Eternal Life through Drawing Lots

The Profound Mysterious Study was silent.

Aside from Elder Hua, who was looking at Fang Yang with a gentle smile, the other three Pavilion Elders had temporarily paused their work.

They were all silently sizing up Fang Yang, waiting to see what choice he would make.

In truth, they knew Fang Yang possessed an extraordinary fortune, one at least on par with his ancestor, the Carp Eagle Saint, Fang Nian.

Therefore, they paid close attention to the answer he was about to give.

If Fang Yang truly refused to leave the study, it would prove he might genuinely be able to threaten Sen Yue’s position!

Just then, Fang Yang’s pupils abruptly contracted.

’A Tier Eight opportunity!’

In that instant, his mind flashed back to the Tier Seven opportunity from the Enlightenment Ceremony.

After Sen Wei had manifested her perfect-grade Cyan Lotus Saint Body, she had actually attempted to advance to the Cyan Lotus Immortal Body.

Although Sen Wei ultimately failed, she had, in any case, come incredibly close to achieving an Immortal Body.

And an Immortal Body was a prerequisite for reaching the realm of a Venerable One.

Now, an even more astounding Tier Eight opportunity had appeared out of thin air.

All these signs led Fang Yang to an unavoidable conclusion: this opportunity was very likely a Venerable One’s legacy—or at least part of one!

’A Tier Eight opportunity... If I could obtain it, I probably wouldn’t be constrained by the Sen lineage from now on. But it’s a shame. Just like during the Enlightenment Ceremony, I’m not remotely qualified to touch such a High Tier opportunity. If all goes as expected, this opportunity is for Sen Yue. And according to the legends of the Hundred-Year Celestial Mandate, it must involve the Mystical Skill of a Fortune Dragon.’

In that instant, Fang Yang’s mind raced, connecting the dots between many different events.

Finally, he sighed inwardly. He discarded the "Worst" fortune and the "Neutral" fortune, choosing the "Favorable" one instead.

However...

This Favorable fortune was peculiar. It actually indicated a hidden crisis would precede the opportunity.

It was as if the opportunity itself would be born from the crisis!

This was the second time Fang Yang had encountered such a situation.

But it was the first time he had ever chosen a fortune like this one.

A thousand thoughts swirled in his mind, but under the watchful eyes of the four Pavilion Elders, he could only set the matter aside for later.

Fang Yang replied, "Thank you for your guidance, Elder. I will head back now to prepare for the Guan River Festival. If you are truly too busy, you can summon me back, and I will certainly do my utmost to help."

Seeing Fang Yang give a satisfactory answer after a moment of thought, Elder Hua couldn’t help but chuckle. "Heh, your consideration is what matters. In that case, you may head back. Consider it a short break."

The sun hung high in the sky; it was noon.

Usually, Fang Yang didn’t leave the study until dusk.

It was easy to imagine how satisfied Elder Hua was with his answer.

Under the gazes of the four Pavilion Elders, Fang Yang clasped his hands in farewell, boarded his carriage, and headed back to the White Feathered Eagle garrison.

The carriage rumbled, heading off into the distance.

Just as he was leaving the inner city, Fang Yang suddenly looked up, gazing back toward the Profound Mysterious Study.

His eyes were deep with resolve. ’Tier Seven opportunities, Tier Eight opportunities... One day, I will be worthy of such immense fortune!’

「 」

After returning to the White Feathered Eagle garrison, Fang Yang had three days until the Guan River Festival began, so his main focus remained on breaking through to the Tier Two Middle realm.

As for the Tier Four opportunity, though he was preparing for it, it was a secondary priority.

No matter how amazing an opportunity might be, gaining real, tangible strength was more important.

’Have I reached my limit?’

「Two days later.」

In his dim bedroom, Fang Yang opened his eyes from his seat on the bed and let out a soft sigh.

He could feel that his internal Void Acupoint True Essence Sea had been refined to its absolute peak.

With time, it would begin to nourish itself. At that point, the Fire Eagle Illusion would reach 25%, and he would be able to advance to the Tier Two Middle realm.

This process might finish in two days, or maybe three, but it would take no longer than seven days.

However, if he insisted on continuing to refine the Fire Eagle Illusion, he would be pushing himself too far.

After all, he possessed a B-Grade Spirit Body, not a perfect Sacred Body like Sen Wei’s.

The strain placed on his body from refining the Fire Eagle Illusion was not something he could recover from so quickly!

’Therefore, I should shift my focus to the Guan River Festival,’ Fang Yang thought.

According to the prompt from the Favorable fortune, he intended to claim first place this time and obtain that Tier Four opportunity.

At the same time, he also hoped his White Feathered Eagle would cultivate a sliver of a kingly aura.

Once the White Feathered Eagle developed a kingly aura as he hoped, it could become a Hundred Beasts King, allowing it to break its racial limitations and smoothly enter the Tier Three realm.

But since the fortune also warned of a hidden crisis, he had to be prepared in every possible way!

「 」

The Dongfang Race had a long-standing tradition of holding the Guan River Festival.

This time, in order to integrate with Sen Yue’s army, they were holding it early and opening it to outsiders to show their submission.

For the Guan River Festival, the Guan River lay like a long, slender jade belt draped across Guan River Cloud Island.

Verdant willows lined its banks, rustling in the gentle, warm breeze.

The waters of the Guan River always flowed at a gentle pace, like a beautiful, long song with a soft and melodious tune.

A great deal of Jar Grass grew within the Guan River.

The roots of this grass dug into the mud at the river bottom to absorb nutrients.

Its stalks were long and pliable, supporting the tips of the grass as they poked above the river’s surface. The tip of each Jar Grass grew a single, brown-hued fruit.

While the fruit grew, it would attract Spirit Bugs, Spirit Grass, and even Spirit Fish and Spirit Shrimp.

As it developed, the fruit’s opening would gradually close.

Once fully mature, the tip of the Jar Grass looked as if it were dangling a brown, completely sealed earthenware jar.

Then, the Guan River would enter its decennial flood season. During this time, the river’s gentle demeanor would vanish, replaced by surging, turbulent currents that would wash over the countless Jar Grass plants.

One by one, the brown jar-fruits would be carried off by the flow, breaking away from their stalks to drift with the current.

A rather unique rule, however, was that Cultivators were forbidden from entering the water themselves. At most, they could wait at the upstream and downstream river mouths to pick up stragglers.

The task of snatching Jar Grass was left to Slave Beasts and Pet Beasts, making the event more of a carnival for beast-taming Cultivators.

Upon breaking open a Jar Grass fruit, one had a chance of finding various Spirit Grasses and Divine Metals inside.

Furthermore, since Jar Grass itself was a special commodity that could be exchanged for Yuan Stones,

the Guan River Festival was wildly popular, with each one being a joyous carnival and a grand spectacle.

Due to the impending war and the festival being held early, the participation of Tier Four and higher Slave Beasts or Pet Beasts was restricted.

The destructive power of Pet Beasts at Tier Four and above was simply too great.

To that end, the Guan River was divided into three zones for this occasion.

A Tier One Zone, a Tier Two Zone, and a Tier Three Zone, designed to ensure that the Cultivators of the Changkong Race and the Dongfang Race would mingle and become one group.

It was worth mentioning that the number of Slave Beasts each Cultivator could control was also limited.

Tier One Zone: A contest of Tier One Pet Beasts, with a maximum of eleven beasts per allied group.

Tier Two Zone: A contest of Tier Two Pet Beasts, with a maximum of fifty-one beasts per allied group.

Tier Three Zone: A contest of Tier Three Pet Beasts, with a maximum of one hundred and one beasts per allied group.

’A Tier Four opportunity, and a Tier Eight opportunity.’

’The difference between them is truly that between heaven and earth, between mortal and immortal.’

’My most important Spiritual Object is still the Carp Eagle Divine Feather... I wonder when I’ll trigger its next opportunity...’

As Fang Yang pondered this, a storm of emotions washed over him.

It would be a lie to say he wasn’t envious of the nurturing that Sen Yue and Sen Wei received.

However, he wasn’t worried about being unable to catch up.

He then turned his gaze inward, focusing on the ball of light in his mind that was his [Seek Fortune, Avoid Calamity] talent.

He was confident that as long as he kept walking the path, he would one day travel farther in his cultivation than Sen Wei and Sen Yue ever could!