Chapter 83: Unreasonable Expectations

Ji Yuan couldn't shake the feeling that the old river dragon had rushed over specifically for him, most likely because of that wisp of "Xuanhuang" energy. Yet, the thought itself felt somewhat absurd to him.

When he lit the incense, a peculiar wisp of "Xuanhuang" energy indeed emerged. At the time, Ji Yuan himself felt a dizzying, unpleasant sensation, similar to the effects of too much alcohol. Sensing trouble, he decisively put out the incense, and only then did he feel much better.

Feeling a little uneasy, Ji Yuan, who had originally planned to spend more time admiring the murals and inscriptions, soon left the River God Temple.

As expected, moments later, a shadowy dragon figure appeared in the sky, landing somewhere outside Chunmu Prefecture City. A pervasive draconic aura then spread from the River God Temple, indicating that the old dragon had entered.

As for who the dragon was seeking, Ji Yuan desperately wanted to believe it had nothing to do with him, but even he couldn't convince himself.

"Could it be because I extinguished the incense after it had only just started burning?"

However, a revered River God shouldn't be so petty. It seemed the issue indeed stemmed from that wisp of "Xuanhuang" energy, and the uncomfortable sensation it had caused Ji Yuan was still vivid in his memory.

Yet, he had offered incense to the City God before without incident, so this must be related to his alchemical furnace transforming into a "bridge of artistic conception."

"Oh well… from now on, when I visit temples and see divine statues, I'd better just bow respectfully. I shouldn't offer incense so casually…"

With this thought, Ji Yuan, now inside the city, still felt unsafe. He quickly headed west, intending to pass directly through Chunhui Prefecture City and depart. Given his unclear entanglement with the River God, Ji Yuan, who had already planned to leave, had even less desire to remain.

***

At the Chunmu River God Temple, after the initially overbearing old man dejectedly released the temple keeper, the surrounding people still felt an odd tension, barely daring to breathe, as they watched him slowly walk away from the temple.

Outside the River God Temple, vendors along the road continued to hawk their wares, while pilgrims bustled about, tourists admired the sights, and women chatted gaily in groups.

Yet, all of this seemed distant to the old man, who slowly ambled along, his expression a mix of confusion and dejection.

Just moments ago, an esteemed individual had bestowed upon him a wisp of merit energy. That "Xuanhuang" energy was unlike the ephemeral, desire-laden, faint auras offered by ordinary worshippers' prayers. It was so pure and flawless that the old dragon almost failed to perceive its true essence.

It wasn't until after his initial dizziness subsided that the white dragon felt a tingling sensation throughout his body, even detecting a hint of a previously severed vital force beginning to stir. Only then did he suddenly realize what had happened and hastily rushed back to the River God Temple, only to find the scene as it was.

What was more crucial wasn't merely receiving that incredibly mysterious wisp of merit energy, but the astonishing fact that someone could actually apportion merit. To wield the power of "Xuanhuang" and participate in the grand work of creation was something known only in ancient legends!

"If that incense stick hadn't been extinguished... if it had burned to completion... if it had burned to completion... why was it lit only to be taken away? Why? Could it be that the predestined connection hasn't arrived yet? Or did I somehow err?"

At that moment, the venerable River God of Chunmu, who had long held his rightful divine position, murmured to himself, appearing utterly dejected and lost.

His presence, in the eyes of those around him, grew increasingly insubstantial until he vanished, and moments later, a blurry dragon shadow ascended into the sky.

At the white dragon's level of cultivation, he understood that the opportunity was lost and that lingering there would not bring it back.

***

Within the Water Mansion, the old tortoise wasn't particularly anxious during this wait; tortoises were, by nature, accustomed to patiently waiting. However, his mind buzzed with theories about what could have so profoundly unsettled the River God.

About half an hour after the River God's departure, an old man walked into the Water Mansion from outside, treading upon the water.

"Master!"

"Greetings, River God!"

The yaksha and the old tortoise quickly bowed in respectful greeting.

"Hmm…"

Before them, the white dragon had regained his usual detached demeanor. After a simple acknowledgment, he walked directly to the pile of wine jars that had been pushed against the sandy courtyard wall, picked one up, broke its seal, and began to guzzle.

"Gulp, gulp…" He drained a jar of "Thousand-Day Spring" in one go, but the lingering frustration in his heart refused to dissipate; instead, it grew even more intense.

Suddenly, the old man turned and looked at the old tortoise, a gaze that inexplicably filled the tortoise with fear.

"Old Tortoise, use all your cultivation and perform a divination for me!"

The old dragon said, taking a few steps closer while still holding another jar of wine.

"Let me warn you, this divination will be incredibly perilous for you. If you survive after revealing the outcome, I vow to assist you with all my power from now on!"

His words were absolute, leaving the old tortoise no room for negotiation, chilling the already cold-blooded creature to the bone.

"Yes, yes, I obey…"

As this matter was crucial to his own cultivation, the old dragon was naturally extremely cautious. Besides the necessary mental purification and quiet contemplation, he secretly returned to the River God Temple once more, bringing back all the incense ash from the censer.

Although the incense stick itself had vanished, given that it had burned for the length of a fingernail, there was certainly residual ash.

Upon returning to his residence, the old dragon dismissed the yaksha and, in front of the old tortoise, spat a mouthful of dragon's blood, rich with draconic energy, into the incense ash. The sight made the old tortoise's heart pound and his legs grow weak.

It took about half an hour of preparation before the old tortoise, trembling with nervousness and fear, began the divination using the specific conditions provided by the River God, including the white dragon's birthdate and the exact times of his two failed transformations into a dragon.

All of this placed immense pressure on the old tortoise, who understood that this divination was absolutely no small matter and even began to regret seeking the River God's help.

At the moment of divination, patterns resembling the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams faintly illuminated the old tortoise's otherwise dark shell.

As the old tortoise began the divination, the more he calculated, the wider his initially closed eyes opened, but the resulting divination was entirely different from what he had imagined…

The apparent danger of the divination seemed to have vanished, but the true peril had yet to be averted.

Observing the old tortoise's gradually changing reaction, the River God, standing nearby, asked with concern.

"Well? What have you divined?"

The old tortoise instinctively pulled back his neck, cautiously looking at the River God in the form of an old man, his eyes and expression a pitiful mix of innocence and bewilderment.

"Lord River God… I, this old tortoise, swear by my lifelong cultivation that what I have divined and stated is absolutely true. That divination… it's a complete blank!"

A complete blank?

Hearing this, the old man stared intently at the motionless tortoise, his expression shifting several times. He wanted to speak but found himself speechless.

After a long silence, he finally let out a sigh.

"Ah… very well, you may withdraw…"

The old tortoise, still shaken, scurried away as if he had narrowly escaped certain doom, feeling immensely relieved. He dared not even mention any reward for the divination.

"Old Tortoise…"

A voice from behind made the old tortoise freeze.

"I will impart to you some self-realized cultivation techniques. While many aspects may not be well-suited for tortoises, you can still select beneficial elements for your practice. If there are no signs of significant progress within ten years, then consider transforming into a divine being!"

Hearing these words, the old tortoise was overjoyed, turning to prostrate himself repeatedly before the River God in gratitude.

"Thank you, Lord River God! Thank you, Lord River God!"

"Hmph… Cultivation is inherently difficult for tortoises. Make good use of it!"

With that, the River God flicked his sleeve and entered the back chambers alone, followed closely by the jars of fine wine, which were swept along by the currents.

***

Ji Yuan, who had already slipped away, naturally had no idea of the white dragon's emotional state, though he did see the dragon's shadow ascend into the sky and depart from the city.

He mused, "It arrived and departed so quickly; it couldn't have been anger, could it?"

Considering his recent experience, Ji Yuan could only vaguely surmise that his influence on the white dragon was positive, assuming the white dragon's visit was indeed because of him.

However, even though Ji Yuan still didn't understand the specific reason, he certainly didn't dare to approach the white dragon directly to ask.

Even though the white dragon had departed, Ji Yuan had no intention of lingering. After buying some dry biscuits along the way, he headed straight for the west side of the city, his pace quickening with every step.

About an hour later, Ji Yuan was already walking on the main road west of Chunhui Prefecture City.

Here, though carts and horses still passed by, the lively atmosphere of Chunhui Prefecture suddenly diminished.

Ji Yuan also felt a bit more relaxed. He first moved with less noticeable long strides, veering off the main road towards a more secluded area. Finally, when he saw few people, he fully let loose and began to sprint.

His next destination was Zuo Kuangtu's tomb in the eastern corner of Yizhou, a journey that would take him directly out of Jizhou. The path ahead was long with no specific need for stops. Ji Yuan felt confident that as long as he maintained an accurate sense of direction, constant sprinting would steadily bring him closer to his goal.

As if wind had sprung beneath his feet, Ji Yuan's legs moved like blurs, and the wind whistled in his ears from his rapid pace. When his speed reached its current limit, Ji Yuan suddenly pushed off the ground with immense force.

With a whoosh, he leaped into the air.

"Clouds fly to the sky's end, a man roams, departing from Huifu towards another state! Hahahahaha…"

Although he still couldn't ride clouds or control the wind, the sheer speed of his run combined with a sudden leap gave Ji Yuan a sensation of flying, filling him with an irrepressible joy.

In both his previous life and this one, humanity had always yearned for flight. Ji Yuan, too, had set it as a crucial objective for his cultivation.