Heavenly Fate, Earthly Status, and Human Fortune

Three minutes, actually, wasn't very short.

Within those three minutes, An Jing was confident he could defeat any instructor except the two who had reached the "Tide of Internal Breath" realm. Even against one of them, he was confident he could take them on alone.

During this time spent building his strength, An Jing had not only mastered his Internal Breath, but had also gradually learned to control the [Sha Sword Divine Ability] he had awakened when he broke through to the Internal Breath realm.

He still didn't quite understand what was going on, though.

"This is your Fate Grid's Supernatural Ability."

One late night, An Jing was practicing summoning and dismissing the Sha Sword with ease when he asked the Sword Spirit about it. The Sword Spirit replied, "It's only a part of it, but it means you already possess a Fate Grid. If you keep training, your Fate Grid will become increasingly prominent, until it fully manifests."

"Still, the fact that you've only just obtained a Fate Grid, and haven't even fully awakened it, yet already have a Supernatural Ability of your own... proves that your Fate Grid is quite extraordinary, and that you're exceptionally compatible with it."

"My Fate Grid... Right, now that you mention it, I remember. The reason the Tianyi Demonic Sect's followers gathered us children was that they believed we special 'Children of Calamity' could awaken our Fate Grids more easily than other people."

With the Sha Sword withdrawn from his hand, An Jing thought of the five special children he had seen when they first assembled. They hadn't appeared since, and might already have been sent back to the "Main Mountain." "If a Fate Grid hasn't awakened, is there no way to discover it?"

"And now that my Fate Grid has awakened, will Manor Master Yao and the others notice, change their plans, and take me away early?"

If that happens, I won't be able to protect my friends.

To be completely honest, if An Jing had possessed a Fate Grid from the start, he would have been sent straight back to the Main Mountain to be raised, just like those five children. Then the Demonic Cult would have put him through the same brainwashing process they used at Xuanming Manor.

Without meeting other friends and forming attachments, he would have been all but incapable of harboring ill will toward the Demonic Cult.

Once he grew strong enough, the Demonic Cult would most likely have reshaped him with their morality and way of thinking, turning him into a true member of the Demonic Cult.

And later, when he learned of the many tragedies that had taken place at Xuanming Manor, he might even have felt superior to those "people" he had never truly lived among, convinced that he was special.

Those children who hadn't awakened their Fate Grids from the beginning, he might have thought, shouldn't have been allowed to stand alongside him. They should have had to give their lives just to catch up.

At the thought of such a possibility, An Jing felt sick with revulsion. A searing fury welled up, honing the Rusty Sword in his heart.

"Fate originates from Heaven. Unless its bearer activates it of their own accord, or it is revealed through a special Ritual Sacrifice Array Formation, it's very difficult to glimpse by ordinary means. Only a special 'Heavenly Will' Supernatural Ability can do that."

"Otherwise, wouldn't any cultivator be able to look at someone and tell whether they had a Fate Grid? Don't worry. That Demonic Cult Manor Master can't see yours."

The Sword Spirit explained in detail how well hidden a Fate Grid was. But when it came to An Jing's earlier question, it rejected his assumption outright. "As for your earlier question, you've got it wrong."

"Though people often speak of 'awakening a Fate Grid,' strictly speaking, it's not a matter of being awakened or not. It's a matter of whether it's strong or weak."

"Everyone has a fate, and every fate comes from Heaven. But 'Heavenly Fate' isn't everything. There's also 'Earthly Status' and 'Human Fortune' to support it."

The Sword Spirit earnestly explained An Jing's doubts. "'Heavenly Fate' is determined from the moment of birth. It's ordained by Heaven and depends only on the fortune of one's birth. Even if someone is born at an unremarkable time, with no auspicious stars in their Fate Palace, being born into the imperial family is itself a 'noble fate.'"

"But having a 'noble fate' alone is useless. To judge whether a Fate Grid is good or bad, you have to consider 'Earthly Status' as well as 'Heavenly Fate.'"

"'Earthly Status' means one's 'position and standing.' It represents the place a person occupies. As the saying goes, circumstances make heroes. When a person's position rises high enough, their original Fate Grid naturally changes with it: a lowly snake in the grass may become a hidden dragon. Just as a country bumpkin's Heavenly Fate changes when we enlighten him and bring him into the sect."

"Conversely, without status, even a naturally noble fate will be obscured by dust and mud. An imperial prince stripped from the royal clan will go from having a noble fate to being utterly ordinary, until 'fortune finally turns in his favor.'"

"Thus, besides 'Heavenly Fate' and 'Earthly Status,' there is also 'Human Fortune.'"

"That is a person's effort, will, and opportunities."

As it spoke, the Sword Spirit's tone carried a note of praise. "An Jing, you're a perfect example of Human Fortune changing one's standing."

"Your Fate Grid was dormant. You were nothing more than an ordinary commoner. But you witnessed life and death, and your heart filled with hatred and fury. You swore to wipe out every man-eating fiend and the Demonic Cult. Drawing strength from your heart, you changed your standing and altered your fate, awakening your 'Heavenly Fate.'"

"So it's not that the Tianyi Demonic Sect failed to discover your Fate Grid. Before you mustered the courage to oppose them, you truly didn't have one."

"How could a child who didn't fight back, who felt no murderous intent or fury toward the Demonic Cult, have a Fate Grid as murderous as yours?"

"Even if you'd had this fate, you absolutely wouldn't have been able to wield its power, let alone awaken the [Sha Sword] Supernatural Ability."

"And I, too, only awoke from my long slumber because of your Past Life Wisdom and kind heart. Then, because of your 'Thought of Subduing Evil,' I was willing to help you."

"This is also an example of your 'Human Fortune' changing your 'Destiny.'"

"I see."

As An Jing listened to the Fuxie Sword Spirit's explanation, he couldn't help but feel he understood.

He murmured, "Fate is determined by Heaven, but what you do is up to you... 'Heavenly Fate' is merely a force Heaven's law grants to drive all living beings forward. The 'Earthly Status' a person occupies and their ever-changing 'Human Fortune' matter just as much."

"That's right. If I hadn't resolved to fight to the end, sworn to kill every man-eating Evil Ghost, and been willing to act on it, I'd be nothing but a trembling child. Even with the noblest Fate Grid, I'd still be a fish on the chopping block, an ant beneath someone's heel."

"I can't stop here."

After a pause, he said softly, "Whatever your Destiny may be, it can't take effect if you don't act."

"Exactly. We cultivators should follow our own Dao Hearts, even when we bear Heavenly Fate."

The Sword Spirit was pleased with An Jing's reasoning and guided him into quiet cultivation.

Day after day passed.

Recently, An Jing hadn't found an opportunity to go to the other world.

It wasn't just that he lacked time. An Jing also didn't think that place was safe. The ruins had to be far more dangerous than he could imagine, given that they had killed so many otherworldly cultivators armed with guns.

Until he grew stronger, or found himself in a life-or-death crisis, he wouldn't go back lightly.

On the surface, everything returned to peace.

And just as An Jing quietly improved his strength and waited for the right moment, he encountered an unexpected development.

It was a companion who, like him, knew the Demonic Cult's true nature.

The other person could also be considered an acquaintance. An Jing had made a point of remembering her name. Among the one hundred and eight Children of Calamity, she came from the most remote place.

Bai Qinghan, from Hannan Province.