157: Chapter 157 The Blind Fortune Teller: He Calculates Doors, Not Divinations

The vibration of the Heart-Burning Altar was like a war drum beating against bone; Chen Fan's spirit body nearly dissolved into stardust amidst the tremors.

Carrying Su Shuang on his back, he stood at the edge of the cliff. Though his five senses were lost, he could "see" the stone tiles beneath his feet seeping with a faint blue light—it was the lingering energy from the pseudo-god's remains, being drained along the earth's meridians.

Su Shuang's body heat seeped through his coarse cloth outer garment, cold as winter night frost, yet when his spiritual sense touched her heart, that faint, flickering heartbeat was three times stronger than before.

"Hold on," a raspy murmur rolled from his throat as his thumb brushed her earlobe, which was blue from the cold. "Once we pass this trial, I'll carry you to the Frost Moon Teahouse."

Before the words could fade, a roar like muffled thunder echoed from the horizon.

Chen Fan's spirit body jolted as he "gazed" toward the churning clouds—a massive floating city was slowly descending, its center swirling with golden patterns that vaguely outlined the silhouette of a gate.

The Gate of Kings.

The final vibration from the Black Crow came from the depths of his sea of consciousness, its rhythm of three short and two long pulses making his temples throb with pain.

"Star Dome Palace... seven patterns are needed to open the gate... Xiao Chan... is the final link." Chen Fan lowered his head and lightly tapped his chest—there was a faint light there, his Critical Strike Spiritual Body resonating.

He suddenly "felt" something hidden within the clouds below the cliff, like a harp string stirred by the wind; every vibration brought forth starlight.

"A Star-pattern Resonator?" He narrowed his eyes and took half a step toward the Cloud Pillar while carrying Su Shuang.

The thousand-foot Cloud Pillar pierced the sky, with a pale golden barrier floating at the entrance on top.

Chen Fan took a deep breath (even though his lungs had long since lost all sensation) and raised his leg to step onto it, only to be violently knocked back by an invisible force field.

The moment his back hit the cliff wall, he heard a mechanical sound like grinding metal: "The cracks in fate are deep; those without a token may not ascend the stairs."

A Star Pupil Guard emerged from the void.

It was a translucent puppet with eyes like swirling galaxies; every ray of starlight seemed to carve words onto his spirit body.

Chen Fan's Critical Strike Spiritual Body suddenly vibrated violently—[Environmental Perception Crit × 280%]!

He "saw" the data stream in the Star Pupil Guard's eyes pouring down like a waterfall: tokens of the seven cities, one missing; the final Star-patterned Jade Pendant was resonating with a breathing frequency three miles away.

In the shadow of the Cloud Pillar, Xiao Chan was curled up in a corner of the bluestone floor.

Her face was whiter than the clouds, her forehead was stained with blood, and she held a translucent jade pendant in her arms.

The jade pendant flickered with her breathing; every time the light brightened, the surrounding clouds churned like boiling water.

Ten steps away, three remnants of the Fragrance Severers were approaching with blood-stained short blades. The leader grinned, "Little girl, hand over that jade pendant—"

"Cough..." Xiao Chan suddenly coughed lightly.

The jade pendant abruptly flared with brilliance, and silver-white starlight shot out like a sword.

The leading Fragrance Severer screamed as he was sent flying; when he hit the Cloud Pillar, his entire body went limp like a crumpled ball of paper.

Chen Fan's spiritual sense clearly captured that fluctuation—different from the eerie Fox Fire and different from the violent Thunder Veins, this was a more ancient and pure Star-pattern Origin.

"If I take the jade, she will surely die; if I don't, Su Shuang will never wake up." Chen Fan's Adam's apple bobbed, and his fingernails dug deep into his palms (though he felt no pain).

The hammer of the thunder god grew hot in his hand, the word "Infinite" on its head glowing dark red as if burning his spirit body.

He looked down at Su Shuang on his back; her eyelashes fluttered as if responding to his struggle.

"I've smashed gods and burned chains; I can't let you get stuck at the entrance." He gently placed Su Shuang by the cliff edge, using a piece of cloth to cushion the back of her head.

As he turned, the hammer of the thunder god slammed heavily onto the base of the Cloud Pillar—[Chain Crit × 6.2]!

A roar exploded, and the clouds cracked with spiderweb-like fissures.

The Star-pattern resonance was briefly interrupted, and Chen Fan used the force to leap into the clouds, the wind rushing into his collar and scraping painfully against his spirit body.

He "saw" a blinding light erupt from the Star Pupil Guard's galactic eyes, and chain-like starlight descended from the heavens, intending to nail him into the clouds.

But he "touched" that fissure—the 0.3-second stasis determined by the system.

Chen Fan poured the last spark of the life lamp into the tip of the hammer, and a blue flame wrapped in thunder patterns surged out three inches.

He used the momentum to leap up, the tip of the hammer accurately striking a node on the chain—[Skill Crit × 7.1]!

The crisp sound of the chain snapping mixed with his low shout.

Chen Fan landed on one knee on the bluestone floor beside Xiao Chan, the impact making the Cloud Pillar tremble.

Xiao Chan trembled all over, curling into an even smaller ball, but when she looked up and saw his face clearly, the fear in her eyes faded slightly.

"Don't be afraid." Chen Fan tore off a piece of his blood-stained sleeve and wiped the blood from her forehead. "I'm not taking your life, just borrowing your pattern."

The jade pendant suddenly quivered and actually floated up an inch, silver light gently wrapping around his fingertips.

Chen Fan's spirit body jolted as he heard a whisper from deep within the Star Dome Palace, echoing like an ancient bell above the clouds: "You... are becoming the rules themselves."

He gently picked up Xiao Chan, and as he turned, he caught sight of the Gate of Kings at the top of the Cloud Pillar, its golden patterns three times brighter than before.

Su Shuang was still lying by the cliff edge, the wind lifting her hair to reveal the pale pink fox tail mark on her neck—it was her most vulnerable spot, which she used to cover with a silk scarf.

Chen Fan took a deep breath and walked toward the Cloud Pillar with Xiao Chan on his back.

This time, the Star Pupil Guard's barrier did not block him.

He "saw" steps made of starlight rising through the clouds, each step treading on the scale of destiny. In the distance, the silhouette of the Star Dome Palace's outer corridor gradually became clear, and starlight fell like rain, splashing into fine dust of light at his feet.