Chapter 253: The God-Tier Item! Severing the Threads of Fate!
"Chen Tianji... are you using the [Tianji Ancient Jade] to divine me?"
Shen Anyu's voice was soft, like velvet over steel. But in the confined space of the Tianji Pavilion, it echoed with the force of a thunderclap.
Boom!
Chen Tianji's expression drastically changed.
His mind was shaken as if a sledgehammer had struck his soul. His brain buzzed with a high-pitched whine.
Intense fear and shock swept through his entire body like a tsunami, freezing his blood and locking his muscles in place.
He roared wildly in his heart!
'How is it possible?!'
'How could anyone know about the Tianji Ancient Jade?!'
'I never told anyone! I keep it hidden next to my skin! Even the best appraisers think it's just a piece of old glass!'
'How could this noble person in front of me... a man I just met for the first time... know its true name?'
It was impossible. It defied logic.
This jade was his greatest reliance. His Golden Finger. The source of his sudden rise from a nobody to a "Master."
If his secret was exposed...
An even more terrifying scene unfolded for Chen Tianji.
Shen Anyu didn't wait for an answer. He didn't need one.
Flick.
Shen Anyu flicked his finger.
A small, dark pill shot through the air with the speed of a bullet. Before Chen Tianji could even blink or close his mouth in shock, the pill entered his throat.
Gulp.
It melted instantly, turning into a sweet, numbing fluid that rushed straight to his brain.
Immediately after, a wonderful, rhythmic voice flowed from Shen Anyu's mouth. It sounded like a lullaby, but deeper. More commanding.
"Relax, Tianji. You are tired. You want to tell me everything."
[Extraordinary Hypnosis] activated.
Combined with the [Mind-Bewitching Pill], the effect was instantaneous and devastating.
Chen Tianji's eyes glazed over. His pupils dilated until they were black pools.
Amidst his internal expression of utter terror—his conscious mind screaming "NO!"—his body betrayed him.
It was as if another personality had taken the wheel.
As Shen Anyu questioned him, his mouth opened and closed mechanically, revealing all the secrets in his heart without reservation.
"I... I found it..." Chen Tianji heard his own voice, distant and hollow.
A faint golden light enveloped Chen Tianji's chest. It emanated from the [Tianji Ancient Jade] in his pocket, pulsing rapidly.
The artifact sensed the danger. It was trying to protect its Master—the one who had acknowledged it with a drop of blood.
However... this faint golden light was like water without a source, or a tree without roots.
Chen Tianji was a mortal. He had no cultivation. He simply couldn't unleash even 1% of the Jade's true power. It was a divine sword in the hands of a baby.
Using the Mind-Bewitching Pill and hypnosis on Chen Tianji was even simpler than questioning the heavily injured Ye Yan. The difference in their mental fortitude was vast. Ye Yan was a warrior; Chen Tianji was just a lucky guy.
"What a treasure..."
Shen Anyu smiled slightly. He extended his hand, palm up.
[Divine Rank Telekinesis].
The [Tianji Ancient Jade] in Chen Tianji's pocket vibrated. Then, as if suspended by an invisible thread, it floated out of his jacket.
It drifted slowly through the air, resisting slightly, but ultimately landing gently in Shen Anyu's palm.
Shen Anyu looked at it.
This ancient jade was entirely verdant, deep green like an ancient forest. It emitted an extraordinary golden light from within, swirling with mysterious runes. It exuded a profound, enigmatic aura that felt older than history itself.
But...
Buzz!
As soon as the jade touched Shen Anyu's skin, it trembled violently. It rejected him.
The light immediately dimmed, retracting into the stone like a frightened turtle. It lost its mystery, looking like a common stone.
"It recognizes its owner," Shen Anyu noted.
He frowned slightly. His gaze fell upon the terrified, drooling Chen Tianji.
He asked indifferently: "How did you obtain this?"
At this moment, Chen Tianji was like a controlled puppet, his strings pulled by the drug.
"I... I got it from my grandfather's Relics. It was in an old wooden box under the floorboards."
Shen Anyu was deep in thought.
'Grandfather's relics... An old Daoist priest and fortune-telling master. But he retired long ago and died in obscurity.'
'It seems there is a deeper backstory here. I might need to have my people investigate the grandfather's history. Maybe he was a hidden expert?'
After asking a few more questions about the jade's functions, Shen Anyu got to the most crucial one.
"How do you undo the Blood Recognition? How do I make it mine?"
"I... I don't know..."
Chen Tianji's expression twisted in pain. He was fighting the hypnosis. Sweat poured down his face.
"I really... don't know..."
Even the Mind-Bewitching Pill couldn't extract information he didn't have.
Chen Tianji had obtained it by accident—a cut finger. He had no idea how the magic worked. He had no Martial Dao cultivation or Artificer knowledge. He was just a user, not a master.
Shen Anyu fell into contemplation, tapping the jade against his palm.
In this "Comprehensive Novel World," the power system was complex.
There were not only Martial Dao Grandmasters (like Ye Yan).
There were also Artificer True Persons (Cultivators of Daoist magic), Tenin (Heavenly Ninjas) from Sakura Country, Guman Thong Masters from Southeast Asia, Superhumans (Mutants) from the West, and even legends of Werewolves and Vampires lurking in the shadows of Europe.
Ordinary people considered these to be mere legends, fodder for movies.
But Shen Anyu, with his prominent status as the heir to the Shen and An families, knew more. He had read the classified files.
These were not legends. They truly existed.
His own maternal grandfather, An Youming, the military giant, had once personally killed a Tenin expert from Sakura Country who tried to assassinate a leader. He had also hunted down a Vampire Count who infiltrated Yanxia to steal state secrets. Those battles had shaken the international underworld.
The Yanxia Shen Family also had Artificer True Persons serving as Guest Elders. They could cast spells, refine pills, and create artifacts.
But... undoing a "Blood Recognition" on a God-Tier artifact? That was troublesome.
Treasures capable of blood recognition were very powerful, existing at the level of Spirit Artifacts or Dharma Treasures. Most modern Artificers couldn't even refine a basic charm, let alone hack a divine item.
And this [Tianji Ancient Jade]... its level was certainly even higher.
Shen Anyu could feel the depth of its power. It was far above that of an Artificer True Person. Perhaps even comparable to an Artificer Heavenly Master (equivalent to a Heavenly Human Unity expert in Martial Arts).
"I estimate that most of Chen Tianji's 3,000,000 Destiny Value is tied to this jade," Shen Anyu calculated.
"It is the source of his Plot Armor. If I take it, he is finished."
"But simply killing Chen Tianji... might not work. The jade might self-destruct, or fly away to find a new owner. Or worse, become dormant forever."
Shen Anyu looked at Chen Tianji.
His gaze was cold, calculating. It was the look of a butcher scrutinizing a pig on a chopping block, deciding where to cut.
Chen Tianji felt a chill that froze his soul.
[Ding! The Child of Destiny, Chen Tianji, is filled with utter terror!]
[Ding! Plundering +9,999 Destiny Value!]
[Ding! The Child of Destiny, Chen Tianji, foresees his own doom! Plundering +9,999 Destiny Value!]
[Ding! His fate has undergone a major negative change! Plundering +200,000 Destiny Value!]
…
"I've got it!"
Shen Anyu smiled slightly. A brilliant idea struck him.
Why use external methods when he had the ultimate cheat?
"System," he commanded internally. "Can you undo the blood recognition of the [Tianji Ancient Jade] and merge it with me forcefully?"
The System responded instantly.
[Ding! Detected High-Tier Spirit Artifact: Tianji Ancient Jade.]
[Ding! Analysis complete. The artifact is bound to Chen Tianji's soul signature.]
[Option 1: Do you wish to spend 1,000,000 Destiny Value to forcibly sever the blood recognition bond?]
[Option 2: Do you wish to spend 1,000,000 Destiny Value to perfectly merge with the jade (Soul Binding)?]
Shen Anyu smiled.
As expected. The [Destiny Plunder System] was the highest authority in this universe. It could overwrite anything... for a price.
"Two million points in total? Expensive. But worth it."
Also... "Perfect Integration"?
"Was Chen Tianji's integration imperfect?"
Shen Anyu realized the truth. Chen Tianji was just a lucky mortal. He hadn't truly mastered the jade; he was just borrowing its power. That was why he couldn't predict for himself.
But if Shen Anyu achieved "Perfect Integration"...
"Hehe. Sorry, Chen. Your cheat is mine now."
Shen Anyu waved his hand at the door.
"You two. Go out first. Guard the perimeter. Let no one in."
"Yes, Young Master!"
The four female bodyguards bowed and left silently, closing the heavy mahogany doors of the Tianji Pavilion.
Click.
The lock turned.
Inside the dimly lit shop, only Shen Anyu and the paralyzed Chen Tianji remained.
Chen Tianji was terrified. His eyes darted around frantically. He didn't know what Shen Anyu was going to do, but he knew it wouldn't be good.
He still couldn't move. He watched helplessly as Shen Anyu toyed with his most important treasure. His lifeblood. His future.
It was being casually played with by another man.
Shen Anyu ignored Chen Tianji's pleading eyes.
He held the jade up to the light.
"System. I agree."
"Spend 2,000,000 Destiny Value. Undo the bond. And bind it to me. Perfectly."
[Ding! Consuming 2,000,000 Destiny Points...]
[Ding! Execution started!]
Hummmmm!
A low frequency vibration filled the room.
Suddenly, on the surface of the Tianji Ancient Jade, illusory red threads appeared.
They were glowing like veins of light. They extended from the jade, stretching through the air, and connecting directly to Chen Tianji's chest—to his heart.
These were the Threads of Karma. The blood bond.
Then...
Whoosh!
An invisible, colorless fire swept through the room. It originated from Shen Anyu's hand.
It touched the red threads.
Snap! Snap! Snap!
The threads severed instantly. They withered and vanished into thin air like burnt hair.
"Pfft!!!"
At the exact moment the threads broke, Chen Tianji's body convulsed violently.
He opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of fresh, dark blood.
His face turned deathly pale, without a trace of color. His eyes rolled back for a second before refocusing.
He looked blankly at Shen Anyu. He felt... empty.
It wasn't just physical pain. It was a spiritual hollowing.
It was as if something critically important—his luck, his future, his very essence—had been ripped out of his soul.
He was no longer the "Master." He was just... Chen Tianji, the unemployed loser.
[Ding! The Child of Destiny, Chen Tianji, has completely lost his Golden Finger: [Tianji Ancient Jade]!]
[Ding! His fate has collapsed! He has been demoted to 'Extra'!]
[Ding! Plundering +2,700,000 Destiny Value!]
If Chen Tianji could still see his own Luck (which he couldn't anymore), he would discover a horrifying sight.
The massive pillar of Destiny Luck that once enveloped him had dissipated instantly. It shattered like glass, leaving only a thin, pitiful layer of gray cloud—the luck of a beggar.
At this moment, Shen Anyu paid no attention to the broken man drooling on the chair.
He was looking at his hand.
The jade had changed. It was glowing again. But this time, the light was pure gold, and it was pulsing in sync with Shen Anyu's heartbeat.
It felt warm. It felt like a part of him.
And then, a flood of information rushed into his brain.
Shen Anyu revealed a look of pleasant surprise.
[Akarin Note:
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