Chapter 4: Am I the Antagonist?

Spiritual Roots determine the limits of a cultivator's accomplishments. No amount of willpower can override this rule. All human beings possessed Spiritual Roots, their gift from nature to compete with demons and mysterious beasts. But as with all of nature's gifts, Spiritual Roots came with a catch: an element-based hierarchy.

From one to five, Spiritual Roots could encompass any of the five basic elements: fire, earth, wood, water and metal. Within the root, all elements competed for dominance. The more elements the root contained, the more they restrained one another. Therefore, cultivation talent wasn't determined by how many, but how few elements one's root carried. Those with a single element could harness the fullest extent of its powers, embody its principles, cultivate its best techniques with extreme ease, speed, and meet no bottlenecks in the early stages of cultivation.

On the other end of the spectrum, those with Five-Element roots couldn't even harvest Spiritual Qi without enduring searing pain, could cultivate all but were limited to the most mediocre techniques, and despite decades of hard work, would not reach the middle-stages of Qi Refinement—to say nothing of Foundation Building. Xia Hu, alongside 90 percent of humanity, belonged to that class, whereas Rong Suishan proudly ranked among the Single-Element chosen. As for Chun Xu and Xinzi, they belonged to the anomalies: the Void Children.

Children born under the glow of the seventh full moon of the rat's year all possessed a Harmonious Duality physique. While of massive appeal to dual cultivators, in 99.9% of the cases, the perfect balance of Yin and Yang also filled the child's Spiritual Root with the five elements—effectively making them cultivation-hopeless. Harmonious Duality physique owners thus became the helpless targets of yin and yang plucking rogues. Still, in the extra 0.1% case, all five elements scattered—giving birth to a mutant root: the Void Spiritual Root.

Unfettered by the five elements, Void Spiritual Root owners could siphon them all with maximum efficiency—effectively giving them chosen-tier talent in all five. Better, they could refine the oddities of Heaven and Earth to constantly add superior attributes to their Void Spiritual Root.

Condensed during the Heavenly Tribulations of superior cultivators or hegemonic beasts, the Wisp of Heaven's Breath was one such oddity. If used as an offensive tool, it could enable a Nascent Soul stage expert to severely injure a Divine Transformation legend. But if refined by a Void Spiritual Root owner, it would add a Heaven's Wrath attribute to their root—granting them dominance over wind, heat, rain and thunder.

Among the White Immortal sect's disciples, it was well-known that using her status as the Yin Matriarch and the backing of countless elders, Zi Yao seized the sect's only Wisp of Heaven's Breath and granted it to Chun Xu—her favored disciple. Back then, no one believed that another Void Spiritual Root would appear in the next millennium, so when Xinzi showed up, with peerless formation talent to back his Void Spiritual Root, Zi Yao suffered much condemnation from the Great Elders. Why then did another Wisp of Heaven's Breath float before Xinzi?

'Initially, I wanted to take a second-layer Jewel Box to the Ice-Fire cave, use an Evil Summoning Array to lure all rank two Bearworms and Pyretic Monkeys, trap them in an Evil-Sealing pot, and extract a flawless Frigid Flame Heart. Although it cannot compare to a Wisp of Heaven's Breath, once absorbed by my Void Spiritual Root and paired with my formation skills, it should be more than enough to defeat Xia Hu. But if I accept Guang Fanghu's offer and refine this Wisp of Heaven's Breath, no matter how far Xia Hu goes on the Qi Refinement road, he cannot challenge me…' Xinzi reasoned. And yet, the more he considered the Yang Patriarch's offer, the more unsettled he became. It was almost as if the weaves of a bewitching fate gathered to lead him astray.

What was the root of Xia Hu's meteoric rise? What treasures did his body hide? Who backed him in the shadows that he dared become lawless with a trifling Qi Refinement cultivation base? Many in the White Immortal sect pondered these questions but couldn't come up with a coherent answer. Xinzi would never accept to become the spear that probed the lion's hide. Yet, he had to admit that, treasure provenance aside, Guang Fanghu's offer contained no apparent danger. The White Immortal sect was Xinzi's turf. With the Great Elders and Yang Patriarch to shelter him, even Nascent Soul stage experts could only grumble and get lost.

But what happened after he won? At first, Xinzi didn't intend to kill Xia Hu. He didn't care for his grief but didn't plan to take his life out of fear of future retaliation either. Worse, even if he did plan to be ruthless, he'd have to do it in the shadows to avoid losing the support of his elders and peers.

Any rational person would try to prevent the chance of a monster such as Xia Hu returning decades or centuries afterward for revenge. Thus, the traditional plotline required that even if he didn't take Xia Hu's life, Xinzi ensured that he couldn't return to haunt him.

'Right now, Xia Hu has grown conceited from his recent successes and doesn't put anyone in his eyes. A violent betrayal and overwhelming setback could be the tipping point that'd steer him back to a path of true greatness. My ambitions, lust and greed play against me. All the cards are in my hands, yet I do not control his fate. Quite the contrary, with the wrong move, I can become the catalysis of Xia Hu's true awakening: the antagonist!' Struck by waves of enlightenment, Xinzi shut his eyes close.

Back when he studied Lianist Sutras in the Clear Heart monastery, Xinzi had much free time on his hands—time he burned by consuming fantasy books galore. In those tales, cultivation and Spiritual Roots didn't exist, but even the most ordinary of men could achieve divine strength through the relentless practice of martial arts. There, the ungifted often suffered jeers and abuse, only to rise through trials and tribulations, trample the prodigies that once oppressed them, and right all the wrongs under the heavens. Although in the real world, such fantasies rarely occurred, Xinzi often wondered how entertaining it would be to have hordes of cheated husbands return after decades of suicidal training, with their pitchforks raised for vengeance—only to get swatted to the highest heaven by his pewter staff. This was all fun and games until Xia Hu became a manifestation of the soaring protagonist!

"Lost in the trappings of prurient madness, I submit myself to the lotus' grace. Its radiance opens my eyes to the weaves of my evil fate!" Joining his hands in a prayer sign, Xinzi chanted the Mantra of Salvation—pouring his understanding of esoteric truths into each word to connect with the Lotus' spiritual plane. Golden light poured out, forcing the unfortunate Rong Suishan to fall into a world of his own sins. His eyes glazed over, and he collapsed—writhing uncontrollably.

Meanwhile, Xinzi's eyes opened wide. Dazzling light filled them, brightening the room with spiritual sanctity. Guided by the Lotus' splendor, Xinzi could see jet-black threads coiling throughout his room. Several formed a noose around Rong Suishan's neck, while others stood dangerously close to Xinzi's own.

'The threads of annihilation: the Karma of Self-Destruction. Rong Suishan is doomed, and he has yet to truly confront Xia Hu, whereas I've been planning to all along, but am still several steps away from sure ruin. Why? Could it be that the root of this ruinous fate is...Guang Fanghu?' Eager to test his assumptions, Xinzi reached out to the Wisp of Heaven's Breath and saw the threads of annihilation fly closer to his neck.

'Indeed. No one can boast an invincible fate. The road to topple Xia Hu must not involve Guang Fanghu. Fine, let's stick to the initial plan but add some adjustments.'

"Your mercy is boundless," Xinzi ended the Salvation chants, and the spiritual phenomenon dispersed. Saved from unspeakable torment, Rong Suishan gasped for breath. Sweat trickled down his cheeks while his skin turned into a morbid white.

"Xinzi, I came bearing gifts and sincerity! Why did you harm me?!" Rong Suishan's effeminate looks twisted into a horrible grimace. His tone lost all poise, and his eyes went bloodshot.

Clearly, the misdeeds and retribution roads he confronted through the Weaves of Karma left unsettling scars on his soul. Still, he didn't dare go all out. To the most immoral members of the outer court, Xinzi's Formation Master pedigree fell short when compared to his accomplishments in Lianism: the pursuit of the Lotus' Wisdom.

To protect their temples, many Lotus Monks practiced a Lianist version of immortal cultivation. However, the farther they went down that road, the more they strayed from the true Lianist principles. The most illustrious of Lotus Monks didn't have a sliver of cultivation base but could, through spiritual enlightenment, unlock Esoteric Knowledge that enabled them to contend with demons and gods.

During the Great Desolation War that saw the ruin of the cultivation world and its ancient inheritances, Abbot Yuanzhen, ancestral founder of the Golden Lotus temple, subdued an army of 10,000 demons with a single "Sentence." Xinzi couldn't compare to that legendary existence, but his "Word" had shamed so many that even the most brazen outer disciples dared not draw his ire.

"The Golden Lotus be praised; though this was an accident, you cannot blame me for the damning deeds and sinful thoughts your soul carries. A man of high aspirations should be true to his evil self. Please consider some meditation," Xinzi said, lowered his head in a Lianist greeting, and waved for Rong Suishan to get lost.

Though he gritted his teeth at Xinzi's words, Rong Suishan didn't believe that the little monk was rejecting the patriarch's offer. Taking the dismissal as his cue, he forced a smile, dragged his pale self from the ground and headed toward the door.

"What are you leaving that thing with me for? Bring it back to whom it belongs." The words stopped Rong Suishan dead in his tracks. At first, he wondered if his slightly damaged mind wasn't playing tricks on him, but the more he processed the words, the more convinced he became that he didn't mishear shit. Confused, Rong Suishan spun toward Xinzi, whose closed eyes ignored him.

"Are you mad? Do you know how many would kill for the patriarch's support? What is wrong with you?"

'I don't want to die.' Xinzi would never say that out loud and instead joined his hands in a prayer sign.

"The Lotus' mercy is boundless, yet man's greed knows no limit. In the face of unprecedented disasters, the Wisp of Heaven's Breath is the only tool capable of saving our sect. We have already used one to train the Sword Fairy. Though I practice Lianism, as a disciple of the White Immortal sect, how can I be so selfish as to rob this grand family of its last and most reliable line of defense? I dare not. I will not. Please take this treasured item back to whom it belongs."

"Sophistry! Across the Dongli State—no, throughout the Yanzhou Province, what can threaten the White Immortal sect? Do you think you can use this ridiculous excuse to reject the Yang Patriarch?"

"The certitudes of our present dig the pitfalls of our future. How many dynasties and holy lands collapsed due to hubris? When the Celestial Hall ruled the world, who could imagine that one man would unite all sects and kingdoms in a grand coalition, bring down that immemorial colossus, and usher in the Great Desolation Era?"

"Rhet--"

"I have said all I had to. The lotus' mercy may be boundless, but a monk's patience has its limits! A'Zhu…"

The words had barely left Xinzi's lips that the entrance door opened wide. A wind gust flew by, and A'Zhu appeared at his right.

"Abbot, what can this humble one do for you?" A'Zhu bowed towards Xinzi and asked in complete submission. Rong Suishan wanted to ask why an elaborate chignon still hung on a Lianist nun's head, but Xinzi's following words stripped those thoughts out of his mind.

"The Golden Lotus be praised. Kick him out! The farther, the better."

A'Zhu needn't hear it twice. With a graceful spin, she shifted her bright eyes towards Rong Suishan and flashed him a helpless smile. Knowing that things were about to take a turn for the worst, Rong Suishan pulled the Wisp of Heaven's Breath back into his ring, backpedaled three meters, and brandished the patriarch's token.

"Fine. But Xinzi...the matter will not end like this!" Rong Suishan said and turned heels. Alas, before he could grab the door handle, A'Zhu's smiling face peeked over his shoulder, and her foot pressed his buttocks.

"The sect master's token! The sect master's tok—ooooooh!"

*BANG*

A masterful kick rammed into Rong Suishan's backdoor, making the prime disciple fly across the outer court's sky—never to return!