Chapter 48: The Celestial Master Approaches Death

The door to the silent chamber closed behind him. Luo Mingxian paced through the long corridor, walked across a lengthy stone path, and finally stepped out of the small, secluded courtyard reserved exclusively for Yuan Tiangang.

Beyond the courtyard fence, dozens of armed guards stood watch on all four sides of the chamber, as tightly secured as a military restricted zone. Not far from them lay the quarters of the official cultivators, where the most elite members of the Heavenly Mechanism Institute were stationed. Should there be any sign of disturbance in the silent chamber, they would intervene immediately.

Such was the treatment afforded to a top-tier divination master.

Although Yuan Tiangang himself possessed little in the way of physical combat power, he was always accompanied by the most elite security detail wherever he went. Anyone wishing to approach him had to undergo a head-to-toe screening so rigorous it could strip away one's childhood secrets.

In fact, merely "approaching" him was a task of immense difficulty.

The Heavenly Mechanism Institute received countless requests daily to meet with Yuan Tiangang—from government agencies to regional sects, for purposes ranging from feng shui surveys to celestial forecasting. Yet, the number of those who actually succeeded could be counted on one hand. Even with an approved appointment, one often had to wait months or even years just to catch a glimpse of the Grand Master; his time was, quite literally, worth more than gold.

And now, that golden time was dwindling, nearing total disappearance.

Luo Mingxian hung his head as he bypassed the tree-lined path, his footsteps heavy as he headed toward his office, his face cast in shadow. As the chief director of the Heavenly Mechanism Institute and Yuan Tiangang’s personal disciple, he understood the Grand Master’s condition better than anyone.

The Grand Master had fallen into the Five Decays of Heaven and Man. Luo had watched, day by day, as the decline progressed. If the final deadline were to truly arrive, it would be a catastrophe for the Heavenly Mechanism Institute—and indeed, for the entire supernatural system of China—no less significant than the sky collapsing.

Setting aside the fact that there were fewer than twenty Spirit Transformation cultivators in all of China, and that Yuan Tiangang was the only one specialized in divination—a feat unseen in the Central Plains for centuries—the scarcity of such talent meant it was doubtful another of his caliber would appear in the next few hundred years.

Furthermore, Yuan Tiangang was the pillar that held up the sea for the divination world. Over the decades since the founding of the nation, he had cultivated countless disciples and, almost single-handedly, propped up half of China’s divination arts. Whenever a major event occurred, even the central government would send officials to ask him to survey the fortunes of the nation. Losing such an existence was equivalent to losing a national treasure.

Putting aside his personal feelings as a disciple, the institute’s reliance on him, and the historical value of this living fossil, Luo Mingxian was acutely aware of the massive shock his death would cause. For a master of this level, his very existence involved countless vested interests. As a highly sought-after divination expert, his strategic value far exceeded that of a typical spiritual energy cultivator; he was a walking mountain of gold and silver.

Should the day of his passing arrive, the various factions linked to him would surely not remain quiet. A major reshuffling of power would be inevitable, and with it, a wave of turbulence. The Heavenly Mechanism Institute would undoubtedly be at the center of that vortex.

Luo Mingxian’s brows furrowed as he looked toward the horizon. Invisible celestial patterns reflected in his eyes; countless possibilities and strategic frameworks flooded his mind. The difference between fortune and disaster hung on a single thought.

The news of the Grand Master’s passing must be strictly sealed. Afterward, he would have to make arrangements based on the spiritual residues the Grand Master had left behind, using them as a foundation to draw out a divination formation, aiming to replicate even a fraction of his prowess.

Of course, the best solution would be to further extend the Grand Master’s lifespan, pulling him back from the brink of the Five Decays. But who could do that?

Veins bulged on Luo Mingxian’s forehead as he became lost in endless thought. In a daze, he found himself back at his office.

Though called an office, it looked more like a small hut from the outside. It was built entirely of bamboo and wood, a single story covering less than twenty square meters. The construction was exquisite, showing no sign of crudeness, but rather a unique, elegant naturalness. Across the Heavenly Mechanism Institute, almost all buildings followed this style: modern amenities were hidden to restore natural feng shui, providing the best environment for sensing the heavens.

"Director Luo, you’re back!"

His secretary had been waiting by the door and hurried over as soon as he appeared. "We’ve received new messages from the Sanitation Bureau and the Supernormal Research Institute. There are several documents here that require your signature."

Luo Mingxian looked at the files in their hands, forcibly suppressing his turbulent emotions as he reached for a pen. Because of Yuan Tiangang, he had no heart for other matters, but as the director, controlling his emotions was a basic requirement.

"What are the reports about? Give me a brief summary."

"Regarding the Supernormal Research Institute, new archaeological findings have been excavated in the area of the Eighteen Tombs of Guanzhong in Liangzhou. No signs of spirit-containing ruins have been discovered yet, but there are artifacts related to the Tang Dynasty Immortal Gates, including..."

"As for the Sanitation Bureau, they have submitted a supplementary explanation regarding the accidental loss of the 'Peach Blossom Spring' members."

"According to them, a powerful figure named 'Zhou Qing' recently appeared in Liangzhou and helped the local Sanitation Bureau settle the Peach Blossom Spring case. His performance exceeded the assessment standards for a Spirit Transformation cultivator. The capital is already investigating this matter and requires us to send some divination masters to assist..."

"Zhou Qing?" The name caught Luo Mingxian’s attention. It sounded somewhat similar to "Zhou Wuqing," whom the Grand Master had mentioned... Could there be a connection?

The thought flashed through his mind. He pinched the bridge of his nose to calm himself. When had he become so rash as to make assumptions based on a similar name?

However, a cultivator who had reached the Spirit Transformation stage must be of significant age. Furthermore, since Liangzhou was the site of the Nine Li Sect—the successor to the Nine Li Immortal Alliance—a powerful figure appearing in such a special location might hold clues, even if they weren't directly related to Zhou Wuqing.

"Do you have detailed background information on this 'Zhou Qing'? I want to see it."

"Yes. But according to the regulations of the headquarters in the capital, his background involves classified information and is currently under review. Accessing it requires a special approval application."

"Draft one now. For the reason, write that he is suspected to be related to the Grand Master protected by the Heavenly Mechanism Institute, and we hope to conduct an investigation."

Luo Mingxian thought for a moment, then added, "By the way, did the Sanitation Bureau mention whether this powerful figure named Zhou Qing possesses any medical or body-nourishing techniques?"

"Their report contains no such information. It only mentions that the person is capable of constructing large-scale spirit-gathering spells and possesses extremely high combat capabilities."

True enough. Luo Mingxian sighed inwardly. He really had been unsettled by the Grand Master’s impending death; hearing a name made him think it was the person the Grand Master was looking for, and seeing a powerful figure made him wonder if they could save a life. He was grasping at straws.

Even if one were to set aside all logic and consider the most extreme, absurd scenario—assuming that "Zhou Qing" was indeed the successor or even the person himself—it likely wouldn't have any concrete impact on the current situation of the Heavenly Mechanism Institute. According to Yuan Tiangang’s description, that Zhou Wuqing was a pure martialist who only knew how to kill and didn't care about the aftermath. He had almost no involvement in medicine, let alone an incurable disease like the Heavenly Backlash that no one had ever encountered before.

But regardless, if that Zhou Qing were truly related to Zhou Wuqing, it would at least fulfill a century-long wish of the Grand Master, and he would have done his duty as a disciple.

He signed the last document and handed it back to the secretary. "Speaking of which, are there any new replies to the recruitment order?"

Two years ago, when the first signs of Yuan Tiangang’s Five Decays appeared, the institute had issued a recruitment order to all units, requesting them to search for longevity methods in their respective fields. Over these two years, he had checked the progress almost daily and had indeed received many replies—masters claiming to specialize in medicine found by the Sanitation Bureau, new potions developed by the research institute... the list was endless.

But the final result proved that in the face of the Heavenly Backlash, these existences appeared pale and ineffective.

"There are no new replies from within the department."

The secretary gave the expected answer. Luo Mingxian frowned slightly, his tone growing heavier. "Issue it again. This time, apply to the higher-ups to raise the priority level of the recruitment order to Level Three."

The secretary nodded but didn't leave, standing before the desk with a wavering look, as if unsure of something.

"What is it? Is there something else to report?"

"Director Luo, regarding the matter of extending the Grand Master’s life..." The secretary hesitated for a moment before continuing, "There has been no response to the internal recruitment order, but our intelligence network recently picked up a piece of information stating that the Jade Dew Sect of Mount Qingcheng once developed a secret pill formula called the Nine-Turn Pill, which can extend a cultivator's life by about ten years."

"The Jade Dew Sect's Nine-Turn Pill?" Luo Mingxian was slightly startled, then lowered his head in deep thought.

He had heard similar rumors as early as six months ago. The cultivation world was filled with countless elixirs and miracle drugs, many capable of regrowing flesh, but few could truly revive the dead. A pill that could extend life was undoubtedly a treasure among treasures, with a value easily calculated in the billions.

When Luo Mingxian first received this news, he was both happy and worried.

The joy came from seeing a glimmer of hope. Ten years of extra life wasn't long on a cultivator's scale, but in the mortal world, it was enough time for China to build an atomic bomb from scratch. Ten months, let alone ten years, was of great significance to the institute and the official government. As for the cost, if it meant extending Yuan Tiangang’s life, spending hundreds of billions or even trillions would be acceptable.

The worry was that the pill formula was in the hands of the Jade Dew Sect!

The Jade Dew Sect originated in the Southern Song Dynasty and had been stationed around Yizhou for over eight hundred years. It was one of the largest sects in the modern Shu region, comparable in scale to the Nine Li Sect in Liangzhou. However, unlike the Nine Li, the Jade Dew Sect had little cooperation with the local government and often had minor frictions.

There were thousands of sects throughout China. Those like the Nine Li Sect that publicly supported the secular world were the absolute minority; most maintained a distant, lukewarm attitude toward the authorities. The Jade Dew Sect was one of "the majority."

Because of this, although the Heavenly Mechanism Institute and the sect had shared the same region for decades, Luo Mingxian knew almost nothing about their internal affairs. The only thing that revealed their attitude was a small matter.

The Jade Dew Sect’s grotto-heaven was located on Mount Qingcheng in Yizhou. Relying on the unique spiritual vein environment of the mountain, they sat on numerous sources of rare medicinal herbs. In the eight hundred years since the sect's founding, they had used this as a basis to develop many spiritual medicine formulas, some for cultivators and some that could be used by mortals.

In the early days of their founding, relying on the developed trade system of the Song Dynasty, they had secretly set up shops in the secular world in the guise of medical clinics to sell healing pills. The efficacy and price of those medicines were dozens or hundreds of times higher than ordinary mortal medicine. Countless people sold their possessions to provide the sect with incense money, and the sect flourished, growing this foundation for eight centuries.

However, after entering the modern era, with the establishment of the official cultivator system and research institutions like the Supernormal Research Institute, large-scale cultivation of spiritual plants became possible. At the same time, new drugs produced by modern technology could achieve over ninety percent of the efficacy of pills at less than one percent of the cost. Naturally, people knew how to choose.

Since then, the Jade Dew Sect’s incense offerings had dropped by nearly thirty percent for no reason, with countless other losses besides. As the leader of the Yizhou supernatural system, Luo Mingxian didn't know their specific stance, but he knew they had always held a grudge.

Because of this, when he first received the intelligence about the Nine-Turn Pill, he didn't contact the sect immediately, but shelved it—for six months. He had hoped to place his hopes in internal units or at least allies like the Nine Li Sect, but half a year passed without other hope.

"...You go handle the recruitment order issue first. I’ll think about the Jade Dew Sect matter."

"Yes."

The assistant took the task and turned to leave. Luo Mingxian let out a long sigh, flipped his hand, and took out three ancient copper coins from his pocket.

He gripped the coins, focused his spiritual sense upon them, muttered a few words, and tossed them. The coins spun and landed, and he picked them up again. He repeated this six times until the three coins lay on the table, humming as they settled into their final arrangement.

This was the Six-Yao calculation, one of the most common techniques in divination, mainly used for natural phenomena or objects, yielding very concise results. The question he had just asked was, "Does the Jade Dew Sect's Nine-Turn Pill formula truly have life-extending effects?"

The divination gave him an answer he could not refuse.

He stared at the three coins on the table, seeing that all three had landed with the heads facing up.

The divination result: Good Fortune.