Above Destiny

Chapter 793 Good Things and Trouble

The sea and sky were deathly still, and all things were silent.

Even the waves became weak and listless, on the verge of death.

On the mottled gray-black sea surface, cracks remain, like shattered crystal.

Those crisscrossing cracks spread across the sky and sea, like blades, easily severing any intruders.

After the crack appeared, an eerie rainbow light appeared and disappeared in an instant.

Nobody knows where it leads.

Despite the ravages of time, the Pillar of Desolation between the sea and sky still stands tall, though it appears slightly shorter than before.

Beneath the Pillar of Depravity, darkness rises like flames, and a hazy gray mist vaguely reveals countless eerie buildings and bizarre scenes.

The shadowy figure is slowly approaching the mortal world.

In fact, many workshops have already broken through the locks, floated up, and gathered around the Pillar of Depth, forming a unified whole.

They are interconnected, mutually supportive and constitute each other, making everything increasingly stable.

No matter how violently the vast radiance above the sky ravaged it, it remained as immovable as a mountain.

Flames rose from the pale sky, obscuring the sun and moon, as if the sky had been set ablaze, constantly radiating terrifying heat and temperature.

The numbered celestial craftsman from the Ring of Taiyi continues to exude a chilling and ferocious aura, constantly consuming the power of the Pillar of Depravity. Even the slightest relaxation will result in it descending from the sky and burning everything to ashes.

As for the spiritual energy consumed every moment, it is not even a drop in the ocean for an association of this size.

On the shattered sea, the Pillar of Demise and the Shadow of the Celestial Pivot stand facing each other.

In the distance, enormous creatures continued to gather from the sea, and workshops from all sides, having received the news and the summons, were converging on this place, like feudal lords forming an alliance to quell a rebellion.

After days of probing, both sides have had their share of wins and losses. Although they have gained a slight advantage, the two sides are still locked in a stalemate.

Beneath the Pillar of Depths, the abyss remains utterly silent.

In the projection descended from the Association Headquarters·Tian Shu, the white pagodas and tall buildings were so clear, almost tangible, yet no different from reality.

With the transformation between reality and illusion and the refraction of phases, Tian Shu now exists simultaneously in this sea area and in its original location, which can be said to have sent the entire headquarters of the association to the front line.

They are prepared to go bankrupt in one fell swoop at any time.

In the central office of Tian Shu, amidst ever-increasing piles of documents and reports, Gustav took off his glasses, rubbed his bloodshot eyes, and sighed silently.

"What did Lord Tianlu say?" He looked at the subordinate who had come in to report.

"--Everything as usual, proceed as normal."

"What about the plow maker? Any news?" he pressed.

Immediately, the subordinate gave a bitter smile: "As always, he doesn't like to interact with people, and if you ask too many questions, he won't reply to messages... He just says he'll come, and doesn't want to rush him."

Gustav hesitated, unable to speak, and could do nothing more.

no way.

There's really no way around it; of the three grandmasters, this one is the most difficult to deal with.

Although the Heavenly Furnace is... somewhat frigid, at least we can still communicate normally, and we can talk things out!

But when you try to communicate with the plow maker, you can't even find a way to communicate.

He reads messages but doesn't reply, speaks little, and most of the time seems to be in a daze, immersed in his own world, too lazy to care about others, and never cares what others think.

It's like everyone else is online, but he's the only one playing offline.

Even now, at this critical juncture, there is still no sign of it moving.

Fortunately, he did say "I'll come."

There's no need to worry about him lying. If he says he'll come, he definitely will. It's just that when he'll come... well, that's hard to say.

There's really no way to count on them.

Gustav sighed, "There has to be some good news, right?"

The subordinate hesitated for a moment before reporting, "The Carrion Eater has just arrived."

"I didn't tell you earlier."

Gustav instinctively stood up. "Where is she? I'll go greet her."

"I was just about to make the notification when I was stopped by Lord Tianlu. He is currently receiving guests and did not allow me to accompany him."

"Then let's not bother them."

Gustav paused for a moment, then nodded and silently breathed a sigh of relief.

A white jade pillar reaching to the sky, a purple-gold beam spanning the sea.

Finally, someone reliable has arrived!
.
Under the bright sunshine, the grass is lush and green, and between two chairs, a pot of tea emits a faint fragrance.

"How have you been, madam?"

Tianlu rolled up his sleeves and took the initiative to pour tea, acting as if he were a junior, with a respectful demeanor.

After all, few people in the world have the ability and qualifications to pretend to be superior in front of this person.

She has lived for over four hundred years and is considered the oldest craftswoman in the world. Before the existence of the Ring of Taiyi, she was already a renowned master. When the Ring of Taiyi was first created, she was one of the six directors.

He single-handedly modernized and integrated over a hundred ancient alchemical techniques, laying the foundation and path for today's Ember craftsmen.

After eliminating many of the drawbacks of ancient alchemy, he laid the foundation for modern alchemy.

It was precisely because of her ability to expel the old and take in the new, single-handedly consuming all the old decay and creating a new order, thus eliminating many drawbacks of ancient alchemy, that the Supreme Being bestowed upon her the honorable title of "Carrion Eater".

He had countless talented students and disciples, whose lineage continued to grow. His youngest student in the past is now the old dragon of the Imperial Clock Tower.

If she hadn't gradually retired as she grew older, remaining out of the public eye for over a hundred years, she could now make all the decisions about the association with a single word, leaving the council and Gustav with no involvement whatsoever.

"The same as always, just barely clinging to life, at least we're still alive."

At this moment, an elderly man with a blanket covering his knees, sitting on a recliner, picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and made no attempt to hide his age and wrinkles, his expression gentle and serene.

When he looked at the Heavenly Furnace, his expression became a half-smile: "On the contrary, it's rare to see you in such a sorry state."

"is it?"

Tianlu seemed puzzled: "Why don't I feel that way?"

"You've been fishing for so long and haven't caught a bite yet, you must be getting really frustrated, right?"

The carrion eater chuckled mischievously: "Give up, he won't take the bait... He'll never do anything unless he's 100% sure, no matter how much you try to entice him."

When I first met him, he was already excessively conservative; after all these years, he's probably only become more so.

"..."

Tianlu sighed softly, "You've produced a fine student."

"If he counts, then aren't all the artisans in the world my successors?" the carrion eater retorted nonchalantly. "Don't you count? I see no respect for your teacher whatsoever."

The furnace sighed and bowed its head helplessly.

"I have been disrespectful."

"It doesn't matter whether you respect them or not, but it's really good to have a high seniority."

The carrion eater laughed again, full of delight.

Tianlu showed no temper whatsoever and continued to serve water and tea.

There's no way around it; sometimes, having a high seniority really makes you powerful. And the old lady's contributions are truly immense. From hundreds of years ago to the present, she has tirelessly taught and nurtured countless students.

Even after he stopped accepting disciples, he never hesitated to offer guidance to promising talents. Even when encountering stubborn individuals, if they showed some insight, he would teach them according to their individual abilities.

Most importantly, education is open to all, without prejudice. Regardless of your background, faction, or status, anyone who wants to learn is welcome.

For hundreds of years, nowadays, almost every craftsman is, to some extent, her apprentice or her descendant.

If she wanted to celebrate her birthday, the entire association, from top to bottom, would probably have to kowtow to her, and more than half of the people in Yousui might even have to give her a gift...

Back when Tianlu was a craftsman, didn't he also receive her kindness and guidance?
Besides, what they said wasn't wrong.

The current situation is quite embarrassing for Tianlu.

Even though he has never lost a fight since his debut, no matter how good he is at fighting, if the old man refuses to show his face, he can't catch anything. What can he do?
This isn't even a battle between the Heavenly Furnace and the Anvil Elder, but a contest between the Association and the Deep Abyss!

All I can say is that Lu Changsheng made a good start...

He may die, but he will leave a lasting infamy!
Just like the struggle between the Huaxie Cult and Tianyuan in Jinan, even if they lost, the endless troubles and poisonous effects they caused are right before our eyes.

The moment authority is questioned, the authority itself has already been undermined. It's just a matter of degree.

That's why a thousand-mile dike can be breached by an ant hole... No matter how strong the corner of a wall is, it can't withstand someone digging at it every day!

Decades ago, who would have imagined such a scene!

How dare someone as shady as Yousui challenge the association?

This is absolutely outrageous!
So... can we win?

Both the association and Yousui were well aware of this: it was extremely risky!
But looking at the current situation, it seems that perhaps... maybe there is still a slight possibility?

Huh? Is that even possible?!

Why not give it a try!
Since someone "rose up in rebellion," not only the most rebellious people in the world, but also those who did not follow suit, naturally gathered provisions and joined in, and a chaotic scene of demons and monsters began to run rampant.

That was the old man's purpose, and he never even tried to hide it.

Regardless of success or failure, he has already fought against the association. In fact, since he has never actually played, he can naturally withdraw unscathed and enjoy the fruits of his hard work.

By using the entire association as a stepping stone, even if the association's authority is diminished by a fraction, the arrogance of the Deep Abyss will naturally increase by a fraction!
"If you ask me, you shouldn't have taken over the position of Tianlu back then."

The carrion eater glanced at him, shook his head, and sighed: "The person who should be most accomplished is trapped in this position, to the point of being unable to achieve anything..."

Your teacher was right when he said you had great potential but also great flaws.

The title "Heavenly Furnace" may seem glamorous, but for you, it's actually a constraint.

"If I don't come, who will? Ah Yuan?"

Tianlu was amused. "Then the association can be renamed the Taiyi Ring Deep Abyss Branch. When you celebrate your birthday, there might be an old man kowtowing to you down there."

"You..."

The carrion eater withdrew his gaze and sighed regretfully, "If you have to blame someone, blame yourself for being born in the wrong era. If you had done something to cause great harm to the world four hundred years earlier, or two hundred years later, you could have become a sage who recreated the world."

As a result, now, I'm being underutilized and have nowhere to make a difference. All the responsibility I have in this life has been wasted on things that shouldn't be used.

Going around in circles only leads to trouble.

"I don't think there's anything to regret."

Tianlu nonchalantly picked up his teacup, turned to the old lady, and suddenly smiled smugly: "Who else could be better than me?"

"...Yes, who else could it be but you?"

The carrion eater sighed silently and said nothing more.

His eyes, however, clearly showed pity.

Yesterday, the trees in the mountains lived out their natural lifespan because they were useless; today, the geese belonging to the master die because they are useless... Unless the great building is about to collapse, what use is a ten-thousand-year-old pillar?

But if a building collapses, how can a single pillar support it?
"Have some tea, old lady. Stop sighing all the time; it'll shorten your lifespan."

Tianlu raised his cup again and drank it all in one gulp: "At my age, why am I not as open-minded as the young? Let's leave today's troubles for tomorrow, and deal with tomorrow's problems tomorrow..."

Besides, who knows, something good might happen tomorrow?

"That's easy for you to say. What good thing in the world just comes to you while you're sitting at home?"

The carrion eater laughed, but when she lowered her eyes to gaze at the teacup in her hand, she saw a ripple spread across her face.

"What's the noise?"

"Hmm, let me see..."

Tianlu raised the corner of his eye slightly, and in the moment of silence, his smile became even more delightful, so playful: "It seems we don't need to wait until tomorrow."

boom! ! ! !

Above the vast ocean, the heavens and earth trembled violently, tearing apart the long silence.

On the horizon, a dark outline suddenly emerged, appearing on the ravaged battlefield...

As Tianlu said: Today's troubles can be left for tomorrow, and tomorrow's troubles can naturally come to today.

And some troubles will arise, whether today or tomorrow.

He can come and go as he pleases!

Such as now.

Unidentified ships, without any markings or signals, brazenly entered this battlefield where power was still being secretly contested, heading straight for the Shadow of the Celestial Pivot.

Countless people on both sides were stunned into silence...

stunned.

I've never seen anyone so arrogant from the beginning until now!
Now that the Association is facing off against the Deep, the newcomers have not adjusted their direction and route like most other Associations' reinforcements, and have entered the port from the north where the Shadow of the Celestial Pivot is located.

Instead, it crossed a vast, dark projection area, abandoned the aid from Tian Shu, and directly entered the sea area shrouded in stagnant, corrupting pollution, heading straight from the southeast.

They didn't even turn a corner, just swaggered around as if no one else was there.

They swaggered right through enemy-occupied territory.

They even sounded the horn.

It seemed like a provocation.

The piercing sound kept ringing out, like something sharp scraping against the glass.

The frozen sea waves disintegrated in front of the ship, dispelling all the pollution scattered in the sea, and even the cursed chains erected beneath the sea surface collapsed and disintegrated.

In this dark and treacherous place where every step was difficult and poisonous, a magnificent road was carved out.

"Oh——"

Jiang Tongguang peered over and finally noticed the gradual signal. He couldn't help but exclaim, "Young people really know how to have fun! This is fucking exciting!"

"What's the movement?"

"They're fighting again? Why didn't you call me?"

Amidst the chaos within the Heavenly Pivot, countless voices rose and fell as people peered out to observe.

Within the deep shadows, the dim light rippled and surged.

It was as if countless eyes had opened and were looking down upon us. Suddenly, bursts of brutal flames descended from the sky, like a violent storm.

Yet, amidst the ebb and flow of the waves, the seemingly drab, dilapidated ship did not shed a single speck of rust.

On the contrary, the figure standing at the bow of the ship looked up and glanced at them with disdain.

Looking towards that dark, shadowy area that seemed so close, he sighed regretfully, "To think that the Dark Abyss could accumulate so much trash, I guess this association is getting worse every day..."

The gentle voice echoed between the sea and the sky, not only causing Gustav to feel waves of stomach pain, but also enraging countless people in the shadowy light.

"court death!"

Thunder roared, and a sudden gust of wind arose.

A pitch-black storm, carrying endless lightning, suddenly rose into the air from the deep shadows and spread rapidly.

The vast, surging ash, amidst the howling wind, radiated a terrifying heat even greater than that of a furnace. Dazzling bolts of lightning shot out from the void, tearing everything apart and completely engulfing the entire Prosperity.

Amidst the endless ashes, countless fragments collided and converged, weaving together a vague and blurry outline. A face was ablaze with flames, its eyes flashing with lightning. It looked down at the excessively young face at the bow of the ship, let out a sinister laugh, unleashed a storm of wind, and suddenly crashed down!
Then, he saw... right on the bow of that drab, gray ship, a bronze figurehead that looked like a failed casting suddenly opened its eyes as if it had come to life, shedding two lines of bloody tears.

He opened his mouth and wailed loudly.

—【The Six Kinds of Tremors in the Three Thousand Worlds: Mahasthamaprapta】!
boom! ! !
When a single thought arises, six kinds of vibrations occur.

A great light shone throughout the void, and the six phases of movement, rise, surge, shock, roar, and strike rotated and overlapped, creating eighteen kinds of changes and impacts, with a super-wide spiritual impact and a raging tide spreading.

It was like a phlogiston bomb detonating from its belly, with endless burning ashes and lightning flying out in all directions amidst the sweeping waves.

Under this long-accumulated momentum, a huge hole was torn open in the very center of the raging tide.

Before the figure formed from countless fragments could even react, a flash of silver light appeared in the void, and countless strands of silver illusory light suddenly gathered, entwining around his body, even penetrating deep into his bones and soul...

It pulled him along and shot out with a whoosh!

Jing Zhen's outburst left him no time to resist.

Amidst the deafening roar, the burning figure convulsed violently, plummeting erratically from the sky towards the dusty, wrecked ship.

A hand slowly rose, fingers spread, and perfectly gripped the neck that had been offered to him, tightening inch by inch, no matter how futilely he struggled.

The last thing I heard was a helpless sigh.

"I told you you're trash, why don't you believe me?"

(End of this chapter)