Chapter 129: Great Prosperity

"This is the supreme treasure of my Heavenly Secret Pavilion, the Heavenly Secret Instrument!" Ning Daotian said, holding the artifact aloft.

"Are you planning to divine the fate of the nation right here, Ancestor?" Qingfeng asked in a hurry. He felt they should have at least returned to the Heavenly Secret Pavilion before performing such a calculation.

"Why? Is this place not suitable? Do you expect me to return to the Heavenly Secret Pavilion, bathe, change clothes, and hold a grand ceremony just to divine the national fortune? Although the Great Han Kingdom’s uprising is a matter of great importance to all practitioners, one must distinguish between the urgent and the trivial. Returning to the pavilion would take three or four days, and a formal ritual would waste even more time. Do you not know what is most precious right now?"

Ning Daotian’s words left Qingfeng speechless.

Upon entering the room, several rays of azure light emanated from Ning Daotian's hands, wrapping around the Heavenly Secret Instrument. Soon, the countless metal rings within the instrument began to spin at an incredible speed. Ning Daotian chanted, "Heavenly secrets emerge, reveal the fortune of our nation!"

A black vortex appeared within the device, greedily consuming Ning Daotian’s mana. In a mere moment, his mana was completely drained. The instrument then began to devour his lifespan, converting his years of life into white primordial energy to fuel its workings.

One year of life, two years, three years... It was impossible to tell exactly how much of his lifespan was consumed.

Finally, Ning Daotian spat out a mouthful of blood and gasped heavily. "After exhausting a thousand years of my lifespan, I have finally managed to get a general idea. To think that this matter even involves the Upper Realm!"

The fact that the divination had cost this ancestor of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion a thousand years of his life made the situation appear increasingly complex.

"Ancestor, how can the transition of a mortal dynasty involve the Upper Realm?" Qingfeng had assumed that Xia Hao was a rare genius who had mastered his techniques on his own; it seemed there were far more complicated forces at play.

"I will not speak of the intentions of the Upper Realm for now, but the outcome of this world will influence the power struggles above. However, according to my calculations, although the Great Han Kingdom will face numerous obstacles, it is ultimately destined for great prosperity. Qingfeng, you may proceed with confidence!" Ning Daotian said with deep, earnest conviction.

"Great prosperity!" A spark of hope ignited in Qingfeng’s eyes as he repeated the words.

The result was joyous. Xu Cheng smiled slightly. If a thousand years of life had been spent only to yield a disastrous result, he would have been at a loss. Without further thought, since the result was favorable, Xu Cheng began to tally the merits of golden light he had gained. Nearly three hundred thousand points of merit—he felt like a beggar who had suddenly come into a vast fortune. It was impossible not to feel excited.

"It is only three hundred thousand points of merit; stay calm, stay calm!" Xu Cheng tried to hypnotize himself, but the more he told himself not to be excited, the more exhilarated he felt. "Now, the Immeasurable Seal! Refine for me!"

With no other choice, he used the newly comprehended "Now Immeasurable Seal" to suppress his emotions. As a celestial technique derived from the *Sutra of Past, Present, and Future*, it took effect instantly. Xu Cheng’s mood returned to complete calm, as if nothing had happened.

"The success of the Ancestor's divination is largely due to the Envoy's contribution! I have nothing of great value, but please, do not refuse this small token," Qingfeng said, producing a piece of crimson agate weighing over ten pounds from his robes.

"You are being too polite; in truth, I did not help much," Xu Cheng said modestly, though his eyes were fixed hungrily on the agate. Now that his heart had been calmed by the Immeasurable Seal, he was in desperate need of rare materials. He wanted his entire body to be composed of artifacts forged from precious treasures, which explained his intense reaction.

Seeing the look in Xu Cheng’s eyes, Qingfeng felt a twinge of surprise. Logically, this crimson agate was not exceptionally rare—merely curious—and at best could be refined into a mid-to-high-grade artifact. It shouldn't have been enough to make this Underworld Envoy, whose cultivation was higher than his own, care so much. Despite his curiosity, he didn't ask and handed the agate to Xu Cheng.

Treating it like a priceless treasure, Xu Cheng immediately tucked the agate into the "Universe in the Sleeve" within his robes.

"Ancestor, how are you feeling now?" Qingfeng asked, turning his attention to Ning Daotian.

"I’m not dead yet. Hurry back and report your orders!" Ning Daotian exhaled and said.

"But your health, Ancestor..."

"Stop your nagging! I still have over a thousand years of life left. Get out of here; you're grown, yet you act so womanly!" Ning Daotian’s energy was depleted, and he was being supported by Ning Daocha. Qingfeng looked worried, only to be met with a fierce glare from his ancestor.

"Then... take care, Ancestor!" Qingfeng said, reluctant to leave.

"Get out! The sight of you is annoying!" Ning Daotian snorted, viewing him as a disappointing disciple.

As Qingfeng left, a young man approached. It was Wang Jie, the boy carrying the bell who had given Xu Cheng so much insight the previous day, even leading him to comprehend the "Now Immeasurable Seal."

He glanced at the weak, dying-looking Ning Daotian and shook the bell in his arms vigorously. It made no sound, perhaps because he thought the ancestor was about to pass away. Wang Jie ignored him, instead walking up to Xu Cheng and bowing deeply. "Teacher, influenced by you, I felt as if something opened up within me last night! My heart feels incredibly clear, my strength has increased greatly, and something seems to be flowing constantly through my body! I don’t know if it’s good or bad."

*Could this fellow have opened his Divine Aperture just like that? Has his vital energy already begun its own Great Circulation?* Xu Cheng wondered.

To verify, he released his primordial spirit to envelop the boy. Upon sensing him, he discovered that true energy was indeed circulating through Wang Jie’s body, and a point of golden light was visible within his skull. It seemed he really had opened his Divine Aperture.

And yet, he had been a mere mortal just yesterday!

"Is there a problem?" Wang Jie looked nervous, no longer the straight-faced, magically inquisitive boy who had stumped Xu Cheng the day before.

"No problem at all. To think you were just a mortal yesterday, yet you’ve opened your Divine Aperture in the span of a single night! You have stepped onto the path of cultivation; the pursuit of immortality is within your reach!"

Xu Cheng had no concept of how incredible it was to leap from a mortal to a master of the Divine Aperture; he only knew it was impressive, though he didn't grasp the true extent of it.

However, his words stirred a thousand ripples. Ning Daotian, who had been resting with his eyes closed to recover his mana, suddenly snapped his eyes open. Endless light radiated from them, bright as twin suns, illuminating everything.

He transformed into a blur, and in the next instant, appeared beside Xu Cheng. "What did you just say?"

"I said he has stepped onto the path of cultivation and the pursuit of immortality is within his reach!" Xu Cheng replied, bewildered.

"No, the sentence before that!" Ning Daotian frowned.

"To think you were just a mortal yesterday, yet you’ve opened your Divine Aperture in the span of a single night!"

"Yes, that one. From a mortal to a master of the Divine Aperture in one night—do you know what that signifies?" Ning Daotian stared intensely at Xu Cheng, who shook his head.

"Boy, from this moment on, you are a member of the cultivation world. How would you like me to be your master?" Ning Daotian ignored his own question and turned to look at Wang Jie.