Sunshine Boy retracted his hook and cast his line toward Sunlight on Golden Mountain.
The hook was stopped by an invisible force about two feet from Sunlight on Golden Mountain.
’His Fate Grid is so strong, yet my hook can get within two feet of it. It seems he’s truly afraid of the Deceitful Mother and is willing to trade his Fate Grid for the Life Substitution Wood Child. Still, his Fate Grid is showing some reluctance.’
Sunshine Boy tried a few more times, but the hook always stopped around the two-foot mark.
’This is about as difficult as dealing with twenty Shenn Goudans. I don’t have that much time. I’ll have to expend some Qi Fortune to perform an Inference. The clearer I understand his Fate Grid, the more accurate my fishing will be.’
As Sunshine Boy thought this, a Qi Fortune Fish leaped out and transformed into a stream of pale white Qi Fortune, which flowed into the Destiny Measuring Ruler and the Destiny Scale.
The two Life Artifacts flew into the air, absorbed Sunshine Boy’s Magical Power, and began to glow faintly as they rapidly performed the Inference.
A moment later, the basic Inference was complete.
As Sunshine Boy mulled over the results, his brow twitched uncontrollably. He then used Hao Yunsheng’s Fate Grid and Eight Characters of Birth to perform a comparative Inference against his own.
’This...’
’Mutually destructive Fate Grids. Lifelong arch-enemies.’
’Clashing Fate Grids. Opposition upon meeting.’
’One-sidedly punishing Fate Grid. Endless conflict.’
’One-sidedly draining Fate Grid. Incessant hidden struggles.’
’Robbing Fate Grids. As one wanes, the other waxes.’
’Leaking Fate Grids. Fortune and nobility will drain away.’
’Colliding Fate Grids. Celestial Thunder and Earth Fire.’
’This is just a preliminary Inference, and it already shows the legendary Seven Great Clashes. If I spent a few more Qi Fortune Fish, I’d probably deduce the Ten Ultimate Clashes—a calamity of Fate Grids. A life-and-death struggle to the bitter end.’
’And in those one-sided punishments and drains, it’s him suppressing and draining me. Overall, his Fate Grid completely suppresses mine.’
After clarifying his relationship with Hao Yunsheng’s Fate Grid, Sunshine Boy began fishing again. This time, the hook easily landed just one foot away.
An idea struck Sunshine Boy. He looked toward the mountain of Destiny Stars piled upon the Life Cloud and cast his line toward them.
It flew about twenty feet out, but the multitude of Destiny Stars suddenly blazed with light, and the hook drooped limply.
Sunshine Boy shook his head and went back to obediently fishing for "Sunlight on Golden Mountain," continuously recording the process and observing the changes in the Fate Grid.
Relying on his ample experience in fate-fishing, he finally succeeded as evening approached.
The instant Sunlight on Golden Mountain flew into his Life Mansion, Sunshine Boy’s consciousness instinctively took a deep sniff.
’So fragrant!’
Hao Yunsheng’s Life Mansion trembled slightly, then let out an earth-shattering roar that shook Sunshine Boy so badly he could barely stand.
Heaven and earth collapsed, and myriad mountains crumbled to ruin.
The Life God Celestial Calamity glanced at Sunshine Boy, its solid form turning ethereal until it became a transparent, motionless silhouette.
The aura it once had—of bringing calamity to the world and destruction to all living things—had vanished without a trace.
Sunshine Boy stopped fate-fishing and looked toward his own juvenile Life Land.
Four Destiny Stars hung high on his Life Pillar: Gray Sparrow’s Nest, Chameleon Hideaway, Microscale Submerged Grass, and Fox Posing as Tiger’s Might.
’I need to rely on the Deceitful Mother right now, so I can’t replace the Fox Posing as Tiger’s Might Fate Grid.’
’The Chameleon Hideaway Fate Grid is stronger than the other two, so I can’t replace it either.’
’As for Gray Sparrow’s Nest and Microscale Submerged Grass, their effects are similar, but this involves the issue of the Five Elements’ cycles of creation and destruction.’
’Gray Sparrow’s Nest is Wood-elemental, and Microscale Submerged Grass is Water-elemental. Sunlight on Golden Mountain is a classic Earth Fate. Wood overcomes Earth, and Earth overcomes Water. Neither seems like a good match.’
’The sheer power of Sunlight on Golden Mountain’s Earth Fate is unimaginable. If I pair it with Microscale Submerged Grass, the grass’s power will be completely suppressed. Its effectiveness would probably drop to a tenth of what it was.’
’Gray Sparrow’s Nest seems to clash because Wood overcomes Earth, but with a strong Earth and weak Wood, it instead creates a situation where Earth nourishes Wood. Plus, Chameleon Hideaway is also Wood-elemental. With one Earth nourishing two Woods, the power of the Chameleon Hideaway and Gray Sparrow’s Nest Destiny Stars will at least double, maybe even triple. After all, Sunlight on Golden Mountain is just that strong.’
’To use official ranks as an analogy, Sunlight on Golden Mountain is a bona fide Senior First Grade Great Destiny Star. Gray Sparrow’s Nest is Ninth Grade at best, and Chameleon Hideaway is Seventh Grade at best.’
Sunshine Boy replaced Microscale Submerged Grass with Sunlight on Golden Mountain.
An indescribable aura appeared within his Life Mansion. His dilapidated, wooden Life Mansion actually began to radiate a faint golden light.
This light was like a fine wave, making a soft SWISH SWISH sound as if it were washing away filth.
The Light Chains descending from the Deceitful Mother Fate Grid in the sky swayed gently.
Sunlight on Golden Mountain disperses foul snow on its own.
The wooden Life Mansion actually showed signs of slowly growing taller and wider.
A Destiny Star nourishes the Life Mansion.
Sunshine Boy smiled. This was his first extremely noble Destiny Star.
Making a comparison, he discovered that the power of his Sunlight on Golden Mountain was clearly inferior to Hao Yunsheng’s.
Sunshine Boy glanced at his empty Life Pillar and his ordinary Life Land.
’I still need to work harder.’
Sunshine Boy aimed at Hao Yunsheng’s Life Land and started fishing, but this time he couldn’t even get past the gate.
Buying a life didn’t include buying the land.
Sunshine Boy shook his head and withdrew from his Life Mansion.
Hao Yunsheng stared intently at Sunshine Boy, his expression blank. He said slowly, "I don’t know why, but I can’t shake the feeling that I got a bad deal."
"What’s more important, a Destiny Star or your life?"
"My life."
"Then you got a great deal!" Sunshine Boy said.
Hao Yunsheng looked at Sunshine Boy, an empty feeling in his heart. It was the same feeling he had when he gave away the Divine Pattern Flying Sword, when he left Zhou Chunfeng, when he left Jiangg Youfei, when he left Songg Yanxue.
’Maybe he has a mysterious old master backing him, too?’ Hao Yunsheng thought to himself.
Sunshine Boy held out his hand. "Give me all the Life Materials for the Great Cutting Sword and its Refining Method. I’m preparing to refine it."
After they completed the exchange, Sunshine Boy walked out of the courtyard to the temple gate. He took the Life Materials for making the Life Substitution Wood Child from the Book Listener, then sent both of them to find some of the Life Materials for the Great Cutting Sword.
Returning to the East Courtyard, Sunshine Boy first refined a Life Substitution Wood Child and gave it to Hao Yunsheng.
Hao Yunsheng breathed a quiet sigh of relief and placed the Life Substitution Wood Child in his robes.
"You’re not trying to fool me with a fake, are you?" Hao Yunsheng asked cautiously.
Sunshine Boy shot him a look. "If there were even the slightest problem with this Life Substitution Wood Child, my Life Mansion would have already cracked open. You should be celebrating. This is a *great* Life Substitution Wood Child I happened to come across. Think about it, could a normal one withstand Nanny Xiang’s pig-butchering knife?"
"Your Life Substitution Wood Child is certainly not ordinary, or else I wouldn’t have bought it," Hao Yunsheng said.
"You should leave. I need to process the Life Materials and prepare to refine the Great Cutting Sword."
After Hao Yunsheng left, Sunshine Boy summoned the Book Listener and Foodie. He collected the partial Life Materials from them and had them stand guard at the entrance to the East Courtyard.
Sunshine Boy took out the Basic Daoist Scripture that Zhou Chunfeng had given him. While reading and studying it, he planted the Eight-Sided Banners around the area, using the Nine-Flower Umbrella as the formation’s core to set up a simple Light-Blocking Array.
Then he took out various Life Materials and vessels to refine the Great Cutting Sword.
The difficulty of refining it this time far exceeded the previous three Life Artifacts.
Scalding Gold flowed from his fingers to the point between his eyebrows. The pain left Sunshine Boy in a daze, and after an unknown amount of time, he finally finished.
Using Mind Guarding Life Mansion, he saw a sword-shaped Life Artifact embedded in the very center of Destiny Star Mountain’s peak, ranked alongside the Destiny Fishing Rod, while the Destiny Measuring Ruler and the Destiny Scale were relegated to a position beneath them.
The Great Cutting Sword was thrust tip-down into the peak of Destiny Star Mountain. Its body was pure black, but along the spine, golden, tree-branch-like patterns radiated outward, with golden light flowing within the lines.
The golden branch patterns seemed to divide the black blade into irregular fragments, giving it an air of opulent mystery.
The hilt at the end of the blade was formed from countless stars, resembling a river of stars.
With a thought, Sunshine Boy commanded the Great Cutting Sword to fly out. It soared through the air, just like a Flying Sword.