Chapter 908: Elder Ren Kui Arrives! A Zhouyi Bagua Divination Machine with Fruit Patterns!?

"Watch out!" Almost instinctively, Yao Ji felt a thick, intense wave of murderous intent violently assault him from behind!

With barely a shred of hesitation, he executed the footwork he had only just learned that day; his feet glided across the ground, and his entire form seemed both slow and incredibly fast, shifting sideways almost entirely without warning.

"He... he dodged it?" Gui Zijian had never imagined in his wildest dreams that this sudden, ambush-like strike of his would actually be evaded by a clueless playboy who understood nothing.

What mystified him even more was that any evasive maneuver usually meant the body would make some preparatory motion beforehand, or the immortal spirit energy would show a distinct redirection toward a certain heading, yet there was none; the opponent was as if footless, drifting away like a spectral phantom.

"How could this be...!?"

At that very moment, atop the distant scripture pavilion, two gazes cast themselves downward; they belonged precisely to the elder from the Plain Sailing Trials and one of the instructors who had tested Yao Ji the previous day.

They had clearly noticed the abnormality over here; after all, private duels among disciples were absolutely forbidden both inside and outside the Pavilion of Listening Dao.

"Elder Ren, should I...?" The middle-aged instructor clad in a single robe of azure hastily spoke up, "These disciples are truly far too lacking in discipline!"

The elder surnamed Ren merely shook his head: "Let us watch for a moment first."

The two men saw Yao Ji turn around, his mouth muttering words under his breath as he unfolded his footwork right before Gui Zijian's eyes.

That footwork appeared chaotic and fragmented, yet it allowed his entire body to drift rhythmically all around Gui Zijian, elusive and formless.

Meanwhile, Gui Zijian stood foolishly rooted to the spot.

Gui Zijian's eyes were now vacant and unfocused, as if he were completely unable to capture his target; the style, posture, and movements of the two men were on entirely different echelons!

"Have you noticed it?" Elder Ren spoke up.

"I have!" The instructor beside him nodded heavily, a grave expression surfacing in his eyes, "When Gui Zijian faces such footwork, he seems to have completely lost any desire to attack. Could it be..."

He suddenly realized: "Could this set of footwork actually inflict damage upon a person's spirit?!"

"Highly probable," Elder Ren nodded, saying, "In truth, the moment Yao Ji displayed this footwork, he had already won. However, from what I can observe, this set of footwork does not seem to belong to any of the Eight Great Clans, and I know not... from whence it came."

"This footwork is truly that formidable?!" the instructor asked in astonishment.

"In terms of grade, this footwork is at least on par with the movements used to enter the top thirty-six ranks of the Plain Sailing Leaderboard. Instructor Chao... this Gui Zijian has lost!"

Sure enough, Instructor Chao watched as Gui Zijian failed to unleash a single strike, his hands trembling as he stared blankly while Yao Ji and his companions walked away.

And Yao Ji had merely rehearsed a sequence of footwork right before his eyes—subduing the enemy's soldier without ever engaging in battle!

"But... this Yao Ji has neither gone abroad for training, nor has he encountered any miraculous opportunities..." Instructor Chao remarked, "Where exactly could this footwork have come from?"

"Very soon, we shall have our answer," Elder Ren Kui said, his eyes narrowing slightly, a profound meaning glinting within them.

Before long, a house guard arrived to report: "Elder, we have a lead! Down at the Thousand Lantern Marketplace at the foot of the mountain, a new shop has opened called the 'Upper Immortal Arcade'. It is said that within it lies a dharma artifact specifically used for learning footwork. Young Master Yao Ji trained up his profound footwork in that very shop."

"A small shop could actually teach a dull talent like Yao Ji such footwork in such a short span of time?"

"Intriguing." Elder Ren Kui's gaze grew sharp, "Truly intriguing. Instructor Chao Liang, would you care to take a stroll to this shop with me?"

"I, too, wish to see just what kind of person possesses greater capability than all the instructors of our Pavilion of Listening Dao!" Instructor Chao Liang also gave a cold snort, "Shall we... go right now!?"

"There is no day like today, let it be now!"

...

Soon enough, Elder Ren Kui and Instructor Chao of the Pavilion of Listening Dao set out together, tracking down the street where this shop was located.

Pushing aside the door curtain to enter, the two swept their gazes across the surroundings.

"Elder, look..." Instructor Chao noted that quite a few people were gathered around several massive dharma treasures, and there were even a few immortal cultivators hopping and jumping upon a raised platform, "Presumably, that is the dharma treasure they use to train their footwork. I shall go up and see what sort of marvel this dharma treasure possesses."

Elder Ren Kui nodded and walked forward, making inquiries among the crowd as a contemplative look entered his eyes: "What you mean to say is that by following this music, one learns footwork from the little person inside the screen?"

"Exactly!" The one replying to him was none other than one of the Three Freaks of Yunmeng, who even threw in an impromptu sequence right then and there, "Brother, care to step up and give it a try?"

"Try what?!" Elder Ren Kui let out a cold snort, saying disdainfully, "Do you think I look like someone who needs to learn this sort of footwork?!"

"Precisely! Who do you think you are speaking to?" Instructor Chao beside him seemed to despise these people from the bottom of his heart, a look of contempt flashing in his eyes.

Having hit a brick wall, the Three Freaks of Yunmeng immediately retreated with a sullen air.

"This sort of thing is fine for a few disciples to learn, but would someone of your status as an Elder ever need it?" the instructor sneered, "They truly know not the height of the heavens or the depth of the earth!"

"Gentlemen, what can I do for you?" Just then, Gu Tingyun walked up to them.

"Did you not hear?! We need nothing!" Instructor Chao's eyes instantly flared as he pointed at the crowd on the dance machines, "Do you think we are the same as them?!"

"What is wrong with these people?!"

"Why are they acting like this?"

"Don't cross them! Look at their attire..." The Three Freaks of Yunmeng clearly possessed sharp eyes; they had already deduced that these two held no ordinary status and were definitely not people just anyone could afford to offend.

The two stood out like cranes among a flock of chickens, entirely out of place with those around them, which immediately drew the attention of many. Quite a few people in the shop turned their gazes over.

Yet the two remained a picture of utter disdain... Given their status, how could they ever mingle with these ordinary immortal cultivators?! Was this sort of thing even worthy of their usage?!

Right at that moment, Gu Tingyun spoke up: "Gentlemen, our shop does not possess merely this single type of dharma artifact."

"Oh...?" The two immediately looked over in curiosity.

Elder Ren Kui followed the direction of the other man's finger and saw several half-man-high dharma artifact consoles resting there; within their square screens were depicted patterns of various fruits like apples, oranges, mangoes, and watermelons. Aside from fruits, there were also bells, "77", and the like.

"What is this?!" the two asked in immediate curiosity.

Gu Tingyun spoke: "This is... the Zhou Heaveanly Divination Machine. This square shape is derived from the concept of a round heaven and a square earth."

Seeing that their expressions remained bewildered, Gu Tingyun went on to explain: "You may utilize the 'Zhou Heavenly Divination' text provided by this shop, or use the divination methods you have mastered yourself, to divine the subsequent trajectory of this divination machine, and then make your choice."

Below, there was a row of buttons corresponding precisely to the apples, oranges, mangoes, and other symbols on the screen.

Then, Gu Tingyun explained further: "Users may purchase immortal coins from this shop to insert into the machine. If the divination is correct, the immortal coins will increase by the corresponding multiplier; otherwise, the immortal coin is consumed. All earnings can be exchanged back for immortal crystals within this shop."

"Ha ha ha ha ha...! In other words, this is a dharma artifact that tests one's attainment in the art of divination?" The moment Gu Tingyun finished speaking, both men burst into laughter.

Gu Tingyun could not help but find it strange: "What are you laughing at?!"

Elder Ren Kui laughed and said, "Laughing at you, shopkeeper, for being on the verge of losing even your opening capital without even realizing it."

Gu Tingyun looked at them inexplicably and asked, "Why would I lose even my capital?"

The two exchanged a glance, and Instructor Chao pointed at Elder Ren Kui beside him, laughing, "Could it be that you do not know that the person standing right before your eyes is a grandmaster of divination who has reached the very pinnacle of the art?!"