Defying Heaven and Changing Fate, Impatient and Rash

With a soft "plop," a ripe coconut fell onto the pristine white sand.

A slender figure walked slowly along the beach, approaching the fallen coconut and picking it up.

This person was clad in a golden robe, fastened at the front with a milky-white jade ring. They exuded an aura of supreme authority, as if they were the sole ruler of heaven, earth, and all realms.

The one who gently picked up the coconut from the outermost island of Kunlun's Nine Heavens Ring Islands was none other than the most powerful figure under heaven, the Sect Master of Kunlun, Huang Wushen.

Unlike Yuan Tianyi's state of "unity of heaven and man," Huang Wushen, as he stood silently, gave the impression of a state beyond gods and self, where he was the god, the world itself.

Yet, now, under the setting sun, his eyes still closed, his long eyelashes twitched slightly, as if he were silently "seeing" the coconut in his hand.

"Junior Brother Kuang Wuxin, do you remember when we first entered Kunlun, we would come to this beach every evening at dusk to pick coconuts?"

The most powerful man in the world was reminiscing about his days as a mere Kunlun disciple.

"Of course, I remember. I also remember you betting with Wentian that no coconuts would fall overnight. You secretly climbed the coconut tree that night and picked them all, so naturally, none fell, making Wentian lose the bet and sulk for days." A man in a light yellow robe, with an elegant demeanor and a subtle seven-colored radiance in his eyes, nodded slightly.

This man in the light yellow robe was the same one who, during Yuan Tianyi's great battle with Kunlun, had set up the Vermilion Bird Altar on the sixth ring island of Kunlun and led forty-nine disciples in refining a magic treasure. It turned out he was one of Kunlun's Ten Great Golden Immortals, Kuang Wuxin.

"Junior Brother Kuang Wuxin, your cultivation has advanced again," Huang Wushen said calmly upon hearing Kuang Wuxin's reply. "When we were frolicking on this beach back then, you probably never imagined we would reach our current cultivation levels."

"We were just children then, how could we have thought so far ahead?" Kuang Wuxin smiled.

"Refining the Void Life and Death Rope has already taken thirty years of your life. I didn't want to consume more of your time or hinder your progress," Huang Wushen said slowly, facing Kuang Wuxin. "But you cultivate the Dao of Yin and Yang Life and Death, so you should see more clearly than I that the world's destiny is shifting, and Kunlun is in a state of decline. If we cannot weaken the destiny of the demonic and fiendish paths, a great upheaval will occur."

"Senior Brother, you want me to enter the mortal world and reverse the destiny of the demonic and fiendish paths?" Kuang Wuxin looked at Huang Wushen.

"Qilian Liancheng has already led the troops to intercept Ye Zhaonan and the inheritor of Luofu. Originally, all other disciples were under Jin Qingyun's command, but the cultivation of the hidden masters of the demonic and fiendish paths over the past century has exceeded my expectations. He might not be able to suppress them alone, so those who wreak havoc in the world and harbor ill intentions towards Kunlun must be eliminated by you, Junior Brother."

"Alright," Kuang Wuxin said with a smile, not adding any more words. "It's also been over fifty years since I last left Kunlun. I will enter the world and see what kind of destiny those sneaky, hidden elements have cultivated over the years."

***

"Huang Wushen, your cultivation of the Colorless Fixed Great Splendor Wheel is ultimately a bit more profound than mine."

On the vast silver beach, Kuang Wuxin stood alone, quietly looking at the coconut in his hand. Three consecutive streams of seven-colored radiance shot from his eyes towards the coconut. The first two streams, upon contact with the coconut, caused black and white ripples to appear, nullifying the radiance. Only when the third stream of seven-colored radiance struck the coconut did it finally make a "pop" sound, creating a hole.

Kuang Wuxin's Dao of Yin and Yang Life and Death versus Huang Wushen's Colorless Fixed Great Splendor Wheel.

Back then, when Huang Wushen and Kuang Wuxin's group of fellow disciples came to this beach, they didn't just pick coconuts or catch fish for a snack. They habitually placed restrictions on each other's coconuts to test their cultivation progress. Huang Wushen was clearly recalling those times and, just like then, was engaging in this game with Kuang Wuxin.

A single test revealed that Kuang Wuxin's cultivation was still a notch below Huang Wushen's.

"With Yuan Tianyi gone and Jiu Ba severely injured, even his Nascent Soul destroyed, it seems there is no one left in the world who can match you in a one-on-one fight."

All living beings and plants within Kunlun's ring islands were nourished by extremely dense spiritual energy, unlike the outside world. When the coconut was pierced, a sweet and clear aroma immediately wafted out. However, Kuang Wuxin did not drink the sweet, refreshing juice as he had before. With a "crack," after breaking Huang Wushen's restriction, he crushed the pierced coconut in his hand into powder!

"You actually didn't ask me for the Void Life and Death Rope. Since you didn't ask, I certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to offer it."

"Huang Wushen, you invited me to meet here and spoke so much, recalling the past, all to stir my emotions, fearing I would use excuses to refuse to enter the world and help you defy fate?"

After crushing the coconut left by Huang Wushen into powder, a hint of a cold smile flashed across Kuang Wuxin's face.

"Huang Wushen, you are mistaken. Not only will I help you, but I will help you even more thoroughly!"

Kuang Wuxin's eyes, which faintly revealed a seven-colored glow, suddenly became hollow, like a deep void.

"All junior disciples, hear my order! The Sect Master decrees that from this day forward, anyone found cultivating demonic or fiendish arts is to be eradicated!"

"What! Uncle-Master, without distinction... eradicate them all? Some of them don't do evil. Isn't this too harsh and severe?" Many surprised voices questioned.

These voices directly echoed in Kuang Wuxin's mind.

Kuang Wuxin's cultivation of the Dao of Yin and Yang Life and Death granted him the divine ability to communicate with Yin and Yang through his spirit, transcending distance and directly communicating with others across the void. Even if a person's physical body were destroyed, as long as their soul remained, Kuang Wuxin could communicate with them through this technique.

Hearing these voices, Kuang Wuxin merely let out a heavy, cold snort.

"What do you know! The world's destiny is shifting, and Kunlun is in an extremely perilous state. This is being done to reverse fate. The Sect Master and I made this decision out of desperation. If we don't do this, Kunlun may cease to exist within a hundred years!"

"What!" The disciples communicating with Kuang Wuxin through their spirits seemed shocked by his words. After a moment, countless voices responded, "Disciples respectfully obey the decree."

"Huang Wushen," Kuang Wuxin retracted his Dao of Yin and Yang Life and Death and his spirit communication ability, a barely perceptible smile reappearing on his face. "With the cultivation techniques we practice, and at our levels, we can both see the shift in the world's destiny. But you only worry about Kunlun's status. You failed to consider that the more chaotic the times, the more people can rise to power amidst the chaos. In terms of grasping the world's destiny, I may not necessarily lose to you."

***

Shushan. Autumn winds rustled through the mountain forests, scattering golden leaves.

It was a season of clear skies and crisp air, perfect for leisurely outings.

Among Shushan's thousands of peaks, some even floated in the sky through wondrous Daoist arts, resembling an immortal realm. In such weather, merely gazing at these peaks was enough to refresh one's spirit.

However, Luo Bei felt no inclination for sightseeing.

"How could this be!"

At this moment, Luo Bei's mind was repeating this single sentence.

Three months had passed since Luo Bei cultivated the "Delusion Heaven Longevity Scripture" and broke through the first stage of "Blood Refining and Mercury Pulp," reaching a state where his blood and qi surged like rivers, ceaseless and unending.

Now, Cai Shu, the fastest cultivator among the seven of them, could see, upon internal observation, threads of cyan vital energy condensed by the "Great Dao Direct Pointing Cui Xu Art" coalescing into liquid, slowly forming a glowing cyan lotus seed.

This was the second stage of the "Great Dao Direct Pointing Cui Xu Art."

The "Great Dao Direct Pointing Cui Xu Art," a method of the inner elixir Dao, had a total of nine stages. The first stage was the induction of qi into the body and its condensation into liquid. Upon reaching the second stage, where true essence condenses into liquid, a cyan lotus seed would form in the spiritual sea of the Ni Palace. In the third stage, the cyan lotus seed would be nourished by more condensed qi, forming a cyan lotus. By the fourth stage, the cyan lotus would connect with the body's blood vessels, and at this point, Dao essence would nourish the physical body. Shushan was currently the second orthodox sect under Kunlun, and this "Great Dao Direct Pointing Cui Xu Art" was the foundation of Shushan's Flying Sword techniques, an excellent secret art that balanced health preservation and incantation power. Reaching the fourth stage already greatly increased one's lifespan, granting several times the lifespan of ordinary people. In the fifth stage, the lotus would slowly take shape, as if nurturing life, with a heartbeat and breathing. In the sixth stage, the lotus would transform, gradually becoming an infant in its true form. This was just one step away from cultivating a true Nascent Soul. The seventh stage was the true completion of the Nascent Soul, allowing it to leave the body and control magic treasures. Even if one's Flying Sword skills had not reached the level of innate sword essence, they could gather all their true essence onto the Nascent Soul to control the Flying Sword, greatly increasing its speed and bringing its power close to that of innate sword essence. Some sects without innate sword essence techniques allowed their Flying Sword cultivators to wield immense power with their swords precisely because of the strength of their inner elixir Dao. In the eighth stage, it was like having an extra life; the Nascent Soul would not dissipate even if it left the body, and it could split into two, allowing one person to do the work of two. As for the ninth stage, it was the final step pursued by all cultivators: the realm of a Tribulation Transcending True Immortal. Throughout history, even the sages who created various world-shattering techniques, it was unknown if anyone had ever reached this stage.

Three months had passed. Now, every punch Cai Shu threw carried hundreds of jin of force, and her vital energy, coursing through her hands, would erupt with blinding cyan radiance. Even hard mountain rocks could be easily chipped with a single punch, creating a deep hole. A casual leap could easily cover several zhang.

Even Xuan Wuqi, who cultivated the slowest and missed several spirit pills due to punishment, was now slowly condensing cyan vital energy, which was becoming thick like liquid, on the verge of breaking through the first stage of "Qi Condensation into Liquid."

By the time Luo Bei had cultivated to this point, the cyan vital energy within him was only a few hundred strands. It was even slightly inferior to the golden vital energy from the Heaven-Long-Life Scripture of Delusion within his body, and he didn't know how long it would take to reach the stage of condensing vital energy into liquid.

Moreover, Luo Bei had secretly asked Cai Shu, Lin Hang, and the others, and none of them had been cultivating secretly at night.

Others might lie to him, but he knew Cai Shu and Lin Hang would absolutely not lie.

"We're cultivating the same way, how can my progress be so much slower than others? If this continues, Cai Shu might cultivate to the third level while I can't even break through the first, that's seven or eight times slower!"

At this moment, although Luo Bei had become strong and enduring due to cultivating the Heaven-Long-Life Scripture of Delusion, this heaven-defying and powerful cultivation technique inherently progressed much slower than almost all other techniques in the world. Even with the powerful assistance of the Great Dao Direct Pointing Cui Xu Art, which doubled its progress, he had not yet reached the second level of refining bones and skin. Furthermore, although Luo Bei's strength had greatly increased, he couldn't compare to the true essence power of the Great Dao Direct Pointing Cui Xu Art cultivated by others. Therefore, Luo Bei couldn't help but feel a bit anxious.

"Faster!"

When cultivating the Great Dao Direct Pointing Cui Xu Art, after entering a state of tranquility, it was originally purely about guiding energy with a wisp of thought. Now, as Luo Bei resumed his cultivation, with this impatient thought in his mind, the speed at which the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was absorbed and circulated through his meridians suddenly increased!

"Good!"

Initially, Luo Bei felt a subconscious joy as the circulation and condensation speed of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth quickened. However, in the next moment, Luo Bei realized that the speed of the spiritual energy's circulation was getting faster and faster, and his wisp of thought couldn't keep up or control it!

The spiritual energy of heaven and earth, having broken free from control, immediately became like a runaway horse or a breached flood, rampaging wildly within Luo Bei's body!

The most taboo thing in any cultivation technique is impatience and rashness!

Although the vital energy cultivated by the Great Dao Direct Pointing Cui Xu Art, this profound Shushan cultivation technique, was naturally gentle and nourishing to the body, it would also be greatly harmed if one became impatient and rash during cultivation!

In an instant, spiritual energy currents formed by the convergence of spiritual energy were injected into some of Luo Bei's meridians that, when cultivating the Great Dao Direct Pointing Cui Xu Art, could not pass through, store spiritual energy, or even be harmed by the flow of spiritual energy.

With a "puff," he spat out a mouthful of blood. When he opened his eyes again, Luo Bei found his chest and abdomen in excruciating pain. With the slightest breath, his throat and lungs burned as if his internal organs had suffered considerable damage.

"Impatience and rashness will not work."

This thought was deeply imprinted in Luo Bei's mind.

Subsequently, Luo Bei's somewhat pale face grew even more somber due to his injury, because tomorrow was the grand gathering where the Geli, Jingshen, and Tianzhu lineages of Shushan would convene to inspect the cultivation of new disciples.

New disciples of Shushan, after formally being granted their cultivation techniques, had their cultivation levels checked every three months and underwent trials every two years.

Only if they failed three trials consecutively over six years, and more than half of their supervising teachers deemed them to have no future, would they be moved to the outer sect of Shushan and no longer taught techniques. This three-monthly cultivation check did not affect their instruction.

However, Luo Bei now knew that only by cultivating to the fourth level and forming a sword embryo could one practice Flying Sword techniques and command Flying Swords.

At this rate of progress, how many years would it take to reach the fourth level? Moreover, the most crucial point was that according to Shushan's custom, the disciples who ranked last in each trial would be responsible for various chores, cleaning halls, and doing manual labor to temper and stimulate their will!

Luo Bei's cultivation progress was already lagging, and now, with his impatience, rashness, and internal injuries, what kind of result could he present tomorrow?

Could it be that Luo Bei, who had initially attracted everyone's attention at Shushan with his talent upon entering, would end up doing this menial labor! What kind of gaze would he face then?