Mandate of Heaven

"The Fate Disk, it seems I can click on it?"

Shen Mo fumbled with the interface, his heart stirring.

The very next instant, the section originally labeled with the two characters for "Fate Disk" slowly manifested a vast array of detailed information.

[Body: Robust]

[Talent: Mediocre]

[Luck: Average]

[Appearance: Ordinary]

[Wisdom: Dull-witted]

[Fate: ???]

[Lifespan: ???]

"What is this?" Shen Mo gazed at the string of information, gradually grasping the gist of it. "Are these my base attributes?"

"Physique, talent, luck, appearance, wisdom, fate, and lifespan—this Fate Disk, composed of these seven items, must represent a person's comprehensive foundation."

Shen Mo analyzed, muttering to himself, "Aside from fate and lifespan, which are currently unknowable, my physique, talent, luck, and appearance are all of the most ordinary grade, and my wisdom, which represents comprehension, is even worse than that of an average person!"

Looking at the items on the Fate Disk, Shen Mo could clearly observe that the base attributes followed a distinct path of advancement, with each item divided into seven major levels.

For instance, the physique category was divided from lowest to highest into: Weak and Ailing, Robust, Innate Martial Bone, Dragon-Tiger Body, Supreme Divine Fetus, Primordial Sacred Body, and Divine Body.

As for luck, it was divided into: Constant Misfortune, Average Luck, Great Prosperity, Noble Fate, Ziwei Star Alignment, Heavenly Protection, and Unity with Heaven and Earth.

The other categories—appearance, wisdom, and talent—also had their own distinct level divisions.

Only the as-yet-unclear categories of lifespan and fate showed no position for him, nor could he probe their relevant level divisions.

"The original owner was indeed a person of mediocre talent. With such poor base attributes, it's no wonder he achieved so little after practicing for so many years."

Shen Mo shook his head helplessly; his judgment had been correct.

Those who could become big shots in the cultivation world were all individuals with top-tier talent, intellect, and luck. With a foundation like his, he was destined to be nothing more than cannon fodder.

"However... since I can see my base Fate Disk, it's not impossible that I might be able to modify and improve it."

Shen Mo quickly noticed a line of data in the upper right corner of the base attributes.

[Destiny Points: 0]

"Destiny Points—is this thing similar to a system's base currency? As long as I have it, I can infinitely 'pay-to-win' and grow stronger!"

As a modern man familiar with web novel tropes, Shen Mo easily reached this conclusion. "That should be correct, though I don't know how extensive its uses are or how to acquire it."

Following standard tropes, obtaining Destiny Points would likely involve killing enemies, cultivation, consuming spirit herbs, or checking in at certain special locations.

Although there was no system intelligence to explain the detailed rules to him, he could still explore and gradually figure them out through trial and error.

"Even though my talent is poor and my foundation is thin, if my hypothesis is correct and this Destiny Panel can truly allow me to improve myself, my path of cultivation might still have a chance at salvation."

Thinking of this, Shen Mo felt a surge of excitement.

He had originally wanted to give up; after all, the original owner was too mediocre, and the path of cultivation was cruel and arduous. The hope of achieving anything was far too slim.

But if he had truly been gifted a cheat, Shen Mo was more than willing to give it a try.

"It's too early to think about that now. I should continue exploring and figure out all the functions of this Destiny Panel."

Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Shen Mo exited the Fate Disk page and turned his attention to the section on Special Destinies.

[Robust (White): Your physique is decent; your strength and bone structure are more robust and resilient than the average person.]

[No other destinies currently equipped.]

Shen Mo carefully investigated and soon confirmed that he only possessed one special destiny at the moment.

Moreover, looking at it, his destiny grade was not high, and the bonuses were quite limited.

However, he could equip more than one special destiny; there were two available slots.

"Why does this feel so much like an online game?" Shen Mo muttered to himself, soon discovering something called the Destiny Pool.

With a thought, the Destiny Pool opened.

A string of special destinies came into view.

[Green Fetus Sword Gall (Orange)]: Maxed-out sword cultivation talent.

[Supreme Excellence (Green)]: Augmented by special Buddhist supernatural powers, providing a strength boost against demons and monsters.

[Alchemy Master (Purple)]: Instantly gain master-level alchemy attainments.

[Brilliant Divine Treasury (Purple)]: Incredibly powerful soul strength, allowing you to perceive all directions and travel through the void.

[External Incarnation (Gold)]: Allows you to manifest a clone within your body; the clone's strength is no weaker than your own.

"These special destinies must be purchasable, obtainable through draws, or evolved using Destiny Points, right?"

Shen Mo stared at the bonus descriptions of these special destinies, his eyes widening. "The potential of this Destiny Panel seems even more powerful than I imagined!"

After reading and studying for a full four hours, Shen Mo finally closed the Destiny Panel he had activated.

"Hoo." He exhaled a long, turbid breath and muttered, "It seems that as long as I have enough Destiny Points, this thing really can alter my fate."

"However, I still need to figure out exactly how to obtain these Destiny Points!"

"Never mind that for now. The medicinal power has been mostly absorbed; I should focus on breaking through my cultivation level first. I will plan for the rest tomorrow."

With that thought, Shen Mo calmed his mind and turned his focus toward his cultivation.

At this moment, as the medicinal power of the Qi Gathering Pill was gradually absorbed, the Heaven Origin Technique within Shen Mo's body continued to circulate.

His muscles, bones, and internal organs—every single cell—were undergoing a transformation.

His strength accumulated toward a critical threshold, gradually beginning to batter against the barrier of his cultivation realm.

Night faded into dawn.

As the sky turned a pale, fish-belly white.

Shen Mo, who had remained in a state of deep meditation, slowly opened his eyes.

"Body Tempering Realm, Sixth Layer!"

He clenched his fists, feeling the surging, torrential power within his body, and felt an indescribable sense of exhilaration.

"This Qi Gathering Pill is truly an excellent medicine for boosting cultivation; a single pill is worth two years of my bitter practice!"

Shen Mo grinned and sighed with emotion.

[Heaven Origin Technique cultivation +1]

[Heaven Origin Technique cultivation +1]

[Heaven Origin Technique cultivation +1]

[Your realm has achieved a breakthrough. Congratulations on reaching the Body Tempering Realm, Sixth Layer.]

"Huh, is this... feedback on my cultivation status?"

He subconsciously glanced at the Destiny Panel and suddenly saw a stream of accumulated information come into view.

"It really is a panel; it can see everything."

Shen Mo opened it, and his current status was laid out at a glance.

[Master of Fate: Shen Mo]

[Cultivation: Body Tempering Realm, Sixth Layer]

[Technique: Heaven Origin Technique - Initial Mastery (88/100)]

[Martial Skill: Supreme Clarity Sword Technique - Initial Mastery (36/100)]

"It doesn't just record my cultivation; it can even track the experience bars for all the techniques and martial skills I've learned?"

This function was quite impressive.

"Wait, my Destiny Points... why have they increased by two?"

Just as Shen Mo was marveling at the discovery, he caught a glimpse of the data above the Destiny Points.

To his surprise, the Destiny Points, which should have been zero, had somehow increased.