Chapter 596: Wu Shenyun Breaks Through to Land Immortal! A Visit to the Door!
'Awesome! Too awesome! This Master Shen is explosively awesome!'
Zhao Tao's face was filled with fanaticism and excitement, flushed crimson.
Which man doesn't have a dream of cultivating immortality? In his previous life, Zhao Tao even learned things like the 'Eight-Part Vajra Art,' but at most, it only strengthened his body. He couldn't even walk on walls, let alone display such divine abilities.
At first, Zhao Tao had been utterly convinced that Shen Anyu was nothing more than a silver-tongued swindler, a charlatan using the flimsy excuse of palm reading to get his hands on his beautiful fiancée, Zhang Yaqian. The fury that had coursed through him was a white-hot, possessive fire, driving him to confront this blatant predator.
But now, witnessing the impossible, that inferno of rage had been extinguished, replaced by the blazing sun of pure, unadulterated awe. Without Zhang Yaqian needing to utter another word of explanation, the truth had slammed into him with the force of a physical blow. He believed. He completely and utterly believed.
This Master Shen was no swindler. He was a true Master, an immortal walking among mortals.
If not for the last shred of his public image, the lingering concern for how it would look, Zhao Tao would have already thrown himself to the ground, kowtowing with fervent devotion, begging to be accepted as a disciple. The thought screamed in his mind, drowning out all else. 'Coach, I want to learn this! I need to learn this!'
Why bother with singing? Why chase fleeting fame on a stage when the path to godhood was laid bare before him? The allure of cultivation was infinitely more potent than any chart-topping hit. And besides, a career in cultivation didn't necessarily mean he had to abandon his debut entirely. Imagine the headlines: "The Immortal Idol Zhao Tao."
Just as his mind reeled with these world-altering possibilities, a series of cold, mechanical notifications chimed silently in Shen Anyu's mind.
[Ding! Child of Destiny Zhao Tao has been convinced. Plundering +66666 Destiny Points!]
[Ding! Detected Destined Heroine Zhang Yaqian's favorability +6. Plundering +18000 Destiny Points!]
'Is that all?' Shen Anyu mused, a flicker of dark humor dancing in his thoughts. 'Get your teeth knocked out, have them magically regrown, and I get a thank you in the form of Destiny Points? What a strange world.'
Outwardly, however, he was the very picture of profound tranquility. His expression remained serene, his posture relaxed yet radiating an unshakable authority. He was the archetypal hidden master, a being beyond the trivial concerns of the mortal coil. He gave a slight, almost dismissive wave of his hand.
"So," his voice was calm, carrying a weight that settled the air around them, "has the misunderstanding been resolved?"
"Yes! Yes! Absolutely!" Zhao Tao jolted as if waking from a dream. "It was all me! Zhao Tao was impulsive, rash, and completely misunderstood the situation between Master Shen and Yaqian! Master Shen is a man of noble character, a true sage, and Yaqian is as pure as jade. How could anything untoward possibly happen?"
As he spoke, a series of sharp, stinging sounds echoed in the pavilion. Smack! Smack! Smack! Zhao Tao was slapping his own face, each blow landing with genuine force, leaving angry red marks on his cheeks. He bowed repeatedly, his apologies tumbling out in a torrent of self-recrimination.
It was all his fault! How could he have been so blind? To think a profound being like Master Shen would need to stoop to such a crude tactic as palm reading to take advantage of his fiancée? It was an insult to the very concept of power. And his fiancée, Zhang Yaqian, she was even more flawless, an immaculate jewel who would never be involved with another man. It was his own insecurity, his own reckless impulsiveness that had created this entire mess.
Zhang Yaqian watched this display with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. Seeing that Zhao Tao was not only unharmed but physically better than before, her lingering worry evaporated completely. Her gaze shifted, drawn irresistibly back to Shen Anyu. Her beautiful eyes sparkled with a light that was more than just admiration; it was reverence.
She had believed she had already estimated Master Shen's abilities to their fullest extent. His divine foresight was the stuff of legends, and a single Peace Talisman from his hand had been enough to save her life from a deadly plot. But now, she understood. She had not overestimated him; she had vastly, laughably underestimated him. To heal such brutal injuries, to regrow shattered teeth from nothing with a mere flick of his wrist… this wasn't the work of a master. This was the work of a living god.
Zhao Tao, having finished his self-flagellation, also stared at Shen Anyu, his eyes wide and unblinking. In that moment, the captivating beauty of his own fiancée might as well have been a landscape painting. His entire world had narrowed to the figure of the young man before him. His voice took on a fawning, almost pleading tone.
"Master Shen, Zhao Tao sincerely, truly realizes his mistake. I truly repent and… and I wish to follow Master Shen and cultivate the Dao!"
Fearing an immediate rejection, Zhao Tao's words came faster, his desperation evident. "As long as Master Shen agrees, Zhao Tao is willing to offer 100 million as a disciple's initiation fee! A sign of my sincerity!"
Shen Anyu's expression flickered with a strange light. Zhao Tao, this particular Child of Destiny who was meant to plagiarize his way to the top of the entertainment industry, actually wanted to abandon his path and become his disciple? The irony was delicious.
'If I accept him,' Shen Anyu thought, a predatory amusement stirring within him, 'then wouldn't that make Zhang Yaqian my disciple's fiancée? And as they say, a teacher is like a father. A disciple's fiancée… is practically a daughter-in-law, isn't she?'
Cough, cough.
Maintaining his placid facade, Shen Anyu spoke slowly, his voice carrying an air of ancient, unchangeable wisdom. "Our horoscopes are incompatible. I do not accept disciples."
Even if he were to take on a student, it would be someone like the vibrant, adorable, and devastatingly cute Yang Luoluo. A man? Absolutely not. All those fantasies of being a charming female master's favorite student or a handsome Sword Immortal's sole heir were nothing but pipe dreams for others.
His thoughts, however, drifted to another Child of Destiny, the Immortal Doctor Lu Ran, whom he had already dealt with. Lu Ran had a stunningly beautiful Master named Crimson Beauty, the Sect Leader of the Purple Spirit Sect and a renowned immortal in the Xuanhuang World. Shen Anyu found her age of several hundred years to be of no consequence whatsoever. Age was merely a number to a cultivator of her standing; it only added to her mature, otherworldly charm.
When the time came for him to travel to the Xuanhuang World, Shen Anyu would most certainly help the departed Immortal Doctor Lu Ran by taking good care of his Master, Crimson Beauty. It was the least he could do.
...
'Horoscopes incompatible… no disciples accepted?'
The reason struck Zhao Tao like a lightning bolt. It was completely unscientific, yet it felt perfectly, frustratingly in line with the mystical logic of the cultivation world. It was an absolute, final judgment that left no room for argument or appeal. His face fell, painted with a mask of profound disappointment and regret.
"It seems," he sighed, his shoulders slumping, "that Zhao Tao and Master Shen have no destined connection."
"If your heart is truly set on the path of cultivation, perhaps you can seek out other profound individuals," Shen Anyu offered leisurely, his words a casual breadcrumb dropped for the starving man.
A spark ignited in Zhao Tao's eyes. He thought to himself, 'Right! If a profound master like Shen Anyu exists in this parallel world, there must be others! There might be even more powerful ones! After all, Master Shen looks so young, maybe in his early twenties, about my age. Those ancient masters, the ones who are hundreds of years old, must possess even more terrifying power!'
Zhang Yaqian, however, had a different perspective. A quiet thought surfaced in her mind. Her father, Zhang Yunhai, had always been a staunch advocate for the Artificer world. He had personally taken her to meet numerous profound Artificers, from so-called Artificer True Persons to the highly respected Grand Artificer True Persons. She had even been granted an audience with reclusive masters from the Tianshi Sect. Yet, none of them, not a single one, possessed abilities that were even in the same universe as Master Shen's. What they did were impressive feats of spiritual engineering. What he did was bend reality. It was simply incredible.
Just then, Shen Anyu's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly. He felt a familiar ripple in the fabric of the world, a shift in the spiritual energy of Jinxiu Mountain Villa. A faint, knowing smile graced his handsome face.
"Master Shen, why are you smiling?" Zhang Yaqian asked, her curiosity piqued by the sudden, subtle change in his demeanor.
Shen Anyu's smile deepened, but he offered no explanation, deftly changing the subject. "Zhang Yaqian, I have finished reading your palm. I have divined the matter you wished to ask about. Shall I tell you now?"
Zhang Yaqian was about to eagerly agree, but she hesitated, glancing at the hopeful, lingering Zhao Tao beside her. With a sweet but firm tone, she said, "Zhao Tao, you should leave first. I have a private matter to discuss with Master Shen."
"Ah, okay! Of course, Yaqian. You and Master Shen talk. I won't disturb you." Though Zhao Tao was burning with curiosity about what his fiancée needed to ask a divine master, he knew better than to displease his goddess. He quickly bid farewell to both of them and left with his bodyguards in tow, though he made sure not to go too far, positioning himself just out of earshot.
Even though Shen Anyu's divine abilities had thoroughly convinced him, a sliver of unease remained. His fiancée was quiet, pure, and innocent—a perfect target. In his mind, every man was a potential rival, and vigilance was a necessity.
Inside the lakeside pavilion, a quiet intimacy settled now that only Shen Anyu and Zhang Yaqian remained.
"Master Shen, please tell me," Zhang Yaqian began, her voice soft, her cherry-like lips slightly parted. "I have been feeling so restless these past two days. I don't know what exactly has happened, but my heart is not at peace."
"Someone important to you has met with an accident," Shen Anyu stated calmly, his gaze steady and profound. "Your spirit is sensing their peril, hence your unease."
"Someone… important?" Zhang Yaqian pursed her pink lips, her mind racing. The only person she truly considered that important was her Daddy, Zhang Yunhai, but he was perfectly fine. As for her fiancé, Zhao Tao… he didn't quite carry that much weight in her heart, and besides, he was standing just a short distance away, also fine.
Could it be…
A sudden realization struck her. Zhang Yaqian's starry eyes widened, and she let out a small, sharp gasp.
"Could it be… Brother Zhang Zhiyun?"
The name felt strange on her tongue after so many years. Zhang Zhiyun, the boy she met in the Hangzhou Zhang Family when she was just a child. Even after all this time, she had never forgotten him.
When the Hangzhou Zhang Family was annihilated in a sea of fire and blood, only two bodies were never found: hers and Zhang Zhiyun's. She had always harbored a desperate suspicion that he, like her, had somehow survived. She had sent people to search for him, but every lead turned into a dead end, every hope dwindling into nothing.
Could he truly be alive after all this time, only to be in danger now?
"Miss Zhang, there is no need to worry." A faint smile played on Shen Anyu's lips. 'Oh, he's not just alive,' he thought with dark amusement. 'He's living very well.' "I have calculated that your important person has now turned a corner. The danger has passed, and he is safe." Shen Anyu knew the full story. Zhang Zhiyun was not only alive, he was thriving, having mastered the sinister Yin Corpse Devil Sword and even broken through to the Heavenly Master realm.
A wave of relief washed over Zhang Yaqian, so potent it almost made her dizzy. She looked at Shen Anyu, her beautiful eyes shimmering with profound gratitude. "Thank you, Master Shen. The gratuity for your service will be presented shortly."
Shen Anyu gave a light nod. He stood, his posture tall and straight as a pine tree, and slowly began to depart, his movements unhurried and graceful.
Zhang Yaqian watched him go, her mind a whirl of emotions. A moment later, she realized her mistake. 'Oh no, I forgot to ask Master Shen how I can find Brother Zhang Zhiyun!'
Just as the thought crossed her mind, a clear, calm voice drifted back from the distance, seemingly carried on the wind itself. "Within three days, you will meet naturally."
"Thank you, Master Shen!" Zhang Yaqian called out, her voice filled with joy. Her beautiful eyes sparkled as she gazed with immense admiration at Shen Anyu's retreating figure, a man who seemed to know not only the past and present, but the future as well.
...
'Heh heh, Zhang Zhiyun has fallen into the demonic path. I suspect you won't be so happy when you finally meet him,' Shen Anyu thought, strolling leisurely along the lakeshore path. The faint, cruel smile never left his lips. He paused, tilting his head slightly as if listening to the wind.
"Wifey, you've arrived? Why have you been hiding in the shadows? Are you afraid your husband is off dallying with some young girl?"
"Little scoundrel, it really is you!"
At this moment, a woman in red suddenly appeared before Shen Anyu.
It was none other than the Southern Border Goddess, Wu Shenyun!
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