Heavenly Mandate, Earthly Status, and Human Fortune

Three minutes is actually not a short amount of time.

Within those three minutes, An Jing was confident he could defeat any instructor other than the two at the Internal Breath Like a Tide realm. Even against those at the Internal Breath Like a Tide realm, he was confident he could take one on in a one-on-one fight.

During this period of accumulating strength, An Jing not only mastered his own Internal Breath but also gradually gained control over the Sha Sword Divine Ability he had awakened while breaking through to the Internal Breath realm.

It was just that he still didn't quite understand how all of this had come to be.

"This is your Fate-bound Divine Ability."

One late night, as An Jing was practicing summoning and vanishing the Sha Sword at will, he asked the sword spirit, and the spirit replied: "Although it is only a part of it, this signifies that you already possess a Heavenly Mandate Fate—as long as you continue to train in the future, your Fate will become increasingly prominent and eventually fully manifest."

"However, the fact that you have your own Fate-bound Divine Ability just after obtaining your Fate, even before it has fully awakened... this proves that your Fate is quite extraordinary, and that you are incredibly compatible with it."

"My Fate... right, I do recall now. The reason these Tianyi Demonic Sect cultists collect us children is because they believe that we, these special 'Children of Calamity', can awaken our Fates better than others."

Retracting the Sha Sword in his hand, An Jing thought of the five special children he had seen at the initial gathering who had never appeared again and had likely already been sent back to the 'Main Mountain': "If the Fate hasn't awakened, is it impossible to detect?"

"And since I have already awakened my Fate, will Manor Master Yao and the others discover it and change their plans, taking me away early?"

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

To be perfectly honest, if An Jing had possessed a Fate from the very beginning, he would have been sent directly back to the Main Mountain for cultivation like those five children, and then put through the same brainwashing process the Demonic Sect used at Xuanming Manor.

Without having met other friends and developed bonds with them, it would have been basically impossible for him to harbor any evil thoughts toward the Demonic Sect.

By the time he had the strength, he would likely have been reshaped by the Demonic Sect's moral values and way of thinking, becoming a true member of the Demonic Sect.

Perhaps, when he learned of the many tragedies that occurred at Xuanming Manor in the future, he—having never truly lived alongside those 'people'—might have even felt a sense of lofty superiority, believing himself to be special.

He might have thought that those children who didn't awaken their Fates from the start shouldn't have been like him, and that they should have paid the price with their lives to keep up with his pace.

Thinking of this possibility, An Jing felt incredibly disgusted, and a scorching anger rose up, honing the Rusty Sword within his heart.

"Fate originates from Heaven. Unless the holder actively activates it, or it is triggered within a special ritual array, it is difficult to probe using ordinary methods; it requires a special 'Heavenly Intent' divine ability."

"Otherwise, wouldn't any random cultivator be able to tell who has a Fate just by looking? Do not worry, that Demonic Sect Manor Master cannot see it."

The sword spirit explained the hidden nature of Fate in detail, but regarding An Jing's previous question, the spirit flatly denied it: "As for your previous question, you are mistaken."

"Although the world often speaks of 'Fate awakening', strictly speaking, there is no such thing as awakened or unawakened; there is only the distinction of 'strong or weak'."

"Everyone has a Fate, and all Fate comes from Heaven. But 'Heavenly Mandate' is not everything; there are also 'Earthly Status' and 'Human Fortune' to assist it."

Regarding An Jing's confusion, the sword spirit explained earnestly: "'Heavenly Mandate' is decided at birth; this is ordained by Heaven, depending solely on the luck of one's reincarnation. Even if one's birth date is not special and there are no auspicious stars in one's life palace, being born into an imperial family is itself a kind of 'Noble Fate'."

"But having a 'Noble Fate' alone is useless. To judge the quality of a Fate, besides 'Heavenly Mandate', one must naturally also look at the 'Earthly Status'."

"'Earthly Status' is 'position and rank', representing the place an individual occupies. As the saying goes, circumstances create heroes; when a person's position becomes high enough, their original Fate will naturally change accordingly, transforming from a grass snake into a hidden dragon. Just like a mountain villager being enlightened by us and entering a sect, their Heavenly Mandate naturally changes."

"Conversely, if one lacks status, even a natural Noble Fate will be obscured by dust. Just as a royal scion being removed from the clan registry will see their Noble Fate become unremarkable, until their 'time comes to turn'."

"Therefore, beyond 'Heavenly Mandate' and 'Earthly Status', there is 'Human Fortune'."

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

Saying this, the sword spirit's tone carried a hint of admiration: "An Jing, you are the representative of changing one's Fate through Human Fortune."

"Your Fate was originally dormant, and you were just an unremarkable commoner. But you witnessed life and death, felt evil rage in your heart, and swore to slaughter all those who eat people and the Demonic Sect. Using your heart as the source, you changed your status and Fate, awakening your 'Heavenly Mandate'."

"Therefore, it is not that the Tianyi Demonic Sect failed to discover your Fate, but that before you summoned the courage to oppose them, you truly did not have a Fate."

"A child who does not resist, who does not harbor killing intent or anger when facing the Demonic Sect, how could they possibly possess a Fate as full of baleful energy as yours?"

"Even if you had this Fate, you would have been absolutely unable to use its power, let alone awaken the [Sha Sword] divine ability."

"And I, likewise, only awakened from my long slumber because of your innate wisdom and kindness, and because of your 'Thought of Subduing Evil', I am willing to help you."

"This is also a manifestation of your 'Human Fortune' changing your 'Fate'."

"So that's how it is."

An Jing listened to the Fuxie Sword Spirit's explanation, and couldn't help but gain some insight.

He whispered to himself: "Fate is determined by Heaven, but success depends on human effort... 'Heavenly Mandate Fate' is merely a driving force given to all living beings by the Heavenly Dao, while the 'Earthly Status' one occupies and the ever-changing 'Human Fortune' are also very important."

"That's right. If I hadn't made up my mind to resist to the end, sworn to kill all the man-eating demons, and been willing to take action, I would just be a trembling child, and no matter how noble my Fate was, I would still be a fish on the chopping block, a mere ant."

"I cannot stop."

After a pause, he said softly: "No matter what kind of destiny it is, if one does not act, it cannot take effect."

"Precisely. We cultivators, even if we bear a Heavenly Mandate, must follow our own Dao heart."

The sword spirit was very satisfied with An Jing's line of thinking and guided him to gradually enter a state of quiet meditation.

Day after day passed just like that.

During this recent period, An Jing had not found an opportunity to go to the other world.

It was not just because he lacked the time, but also because An Jing did not feel that place was safe. Being able to kill so many cultivators from the other world who carried firearms, the danger of the ruins definitely exceeded his imagination.

Before he became stronger, or unless he was at a life-or-death juncture, he would not return easily.

Everything returned to a superficial calm.

And just as An Jing was calmly improving his strength, waiting for the right moment, he also encountered an unexpected event.

This unexpected event was a companion who also knew the true nature of the Demonic Sect.

The other party could also be considered an acquaintance; she was someone whose name An Jing had specifically noted, the one among the one hundred and eight Children of Calamity who came from the most remote origin.

Bai Qinghan from Hannan Province.