Chapter 77: Fate (2)

Chapter 77: Fate (2)/translatingnovice

Mad Lord began his explanation.

[As the most basic example, from the moment a human is born, they are continuously drawn towards 'death,' which is the force of attraction of their fate.]

Mad Lord draws two points in the air and connects them with a line.

[This is the basic structure of life. It starts here and ends there. The slight differences in each being's lifespan introduces changes in fate.]

Mad Lord draws several more lines above and below the line connecting the two points.

[Let's say this line represents life. The endings of other lives, represented by these different lines, influence it. Since fate has a force of attraction, it pulls slightly towards where other fates end.

Thus, fate is not a smooth, straight line from life to death, but becomes chaotic, influenced by the fates of other beings.]

The original line becomes uneven, adjusting to the endpoints of the other lines.

[We call this the play of fate or connections. These connections and fate determine our lives, and what is meant to happen, will inevitably happen.]

"...So, the saying that what is meant to happen will happen means..."

[Let's assume there's a close friend. That friend has a different lifespan and fate than me, meeting the fate of death earlier than me. That fate is closely attached to me and also has a force of attraction, so I inevitably get involved in the friend's death.

This is why what is meant to happen will 'definitely' happen.]

"So, does this mean that events unrelated to death are also fated to happen?"

[No, there are no events in this world that are not related to birth and death. Do you know how many lives are born and die in the air we breathe, even in a single moment? I may have explained fate using simple lines, but the cycle of birth and death in fate is so complex and endless that it can never be simply expressed.]

"I see..."

[As all beings, in the cycle of birth and death, carry life, it can be said that every event ultimately has a force of attraction.]

Mad Lord erases the lines in the air and randomly dots points.

[Following these forces of attraction in life, every being embarks on a long and short journey...]

Mad Lord starts connecting the points from the first one.

Eventually, all points are connected, forming a complex and intricate trajectory.

[What do you think, looking at this?]

'A child's scribbles?'

I swallow what I was about to say and reply to him.

"I don't quite understand."Visit no(v)eLb(i)n.com for the best novel reading experience

[Points creating attraction, and lines drawn towards them... Doesn't it resemble constellations in the night sky?]

"Ah..."

Tick, tick, tick...

Mad Lord continues to dot points with Pure Spiritual Force beyond the connected lines.

Indeed, it resembles stars in the night sky.

[I've never reached the stars in the star realm, but ancient texts from cultivators who roamed the star realm say that the stars in the night sky also exert a force of attraction.]

Mad Lord strokes his chin and continues his explanation.

[Stars are much like fate, aren't they? Or rather, if those texts are true, it's more like fate resembles constellations. Fate is like constellations.

Life is thus a journey of swimming through a sea of stars, finding forces of attraction close to one's fateAnd events close to one's life. Being pulled by the attraction of fate, these events 'inevitably' happen...]

Something seems to come to his mind, and Mad Lord looks bitter.

[...Anyway. If we view fate as constellations and life as swimming through a sea of stars,

The principle of cultivators observing the celestial energy and reading their fate is roughly like that. Detecting the nearest force of attraction of fate.

Additionally, the way for cultivators to escape the force of fate's attraction is simple. When ordinary life goes from here to there.]

Mad Lord connects points in the air.

The constellation drawn by connecting the points ends at a certain spot.

The distance to the next point is quite far.

It looks like the line could not be extended further.

[Between these stars, create a suitable star and head towards the next one.

The stages of cultivation, such as the Seventy-Two Earthly Sha, Thirty-Six Heavenly Gang, Seven Stars Ritual, Qi Building's Spiritual Energy Star, Core Formation's Star Domain, are not there for nothing.

They create something similar to a star within the body, artificially creating a flow of fate, thus extending their fate.

This is how cultivators extend their lifespan and why they are called beings against the heavens.]

Mad Lord smirks as he continues his explanation.

[Then, if fate is meant to happen but one wants to escape it, how? How to escape this trajectory of fate? Simple.]

Mad Lord redraws the constellation.

[The closest thing in this fate is the next fate, but if the master of the life desires a different fate...]

He daws a line from one star to another, illustrating the line moving towards a different constellation than originally intended.

[It's difficult to move to a different fate because the force of attraction of the next fate pulls in the existence.]

The line tries to move to a different constellation but is held back by the force of attraction of the determined fate.

[So, what should be done? The method is simple. Escape the force of fates attraction.]

Whoosh!

The line escapes the force of attraction of the predetermined star and lands in a different one.

"...How do you do that?"

[How, you ask? Power! If there is power to escape the force of attraction, one can escape from fate.]

As he clenches his fist, all the constellations and drawings he had made in the air disappear instantly.

[If you can't change fate, it's evidence of your weakness. Overwhelming power to escape the force of attraction of fate! And the bone-grinding effort to escape that force! With just these two, we can reach a different fate than the one pre-determined.

Things that are meant to happen will happen, but depending on the effort of the being, we may not suffer from those inevitable events.]

As Mad Lord continues his explanation, his eyes sparkle with excitement.

[If fate torments me, then I should become stronger than fate! Where else can you find such a clear solution! I, too, have strived and strived to escape from my predetermined fate...]

Mad Lord clutches the box beside him, gasping for breath.

[I will escape the fate of never meeting her again and will see her no matter what. By any means! If I keep trying, I will definitely see her again. Definitely, with her...]

Mad Lord caresses the box with shining eyes, muttering to [something] inside it.

[Ah, my love. I love you. Please, please, talk to me again, hold the fan, and dance those steps like before. Not being able to see you is not the fate I want. If I can see you again, I will throw away all my fate and gather strength to leap to a different fate. To a place where I can see you. So please...]

He scratches the box frantically, speaking crazily to something inside.

'Certainly, he's not in his right mind.'

I look at Manager Kim Yeon, who had been knocked out by Mad Lord.

'Power...'

He looks serious.

"That's why I left everything, including my external elder position in the Jin Clan, to come to you. Together, we need to discuss this Beyond the Path to Heaven Martial Arts in our minds and move to the next realm."

"..."

"I instinctively know. To reach this realm, I can no longer rely solely on innate talent. It's a realm that can only be achieved through decades of intense training... I understood the bloodied and painful efforts of the creator of the Beyond the Path to Heaven Martial Arts..."

He floats nine Gang Spheres around him.

"I have reached the extreme, but honestly, I have no idea how to move to the next realm. Even though the predecessor carved the path forward with their blood, I dont dare to walk it alone."

His eyes fill with a somber look.

"It will take decades of intense practice. Even for someone like me! So, walk this path together with me... reach this realm with me."

Yet, even in his somber state, his eyes tell me he has no thoughts of giving up.

'Kim Hyung...'

They say to change one's fate, humans need both the effort to break free from fate's attraction and the power to do so.

But perhaps what truly frees humans from fate is not power, but will.

"...Understood."

I meet his eyes, reaffirming my resolve for this life.

"Let's together, surpass fate."

From that day, Kim Young-hoon and I began our simultaneous cultivation at Shattered Heaven Peak.

"...Huh!"

I suddenly wake up.

'Was it a dream of the past?'

It was a dream about the day Kim Young-hoon and I decided to train together at Shattered Heaven Peak.

I shake my head to clear it.

'I passed out to the point of dreaming.'

Thud, thud...

I stand up, dusting off the dirt and stone powder from my body.

The vicinity of Shattered Heaven Peak is a mess.

There are sword and saber marks everywhere, and craters caused by Gang Spheres all around.

Cough, cough!

I use a palm strike to clear the dust and look for Kim Young-hoon.

If I remember correctly, during our spar, Kim Young-hoon and I had struck each other and were thrown in opposite directions.

I had taken a blow from Kim Young-hoon and lost consciousness momentarily, ending up dreaming about the past.

But Kim Young-hoon had taken not only my kick but also dozens of cultivator spells, so I don't know his condition.

"Kim Hyung! Kim... Huh!"

While searching, I see Kim Young-hoon below in the valley, half-buried.

'Damn it, if we had just fought using martial arts from the start, it would have been somewhat safer...'

If Kim Young-hoon hadn't been stubborn about gaining enlightenment in a life-and-death struggle, insisting we use both martial arts and cultivation techniques, it wouldn't have come to this.

"Kim Hyung, Kim Hyung!"

I use a light body technique to descend into the valley and pull out Kim Young-hoon, who was half-buried.

"Cough, cough..."

It seems he wasn't seriously injured despite being buried headfirst, perhaps because he used protective Gang Qi at the moment of impact.

"Cough, chuckle..."

He spits out blood, but at least he isn't dead from the head-first crash.

"Please wait, I'll perform first aid first."

I bring the herbs and acupuncture needles I had prepared before the duel and start treating Kim Young-hoon.

Tap, tap, tap, tap...

I insert needles into Kim Young-hoon's body to activate his life force.

Soon after, Kim Young-hoon regains consciousness.

"Kim Hyung, are you okay? How many fingers am I holding up?"

"...Two.."

"...You're in bad shape."

I clench my fist, tucking in my index finger, and click my tongue.

"I'll do the treatment first and then go to the cultivators' market to buy some healing talismans. For now..."

"No, I mean two."

Kim Young-hoon, waking up from his dazed state, speaks decisively.

"I meant I gained two insights this time..."

Crack...

Kim Young-hoon stands up.

Cough, cough...

He coughs up blood.

"...On the brink of life and death, I found a clue to the next realm. I've somewhat succeeded in understanding the enlightenment of the Beyond the Path to Heaven Martial Arts."

He wipes the blood from his mouth and grins.

"One thing's for sure. The Beyond the Path to Heaven Martial Arts is a martial art steeped in the subjectivity of its creator. The reason is, the realm obtained through the Beyond the Path to Heaven Martial Arts is different for each person."

"Really...?"

"Beyond the Ultimate Pinnacle, the realm is reached through different enlightenments for each individual. Up to this point, it was divided only by the type of weapon and martial arts, but beyond this, it differs based on the 'person.'"

I listen to Kim Young-hoon's insights and my mouth opens in amazement.

35 years into the return.

Kim Young-hoon began to gain insights into the next step through the Beyond the Path to Heaven Martial Arts.

Translator Notes: Extra chapter donated by Citino and IwantMOOOORE. Thanks for the support!

Mr. Citino really be burning my stockpile. One more extra chapter coming soon T.T

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