Book 5: Chapter 76: Tree of Fortune VS Child of Fortune |
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To prevent any accidents, Wang Anye once again carefully contemplated that sword intent.
After a while, he finally confirmed it completely.
Yes! That's the feeling.
From childhood to adulthood, he had witnessed his great-grandmother wielding sword intent countless times and was all too familiar with it.
Although compared to this sword intent, which seemed to be left by a True Immortal, his great-grandmother's sword intent was not as strong, the persistent sense of familiarity made him absolutely certain.
There was no mistake.
Sword intent is a reflection of a cultivator's mind, embodying their own insights, making each person's sword intent unique, with its own distinct imprint.
Even as one's experience grows and their understanding of the sword deepens, the sword intent itself will gradually change, but that unique imprint will not.
Wang Anye had long suspected that his great-grandmother might be the reincarnation of a True Immortal, but he never had concrete evidence.
Yet, from the unique charm exhibited by this sword scar, it seemed inseparable from his great-grandmother's past life.
Forget it, thinking too much now is useless; it's better to first get hold of the Sword and Formation Manual.
Wang Anye calmed his mind, no longer pondering the connection between this sword intent and his great-grandmother, and instead focused on comprehending the essence contained within the sword intent.
Slowly, he seemed to perceive something he hadn't had the chance to understand before from that immensely powerful, seemingly all-destroying terrifying sword intent.
A kind of ethereal, vast as the bright moon in the sky essence gradually unfolded before him.
It was something more distant and elusive than the desire to win, the desire to grow stronger, or even the sword itself, indescribable yet carrying an inexplicable gentleness.
In a hazy moment, he seemed to see a blurred silhouette.
That figure, with a long sword hanging at the waist, stood on a floating boulder, relying on nothing, depending on no one.
She appeared slender and fragile, as if a gust of wind could topple her, yet she was as resilient as the sword at her waist, as if nothing in the world could crush or break her.
In the vast void, she stood alone.
In front of her was an endless void, behind her a bottomless abyss.
The road had reached its end; she could not retreat, and the path ahead was unknown.
For most people, such a situation would cause hesitation, but she seemed to know no fear, steadfastly stepping into the void.
Step by step, a path appeared beneath her feet.
In the faint distance, it seemed as if countless figures were stumbling along the path she had paved, step by step, turning the once indistinct, seemingly overgrown road into a wide and stable thoroughfare.
An indescribable sense of emotion surged in Wang Anye's heart.
Vaguely, he seemed to understand what that indescribable thing was.
It was responsibility.
In this sense, although Ji Qianqian's understanding of sword intent was not strong, the general direction was correct. She had comprehended the path of cutting through thorns to forge her own path of cultivation, but this sword intent bore the weight of all living beings.
It was precisely this burden of countless lives that forged the strength and resilience of this sword intent, unmatched and unstoppable.
He remembered his great-grandfather once saying that the cultivation methods humans possess today are actually the crystallization of countless ancestors' wisdom.
Especially true methods, manuals, and immortal scriptures, which are the culmination of countless ancestors' efforts.
As the saying goes, "The predecessors plant trees, and the later generations enjoy the shade." Without the tireless efforts of generations of ancestors, humanity would not be as strong as it is today.
Isn't this exactly what this sword intent demonstrates?
To use oneself as a sword, to pave the way for all living beings, to forge the future.
Could this realm be what his great-grandfather once mentioned as "establishing a heart for heaven and earth, establishing a life for the people, continuing the lost teachings of the sages, and opening peace for all ages"?
Vaguely, Wang Anye felt as if he had touched something, yet he didn't fully understand.
But he was no longer lost.
The sword, strong because of the weight of all living beings, not for oneself, but for others.
He didn't have such lofty ambitions, nor could he imagine what it felt like to bear the burden of all living beings, so he would use his sword to carve out a future for his family.
Just as his great-grandfather and the others had done before.
"Boom!"
A powerful sword intent erupted from him, soaring into the sky.
That sword intent was heavy and majestic, seemingly containing some indescribable powerful force, indestructible and unyielding.
Suddenly.
The sword intent enveloping the sword tomb seemed to sense something and surged abruptly, even the sword intent imprinted on the Sword Comprehension Tablet seemed to be touched, causing the entire tablet to tremble faintly.
Immediately after, even the ancient swords in the sword tomb seemed to awaken, beginning to tremble violently.
Flakes of rust fell from the blades, revealing the gleaming sword bodies beneath.
At the same time, strands of sword intent rose from them, as if responding to Wang Anye's sword intent, echoing with it from afar, appearing to worship their king from a distance.
"How is this possible? Ten thousand swords bowing?"
Wei Yuanqing and Yuntai An's expressions changed drastically, staring in disbelief at the scene.
Of course, "ten thousand swords bowing" was just an expression; at most, there were only about a hundred swords in the sword tomb.
But this phenomenon was extraordinary, only appearing when a sword cultivator's comprehended sword intent was extremely advanced and powerful, causing the surrounding ownerless swords to bow in reverence.
"Hahaha~" Sword Ji was so excited she almost jumped up, her charming little face flushed with excitement, "Ten thousand swords bowing, what a ten thousand swords bowing! After so many years, only Ancestor Jianming's sword intent has reached such a level."
"Could it be, we've stumbled upon a treasure?" Formation Ji, usually lazy-eyed, now showed a gleam of excitement, "As long as he has the same talent in formations, no, as long as his talent in formations isn't too weak, we might have a chance to advance further."
From the initial formation manual to the later Sword and Formation Manual, they had been continuously learning and growing through the hands of successive inheritors.
But apart from Ancestor Jianming, there hadn't been any exceptionally talented individuals, so their growth had been as slow as a snail.
So far, they hadn't reached the threshold for advancing to a mid-grade manual.
There's no helping it; the evolution of the manual is just that troublesome. Those inheritors with mediocre talent and strength, even with the manual's assistance, could only reach the early Void Realm, contributing little to the manual's growth.
But a peerless genius is different; a peerless genius might help them advance the manual to a mid-grade level in one fell swoop.
Therefore, Wei Qingyun and Yuntai An were forgotten in an instant.
Their eyes were now solely on Wang Anye.
Ji Qianqian was also full of surprise, never expecting that the young master she "casually" picked up on the road would turn out to be such a peerless genius.
If she weren't afraid of disturbing Wang Anye's continued comprehension of the sword intent, she would have cheered.
"I lost."
It took Yuntai An quite a while to finally come to terms with the fact that he was not as good as Wang Anye.
He shook his head, feeling a bit frustrated and disappointed, "This Young Master Anye is indeed extraordinary, I, Yuntai An, admit defeat wholeheartedly. From now on, I will no longer call myself a sword fanatic."
Yuntai An's admission of defeat didn't mean Wei Qingyun was willing to concede.
Wei Qingyun had used all the resources he could for the Sword and Formation Manual.
His family indeed had two manuals passed down alternately, but his age was quite awkward, missing the alternation period of both manuals.
If he couldn't obtain this Sword and Formation Manual, he might never reach the Void Realm in his lifetime!
"Hmph!"
Wei Qingyun's face was ashen, sneering inwardly.
Wang Anye, oh Wang Anye, who would have thought you were pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger. Dare to snatch my Wei Qingyun's manual, don't blame me for being impolite!
Wei Qingyun had prepared thoroughly for this manual inheritance, especially a trump card to deal with unexpected situations.
For this, some of the family's elders even thought he was making a fuss, and the trump card he prepared was one of the Wei Clan's most important cards.
But unexpectedly, the trump card he persuaded Ancestor Grandfather to prepare was actually going to be used.
With this thought.
His hand touched the Breath Soil Pendant at his waist, and his divine sense invaded the interior of the jade pendant.
Inside the space of the Breath Soil Pendant, a sapling less than three meters tall was growing.
This sapling had a slender trunk, with long and graceful leaves like willow leaves, strands of white fortune energy entwined around its slender branches and leaves, like mist, looking ethereal and extremely beautiful.
This sapling was the Tree of Fortune.
But this Tree of Fortune was confined within an extremely complex formation, its branches drooping, leaves yellowing, looking withered and unhealthy.
This formation was naturally the handiwork of the Wei Clan.
Because the Tree of Fortune was proud and unwilling to be tamed or to form a contract with the Wei Clan, the Wei Clan had to use restrictions and formations to suppress its spirit, plunging its consciousness into chaos, unable to control its own power.
In this way, the Tree of Fortune could only be like an ordinary sapling, at the mercy of the Wei Clan.
And outside the formation used for confinement, another formation named "Heaven Seizing Formation" was nested within.
This "Heaven Seizing Formation" seizes the creation of heaven and earth, forcibly extracting the Tree of Fortune's source power, converting it into a force that Basalt cultivators can control.
Moreover, the "Heaven Seizing Formation" can inhibit the growth of the Tree of Fortune, keeping it at the fifth rank, making it easier for the Wei Clan to suppress and control it, achieving a dual purpose.
Over the years, the Wei Clan had relied on this method to develop smoothly and rise rapidly.
Before coming, Wei Qingyun had already obtained the jade talisman controlling the "Heaven Seizing Formation" from Ancestor Wei Dongyu and imprinted it with his divine sense.
At this moment.
With a thought, Wei Qingyun activated the "Heaven Seizing Formation" under his control.
In an instant, the complex formation lit up with star-like lights, and under the surrounding lights, a powerful plundering force erupted from the formation.
The next moment.
The Tree of Fortune began to tremble violently, as if in fierce resistance.
But even so, under the effect of the formation, strands of green light were still stripped from its body, absorbed and converted by the formation, turning into a force that Basalt cultivators could absorb and use.
These green lights were the source power of the Tree of Fortune.
Fortune energy is ethereal, difficult for people to perceive, let alone control and use.
But with the source power of the Tree of Fortune, cultivators can borrow its power to gain the ability to control fortune energy for a certain period, gathering the drifting fortune in the world onto a person, or temporarily dispersing the fortune energy on someone else.
However, since this source power is forcibly taken through the "Heaven Seizing Formation" and not naturally produced, it is a consumable.
Each extraction can only last for three hours, and after the time is up, there will be a backlash from forcibly using source power not compatible with one's own bloodline, leading to a poor state and low fortune for a period afterward.
But even so, the powerful effect of fortune energy is enough to offset all its negative effects.
Under the extraction of the "Heaven Seizing Formation," the source power was continuously stripped from the Tree of Fortune.
And as time passed, the Tree of Fortune's instinctive resistance and struggle grew weaker.
Its slender leaves trembled, its slender trunk shivered constantly, and even though its spirit was still suppressed, the trembling frequency conveyed a deep-seated pain, as if enduring some kind of torture.
When the "Heaven Seizing Formation" stopped operating, its state had become extremely poor, its leaves more withered, the color more dull and yellow, and even the branches became limp and weak, looking almost lifeless.
At the same time, a faint green light appeared in Wei Qingyun's eyes. Strands of intangible fortune energy began to gather on him, enveloping his entire body.
If someone could observe fortune energy with the naked eye, they would see that Wei Qingyun was now wrapped in dense white fortune energy, with red light even appearing above his head, a sign of great fortune.
Wei Qingyun's heart settled.
He had seen the family head use this move before, and after using it, it truly was fortune upon fortune, turning misfortune into blessing, and encountering good fortune in adversity.
If exploring mines, one would surely find high-quality veins; if competing for business, the opponent would likely encounter various "accidents"; if negotiating, there would often be benefactors to assist, in short, everything would go extremely smoothly.
Moreover, in battle, there were some alternative uses.
Wei Qingyun's fingers, hanging at his side, pinched, and a jade talisman appeared between them. Under the urging of profound energy, the jade talisman shattered instantly.
Space seemed to be stirred by an invisible hand, and a subtle, invisible energy wave spread outward.
Soon, the space within a hundred miles began to resonate in a mysterious way.
"Huh?" Sword Ji and Formation Ji were the first to notice something amiss, "The rhythm of the space's fluctuations seems strange, a familiar ominous feeling."
Before they could investigate further, the clouds in the sky suddenly surged like a tide.
Dense water vapor gathered, and in an instant, the once cotton-white clouds turned dark and ominous, their aura becoming increasingly dangerous and obscure.
Within the dark clouds, faint flashes of lightning appeared.
Soon, the area covered by the dark clouds expanded, pressing down on the sword tomb. The rolling thunder and lightning in the clouds were terrifying, giving rise to a sense of impending doom.
"Divine Tribulation Clouds!"
Sword Ji and Formation Ji, well-versed in such matters, were shocked and puzzled, "What on earth happened? How could Divine Tribulation Clouds suddenly appear? These young ones are far from reaching the stage of crossing the Divine Tribulation, right?"
The Divine Tribulation is a phenomenon that occurs when a pinnacle-level Purple Mansion Realm cultivator attempts to break through to the Divine Realm, attracting the interference of the heavenly way.
Back when Wang Lici's master, Yunyang, crossed the Divine Tribulation in Muyue Prefecture, it was a similar scene.
Every inheritor of the Sword and Formation Manual had crossed the Divine Tribulation, so Sword Ji and Formation Ji immediately recognized the origin of these clouds.
"Could it be that this kid's sword intent is so powerful it attracted the tribulation clouds?" Yuntai An was dumbfounded, staring at the terrifying Divine Tribulation Clouds in the sky, his heart pounding with fear.
Despite his usual appearance of a sword immortal, dressed in white and holding a sword, his cultivation was only at the mid-level Purple Mansion Realm, far from being able to withstand a tribulation.
With his current cultivation, being struck by the Divine Tribulation Lightning was no joke.
"Don't talk nonsense, we've lived so long and never heard of comprehending sword intent attracting Divine Tribulation Clouds." Sword Ji and Formation Ji scolded, "For some reason, there was a strange energy fluctuation just now, as if someone was attempting to break through to the Divine Realm. The heavenly way was likely misled, thinking someone here was trying to advance, thus gathering the tribulation clouds."
The path of cultivation is to go against the heavens, and the various stages of tribulation are the heavenly way's punitive measures against those who attempt to defy it.
However, the heavenly way always leaves a glimmer of hope; if one successfully overcomes the tribulation, the heavenly way will naturally grant them a path to survival.
In the early days of human cultivation, crossing tribulations often resulted in a survival rate of one in ten.
But as the cultivation system became more refined, techniques grew stronger, and experience, pills, treasures, and talismans for dealing with tribulations became more complete, for today's cultivators, the Celestial Tribulation, Purple Mansion Tribulation, and even the Divine Tribulation are no longer major obstacles.
As long as the preparation is sufficient, most people can successfully overcome them.
But the prerequisite is reaching the pinnacle-level Purple Mansion Realm. If the cultivation is insufficient and the preparation inadequate, the Divine Tribulation becomes a death sentence!
Watching the increasingly powerful Divine Tribulation Clouds in the sky and the bewildered expressions of everyone, the instigator, Wei Qingyun, wore a smug smile.
The jade talisman he had just crushed was a rare and peculiar talisman known as the "Deceiving Heaven Lightning Summoning Talisman," capable of deceiving the heavenly way and summoning Divine Tribulation Clouds for indiscriminate attacks.
This peculiar talisman was popular during the Shenwu Royal Dynasty, used on the battlefield to perish together with the enemy when at a disadvantage.
If luck was good enough, one might even survive and turn the tide.
Because it heavily relied on luck, it earned the nickname "Gambling Life Talisman."
And now, having absorbed a portion of the Tree of Fortune sapling's innate abilities, Wei Qingyun temporarily possessed part of the Tree of Fortune's capabilities, with his fortune continuously rising under the influence of these abilities.
In this situation, who could out-gamble Wei Qingyun?
Even if "unfortunately" targeted by a lightning strike, with his strength, he could withstand it.
As for Wang Anye, immersed in sword comprehension, if struck by a lightning bolt, he would be in serious trouble. At that point, forget about leaving a sword scar; surviving would be a question.
Moreover, if he died from the heavenly tribulation, what did it have to do with Wei Qingyun?
Under the terrifying pressure of the tribulation lightning, the weakest present, Ji Qianqian, still only at the Celestial Realm, was already pale, struggling to hold on.
"Qianqian, this tribulation cloud is not something we can handle." Ji Yanxiu was also pale, filled with immense fear, almost instinctively shouting, "Let's retreat quickly!"
With that, he acted first, creating an afterimage, transforming into a rainbow light, and swiftly fleeing.
He was only at the early Purple Mansion Realm; how could he withstand the Divine Tribulation Clouds?
Upon hearing this, Ji Qianqian hesitated for a moment, but instead of leaving, she shouted loudly at Wang Anye, trying to wake him, "Young Master Anye, stop comprehending the sword, wake up quickly!"
However, Wang Anye, immersed in sword comprehension, remained motionless under Ji Qianqian's calls, as if he heard nothing.
Amidst the chaos, the first bolt of heavenly lightning had already formed in the Divine Tribulation Clouds above.
With a "boom," the first bolt of lightning struck towards the fleeing Ji Yanxiu like a thunderbolt.
Ji Yanxiu's face changed drastically, hastily raising a Purple Mansion Treasure to block.
"Boom!"
A terrifying energy struck Ji Yanxiu, smashing him and the Purple Mansion Treasure to the ground, creating a large pit in the thick rock, leaving him barely breathing.
"Yanxiu Great-Grandfather…"
Ji Qianqian's face changed drastically, just about to rescue him when Yuntai An stopped her.
"Miss Ji, don't be impulsive. That guy is half-dead, likely beyond saving, and the tribulation won't bother him anymore. If you don't go, he might still have a chance. If you insist on going, and another lightning bolt strikes him, even you won't survive."
Yuntai An, being of royal descent, knew more about the Divine Tribulation Clouds than ordinary clans. In such situations, gathering together only increased the likelihood of attracting tribulation lightning.
"Indeed, in this situation, running won't help." Wei Qingyun also put on a thoughtful appearance, "Everyone might as well spread out. There are still eight lightning bolts left, two for each person. As for who gets struck, it's all up to luck. Miss Ji, if you're lucky enough, maybe none will strike you."
As he spoke, the second bolt of lightning was almost ready.
Even before it fell, the terrifying aura contained within the lightning was already more frightening than the first.
Tribulations are always like this; once the lightning starts brewing, each subsequent bolt is more powerful.
The Divine Tribulation consists of nine bolts, and surviving becomes increasingly difficult.
"Not good, Young Master Anye is in danger." Ji Qianqian bit her silver teeth, her graceful figure drawing an arc as she landed in front of the Sword Comprehension Tablet, reaching out to pull Wang Anye, who was immersed in sword comprehension.
The range of the tribulation clouds was vast; even if Wang Anye woke up, he likely couldn't escape.
But no matter what, as long as he woke up, there was a chance of survival. If he continued sitting defenselessly like this, and the tribulation lightning struck him, he would surely die.
Ji Qianqian thought she could only help him this far. Once he woke up, whether he could withstand the lightning depended on his own abilities.
"Boom!"
A silver light streaked across the sky, heading straight for the two of them.
Under the terrifying pressure, Ji Qianqian's face changed drastically, a sense of impending doom washing over her, her heart turning cold.
It's over, not only am I doomed, but I'm also going to drag Young Master Anye down with me.
Her body trembled, her eyes filled with despair.
However.
In that critical moment.
She suddenly felt a strong hand grab her arm, pulling her into a firm embrace.
Before she realized it, she was already in Wang Anye's arms.
She felt her cheek pressed against a solid chest, her body half-encircled by a strong arm, even through the fabric, she could feel the heartbeat behind it, a feeling of utmost security, warmth, and stability.
For a moment, she was stunned, forgetting the tribulation above.
Meanwhile.
A patch of scattered tribulation clouds drifted by, blocking the path of the lightning.
The lightning hesitated slightly, suddenly veering off course, heading towards Yuntai An in another direction.
"What the… how can this lightning…" Yuntai An's eyes almost popped out, instinctively wanting to curse.
However, the lightning didn't give him a chance.
Before he finished speaking, the fierce lightning struck the Divine Spirit Artifact shield he used for protection and the umbrella-shaped energy shield guarding him.
"Boom!"
With a loud noise, the energy shield shattered instantly, and Yuntai An was sent flying by the terrifying impact, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
Only then did the rest of his words escape through gritted teeth, "…even damn well turns?"
Having taken a lightning strike, Yuntai An looked pale and miserable.
Yet, he couldn't care less about his condition, instead staring at Wang Anye, still sitting composedly, and Ji Qianqian in his arms, his eyes conflicted, expression bewildered, unable to comprehend.
……