Chapter 160 : How to Steal Destiny Luck
Chapter 160: How to Steal Destiny Luck
As for how Ye Jingchen stole Destiny Luck, Yaxi had originally planned to tell Long Tao about it anyway.
To be honest, if “stealing Destiny Luck” did not sound so outrageously unbelievable, she would have wanted to broadcast it widely so that everyone could guard against such insidious methods.
“This is something I naturally need to explain clearly to you. Destiny Luck is a mysterious and ineffable thing. Normally speaking, it is not fixed immovably on a single person. It is more like a flowing ‘momentum,’ a kind of bias within Heaven and Earth. But sometimes, the Heavenly Dao shows particular favor toward certain individuals. Destiny Luck lingers on them longer and more firmly. These people are what we call the ‘Child of Destiny.’”
“For example, you’re one of them?” Long Tao interjected at the right moment.
“That’s right,” Yaxi admitted frankly. “There’s nothing to be modest about—I am one. The more favored one is by the Heavenly Dao, the more stable and condensed one’s Destiny Luck becomes, like the water of a deep pool that barely flows anymore.”
“That really does sound unfair,” Long Tao remarked half-jokingly. “Ordinary people’s Destiny Luck rises and falls, sometimes good, sometimes bad. Meanwhile, you Children of Destiny seem to be perpetually enveloped in good fortune.”
“It’s not quite that exaggerated,” Yaxi waved her hand. “Destiny Luck mainly influences major matters—life trajectories and Dao-path opportunities. As for trivial everyday luck, we experience fluctuations too. Besides, fortune and misfortune depend on each other. Receiving the Heavenly Dao’s favor also comes with corresponding risks and responsibilities. It’s not without vulnerabilities.”
At this point, Long Tao stopped interrupting and focused intently on the crucial part.
“When a bearer of Destiny Luck suffers a major blow—especially public humiliation, loss of reputation, or disgrace before a crowd—their will is inevitably shaken. Their alignment with the Heavenly Dao briefly loosens. At such moments, the Destiny Luck that was once as steady as a deep pool begins to surge violently, producing ripples.”
Long Tao listened, captivated. A spark flashed through his mind. “Like hurling a massive stone into a calm lake?”
“Exactly! That’s precisely it!” Yaxi nodded in approval. “Under normal circumstances, such fluctuations are temporary. With the foundation of a person blessed with great Destiny Luck, the disturbance will eventually subside, sooner or later. However…”
Her tone turned extremely grave. “For those who have mastered the wicked art of stealing Destiny Luck, that fleeting fluctuation is the perfect opportunity they have long dreamed of! They possess special methods that allow them to precisely capture those ripples of Destiny Luck. Using that as a breakthrough point, they cast secret techniques to forcibly plunder another’s Destiny Luck for themselves!”
“I see…” Long Tao understood, but a new question soon arose. “But judging from your situation, even after part of your Destiny Luck was stolen, it doesn’t seem like… it caused much impact?”
“If only there were no impact!” Yaxi sighed, switching to a more vivid analogy. “You can imagine the Heavenly Dao as the head of a family. We bearers of Destiny Luck are the children most favored, receiving the largest share of the inheritance. But while enjoying that favor, you also have to strive forward and uphold the family’s reputation. If you constantly embarrass yourself and bring shame to the family, then the ‘head of the household’ will punish you more severely than ordinary children.”
“So you… have already been ‘punished’?” Long Tao caught the implication in her words.
“Mm.” Yaxi’s voice lowered slightly, tinged with helplessness. “I call it Fate Backlash. Its manifestation is that cultivation, which should have progressed smoothly, suddenly runs into all sorts of inexplicable troubles and setbacks. They’re not crippling, but they’re extremely annoying. Fortunately, my foundation is solid enough. I can endure it head-on.”
“Then that means…” Long Tao pondered, “you must have… embarrassed yourself or lost face in public before, and that was when Ye Jingchen seized the chance to steal your Destiny Luck?”
“T–there was something like that!” Yaxi’s tone shot up abruptly, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. A noticeable flush instantly spread across her face, and her gaze began to wander. “W–what exactly happened, I’m not telling you! Anyway… anyway, that time wasn’t serious! Right! It absolutely wasn’t serious!”
The more she spoke, the softer her voice became, until it turned into a mutter. She was clearly trying her utmost to conceal a certain unspeakable “black history.”
Watching her overly defensive reaction, Long Tao more or less guessed… this Saintess fellow townsman must have experienced a mortifying social-death moment in public, which Ye Jingchen then exploited. Tactfully, he did not press further. He merely let out a meaningful “Oh…”
That single “Oh” made Yaxi even more embarrassed and annoyed.
Pouting toward the mirror, she protested coquettishly, “What kind of tone is that?! Don’t overthink it! Anyway… you just need to understand the principle!”
After Yaxi finally extricated herself from that mortifying memory and the redness on her cheeks gradually faded, Long Tao steered the conversation back on track.
“So, have you already discussed countermeasures with True Lord Luohong?”
“More or less.” Yaxi adjusted her posture, her tone returning to its usual shrewdness. “Ye Jingchen is now a turtle in a jar. The key lies in extracting more intelligence from him. If there truly is a force backing him, a crude Soul Search might trigger some self-destruct restriction, cutting off our clues. So we must be patient and lure the snake out of its hole.”
“But I estimate he won’t have much patience,” Long Tao said thoughtfully. “If the more publicly a Child of Destiny is disgraced, the more Destiny Luck he can steal, then this Sect Competition is undoubtedly his best venue and timing. He won’t let this opportunity slip.”
Yaxi nodded in deep agreement. Indeed, a grand event like the Sect Competition, drawing massive crowds and countless spectators, was practically the perfect stage for Ye Jingchen to perform his wicked art of stealing Destiny Luck.
“Then when do you think he’ll act?”
“Well… in my humble opinion,” Long Tao organized his thoughts, “first, he needs time to prepare thoroughly. Second, he will certainly wait for the match with the largest audience and highest attention. So… the Top Eight or the Top Four rounds—those two stages are the most likely points for him to make his move.”
“Oh? So certain?” Yaxi raised a brow, a hint of amusement in her eyes.
“It’s not blind confidence,” Long Tao explained. “First of all, his primary target is most likely Nan Yuchen. You agree with that, right?”
“Mm. True Lord Luohong has the same judgment.”
“But although Nan Yuchen is exceptionally talented, he is still only at the Foundation Establishment Third Layer. Reaching the Top Eight or even the Top Four might be possible, but making it to the finals is highly unlikely. Therefore, the Top Four round would be his last opportunity to act against Nan Yuchen. However, I personally lean toward him acting during the Top Eight.”
As Long Tao finished his analysis, he felt a bit anxious himself.
Damn it… Ye Jingchen had better not cause any trouble in the Top Eight.
As long as Nan Yuchen could reach the Top Four and complete the task, Ye Jingchen could do whatever he wanted afterward.
“True. In the earlier rounds, there are fewer spectators. Even if he acts, Nan Yuchen’s embarrassment wouldn’t be as severe as in the later rounds. But if he had known in advance that your commentary would draw such a crowd even in the early rounds, he might have acted sooner,” Yaxi followed his line of reasoning.
“Not necessarily. These past two days had many people, but most were mortals and low-level disciples. The Foundation Establishment experts and Golden Core cultivators will likely only come in the later rounds. Disgracing Nan Yuchen before those important figures would probably yield the best effect.”
“Sigh… if you obtained this method of stealing Destiny Luck, you’d probably be even more terrifying than Ye Jingchen. Honestly…”
She did not finish her sentence, seemingly interrupted by some external commotion.
Her face suddenly moved away from the mirror, and faint sounds of her speaking to others could be heard. After a moment, she reappeared, a trace of irritation on her face.
“So annoying. A few male disciples from some clan families have come to visit. I can’t even turn them away. I’ll go deal with them first. We’ll talk later when there’s time. Hanging up. Bye.”
Watching the small mirror abruptly shut off, Long Tao suddenly felt as though he had returned to the modern world.
Indeed, encountering a fellow townsman in a foreign land—someone he could talk to freely—always brought an indescribable sense of comfort and relaxation, like being home.
After sighing with emotion, he put the mirror away, entered a meditative state, and continued cultivating his Divine Soul.