Scripture of Days Past

As the battle grew more intense, Chu Youtian had already retreated far from the battlefield for the sake of self-preservation. At that moment, he was peering out from the undergrowth, intently observing the two combatants from afar.

Thanks to his decision to keep his distance, he had remained unaffected by the Ring of Ignorance. As a result, he didn't understand why Yi Siman had suddenly been immobilized.

What happened just now? That punch didn't look any different from the ones he threw earlier, so why was it able to force His Highness back this time?

What happened next came as an even greater shock for Chu Youtian.

Yi Siman was renowned for his pride, and he had never conceded defeat to anyone on the northern grasslands.

Chu Youtian still remembered a story from Yi Siman's youth. During an outing, Yi Siman had encountered a band of over a hundred bandits. After a grueling battle, he suffered severe injuries, but still refused to back down. In the end, it was the bandits who were intimidated into retreating.

Yet that same unyielding Yi Siman was now covered in mud and rain, offering Master Omniscient a respectful bow of gratitude. It was a sight Chu Youtian had never thought he would witness.

Chu Qiguang took a cold glance at Yi Siman before snapping, "Why're you still here? Didn't I tell you to get out of my sight?"

Don’t say that! Qiao Zhi exclaimed frantically. Right now, you can barely even stand! If you make him angry, then we're both screwed!

Trust me on this, Chu Qiguang reassured him. I can tell that he's the type who bullies the weak and fears the strong, so I can't afford to show any weakness. The more hostile I act, the more afraid of me he'll become.

Sure enough, Chu Qiguang's cold and menacing gaze sent chills down Yi Siman's spine, and the thought that he was potentially facing a Dao Comprehension-state opponent made him want to run for his life.

However, at the same time, he was unwilling to let such an opportunity to gain such a powerful ally skip through his fingers.

All of my brothers already possess immense wealth and power, with countless formidable cultivators at their beck and call. If I don't take any risks, then I'll never be able to surpass them...

With that in mind, he said, "Thank you for the guidance provided me today, Senior. I'll remember it for the rest of my life. I have some gold and silver that I would like to offer you. I know such material possessions mean nothing to you, but please accept them as a token of my gratitude."

"What use would I have for mere gold and silver?" Chu Qiguang said coldly. "Take your worthless offerings and get out of my sight!"

What are you doing?! Qiao Zhi interjected frantically. Why would you turn down free money?!

This was precisely the reaction Yi Siman had expected out of Master Omniscient.

In his mind, Dao Comprehension-state cultivators were almighty beings who were completely unfathomable to the average person. For someone like Master Omniscient, money was indeed worthless unless it amounted to hundreds of thousands, or perhaps even millions, of taels of gold and silver.

As the youngest and least prominent son of the Ninghai Prince, Yi Siman naturally possessed nowhere near that level of wealth.

However, he knew Dao Comprehension-state cultivators were often very interested in the secrets of major religions, and he just so happened to have such a secret that he could offer.

"While traveling through the northern grasslands, I came across the ruins of a temple on a snowy mountain," Yi Siman revealed. "Inside, I discovered signs of our wolf race predecessors worshiping the Imperial Heavenly Dao's Imperial High God."

"Oh?"

An intrigued look immediately appeared on Chu Qiguang's face.

Yi Siman was very pleased to see that he had caught Master Omniscient's interest, and he continued, "Many of the secrets within the temple had already been erased by the elements and the passage of time, but I did manage to find an incantation related to the Imperial Heavenly Dao."

Through his extensive readings in the archive building on Jade Face Mountain, Chu Qiguang had accumulated a great deal of knowledge about the Imperial Heavenly Dao. Its followers claimed that it was the oldest religion in the world, and that the Imperial High God they worshiped was the supreme deity who transcended all else.

Judging from the historical records Chu Qiguang had read, the Imperial Heavenly Dao was indeed a very influential religion, with both human and fiend followers all over the world.

No wonder Yi Siman was able to infiltrate the Imperial Heavenly Dao. It most likely had something to do with this incantation, Qiao Zhi mused.

"What is this incantation?" Chu Qiguang asked.

"It's a very strange incantation," Yi Siman replied. "The moment you look away from it, it immediately disappears from your memory, so I copied it down from the temple ruins. However, I don't have it with me right now. If you would like to see it, I can fetch it from the foot of the mountain."

Yes! Tell him to go right now! Your leg is about to cramp! Qiao Zhi yelled frantically.

Chu Qiguang cast a composed gaze at Yi Siman before casually reciting a piece of information he had read in the Imperial Heavenly Blessing Journal. "The first disseminator of the Imperial Heavenly Dao was said to have been a yellow dragon. After humans became followers of the Imperial Heavenly Dao, more and more living beings across the world began worshiping dragons. Throughout history, dragons have always been regarded as messengers of the gods. In fact, many people believe that dragons and deities are one and the same."

Yi Siman nodded solemnly. He had only managed to gather these fragments of information about the Imperial Heavenly Dao after years of research following his discovery of the temple ruins in the northern grasslands. Yet Chu Qiguang casually brought it up as if it were common knowledge.

This made Yi Siman even more convinced that he was dealing with a Dao Comprehension-state cultivator. Not only was he an unfathomably powerful martial artist, but he also seemed to possess extensive knowledge about the secrets of the world.

"It would be my honor to present the incantation to you, Senior," Yi Siman said. "Given my paltry cultivation base, I haven't dared to study it too closely, but I'm sure it would present no danger to a cultivator as accomplished as yourself."

Chu Qiguang nodded. Yi Siman was ecstatic to see this, immediately rushing down the mountain with Chu Youtian to retrieve the incantation.

Only after the two wolf fiends were completely out of sight did Chu Qiguang collapse to the ground in an exhausted heap, panting heavily.

As he reflected on the battle, Chu Qiguang couldn't help but feel as if there had been some supernatural forces at play.

At the beginning of the battle, a flash of lightning just happened to blind me for a moment. Then the rain seemed to have pushed Yi Siman into a state of enlightenment while draining my energy at the same time. After that, my Ring of Ignorance immobilized him, only for a perfectly timed thunderclap to snap him back to his senses at the last possible moment. Were those all coincidences, or had fate been interfering with our battle from the very beginning?

With that thought in mind, Chu Qiguang looked up at the sky. The dark clouds above suddenly appeared much more purposeful than before.

It wasn't long before the storm clouds dispersed, allowing sunlight to shine down from above and bathe Chu Qiguang in warmth.

Did I manage to alter fate this time or not? Chu Qiguang wondered.