# Chapter 3484: Fate
The Nutian Shenzun was the son of the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable and Yinxuetian, and also the grandfather of the Jue Miao Chan Nu. Whether in the Destiny Temple or among the Underworld Clan, he held an extraordinary status.
Since it was he who brought that wisp of Huang Yanchen's soul from the Nether Refining Purgatory back to the Fate Divine Mountain, it could never be a mere coincidence.
The Nutian Shenzun must have known something.
With his cultivation level, he could certainly discern the secrets and origins of a wisp of soul.
Bore looked at the four-directional phenomenon around her, knowing that within this confined space, all heavenly secrets were concealed by Zhang Ruochen. This was a God Venerable's small world; no matter how high the cultivation of outsiders, they could not perceive anything within.
Zhang Ruochen had sufficient patience, waiting quietly.
After a long sigh, Bore finally spoke, "I don't know exactly why the master brought me back to the Fate Divine Mountain, but in my previous life, I was a cultivator of the Kunlun Realm, and the secret of my reaching the Nether Refining Purgatory through the Ghost Gate should be clear to him."
"When we first met, he asked me why I had come to the Hell Realm. Though I remained silent, I knew that all my thoughts and feelings could not escape his eyes. At that time, I only felt that they were the brightest eyes in the world; before those eyes, all concealment was futile."
Zhang Ruochen gazed at her with deep and tender eyes, "So, why did you come to the Hell Realm?"
"Tai Shang has long since escaped his imprisonment, yet you chose to stay, continuing to place yourself in danger. Clearly, you did not come to the Hell Realm to save Tai Shang. Or rather, that was not the only reason."
"I once asked you this question, but you never answered me directly. Do you still need to keep the secret buried in your heart? You should understand my attainment in the Way of Truth. If I truly wished to peer into your heart, you could not hide your secrets."
Zhang Ruochen's last words provoked resistance in Bore. "I am no longer the Huang Yanchen of the past, nor am I that wisp of soul from the Nether Refining Purgatory."
Zhang Ruochen realized his assertiveness had been misplaced. Words like "peering into the heart" should never have been mentioned, causing the opposite effect. He apologized, "I'm sorry. I was too impatient."
Bore gently shook her head, a pained expression appearing between her brows. "You are not wrong. It is I... it is my constant concealment that has created the rift and conflict between us. It need not have come to this."
Mu Lingxi saw that what should have been a joyful reunion had become so sorrowful. Like melting ice, she let out a light laugh, "Since you both recognize your own mistakes, then speak everything out at once. No more concealment, no more causing trouble for each other. I brought wine, brewed by that drunkard. I think that old fellow's winemaking skill is getting better and better!"
Mu Lingxi took out a large red gourd about a meter long, holding it in her hand and shaking it toward Zhang Ruochen and Huang Yanchen, as if presenting a treasure.
With wine, how could there be no cauldron of goat head soup?
"Gurgle, gurgle!"
In the cauldron, the broth was snow-white, like jade marrow and ice essence.
The fragrance was rich, tempting the appetite. Even the reserved Bore picked up a soup spoon to taste it. Then she picked up chopsticks to pick at the meat pieces in the cauldron.
They found the soup delicious and the meat tender, eating until their cheeks bulged, quickly forgetting their earlier unhappiness. Naturally, they had no idea how terrifying the energy contained in the goat meat and soup was. They could only feel a warm current surging within their bodies, with rosy light steaming on their skin.
Beads of crystal sweat formed on Bore's forehead. Gradually, she put down her chopsticks and said seriously, "Actually, it's not that I was willing to keep running away. It's just that the truth is too terrifying, too despairing."
"In the past, I would never have dared to speak of it."
"But over these years, stumbling along the way, we have experienced too many deadly tribulations and created miracle after miracle. This has made me believe that perhaps fate is not invincible."
"Man can conquer heaven—perhaps it is not just a self-deceiving slogan."
"Before, I was afraid that revealing the truth would shatter Chen Ge's Dao heart and disturb his cultivation state of mind. But now, I have full confidence in Chen Ge. Because even in the most difficult and desperate moments, Chen Ge has never given up. His state of mind is so tenacious that it cannot be shattered by mere words like fate."
"When Chen Ge broke through the final life-and-death heart tribulation at Xinghuantian, returned from death, and stepped back into the Divine Realm, I knew that nothing in this world could stop you anymore!"
"Whoosh!"
Bore moved her mind.
Her thoughts condensed into light and shadow, manifesting in the Past Divine Palace.
At the shimmering Lake of Fate, Huang Yanchen stood by its shore.
In the lake, on the water's surface, Zhang Ruochen's figure appeared.
He stood in the void, holding the Abyssal Ancient Sword, with a sharp, peerless sword intent. From his expression, one could tell he faced a great enemy. His long hair flew backward, and the skin on his body kept falling off.
Ahead, an infinitely huge hand flew out from the darkness. In an instant, great worlds were destroyed, countless stars burned like grains of sand, and the living beings of the universe wailed and begged under the apocalypse.
At that moment, Zhang Ruochen's flesh and blood had already turned charred black, but he still charged forward without hesitation, slashing out with his sword.
This sword split heaven and earth, cleaving the sea of stars, but it only blocked the giant hand for a moment.
The Abyssal Ancient Sword exploded into fragments, and his body turned to dust.
...
The light and shadow dissipated, and the Past Divine Palace fell into dead silence.
The soup in the cauldron continued to boil.
Mu Lingxi silently shed tears, having lost all appetite. Her heart sank like lead and iron.
What did it matter if one was a god?
Gods also have emotions.
Having emotions, one can shed tears.
Bore said bitterly, "Over these years, the scenes in the Lake of Fate have appeared in my mind every day, impossible to dispel, like a nightmare haunting me, causing pain and helplessness."
Zhang Ruochen grabbed her hand, holding it tightly.
If one did not care too much, how could there be pain?
If love was not too deep, how could one not let go?
It was precisely because she wanted to change the fate of the one she loved that she embarked on this path of no return, even knowing she was overestimating her abilities.
Though a person may be as insignificant as a blade of grass, the tip of the leaf still points to the sky!
Although Zhang Ruochen had long suspected and had learned some things from Chi Yao, he was not entirely unaffected. He simply would not show it on his face.
If fate was like this, he would first fight fate, then fight that unknown enemy.
There would always be a sword that could cut through the thorns and carve out a new path. As long as the fire in the heart was not extinguished, the will to fight would remain forever.
Mu Lingxi asked, "Chen Jie, you cultivate the Path of Fate. Have you found the flaw in fate? Could it be that so-called fate is merely a kind of deduction? Or perhaps everything in the Lake of Fate is itself an illusion? Someone deliberately playing tricks, deceiving?"
Bore said, "It is precisely because I have doubts about fate that I must cultivate the Path of Fate and comprehend the true essence of fate. Since the power of the Lake of Fate originates from fate, then I must come to the Destiny Temple."
Zhang Ruochen suddenly laughed, reaching out to wipe the fine sweat from her forehead. "You are too foolish and naive! You actually believed in the Lake of Fate. It's fake. It can't determine anything at all!"
Bore shook her head. "I cannot disbelieve it. I have absolute certainty that everything in the Lake of Fate is real."
Zhang Ruochen shook his head. "You once asked me who I saw in the Lake of Fate. At that time, I did not tell you. Now, I want to speak of it."
"Was it the Empress?"
Bore seemed to have guessed.
Mu Lingxi watched calmly, because she knew very well the position of Empress Chi Yao in Zhang Ruochen's heart—a position that no later arrival could ever replace.
Whether it was the hatred of the past or the love of the present.
Zhang Ruochen knew the answer would hurt Bore and Mu Lingxi, but he still spoke, "What I saw in the Lake of Fate was me killing Yao Yao, seizing her cultivation, and thereby stepping into the Divine Realm."
"If I had remained blinded by hatred, this would very likely have been our tragic ending. She would not have revealed the truth, and I would not have shown mercy. In the end, I would have cultivated the *Bright King Scripture*, walking the path the Great Venerable once walked—a path of solitary bitterness destined for eternal regret."
"I believe that what fate can control is only the hatred, stubbornness, and extreme emotions within my heart. When I can overcome myself, when reason prevails over everything, fate loses its effect."
"A person's will is the key to changing fate!"
"Since the Lake of Fate could not determine the fate of Yao Yao that I saw, then everything you saw can also be avoided. Moreover, fate may have already changed direction the moment I abandoned my cultivation and comprehended the Wuji Divine Dao."
"Is that really so?" Bore asked.
"Time is long, life and death have their own ways. Everyone will die—that is an unchanging certainty. But how I die, I want to choose for myself!" Zhang Ruochen stood up, his gaze deep and profound. "Fate—it does not have the final say!"
Infected by Zhang Ruochen's firm belief, Mu Lingxi emerged from the pain and loss of just moments ago, revealing a faint, rippling, charming smile.
Zhang Ruochen stretched lazily. "So, the Lake of Fate might very well be an illusion. I cannot care only about Yao Yao. I care about every one of you equally."
"Hmph!"
Bore showed a disdainful expression, but her heart uncontrollably melted, believing Zhang Ruochen's nonsense.
After all, women only believe what they want to believe.
Although Zhang Ruochen did his best to appear indifferent and calm, the worry in Mu Lingxi's heart had not completely dissipated. She asked, "Chen Jie, why are you so certain that everything in the Lake of Fate is real?"
Bore said, "Because the Lake of Fate is the light of the Fate Mirror. And the Fate Mirror was forged generation after generation by the sages of the Kunlun Realm, with the final refinement done by the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable. It contains Ancestor Divine Qi and Ancestor Rules within."
"Even more terrifying, it carries a vast amount of Fate Essence. At its peak, the Fate Essence it contained exceeded half of that in the world."
"Chen Ge has been to the Ancient Ruins Realm. There, you should have seen the ruins of the Destiny Temple, right? In ancient times, to forge the Fate Mirror and give it sufficiently powerful fate energy, the Great Venerable ascended the Fate Divine Mountain, shattered the Destiny Temple, and took away the Essence within."
"Even after experiencing two great calamities, the Fate Essence contained in the Fate Mirror is still considerable, second only to the current Destiny Temple."
"The Great Venerable would not do such a thing as taking by force."
Zhang Ruochen knew the allusion of "Bright King Sitting in Meditation, Jade Losing Its Pearl," which showed that even if the Great Venerable wanted something, he would certainly have his own principles of conduct.
"Correct. The gatekeeper at the Ghost Gate told this story. There is indeed a deeper reason behind it. The Ghost Gate is the Fate Mirror," Bore said.
Zhang Ruochen pondered, then suddenly asked, "You said earlier that the Fate Mirror has experienced two great calamities. What does that mean? Did it happen after the Great Venerable disappeared from the world?"
Bore said, "Ten eons ago, after the Great Venerable disappeared, the Fate Mirror was inherited by Xumi Saint Monk. Hmm... how should I put this? To trace this matter, we must start from the unsolved case of the theft of the Seventy-Two Pin Lotus!"