Su Ji's Methods Are Even Wilder Than Unofficial Histories

That being said, unofficial histories are truly wild.

Take for instance claims like: "The Joyful Union Sect has no female cultivators," or "The Heavenly Dao of Great Xia is already dead."

They write all sorts of nonsense.

Reading books won’t save cultivators!

Su Ji irritably tossed the Unofficial History of Great Xia back into the pile of books.

Three days had passed.

He had practically turned the first floor of the library upside down, even skimming through the contribution records.

Yet, the frustration in his heart only grew stronger.

Was he really going to act like a coward, suppressing his cultivation at the Qi Refining stage, and wait for Su Jiu to return so they could discuss a plan?

What if she couldn’t come up with a solution either?

Should he wait another seven days?

Once [Glimpse of Fate] cooled down, he could use it again to take another look.

He had already begun searching for a way to break the deadlock, so logically, the trajectory of the future should have shifted slightly. Perhaps within those changes, he could find a sliver of hope.

But that was just a "perhaps."

The more likely outcome was still dying without understanding why, wasting seven days for nothing.

The more Su Ji thought about it, the more agitated he became. He stepped out of the library and stared blankly at the sky, his thoughts drifting.

...

Meanwhile, in a treacherous valley a thousand miles away.

Su Jiu had just retrieved a Drop of Heavy Water from the lair of a peak Foundation Establishment demonic beast.

This item had been impossible to find—no sellers in several locations.

She’d had to purchase the information and retrieve it herself.

Still, it wasn’t too bad.

In ten days, she had already gathered three of the five Elemental Essences.

At this rate, returning within a month would be more than enough.

Yet, for some reason, she felt unusually restless today.

An inexplicable sense of unease made it impossible for her to settle into meditation.

That idiot Su Ji… he wouldn’t be causing trouble in the sect again, would he?

Once the thought surfaced, she couldn’t suppress it.

Su Jiu sighed and turned her attention to her Fate.

Three crimson Fates hovered silently before her.

One obtained at Qi Refining, one at Foundation Establishment.

And the last—acquired alongside Su Ji in the Heavenly Dao’s secret realm.

[Fate: Prayer Drifting Toward the Unknown]

[Fate Grade: Crimson]

[Effect: Greatly accelerates the awakening of the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox bloodline, unlocking partial divine abilities.]

This was a unique Fate exclusive to the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox lineage. The Heavenly Dao had bestowed it as a reward, fittingly so.

And indeed, she had unlocked a new divine ability—

Heavenly Fox’s Prayer.

According to ancient clan records, this was an ability with an extremely low probability of manifesting, yet its practicality was equally questionable.

Strangely, however, it was highly regarded among the imperial clans of Great Xia.

Its sole effect was to allow a Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox to bestow a completely unpredictable blessing upon their acknowledged master.

The effects of this blessing varied wildly, as did its duration.

It might enhance energy recovery for a day or sharpen all senses tenfold for half an hour…

In short, it was entirely up to luck.

Su Jiu hesitated as she gazed at this Fate.

Master?

Since when was Su Ji worthy of being called master?

Even if he had once forced her into a contract… he still didn’t deserve it.

Yet, the lingering unease in her heart eventually swayed her decision.

She sat cross-legged on a smooth boulder, closed her eyes, and formed an ancient seal with her slender fingers.

A drop of crimson blood seeped from her fingertip, hovering in the air as it emitted a faint glow.

"By the name of Su Jiu, I pray for my… master."

The two words in the middle were spoken so softly.

No one could have heard them clearly.

The blood pearl slowly rotated in midair before transforming into a barely perceptible streak of light, vanishing into the horizon in an instant.

Having done this, Su Jiu felt the restlessness in her heart dissipate somewhat.

As expected…

Su Ji was stirring up trouble again…

Sigh.

She sank her divine sense deep into her bloodline.

[Prayer: May fortune favor me.]

...

Just as Su Ji was lost in thought, a figure reeking of blood staggered past him in a frantic rush.

Su Ji instinctively sidestepped, narrowly avoiding collision.

The person had no time to spare for such an interruption, focused solely on fleeing forward.

Only then did Su Ji get a clear look—it was an outer sect disciple, their robes torn to tatters.

On their back was a mutilated, nearly unrecognizable mass of flesh, missing all limbs.

"Brother… hold on!"

The outer sect disciple’s voice, choked with sobs, drifted brokenly through the wind.

"It’s all my fault… I was blinded by greed, insisting on going to the underground lava caves beneath Phoenix Roost Gorge…"

"I’ll go beg the elders to help—they’ll keep you alive!"

Their figure soon disappeared at the end of the path.

Under normal circumstances, Su Ji might have followed out of curiosity.

But right now, his own affairs were a tangled mess.

Underground lava caves? What did that have to do with—

He took a step forward, then froze.

Underground?

A spark of inspiration flashed through his mind, scattering all his frustration and confusion.

When he built his foundation, why did it have to be above ground?

If he hid underground, beneath kilometers of mountain rock, what could the heavenly tribulation even do to him?

Would a single lightning bolt pierce through all of Great Xia?

The more Su Ji thought about it, the brighter his eyes gleamed.

This idea…

Had potential!

Truly, to go far in cultivation, one had to think outside the box.

Suddenly, Su Ji felt a weight lift from his shoulders.

The restlessness that had plagued him for days vanished entirely.

Though he didn’t know where this sudden inspiration came from, Su Ji wasn’t one to dwell on such things.

He simply chalked it up to his own cleverness—born to scheme and cut corners.

Without further delay, he turned and strode toward the Contribution Hall.

...

The Contribution Hall was as bustling as ever.

Su Ji navigated the crowd with ease, heading straight for the mission jade wall.

He ignored the high-reward bounties for slaying demonic beasts and instead searched directly for the words "Phoenix Roost Gorge."

Patiently, he scrolled through the listings one by one.

At last, he found a mission that stood out.

[Mission: Investigate abnormal energy fluctuations in the depths of Phoenix Roost Gorge’s ley lines. (Upon acceptance, receive a ley line map of Phoenix Roost Gorge.)]

[Issued by: Inner Sect, Alchemy Hall Elder.]

[Reward: 3,000 contribution points or 500 low-grade spirit stones.]

[Requirement for acceptance: Foundation Establishment.]

The mission had been posted for two and a half months. Many had taken it, but none had completed it.

Su Ji quickly pieced it together.

Ley line anomalies often hinted at deeper dangers—even unknown mutations.

While the reward was decent, 500 low-grade spirit stones weren’t enough for Foundation Establishment cultivators to risk the unknown.

But for Su Ji, this was like a pillow delivered just as he was about to doze off.

What he needed was precisely a chance to go deep underground.

As for the Foundation Establishment requirement…

Su Ji walked up to the attendant disciple in charge of mission registration and handed over his identity token.

The duty disciple took the token, glanced at it, then looked up at Su Ji with a slight frown.

"Qi Refining, eighth layer?"

"This mission isn’t for you."

Su Ji immediately plastered an ingratiating smile on his face.

"Senior Brother, be flexible, won’t you?"

As he spoke, he subtly pulled out five low-grade spirit stones from his sleeve and discreetly slipped them over.

"A small token of appreciation, nothing much."

The duty disciple weighed the stones in his hand, his expression softening noticeably.

Not exactly a fortune.

But certainly not insignificant either.

"It’s not that I don’t want to help you," he said, though his hands moved swiftly to pocket the stones.

"Rules are rules. Your cultivation level isn’t enough. If I register you and the Alchemy Hall finds out later, I’ll be in deep trouble."

Su—the Oscar-worthy—Ji immediately put on a face of desperation and distress.

"Senior Brother, to be honest, a friend of mine went missing in Phoenix Rest Gorge a few days ago. No one knows if they’re alive or dead."

"I’m not taking this mission for the rewards—I just need the map to go look for them."

"You see, it’s a matter of life and death…"

His voice trembled with emotion, his eyes even reddening slightly, as if there really was a friend waiting for him to rescue them.

The duty disciple seemed moved by his words. After another glance at the spirit stones in his hand, he hesitated for a moment.

"Alright, here’s what I’ll do."

"I’ll give you a copy of the map, but I really can’t let you take the mission."

"You’ll have to find your own way out of the sect."

"Thank you, Senior Brother! Thank you!" Su Ji bowed repeatedly, his face overflowing with gratitude.

"Your kindness will never be forgotten! But… what about the Alchemy Hall? Won’t they notice the missing map?"

Flattered by the praise, the duty disciple waved a hand dismissively.

"Pfft, it’s no big deal. I’ll just redraw one for the mission taker. It’s not like it’ll be that different."

"Senior Brother, you’re a true hero!"

"Go on, get out of here."

Su Ji took the newly acquired map and turned to leave the Contribution Hall.

The moment he stepped outside, all traces of gratitude vanished from his face.

Instead of heading straight for the sect gates, he turned toward the market district.

He hadn’t even taken a few steps into the market when he spotted a familiar figure lurking in a corner, peeking around furtively.

It was that old Golden Core cultivator.

The old man’s eyes lit up the moment he saw Su Ji, and he hurried over with small, eager steps.

"You’re finally here!"

With both hands, he presented an exquisitely crafted wooden box, about the size of a palm, made from fine materials.

"I was just wondering how to find you."

"The item you requested—I had my, ahem, dear friend rush to finish it for you."

Su Ji took the box, casually weighing it in his hand, his expression indifferent.

"Let’s not talk about that yet."

"I need to ask you something."

The old man immediately thumped his chest with gusto.

"Ask away! This old man knows no bounds when it comes to sharing knowledge!"

"Does your ‘dear friend’ take commissions?"

The Golden Core old man’s beard practically bristled at the phrasing, and he reflexively corrected,

"It’s artifact forging."

Su Ji rolled his eyes, exasperated.

"Right, right, artifact forging."

"So, does your dear friend take artifact forging commissions?"

The old man chuckled, then asked offhandedly,

"What else do you want crafted?"

Su Ji didn’t waste words. "Got paper and ink?"

The old man rummaged through his pouch and produced both.

Su Ji took them and immediately began sketching something in his hand.

"Same material—Instant Light Stone. Make another one, but follow this design."

Su Ji handed the paper and brush back.

The old man took the blueprint, still muttering under his breath.

"Making guns again? That thing doesn’t need to trouble her—I can handle it myself..."

As he spoke, he absentmindedly unrolled the blueprint.

The next second.

His expression froze.

His voice cut off abruptly.

What was drawn on the blueprint wasn’t some divine weapon at all.

But two hands.

To be precise, two hands… both flipping the bird.

On the left, the boldly raised middle finger bore a single, flamboyant character—‘Heaven’.

On the right, another was carved—‘Dao’.