https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-443-Body-Transformation-to-Sainthood-Technique/12918807/
Chapter 444: Destiny Dao
Chapter 444: Destiny Dao
"So serious..." Old Abacus seemed confused, never expecting Hu Ma to ask him such a question, and even more so, that this question held such importance, directly affecting his life.
Seeing that he had startled Hu Ma, Old Abacus heaved a sigh and patiently explained, "Ever since I entered the Dao and learned my skills, I've heard more and more people mention something called 'Destiny.'"
"But strangely, the more people talk about it, the more important this destiny seems to be. Yet, there's no one within the Dao who specializes in studying this concept, and I've never met anyone who can clearly explain it..."
"It's made me increasingly curious. What exactly is this destiny?"
"Is it one's birth chart, the eight characters? Or is it one's background, status, the three souls and seven phantoms, or even the fate that lies in the depths of the netherworld?"
"..."
Having voiced his doubts, Hu Ma stared intently at Old Abacus, fearing he might give a vague response. Indeed, this question held great significance for him at this moment.
Old Abacus's eyes rolled, as if he had second thoughts, but facing Hu Ma's serious gaze, he ultimately set aside his other ideas and sighed softly, "There is a Dao that specializes in studying destiny..."
"Hmm?"
Hu Ma was taken aback, "Is there a skill among the ten great Daos that focuses on destiny?"
Old Abacus didn't continue on this topic but merely shook his head slightly before speaking softly, "Your question is crucial, but you're simplifying the concept of destiny."
"The skills within each Dao are diverse and categorized. Due to our unique specialties, sometimes, even those from the same Dao have completely different abilities."
"Take spirit-bearing, for instance. Some spirit-bearers only need to burn incense, acknowledge a foster parent, and receive blessings. Others have to serve as beasts of burden, offering their lives as candles to be burned..."
"But neither of these is the most powerful. The most formidable spirit-bearers walk the ghost path, borrow shadow troops, and clearly, despite their spirit-bearing origins, they can sit atop the heads of the living as ancestors. Their ability to borrow from the dead to benefit the living is incredibly powerful..."
"..."
As he listened, Hu Ma suddenly thought of the Meng family, who had a deep grudge against the Hu family. However, Old Abacus was merely using an example and sighed, "Destiny is like this. Take the birth chart, background, status, three souls, seven phantoms, five calamities, and eight fortunes you mentioned..."
"They are all related to destiny, but none of them can fully represent destiny."
"..."
"At this point, let's not beat around the bush..."
Hu Ma sighed in exasperation, "Just explain it clearly, it'll be better for both of us..."
"I'm not trying to be cryptic. The thing is, this concept isn't something tangible like your Shou Sui, where you can just swing your fists and wield your knives..."
Old Abacus grimaced and said, "You want me to explain it in one sentence, but I don't have that skill. I can give you an example, though."
"Like you and..."
He paused, searching for a suitable example, and then it came to him, "Zhuang Er Chang!"
"You and Zhuang Er Chang set out on a journey, of course, before you had mastered your skills. On the road, you encountered robbers who wanted to take your possessions and kill one of you. In that situation, which one of you do you think would have more severe consequences if they were killed?"
"..."
As Hu Ma pondered this question, Old Abacus answered proactively, "Of course, the consequences would be more severe if they killed Zhuang Er Chang."
"Why?"
"Zhuang Er Chang has a master who would seek revenge for him. As for you, you're just a junior overseer under our Scarlet Lantern Lady, but our Red Lantern Society doesn't have the reach, and our lady doesn't meddle in such matters."
"If Zhuang Er Chang dies, Elder Sun will make a big fuss and lead people to catch those robbers. Have you seen that?"
"For the robbers, they just randomly chose one to kill. But the consequences of killing the two of you are different. Killing you would have no consequences, but killing Zhuang Er Chang would be severe. This means Zhuang Er Chang's destiny is heavier than yours."
"..."
Listening to this, Hu Ma found it bizarre, "Can destiny be explained this way?"
"This is the simplest form of destiny. If we delve deeper, there's another layer to it."
Noticing Hu Ma's attentiveness, Old Abacus continued, "On the surface, it seems like you don't have a master to protect you, so your destiny is lighter. But there's another possibility. Although he has a master, his master's abilities might not be that great. You appear to be without protection, but in reality, you're a lost young master from a wealthy family."
"So, the robbers initially thought your destiny was lighter, but in truth, your destiny is heavier than Zhuang Er Chang's. Killing you would bring more trouble than killing him, and the wealthy family would come looking for you..."
"This is something ordinary people can't fathom. Sometimes, ghosts and spirits can understand because they can sense the blessings of your ancestors in your bloodline and know that you come from a wealthy background. Even if your abilities are inferior, your destiny is heavier than Zhuang Er Chang's."
"..."
'Could it be that destiny is just about who has the bigger and more powerful background?'
The more Hu Ma listened, the more peculiar it seemed.
The old abacus master sighed and said, "Even at this level, it's still shallow. The deepest interpretation of life destiny doesn't solely rely on one's abilities and status; it's also influenced by the unseen forces of fate."
"For instance, even if your abilities are inferior to Zhuang Er Chang, and your status is not as high as his, the unseen forces have destined you to be an emperor. One day, you will either become an emperor or be closely related to the birth of an emperor. The fate of an entire dynasty and nation rests upon your shoulders."
"However, Zhuang Er Chang is merely a martial artist. The consequences of killing him would be far more severe than killing a mere brute."
"Ordinary people often associate life destiny with fortune-tellers because fortune-telling reveals the unseen forces at play."
"In my opinion, it's all nonsense. I can't predict anything accurately anyway!"
The old abacus master continued to ramble on about these profound concepts, and Hu Ma fell into a thoughtful silence, following his train of thought. After a long while, he spoke softly, "Then, if we set aside the bandits and focus solely on the two individuals with differing life destinies, what would happen?"
The old abacus master was slightly taken aback but then laughed, "Now that's interesting."
"In the mundane world, when two people with contrasting life destinies meet, the one with a shallower destiny often becomes manipulated by the one with a heavier destiny, regardless of their status or position. They are destined to be led by the other."
"In a more profound sense, if the two individuals are already enemies and they encounter each other, the one with the heavier destiny will experience a series of coincidences that favor them. Conversely, if the other person's destiny outweighs yours, it will consistently benefit them."
"No one can defy their destiny; that's how it is."
The old abacus master waved his hand, "Of course, even with this explanation, it's still shallow. My words only scratch the surface of the concept of life destiny, and there's much more to it."
"Life destiny is ever-changing and unpredictable, sometimes light, sometimes heavy, sometimes deep, sometimes shallow, and it's all determined by the circumstances."
Hu Ma pondered his words and suddenly felt enlightened. He took a deep breath and brought a cup of cold tea from the table, offering it to the old abacus master, "My friend, you've truly broadened my horizons. Please, have some tea."
The old abacus master was touched by this gesture, and the wrinkles on his face seemed to relax, "Look, look, a cup of tea, and it's even cold..."
"By the way, do you have any more blood food pills? I was scared earlier, and I need to replenish my energy!"
"I don't have any!"
Hu Ma assured him, "Once I collect the few thousand pounds of blood food I'm owed, I'll definitely send you a few hundred pounds to nourish your body."
After seeing the old abacus master out, Hu Ma returned to his bed, deep in thought. It was as if a door had suddenly opened in his mind.
The concept of life destiny could be interpreted in this way? If one delved deeper, the idea of life destiny became even more profound. Putting aside the notion of utilizing it, even understanding it was a challenge. However, on a more superficial level, simply associating life destiny with cause and effect could provide explanations for the issues he faced in his cultivation.
No wonder it was said that only those with official status could cultivate the Great Venerable Heavenly General Seal Technique. Official status meant borrowing the fortune of a dynasty, carrying heavy cause and effect, deterring bandits and even ghosts and spirits. Such status could suppress the abnormalities within one's divine soul during cultivation.
However, over the past twenty years, with the absence of an emperor, the value of official status had significantly diminished. Moreover, even if it hadn't weakened, those who were determined to rebel, like the Non-Vegetarian Sect, would never consider becoming officials.
Naturally, I am not an official either. I'm just a small manager in the Blood Feeder Guild. To anyone's eyes, I couldn't possibly cultivate this technique, and even the Great Crimson Robe had to advise me to find something to suppress my life destiny.
But in reality, I might already possess such an item...
Hu Ma's thoughts turned to the General's Order hidden in his Life Spirit Temple, and he held his breath, his heart filled with both trepidation and excitement.
At the same time, in Stone Horse Town, chaos reigned. Some people were rushing around, seeking information, while others were gathering their belongings, hoping to escape the town.
The Miao Shan Fairy from the One Coin Sect was comforting the people along with Elder Sun and others, while White Fan stood guard at the altar, patiently awaiting news from his senior brothers.
According to his calculations, the message should have already been delivered, and he wondered if his senior brothers would come and how long it would take. However, after waiting for a long time without any response, a strange green fire suddenly erupted from the fire pit, casting an eerie glow over the courtyard.
Several small ghosts, chained and struggling in pain, cried out to White Fan, "Master, we couldn't deliver the message. We've been captured, but we've done our best..."
White Fan's heart skipped a beat as he woke up. He saw no green fire in the fire pit, but there was some ash swirling around his body. It was the paper ash from the paper effigy he had burned earlier, which had flown out of town but had now returned.
His face turned deathly pale, and he exclaimed in shock, "This is bad! Even the path to the Netherworld has been sealed..."
"It's not just the New Year Hall Official, there's also... a spirit-bearing person!"
(End of Chapter)
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