The dimly lit wooden cabin.
At four corners, twisting flas burn gently.
Four Copper Human Lamps, respectfully presenting fire, this is the most mysterious shrine of the Li Family, also the most potent site for the "Prayer Technique" to be activated.
Throughout generations, Protectors would offer their lives here to nurture the "Divine Embryo."
If fate indeed has a balance scale.
Then this old house plastered with Ancient Talismans is the Forbidden Land that can directly touch the "balance."
Gu Shen sat amidst the flickering flas.
"Empty your mind, relax your focus."
Li Qingci guided him into the Dream.
The flas mirrored the four faces of the Copper Human Lamp, joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, the visage of all lives.
Gu Shen slowly closed his eyes.
His thoughts scattered like willow fluff, quickly imrsing into a pure white realm, the guidance sound from Li Qingci helped him find direction in the Dream.
"Imagine the ’event’ you want to pray for, whether it’s a person or an object, it needs to be concretized, then further concretized."
Gu Shen closed his eyes.
In this pure white Spiritual World, the image of "Han Dang" gradually appeared.
Simultaneously.
He felt the descent of an ethereal power.
The elusive yet genuinely existing "fate"—
The Prayer Technique was being cast.
Fate lowered its gaze, inspecting mundane "wishes," the subtlety of this Forbidden Technique lies in that the Caster need not describe excessively with language or other ans, fate can naturally follow "cause and effect" to search.
In this world, every plant and tree, every living thing, can’t escape the words of cause and effect.
Regardless of life or death, as long as it has been, there are traces to follow.
"Next... transmit the information you possess... the more the better... this way, the amount you need to offer as a bargaining chip will decrease..."
Li Qingci’s voice faded intermittently.
And beca increasingly faint.
By the latter part, Gu Shen could barely hear it.
But it’s not important anymore.
This Dream has no sound, but the power of fate guides the drear to complete the "exchange."
"Tundra, Frozen Lake Area."
Gu Shen used his spiritual power to send out all the information he knew... This act was akin to placing a portion of the chip on the "destiny balance."
"Not on the surface, probably at a depth of... five hundred ters underground."
Information is limited.
By putting what Gu Shen could on the "balance," it’s just this much.
After completing this, by his ears was extre silence, Li Qingci’s voice completely dissipated, the entire pure white Spiritual World was left with only him, due to the concretization of spiritual power, he actually saw a giant balance scale.
All of this was an illusion.
The balance swayed, tilted.
This is fate assessing, soon, Gu Shen received a ssage in his mind.
"Seven hundred and eighty-one days one hour five seconds."
It’s a countdown figure.
Additionally, each change in countdown ti wasn’t second by second, but instead happened in seconds.
The "activation" of the Prayer Technique necessitates bearing its cost.
During the Caster’s hesitation, "life" has already been paid... Gu Shen simply observed that after this series of figures appeared, every passing second in spiritual perception made the "number" on the chip jump one minute.
Ten seconds equals ten minutes.
Seven hundred and eighty-one days!
Finding Han Dang’s hiding place consus two years of lifespan!
If unwilling to activate the Prayer Technique, the numbers deducted from the balance won’t be refunded...
"Exchange."
Gu Shen raised his head, his gaze directed toward the white world’s ceiling.
He wanted to see the end of this void spirit.
But...
The end of the void remains void.
The snow-white "balance" instantly shatters, countless torrents sweeping through the Spiritual World, the mont Gu Shen spoke, the activation of the Prayer Technique truly began, "fate" received his will and completed the equivalent "exchange."
At this mont.
Gu Shen felt sothing being extracted from his body.
He didn’t age, nor did his spirit suffer loss...
What he lost was the future.
The cost of the Prayer Technique is life, each successful casting requires the Caster to relinquish their "lifespan," but here "relinquishing" doesn’t an direct aging.
Rather, it’s cutting off a lifespan portion before reaching life’s terminal.
A person originally could live until seventy.
If repeatedly using the Prayer Technique, depleting thirty years of lifespan, then he would die at the age of forty.
No one knows how long they can live—
But fate knows.
This is the terrifying aspect of the "Prayer Technique."
You prematurely exhaust life, yet unaware of your life’s loss.
This Forbidden Technique never presents an "IOU" situation.
When the Caster’s final life nears its end, fate’s scale will no longer satisfy so of his wishes... Without a ti fra, a situation may arise where you watch the "countdown" flowing as presented by the balance, yet can only afford to pay the "hesitation" price.
When you reach life’s end, you’ll find, with no ti, whatever you wish to do becos a luxury.
...
...
Gu family’s temporary base.
"Mr. Xing Yun, wake up."
A Night Watchman kindly woke up the Tomb Ghost who had fallen asleep at the table, simultaneously casting a peculiar glance at the thick blueprint on the table.
Since losing his mory, the Tomb Ghost had stayed in this room, never stepping outside.
His daily activities were monotonous and dull.
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