrow’s tone shifted as he beamed. “Although I cannot divine it myself, I know someone who can.”
“Young brother, you do the divination.”
Mo Tianji glared at him. “Didn’t you just say divining would kill the person?”
Elder Longbrow laughed. “You’re going to die soon anyway. One divination won’t matter.”
Mo Tianji grew even angrier. “Am I still your junior brother? Who pits their own brother like this?”
“Junior brother, you’re mistaken. I’m not pitting you,” Elder Longbrow said. “Since your time is short, why not make a contribution and help everyone find the supreme opportunity?”
He leaned close to Mo Tianji’s ear and whispered, “Relax, it won’t affect your lifespan. I was just bluffing them earlier.”
Then he announced to the crowd, “Because of certain reasons, my junior brother’s life is nearing its end. For everyone’s sake, he has decided to risk his life to divine the supreme opportunity.”
Hearing this, the disciples of Green Cloud Sword Sect looked at Mo Tianji with solemn respect.
Elder Longbrow continued, “Don’t be fooled by my junior brother’s youth. His divination arts are extraordinary. After all, I taught him everything myself.”
Mo Tianji glared again, thinking, When exactly did you teach me anything?
You’ll say anything, won’t you? Have you no shame?
“Come on, junior brother, start the divination,” Elder Longbrow urged with a smile.
With no choice, Mo Tianji began.
He pointed a finger at the sky. Instantly, a glowing Bagua diagram appeared in the air.
White light radiated from the diagram as it spun continuously, looking extremely profound.
Mo Tianji silently chanted, then pointed again.
In that moment, runes materialised on the Bagua, dancing and emitting divine radiance.
The disciples of Green Cloud Sword Sect stared wide-eyed, completely awed by Mo Tianji’s display.
Half a minute later.
“Fix!” Mo Tianji shouted. The Bagua froze in place, then, boom, it shattered into powder.
“What?”
Mo Tianji looked embarrassed. “Sorry, my cultivation is limited. I couldn’t locate the supreme opportunity.”
Ye Qiu had already expected this. A supreme opportunity would not be so easily found. “No matter. Everyone spread out and search. If the supreme opportunity really is here, with so many of us, we’ll definitely find it.”
With that, he walked over to the little white fox.
The little white fox lay on the ground, its injuries still unrecovered. Ye Qiu crouched down, gently stroked its head, and asked softly, “Does it hurt?”
The little white fox nodded.
“It’s alright. I’ll heal you. You’ll be fine soon.” Ye Qiu quickly treated its wounds.
Soon the little white fox was fully healed. It gazed at Ye Qiu with a complicated expression.
“Be more careful from now on. You’re a demon, so try to avoid humans to prevent being hunted,” Ye Qiu kindly reminded.
The little white fox’s eyes instantly filled with determination, as though it had made a firm decision. Suddenly, it spoke in human tongue, “I know where the supreme opportunity is.”
