Fated

The young cultivator in a black robe with red lining slowly raised his hand, pointing a single finger lightly at the old monk. The old monk bounced up abruptly, trying to escape, but just as his figure turned ethereal and plunged into the void, he saw that the void, which should have been pitch black, was flooded with red light! This red light was like water. Entering slowly was fine, but flying into it as the old monk did was like slamming into a wall of solid steel, bouncing him back violently. This Dharma God avatar of Wei Yuan had manifested in the world for the first time; casting Hongmo's spell for the first time, it was indeed extraordinary. The red light resembled water yet was not water. Its primary nature was that upon high-speed impact, it would instantly turn incomparably rigid—and the greater the force of impact, the harder it became. At its utmost extreme, it could even shatter an immortal sword. The old monk's form shifted as he sought to flee with other spells, but several crimson streams of light reached out from the void, attaching to his body. They began powerfully siphoning his dharmic power, essence of flesh and blood, divine soul and sea of consciousness—and even his karma. The Buddha Child's crown opened, and a speck of true spirit escaped. Yet between Wei Yuan's brows, a soft crimson glow lit up. Illumined by this Soul-Anchoring Divine Light, his true spirit was actually unable to leave his physical shell. Wei Yuan was also secretly surprised. This Soul-Anchoring Divine Light truly was a lethal weapon for dissipating tribulations, an iron door bolt preventing transcendence through corporeal release and reincarnation. In the blink of an eye, the Buddha Child employed dozens of divine abilities and spells in succession, yet Wei Yuan neutralized every single one. Although this was merely an avatar of Wei Yuan, an endless array of bizarre spells flowed from him with supreme fluidity. For every divine ability the Buddha Child invoked, Wei Yuan produced seven or eight spells to counter it, meticulously dismantling the Buddha Child's magic and neutralizing it completely—not forgetting, along the way, to give the Buddha Child's face a few slaps. Slapping meant with his hand, though Wei Yuan didn't use much force. The Buddha Child's face changed drastically, and he shouted abruptly, "Y-you are a Dharma God! Master Congxin, this man is in league with the Liao Clan—he is a traitor to humanity! Master, help me flee back to Mount Ling, and I will surely petition the Lord Buddha to grant you a place upon Mount Ling!" Congxin chanted a Buddhist invocation. Solemn and majestic, his voice resonated like a great bronze bell: "Using a Dharma God and colluding with the Liao Clan are two entirely different matters. Learning the barbarian's strengths to master the barbarian is the benefactor's own skill, and also a deed of immense merit." The Buddha Child was both shocked and enraged, never expecting Congxin to show such a face. He yelled in fury, "Congxin, do not forget that my master once saved your life back then!" Congxin replied placidly, "That was your master's karma." The Buddha Child spoke again: "I also helped you mend your Dao path!" Congxin finally nodded and said, "Such immense kindness ought naturally to be repaid in the next life." "Next life?! Next your..." The old monk was so furious he nearly spat profanities. The Buddha Child grew more frightened the longer they fought. Wei Yuan's avatar possessed a cultivation only at the initial stage of Scenery Command, someone who should have been crushed with a single palm strike. Yet every one of his high-power Vajra demon-subduing arts—anything involving karma, the Immortal Heaven, the Pure Land, the outer domains, or past and future—would dissipate on the spot the moment the light from that blue-green immortal sword shone upon it. Minor, everyday spells were ignored by the blue-green immortal sword, but how could low-power spells ever contend against a Dharma God with innate sorcery? Wei Yuan was in no hurry either. Weaving a vast web with countless spells, he slowly trapped the Buddha Child within it. Occasionally, he would smile and bare his teeth, and the Buddha Child would see his two canines gradually lengthening, sending chills down his spine. The Buddha Child finally realized things were dire. He began casting suicidal, mutually destructive arts, intending to drag Wei Yuan's fragile avatar down with him so that he could seize the chance for corporeal release and enter reincarnation again. However, the dragon claw reappeared between Wei Yuan's brows, preventing the Buddha Child from unleashing a single one of these self-destructive arts. Both shocked and enraged, the Buddha Child shouted, "Why must you press me so relentlessly?!" Unmoved, Wei Yuan methodically and meticulously dismantled the Buddha Child's defenses, dragging him toward himself inch by inch. Every spell the two of them cast at this moment was powerful enough to raze everything within dozens of li around the small temple to the ground, yet under Wei Yuan's total control, not a bit of their might could escape this side room. All of the Buddha Child's spells were stripped down completely, unable to spill even a shred of force outside. Nearby, the great monk Congxin watched with trepidation. In particular, each sweep of the distant Qingping Sword's light gave him the feeling of impending doom. In that short span, he felt as if he had died dozens of times, each death accompanied by flashes of sudden enlightenment and advancements in his Buddhist dharma. The Buddha Child finally despaired. Boundless venom welled in his eyes as he glared fixedly at Wei Yuan and hissed, "Why you?! On what grounds?!" Wei Yuan was in no rush to take his life. Tightening the great net, he suppressed the Buddhist power within the monk bit by bit, then asked, "What grievance do you still have?" With bloodshot eyes, the Buddha Child in the guise of an old monk gritted his teeth and said, "Back then, when she came down the mountain to search for the dragon, we met according to karmic affinity and traveled together. Originally, I was destined to share a master-disciple bond with her before becoming Dao companions—all of it was predestined! It was only when we reached Ji County that everything changed! You... everything you have now was supposed to be mine! You stole my Dao path, and you stole my Dao companion!" The moment the great monk Congxin heard the words 'Dao companion,' he felt an overwhelming, sky-blanketing killing intent shroud this world. The woman who had seemed so serene and detached atop the snow mountain had turned around, looking this way from afar, her eyes filled with boundless sword qi. By now, the Buddha Child had thrown all caution to the wind, raving heedlessly, "What, am I not even allowed to say it? You were fated to be my Dao companion, for me to play with and use day and night..." A flicker of murderous intent flashed in Wei Yuan's eyes, but he did not erupt. Instead, he asked calmly, "Where did this 'predestined' come from?" "Predestined means..." Wei Yuan's expression remained unchanged; as long as the Buddha Child continued down this line, it was fine. Yet just as the Buddha Child began his sentence, he was cut off by a Buddhist chant. An old monk with a sorrowful countenance stepped out of the void and said, "It seems this poor monk has arrived just in time. The benefactor already holds every advantage; why must you insist on taking a life? If you could spare him, this poor monk would be endlessly grateful, and the benefactor would also gain immense merit." The corners of Wei Yuan's lips curled up slightly. Sizing up the old monk, he said, "So it is an Arhat. Yet before your appointed time to walk the mortal world, you rush out in such haste—are you not afraid of losing your karmic attainment?" "This poor monk has long resolved to face tribulation. Even if I cannot return, propagating the Buddha-dharma carries boundless merit." The corners of Wei Yuan's lips rose further, finally forming a complete, sneering smile. "Master... you think rather too highly of yourself." Even with his profound cultivation, the old monk had never heard such words and could not help feeling a surge of wrath, raising an eyebrow. A small dragon claw emerged in Wei Yuan's hand. "May I ask the master, do you dare touch this kind of karma?" The old monk's long brows twitched again. Having attained a spiritual status after all, and with Wei Yuan making no effort to conceal it, one glance was enough to understand. Though he could not see the precise content of the karma, he could clearly perceive its standing. Its karmic standing was impossibly high, perhaps equal to that of the Lord Buddha himself. That alone was daunting enough, but the crux was that touching karma of such elevated standing would bring endless future woes without exerting the slightest influence on the karma itself. How could he dare touch it? Wei Yuan smiled faintly and said, "Originally, I thought to simply swallow this dragon scion who sought to flee and let the matter rest. But I never expected there would be a 'predestined' fate. This means I must get to the bottom of who wanted our lives to be destined, and who dared tamper with our destinies. Does the master have any guidance to offer?" With a face full of compassion, the old monk said, "The benefactor's words are amiss. Even if someone wished to influence Benefactor Zhang's destiny, it was only to turn her heart toward the Buddha. That is an act of great merit for the world, and of great benefit to Benefactor Zhang." Wei Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly. "If you insist on putting it that way, then splendid—my General Directorate of the Three Realms still has an opening for cleaning the latrines. Cleansing a sacred site every day carries great merit; why don't you come do it, old monk? And if I succeed in guiding you onto the Dao, that would also be great merit. A master who is kind to others wouldn't refuse such a minor request, would he? Otherwise, you would simply be too shameless." The old monk said slowly, "How can that be the same? Yours is a heretical cult and illicit sacrifice, fit to be crushed by Vajra demon-subduing methods. All those who obstinately refuse to repent should be cast into the Hell of Boiling Oil. Only after enduring every hardship and cleansing their sins can they hope to attain the true fruit." This time, Wei Yuan's eyebrow twitched. Yet well aware of the Pure Land's style, he had prepared his response long ago. He raised the hand bearing the dragon claw and pressed it against the top of the Buddha Child's head. The Buddha Child instantly let out an agonizing screech, as though all the world's pain had crashed down upon him. His skin squirmed as if the flesh and muscle underneath had turned into some flowing fluid, while from Wei Yuan's palm came the sound of ravenous gulping, like a ferocious beast feeding. Wei Yuan said indifferently, "I am severing this karma right in front of your eyes; does the master not intend to do something? With this outer demon running so rampant, why doesn't the master employ thunderous methods and allow me to witness your demon-subduing divine abilities?" Beside them, the great monk Congxin's face twitched with tension. He dared not look away, yet dared not look too closely; striking the proper balance was truly a supreme test of his lifelong Buddhist cultivation. He possessed considerable attainment and naturally saw that attacking Wei Yuan at this moment was meddling in the dragon scion's karma, an act with consequences scarcely different from interfering with an Ascension Tribulation. Yet Wei Yuan miscalculated once again. The old monk calmed down and actually began chanting the Rebirth Mantra. At that moment, Zhang Sheng spoke: "Did the master just address me as Benefactor Zhang?" The old monk replied, "Benefactor Zhang's name as a sword immortal has long been known throughout the world; this old monk naturally recognizes you." Zhang Sheng lightly tucked a few stray strands of hair behind her ear. That minute gesture lent her peerless brilliance. Serenely, she asked, "Fine. Then let me ask you: who was it that decreed that destiny of Dao companions and dual cultivation back then?" The old monk chanted another Buddhist invocation and said, "Back then, those eminent monks merely wished for the benefactor to walk the righteous path..." Before his words could finish, a brilliant blue-green light suddenly erupted before his eyes—nothing but boundless, endless sword qi! The sword qi was like blades, stripping away all the flesh and blood from the old monk's body in an instant, leaving behind only a golden skeleton. The skeleton held for merely a breath before turning to flying ash! A speck of the old monk's true spirit leapt out, plunging into the void. But a second sword ray followed immediately behind, entering the void to overtake his true spirit thirty years in the past, cleaving it into nothingness. Then the Qingping Sword blazed with endless sword light once more. Immeasurable sword qi coalesced into a single pristine strike, leaping between reality and illusion to appear above Mount Ling, then slashing downward along the lines of karma! In an instant, Buddhist radiance surged across Mount Ling. Several Bodhisattvas and Arhats acted, using either Buddhist arts or magical artifacts to intercept the sword ray. Yet the sword ray moved along karma, shifting unpredictably between the void and reality, and even weaving through time, until it finally descended upon a lotus pedestal of spiritual attainment, cleaving it in two with a single strike! From the severed surface of the lotus pedestal, foul, rancid black blood actually oozed forth. All the efforts of the Bodhisattvas and Arhats came to naught, leaving them no choice but to silently withdraw their dharma treasures and enter meditation. The black blood oozing from the lotus pedestal flowed slowly, trickling all the way down the mountain. The Bodhisattvas and Arhats could only sigh in their hearts; Mount Ling had decayed to such a degree that even the seats of karmic attainment were beginning to be tainted. The great monk Congxin saw it all with absolute clarity: Zhang Sheng had struck only three times. One sword broke the body, the second severed the soul, and the third strike cleaved down the karmic attainment! After the three strikes, Qingping had grown somewhat dim and lusterless, and Zhang Sheng drew it back to nurture it. Yet the cold sweat pouring from the great monk Congxin came layer after layer without ceasing. Beneath Wei Yuan's palm, the Buddha Child's body had already shriveled by a third, reduced to a skeleton as his wretched screams persisted. Each shriek felt like a heavy hammer striking Congxin's heart. Having suffered repeated setbacks on his Dao path, the Buddha Child had lost his Zen heart, but his cultivation foundation remained intact—how could he be unable to bear pain? Evidently, Wei Yuan's technique held deeper mysteries; no matter how invincible one's Dao heart might be, the agony would tear one between life and death. Wei Yuan said to Zhang Sheng, "Was that old fellow involved in the predestined fate?" Zhang Sheng nodded. "He definitely had a hand in it, but he wasn't the only one." Wei Yuan then turned and asked, "Master Congxin, do you recognize that master from just now?" Congxin hurried to reply, "That was Arhat Anuonan of the Pure Land, a monk of considerable... attainment." "Does the master know anything else?" Congxin was startled and hurriedly said, "This humble monk does not even have a seat on Mount Ling; how could I know of matters there? As for... the one beneath your hand, he told me nothing either, only saying he wished to cultivate in seclusion at my wilderness temple." Wei Yuan hoisted the Buddha Child, who was almost sucked dry into a skeleton, and said, "Speak. Who were the ones that tampered with our destinies back then? If you refuse to speak, I will spare a speck of your true spirit and send it to the Nether Cold Realm. I have a demonic beast over there, just right to feed you to. You wouldn't want to become a resentful spirit bound by a monster for billions of years without the release of death, would you?" "Y-you will die a terrible death..." The Buddha Child squeezed out those words, followed by endless, agonizing screams. After another moment, he could no longer hold out and began blurting out honorific titles and names one by one. There were three in total, and Arhat Anuonan was among them. Wei Yuan did not break his word. A giant maw manifested in his palm, swallowing the remainder of the Buddha Child's flesh and blood whole. In his final moments, the Buddha Child finally experienced the terror of the dragon scion's karma. A question suddenly arose in his heart: how had karma of such cosmic proportions been stripped from him in the first place? But he would never know the answer to that question. The great monk Congxin felt as if something had vanished from his heart; shivering inside, he knew that the Buddha Child's karma had been erased. Wei Yuan looked at his palm, where the skin was now lustrous and white as jade. Smiling faintly, he said to the great monk Congxin, "We have disturbed the master's quiet cultivation." Then, taking a single step, he arrived beside Zhang Sheng and said, "The grievances here are settled. Let us head back." Zhang Sheng nodded, then said, "From this moment on, you are not allowed to touch me for three months."