From returning to [Fate], to learning about the Fixed Destiny, to stepping into it and witnessing the universe's truth — throughout the entire process, Cheng Shi had been passive.
He'd been swept along by all manner of wills, pushed forward with never a chance to breathe.
But after the experience of conversing with another version of himself, and after witnessing that streak of blood-red mockery explode across the real universe, Cheng Shi's mindset finally began to shift.
Compliance was submission.
Only rebellion could earn true freedom.
He should have understood this long ago. After all, the Fun God had been doing exactly that — the leader of the Fear Faction had been "teaching by example" the whole ti. Cheng Shi had simply been too caught up in nostalgia for the past, unable to face his own heart, and therefore unable to take that step.
Old Jia wanted him to be the top scholar. And yes — the peak of the Ladder of Ascent was within reach. If he kept progressing through trials at this steady pace, the day he'd contend with the Dragon King and Zhen Xin for first place would co. In fact, that day was just around the corner.
But then what?
After fulfilling that "dying wish," would he just keep clinging to survival in this experint as a variable endlessly mourning a "pre-set variable"?
Whether he survived at all wasn't even up to him. A fish on the chopping block didn't get to choose. What a fish called "survival" was rely praying the fisherman wouldn't cut right away.
Under those conditions, being alive — being the top scholar — it was all illusory. All self-deception.
If he was going to live, he'd live authentically. If he was going to be the top scholar, he'd be the top scholar of the real universe!
He kept telling himself:
'Cheng Shi — you need to find a way to fight back against all of this. You need to prove to yourself and to the universe that you are all living, breathing people — not variables to be manipulated at will.'
'Old Jia is absolutely not so cold pre-set condition.'
'Break free from Origin's control. Escape [Fate]'s manipulation. Rebel upward like [Deceit] — until you find a path of salvation for this world, this starry sky, Old Jia, and your friends.'
And to do all that, the first step was to obtain a real divine identity and gain so say in this world.
Second: enter the ga in person. Accelerate the Fixed Destiny!
Cheng Shi had resisted the Fixed Destiny from the start, believing it was dragging him toward an inescapable abyss.
But undeniably, every step the Fixed Destiny advanced made him stronger.
And since defying it at this stage was virtually impossible, he might as well do as the Destined Ones described — use it, turn it into a weapon in his own hands.
Cheng Shi had been leveraging [Fate]'s protection, but only superficially — lip-service devotion while privately desecrating, freely enjoying [Fate]'s talents.
Now he was ready to go deeper. He would actively embrace the Fixed Destiny in exchange for even greater support from [Fate]!
What allowed him to make this decision was the one change Cheng Dashi had brought to this world: [Prosperity]'s self-destruction!
The world's Fixed Destiny had undergone a shift. His other self had said it — [Prosperity]'s fall, Le Le'er's death, and the release of universal fear were all prerequisites for stepping beyond the Fixed Destiny. So if the path beneath his feet seed right, why not pick up the pace?
If he could truly push Big Cat onto that Divine Throne — plus [Fate]'s favor — then even as a mortal, he could climb to the gods' negotiating table and hold two votes.
If he could also win over the [Death] boss, cleverly wheedle two votes from the Fun God, and devoutly proxy the vote for tiless [Ti], he'd have six votes!
Six votes — in an era where gods were beginning to fall — was enough to trade for a great many bargaining chips.
With that plan in mind, Cheng Shi handed the Authority to Big Cat at their eting and instructed her to present herself as [Prosperity] from now on, accelerating the drip of Divinity. When the ti ca, he would lobby among the gods and try to push the Convention into recognizing the new [Prosperity]'s identity — the first step in infiltrating the divine circle.
This ti, he held nothing back. He told Hong Lin virtually everything he understood about the gods and his insights into the Fixed Destiny. He even explained that while the Destined Ones enjoyed [Fate]'s protection, he himself wasn't sure where the destination led.
Beyond that, he analyzed every facet of the current situation. He told Hong Lin that if she wanted to find a path free of Origin, she had to move closer to [Deceit] — ride [Deceit]'s coattails — but never fully trust Him.
However, [Deceit] did have an Envoy — Yu Xi — who was absolutely trustworthy.
Because He, too, was contemplating rebellion against everything.
Naturally, when Cheng Shi said all of this, he rang the Bone Bell. Under that great one's protection, he spoke without reservation, hoping to lay bare his heart and earn the boss's support through raw sincerity.
Hong Lin listened in silence the entire ti, never uttering a word to interrupt. Only when Cheng Shi had laid out every thought, and ntioned he planned to gather the Destined Ones for a small eting soon, did she finally let out a quiet "Mm" before saying hesitantly:
"I..."
"Hong Lin, we're not just friends now — we're comrades in arms.
This journey is guaranteed to be rough. If we — on the sa ship — can't be honest with each other, I'm afraid this voyage... will never reach the other shore.
In front of , no need for hesitation. You can say anything.
I will never be a puppeteer, and you are nobody's puppet."
Hong Lin suddenly smiled. She nodded:
"I get it.
What I wanted to say is — I know the Destined Ones are probably very important to you. They're a huge asset on our road ahead, and their mbers' strength is beyond question.
But I believe that on this path, so things may matter more than raw power.
Like trust. Like loyalty..."
Cheng Shi was who he was — the mont he heard this, he guessed Big Cat's aning.
"You want to bring Tao Yi into the Destined Ones?"
"..." Big Cat's expression froze. She gave a stiff nod. "Yes. I'll admit I have so personal bias. But I guarantee — the little fox is absolutely trustworthy."
Cheng Shi's brow furrowed slightly — not because he doubted Tao Yi's ability. The girl had already proven herself in 0221's experint ground. She was genuinely clever, and even if her raw combat power couldn't match the very top tier, serving as Big Cat's external brain would be valuable enough.
But the Destined Ones were, in a sense, followers of [Fate]. Would [Fate] extend His protection to her?
Big Cat showed a rare flash of shrewdness. Reading Cheng Shi's concerns, she suddenly adopted an odd expression:
"You might not know this — the little fox, wanting to better understand a certain follower of [Fate], prayed to rge with [Fate]."
"?"
Cheng Shi's face locked up. He asked stiffly: "It worked?"
"Yep. It worked.
And precisely because it worked, I think she and Nangong are both good fits for the Destined Ones..."
"Wait — who? Nangong?
What does she have to do with this?" Cheng Shi blinked, recalling that Nangong had committed Oathbreaking against [Decay] and embraced [Fate] to beco a Fate Weaver.
"I think they're both excellent candidates. One is loyal, the other is kind — neither will hold us back."
"..."
Cheng Shi considered it. It wasn't a bad idea, actually.
Nangong may have converted to [Fate], but she'd once belonged to [Decay]. Having an extra set of eyes from another faith for intelligence-gathering had its uses.
But... wasn't this girl a bit too gullible?
Would the intel she gathered even be real?
While he was mulling this over, Hong Lin asked again:
"How big a venue should I prepare? Is a thousand-seat hall enough? Any requirents for zones — seating by faith? Round-table conference or lecture-stage format?
And the most important question — Cheng Shi, do you have absolute authority within the Destined Ones?"
"..."
Cheng Shi couldn't laugh anymore. His head swam at these questions.
'Imagine — when the eting starts, and Big Cat discovers that including the two she's bringing, there are only six people total... will she smash
into the floor?'
'...She wouldn't. Right?'
...
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