Aspiring to the Immortal Path

Chapter 444: Fate

On the clear surface of the water, a Golden Thread White Orchid bloomed atop a piece of coral.

The Golden Thread White Orchid was extremely rare in the Rosecloud Domain, only existing in the blessed lands of the six major sects, so it was surprising to see one here.

A slender hand gently grabbed the root of the orchid and lifted it up. It then carefully stored the plant in a jade box.

Turning around, Shen Qingdan made a satisfied smile, “My thanks, son of the heavens.”

Tang Jie stood not far from her, his hands held behind his back. Several shark fiends hungrily glared at Tang Jie, but in the end, they helplessly turned and left.

It was as if the heavens really did favor Tang Jie. Wherever he went, all the fiends would stand aside, allowing them to easily gather fruits and flowers they came across. These vicious fiends that others stayed far away from were as docile as kittens and puppies in Tang Jie’s hands.

Not too long ago, Tang Jie had even stroked the head of a sea fiend and walked a circle on its back.

The cooperation of the fiends made it very easy for them to move through the sea. If they hadn’t been gathering spirit plants, they would have arrived on the Immortal island ages ago.

For Shen Qingdan, this was harvest season, but Tang Jie had no interest. He was willing to help Shen Qingdan to thank her for her previous help, to look for his ghost guard, and to hunt down the Beast Refining Gate disciples.

In this sea fiend hidden realm, everyone was scattered, so this was an excellent chance to hunt people down and weaken his enemy.

And it was also a chance for Tang Jie to comprehend some of the questions that had been on his mind.

In the battle against Chang Baimei, there were two matters that still deeply confused him.

The first matter was the sword intent sealed in the recommendation placard.

He hadn’t realized it when using it, but after the battle, he felt like there was some deeper meaning behind it, as if Ming Yekong had left it there to enlighten him.

In these years, Tang Jie had cultivated many things. When it came to texts, he had cultivated the Divine Firmament Sword Classic, the Violet Jade Mantra, the Parting Classic, the Ninedark Mantra, and also the mantra of the Five Gods Faith, and he had numerous spell arts under his belt.

But when facing enemies, he lacked an ability that could truly decide everything in a single move. He always had to use countless methods in new and interesting ways to make things work.

If only he were able to learn some spell art that could concentrate all his advantages and energy into a single point, allowing him to truly kill opponents above his level…

The ultimate sword intent was a manifestation of this mindset.

This was also probably what Ming Yekong wanted to tell him.

The problem was: how could he create his own saber intent killing move?

Ming Yekong hadn’t said anything about that, and Tang Jie also had no idea where to start.

But that heaven-shaking strike from the recommendation placard had definitely broadened the possible paths of development Tang Jie could take in the future.

The second matter was why the Dao of Karma hadn’t worked.

If the ambush he had laid had worked, he wouldn’t have had to go through such a difficult battle. He had been forced to pay out a great deal, even using the Devil Crushing Fist, causing his constitution to fall from greater attainment Jewel Body to minor attainment Jewel Body.

Each day this matter wasn’t resolved was another Tang Jie would remain uneasy. And if he found the answer, he might even be able to improve his understanding of the Dao of Karma.

As he was lost in thought, Shen Qingdan suddenly said something. Seeing that he was in a daze and not listening, Shen Qingdan brusquely walked over and said, “Hey, what are you thinking?”

Tang Jie remained in thought as he said, “Every action is predetermined, every effect having its cause. Since cause and effect are fixed, where do the variables arise?”

Shen Qingdan seemed amazed by the question. “Cause and effect are fixed, but fate is everchanging. What’s so weird about that?”

Tang Jie shuddered, shouting as if he had been awoken from a dream. “‘Cause and effect are fixed, but fate is everchanging’? Yes, I get it now!”

Shen Qingdan’s casual answer had inadvertently enlightened him.

In the battle of the jade house, he had laid an ambush to ensnare Chang Baimei, using the Dao of Karma to ensure its success, but in reality, the ambush had failed.

Tang Jie had believed that it was his Dao of Karma that had failed, but it was only now that he realized that it actually hadn’t failed. It was just that he hadn’t been able to convert success into victory.

His Dao of Karma was only able to decide the most basic and simple of events. In planting the cause and reaping the effect of the Time Set explosion, the only thing he could influence was that the eruption would hit Chang Baimei.

Thus, he could decide when the explosion happened, but he couldn’t decide if it killed anyone.

This was like how oranges grown in the south would be sweet while oranges grown in the north would be bitter.

In this process, a fruit would be borne regardless of where it was planted, but sweet oranges were kept and bitter oranges were thrown away. Different fruits had different fates.

He couldn’t control Chang Baimei’s fate!

This was why, among the Twelve Great Daos, Karma and Fate were linked. The latter was a refinement of the former.

Upon understanding this, Tang Jie immediately felt like the door to the Great Dao of Fate had opened up for him a sliver. Perhaps he only needed a chance moment to achieve a real breakthrough.

If he could really pull that off, then the matter with Chang Baimei would not repeat itself. When the time came, he could combine the Dao Will of Time with the Dao of Karma to create an unstoppable tool against his enemy.

Thinking this, Tang Jie couldn’t help but throw his head back and laugh.

Shen Qingdan was baffled by his state and wondered what sort of sickness he was suffering from. While she was sulking, she suddenly heard the sound of flapping clothes from the distance. It seemed that some people were flying toward them.

“Careful. Someone’s coming,” Shen Qingdan quickly said.

Tang Jie immediately stopped laughing and pulled out the Heartbreak Saber. “They’ve come at the perfect time. Since I still can’t control the Dao of Fate, I can’t set their fates and determine their deaths. In that case, I might as well reverse cause and effect, using my saber to determine life and death and set their fates! Death will be their fate!”

As those people flew over, he suddenly changed his appearance into that of Chang Baimei, shouting, “Who goes there?”

These people were actually wearing the uniform of the Beast Refining Gate. Tang Jie had already noticed this, but he pretended not to see.

Those people hastily bowed when they saw Chang Baimei. “These disciples pay respects to the True Person!”

Tang Jie said nothing and flew straight toward them.

A sharp disciple noticed that Tang Jie was coming with a saber in hand and wasn’t in his usual clothes. He wondered in surprise, “True Person, when did you start using a saber?”

Tang Jie laughed. “I’m offering up your heads to my saber to comprehend my Great Dao and cultivate my saber intent! Slash!”

His saber rose and fell.

A wave of saber energy sliced off the head of the disciple who had spoken, and a bloody massacre ensued…

A few moments later, these Beast Refining Gate disciples had been slain. Tang Jie sheathed his saber, collected their Mustard Seed Bags, and set off again.

Shen Qingdan was rather flabbergasted by this ruthless killing. She had never before seen this savage side of Tang Jie.

In truth, Tang Jie had never been the merciful sort. It was just that he had lacked the opportunity to go on a wanton massacre.

But in this hidden realm of beasts, facing the mortal enemy of his sect, the Beast Refining Gate, he could put aside all laws, rules, and customs. There was nothing left to bind him, and considering that striking back was also needed for survival, Tang Jie naturally used everything at his disposal to slaughter his enemies.

All of the Beast Refining Gate disciples would eventually have to go to the island, so Tang Jie only needed to patrol the island’s perimeter to come across solitary disciples. If there weren’t too many of them, he would immediately move out and kill them. In the space of two days, Tang Jie ended up taking the lives of twenty-some Beast Refining Gate disciples.

The Beast Refining Gate had mobilized more than one hundred disciples over the Beast Garden, and Tang Jie had ended up killing almost all of them.

Today, Tang Jie ran into a few more disciples, but these were from Godhead Palace.

Tang Jie naturally wouldn’t be polite to people from Godhead Palace. He killed all of them in battle and took their things, inwardly sighing over the fact that people from Godhead Palace didn’t have bounties.

In truth, in order to avoid making enemies, the Basking Moon Sect did not dare to target people outside of the Beast Refining Gate. If its disciples ended up killing too many people of other sects, it might even have to clean up after them.

If there were no restraint, there would also be no indulgence.

It was precisely because they restrained themselves around other sects that they could endlessly pursue the Beast Refining Gate. The same was true for the other sects.

After a thousand years of development, the six major sects had developed an equilibrium around each other.

No one was willing to break it.

But Tang Jie knew that, because of the relationship between him and Godhead Palace, this equilibrium would break eventually.

He just hoped that he wouldn’t bring trouble to the Basking Moon Sect—in this aspect, Tang Jie’s loyalty to the Basking Moon Sect truly had improved.

After killing these Godhead Palace disciples, Tang Jie was just about to leave when he suddenly sensed something, and a look of joy appeared on his face.

“What happened?” Shen Qingdan asked.

Tang Jie muttered, “I sense… he’s nearby!”

“Who?”

“An old friend!” Tang Jie replied, flying off.

After passing through a lush sea forest, Tang Jie saw a person standing on the surface.

The Heptademon Ghost Guard!

Tang Jie finally reunited with the ghost guard! The battle with Chang Baimei wouldn’t have been so tough if this guy had been around!