Should he use the Heavenly Calculation?
Ze Fang hesitated. Divination was out of the question. If he wanted to know Xiao Man's fate, he could only resort to the Heavenly Calculation. But the last time he used it, he suffered heavenly backlash, his cultivation dropping to the seventh stage of Qi Refining, and his body regressing to that of a teenager. Now that he had finally recovered to his mid-twenties appearance with only mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, he didn't know what he would turn into if he did it again.
"Last time I used the Heavenly Calculation, I was divining my own fate, which inherently defied the heavens, hence the severe backlash. Divining for Xiao Qin shouldn't be any worse than that, right?" Ze Fang fiddled with the coins on the table, their crisp clinking echoing. Should he try?
After a moment, Ze Fang decided to go for it. He immediately brought out the Heavenly Evolution Diagram and used it to deduce Xiao Man's fate. Although he didn't know Xiao Man's birth details, he had obtained a strand of her hair. As the Heavenly Evolution Diagram lit up, Ze Fang placed Xiao Man's hair into it as a tool for divination.
When Ze Fang opened his eyes again, he found himself within the Heavenly Evolution Diagram. Before him lay an endless sea of fire, upon which lightning flashed. The last time he divined his own fate, it was merely a giant fireball. But Xiao Man's fate was a realm of thunder and fire. What kind of monstrous being was this?
"Xiao Qin, who exactly are you? Why are you involved with the Heavenly Dao?" Ze Fang reached out towards the raging inferno. As soon as his hand touched the blazing flames, he recoiled, his fingers already scorched. "Cannot probe?"
Ze Fang stood to the side, watching the fire and lightning intertwine, weaving a massive net that blocked all prying eyes. What Ze Fang feared most was Xiao Man having no future. Now that he knew she did, he breathed a sigh of relief. Yet, gazing at the sea of thunder and fire, an infinite curiosity welled up within him. Xiao Man's fate being connected to the Heavenly Dao was something he had never encountered before. He couldn't suppress his inner curiosity; he wanted to know what secrets lay hidden beyond this realm of thunder and fire!
"Can the Heavenly Dao not be probed? I insist on seeing!" Ze Fang resolutely stepped into the thunderous fire realm, intending to touch upon the secrets hidden beyond. However, he only managed three steps before being repelled. He did, however, glimpse some fragmented images, but the content within them made Ze Fang's heart pound with fear.
"Why is this happening? Why is he involved?" Ze Fang scrambled to his feet and stumbled forward, pushing into the sea of thunder and fire again. He had to know why. He had to make her avoid him. No matter when, Xiao Man facing him meant only death!
This time, as Ze Fang's hand touched the thunderous fire realm, he was struck by a bolt of lightning, flung out of the Heavenly Evolution Diagram. He vomited a large mouthful of blood and fainted. Even in his unconscious state, images of Xiao Man being impaled replayed in his mind, and the attacker... even he was powerless against them!
As Ze Fang's contracted beast, Little White, also fell into a slumber due to Ze Fang's severe injuries, anyone who happened upon them at this moment would be astounded, for Ze Fang had now regressed into a child of four or five years old!
At the Spirit Serpent Sect, Xiao Man was treating Xiang Jian. Xiang Jian was too gravely injured. She had to first stabilize his body before she could recast his golden core, otherwise, in his current state, he would not be able to withstand the pain of the recasting.
Si Kong Mo watched Xiao Man's healing methods, her eyes filled with confusion. She had witnessed how the Heaven's Spirit Sect healed. Xiao Man's methods were incomparable to those of the Heaven's Spirit Sect. She even doubted if Xiao Man could save Xiang Jian.
However, to her astonishment, Xiang Jian actually woke up!
"Xiang Jian, you're awake," Si Kong Mo rushed forward, her voice filled with excitement. "You're finally awake."
"Mo'er, why are you here?" Xiang Jian asked groggily.
"I'm here in Wuji City for recruitment." Si Kong Mo's eyes reddened. So many years had passed, and Xiang Jian hadn't changed. One word, Mo'er, and he still recognized her.
Xiang Jian moved his body and looked down. He was naked in a bathtub. Si Kong Mo stood before him. Immediately, he clutched his chest and sank further into the water. "Mo'er, please turn around."
Si Kong Mo coughed and turned away. She quickly returned with clothes. Seeing Xiang Jian shyly hiding himself in the bathtub, she couldn't help but find it amusing. She placed the clothes down and left again.
"The clothes are here, put them on yourself."
Xiang Jian repeatedly agreed. Seeing Si Kong Mo leave, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. His gaze fell upon Xiao Man, who stood to the side with a teasing smile. "You saved me again."
"I'm your boss, who else would save you if not me?"
Xiang Jian got up to get his clothes, and Xiao Man immediately turned away.
"What are you being shy about? We're both men. What I have, you have too. You're acting like a young lady." Xiang Jian asked as he rustled about, putting on his clothes. "Have the others been found?"
"Shan Yun, Shi Lan, and Yu Da have been found. Qi Hong and Xi Wen are still missing. As for Zhou Yan..." Xiao Man paused for a moment before speaking softly, "Zhou Yan is gone."
Xiang Jian's hands stopped midway through dressing. Moments later, he continued, but even his buttons were done incorrectly. When he was first cast into the Land of No Return, it was thanks to Zhou Yan that he recovered so quickly. But before he could repay him, Zhou Yan was gone.
"How did it happen?"
"He was severely injured by disciples of the Blazing Wolf Sect. I arrived too late and could only save Yu Da."
Xiang Jian closed his eyes, suppressing all his emotions. He couldn't blame Xiao Man. He could only blame himself for bringing danger upon them. If not for him, Zhou Yan wouldn't have been in danger, wouldn't have been harmed. He was too blindly confident, thinking he could get revenge once he left the Land of No Return. He didn't realize that while he was trapped there, his enemies had been growing, and with a flick of their fingers, countless people would fight for them! Su Dan Novel Network
"I caused their harm."
"It has nothing to do with you," Xiao Man said, reaching out to pat Xiang Jian's shoulder. "The one who killed Zhou Yan has been dealt with. You had the closest bond with him. Please mourn, and I have buried him in the Roland Mountain Range. This way, no one will disturb him."
"Thank you."
"For the next few days, don't overthink things. Recuperate well and restore your body to its peak state as soon as possible," Xiao Man said calmly, her tone resolute. "Recasting your golden core is no easy feat, and the process will be very painful."
Xiang Jian looked at Xiao Man in astonishment. "Recast my golden core?"
Xiao Man slowly nodded. "After the golden core shattered, the spiritual energy didn't disappear. It's hidden within your body. As long as this spiritual energy can be recondensed, your golden core can be reforged."
Xiang Jian felt as if it were a fantasy. Even in the Heaven's Spirit Sect, he had never heard of anyone being able to recast a golden core. Yet, Xiao Man told him it was possible, and he actually believed her.