Fate Pattern

Azure Talisman Divine Land, Liugou County, Yang Family Hunting Grounds

At this moment, red lanterns hung high both inside and outside the courtyard at the foot of the mountain.

Inside the bridal chamber, a pair of newlyweds sat together before red candles. Yang Huai gazed at the bride before him with joy in his eyes.

At this moment, it seemed that all the beautiful dreams of his past and present lives had come true.

The bride before him was absolutely the woman of his dreams.

Her skin was fair, and she was exquisitely beautiful. Born into a fallen scholarly family, she possessed a gentleness and elegance the other girls in the village lacked, and her bright eyes seemed able to speak.

To marry such a flower-like young wife, even if it was only "temporary," meant he had not lived this life in vain.

But then, the bride suddenly spoke.

"Yang-lang, since childhood, my constitution has differed from ordinary people's. My qi is weak and my body frail. I fear that for several years, I may be unable to bear you children, and it may invite gossip...!"

Hearing this, Yang Huai raised his eyes. All trace of muddleheadedness was gone as he smiled gently.

"My lady, rest assured. To grow old hand in hand with you for a hundred years is already a blessing beyond compare. As for continuing the family line, there will be a time and destiny for it!"

The bride glanced at Yang Huai. Though she had heard him say this before, warmth still stirred in her heart.

In an age when clan rites outweighed local customs, Yang Huai's willingness to utterly disregard the eyes of the world and treat her with such sincerity was undoubtedly precious beyond measure.

Some of the thoughts in her heart changed at once.

This blockhead may seem dull and wooden, but he is an honest man. So be it...

A quarter of an hour later, Yang Huai lay sound asleep on the bed. The bride, however, stood before it. An invisible multicolored light descended from her slender jade hand onto Yang Huai. A moment later, her brows knit slightly, and only after a while did she sigh.

"Sleep."

A light upon her body faintly merged with Yang Huai on the bed. Yang Huai's brow twitched, an odd expression appearing on his face, as though he had fallen into a beautiful dream.

The bride then lay down beside him, still dressed. Her eyes softened as she watched the dreaming Yang Huai. After a moment, a trace of tenderness appeared in their depths. Looking toward the bright moon beyond the window, she felt this moment was especially enduring.

"Hee-haw!"

Just then, a donkey brayed from the shed outside, seemingly carrying inexplicable fury.

But after the donkey cried out a few times, it drew a burst of curses and the sound of a beating. It soon quieted down, leaving only the angry muttering of a youth, who seemed to blame the dowry donkey for spoiling his elder brother's good time.

Hearing the commotion, the bride could not help but smile.

Yang Huai had a nightmare. It was as though he had returned to when he had just awakened the wisdom of a past life. He had become the son of a small carpenter. Upon waking, he was surrounded by the stench of mud and animal dung, dampness mixed with scorching heat. They did not even have a pot of clean water. They had only just survived a terrifying flood, and every day, the family could only go to sleep hungry. Fortunately, his father soon found work at the home of a local squire.

He had originally been destined to be a carpenter all his life, just like his ancestors in this lifetime. But a green treasure mirror that appeared in his mind changed his fate. It not only made his carpentry famous throughout the surrounding villages, but also gave him the chance to marry this flower-like bride beside him.

At this moment, the bronze mirror in his sea of consciousness shone brilliantly.

Lines of text emerged from it.

[Name: Yang Huai]

[Age: Fifteen]

[Main Profession: None]

[Main Fate Pattern: Ingenious Craftsmanship (White)] (A legacy from the depths of your bloodline, granting you natural dexterity and skill. You will achieve extraordinary accomplishments in carpentry, and have a small chance of becoming a grand master of the carpentry trade (5/20) (Upgradeable)

[Temporary Auxiliary Fate Pattern: Divine Descent (Red)] (A trace of destiny's favor. Whenever you are at a critical threshold, you have a certain chance to surpass yourself at a crucial moment and return to your peak)

(20/150) (Upgradeable)

(Note: Gray < White < Yellow < Red < Gold < Green < Purple. Immortal and divine-grade fate patterns are not included among these.)

Fixed Requirement: 150 Essence Points

Remaining Essence Points: 3

Beneath Main Profession was another collapsible sub-section.

[Lesser Circulatory Cycle Method: 2/100 (Beginner)]

At the bottom of the mirror was another line of text.

[Anchored object is being refreshed (99%)]

As this ripple of light appeared, Yang Huai became completely awake.

At the same time, he understood his current condition and inwardly thought, As expected.

This wife beside him had ultimately been unable to let everything go. She was unwilling to consummate the marriage with him and become an ordinary mortal couple, but he did not mind.

Instead, the appearance of the auxiliary fate pattern, "Divine Descent," delighted him greatly.

This was the first auxiliary fate pattern he had obtained, and it was a red fate pattern.

The common saying went that nothing was more illustrious than great red and purple splendor. Red fate patterns were exceedingly difficult to obtain.

He knew that this had likely been "resonated" from the person sleeping beside him.

The treasure mirror within him possessed a very miraculous ability: whenever someone became deeply entangled with him, there was a certain chance that he could obtain a strange "fate pattern" from them!

Yang Huai did not know whether this was called stealing fate, usurping fate, or gaining fate through resonance.

He preferred to believe it was the latter. It did not seem like theft, after all; the original owner had not suffered any ill effects because of it!

As for why he had not obtained fate patterns from others, such as his grandfather, uncles, cousins, and brothers, perhaps it was because their fortune was insufficient, or their own fate patterns were of too low a rank and did not meet the basic conditions for him to obtain one. They could not provide him with fate patterns, or perhaps there were other reasons?

(Or perhaps they had no fate patterns at all!)

But Yang Huai was already satisfied, and he was full of anticipation.

Since he could obtain such a peculiar fate pattern as "Divine Descent," could he also obtain even more powerful fate patterns, thereby gaining the ability to cultivate?

Like the bride.

Yang Huai had observed the bride several times. He was certain that she had secretly examined his aptitude.

Otherwise, she would not have quietly taught him that wondrous Lesser Circulatory Cycle Method.

But unfortunately, while he might possess aptitude, it was probably not particularly exceptional. Perhaps it was merely above average? Or even just average?

As for being inferior, Yang Huai reasoned that it should not be possible.

Otherwise, he would not have entered the Lesser Circulatory Cycle Method in such a short time.

As his thoughts raced, Yang Qi's expression suddenly changed. Within his sea of consciousness—

The next moment, an invisible radiance burst forth, and the section below shifted slightly.

[Anchored object refresh complete (100%)]

Sensing the appearance of a new anchored object within the treasure mirror, Yang Huai's eyes lit up. He immediately linked his consciousness to it, only to see a mass of brilliance explode in the depths of his sea of consciousness, transforming into a massive vortex that swept up his awareness.

Yang Huai was already accustomed to it.

He had actually experienced such a Wuwang Realm once before. Last time, he had stood up for a little cowherd who was about to be beaten to death by a landlord, helping him recover a missing cow. In the end, he received 3 Essence Points as payment.

Yang Huai now understood the use of Essence Points. Their sole purpose was to upgrade his main fate pattern or auxiliary fate patterns.

Naturally, he could not let such an opportunity to enter slip away.

This was an ordinary Daoist temple. Strange peaks and steep ridges surrounded it, with dazzling rosy clouds everywhere. Beneath the green mountains, several upturned eaves emerged. Accompanied by the tolling of a bell, numerous youths filed into the Daoist temple. Many young Daoist novices wore solemn, expectant expressions, while some seven- or eight-year-old novices looked troubled.

When Yang Huai awoke again, he discovered that he had become a bitter-faced Daoist novice of around ten years old.

"Who are you? Are you an evil spirit? Get out of my body, or the revered immortals will never spare you, you wicked demon!"

A childish voice rang out in his mind, carrying a trace of panic and fear.

Yang Huai ignored him, merely gazing around with an unusual look in his eyes.

This second entry into the Wuwang Realm was far more real than the first.

This hall, like the eighteen levels of hell, and the many incomparably strange, bizarre gilded statues above, all exuded strictness and solemnity.

From the Daoist novice's memories, he learned that he seemed to have entered a strange realm this time. This was Wanqu, the capital of the Xi Huang Kingdom, and its leader was the Fuxi Clan?