Chapter 34: There Is Only One Path to Destiny
The spear pierced through the blood-red moon, and that blood moon shattered.
The Borisin, still in the midst of their lunar frenzy, had yet to achieve any substantial results when they suddenly discovered that, without the moonlight, their bodies felt abruptly hollow.
They let out a few strange cries, then cursed and grumbled before turning around and fleeing once more…
Meanwhile, the General, seeing the "demon tide" recede, let out a long breath and collapsed back into his chair.
"Hah…"
"If not for this knight's intervention, our brothers below would have suffered severe losses…"
"The next time anyone says scholars are useless, I'll slap them on the spot!"
As for those Cloud Knights who knew you, their respect turned into admiration, and they were filled with gratitude toward you.
You, however, noticed none of this. You were only silently staring at a tiny mote of golden light that had been exposed from within the shattered small satellite.
If your body had not undergone multiple transformations, you might not have noticed that tiny speck of golden light from such a distance.
In your heart, you guessed that it might be that peculiar plant—
The kind that could extend your lifespan…
The small asteroid had been shattered by the spear you threw, and its fragments streaked across the sky, forming a magnificent meteor shower as they brushed through the atmosphere.
This was completely out of place against the somber atmosphere of the battlefield.
And that mote of golden light was within that meteor shower; although it was very conspicuous, you were the only one on the entire battlefield who noticed it.
It wasn't that your eyesight was particularly sharp, but rather that only you had seen this scene in a dream…
Just as you were about to move closer to where that golden light was, the General had someone deliver a star skiff to you.
A customized Cloud Knights edition…
It was very fast—this should be…
The Yunqi Army's way of expressing respect and gratitude.
You looked toward the battleship, and the General cupped his fists and bowed to you.
You nodded in acknowledgment, accepted the star skiff, and planned to pilot it toward that golden light…
But outside your line of sight, in a corner of the battlefield you could not notice,
There was a Bu Li person with a strange appearance…
Staring fixedly at your back.
"Stingy disciple, is this what you mentioned while teaching in the Jade Pavilion…?"
"The Great Dao has fifty, the Heavenly Will forty-nine, and man escapes with one?"
That "Bu Li person" was gaunt and appeared severely malnourished compared to the other Borisin.
Naturally, he was Jing Tian, the Diviner of Xianzhou at the time. He had come here because the "Realm of the Manifestation of the Light of the Ten Directions" indicated that the Cloud Knights would lose this war.
He was puzzled; this was clearly a one-sided massacre…
Why did all his calculations consistently yield the result of a "crushing defeat"?
And just now, when that blood-red moon emerged—
He understood.
That blood moon would not only cause the Borisin to enter a state of "lunar frenzy," but also, due to its proximity to the ground, draw in a massive tide…
That terrifying tide— even from a great distance, one could feel its dreadful power.
If that tide truly surged in, his side would naturally suffer heavy losses…
Which would, of course, match the words "crushing defeat."
However, at that moment, things were fine.
Destiny…
It seemed there were other factors…
The Diviner Jing Tian, disguised as a frail old Bu Li who had infiltrated the enemy lines, stroked his beard and suddenly felt a little lighter at heart…
It seemed that destiny did not have only a single path.
He had just breathed a sigh of relief…
When he suddenly felt the ground beneath his feet tremble violently. Jing Tian froze; it was an "earth dragon turning"—
He immediately slapped his forehead in frustration.
That's right! That moon was the satellite of the planet beneath his feet. If it suddenly disappeared, the abrupt change in the gravitational field would cause enormous fluctuations within the planet…
He immediately tore off his disguise and pulled something from his chest.
With a strong tug—
A brilliant light shot into the sky.
It was a general signal used by the Yunqi Army of Xianzhou: emergency situation—retreat immediately!
Upon seeing the signal, the Cloud Knights did not act right away.
Instead, they looked toward the massive battleship suspended behind them.
Yunqi Army regulations: after an emergency retreat signal is issued, the commander-in-chief must decide; only if the same signal is issued again within three breaths does it take effect…
Jing Tian hurried through the ranks, shouting "retreat" to every Cloud Knight he saw…
At the same time, he nervously watched the massive battleship, silently counting: one breath…
Two breaths…
Three breaths…
No signal was raised. The commander-in-chief had vetoed the order.
"You're deceiving me! You're deceiving me!"
Jing Tian stomped the ground and cursed in anguish…
Almost at the same time—
The violent earthquake began…
In a desert, an ordinary earthquake would not be a big deal, but now, without the support of the satellite's gravity, the planet's internal structure began to collapse from the outside inward…
The ground was like a sheet of paper struck by countless small stones—
Splitting apart.
Ordinary Cloud Knights could not even stand steadily, let alone pursue…
Meanwhile, the thick-skinned Followers of Abundance took advantage of the chaos and fled.
The battle did not conclude; therefore, it was a defeat…
Loss of troops and generals; therefore, crushing.
What a perfect fulfillment of "this battle will surely be a crushing defeat"…
Jing Tian suddenly burst into tears as he looked up at the darkened sky.
As if that were the destiny awaiting him.
Since the Realm of the Manifestation of the Light of the Ten Directions had reached this conclusion, whether it was the blood moon in the sky or the collapse of mountains and earth… everything would lead this battle to a crushing defeat.
"A predestined outcome—no matter how great the variables, they will converge toward that predestined result…"
"Destiny, after all, has only one path…"
The eyes of the Diviner of Xianzhou were empty as he murmured to himself.
He failed to notice the massive overturned rock beside him.
By the time he reacted, he only had time to dodge aside, and one of his arms was forever left on this planet.
A person who believes in destiny is often, at first, someone who deeply doubts destiny…
Later, perhaps someone who "believes in destiny but refuses to submit to it"…
And finally, they become "someone who believes in destiny and submits to it"…
From that moment on, the Diviner of Xianzhou was left with only one arm, and his remaining belief in struggling against destiny was also left on this battlefield along with that arm.
After that day, a smile was rarely seen on the face of this Diviner of Xianzhou.
…
And by the time you learned of all this, half a month had already passed.
At that moment, you were looking at the ganoderma-like plant before you, glowing with a flowing golden light.
You plucked the ganoderma from the void, and suddenly a line surfaced in your mind:
This object has absorbed the essence of the sun and moon, the spirit of heaven and earth… consuming it can lead to ascension in broad daylight…
A bit of golden dust drifted off and scattered into the air. You breathed lightly, and the dust entered your nasal cavity with your breath.
A refreshing sensation spread through you.
You could not help but feel joy: this miraculous exotic species truly could extend your lifespan!
You simply did not know whether there would be side effects such as being "Mara-struck"…
You put the plant away; for now, you were not in a hurry to consume it.
You were only twenty years old…
As a short-lived species, a Walker of the Path of Destruction, living more than a hundred years would not be a problem…
Then you turned and looked down; the Cloud Knights had already begun to withdraw…
Compared to the high tide, the casualties caused by this earthquake were not "large"…
You no longer interfered, piloted the star skiff, and returned the way you came.
It was time to go back to teaching…