Chapter 30: Mr. Su Plants the Ancient Tree Upside Down
A good bow…
Where could you find one?
You thought carefully. There would be no high-quality bows in a civilian training ground.
The only place such a thing might exist was a military camp.
But…
Your status was not much different from that of a commoner, and Xianzhou's control over standardized weapons was extremely strict.
You had no authority to possess such a sharp weapon.
For a moment, you could not think of a good solution, so you decided to set the matter aside for now.
However, you began spending even more time practicing archery.
Aside from teaching and sleeping, you devoted yourself wholeheartedly to training.
You were pleasantly surprised to discover that, due to the trait Incomparable Combat Power, your body seemed to contain limitless potential.
In other words, your strength was constantly breaking through its limits.
Stronger and stronger…
Again and again…
Not only that—your physical endurance was also steadily increasing at the same time.
One day, you felt that your strength had advanced to another level, and to test your maximum power,
You turned your gaze toward an ancient tree beside the training field.
You were eager to try…
A surge of heroic spirit welled up inside you, and you wanted to uproot it completely…
No sooner said than done.
Without considering the consequences, you walked toward the ancient tree, so thick it would take nearly two people to wrap their arms around it.
And then—
Under the almost stunned gaze of the training ground's owner, you performed the feat of "Mr. Su Uproots the Giant Tree"…
Boom!
Looking at the towering ancient tree that you had felled as easily as if it were a small green onion, you clapped your hands, still unsatisfied.
Almost there…
However, you immediately frowned. Such reckless destruction of someone else's private property would surely make the owner come over to argue with you…
You glanced around and saw the owner sitting obediently against the wall, giving you a friendly smile…
Ahem…
You scratched your head awkwardly. This impulsive, almost pathological behavior must have been a side effect of your increased strength…
It was a bit… embarrassing, to be honest…
So you decided to plant it back the same way you had pulled it out.
With that thought, you rolled up your sleeves and once again lifted the towering tree.
Then you focused your qi in your dantian, channeled it into your hands, and slammed the tree downward with tremendous force…
You used too much strength—not only was the tree planted a little too deep, but a crack even appeared in the ground…
The terrain, once smooth and level, now looked as though it had been struck by a violent earthquake.
You could not help but look at the owner guiltily. He was sitting even straighter now, still wearing that benevolent smile.
As if nothing had happened…
Feeling deeply embarrassed, you had no choice but to take out your money pouch and toss it to him.
That…
Should be enough to redecorate—or even expand—the place.
Hmm. After doing all this, you felt there were no suitable projects left for you here, so you shook your head.
You turned and left…
You planned to go back and take a shower; after so much exercise, your appearance was not very presentable.
"Mr. Su, please wait."
A voice called out to you. It sounded vaguely familiar, and you turned to look.
It was the Diviner of Xianzhou—Diviner Jing Tian…
"Mmm?"
You were a little confused, wondering what the Grand Diviner wanted with you.
"Mr. Su, I never imagined you possessed such abilities."
"Consider becoming my disciple. I have a feeling this matter is extremely important…"
"Important to whom?"
You could not help but ask.
"To you, to me, to Xianzhou…"
"To this Sea of Stars…"
His words darkened your expression.
Diviner Jing Tian quickly jumped backward.
The Divination Commission had always been weak in combat. This Grand Diviner would fall with a single touch…
Oh…
You were overthinking it. You scratched your head; you had no intention of doing anything.
"It's just that this matter is truly very important. You carry a fog that even the Cloud Observation Mirror cannot penetrate…"
"As long as you are included in divination, many predetermined outcomes will change…"
Mmm…
You had no such intention. Frankly speaking, you were selfish and did not want to meddle in other people's destinies. You were about to refuse again.
Then Diviner Jing Tian suddenly straightened his clothes, his expression turning serious.
"Don't you need a sharp weapon?"
"With your current status, you cannot access anything capable of taking a life."
"But becoming my disciple would make obtaining such things very easy."
"You only need to be a nominal disciple—no need to observe traditional master–disciple etiquette…"
You looked at Diviner Jing Tian's plain face, filled with sincerity.
Did he divine it?
You could not help feeling a little unsettled. You had mentioned this to no one, yet this Grand Diviner could deduce your current needs…
That was somewhat frightening.
"Not at all. Divination itself is useless to you. However, as a diviner, one also needs keen observation."
"Over the past month, you have broken no fewer than a hundred civilian bows…"
"And every time, you showed deep regret and disappointment…"
"I wasn't monitoring you. Rather, as the Diviner of Xianzhou, obtaining such information is as easy as turning my hand."
You fell silent.
You looked at the disheveled man before you, his face ordinary, his tone sincere…
"Why me?"
You still had doubts.
"With you, perhaps… destiny still holds other possibilities…"
His expression, tinged with melancholy, also revealed a trace of reluctance. At that moment, he did not look like the Grand Diviner whom the people of Xianzhou regarded as a god.
He was simply an ordinary middle-aged man unwilling to be swept along by destiny.
You truly needed a decent bow…
And his sincerity stirred a faint sense of compassion in your heart.
"No formal apprenticeship—just the name of master and disciple, without the binding obligations…"
After thinking it over several times, you stated your decision.
"Agreed."
Diviner Jing Tian nodded in satisfaction. To him, this result already meant that you had been incorporated into the formula of destiny calculation through a special method.
As for what outcome it would produce, he was not certain—but at that moment, he was very optimistic.
From that day on, you became his nominal disciple.
In exchange, he petitioned Xianzhou for the finest bow and a spear for you.
Each obtained what they needed…
To keep up appearances, you occasionally showed up at the Divination Commission. Diviner Jing Tian even arranged special training for you—training normally used for generals of the Cloud Knights.
Inside it, you could simulate relatively extreme mimetic environments for practice.
For example…
You could control the weight of an apparently small cauldron, making it change at will, to train your strength.
In this way, your strength and physical endurance increased dramatically once more…
And it was relentless, explosive growth.
Without you realizing it, roughly half a year had passed…