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Chapter 76: The Heavens are Unpredictable, Speakable but Not Sayable

The three incense sticks burned faster and faster, as if someone’s attempt to steal secrets was being realized by its overseer, and the backlash brought by the divine mechanism was rapidly increasing.

Initially, when lit, the three incense sticks lasted nearly ten seconds before beginning to burn faster, and it took another ten seconds for half of them to burn away. However, the remaining almost half suddenly flared up like an ignited fuse, with flames leaping downwards like crazy!

Three seconds!

In just three seconds, the sandalwood incense was completely consumed, turning to ashes along with its base, and then an even more terrifying sight unfolded before everyone.

“Crack… crack crack crack crack crack…”

The statue of Miss Vilyric, cast from fine bronze and gazing at her, began to appear cracked from the inside out at the very moment the incense burned out, rapidly spreading and expanding until it suddenly exploded!

“Bang!!!!”

“Ahhh!!”

To make a bronze block explode from the inside, one can only imagine the force behind it. As Xiao Yi gasped in surprise, Miss Vilyric had already decisively constructed a barrier of light to shield and contain the shrapnel as it burst apart, to prevent it from injuring others.

But her attention still remained on the Old One-eyed Man.

“Boom!!!!”

At the moment the three incense sticks turned to ashes and the bronze statue exploded under the tremendous pressure, the white paper in the diviner’s hand, inscribed with the character “Xī,” instantly ignited into fierce flames!

“Rumble… rumble rumble…!!”

Thunder roared continuously outside the Lingyin Merchant Association, as the formerly clear sky suddenly became overcast with dark clouds. Lightning angrily rumbled in the clouds, seemingly on a mad hunt for those foolish enough to pry into the secrets of heaven, causing the observers from Xiangshou County to change color in fear, uncertain of what this phenomenon represented.

“Poof!”

The Old One-eyed Man spat out a mouthful of reverse blood, unhesitatingly throwing the fiery ball to the ground. Even so, he was caught by the sudden flames that scorched the sparse hairs of his mustache and a few strands of gray, and the diviner’s robe was burned through in several places, looking rather disheveled.

As for the white paper, it had completely burned away in the air, leaving no ashes behind.

“Old man! Are you alright!!”

Not bothering with her panic, Xiao Yi quickly supported the swaying man in the chair, while Ling Feng hurried up, taking out a bottle of fresh water and handing it to him.

“This is a spirit-replenishing pill that invigorates vitality and promotes blood circulation, quickly give it to him!”

“Th-thank you, big sister.”

With Murong Yun present, Xiao Yi wouldn’t doubt the medicine’s reliability, and what Ling Feng handed over couldn’t possibly be an ordinary item.

After consuming a few spirit pills and resting for a moment, the Old One-eyed Man’s previously pale complexion had improved significantly. Miss Vilyric tossed aside the remnants of the bronze statue she had encased, then cast a healing spell on him, allowing him to speak normally again.

“Old man…”

Patting his daughter’s small hand, he glanced at Murong Yun, who had similarly come forward with concern but seemed hesitant to speak. The Old One-eyed Man leaned back in his chair, slightly weak, shaking his head.

“Cough cough… I’ve said it’s fine. I’ve safely probed the heavens many times, and this time is no different. It’s just a pity I didn’t have more time to see more, the heavenly law is already on guard, and such opportunities may never arise again.”

“Old man, the magical artifacts and evasion incense left by the ancestor… they’re all gone, what should we do?”

“Then they are gone, what’s the big deal? It’s all about making full use of what one has. If it helped me divine this hexagram, their value has already manifested, so don’t lament!”

After comforting his downcast daughter, the Old One-eyed Man straightened up, returning to the divination table, looking at the black-haired girl who was simply observing him calmly.

“Thank you for your patience. Hehe, this hexagram is indeed remarkable. If not for finding loopholes to avoid the backlash, I’d probably be dead now.”

“It’s good that you’re alright, so did you see what the results were?”

“Yes…”

The Old One-eyed Man hesitated for a moment, following his gaze, Miss Vilyric tilted her head and glanced behind her at the observing boy and two girls, quickly saying nonchalantly.

“It’s alright, just like the previous times, you can say whatever you saw.”

“No, you misunderstand. I was only thinking about how to describe that overly bizarre hexagram without attracting the heavenly backlash again. Some things, even if I wanted to say, might not be expressible… Well then, let’s try to deduce it first.”

Pondering, the Old One-eyed Man quietly said.

“First, you are not a person from the Ancient Spirit Realm; your roots are not here.”

“Mm, correct.”

Receiving affirmation from the black-haired girl, the diviner’s spirits were lifted as he continued probing.

“And just as previously guessed, ‘Vilyric’ is not your true name. Or rather, it’s closer to a nickname, an alias without a surname, the ‘Vily’ is not your surname. Did I say anything wrong?”

“…?”

The Priestess girl examined his seemingly uncertain expression and curiously asked.

“I indeed do not have the surname Vily, but as for surnames… how should I put it? I don’t have a surname. This naming convention relates to the customs of the world I once belonged to, which is different from the Ancient Spirit Realm; not everyone necessarily must have a surname.”

“Hiss… Is that so? But the previous hexagram…”

“What’s wrong?”

For some reason, the Old One-eyed Man shook his head, turning his gaze to the still overcast sky filled with thunder outside. He collected his thoughts and said helplessly.

“Then let’s take it as such. The secrets surrounding Miss Vilyric are simply too profound. Although I’ve exhausted my efforts, I could only see three exceedingly vague pieces of information. The first is as previously stated. The second…”

“You came to the Ancient Spirit Realm to find a friend, correct?”

“Exactly, so did you see where she is? I’m talking about the true person I want to find.”

The Old One-eyed Man nodded slightly.

“In the Land of Immortal Hiding.”

“Immortal hiding…”

Furrowing her brows, Miss Vilyric carefully contemplated the meaning those four words could represent.

Though the Ancient Spirit Realm is vast, places truly related to ‘immortals’ are exceedingly few. Even the Valley of Immortal Sound is merely an exaggerated name, and for ‘immortal hiding’…

It could only refer to the Lingyin Fairy Island.

This also aligned with the information Hen had conveyed to her earlier.

“Isn’t there a way to be more specific?”

The diviner’s face bore a bitter smile once again.

“Once more, the heavenly mechanism cannot be disclosed. Being able to say this much is already the limit.”

“Alright…”

Miss Vilyric didn’t press further and changed the topic.

“What about the third piece of information?”

“Um… please wait a moment.”

For some reason, this time the Old One-eyed Man did not continue explaining. Instead, he picked up a brush and began to draw on a piece of pristine white paper.

He worked quickly; before long, he pushed the completed artwork toward the black-haired girl along with the shell that Miss Vilyric had written on earlier.

However, the white paper that had once been placed inside the shell was now covering its surface.

Ling Feng and the others were right behind, and seeing that Miss Vilyric had no intention of hiding it, they quickly leaned in to observe.

“What does this mean, a little fox?”

“A fox… does it represent some kind of spirit pet?”

Bai’er and Murong Yun debated excitedly among themselves, clearly struggling to understand the significance of the drawing. Even Ling Feng, who usually presented profound knowledge, showed confusion.

Yet, only Miss Vilyric felt a genuine surprise welling up inside her for the first time.

She glanced up to meet the knowing look of the Old One-eyed Man before her gaze returned to the paper.

On the paper was drawn a cute little fox with sharp triangular ears, but it highlighted a shape resembling a mask.

And due to the nature of the paper not being too thick, after sticking to the shell, the unsmudged single character beneath also faintly resurfaced at the center of the little fox mask.

That was a word—【Xī】.