Three minutes, in truth, was not short at all.
Within those three minutes, An Jing was confident he could defeat any instructor other than the two at the Inner Breath Like Tide realm. Even against one at Inner Breath Like Tide, he was confident he could take them on single-handedly.
During this period of building up his strength, An Jing had not only mastered his Inner Breath, but also gradually learned to control the Baleful Sword Divine Ability that had awakened when he broke through to Inner Breath.
Yet he still did not quite understand what was going on with it.
"This is your Destiny Pattern divine ability."
Late one night, as An Jing summoned and dismissed the Baleful Sword at will, he asked the Sword Spirit about it, and the Sword Spirit replied, "Though it is only a part, this means you already possess a Destiny Pattern. So long as you continue training in the future, your Destiny Pattern will become increasingly prominent until it manifests completely.
"Even so, to possess your own Destiny Pattern divine ability the moment you obtained your Destiny Pattern—before it has even fully awakened... This proves your Destiny Pattern is far from ordinary, and that you and it are an extraordinary match."
"My Destiny Pattern... Yes, I remember now. The reason these Tianyi Demon Sect cultists gathered us children is that they believe us special 'Children of Calamity' can awaken Destiny Patterns far better than ordinary people."
Retracting the Baleful Sword from his hand, An Jing thought of the five special children he had seen at the initial assembly who had never appeared since and had likely already been sent back to the sect's main mountain. "If a Destiny Pattern doesn't awaken, is there no way to detect it?
"And now that I've awakened a Destiny Pattern, will Manor Lord Yao and the others notice and change their plans, taking me away ahead of schedule?"
—If that happens, I won't be able to protect my friends.
To be completely honest, if An Jing had possessed a Destiny Pattern from the very beginning and been sent directly to the main mountain to be nurtured like those five children, only to undergo the Demon Sect's brainwashing process just as in Suspended Fate Manor...
Without having met other friends or developed feelings for them, he would have had virtually no reason to harbor malice toward the Demon Sect.
Once he acquired strength, he most likely would have been reshaped by the Demon Sect's morals and mindset, turning into a true demonic cultivator.
Perhaps later on, when learning of the many tragedies that unfolded in Suspended Fate Manor, having never truly lived alongside those "people," he might even have looked down on them with an aloof sense of superiority, thinking of himself as someone special.
He might have thought that those children who had not awakened Destiny Patterns from the start were never meant to be his equals, and that it was only natural for them to pay with their lives in their futile struggle to keep pace with him.
The mere thought of such a possibility filled An Jing with utter disgust. A searing wrath surged within him, grinding away at the rusted sword in his heart.
"Destiny stems from heaven. Unless the bearer actively triggers it, or within a specialized ritual array, it is very difficult to peer into by ordinary means. One would need a specialized 'Heaven's Will' divine ability.
"Otherwise, couldn't any random cultivator tell who has a Destiny Pattern with a single glance? Do not worry, that Demon Sect manor lord cannot see it."
The Sword Spirit explained in detail how concealed Destiny Patterns were, but regarding An Jing's earlier question, the Sword Spirit directly dismissed it: "As for your earlier assumption, you were mistaken.
"Though the common folk often speak of 'awakening a Destiny Pattern,' strictly speaking, there is no such thing as awakened or unawakened—only whether it is strong or weak.
"All mortals possess destiny, and all destiny comes from heaven. But 'Heaven's Mandate' is not everything; it is aided by 'Earthly Status' and 'Human Fortune.'"
Seeing An Jing's confusion, the Sword Spirit explained in earnest: "'Heaven's Mandate' is decided from the moment of birth. It is decreed by the heavens, depending solely on the skill of one's reincarnation. Even if one's birth chart is nothing special and no auspicious stars reside in their palace of destiny, being born into an imperial household is, in and of itself, a 'noble destiny.'
"Yet a 'noble destiny' alone is useless. When judging the quality of a Destiny Pattern, besides 'Heaven's Mandate,' one must naturally look to 'Earthly Status.'
"'Earthly Status' refers to 'station and standing,' representing the position an individual occupies. As the saying goes, circumstances create heroes. When a person's standing rises high enough, their original Destiny Pattern will naturally alter accordingly, transforming from a grass snake into a hidden dragon. Just as when a rustic villager is enlightened overnight by the likes of us and enters a sect, his Heaven's Mandate naturally shifts.
"Conversely, if one lacks standing, even an innate noble destiny will only be buried beneath dust and mud—just as an imperial noble who is expunged from the royal clan falls from a noble destiny into utter mediocrity, until 'fortune turns in their favor.'
"Therefore, beyond 'Heaven's Mandate' and 'Earthly Status,' there is also 'Human Fortune.'
"That is to say: human effort, will, and opportunity."
Speaking thus, the Sword Spirit took on a tone of admiration: "An Jing, you are the prime example of Human Fortune shifting one's status.
"Originally, your Destiny Pattern lay dormant; you were merely an ordinary commoner. But you witnessed life and death, your heart gave rise to fierce wrath, and you swore to slaughter every cannibalistic evil and the Demon Sect. Taking your heart as the source, you altered your standing and changed your fate, awakening your 'Heaven's Mandate.'
"So it is not that the Tianyi Demon Sect failed to discover your Destiny Pattern. Rather, before you mustered the courage to stand against them, you truly had no Destiny Pattern to speak of.
"How could a child who does not resist, who harbors neither killing intent nor fury toward the Demon Sect, ever possess a Destiny Pattern so saturated with Killing Aura?
"Even if you had possessed such a destiny, you could never have wielded its power, let alone awakened a divine ability like the Baleful Sword.
"And I, too, awakened from my long slumber only because of your Innate Wisdom and benevolence, and it was your 'intent to vanquish evil' that made me willing to aid you.
"This, too, is a manifestation of your 'Human Fortune' changing your 'destiny.'"
"I see."
Listening to the explanation of the Sword Spirit Fuxie, An Jing could not help feeling a sense of enlightenment.
He murmured under his breath, "Destiny is decreed by heaven, but achievement lies in human effort... A 'Destiny Pattern of Heaven's Mandate' is merely an impetus granted to all living beings by the Heavenly Dao, while one's 'Earthly Status' and ever-changing 'Human Fortune' matter just as much.
"Indeed. If I hadn't resolved to resist to the end, sworn to slaughter every cannibalistic fiend, and been willing to put it into action, I would be nothing more than a trembling child. No matter how noble a Destiny Pattern I had, I would still be meat on the chopping block, an ant waiting to be crushed.
"I cannot stop."
Pausing, he whispered, "No matter what destiny one holds, if one does not act, it will never bear fruit."
"Precisely. We cultivators, even should we bear Heaven's Mandate, must remain true to our Dao Hearts."
The Sword Spirit was very pleased with An Jing's train of thought, guiding him to gradually enter a state of tranquility and cultivate.
Day after day slipped by like this.
Over this recent stretch of time, An Jing had not found an opportunity to visit the other world.
Not only was time lacking, but An Jing also did not believe that place was safe. Whatever could kill so many otherworldly cultivators armed with firearms meant the dangers of those ruins far exceeded his imagination.
Until he grew stronger, or unless faced with a matter of life and death, he would not return lightly.
Everything returned to an outward calm.
Yet just as An Jing was calmly building his strength and awaiting an opportunity, he encountered an unexpected turn.
This unexpected turn came in the form of a companion who likewise understood the true nature of the Demon Sect.
The person could even be considered an acquaintance—someone whose name An Jing had specifically memorized, hailing from the most remote origin among the one hundred and eight Children of Calamity.
Bai Qinghan from Hannan Circuit.
Chapter 29