142: variable

At this moment, even though Qin Yi had already transformed back into his former appearance and stood before the Old Celestial Master.

Yet, the Old Celestial Master still refused to believe it.

Because it was simply too incredible.

He stared at Qin Yi, his body highly guarded, and scrutinized him, saying, “That's right, you must have obtained a Spiritual Item capable of deceiving others, which is why you were able to sneak into the room without my knowledge.”

“And now you are using that Spiritual Item to deceive my sight.”

“Your Excellency's methods are so profound that you must have entered the Master Realm. It seems another Master has appeared in this world.”

“However, I wonder what your intentions are, working together with Yu Hong to spread these rumors?”

The Old Celestial Master looked at Qin Yi, his expression extremely grave.

If Yu Hong and this bizarre Master before him joined forces, they would practically be invincible under heaven.

Qin Yi felt speechless upon hearing this.

However, he understood the Old Celestial Master's disbelief.

Qin Yi did not immediately deny it, but instead began recounting past events to the Old Celestial Master.

Those details were absolutely impossible for a third person to know.

Only after he spoke of these things.

did the Old Celestial Master begin to believe him slightly, though he still wasn't fully convinced.

What if he had been completely hallucinated?

Qin Yi wasted no more words. With a movement of his body and a sweep of his sleeve, he took the Old Celestial Master away from the inn.

The Old Celestial Master instinctively tried to resist, but under Qin Yi's control, he was as helpless as a newborn chick, his body effortlessly locked down by Qin Yi.

When the Old Celestial Master reacted, he suddenly found himself high up in the sky.

The scenery below was changing rapidly, making it impossible to see clearly.

Before the Old Celestial Master could take a closer look, he suddenly arrived at a familiar place: the rebuilt Buddhist Sect Temple.

“This...”

The Old Celestial Master saw that in just an instant, the world had changed, and he had traveled from Jinzhou, thousands of miles away, to the Buddhist Sect Temple. This was simply astounding.

“Gulp...”

The sudden change made his heart surge wildly.

For a moment, he couldn't speak, just staring wide-eyed and swallowing dryly.

At this point.

The Old Celestial Master completely believed that Qin Yi had returned from the Ascension Realm. After all, Qin Yi's performance already far surpassed that of a Master. Someone so powerful wouldn't need to join forces with Yu Hong to scheme against mere mortal ants like them.

“Amitabha.”

At this moment.

Wisdom Heart, who was cultivating inside the Meditation Room, also sensed the arrival of outsiders.

However, when he saw Qin Yi, he was also momentarily stunned.

He felt as if he were having a waking dream.

At this moment, the Old Celestial Master gradually recovered from his shock and immediately began explaining.

When Wisdom Heart heard that the two had crossed thousands of miles in an instant, he was also momentarily dazed.

“Young Hero Su... no, it should be Martial God Lord. Back then, the Mortal Jianghu hailed you as the Martial God, and I thought giving a mortal a divine title was too exaggerated. Now it seems I was the one making a fool of myself.”

The young hero of the past had now become a middle-aged man. Wisdom Heart's words were filled with emotion, and his eyes held a complex look.

“Martial God Lord, please come inside for tea.”

Wisdom Heart looked at Qin Yi with respect and curiosity, eager to know what the Upper Realm looked like.

“Just call me Brother Su or Benefactor Su... or Young Hero Su, like before. Having acquaintances call me Martial God Lord makes me feel uncomfortable.”

Qin Yi shook his head.

“Benefactor Su, please.”

Wisdom Heart was straightforward and immediately changed his address, though he remained slightly reserved. Previously, the only difference between them was whether they had ascended or not; they were both human.

But now, Qin Yi was unfathomable, seemingly separated from him by the difference between a mortal and an immortal.

He accepted the situation faster than the Old Celestial Master, not only because of the Old Celestial Master's description but also due to his observation with his spiritual item.

His Master-level Spiritual Item was a Wisdom Eye, capable of seeing many things ordinary people could not.

When he observed Qin Yi, the other party was like a bottomless abyss, impossible to gauge.

The three entered to drink tea.

Qin Yi recounted his experiences in the High Martial World, astonishing the two of them. The Upper Realm was surprisingly dangerous, yet Qin Yi had managed to break through and ascend again.

“There is ascension even after ascension. The world is truly this wondrous and vast.”

The two sighed in amazement, clicking their tongues in wonder.

Qin Yi only briefly explained the world beyond the High Martial World.

But even this was enough to make the Old Celestial Master and Wisdom Heart yearn for it immensely.

Had Qin Yi not told them, they would never have imagined the vastness and wonder of the universe.

“Nephew Wisdom Heart, you still have a chance to ascend, but I'm afraid I have none left. However, to learn the secrets of the Ascension Realm and witness Young Friend Su's mythical return before my time runs out, I can die content.”

The Old Celestial Master stroked his beard and said with a smile.

Wisdom Heart heard the Old Celestial Master's words and suddenly asked, “Do I really have a chance to ascend?”

“I don't know why, but I have a feeling that this world seems unable to ascend anymore, or perhaps the difficulty of ascension in the future will surpass the past by tens of millions of times,” Wisdom Heart shook his head and said.

“What?”

Upon hearing this, the Old Celestial Master was instantly stunned, and his expression immediately became extremely solemn: “If ascension is impossible, won't the people of this world be forever confined to a tiny, Square Inch Realm?”

If they had never known the vastness of the world, it would be fine.

But once they knew, only to find themselves permanently trapped, for some people, it would be like a cage.

“This is just a feeling I have; it might not be true,” Wisdom Heart said, shaking his head.

“Currently, experts in this world are bursting forth wildly. Logically, those who ascend should appear like mushrooms after rain, yet in reality, no one can ascend anymore. I fear the feeling you derived from the Wisdom Eye is true—at least, conventional ascension is impossible.”

The Old Celestial Master said with a serious expression.

“I have this feeling too. I have been observing this realm recently, and the heaven and earth here are indeed undergoing astonishing changes.”

Qin Yi nodded and said he was somewhat surprised that Wisdom Heart could also sense this.

When he first descended into this realm, he didn't have that feeling, but after hearing about Spiritual Items and the so-called Mysterious Space, he focused on investigating the heaven and earth of this realm and subsequently gained this feeling.

“Oh? Benefactor Su also has this feeling?”

Wisdom Heart exclaimed in surprise.

But he quickly felt relieved. Since he could sense it using the Wisdom Eye, it wasn't strange that Qin Yi, someone who had ascended multiple times, could also sense it.

“Abbot Huixin, do you think this change is for the better or for the worse?”

Qin Yi asked.

“Such a sudden change is clearly bad...”

The Old Celestial Master said subconsciously.

But after speaking, he felt something was off. If that were the case, Qin Yi wouldn't have asked this question.

“It should lean towards good. After all, the feeling my Wisdom Eye gives me is not one of despair, but rather one of excitement and cheer.”

Wisdom Heart said after pondering.

“I think so too.”

Qin Yi smiled.

He had a faint guess in his heart, but as this was the first time he had encountered such a thing, he didn't elaborate further, choosing instead to continue casually chatting with the two men.

This conversation lasted for an entire day.

Initially, they talked about trivial matters, but later, the Old Celestial Master and Wisdom Heart focused entirely on asking for guidance on cultivation.

Given Qin Yi's current realm, guiding the two of them was effortless, and both gained significant insights.

As dusk approached, Qin Yi planned to return.

Wisdom Heart, having learned the news brought by the Old Celestial Master, also intended to make a trip.

He stood up, put his palms together, and said, “The changes in heaven and earth today are unpredictable. Since Jinzhou is undergoing changes, this Old Monk should also go and observe, so as to prepare for future events. I ask Benefactor Su to kindly take this Old Monk along for the journey.”

In truth, Wisdom Heart mostly wanted to experience the sensation of flying.

After all, this wasn't ordinary flying; it was flying thousands of miles in an instant.

Of course, saying this out loud would damage the prestige of a High Monk.

Qin Yi saw through him instantly and glanced at Wisdom Heart with a half-smile, but said nothing more. With a flick of his sleeve, the two men ascended into the sky with Qin Yi the next moment.

After a few moments, Qin Yi returned to Jinzhou City.

Even though Wisdom Heart was mentally prepared, his heart was still immensely shocked at this moment.

“Benefactor Su's methods penetrate the heavens; you are truly like the legendary Immortals and Gods.”

Wisdom Heart's mind trembled as he looked at himself suddenly arriving in Jinzhou City, filled with emotion.

The Old Celestial Master felt the same way, marveling at the miraculous nature of these methods even after experiencing it twice.

The group bid farewell to each other.

However, upon parting, the Old Celestial Master saw that everyone in Jinzhou was discussing Yu Hong. He looked as if he had remembered something, hesitated to speak, then shook his head, deciding not to say anything further.

However, Qin Yi's perception was extremely keen, so he asked, “Abbot, do you have something else to say?”

The Old Celestial Master also looked at Wisdom Heart curiously.

“This matter should be insignificant to Benefactor Su, and mentioning it might be superfluous.”

“But since Benefactor Su asked, I will be direct. My Spiritual Item, the Wisdom Eye, besides sensing potential great changes in heaven and earth, also once sensed the person Yu Hong.”

“This person might also be a strange variable. When I look at him, he is somewhat unclear, just like when I look at Benefactor Su. This person seems unusual too, but since Benefactor Su was able to defy the heavens and return to this realm, Yu Hong's unusual nature probably counts for nothing. It must be me overthinking things.”

Wisdom Heart said with a chuckle.

“Oh?”

Qin Yi was slightly surprised upon hearing this.

He had carefully observed Wisdom Heart's Spiritual Item, the Wisdom Eye, today; it was a very miraculous treasure.

Anyone the Wisdom Eye cannot see clearly is likely extraordinary.

“Since the Abbot mentioned it, I will pay attention to this person later. Perhaps through him, I can more quickly ascertain the changes occurring in this realm.”

Qin Yi said.

Previously, he really hadn't considered this. No matter how great the changes in this realm were, or how strong a Master was, in his eyes, there was essentially no difference between them and other mortals.

“Mhm.”

Wisdom Heart nodded, not overly concerned. No matter what kind of variable Yu Hong was, he couldn't possibly surpass Qin Yi.