Chapter 145 Operation

"What? My life is in danger!"

I quickly stood up from the ground, saying, "Brother, don't scare me! Isn't it just losing three years of lifespan? How could there still be a risk to my life?"

Upon hearing this, the Strategist was also startled. Qin Tian was leaning against the head of the bed, his lips chapped like those of a chronically ill patient, and a weak, powerless voice came from his throat: "I suffered a backlash. By peeping into the heavenly secrets, I might face a heavenly tribulation soon, and I'm afraid I won't survive it!"

"A heavenly tribulation! Didn't peeping into the heavenly secrets already cost you some of your lifespan? Why is there still a heavenly tribulation?" This was the first time I had ever heard of a human undergoing a heavenly tribulation. In my impression, heavenly tribulations were targeted at malevolent spirits and demonic monsters; I had never heard of fortune-telling requiring one to go through a heavenly tribulation!

"Cough... cough..." Followed by a burst of violent coughing, Qin Tian looked like a patient in the final stages of cancer. I don't know how else to describe his appearance at that moment, so I'll just put it this way—my brother, please don't curse me behind my back if you read this!

"At best, it costs lifespan; at worst, it causes one's body to burst and die. Undergoing the heavenly tribulation is already considered a compromise. My late father repeatedly warned me never to use the art of divination unless it was a matter of life and death. This is the drawback of the Three Pure Ones' Plain-Clothed Divination. Although... cough, cough... although it allows one to foresee the future, improper use will endanger one's life."

"Then what is this heavenly tribulation you mentioned..." I took a bowl of clear water from the Strategist and handed it to Qin Tian.

Qin Tian drank it all in one breath, handed the bowl back to me, and said, "This is the terrifying aspect of the Three Pure Ones' Divination. The last time I calculated that there was a catastrophe in the otherworldly realm, it cost me two years of my lifespan, but this time it actually summoned a heavenly tribulation, heh..."

Qin Tian's words were filled with helplessness. I didn't interrupt him, knowing he had more to say. After a brief pause, Qin Tian continued: "I could calculate the catastrophes of the otherworldly realm back then, even when my grasp of the Three Pure Ones' Divination wasn't very deep. Now that my strength has grown, I can't calculate it anymore, and instead, it inexplicably brings about a heavenly tribulation. Tell me, isn't this just my fate?"

Qin Tian's bitter smile appeared so pale and powerless in my eyes. No matter what, I would definitely stand by him and weather this heavenly tribulation together. I, Li Yunfei, hate owing others the most; if it weren't for me insisting that this guy do a divination, we wouldn't have provoked this trouble. Whether it's fate or coincidence, a heavenly tribulation is just a heavenly tribulation, nothing to make a fuss about. Didn't Linger successfully survive nine heavenly tribulations? What harm is there in enduring one more!

So, I patted Qin Tian on the shoulder and said, "Brother, even if the sky falls, I'll carry it with you! But you said you didn't figure it out—what on earth is going on?"

"This time, casting the divination technique seemed to consume even more energy. My spiritual sense is already much stronger than before, but this time was different from the last. I figured out that they are still alive, but I just couldn't pinpoint their exact location, as if something cut off the connection between them and me," Qin Tian said after getting off the bed.

It looked like he had recovered his physical strength. Since he couldn't figure it out, we would just have to search for them slowly. Had I known that the backlash of the Three Pure Ones' Divination was so powerful, I would never have agreed to let him use it. Now, saying anything is too late; we can only pray to safely get through the heavenly tribulation. Time is pressing, and I must take action immediately. Weapons need to be produced, the World Alliance needs to be visited, and growing stronger as quickly as possible is the top priority. The disappearance of Murong Xue and the others is inextricably linked to Chu Jun, and no matter what, I must find them!

"It must have been hard on you! Do you feel better now?" I asked Qin Tian.

Qin Tian stretched his limbs and smiled, "Much better. We can set off anytime. Are you ready?"

"That's what I was about to ask you. Are you ready?"

"Me? No problem, I await the commander's orders!" Qin Tian said, giving a sloppy military salute. It seemed this kid had forgotten the pain once the wound healed—an unkillable little cockroach. That was good; the willpower of such people is usually very steadfast.

With that, I arranged the Strategist's upcoming engineering tasks. Bullets and arrows must be produced at a faster rate, and a portion of the men must be pulled away to build a perimeter wall. Now that the cleared space in Carefree Valley is even wider after excavation, my intention is to build a huge wall around the World Alliance, at least five zhang high and one zhang thick, so that we won't be flustered the next time we encounter a horde of zombies.

Fearing the Strategist might not understand, I drew the design on the ground while explaining it. I carved the design deeply into a stone slab with my finger and told the Strategist that the progress of the project must be accelerated, working through the night if necessary. The Strategist listened attentively, and given his intelligence, I believe he is fully capable of handling this task!

Heading to the World Alliance this time, I don't know how many days it will take to return. Most importantly, this trip is to save people—Qin Tian wants to save Leng Wushuang, and I want to save the demon fox's husband. You could say we are walking into the lion's den with slim chances of survival. The World Alliance has numerous experts, including that top-tier expert Chu Jun. I don't know if I can walk out of the World Alliance unscathed, but since we are going, I have already prepared myself to make the ultimate sacrifice at any moment. Success or failure hangs in the balance!

"Let's go." I pulled out a pack of Red Pagoda Mountain cigarettes, handed one to Qin Tian, and we both lit up. After taking a deep drag, we walked toward the outer perimeter of Carefree Valley. The scorching sun shone overhead; it was nearing noon, and that dark-ruin star still hung suspended in mid-air. The huge celestial body floated there, its surface clearly visible. What a magnificent spectacle! If I had a camera, I would definitely take a picture to remember it by.

A faint layer of white gas surrounded the dark-ruin star like a wisp of mist, but now was not the time to admire the scenery. We were on serious business, and we were risking our lives. With a cigarette hanging from his lips, Qin Tian began to recite a poem: "The wind is bleak and the Yishui is cold, the valiant warrior departs and never returns!"

"Damn it! For heaven's sake, can't you say something auspicious?" I kicked him in the rear. Qin Tian turned his head, blew a puff of smoke at me, and said, "It's true, though! Look, aren't the two of us about to go do something big? I'm reciting a poem to boost our morale, and besides, this poem fits the mood and scenery perfectly!"

"You're still talking, you jerk! Don't run..."

Half-joking and half-traveling, time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, we had walked out of the bounds of Carefree Valley, and the shadows of the mountains were no longer visible. The road outside Carefree Valley was very difficult to walk on—full of potholes, with clumps of withered grass standing here and there, seemingly telling people of the arrival of autumn.

A gentle breeze blew, and before we knew it, the two of us had been marching for nearly an hour. Although our physical stamina was no longer that of ordinary people and walking no longer tired us out, at this pace, we wouldn't reach our destination in three days! So, I said to Qin Tian, "Shall we pick up the pace? Maybe we can arrive in less than a day."

The distance from Carefree Valley to the World Alliance was like the distance from one province to another in the twenty-first century. I wasn't entirely sure of the exact mileage, but I was certain that if we took a train, it would definitely take a day or two. Moving while riding the wind, I was much faster than a train.

Qin Tian looked up at the sky and said, "You're right! Old Li, you're getting smarter by the day. But by the time we get there, our stamina will probably be completely exhausted, and it will take a long time to recover. All things considered, it comes out to about the same."

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

"Don't worry, just watch me." With that, Qin Tian raised his right hand, and a Porsche materialized in the open space ahead.