Fate Master: Fang Heng Lifespan: 16/20 Realm: None Fate: Dragon Descendant (Red), Early Death (Gray) Luck: 10,000 points ...
Looking at the panel that had appeared in his mind, Fang Heng's eyes narrowed.
The expression on his face remained calm.
Yet stormy waves surged within his heart, and he was beside himself with joy.
A golden finger!
Sixteen years late, it had finally arrived.
Drawing a deep breath, Fang Heng calmed himself and digested the flood of information he had just received.
"Fate Map... changing fate with luck..."
"Consume luck to condense Fate."
"My Fate is Early Death. Judging by my lifespan, I only have four years left."
"But..."
"Heaven moves vigorously; thus the gentleman strives unceasingly for self-improvement."
"Fate is not impossible to change."
"To defy heaven and change one's fate is harder than ascending to the blue heavens."
"There are many different methods for changing one's fate."
"But the Fate Map has given me a shortcut to changing fate—changing fate with luck."
Fang Heng's mind became wholly immersed in the Fate Map.
He tirelessly absorbed the information within it.
100 points of luck could condense one red Fate.
1,000 points of luck could condense one purple Fate.
10,000 points of luck could condense one golden Fate.
10,000 points of luck was enough for Fang Heng to condense one golden Fate.
Defy heaven and change fate!
No one knew how long passed before he finally awoke from his immersion.
Fang Heng nodded slightly, as if he had made up his mind.
He silently recited in his heart.
"Fate Map, condense Fate."
With a thought from Fang Heng, the Fate Map trembled slightly.
A vast current of air gathered from all directions, surging toward the center and condensing into one.
Then, amidst those currents.
A dazzling golden radiance abruptly burst forth.
The golden light grew ever brighter, as though it would illuminate the entire night.
A golden star slowly rose.
It hung high within the Fate Map.
Like the most brilliant and dazzling star beneath the night sky.
Innate Immortal Seed (Gold): Dao cultivation talent that outshone all ages; a seed naturally born for cultivation, a peerless Dao arts genius seen only once in ten thousand ages.
A warm current emerged between his brows.
It was numb and itchy, with a faint itch to it.
Just like a wound healing.
This change continued for an unknown length of time before the warm current finally receded.
As the warm current faded, Fang Heng felt that his body seemed to have changed.
He turned his inner sight upon his Yellow Court.
Within the Yellow Court, which had originally been pitch-black, a divine tree had appeared.
"Immortal root!"
"And a manifested immortal root at that!"
Fang Heng's eyes lit up. Unable to suppress the joy in his heart, the corners of his lips lifted slightly.
The immortal root was the foundation of Daoist School cultivation.
Without an immortal root, no matter how stunningly gifted or exceptionally intelligent one was, one could not step onto the Dao Path.
Immortal roots were innate.
Those condensed after birth were exceedingly rare, recorded only in unofficial histories.
Just like the founding patriarch of Evergreen Temple.
It was said that he had perfected the Life-Nourishing Art and condensed an immortal root after birth.
But none of the later disciples had succeeded in imitating him.
Thus, it became an amusing anecdote.
Tonight, the miracle of condensing an immortal root after birth had appeared before Fang Heng's eyes.
Changing fate with luck was nothing more than this!
"According to the Daoist canon, Daoist School immortal roots resemble white balls of light, formless and insubstantial."
"Only an extremely small number of geniuses can have their formless, insubstantial heavenly roots condense into other shapes."
"Like mountains and rivers, like stars and moons—shaped, yet without substance."
"An immortal root possessing form is the mark of a Daoist School genius."
"Innate Immortal Seed truly lives up to its name!"
Fang Heng felt an indescribable sense of exhilaration and boundless satisfaction in his heart.
Like a drowning man who, after struggling desperately, had finally broken the surface.
The Fate Map's defiance of heaven and alteration of fate had not only given Fang Heng an immortal root, allowing him to cultivate Daoist School methods, but had also made him a supreme genius.
The Ten Absolute Poisons resided within his body.
Once he cultivated to the Ninth Realm, the Ten Absolute Poisons would heal without treatment.
Fang Heng had finally seen hope for purging the Ten Absolute Poisons.
What was more, he had the Fate Map, which could defy heaven and change fate.
Perhaps someday, he might directly condense Fates like Immune to All Poisons or Indestructible Through Myriad Calamities.
At that point, purging the Ten Absolute Poisons would be as easy as turning one's hand over.
Calming his mind and focusing his breath, he turned his inner sight upon his Yellow Court.
The immortal root within the Yellow Court resembled an ancient tree, holding up the heavens and standing upon the earth, lush and flourishing.
It looked remarkably like the legendary divine tree Jianmu.
"Though an immortal root with form is a top-tier cultivation talent."
"In theory, it can cultivate every Daoist School technique."
"However, according to the cultivation insights of those before us, the technique cultivated should best match the immortal root."
For example, if one's immortal root resembled lightning, only by cultivating lightning arts could one unleash all of one's potential.
If one's immortal root resembled Spirit Fire, fire arts were most suitable.
If one's immortal root resembled a lake, water arts were most suitable.
Fang Heng's immortal root greatly resembled Jianmu.
Without question, wood-attributed techniques suited him best.
"A coincidence?"
"Evergreen Temple's techniques are wood-attributed techniques."
"They happen to be the best match for my immortal root."
A peculiar glint appeared in Fang Heng's eyes.
From the name of Evergreen Temple alone, one could tell the arts in which it excelled.
It excelled in wood-form arts, life-nourishing secret techniques, and restorative arts.
Evergreen Temple's sect-defending method, the "Everlasting Evergreen Scripture," was a first-rate technique even among the Ten Great Dao Courts.
Fang Heng took out the first volume of the "Everlasting Evergreen Scripture" and studied it carefully.
Previously, although he had been unable to cultivate.
Fang Heng had not given up, and had asked Daoist Xuanqing for the first volume of the technique.
Although the "Everlasting Evergreen Scripture" was Evergreen Temple's sect-defending technique, the first volume could only cultivate one to the Fifth Realm.
Therefore, given Fang Heng's status as the Ninth Prince, even if he read it, no one in Evergreen Temple would criticize him behind his back.
He studied it several times.
Without realizing it, dawn had arrived.
After the snow, the sky cleared. The mountains and plains lay wrapped in silver, gleaming brilliantly.
A pale fish-belly white appeared in the eastern sky.
Soft golden sunlight, fine as silken threads, fell across every inch of the mountain forest.
Fang Heng came to the small courtyard outside his room, sat cross-legged, circulated the technique, and began cultivating.
Daoist School cultivation was founded upon inhaling and exhaling the qi of heaven and earth.
Before entering the Dao, cultivators' bodies were frail and could only inhale and exhale the Heaven and Earth Purple Qi during the moment when the morning glow first rose each day.
The Heaven and Earth Purple Qi at the first rising of the morning glow was the gentlest and easiest qi of heaven and earth to absorb.
Only after inhaling and exhaling the Heaven and Earth Purple Qi, transforming it into sustenance, and breaking through to enter the Dao could one inhale and exhale other qi of heaven and earth.
Because one could only cultivate during that brief moment when the morning glow rose each day.
Daoist School cultivation had the highest threshold among the three major cultivation systems.
Before breaking through and entering the Dao, it was the hardest to cultivate and required the longest amount of time.
He focused his mind and calmed his breath, circulating the technique.
He inhaled and exhaled the Heaven and Earth Purple Qi.
In an instant, Fang Heng felt that the world around him had changed.
He seemed to be standing within a purple ocean.
Endless currents of purple qi surrounded him, flowing without end.
He did not even need to exert himself; those currents of purple qi rushed into his body as though scrambling to be first.
With each breath in and out.
The Heaven and Earth Purple Qi poured into his body.
If anyone else had been in the courtyard, they would have witnessed a shocking sight.
Purple qi coiled around Fang Heng's body.
A wisp of purple smoke slowly rose from the crown of his head.
In less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea.
The Heaven and Earth Purple Qi gradually receded.
Mottled, impure spiritual qi of heaven and earth surged toward his flesh, making Fang Heng feel as though blades and swords were pressing against his body.
Fang Heng hurriedly ended his cultivation and slowly opened his eyes.
A hidden flicker of purple flashed beneath his eyes.
His dantian felt pleasantly warm, as though he had soaked in a hot spring.
Beyond that, there was also a swollen sensation.
As though something were about to break through the earth.
"At my current cultivation speed, I can break through and enter the Dao in three days at most."
A trace of joy colored Fang Heng's voice.
The first five realms of the Daoist School.
The First Realm, Feasting on Rosy Clouds.
The Second Realm, Object Control.
The Third Realm, Jade Liquid.
The Fourth Realm, Myriad Phenomena.
The Fifth Realm, Mysterious Light.
Breaking through and entering the Dao in three days—such cultivation speed.
Even if it did not outshine all ages, it was still peerless beneath heaven!
Evergreen Temple, training hall.
The temple's disciples successively finished cultivating and opened their eyes.
Yet their eyes were filled with confusion, suspicion, and... unsatisfied desire.
"Senior Brother, the amount of Heaven and Earth Purple Qi today seems wrong."
"Why is there only one-tenth of the usual amount?"
"Junior Brother, you too?"
"Senior Brother thought I had cultivated incorrectly."
"Junior Brothers, are you all the same?"
"This junior brother is shallow in learning; I did not inhale even the tiniest bit of Heaven and Earth Purple Qi."
"The Heaven and Earth Purple Qi has suddenly dropped today. Could some Martial Uncle be cultivating a secret method or divine ability?"
"Most likely!"
"Let us endure for a few days and not delay Martial Uncle's grand undertaking."
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