Observing Destiny

At the center of the Martial Practice Platform.

After changing out of his military uniform, Hall Master Yuan Fubai had someone bring over a grand armchair, then began lecturing on martial arts and imparting its teachings.

Everyone gathered around him, but the crowd wasn't noisy. Instead, not a sound could be heard.

Lin Yi was completely focused, too.

Qi Entry Realm martial artists were rare, and the chance to hear one lecture on martial arts was rarer still.

"Today, I have three things to cover."

"First, I'll explain the Long Rainbow Technique and how to break through the Martial Pass for those disciples who haven't yet done so."

"Second, the new disciples who joined this month haven't had their bones examined yet. We'll take care of that today as well."

"So, disciples who have reached the Post-Heaven Realm may leave first. You can come back tomorrow to hear the Post-Heaven Realm disciples' lecture."

After Yuan Fubai finished speaking, the disciples below responded in unison.

Yet not one person left.

Even the dozens of martial artist disciples who had reached the ninth rank stayed.

Yuan Fubai nodded slightly, then turned to the woman serving beside him. "Let's begin."

The woman was beautiful and slender. She was Yuan Fubai's fourth personal disciple, Bai Qiqi.

"Yes, Master." Bai Qiqi nodded and lit the incense.

The incense was lit to calm the mind and mark the time.

"The Martial Way has five passes: the Skin Pass, Flesh Pass, Blood Pass, Bone Pass, and Viscera Pass."

"Do you know what happens when you pass all five?"

Yuan Fubai asked.

A disciple raised his hand and eagerly answered.

"Master Yuan, this disciple knows."

"Those who pass the Skin Pass have tough, resilient skin and flesh, unaffected by heat or cold. Ordinary punches and kicks land on them like strikes against cotton cloth, without causing the slightest harm."

"Those who pass the Flesh Pass have dense muscles and abundant blood and qi, strength exceeding a thousand catties, and can run like galloping horses. They can fight for a long time without tiring."

"Those who pass the Blood Pass undergo a transformation of their blood. The turbid is purged and the pure is born. Their blood runs hot, surging like boiling oil."

"Those who pass the Bone Pass have bones like jade and steel. Their entire skeleton is forged, able to bend without breaking and hard enough to withstand metal and stone."

"Those who pass the Viscera Pass have all their internal organs tempered by the blood and qi of the Martial Way. Their organs are sturdy, they do not fall ill, and their inner breath circulates without end. They have reached the pinnacle of the mortal martial body, and can open the way to knowing heavenly fate and glimpse the path ahead, peering into the realm of a Grandmaster."

"When all five passes are perfected, the body is without flaw: it can withstand weapons from without and nurture True Qi within."

Yuan Fubai nodded and praised him. "You've got a good grasp of the basics."

The disciple immediately beamed with delight.

Yuan Fubai continued, "The greatest difference between martial artists and ordinary people is True Qi. With a mouthful of True Qi stored within, your inner breath can flow without end. It courses through the meridians throughout your body, and when you use martial techniques, you'll far surpass ordinary people."

"These five passes of the Martial Way are for tempering your body, refining yourself into a vessel that can hold that mouthful of True Qi..."

"The Long Rainbow Technique focuses on breathing and directing qi, using your breath to temper yourself. It's an exceptionally gentle technique for breaking through the passes..."

Lin Yi listened intently.

His Destiny, Empathic Corpse Dissection, continued to work its magic.

Lin Yi discovered that Empathic Corpse Dissection didn't just let him comprehend corpses. He could also improve by absorbing the experiences others described.

[By listening to the Dao, your understanding of the Long Rainbow Technique is rapidly increasing. Proficiency +1]

[By listening to the Dao, your understanding of the Long Rainbow Technique is rapidly increasing. Proficiency +1]

[By listening to the Dao, your understanding of the Long Rainbow Technique is rapidly increasing. Proficiency +1]

[...]

Lin Yi had entered a state of flow, listening with rapt attention.

He hadn't noticed his proficiency steadily climbing.

Not until an hour later.

The last wisp of incense finally went out.

Only then did Lin Yi slowly come back to himself.

[Technique: Long Rainbow Technique (Fourth Layer)]

[Proficiency: 1406/1500]

"!!!"

Lin Yi was stunned!

His proficiency had shot up by more than two hundred in just one hour.

That was comparable to two days of painstaking cultivation with all sorts of resources.

Lin Yi was overjoyed.

At the same time, he couldn't help sighing.

"Sure enough, when it comes to practicing martial arts, you really need a teacher!"

Lin Yi couldn't help thinking that it would be great if Master Yuan took him on as a disciple.

If he could listen to his teachings every day, wouldn't his proficiency soar?

But Lin Yi was only daydreaming.

He had two Destinies, already enough to shock the world. Lin Yi was cautious and would never dare reveal them.

Who knew whether this world had some way to steal Destinies?

He had to be careful in all things.

"Brother Yi, what does it feel like to have your bones examined?" Xiao Dong's nervous voice brought Lin Yi back to the moment.

"Master Yuan sends True Qi through your body once. It doesn't feel like anything special." Lin Yi replied, but seeing how nervous Xiao Dong was, he added a word of comfort. "Just relax."

"New disciples from this month who haven't had their bones examined, step forward!" Liu Lie called out.

Xiao Dong turned to Lin Yi. "Brother Yi, I'm going."

Lin Yi nodded.

Liu Lie called out each name, and once he'd confirmed everyone was present, he turned to Master Yuan. "Master, they're all here. There are twenty-three in total."

"Mm." Master Yuan nodded, then went down the line of disciples who hadn't had their bones examined and placed a hand on each one's shoulder.

He circulated his True Qi through each disciple's body, then announced their bone structure.

"Grade C-."

"Grade C+."

"Grade D+."

"..."

It took less than ten seconds from the moment he touched each person to announcing the result.

Liu Lie carefully recorded everything beside him.

Lin Yi couldn't help thinking back to a month earlier, when Lin Hua had taken him to the Hidden Origin Chamber of Commerce to have his bones examined.

Back then, he had waited just as nervously for the result.

When the result was finally announced, whatever it was, he had felt a stone drop from his heart.

Grade B-. That was his bone structure: one in a hundred, excellent among ordinary people.

Although he knew that his bone structure had been greatly depleted to supply his Destiny, he still felt a little regret when he heard the final verdict.

"It's fine. Bone structure can't hold me back..." Lin Yi's gaze steadied.

"Hm?" Master Yuan stopped mid-step, his body halting abruptly. The hand he had placed on Xiao Dong's shoulder froze, too.

Xiao Dong looked at Master Yuan with concern, but didn't dare speak.

"Master, what's wrong?" Bai Qiqi asked, puzzled as she looked at Yuan Fubai, who had suddenly stopped.

"Go fetch the Xuanchi Water!" Yuan Fubai ordered gravely.

"Xuanchi Water?" Bai Qiqi froze. Then, as if she realized what was happening, she looked at Xiao Dong in disbelief.

Below the platform, the crowd erupted into noisy discussion.

"What's Xuanchi Water?"

"I don't know. I've never heard of it. Do you need it to examine someone's bones?"

"Xuanchi Water can reveal a Destiny."

"This method of observing Destiny is called Scold Water Heart Mirroring."

At last, someone in the crowd spoke up, their voice tinged with bitterness.

"Destiny!"

The crowd instantly boiled over.

Among ordinary people, a Grade A Bone Structure was enough to earn someone the title of prodigy. Such people were one in ten thousand, though every year there would usually be one or two.

But even Grade A Bone Structure was like a tiny witch beside someone with a Destiny.

Those with a Destiny were Heaven's chosen. One might not appear for decades.

The crowd was in an uproar.

Excitement, fervor, envy, disbelief—countless gazes turned toward one person.

Xiao Dong froze for a moment, then his face flushed red. His body even trembled with excitement.

A Destiny!

Could I... have a Destiny?

Below the platform.

Lin Yi's gaze sharpened, and for a moment, his expression turned grave.

Reflected through his Destiny, Know Heavenly Fate,

Lin Yi clearly saw it.

The black Aura of Fortune around Xiao Dong had grown even denser, spreading throughout the venue. It carried a faint, deep stench of resentment and sorrow.