Library of Heaven's Path 2: Eternal Fate of the Heavens

Chapter 446: Chapter 81: Peak of Galaxy 9-dan

Having journeyed from the Master Teacher Continent, after countless battles, this was the first time Zhang Xuan experienced injuries so severe that he slept for ten straight days.

“My injuries…”

His consciousness cleared, and he hurriedly checked his body.

His muscles were full and taut, with graceful lines akin to a sculpted masterpiece of the perfect human physique, radiating an aesthetic sensibility. The injuries sustained during the battle with Prince Yuanqing and the others had fully healed by now, and both his soul and body had reached an unprecedented pinnacle state.

“The peak of Galaxy 9-dan?”

His spirit stirred, and he sensed the power surging through his body, brimming with explosive energy. Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but clench his fists.

Upon awakening, the Eternal Heart had unexpectedly elevated him by two entire cultivation levels, propelling him directly from 7-dan Peak to the pinnacle of Galaxy 9-dan!

This advancement was constrained by his understanding of the fragments of the heavens, preventing a breakthrough to the fifth level. But once enlightenment occurred, crossing into the Life Sea Realm would likely come effortlessly.

Upon reaching the Life Sea Realm, he could harness the River of Destiny through the Eternal Heart. Even though his cultivation was nowhere near that of Prince Yuanqing and the others, he would possess the capability to protect himself.

Moreover, once he could wield the River of Destiny, he would gain access to countless mystical abilities, significantly enhancing his combat prowess and survival techniques.

“With the Eternal Heart, my meridians have expanded to match Life Sea 9-dan. Even if I haven’t broken through yet, should I test whether I can control the Life Sea already?”

A thought emerged in his mind.

Under normal circumstances, one could only manipulate the River of Destiny after breaking into the Life Sea Realm. But Zhang Xuan was different; his Galaxy Realm already featured a flawless heart unattainable even in the Life Sea Realm. Perhaps he could achieve what others could not.

With this thought, his spirit stirred, and he couldn’t resist connecting with the Sentimental Fate he had comprehended.

A narrow river slowly surfaced within his consciousness, and Love Silk intertwined within it, extending into the depths of the Phantasm Space.

“The River of Destiny actually exists within the Source World itself. A cultivator who first comprehends a fragment of the heavens gains merely its leaked-out tributaries… My Sentimental Fate is actually a tributary of the Fate of Emotions!”

Zhang Xuan felt a sudden realization settle within him.

He had previously witnessed in the Phantasm Space an incomparably majestic and boundless Fate of Emotions. At the time, he had believed it to be the Sentimental Fate he had comprehended. But now, it was clear that wasn’t the case.

What he had comprehended was merely a tributary, and he could only forge and manipulate the whole once he grasped its entirety.

Still, with the Eternal Heart, he might be able to attempt it.

He carefully focused on communicating with the river he had comprehended and gave it a sudden tug. As expected, in the deep recesses of the Phantasm Space, a vast and boundless River of Destiny glittering like a Star River trembled slightly.

“It really can be controlled…”

Realizing it was possible, Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up. With a deliberate thought, his heart involuntarily began to beat.

Thump thump thump thump!

For the first time, the Nine Orifices Eternal Heart exploded with power under his command. In an instant, the Star River-like river began shifting towards him, roaring thunderously, crushing everything in its path.

“So strong!”

Feeling the river surge forward, Zhang Xuan realized that if he didn’t restrain it, he could very well become the cultivator destroyed by his own River of Destiny. His face flushed, and he immediately operated his heart again.

Thump thump thump thump!

Driven by the immense power of the Eternal Heart, the river came to a halt.

Whew!

His figure flickered and appeared above the River of Destiny.

The river he had drawn out was completely different from those he had seen before, such as the Power Destiny or Selfless Destiny. This river appeared like threads connecting all things, containing emotions like joy, anger, sorrow, thought, fear, surprise, love, and hatred…

As soon as his intention entered it, he was immediately disrupted by countless emotions, plunged into uncontrollable chaos.

“So this is the river I comprehended…”

Zhang Xuan’s eyes sparkled.

This was the first complete fusion of his Sentimental Fate with the Source World’s Fate of Emotions, also marking the first time he had managed to draw it out.

“It really is a First Level Destiny…”

He felt the river churn with surging emotions and smiled.

He had previously speculated about whether his comprehension was truly a First Level Destiny; otherwise, it wouldn’t have caused such a commotion. Now, that seemed to be the case.

In the Master Teacher Continent, his Sentimental Fate revolved around personal experiences and personal elevation—for example, emotions like teacher-student bonds, parental love, and romantic affection—all primarily focused inward.

Yet the Fate of Emotions before him encompassed joy, anger, sorrow, thought, fear, surprise, love, hatred… a broader and grander scope.

If the Sentimental Fate were likened to Hinayana Buddhism, then the Fate of Emotions would be akin to Mahayana Buddhism.

As long as there was life, as long as there was consciousness, there would be various emotions, all inevitably influenced by the Fate of Emotions.

One might lack strength and be unable to cultivate; lack power and prestige; lack influence and authority; lack wealth and be destitute; lack fame and live in obscurity; lack a robust physique and suffer from frailty or illness; or lack fortune and live an ordinary life…

But one could never lack emotion!

This lack of emotion didn’t refer to indifference towards death, beauty, or riches; instead, it pertained to the inevitable presence of sentiment.

Parting and death are sentiment.

Gain and loss are also sentiment.

While love, hatred, and vengeance can be avoided, joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness are emotions that no one can truly eradicate.

This is the terrifying power of the Fate of Emotions.

As long as consciousness exists, emotions can be leveraged for control.

Carefully observing the vast river before him, Zhang Xuan felt a surge of realization, sensing that he was only one step away from breaking through to the fifth level of the Fate of Emotions, lacking only a single trigger.

Rumble!

After lingering for more than ten breaths, the Fate of Emotions River faded away. Zhang Xuan remained in place, breathing heavily, sweat pouring from his forehead.

No wonder one needed to reach the Life Sea Realm to draw out the river—the energy consumption was simply too overwhelming.

Even utilizing the entirety of his Galaxy 9-dan cultivation allowed him to maintain it for only ten breaths before it was completely depleted.

For someone else, recovering such an amount of power might require a day, or even several days, perhaps longer. But with his Eternal Heart, the energy consumed was replenished instantaneously.

Of course, while his strength was restored, the act of manipulating the Fate of Emotions River still took a considerable toll on his soul. After some reflection, he decided to stop and avoid further attempts for now.

“In future battles, I must find a way to provoke my opponent’s emotions. As long as their emotional fluctuations are amplified, I can leverage the river to crush them completely, achieving victory through weakness over strength!”

Recalling his earlier insights, Zhang Xuan nodded thoughtfully.

Love, hatred, and vengeance require time to accumulate and transform into profound feelings.

But joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness often occur in mere moments.

If he could elicit the opponent’s emotional reactions, his combat ability would no doubt soar exponentially.

“Hmm? The New World and Suspended Realm… they’ve merged?”

After assessing his strength and interaction with the Fate of Emotions, Zhang Xuan suddenly perceived another change in his body during his slumber.

The New World he had created in the Empyrean had unexpectedly fused seamlessly with his so-called “Source Pool” Suspended Realm during his sleep.

The two grand worlds had communicated through Origin qi, forming a boundless and majestic new world.