My Simulated Road to Immortality Chapter 2367 - 1763: Master of Slaying Destiny
Previously on My Simulated Road to Immortality...
Ambitions that soar high are admirable, yet reality seldom unfolds without twists and turns.
Individuals emerging from the shadows bearing "Hai Zhen" prove to be formidable foes.
Zhang Fan managed to eliminate Lin Fan thanks to the edge provided by his Divine Technique. However, in battles where life hangs in the balance, victory or defeat hinges on more than just Divine Technique—it's merely a key element, not everything.
From that fateful clash when the rival slipped away unexpectedly, the supreme ability Zhang Fan gained in the Protected World quickly gained fame across the entire Mountain Sea.
These days, all are aware that he wields mighty Great Divine Powers such as [Baited Will], [Life and Death Leave], and [Devour Heaven’s Fortune]. They keep their distance in caution and frequently band together to launch assaults on him.
On the flip side, Zhang Fan usually remains ignorant of fellow "Hai Zhen" holders.
This imbalance leaves him in a dire position.
"Damn it, I should have been more ruthless back then!"
As these thoughts surfaced, regret filled Zhang Fan, though he couldn't fault himself entirely.
In truth, Zhou Fan resembled him so strikingly that, when close, they could almost sense each other's innermost ideas. They were nearly indistinguishable.
Just as the foe's Divine Soul neared total destruction, Zhang Fan felt an unexpected surge of empathy.
Overwhelmed by shock and dread, a wave of self-pitying sympathy emerged within him.
His spirit consciousness trembled violently, stopping his fatal strike dead. Seizing that brief stupor, Zhou Fan escaped his grasp and vanished at incredible speed.
"Wait and see! This grudge will be avenged!"
That resentful shout still echoed in his mind; at the time, Zhang Fan could never have imagined the chaos-fleeing figure would cause him endless headaches down the line.
"Fortunately, I've got an unused ace up my sleeve—[Reincarnation Extinction]—ready as a desperate measure."
"Still, no matter its power, it won't hold up against endless rounds of fights like these. I need to go into hiding right away."
"Yet, staying concealed like this won't solve anything long-term. Eventually, they'll track me down."
Techniques for disguise and hiding might fool regular cultivators, but against Heavenly Destiny Children like them, who carry "Hai Zhen," such tricks fall flat.
The term Heavenly Destiny Child refers to every cultivator marked by "Hai Zhen." No one knows who coined it first, but given the True and False Dao they harbor, it fits them perfectly as children of heaven's fate. Since it pleased all, the name stuck.
Whenever Heavenly Destiny Children cross paths, no matter the distance, the shared essence of "Hai Zhen" and Divine Soul alerts them to one another right away.
The thing that irked Zhang Fan deepest was Zhou Fan's way of exposing his own "Zhang Fan" identity to every Heavenly Destiny Child.
Whether they'd crossed paths with him before or merely heard tales, upon meeting him, details about Zhang Fan would flood their spirit consciousness unbidden.
This awareness appears collective among them all, refreshing itself ongoing.
Initially, Zhang Fan was oblivious to it. During an intense fight, his Divine Techniques [Baited Will] and [Life and Death Leave] got shattered one after another by the enemy, leaving him on the ropes. Desperate, he unleashed [Devour Heaven’s Fortune] for the very first time, turning the tide and slaying his foe. Zhang Fan believed he'd erased the body completely and wiped every trace, with no onlookers.
Yet, in later clashes with other Heavenly Destiny Children, they still guarded against [Devour Heaven’s Fortune], bearing foul objects to corrupt their own Qi Destiny and nullify his Divine Technique.
This led to heavy setbacks for Zhang Fan, and his wounds remain unhealed.
For now, he's forced to withdraw into a mundane mortal guise, drawing in the Qi Destiny of living creatures to heal bit by bit.
"That shared perception leak has to be Zhou Fan's handiwork."
"This sense is limited to us Heavenly Destiny Children and spares other cultivators." Zhang Fan verified this via numerous Soul Searches.
"It likely taps into some core likeness we share. That likeness could be why we all carry Hai Zhen. It might tie into a deeper scheme orchestrating everything..."
This realization struck Zhang Fan, leaving him stunned by his own profound ignorance.
"From where did Hai Zhen originate? From where did I come?"
Zhang Fan set aside his earlier grand plans and tuned out the dangers closing in. He delved deep inside himself, chasing answers to that burning query.
Peering into the heart, grasping one's essence, reflecting inward.
For most, this proves incredibly tough, but for Zhang Fan, it came with surprising ease.
He dimly felt it connected to his extended stay in the Protected World.
"In that realm, Heaven and Earth expand endlessly on their own, with myriad spirits free from decay's fear. It must be veiled under the Tao of Longevity's guard."
"Moreover, dwelling there so long, I rarely faced conflict or bloodshed. Some Tao force must have quietly reshaped and softened the tempers of all life."
Though his departure was recent, after enduring multiple brushes with death, Zhang Fan had changed utterly. Habits once normal now struck him as strange in hindsight.
The pull toward that beginner's haven flickered briefly in his spirit consciousness.
Zhang Fan's mind plunged deeper, as if facing his Divine Soul head-on.
Clear as jade and pure, it looked to hold the marvels of existence. Still, it showed no true variance from the myriad souls in the Mountain Sea.
"Where lies the link?"
Zhang Fan attempted to examine himself as if from a stranger's eyes.
Suddenly, it was like dividing into halves.
One slipped back into his form, while the other floated slightly away, watching from afar.
Slowly, insights began to dawn in Zhang Fan's mind.
"Faan, Zhang Faan. All are yours."
"Faan, that is me. All are mine."
From this baffling declaration, a sheer white glow seemed to emerge from the watchful version of him.
It flowed back into the meditating "Zhang Fan" form.
In that instant, Zhang Fan appeared to break free from the Heavenly Destiny Children's doom, acquiring a detached gaze to study his own self.
Slender threads—or perhaps myriad strands of destiny—stretched out from him.
They linked to endless varied spots across the Mountain Sea.
And stretching past the Mountain Sea...
In that mysterious realm, every thread merged as one!
Bang!
The glimpse endured only a heartbeat before a powerful pull from his core yanked Zhang Fan back.
A gush of blood erupted from his mouth.
Altering his innate Divine Soul inflicted wounds far graver than Zhang Fan anticipated. He teetered on losing even the Transcendence Realm, nearly dropping to the Nameless Realm.
Thankfully, the payoff made it worthwhile.
In that fleeting vision, Zhang Fan uncovered not just a path to evade [Common Knowledge] but also a peek at the force puppeteering all Heavenly Destiny Children!
"Regrettably, I grasp only how to shatter [Common Knowledge], but not how to wield this Divine Technique. If I did, I'd expose that secret lair to all, and we'd charge in as one..."
Zhang Fan's face shifted through various shades.
Unbeknownst to him, his mind abruptly stalled in that very instant.