Jiang Che's Master

After using the Ten-Aperture Exquisite Heart, Shen Yu's cultivation level naturally soared alongside it, skyrocketing from the Soul-Molding Stage all the way to the Heaven-Breaking Stage!

Of course, Shen Yu wasn’t particularly interested in cultivation strength—it was just a necessity for her research into formations.

Formations were intricate and ever-changing. Even the most basic formation required hundreds of formation patterns to construct, and the types of patterns were incredibly diverse, with complexities that bordered on the absurd.

Like alchemy, formations were categorized into 12 fundamental tiers, with Saint, Emperor, and Immortal-tier formations lying beyond.

The formation manuals Jiang Che had given Shen Yu covered everything from beginner-level formations all the way up to Immortal-tier grand arrays.

"Shen Yu, your belly is so big now. You should take it easy and focus on resting during your pregnancy," Jiang Che said, eyeing her with concern. He strongly suspected... this girl would spend the next few months obsessively studying formations, forgetting to eat or sleep.

"Mm," Shen Yu nodded.

Though she was well aware of her own physical condition—a Heaven-Breaking Stage cultivator was practically beyond the need for food or sleep, and months of neglect wouldn’t affect the fetus—she still chose to heed Jiang Che’s advice.

"Jiang Che, do you prefer a boy or a girl?" Shen Yu suddenly asked, lifting her gaze.

"Oh? And what do you think you’re carrying—a boy or a girl?"

"A girl," Shen Yu answered with absolute seriousness.

"How can you be so sure?" Jiang Che raised an eyebrow.

He could easily discern the gender of the fetus in her womb with a glance, but he hadn’t bothered to check. Whether it was a boy or a girl didn’t matter much to him.

"There’s literature that says ‘sour for a boy, spicy for a girl.’ Since I crave spicy food, I think it must be a girl."

Shen Yu remained completely earnest.

"Hah... Since when did you start believing in superstitions?" Jiang Che couldn’t help but laugh.

Shen Yu might seem a bit dense at times, but she had her own brand of charm.

"I... I don’t know," Shen Yu fell silent.

In the past, she had been a staunch materialist, treating science as the ultimate truth.

But after the spiritual revival, everything had changed. Countless phenomena could no longer be explained by science.

She had begun uncovering some scientific patterns behind spiritual energy—it seemed to be related to a unique kind of field. But fully understanding it would take much more time.

And how could things like laws and formations be explained scientifically?

It was impossible. Even if there was a way, it would require countless researchers working together to slowly unravel the principles... The sheer scale of the task was overwhelming, far beyond what she could accomplish alone.

So she settled for the next best thing—studying formations. If she couldn’t understand them, she’d join them!

...

On Blue Star, within the Destiny Enforcers' Association.

"Esteemed sirs, I am Xu Mo, the branch leader of the mortal realm. This is Deputy Leader Xu Rong, and this is Deputy Leader Chen Hao!"

Xu Mo spoke with fawning deference.

The figures standing before them were true powerhouses from the Nine Heavens—elites dispatched by the Destiny Enforcers' Association headquarters, all at the Divine Passage Stage.

Xu Mo had struggled through countless hardships just to reach the Divine Passage Stage, barely achieving Second Revolution. Yet these envoys from the higher realms were all at least Third Revolution.

He had once believed that reaching the Divine Passage Stage and ascending to the Nine Heavens would grant him entry into the Earth Pavilion—a sign of having finally made it.

But now it seemed... even Third Revolution Divine Passage experts were only ranked in the Human Pavilion. To enter the Earth Pavilion, one likely needed Martial God-level strength.

Lin Chong stood in the Destiny Enforcers' Association, scanning his surroundings with a frown.

"This is... your Human Pavilion’s headquarters? It’s... embarrassingly shabby."

Lin Chong was speechless. Even though the mortal realm’s Destiny Enforcers' Association didn’t have the same resources as those in the Nine Heavens, it still gathered the most powerful and wealthy individuals on Blue Star. Shouldn’t it stand at the pinnacle of authority?

But reality?

The association’s headquarters was built underground.

And it looked downright pitiful.

"Ahem, esteemed sirs... We’re just lying low. This was the decree passed down by a former branch leader centuries ago!"

Xu Mo was truly helpless.

What else could they do?

Even after hiding to this extent, they had still been discovered by Jiang Che, the Rebel of Fate. If they hadn’t kept a low profile... and clashed with Jiang Che directly...

Wouldn’t they have been wiped out entirely?

Fortunately, they had already switched sides!

"By the way, do you know anything about Jiang Che?"

"J-Jiang Che?" Xu Mo’s voice trembled. Had their defection been discovered?

Were these envoys here to purge them?

"You know of Jiang Che? Tell us everything about his past. A superior from the Earth Pavilion suspects... that Jiang Che might be the disciple or reincarnation of one of our association’s supreme elders!"

Lin Chong’s words stunned Xu Mo and the others.

"A supreme elder’s disciple???"

Lin Chong narrowed his eyes. "Well? Do you know something? Care to share?"

"He... he..." Xu Mo stumbled over his words.

Because they did know something!

Jiang Che had an overwhelmingly powerful master—this was common knowledge among the upper echelons of the mortal realm’s cultivation world.

Even Xu Mo had caught a fleeting glimpse of him. That master of Jiang Che’s... even as a mere projection, had seemed to eclipse the mortal world with his presence.

His aura was undeniably transcendent. They had long speculated about Jiang Che’s origins—whether he was the reincarnation of a Heaven Pavilion elder.

But now, it seemed he simply had an unfathomably powerful master.

After some thought, Xu Mo decided to speak.

Even though he had surrendered to Jiang Che, revealing this information... probably wouldn’t harm Jiang Che’s interests.

"That’s right! Jiang Che does have a master."

Lin Chong’s eyes gleamed with excitement.

"Can you provide a portrait of his master? I can cross-reference it in the Nine Heavens. If he truly is one of the Heaven Pavilion’s supreme elders..."

Xu Mo frowned, trying to recall the face of Jiang Che’s master.

But soon, his eyes widened in shock.

He had forgotten!

He couldn’t remember what Jiang Che’s master looked like!

This was terrifying. As a Divine Passage cultivator, forgetting was impossible—his mind was beyond such flaws.

Yet now... he genuinely couldn’t recall the master’s appearance. The harder he tried, the more his memory blurred, as if some unfathomable existence had severed his recollection.

"Sir, are you certain a Heaven Pavilion elder would ever reveal themselves? Even if we had a portrait... what use would it be to those of our standing?"

Xu Mo didn’t mince words.

It was like a commoner in ancient times obtaining a portrait of the emperor—so what?

They’d never meet him, and holding such a thing might even invite disaster.