Chapter 1024: Holding the Compass to Calculate the World, Unfathomable to Gods and Ghosts in the Heavenly Dao

After Dao Qiong Cang finished speaking, he lightly tapped his finger on the round table and looked up at the group.

The elders nodded like pecking chicks: "Mm-hmm."

You're right.

Your analysis is very reasonable.

Please continue.

Though on the surface, everyone seemed to have a laid-back attitude, the meetings of the Shi Ren Si were still extremely important.

Before the meeting, everyone had gathered basic intelligence on the events in the Dongyu Yunlun Mountains through their own channels.

Of course, they didn't know as many details as Dao Qiong Cang did.

But trying to pick out flaws in Dao Qiong Cang's words had been something the Shi Ren Si members had attempted over the past few decades.

They hadn't succeeded yet...

But effort brings opportunity, doesn't it?

"Ai Cang Sheng, in the midst of all this, once shot an arrow..."

Dao Qiong Cang paused, shifted his tone, and looked toward the man in the wheelchair holding the Xie Zui Bow. Everyone's eyes followed suit.

"This arrow targeted an unknown water-element mystery controller.

"I don't know who he is, but if there's no third grassroots genius, then this person is either the controlled Yu Ling Di or the deceased Yu Mo.

"You all should be familiar with these two names—they're both from the Ling Bu, our own people."

"I'll skip the details; you can all ponder it yourselves."

As soon as Dao Qiong Cang stopped speaking, the elders' pupils contracted.

Suspected to be two Ling Bu leaders?

That means...

A traitor?

Everyone felt that delving deeper into this would reveal significant implications.

But thinking in front of Dao Qiong Cang was as futile as trying to outsmart him, so the elders just kept staring at him.

Dao Qiong Cang: "..."

"Ah."

He sighed.

"Setting aside other matters, that water-element mystery controller set up a trap at a place called Gu Yin Cliff.

"This trap ensnared too many strong experts from the Wu Yu.

"We're not counting those below Tai Xu, or the Zhan Dao and Dao Jing levels—there are countless of them.

"But at least, it included over twenty or thirty Tai Xu experts, and possibly one Ban Sheng—the latter is something I just deduced."

Ban Sheng?

Hearing about a Ban Sheng, the elders were all startled; their intelligence reports had no mention of this.

But clearly, if Dao Qiong Cang said it, it had to be accurate.

That meant their subordinates' intelligence gathering was seriously lacking.

No one spoke.

The elders continued staring at Dao Qiong Cang; at this point, any statement from them couldn't match the precision of his words.

Dao Qiong Cang met their gazes, paused for a long while, then flipped his left hand to reveal a si nan compass.

"Here it comes..."

Everyone's hearts tightened at the sight of the si nan, their eyes filled with anticipation.

This thing was beyond human norms!

Rumor had it that with just this si nan, Dao Qiong Cang could calculate everything under heaven.

Whether it was tiandao, shengdao, life and death, reincarnation, opportunities, treasures, fortune and misfortune, even marriages... everything, all resolved in one go.

At first, no one believed such nonsense.

But as the Shi Ren Si meetings increased, even skeptics had to believe.

Still, even if they got their hands on this si nan, they couldn't operate it.

Because it only worked with Tianji techniques, and to master it fully, you needed an unparalleled "brain."

In all the world, only one person could create this unprecedented si nan and play it to perfection—Dao Qiong Cang.

The Tianji Si Nan was enveloped in saintly power fluctuations, with intricate configurations on it, like the wu xing, tiangan dizhi, and a round disk in the center engraved with the ba gua, the lines raised.

Just one glance could make anyone dizzy and disoriented.

"Click, click..."

As soon as the Tianji Si Nan appeared, faint mechanical sounds echoed in the hall, indicating its constant operation, calculating the world's tianji.

Above the si nan, there was a xing dou pointing north at the handle and south at the scoop.

But at that moment, the entire base was slightly tilted eastward.

"The force of destiny presses toward the east... so the Tianji Si Nan tilts east, meaning that the major events of the current world are all unfolding in Dongyu Jian Shen Tian." Yan Wuse stroked his beard and said, looking profoundly mysterious.

Everyone: "..."

What are you even saying!

Who doesn't know that what Dao Qiong Cang is calculating right now is exactly what happened in Dongyu Jian Shen Tian?

You don't need the Tianji Si Nan for that—the intelligence from your subordinates spells it out clearly, doesn't it?

Even Yuan Su Zi, the Wu Xing Shen Shi, paused his explosive research and, following the crowd, glared speechlessly at Yan Wuse.

"Heh heh..." Yan Wuse chuckled awkwardly.

Could he be blamed?

He'd watched Dao Qiong Cang use this for so long and only managed to learn that much.

As for the knowledge on the si nan disk... among everyone present, who besides Dao Qiong Cang could explain it?

"Yan Lao is clever."

Dao Qiong Cang lifted his eyelids in praise, making Yan Wuse's old face flush. Then, he held the si nan in his left hand and formed seals with his right.

Soon, under everyone's watchful eyes, the mechanisms on the si nan accelerated, and the xing dou trembled slightly.

Below, the wu xing activated with the water attribute; the tiangan indicated ren and gui; the ba men stopped at si and shang; the ba gua connected, with lines turning long and short...

It left everyone around the table dazzled and impressed, though they didn't understand it.

"Buzz..."

Quickly, the Tianji Si Nan stopped, and a red light flashed above it, nearly blood-red.

"An ominous sign!"

Yan Wuse slapped the table and stood up, pointing at the Tianji Si Nan with a grave expression: "This is a sign of great misfortune, and judging by the vibrancy of the red light, it could mean a disaster of bloodshed!"

Everyone: "..."

Sha Shen Wei Feng's mouth twitched in annoyance: "Then why don't you, Yan Lao, explain it to everyone?"

"Heh heh heh..." Yan Wuse sheepishly sat back in his high-backed chair.

Explain?

What a joke!

He'd only figured out from a few meetings that "white is normal," "gold means opportunity," and "red means an ominous divination."

As for the actual process... was this even something a person could understand?

"Don't babble if you don't get it."

Sha Shen Wei Feng scolded him a bit more, then everyone turned their attention back to Dao Qiong Cang.

Dao Qiong Cang glanced at the Tianji Si Nan, then looked at the group around the table and said:

"What I calculated is a bit miscellaneous, so I'll go through it one by one.

"The wu xing's water attribute— the first layer of meaning naturally confirms that this trap at Gu Yin Cliff was indeed set by that water-element mystery controller.

"Combining it with the tiangan, this relates to your speculation about that Ban Sheng... truthfully, the Sheng Shen Si hasn't reported any information to me about a Ban Sheng being involved.

"But from the northern ren and gui water, it's not hard to see that this Ban Sheng who acted privately should be investigated in the Bei Yu.

"Ren and gui have an extremely high affinity with water. We're not talking about coincidences in Tianji deductions, just guidance—that means this Ban Sheng and the water-element mystery controller should have some connection, or even collusion..."

Yan Wuse interrupted in surprise: "Has he gone mad?!"

If it was a Ban Sheng from the Bei Yu families acting without Sheng Shen Si's knowledge, everyone knew what that implied, even with their toes.

What's more, Dao Qiong Cang said this Ban Sheng had schemes with the water-element mystery controller...

And the latter was an enemy!

Wasn't this Ban Sheng just courting death?

"Enough chatter!"

Yu Lao finally couldn't stand it and whacked Yan Wuse with his fishing rod. He turned to Dao Qiong Cang, his eyes still showing surprise: "Please continue."

This human kid is really something!

With just this broken si nan, he can get so much information?

Is this any different from controlling the tiandao?

Is Tianji technique really this powerful?

For a moment, Yu Lao felt the urge to learn Tianji techniques, but he quickly dismissed the idea.

This stuff was hard for humans to master, let alone his race, which wasn't known for wisdom.

Dao Qiong Cang paused before continuing:

"The ba men stopping at si and shang—Yan Wuse Qianbei is right; this is an ominous sign, leading to death or injury.

"With a Ban Sheng involved and still such an ominous sign, it means Rao Yao Yao's side is under immense pressure; one person probably can't handle it.

"Perhaps you elders really need to move and lend a hand.

"As for the ba gua..."

"Wait!" Dao Qiong Cang hadn't finished when Jiu Ji Gui interrupted, her beautiful eyes filled with astonishment: "You mentioned earlier that Rao Yao Yao couldn't attend the meeting—does that mean she's involved in the Dongyu operations?"

" Mm, she's leading it." Dao Qiong Cang looked at her. "Is there a problem?"

Jiu Ji Gui fell silent for a long while before saying: "Isn't she like Wu Yue Xiao Peng You, not yet at the Ban Sheng level?"

"Yes." Dao Qiong Cang nodded.

Ban Sheng were hard to mobilize.

So in the Shi Ren Si, the two key executor positions that required frequent action were both held by Tai Xu experts.

Wu Yue and Rao Yao Yao.

If they didn't handle things, who would?

"Then did you calculate that this was an ominous divination?" Jiu Ji Gui looked at the blood-red light on the Tianji Si Nan, puzzled.

"I did." Dao Qiong Cang nodded.

"You knew and still let her go? She's just a child..." Jiu Ji Gui grew anxious.

It wasn't just that Rao Yao Yao was a child; she lacked the ability and experience to lead such a major operation.

She was from the Rao family—how could they send her out on such a critical mission before reaching Ban Sheng?

There was even a Ban Sheng involved.

Didn't she need a Ban Sheng escort...

Dao Qiong Cang knew what Jiu Ji Gui was thinking and smiled: "So I approved the Xuan Cang Shen Jian for her. With Xuan Cang, she'll be fine."

"This..." Jiu Ji Gui still wasn't reassured.

"Jiu Ji Daren is overthinking it. Anything you can think of, Dao Xiaozi must have considered. He dared to do this for a reason." Yu Lao said casually, glancing at Dao Qiong Cang. "Right?"

Everyone's eyes turned back to him, and Dao Qiong Cang sighed with a smile and nodded.

"Rao Yao Yao lacks experience, and facing the layout of Ba Zun An alone is the best training for her.

"If the operation succeeds, her mindset will solidify, and with a firm dao foundation, it will greatly benefit her cultivation and growth. In the future, she can lead even larger operations."

"And if it fails?" Jiu Ji Gui pressed.

That little girl who used to play around her main body, practicing swordplay with branches and eating gui hua cakes when hungry—Jiu Ji Gui knew her strengths and weaknesses all too well.

Facing Ba Zun An, Dao Qiong Cang might handle it.

But Rao Yao Yao? She'd probably be played like a fool!

"Failure would be even better." Dao Qiong Cang's lips curved up. "I expected her to fail. After experiencing defeat, she'll realize she's not suited for overall command and can focus on sword dao. Who knows, Ban Sheng status might be just around the corner."

Everyone: "..."

Ah, so from the start, you already calculated it would end in failure!

As expected of you.

Jiu Ji Gui was speechless; for a moment, she didn't know what to say.

Yu Lao clicked his tongue; he thought Dao Qiong Cang was a fox turned spirit—his calculations were outrageously precise, making even the good and bad outcomes sound perfectly logical.

"Aren't you afraid of getting her killed?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That won't happen." Dao Qiong Cang smiled. "I mobilized the full power of the Liu Bu, putting all the troops under her command, even lending out my own disciple..."

He suddenly stopped, realizing his mistake.

Sure enough, even though Yu Lao was dense, he wasn't stupid and immediately caught on: "You lent out Dao Bu's people? Then my precious great-granddaughter..."

Dao Qiong Cang: "..."

"Speak up!"

"She's in the operation, as I mentioned before..."

"What?!" Yu Lao's fishing rod flew up as he jumped in rage. "Such a dangerous operation? Rao Yao Yao going is one thing, but my great-granddaughter too? Dao Qiong Cang, what's your game? Are you scheming against me?"

"Yu Lao, calm down." Dao Qiong Cang smiled bitterly. "Sit down, sit down. It's not like that; don't talk nonsense."

"Calculate it for me right now— is my precious great-granddaughter alive or dead?!" Yu Lao wouldn't sit; he brandished his fishing rod, ready to strike.

Dao Qiong Cang sighed helplessly, set aside the Tianji Si Nan for now, and quickly calculated with his palm's ba gua before saying, "She's alive, a sign of great fortune; the divination is excellent."

"You're trying to fool me!" Yu Lao didn't believe it.

How could a couple of finger flicks reveal anything?

He pointed at the impressive-looking Tianji Si Nan: "Use that to calculate!"

"Yu Lao."

Dao Qiong Cang became serious and said:

"In fighting Ba Zun An, outsiders don't know his depths, but I do.

"Even a lion uses full force against a rabbit, let alone Ba Zun An, whose strategies during the Shi Zun Zuo were already on par with mine. Now, in this contest, would I not use every trick I have?"

Yu Lao huffed and sat down: "You'd better make sure nothing goes wrong, or else you and your sister are finished!"

Dao Qiong Cang was magnanimous and didn't take the threat to heart.

Seeing the atmosphere shift, the elders quickly tried to mediate.

Jiu Ji Gui, noticing this, felt a bit more at ease—at least with Dao Qiong Cang in charge, the world was peaceful, and any troubles were quickly suppressed.

"Everyone, quiet down and listen to the tang zhu." She calmed the chaos around the table.

Dao Qiong Cang glanced back at the Tianji Si Nan.

He had originally planned to explain the ba gua lines to spark the elders' curiosity and encourage more from their lineage to study Tianji techniques.

The Tianji Si Nan's final divination typically didn't show colors.

But to keep everyone engaged during meetings and prevent them from dozing off while he calculated, Dao Qiong Cang had added this little trick for more interaction.

The results were clearly effective.

Hadn't it sparked their curiosity and boosted participation?

But now, time was pressing, and the group clearly wasn't in the mood to delve deeper into the Tianji process. So Dao Qiong Cang said directly:

"I won't elaborate on the ba gua lines. From the final divination, since a Ban Sheng is involved in the Gu Yin Cliff layout, it basically rules out the possibility that this trap is for 'hunting.'

"After all, that water-element mystery controller, no matter how strong, couldn't kill a Ban Sheng."

Back to the main topic, everyone's thoughts were clear-headed, at least not distracted by the earlier interlude, and they all nodded, waiting for more.

Seeing no objections, Dao Qiong Cang tapped his fingers on the table and continued calmly:

"One speculation: since the Gu Yin Cliff layout isn't for killing but still involves so many Tai Xu experts and even a Ban Sheng, it obviously comes down to their high realms.

"High realms represent high energy. This kind of inviting-trap form, combined with the Sheng Di Jin Zhao directly summoning the Xu Kong Dao...

"Makes me think of one possibility."

"Sacrifice?" Jiu Ji Gui, with her vast experience, immediately thought of something.

Dao Qiong Cang looked at her and nodded: "Exactly a sacrifice, and it's related to Xu Kong Dao. Can anyone think of anything else?"

"The Xu Kong Men?"

Yan Wuse's eyes widened in disbelief as he turned, waiting for confirmation.

"That's right, the Xu Kong Men."

Dao Qiong Cang nodded firmly, speaking as if he had full confidence in his deduction.

"Going back to the original goal of our meeting: Xu Kong Dao.

"This chess game, played by Ba Zun An and that water-element mystery controller, is essentially to capture the energy of the Wu Yu's Tai Xu and Ban Sheng experts to open the Xu Kong Men and ascend to Xu Kong Dao.

"Then, returning to the Sheng Nu themselves...

"Ba Zun An once entered the inner island of Xu Kong Dao, escaped, and then founded the Sheng Nu.

"After all these years of brewing, if he wants to go back, it's not just for something simple like sealing his saintly foundation.

"The outer island of Xu Kong Dao probably isn't even in the scope of his main plan.

"Everything—sealing saintly foundations, Tai Xu ascending, Ban Sheng entering—might all be misleading facades.

"His true purpose is crystal clear!"

Around the table, everyone was gripped by this forceful statement, their expressions grave.

This plot was enormous!

But...

Crystal clear?

Where was it crystal clear?

What exactly is Ba Zun An after? Tell us!

Dao Qiong Cang scanned the group, his face calm, and dropped a bombshell:

"What Ba Zun An is after is nothing less than breaking the seal on Xu Kong Dao's inner island, releasing the Ban Sheng and Sheng Di inside, then leading all saint-level beings to assault Gui Zhe Sheng Mountain, even climb the Tian Ti, and wage war against the wu da sheng di's secret realms to overturn the entire world order!