The Reverse Fate Wheel

Taiqing Laozi lectured on the Dao for a hundred years, explaining in detail the way of Pure and Non-Action.

He also explained how Grand Unity Golden Immortals cultivated the Five Qi in the Chest, how the Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown marked the breakthrough to Grand Unity Golden Immortal, and how Quasi-Saints practiced the Method of Severing the Three Corpses.

Next, Primordial Heavenly Venerate and Tongtian Cult Master each explained the principles of Following Heaven and Responding to People and Seizing a Thread of Heavenly Opportunity.

They also each offered their own interpretations and insights into the methods of cultivation.

The Three Pure Ones lectured on the Dao for a total of three hundred years. All the disciples of the Three Religions gained tremendously. The Dao Path that had once seemed shrouded in mist now appeared suddenly clear to them.

Their insights into the Laws of Heaven and Earth had also advanced by leaps and bounds, far surpassing those of ordinary cultivators.

Among them, Grand Master Xuandu and Guangchengzi broke through directly to the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm, while Duobao Daoist advanced to mid-stage Taiyi Golden Immortal.

When Tongtian Cult Master stopped lecturing, the various visions within Three Pure Ones Hall gradually faded, and the disciples stirred from their enlightened states.

Feeling how they had transformed and improved, everyone wore looks of delight and excitement.

Li Qingxu, however, still sat cross-legged on the Cloud Bed with his eyes closed. His aura remained concealed, and he showed no sign of awakening.

What puzzled the others even more was that Li Qingxu had already reached peak True Immortal before listening to the lectures.

Now, three hundred years had passed, yet his cultivation had not advanced at all.

"Hmph!"

"He's a hopeless case. After listening to a Saint lecture for three hundred years, he hasn't made the slightest progress."

Winged Immortal folded his arms and cast Li Qingxu a sidelong glance, his eyes full of contempt.

"Junior Brother is absolutely right."

"He's just a mere member of the Human Race. Even if he received a great opportunity before and improved his cultivation, once that opportunity is exhausted, his true colors will show."

Qiushou Xian gave a cold snort of agreement.

"Three hundred years of a Saint's lectures! Even a pig could become an immortal in that time, yet he hasn't improved at all. Tsk, tsk, tsk..."

Many Jie Sect Disciples began whispering among themselves, their words full of mockery and slander.

Zhao Gongming furrowed his brows. He hadn't expected his junior brothers, so used to throwing their weight around, to dare mock Li Qingxu in front of Primordial Saint.

He wanted to stop them, but when he saw Duobao Daoist make no move, he could only reluctantly let it go.

While the outside world buzzed with discussion, Li Qingxu's mind had sunk into a state of clarity beyond anything he had ever known.

The insights he had gained over the past several hundred years into the teachings of the Human Sect, Chan Sect, and Interception Sect now flowed together as one.

He sensed with perfect clarity that his Dao was neither the Human Sect's Pure and Non-Action, nor the Chan Sect's advocacy of Following Heaven and Responding to People and abiding by destiny, nor the Interception Sect's belief in defying Heaven and seizing a thread of Heavenly Opportunity.

For one thing, a large part of the reason he had crossed countless billions of miles to join the Chan Sect was to change the Human Race's circumstances.

So he could never practice Pure and Non-Action, like Grand Master Xuandu, and stand by while the Human Race was slaughtered.

The Interception Sect's teachings might be called Seizing a Thread of Heavenly Opportunity, but since that thread existed, it was not truly a matter of "defying fate." It was an opportunity deliberately granted by the Heavenly Dao.

If the Heavenly Dao refused, there was nothing one could do.

Just as the Tongtian Cult Master had been powerless to change the Interception Sect's defeat and destruction in the Investiture of the Gods tribulation, or his own fate of being confined to Purple Cloud Palace.

His Dao would be to use Houtian Power to change Innate Fixed Numbers, truly creating possibility where none seemed to exist.

Once he understood this, Li Qingxu felt a sudden boom! as a bottleneck that had held him back for ages burst open!

The immense divine power he had accumulated within himself surged forth like floodwaters breaking through a dam, roaring through his meridians and carrying him to heights beyond anything he had ever reached.

Three flower buds—gold, silver, and copper—appeared above Li Qingxu's head. Though each was no larger than a fist, they blazed with dazzling radiance, glittering like Divine Gold forged into blossoms and scattering boundless light.

Behind him appeared illusory images of the Sun, Moon, and Stars, mountains, rivers, and all things. A Dao Sound rang out from the depths of the heavens, as though thousands upon thousands of gods and Buddhas were chanting in his honor.

Then countless Innate Dao Patterns took solid form around Li Qingxu, densely packed and encircling him as they radiated a vigorous Daoist aura.

The astonishing sight left the Jie Sect Disciples who had just been mocking Li Qingxu rooted to the spot, their faces dark with dismay.

Taiqing Laozi, Primordial Heavenly Venerate, and Tongtian Cult Master regarded Li Qingxu with interest.

They had seen many visions accompanying a Golden Immortal's breakthrough, but few had been as magnificent as Li Qingxu's.

Suddenly, the vision changed again.

The illusory images of the Sun, Moon, and Stars, the mountains and all things, along with the countless Dao Patterns, suddenly gathered above Three Pure Ones Hall.

In an instant, layer upon layer of enormous wheel-like phantoms took shape, spanning the entire hall!

The outer edge of the wheel was studded with the Stars of the Heavens. The Star River revolved, representing the stern, orderly Innate Destiny and the Laws of Time and Space.

The middle section depicted a miniature Primordial Land, with towering mountains and countless rivers flowing into the sea. Illusory forms of living beings flickered into view, symbolizing the evolution of all Houtian things and their endless variations.

At the heart of the wheel, Li Qingxu's Dao Self Dharma Form quietly appeared.

The Dharma Form's height was impossible to fathom. Its face was identical to Li Qingxu's, but its gaze was deeper and more resolute. Holy, pristine immortal light enveloped it, lending it a solemn and majestic air.

The Dharma Form sat majestically at the wheel's core, seeming to become its axle, yet also its master. An imposing presence radiated from it, commanding awe without a hint of anger.

"Is that the Fate Wheel?"

"Has Li Qingxu comprehended the Fate Law?"

A trace of surprise appeared on Tongtian Cult Master's dignified face.

A saying had circulated throughout the Primordial World:

"Among the Three Thousand Great Dao Laws, Strength Dao is supreme, Space is emperor, Time is king, and when Fate is absent, Karma reigns."

In truth, however, the Fate Law stood above the Karma Law and was in no way inferior to the supreme Laws of Space and Time.

The most important point was that although cultivators who comprehended the Laws of Space and Time were as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns throughout the Primordial World, there were still quite a few among its vast population.

But those who could master the Fate Law could almost be counted on one hand.

After all, living beings could sense the existence of space and the passage of time, but the power of fate was impossible to perceive. Naturally, it was exceedingly difficult to comprehend.

"Something's not right..."

Taiqing Laozi furrowed his brows. "It looks like the Fate Law, but it's not quite the same."

"As for what's different... I can't say just yet."

Prompted by Taiqing Laozi, Primordial Heavenly Venerate and Tongtian Cult Master carefully examined it as well and also sensed something amiss.

The Three Pure Ones were bewildered, but Li Qingxu understood perfectly.

The wheel above his head had manifested from his own Dao. It was the Reverse Fate Wheel!

If the Fate Wheel recorded the fates of all things in the world and could only reveal them, never alter them—

then the Reverse Fate Wheel could change everything.

At his current level of cultivation, its effects were limited. In battle, he could only make an opponent's attacks miss or prevent them from dodging his own.

But as his cultivation grew, he would be able to use the Reverse Fate Wheel to decide the outcome of a battle before it even began.

He could even kill someone without lifting a finger, simply by steering their thread of fate toward "death."

These were only the Reverse Fate Wheel's basic abilities. In theory, if Li Qingxu grew powerful enough, he could even reverse the course of Heaven and Earth and change the direction of a Measure Tribulation!