Though puzzled in his heart, since Yue Ziqing had already said so, Meng Qi couldn’t possibly insist on creating some condition to trouble himself. Thus, he nodded lightly and said, “The kindness of Zhixu Mountain is deeply appreciated by Su. If there’s ever a need for assistance in the future, do not hesitate to ask.”
Yue Ziqing maintained her flawless yet lifeless smile and replied, “Alright.”
With that, she pointed toward the depths of the mountain peak with her right hand: “The sealed secret realm is over there. Let’s proceed.”
Her steps light and graceful, Yue Ziqing walked ahead with an elegant demeanor. Meng Qi found it hard to imagine that she was the same fervent debater who engaged in heated arguments with his disciples in the Myriad World Talisman.
This mountain peak seemed to be pressed down by the entire heavens and earth, with an invisible force descending from an unknown height, locking everything in place—even flight and earth-traveling were impossible. One could only approach slowly, step by step. In this regard, it truly lived up to its name as the “sealed secret realm.”
Meng Qi followed behind Yue Ziqing with his hands clasped behind his back, pondering the possible hidden motives of Zhixu Mountain while casually remarking, “Miss Yue, there’s something Su doesn’t quite understand.”
“What is your question?” Yue Ziqing half-turned her head to respond.
Meng Qi carefully chose his words: “The future is uncertain, with countless possibilities. Even many Nirvana-level figures dare not claim to know or control everything. Why would your sect’s leader and elders argue over conflicting predictions of the future? Even if they are completely contradictory, both could hold some possibility. Are they absolutely certain that the future they foresee will inevitably come to pass?”
In his view, it was normal for Zhixu Mountain’s higher-ups to have differing predictions about the future, and it was even more normal for them to refuse to concede to each other. But for it to escalate into fierce arguments seemed utterly inexplicable. As he had said, the future was uncertain, with countless branching paths—anything could happen, and everyone had a chance to be right. Was there really a need to be so contentious?
Yue Ziqing paused for a moment, and a spark flickered deep in her doll-like, cold eyes: “The future is indeed uncertain, but certain events are inevitable.”
“As long as one grasps the vast majority of current circumstances and information, they can deduce that no matter how many branches the future splits into or how different those branches may be, certain events will still exist across all of them. This is what we call the ‘tide of history’—unstoppable, favoring those who align with it and crushing those who oppose it. Even with the greatest efforts to disrupt or compensate, one can at most alter the timing of these events, not prevent them from occurring.”
“To give a simple example, consider two things: the arrival of the Final Calamity and the return of the Nirvana-level figures. No matter how the future branches, these events will inevitably be part of it, though the details may differ.”
Meng Qi suddenly understood: “So, your sect’s leader and elders each believe that a certain event they predicted will inevitably occur in the future, while the other denies it?”
Yue Ziqing’s explanation was easy to grasp. Meng Qi himself could deduce certain people’s fates and the occurrence of certain events, allowing him to prepare in advance and secure great benefits for his disciples or position himself advantageously. This was the power of “knowing the heavenly secrets.” Without interference from other forces, these predictions would undoubtedly come true.
Of course, this excluded the possibility of interference from other forces. Taking this to the extreme, it aligned with Yue Ziqing’s description—so-called fate, the unstoppable tide, the inescapable calamity!
“Correct. Based on the latest gathered information, they spent half a month in divination, each calculating an event they believed would inevitably occur. The results contradicted each other—if one event happened, the other could not. Thus, they engaged in prolonged arguments,” Yue Ziqing explained as she led the way.
During their first meeting, Meng Qi had learned from other Zhixu Mountain disciples that their eldest sister had a penchant for lecturing others.
Meng Qi listened with interest, pondering for a while before smiling and saying, “From Su’s perspective, it’s possible both sides are correct.”
“Why?” Yue Ziqing abruptly turned her head, her eyes now filled with obvious vitality, no longer resembling those of a perfect sculpture or exquisite doll.
Meng Qi strolled leisurely with his hands behind his back and said with a smile, “Your so-called inevitable events are based on the vast majority of current circumstances and information, correct?”
“Correct. Though there are still many unknowns and uncertainties in the process of evolution, for certain events, they are already destined—irreversible or unavoidable, bound to happen,” Yue Ziqing affirmed.
Meng Qi chuckled lightly: “But what if this ‘vast majority of circumstances and information’ suddenly changes? What is already set is not unchangeable. Nirvana-level figures can return to the past, reshape history, and recreate the tide. The so-called inescapable calamity, the so-called fate, the so-called unstoppable tide—to them, these are nothing but jokes. Of course, there is a beginning and an end. The heavens and earth will inevitably move toward their doom and face the Final Calamity. Even Nirvana-level figures cannot alter this, for it stems from the Great Dao itself.”
Yue Ziqing slowed her pace and eventually stopped, murmuring to herself, “They didn’t consider the variable of the Nirvana-level figures, and this variable is fundamentally impossible to grasp. How could they account for it…?”
“To be honest, Su is quite curious—which senior managed to deduce the future tide after accounting for the actions of Nirvana-level figures? And how could they do so under the same informational conditions?” Meng Qi remarked with interest.
If one could truly predict the possible actions of Nirvana-level figures, that would indeed be a heaven-defying feat, offering immeasurable benefits. Unfortunately, it seemed the people of Zhixu Mountain had merely stumbled upon it by chance, with no real understanding of how it was calculated.
Hearing Meng Qi’s question, Yue Ziqing, ever the eager teacher, couldn’t resist explaining: “Our sect’s divination methods originate from the founding patriarch. Over generations, by comparing predictions with actual events and refining the models and algorithms, after hundreds of thousands of years of experimentation, Zhixu Mountain earned its reputation for divination. However, during this process, differing philosophies among some patriarchs led to diverging paths of refinement. After the winnowing of time, our sect now possesses three major divination arts, all of which align with past events but yield different predictions for the future under the same conditions.”
Meng Qi nodded slightly. So that was how it was. Regardless of anything else, Zhixu Mountain truly embodied its philosophy—everything is an object, everything can be described, everything can be mastered.
Yue Ziqing did not specify the conflicting predictions, as if it were inconvenient to disclose. After a pause, she added, “Moreover, there are too many disturbances during divination. Unless one grasps all states and all information, it’s truly difficult to be certain. Take your visit, for example. Our sect predicted it months ago, but due to the profound and weighty nature of the ‘Karma of All Causes,’ we couldn’t determine whether you’d seek me out first or approach the Wuxiang Sect or the Wenshen Sect first—unless we took the initiative to find you…”
Listening quietly to Yue Ziqing’s detailed explanation, Meng Qi gained a deeper understanding of Zhixu Mountain’s divination prowess. He felt this trip had not been in vain. After obtaining the founding patriarch’s divination results and comparing them with the latest predictions, combined with the Karma of All Causes and the Jade Void Divine Calculation, he could filter out some credible futures.
Meng Qi fell into brief silence, his mind swirling with thoughts as he reflected on Yue Ziqing’s words. He had never been particularly adept at scheming, relying more on quick wits. His growth thus far had been due not only to opportunities and illusory luck but also to seizing every chance to learn.
As his thoughts collided, sparks of wisdom flared. He quickly absorbed what he had learned, but one particular description struck a chord in his heart:
“Certain events become inevitable due to the formation of the tide, existing across all possible futures.” This was Yue Ziqing’s general meaning. If one replaced “tide” with “Nirvana,” it seemed equally valid…
Could there be some connection here?
Maintaining a composed demeanor, Meng Qi followed Yue Ziqing deeper into the mountain. Gradually, mist began to rise on either side, filling the air with an immortal aura.
Passing through dense woods, they arrived at a valley flanked by towering cliffs, forming a narrow passage imbued with restrictions that even Meng Qi dared not take lightly.
On the cliffs overlooking the valley stood rows of Zhixu Mountain disciples, seemingly welcoming Meng Qi—yet their gazes were condescending, looking down upon him.
Suddenly, Meng Qi’s heart rippled with premonition—not of threat, but of sensing a presence on his level or even stronger.
With the heightened senses of the Eight-Nine Arcane Art, Meng Qi focused his gaze and spotted several figures among the crowd whose auras were deeply concealed yet exuded an abyssal terror. The most prominent were an elderly woman in black robes and a middle-aged scholar in white. Their eyes burned with an indescribable fervor.
Meng Qi nearly shivered, as if being stared at by perverts. A thought flashed through his mind, and he grasped the heavenly secrets. He turned to Yue Ziqing with a puzzled expression: “Are those your sect’s leader and elders?”
“Yes,” Yue Ziqing answered frankly.
Meng Qi grew even more confused: “Didn’t you say they were embroiled in arguments and unable to spare attention?”
Yue Ziqing sighed faintly: “I underestimated their curiosity about the ‘Karma of All Causes.’ In all of Zhixu Mountain, who wouldn’t want to study the secrets of the ‘Karma of All Causes’? Who wouldn’t want to examine a body tempered by the Eight-Nine Arcane Art?”
Her gaze shifted to Meng Qi, her eyes blazing like twin suns, filled with fervor and madness: “Exploring and studying the unknown is the pursuit of Zhixu Mountain. Originally, we wanted to ask you to let us study you for a while, but knowing you’d refuse, we had no choice but to abandon the idea.”
So that was their condition… Meng Qi wasn’t sure how to describe his feelings at this moment. Only one dialogue echoed in his mind:
“I’m currently engaged in research work.”
“What kind of research?”
“Being researched.”
No wonder Yue Ziqing agreed so readily when I proposed testing the Karma Jade Puppet—she probably hoped to gather some research data. The outcome must have surprised her… Meng Qi shook his head with a wry smile: “Miss Yue is indeed considerate. Su would certainly refuse such a request.”
Handing over his greatest strengths and reliance for others to study was something he simply couldn’t do.
Yue Ziqing withdrew her gaze, the fire in her eyes extinguishing as she led Meng Qi into the valley.
The path wasn’t long—just a few hundred zhang. Even without the ability to fly, Meng Qi could have crossed it in a single step with his physical prowess. But Yue Ziqing walked slowly, and he couldn’t very well rush ahead. Thus, under the scrutiny of countless eyes, he calmly proceeded, ignoring the unsettling emotions and thoughts around him. He felt like an exhibit on display, all while remaining prepared for a potential ambush.
The journey was uneventful. At the end of the valley stood an ancient bronze gate resembling the “Gate of Truth,” adorned with countless interconnected black and white dots, forming the most complex patterns from the simplest elements.
It blocked the path ahead, and Meng Qi knew the first trial had arrived.
Yue Ziqing stopped and said politely, “This is the Gate of Primordial Numerology. Only by solving its puzzle can one enter. This barrier has stumped most of Zhixu Mountain’s experts. I barely passed it myself.”
“Su Sect Leader, the numerological puzzles change over time. If you don’t solve it quickly, you’ll face a new challenge.”
Meng Qi nodded and stepped forward, attaching a Myriad World Talisman to his ear. Through an unsevered connection not tied to the Karma Jade Puppet, he linked to a distant place.
“Hello, Young Master Wang?” Meng Qi stood before the Gate of Primordial Numerology.
A weak voice answered, “What is it?”
“I need off-site assistance,” Meng Qi said with a grin. “You understand primordial numerology, right?”
“It’s my livelihood,” Wang Siyuan replied, seeming to grasp the situation.
“Good. You guide, I’ll calculate,” Meng Qi said with a reserved smile, flashing eight gleaming white teeth.
In less than thirty breaths, Yue Ziqing watched as the bronze gate slowly opened and Meng Qi stepped through. The onlooking Zhixu Mountain disciples stood frozen, unsure whether to marvel at the record-breaking speed or silently curse his shamelessness.
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