Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Facing the red morning sun, Chen Changsheng spread out his hands and did something contrary to every law of cultivation. Later on, he would also wonder why he had done such a thing. It was just like how he had, for no reason whatsoever, become deeply moved. He wanted to do it, so he did it... He spread his hands out, turned to the sky that was just changing from a dull gray to a dark blue, found his Fated Star, and began to absorb the starlight.

This was the first time that he had ever attempted to absorb starlight for purification in the daytime.

This was also perhaps the first time in countless years where a normal cultivator attempted to absorb starlight for purification in the daytime.

Perhaps because he was lucky, he did not die, nor was he burnt to ash. On the contrary, he was able to clearly sense that the gate to his Ethereal Palace had been completely opened, so the speed at which he absorbed starlight was increased by several hundred times.

Of course, his meridians were still broken in many places. His seven most important meridians, especially, were still broken. That bottomless abyss still existed, but amongst those meridians which had been broken into countless pieces, especially those around the inner organs around his Ethereal Palace, the true essence that had been converted from the radiance of the stars were extremely plentiful, such that it seemed like the wounds inflicted upon his meridians had been somewhat healed.

Could this be one of mystical properties of the Heavenly Tome Monoliths? He turned and looked at the broken monolith as he ruminated in silence.

As he was standing on the cliff edge, he was somewhat far from the broken monolith and he could not see it clearly. And yet, he felt that he could see the missing monolith, and that it was not because his eyes were playing tricks on him.

Up to now, Chen Changsheng had truly comprehended the meaning of the Heavenly Tome Monoliths of the front mausoleum. He had accomplished the same feat that Zhou Dufu had accomplished all those years ago.

If he were to continue forward, he would most likely enter another mausoleum mountain and see Heavenly Tome Monoliths that were even more mystical. However, he glanced at the color of the sky and chose not to continue. In this way, he departed.

In the early morning, the Mausoleum of Books was very peaceful. The previous night’s display of fireworks had finished long ago. There were no people in front of any of the seventeen monoliths. The mountain path was also devoid of people.

Many people were deep asleep and they had yet to wake up. Perhaps they would stay asleep for many days ahead.

Breaking into a new realm was never a simple venture. Not everyone could be like Chen Changsheng and to seemingly so casually stride across that threshold, without even feeling a hint of exhaustion. Of course, to some people, breaking through was not a very arduous affair. An example of this was Gou Hanshi.

Gou Hanshi stood at the end of the mountain path, calmly waiting for him.

Chen Changsheng walked up to him, clasped his hands in greeting, and then he saw the faint luster in Gou Hanshi’s eyes. He knew that Gou Hanshi’s cultivation had also improved.

From the Ivy Festival to the Grand Examination to the Mausoleum of Books, the pair’s level of cultivations was finally identical. They were both at the upper level of Ethereal Opening.

Chen Changsheng bid farewell to him. “I’m going now.”

Gou Hanshi replied, “There are still several days until the Garden of Zhou opens. There should still be enough time.”

“There are still some matters I have to take care of in the capital.”

Gou Hanshi was silent for a while, then he said, “I am not planning on going to the Garden of Zhou. Take care of yourself on the journey.”

“Why are you planning on staying here?” Chen Changsheng asked with some bewilderment.

“At the very least, I have to finish seeing all seventeen monoliths of the front mausoleum.” Gou Hanshi smiled as he replied.

Chen Changsheng said sincerely, “I wish you the best.”

Gou Hanshi looked at him and said, “All of this year’s Grand Examination examinees should be thanking you.”

Chen Changsheng did not understand, so Gou Hanshi explained everything that had happened last night.

After a period of thought, he replied, “There’s no need to thank me. I only did what I wanted to do.”

Gou Hanshi knew that he was not being modest, because Chen Changsheng was only thinking about his comprehension of the monoliths. As for the starlight that had illuminated the capital and the mausoleum, that was not something that he had willed.

Side by side, the two youths walked back to the grass hut.

Walking past the fence that had just been fixed not two days ago, Chen Changsheng entered the hut and he began to pack his things up. Seeing Tang Thirty-Six with his thunderous snores, Chen Changsheng shook his head. Yet, when he realized that Zhexiu was not there, he could not help but feel a bit down.

Carrying his luggage out, he said to Gou Hanshi, “I trouble you to take care of Tang Tang for me.”

Gou Hanshi said, “That’s no problem. But just to be clear, outside the mausoleum, we are still rivals.”

Chen Changsheng said, “Understood.”

Gou Hanshi added, “Third junior brother and youngest junior brother are also going to the Garden of Zhou. Once inside, I would like you to look after them for me.”

Chen Changsheng asked in confusion. “You just said that we were rivals.”

“Being rivals doesn’t mean we can’t mutually support each other.”

Chen Changsheng thought it over, then said, “That’s reasonable… though I don’t think I have the ability to look after those two.”

Liang Xiaoxiao and Qi Jian were ranked amongst the Divine State’s Seven Laws, the most shocking disciples of the Mount Li Sword Sect sword style. Chen Changsheng felt that even though he was at the upper level of Ethereal Opening, abundant with true essence, because of his damaged meridians, the amount of true essence he could use was rather small. If it was a true battle for life and death, then he might not even be able to defeat his opponent, much less help others.

Gou Hanshi chuckled. “I value your strength in other areas.”

Gou Hanshi saw him off all the way from the grass hut to the stone doors of the mausoleum.

The ground trembled as the stone doors slowly opened.

To those who cultivated the Dao, the Mausoleum of Books was the supreme and only sacred ground. Regardless of who one was, when the time came to leave the mausoleum, one would always feel some reluctance or else some complicated emotion. Yet Chen Changsheng’s expression was very serene. Just like that, he walked through the stone doors very casually, not even sparing a glance behind him.

Gou Hanshi as well as those monolith guardians that had caught wind of the news, upon seeing his scene, could not help but feel that it was a little strange.

It was just like many people had said before, Chen Changsheng’s attitude towards everything was too calm and unflustered, not like a fifteen-year-old teenager at all.

This was because he treasured his time. In addition, he had found the path that he wanted to walk, making him treasure his time even more. He also believed that there would be a day where he would enter the Saint Realm. On that day, he would return to the Mausoleum of Books. Whether he intruded on the Divine Path or walked the same path as this time, there would be no problems. So why would he be reluctant to part? And if that day did not come, then several years later when he returned to the starry sky, what good would any further reluctance do?

After viewing the monoliths for twenty days, especially that period starting from yesterday of viewing the monoliths without sleep, in the end he succeeded in entering the upper level of Ethereal Opening. Besides this, there was one other extremely important reward. He finally understood the last sentence written in Wang Zhice’s notebook—There is no such thing as fate.

Since the stars could move, then naturally there was no such thing as a fixed and unchanging fate. Perhaps his master Daoist Ji had wanted him to enter the Pavilion of Ascending Mist and find Wang Zhice’s notebook so that he could find out about the secret of changing fate used by Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong. Only, Daoist Ji could not have imagined that in the Mausoleum of Books, Chen Changsheng would comprehend these things that would cause him to walk a different path.

He had an unprecedented confidence that he could change his fate on his own. He did not need to do it by changing the fates of others.

He had to enter the Concealed Spirit Realm before the age of twenty.

Indeed, no one in the world had ever done this before.

However, who said that he was unable to do it?

In the forest, Mao Qiuyu and the principal of the Star Seizer Academy looked at Chen Changsheng’s figure, their moods complex.

The principal of Star Seizer Academy said, “He should be the youngest cultivator to reach the upper level of Ethereal Opening in history.”

Mao Qiuyu nodded. “He’s earlier than Mo Yu by two years.

After the Grand Examination, Chen Changsheng became one of the youngest cultivators ever to reach Ethereal Opening.

After viewing the monoliths in the Mausoleum of Books, he became the youngest cultivator to reach the upper level of Ethereal Opening. There were no others.

With these two points, he was apparently quite skilled at making what many viewed as impossible possible.

In the quiet and secluded forest, Chen Changsheng saw a youth standing under a tree. He could not help but be a little surprised.

There was someone that had actually left the Mausoleum of Books even earlier than him.