Chapter 447 The Diviner's Warning
I don't know much about the evil deeds committed by the Mingzhuo forces. I only know that Mingzhuo kidnapped and killed many people with strong innate spirituality, and that Lu Chan was involved in this. Dongche's cold attitude towards Lu Chan is probably partly due to this.
Aside from that, I can only guess based on some stereotypes about superhumans. In reality, most superhumans just want to have huge privileges in the future world and become superior people, while those who want to turn all ordinary people into flesh and blood resources are extreme superhumans.
The corrupt forces are a group of extreme superhumans.
"The evils committed by the corrupt forces of fate pale in comparison to those of the Humanity Department," Lu Chan commented simply. "If you want to know what other evils they have committed in the past, I will compile the information for you to see later."
“It’s not just the past,” Dongche said. “Senior Zhuangcheng, have you heard that recently some local governments have been turned into puppets by the Transcendentalist camp? It’s said that they may have already started experimenting.”
"Experiment, what do you mean?" I had a guess.
"A social experiment that turns all mortals into flesh and blood resources and consumables," Dong Che said in a deep voice. "What they want to do is create such social clusters on a small scale and study how to implement them on a large scale in the future with specific systems."
"Just as our hegemonic approach is beginning to try to integrate witchers into normal society in many places, the transcendentalist approach is also practicing its worldview in different directions."
"Shenzhao is dead, King Zhuanlun is still missing, and my teacher... I can't believe he would personally participate in something like this. So, the one supporting this behind the scenes is most likely Mingzhuo. And Mingzhuo certainly doesn't intend to confront the Great Impermanence, the hegemonists, directly; even if he were to support them, he would probably only do so secretly..."
According to Dongche's analysis, the transcendentalist camp seems to be quite disunited, and with the addition of me and the reduction of divine illumination, the ruling camp seems to have a slight advantage.
However, it can't be said that the ruling faction is truly united. The only one who truly believes in ruling principles is Fazheng. Jian Feixian seems more inclined towards transcendentalism, only standing with Fazheng out of friendship. And I'm not fighting for ruling principles; I'm even hoping for the end of the world.
As I pondered, I glanced at Lu Chan, who nodded and said, "I've also heard similar rumors, but they're keeping it extremely secret. I can only speculate that it's very likely, but I don't know exactly where they're conducting it. If nothing unexpected happens, it's very likely outside the territory of the Luo Shan forces..."
"No, they probably won't set it up in such a place, because that would be tantamount to admitting they're not orthodox. Although we see them as doing shady things, in the narrative of the transcendentalist camp, they represent an unstoppable force. Weighing the options, they'll most likely choose to start their experiments at the border."
Let Fa Zheng handle this kind of investigation for now. If it's up to me, I won't refuse.
Then Dongche demonstrated the power of his faith to me a few more times.
Although he was the first person in my group of believers to directly demonstrate the power of faith, he was clearly not the most fanatical believer among all of them.
As a direct disciple of the Divination Master, he wouldn't have the same overly idealized view of the Great Impermanence as ordinary demon hunters and agents. He clearly understood that the Great Impermanence wasn't a deity in the strict sense, but merely a being with immense power. Therefore, even if he admired it, he wouldn't be superstitious.
However, as a highly skilled and accomplished Impermanent Being, he also possessed unparalleled perceptive talent, which he could demonstrate even in manipulating the power of faith. While other believers were still racking their brains on how to establish a connection with the divine incarnation in the unseen realm, he had already grasped the key, proving his genius once again.
I really don't know what the fortune teller would think if he saw this scene.
The next day, I met the fortune teller.
This was the day of Shenzhao's grand funeral. Almost all the demon hunters at the Luoshan headquarters attended, along with a large number of demon hunters from other branches. The ceremony was quite massive. Demon hunters, who are usually few and far between in other cities, were gathered in a sea of people at the Luoshan headquarters' cemetery. "Are there really that many demon hunters?" I couldn't help but wonder.
Fortunately, the cemetery is large enough. As mentioned before, Luoshan culture places great importance on death and funerals, and this enormous cemetery is comparable in size to the Luoshan headquarters. Even if the number of people attending the burial ceremony increased tenfold, the cemetery would still be large enough to accommodate them.
Countless witchers entered and lined up in an orderly fashion, most of them confined to the outer perimeter of the cemetery. Based on rank, I was assigned to the viewing platform closest to the Great Deathly Hallows' Tomb. This platform was an ancient-style structure hastily built over the past month, reminiscent of a gigantic, multi-functional shrine. In fact, considering the status of the people seated there, it certainly did resemble a shrine.
There were also many skilled witchers around maintaining order; ordinary witchers would likely be killed if they approached carelessly.
As the burial ceremony drew near, I heard melodious music. Moments later, the ground began to tremble slightly, and the epicenter grew closer. After a long time, I finally saw the silhouette of a colossal object slowly emerge from the horizon—a massive black coffin, as large as a horizontally placed building.
The coffin was not carried by humans, but by four rock giants dressed in mourning robes, formed by mysterious forces. A scene that seemed to belong only in a mythological world slowly unfolded before us.
It looks like it will take a long time for the coffin to be moved here. In the meantime, I looked around.
Old Fist God and Wheel King are still missing, but all the other Great Impermanences are present, seemingly to confirm whether Divine Illumination is truly dead. Also, perhaps surprisingly, Willow Tree Shadow, the "prophet" I'd only heard of in rumors before, is also there.
Liu Shuying looked like any other young man. He was dressed in white casual clothes and had black hair. Although he had a confident aura as if he had everything under control, it was hard to tell at a glance that he was a strong person.
Whether it's his nickname or the fragmented rumors I'd heard before, he seems like the protagonist of a fantasy story. But thinking back, every Great Impermanence is the protagonist of their own era, and their rise to power could be written into a dramatic and legendary tale. I even know a few people who live like protagonists in online novels.
In the past, it was said that Willow Shadow had been active in the Arctic Circle, as if searching for something.
Shenzhao once said that, according to the divination of the divination master, the master of the divine seal was once just a mortal who found the divine seal by going deep into a "forbidden land of life" that no human had ever reached before.
Although the claim that "the Lord of the Divine Seal is a mortal" has been refuted, this absolutely does not mean that all the divinations made by the Diviner were wrong. The mention of a "forbidden place for all living beings" is particularly intriguing, and I strongly suspect that this location refers to a place in the Arctic.
Neither the Antarctic nor the Arctic is an absolute no-go zone for life. Just as there are penguins in Antarctica, there are polar bears in the Arctic. However, as one of the most extreme land environments on Earth, the Arctic must also have certain areas that normal life cannot reach, such as the very depths of glaciers and ice shelves.
Most importantly, this speculation echoes clues I obtained in the "world of possibilities" of the Silver Moon. The North Pole is the place one must go to to obtain the complete divine seal—this is a clue I've always kept in mind.
Did Liu Shuying also obtain relevant clues somewhere and conclude that the Arctic holds what she was looking for?
As if noticing my observation, Liu Shuying, who was sitting in the distance, suddenly turned his head and looked at me. He stared at me quietly for a few seconds, then gave me a smile that seemed to contain some kind of profound meaning, nodded at me inexplicably, and then turned his head back.
What did that gesture mean? I couldn't quite figure out what he was thinking. To say it was just a polite gesture towards a "new colleague" I was meeting for the first time seemed a bit off.
It seemed like he had something he wanted to say to me, but the occasion wasn't right, so he kept it to himself for now.
Just then, a figure appeared beside me; it was the divination master.
“My apprentice likes you very much, and I’ll probably have to trouble you to take good care of him in the future,” he said politely. “Although he is gentle and obedient and is very willing to listen to his elders, he sometimes does things that surprise others. If he offends you in any way, I hope you will forgive him.”
Although I have no disciples, I would definitely be very unhappy if my disciples went to become followers of other great impermanence. However, the divination master seems to have no dissatisfaction with Dongche becoming my follower.
Seeing this, I went along with it and said, "I will."
"Yes, thank you."
The fortune teller nodded slightly, then glanced at Liu Shuying sitting in the distance, and asked, "Did Liu Shuying say anything to you just now?"
I sensed that his attitude seemed a bit strange, so I decided to deny it for now: "No, not at all."
After a moment of contemplation, the fortune teller's voice suddenly became secretive as he said, "...Let me make it clear beforehand that I have no intention of sowing discord. This is merely my personal suggestion; you can take it with a grain of salt."
"It's best not to let Liu Shuying see the girl who's always following you around."
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com