"Don’t mention it. I was already planning to attend this month’s Beast Bridge, so bringing you along is no trouble at all. There are a few things I must explain."
"Please, go on. I’m listening."
"First, once inside the Beast Bridge, everyone’s head is replaced with an animal’s head. Try not to reveal your name unless you’re talking to someone you trust."
"Second, try your best not to argue with other Fate Masters. There’s always someone stronger. As the saying goes, you never know if that person with the dog head across from you is a Great Fate Master."
"Third, there’s no need to start a conflict with a Fate Master over a Mortal Cultivator. We Fate Masters are the most precious."
"Fourth, Fate Masters are people, too. Befriend those worth befriending and keep your distance from the rest. You’re the best judge of who you get along with."
"Fifth..."
Guo Xiang spoke like a conscientious teacher, sharing detailed experiences that couldn’t be found in books.
Li Qingxian recorded each point with his Magical Power, forming it into Magic Text and imprinting it onto his Spirit Platform.
Once Guo Xiang finished speaking, Li Qingxian thanked him, then reviewed the text in his Spirit Platform, reading it through quickly to deepen his memory.
"Can I decide what my own animal head will be?" Li Qingxian asked, opening his eyes.
Guo Xiang said, "The first time you enter the Beast Bridge, it assigns an animal head based on an animal you’re familiar with or one that left a deep impression on you. That’s why you’ll see so many chickens, ducks, geese, pigs, dogs, and sheep. Of course, the details of each head are different. There are a few people, perhaps because of a unique Fate Skill or a distinct temperament, whose heads aren’t those of common animals, but they are rare. Generally speaking, only Great Fate Masters have truly peculiar animal heads."
"For example?"
"For example, one Great Fate Master has a three-eyed dragon head," Guo Xiang said.
"So if my animal head is peculiar, does that mean my future accomplishments might be out of the ordinary?" Li Qingxian asked.
"It’s very likely. I’m curious to see, myself," Guo Xiang said, looking at Li Qingxian.
Li Qingxian’s eyes lit up.
"Next, let’s talk about Life Play," Guo Xiang said.
"Life Play is a game-like activity, yet not quite a game, that integrates numerous powers, such as the Fate Grid. Each Life Play exists within a Fate Box. A normal Fate Box holds only one Life Play, but a Grand Fate Box can store multiple."
"Life Play was originally a tool to help disciples of the Fate Sect learn. It later evolved into an activity that integrates learning, training, simulation, interaction, competition, and testing all in one."
"When disputes arise between Fate Sects or Fate Masters that don’t warrant a fight to the death, they will usually use a Life Play to determine a winner."
"Ye Han was well-informed, it seems. At this month’s Beast Bridge, an unknown Great Fate Master will be hosting a Life Play to test the younger generation and offer prizes..."
Guo Xiang continued explaining various precautions, and just as before, Li Qingxian firmly committed them to memory.
A short while later, the carriage stopped.
Guo Xiang lifted the window curtain, peered outside, and said, "Alright, let’s get out."
Li Qingxian followed Guo Xiang out of the carriage and glanced around. They seemed to be near Jian’an Square in the West District of the Inner City.
Under the dimly lit, starry sky, the Qingyu River, about ten feet wide, flowed slowly. Dark green and black weeds drifted gently beneath the water’s surface.
A perfectly ordinary stone bridge spanned the Qingyu River. It was old and slightly dilapidated, its sides stained black.
A look of confusion crossed Li Qingxian’s face. Guo Xiang, carrying the Great Fate Disc on his back, smiled. "There are many Beast Bridges in the world, and each one exists independently of this realm. The Divine Capital has only one Beast Bridge. To enter it, you can find any small bridge over running water within the Divine Capital and use a Fate Skill. This place... this is just the gateway."
"I see," Li Qingxian said.
"Place your right hand on my shoulder and walk with me. Entering the Beast Bridge is very simple. You just need to step onto this bridge, silently chant ’Divine Capital Beast Bridge,’ and trigger a resonance between your Life Artifact and Life Mansion to get in. It’s easier when someone guides you the first time. After this, you can come on your own."
As he spoke, Guo Xiang walked forward, and Li Qingxian placed his right hand on his left shoulder.
One after the other, they stepped onto the stone bridge. After they had taken a few steps, a fog suddenly gathered before them, obscuring their vision. An instant later, the fog rapidly dissipated.
A massive, arched bridge made of Hann White Jade appeared before them, suspended amidst a sea of clouds and white mist, emanating an ethereal aura.
The Hann White Jade bridge was fifty to sixty feet wide and three to four hundred feet long, resembling a small plaza.
Railings lined both sides of the bridge, and atop them stood pillars carved with the heads of all sorts of beasts and birds.
The ground was paved with a cloud-like pattern, sloping gently upward with no steps.
The person in front of Li Qingxian had the head of a zebra with black and white stripes. The zebra head turned and grinned.
"Your animal head is quite interesting."
Li Qingxian shook his head from side to side but couldn’t see his own face, only a faint yellowish blur. He took a mirror out of his Qiankun Bracelet and held it up to himself.
A cross-eyed, yellow-furred dog head stared back, its distinct black-and-white eyes looking at him sideways.
Li Qingxian was dumbfounded, his expression filled with melancholy.
"Did you used to have a dog like this?"
"You could say that..."
The cross-eyed dog head’s gaze grew even more sorrowful, shifting from the melancholy of a Shiba Inu to that of a Husky.
The longer Guo Xiang looked, the more he couldn’t stop laughing. "This dog head is far from ordinary—truly peculiar! You must have the makings of a Great Fate Master. You will surely be the center of everyone’s attention today."
"I never realized you had such a loose tongue, Lord Guo," Li Qingxian said.
"And I never realized such a hilarious animal head existed." The zebra head’s mouth curled into a smirk. It tilted its head slightly, as if imitating the cross-eyed dog head, then added, "We can’t mention our names. You should change the appearance of your Qiankun Bracelet and wear it at your waist to pass it off as a Qi Fortune Fish Pouch. Although the mist hides our main features, people can still tell the difference between someone retrieving an item from their wrist versus their waist."
"Alright." Li Qingxian transformed his Qiankun Bracelet into a Jade Pendant and hung it from his waist.
He looked down and saw that his clothes and skin were covered in a layer of mist, their appearance slightly altered.
Li Qingxian looked up, his aura of melancholy growing even stronger. "Is there any way to change its appearance?" he asked.
"Once you become a Great Fate Master, you can alter it a little, but not by much. As for those signature little eyes, don’t even think about changing them." The zebra head bared a set of large, neat white teeth.
"Never mind, then..."
Guo Xiang patted Li Qingxian’s shoulder. "Don’t be discouraged. Your appearance reflects your heart... wait, no. I mean, your animal head is so cheerful! From now on, everyone on the Beast Bridge will go easy on you."
"I’m convinced," Li Qingxian said drily.
"Let’s go. Didn’t you want a Life Book? They usually have them here every month. It’s just that most Fate Masters don’t accept money. Once you’re wealthy enough, or you reach Middle Grade and can create Single Stars, you might have a chance to trade for one. Of course, you can always come directly to the Black Lamp Department," Guo Xiang said.
"Single Star..."
’Under special circumstances, some Destiny Stars could exist independently.’
’The most common method is to first buy someone else’s Destiny Star, then use the Fate Taking Skill on it for years on end to transform it into an independent Destiny Star, free from the influence of its original owner.’
’However, most Fate Masters would only waste their time on this after they had grown old and could no longer make progress in their cultivation.’
’There are also some people whose Destiny Stars are so special, and whose life experiences are so bizarre, that their Destiny Stars continue to exist even after their death. Some even wander on their own. These are also considered Single Stars.’
’Single Stars have a vast range of uses and are the most sought-after hard currency in the Fate Skill Realm.’
’I seem to be pretty good at this,’ Li Qingxian thought to himself. ’The fates I’ve fished for all count as Single Stars.’
The two of them slowly walked forward.
Along both sides of the Beast Bridge, many people sat on the ground. They had blue cloths or bamboo mats spread out before them, displaying a wide variety of items. Some simply had a piece of paper laid out, on which were written the items they had for trade or were seeking to buy.
Everyone had the head of a beast or a bird. Chickens, ducks, geese, pigs, dogs, cows, horses, and sheep were the most common, but some people had snake heads, cicada heads, or even centipede heads.
Li Qingxian suddenly felt much better about his situation.