Chapter 258
Chapter 258
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Fate Star Suppression
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Ideals may be beautiful, but reality is cruel. The cultivation difficulty of the [Dry Heaven Totality Grasping Myriad Phenomena Dharma Body] far exceeded that of ordinary Dao arts.
"The key lies in gathering Qi."
"After all, only upon reaching great completion in the cultivation method can one form the Dharma Body. To advance the method to great completion, the amount of Boundary Heaven Qi required is probably beyond imagination."
Generally speaking, the higher one's cultivation, the harder it becomes to gather Qi.
The higher your cultivation, the greater the Boundary Heaven's malice toward you. Moreover, the more Qi you need, the easier it is to be targeted to death by the Boundary Heaven.
As Lu Yang pondered this, he suddenly sensed something and looked up into the distance.
Not far away, an army resembling ordinary mortals marched toward him. Over a dozen banners fluttered in the wind as majestic blood qi from the soldiers transformed into crimson light piercing the heavens.
In an instant, the vault of the sky blazed bright!
Vast blood qi stirred the celestial phenomena. Each person corresponded to a fate star, and now linked together, they formed a brilliant array of myriad stellar phenomena!
"Oh?"
Lu Yang narrowed his eyes at the sight. The moment the opposing force formed their array, he felt a powerful suppression.
'This is... status suppression!'
As a Foundation Establishment cultivator, Lu Yang originally viewed armies as meaningless unless they employed the Dao Court's array methods to falsely attain Foundation Establishment.
But now, things were different. After that army arrayed, linking to the stars above, the effect starkly contrasted the Dao Court's status elevation. It did not elevate but lowered, forcibly stripping away part of his status and even diminishing the escapist light around him by nearly half.
'What an impressive technique!'
Lu Yang marveled inwardly, unaware that the opposing army's general felt even greater shock upon seeing Lu Yang still manifest magical power while facing 'a thousand troops' head-on.
"How is this possible!"
The army's general was Wu Changkong, city lord of nearby Kaihuang City—the sole settlement in the area—and the possessor of the strongest fate star within hundreds of li.
He was the [Earth Crouching Star].
Legends spoke of one hundred and eight demonic stars across the world, the apex of fate stars. Those blessed by them possessed divine gifts far surpassing ordinary warriors.
Wu Changkong was one such. As the [Earth Crouching Star], he bore golden pupils and a leopard head with ringed eyes, endowed with innate divine strength. His martial cultivation advanced leagues in a single day. Now, his blood qi dominated the army, bolstered by the fate star—ordinary soldiers suffered injury merely gazing upon him.
Yet his face now twisted in terror.
He had hastily rallied the army to charge here after detecting the rift from the "Heavenly Dao Revelation" within Heavenly Pillar Mountain—his jurisdiction.
Securing the first kill would propel him further!
Spotting Lu Yang, he had unleashed the army without hesitation, expecting an easy capture. He never anticipated such prowess.
Soon, however, doubt clouded his features.
Wu Changkong stared intently at Lu Yang. He had assumed the foe was the heavenly demons from ancient records, yet now he sensed a fate star upon him.
More absurd still was its rank.
"[Villager]?"
Wu Changkong found it utterly ridiculous.
The opponent's power clearly reached 'sweeping a thousand troops'—one step shy of 'unblockable by ten thousand.' Even among demonic stars, a powerhouse!
Yet its fate star was [Villager]?
Despite this, Wu Changkong harbored no doubts about Lu Yang's identity. In his understanding, a fate star meant no extraterritorial heavenly demon.
With that, Wu Changkong advanced hurriedly and cupped his hands.
"Immortal Elder, that was a misunderstanding earlier. We came seeking extraterritorial heavenly demons. Since you arrived first, you must have encountered it. Might I ask which way it fled, that we may pursue and eradicate it?"
Lu Yang blinked, then feigned realization.
"I clashed fiercely with that extraterritorial heavenly demon. She fled that way."
Lu Yang pointed unhesitatingly toward Perfected Being Miaoyin's departure.
"Many thanks, Immortal Elder!"
Wu Changkong cupped his hands again, turned, and issued orders. The army, disciplined to perfection, swiftly pursued in that direction.
Lu Yang watched his retreating figure.
"Interesting..."
He now grasped the [Myriad Martial Realm]'s system. This Boundary Heaven harbored no true cultivators—all were, strictly, mortals.
The sole distinction: fate stars.
"Fate stars resemble another form of status, empowering mortals yet granting no lifespan extension. Their external manifestations fall far short of Foundation Establishment."
Yet they wielded a vile ability: suppression. Arrayed in sufficient numbers, their stellar brilliance could eclipse others, potent enough to drag even lofty Foundation Establishment Perfected Beings into mortality!
"Higher fate stars suppress inferiors."
"Yet masses of lower fate stars gathered can veil superior ones, forging delicate equilibrium."
Exceptions existed, of course.
"Array suppression demands at minimum [Martial Soldiers]. Mere [Villagers] cannot even array."
Thus, [Villagers] were chaff.
Their sole worth: daily toil to sustain [Martial Soldiers] and higher fate bearers. Lowest rung, yet most populous.
A merciless pyramid.
Lu Yang spied exploitable flaws. A single-fruit Boundary Heaven—rules harsh, yet immature.
Loopholes abounded, in his eyes.
"The greatest weakness: fate star disparities are not absolute. [Villager] and [Martial Soldier] gaps are no chasm."
Pondering briefly, Lu Yang's divine sense swept afar, spotting fleeing refugees. He summoned escapist light and sped toward them.
These were, naturally, Luo Family Village's villagers. The long column advanced in utter silence.
Starving folk spoke little.
Complaint required energy they lacked—or habituation. Survival eclipsed grievance: how to endure coming days.
Villageless, they forwent fields and hunts. Spare grain? Untouched. Endure a day, two—then nibble cautiously, or gnaw bark. [Villager] innate wonder.
The burly man and youth were among them. As [Martial Soldier], even retired, the man outstripped ordinary [Villagers], sharing dry rations with the youth. Sensible, the boy rationed despite hunger.
*Gurgle...*
A muffled rumble from his gut flushed the youth's face. Fresh from training, he craved sustenance.
The man had none left.
"Endure."
The man whispered.
"Heavenly Pillar Mountain's not for us. Beast tide nears—village means death."
"City reached, I'll contrive."
"Master..."
A fair hand extended abruptly, proffering two white candy beans, with a gentle query:
"Want to live?"
Stunned, the man and youth looked up to a handsome young Daoist, visage evoking instant affinity.
Vigilance gripped the man swiftly.
"Who are you?"
"No need for my name."
Lu Yang shook his head, smiling softly.
"Hungry, no? These fill you. Eat, hunger ends."
Only then did the man note Lu Yang had distributed "candy beans" widely. Not all bore spares. [Villagers] ate aught; belly-filling trumped taboo. They seized and devoured ravenously.
Wonders ensued.
"I can eat dirt?"
"Grass too!"
"So fragrant!"
Candy bean consumers turned to dirt, grass, bark—yet shed starvation's pallor.
Formerly, such fare feigned fullness, illusory. Now, villagers post-consumption brimmed vigor, bodies visibly bulking!
Horror deepened in the man.
"What... demonic art?"
"No demonic art."
Lu Yang manifested his fate star. Prominent [Villager] drew collective astonishment.
"All [Villagers], no difference."
Grinning, Lu Yang declared:
"Follow me. I'll lead you to endless feasts, forging a world free of famine."
This time, he truly played the good man!