Above Destiny

Chapter 829 The Future and the Present
When Ji Jue, with his disheveled face, saw Tianlu again, it was already evening.

"Ahem, you...you're here."

On the recliner, Tianlu, pale-faced and seemingly on the verge of death, raised his head and looked at Ji Jue, who strode in with his head held high and chest out, and forced a smile.

Ji Jue, on the other hand, completely ignored him.

He plopped down and started eating the fruit platter in front of him: "Old dog, what are you pretending for!"

"Ji Jue, how can you speak to your master like that?"

Tianlu's eyes trembled, heartbroken: "You haven't seen me for so long, do you know how much my heart is breaking?"

"Really? Let me see it."

Ji Jue, whose face still bore the marks of bruising, laughed in exasperation. "I just got back to Tian Shu, and my teacher came to my door and gave me a week's worth of lessons. Do you have any ideas?"

"Really? Then you two have a really good relationship!" Tianlu nodded and barked like a dog.

"Yes."

Ji Jue sneered: "I love my teacher, and my teacher loves me... Our lineage emphasizes being as close as family and having a harmonious relationship between teacher and student."

"Isn't that grandmaster, now deserted by everyone, envious enough to shed pearls?"

Tianlu continued to smile, looking at him with an increasingly cheerful expression: "She'll definitely love all those little surprises and gadgets you've come up with, won't she?"

You old dog, you son of a bitch...

Ji Jue's fist hardened.

Then, I realized that the orange I had just peeled had fallen into the old dog's mouth, making smacking and smacking noises.

"How are you feeling, Ji Jue?"

He suddenly asked, "Comparing Ji Jue's achievements with Lu Changsheng's, which is superior?"

Ji Jue remained indifferent, peeled another orange, and asked in return, "What achievements can Lu Changsheng make? He's nothing more than picking up a bunch of outdated junk from old papers and carrying a bunch of bombs to make people disgusted."

If this world were even slightly more normal, would he have any use for it?

What achievements has Ji Jue made? It's nothing more than a stroke of luck; in times without heroes, a nobody like him can rise to fame. If it were someone else, would things have been any different?

"That's so strict."

Tianlu asked, "Is your self-evaluation a bit too low?"

"I look up to him with awe and feel ashamed of my own inadequacy."

Ji Jue was silent for a moment, then sighed sincerely: "Compared to the achievements and spirit of the carrion eaters, what am I, Ji Jue? Not worth mentioning."

"Having only been a craftsman for two years, you're already overestimating yourself and comparing yourself to scavengers? Enough talk!"

Tianlu laughed loudly: "After hearing this, the old lady will probably take back her words about my arrogance. Compared to you, even the mighty Tianlu can be considered humble."

Before Ji Jue could speak, he asked again, "What if you were to choose?"

"Ok?"

"If you had to choose now..." Tianlu asked curiously, "would you want to be Ji Jue or Lu Changsheng?"

Ji Jue rolled her eyes and glanced at him: "So, do you want to be the Master of the Table or the Heavenly Furnace?"

"Hey, why can't I do both?"

Tianlu shrugged slightly and shook his head regretfully: "But can you?"

Okay, the barking has started.

"As Lu Changsheng, you are an enemy of the world, yet you have no taboos. You can manipulate the situation with ease, making everyone like puppets trapped in your vortex."

As Ji Jue, he has a bright future ahead of him, yet he is trapped in a cage, restricted in every way, struggling to move within the established rules, finding it hard to breathe...

No matter how great one's talent or how exquisite one's creation, one is still limited by the present world and oneself, and is not in control of one's own destiny.

Tianlu turned around and looked at him: "I'm not asking you to choose one of the two, nor do I expect you to be able to do both. I just hope you can understand which one is the most important."

You did a great job in Seven Cities this time. Even without Lu Changsheng, with Ji Jue's fortune, you would still have been able to win even more...

Perhaps Lu Changsheng can do many things, but there are some things that you, as Ji Jue, can do, but Lu Changsheng absolutely cannot.

He said, "If one day you really have such a choice in front of you, you must understand what you have given up."

"If they had no other choice, who would want to be that damn Lu Changsheng?"

Without hesitation, Ji Jue retorted, "Does that mean I'll accomplish nothing in my life if I don't become some kind of 'Saint of Transformation'?"

Then, the Heavenly Furnace laughed silently, filled with joy.

What he admired and praised was precisely this resolute determination from the bottom of his heart and an arrogance that surpassed his own.
He waved his hand, signaling that Ji Jue could leave, but Ji Jue did not move.

He discarded the fruit peels and other trivial items in his hands and sat up straight.

"Heavenly Furnace?"

"Ok?"

Ji Jue looked at him and suddenly asked, "Do you hate this world?"

That question caused Tianlu's smile to falter.
After another brief silence, he shook his head and sighed self-deprecatingly, "At most, I just can't bring myself to like it."

"When I was an ordinary person, I often thought when I looked at this world, 'If only there was someone who could stand up and change all of this.'"

After becoming a craftsman, I suddenly felt that perhaps I was the one, and I should do something.

But after becoming the Heavenly Furnace, when he should have been able to achieve great things, he instead became mediocre and unrecognizable, to the point that even he himself could hardly stand it.

He sighed with emotion, looked at Ji Jue, and said with anticipation, "You have to keep it up!"

"You mean, don't become like you?"

Ji Jue was taken aback, feeling this earnest expectation, and was speechless for a moment, but then he heard Tianlu's voice: "No, I mean you should hurry up and catch up, and then become like me, and repeat the same mistakes as soon as possible."

That way I can give you a little red ball and then laugh at the clown.

Ji Jue rolled his eyes and didn't want to say anything more.

Expecting this old dog to spew out some ivory is truly a sign of a madman.

He waved his hand, got up, and left.

After reaching the door, he turned back, picked up the fruit plate on the table, and took it away—since he had come all this way, how could he go home empty-handed?

Do you understand how to eat this fruit?
After giving a final gesture of blessing, he turned and left.

Then, half an hour later at the association's awards ceremony, I saw that repulsive face again.

"Young man, keep it up!" Tianlu reached out and patted the dog's head with a smile in front of everyone. "Keep up the good work and don't slack off."

Then, in front of everyone, a purple-gold crown was placed on his head.

Ji Jue, however, still forced a smile to show his gratitude and humility. As for accidentally stepping on the Grandmaster's foot while taking a photo, it was purely accidental. The child is still young, so please don't make a big deal out of it.

With a click of the shutter, a brand new record was born.

Within two years, he became a craftsman; within two years, he became a master craftsman; and within a month of becoming a master craftsman, he won his first honor with his undeniable achievements and record.

Ji Jue rose to prominence like a rocket, becoming a representative of new records in the association, a nightmare for countless peers, and an object of admiration for all apprentices and craftsmen.

Unfortunately……

"It doesn't feel real."

Ji Jue fiddled with the crown in his hand, weighed it in his hand a couple of times, and didn't care at all.

With this, Master Ji became one of the most prominent figures in the world, transforming from a rising star in the Embers into a renowned figure, a top-tier member of the association. From then on, even if he met the Federal President or the Imperial Emperor, he would not have to bow or pay his respects; everyone would treat him with utmost courtesy.

If Master Zhou were to see this thing, his eyes would probably well up with tears, and little pearls would fall out on the spot.

When he saw Lou Feng again, he was clearly more respectful and addressed him as "Master" across the thick barrier between good friends.

It's a pity that the lazy bum isn't here and has even blocked me as a precaution... But it's okay, I can still tell her about it myself and show her the 4K video of the ceremony so that she can learn frame by frame and understand Master Ji's great personality and noble spirit.

In the end, no matter how much he tossed the crown around in his hands, he could only feel that it was just so-so.

When he came to his senses, the ceremony was already over, and he strolled back to Tian Shu Square.

Looking up, I saw a towering monument.

The truly sublime achievement is the one that stands in comparison to one’s own insignificant accomplishments.

Even though he had been mocked by the Heavenly Furnace, he still couldn't help but wonder how far he was from such a magnificent creation.
Such a huge gap is simply too far.

Surprisingly, I didn't feel frustrated.

Even in the long night, Tian Shu remained bright. When he looked up, he could once again glimpse that faint light descending from the sky in the reflection of the stone tablet.

Even now, he still finds it hard to believe: they had only met once, yet someone could so confidently believe in his future and make such a promise to him...

Even now, the wishes and expectations from those who came before him still linger around him.

He lowered his head and stared at the crown in his hand.

In the process of alchemical reforging, the dazzling crown silently dissolved, and a ray of brilliant light flowed and transformed, eventually revealing the shape of a flower, radiating a faint glow.

It was gently placed in front of the monument.

Even now, he still can't predict the future. Perhaps he will still be struggling between having and not having, perhaps this world will still be hard to like...

But in life, one must always strive to achieve something, right?

"The future is too far away, old lady."

He said goodbye softly, "Let's start from now."
.
The following day, the Taiyi Ring Association officially issued a notice to all craftsmen.

The new modern theory submitted by the newly crowned Master Ji Jue, "The Three-Phase Alchemy," has completed registration and verification. After being voted on by the council, it has been approved and is now being collected in the Grand Archives.

From then on, the Three Phases lineage will be recognized by the association as the legitimate lineage of the Embers and will continue to circulate in the present world.

At the same time, at Master Ji Jue's request and permission, the revised and reorganized Three-Phase Alchemy will fully open its basic theories and entry methods, making it much more convenient.

All apprentices can freely read and learn by spending a reasonable amount of points, and all creations made as a result, provided they meet the association's requirements and specifications, do not require any related patent fees.

The news caused an uproar, and even triggered a chain reaction that Ji Jue himself hadn't anticipated: many major factions and lineages were forced to engage in fierce competition amidst the barking of dogs, gradually opening up their basic theories and lowering their stance to vie for apprentices and the right to speak...

Some criticized them verbally and in writing, some disliked and resisted them, while others cheered them on.

Regardless of their outward appearances, their behind-the-scenes actions are always perfectly coordinated...

I secretly put on a disguise, and then, on a dark and stormy night, I opened the Triad Alchemy page and clicked the paid download button.

Why worry about all that? Let's taste it first to see if it's salty!
"Aiming high leads to great achievements."

Within the deep valley pierced by the massive rift, the master craftsman before the furnace glanced down at the manuscript in his hand: "When I was an apprentice, someone often told me—the theory reflects the person, and the principle reflects the spirit."

Having seen and become accustomed to it, once you've read the manuscript and the theory, you can usually figure it out pretty accurately.

"For example, it is like this: seemingly humble, but actually arrogant; seemingly tolerant, but actually domineering... The three phases flow and change, seemingly peaceful and moderate, but in reality, it is like the main theme is divided into three, the three are combined into one, and the main and secondary are often reversed, which leads to extremes and dangers."

To be able to forge a path of righteousness and integrity that rivals even the most corrupt and wicked is truly a gem born of heaven, a talent born from the ashes.

Regardless of the future outcome, this single-minded dedication alone surpasses countless ordinary achievements.

The old man lowered his eyes, and after glancing at the manuscript in his hand, he threw the paper down. “You should all learn from him. If you can learn a bit of the spirit of ‘I am the only one who can do this,’ you will be able to become a great menace to the world in time.”

In the ensuing silence, the students, heads bowed in listening, exchanged bewildered glances, unable to discern whether the master's words were praise or criticism, admiration or contempt.

The student in the lead hesitated for a moment, wanting to speak again, but seeing the old man waving his hand, he dared not speak anymore, kowtowed, stood up, and led the others away.

The main hall fell into darkness once more.

The old man lowered his eyes, his gaze seemingly fixed on nothingness, nowhere in sight.

Only the flames rising from the furnace behind him illuminated his body, casting a huge black shadow on the ground.

Right in the center of the shadowy figure was a shockingly huge gap. Through that gap, the flames within the furnace rose, flowed, and shifted, like an invisible heart beating in waves.

A muffled, indistinct sound rang out from within the flames.

The emerald flames shone through the hole in his chest, illuminating the hall, and at some point, they turned into a shocking crimson.

The viscous blood continued to expand and collide within the confines of the gap, as if struggling painfully in eternal burning, desperately shouting, cursing and complaining.

"...What's the rush? It's only been a short time."

The old man shook his head: "If it doesn't work the first time, then we'll try again. Since we've already reached the realm of immortality, why not wait a little longer?"

Blood and fire surged forth, and indistinct echoes resurfaced from the furnace.

"The instrument of our tragic craftsmanship has been destroyed, and there is no longer any possibility of us deceiving the heavens and crossing the sea. So why be so reluctant to let go?"

The old man lowered his eyes indifferently, looking at the manuscripts scattered on the ground. Suddenly, he chuckled softly: "Besides, isn't a medium even better than Beigong already right before our eyes?"

In the dead silence, there was no more sound.

Only the crimson flames flowed silently within the furnace.

It's as if it's staring hungrily at the world from the depths of an endless abyss of despair.

We await the day we can return!

(End of this chapter)