Chapter 894: Chapter 617: The Three Thousand Realms Face Tribulation, What Is Destiny?
Up until now.
Lu Chenzhou has had only one True Disciple.
Li Yu.
Now at Great Grandmaster cultivation.
To be honest, though Li Yu’s talent ranks as Genius, even in Tianxia it does not count as top level. According to the nine-level Martial Arts aptitude standard set by Lu Chenzhou, she can only be rated as forth level, with three levels above her.
Forth level, meaning possessing the potential for the Heavenly Realm.
Whether it can be achieved depends on luck.
Overall, the probability is not high.
Of course, with Lu Chenzhou’s special guidance, as long as Li Yu is willing to work hard, her probability can be improved.
If even this cannot be achieved, he is powerless.
Third level, this is the domain of the peerless Geniuses of the generation. Figures like Hong Tianxiang, who was once ranked alongside the young Lu Chenzhou as one of the "Six Heroes of Da Xia," are all of this caliber. In the era before the golden age, such talents could suppress an epoch; steady and sure, there was a high probability of breaking through to Seventh Realm.
Even upon reaching the Seventh Realm, their ceiling would still not be low, with hope for reaching the late stages of the Seventh Realm, and with good fortune, even breakthrough to Eighth Realm.
Second level, this is the bearing of Great Power.
Such people are often birthed only after a civilization exhausts the luck of countless ages.
Just as energy is conserved in the universe, so it is with luck; when a whale falls, myriad beings thrive; only with the fall of the Divine Court does countless cultivation civilizations receive new luck.
Di Jialou and Du Meng are both at the second level.
They both broke through to Sixth Realm early, and have hope of surpassing all other Seventh Realm cultivators in Tianxia, breaking through to Seventh Realm at a speed second only to the Dragon King and Lu Chenzhou. Take Di Jialou for example: only a century of cultivation, and already late stage of Sixth Realm.
In short, second level stands at the apex of the pyramid of geniuses throughout the Three Thousand Worlds; breaking through to Seventh Realm is nothing rare, and unless met with disaster, there is a high probability of reaching the Eighth Realm.
To reach the Ninth Realm, however, still depends on luck.
Because even those with first level aptitude such as Lu Chenzhou and the Dragon King, dare not claim they will certainly break through to the Ninth Realm.
There is no road ahead for Martial Arts.
They are the Dao Pioneers.
Of course, Lu Chenzhou and the Dragon King are currently classified as first level because the highest rating is first level.
The two of them have already surpassed "root bone," outside of the scope of "innate talent." Owing to peerless comprehension, they cannot be measured by common sense. Especially Lu Chenzhou, whose comprehension continues to improve.
Lu Chenzhou had not expected that, in some nameless minor clan within the Mystic Sky Realm, a talent even stronger than Di Jialou and Du Meng would emerge—an "over second level" aptitude, even fit to be evaluated as first level. He would then bestow upon himself and the Dragon King the rating of "transcending first level."
"Without a master’s guidance, just relying on an ordinary Martial Arts inheritance left after the defection and death of a house scion from Mystic Sky, he became Grandmaster at twenty-nine. This person is born under the will of Mystic Sky, a World Child of a Great Realm, destined to be extraordinary. I might as well invest in advance, perhaps I will reap an unexpected reward."
This was not his speculation.
But what he actually saw.
After the Martial Arts Tree, ten thousand zhang tall, finished its transformation...
In Lu Chenzhou’s eyes, he could see all around Luo Shan, a wheel of luck like the Great Sun turning; as for those Divine Race warriors, their base luck was as thin as paper; only at Six Realms could one clearly feel luck upon them. This was the gap.
Judging by this, Lu Chenzhou analyzed:
"The world possesses a will of its own, and can indirectly influence the beings it fosters. This is evident in the Xia Realm, Hanhai Realm, and Kun Gu Realm alike. Since the Forbidden Zone awoke and the Divine Alliance invaded, Mystic Sky has now come to a life-and-death juncture. Thus, it used up World Luck to have Luo Shan born amongst the Chang You tribe. Even if I did not come, Luo Shan, as World Child, would not have died in the mine. My coming was merely icing on the cake. The luck of a Great World is vast beyond measure; Luo Shan, in a way, is the protagonist of Mystic Sky."
The protagonist will not fall easily.
Lu Chenzhou had read Qingyunzi’s notes. He was the protagonist of Qingyun Realm, having passed through hundreds of disasters large and small, yet always escaping without harm.
It’s a pity: Qingyun Realm is just an intermediate world. After Qingyunzi entered the Kunxu Great World, his intermediate world luck failed him, and was finally betrayed by his own disciple, dying with body and Dao both annihilated.
If his guess is correct, in this Great Universe calamity, the World Child destined for Kunxu Realm is:
Kunxu Ancestor.
Likewise for Han Zhenjun of the Southern Heaven Realm—brilliant, yet stopped before Great Power, and then a Li Jue was born.
The same for Beidou God Monarch of the Beidou Region.
"World Luck is also some kind of invisible and intangible substance or energy, closely tied to World Will, and follows certain laws."
"Everyone has luck, bound from birth, though there is more or less. Through the weave of countless causality, some defy the heavens and change fate, others simply live out their lives as destined... The interweaving of such mysterious things as causality and luck, affecting the paths of all sentient beings, is Destiny."
"Destiny is decreed by Heaven, and also by me—not a contradiction, but something that can be transformed."
"So that’s how it is, so that’s how it is..."
"I have comprehended it—this is Destiny!"
Lu Chenzhou gazed at the receding figure of Luo Shan, his eyes growing ever more radiant, as he stood in the void.
Bang!
An all-encompassing, metaphysical Mysterious Dao Essence spread out, the vision of unity of Heaven and Man startling across ten thousand li, enveloping the whole mine. Countless mine slaves raised astonished eyes to gaze at the heavens above.
"Unity of Heaven and Man?"
"The senior has attained enlightenment of the Dao."
"Quick! Seize this chance to cultivate."
"This is a great fortune!"
At this moment, regardless of race or nation, all the Transcendent races and cultivators abducted from every corner of Mystic Sky by the Divine Race sat down in reverence, gazing at that white-robed figure as if worshipping a Divine being.
"Who is this sacred being? Not only saving us from fire and water, but also gifting us with such world-shaking fortune."
"I have gained enlightenment too, haha!"
The mine slaves each gained something.
Luo Shan looked to his mentor’s departing figure.
"Although Master only accepted me as a Registered Disciple, he passed me a set of Four-nine Mystic Skill straight to Seventh Realm. If I can cultivate it to the limit, I may hope to comprehend the Divine Skill, [36 Transformations]."
He sat cross-legged, sensing the intent of unity of Heaven and Man.
Lu Chenzhou did not take Luo Shan as a True Disciple directly; Luo Shan is no ordinary man, and the causality between master and disciple is too great. He imparted to Luo Shan through spiritual transmission: "If you become Great Grandmaster before forty, you may enter the outer sect. If you become Heavenly King before sixty, you may enter the inner sect. If you reach the Seventh Realm within two Jiazi, you may become my second True Disciple. In all my years, I have had but one True Disciple, named Li Yu, your senior sister. Luo Shan, remember: you are not ordinary. Stay in Mystic Sky and cultivate; your Martial Arts will advance by leaps and bounds. If you follow me, you may in fact be held back."
Luo Shan was already deeply grateful.
"Master’s grace is endless."
...
Lu Chenzhou was immersed in the state of unity of Heaven and Man. Under the supreme Doomsday Mill, he saw two grand Daoist images intertwined.
One like a tangled skein, chaotic as hemp.
One like skilled hands, with a silver needle.
He knew, the Daoist images cannot be defined—they are of a higher dimension, now appearing in forms that Lu Chenzhou, as a lower-dimensional being, can comprehend.
"Causality is the hemp, luck the shuttle, threading needle and cord—each sip and bite—this is the Destiny Dao!"
Bang!
As Lu Chenzhou comprehended Destiny, endless Law and Dao Essence rained down—one by one, Daoist Texts emerged.
[Destiny: First Rank (1%)]
With the enhancement of unity of Heaven and Man, the Destiny Dao advanced at rocket speed; from Entering Dao to Dao Initiation, it was but an instant, and after another hour’s insight, he finally stopped at the Fifth Rank.
[Destiny: Fifth Rank (43%)]
When unity of Heaven and Man ended, around Lu Chenzhou, in a hundred li’s radius, had gathered one hundred and eighty thousand mine slaves.
As Lu Chenzhou opened his eyes, they all kowtowed.
"Thank you, senior, for transmitting the Dao!"
"Grateful to the Ancestor!"
In this moment, without need for more words from Lu Chenzhou, he was already surrounded by one hundred and eighty thousand of the most loyal followers.
Lu Chenzhou spoke directly:
"I am not the Ancestor, nor your savior. I am Lu Chenzhou, Military Leader of Tianxia Civilization. I have come to Mystic Sky for three things only!
To punish the Divine Alliance!
Reclaim the Boundary Tower!
Wipe out Demon Monsters!
All those with skills and abilities may remain in the mine; Tianxia Civilization will rely on the Aurora Palace to forge here a fortress, impregnable as iron, to continually mine Primordial Stones and guard the safety of Mystic Sky Dragon Vein. This is just the beginning; we shall make Mystic Sky the pivot, dispatching the Tianxia army to campaign across the Three Thousand Worlds, and contend with the Evil God!
Tianxia Civilization will not hoard knowledge. We will spread the most advanced Tianxia Martial Arts. All with talent may join Tianxia, and gain resources and cultivation.
..."
After Lu Chenzhou had finished speaking,
the people were silent at first, then cheered in unison.
Many were homeless, with no civilization to depend on, like duckweed without roots.
Now, to be taken in by a super-civilization capable of contending with the Divine Alliance, was no less than receiving charcoal in the snow.
"Thanks, Military Leader Lu!"
"So the senior is Lu Chenzhou! I heard that name from an elder once."
"You saved my life, senior, and bestowed great fortune. I, Kuka, shall be loyal to Tianxia Civilization unto death!"
"..."
The vast majority chose to remain in the mine; some, however, returned to their homelands.
Lu Chenzhou did not stop them; such people would pass on his story by word of mouth, so that his name and that of Tianxia Civilization would echo across the entirety of Mystic Sky!
Luo Shan, too, remained at the mine. Immersed in his own world, his cultivation was like inspiration from the heart.
"Just a strand of Dao Essence shed by Master is enough for me to make sweeping progress—Master must surely be an Eighth Realm expert." Luo Shan’s heart was shaken.
He once thought that breaking through to Fourth Realm at twenty-nine would make him a match for Lu Chenzhou—now he saw how naïve he was. Master could break through to Eighth Realm at the age of a hundred!
He seriously suspected that the Da Xia Grandmaster who left behind the Martial Arts inheritance had slandered his master on purpose. With such talent, how could Master only become Grandmaster at twenty-eight?
...
Aurora Palace.
Lu Chenzhou was researching the Destiny Dao.
"No wonder that throughout history, so few have heard of anyone comprehending the Destiny Dao, let alone advancing to Great Power. Clearly, to comprehend Destiny, one must first comprehend Causality."
"Before the fall of the Divine Court, Destiny was ruled by the Chi Ji God. Now that the Great God is fallen, I may be the last alone out of the Three Thousand Worlds."
"Causality and Destiny; Great Dream and Nightmare; Nirvana and Silent Annihilation; Non-phase and Heart Demon... The four principal Laws and four opposing Laws of Heart Cultivation are dual in nature and transform into one another. Understanding this principle, enlightenment in Nightmare, Silent Annihilation, and Heart Demon shall come sooner or later. The only one I’m missing is Non-phase."
"Senior Emperor Shitian once said, if eight Great Laws are grasped at once, there is hope to subdue the three poisons of greed, anger, and delusion, and become a True Saint of the Heart. Perhaps this is not so far away."
What even the ancient Qi Refiners could not accomplish.
Lu Chenzhou wished to try.