Chapter 125 - Fate Shattering Lord

The morning light broke across the dense mountains like spilled gold, painting the sky in shades of amber and crimson as the sun emerged from its nightly slumber. Mist clung to the lower valleys, creating pockets of mysterious shadow beneath the canopy of ancient trees.

Cale stood at the tomb’s entrance, still and patient, waiting for the right moment to descend.

Then the notification arrived.

[Quest: Kill Li Zhan]

[Reward: Fate Shattering skill]

[The more fated ones host shatters, the more fate bends towards host’s side.]

Cale’s eyes narrowed with interest.

"Hmm?"

A wry laugh escaped his lips, sharp and knowing.

"Heh, what... who are these fated ones?" he murmured. "No, wait. Li Zhan... oh! You mean if I take inheritances meant for someone else, the more fate will be on my side?"

He paused, considering.

"But what’s the point of having it on my side? I doubt I’ll have the power to directly alter someone’s fate or maybe kill them with just a thought."

The system responded immediately, as if reading his skepticism;

[In fights, host’s chances of winning will increase. The more fate’s favorability host has, the more inheritances and chances you’ll get in future, Even helping survive from life or death situations. Even having a little bit of fate value can help turning 50-50 Possibilities to 51-49.]

Cale smiled, understanding.

"Good. You’ve convinced me. Guess I should just keep on taking inheritances before their real master even shows up. Heh, imagine a fate-devouring cultivator."

Deep within the Bone Fiend Emperor’s resting place, Li Zhan, Ruo Wan, and Niva sat exhausted on a massive boulder, their bodies bruised and battered from the journey through the tomb’s many trials.

Niva, however, bore not even a single scratch.

Li Zhan drank deeply from a waterskin, his mind churning with frustration and calculation.

’I’ve been sensing the inheritance with my pendant,’ he thought, his fingers brushing the jade token hanging from his neck. ’And even something inside me feels as if telling me to go towards it. But somehow, the more we enter, the more monsters surround us. Sigh, I guess it is a profound inheritance for a reason.’

What he didn’t know, or well, what he could never suspect — was that Niva had been secretly breaking up pills into powder. These were monster-inducing pills, originally developed and used by Velard’s military forces at their borders. Even the other three kingdoms didn’t possess such technology. Foreign cultivators certainly shouldn’t have access to them.

Then, as if summoned by invisible forces, they arrived.

Eight monsters materialized in their vision simultaneously, creatures resembling massive tigers but rendered black as midnight. Each possessed a single spiraling horn protruding from its forehead, emanating an aura of predatory hunger.

ROAR!

The sound shook loose stones from the cavern ceiling.

Li Zhan’s reaction was instantaneous and revealing.

"Run! Let’s go! Let’s each go three separate ways and then find each other later," he commanded, already backing away.

Internally, his smile was cold.

’Heheh, now with this, I can go take the inheritance and I won’t have to take those two burdens along. Sigh, that girl from that unknown place... she’s far too weak! If it wasn’t for her looks!’

Niva began running with panic, her speed, one of her few real strengths which carried her across massive rocks and through mountain passes at inhuman pace.

’Fuck, fuck, fuck! That cursed guy!’ she raged internally as three of the monsters peeled away from the main pack to pursue her specifically. ’Who knew such a thing would happen! Now that only I have the powder traces, three of the monsters are following me!’

Three hours of relentless pursuit.

Niva’s legs burned. Her breath came in ragged, desperate gasps. Her reserves of mana and qi were nearly depleted from constant movement and evasion. The defensive treasures Cale had given her, were now destroyed in desperate combat. Her sword was chipped and barely any use.

She was a speed-focused cultivator and in mage terms she was healing and agility based with some basic strong attacks, which meant she wore only light leather armor for maximum mobility. That choice; once a tactical advantage was now the one that left her vulnerable to direct hits.

"These damned monsters, so persistent!" she screamed in her heart, her voice hoarse from exertion.

Then she stumbled.

"Ahh!..."

Her scream echoed through the cavern as she barely managed to deal with two of the creatures, using speed and desperation in equal measure to evade their strikes. But the third remained, relentless and inevitable.

"Shit... guess I will die here," she muttered, watching the last tiger accelerate toward her. "Hehe, I will curse that damn Cale to hell!"

She ran toward the beast deliberately with a final, hopeless charge born from exhaustion rather than courage. But the tiger was far too strong. Its massive paw connected with her body in a single, casual swat that sent her flying through the air like a doll.

She crashed to the ground, rolling through stone and dust, accumulating injuries with each impact.

"Ah... I’m dead..." she whispered, her eyes opening to see the beast launching itself into the air for the final strike. Her gaze was hopeless, resigned to the inevitable.

Then a voice cut through the moment.

"Look at you cursing me even before dying."

Her eyes widened.

SWOOSH!

A spear—the Thorned Lotus transformed into a weapon of new kind, materialized in mid-air and drove directly through the tiger’s body, pinning it to the stone ground with enough force to crack the earth beneath it.

Cale suddenly appeared in front of her, crouching down with an expression of amusement. He was definitely enjoying this, seeing her in desperation and vulnerability, in a near death experience.

"Y-you! Goddamn fucker!" Niva screamed, tears flooding her eyes. The fear she’d been suppressing erupted outward as rage. "You left me with that pathetic guy to seduce and I was about to die!"

Cale laughed, happiness coloring his voice.

"Hahah, are you crying? Oh my, and you were so full of confidence. What would happen to you if it wasn’t for me~"

"I-I thought you abandoned me!" she replied, her voice breaking.

Cale’s smile softened slightly. Not with affection, but with the satisfaction of having someone depend entirely on him.

"Heh, I can’t just let you die before you help me get that inheritance~" he said, and her face fell slightly. She’d hoped... for just a moment that he was here because he cared about her. That his worry had driven him to her rescue.

Of course it wasn’t that simple.

Most people didn’t know this but Cale and her were childhood friends of sorts, though both of them never admitted it.

It was because Niva’s father had once served under Cale’s father several years ago, and during those days, he would often bring Niva along with him whenever he visited their household.

Back then, she had practically grown up around the family.

But things changed after her father was promoted and joined Cale’s father’s faction. He no longer came around as often. His position had changed, after all. He was no longer merely a servant working directly under their family.

He now stood on considerably better footing.

Of course, he was still, ’technically speaking’, working under Cale’s father’s faction.

It was just that the relationship between them had evolved from that of master and servant into something closer to that of allies and subordinates.

Although late, but he was here, and well, she was alive... barely. And in this moment, that was enough for her too.

He carried her like a princess, cradling her against his chest. She immediately began struggling, her embarrassment manifesting.

"Let me go... you shameless! I can walk by my own!" she protested, her face flushing a deep crimson.

"Sigh... quite the needy child, aren’t you," Cale responded with amusement. "Stay quiet and absorb this."

He produced the pill he’d promised her: the one that would help increase her magic circles and accelerate her through several minor cultivation realms. It wouldn’t take immediate effect; the transformation would require at least ten days of integration. But it was a gift born from his plans, and she did indeed finish most of her task, so why not absorb this while she heals.

He pushed the pill toward her mouth, and she instinctively opened to receive it—

Then began sucking on his fingers.

"Umm..." Cale stared at her with disbelief.

"??" she stared back, completely oblivious.

"Can you stop sucking my fingers and let go?" he said with a smirk. "Although I do enjoy it, this is not the right time..."

"Hmph! I’m sleeping!" she turned her face away, tucking it instead against his chest, her mouth still working against his fingers despite her protestations for a few more seconds before he pulled it away, like snatching a lollipop from a kid.

Cale sighed, using the Thorned Lotus still in its spear form to launch them skyward. He broke the weapon apart into dozens of fragments, each one accelerating downward to strike the remaining tiger at multiple spots. The creature died without even having the chance to roar.

"Phew... let’s go," he said, adjusting Niva’s position in his arms. "You still have to do your job properly~"

She made a small noise of protest, but didn’t struggle anymore.