I Have an Omen System-Chapter 60 - 58: Beset by Crises
Outside Passage Jia.
A burly, bearded man with thick eyebrows and large eyes, dressed in rugged, dark-brown Beast Skin, held an Ancient Bronze Long Sword. Two-thirds of its blade had turned a silvery-white.
And under the burly man’s foot was an emaciated, elderly Demon Cultivator with a head of withered gray hair and turbid eyes.
Half of the old Demon Cultivator’s face was ground into the dirt. "Hou Longtao, if you’re going to kill me, just get it over with... COUGH, COUGH... Why are you humiliating me like this?!"
The bearded man let out a chilling laugh. "Huo, you old dog. Since you’ve recognized me, you should know it’s time to repay the debt you’ve owed me for twenty years."
At his words, Huo Xu’s pupils shrank. His lips instantly turned white and bloodless, as if he had just seen something more terrifying than death itself.
"Master... Master Hou, you’ve awakened your past-life memories?"
Huo Xu didn’t know Hou Qi was a Golden Core reincarnator, but he did know that twenty years ago, it was Hou Qi who had personally promoted him.
"That’s not important. What’s important is that you haven’t made any progress in twenty years. Even Xie Qing, who used to trail behind us, has reached Foundation Establishment. Why are you still stuck in the Qi Cultivation Stage?"
Huo Xu: "I... I also wish to achieve Heaven Dao Foundation Establishment..."
Hou Qi: "What a load of fucking bullshit! I don’t have time for your nonsense. I know you have the Skull Altar’s Landscape Scroll. Use it to contact Xie Qing for me. I have business with him."
"As... As you command!"
With his old face pressed against the ground, Huo Xu contorted his body and tremblingly retrieved a half-foot-long ink wash scroll from his robes.
On the scroll was a lifelike, black-and-white depiction of a child with a topknot who looked to be seven or eight years old.
"Hmph. Obedient enough."
Hou Qi nodded in satisfaction, then slit Huo Xu’s throat with his sword. A spray of warm blood gushed out, and as it happened, it all splattered onto the scroll.
The pale head rolled away. Huo Xu’s eyes were wide with terror as his aged body visibly shriveled, turning to dry bones.
As the blood soaked in, the black-and-white figure of the Evil Spirit Child in the Landscape Scroll became more animated. Its colors grew vivid, and the entire figure began to move.
"Huo Xu, why have you summoned me?" the Evil Spirit Child cackled, seeming to be in a very good mood.
"Did you finally see that old undying bastard Plague Bone for who he really is and decide to switch to my Skull Altar... HAHAHA, you should have done this long ago."
"Xie Qing, look closely. It’s me who’s looking for you," Hou Qi said in a chilling tone, changing back into his original dwarf-like form.
The tone of the Evil Spirit Child in the scroll stiffened.
"Hou Qi... No, Senior Brother Hou, have you awakened your past-life memories?"
Xie Qing’s uncertain tone carried a trace of shock. ’When did he reincarnate? How did I not know!’
In a dark corner of Xie Qing’s Spirit Platform Sea of Consciousness, an imperceptible wisp of black smoke from a candle flame suddenly dissipated.
As someone from the same period twenty years ago, Xie Qing knew far more about Hou Qi than Huo Xu did. He had heard that Hou Qi had even been a Purple Mansion Daoist in a previous life.
’With Hou Qi’s personality, the fact that he dares to contact me now means he’s already completely certain he can achieve Heaven Dao Foundation Establishment!’
’And he must have also secured the backup plans he prepared before his death in his life before last.’
’Fuck, I should’ve teamed up with Mo Cang back then and hit him even harder!’
Hou Qi waved his hand. "Enough nonsense. I want to discuss something with you."
The Evil Spirit Child was quite docile. "Please speak, Senior Brother."
Hou Qi: "I’ve already obtained the Yang Fire Divine Technique [Flame Demon], but I’ve also found traces of the Yang Wood [Cyan Cicada Shell]. Do you understand what I mean?"
As the reincarnation of a Golden Core Blood Demon, Hou Qi intended to attain the Divinity Transformation Fruit Position of Gold Foil!
Those of the Gold Foil Position correspond to Ren Yin and Gui Mao. To be burnished and hammered thin, they must rely on other metals, and without Wood, they have no foundation.
Therefore, this [Yang Wood] Divine Technique was extremely important to Hou Qi—absolutely indispensable!
In contrast, the Flame Demon was optional.
Of course, Hou Qi would never tell Xie Qing this.
Xie Qing still thought Hou Qi was just the reincarnation of a Purple Mansion True Demon, and a Purple Mansion Daoist could choose any two Positional Divine Techniques without any specific requirements.
Xie Qing asked tentatively, "Senior Brother Hou, are you saying you want to obtain two Divine Techniques in advance to better draw down your Life Star, and you need my help now?"
Hou Qi: "It’s so much easier talking to a smart person. That’s right. I intend to return to the peak of my past life."
"It’s just that the inheritance for this [Yang Wood] Divine Technique is currently in another person’s hands. Your evil, filthy energy can help me kill that bastard."
’You’re the one full of evil filth! Your whole family is full of evil filth!’
Xie Qing cursed inwardly but maintained a gentle expression. "If this junior brother may be so bold, who holds this Yang Wood [Cyan Cicada Shell], Senior Brother?"
Hou Qi replied crisply, "Xiao Ran."
As he spoke, Hou Qi added through gritted teeth, "Not the Xiao Ran that Qin Xuan was impersonating. The real, honest-to-god Xiao Ran!"
...
「Meanwhile, at the exit of Passage Ding.」
Xiao Ran clutched his bleeding arm, his face ghastly pale.
"Master, if we wait here, will we really run into that Golden Core reincarnator, Hou Qi?"
He had chosen to jump into Ancient Tomb No. 3, but not only was it a fake tomb, he had also been ambushed by two Demon Cultivators from the Plague Bone Altar, Li Chenyu and Feng Xishuang, both at the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer.
Not only did he fail to kill enough Cold Nether Sect disciples to obtain the [Flame Demon] inheritance, but he was also seriously injured.
If it weren’t for a few tricks up his sleeve, and some help from Righteous Loose Cultivators, he would likely be dead at the hands of those Demon Cultivators by now!
A white, misty soul flew out of the ring pendant, looking with pity at Xiao Ran’s bleeding arm.
"That’s right. I just sensed the inheritance of a [Yang Wood] Divine Technique inside this Thousand Mechanisms Ancient Tomb. That Hou Qi must have taken it."
Elder Chen: "You carry the inheritance of the Daqian Dragon Vein and should attain the Great Qian Fire Fruit Position. Whether it’s [Mountain Fire] or [Covered Lamp Fire], you will need this Yang Wood Position."
"We’ll stand guard here. You just focus on healing."
"Don’t worry. Inside the Thousand Mechanisms Ancient Tomb, my power was suppressed by its Qi Mechanism, so I couldn’t act. Now that we’re out, with me here, I will certainly not let that petty thief escape!"
"Okay!" Xiao Ran nodded firmly.
With Elder Chen’s words, even the searing pain in his arm seemed to lessen.
...
「Inside the Thousand Mechanisms Ancient Tomb」
Qin Xuan stared at the four passages before him, lost in thought.
’Passage Jia, Yi, Bing, and Ding. Which one should I choose?’
The next moment, the giant ball of light in his mind began to flash.
Five Ancient Bamboo Sticks flew out from it.
This time, however, was different from all his previous experiences. Of the five Ancient Bamboo Sticks, four were a menacing, scarlet blood-red!
[Middle-Lower Draw: Exit through Passage Yi. You will be ambushed by a Heaven Dao Foundation Establishment Loose Cultivator who will try to steal your opportunity. A one-in-ten chance of survival. Ominous!]
[The Worst Draw: Exit through Passage Jia. You will be ambushed by the seventh reincarnation of the Golden Core, Hou Qi, and the clone of the Evil Spirit Child. Your opportunity will be stolen, and you will face utter annihilation. Greatly Ominous!]
[The Worst Draw: Exit through Passage Bing. You will be attacked by a Purple Mansion Cultivator from the Cold Nether Sect seeking revenge for his son. Certain death. Greatly Ominous!]
[The Worst Draw: Exit through Passage Ding. You will be ambushed by Xiao Ran, and his accompanying old master will attack. Certain death. Greatly Ominous!]
[The Worst Draw: Choose to break through to Foundation Establishment within the Ancient Tomb. You will be crushed by the Puppet Sect’s Qi Mechanism and die on the spot. Greatly Ominous]
’Fuck!’
Seeing the divinations, Qin Xuan was horrified and couldn’t stop himself from jumping up and cursing in anger.
’You’ve got some nerve, Hou Qi! And you too, Xiao Ran... Our feud starts today!’
"Damn it, I really underestimated the heroes of this world. I may have gotten an opportunity, but it’s not like they’re idiots."
"Since they couldn’t get the opportunity themselves, they’re all waiting outside to ambush me!"
He looked around at the dilapidated, decaying main hall of the Ancient Tomb, and it was as if he were seeing the rest of his life.
A wave of sorrow washed over Qin Xuan.
There were only two paths before him now.
Either walk out and take his chances, seeing if he’d be killed instantly by that Heaven Dao Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Or stay in the Ancient Tomb forever, waiting until his Demonic Essence ran dry and he wasted away.
The Thousand Mechanisms Ancient Tomb was suppressed by the Puppet Sect’s Qi Mechanism, allowing only Qi Cultivation Cultivators to enter. And in the Qi Cultivation Stage, Qin Xuan feared no one.
’But outside there are Foundation Establishment, and even Purple Mansion Cultivators!’
"At this point, there’s no escaping it. I can only rely on you all..."
Qin Xuan’s eyes deepened as he looked at the Twelve Cyan Imperial Armor Captains kneeling before him.
...
