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"Qimen Manifestation!" George entered his inner world, intending to see the identity of the person in question—only to be greeted by the ima
"Qimen Manifestation!"
George entered his inner world, intending to see the identity of the person in question—only to be greeted by the image of an enormous fireball.
"So, the influence is that great?"
Rubbing his chin, he decided to temporarily give up on continuing the divination.
It wasn't that he couldn't crush that fireball; rather, since the person was right here, he could simply make contact and find out directly. There was no need to go against the world's will unnecessarily.
While obtaining information through divination wouldn't physically harm him due to backlash, the resulting streak of bad luck could be annoying—
Such as being struck by lightning while walking, getting hit by a car, or being inexplicably disliked and targeted by others. These wouldn't cause him real harm, but they were inconveniences he preferred to avoid.
"You blockhead… I gave you such a hint and you still couldn't figure it out!"
Inside the building, the elderly man who had just reverted from mosquito form back into human form watched Wang Ye and Zhang Chulan leave. Unable to contain himself, he muttered a curse.
No sooner had he spoken than he heard a voice behind him. His body instantly stiffened.
"Hint? Comprehension? Could it be that you're a Daoist from Wudang Mountain? But I've never heard of anyone from Wudang being skilled in transformation techniques."
"You can appear behind me without a sound?!"
The old man quickly turned and stepped back. When he saw the face of the newcomer, his brows furrowed.
"It's you!"
In the current otherworldly community, there was no one more famous than the young man before him.
Winner of the Luo Tian Dajiao, possessor of the Tongtian Talisman, and the one who had slain the Wang family head and all the experts who tried to steal it.
He had even attended the Luo Tian Dajiao in the form of a bird to watch the tournament himself.
"Who I am is none of your concern."
The old man's form blurred, transforming into a sparrow, and he immediately flew out of the building.
This young man's strength was formidable; even he wasn't confident he could win. It was better not to provoke him.
But George had no intention of letting the old man escape so easily.
From the man's apparent age and the things he had just said, George already had a guess about his identity.
From Wang Ye's memories, he knew that the creators of the Eight Marvel Skills were:
Zhang Huaiyi of Longhu Mountain, Feng Tianyang the great shaman of Liangshan, Zheng Zibu of Maoshan's Shangqing Sect, Zhou Sheng of Wudang, master craftsman Ma Benzai of Tiangong Hall, the wandering cultivator Ruan Feng, hereditary sorcerer Gu Qiting, and Miss Duanmu Ying of the Jishi Hall.
This old Daoist had secretly guided Wang Ye in the Fenghou Qimen, and could use transformation arts beyond the scope of common sorcery. That made it highly likely he was Zhou Sheng—the creator of the Fenghou Qimen.
"You like transformations? Then let's have a little contest of shape-shifting techniques."
George activated the transformation magic he had learned in the Fairy Tail world, turning into a giant eagle and diving toward the sparrow form of the old man.
The old man immediately landed on the nearby road, shifting into a tiger and leaping toward George's eagle form.
Just as the tiger was about to pounce, George transformed into a giant panda and swatted the tiger away with a single paw.
"Panda… and tiger?!"
On the roadside, an overworked office worker heading home after a late shift stared in disbelief at the tiger and panda facing off. He rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was hallucinating from exhaustion.
When he confirmed it was real, he spun on his heel and bolted.
Although he was tempted to record the scene of a tiger and panda fighting on the street, survival came first. If that tiger decided to attack him, he'd be dead.
"What do you want?"
The old man, noticing that a passerby had fled in panic, realized this place wasn't suitable for a fight. His identity could easily be exposed. He reverted to human form and addressed George.
He hadn't expected the other man to also know transformation techniques—escaping in that manner was now impossible.
"I merely found your transformation skills so exquisite that I couldn't resist the urge to spar. I mean no harm," George said with a smile, reverting to human form as well.
The old man's brow arched.
"I have other matters to attend to. I don't wish to spar with you."
"Tell me, Elder—are you Zhou Sheng, the Daoist who created the Fenghou Qimen?"
Just as the old man was turning to leave, George calmly posed the question.
Zhou Sheng froze mid-step, then turned back to George. His eyes narrowed slightly, and a trace of killing intent flickered across his face.
"If I am Zhou Sheng, what of it?"
"Nothing much. I simply wish to learn the Fenghou Qimen you created.
Of course, I'm a man who likes fair exchanges. If there are conditions, name them—I'll fulfill them if I can."
George stated his purpose bluntly.
Now that he had found Zhou Sheng, there was no need to go through Wang Ye to obtain the Fenghou Qimen. He could get it directly from its creator.
Until now, he had assumed that all the creators of the Eight Marvel Skills were long dead—it had been so many years, after all.
All the people whose souls he had searched believed that the creators, also known as the sworn Thirty-Six Thieves, had all perished.
But now, it seemed some were still alive. Perhaps he could use a tracking spell or find time to divine their whereabouts.
"You want to learn my Fenghou Qimen? Fine—no conditions. If you want to learn, I can teach you right now."
Zhou Sheng's eyes shifted, and a sly, malicious smile appeared on his face.
Was the Fenghou Qimen he created so easy to master?
Sorcery was an inherently dangerous path, and Qimen techniques were often even more perilous—especially those involving entry into the inner world to gather information from the world itself.
The Fenghou Qimen, in particular, allowed one to master all changes in the world, aligning one's innate yi qi with the seventy-two seasonal phases of heaven and earth—transforming oneself into the "Marquis of Seasons."
But in doing so, one would be constantly exposed to the essence of the world. Compared to that vastness, they would feel their own insignificance, leading to doubts about the world, about themselves, and about everything—
Until they tried to control everything in existence, their mind becoming trapped in the inner world, unable to break free—turning into a muddled, raving lunatic.
After creating the Fenghou Qimen, Zhou Sheng had once secretly returned to Wudang Mountain to pass it on to his fellow disciples, hoping it would become Wudang's greatest legacy.
The result? Every one of them went insane after training in it—until Wang Ye appeared, a rare genius whose talent and temperament far exceeded ordinary standards, and unexpectedly inherited the art successfully.
After years of research, Zhou Sheng knew his creation inside out. He even suspected that if the Old Celestial Master studied the Fenghou Qimen in depth, he too might lose his mind.
The young man before him, Jin Baobao, might be powerful, but his youth and evident greed—for both the Tongtian Talisman and the Fenghou Qimen—made him the perfect candidate to be broken by the art.
For someone with great power but insufficient mental fortitude, the Fenghou Qimen's contact with the world's essence would almost certainly drive them mad.
So, if this man wanted to learn, Zhou Sheng was happy to teach—if he went insane, it would remove a potential threat.
"How could I trouble you like that? Tell you what—if you ever need my help in the future, just ask."
George was a little surprised by Zhou Sheng's easy agreement, but didn't dwell on it.
He knew there were unknown risks in learning the Fenghou Qimen—Wang Ye's attitude had hinted as much.
But he had absolute confidence in himself. Whether in body or mind, he was on a level far beyond this world's otherworldly beings.
If Zhou Sheng and Wang Ye could learn it, then so could he.
(End of Chapter)