East Sea, the Twin-Pole Strait.
The sound of waves filtered through the thick, heavy fog, faintly entering the strait.
Song Jiadan sat cross-legged atop a steep cliff, eyes closed in meditation.
His lower body was entirely made of gray stone. His upper half, however, was that of an elderly man, his face wrinkled and weathered beyond his years.
Suddenly, his eyelid twitched as he sensed the token of the Song family's Supreme Grand Elder, the Eighth Transformation Gu Immortal, Song Qiyuan.
With a mere thought from Song Jiadan, the fog swirled and parted, revealing an empty passage.
Moments later, two figures emerged from the passage.
One male, one female, both Gu Immortals.
The female Immortal wore white robes, like a lotus fairy, pure and moving. Her lively, intelligent eyes held a hint of vivacity as they glanced about. The male Immortal appeared middle-aged, composed and mature, walking behind the woman.
"Uncle Jiadan!" Song Yishi called out from a distance.
Song Jiadan tried to force a slight smile, but failed. He could no longer move his facial features; the muscles were completely petrified.
His cultivation in the Wisdom Path was unique. It allowed him to use the will of heaven to calculate events and objects, often with great accuracy.
But this came with pros and cons. The downside was that Song Jiadan had lost his freedom. His lower body had turned to stone and fused with the Twin-Pole Strait. When his lifespan ran out, his entire body would become a single, lifeless stone.
In the end, Song Jiadan could only speak in a flat, low tone: "Little Shi, Cousin Xiaqi. It has been a long time."
The ones visiting Song Jiadan at the Twin-Pole Strait were precisely Song Yishi and Song Xiaqi of the Song family.
"Uncle Jiadan, this is the token grandfather gave. Please examine it first." Song Yishi was the first to present the token from her hand.
After verifying it, Song Jiadan nodded and asked: "This time, what would you like to calculate?"
Song Xiaqi spoke: "This time, we have come because of the Heavenly Tribulation Inheritance within the Ascension Wilds."
Song Jiadan pondered for a moment: "The Ascension Wilds are filled with numerous and chaotic traces of the Dao of Space, which shift constantly. Since I cannot go there in person, I cannot adapt to the conditions and calculate the path accurately. However, the Lai and Cai families also lack formidable Wisdom Path Gu Immortals. I believe that with my Wisdom Path Gu Immortal, you should be able to gain the upper hand."
Song Yishi chuckled softly: "Uncle Jiadan, the situation regarding the Ascension Wilds has changed."
"Oh?"
Immediately, Song Yishi recounted how the Burning Heaven Demoness and Fang Yuan had intruded into the Ascension Wilds.
Song Jiadan instantly grasped the intent behind their visit, understanding dawning on him: "So you wish to hire this 'Wisdom Star' to help the Song family obtain the Heavenly Tribulation Inheritance."
"Correct. The Wisdom Star is not a member of the Zombie Alliance, merely a friend of Tai Bai Yun Sheng. He is a Northern Plains Gu Immortal who came to the East Sea due to the Earth Tide. Since he can work for the Alliance, naturally our Song family can also hire him. His attainment in the Wisdom Path is quite good. If our Song family falls behind and the other two families get their hands on it first, the situation will become very passive," said Song Xiaqi.
"So this time, you came to ask me to calculate this Wisdom Star's background?" Song Jiadan continued.
Song Yishi nodded repeatedly: "Nothing can truly be hidden from you, Uncle. That's right. If we are to hire the Wisdom Star, we need to know his true character and capabilities. After all, he is not one of our own. Crucially, he is also a Wisdom Path Gu Immortal. If he plays tricks or schemes against us, our Song family won't just suffer a loss. It would be a loss of face. So we came to ask Uncle to use your abilities, to see if you can suppress this Northern Plains Wisdom Path Gu Immortal."
Song Jiadan lowered his gaze, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes: "But this Wisdom Star, Chen Dao, managed to break through the measures I laid for the Shark Demon, and he has shown great capability in the Ascension Wilds. This proves that he not only possesses great attainment in the Wisdom Path, but is also not lacking in Wisdom Path Immortal Gu. Against such a Wisdom Path powerhouse, if I rashly calculate him, I'm afraid it would violate the rules between us Wisdom Path Gu Immortals. With the slightest misstep, it could arouse his hostility and bring a powerful Wisdom Path enemy upon our family."
In his previous life, Fang Yuan, disguised as the Star Astrologer, had been caught because he had spied on Song Yishi bathing first. Therefore, Song Jiadan had just cause to act.
In this life, Fang Yuan, disguised as the Wisdom Star, had left no such incriminating evidence. More importantly, he had displayed superb Wisdom Path techniques, even causing Song Jiadan to feel wary.
Song Yishi and Song Xiaqi exchanged a glance. The former refrained from speaking further, and the latter said: "Every choice has its pros and cons; it's simply a matter of trade-offs. Before we came, we already discussed this with the Supreme Grand Elder and the Second Elder, requesting Cousin Jiadan to take action."
Song Jiadan nodded. Although he was a Wisdom Path Gu Immortal, he was not the ultimate decision-maker for the family.
Since that was the case, he no longer hesitated.
After gathering his thoughts for a moment, he immediately began his work.
After a long while, Song Jiadan slowly opened his eyes, a hint of weariness showing within: "I cannot calculate it."
"What? Uncle, you are one of the three strongest Wisdom Path Gu Immortals in the current East Sea. How is it possible you can't calculate it?"
"Could it be that this Chen Dao is truly that powerful in the Wisdom Path? Already on par with you, Cousin?"
Song Yishi and Song Xiaqi were both extremely surprised.
Song Jiadan slowly shook his head: "The human heart is limited, and the will of heaven is inscrutable. Perhaps this Chen Dao is truly formidable, blocking all of my divination methods. Or perhaps... he is not in the East Sea."
"Not in the East Sea? Where else could he be? The Earth Tide has receded, and it will be a long time before the next wave arrives." Song Yishi was very puzzled.
"Every Immortal aperture is a small world, isolated from the outside. My cultivation is only at the Seventh Transformation. It's not strange that I cannot calculate him."
"I see..." Song Yishi murmured to herself, somewhat disheartened and disappointed.