Chapter 574

Chapter 574: Fortune Telling for Good and Bad Omens

The Great Xia opened trade with the Giant Armored Tribe, allowing the two great nations to exchange resources. This prosperity made the Barbarian Nation fall into a disadvantage, forcing them to drive away evil spirits and establish trade routes.

Since the Martial Emperor ascended the throne, he reclaimed four major vassal states and over two hundred small nations. With this cohesive expansion, the territory increased by ten percent, and people praised his achievements throughout the court and beyond. Coupled with the rising influence of talisman techniques, the Yin Moon Dynasty’s military campaigns quickly suppressed threats, making their power unmatched and their merit universally recognized!

Other sects observed the Heavenly Talisman Sect’s rapid growth from a handful of members to a thousand, with talisman makers and talisman masters populating the streets. Many young cultivators boldly set out on the path of talismans, creating an overwhelming momentum that left them feeling apprehensive.

Li Hui and Wu Zhao had made an agreement: the day the Heavenly Talisman strikes against the Hongmo Sect would also be the day of their graceful withdrawal. If any disciple clung to power, they should remain in the court and fend for themselves, without further support from the sect.

The Heavenly Talisman Sect had a unique method for creating and selling talismans, seeking ways to lower costs while striving for excellence, ensuring that ordinary people could use spirit talismans to eliminate evil spirits.

In just one year, evil spirits were primarily confined to the remote mountains, and Shadow Beasts occasionally washed ashore along the coastline, but they were quickly hunted down for their scales and bones, which were sent to the Heavenly Talisman Pavilion to exchange for numerous talismans.

Now, many areas outside the towns were filled with talisman flags, specifically gathering dark energy when the dark moon appeared. When the sun rose, it was as if they were harvesting spiritual rice, storing dark energy in jars to sell to sects like the Ten Thousand Gu Sect that required it.

At the same time, the Heavenly Talisman Sect vigorously promoted the Sheng Dou Talisman and talismans used for constructing underground fortifications. The court purchased a majority, and it was rumored that great tribulations were on the horizon. This caused the populace to become unsettled, stockpiling food, digging deep pits, and fiercely hoarding talismans in preparation, which stabilized public sentiment.

On this day, various military camps received orders to assemble the Bosa stage guards, forming the Empress’s Imperial Guard for their first battle against the Hongmo Sect, raising the flag of demon blood as a sacrifice!

Wu Zhao had promised to assist Li Hui in exterminating the Hongmo Sect, and even if Li Hui didn’t need help, the Emperor’s words were not to be taken lightly! Consequently, elite forces were drawn from various divisions to board giant warships headed for the coastline, clearing out ghost villages along the way to demonstrate the Emperor’s might.

Li Hui had no strong preference regarding this; Heavenly Talisman disciples had already boarded the ships, with Yao’er and many demon companions donned in armor accompanying the troops. They aimed to wipe out all islands under the Hongmo Sect and help relocate the population to the mainland.

When the dark moon appeared, even though the Great Xia was not a heavily affected area, casualties were still incalculable. Since Wu Zhao took control of the royal court, she deeply felt the importance of population for a vast nation; therefore, she sent troops overseas with intentions to seize resources.

Mobilizing troops took time, so Li Hui sat steadily like Mount Tai, playing chess with his friend Du Miaochan.

“Tsk, tsk! Your move seems stable but is actually in full view; entering enemy territory is fraught with crisis!” the renowned strategist of the Great Xia joked.

“My disciples have solid foundations and favorable fortunes. Even if they are just beginning to bloom, the Hongmo Sect may not be able to handle them.”

“How arrogant!” Du Miaochan scoffed at Li Hui’s words. “The future is full of possibilities. You divert these people from their original life trajectories into the Jade Symbol Sect. It may seem like cooking in waves of fire, but there are many issues; just one year of adaptation is not enough. At least ten years of harmonization is needed before fortunes can truly flourish.”

Li Hui shook his head, “We won’t have that much time. The Hongmo Sect’s leader Shang Feiran has reached the Traveling Realm, and I can feel the terrible demonic tribulation gathering around him.”

“Hmph! Are you sure he can face the tribulation?” Du Miaochan placed his piece, achieving a balance of water and fire.

“I am not certain, but the calamity power crosses the four seas and ten lands constantly nearby. I don’t know when it will reduce by over thirty percent, so I think Shang Feiran may have already completed it.”

“What? That’s dangerous; it really is possible!” Du Miaochan pulled out four copper coins, casually tossing them onto the chessboard, his expression suddenly serious as he said, “You! You’ve stolen heavenly secrets to alter the flow of time. The rapid rise of the Heavenly Talisman Sect changes the world, but with benefits come drawbacks, forcing the enemy to become more aggressive and take an unconventional path.”

“It is a matter of necessity! It’s the same for both me and the enemy!” Li Hui gazed at the chessboard. “Old Li was able to leave me a message largely due to your silent guidance, wasn’t it?”

“Definitely not!” Du Miaochan looked sorrowful, saying pitifully, “It must be due to your compulsion; the future me will leak the concealment techniques. Forget it; the wood is already a boat, let’s not discuss this. I will remind you, the divination shows that even if Shang Feiran does not face tribulation, with his skills, he could easily take you down. Furthermore, his mastery of the demonic path is profoundly unfathomable; your chances of victory are merely one in ten.”

“Just under twenty percent?” Li Hui suddenly grabbed his duster, letting the silver snake bracelet emit talisman power as he asked, “How about recalculating?”

“Eh?” Du Miaochan, startled, accidentally nudged the chessboard, shifting one copper coin slightly. The divination changed completely, and his expression turned grave as he exclaimed, “With my abilities, I couldn’t even control myself and bumped into the chessboard? The divination reveals an endless cycle in this game. Your talisman power has reached an unfathomable level, strong enough to activate heavenly talismans in battle!”

“You got it right! What are my chances of winning?” Li Hui asked with a smile.

“Thirty-five percent! At most! Because Shang Feiran must have an assassination weapon as well; you have a chance to perish together, and that’s it!”

“Was there even a chance for mutual destruction before?” Li Hui pondered for a moment and suddenly patted himself, causing a gentle breeze at the top of Mount Tai that lifted a blade of grass onto the chessboard.

Du Miaochan looked at the fallen dried blade of grass on the board and cursed, “Damn it! Why are there so many variables with you? Not only did it fall onto the board, but it also landed on the copper coins, blocking my view! I understand now; it’s the Fortune Ascending Talisman, which is incredibly close to the heavenly talismans. The divination has changed again; you have accumulated vast fortune to gamble… wait, what do you want to do with so much fortune?”

“Hehe, the heavenly secrets must not be leaked!” Li Hui waved his hand, making Du Miaochan shout in frustration, drinking tea furiously and exclaiming, “Ah! Only I, Du Miaochan, should say the heavenly secrets must not be leaked. How could someone else say this to me? Infuriating! Too infuriating! Ugh, I feel like I want to vomit blood!”

“Really going to vomit blood? Has the divination changed again?” Li Hui smirked.

“Get lost!” Du Miaochan quickly retracted the copper coins, creating a new divination with a clatter. He frowned and said, “Heavenly Evolution of Forty-Nine, there will always be fish that slip through the net. The matter concerning Changsheng Tian is not concluded; a woman lies in a bronze coffin, crossing the sea to the Nine-Mystic Continent. A lamp sits atop the coffin, and I don’t know what light draws it away.”

“Is it the consort of Changsheng Tian, the ancient witch priestess trying to resurrect using the Ominous Array of Covering Sky?” Li Hui became more serious.

“Not quite. The sect leader’s wife Kong Yuhui of the Haotu Sect has fused with the witch priestess, using her own heart to complete the witch priestess. Her desire to harm you is extremely intense and will inevitably become a disaster in the future.” Du Miaochan picked up the copper coins, performing a divination for the third time today. He sighed, “Be careful of Xun Zuoyuan; what he is currently doing is unusual, and he might even refrain from making a move while you deal with the Hongmo Sect. This divination is fierce; it must not be described. When you return from exterminating the Hongmo Sect, you must visit the Jin Tian Sect.”