If the Imperial Preceptor of the Everpeace Empire knew the origins of these nine elders, he would understand why Quinn Shepherd possesses a vision and breadth of heart unmatched by his peers.
The nine "elders" of Oldridge Village are both Quinn Shepherd's closest family and his teachers.
Among them are the current World-Honored One, the former god-lance, the slightly unhinged but unrivaled Mute Smith, the once peerlessly handsome yet ruthless Jade-Faced Poison King Apothecary, and the Saintess of the Cult of the Heavenly Demon, famed across the world of gods and demons.
There is also Deaf, honored by the Imperial Preceptor as the Painting Sage; Crippled Joe, who has stolen from every corner of the world and never failed, even after losing a leg; and Butcher, known as Heavenblade, who once battled the gods with his saber.
And finally, the Village Chief—a Human Emperor who once illuminated an entire era.
Some of them are broad-minded, some are deeply emotional, some are compassionate, some are calm, some are cunning, some are masters at concealing their true feelings, some are full of heroic passion, some are skilled at plotting and scheming, and some are ruthless. But most of all, they retain a pure and sincere heart—a child’s heart.
It is only because of such a village and such people that Quinn Shepherd could be cultivated into someone even this once-in-five-centuries saint must admire.
Quinn himself never felt anything special—after leaving Oldridge Village, he never thought of himself as particularly impressive. After all, he has the Overlord Body, so any achievements are only natural and nothing to fuss about.
But in the eyes of others, he is simply a prodigy—at such a young age, whether it’s poisoning, alchemy and healing, forging, theft, or painting, he is among the very best in the world.
Ironically, Quinn’s combat strength isn’t what draws people’s attention. What he works hardest at is improving his own power, but in the dazzling constellation of Everpeace, that effort goes largely unnoticed.
Yet even in the area where he’s least remarkable, he still sweeps aside his peers; even Ben Coates often finds himself outmatched in Quinn's hands.
When Quinn left Oldridge Village, his skill in numerology was not high, but after leaving the Great Ruins, his mastery of numerology advanced by leaps and bounds. Even among Dao Gate disciples, few can fully grasp the Grand Mystery Numerology Canon, yet Quinn—though not a Dao Gate member—has studied it thoroughly.
He started late but caught up quickly, and now very few in the world surpass him in the art of numerology.
The more one interacts with this young boy, the more one feels just how extraordinary he is.
"If we want to quickly turn the contents of this Golden Scripture Scroll into numerological models, we’ll need experts in numerology to help."
Quinn put away the Golden Scripture Scroll and said, "I can finish measuring and modeling the first technique, Magpie Bridge Art, within a month. But the second, Mysterious Guidance Art, and the third, Divine Crossing Art, require far more calculations. If I do it alone, it’ll take over a year—far too long a delay."
The Imperial Preceptor, Village Chief, and Crippled Joe all grew solemn. Building a numerological model meant measuring every angle within the Golden Scripture Scroll’s spatial diagrams, reconstructing each coordinate point for the three techniques using numbers. This step was absolutely critical!
Once the numerological model is complete, you use the ratio between the Divine Bridge in the Golden Scripture Scroll and your own Divine Bridge as a scale, converting these spatial coordinates to pinpoint where the technique runs within your own Divine Bridge Treasury.
Only by doing this can you learn Magpie Bridge Art, build the Magpie Bridge, repair and extend your Divine Bridge, and then move on to cultivate Mysterious Guidance Art—refining another bridge from the Heaven Court side of the Divine Bridge.
Once Mysterious Guidance Art is mastered, you then cultivate Divine Crossing Art.