Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 396 - 396 0289 There is a big guy

Chapter 396: Chapter 0289: There is a big guy Chapter 396: Chapter 0289: There is a big guy Chapter 0289: A Big Fellow

Not far from Qi Tian, two cultivators were fiercely locking horns. Soon, the man who was being pursued was killed by the tall and burly pursuer. His head was chopped off, and he could not even close his eyes in death.

A chill ran down Qi Tian’s spine. The brutality here was more ruthless than he had imagined. However, having experienced even worse, Qi Tian was not frightened or scared into retreating. He merely heightened his vigilance to avoid making any basic mistakes.

After killing the intruding cultivator, the beam of light projecting over them extinguished, and the stone quarry returned to tranquility. It looked like a mundane factory. Yet, having witnessed the bloody scene, Qi Tian knew that if he revealed himself, the consequences would undoubtedly be severe.

Qi Tian started the Heavenly Dao Engine. He chose not to move location and stayed in place, letting the Heavenly Dao Engine decipher his surroundings. What puzzled Qi Tian was that there was nothing in this place that prompted a particular response from the Heavenly Dao Engine. If it had suddenly lost its detecting ability, Qi Tian would still be able to receive the detection information feedback from it. In a corner of the stone quarry and a few concealed places, the Heavenly Dao Engine indicated the presence of cultivators. It doesn’t make sense that it was able to detect them but failed to spot the stones that once stirred its devouring desires.

A disturbing thought crossed Qi Tian’s mind: could the Heavenly Dao Engine have lost interest in the stones it once coveted because it had leveled up during this period? This was not just a possibility; it was highly likely, as fickle behavior is common.

If this was the case, Qi Tian’s journey would likely have been in vain.

Of course, there was another possibility: the stones that the Heavenly Dao Engine once coveted were no longer here, which was why its reactions were so indifferent.

To determine the truth, he needed verification. However, the process would be a challenge for Qi Tian. If it was the former, he would at most have wasted some time, but if it was the latter, Qi Tian would have to trace back to the origin and search for those similar stones. With a congregation of formidable individuals, finding the answers he sought under their watchful eyes wouldn’t be simple.

Scratching his head, Qi Tian reexamined the images fed back by the Heavenly Dao Engine and made some judgments. His gaze turned to the buildings tucked away in a corner of the stone quarry. This was where the highest number of cultivators gathered; if there was an anomaly, it would surely be located there. Qi Tian needed to find a way into that house—or at least get as close as possible—to search for that unique stone.

However, given the bloody scene he had witnessed, it would not be easy for Qi Tian to approach that building recklessly.

Looking once more at the images relayed by the Heavenly Dao Engine, Qi Tian estimated that there were about ten cultivators gathered at the stone quarry. Of these, two were the most powerful Half-step Golden Cores, while the rest were at the Foundation Establishment Stage. There wasn’t a single cultivator in the Qi Cultivation Period. The one solace was that the strength of these Foundation Establishment cultivators varied. If they were all at the peak of Foundation Establishment, Qi Tian would stand no chance.

After some calculation, Qi Tian could confront them. However, given their number and the presence of two Half-step Golden Cores, taking them on would be extremely difficult. He believed himself to have less than a 30% chance of uncovering the truth and escaping unscathed.

Qi Tian was not averse to taking risks when necessary, but he’d rather not create dangers needlessly. Since this was not a must-risk situation, he decided to leave the stone quarry. With the aid of the Heavenly Dao Engine, Qi Tian found it easy to leave without alerting anyone.

Near the stone quarry was a mountain forest. Qi Tian ducked into the woods and stopped at the hillside. After glancing one last time at the stone quarry down the mount, he plunged into the forest. This time, he planned to search for meteorite fragments first. He wanted to verify whether the Heavenly Dao Engine’s favorite special stone was the same material as the meteorite fragments. If they were indeed the same, Qi Tian would be willing to give up on the stone quarry and focus on finding meteorite fragments. With the Heavenly Dao Engine’s help, he believed the search for meteorite fragments wouldn’t be too difficult. After all, the Heavenly Dao Engine was like a glutton. Whenever it encountered an object of interest, it would proactively search and send prompts to Qi Tian.

If this was not the case, Qi Tian would see if the Heavenly Dao Engine took an interest in the meteorite fragments. If it did, he would definitely spend some time collecting them. If not, Qi Tian would devise a plan using the meteorite fragments as bait to capture the stone quarry.