The Destiny Gentleman was shrouded in mist, the grids still blind.
Li Qingxian looked with his Spiritual Eye, and the white mist dissipated.
Ten grids, ten Destiny Stars.
Just as Li Qingxian was about to analyze them carefully, he turned to look at White Deer Head’s ten Destiny Star grids, and his opponent was also looking at his own.
The two glanced at each other again, then averted their gazes.
Li Qingxian thought, ’This is the third match. Although nothing has been said, a winner must be decided. Since we’re choosing Fate Grids, it’s bound to be a test of our understanding of Fate Skills and Fate Grids. My advantage is that I can see the Destiny Stars precisely, while he can’t and can only use Inference. His advantages are his Grade Level, experience, knowledge, and Life Artifacts.’
’For this third match, could the test be about the counters between Fate Grids—finding the opponent’s weakness and exploiting it?’
Li Qingxian frowned slightly. The logic made sense, but he felt something was off, though he couldn’t pinpoint what.
Li Qingxian carefully reviewed the entire process of this Life Play, from the initial choice of the Destiny Gentleman to the subsequent "three hardships and three joys," from his own experiences and changes to the changes and experiences of others...
Gradually, Li Qingxian realized he couldn’t view a Great Fate Master with such a narrow perspective.
Would someone who wasn’t possessive of their own knowledge, someone willing to support the next generation, really focus on the most basic counters of Fate Skills? If that were the case, a test of rote memorization would suffice.
Li Qingxian decided to abandon his narrow view and stick to his previous belief: follow the great trend and diligently cultivate himself.
Li Qingxian once again looked at the Destiny Stars before him.
The ten Destiny Stars, from nearest to farthest, were: Pure Red Gold, Giant Tree Reaching the Heavens, Nine-Winding Reflux, Raging Fire Cooking Oil, Peaceful Earth Solid Stone, Sword Radiance Illuminating the Homeland, Hidden House in the Bamboo Forest, Living Water Everflowing, Burning Evil and Igniting Wickedness, and Accumulated Soil to Mountain.
Li Qingxian glanced again at his Destiny Gentleman’s own Destiny Stars.
In the Adolescent Life Land hung the Treasure Basin and Mountain Range Cross-Cut.
In the Youth Life Land hung the Iron Pestle Grinding Needle and Thousand-Forged Steel.
’According to Fate Skill theory, the same Destiny Star will have different effects depending on whether it’s placed in the Adolescent Life Land or the Youth Life Land. For example, Iron Pestle Grinding Needle is better placed in the Adolescent Life Land, as it means starting the tempering from a young age. But for some Destiny Stars, like Sword Radiance Illuminating the Homeland, whose brilliance attracts followers, it’s far less effective in the Adolescent Life Land than in the Youth Life Land. If an adolescent possessed Sword Radiance Illuminating the Homeland, they might instead be ostracized for being too different.’
’In theory, Pure Red Gold, Peaceful Earth Solid Stone, Living Water Everflowing, Burning Evil and Igniting Wickedness, and Accumulated Soil to Mountain are all excellent choices, but which one is the most suitable?’
Li Qingxian began to use Inference on the effects of each Destiny Star. Now, the Celestial Destiny Instrument was completely useless; he could only rely on his knowledge of Fate Skills, as well as his own vision and judgment.
In the end, Li Qingxian spent one All-Purpose Jade Pendant to choose Accumulated Soil to Mountain, placing this Destiny Star into the Adolescent Life Land.
The Destiny Star entered the Life Mansion. Li Qingxian sensed a tremendous change in the Destiny Gentleman and looked at the light screen behind him.
A new description was added to the original biographical records.
From a young age, this person obtained Accumulated Soil to Mountain, but showed no special qualities.
Upon turning twenty, his deep reserves finally burst forth. Success came naturally. Overnight, his Saber Technique achieved a profound level of mastery, and he joined the ranks of the first-rate, becoming a true young talent.
Li Qingxian smiled and nodded.
Once the Destiny Star was chosen, mist and grids reappeared before the Destiny Gentleman.
Surprisingly, there were another ten Destiny Stars. Some were repeats from before, while others were new.
From nearest to farthest, they were: Pure Red Gold, Deep Roots Lush Leaves, Living Water Everflowing, Raging Fire Cooking Oil, Ten Peaks Towering, Treasure Sword Hiding Its Edge, Tall Tree Holding Up the Heavens, Sea of All Rivers, Long-Burning and Unextinguished, and Ten Thousand Mountains Forming a Vein.
’These Fate Grids... The last three are all famous, grand Fate Grids. Long-Burning and Unextinguished is something even old men would fight to the death for. Sea of All Rivers can gather fate and Trend Formations; it’s an exceedingly rare Fate Grid that has a direct impact on a Great Trend Formation.’
’As for Ten Thousand Mountains Forming a Vein, it is a complete system in itself, a truly supreme and noble Destiny Star, on the same level as my own Sunlight on Golden Mountain.’
The Destiny Gentleman’s Adolescent Life Land had three Destiny Stars: Treasure Basin, Mountain Range Cross-Cut, and Accumulated Soil to Mountain.
Two Earth Fates and one Gold Fate.
It’s a fact that Earth-Born Gold exists, but if the Earth element is too strong and the Gold element too weak, it will inevitably form a "Gold Buried by Earth" configuration.
’If I choose Ten Thousand Mountains Forming a Vein, it will create the "Gold Buried by Earth" configuration, and the Life Formation of the Adolescent Life Land will shift from Gold to Earth.’
’During this transformation, the Destiny Gentleman’s entire fate will become unpredictable. He’ll face all sorts of great calamities until he completes the process of Changing Fate.’
Changing Fate is a taboo in Fate Skills. Only an Upper-Grade Fate Master would dare attempt it.
’If I were a Great Fate Master, I could completely control the entire Life Formation and slowly enact the Change of Fate. But at my current level of strength, the Destiny Gentleman might end up as a corpse on the street the very next day.’
’Balance. Fate Grids must be balanced. If the Youth Life Formation currently had four Gold Fate Grids to suppress Ten Thousand Mountains Forming a Vein, it would be fine. But alas...’
’At the same time, I also have to consider the Life Formation and the Life God...’
Li Qingxian considered all the possibilities, using Inference on the potential outcomes of each Destiny Star entering the Life Mansion. In the end, the die showed a six, and he chose the seemingly ordinary "Treasure Sword Hiding Its Edge."
The Destiny Star entered the Life Mansion.
Within the Adolescent Life Land, four Destiny Stars now gathered: Treasure Basin, Treasure Sword Hiding Its Edge, Mountain Range Cross-Cut, and Accumulated Soil to Mountain.
Brilliant light erupted from the Destiny Gentleman’s body, soaring into the sky.
The light receded. Above the Adolescent Life Formation, a thick Life Cloud appeared, shielding it from the outside world.
Between the Life Cloud and the Destiny Stars, a wondrous object was born.
The object’s main body was a sharp, jet-black mountain peak. Three rings of white, river-like water circled its waist, its base, and its exterior, resembling a long skirt.
The mountain’s body was a fusion of Gold and Earth. The exposed parts, not covered by soil, glinted with a metallic luster.
The mountain’s peak was the tip of a sword.
In the center of the pure black sword tip, a vertical, pale white crack suddenly split open.
A giant golden eye opened, erupting with ten thousand rays of golden light, before slowly closing again.
The Life God, the Mountain Embryo Sword.
At the same time, a ray of light shone in the Destiny Gentleman’s Youth Life Land.
The Youth Life Land originally contained Iron Pestle Grinding Needle and Thousand-Forged Steel.
But now, Iron Pestle Grinding Needle transformed into a new Destiny Star.
The Destiny Star, Breaking the Cocoon into a Needle.
The Destiny Gentleman’s biographical record on the light screen was updated with many new Chapters.
Having experienced a fortuitous encounter, he formed his Life Formation in his youth, accumulated power for many years, and gave birth to a Life God.
His Celestial Profound Skill reached Minor Achievement ahead of schedule, and his Great Star-Destroying Saber technique advanced directly to Major Achievement. He was ranked as a top-tier prodigy among those of the same grade, a true genius of the Martial Arts.
Three days later, the Destiny Gentleman set up a Seventh-Grade Saber-Testing Platform in Beisha City and sent out invitations far and wide to all heroes.
On the platform, he fought continuously for thirty days, completing three hundred bouts. He remained undefeated among all opponents of the same grade, his fame spreading throughout the world. He earned the Martial Arts title "North Star Saber."
Several days later, on the Lower Three Grades Martial Arts ranking list published by the Martial Arts Alliance, the Destiny Gentleman was ranked seventh.
Hearing of this, an Elder from the Celestial Profound Sect personally came to escort the Destiny Gentleman back to the Mountain Gate. He bestowed great treasures, went to great lengths to nurture him, helped him achieve Seventh-Grade True Blood, and gathered divine materials from all over the world to prepare for his Sixth-Grade ’Foundation True Altar’.
Afterward, he entered the Sect’s secret grounds to cultivate. A year later, he advanced to the Sixth Grade and successfully built his Foundation True Altar.
Li Qingxian looked toward White Deer Head.
White Deer Head had also chosen two Fate Grids. However, his biographical record clearly stated that due to suffering multiple severe injuries and wasting time, although his Fate Grids had formed a configuration, he failed to give birth to a Life God.
Failing to give birth to a Life God, his strength was insufficient. He remained an ordinary first-rate martial artist, unable to break into the top tier, and did not make it onto the Lower-Grade Hanlin Academy Rankings.
White Deer Head’s Destiny Gentleman was stuck at the Seventh Grade.
White Deer Head glanced at Li Qingxian’s Destiny Gentleman, then stared blankly at his own.
The Stone Giant Leader announced, "The third Life Play, the final battle, now begins."
The mist instantly dispersed, revealing a magnificent city ahead. It had countless walls and buildings, generals as numerous as clouds, and Cultivators as common as rain. Its defensive armaments were densely packed.
On all four sides of the city, military camps stretched out like a sea, and the Demon Race swarmed like a flood, endless to the eye.
The entire Beast Bridge fell silent.
Some of the older Fate Masters’ eyes turned red at the rims.