Chapter 65: Investigating Heaven-Man Changes, Sudden Realization!
Chapter 65: Investigating the Changes Between Heaven and Man—A Shocking Realization!
At the same time Ji Xiongying was "fortunate to encounter a rare opportunity," Lü Yang had already arrived at the most prosperous area of Tianjing City, where martial artists gathered in the greatest numbers.
Haoran Academy.
This institution, which held one volume of the Heavenly Book and pioneered the fourth step of martial arts, had now faintly surpassed Daoist and Buddhist sects to become a sacred land of martial cultivation.
Yet strangely, ever since establishing the fourth step of martial arts and widely disseminating its methods, the academy's dean, the "Saintly Scholar" Wang Boyuan, had gradually withdrawn from public view, living an increasingly reclusive life. By now, even the academy's higher-ups rarely saw him.
"What an excellent geomantic treasure."
To avoid drawing attention, Lü Yang had dispersed his form, transforming into an intangible mist as he observed Haoran Academy with keen interest.
In his eyes, this academy was truly a place where outstanding individuals and spiritual energy converged.
Throughout Tianjing City, only this place overflowed with spiritual energy. Even an ordinary person, after studying here for a few years, could develop some degree of spiritual insight and clever thinking.
But what was even more remarkable was that this wasn't a natural phenomenon—it was man-made. The academy's overall layout, the positioning of each classroom, the arrangement of flora and fauna, and various scenic elements had elevated the mundane art of "feng shui" to something approaching the rudiments of a spirit-gathering formation!
This alone told Lü Yang that the "Saintly Scholar" was undoubtedly someone extraordinary.
With this thought, Lü Yang took a step forward, directly arriving at a study deep within the academy, intending to meet this famously accomplished local.
And then he was startled by the sight inside the study.
Because the person inside wasn't the elegant, scholarly gentleman he had imagined—one holding a feather fan and wearing a silk headband—but a disheveled, unkempt man continuously drinking wine.
Was this the "Saintly Scholar"?
Just then, the disheveled man suddenly raised his head, his drunken eyes gazing blearily at Lü Yang's location. "I hadn't expected such an esteemed guest to visit."
"..."
With a thought, Lü Yang reformed his body, shifting from intangible mist back to physical form. He clasped his hands in greeting toward the unkempt man. "Lü Yang greets Fellow Daoist Wang."
"Boyuan greets the esteemed guest."
The disheveled man returned the courtesy, then patted his sleeves and stood up, marveling, "The guest's abilities are extraordinary. Your battle with the Martial King of Suppression in the skies left me awestruck—I even wondered if an immortal had descended to the mortal realm... But may I ask what brings you to seek me out?"
"I wish to discuss the Dao of Heaven and Man with you."
Lü Yang cut straight to the point. "The fourth step of martial arts—'Investigating the Changes Between Heaven and Man'—I've had some insights, but I still can't grasp its essence. I ask for your guidance."
Wang Boyuan blinked at this. "With your abilities, you're still interested in martial arts?"
"Stones from other hills may serve to polish jade."
Lü Yang replied calmly, "Are you willing to teach me?"
Hearing this, Wang Boyuan burst into laughter. "A guest is a guest, especially an esteemed one. If you wish to learn, how could I hold anything back?"
"However, the Dao of Heaven and Man is diverse—each practitioner creates their own path based on their understanding of heaven, earth, and themselves. So I can't describe it in exhaustive detail. I can only briefly explain my personal method. If you have doubts, you may consult other Heaven and Man practitioners."
With that, the two sat facing each other.
"The fourth step of martial arts—I call it 'Investigating the Changes Between Heaven and Man.' As the name suggests, it's about leveraging one's own strength to move heaven and earth, using human power to glimpse heavenly secrets!"
"My 'Fortune Observation Technique' operates on this principle, involving transformations of the Three Talents."
"The Three Talents are heaven, earth, and man. First observe man—understand physiognomy. Then observe earth—understand feng shui. Finally observe heaven—understand destiny! These three are interconnected!"
"From man to earth, from earth to heaven, from heaven to fortune... At my level, I can know the changes of the world without leaving my home—predict shifts in national fortune, foresee where disasters will strike, where civil unrest will erupt, where officials neglect their duties, where those who feed on public resources exploit the people. I can perceive most of these."
"Though there are still errors, I achieve about seventy to eighty percent accuracy..."
To Lü Yang's surprise, Wang Boyuan genuinely held nothing back, laying out the entire Fortune Observation Technique—even touching upon karma!
Of course, this wasn't true divination of karma.
Strictly speaking, Wang Boyuan's method was more akin to "guessing." Thus, he couldn't discern specifics—only generalities and certain predetermined events.
Yet even so, it was astonishing!
How had he achieved this?
Faced with Lü Yang's puzzlement, Wang Boyuan shook his head. "To be honest, it came to me in a moment of inspiration... There was no shortcut."
"I see."
Lü Yang could only nod. The two conversed for several more hours before he rose to take his leave, intending to visit other Heaven and Man practitioners.
Meanwhile, inside the Wei Clan's estate...
The Yun Family Patriarch opened his Dharma Eye, silently witnessing the entire exchange between Lü Yang and Wang Boyuan before withdrawing his gaze without the slightest fluctuation.
"Demon, how ignorant."
He had no interest in Wang Boyuan's insights—because no one understood better than he that Wang Boyuan's epiphany had been orchestrated by his own manipulation of karma!
After all, it wasn't anything that truly comprehended karma—just a mortal's "method of guessing." The Yun Family Patriarch couldn't care less, inwardly sneering: "Discussing the Dao with various Heaven and Man practitioners—do you hope to establish a fifth step atop my foundation and restore martial arts to its proper path?"
What wishful thinking!
After all, he had manipulated karma to have Wang Boyuan pioneer the fourth step of martial arts, raising its limit to the peak of Qi Refining. That was already the ceiling.
Because beyond that lay Foundation Establishment!
And how could Lü Yang possibly devise Foundation Establishment methods? In the Yun Family Patriarch's view, Lü Yang's efforts were utterly futile.
By his calculations, the current Heaven and Man methods had already disrupted Lü Yang's cultivation of the Saint's Theft. The only way to break this deadlock was to first kill all Heaven and Man practitioners, then prohibit their methods. His own task was to slay Lü Yang's avatar, forcing his true self to act.
Thus, Lü Yang would be trapped.
From this perspective, Wang Boyuan was merely a pawn in the Yun Family Patriarch's scheme.
And toward pawns, the Yun Family Patriarch naturally felt no interest. As for what Lü Yang found astonishing, he considered utterly insignificant.
Even Lü Yang himself—though the Yun Family Patriarch treated him seriously, he still harbored disdain in his heart.
Because in the end, they were all just mortals.
"With the 'Heavenly Instrument' bestowed by the Sect Master, even Foundation Establishment True Persons cannot detect my presence. What waves could mere mortals possibly make?"
...........
After leaving Haoran Academy, Lü Yang once again transformed into intangible mist, traversing Tianjing City's streets and alleys while deeply contemplating his exchange with Wang Boyuan.
"The Three Talents Fortune Observation Technique..."
Ten thousand miles away, Lü Yang's true body opened his eyes. A radiant halo bloomed behind his head as the Taiwei Talisman operated, silently calculating the myriad changes within Tianjing City.
The karma reflected back indicated: Everything was normal.
"Tianjing City will remain stable for the next thirty years. The karma shows no fluctuations—which makes sense, given two Heaven and Man martial practitioners reside there..."
Then Lü Yang suddenly shifted his approach. Instead of directly calculating Tianjing City's karma from a "macro" perspective, he adopted Wang Boyuan's Fortune Observation Technique—starting with the city's populace, calculating individual karma, then reversing the process through the Three Talents to deduce heaven and earth's karma.
He did this simply to verify the Fortune Observation Technique.
Yet the next moment, Lü Yang froze.
"Wang Erniu's family of three at the East Street breakfast stall—calculated with the Taiwei Talisman supplemented by the Fortune Observation Technique—should have descendants filling their home, yet they face a calamity of violent death..."
"Chen Qing, patrolling constable of the Six Doors—faces a calamity of violent death."
"Li Chengrong... violent death calamity."
"Liu Xinshang... violent death calamity."
Calamity! Calamity! Calamity!
Everyone—every single person Lü Yang observed in Tianjing City—seemed destined for a violent death. Yet when viewed at the city-wide level, there were no changes at all!
How was this possible?
If truly all the city's inhabitants faced such a calamity, Tianjing City would be shrouded in dark clouds—something his instincts would never allow him to approach.
'...No!'
In an instant, Lü Yang's pupils contracted sharply!
From the smallest details, one can infer the greater picture. Through man, one can calculate heaven. One person might be a miscalculation—but ten, a thousand, ten thousand all pointing the same way? Then heaven itself was wrong!
"The heavenly secrets and karma have been obscured... Damn it, is there a Foundation Establishment True Person in the secret realm trying to harm me!?"