Library of Heaven’s Path 2: Eternal Destiny

Vol 2 ch 7: Destiny Lock

"Teacher Zhang, what’s wrong? Are there issues with these insights?"

Seeing the young man enter the room and continually swipe his hand without flipping through the books, Lu Ming approached with confusion in his eyes.

"It’s nothing..."

Zhang Xuan didn’t explain and once again stroked through hundreds of books, just like before, yielding no useful insights.

Knowing that continuing wouldn’t be helpful, he walked out of the room and returned to the stone tablet.

The stone tablet stood imposing nearby, its characters seemingly piercing his vision and giving him a different sensation this time.

However, this sensation was completely different from before.

If earlier it felt like dragons soaring across the nine continents, with unmatched might, now it felt like a gentle spring rain, warm and soft like dust.

Different feelings all emanated from the same stone tablet. Even as the lord of a world, having witnessed countless techniques and manuals, he felt it was beyond comprehension.

"Young Master, this stone tablet feels somewhat off. When I looked at it earlier, I thought this technique should be like the [Four Leaf Palm], bold and powerful, but now it feels like the [Spirit Serpent Fist], incredibly flexible," Sun Qiang frowned.

"You feel the same way?" Zhang Xuan was surprised.

The [Four Leaf Palm] and [Spirit Serpent Fist] were martial techniques from the Master Teacher Continent, entirely different in nature, and could not be practiced simultaneously.

"This technique is like that; every time you observe, there will be new insights. It’s precisely for this reason that countless cultivators linger here, eager to complete it," Lu Ming said.

"Every observation yields new insights?" Zhang Xuan raised an eyebrow.

If it were merely a defective martial technique, then even if a person’s understanding changed, it would still build upon the existing foundation rather than lead to such opposite interpretations.

Something isn’t right!

"This needs the Eye of Insight!" He thought, realizing that it was difficult to see the issue with just his eyes. Zhang Xuan focused his mind and whispered.

In the Library of Heaven's Path, a violent roar suddenly erupted, followed by numerous books suspended in the sky, all emitting a faint glow as they rushed toward the center.

In the span of half a breath, they fused together, forming a single book.

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"Why is the consumption so large?"

Zhang Xuan’s expression changed.

To create this book, the Heaven's Fate Energy he had just borrowed from Principal Lu, which amounted to over ten thousand units, had all been expended!

Forming a Jade Bone-level technique had only required about a thousand units. Just looking at the stone tablet consumed this much.

What a loss!

He had thought that with the help of the library, he could supplement this technique. Even if it consumed energy, he assumed there would be some surplus. He never expected this situation.

But now it was too late to regret.

Extending his right hand, the newly formed book gently landed in his palm. He opened it, and this time it was not blank but filled with content.

"Carved into the blue jade wall of Luohuyan in Huaiyuan Mountain by Zhao Yunqing, the sixth principal of White Rock City, this contains a supreme-level palm technique. Unfortunately, its cultivation path is locked by a [Destiny Lock], making it impossible to comprehend properly."

Flaw One: The position of the Destiny Lock is incorrect; it can be broken by applying over 99 units of force at a specific location.

Flaw Two: Martial techniques are divided into low-grade, middle-grade, high-grade, supreme-grade, royal-grade, and imperial-grade. The highest palm technique in White Rock City is only high-grade, yet this Xuanlong Palm can reach supreme-grade. No wonder countless people have rushed to it over the centuries.

However...

Zhang Xuan slightly frowned and turned to Lu Ming, curious as he asked, "Principal Lu, have you heard of [Destiny Lock]?"

"Are you referring to the special ability of a Destiny Master to lock away a person's future and fate?" Lu Ming raised an eyebrow, looking at him incredulously.

"That should be it," Zhang Xuan replied.

After pondering, Lu Ming explained, "What it specifically entails, I’m not too clear on, but I have heard of it. Generally speaking, a person's fate is determined from birth. This is what they call 'dragons give birth to dragons, phoenixes give birth to phoenixes, and mice are born knowing how to dig.' For those born into poverty, trying to become someone great is at least ten times harder than for those from wealthy families."

Zhang Xuan nodded.

Ordinary people might never earn 3 million in their lifetime, while some children, even if their fathers disown them, might receive that much each year... Even though some extraordinary individuals can change their situation through effort, they often tragically discover that no matter how hard they try, they cannot reach the starting line of others.

Fate is indeed cruel; even exhausting every effort can leave one battered.

Under normal circumstances, fate cannot be changed. However... Destiny Masters are too powerful; they not only master their own fates without being perceived by others but can also lock away others, rendering them unable to resist. The tool used to lock fate is called the Great Destiny Lock!

Seeing that Zhang Xuan still seemed puzzled, Lu Ming continued, "For instance, under normal circumstances, a genius could break through to the Divine Soul Realm and become the pinnacle expert of White Rock City. However, if they fall under a Destiny Lock, even if opportunities arise, they may miss them due to various reasons and thus fail."

This aligns with the saying, "What is meant to be will eventually happen, and what is not meant to be cannot be forced."

Another example: if you like a girl, under normal circumstances, lovers will end up together. But if a Destiny Lock is involved, there will be misunderstandings; even though they truly love each other and know that they are good people, they may never be together... This is the most terrifying aspect of a Destiny Master: the ability to control fate! Once this happens, no matter how strong one's cultivation, it is impossible to break free.

"Such power exists?"

Zhang Xuan was astonished. "So, if you offend a Destiny Master, you won't even have a chance to control your own fate?"

"That’s one way to put it, but it’s not entirely accurate!" Lu Ming explained. "Whether deploying a Destiny Lock or altering fate is not easy or simple. It consumes a tremendous amount of energy for a Destiny Master. Moreover, as a cultivator’s power and influence grow, altering their fate becomes increasingly difficult. Forcefully changing fate can lead to severe backlash, and they might even end up restricted themselves."

Zhang Xuan nodded.

The stronger one is, the more influence one wields; the greater the power, the stronger the control. For these individuals, their fates already have established trajectories, making it indeed difficult to change.

Forcefully altering fate requires greater sacrifices, and one might inadvertently bring harm upon oneself.

Only the weak are easier to control; it's akin to a slave master, who can easily kill a slave with just a word or thought, whereas killing another slave master is far from simple or easy.

"Why are you asking about this all of a sudden?"

Seeing that he understood, Lu Ming looked at him with curiosity.

"I think I might understand why no one has succeeded in cultivating the Xuanlong Palm."

He looked at the stone tablet before him.

"This..."

Lu Ming reacted, his lips trembling. "Are you suggesting that this technique is neither incomplete nor missing parts, but rather... locked by a Destiny Lock? That’s why it misleads the comprehender, leading them in the wrong direction, preventing any success?"

"That’s about the gist of it!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

The flaws pointed out by the Library of Heaven's Path aligned closely with what Lu Ming had just stated.

The Destiny Lock obstructed the path to comprehension, which was why countless masters over hundreds of years had failed to grasp it.

Lu Ming frowned. "But this doesn't add up; in the last few hundred years, nineteen Destiny Masters have come here, and none detected a so-called Destiny Lock."

In fact, whether the Destiny was locked or not had been questioned hundreds of years ago, and they had even invited Destiny Masters to investigate but found nothing.

Over time, everyone stopped considering this possibility and merely thought the method of comprehension was flawed. Why would it suddenly emerge as a possibility now? Did he discover something others hadn’t?

"Nothing was discovered?"

Zhang Xuan shook his head, taking a few steps closer to the stone pillar. He turned to Sun Qiang: "Go get a hammer!"

"Alright!" Sun Qiang nodded and left. A short while later, he returned with a large hammer and a small one. "Young Master, which one do you want to use?"

"I won't be using it; you will!" Zhang Xuan pointed at a character not far from him. "Use the large hammer and smash here!"

"Smash?" Sun Qiang's mouth twitched, carefully glancing at Lu Ming not far away. Seeing him equally astonished, he gritted his teeth and swung the hammer down.

With his strength applied, the stone wall shook slightly, and stone chips flew everywhere.

"What are you trying to do?"

"How dare you damage such an exquisite martial technique? Seeking death!"

Lu Ming was horrified.

"Who is this guy? Why is he not stopping?"

Those studying the technique nearby all erupted.

To better study, some had moved closer to the tablet, some were feeling the flow of power on the stone wall, and now they were witnessing someone trying to smash it... This wasn’t studying; it was destruction!

"Teacher Zhang..."

Seeing that the crowd was growing louder and seemed ready to rush over, even Lu Ming couldn’t hold back, looking at the young man beside him.

"Principal, we want this palm technique to be truly cultivable and not remain in its current state, where countless people have exhausted their efforts without success. I can’t just ignore that..."

Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

"Of course not..." Lu Ming shook his head.

The Xuanlong Palm had been standing here for over three hundred years since the sixth principal, with countless people attempting to decipher it. If it could be fully understood through this method, he would undoubtedly be remembered throughout history and etched in the minds of future generations.

"That’s good; Sun Qiang, keep smashing!"

Zhang Xuan said nonchalantly.

Author's Note