Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level?-Chapter 75[Vol. 6] - Formless

[Vol. 6] Chapter 75: Formless

“Is that so.”

After a long moment of contemplation, Ling Feng bowed slightly to the one-eyed old man, her expression sincere.

“Regardless, as long as there’s hope, that’s more than enough. Thank you for your guidance, sir. I will surely repay you someday.”

“No need, no need…”

The one-eyed diviner seemed unexpectedly flustered as he returned the bow. Meanwhile, the girl stood up and stepped aside, leaving the space in front of the small table open.

Naturally, everyone’s attention shifted to the last black-haired girl in the group.

“Heh, looks like it’s finally my turn,” Violet said, stepping forward.

From the previous readings for Bai’er and Ling Feng, it was clear that this one-eyed diviner had some real skill. Much of what he revealed was so specific that even Violet wasn’t aware of some of the details. It seemed those were personal secrets unique to each of them.

Though he spoke in vague terms to protect their privacy, the reactions of the two women made it clear that the old man’s words had struck a chord.

How could the priestess not be intrigued?

When she sat down, the one-eyed diviner across from her seemed momentarily distracted, as though still caught up in the content of the last divination.

But as soon as he noticed the black-haired girl’s silvery-blue gaze fixed on him, he quickly snapped out of it, straightened his posture, and grew more serious.

While Xiao Yi was busy cleaning the tortoise shell used for the readings, the one-eyed old man did something unusual. He asked a question before beginning the divination.

“May I ask for your name first, miss? Your true full name, I mean.”

The priestess blinked in surprise, then chuckled.

“If you think the name I gave earlier was fake, aren’t you supposed to be able to figure these things out? Why bother asking me when you can just calculate it yourself?”

The one-eyed old man shook his head and calmly explained.

“The essence of divination is prying into the secrets of the heavens. No matter the method, the principle is the same. At its best, we call it divination. At its worst, it’s just theft. While I pride myself on being unmatched in this craft, there are still ‘locks’ I cannot open.”

“For ordinary people, I only need a glance or two to judge their fortunes, good or bad, past or future. Even if the ‘lock’ is more intricate, with some effort, I can always get a general sense of the truth.”

He gestured toward Ling Feng and Bai’er, who were now standing nearby.

“Take these two, for example, along with that boy Murong Yun. Their destinies are extraordinary, their fortunes far surpassing those of normal people. From their faces alone, I could tell they were no ordinary individuals, with lives marked by twists and turns. To delve deeper, I needed more direct clues to uncover fragments of their fates.”

“But you are different.”

The diviner fixed his gaze on the black-haired girl’s delicate features. Without hesitation, he spoke frankly, unconcerned about whether his words might offend.

“When I look at you, I see… nothing. You bear neither the mark of wealth nor power, nor any sign of remarkable fortune or looming calamity. It’s as if your face is hidden beneath a thick mask, a kind of invisible barrier that conceals all information. In my decades of practice, I’ve never seen anything like this.”

“However, I have read about individuals like you in ancient texts. According to those accounts, people with such traits are closely connected to beings that transcend causality, the true immortals or gods. This connection grants them an invisible protection, shielding them from the prying eyes of others.”

“In other words, your existence may be tied to the great destiny of the entire [Ancient Spirit Realm].”

The old man’s tone grew heavier as he continued.

“To be honest, the real reason I proposed divining for the three of you was because of you. Though your two companions are exceptional and their fates astonishing in their own right, when it comes to mystery, they don’t even come close to matching you.”

The priestess chuckled softly. “Should I feel honored, then?”

The one-eyed man shook his head again, his expression grave.

“No, it’s me who should feel lucky to perform this divination. This might be the most challenging reading of my entire life. I will give it my all and use everything I’ve ever learned.”

“I see,” the black-haired girl nodded slightly. “My name is Violet. That is my real name.”

“Violet…”

The one-eyed old man furrowed his brow, as if confused by her answer.

However, he didn’t press further. Instead, he raised his hand and called to his daughter.

“Bring me the divination tools.”

“Father…”

Meeting her father’s slightly worried gaze, the girl hesitated but handed over the cleaned tortoise shell with a layer of white paper affixed to it. The old man patted her shoulder reassuringly before taking it.

“Don’t worry. Your father isn’t that fragile.”

He then passed the shell to the black-haired girl waiting for her reading.

“My apologies, please go ahead.”

Violet gave a subtle nod.

Though he might seem a bit rough on the outside, she thought to herself, he was actually a deeply dedicated seeker of truth. No wonder he had mastered the art of divination to such an extent.

As she considered this, Violet picked up the brush and casually wrote a single character on the surface of the tortoise shell.

When the ink touched the shell, it seeped into the hard surface, forming additional intricate, mysterious patterns.

The one-eyed old man took back the shell and examined the lone character she had written. His brow furrowed slightly.

“[Dawn]? What does this mean?”

“It doesn’t mean much,” Violet replied with a faint smile. “I just wrote whatever came to mind. Is one character too little?”

“No, I’m just… curious, that’s all,” he said.

The old man carefully removed the sheet of white paper from inside the tortoise shell, holding it at an angle that no one else could see. His expression froze as he examined it, his hands gripping the paper tightly.

“Hiss… this…?”

For some reason, he audibly sucked in a sharp breath, then began turning the thin sheet around repeatedly, as though trying to make sense of it.

His confusion and unease were palpable, and his peculiar reaction caught the attention of his daughter, Xiao Yi. Being somewhat versed in the art of divination herself, she immediately grew more anxious and tense.

“Father, could this be…?”

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“Silence! Bring the ritual tools!”

“Ah, right, on it!”

Without hesitation, Xiao Yi, dressed in the same diviner’s attire, quickly crouched down and retrieved a bundle from beneath the table. She carefully unwrapped it to reveal a palm-sized bronze figurine and three sticks of red incense.

The figurine depicted a robed figure, clad in garments similar to those of the father and daughter, holding a horsetail whisk and wearing a golden crown. Its serene and otherworldly appearance gave it an ethereal, almost immortal quality.

Xiao Yi respectfully placed the figurine directly in front of her father, though curiously, it was positioned to face Violet instead. She then lit the three incense sticks with practiced efficiency, placing each into pre-drilled holes on the table.

Soft curls of smoke rose into the air, carrying a faint but distinct wood smell. The smoke gradually enveloped the old man as he studied the paper, adding a mysterious and solemn air to the scene.

“…?”

Although Violet didn’t fully understand the purpose of this ritual, she sensed it wasn’t the right time to interrupt. Glancing at the equally puzzled companions behind her, she simply leaned back and waited patiently, exuding an air of calm.

But within seconds, the three incense sticks, which had been burning steadily, suddenly ignited in a rapid blaze!

*Crack! Crack! Crack!*

The loud sound of the burning incense echoed sharply, breaking the silence.

The incense sticks burst into visible flames, crackling like kindling catching fire.

“Ah!”

Xiao Yi, who had just barely calmed herself, cried out in shock. Her delicate face twisted with disbelief as her wide, clear eyes darted to her father, who was still engrossed in interpreting the divination.

She looked as though she wanted to say something but didn’t dare disrupt him. Instead, she could only watch helplessly as the incense sticks burned down at an alarming rate, emitting rapid crackling sounds. Within a mere ten seconds, more than half of their length had already been consumed.

“Old man…”

Even the bystanders, unfamiliar with the intricacies of divination, could sense that something was seriously amiss. Murong Yun instinctively raised a hand, ready to intervene, but Ling Feng immediately stopped him with a firm grip on his shoulder, signaling him not to act rashly.

Both Ling Feng and Violet had a good sense of what was happening. This likely was a clever technique used in divination to avoid the backlash of prying into the secrets of fate. By channeling the strain through the bronze figurine and incense, the diviner protected himself from bearing the full burden of the unseen repercussions.

Right now, only the one-eyed old man fully understood the situation and had the authority to decide when to stop. Any interference from outsiders might disrupt the process and inadvertently cause harm instead of help.

But judging by the unusual rate at which the incense was burning, it was clear that whatever secret the old man had glimpsed must be of terrifying significance.

And time was running out.