Chapter 210: Dao Venerable; the Law of Karma
Within the cave, Lu Xunxian sat cross-legged, his whole body floating in midair.
An unceasing stream of Dao Power erupted from him, circling around him several times before flowing back into his body.
This cycle, round and round, had already gone on for five full years.
Five years earlier, prompted by the System, he had become able to break through to the Dao Venerable Realm, so he had entered seclusion to make the attempt.
Under the ceaseless scouring of the Dao Power, Lu Xunxian's understanding of the Dao surged once more.
At last, as the five years drew to a close, Lu Xunxian abruptly opened his eyes, and a terrifying aura erupted from within him, very nearly shattering the restriction seals he had set up beforehand.
After what had happened during his last breakthrough to the Dao Practitioner Realm, Lu Xunxian had grown a good deal more cautious in his breakthroughs, terrified of being detected.
"At last — the Dao Venerable Realm."
Lu Xunxian took a single step down. The restriction seals he had laid out couldn't contain him; indeed, he walked right up before Zhu Qingyan and Gu Daoshi, and neither of them could sense his presence.
Most important of all, having broken through to Dao Venerable, Lu Xunxian sensed It — the existence of the Heavenly Dao.
"This power... is this the Heavenly Dao?"
Lu Xunxian raised his eyes to look. He sensed that the power was not within the Immortal Realm, but above it — above the Thirty-Three Heavens.
And that power was something his former self, before breaking through to Dao Venerable, could not have detected at all.
Apart from the Heavenly Dao, Lu Xunxian could think of no other possibility.
But the Heavenly Dao now within his perception was rather strange — even, in fact, somewhat uncanny.
"No — this power... it seems to be the same as that eerie power within the Vermilion Bird Race!"
Lu Xunxian was struck by sudden realization, and his expression turned grave at once.
But for now, there was nothing he could do; he could only wait until he grew stronger.
For although he had broken through to Dao Venerable, he could only sense the existence of the Heavenly Dao; if he wanted combat power at the Heavenly Dao level, he'd have to break through to at least the Late Dao Venerable Realm.
As he withdrew his thoughts, Lu Xunxian's form appeared before the two of them.
Seeing Lu Xunxian appear, Zhu Qingyan's face lit up with delight, and she hurried forward with concern.
"Xunxian, you broke through?"
"Mm. I managed to complete the breakthrough by luck."
Lu Xunxian's face was all humility, and hearing this, Gu Daoshi hurried to lay on the flattery.
"You jest, Lu Xunxian. With your talent, I never imagined you could break through this fast."
After all, Gu Daoshi knew Lu Xunxian was a being of the Dao Practitioner Realm, and a breakthrough at the Dao Practitioner Realm this fast was proof enough of just how formidable Lu Xunxian's talent was.
That's right — Gu Daoshi assumed Lu Xunxian had merely broken through from Early to Mid Dao Practitioner Realm; it never even crossed his mind that Lu Xunxian had broken through from Dao Practitioner to Dao Venerable.
And just then, a voice came from outside the courtyard.
"Master, Master, are you in there?"
Hearing that voice, Lu Xunxian was rather surprised, and he turned to look at Gu Daoshi.
As for why he didn't look toward Zhu Qingyan — it was because he didn't think Zhu Qingyan was the sort to take a disciple.
Seeing Lu Xunxian look his way, Gu Daoshi spoke with a touch of embarrassment. "Well, it was for the sake of comprehending the Law of Karma — so I took on a disciple, meaning to meddle with his fate."
Since Gu Daoshi put it that way, Lu Xunxian said nothing more, and instead looked toward the outside.
The next moment, having been granted permission, a young man in azure robes walked in from outside.
With but a single glance at the young man, Lu Xunxian saw through his background.
The Sixth Prince of an empire, by the name of Peng Wufeng.
Under ordinary circumstances, the man would have died a year ago in the struggle for the succession.
But with Gu Daoshi's intervention, the man's fate had undergone an enormous change; he was now, in one bound, the prince most likely to become the empire's next Emperor.
"This one greets Master, and greets Miss Zhu."
Peng Wufeng entered and cupped his hands in greeting to Gu Daoshi and Zhu Qingyan.
Then, upon seeing Lu Xunxian off to the side, a flicker of puzzlement crossed his face; but figuring that anyone who could appear here was surely his senior in standing, Peng Wufeng raised his hands in greeting to Lu Xunxian as well.
"This one greets you, Senior."
"Dispense with the formalities. Didn't I tell you, as your master, that you weren't to come find me unless it was something urgent?"
Gu Daoshi knit his brows and spoke.
He wasn't good at teaching disciples; were it not to cultivate the Law of Karma, he'd never have taken Peng Wufeng on as a disciple at all.
Hearing this, Peng Wufeng hurriedly knelt down.
"Master, this disciple's coming here truly is over an urgent matter."
Soon, everyone learned from him the reason for his visit.
Only Lu Xunxian had foreseen it all.
Having cultivated to Dao Venerable, a single glance at Peng Wufeng had told him the man's purpose.
Peng Wufeng had come precisely over the matter of the succession struggle.
The old Emperor had issued a decree: the nine princes were to venture into a secret realm to the north of the Guixu Empire and explore it, and only the prince who hunted and killed the most demon beasts could become Emperor.
And upon seeing Peng Wufeng's fate, Lu Xunxian wore a look of mild astonishment.
"Interesting. Is it because of our intervention that his future has split into countless trillions of possibilities?"
Lu Xunxian mused to himself.
As a Dao Practitioner, he had mastered the full Three Thousand Laws, and so, for the karma of those whose fates he meddled with, the outcomes he could see numbered in the thousands upon thousands.
Unless he refrained from intervening, fate would inevitably shift.
And karma had evolved from the Dao of Destiny; in theory, the two laws were powers of the same root and origin.
Off to the side, because he had cultivated the Law of Time and had also made a beginning with the Law of Karma, Gu Daoshi could see Peng Wufeng's future as well.
And so, upon seeing what Peng Wufeng encountered within the secret realm, his expression turned grave.
"So — you mean to have me, your master, step in so you can claim the throne smoothly?"
But Peng Wufeng knelt down and kowtowed three times to Gu Daoshi, each knock ringing out.
"It's not that. I've come this time only to bid Master farewell. This venture is exceedingly perilous; in all likelihood I won't be coming back, so please take care of yourself, Master."
With that, Peng Wufeng simply left.
He knew he already owed his master far too much, so he had come only to say his goodbyes.
Seeing Peng Wufeng leave, Gu Daoshi looked toward Lu Xunxian, his expression grave.
"Senior Lu, you must have seen that thing too."
"I saw it."
Lu Xunxian didn't deny it. His strength far outstripped Gu Daoshi's, so how could he possibly not have seen it?
Off to the side, Zhu Qingyan, left dizzy by the two men's words, asked with some puzzlement.
"What exactly did you two see?"
After all, she was the only one present without the strength to peer into the future, so naturally she didn't know what Peng Wufeng had encountered.
Lu Xunxian raised a hand and brought down a single finger, sending Peng Wufeng's future into Zhu Qingyan's mind.
Upon seeing the thing Peng Wufeng had encountered, Zhu Qingyan's pupils couldn't help but quiver.
"That thing — just what is it? It doesn't seem to be a living creature of the Immortal Realm."