The Azure Dragon had also been pushed to the point where he was willing to be a slave, but he hadn’t done so because of the Immortal Shackling Stamp. The moment he dared to surrender, the Immortal Shackling Stamp would activate and drop his cultivation.
But he had managed to hold out until the storm had cleared, and he almost broke into tears when he saw Tang Jie coming over.
Meanwhile, Flowing Wind was unperturbed by the Flame Celestial Sovereign’s surrender, sneering, “It’s quite rare to see something so useless in this world. But there’s nothing wrong if he’s with you now. After I kill you, all that is yours will be mine.”
“Oh? Can you actually do that?” Tang Jie asked as he floated over.
Flowing Wind chuckled. “A Soul Projection cultivator slaying two Earth Immortals and subduing another is unprecedented, a manifestation of immense fortune. But do you really think you can keep on winning?”
Tang Jie raised an eyebrow. “It sounds like you still have some card yet to play, which makes you confident in your victory. This is nothing to be surprised about, and I’ve never believed that I can dominate all with my current strength. What I don’t understand is: if you really had this sort of card, why didn’t you use it earlier?”
Flowing Wind smiled. “Because the moment hadn’t come. You have also entered the Dao of Fate. Protected by the Dao of Fate, your fortune is boundless, your luck unparalleled, and killing you would be extremely difficult. Killing this sort of person involves first seizing their Karma, grinding away their fortune, and seizing their Great Dao power. Only after their foundation has been destroyed can one attempt to slay them in a single strike. It’s not just about seizing their treasure, but also their Dao power. This is the ideal method.”
“Oh?” Tang Jie narrowed his eyes.
This was the first time he was hearing this kind of argument. He pondered Flowing Wind’s words and said, “In other words, when I was killing the others, it was because you intentionally held back?”
Tang Jie understood. “In other words, in killing those two Earth Immortals, I suffered backlash from Fate? But I’ve killed Immortals before, so why didn’t I have any problems then?”
“Do you really think so? You were simply unaware. Moreover, this effect will gradually fade with time.”
Tang Jie recalled the immense discomfort he had felt when he had been experiencing the world’s sorrow.
Had the effect on his fortune also played a role in the discomfort he had felt?
Although he had entered the Dao of Fate, his teachings on this were limited, so he didn’t actually know that much about it. Thus, he found Flowing Wind’s words very interesting.
Flowing Wind coldly smiled. “As for now, you think it can compare to what happened to you in the past? My Heaven’s Equal Sect is the best at manipulating Fate. Before coming here, each one of us was blessed and protected by Fate through my teacher, so the effect of killing them is completely different. Moreover, you even did something as absurd as taking an Earth Immortal as a slave! You must understand that this infuriates the heavens even more than killing one! The Flame Celestial Sovereign still lives, but he is not exactly willing to be your slave and must hold some resentment. This resentment will transform into a Fate curse that will also influence your fortune, to an even greater effect than you killing two Earth Immortals. Otherwise, why wouldn’t I have enslaved him instead? But you were too reckless, actually enslaving two Immortal Platform experts! You think this old dragon isn’t holding some resentment for being compelled to become your slave? I’m confident that not even your fortune can resist two death curses and two living curses.”
Flowing Wind concluded, “In killing two Immortals and enslaving two, you’ve dropped your fortune to its absolute lowest. If I try to kill you now, not only will the Heavenly Dao not make trouble for me, it will bless me even more. Thus, my victory is certain!”
At this moment, Flowing Wind erupted with a blinding light.
Even Tang Jie couldn’t help but lower his head a little, looking toward the old dragon.
The old dragon replied, “You must be careful. He’s telling the truth. He’s the successor of the Sage Mother of the West’s lineage, which is a master at manipulating Fate. When I was the Azure Dragon, I once discussed the Dao of Fate with the Sage Mother, thinking myself to be the strongest Fate Dao expert in the world, but to my surprise, the Sage Mother’s Dao surpassed mine. In the Court of Myriad Domains, besides the Immortal Emperor, the one that people wanted to avoid provoking the most was the Sage Mother of the West, and she was also the one that people most wanted to get in the good graces of. If you offended her, nothing would go well for you, but if she liked you, it would be akin to being loved by Fate, and everything would earn its protection. I don’t know who this man’s master is, but they inherited some of the essence of the Sage Mother of the West’s Dao Art, and manifesting the protection of Fate isn’t anything difficult for him. By killing two Earth Immortals and enslaving the Flame Celestial Sovereign, you really have suffered the backlash of Fate and are in great peril!”
“‘The Sage Mother of the West’? One of the court’s Four Sages?” Tang Jie was startled.
The Four Sages of the court were the Sage Lord of Cosmic Origin, the Unbounded Immortal Elder, the Sage Mother of the West, and the Dragon Ancestor, and all had been Boundless Gold Immortals, their status second only to the Immortal Emperor. The Sage Mother of the West was even said to be a Dao Controller.
He hadn’t expected Flowing Wind to be a member of her lineage. With this lineage and a Dao armament, though he seemed the weakest, he was actually the strongest. The dragon was also a Fate Dao expert, but as he had lost his Immortal body and the Dao Runes within it, he was countered at every turn by Flowing Wind, which was why he ended up in such a miserable state.
“So the Heaven’s Equal Sect belonged to the Sage Mother of the West’s lineage. No wonder it’s so powerful.” Tang Jie nodded. “But what about it? The blessing of Fate? The backlash of Fate?”
Tang Jie shook his head and laughed.
“I don’t believe in Fate.”
“What?” Flowing Wind and the old dragon were both stunned.
Tang Jie had also entered the Dao of Fate, but he said that he didn’t believe in it!
This was as absurd a statement as a cultivator saying that Immortals didn’t exist.
“Yes, I don’t believe in Fate,” Tang Jie declared. “I believe in Fate’s existence, believe that there is a power of Fate, but I don’t believe that everything I do has to do with the protection of fortune, don’t believe that fortune granted me all that I have worked for. If the blessing of fortune was enough to succeed, why should I try? If all my efforts were actually the product of fortune, then what was the point of all my blood and sweat, all that I sacrificed? And if I failed, whose mistake was it?”
These questions left the other two speechless.
“I believe in its existence, but not that it can control me. If it really can, then I will resist it. My life is my own choice, not something controlled by fortune. My success is through my own efforts, not something granted by fortune. My failures are mine to bear, not for me to blame the heavens for… My life didn’t start off good. I was born in Little River Village and was hunted down. To ascend the Immortal path, I was willing to sell my body, and to seek the Great Dao, I took on all sorts of dangers. If all this was granted by Fate, then this Fate was a little too harsh on me.
“Thus, I don’t believe in Fate.
“I am not under its control. On the contrary, I should be the one to control it.”
He beckoned Flowing Wind to come forward.
“Since you think my fortunes have fallen and you can defeat me now and take all that I have, come and try me.
“Let’s see which one of us actually ends up dead!”
