Destiny in Cinders

"We'll put aside evil arcs and odd arcs for now. Apart from coming with side effects associated with bad luck and too much of an abundance of lethal qi, they are comparable to root arcs and mixed arcs. Miracle arcs, on the other hand, are rather unique.

"Let's start from the basics again. A person typically starts without a lifearc, but the application of their human agency can help them awaken it. Though mixed arcs are weak, they can still be upgraded through constant progress and striving. I met a young blacksmith who was obsessed with the art of forging. After he made twenty-seven subsequent exquisite armaments, he awakened the Great Smith Arc.

"Ever since then, he continued to hone his forging technique, changed his kiln, and picked up formation techniques. He infused esoteric fengshui practices into his craft and eventually managed to forge a divine armament when he was at the Fortification Realm!"

Ming Guangchen had a look of admiration. "On the day the divine armament was forged, stars fell and shifted the celestial signs. It was as if the divine armament had been forged by the gods using the stars as material. Since then, his lifearc advanced to becoming a root arc, the Astral Smith Arc. If not for his relative old age, which kept him from reaching sagehood, I have no doubt that he would've gone on to become a miracle-arc bearer and become a true divine smith."

"Impressive!" An Jing nodded in agreement. "How amazing!"

Divine armaments were equipment that had a hint of sentience. They were the most precious of spirit artifacts and were treasures that could continue to grow. Typically, only sages of the Purple Mansion or Treasures Realm were able to possess them. Stronger divine armaments were reserved only for the venerateds of the Sanctification or Goldcore Realms. There was no way a Fortification Realm smith's lifearc would not develop after forging an item of such caliber.

"Lifearcs are seedlings granted by the Heavenly Dao," Ming Guangchen emphasized again. "As long as you nurture the seedling by watering and fertilizing it, it will grow and thrive. On the martial path, achieving great feats is akin to watering your lifearc. Even the strongest seedlings wither if you don't water it. The same goes for lifearcs; they decay if no feats associated with it are being achieved."

"Does that mean only lifearcs that are strong enough are able to manifest abilities?" An Jing asked.

Ming Guangchen nodded. "Lifearcs are like trees. Cultivation is the same as watering and fertilizing them. You have to cultivate the tree with great care to ensure that it grows strong enough to bear fruits of the martial path, in other words, abilities."

An Jing understood it immediately from that analogy. Humanity arose from heaven and earth. Such was the trinity of heaven, earth, man. Humans, being children of heaven and earth, have natures close to them. Spirit roots were sprouts of the true soul and were nurtured in the body. Their reach could stretch far and wide across heaven and earth. Similarly, those without spirit roots were unable to link up with heaven and earth, unable to complete the cycle of heaven, earth, man that was a prerequisite of the Foundation Building Realm.

Spirit roots didn't function in Void Embrace, however. So, heaven and earth granted their own seedlings to ensure the path of the dao could continue. Fulfilling one's destiny was akin to watering the seedling. This was a process without end. If one stopped doing so, their seedling would begin to wither. Cultivating was akin to fertilizing the seedling's soil. Though it wasn't absolutely necessary, it wasn't something that one could completely avoid. Without fertilizer, the seedling's growth would be incredibly slow, perhaps never reaching a point where it could bear fruit. That was why martialists worked hard at cultivation and doing amazing deeds. Once their seedlings grew into strong trees, they would bear fruits of the dao, in other words, abilities!

"Mixed arcs are far too minute. They are lifearcs that come with an inherent defect. Even if the seedling reaches maturity, the tree wouldn't be able to bear fruit," An Jing muttered. "So, only root arcs or higher are able to manifest abilities, which are required for one to become a Treasures Realm sage! So that's what's meant by cultivating both one's nature and destiny."

"Well said." Ming Guangchen was rather impressed with An Jing's quick understanding. He didn't think it was because he was good at teaching. An Jing was smart enough to be able to pick up on what he said in the first place. "That's why those like us who walk on the martial path have to work hard to cultivate and also fulfill our destinies. That is how we forge ahead on this path. Minor sects or factions that hide deep in the mountain either perish from obscurity or produce promising young seeds each generation that would be sent out to the world to extend their legacies."

"So, all martialists have to get involved in worldly affairs," An Jing said, pausing as he sighed. "It's no wonder the world is such a chaotic place."

Ming Guangchen nodded. "Indeed. After all, not all lifearc destinies are like that of the Astral Smith Arc, which only requires one to focus on nothing but the craft itself. Your Pyrestar Warden, for instance, is a kind of lifearc that thrives on creating conflict, slaughtering thousands and overthrowing the established order. That is why I was contemplating killing you when I first saw you. Arcs that are lethal or sinister like yours make it impossible for you to remain a kind person."

"I never said I wanted to be the good guy." An Jing found that rather weird. "There are more than enough evil people in the world. Can't I just fight evil with evil? It'll turn out better for everyone this way too, right?"

"You can. That's also why I've chosen to acknowledge you." Ming Guangchen didn't deny it. "But doing what you said requires intense determination and extraordinary willpower. There's no way I could be sure you have what it takes until I get to know you better first. Apart from the demonic cult, most other major factions would try their best to wipe out bearers of starruin or celestial ruin arcs like yours."

Hearing that, An Jing furrowed his brow. "Huh? But Master, aren't you..."

"That's right. My lifearc is the Unshining Sun and Moon," said the blind sage. "When I lost my eyes at the gu fiendlands of the True Fiend Cult, my heart was filled with lethal intent. I wanted to let the blind Olden Heavenly Father understand that even if I'm unable to see, I would be able to extinguish the sun, moon and stars and send everyone into the depths of the nether sea where light doesn't reach so that they end up as blind as I am."

Whoa, that's some intense killing intent. An Jing noticed how different Ming Guangchen was from when he first awakened his lifearc and realized what he was trying to tell him. "But now, you're no longer a tool of slaughter. So, the path of lifearcs isn't set!"

"Exactly. In my sect, everyone apart from my master believes that I bear the Six Yin Rising Sun Arc, but it's actually Unshining Sun and Moon. An Jing, that was exactly what I was trying to tell you. Your lifearc destiny isn't set in stone. Lifearcs are seedlings granted by the Heavenly Dao. Inherently, they don't really have fixed names. The names we give lifearcs are mere attempts to try to encapsulate their meaning.

"My lifearc is indeed one of making people blind to the sun and moon, but that doesn't mean I actually need to blind them or kill all of them. I can also turn into a sun so bright that I blind those who look at me. Those that are in my presence won't be able to clearly see. This is just another manifestation of Unshining Sun and Moon, a new path I have chosen for myself. I can use it to advance my lifearc all the same.

"Similarly, other martialists aren't able to discern what my true lifearc is because of this obfuscation and are unable to find a good way to counter me. My lifearc doesn't strictly have anything to do with the yang aspect, yet all they can think of is countermeasures against the yang aspect. There's no way I would lose to them."

Ming Guangchen raised two fingers like the blade of the sword and manifested a talisman between them. "This is the first cultivation technique I wish to pass onto you. It is a destiny-honing arcanum that is just as good as the lifearc technique of the Heavenly Divine Cult, developed by my master's lineage. It is called Renaming Destiny, perfect for people like you that bear lifearcs of malevolent deities who people are constantly trying to hunt down."