Born in the Mire

The grand battle had arrived. In Guantun County, Wei Yuan walked into the grand hall where Zhang Sheng lay resting. "The war has begun," he said. "It's considerably earlier than I expected. If it had been delayed another half a year, that would have been ideal—by then I'd have gathered more mortal karmic luck and could have handled things with greater ease. Fortunately, Immortal Ancestor Zhao Li sent over ten million mortal karmic luck, so I don't have to worry about this place and can head into battle with peace of mind. "Hmm, I hardly have any mortal karmic luck left on me right now, and the Fourth Grotto-Heaven must remain here as well. In their eyes, this is probably when I'm at my weakest. Heh, but what they might not know is that even without mortal karmic luck, I can still fight quite fiercely. "Alright, it's time for me to go. Wait for my return." Zhang Sheng lay quietly, motionless. The grand array exhaled and inhaled vitality in an unbroken stream. Stepping out of the hall, Wei Yuan was just about to depart when Ji Liuli walked out from the side. "I'm coming with you," she said. Wei Yuan shook his head. "You can't go. Stay here and guard this place. There is an immortal on the other side who could strike at any moment, and your karma isn't heavy enough—it's far too dangerous. You can only take part in this game after you reach Scenery Command. For now, I'll go first." "Aren't you a Dharma Idol as well?" The moment the words left Ji Liuli's mouth, she realized something was amiss. She cast her Tianji arts twice in succession upon Wei Yuan, and both results were crystal clear: Dharma Idol perfection. "You are a Dharma Idol... No, you're not a Dharma Idol. Still not right..." Only now did Ji Liuli discover that Wei Yuan's state was thoroughly bizarre—even her Tianji arts failed to divine it clearly. Given the bond between her and Wei Yuan, the calculation should have been exceptionally precise, yet this result was conspicuously, glaringly off the mark. "Stay here," Wei Yuan said in a tone that brooked no argument. Ji Liuli was just about to object when Wei Yuan pressed a hand against her shoulder. As his palm came down, the surrounding space instantly froze, leaving Ji Liuli utterly unable to move! Harnessing the power of the Central Thick Earth and backed by the overwhelming momentum of the Splendor of the Many Realms, Wei Yuan brought the absolute crushing weight of six grotto-heavens to bear. Formidable though Ji Liuli's dharma body was, she was suppressed so thoroughly that she could not budge an inch, pinned frozen to the spot. Having immobilized Ji Liuli, Wei Yuan stepped into the night and vanished from sight. Beyond the city walls of Guantun County lay two entirely different worlds. Outside, barren scorched earth stretched for thousands of li, choked with death. Desiccated corpses and bleached bones lay scattered everywhere, and even the trees had withered to death. The ground, yet to be blanketed by fresh snow, was blackened, withered, and deathly still, resembling patches of necrotic sores. A few winter crows cawed plaintively in the night. Having failed to scavenge enough to fill their bellies by day, they had no choice but to keep foraging under cover of darkness. In the sky hung a cold, hazy moon. Beneath the moonlight stood Cangwu and the King of Ji. They perched at an immense height; looking up from the ground, one could not spot them at all. Even with the eyesight of a Scenery Command cultivator, one would discern merely two minuscule specks. Furthermore, under the suppression of Cangwu's immortal status, even if a Scenery Command expert looked right at them, they would assume their eyes were playing tricks on them and unconsciously disregard the sight. Watching Wei Yuan step out of Guantun County and gradually distance himself from it, Cangwu could not help but sneer. "He actually dares to walk out? How little regard must he have for this venerable one? If I let him return alive today, I'll—" Just as he was about to make a ruthless boast, Cangwu abruptly swallowed his words. An ominous foreboding crept over him. Right at that moment, the King of Ji chimed in, "This is a heaven-sent opportunity! Please, Immortal, make your move—broaden my horizons and grind this rebel's bones to dust and scatter his ashes while you're at it!" Cangwu frowned slightly, though he reasoned that the king could not possibly sense what he did; this was a premonition accessible only to an immortal. Yet the king was right about one thing: the light of karmic luck upon Wei Yuan was exceedingly dim, practically extinguished. Striking to kill him now would incur the lowest cost. A speck of gray light flared at Cangwu's fingertip as he prepared to point it at Wei Yuan. But just as his finger began to lift, he suddenly saw a strand of spider silk hanging down from the void! Right before his eyes dangled a thread of spider silk! The thread glinted with a faint silver sheen in the moonlight, swaying gently in the night breeze. With every sway, Cangwu's heart trembled. Never had he seen a thread of karma so clearly! As the gray light on his fingertip grew brighter by a fraction, the spider silk drifted a fraction closer to Cangwu. Unawares, Cangwu broke into a cold sweat! One must know, he was an untainted and unblemished immortal—how could he break into a cold sweat? Cangwu knew that he must not flee right now, nor would running do any good; he could never outrun a karmic thread that tracked and struck by virtue of natural laws. As for what would happen if it touched him, Cangwu had no desire to find out. Under the King of Ji's expectant gaze, Cangwu dispersed the gray light at his fingertip and said calmly, "If this venerable one takes action, the karma will be too great. Have your two consecrated retainers act, and I shall dispatch a subordinate to assist them." The King of Ji nodded and traced two talismans with his finger. Cangwu reached out, seized the talismans, and gave a sharp tug; two high-level Scenery Command cultivators materialized before them. Another gloomy-faced elder stepped out from behind him and bowed to Cangwu. Cangwu pointed down at Wei Yuan walking alone across the earth. "Slaughter this man!" The three bowed once more and vanished simultaneously. Walking alone upon the vast earth, Wei Yuan suddenly halted. Three figures appeared out of thin air, surrounding him completely. Wei Yuan looked them over and remarked, "Three senior Scenery Command cultivators... You truly think highly of me." A middle-aged man with authoritative features spoke: "With the three of us here, there is no chance of your survival. Yield and submit to binding at once, and save everyone the trouble." The gloomy-faced elder said, "You possess no mortal karmic luck upon you now, and there is no way you are a match for us. You had best surrender early. "If you are willing to surrender, I can guarantee that a seat will be reserved for you under the Venerated Lord." The third cultivator, who possessed long, fiery-red hair, said unhurriedly, "For Elder Su—Su Wuwang, Loose Cultivator of a Thousand Machinations—to guarantee your safety is a blessing accumulated across many lifetimes. Why not comply immediately? If you miss this chance, don't blame us for being merciless!" The middle-aged man remarked, "Elder Mo is still so fond of giving juniors a leg up. Had it been me, I would have already cut him down with a sword!" The red-haired elder said to Wei Yuan, "Though this old man cultivates Fire-phase Dao methods, I appreciate talent. If you submit to the Venerated Lord, an immortal rank will surely await you! "Very well, since you still do not know who we are, I shall inform you so you know our words are true. This gentleman is Ling Canglan, Master of the Cold Abyss Sword, and I am Mo Fentian, Venerable Scarlet Flame." Wei Yuan felt a slight chill in his heart. Mo Fentian and Ling Canglan were both renowned high-level Scenery Command cultivators of long standing, particularly adept at slaughter. Ling Canglan was a world-famous sword cultivator who had crossed swords with several elders of the Sword Palace in succession, holding his own against every one of them without conceding ground. As for Su Wuwang, Wei Yuan had never heard of his name, yet he exerted the greatest pressure on Wei Yuan. After the three finished introducing themselves, Wei Yuan did not answer their question. Instead, he pointed to the surrounding land and asked, "Seniors, look at this thousand li of scorched earth. Look at this land, drained of all vitality, which will take at least a century before it can be farmed again. And look at the twenty to thirty million wronged souls haunting this ground. What do you feel?" Mo Fentian's crimson eyebrows knitted tightly together, leaving him momentarily at a loss for how to respond. Ling Canglan sneered coldly. "Cultivation is the theft of Heaven's authority—a struggle on the razor's edge where the victor advances and the loser dies; those who wager must accept the loss! Such is true for immortals, and such is true for cultivators. Why should these mortals be any exception? It is nothing more than their poor fate; they were simply destined to suffer this calamity. But if one were to speak honestly, does the root not lie in their own muddle-headedness and lack of ambition? "If they had worked a bit harder, strived for the top, and cultivated a Dao Foundation and a Dharma Idol early on, how could they have suffered such a calamity? Yesterday's causes are today's effects. These bones strewn across the land only prove that these mortals possess poor root talent and put in no effort. As I see it, they simply weren't trying hard enough." Wei Yuan had originally been calm and composed, but upon hearing this, an inexplicable rage flared within him. "These people were born in the State of Ji—how many full meals could they eat in a year?" he snarled. "When they can't even fill their stomachs, how could they undergo Body Casting? Without even Body Casting, how could they speak of a Dao Foundation or a Dharma Idol! They were born into a mire—how were they supposed to strive? Vast as the State of Ji may be, did hundreds of millions of mortals ever have even a shred of opportunity?! "They were born without opportunity! And who created this mire in the world? "Senior, the only reason you can stand here condescendingly looking down on all beneath you is that you were born into a better womb! Had you been born into the households of these mortals, you would be just as much of a good-for-nothing!"