Chapter 127 – Old Dog Zong’s Diary — What Decent Person Keeps a Diary? (Second Update)
by spirapiraChapter 126 – Old Dog Zong’s Diary — What Decent Person Keeps a Diary? (Second Update)
“The Eight Trigrams Divination Art?”
Su Xing was stunned for a moment, then quickly realized — this must be a secret cultivator technique capable of calculating one’s fortune and luck.
There was a saying in the fortune-telling trade: first comes fate, second comes luck, third comes feng shui, fourth comes accumulated virtue, fifth comes study…
Could this fortune-calculating art truly divine one’s luck?
Thinking this, Su Xing suddenly understood everything.
He finally realized why Old Dog Zong had always been able to seek advantage and avoid danger, escaping his ambushes time and again.
That bastard had definitely sensed the danger!
He’d even gone so far as to hole up in a mountain ravine a hundred kilometers outside the Advent Cult for several months. Such caution — even Su Xing had to tip his hat to the man.
But this was precisely proof that the Eight Trigrams Divination Art truly worked!
Old Dog Zong had indeed relied on this secret technique to detect crises in advance and escape from Su Xing’s grasp across multiple simulations.
However, no matter how cautious a cultivator might be, they still couldn’t compare to Su Xing the cheater. If once wasn’t enough, he’d try twice — if twice wasn’t enough, he’d try ten times!
With unlimited simulations at his disposal, he’d finally managed to slaughter Old Dog Zong inside the simulator.
“This Eight Trigrams Divination Art… seems like a perfect match for me?”
After all, the core of his simulator could be described as a perfect divination.
Su Xing stroked his chin and muttered. As the chosen one blessed with the simulator, what Su Xing needed most was stability — to never stand beneath a crumbling wall.
And the Eight Trigrams Divination Art fit this perfectly. Once Su Xing mastered this technique, would he ever need to fear danger finding him? It would be a case of two things coming together being significantly more powerful than on their own.
The corners of Su Xing’s mouth curled upward slightly, then he let out a sigh:
“Though Old Dog Zong was an evil cultivator, I really did learn quite a lot from him…”
“Cultivators are fundamentally those who contend against the heavens, seeking to prove the Dao and attain longevity. One must never fight over momentary pride… Only by being sufficiently steady — cautious — can one laugh last!”
Su Xing thought to himself — compared to Old Dog Zong, he was still too young and inexperienced.
Looking back now, many of the things he’d done before had vulnerabilities. If someone with ill intentions had noticed, Su Xing might already be in danger right now.
Take, for example, Su Xing’s partnership with Jin Congxue to establish the Tarot Trading Company — collecting equipment and items while selling large quantities of pills.
Although the simulations had confirmed Jin Congxue could be trusted, the massive influx of equipment and those precious pills were not something that Su Xing, who had been merely a minor Golden Core stage cultivator at the time, could have protected.
“But things are different now… Divine Power Realm, comparable to a Martial Emperor’s strength — protecting a little Tarot Trading Company is more than enough!”
Su Xing thought to himself.
“As for large-scale Spirit rice cultivation, perhaps I should wait a while longer. First, I need to explore through simulations, continually figuring out how to cultivate Spirit grain on the largest possible scale…”
“Second, my strength still isn’t enough. If the Advent Cult or even the foreign races catch wind of the Spirit grain operation, what I’ll face is endless assassination attempts!”
The moment Su Xing recalled the hundreds of assassination attempts he’d suffered in the simulator, his scalp went numb.
A life where he felt unsafe no matter where he went — Su Xing simply couldn’t live like that.
After careful deliberation, Su Xing turned his gaze back to the simulation panel.
【You excitedly pick up the Eight Trigrams Divination Art and begin reading. Sure enough, this secret technique truly is a divine ability capable of calculating fortune and sensing personal crises!】
【After a cursory read, you discover the Eight Trigrams Divination Art’s contents are incomplete — a small portion of the latter section was erased when Old Dog Zong destroyed his storage bag earlier, but it was the most crucial portion.】
【Thinking of this, rage surges in your heart once more. You use Separation Fire to scorch Old Dog Zong, burning him until he screams in agony.】
【Afterward, you search the nearby area, collecting the few remaining damaged magical treasures.】
【Having finished all this, you threaten Old Dog Zong with the Separation Fire Technique and spend several days locating the intact storage bag that Old Dog Zong had thrown away earlier.】
【To your surprise, the Snow Bone Jade Ginseng seeds are actually inside this storage bag! In addition to the seeds, the bag also contains a massive collection of diaries written by Old Dog Zong!】
Su Xing stared blankly at this, then muttered:
“Good lord, Old Dog Zong really is no good person… What decent person keeps a diary?”
“Heh heh, but these diaries are perfect. If I can learn something about the cultivation world from them… this is all invaluable intelligence!”
Thinking this, Su Xing’s heart stirred. He silently intoned:
“Activate immersive simulation mode, duration two hours!”
【Ding. Immersive simulation mode detected. Duration: 2 hours. Cost: 200,000 energy. Remaining energy: 25,931,234 points.】
The simulator’s voice rang in Su Xing’s ears.
Then Su Xing’s vision shifted, and the next second he appeared in an unfamiliar environment.
It was an endless expanse of mountains, far beyond the borders of Great Xia.
Standing beside Su Xing was a woman dressed in a tight black outfit with a veil covering her face — it was Luo Shuying.
There was also a mass of strange black light hovering before Su Xing — this was Old Dog Zong.
“Su Xing, we need to hurry… Killing this Grand Protector Zong took too long. I’m worried that if too much time passes, the Advent Cult will notice something’s off. If they come after us, that would be bad!”
Luo Shuying frowned slightly and spoke to Su Xing in a low voice.
Su Xing thought for a moment, then said:
“Then let’s find a place to hide first. We’re not far from the Great Xia border, and we’re in the north. I’ll notify the people in the Capital City to come — with their help, we should be safe…”
Hearing this, Luo Shuying frowned slightly. Having been a traitor within the Advent Cult for decades, she inexplicably harbored some hostility toward the Great Xia authorities.
But when she glanced at Su Xing beside her, her brow gradually relaxed, and she said softly:
“Alright, I’ll follow your lead!”
Su Xing nodded slightly and quickly contacted Lu Yuanwu. After sharing his location, he and Luo Shuying found a cave and ducked inside.
Then, Su Xing excitedly began sorting through the spoils from intercepting and killing Old Dog Zong!
A small banner, blood-red throughout, with the faint outline of the character for “soul” visible on its surface in traditional script — though the banner’s face was already damaged.
Su Xing channeled his spiritual energy and probed the banner from a distance, then barked at Old Dog Zong’s Nascent Soul:
“Old dog, what’s this thing for?”
Cowed by the Separation Fire Technique in Su Xing’s hands, Old Dog Zong could only answer sullenly:
“That’s a Soul-Summoning Banner, a supreme-grade magical artifact. It can devour human souls to strengthen spiritual awareness, and it can also assist in cultivating the divine ability Black Fiend Hand…”
Su Xing raised an eyebrow at this. No wonder he’d sensed so much resentful energy emanating from the banner — in Old Dog Zong’s hands, it must have devoured countless souls…
Su Xing asked again: “What’s the Black Fiend Hand?”
Old Dog Zong droned: “My left hand from before was cultivated with the Black Fiend Hand divine ability. It can devour others’ spiritual energy and convert it into fiendish qi — a minor divine ability…”
Hearing this, Su Xing immediately understood. This was the black energy that had given him such trouble before — it could continuously erode spiritual energy, clinging like maggots to bone. Truly difficult to deal with!
Su Xing then took out the bone sword Old Dog Zong had been wielding earlier. This was Old Dog Zong’s only intact magical treasure. He asked:
“And what’s the story behind this sword?”
Old Dog Zong paused for a moment, then said:
“That is the Withered Bone Sword, a mid-grade treasure weapon…”
Su Xing raised an eyebrow: “Withered Bone?”
Old Dog Zong let out a sinister chuckle: “It’s made from human spinal bones. Refine one thousand two hundred and ninety-six vertebrae together, and you get the Withered Bone Sword…”
Su Xing drew a sharp breath. The origins of this bone sword were truly chilling… A nameless chill crept over him, and he tossed the bone sword aside.
He then proceeded to ask Old Dog Zong about every single damaged treasure.
From a half-piece of purple pill, to damaged talismans… to half a spirit jade, and so on…
Unfortunately, all these treasures had been destroyed by Old Dog Zong beforehand. Even those that weren’t completely ruined were unusable for Su Xing now.
What made Su Xing’s blood run cold was that nearly all these treasures had horrifying origins and sinister effects.
Just as Su Xing had suspected — Old Dog Zong was truly an evil cultivator!
Su Xing then took out the scroll containing the Eight Trigrams Divination Art and skimmed through it.
The technique was divided into two parts. The upper section could calculate the fortune of a region, a nation, or an entire world, but required supremely powerful cultivation to support it. Su Xing estimated that with his current strength, mastering the upper section was impossible.
The lower section calculated one’s own fortune — it could seek advantage and avoid danger, cast one divination per day to determine personal safety, and subtly enhance one’s luck.
This technique was clearly far more practical, though it was extremely difficult to cultivate, easily taking over a hundred years to master.
“What a shame — the most crucial cultivation method of the lower section was erased…”
Su Xing sighed, then asked Old Dog Zong:
“Recite the lower section’s cultivation method for me!”
Hearing Su Xing’s demand, Old Dog Zong let out a sinister chuckle:
“Fellow Daoist, I’m no fool… The Eight Trigrams Divination Art is the most precious technique I possess. If I tell you, does this old man have any chance of survival?”
“How about you send me back to the Advent Cult instead? Once I’ve rebuilt my physical body, I’ll write down this technique for you, word for word — how about that?”
Su Xing let out a cold laugh at Old Dog Zong’s words. This old dog sure had a vivid imagination.
Did he really think he could get Su Xing to spare him with mere words?
Rebuild his physical body and then write down the technique for Su Xing?
More likely, Old Dog Zong would come knocking with the Advent Cult’s forces!
Seeing Su Xing completely unmoved, Old Dog Zong said:
“Fellow Daoist, what we cultivators seek is nothing more than opportunities. If it’s wealth you want, take it… Why take a life? There are so few cultivators in this world — the fact that we’ve crossed paths means we share a great karmic bond!”
Su Xing listened in silence, then suddenly asked:
“Oh? Few cultivators, you say? You’ve encountered other cultivators?”
Old Dog Zong chuckled:
“Though spiritual energy has dissipated since the Great Severing of Heaven and Earth, and cultivators have nearly gone extinct… there are still a few old monsters here and there, scattered across different worlds…”
“Speaking of which, Fellow Daoist — which world do you hail from?”
Despite being reduced to nothing but a Nascent Soul with his life in Su Xing’s hands, Old Dog Zong maintained an air of fearless confidence, even striking up casual conversation.
Su Xing didn’t answer. Instead, he suddenly asked:
“Other cultivators — like Protector Dragon, for instance?”
Old Dog Zong was momentarily stunned, then gave an awkward laugh:
“That old dragon is quite capable indeed, and he guards a treasury. Let me tell you — his treasury is packed with treasures. You and this Protector Shadow here could easily go rob him…”
Su Xing cut him off mid-sentence and said finally:
“Is there anything else you want to say?”
Old Dog Zong hurriedly replied: “Why, of course — the deal I proposed earlier! I swear upon my Dao and soul…”
Before Old Dog Zong could finish, Su Xing cut him off.
“Since you’ve got nothing to say, then die.”
With that, Su Xing channeled the Separation Fire Technique and directly extinguished Old Dog Zong’s Nascent Soul.
Even in death, Old Dog Zong never understood why Su Xing had killed him so decisively. Did Su Xing not want the Eight Trigrams Divination Art?
What he could never have imagined was that Su Xing had plenty of opportunities to obtain the technique.
In this simulation, Old Dog Zong had destroyed the technique — but in the future, once Su Xing’s strength was sufficient, Old Dog Zong probably wouldn’t even have the ability to destroy it.
Besides, a technique dictated orally by Old Dog Zong might not be accurate. If he’d tampered with it, Su Xing would be in real trouble.
So it was better to forget the technique entirely, kill him cleanly, and wait for a later simulation to obtain the complete jade scroll before studying it.
“What matters most this time is the Snow Bone Jade Ginseng seeds!”
Su Xing’s heart stirred as he took out the other intact storage bag. Inside was a small pouch of ice-blue seeds — the Snow Bone Jade Ginseng seeds!
Seeing the seeds intact and undamaged, Su Xing breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as he had these seeds, Su Xing was not far from breaking through to the Spirit Transformation stage!
“The Snow Bone Jade Ginseng has been found, and the Three-Tailed Phoenix Grass is already being cultivated… All the ingredients needed for the Nascent Soul Tempering Pill have been gathered. Next, I just need to refine the pill, successfully form a Perfect Nascent Soul, and I can break through to Spirit Transformation!”
At this thought, Su Xing’s heart burned with excitement!
Once the Perfect Nascent Soul was formed and he broke into the Spirit Transformation stage, Su Xing would be one step closer to immortality!
“Besides the Snow Bone Jade Ginseng seeds, there are also quite a few of Old Dog Zong’s diaries!”
Su Xing looked inside the storage ring at the thick stack of diaries — piled up, they’d probably be ten meters tall. He was momentarily speechless.
“Good grief, this old dog lived for a thousand years — don’t tell me he wrote in his diary every single day?”
Su Xing found it hard to fathom that a great cultivator of the Spirit Transformation stage like Old Dog Zong would have such a hobby.
Su Xing casually flipped through a few diaries and was immediately shaken by Old Dog Zong’s past deeds.
“Year 2376 of the Immortal Martial Calendar. Working the fields. Happened upon an old immortal, and thus entered the immortal sect!”
“Year 2398 of the Immortal Martial Calendar. Finally broke through to Foundation Establishment. Longevity is within reach… Went to the neighboring peak to find Fairy Flower. We chatted for a long while.”
“Year 2434 of the Immortal Martial Calendar. Reached Foundation Establishment Great Perfection. Set out to seek an opportunity to break through to Golden Core. Before leaving, visited Fairy Flower. Accidentally discovered her in an illicit affair with Second Senior Brother. Flew into a rage, poisoned them both, seized their treasures, and defected from the sect.”
“Year 2436 of the Immortal Martial Calendar. On the run…”
“Year 2439 of the Immortal Martial Calendar. Broke through to Golden Core stage. Been hunted for over a dozen years — will these ghosts never stop haunting me?”
“Year 2448 of the Immortal Martial Calendar. On the run…”
“Year 2513 of the Immortal Martial Calendar. Condensed a sixth-grade Golden Core. Longevity is within reach!”
“Year 2673 of the Immortal Martial Calendar. On the run…”
“Year 2712 of the Immortal Martial Calendar. Entered a city to buy wine. Happened upon a lovely beauty, and my heart yearned for her. Slaughtered her husband, killed her father, and enjoyed her for seven days.”
“Year 2732 of the Immortal Martial Calendar. Entered a border town. By chance, obtained the secret manual for the Black Fiend Palm. Heaven aids me! Slaughtered the entire town, condensed the supreme-grade magical artifact Soul-Summoning Banner, and mastered the divine ability Black Fiend Palm!”
Su Xing drew a sharp breath.
“Good lord, Old Dog Zong really is something else… After getting cheated on by Fairy Flower, he went full dark side!”