Library of Heaven’s Path 2: Eternal Destiny

Chapter 82: A Warning from Kong Shi

Indeed, Kong Shi had also followed Zhang Xuan to the Source World.

Not only the two of them but also the father of his wife, Nie Lingxi—his father-in-law, the creator of the Master Teacher Continent, Nie Yun, and his brother, Nie Tong, had arrived as well.

The Heaven's Path of the Source World was different from that of the Master Teacher Continent. To communicate across the distance, they had to rely on powers beyond Heaven's Path.

His Pathos of Heaven Sword Art was one such power. Previously, due to severe injuries, many of his abilities had been hidden in this new world, rendering them unusable. Now that his injuries had healed and he had regained some strength, he was able to use them again.

As Zhang Xuan spoke, the vortex shook twice, and a gentle, steady voice came through.

"Zhang Shi?"

It was the voice of Kong Shi.

Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up with excitement. "Kong Shi, how are things on your side?"

After the four of them entered the Source World, a powerful force had separated them completely. He had no idea where the others had gone or what they had experienced.

"Things are not looking good. Let me warn you, the Source World is not particularly friendly to ascenders like us. Be sure to hide your identity, avoid displaying too much Heaven's Fate Ability, and be wary of the Destiny Hall. Remember this!"

Kong Shi's deep voice sounded urgent.

"Understood!"

Knowing that Kong Shi wouldn't say such things without a reason, Zhang Xuan responded seriously before continuing, "Have you contacted Lord Nie and Uncle Nie Tong?"

Kong Shi replied, "I've tried, but so far, I haven't been able to reach them. Something might have happened... I'm also in a dangerous situation, very troublesome. Zhang Shi, you must quickly increase your strength and find a way to rescue me. I am in..."

Before Kong Shi could finish speaking, the vortex suddenly collapsed, and the Pathos of Heaven Sword Energy was crushed by a tremendous force. Zhang Xuan's face paled, and he staggered back a few steps, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

After taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan spent a long time adjusting himself before he felt better.

With his current strength and abilities, it was clearly still too much of a strain to forcibly use such a powerful sword art.

His father-in-law and Uncle Nie Tong's fates were uncertain, and Kong Shi was in danger...

And now he had to hide his identity...

Kong Shi's warning to him consisted of two parts: First, both Kong Shi and Nie Yun were in dire situations. Second, he must not display too much of his Heaven's Fate Ability and had to be careful of the Destiny Hall.

"What is Heaven's Fate Ability? And what is the Destiny Hall?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

Due to the limitations of Heaven's Fate Energy, his two previous visits to the Library had mostly been focused on cultivation techniques. He had yet to explore the cultural and geographical aspects, so there were many things he was still unclear about.

However, these were not major issues since he could always ask someone for information.

"I must quickly improve my strength to resolve all these crises..."

After pondering for a short time, Zhang Xuan made a decision.

With his current cultivation level, even if he found Kong Shi and Nie Yun, he wouldn't be able to help them. Worse, he might even become a burden. Therefore, it was better to focus on advancing his cultivation as quickly as possible.

"Without burning the new world's power, 10 horsepower is only average in the Body Tempering Realm. To cultivate, Heaven's Fate Energy is essential. But where can I find it?"

Previously, he had acquired more than 20,000 strands of Heaven's Fate Energy, mostly by taking advantage of the academy's Source Pool Assessment. Now that all the students had completed their assessments, he needed to think of a new method.

"Maybe I should ask Dean Lu."

Realizing that thinking about it here would do no good, Zhang Xuan stepped out.

...

In the dean's office.

Dean Lu Mingrong and Patriarch Chen Xiao sat facing each other.

After a long silence, Dean Lu broke the tension. "Patriarch Chen, Teacher Zhang visited your horse farm for the first time yesterday, didn't he? And after just one visit, he was appointed as a guest elder. Don't you think you owe us an explanation?"

Chen Xiao smiled slightly. "Teacher Zhang managed to tame the wild horse Fei Hong, which even Zhou Qun and others couldn't tame. Appointing him as a guest elder—what's the problem? On the contrary, aren't you the one who hastily appointed him as an 'auxiliary teacher' just because he helped City Lord Yu tame the Cangback Eagle and even allowed Yu Xiaoyu to become his disciple? Isn't that a bit reckless?"

Lu Mingrong responded, "Our academy's mission is to recognize and value talent. I merely saw Teacher Zhang's potential along with City Lord Yu, so we decided to give him special support."

Chen Xiao retorted, "I understand special support, but offering 300,000 Source Coins was a bit excessive, wasn't it? With the salary of an auxiliary teacher, how long would it take for him to pay that back? If I recall correctly, an auxiliary teacher's salary is only a few hundred Source Coins a month, right?"

Lu Mingrong explained, "It has nothing to do with his salary. It was a gesture to demonstrate the unity of White Rock Academy, to show that we don't abandon anyone, even if they're just an auxiliary teacher. And as I recall, wasn't it your Chen family that helped pay that money? I'd like to ask, how many wild horses like Fei Hong would Teacher Zhang have to tame to earn that much back for the Chen family?"

Chen Xiao hesitated, "Well... the Chen family also sees Teacher Zhang's potential. As for his current abilities, they aren't worth mentioning."

Lu Mingrong agreed, "Yes, we feel the same. His teaching ability isn't worth mentioning..."

At this, both men awkwardly smiled at each other. Just then, Wu Yunzhou, the vice-principal, entered the room and bowed.

"Dean, Patriarch Chen, that 'not worth mentioning' Teacher Zhang has just left the classroom and was picked up by City Lord Yu. The two of them seemed very happy together."

"Yu Longqing, you bastard..."

Chen Xiao suddenly stood up.

"How shameless!" Lu Mingrong's eyebrows also shot up.

Just moments ago, both had claimed that Zhang Xuan wasn't worth mentioning, but now, hearing that he had been taken away by City Lord Yu, they both seemed a little anxious.

"Where did they go?" Lu Mingrong could no longer hold back.

Wu Yunzhou thought for a moment, then said, "I heard they went to the White Roc Trading House."

"White Roc Trading House? Liu family's territory? Could it be that they were going to buy something needed for cultivation?"

Muttering to himself, Patriarch Chen cupped his hands. "Dean Lu, I've just remembered something I need to take care of at the horse farm, so I'll take my leave now."

"Yes, I have matters to attend to at the academy as well, so I won't keep you!" Lu Mingrong nodded.

After Chen Xiao left, Wu Yunzhou looked over. "Dean, should we go there?"

Lu Mingrong nodded. "Of course. The last time, Patriarch Chen seized the opportunity to pay. This time, we can't let Yu Longqing steal the chance. Otherwise, the advantage we've gained will be lost..."

"Yes!"

Wu Yunzhou nodded.

The Saint Grade Source Pool, Furnace Ignition, horse taming, teaching, Heaven's Fate... Each of these accomplishments marked Zhang Xuan as someone who could surely rise above his peers and reach the pinnacle. If they didn't seize the opportunity to build a strong relationship now and shower him with favors, they might not even find the door to his support in the future.

"White Roc City doesn't have a Destiny Hall?"

Riding on horseback, Zhang Xuan looked at the nearby City Lord Yu Longqing, his eyes full of disbelief.

Kong Shi had repeatedly warned him to be cautious of the Destiny Hall, but it turned out that White Roc City didn't have one.

No wonder he hadn't encountered any danger—it all made sense now.

If there were a Destiny Hall, given how long he'd been here, he would have at least heard some rumors.

Seeing Zhang Xuan's confusion, Yu Longqing patiently explained.

The Destiny Hall was a sacred place that all cultivators aspired to reach. The Destiny Disks used in the academy's Source Pool Assessment came from there, and within the hall, there were those who could control all things—Destiny Masters.

After listening for a while, Zhang Xuan finally understood.

The Destiny Hall was somewhat similar to the Master Teacher Pavilion on the Master Teacher Continent, being one of the most powerful forces in the Source World. Every cultivator took pride in mastering their destiny, and this was something that could only be obtained there.

According to normal procedures, once a cultivator's strength reached a certain level, they could go to the Destiny Hall to seek their destiny. If they couldn't find one that suited them, they would be cut off from the path to becoming the strongest cultivator for life.

This was very similar to the process of becoming a Master Teacher.

When a cultivator reached a certain level, they could undergo the Master Teacher Pavilion's assessment. If they couldn't meet the standards of mental state and the like, they would never become a Master Teacher.

As for destiny, it was somewhat akin to the myriad professions.

For example, those who mastered the destiny of beast taming would find taming Source Beasts to be a breeze, and everything would go smoothly for them. This explained why Mo Yanxue and the others were so shocked by his beast-taming abilities. Those who mastered the destiny of teaching could draw upon Heavenly Tutelage to effortlessly guide and instruct others.

This was why Lu Mingrong and Wu Yunzhou mistakenly believed Zhang Xuan to be a natural Destiny Master.

After hearing all this, Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought.

If that was the case... could the Master Teacher Continent itself have been formed by a strand of destiny? Otherwise, where would the unique abilities like the Convergence of True Energy, Heavenly Tutelage, the Eye of Insight, and the Master Teacher's Heavenly Armament come from?

Yu Longqing continued, "We all have only one life, and so is fate. To cultivate another person's destiny, one must either become their disciple or submit to them, willingly accepting their control. Otherwise, they could take your life with a single thought."

"We have only one life?"

Zhang Xuan's pupils contracted.

He now understood why the divine hand had appeared in the Firmament. Perhaps it was because the "Way of the Teacher" was severed from its destiny, leading to its destruction.

And the new world he created belonged to the path of emotions, which likely had a corresponding destiny holder. This was why he had felt so uneasy, unable to control his power, resulting in severe injuries that forced him into this world.

It was fortunate that he had hidden his cultivation and strength upon arrival. Otherwise, he would have been detected long ago and would have perished without even knowing how.

Of course, these were just his speculations. The specifics were unclear, and even the City Lord Yu Longqing didn't know much about it. He would have to rely on breaking through in strength to uncover the truth.

Suppressing these thoughts, Zhang Xuan looked over in confusion again. "Since everyone yearns for the Destiny Hall, and it offers the chance to control one's fate, why haven't you tried it?"

"Of course I have, and I even underwent a 'Destiny Baptism'... But unfortunately, I lack the qualifications to cultivate a destiny, so I can only be content with being a small city lord here. Otherwise, the world is vast—where wouldn't I be able to roam freely?"

Yu Longqing shook his head with a bitter smile, his eyes full of regret.

"Destiny Baptism? What's that?" Zhang Xuan asked, puzzled.

Yu Longqing's expression turned contemplative as he reminisced. "The Destiny Baptism is a process where the Destiny Hall uses special methods to summon the 'Heaven's Fate Energy Tide.' When you stand within it, countless strands of Heaven's Fate Energy descend from the sky, surging toward you, making you feel as if you're immersed in the flow of fate."

"There are countless branching paths within it, just like the various opportunities in life, and you must choose among them. Those with weak wills can easily get lost and end up wasting their talents and lives. But those with strong minds and good fortune, once they find the destiny force that matches them and merge it with themselves, can elevate their life's level and instantly become a true Destiny Master."

"As for me... I wasn't so lucky. Faced with the Heaven's Fate Energy Tide, I quickly lost my way and ended up with nothing."

Yu Longqing's face was full of regret.

"Heaven's Fate Energy Tide? Countless strands of Heaven's Fate Energy?"

Zhang Xuan didn't know much about Destiny Masters and wasn't too interested in them, but these two things were incredibly tempting.

If he could experience such a thing, could he easily absorb several or even dozens of strands of Heaven's Fate Energy and never have to worry about running out?

"Indeed!"

Unaware of Zhang Xuan's thoughts, Yu Longqing assumed he was merely shocked and nodded involuntarily.

"Are there any requirements for this 'Destiny Baptism'?" Zhang Xuan asked.

Yu Longqing replied, "There are two requirements. First, your cultivation must reach the eighth level of the Source Pool Realm, the Divine Soul Realm. Otherwise, you won't be able to withstand the pressure of the energy tide or the impact of fate on your soul."

Zhang Xuan nodded.

As Yu Longqing had said, fate has countless branches, and without a firm mind, one could easily be led astray by various temptations and end up with nothing.

"Secondly, you must pay a registration fee of 30 million Source Coins, which is non-refundable regardless of success or failure."

Seeing the doubt in Zhang Xuan's eyes, Yu Longqing explained, "Each Destiny Baptism requires the efforts of many Destiny Masters to summon the 'River of Destiny,' which is extremely taxing. The money is actually a fee for their services."

Zhang Xuan acknowledged with a nod.

This was somewhat similar to the alchemy debates on the Master Teacher Continent, where a fee had to be paid to invite alchemists to assist in the assessment. After all, no one was obligated to help for free.

The same applied to the Master Teacher assessments. If you passed, the Master Teacher Pavilion would cover the costs. If not, you had to bear the expenses yourself. Without such rules, everyone would want to test their abilities, and the Master Teacher Pavilion wouldn't be able to function.

"Reaching the eighth level of the Source Pool Realm is easy... But 30 million Source Coins is a bit difficult!"

After hearing the requirements, Zhang Xuan started calculating.

For him, as long as he had enough Heaven's Fate Energy, reaching the eighth level of the Source Pool Realm could likely be achieved within a month. However, earning that much money... would be a different story.

It wasn't that Zhang Xuan lacked the ability to make money, but the wealth of White Roc City was limited. Even if the three major families combined their resources, they might not be able to come up with such a large amount of cash at once.

In other words, to accumulate such a sum, Zhang Xuan would practically have to gather all the liquid funds available from the three major families!

The difficulty of this task was obvious.

Of course, this wasn't something that needed to be rushed. After all, White Roc City was just a small town. Things would surely get easier if he went to the capital of a dynasty.

Knowing that there was no immediate way to achieve a Destiny Baptism, Zhang Xuan decided to stop worrying about it and instead asked a question that had been on his mind: "So... if there's no Destiny Hall, where can I find Heaven's Fate Energy?"

"First, you can use some special arrays to decompose treasures, which can produce this kind of energy, just like what I did for Xiaoyu and Mo Yanxue in the Library," Yu Longqing explained.

As he spoke, Yu Longqing cautiously glanced at Zhang Xuan, hoping to see if he had noticed that the Spirit Source Bamboo had been completely absorbed by him. However, Zhang Xuan's face remained impassive, as if he had no idea what Yu Longqing was talking about.

"Could I have been mistaken?"

A hint of doubt flashed in Yu Longqing's mind. But since so much time had passed, it was no longer appropriate to ask directly, so he continued, "Second, you can search for the Destiny Disks used by White Rock Academy over the years. These disks are crafted by the Destiny Hall and contain a large amount of Heaven's Fate Energy. During the annual assessments, not all the energy within them is necessarily consumed. Therefore, these discarded treasures should still contain some remnants."

Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up. "Where can I find these Destiny Disks? Should I ask Dean Lu?"

The number of students each year varied, and so did the amount of energy they could absorb. It was impossible for all the energy within the disks to be completely used up. Therefore, there was bound to be a significant amount of residual energy left in the discarded disks. If he could find them, he might be able to harvest a considerable amount of energy.

"There's no point in asking him," Yu Longqing replied. "Every year, the leftover Destiny Disks are sent to trading houses to be made available to cultivators who didn't have the opportunity to enroll. This is a requirement from the Destiny Hall, and even Dean Lu can't do anything about it."

Some people, due to favorable family conditions, were introduced to cultivation at a young age, found their Source Pool early, and even had a chance to activate it. Such individuals could apply to the academy and become Source Warriors.

However, there were others who missed the best age for cultivation, like Zhang Xuan, who only found his Source Pool in his twenties and couldn't enroll in the academy, leaving them with no way to become Source Warriors.

To give these people a chance to cultivate, the Destiny Hall mandated that the academy send these used Destiny Disks to trading houses, allowing ordinary people to also have an opportunity to practice.

"There's also a third way," Yu Longqing continued, "which is to find a powerful Destiny Master. Such a person can communicate with the River of Destiny and actively draw Heaven's Fate Energy. However, this is the most difficult option, and unless you have a close relationship with them, why would they help you?"

Zhang Xuan nodded.

It was similar on the Master Teacher Continent. If you lacked strength and wanted a Master Teacher to give you guidance, it was nothing short of a dream.

But from what Yu Longqing said, once Zhang Xuan became a Destiny Master himself, he would be able to draw Heaven's Fate Energy at will and never have to worry about running out again.

It seemed he would need to work toward that goal in the future.

Putting these thoughts aside, Zhang Xuan asked, "Are there any requirements to go to a trading house for a Source Pool assessment?"

Yu Longqing replied, "You still need to pay a certain fee, around 200 Source Coins at the minimum."

Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. "That's not too bad."

For others, 200 Source Coins might allow them to absorb one or two strands of Heaven's Fate Energy at most, but he could absorb hundreds or even thousands of strands. He would definitely get his money's worth.

With this thought, the two of them urged their horses forward, heading quickly toward the White Roc Trading House.

...

After Zhang Xuan left the academy, Liu Tianzheng finished teaching Liu Mingyue the Fuyao Accumulation Technique and stopped Dean Lu Mingrong, who was about to head to the trading house.

"Dean Lu, isn't it time to hand over the Destiny Disks used this year to our trading house?"

"Yes," Lu Mingrong nodded and signaled to Wu Yunzhou, who then stepped forward and handed over a disk.

Liu Tianzheng casually took it, but then suddenly froze.

The object in his hand had already shattered into several pieces, resembling nothing more than a pile of fragments.

"What is this?" Liu Tianzheng's expression turned grim.

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