Destiny in Cinders

"Yes, you've advanced." Yvelbane sounded entirely unsurprised.

"What did you think would happen, An Jing? Your control of aura already rivals that of a Fortification martialist. A minor shock like that is just a flick of the fingers. Your body has been enhanced by Evenstar Ivory Divine Seal. I wouldn't even be surprised if you advanced directly to the peak of Qi Refinement Realm. In fact, a full-force punch from a Tide Aura martialist would barely scratch you. While an ordinary martialist would struggle immensely to cross this minor threshold, for you... it is as effortless as taking a sip of water."

"Way too easy..." An Jing murmured to himself, lost in contemplation. Then, he finally traced the root cause of this back to his father. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

The old man had failed two separate attempts to break into the Tide Aura Stage, nearly draining away his remaining vigor and lifespan. It was precisely because of these two failures that his father gave up the martial path for good to concentrate solely on the imperial examination, which he also failed.

Ultimately, the highest accolades of the imperial examination eluded his father. He returned home to serve as a low-ranking official, living a quiet and completely unremarkable life. Fortunately, his father possessed a knack for business. Together with his mother, they turned their family business into a major success. If it weren't for the snow calamity...

Mother should still be alive. Even though Hanhai suffered a massive disaster, a martialist like her shouldn't find it difficult to survive. Shaking his head slightly, An Jing cleared his mind of distracting thoughts. As for my father... sigh. He's probably gone by now. If it's possible, I should at least find his body and the exact spot where he died. In the end, I still need to grow stronger to achieve that.

Breaking through to the Tide Aura Stage had been so effortless that An Jing felt a lack of accomplishment. Still somewhat unsatisfied, he decided to seize the momentum to condense his second seal.

While An Jing pressed forward to leverage his perfect state for another breakthrough, over in the west of the Northblack Sacrifice Continent, specifically within Heavenly Will Mountain of the Cangxie Region, Lin Yongye, the Lord Inspector of the North, received a report from her subordinate.

"Lord Inspector, we've found clear traces of Madam Shen's whereabouts. A few months back, someone pawned a fine jade pendant under the name of the Gufeng An clan in Northauspice, a city in Wu Prefecture. It was a final sale without the possibility of redemption, and we've already purchased it. The engraving on it confirms it was a token of love between An Jing's father, An Qianshan, and his mother, Shen Mubai."

"That's good news." On the other side of the waterscreen, the Lord Inspector of the North, looking incredibly formal, arched an eyebrow and offered a radiant smile. "Keep up the hard work. If you succeed in finding Madam Shen, the divine cult will reward you generously, and I shall exercise my authority to grant you the Imperial Earth Art."

"Yes!" The Lord Inspector of the North never made empty promises; her word was absolute. Just from the voice alone, it was clear that the person behind the waterscreen was thrilled. "Besides that, our team made another discovery! As unbelievable as it sounds... we actually found An Jing's father among a raiding party of northern barbarians in Dustdawn."

"Oh? He's still alive?" Upon hearing this, even the Lord Inspector of the North, despite her steady demeanor, was visibly startled. When she originally issued the order, she hadn't even considered the possibility that his father might still be alive. This was truly an unexpected surprise.

She pressed for more details. "What is his current condition? Is he disabled? How badly injured and exhausted is he? Can you buy him back? Our relationship with the northern barbarians is solid. I'll authorize you to act on behalf of the local altar. Buying a slave shouldn't be an issue..."

"No..." Hearing the Lord Inspector of the North automatically assume An Qianshan was a slave, the voice behind the waterscreen took on a strange tone. "On the contrary, Lord Inspector, our discovery of An Qianshan wasn't a mere coincidence. We actually encountered him within the chieftain's tent during our talks."

"So, he's the chieftain's personal slave?" She arched an eyebrow, impressed by An Qianshan's stroke of luck. But soon, that feeling gave way to astonishment.

"Far from it, Lord Inspector." The speaker sighed. "We can't say for sure, but our observations indicate that he's likely serving... as the chief strategist. He's suffered no abuse whatsoever. On the contrary, he's treated with immense respect and elevated to an incredibly high status! What's more, he's using the tribe's influence to search for his lost wife and child, and he even plans to commission us to help with the search!"

The Lord Inspector of the North fell silent, lost in deep thought. Yet recalling Void Embrace's long history, she felt relieved as she thought of several past examples. "Indeed, there are numerous historical precedents where barbarian tribes adopted disillusioned intellectuals as their strategists. It comes as no surprise..."

Bullshit! How is that even possible?! Doesn't An Jing bear the Pyrestar Warden Arc? With the severity of lethal qi he radiates, his entire family should have been wiped out, and his parents should be long dead. How on earth are they both still alive?!

Her spoken words stood in stark contrast to her inner thoughts. In the past, the Lord Inspector of the North would have disdained such hypocrisy, but today was different. Today, she would display her authority and ability before a group of promising juniors.

The Lord Inspector of the North was now located in a simple but elegant cloud pavilion on a mountain peak. From this vantage point, a sprawling mountain city of an ancient sect lay visible, shrouded in mist.

Clouds veiled the pavilions and buildings on the mountain. A magnificent city sat high among the clouds, its banners streaming like vibrant rainbows. In the distance, cradled by the surrounding mountains, a towering peak pierced the sky, illuminated by a brilliant cluster of stars.

Behind her, a black-haired girl stood quietly to one side of the pavilion. Bai Qinghan looked out over the entirety of Heavenly Will Mountain, her clear eyes sweeping across the divine cult's headquarters, a place that closely resembled a paradise on earth.

A silver-trimmed, deep-black crown of jade rested upon her head, exuding an air of chaste elegance. Her flowing, ebony hair was styled into an exquisite updo, save for two long locks that cascaded from her temples to her chest, creating a striking contrast against her snow-white neck.

"What a pity." The Lord Inspector of the North turned to Bai Qinghan, her voice carrying a hint of emotion. "Had An Jing also arrived at the headquarters, then our northern frontier branch would have produced both a general and goddess. Any thoughts, Qinghan?"

"I'm thinking..." Snapping out of her thoughts, the girl turned toward the Lord Inspector of the North and replied in a calm, obedient tone. "These mountains are so tall. From all the way up here... the people below look like tiny ants."

"Ants..." The Lord Inspector of the North walked over to Bai Qinghan, and together they gazed down at the city. "Indeed, the world is a great furnace, and all living things are but fuel. Your capacity for such insight proves you were born for the divine cult. But even ants will drag out their wretched lives. Such is the will of heaven. Even the smallest insect, even the lowest trash, will reach for any fleeting hope of survival.

"For this, we will do whatever it takes. Just as you chose to sell yourself, and just as An Jing fights to survive on his own, everyone of us are faced with choices—no matter what we choose, it is vindicated by the very laws of heaven." With those words, the Lord Inspector of the North's voice grew as unyielding as primordial ice. "This is the will of heaven!"

Is this the will of heaven? Bai Qinghan kept those words to herself, turning them over in her mind as she considered a different possibility. Could this be the manifestation of human will? However, she would forge ahead, whether it was the will of heaven or human agency.

"Let's go," The Lord Inspector of the North said, leading her out of the pavilion and onto the clouds, toward the peak of the distant Heavenly Will Mountain. "Today, you will formally enter the cult, offer your respects to the Olden Heavenly Father, and bow to the will of heaven. From this day forward, you will be the Profound Yin Goddess of our Heavenly Will Divine Cult!"

As Bai Qinghan donned her cloud-patterned robes and jade crown, paid homage to heaven, and officially became the goddess of the divine cult, An Jing made yet another breakthrough in Keensight. Blessed by a sudden, roaring tide of fortune, An Jing's secluded training session went exceptionally smoothly as he successfully formed the second and third seals of Evenstar Ivory Divine Seal.