Champion City.
The foremost city on the North Shore of the Great River, the greatest strategic pass in the world, the Shield of Qii Country.
During the Tiankang Period, the Demon Race invaded from the south. The Worthy Crown Prince defended Champion City, holding it for three years. Then, for reasons unknown, a traitor opened the city gates. Champion City fell, and the Worthy Crown Prince was captured.
This triggered the second of the Four Calamities of Tiankang: the Invasion of the Demon Race.
On that very day, the results of the palace examination were announced: Zhao Yishan was the Champion Scholar, Xu Chuxin was the Runner-Up Scholar, and Zhou Chunfeng was the third-place scholar.
The three, clad in magnificent robes and full of high spirits, were just about to partake in the traditional parade through the streets when news of Champion City’s fall and the Worthy Crown Prince’s capture spread throughout the Divine Capital.
The Qionglin Banquet was canceled.
That year was the Bingchen Year, and the three of them later became known as the Three Sons of Bingchen.
In that year, Emperor Taining was merely King Ding.
In that year, King Ding’s fourth son learned that his paternal uncle had been captured and wept bitterly.
Without a Holy Decree, he traveled north to the Great River alone, gathered the scattered remnants of the defeated army, and guarded the South Shore of the Great River alongside Cultivators from across the realm.
From that day forward, through his conferment as Grand General during the Taining Dynasty, until this very day, he has never returned to the Divine Capital.
Even ten years ago, for Emperor Taining’s fiftieth birthday, the Emperor issued three consecutive Holy Decrees, but the Grand General only sent back a single-page letter in reply.
Then, the mists closed in, leaving only a corner of Champion City visible.
The Destiny Gentlemen of Li Qingxian and White Deer Head stood upon the city wall.
Beyond the walls, the Demon Race stretched as far as the eye could see.
A horn sounded, and the Demon Race surged forward like a tide.
The two Destiny Gentlemen joined forces in a desperate battle, holding their section of the wall firmly.
One day, two days, three days...
Suns and moons wheeled, days and nights alternated. An unknown amount of time passed. One group would fall in battle, another would take their place. Batch after batch of people flowed through Champion City like water.
Half a year later, White Deer Head’s Destiny Gentleman was killed in battle.
Li Qingxian glanced over. White Deer Head’s eyes were slightly red, and he gently turned his head away.
It was unclear if it was because the Destiny Gentleman had been killed in battle, or for some other reason.
Li Qingxian’s Destiny Gentleman held the top of the wall unwaveringly. Despite being constantly injured, its foundation was so deep that its strength actually grew instead of diminishing.
Until one night, the city gates suddenly swung open.
The Destiny Gentleman, who had already reached the Fifth Grade, was caught in a pincer attack. Before dying, it took a Fourth-Grade member of the Demon Race down with it as it tumbled from the city wall.
Inside and outside the Fate Box, there was dead silence.
The Stone Giant Leader announced in a completely emotionless voice, "The three Life Plays have all concluded. The Play Leader is awarded one complete set of the Life-Seeking Sect’s Life-Seeking Skill."
A golden light descended, entering Li Qingxian’s Spirit Platform.
Li Qingxian immediately sat down cross-legged and began to read the complete Life-Seeking Skill.
A white light descended, falling upon White Deer Head.
White Deer Head turned and looked at Li Qingxian, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground.
With a flash of white light, White Deer Head was returned to the Beast Bridge. Parrot Head hurried over to him.
Upon the Beast Bridge, it was unusually quiet.
Slowly, more and more people began to speak, and before long, the air was filled with a cacophony of voices.
The Fate Masters all began to voice their opinions.
"I don’t like this kind of Life Play! It’s too much of a game. Since it’s a Life Play, why isn’t the winner decided by the level of one’s Fate Skill?"
"That Cross-Eyed Dog Head’s Fate Skill is clearly inferior to White Deer Head’s. It would be completely unfair if he became the Play Leader."
Those who held this opposing view were all Lower-Grade Fate Masters.
The Middle-Grade Fate Masters couldn’t even be bothered to refute such arguments, instead actively discussing the true intentions of Flower-Seeking Master Liuu.
"Watching the three Life Plays unfold step by step, Flower-Seeking Master Liuu’s intentions are very clear. This isn’t just a test of Fate Skill, but of its proper application. It also tests a Fate Master’s ability to take into account a comprehensive view of people, Trend Formations—of everything."
"As expected, a Great Fate Master’s perspective is completely different from that of an ordinary Fate Master. We just need to learn our Fate Skills and succeed in our Cultivation. But in the eyes of a Great Fate Master, their gaze pierces ten thousand years and encompasses all of existence."
"This time, Flower-Seeking Master Liuu has shown us a path to the Upper Grade."
"The paths to the Upper Grade are all different. Perhaps White Deer Head is not suited for this path, but that Cross-Eyed Dog Head secretly aligns with it."
"What a pity! If I had watched this Life Play in my youth, I would surely be able to advance another grade by now."
"This Life Play teaches us to look at the bigger picture. That’s what we were missing back in the day."
"Who among us who have reached the Middle Grade isn’t skilled in Fate Skills? Oftentimes, what decides one’s destiny lies outside of Fate Skills themselves."
"The Life-Seeking Sect lives up to its name. To have finally found a Fate Master with the potential for the Upper Grade is truly a fortunate event for the entire Life Realm."
"Indeed. This young man has the aptitude for the Upper Grade."
"Let’s wait for him to come out and see how he reviews this Life Play. We can also exchange some insights."
Everyone nodded lightly.
Li Qingxian gave the Life-Seeking Skill a quick read-through. ’This Skill is truly wondrous,’ he sighed to himself. ’I must study it seriously when I get back.’
A white light descended. With a SHWHOOSH, Li Qingxian appeared outside, next to the table holding the Fate Box.
Hanging from his waist were five All-Purpose Jade Pendants.
The Fate Box slowly closed.
Yanzi Head put away the Fate Box and took out a colorless, transparent glass sphere about an inch in diameter from his robes. Inside, a verdant willow leaf and a peony flower danced gently.
The Fate Masters who recognized the item showed looks of envy.
"This is my master’s token. It can guide a Communication Talisman Disc. Please accept it, Play Leader."
"Thank you, sir," Li Qingxian said, accepting it with both hands.
"These five All-Purpose Jade Pendants are also a gift from my master to the Play Leader. For any Fate Skill below the Upper Grade, one of these can be used in place of a full set of Life Materials to cast it," Yanzi Head explained.
"I am overwhelmed by Flower-Seeking Master Liuu’s undeserved favor. I am endlessly grateful."
The crowd grew even more envious. Some stared intently at the All-Purpose Jade Pendants, calculating whether they could afford to buy one.
Li Qingxian stored the master’s token and the five All-Purpose Jade Pendants into his Qiankun Bracelet.
When the crowd saw that he actually possessed a Qi Fortune Treasure, they gave up on the idea of buying the All-Purpose Jade Pendants and began to speculate about his identity.
Yanzi Head said, "Play Leader, please begin the review."
Li Qingxian looked at Guo Xiang with a puzzled expression.
Guo Xiang smiled. "I didn’t expect you to become the Play Leader, so I didn’t mention this before. After a Life Play ends, if it’s one worth learning from, everyone will follow the Play Leader to go through it again, step by step. At each step, the Play Leader can choose to speak or not, but everyone will definitely discuss and learn from it. This method was discovered and promoted by Master Yuanhai. He found that the Fate Masters who participate in the review gain far more than those who only watch the Life Play without reviewing it."
"Oh, I see. I’ll participate then, but in some places, I acted on intuition and instinct, so I might not be able to explain it very well. Please bear with me, everyone," Li Qingxian said.
"It’s fine. If you come across something you can’t talk about, just don’t. We all understand."
Yanzi Head said, "I shall preside over this Life Play’s review. I will decide the speaking order to avoid any confusion."
Everyone prepared for a moment, then Yanzi Head said, "Let us begin with the first step..."
The first stage was selecting the Destiny Gentleman, which had nothing particularly special about it, so after a brief discussion, the group moved on to the second stage.
"Everyone is already aware of the Play Leader’s Destiny Gentleman’s Fate Grid. So, for the first step of the second stage, choosing a background, may I ask why you chose the Martial Arts Hall?" Yanzi Head asked.
Li Qingxian recalled his thoughts at the time and answered frankly, "To be honest, I don’t really understand Life Plays. But I do understand one thing: for any person, whether they are serving as an official, studying, building a house, or even designing a Life Play, there are always patterns, both obvious and hidden, in their thoughts and actions. Sometimes, they aren’t even aware of these patterns themselves. For example, we often can’t fully explain our own behavior. I don’t know Flower-Seeking Master Liuu, but I can infer some broad tendencies. For instance, I can ask myself: ’If I were Flower-Seeking Master Liuu, how would I test people?’"
Li Qingxian openly explained his "Examiner’s Thinking," then commented on the pros and cons of each background environment, and finally stated his reason for choosing the Martial Arts Hall background.