All Heavenly destiny reduced to ashes

29: Chapter 29: Heavenly Mandate, Earthly Position, and Personal Fortune 29: Chapter 29: Heavenly Mandate, Earthly Position, and Personal Fortune Three minutes isn’t actually that short.

In those three minutes, An Jing was confident he could defeat any instructor apart from those in the ‘Inner Breath like Tide’ realm.

Even against Inner Breath like Tide, he was confident he could take on one alone.

During this time of accumulating strength, An Jing had not only mastered his Inner Breath but had also gradually gotten a hold of the Fiend Sword Divine Skill, which awoke when he broke through his Inner Breath.

He still wasn’t quite clear about what exactly this all meant.

“This is your Fate Pattern divine skill.”

One night, as An Jing was effortlessly calling forth the Fiend Sword to appear and disappear, he asked the Sword Spirit, who replied, “Although it’s only a part, this indicates you already possess a Fate Pattern—the more you train, the more prominent your Fate Pattern will become until it fully manifests.”

“However, you’ve just obtained your Fate Pattern, and it’s not even fully awakened yet, but you already have your Fate Pattern divine skill…

This proves that your Fate Pattern is quite extraordinary, and you are exceptionally compatible with it.”

“My Fate Pattern, huh…

Yes, I’ve come to realize it now.

Those followers of the Heaven’s Will Demon Sect believe we, the ‘Children of Calamity,’ are special and can awaken our Fate Patterns better than others.”

As he sheathed the Fiend Sword, An Jing thought about the five special children he saw at the gathering, who had not appeared since, likely having been sent back to the ‘main mountain.’ “If one doesn’t awaken their Fate Pattern, is it impossible to detect?”

“Now that I have awakened my Fate Pattern, would the Master of the Medicine Manor discover it and alter their plans, taking me away earlier?”

—In that case, I wouldn’t be able to protect my friends.

Frankly, if An Jing had a Fate Pattern from the start like those five children and was sent directly back to the main mountain for cultivation, followed by going through the indoctrination process of Hanging Fate Manor by the Demon Sect…

Having not met other friends and formed emotional bonds, he would likely not harbor any resentment towards the Demon Sect.

Once he grew in strength, he probably would have been transformed by the moral views and thought processes of the Demon Sect, becoming a true member of the Demon Sect.

Even later on, upon learning of the numerous tragedies at Hanging Fate Manor, the version of himself who never truly interacted with those ‘people’ might feel a sense of superiority, believing he was special.

Those children who did not awaken their Fate Patterns from the start should not be like him; they should pay with their lives to catch up to his pace.

Thinking of this possibility made An Jing feel utterly disgusted, and a fierce anger surged, honing the Rusty Sword inside his heart.

“Fate, emanates from heaven.

Unless the holder activates it on their own initiative, or through a special Ritual Sacrifice Formation, it’s hardly discernible by regular means and requires a special ‘Heaven’s Will’ divine skill.”

“Otherwise, any cultivator could merely glance and see who has a Fate Pattern, right?

Don’t worry, that Demon Sect Manor Master won’t be able to tell.”

The Sword Spirit thoroughly explained the secrecy of the Fate Pattern, but regarding An Jing’s previous question, the Sword Spirit straightforwardly refuted, “As for your earlier question, you got it wrong.”

“Although people often speak of ‘awakening Fate Patterns,’ strictly speaking, there’s no such thing as ‘awakening’ or ‘not awakening’; it’s only about ‘strength’.”

“Everyone has a fate, and all fate comes from heaven.

But ‘Heavenly Mandate’ is not everything; there’s also ‘Earthly Position’ and ‘Personal Fortune’ to aid it.”

Addressing An Jing’s confusion, the Sword Spirit earnestly explained, “‘Heavenly Mandate’ is determined at birth, as decreed by heaven, depending on the soul’s luck in reincarnation.

Even if one is not born under auspicious stars, being born into an imperial family is in itself a ‘Noble Destiny.’

“But having only ‘Noble Destiny’ is pointless unless you consider the ‘Earthly Position.’

“‘Earthly Position’ represents one’s status and position.

As the saying goes, ‘times make the hero.’ When someone’s position becomes high enough, their original Fate Pattern naturally becomes more malleable, transforming from a mere grass-snake into a dragon.

Just like a rural villager enlightened by our Sect, entering the Sect naturally changes their destiny.”

“Conversely, without a significant position, even a natural Noble Destiny would simply be obscured by mundanity, just like royalty expelled from the Imperial Clan.

They become ordinary until the ‘Turning of Fortune.'”

“Thus, besides ‘Heavenly Mandate’ and ‘Earthly Position,’ there is also ‘Personal Fortune.'”

“It is the effort, will, and opportunity of a person.”

Speaking thus, the Sword Spirit’s tone carried admiration, “An Jing, you are a representative of the Transformation of Personal Fortune.”

“Your Fate Pattern had lain dormant, merely that of an ordinary civilian, but you witnessed life and death, anger was born from evil, and you vowed to annihilate all man-eating evils and the Demon Sect.

With heart as the source, you then changed your own position and awakened your ‘Heavenly Mandate.'”

“Therefore, it’s not that the Demon Sect hadn’t discovered your Fate Pattern, but before you mustered the courage to confront them, you indeed had no Fate Pattern.”

“A child who does not resist and feels no murderous rage against the Demon Sect, why would he have as intense a Fate Pattern as yours?”

“Even if you possessed such a fate, you absolutely could not harness its power, let alone awaken the Divine Skill of the ‘Fiend Sword.'”

“And I, too, woke from my long slumber because of your Innate Wisdom and kind thoughts, and because of your ‘Subdue Evil thoughts,’ I then wished to help you.”

“This is also an embodiment of your ‘Personal Fortune’ changing your ‘Fate.'”

“So that’s how it is.”

An Jing listened to the explanations of the Subdue Evil Sword Spirit and couldn’t help but gain some insight.

He murmured softly to himself, “Fate is determined by heaven, but actions are taken by men…

The ‘Heavenly Mandate Fate Pattern’ is but a driving force given to all beings by the heavenly way, and the ever-changing ‘Personal Fortune’ of an individual’s ‘Earthly Position’ is also very important.”

“Exactly.

If I hadn’t resolved to resist to the end, vowed to kill all man-eating evil ghosts, and been ready to act, I would have been nothing but a trembling child, and even the highest Noble Destiny would have been like fish on the chopping board or ants underfoot.”

“I cannot stop here.”

He paused, then said softly, “No matter what Fate, if one does not act, it cannot take effect.”

“Indeed.

We cultivators, even if we carry a Heavenly Mandate, must also follow our Dao Heart.”

The Sword Spirit was very pleased with An Jing’s line of thought, guiding him gradually into meditation for cultivation.

Days passed by just like this.

Lately, An Jing hadn’t taken the chance to go to another world.

It was not just lack of time but also because An Jing didn’t feel that place was very safe.

Being able to kill so many armed cultivators from another world, the danger of the ruins was undoubtedly beyond his imagination.

Before becoming stronger or at a life-and-death moment, he would not return there lightly.

Everything returned to an outward calm.

And just as An Jing was calmly enhancing his strength, waiting for the opportunity, he also encountered a surprise.

This surprise was a companion who also understood the nature of the Demon Sect.

This person could also be considered an acquaintance, someone whose name An Jing had purposely remembered, one of the most remotely originating among the 108 Children of Calamity.

From Han South Path, Bai Qinghan.