I Have an Omen System-Chapter 44 - 43: Dark Cloud Spiritual Artifact

Qin Xuan’s eyes flew open, and he broke out in a cold sweat.

The Golden Finger was warning him!

Qin Xuan realized Luu Yi’s words were the complete opposite of the divination’s message.

’Staying in the Sect is the real dead end.’

But Luu Yi’s terrified expression didn’t look like a lie.

Qin Xuan immediately understood.

’It seems Luu Yi doesn’t know that a great opportunity is waiting for me on this mission.’

Although he already knew the truth, Qin Xuan played along, putting on a mournful expression.

Luu Yi said, "Junior Brother Qin, what do you say? Want to patrol the sect gates with me? I guarantee it’s safe."

’I wouldn’t go with you no matter how safe you claim it is.’

’I have a great opportunity to seize!’

Qin Xuan politely declined. "No, thank you, Senior Brother Liuu."

Luu Yi asked, "Why?"

Qin Xuan replied, "I spent all my Contribution Points in the Scripture Pavilion..."

"Ah, I see!" Luu Yi’s face was full of regret. "What a pity. It looks like I’ll just have to find another junior brother."

Luu Yi cupped his hands. "Junior Brother Qin, take care."

"You too," Qin Xuan replied, returning the gesture.

...

Sure enough, just as Qin Xuan returned to his Cave Mansion, a grand and indifferent Demonic Sound suddenly echoed within.

"Stewards of the Holy Sect’s Plague Bone Altar, Qin Xuan and Luu Yi; Steward of the True Body Altar, Hou Longtao; and Vice Incense Master of the True Body Altar, Ji Boying—heed this order! The Blazing Fire Sect, a subordinate sect under the jurisdiction of our Cyan Cloud Sect, has courted death by dispatching a Purple Mansion Daoist to destroy our sect gate and harm our disciples!"

"You are to depart immediately and proceed secretly to the Blazing Fire Sect to gather intelligence for the Sect!"

"Upon success, you will be rewarded with two hundred Contribution Points!"

As soon as the voice faded, a jet-black stream of light flew into Qin Xuan’s Cave Mansion.

The jet-black stream of light floated silently before Qin Xuan, transforming into a small Dark Cloud Spiritual Artifact. Inside the artifact was a sheepskin map.

Unfolding the map, he saw the geographical location of the Blazing Fire Sect was clearly marked.

Daqian Dynasty, Jinyang Country, Blazing Mountain Range!

"It’s so far away... a full hundred thousand li..." Qin Xuan couldn’t help but click his tongue.

He hadn’t expected the Daqian Dynasty’s territory to be so vast.

The Sect’s upper echelons seemed to know the journey was long, as they had thoughtfully provided a Flying Spiritual Artifact. Judging by the mission details, its return wasn’t required, so he figured it was another part of the reward.

Qin Xuan left his Cave Mansion and immediately went to the Demon Disciple Dormitory to pick out three Demon Disciples.

A small incident occurred during this process.

With the cautionary tale of the Blazing Fire Sect’s spy fresh in their minds.

After Qin Xuan announced the mission’s details, the Demon Disciples turned pale with fright upon hearing they were to act as scouts and gather intelligence. They trembled in fear, and not a single one was willing to go.

Only Huang Xu, a disciple at the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer, unexpectedly stepped forward on his own accord.

"Steward Qin, I am willing to go with you."

Qin Xuan was highly appreciative of his performance and very satisfied. He immediately had Zhao Youliang and Cao Da take Huang Xu with them and guide him well.

...

「Half a month later, late at night.」

A mass of black clouds shot silently across the sky at incredible speed.

Qin Xuan stood atop the Dark Cloud Spiritual Artifact, hands clasped behind his back, his robes whipping loudly in the fierce astral wind.

Behind him, the two Demon Disciples, Huang Xu and Cao Da, were busy channeling Demonic Essence into the artifact to power it.

Qin Xuan asked, "Old Zhao, how much longer until we reach the Blazing Mountain Range?"

Zhao Youliang, holding the sheepskin map, swayed unsteadily and shouted over the wind, "Reporting to the Steward! We’re at the border of Ningyi Country now! Another five thousand li to go. We should be there by dawn."

Qin Xuan nodded slightly.

During the past half-month of travel, Qin Xuan had also taken the time to consume and begin the Refinement of a Li Fire Golden Date.

To his surprise, however, while his physical body’s vitality had shown a visible increase and his foundation had become more solid, his Cultivation remained completely stuck at the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer, showing no sign of progress.

His Lifebound Copper Sword, on the other hand, was now three-fifths silver-white, with only the final two-fifths left to change.

’Could it be that I’m about to reach Foundation Establishment, so there’s no more room to advance?’

Qin Xuan didn’t dwell on it for long. Since his Cultivation couldn’t advance, he would periodically flip through the Spirit River Junior-Level Medicine Manual he carried with him to study the principles of medicine.

The method of consuming a Li Fire Golden Date to temper his physical body and vitality was one he had found in that very manual.

’This time, I’ll have a good look in the Sect’s treasure vault and see if I can find some more Foundation Establishment Spiritual Objects that are suitable for me.’

Right now, Qin Xuan’s mind was completely occupied with thoughts of raising his Cultivation.

After all, he was a Demon Cultivator. As long as he had enough resources, his Realm could advance relentlessly, with no bottlenecks to speak of.

Another thing that pleased Qin Xuan was that, after nurturing it over the past several days, he had unintentionally succeeded in the Refinement of the Crystal Bracelet. It had transformed into a water-droplet pattern imprinted on his wrist.

It was extremely discrete and practically impossible for anyone to discover.

About two hours later, from a great distance, Qin Xuan saw a continuous, thread-like range of red, fiery mountains below him.

They had arrived at the Blazing Mountain Range!

Qin Xuan and his men hid behind a large, crimson boulder.

Following their gaze, they saw a majestic and magnificent sect complex nestled deep within the Fiery Mountain Range.

The continuous mountain range snaked like a giant dragon. Flames rose between its peaks, and fire erupted from volcanic craters, shooting high into the heavens and dyeing the horizon a blazing crimson.

A river of fire, like spewing lava, formed a natural barrier around the Blazing Fire Sect.

"It’s so hot..." one of the accompanying Demon Disciples muttered, unable to stand the scorching heat as he tugged at his collar.

Zhao Youliang’s face was also baked red by the intense heat from the flames, his forehead dripping with sweat.

"Steward Qin, the Blazing Fire Sect’s entrance is surrounded by that river of fire. We can’t get any closer..."

Qin Xuan said, "Don’t rush. Let’s find a cool, hidden spot to lie low first. We’ll figure something out after dark."

"Yes, sir!" the Demon Disciples all nodded.

Time passed slowly. As the sky gradually darkened, the Blazing Fire Sect shone like a pearl set amidst raging flames. Its Mountain Protection Array pulsed with a brilliant, shimmering light.

Inside the Sect, Foundation Establishment Disciples patrolled in twos and threes, riding their flying swords through the flames. Their movements were agile and their robes fluttered, giving them the grand air of the Immortal Family.

Qin Xuan frowned slightly, a look of confusion on his face.

’This isn’t right. Didn’t the Golden Finger say this trip to the Blazing Fire Sect was about ’slaughtering the remnants’ and that I’d even be able to breach the sect’s treasure vault?’

Then he glanced at the three Demon Disciples he had brought with him.

Qin Xuan’s head began to ache.

They were a motley crew. They couldn’t even get past the Sect Protection Array, let alone raid the treasure vault right under the noses of Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

It was no exaggeration to call this a suicide mission.

Just as he was wondering how to complete the reconnaissance mission assigned by the Sect, a tall, imposing figure in black robes suddenly tore through the night sky and descended upon the Peak of the Flame.

"You scum of the Blazing Fire Sect, I have come for my revenge."

The black-robed figure let out a wild laugh. Like a towering Demon Mountain, he stood before the Blazing Fire Sect’s gates, holding a Golden Broadsword that shimmered with a terrifying, soul-stirring light.

BANG!

With a thunderous crash, the Golden Broadsword surged forward with ferocious power, tearing through the air. Its movements were broad and sweeping, filled with overwhelming might.

In an instant, the Blazing Fire Sect’s supposedly impregnable Sect Protection Array was smashed to pieces.

The Foundation Establishment Disciples patrolling on their flying swords all vomited mouthfuls of blood and fell from the sky like rain.

They couldn’t even withstand a single blow from the Black-robed Demon Cultivator.

"It’s Senior Brother Chen!" A flicker of excitement crossed Qin Xuan’s face.

The divination was right. The turning point had arrived!

Qin Xuan was all too familiar with this black-robed figure. It was none other than the Blood Tyrant Demon Child, Chen Xuanba, possessor of the Blood Tyrant Sword Demon’s legacy.

His personality was naturally wild and unrestrained.

He probably couldn’t be bothered with any fancy maneuvering, so he had simply charged in all by himself.

The moment the Blazing Fire Sect’s protection array shattered, a middle-aged Daoist wreathed in flames flew out from within the sect. His eyes looked ready to split with fury as he bellowed.

"Your Excellency, Demon Child, what is the meaning of this?"

The middle-aged Daoist continued, "Are you trying to start a war between the Righteous and Demon Paths?!"

Behind the middle-aged Daoist stood several hundred Qi Cultivation Cultivators, each one wreathed in blazing flames.

Chen Xuanba roared with laughter. "Hahaha, enough of your nonsense! You people offended my Sword Sect and harmed my brethren. Today, I, Chen Xuanba, have come to see for myself just how tough the gates of your Blazing Fire Sect really are."

The Golden Broadsword chopped down violently.

KABOOM!

The Blazing Fire Sect’s majestic main gate, as fragile as tofu, was split in two and collapsed with a deafening roar.

Kicking up a cloud of dust.

Chen Xuanba raised an eyebrow slightly and let out another wild laugh.

"It seems the gates of the Blazing Fire Sect are even softer than I imagined! Hahaha!"