Ms. Diviner: The Prodigal Daughter's Return

Chapter 746: 746 Han Yan slapped someone hard in the face again

”What?” Mu Hanyan was slightly startled, asking inwardly.

The incantation recited by Star Illusion Thousand Machine was that of the Heavenly Heart Technique, but the order was completely scrambled. If one followed this method to operate the cultivation technique, it would be strange not to lose control.

”Hand formation,” Star Illusion Thousand Machine said briefly.

Mu Hanyan immediately came back to his senses, understanding that he was referring to the hand formation corresponding to the Heavenly Heart Technique, not to operate the cultivation technique in that order.

Mu Hanyan never doubted Star Illusion Thousand Machine’s words and promptly followed the incantation he spoke, forming the corresponding hand formations.

As the mantras were executed one by one, Mu Hanyan was astonished to find the qi inside his body flowing uncontrollably. However, it was unlike the steady stream during cultivation and also unlike the overwhelming surge during a burst. The qi was ethereal and elegant, and even the power of heaven and earth around him responded to it like a breeze skimming the surface of a lake, gently rippling.

And his mental state, too, seemed to be cleansed by a pure spring, becoming clearer and more focused.

So the Heavenly Heart Technique could also be used in this way— Mu Hanyan was greatly surprised.

”Ding”— just then, a Star Compass hanging in front sounded a crisp note, the stars twinkling on it, emitting a mysterious halo.

”What’s going on here?” Mu Hanyan looked at the Star Compass and asked in surprise inwardly.

”Star Divination technique, he is a Star Divination Master!” Star Illusion Thousand Machine did not speak up; instead, the answer came from the surrounding crowd.

”No wonder he dared to criticize Master Ji openly. It turns out he is also a Star Divination Master.”

”Could it be he deliberately smashed Master Ji’s signboard?” came low voices of discussion from the crowd, their looks toward Mu Hanyan filled with curiosity.

”Is this the Star Divination Hand Formation?” It finally dawned on Mu Hanyan what was going on, and he asked Star Illusion Thousand Machine.

Hearing the crowd’s discussions reminded her that some rich Star Divination Masters, when performing extremely important Star Divination Skills, needed to bathe and fast in advance and also employ the assistance of a Star Compass.

Such a Star Mechanism Plate looked similar to the Star Compasses used for identifying directions, but in reality, there was a secret to them. They were refined from top-quality Meteorite Gold Stones by strong Alchemists and were known as Star Mechanism Plates. Since Star Divination Masters were divided into schools with strengths and weaknesses in their Star Divination Skills, the star phases engraved on the Star Mechanism Plates varied, and so did the methods of use.

The refining of a Star Mechanism Plate was not easy; its value was extremely high. Each use could cause various degrees of damage, or even complete destruction, which made even wealthy Star Divination Masters reluctant to use it lightly. As for a Star Divination Master like Qu Shanling, although he had made quite a name for himself, he couldn’t produce a decent Star Mechanism Plate.

Perhaps he had one or two faulty Star Mechanism Plates to fool the laymen, but he was too embarrassed to feign mystery in front of Mu Hanyan, so she had never seen him use one. Only when she heard the astonished shouts from the crowd did she sharply realize that the hand formation had activated the Star Mechanism Plate— it was unmistakably a Star Divination Hand Formation.

”What Star Divination Hand Formation, but a misconception repeated by the common folk,” Star Illusion Thousand Machine said with disdain.

”If it’s not the Star Divination Hand Formation, then what is it?” Mu Hanyan asked curiously.

”I’ll tell you later. You better get through this predicament first. I don’t want to drown in spit along with you—too embarrassing,” Star Illusion Thousand Machine said.

No wonder he was so proactive this time; it turned out he didn’t want to share in Mu Hanyan’s embarrassment.

What a vain creature, Mu Hanyan thought amusingly.

But honestly, she didn’t want to scurry away in such a disgraceful manner. She had never faced such an embarrassment in her life.

”What should I do next?” Mu Hanyan asked.

Though she could carry off a brief impersonation of a Star Divination Master by performing the Hand Formation to activate the Star Mechanism Plate, the most valued aspects of being a diviner were experience and reputation. Even Qu Shanling, the middle-aged god-man, had needed to dye his hair white and wrinkle his face to pass himself off as an old god. What could she, Mu Hanyan, possibly have to compare with Ji Gaoxian?

”Hmph, what’s so great about a Star Divination Master,” someone snorted after their brief astonishment, glancing at her smooth chin. ”He’s barely sixteen or seventeen, how much skill could he have? He’s bringing disgrace upon himself trying to damage Master Ji’s signboard!”

”As I see it, he’s probably just trying to ride on Master Ji’s coattails to make a name for himself. Young people these days, unwilling to properly cultivate, just looking for shortcuts,” another person said with a mix of disappointment and anger.

”Then he’s miscalculated. If he were anywhere else, showing off a trick like that might make him a little famous, but here in the Capital, a place full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, dreaming of ascending through clever tricks is nothing but a pipe dream!” spat another disdainfully.

Hearing the surrounding jeers and taunts, Mu Hanyan’s face turned slightly red. If she were truly a Star Divination Master, she’d just fight it out—she wasn’t afraid of anyone. But she knew herself best, and the truth was that she knew nothing about the Star Divination Skill. She had only learned the Star Illusion Thousand Machine Technique to assist her cultivation. Although she was able to activate the Star Mechanism Plate under the Star Illusion Thousand Machine’s guidance, the twinkling stars meant absolutely nothing to her.

”Don’t think too much; just perform the Hand Formation as I told you,” the Star Illusion Thousand Machine instructed.

Hearing this, Mu Hanyan relaxed and focused on performing the Hand Formation.

”What’s he still doing?” someone in the crowd asked, puzzled.

”Who knows? He’s probably just trying to show off his Star Divination Skill again,” replied someone dismissively.

”Tch, what’s there to show off? Do they seriously believe we are local bumpkins who’ve never seen the world? Such a Star Divination Skill might fool people in a small place, but it’s nothing in the Capital,” laughed another, sneering.

Perhaps motivated by a sense of shared antagonism, not wanting a foreign local bumpkin to steal the limelight from the Capital’s Divine Fortune Teller, or perhaps to curry favor with Ji Gaoxian, the onlookers competed to mock Mu Hanyan. But not a single one noticed that Ji Gaoxian himself was silent, his expression solemn, watching Mu Hanyan’s Hand Formation with a hint of panic in his eyes. What kind of Star Divination Technique was this? He had neither seen nor even heard of it.

”Buzz” Another Star Mechanism Plate emitted an ancient humming sound, its stars sparkling brilliantly.

The surroundings jeers came to an abrupt halt as everyone’s eyes widened, staring in surprise at the Plate.

Before they could react, another Star Mechanism Plate hummed softly, gleaming with silver light.

Then, one after another, Star Compasses of varying age and condition began to resonate in harmony, the room filled with dazzling and extraordinary lights.

Counting carefully, there were no fewer than nine Star Mechanism Plates shining brightly, and even the one in front of Ji Gaoxian emitted silver radiance.

Everyone was stunned. It was well-known that different Star Mechanism Plates corresponded to different Star Divination Techniques. The more profound the Star Divination Master’s power, the more varied the experiences, the broader the knowledge, and the wider the variety of Star Mechanism Plates they could operate.

Rumor had it that Ji Gaoxian had become famous throughout the Capital for being able to operate six types of Star Mechanism Plates, earning the praise of many elder Star Divination Masters. Thus, no one questioned his claim of being the Yunjing Divine Fortune Teller.

Yet there before them was a youth who appeared to be merely sixteen or seventeen, managing to activate a full nine Star Mechanism Plates. Didn’t that mean his Star Divination Skill was far superior to that of Ji Gaoxian? How could that be possible?

”It can’t be, it can’t be, how did you do it?” Ji Gaoxian himself was tremendously shocked, muttering as he looked at Mu Hanyan.

Although he could operate six Star Mechanism Plates, those were the techniques he had mastered after repeated refinement. In fact, most of the Star Mechanism Plates in the room were discarded and served merely for show. Only these nine were functional.

And of those, he could use only four; the remaining five were beyond his abilities. Yet this youth had effortlessly activated all of them. He even had an intuition that even if there were more functioning Star Mechanism Plates added to the mix, it would be no trouble for him.

Which meant this person’s Star Divination Technique might be even more formidable than others had guessed.