Destiny in Cinders

Renaming Destiny, a destiny-honing arcanum that was just as impressive as the Heavenly Demon Cult's own!

"An Jing, that seems incredibly suited to you!" Yvelbane said excitedly. "Your Seven Ruins Arc is something to be feared by many. If you're found out, the consequences are dire. Having a technique that can cloak your lifearc will make it much safer for you!"

"Indeed." An Jing looked at the technique-transfer talisman in Ming Guangchen's hand. As he had said earlier, one had to fulfill one's lifearc to progress on the martial path. An Jing didn't mind doing so through slaughter to cleanse the corrupted world with his Seven Ruins Arc. However, he also didn't want to give in to the strong, rebellious urge of his lifearc completely. It didn't feel right to become the literal embodiment of ruin. If he wanted to continue fulfilling his lifearc, he would need a destiny-honing technique to conceal its true nature.

Ming Guangchen continued, "Pyrestar Warden's nature won't really change. Using this technique, you'll be able to reshape the outward manifestation of your lifearc to something that conveys the elimination of evil or that of a celestial eradicator of fiends. Even though your Evenstar lifestar arc hasn't fully awakened, I believe it's similar to harsh arcs like Evenstar Eclipse or Evenstar Skyweave. However, you'll be able to mask it as a righteous lifearc like White Tiger Authority or Five Armament Priest. Not only would you be able to mask yourself like I have, you'll also be able to widen the scope of application of the deepest essence of your lifearc, allowing it to grow!"

Ming Guangchen was the prime example of such a thing. Unshining Sun and Moon was a miracle arc that was typically not borne by humans. Instead, it was the lifearc of disastrous beings like great feys and fiends or evil fiendgods of the nether. Even incarnations of nether fiendgods wouldn't necessarily bear such a savage arc.

However, Ming Guangchen used Renaming Destiny to change how his lifearc manifested, allowing him to strengthen its core essence all the while embarking on a new path with it. Unshining Sun and Moon no longer represented the universal absence of light. Instead, it stood for a being that shone so brightly that they blinded everyone that looked at it, masking the evil-sounding destiny as the Midsky Sun arc.

Ming Guangchen's path of slaughter was directed at divine and nether entities. He was allowed to shine brightly and come to people's aid, saving them from magnificent disasters like a blinding beacon of hope. That alone made fulfilling his lifearc much more efficient compared to how others had it.

"It's no wonder you accepted the Gu clan's assignment and rescued the disaster children at Direlife Manor, Master," An Jing muttered. "That's also why you took action to fight the heavenly fiends here at Keensight. You weren't just trying to find Mingjing. You were also drawing everyone's attention and becoming the sun-like savior to fulfill your lifearc!"

"My lifearc reflects my personality. I'm more than happy to fulfill it," Ming Guangchen said. "The same applies to you when you kill corrupt officials and fiends. Your lifearc inevitably takes on some characteristics of your personality. That is also the core principle behind Renaming Destiny. It can't really change your lifearc. Instead, it merely unlocks a new possibility for it."

When the technique-transfer talisman finished forming between his fingers, he pushed it toward An Jing, who gracefully accepted. At that moment, many repetitive, complex mantras, meditation techniques and formations and diagrams pertaining to qi circulation entered his mind.

Renaming Destiny sounded simple, but it was anything but. It was something that dealt with lifearcs, after all. It was similar to how An Jing, even with his talent, needed fifteen minutes to enter the selfless, wantless state of Mahesvara Heaven's Child. Renaming Destiny was something that he would have to spend time honing in silence.

"Take your time with it. Once you start, you'll immediately experience some of its effects. Don't be in a rush. This arcanum is something that you have to hone for the rest of your life." Ming Guangchen seemed rather worn out. Technique-transfer talismans were unlike jade slips in that they contained many distilled insights, not just simple memories. Forming it drained lots of mental energy and qi essence, even for a sage.

An Jing knew how precious a gift this was and saluted Ming Guangchen sincerely as his master. He hadn't just taken up the mantle in name only. He had also given An Jing formal instruction as a true master would a disciple.

"Let's wrap it up for today," Ming Guangchen said, helping An Jing up with a smile. "Given your talent, there isn't much that I can really teach you. At the very least, I'll make sure that your training doesn't skew onto the wrong path."

The sage had other matters to attend to such as gathering some materials for the altar he would continue to build the next day. So, he quickly bade An Jing goodbye and said that they would meet again tomorrow afternoon.

Xuan Mingjing also needed to work on her cultivation. Madam Huai, on the other hand, temporarily moved into An Jing's property after the local administration reclaimed the teahouse which sat atop a terrestrial-vein node. The replacement they prepared for her was still being renovated, so she stayed with An Jing for the moment.

Ming Guangchen didn't say much about the old madam. All he did was ask her about her ties with the Heavenly Demon Cult before sighing and leaving. He didn't tell Xuan Mingjing anything about staying away from Madam Huai nor threaten the old woman.

"What can I do to a woman who spent her life doing good despite being part of the demonic cult? What can I even do for her? I doubt there's anything I know that she doesn't already understand," Ming Guangchen said back then. "Even then, I can't see what's in her future. Her lifespan is supposed to be running out, yet it still isn't clear to me. I don't know if it's because of Qi Soul Lending or something else."

That's what it means to have your fate changed, An Jing thought. After obtaining the destiny-honing technique and awakening the Evenstar's trait, he had lots to work on. Once Ming Guangchen left, he returned to his room and sat down in silence.

In the deep of night, the old madam who had been nurturing the lifevessel suddenly snapped her eyes open and furrowed her brow. "This is bad. I forgot that this is the northwestern border. Apart from the Lord Inspector of the North, there's also the Lord Inspector of the West."

She rose and went to knock on An Jing's door.

"Madam Huai?" An Jing opened his eyes and snapped out of cultivation. He knew that she wouldn't disturb his cultivation if she didn't have anything incredibly important to tell him. Is something going to happen soon?

Even though he was about to invite the old lady into his room to take a seat, she shook her head and said, "An Jing, I just received a secret transmission from the Lord Inspector of the West. He has ordered the altar masters of the six northwestern cities to recruit adepts and track you down at the same time."

"That's not surprising." Even though it was important news, he didn't let it weigh on him. "Right now, I'm Dustdawner Jing Xuan. What does the search for An Jing have to do with me?"

"Here's the problem," Madam Huai said with a sigh. "'Jing Xuan' ended up garnering a reputation of one of fearsome talent to the point that 'he' also drew the attention of the Lord Inspector of the West."