Infinite Professions-Chapter 104 - 31: On the Dao

On the towering city walls, Lin Cangyu gazed into the distance, seeing only the army camps stretching for miles and, beyond that, a wide road flanked by golden rice fields.

At this time of golden autumn, the rice grains were ripe, fields upon fields, resembling a golden ocean, occasionally waving in the wind, exuding bursts of the fresh scent of rice.

Lin Cangyu looked at all this, silently for a long time.

Until an enigmatic girl with an ethereal aura approached him: "What are you looking at, so lost in thought?"

Lin Cangyu glanced at her, then turned his gaze back: "Isn’t it said that the people of the Martial Country have already fallen into darkness, living like savages? Why do they still grow so much rice?"

"This..."

The girl was startled, also a bit puzzled, but quickly found a reason: "Perhaps they still have a bit of sanity left. After all, examples of dark power warping humans are rare, maybe only that Li Taiyi was transformed, and the others are coerced by him."

"Is that so?"

Lin Cangyu murmured, still staring at the golden rice fields: "It’s harvest time again. I wonder how the villagers are coping. Speaking of which, I haven’t gone back to visit for many years."

The murmured words carried an inexplicable connotation.

The girl also looked at him in confusion: "Cangyu, what’s really going on with you?"

"Nothing, just some strange thoughts."

Lin Cangyu shook his head, then turned to look at the palace behind: "Li Taiyi was once also a Celestial Destiny Spirit Master, even the Chosen One, the Chapter of Courage, why did he come to this end?"

The girl hesitated and said: "The teacher said it was because the Celestial Spirit Beast died in battle and was corrupted by dark power in the final battle sealing the Dark Demon King Beast, coupled with some later encounters and hatred towards the nobles, leading him down this extreme path."

"Hatred towards the nobles?"

Lin Cangyu murmured again, his expression becoming more unfathomable: "The nobles I remember were good people, especially the lord of our White Leaf Valley. He cared for his people like his children and bravely died to protect our village during a beast tide. And those we met during training..."

"Of course!"

The girl nodded: "Nobles are the pillars of the kingdoms, contributors who made significant contributions in protecting the Spirit Control Continent. Once the Demon King is defeated, you and your descendants will also become nobles, perhaps even a king of a country, continuing to protect the continent and your people."

"Is that so?"

Lin Cangyu turned back, looking straight at her: "But why do I feel it’s somewhat false?"

"False?"

The girl was puzzled: "What do you mean by false?"

"..."

Lin Cangyu was silent for a moment, then shook his head: "Perhaps I’m overthinking."

"Enemy attack!"

Just then, a cry drew everyone’s attention.

Lin Cangyu’s eyes sharpened, following the sound to see a golden light coming from afar, piercing through several Lord-level Spirit Masters along the way.

"This is..."

Amid shock, the golden light approached, transforming into a figure above the stone city.

"Li Taiyi!!!"

Before Lin Cangyu could observe further, a commotion broke out in the city, followed by beams of ice and fire shooting towards the figure.

"Shentu Ming?"

"Not good!"

Lin Cangyu’s eyes condensed, immediately rushing forward.

At this moment, the ice and fire light had already ascended, transforming into a crystal-clear divine bird wreathed in scarlet flames, its wings stirring ice and fire to instantaneously form a domain, enveloping the figure within.

Ice Phoenix and Fire Phoenix

Spirit Beast Rank: Celestial Destiny (Sacred Beast)

Spirit Beast Species: Phoenix (Ice and Fire)

Spirit Beast Combat Skills: Ice and Fire, Fiery Flame Burning Body, Nirvana Rebirth, Absolute Zero...

"Screech!"

The Ice Phoenix and Fire Phoenix soared high, its ice and fire domain instantly becoming a prison, forces that shouldn’t coexist now complementing each other, ice burning like fire, fire freezing like ice, extreme heat and extreme cold rotating endlessly, hard enough to turn the toughest Spirit Iron into fragments or even dust.

This is the power of the Celestial Destiny Sacred Beast, the Ice Phoenix and Fire Phoenix.

Above the Ice Phoenix and Fire Phoenix stood a stern-looking young man, the orphan of the Fire Country, Celestial Destiny Spirit, Chapter of Hope — Shentu Ming!

He rode the Ice Phoenix and Fire Phoenix, staring at the figure ahead, his eyes filled with fiery hatred and icy murderous intent.

Yet that figure remained motionless, the powers of ice and fire alternating at their peak, like the grinding wheel of Yin and Yang, capable of obliterating everything, but unable to erase that thin layer of golden light on his body.

"Can he really withstand the domain incineration of the Ice Phoenix and Fire Phoenix?"

"It is indeed him, the Dark Demon King — Li Taiyi!"

Lin Cangyu leapt forward, arriving at Shentu Ming’s side.

Meanwhile, below in the stronghold, streaks of spirit light shot into the sky, transforming into dozens of figures joining the battlefield.

They were the Three Generations of Celestial Destiny and several Emperor-level Spirit Masters.

"Li Taiyi!"

Seeing Shen Hex in the ice and fire domain, Jun Cangming and Hex Yanfeng were somewhat astonished.

They had just decided to send a challenge letter to Wudu, spreading word through their spies within the Martial Country to create momentum and pressure Shen Hex to come for battle. Unexpectedly, before they could act, he had already arrived.

What is this?

Coming alone to face the Celestial Destiny?

Has his power grown to this extent?

Or is it...?

They were filled with uncertainty, their expressions growing more solemn.

Only Shentu Ming remained unchanged, the Ice Phoenix and Fire Phoenix unfolding its wings fiercely, determined to annihilate the mortal enemy before him.

"Stop!"

A silver-haired woman spoke, a predecessor of the Chapter of Light.

But Shentu Ming paid no heed, unwilling to listen, and even more unwilling to halt.

"Aming!"

It wasn’t until Lin Cangyu and the other Celestial Destinies reached him that he was forcefully restrained along with the Ice Phoenix and Fire Phoenix.

Shentu Ming ceased his actions, the silver-haired woman breathed a sigh of relief, looking incredulously at Shen Hex: "Li Taiyi, why have you come?"

"I’ve come to engage in a decisive battle with you all."

Shen Hex smiled, his gaze sweeping over Lin Cangyu, Shentu Ming, and the others, then returning to Zhong Qingcang and other previous generation Celestial Destinies: "You’ve been trained well, not disappointing."

"Hmm!?"

Zhong Qingcang’s eyes narrowed, the silver-haired woman’s surprise growing: "Are you so confident you can face Celestial Destiny Spirit Masters and Celestial Destiny Sacred Beasts?"

"Whether I can or cannot, only the outcome will determine."

Shen Hex shook his head, ignoring Shentu Ming’s hateful eyes and Lin Cangyu’s skeptical look, addressing the silver-haired woman: "But before that, I wish to discuss Dao with you all."

"Discuss Dao?"

The silver-haired woman frowned: "Discuss what Dao?"

"Celestial Dao, Human Dao, the Dao between Heaven and Man."

Shen Hex smiled, his expression unfathomable: "Would you be interested?"

"Hmm!?"

Zhong Qingcang’s eyes narrowed again, then a sharp light burst forth, killing intent rising dramatically as he directly said to Shentu Ming and the others: "Don’t listen to his deceitful words, join forces to annihilate him immediately!"