Chapter 202: Chapter 60 Zhao Ya and Others’ Talents
Slowly opening his eyes, Master Han Xiao revealed a trace of confusion.
What happened?
Wasn’t allowing Ling Buyang and Chai Yunsheng to compete supposed to have achieved balance?
Why was the Strength starting to suffer again?
“Could it be that Ling Buyang made a breakthrough? That shouldn’t be the case. He had just successfully charged into the second realm not long ago. He shouldn’t have made any more progress so soon… unless he has rallied even more Fate Masters!”
For two Vice Hall Masters, both competing for the position of the Hall Master and trying to break the balance, there were generally two ways to go about it. First, improve one’s cultivation like what Ling Buyang and Feng Zhaoting did previously, killing the competition and thus naturally ending the balance.
Second, form alliances and increase one’s influence. Ling Buyang had also done this in his bid for the Vice Hall Master position, even going as far as to offer a concubine just to win over Elder Liu Bingshan…
Beyond these options, there were others, like winning one’s favor to set the tone or seeking support from a higher-class Heaven Mandate Hall… However, such methods were very uncommon and hardly anyone resorted to them.
Because once this method was taken, it amounted to oppressive use of authority, and even if one became the Hall Master, winning over the masses would be difficult.
“Let it be, the backlash isn’t too severe, it should be fine…”
After sensing for a moment and feeling that the injury wasn’t too serious, Han Xiao decided not to ponder it any longer and closed his eyes to continue practicing.
…
“To have surpassed Master Han, reaching 21 threads…”
As the Heavenly Mandate Vitality of the incense stick stopped entirely, everyone looked on in astonishment.
The pinnacle Saint of Han Yuan City with the highest talent, Master Han Xiao, had only ignited 17 threads; this unknown girl had managed to ignite 21 threads in one go…
That’s too strong!
“Being on good terms with a talent of this level… Vice Hall Master Ling’s chances of becoming the Hall Master have greatly increased!” Xie Feng’s gaze became grave.
The advantages of having a top-tier genius as a friend were evident just by thinking about it.
Before, the two Vice Hall Masters seemed evenly matched, but with this girl in the picture, this one here had clearly gained an edge.
Of course… they still needed to ascertain her specific relationship with Ling Buyang.
The closer the relationship, the greater the advantage.
Otherwise, disasters could still occur before a genius truly became a strong figure.
Seeing the Heavenly Mandate Vitality stop, Liu Mingyue clenched her fists and let out a sigh of relief.
With such talent, she should be worthy of Teacher’s special attention, right?
With this thought in mind, she quietly glanced over at the young man not too far away, only to see that he didn’t appear particularly pleased but rather slightly furrowed his brows, wondering about something.
“Congratulations…”
Yu Xiaoyu said with envy.
Liu Mingyue nodded slightly, her gaze falling on Zhao Ya and the others.
When she had arrived, she hadn’t grasped the method of running and had fallen far behind them; surely, this talent test would allow her to stand out and astonish everyone, right?
Although Teacher had never made any demands, she still didn’t want to fall behind.
“Yu Xiaoyu!”
Unaware of her thoughts, Zhang Xuan waved his hand.
“Yes!” Yu Xiaoyu walked over, shaking the bamboo tube in her hand. Moments later, a hang tag floated out and began to ignite the Heavenly Destiny Incense.
One thread, two threads, three threads…
“She also has Heavenly Destiny Talent…”
The crowd, still shocked from before, widened their eyes once again.
Two consecutive individuals with talent, and judging by the speed of the incense being lit, neither was weak in talent, something unprecedented.
Vice Hall Master Ling was just too lucky. Where had he found this group of people?
“Both junior sisters are not bad…” Zheng Yang said with a smile.
“Exactly! No wonder they could be accepted as students by Teacher; they indeed have something to offer,” Zhao Ya nodded in agreement.
“That’s natural; Teacher’s discernment is always acute…” Kong Shiyao chuckled lightly.
Amidst everyone’s remarks, Yu Xiaoyu’s pace in igniting the incense was not a bit slower than Liu Mingyue’s. In just a few dozen breaths, she also reached 21 threads.
In the end, it stopped at 23 threads!
Her talent was actually an entire level higher than Liu Mingyue’s.
Pfft!
In the Cultivation Room, Master Han Xiao spat out blood once again.
If the backlash from before wasn’t too harsh, the one that followed immediately after had nullified the progress of his recent cultivation.
“Someone, go find out if anything has happened to Elders Chai Yunsheng and Ling Buyang,” he ordered after opening the door, then took out a pill to swallow, quickly adjusting his chaotic innate breathing.
After vomiting blood from the backlash twice, there shouldn’t be a third time, right…?
Right, with both sides evenly matched, even if someone fortuitously made a breakthrough, it wouldn’t be several levels consecutively. As soon as the specific cause was determined, one would just need to find a way to rebalance things. There was no need for undue anxiety.
With that thought, he sat down cross-legged once more.
Inside the grand hall, Zhang Xuan turned to look at Hong Yi before him.
After the two senior sisters had finished their ignition, it was his turn to be tested; unfortunately, he seemed to lack the talent of a Fate Master, as the hang tag formed from the Yuan Power flew out and wavered over the incense without igniting it.
“The talent is still too poor…”
Yu Xiaoyu and Liu Mingyue, although they also benefited from his help, were inherently skilled, while this one was indeed much weaker.
Without the Heavenly Destiny Talent, a ceiling was set, and even with his help, becoming a strong figure might be possible, but reaching the pinnacle was almost impossible.
“Can I bestow my unused fragments of the heavens upon him?”
An idea surfaced, and Zhang Xuan’s spirit stirred. Immediately, the Thousand Threads from the Library of Heaven’s Path spread from the tip of his finger, silently reaching towards Hong Yi.
This technique, spontaneously copied in his mind when he killed Feng Zhaoting, had barely been used, but he wondered if he could gift it to the other party to break the shackles that prevented him from practicing.
The Thousand Threads reached Hong Yi’s forehead in an instant, then flowed into his body.
The next moment, the incense that had refused to light up suddenly burst into sparks and quickly caught fire.
“This…”
Everyone was stunned.
In their view, the situation just now was set; the incense couldn’t be lit, and they hadn’t dreamt there would be such a twist.
Sizzling!
The twist continued; not only did the Heavenly Destiny Incense light up, but it kept burning. In just more than ten breaths, equally over ten sticks were lit.
“So fast…” Yu Xiaoyu and Liu Mingyue widened their eyes in disbelief.
They had thought that this junior brother’s talent was far inferior to theirs, but it seemed to be even more formidable, with a feeling that it was getting out of control.
After dozens more breaths, the speed at which the incense was lit finally slowed down and came to a stop.
37 sticks!
Hong Yi, who was originally unable to light the incense, managed to ignite 37 sticks in one go with the help of Zhang Xuan’s Thousand Threads stream, far surpassing Yu Xiaoyu and Liu Mingyue!
“Heavenly Destiny can indeed be inherited…”
Zhang Xuan’s expression was solemn.
It was the situation created when he infused the other party’s body with the Mo Dao Destiny he had replicated using his Heavenly Mandate Vitality.
If his guess was correct, this should be the so-called Heavenly Destiny Inheritance.
After passing on the Mo Dao Destiny to another person, his understanding of this type of destiny also faded away.
If that was the only type of destiny he had, it meant he had completely lost it.
“Teacher…”
Hong Yi returned to his side, looking at the figure before him with excitement.
Having experienced it himself, he fully understood the situation just now.
The teacher had actually bestowed his own comprehension of destiny upon him… The grace was simply too profound!
Normally, unless it was a matter of life and death and they were in an extremely close relationship, no one would do this.
“Hmm, focus on your practice, and don’t let down my cultivation of you!” said Zhang Xuan.
“Yes!”
Hong Yi clenched his fists.
Previously without the Heavenly Destiny Talent, even with hard work, his achievements were limited. Now not only did he have it, but his talent far exceeded that of Yu Xiaoyu and the others. One could imagine his future success, and all of this was bestowed by the person before him!
“My talent is actually the weakest… and now I’m in last place?”
Liu Mingyue felt a darkness before her eyes and wanted to cry.
She had thought that after comprehending the Mo Dao Destiny and igniting 21 sticks of Heavenly Destiny Incense, she would stand out among all her peers, surprising everyone. Yet the result… indeed surprised everyone, except it was in being the last!
“It’s okay, the talent of the other senior brothers and sisters shouldn’t surpass mine…”
After glancing at Zhao Ya and the others, Liu Mingyue let out a sigh of relief.
The teacher could already make a name for himself in the world by taking them three as disciples. She did not believe that the rest would have the same talent as hers.
Out of a dozen people, as long as there was one who was inferior, she wouldn’t be the last.
“Zhao Ya!”
Zhang Xuan instructed.
The inspiring eldest senior sister stepped forward, and following the same steps to ignite the incense, the sticks of Heavenly Destiny Incense in front of her burned swiftly.
20!
30!
50…
In the blink of an eye, 80 sticks of Heavenly Destiny Incense were lit.
If just now everyone was merely shocked, at this moment, they were completely astounded.
37 sticks had already stretched the limits of their imagination, yet unexpectedly… this person began by igniting 80 sticks in less than ten breaths!
Importantly, the speed hadn’t decreased at all but had gotten even faster.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
99 sticks of Heavenly Destiny Incense were all ablaze.
“Zhao Ya and the others have been defying fate and practicing with me; they have already gained the power and ability to choose their destiny. It’s no surprise they can light these incenses…” Zhang Xuan speculated.
The so-called Heavenly Destiny Talent is the ability to control one’s fate.
Some people, despite coming from a humble background, have the power to defy fate and succeed, while others, born into affluence, could squander their fortune and end up as beggars.
That is the essence of Heavenly Destiny Talent.
Zhao Ya, having practiced with him, had already become a God Monarch of a realm. With her destiny in her own hands, her so-called talent was naturally full.
“Zheng Yang…”
To test his theory, after Zhao Ya stepped down, Zhang Xuan asked Zheng Yang to proceed.
Inside the room.
Master Han Xiao, who was practicing, turned pale once again.
“Pfft!”
She spurted out another mouthful of blood, and this backlash seemed even harsher.
Struggling momentarily, Han Xiao tried to rise, but her chest constricted once more.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
Blood spurted out more violently, and her cultivation, which she had painstakingly consolidated, plummeted frantically. In an instant, she fell from the pinnacle of the Dharma Form Realm to the late-stage. Before, her cultivation could be ranked in the top three within Han Yuan City, but now, even being among the top ten would be a challenge.
“Who can tell me, what on earth is happening?”
Tears streamed down Han Xiao’s face.
Back to square one overnight, who could be so cruel?