Fate?
Ye Xuan frowned slightly, his instincts telling him something was off.
What was fate?
It was said to be an ethereal, intangible existence, controlling everything about all living beings.
So far, the only ones who could claim to control their own fate were probably Qing’er, his old man, and his big brother! Though this Child of Destiny was powerful, he likely had no real connection to true fate!
Of course, that assumed fate was a conscious entity with its own will.
Thinking of this, Ye Xuan felt a headache coming on.
What exactly was fate?
Truth be told, he couldn’t figure it out.
Say it doesn’t exist—yet the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death for all things and beings… was that really just coincidence?
It couldn’t be. There had to be a pattern, a rule—and if there was a rule, it might be artificial, even if not by a person, then by some form of entity. But say it does exist—no one could clearly explain what it actually was!
Ye Xuan looked into the distance, deciding not to dwell on it. He’d ask Qing’er about it later when he had the chance.
In the distance, the Defiant One stopped in his tracks, observing his surroundings. At that moment, his space-time was enveloped by countless mysterious forces, weaving around him like a massive net.
The Defiant One frowned slightly. He opened his left hand, and an invisible force quietly gathered in his palm. The next moment, he swept his hand outward.
*Boom!*
With that sweep, the mysterious forces around him were obliterated. Not only that, the space-time within hundreds of thousands of li began to ripple like waves, an utterly terrifying sight!
Seeing this, the Child of Destiny, still gripped by the throat, darkened. “You dare defy fate?!”
The Defiant One slowly clenched his left hand and placed it behind his back. He shook his head slightly. “You don’t represent fate. Those forces just now weren’t true fate either. Fate is mysterious because it’s everywhere yet never truly present. Besides… cultivators, from the moment they begin their path, are in a struggle against the Dao, against fate. Those who don’t resist are either incompetent or dead!”
With that, he released his left hand from behind and turned to walk toward the Star Vein below.
The Child of Destiny froze. “You’re not killing me?”
The Defiant One shook his head. “You’re not worth killing!”
The Child of Destiny’s face turned ugly in an instant.
Those words hurt more than death!
This wasn’t just humiliation—it was outright dismissal!
As the top genius of the Saint Vein, he’d always been compared to the Defiant One, the question lingering: who was the true prodigy of the Great Motian Domain? He’d always wanted to fight the Defiant One, believing no one among the younger generation could match him. Yet the harsh reality was—he wasn’t the Defiant One’s match!
The other didn’t even deem him worth killing!
Beside Ye Xuan, Divine Eyes said gravely, “Will his mindset collapse?”
Ye Xuan glanced at the Child of Destiny. “If this is his first failure, it probably will! People like him haven’t been tempered by the harshness of the world. Once they face defeat, they start doubting themselves, spiraling into a dead end…”
He shook his head with a sigh.
No one could talk him out of it—trying might even earn his resentment.
Divine Eyes suddenly asked, “Brother Ye, have you been tempered by the world’s harshness?”
Ye Xuan said seriously, “How could I? I’ve been invincible my whole journey—especially among the younger generation. No opponents at all!”
Divine Eyes: “…”
At that moment, the Defiant One had already stored the Star Vein in his storage ring. His goal here was complete, and he was about to leave. But then, as if struck by a thought, he turned to Divine Eyes. “I hear your Divine Eyes are extraordinary. Care to show me?”
Divine Eyes fell silent.
Ye Xuan tugged at his sleeve. “Don’t be scared—go get him!”
Divine Eyes nodded slightly and walked toward the Defiant One. He slowly closed his eyes. The next moment, he snapped them open, and two blood-red beams shot out from his eyes!
As those beams appeared, the space-time before him instantly turned to nothingness!
In the distance, the Defiant One opened his right hand and pressed forward lightly.
*Boom!*
An invisible force blocked the two blood-red beams, stopping them dead—not advancing an inch!
At that moment, Divine Eyes roared. Two more terrifying red beams erupted from his eyes, blazing like suns. The entire core world began to melt in that instant!
Ye Xuan’s heart jolted. This Divine Eyes guy’s got some skills!
In the distance, when the beams reached the Defiant One, their immense power forced him back a thousand zhang!
Once he stopped, the Defiant One pointed forward with two fingers, then threw a punch.
*Boom!*
The two beams turned to nothingness!
Divine Eyes was sent flying backward, but a hand caught him.
It was Ye Xuan’s!
Ye Xuan looked at Divine Eyes, whose eyes were slightly closed, blood trickling from the corners.
Ye Xuan asked gravely, “You okay?”
Divine Eyes shook his head slightly. “Just a bit weak!”
Ye Xuan nodded. “Good to know you’re fine!”
At that moment, the Defiant One spoke. “Divine Eyes… you haven’t yet unleashed the full power of those eyes. You’ve received the Heaven-Controlling God’s inheritance, haven’t you? I’ll come find you again later. I hope you’ll surprise me then!”
With that, he turned to leave.
But Divine Eyes suddenly called out, “You could fight Brother Ye—he’s pretty strong too!”
Ye Xuan: “…”
The Defiant One stopped and turned to look at Ye Xuan, saying nothing.
Divine Eyes grabbed Ye Xuan’s arm. “Brother Ye, get him!”
Ye Xuan hesitated, then said, “First the Child of Destiny fought him, then you did, and now me? Won’t people say we’re ganging up on him?”
Divine Eyes thought for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah, maybe!”
Before Ye Xuan could say more, the Defiant One spoke up. “They won’t!”
Ye Xuan looked at him, and the Defiant One continued, “I didn’t use much strength against those two. You fighting me—don’t feel any burden!”
Beside Ye Xuan, Divine Eyes urged, “Get him!”
Ye Xuan smiled, then walked toward the Defiant One. “How about this: we settle it in one move. Sound good?”
The Defiant One looked at Ye Xuan. “Fine!”
Ye Xuan opened his palm, and the Qingxuan Sword appeared in his hand. He smiled at the Defiant One. “So far, no one’s ever taken one of my sword strikes. I hope you don’t disappoint me!”
The Defiant One nodded slightly. “I know you’re goading me, but I’ll take your sword anyway. Don’t disappoint me either—if you do, I’ll kill you!”
Ye Xuan frowned, puzzled. “Why?”
The Defiant One stared at him. “Those two lost to me but fought straightforwardly. You, from start to finish, have been all flash and no substance. I hate flashy types with no real strength!”
Ye Xuan laughed heartily. “Then I’m drawing my sword!”
The Defiant One nodded. “Go ahead!”
Ye Xuan stepped forward, his left thumb flicking sharply.
*Boom!*
In an instant, under the stunned gazes of the Child of Destiny and Divine Eyes, the Defiant One was silently forced back ten thousand zhang. The moment he stopped, the space-time behind him for tens of thousands of zhang turned to ash!
Not only that—the right hand he’d raised to block was split open, the wound stretching to his shoulder.
Seeing this, Divine Eyes and the Child of Destiny were dumbfounded!
This sword was *that* fierce?
At that moment, Ye Xuan sheathed the Qingxuan Sword and looked at the Defiant One with a grin. “That’s it?”
*That’s it?*
Divine Eyes and the Child of Destiny’s expressions froze.
Across from Ye Xuan, the Defiant One was silent for a moment before looking at him. “I was careless!”
His gaze fell on the Qingxuan Sword in Ye Xuan’s hand. “And I underestimated that sword!”
Ye Xuan smiled faintly and turned to walk toward Divine Eyes.
The Defiant One suddenly called out, “Is that it?”
Ye Xuan stopped and turned back. “I only used thirty percent of my strength just now! If I went all out, you’d be gone! You know that, right?”
The Defiant One stared at Ye Xuan, silent.
Ye Xuan said seriously, “You don’t believe me?”
The Defiant One nodded. “Now you can go all out!”
Ye Xuan shook his head. “Not fighting anymore!”
The Defiant One frowned. “Why not?”
Ye Xuan grinned. “What did you think of that sword strike?”
The Defiant One thought for a moment, then said, “Very strong!”
Though he hadn’t used his full strength either, he had to admit Ye Xuan’s strike was formidable. If his own power had been just a bit weaker, that sword could’ve killed him!
Especially Ye Xuan’s aura and sword momentum—they’d actually suppressed him, which shocked him most!
Even the Child of Destiny, with the power of the myriad realms, hadn’t managed to suppress him!
In the distance, Ye Xuan suddenly laughed. “With our strength, we can’t settle this in a short fight. How about this: we set a date to fight again, and then we can truly decide the winner. What do you say?”
The Defiant One frowned. “Set a date?”
Ye Xuan nodded. “How about three months from now? In three months, we’ll fight again!”
The Defiant One looked at Ye Xuan. “You sure? I should warn you—in three months, I might be at a whole new level!”
Ye Xuan smiled. “No problem. If you think that’s not enough, I can give you a few more months!”
The Defiant One’s brows furrowed slightly. “You’re that confident?”
Ye Xuan laughed heartily. “It’s not about confidence—it’s that I want my opponent to be strong. Someone who hopes for a weak opponent is a weakling themselves. I want my opponent to be strong—the stronger, the better. Anyway, I’m invincible, so do whatever you want!”
Everyone: “…”
