Great Villain: Starting by Humiliating the Son of the Heavenly Fate-Chapter 402: Divination Breakdown

"Fine! I'll make it up to you. As long as you work with me to track down and eliminate the culprit, you'll be well rewarded," Sun Xiangyuan said coldly. "But don't push your luck. We're dealing with a demon here. If we mess this up, the Profound Jade Immortal Alliance won't be forgiving."

"Relax. I know where the line is," Lu Tingyun said with a calm smile.

Sun Xiangyuan took a deep breath and gave a short nod.

"Did you find out anything else? Maybe from the cultivators who scattered?" Lu Tingyun asked.

"You think a demon that was secretly using my Sun Tianlin would let a bunch of nobodies learn anything?" Sun Xiangyuan scoffed and waved his hand. "Go ahead, question them if you want. I promise you—they don't know a thing."

"Daoist Lu Tingyun, time is short. Please, get started," he said urgently.

"I'll begin with a divination. We'll talk more after that," Lu Tingyun replied, frowning slightly. She knew he was too worked up for a proper discussion, so she left it at that.

"Quickly, quickly! Everything depends on you now, Daoist Lu Tingyun!" Sun Xiangyuan said, nodding over and over, his face tight with barely contained rage.

"Per the rules, please wait outside," Lu Tingyun said with a small nod, motioning toward the door.

"I understand," Sun Xiangyuan replied, turning on his heel. He knew that watching could interfere with the process.

A moment later, he was gone.

Left alone in the quiet chamber, Lu Tingyun turned her full attention to the lingering trace of aura the killer had left behind. Her expression grew serious as she began channeling her arts, using the faint residue as a thread to trace the killer's whereabouts.

...

At the same time, over in Golden Cirrus City's Jade Rain Golden House, Jiang Chen was quietly cultivating in his courtyard. But even while meditating, his divine sense kept scanning the city around him.

Thanks to the Compassionate Sword Immortal Palace's offensive against the Purple Crest Immortal Sect, news of Sun Tianlin's death had spread like wildfire. Even in a place as ordinary as Golden Cirrus City, the gossip had already reached most cultivators.

So word's already gotten out? Jiang Chen frowned slightly. They're even saying a demon might be involved. And the Purple Crest Sect hasn't bothered to deny it. If they'd questioned any of the cultivators under my control, they'd already know the truth. Now practically everyone on Prosperous Stone Immortal Star thinks I'm some Nirvana Cleansing realm demon. If the Profound Jade Immortal Alliance starts sniffing around, this could get messy.

Just then, a sudden chill ran through his body. He stiffened for a split second before settling down again.

That feeling... Someone's trying to trace me using divination. But they hit a wall—my Death Calamity Dark Star Moon Dao Embryo bloodline must've blocked it. Probably someone from the Purple Crest Sect. His eyes glinted briefly, then a cold smile crept across his lips.

...

Meanwhile, back at the Purple Crest Immortal Sect, Lu Tingyun was having no luck. After several tries, her usual tracking methods had completely failed.

What a troublesome opponent. No wonder Sun Xiangyuan came running to me in such a panic. She sighed and immediately switched to stronger secret arts.

But even when she pushed her skills as far as they could go under normal conditions, there was still nothing—no clue, no trace, nothing at all.

"How is this possible?" she muttered, frowning deeply. "Why can't I find him?"

...

Back at the Jade Rain Golden House, Jiang Chen suddenly felt another sharp jolt run through him. His skin prickled, hairs standing on end. Then, like before, everything returned to normal.

Again? And stronger this time. Whoever it is, they're not giving up. He narrowed his eyes. I can't just rely on my bloodline's passive defenses anymore. Time to get serious.

He paused his cultivation and fully activated the power of his Death Calamity Dark Star Moon Dao Embryo bloodline.

A strange, dark energy surged out of him, wrapping around the courtyard like a protective shell.

...

Over at the Purple Crest Immortal Sect, Lu Tingyun's expression grew grim. She reached into her storage artifact and pulled out a strange board covered in a grid of black lines.

This demon must be hiding behind a Nirvana Cleansing-level treasure to dodge my tracking. Looks like it's time to use my trump card.

The board looked more like a mirror than anything else, its surface marked by forty-nine fine black lines running up and down, side to side. They split the whole thing into countless tiny squares—like miniature mirrors.

This was no ordinary artifact. It was the Square Inch True Expanse—a powerful immortal tool just shy of the Void Tribulation rank. She had never shown it to anyone before. It belonged to her alone.

Heavenly True Saint, Mysterious Chess Scroll... Heaven and Earth follow cause and effect; every action leaves a trace. With a calm heart, look into the void…

She placed the board on her lap, slipped her index fingers into two shallow slots at its edge, and began channeling her Immortal Origin Power.

Almost immediately, Lu Tingyun's face began to tighten. Veins stood out on her forehead and arms—clearly, she was under a great deal of strain.

Her Immortal Origin Power surged forward, pouring into the Square Inch True Expanse as the complex incantation took hold.

...

Back in Golden Cirrus City, deep inside the Jade Rain Golden House, Jiang Chen suddenly felt a jolt run through him. His pupils shrank.

Damn it. It's here.

A powerful, invisible pressure pressed down on the barrier created by his Death Calamity Dark Star Moon Dao Embryo.

With my current strength and my bloodline fully active, only someone or something at the Void Tribulation level should be able to break through.

He frowned. This wasn't some casual attempt to spy on him—things were getting serious.

They say there are no Void Tribulation realm powerhouses on the Prosperous Stone Immortal Star. So what is this? Some kind of Void Tribulation-level treasure, maybe? Either way, I need to push back. Now.

Jiang Chen's eyes sharpened as he poured even more power into his bloodline, fully unleashing the terrifying might hidden within.

...

At that moment, back at the Purple Crest Immortal Sect, Lu Tingyun's eyes snapped open. She was channeling everything she had into the Square Inch True Expanse, practically forcing it to work through sheer will.

"Still nothing? How is this even possible?" Her frustration boiled over. "Could their artifact actually be stronger than the Square Inch True Expanse? That shouldn't be possible."

Baffled, she ran through everything she knew about the top-level demons sent to handle the war against the Profound Jade Immortal Domain, searching for clues. Then, out of nowhere, memories she had long buried clawed their way back into her mind.

A strange mix of clarity and disbelief flashed across her face.

No... there's only one person below the Demon Lord who could be this skilled in the Dao of Causal Deduction. No one else could block the Square Inch True Expanse like this. Could it really be... him?

Driven by that sudden thought, she threw herself even harder into the search. It was like something had taken hold of her—like she was possessed. She was pushing herself to the brink, using every trick she had, desperate to confirm the impossible.

One pill after another. One secret art after the next. The Square Inch True Expanse was pushed harder than it had ever been.

And still, nothing. No matter what she did, she couldn't lock onto the target.

"No! Why?! You know I'm using the Square Inch True Expanse—so why are you resisting me? Show yourself!" she screamed. Her face was twisted, eyes wild with fury, desperation spilling out with every word.

Throwing all caution aside, she poured the last of her strength into the artifact.

The Square Inch True Expanse began to shudder violently, letting out a sharp, unnatural hum. Waves of strange, powerful energy poured from its surface, filling the room.

And then, those waves met something.

A hidden force—equally mysterious—rose to meet them from the void, clashing head-on. The two powers tangled in silence, neither willing to give way.