Earth's Greatest Magus

Chapter 3031: Fortune

The clone stepped out of the shop with none of the satisfaction it had hoped to find.

There was, technically, one way to obtain something closer to what Emery actually needed—a true Grand Magus vessel.

The attendant had mentioned it only after being pressed, lowering his voice as though speaking of something best left unspoken.

A reused vessel.

The preserved body of a deceased Grand Magus.

Such bodies were rare and, officially, illegal to buy or sell. But rarity and legality were not the greatest obstacles.

Compatibility was.

For ordinary cultivators, the vessel had to have cultivated laws similar to their own. Otherwise, the soul and body would constantly reject one another, making it nearly impossible to unleash one’s full strength.

For half-bloods, the requirements became even stricter.

It was not enough for the body to belong to the same race. It had to possess a simmilar bloodline, close enough that truly compatible vessels usually came from members of the same family.

Listening through the Khaos link, Emery couldn’t help but frown.

He cultivated both Light and Darkness. His bloodline was also among the rarest of the wolf half-bloods.

By any standards, a compatible vessel simply didn’t exist.

Perhaps it never would.

That left only one remaining alternative.

Constructed bodies.

Golems. Puppets. Artificial vessels forged rather than grown, completely sidestepping the problems of bloodline and compatibility because they had never truly lived.

For many cultivators, they served as acceptable temporary replacements.

For Emery, they were useless.

Such constructs could never fully withstand the power of his cultivation, nor could they properly synchronize with his Khaos domain.

In the end, his own true clone technique was still the best solution available.

Which meant everything once again led back to the Serpent Supreme... or perhaps to whatever secrets the Supreme Gene Project now concealed.

Still unwilling to give up, Emery acess his Cosmic Palace to send a message.

To Grand Magus Warwick of the Silvermane Wolf faction, asking whether any Grand Magus-grade replacement vessels could be found. At the same time, he inquired about obtaining authorization to enter the Supreme Gene Center.

Just after sending it, another notification appeared.

This one surprised him.

It was a reply from Supreme Alduin of the Zodiac faction.

Emery had sent the message only the day before, asking about Ronan Faulen after deciding to visit Draconic Prime. He hadn’t expected the Zodiac King to respond so quickly.

The message read:

Emery, unfortunately there is little I can do regarding the Sacred Dragon City, as my influence there is limited. However, if you find yourself in need of assistance, I suggest seeking the Azure Queen. She would likely be willing to help you.”> > Emery, unfortunately there is little I can do regarding the Sacred Dragon City, as my influence there is limited. However, if you find yourself in need of assistance, I suggest seeking the Azure Queen. She would likely be willing to help you.

As for Ronan Faulen, I cannot speak of the matter in detail. What I can confirm is that there was indeed a battle between him and the Nine Heavens Supreme. Since then, the Serpent Supreme has remained a ”guest” of the city.

Emery let out a long sigh.

So it was true.

A decade ago, a battle had taken place here between two Supremes—Ronan Faulen and the Nine Heavens Supreme, the ruler of the Sky Dragon Clan and the strongest of the three Dragon Supremes.

And ”guest”...

Emery doubted that was the right word.

It sounded far more like Ronan was being detained.

After sending a brief message of thanks to Alduin, Emery finished the last of his drink.

Then he rose from his seat, left payment on the counter, and stepped back into the bustling streets of Draconic Prime.

The moment the tavern door closed behind him, all three shadow clones dissolved at once, their scattered senses flowing back into Emery in a single, quiet rush.

Whole again, he turned toward the Serpent branch office.

He intended to learn more about the Serpent Supreme’s current situation.

But he didn’t make it far.

After only a few steps, something across the street caught his attention.

It was a small wooden teahouse, utterly unremarkable by the standards of Draconic Prime. On a street lined with extravagant establishments, it looked almost out of place.

What drew Emery’s attention wasn’t the teahouse itself.

It was the old man sitting alone in the corner.

A chipped ceramic cup rested before him beside a small stack of yellowed papers. Strapped across his back was a faded cloth banner bearing three ancient characters, written in a script so old that Emery had to look twice before recognizing them.

Knows One’s Fate.

Emery blinked.

”...A fortune teller?”

The old man was already looking at him.

A faint smile spread across his weathered face. Although the street between them bustled with pedestrians, his voice reached Emery’s ears as clearly as if he were standing only a step away.

”Young man,” the old man said. ”Allow this elder to read your future.”

Emery stopped in his tracks.

Something about the old man immediately felt wrong.

His divine sense swept over him.

Nothing.

No cultivation.

No spiritual fluctuations.

No aura whatsoever.

By every measure available to Emery, the old man appeared to be an ordinary mortal.

That made no sense.

Draconic Prime did not allow mortals through its gates.

Stranger still, no one else on the crowded street seemed to acknowledge his existence. People walked past the teahouse without sparing him a single glance, as though the old man simply wasn’t there.

The smile on the old man’s face deepened with quiet amusement.

”Come,” he said. ”Let me have a closer look.”

Emery took a slow breath before crossing the street.

The closer he came, the more peculiar the old man appeared.

The first thing he noticed was the pronounced hunch in his back. His hair was an ashen white, far paler than age alone could explain. Along the sides of his face, faint emerald scales emerged from beneath deeply wrinkled skin, while the same green scales continued across the backs of his weathered hands resting calmly on the table.

Emery offered a respectful nod.

The old man simply gestured toward the empty seat opposite him.

”Please, sit.”

Emery complied.

Between them sat a plain wooden cup filled with a dozen slender fortune sticks, each engraved with symbols that had been worn nearly smooth through countless years of use.

The old man gently nudged the cup toward him.

”Choose three.”

Emery reached into the wooden cup without allowing himself to hesitate for too long. His fingers brushed against the slender straws before settling on one, which he drew out and placed gently on the table.

The first straw bore a single ancient symbol carved into its surface. At first glance it looked like nothing more than a faded character, but the moment Emery’s eyes settled upon it, the rune awakened.

Warm light spread through his consciousness.

For an instant, he found himself gazing upon a brilliant sun resting half above the horizon, so radiant that he couldn’t tell whether it was rising to greet a new day or sinking into the end of one.

The vision vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

The old man’s smile widened.

”Good...” he murmured with an approving nod. ”The Mark of Light. It carries the blessing of fortune.”

He gently pushed the cup toward Emery again.

”Now, choose another.”

Emery reached in a second time.

This time, the rune carved into the straw revealed itself as a pale crescent moon.

A cool sensation washed over him, carrying neither fear nor warmth, only an eerie stillness that somehow calmed his thoughts.

The old man’s expression grew more solemn.

”The Dark Moon...” he said quietly. ”It speaks of hardship... but also hope.”

He fell silent before nudging the cup forward one final time.

”The last one.”

Emery stared at the remaining straws for several seconds.

The moment his fingertips touched one, an overwhelming sense of dread flooded his mind.

His vision blurred.

He saw cities collapsing beneath black skies, mountains splitting apart, and countless lives swallowed by a tide of destruction.

His heart skipped a beat.

Then, just as suddenly, the vision changed.

The darkness gave way to vibrant green.

Life blossomed where ruin had stood. Dead lands awakened, flowers bloomed across barren earth, and a brilliant light pierced through the heavens.

The feeling faded, leaving Emery staring silently at the final straw in his hand.

He slowly looked up.

”Senior...” he asked, unable to hide the uncertainty in his voice. ”What does it mean?”

The old man gathered the three straws together and studied them for a long while, his weathered eyes unusually distant.

Finally, he let out a quiet sigh.

”So...” he murmured. ”You truly are a destiny breaker.”

His gaze drifted toward the distant sky, as though watching something far beyond the city itself.

”The calamity of change...” he whispered. ”...has come sooner than I expected.”

Before Emery could ask another question, the old man simply rose from his seat.

He left the three straws resting on the table, picked up his worn banner, and walked away with slow, unhurried steps.

No explanation.

No farewell.

Within moments, he had disappeared into the crowd as though he had never been there at all.

”...What the hell?” Emery muttered, unable to hide his frown.

The old man had read his fortune, uttered a few cryptic words, and simply walked away.

That was a little rude, wasn’t it?

Emery remained standing there, thoroughly baffled.

Who was he?

He wouldn’t have been surprised if the old man was one of the three Dragon Supremes.

Certainly not the Azure Queen of the Sea Dragon Clan, nor did he resemble the Nine Heavens Supreme of the Sky Dragon Clan, who was said to be an imposing figure.

Could that mysterious elder have been the Supreme of the Earth Dragon Clan...

The Lord of Ten Thousand Peaks?