Cultivation Starting from Choosing Augments-Chapter 63 - 61: What, There’s Divination

Before he even got close to the palace, Xiao Chen saw it: a thirty-foot-tall Bronze Gate, shut tight. Mysterious runes glowed on its surface.

On either side stood two ten-foot-tall statues, each wielding a weapon and emanating a roiling, evil qi.

"Those statues? They can move."

A clear voice came from the side.

Xiao Chen turned to see a young man slowly strolling toward him. He wore a white shirt under a Golden Silk Waistcoat, and his handsome face was framed by charming, almond-shaped eyes.

A large chunk of the waistcoat over his abdomen was missing, revealing a cyan shirt underneath. His Cloud Boots were covered in dust, making it seem like he had just escaped from something.

"A pleasure to meet you, Junior Brother Xiao."

Lin Ping’an smiled, waving with a dashing flair.

If his clothes had been tidy, he surely would have radiated an air of calm and elegance.

But as Xiao Chen watched his sleeves flap in the wind like seaweed, he couldn’t help but wonder what the man had been through.

"Er... Greetings, Lin. Your clothes are..."

Lin Ping’an gave a carefree laugh and pointed at the statues. "I just tried to open the gate and ended up getting chased by them. They don’t have the slightest trace of Spiritual Power, but who knew they’d be so fast."

"I was careless for a moment and didn’t dodge. Luckily, my Magic Robe is high-quality."

"But enough about that. Junior Brother Xiao, your timing is perfect. I never expected my fated person to be you."

Xiao Chen took half a step back. "Lin, what do you mean by that?"

Lin Ping’an cleared his throat. "Ahem, don’t misunderstand, Junior Brother Xiao. I know a little bit about Divination. After running into that obstacle, I performed a Divination for this venture."

"The reading said that if I waited here, a fated person would naturally appear to help me. Then, we could join forces to enter the palace and obtain the treasures within."

"And just then, you showed up. That must mean you’re my fated person."

’What? He knows Divination!’

HISS! Xiao Chen sucked in a sharp breath. "Lin, I never would have guessed you had such a skill."

’No wonder I’m always hearing rumors about him finding all sorts of Treasures of Heaven and Earth. Now it all makes sense.’

Lin Ping’an smiled humbly. "Not at all, not at all. I’ve just skimmed a few books on the subject, so I only know the basics. Please, I’d appreciate it if you’d keep this a secret for me after we leave."

"My lips are always sealed."

Xiao Chen nodded, then changed the subject. "But I’m not sure how powerful these statues are, or how to deal with them."

Lin Ping’an pointed at him. "These four statues are nearly equivalent to four cultivators at the Great Perfection stage of Qi Refining. I’m out of ideas. It’s all up to you, Junior Brother."

Huh?

Xiao Chen asked back, "Did you say four cultivators at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining? That might be a little difficult to handle."

’Actually, he could probably handle it now.’

’It’s just that the Profound Yang Fire is something he should only use secretly while acting alone or in disguise. It wasn’t convenient to reveal it openly.’

"That’s what the divination said. Junior Brother, can you think of something?"

Lin Ping’an was very confident in his Divination Skill. Since Xiao Chen was the fated person, he must have a way to deal with the guards.

He pointed to the Bronze Gate, tempting Xiao Chen. "This palace is sealed by a Thousand Mechanism Ban. It’s absolutely impossible for anyone below the Foundation Establishment stage to break it."

"That means many of the things inside must be perfectly preserved. If we can just pick up anything at all, it’ll be a great opportunity for both of us."

"And I happen to have read about this type of ban in a book."

"As long as you can handle the guards, Junior Brother, you can leave the Restriction on the gate to me."

"We’ll cooperate, each doing our part. Once we’re inside, we’ll split the treasures equally. If there are items of unequal value, we’ll use Spirit Stones to make up the difference. What do you say, Junior Brother?"

Xiao Chen had already noticed the runes that flickered in and out of sight on the gate.

These runes were indeed an obstacle, but also another layer of protection for the palace. The fact that the Restriction was intact meant that the things inside hadn’t been taken by anyone else.

He thought for a moment and asked, "Lin, do these statues have any weaknesses?"

Lin Ping’an couldn’t think of any. "Almost none. Their material is incredibly sturdy and practically immune to Talismans. They’re also very fast and hard to shake."

"If I hadn’t reacted quickly and used a Wind Riding Talisman to run fast enough, I would’ve been cornered. I managed to hide in that gorge over there just in time, or else I’d probably still be getting chased."

Xiao Chen understood immediately. "In that case, it’s simple. I’ll just lure the statues away."

Lin Ping’an cautioned, "I’m afraid that won’t work. If you get too far away from the statues, they’ll just return to their posts."

"To lure them away, you have to stay within thirty feet of them for half an hour. Otherwise, there won’t be enough time to open the gate."

But even as he said this, his eyes were fixed on Xiao Chen, full of hope.

Xiao Chen nodded. "Then it’s no problem. I happen to know some Escape Techniques. Dragging this out for half an hour won’t be an issue."

The problem was, half an hour later...

Lin Ping’an shouted, "Junior Brother, there’s a small problem with the gate! I need you to stall them for another quarter hour!"

Another quarter hour passed. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Lin Ping’an was now soaked in sweat. "Junior Brother, I’m still having a little trouble over here! Please, just a little longer!"

This "little longer" turned into another half an hour.

It was a good thing Xiao Chen’s Vertical Earth Golden Light was not only fast but also consumed very little Magical Power.

Anyone else, even with such a powerful Escape Technique, would have run out of Magical Power long ago trying to maintain that speed.

After finally cracking the gate’s seal, Lin Ping’an had a moment to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

He looked up at Xiao Chen in the distance, who still seemed to be handling the situation with ease, and a flash of unconcealable surprise crossed his eyes.

He had just severely underestimated the ban on the Bronze Gate. Thank goodness Junior Brother Xiao was strong enough to hold on under pressure. Otherwise, this trip would have likely been for nothing.

He let out a long sigh of relief. "Junior Brother, it’s done! You can come in!"

Hearing this, Xiao Chen finally stopped suppressing his speed. Golden light erupted from his body, and he easily shook off the guards.

WHOOSH! He shot through the gateway.

Seeing this, Lin Ping’an was stunned once again.

He never would have imagined that after stalling the guards for so long, Xiao Chen still had energy to spare.

The guards outside chased him to the entrance but didn’t follow him in. Instead, as if they couldn’t see him anymore, they returned to their original positions and turned back into stone statues.

Lin Ping’an finally relaxed completely, excitedly touching the murals on the surrounding walls. "This is great! It really has never been opened before."

The two then walked through the main hall, their eyes falling upon a large, still-intact fountain.

It was surrounded by guest rooms of various sizes, seemingly a place for housing a large number of people.

Directly ahead was a grand hall where a Golden Statue that Xiao Chen didn’t recognize was enshrined. Perhaps it was some great senior from ancient times.

On the altar sat an Everlasting Lamp that had already burned out.

When Lin Ping’an saw this, his expression changed instantly. "This is bad. It seems this place has existed for far too long."

He hurried to the rear of the main hall, where the storehouse used to be.

However, most of the Magical Artifacts stored inside had already lost their power.

Although their external forms were still intact thanks to the ambient Spiritual Qi, the Spirit Patterns engraved within them had long since failed, turning them into a pile of scrap metal.

Lin Ping’an inspected them one by one.

In the end, he could only sigh in resignation. "A pity. We’re too late. These things have been here for at least several thousand years. They’re completely useless now."

He sighed, his face full of regret. "Ah, there’s no point in even going to the Elixir Hall. No Spirit Pill could last this long."

Xiao Chen picked up a Flying Sword and, with a gentle bend, snapped it in two.

He tossed the pieces aside and turned his attention to another matter. "Lin, are there only Magical Artifacts here? Is there a place where Magic techniques are stored?"

Compared to finding Magical Artifacts, he was undoubtedly more hopeful of finding a Magic technique here comparable to his Profound Fire Crow.

Lin Ping’an nodded. "Of course. It should be this way."

The two of them then arrived at a study.