The Master and His Wealthy Fiancée

The elder's name was Ao Boyin. Although a member of the Golden Flood Dragon Race, he was also skilled in the Path of Celestial Calculation and Transformation, specializing in the art of celestial divination. His cultivation was only at the Late-stage Golden Core, yet his status within the Jiao Race was extremely high, rivaling even those with true power like Kui Ran. He essentially served as the Jiao Race's military strategist.

At that moment, a large number of the Jiao Race's members had gone to the border of the Guardian Array. He, however, had remained on a northern mountaintop to help Ao Tian divine the location of Chen Dong and his group. Though he had no Nascent Soul Elders protecting him, he was surrounded by a full twenty Golden Core members of the Jiao Race.

He was baffled that Chen Dong's group was heading toward him. 'What on earth are these humans scheming? Coming this way is like walking right into a net. They're all injured. A single Golden Core cultivator could finish them off. Don't tell me they know I'm here and plan to assassinate me?'

'No, they must just be fleeing this way by chance. The path of divination is incredibly difficult; without innate talent, one can hardly grasp its rudiments. Among the three of them, one is merely at the Foundation Establishment Stage, the Liuling High Priest specializes in healing, and that young man named Chen Dong is absurdly young. It's impossible for any of them to have the ability to perform divination.'

With this in mind, Ao Boyin even performed a divination on his own fate. The results showed his destiny was auspicious, indicating that he was safe.

'Although he'd spent most of his life and energy on the path of divination and his personal combat strength was not high, he still had twenty Golden Core Guards by his side. There was absolutely no way this handful of humans could threaten him.'

Having made these assumptions, he immediately commanded, "Ten of you at the Golden Core Stage, head directly south to intercept them! You must rescue the Young Master. The male cultivator among them cannot be allowed to escape. He uses a strange lightning technique, so do not let your guard down!"

"Yes!"

Ten Golden Core members of the Jiao Race on the mountaintop quickly split off, flying to intercept Chen Dong's group.

However, all of this was seen with perfect clarity through the Great Art of Divine Calculation. Ever since divining the elder's location, Chen Dong had been watching his every move.

After a deliberate delay, Chen Dong slowly activated the last Transmission Talisman in his hand.

With Ao Tian behind them and ten Golden Core members of the Jiao Race ahead, Chen Dong teleported directly behind Ao Boyin.

The teleportation light flared. Chen Dong had carefully controlled the distance, and he now reappeared less than five miles from Ao Boyin.

Chen Dong's Divine Sense instantly locked onto the mountain peak where Ao Boyin was located. Although they had methods to evade detection by Divine Sense, it no longer mattered. Through the divination of his Great Art of Divine Calculation, the exact positions of the Jiao Race members were perfectly clear.

Chen Dong poured all his effort into condensing a Thunder Spear, one that was several times longer than he normally used. Without a moment's hesitation, he imbued it with Spiritual Power and hurled it forward.

The spear tore through the sky at an astonishing speed.

Meanwhile, Ao Boyin was performing a new round of divination on Chen Dong and his group. When Ao Jun and Meng Yingluo vanished from the Jade Mirror, Ao Boyin knew they must have used another Teleportation Talisman. This wasn't the first time, so he wasn't surprised.

His robes fluttered as his limbs moved in a frantic dance. He silently chanted an incantation, and the hazy figures of Ao Jun and Meng Yingluo were just about to appear on the Jade Mirror.

Suddenly, Ao Boyin felt a profound sense of unease. 'What's going on?' For someone skilled in the path of divination, such a feeling was a definite premonition.

"Elder Boyin, look out!"

The Golden Core Guards yelled and scrambled to act, but it was too late!

A formidable Thunder Spear descended from the heavens, shooting straight for the mountaintop before their horrified eyes.

First came a soft CLANG! followed by a deafening BOOM!

The Thunder Spear's target, shockingly, was not Elder Boyin, nor was it any of the guards. It was the Jade Mirror used for divination.

More than half the mountaintop was obliterated by the Thunder Spear, and the Jade Mirror was shattered into powder. Since the Jiao Race members weren't the target and all possessed Golden Core Stage realms, they emerged from the dust completely unscathed.

"My Kunyan Jade Mirror!!! AHHHHH!!!"

Ao Boyin cried out in anguish. The Kunyan Jade Mirror had been indispensable for locating Ao Jun and Meng Yingluo with speed and precision; it was his treasured divination tool.

With his treasure destroyed, he could still perform divinations, but no longer with such speed or precision. Not only would it now be enormously draining, but he could also only discern their general location.

It was like a programmer without a computer. The vagueness of the "general location" now depended entirely on his own realm and cultivation level. If he relied solely on casting the calculation spell, he could only determine that Chen Dong's group was somewhere in the vast region to his north.

There was no use grieving over the destroyed mirror. While ordering the others to collect the fragments, he took out a smaller mirror, which was also a divination-type Magical Artifact.

Ao Boyin faced the new mirror to make an attempt. His limbs danced wildly as he chanted the incantation, but the result was nothing but a chaotic blur.

The Kunyan Jade Mirror had simply been too great of an aid. Left with no choice, he spoke to Ao Tian through a Communication Scale, "My King, they've destroyed my Kunyan Jade Mirror. I can no longer perform accurate divinations."

"What?!" A shocked roar first came from the scale. After a long pause, Ao Tian's calm, domineering voice followed. "Forget it. They're just a few small fry who can't escape my grasp. We'll deal with them later. For now, all of you are to accompany me to the border!"

Ao Boyin breathed a small sigh of relief. Although his Kunyan Jade Mirror was only a replica, the race had expended considerable resources and effort to help him forge it. It was a tremendous blessing that Ao Tian did not hold him responsible!