The Emperor of Cultivation Prediction

Chapter 6: Saving Leriana

Night at the Sky Sword Sect was shrouded in a thin mist that crept between the stone pavilions. Leriana walked slowly, her footsteps nearly silent on the path leading to the Blue Phoenix Pavilion. Behind her, the Captain of her guard followed with full alertness.

"Princess, I have checked that pine tree. There was no one there. However, there is a very faint trace of energy, almost undetectable. It wasn't the energy of an assassin, but rather something much purer," the Captain whispered.

"Is that so? Interesting. It means he truly does not want to be found," Leriana replied, her eyes sweeping the darkness. "And have you obtained the list of outer disciples on duty today?"

"I have, Princess. There are thirty disciples. However, one name caught my attention. Dexa. He is the disciple who just caused a stir in the main hall yesterday by humiliating an Elder."

"Dexa... a simple name. Keep that name, Captain. Now, I want to get some fresh air in the rear meditation area. The air inside the pavilion feels too suffocating because of the Shadow Elder's spies."

"But Princess, it is already late. The security here—"

"I know my own capabilities, Captain. Stay here and ensure no one enters my room. I only need ten minutes."

Leriana turned toward the bamboo forest area leading to an ancient meditation formation. Unbeknownst to her, inside his head, Dexa was observing her every move through a system screen.

System, activate real-time simulation. How many seconds left before she triggers the illusion formation?

[Beep! Target will step on the trigger in 15 seconds. Formation: Soul Mirror Labyrinth—Intermediate Level. Effect: Shatters mental consciousness and sends a location signal to the attacker.]

Show me the safe path. I will appear exactly at the formation's blind spot.

Dexa leaped from the library roof, landing silently behind a cluster of bamboo. He saw Leriana walking toward a stone altar that looked beautiful under the moonlight.

"Stop right there, Princess. One more step, and you will never see the sun rise again."

The voice was calm, yet it cut through the silence of the night like a sharply whetted sword. Leriana froze, her foot hovering just centimeters above a slightly protruding stone tile.

"Who is there? Show yourself!" Leriana prepared to release her Phoenix energy, her hands glowing with a faint red light.

Dexa stepped out from the bamboo shadows. He wore a simple outer disciple's robe, his hands crossed behind his back. "Just a disciple who doesn't want to see his guest die a foolish death on someone else's land."

Leriana narrowed her eyes, recognizing the figure in front of her. "You... the disciple at the gate earlier? Dexa?"

"A sharp memory for someone who just drank poisoned tea," Dexa replied flatly.

"So it really was you who did it? Dropping that dew into my cup?" Leriana lowered her hands, but her alertness did not waver. "How did you know about the poison? And how do you know about what is in front of me?"

"A boring question," Dexa walked closer, stopping right beside Leriana. "Look at the tile beneath your foot. Do you see the crack pattern forming an inverted lotus?"

Leriana looked down, observing closely. "Yes, I see it. What of it?"

"That is the 'Eye of Illusion.' If your body weight presses that tile, the Soul Mirror Labyrinth formation will activate. Within three seconds, your soul will be pulled into a void, and within five seconds, the Shadow Elder will know that you are defenseless. Is that clear enough?"

Leriana took a sharp breath, slowly pulling her foot back. "Why are you helping me? We don't know each other. In the world of cultivation, no help is free."

"You're right. Nothing is free," Dexa stared at Leriana with eyes that seemed to pierce through her soul. "But saving you is far more profitable for me than letting you die and watching this sect crumble in a diplomatic war. I hate chaos that I cannot control."

"You speak as if you are the ruler of this place," Leriana chuckled, though a sense of admiration began to grow. "Even though you are just an outer disciple."

"Status is a mask for the weak, Princess. I prefer to see the reality behind that mask," Dexa pointed toward a different path. "Follow me. This path is the only way out that isn't monitored by tracking talismans."

Leriana hesitated for a moment but then followed Dexa's lead. "How can you know about this formation? Even sect elders rarely understand the details of the Soul Mirror Labyrinth."

"I have my own ways of obtaining information," Dexa answered without looking back. "Just like how you know that your second brother in the Holy Phoenix Faction was the one who gave that poison to the Shadow Elder."

Leriana’s footsteps stopped instantly. Her face turned deathly pale. "How... how could you know about that?! That is our family's internal secret! No one outside the faction knows!"

Dexa stopped and turned around, looking at Leriana with a mysterious, cold smile. "I told you, I hate chaos that I cannot control. And your brother, he is a very noisy variable. He wants you dead here so he can claim the position of heir without shedding blood at home. Correct?"

Leriana clenched her fists, the red energy in her hands surging violently. "Who are you really? You aren't just an outer disciple. You... which faction's spy are you?"

System, she's starting to panic. Show me the calming variable, Dexa whispered internally.

[Suggestion: Reveal details about the 'Nine Heavens Phoenix Breathing Technique' she is studying in secret. It will make her realize that you hold full control over her information.]

"Calm your energy, Leriana. If you detonate it here, the sect's protective formation will detect you," Dexa said calmly. "And don't worry about who I am. Worry about the fact that the 'Nine Heavens Phoenix Breathing Technique' you are studying in secret has a flaw in your seventh meridian path."

This time, Leriana truly felt her world collapsing. She took two steps back, staring at Dexa with a mixture of fear and overwhelming awe. "You... you even know about my secret technique? And you say there is a flaw?"

"Every time you try to reach the peak of the fifth layer, your chest feels like it's burning and your Qi flow stutters in your lower back, doesn't it?" Dexa walked closer, his voice dropping low. "That is because your teacher gave you a slightly modified scroll. He also works for your brother."

Tears of rage began to well in the corners of Leriana's eyes, but she held them back fiercely. "Everyone... everyone betrayed me."

"Not everyone," Dexa raised his hand but did not touch her. "I am offering you something that no one else in this world can give. Certainty."

"What certainty?" Leriana asked with a trembling voice.

"The certainty that you will return to the Holy Phoenix Faction, not as an outcast princess, but as the Empress who will crush those who betrayed you," Dexa answered firmly. "But for that, you must become my hand outside this sect."

Leriana looked into Dexa's eyes, searching for a lie, but she only found deep darkness and absolute conviction. "Why do you want me? With your abilities, you could do this yourself."

"I am an Architect, Leriana. An architect needs quality building materials to construct his empire. And you... you are the most valuable foundation stone I can find right now."

"You are very arrogant, Dexa," Leriana wiped the corners of her eyes, trying to return to her cold composure. "But you are also very convincing. If what you say about my meridian is true, then how do I fix it?"

"Simple. Stop practicing under the moonlight. Start practicing at sunrise, and press the meridian point below your shoulder blade when you take your third breath," Dexa gave the instructions with shocking precision. "Try it now. Feel the flow."

Leriana followed the instructions. She took a deep breath, pressed the indicated point, and suddenly, the tightness that had haunted her for years vanished. Her Qi flowed smoothly, stronger and purer than ever before.

"This... this is incredible!" Leriana stared at her hands, which now radiated a brighter and more stable red light. "You actually fixed it with just one instruction?"

"That is only the beginning," Dexa turned to leave. "Now return to your pavilion. Tomorrow morning, the Shadow Elder will try to invite you to the 'Forbidden Peak' to see the view. Do not refuse. Go with him."

"What? You want me to walk into another trap?" Leriana asked, confused.

"It isn't a trap for you if you are with me," Dexa replied without looking back. "There is something there that you need to fully restore your Phoenix power. And I need something there to begin my true plan."

"How can I be sure you won't betray me too?"

Dexa paused for a moment, glancing over his shoulder. "You can't be sure. But you don't have another choice, do you? Between trusting a stranger who saved your life, or returning to the embrace of the traitors who want you dead. The choice is yours, Princess."

Dexa disappeared into the darkness of the bamboo forest, leaving Leriana standing alone under the moonlight.

"Architect of Fate..." Leriana murmured softly. "Dexa... who are you really?"

[Beep! Relationship with Leriana has increased drastically. Initial Loyalty Level: 35%.] [You have earned 500 Destiny Points for this precision intervention.]

Dexa walked back toward his dormitory with steady steps. System, simulate the Shadow Elder's movements for tomorrow morning. Ensure he does not suspect that Leriana already knows about his trap.

[Starting Simulation...] [Year 0, 06:00 AM: The Shadow Elder will prepare a binding formation at the Forbidden Peak. He believes Leriana is still under the influence of the tracking poison.] [Result: Target will enter the scenario you have prepared.]

"Good," Dexa smiled coldly. "Tomorrow, the Forbidden Peak will be the place where the Shadow Elder's reputation begins to crumble, and my alliance with Leriana will be sealed with the blood of our enemies."

That night, at the Sky Sword Sect, two discarded souls had found each other. One possessed absolute knowledge of the future, and the other possessed a fire ready to burn the world. Together, they began to weave a plan that would change the hierarchy of the universe forever.

"This world is too small for both of us, Leriana," Dexa whispered into the darkness of his room. "But for now, this sect will be our first playground."

Dexa closed his eyes, but his mind continued to work, running millions of simulations to ensure that every step he took tomorrow would bring them one step closer to the pinnacle of existence.

System, simulate the final outcome of the conquest of the Forbidden Peak.

[Starting Long-Term Simulation...] [Result: 98% Success. You will obtain the 'Forbidden Treasure' and Leriana will officially become your right hand.] [Hook: However, an unexpected variable has emerged from the Sky Dragon Faction that has begun to observe these movements.]

"Sky Dragon? Let them come," Dexa smiled in his sleep. "The more players on this chessboard, the more interesting the game becomes."

A new chapter had begun. Dexa's precision intervention had not only saved a princess but had also ignited a fire of revolution that no one would be able to extinguish.

"Sleep well, Phoenix Princess," Dexa thought. "Because tomorrow, you will see how a 'trash disciple' destroys the destiny that has been written for you."

Outside, the night wind blew fiercely, carrying the scent of inevitable change. The Sky Sword Sect would never be the same after tonight.