Child of Luck

Reality.

"How could there be two phenomena?"

As An Jing swung his sword in the Ritual Sacrifice's spiritual world and shattered his Inner Demon, Manor Master Yao gazed at the Fate Grid phenomenon manifesting above An Jing's head, his eyes filled with both delight and confusion.

Among the Seven Fates, the evil and strange fates were mostly harmful to those who awakened them. Or rather, they twisted a person's nature and destiny. Take the Lone Star of Heavenly Fiend and Ten Evils Great Defeat, for example. Their powers might not be weak, but they were utterly pointless: one turned its bearer into a lonely soul, while the other made them into a twisted bringer of misfortune.

Miscellaneous Fates encompassed all things under heaven. Flame Affinity Fate and Divine Craftsman Fate, for instance, meant being drawn to fire and skilled at wielding it, or drawn to forging and skilled at the craft. Then there was Giant Spirit Fate, which gave its bearer a towering build and innate divine strength. Of course, some fates were downright peculiar.

These fates made people different from others, but didn't take them too far beyond the norm. They remained mixed in with the common folk. In fact, it could be said that anyone devoted to a particular pursuit might faintly awaken such a fate at some point in their life. That was why they were called Miscellaneous Fates.

When activated, these fates produced a halo of light, with a wheel of their particular color appearing behind the bearer's head.

Origin Fates were even more powerful. Their power manifested as the self: outstanding, unparalleled, and unique. Hence the name "Origin." Those who possessed one could awaken a [Supernatural Ability], which they could use to develop all kinds of special techniques and skills. When fully activated, a wheel bearing the unique totem of their Origin Fate would appear behind their head.

As for the "strange" in Strange Fate, it meant "great" and "extreme." Heavenly Fates arose by following the Heavenly Will, while Divine Fates could only belong to reincarnated immortals or gods. That made Strange Fates the rarest and most powerful fates in the mortal world. When activated, they produced not only a totem, but numerous other phenomena as well, just like Bai Qinghan's Clear Frost Moon Radiance and An Jing's Blood Fiend Sword Formation.

Bai Qinghan's phenomenon was easy to explain: it was the most orthodox Mysterious Yin phenomenon. But An Jing's was far more complex and difficult to make sense of.

So far, it had displayed Yinghuo Guarding the Heart and the appearance of Blood Fiend flowing like a river. Yet there was also the sign of Taibai Eclipses Mao, which could resonate with Geng Metal Sword Intent.

A blood-red sword became a formation; scarlet flames condensed into metal; the furnace roared back to life; iron ash scattered through the air... Yinghuo without, Taibai within.

Just as one person couldn't have two fates, how could one person bear two stars?

Unless... he was a god.

Unless he had a [Divine Fate]!

Unless An Jing truly was a celestial star descended to earth, an immortal or god reincarnated!

Or perhaps An Jing possessed a [Supreme Treasure] that suppressed fortune and carried a fate of its own!

"I've struck gold, struck gold... He might be the Child of Luck forged by the Frost Calamity itself, a remnant of the ancient war between the Divine Court and the Heavenly Demon... I... Hahahaha!"

Whatever the truth, Manor Master Yao's hands began to tremble. Greed, longing, and hope welled up within him against his will, and he stared fixedly at the crimson starlight behind An Jing.

A somewhat crazed laugh escaped him, but he abruptly stifled it and issued an order in a voice so calm it was almost cruel. "Li Xiang, prepare the [God-Binding Rope]. Zhao Xinruo, hurry back to the manor and use a [Secret Talisman] to inform the Northern Patrol Envoy. We've made an unexpected discovery!"

Manor Master Yao issued orders with mechanical precision. He had activated the Imperial Heaven Method, turning himself into a rational, detached machine to direct the situation and suppress all his greed and desire. In the most levelheaded tone he could manage, he said, "No... send word directly to the Main Mountain!"

"Our Xuanming Manor's northwestern branch can't bear the weight of this karma!"

But when the calm Manor Master Yao lowered his gaze, he saw a pair of eyes.

They were open now, gazing back at him with a calm that had turned icy and a detachment as cold as cruelty.

The same indifferent gaze met his own. Yet Manor Master Yao couldn't maintain his composure. Stunned, he slipped out of the Imperial Heaven Method's state. "How could this be?!"

"An Jing... y-you're awake?!"

"I was awake the whole time."

An Jing replied softly, rising to his feet with a sword gripped tightly in his hand.

Behind him, the boys and girls on the other altars also woke one after another, opening their eyes.

"How is this possible?!"

At the sight of those pairs of eyes, all turned toward him, even Manor Master Yao was left gaping, unable to speak. The Ritual Sacrifice hadn't ended. The power of gods and devils was still circulating. All the children should still have been trapped beneath the assault of their Inner Demons. How could they have awakened?!

Even if someone did wake, only a promising prodigy like An Jing or Bai Qinghan should have been capable of it at most!

And that wasn't all. As if provoked by something that had happened inside Xuanming Valley, the Heavenly Demon's hand had completely abandoned the "sacrifices" in the formation and was now hastily retreating into the valley.

But the formation held it fast, layer upon layer of illusory chains binding it. Even when it conjured a vast sea of gloomy demonic mist, muddling the heavens and turning day into night, it still couldn't get back.

The entire White Sand Ritual Ground seemed to fall silent for a brief moment. The Demonic Cult instructors and lecturers, who had been sprinkling blood to maintain the formation, began to wonder if they were dreaming.

The Grand Ritual of Imperial Heaven Star Fiend was still underway, yet the Heavenly Demon's hand had been wounded and was even retreating into the valley. The boys and girls who should still have been fighting demonic thoughts in their dreams had opened their eyes, risen to their feet, taken up their weapons, and now stared at them with complicated, hostile gazes.

And at the very front stood the leader of this batch of "trial sacrifices," An Jing, who had already awakened his Fate Grid...

He stood faintly within the heart of the formation, directing the power of the Ritual Sacrifice to oppose them!

How could anything go so wrong?!

"An Jing, what happened?"

Facing An Jing from a distance, Manor Master Yao saw his eyes and instantly understood where he stood. His fingers had already begun forming a spell sign, but he kept his voice low and steady. "You're being influenced by the Heavenly Demon. Calm down..."

"By the Heavenly Fate of the Imperial Heaven Venerable God, I command all living beings to submit!"

Halfway through his words, the old man suddenly roared. His Jade Dagger swiftly sliced open his wrist, and blood sprayed into the air, gathering around his spell sign to form a dark talisman. Ripples spread outward toward the formation as Manor Master Yao decisively took control of it, seeking to cow An Jing and the others' souls.

But his decree rang out, and the ripples faded as if a stone had sunk into the sea. Manor Master Yao's heart sank.

—This was bad. The Ritual Sacrifice was completely out of control!

At that very moment, An Jing bit open the tip of his left thumb without hesitation. With a surge of inner force, he sprayed blood into the air, forming a decree of his own. "By the Heavenly Fate of the Imperial Heaven Venerable God, I command the Ghost Gods to obey me!"

In an instant, chains of cold starlight shot out from the formation and raced toward the demonic hand.

The enormous hand of demonic energy had been retreating, trying to escape, but the chains pierced through it and dragged it back. Then they unleashed a bone-piercing swordlight, melting it into a mass of black mist.

The mist drifted and swiftly took shape, outlining the towering phantom of a two-headed, six-armed demon god as its form rose out of nothingness.

Though it was a phantom, it was no illusion. The demon god, as tall as a three-story building, set foot upon the earth.

Rock shattered and gravel parted. It lifted its head, all six eyes—two pairs and a third eye—glimmering with crimson bloodlight as it stared coldly at the gaping Demonic Cult instructors and lecturers before it.