323: Zhuge Liang, the master strategist!

"Back in that backwater corner of the Southern Wilderness Region, I never truly witnessed the profound depths of the Dao of Karmic Calculation. I acted a bit too boldly and carelessly, thinking that as long as I cleaned up the aftermath well enough, it would be fine. Now, I've actually fallen into a trap because of it!"

It seemed that in this vast Profound Spirit Domain, no matter how well you hid, as long as you formed Karma with others, those skilled in this Dao would still find a way to 'dig' it out!

The sense of crisis brought by this realization made Lu Ming feel as if he had thorns in his back, sitting on pins and needles!

The intense unease of his fate not being entirely in his own control, as if he were constantly exposed to outsiders, permeated his heart.

"Absolutely not!" Lu Ming's eyes narrowed, the killing intent within them almost tangible. "This Zhuge Mingyi must die!"

However, he still maintained a shred of rationality, knowing that even killing Zhuge Mingyi now would be futile.

To sever the Legacy and fundamentally solve the problem, the Zhuge Family was an unavoidable topic.

Moreover, Lu Ming had other thoughts in mind.

"The Dao of Karma..." he whispered to himself, his gaze shifting back to the karma golden book in his Sea of Consciousness.

His Golden Finger also carried the word 'Karma'.

If he could dabble in it, or even master some techniques of Heavenly Secret deduction regarding Karma and destiny, could he find some ingenious way to further develop his Golden Finger?

Lu Ming didn't know, but it was undoubtedly a very tempting idea.

Furthermore, he was also curious to what extent the other party's Heavenly Secret calculation could reach.

"Can they only vaguely sense my position, cultivation level, and other surface-level information? Or can they dig deeper, perhaps even directly locking onto my roots and origins?"

Though both were types of deduction, the difference between them was crucial!

Because Lu Ming's greatest secret was not just the existence of the karma golden book, but also his inexplicable Transmigration!

Although Lu Ming subconsciously felt that with the mysterious level of the karma golden book, which transcended understanding, it might inherently possess the property of shielding Heavenly Secrets and blurring Karma.

A mere Late Golden Core Stage Cultivator of the Zhuge Family, with their level of cultivation, would find it absolutely impossible to directly deduce the existence of the golden book, let alone bypass it to lock onto Lu Ming's origins.

But it was better to be safe than sorry!

The Cultivation World had countless strange techniques and arts; who could guarantee there would be no accidents?

"And on a smaller scale, if they can calculate that I am secretly plotting for the Thirty-Six Blessed Lands, or even setting my sights on the Inner Domain of the Grotto-Heaven..."

"Then wouldn't all my plans be like an 'open hand' in their eyes? All my calculations would become a joke!"

Whenever he thought of this possibility, Lu Ming felt a chill run down his spine.

Therefore, he had to know himself and his enemy, and more importantly, nip the danger in the bud. The first step was to find out exactly what the other party was capable of.

Lu Ming took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down and begin thinking of a countermeasure.

"However, it's not like I'm completely without means of defense and retaliation." A glint of dark light flashed in Lu Ming's eyes.

Over the years, he had thoroughly explored the karma golden book and had a certain understanding of it, realizing its abilities were far more than just 'transferring side effects'.

The phrase 'Bear my cause, substitute their effect' wasn't just empty words.

After all, one of the golden book's core abilities was to interfere with Karma.

Since it could transfer 'ill effects' applied to himself to others, then theoretically, it should also be able to graft, transfer, or even cover up and blur the 'karmic connection' between himself and certain things!

In fact, Lu Ming had already preliminary confirmed this.

Just like signing a Dao Oath Blood Covenant or swearing a Heavenly Dao Oath.

He could use the golden book to transfer this Karma to someone else, disguised as using another's Karma to cover his own existence.

"Then can I use this point to set a trap for the Zhuge Family in reverse?"

A bold idea took shape in Lu Ming's mind.

As for directly attacking the Zhuge Family? That would be no different from seeking death!

Not to mention their home base would surely be heavily fortified with Formations and crowded with experts—don't forget what their specialty was!

Trying to scheme against a Family proficient in karmic deduction was like trying to show off one's sword skills in front of Guan Yu; it was a bit too naive.

He estimated that the moment he made a move, the other party would be able to sense it through the Heavenly Secrets, calculate most of it, and then turn the tables on him, letting him walk right into their trap.

"However..." Lu Ming's thoughts spun rapidly, his eyes gleaming.

"If I carefully design a trap to lure someone from the Zhuge Family out, and then use the golden book's karmic blurring ability to interfere with their deduction, then wait for an opportunity to capture or kill them, it seems to have a certain degree of feasibility."

Moreover, Lu Ming felt that this line of thought was very promising and worth researching in depth!

"It's just that the specific implementation needs to be carefully considered and meticulously planned."

Lu Ming began to think at lightning speed.

His ideal outcome was to be able to 'fish' Zhuge Mingyi out alone and then directly control him.

This would not only eliminate the direct threat but also add a special talent to his human emperor banner!

Thinking of this, a flash of heat appeared in Lu Ming's eyes.

A Banner Spirit proficient in Heavenly Secret deduction and karmic destiny—their memories, knowledge, and even their very being would possess extraordinary uses, bringing unimaginable benefits to his cultivation!

"But this matter needs to be planned for the long term; it cannot be rushed!"

Lu Ming suppressed the agitation in his heart and regained his composure.

The urgent task was to recover his state as quickly as possible and then leave the Jiling Wasteland.

At the same time, he needed to start gathering intelligence on the Zhuge Family and experiment with how to shield and interfere with Heavenly Secret Deduction Techniques."

...Deep within a continuous mountain range in the heart of the Northern Border, which was shrouded in hazy spiritual mist year-round, ordinary Cultivators found it difficult to find their way.

The layout of the mountains here secretly corresponded to the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams, and the flow of Spiritual Qi followed the order of the stars in the sky. This was the location of one of the Thirty-Six Blessed Lands, the Heavenly Secret Zhuge Family.

Passing through the outer maze and layers upon layers of Formation Restrictions that changed with the time and terrain, the scene before his eyes suddenly opened up.

It was not the immortal jade pavilions of one's imagination, but rather ancient-styled buildings scattered among the mountains.

The architectural layout seemed casual, but it contained hidden mechanisms, and as they echoed each other, they formed a massive natural Formation.

Even the strangely shaped bronze wind chimes hanging from the eaves would move without wind, emitting a crisp and rhythmic melody.

Not to mention the massive Sundials, Astrolabes, and other sky-observing Magical Artifacts that could be seen everywhere, perfectly fitting the public's stereotypical image of a 'Heavenly Secret Family'.

Because the population was not booming, the entire Zhuge Family land lacked some of the sharpness and clamor of a typical cultivation Family, but had more of a quiet air, like a secluded Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Land.

But those in the know understood what terrifying power was hidden beneath this seemingly calm and peaceful appearance.