Aksai wanted a way for him to identify the so-called Crossroads of Fate.
He interpreted it as a constant ‘e’ in an exponential equation. Only by identifying the constant could he truly understand where the exponential equation was heading. In short, he wanted to use the Crossroad of Fate to his advantage.
Aksai didn’t care much about fate. Since even Naisha told him that there was no absolute and that there were many ways to rewrite one’s destiny, he chose not to overly think about shaping his own destiny.
He just wanted a way to influence the outcome so that he would accept the good things fate had in store for him and avoid the bad things that were coming to him.
Naisha took a deep breath, choosing her words carefully.
“The Crossroads of Fate are pivotal moments in a person’s life where significant decisions must be made or critical events occur. These moments can change the course of one’s life dramatically.
For mortals, these are almost inevitable and predictable based on their Threads of Fate. For Spirit cultivators, these crossroads are fewer, but they still exist and are powerful enough to alter our paths.
Why do you think some cultivators achieve overnight success? And why is it that some Spirit cultivators die or injure themselves in unforeseen circumstances? It is because they are forced to visit the Crossroad of Fate. Their response to this point in their lives defines their next path.”
Aksai looked contemplative, sipping his tea. “So why did you say I don’t have a fixed Crossroads of Fate? Am I not a Spirit cultivator like everyone else? I should be seen as just another anomaly by fate, right?”
Naisha sighed, setting her cup down.
“Because, big brother, your existence is even more anomalous than a typical Spirit cultivator. Most of us still have some Threads of Fate, however faint or diminished. These threads pull us towards our Crossroads of Fate.
But you… you don’t have those threads. Your path isn’t fixed or bound in any way I’ve seen before. It means your destiny is entirely your own to shape without the usual constraints.”
Aksai’s eyebrows furrowed in thought. “So, does this mean I’m truly free from fate?”
Naisha nodded. “Yes, in a sense. But it also means you won’t have the guidance or forewarning that Threads of Fate provides. Your choices and the outcomes are entirely yours to make and face.”
Aksai, still intrigued and a bit bewildered, leaned forward, his eyes fixed on Naisha.
“Why do you call me an anomaly of the highest order? And why am I different from other Spirit cultivators? Why haven’t I been bound by the Threads of Fate until now? Did I not visit Crossroads of Fate ever?”
Naisha looked at Aksai carefully, her eyes searching his. “Big brother, has there ever been an incident where you came very close to dying but didn’t, survive by a hair’s breadth?”
Aksai smiled. “There are many.”
Naisha nodded as if she had expected his answer.
“You were supposed to die in one of those incidents, but something very big and external saved you. That something is beyond my understanding.
Since you were supposed to die but didn’t, you became a bigger anomaly than the rest of the Spirit cultivators. What makes you an anomaly of the highest order is that the thing that saved you is still with you, continuously creating other anomalies in the process. You are an anomaly that generates other anomalies in the order of fate.”
‘Hmm? This…’
Aksai’s mind raced with memories.
He remembered his near-death encounter with Nesha in Lakir City’s black market, where he had almost died at her hands but used the Everwood farm to escape and ultimately kill her instead. He also recalled his narrow escape when he confronted Lian Lakir, the Mongoose, and other Blood Bakshi members.
The rebellion in the Lakir estate after the Lakir clan’s fall. Aksai’s encounter with Zen and other demonic cultivators. His encounter with the corrupted druid.
However, Aksai remembered how it all began. It was his neural link fabric that gave him an edge over other Spirit cultivators.
The neural link fabric had enabled him to progress swiftly in his Spirit cultivation, allowing him to utilize the Myriad World Paintings and ensure his safety during critical moments. Aksai began to suspect that either his neural link fabric or his Everwood farm, or possibly both, were the fate-disrupting treasures or blessings Naisha was referring to.
Breaking free from his thoughts, Aksai asked, “So, what does all this mean?”
Naisha nodded, taking a deep breath.
“Since you escaped a sureshot death and are still using the fate-disrupting blessing, you don’t have a fixed Crossroad of Fate. However, it doesn’t mean that you won’t ever find yourself in Crossroad of Fate.
On the contrary, every critical moment in your life can be seen as a Crossroad of Fate. The only difference here is that the outcome of the crossroad is not influenced by your or other’s destiny in your case.
It is entirely you who would be making good or bad decisions for yourself. Fate would have no hand in it. It would only lead you to make those decisions and do everything in its power to make you choose wrong.
Anyway, your ability to have an autonomous will at Crossroads of Fate makes you a bigger anomaly than the ordinary Spirit cultivators of your generation. It means you can change the outcomes of certain events, avoiding the sureshot outcomes that fate dictates.
However, fate is part of the great Dao that governs the universe. It does its best to suppress anomalies as much as it can. Since you are a bigger anomaly, the suppression orchestrated for you by fate will also be greater.”
Aksai listened intently, sipping his tea as he processed her words. “So, this suppression… what does it entail?”
Naisha sighed. “It means that while you have the power to change outcomes, you will also face greater challenges and obstacles than most. Fate will try to correct the anomalies you create, making your path even more treacherous. But it also means that you have the potential to achieve things that others cannot even dream of.
In short, fate is out to get you. It will do everything in its power to get entangled in unforeseen coincidences and accidental occurrences. This is how it takes care of anomalies like you, by making you choose. It just wants you to take one step as per its plan and then it would have the power to reset you.
However, even fate can not break the laws that govern the boundless cosmos– the great Dao. As such, you will be rewarded with bigger rewards after facing bigger challenges than other Spirit cultivators.
Bigger risks will be rewarded with bigger rewards. That’s how the great Dao functions in every world.”
Aksai nodded slowly, his mind turning over the implications. “I see. So, I have the power to change my destiny, but it won’t come without its own set of difficulties.”
“Exactly,” Naisha confirmed. “You have to be vigilant and prepared for the unexpected. Fate will not take kindly to being defied.”