Chapter 178: Chapter 37 Discovered
Moments later, the blade came to a halt, its power suspended mid-air, as Lady Yu sheathed her saber and stood firm, tossing the Mo Dao over to him.
“Come, let me see how much you’ve grasped!”
“Yes…” Zhang Xuan took the Mo Dao.
It seemed the other party still didn’t fully trust him; they were ostensibly passing on the technique, but in reality, they were still testing him.
Lian Huo must have obtained the Heavenly Mandate to practice the Mo Dao. If he couldn’t demonstrate it, his cover would be blown.
“The moves are very simple, but… what exactly is this ‘Heavenly Mandate’? And how does it relate to martial skills…”
Knowing that if he hesitated, the other party would definitely attack, and the entire Unnecessary Hall would besiege him, which would thwart his purpose for coming here, Zhang Xuan wasn’t hasty to demonstrate and fell into contemplation instead.
The opponent’s technique was extremely easy to learn; he could master it after a single glance, and even perform it more elegantly than her, but… understanding how the Heavenly Mandate Vitality that lingered on the blade and the seemingly divine intent that was drawn forth was quite perplexing.
This was certainly not something that could be accomplished just by circulating zhenqi and mobilizing Force of Origin.
Heavenly Mandate either came with inheritance or depended on one’s own comprehension; for this reason, even the Heaven Mandate Hall, with its books on the profession, had no detailed practice processes.
In an instant, Zhang Xuan was utterly clueless.
“What, you didn’t grasp anything at all?” Lady Yu frowned, her gaze turning somewhat frosty.
“This subordinate… lacks talent, please give me a moment, Lady Yu!”
Zhang Xuan’s fingers gently caressed the Mo Dao, the Heavenly Mandate Vitality that lingered just moments earlier was still present, akin to a soul ritual reported to the heavens, communicating with an unseen force.
“Flaws…”
A low murmur, and a book appeared in his mind.
“Qingyu’s Mo Dao, the weapon of Yu Qingyu from Unnecessary Hall, forged from Northern Mine Mysterious Iron, weighing seventeen pounds and seven ounces…”
Zhang Xuan felt helpless.
Show him this stuff, it’s useless…
“That’s right, within the Natural Heavenly Dao, there is an ability to replicate. Let’s see if I can replicate that sensation Yu Qingyu had when performing the saber technique!”
An idea surfaced.
If he couldn’t use the Imperfections of the Heavens, then he’d try the Natural Heavenly Dao.
Initially, Zhang Xuan had used the blood left by Nie Lingxi (Luo Ruoxin) to imitate various things, tested bloodlines, and even the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe didn’t notice anything amiss.
The saber technique before him contained Heavenly Mandate. He had not received the Mo Dao Heavenly Mandate nor understood it, but perhaps he could use this ability to replicate the same motions and effects and bluff his way through for now.
No more hesitation the moment the idea emerged, Zhang Xuan lightly flipped the Mo Dao in his hand, gripped it with both hands, and stood upright.
He recalled the opponent’s saber technique, flicked his wrist, and simultaneously activated the replication ability of the Natural Heavenly Dao.
In the blink of an eye, all his movements became perfectly in sync with Yu Qingyu’s, and as he performed the technique, streaks of Heavenly Mandate Vitality were attracted by an unseen force from the surroundings.
For a brief moment, Zhang Xuan seemed to see a dazzling river suspended in mid-air, teeming with countless Heavenly Mandate Vitality, surging ceaselessly.
However, this sensation was ephemeral; it vanished the next moment, making him wonder if it had been an illusion.
“You actually grasped so much all at once?”
It was at that moment Yu Qingyu’s voice, filled with surprise, rang out.
Only then did Zhang Xuan realize that his long saber had stopped, and streaks of Heavenly Mandate Vitality were swirling around its surface, spreading the power that seemed capable of cutting into destiny.
“Did I… succeed?”
Zhang Xuan’s face lit up with joy.
The Natural Heavenly Dao was incredibly effective, actually having replicated it.
“Is this the Mo Dao Heavenly Mandate? Indeed, it feels like destiny is in my hands; with enough of this power, it seems it can break shackles, accelerating the pace at which one’s cultivation improves…”
This thing is quite amazing! Just by replicating it, I feel this presence; becoming a pioneer of a Heavenly Mandate, even if one’s talent is not strong, as long as destiny is with them, progress can be swift.
Boom!
As this thought arose, the Library of Heaven’s Path boiled over. Many books formed by the Heavenly Mandate Vitality ignited simultaneously, transforming into a bright stream of water.
Its form resembled that of a Mo Dao, quietly suspended in the Library, rootless, with no beginning and no end, as if it were a bridge through the ethereal void connected to the Library of Heaven’s Path, slowly flowing.
The several Destiny Plates that he had just purchased from the underground black market also rose up from the New World and directly shattered, merging into it.
Seeing the Yuan Power he had so painstakingly collected all exhausted just like that, Zhang Xuan’s heart bled. What was key was… the river shaped like a Mo Dao still seemed malnourished, as if it could extinguish at any moment.
Is this not enough?
The remaining from before, plus the four just bought, the amount of Heavenly Mandate Vitality he possessed definitely exceeded fifty thousand… And it was still not enough!
What in the world is this thing? Why is the consumption so high? Even condensing cultivation methods and probing for flaws in experts, doesn’t consume this much…
“Heavenly Mandate encompasses me, this is ‘Heavenly Mandate encompasses me.’ I haven’t even reached this realm yet, how could you possibly comprehend it? This is impossible…”
Zhang Xuan was reflecting on this when Lady Yu, who was across from him and staring at the Mo Dao in his hands, suddenly screamed, her face filled with disbelief, as if she had seen a ghost.
“Heavenly Mandate encompasses me?”
Zhang Xuan lowered his head and for the first time noticed that above the Mo Dao, Heavenly Mandate Vitality circled, emitting a faint glow.
“You… you don’t know?”
Yu Qingyu was taken aback for a moment. “That’s true, you’re not a Fate Master, so naturally you wouldn’t know about the classifications of celestial fate… celestial fate represents a way of cultivation, you should have known this before, right?”
Zhang Xuan nodded.
Even if he didn’t know before, having just replicated the Mo Dao Destiny, he was now clear about it.
Those who control Mo Dao Destiny, or receive its approval, can use this set of skills to constantly enhance their strength, hone their cultivation, and grow ever stronger.
If Mo Dao Destiny allows this, then the others must surely be the same.
To say it’s a profession is also to say it’s a way of practice.
It’s somewhat similar to the initiation paths on the Master Teacher Continent, for example, some cultivators who are obsessed with the Painting Dao have never practiced cultivation, yet their understanding of the Painting Dao reaches an unrivaled realm. Then one day, they could have a sudden bout of inspiration, make breakthroughs, and become Saints.
One day to make breakthroughs as the wind starts, in an instant to slay a hundred thousand soldiers.
It’s just that there are too few such people, and they cannot be reproduced.
No wonder everyone wants to become a Fate Master. Ordinary practice, reaching Divine Soul Realm or Dharma Form Realm, requires exhausting efforts, but with celestial fate, one can quickly achieve success, which would surely tempt anyone.
In an instant, Zhang Xuan seemed to understand why Empyrean Kong was labeled as a Mandate Chaos Master. Those who can’t comprehend celestial fate can still make breakthroughs with the ability of master teachers, and key to this is the swift pace. In this way, in a short time one can gather a group of people unable to accept their fate, who will then still be willing to listen to the Heaven Mandate Hall in the future?
If this isn’t creating chaos, what is?
Yu Qingyu continued, “But wanting to cultivate with celestial fate is not so easy. Normally, there are two ways. First, through the Heavenly Mandate Baptism, find the celestial fate suitable for oneself and become a Fate Master! This method is what everyone yearns for but also heavily relies on talent.”
Yu Longqing had mentioned these points; once successful, you immediately become superior to others, yet not everyone can achieve it.
Yu Qingyu said, “The second way is to have a certain level of talent, not enough to become a Fate Master, but sufficient to gain the approval of a Fate Master and be granted a certain amount of Heavenly Destiny Power! Like the Life Guardians and those disciples of the Unnecessary Hall outside, they can, under the guidance of a Fate Master, cultivate the Heavenly Destiny Martial Arts he controls. This helps them gather the power needed for breakthroughs, even if it’s quite minute, and it’s also a significant boost. Anyone who has ever practiced knows, when you’ve reached the limit and are close to a breakthrough, often all that’s needed is the last straw, yet this last straw could mean that it would take you an extra year, two years, or even five or ten years to succeed.”
Breakthroughs often hinge on a single thought. Sometimes, a flash of insight is all it takes to achieve it, and finding this insight might take who knows how long, or it may never come in a lifetime.
Not to mention others, Dean Lu Mingrong is precisely in such a position. Without my guidance to overcome his Inner Demons, he would probably never reach the Spirit Soul Realm, Eightfold Realm of Source Pool in his lifetime.
And this situation can be changed by joining these sects and practicing under a Fate Master… No wonder so many people are willing to serve them.
Yu Qingyu continued, “To become this kind of person, one must first gain the approval of a Fate Master, be able to absorb and retain Heavenly Mandate Vitality in one’s body, and be able to comprehend the celestial rhythm within the saber art! Such people find minor realm breakthroughs easy but need the help of a Fate Master for major realm breakthroughs and are highly dependent on them, unless they reach the ‘Heavenly Mandate encompasses me’ realm!”
“In this realm, you obtain the approval of Heavenly Mandate Vitality. Even if you’re not a Fate Master, you are considered a reserve candidate. You… you actually achieved this, which also means that you have the talent of a Fate Master! You have the opportunity to become a true Fate Master…”
Zhang Xuan was suddenly enlightened and, after a moment of contemplation, asked with some perplexity, “Hold on, how come I’ve heard people say that celestial fate is unique? According to what you’re saying, a single celestial fate could be cultivated by many people…”
Giving him a deep look, as if noticing something was amiss, Yu Qingyu still explained, “Different people, different destinies; the same destiny does not equate to the same life. Celestial fate is indeed unique, but that’s at a very high level of cultivation, at least one that we currently cannot reach, and even someone like Lord Ling cannot access. Moreover, the competition begins only when you have mastered the same fate; it’s like in a dynasty, there’s only one emperor. But if you’re just an ordinary soldier, what is there to compete for?”
With that, Zhang Xuan finally came to a full understanding.
Comparing Mo Dao to a Cultivation Sect, as a mere initiate, you wouldn’t be contending for the sect leader’s position, would you?
With a sigh in his heart, Zhang Xuan gained an even deeper understanding and insight into the profession of a Fate Master.
Lucky that he had taken on the guise of Lian Huo to come here; otherwise, the other party would likely not have explained as much.
Just as he was reflecting on this, he saw Yu Qingyu, who had come to a realization, flash him a look and coldly stared at him, “You are not Lian Huo. Speak, who are you really? What are you trying to do in our Unnecessary Hall?”
Zhang Xuan was startled and frowned involuntarily.
Is this… being discovered?