Chapter 169: Chapter 144: The Ancestral Master’s Rule: To Be Our Sect’s Daoist

"The so-called [Yin Celestial Emperor] cultivates in accordance with the law and is indestructible save for calamity. When their cultivation is perfected, their body generates water and fire..."

Fu Lizi sat primly within his "Cloud-Parting Dust-Dispelling Canopy." The Seven-Color Dawn Magical Robe he wore possessed the ability to cleanse all impurities, and it had long ago washed away the Jade Dew that had spilled on his chest.

He was heard saying with a broad smile:

"An Emperor’s Life that encompasses both the sun and moon has seven or eight categories, such as the ’Bright Emperor,’ the ’Yin Celestial Emperor,’ the ’Hidden Emperor,’ and the ’Demon Emperor.’

I thought this person had a better chance of becoming one of the latter two.

Junior Brother Lou, it looks like you’ve lost this time."

In the Stove God Temple, it was roughly a hundred paces from the main gate to the inner hall, and each step was a checkpoint for examining one’s fate lines.

Many with shallow Life Qi would often have to stop before getting very far, ultimately only revealing the "trends" of seven or eight, or maybe thirteen or fourteen, fate lines.

Since the person with "Shang" in their name had revealed the destiny of a [Yin Celestial Emperor],

This meant that, at the very least, he had entered the hall, walked up to the altar, and burned a stick of incense.

Lou Zhenxiao had previously guessed that nine steps would be the man’s limit.

That distance was not nearly enough to reach the incense altar.

"I may have underestimated this person, but that doesn’t mean you’ve won, Senior Brother."

Lou Zhenxiao’s sword-like eyebrows shot up as he spoke with a serious expression.

"Are you suggesting, Junior Brother, that this person is destined for more than just becoming a [Yin Celestial Emperor]?

Haha, the Dao of destiny is merely a branch of the Daos of ’Creation’ and ’Karma.’"

Fu Lizi had always dabbled in a wide range of subjects. He knew a little about many schools of thought but was a master of none, and now was the perfect time to show off his knowledge:

"The intertwining of fate lines—their rise and fall, their entanglement and dissipation—forms a person’s general Luck.

For a ’Bright Emperor,’ the trends form the image of a supreme four-legged cauldron, the aspect of Qian, Kun, mountains, and rivers.

For a ’Demon Emperor,’ the lines are numerous and crisscrossing, karma is tangled and chaotic, they are prone to attracting Human Tribulation, and their temperament tends toward extremes.

As for the ’Hidden Emperor,’ well, their trends are continuous yet intermittent. Very few ever amount to anything great."

Lou Zhenxiao remained silent. ’This is just how Senior Brother Fu is,’ he thought. ’Once he gets the upper hand, he never shuts up.’

He, of course, couldn’t be bothered to humor him. In his place, the adorable, rosy-cheeked Artifact Spirit from the Exquisite Magic Tower clapped its hands in praise.

"Daoist Master Fu, your knowledge is so vast!"

Pleased, Fu Lizi flicked out a lustrous white Elixir Pill:

"I like the sound of that. A reward for you."

Lou Zhenxiao glanced over. It was a "Gusu Pill," an elixir only True Disciples of the Taifu Sect received as their monthly stipend. The corner of his mouth twitched.

The wealth of Senior Brother Fu’s family and the depth of his pockets were such that among the countless Foundation Establishment True Masters in the Yanfu Vast Land, he could probably rank in the top ten.

And if they were only considering the Nanzhan Continent, he was unquestionably number one.

Having received the Gusu Pill, the Artifact Spirit was overjoyed and hastily followed up with another question:

"Daoist Master Fu, you haven’t told us about the ’Yin Celestial Emperor’ yet!"

"The Yin Celestial Emperor is the most peculiar of all."

Fu Lizi paused, his gaze fixed on the ancient temple reflected in the water mirror.

"The fate lines of a [Yin Celestial Emperor] are the densest, and their trends run the deepest. Like a ’Demon Emperor,’ they are prone to attracting Human Tribulation, yet they always manage to turn peril into safety.

Like a ’Hidden Emperor,’ their life is full of ups and downs, yet it always reaches a proper conclusion.

Thus, the Wandering True Monarch, in his work ’All Worlds - Ghost Division,’ gave them an eight-word evaluation: ’Great compassion, great vows, great holiness, great mercy.’

He proclaimed that this destiny holds the power ’to command fate and the underworld, to judge the living and the dead.’

It consists of sixty-six fate lines, and the weight of the destiny is six liang and six qian.

Haha, little Child, do you know why it’s that specific number?"

Cradling the Gusu Pill like a priceless treasure and sniffing its pure fragrance, the Artifact Spirit said proudly:

"I know, I know! Master told me! ’Nine’ is the apex of yang numbers, and ’six’ is the apex of yin numbers! That’s why the [Yin Celestial Emperor] must have a destiny of ’six-six’!"

Fu Lizi nodded slowly, offering a word of praise:

"You do have some knowledge. A worthy Child taught by Junior Brother Lou, indeed."

Lou Zhenxiao suddenly chuckled.

"Senior Brother, it seems you didn’t guess correctly either. How is that man a [Yin Celestial Emperor] with a ’six-six’ destiny? He’s clearly a [Ming Zun] of the ’eighty-four’ count."

What?

Fu Lizi’s smile froze. He channeled his Magical Power to magnify the water mirror, trying to get a clearer view.

The man, enveloped in raging golden flames, had fate lines that formed the shape of a perfectly round egg. With a soft CRACK, several fissures split across its surface, leaking a brilliant radiance.

"It really is a [Ming Zun]!"

...

...

The Profound City Central Palace was majestic and profoundly deep.

The graceful woman seated upon the Jade Platform let out a soft sound of surprise. Her gaze pierced through layers of dusky curtains, seeing through the raging golden flames of the Stove God Temple as if they were nothing.

"This person has such profound Dao Wisdom. To have comprehended the method of ’Combined Refining of Bingding’ out of thin air and manifested the phenomenon of ’riding six dragons through time’—no wonder he is revealing such a great radiance."

The chubby girl’s eyes filled with confusion, not understanding a single word the Lady was saying.

"Let me count... how many fate lines did this guy actually reveal? Forty-nine... sixty-six... seventy-two... Eighty-four!

That’s so many! My Lady, what kind of destiny is this? Gui’er has never seen anything like it!"

Lady Xuan’nv withdrew her gaze and sighed softly:

"It is the [Great Ming Zun]. Even more extraordinary than the [Yin Celestial Emperor]."

The chubby girl’s eyes bulged, and the nine ferocious heads that appeared behind her shook back and forth repeatedly.

Lady Xuan’nv said in exasperation:

"I always tell you to read more Daoist Scripture when you have nothing to do. You have nine heads; how can you not fit even a scrap of knowledge inside them?"

The chubby girl pouted, her voice full of grievance:

"Gui’er doesn’t want to be like this, My Lady! But I get sleepy after reading just a few words. It must be because I’ve never had a teacher. Once you get free and take Gui’er back to the Mortal World with you, I’ll find a good master—one who’s kind, handsome, and incredibly learned!"

Lady Xuan’nv was exasperated. ’Is this girl looking for a husband or a tutor?’ she wondered.

"The intertwining of the fate lines is ’fortune’; their rise and fall is ’potential’.

Deep fortune leads to great potential, and powerful potential strengthens fortune. The two are inseparable, each reinforcing the other."

Lady Xuan’nv was good-natured at heart, and unable to resist the chubby girl’s persistent questioning, she began to explain in detail: