Ascending to Godhood: I Can Foresee All Futures

"Damn it!"

Seeing this, the Fourth Elder was terrified. He twisted his body backward to dodge, frantically gathering his remaining Blood Qi in front of his chest.

CRACKLE! A tearing sound echoed. Although the Fourth Elder had avoided a fatal blow to the heart, the edge of the sword’s gleam still grazed his left shoulder and a small part of his chest.

His protective aura of blood tore apart like paper. He was sent flying like rotten wood struck by a sledgehammer, screaming as he crashed into the rock wall behind him with a THUD, buried under an avalanche of falling stone.

Before the dust could settle, a blinding crimson light erupted from within the pile of rubble.

In his desperation, the Fourth Elder had begun to burn his own lifeblood without hesitation.

In an instant.

An almost transparent, blurry crimson shadow shot out at a speed difficult to discern with the naked eye, heading straight for the distant Chen Sheng.

’He knew that if he continued to fight, he would undoubtedly be dead within ten breaths. His only chance of survival—or perhaps, his only chance to drag someone down with him—lay with this Innate Realm cultivator, Chen Sheng. If he could capture or severely injure this man, he might be able to make Sun Yuzhi hesitate. If not... well, dragging his opponent down with him wasn’t a total loss.’

"Chen Sheng! Watch out!"

Sun Yuzhi’s pupils constricted as she cried out in alarm.

With a wave of her hand, dozens of Sword Qi streams shot out to intercept, but the Fourth Elder’s suicidal attack was shockingly fast, a fraction quicker than the Sword Qi.

The blurry, blood-red shadow crossed a hundred yards in a flash. Its withered, claw-like right hand, with sharp, black fingernails, was already within three feet of Chen Sheng, tearing through the air with a piercing shriek as it aimed for his throat.

However, just as the ghastly claw was about to touch his skin, Chen Sheng’s right hand, hidden within his sleeve, shot out. His five fingers spread, and a crimson Jade Talisman in his palm erupted with a dazzling light.

VWOOM—!

The ringing of a sword emanated from the talisman.

The next moment.

A wisp of crimson Sword Qi burst forth, shooting toward the Fourth Elder.

This was a full-power strike sealed within the talisman by Sun Yuzhi, containing over seventy percent of her Cultivation and Sword Intent—powerful enough to threaten and severely injure an ordinary Profound Mastery expert.

"What, a Sword Talisman?!"

A shriek of absolute terror came from within the bloody shadow.

At the precipice of life and death, the Fourth Elder let out a furious roar, unleashing all the power gained from burning his lifeblood along with his remaining True Essence. He frantically constructed layer upon layer of a thick, viscous, blood-colored cocoon before him.

SWISH—!

The sound of tearing silk, faint yet extremely piercing, rang out.

The crimson Sword Qi made contact with the layers of the bloody cocoon. For a moment, ripples spread across the cocoon’s surface before it was unstoppably pierced and torn apart.

Without losing any momentum, the Sword Qi accurately penetrated the Fourth Elder’s right chest.

SQUELCH!

A dull, penetrating sound was heard as an even larger cloud of blood mist exploded in mid-air.

The hazy figure of the Fourth Elder was thrown backward like a kite with a snapped string, his shrill screams echoing through the valley.

A terrifying, fist-sized hole, charred black at the edges and running clean through his body, was now visible on his right chest.

His aura plummeted like an avalanche, instantly becoming feeble.

And in that fleeting instant, as the Fourth Elder was grievously wounded by the Sword Qi and sent flying out of control, the dozens of crimson Sword Qi streams that Sun Yuzhi had sent in pursuit descended upon him with a roar!

"No—"

The despairing shriek of the Blood River Sect’s Fourth Elder was cut short, drowned out by the even more frenzied, dense explosions of tearing Sword Qi.

A few breaths later, the Sword Light slowly dissipated.

In mid-air, there was nothing left but a slowly spreading, blood-colored haze that was being scattered by the grim wind, along with a few scattered pieces of blood-stained, tattered cloth and fragments of bone and flesh.

The Fourth Elder of the Blood River Sect had suffered Total Annihilation, with not even a corpse left behind.

The turbulent, grim wind gradually subsided, leaving a cloying, metallic scent of blood hanging heavy in the air.

Silence returned to the valley, broken only by the mournful whistling of the wind through the cracks in the rocks.

Sun Yuzhi’s figure drifted down, landing gracefully about a yard from Chen Sheng’s side. She quickly scanned their surroundings, and after confirming there were no hidden dangers, she looked at Chen Sheng. Her cold eyes lingered on him for a moment before she said faintly,

"Your reaction was acceptable."

"I was prepared. No need to worry," Chen Sheng replied calmly.

’Using such a precious Spirit Talisman on a heavily injured enemy might seem wasteful, but in his eyes, no material object was more important than his own safety. He always put caution first and would never take risks or fight above his level unless he was absolutely certain of victory.’

Their gazes shifted to the ground below.

As the dust settled, a few items could be seen scattered amidst the rubble and bloodstains.

The most conspicuous was a severely damaged set of dark-red Inner Armor. The plates were covered in a web of cracks, and there was a clear puncture hole on the chest, its edges charred and curled. Its spiritual light had completely dimmed.

This armor had absorbed the brunt of the Spirit Talisman’s Sword Qi, but it was now completely ruined.

Next to it lay a small sword, about an inch long and as clear as Blood Jade.

It rested quietly on the bluestone, its body shimmering with a faint, blood-colored light. It trembled slightly, emitting a nearly inaudible hum, exuding a sharp, spiritually active, and sinister aura.

It was, shockingly, a Spirit Sword of extremely high quality, perfect for sneak attacks.

Not far away, a palm-sized Token, ancient in style and with the dull patina of old bronze, lay half-buried in the dust.

The third Profound Flame Order was finally in his hands!

Chen Sheng’s gaze flickered. With a grasping motion of his hand, he drew both the small, blood-colored sword and the ancient token into his steady palm.

"A Profound Flame Order?"

Sun Yuzhi’s eyes fell upon the ancient token, her fine brows arching slightly in surprise.

She had seen it before, back at the Danxia Sect when Bai Qing had given one to Chen Sheng, so she recognized it. Although the pattern on this one was slightly different, the style was identical.

"It seems our luck is quite good. I suspected before that the Profound Flame Order had some connection to the Blood River Sect, but I never expected to actually find one on this man."

Chen Sheng feigned a look of surprise at the right moment.

"Keep it safe."

Sun Yuzhi averted her gaze, looking toward the continuous mountain range outside the valley, which was gradually being steeped in twilight. Her voice returned to its usual indifference.

"Though the Profound Flame Daoist was not a world-renowned expert, he was, after all, a Core Formation Grandmaster. Even if his legacy cave doesn’t contain some earth-shattering Treasure, it will surely hold his inheritance and insights.

"Such an opportunity will be of great benefit to your future martial path."

Chen Sheng hesitated slightly, then turned his head to look at her beautifully sculpted profile, his tone tinged with a hint of doubt.

"This is the legacy of a Core Formation Grandmaster. Is it possible that you... are not tempted in the slightest, Vice Envoy?"

Sun Yuzhi didn’t answer immediately. She only watched the last sliver of dusk on the horizon. After a moment, she said slowly,

"I have my own inheritance, and my Cultivation Technique is already set. The Profound Flame Daoist’s legacy might be good, but it may not be suitable for me."

’She had seen too many masters and disciples, too many dao companions, part ways over personal gain. With the legacy of a Core Formation Grandmaster at stake, she didn’t want to take that gamble, even though she trusted Chen Sheng’s character.’

"I must disagree, Vice Envoy."

Chen Sheng shook his head and took half a step forward to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Sun Yuzhi.

"Whether it’s needed or suitable, how can we decide based on mere speculation? Besides, who knows how many years the Profound Flame Daoist’s cave has been there? It’s impossible to know if there are protective Arrays, traps, or even unknown dangers within.

"With my meager Cultivation, if I were to explore it alone without protection, how would that be any different from a sheep walking into a tiger’s den? Wouldn’t that be a waste of an opportunity, and potentially cost me my life?"

"If there is anything you need inside the cave, Vice Envoy, you should just take it. You have helped me repeatedly over this past year. I owe you a debt so great, I don’t even know how I could ever repay it."

Having spent so much time with Sun Yuzhi, he basically understood her inside and out.

He naturally knew what kind of person she was.

It was no exaggeration to say that between Nie Xuanfeng and Sun Yuzhi, he trusted the latter more.

Sun Yuzhi suddenly turned back, her eyes as clear and deep as autumn waters, staring straight into Chen Sheng’s. It was as if she wanted to pierce through all his pretenses and see his truest thoughts.

The faint remaining breeze in the valley stirred a few loose strands of her hair, making them sway gently against her jade-like cheek.

Their eyes met, and the air instantly froze.

After a long moment, Sun Yuzhi was the first to look away. The corners of her lips curved into an almost imperceptible arc, which vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

She turned slightly, looking toward the valley entrance. Her tone was still faint, but it seemed to have lost some of its usual chill.

"We can talk about it later."

"It’s getting late. We should head back."

With that, Sun Yuzhi said no more. With a flick of her official robes, her figure transformed into a crimson stream of light, reaching the valley entrance in the blink of an eye.

Seeing this, Chen Sheng also stopped talking. He executed his Body Technique, leaped into the air, and transformed into another, slightly deeper black shadow, following closely behind the crimson stream of light.