Pathway

A conchi shell in the realm of Shadow-Shield! In the land of Beyond? Another immortal seed of the Adi-Buddhas. From the information he recieved from Ying Jie, it looked as if the shell could only contain the Dusk-Shadow bead. One of the luminous six beads of the Bodhi tree. A tempting situation. But where there was an immortal seed, there would also be a Principal. A powerful entity made solely from pure elemental energy.

Forsaken entities.

He could clearly remember the appearance of the water Principal. And, the mighty sword that could have, cleanly, severed his head from his body. And then, the fire hydra. He knew he had already pushed his fortune with the elemental guardians of the Star-Tide and Flowing-Flame beads. In the future, he might not be so fortunate with the dangers of looking for another bead. Luminous treasure or not, immortal seed or not, he would definitely not be searching for any of the beads in the foreseeable future. Any attempt in the near future, would simply be him courting death.

Unless, he was powerful enough to face a mighty Principal, which he didn't see happening in the predictable future. Especially, now, that he was already walking in the shadow of an inevitable death. Ah, shadow of death! He had been walking in the shadow of death all his life but this one was different. He recollected the words of the Worldly Oracle, just before she faded away.

"The words I've spoken are not of my volition. On you, hand of fate is locked with the hand of death. A fated-death, that's what you have. When it comes, you will know." 

He would know? What if he were to wake up tomorrow and suddenly knew he was going to die the very day? What time would he have to prepare for his imminent death? Should he even tell his family about all this? How would they recieve the information, especially his mother?

Ah, Fated Death!

Ominous declaration of a death that must be, through the mouth of an oracle. A destined death that was unavoidable by a universal decree. One way or another, he would have to die. And not just any death, but that particular fated death. Even with a protective treasure like the Deathless-God armor, he would still die the fated-death. What a life?

While Ying Jie was busy going through the records on the Deathless-God armor, Ju Feng decided to check the information on fated-deaths. The information he found, were the same with what he already knew. He would die.

After having enough of the sorrowful day, Ju Feng left the library and headed towards the male dormitory. He was lost in thoughts as he walked and almost barged into one of the school acolytes who had to use a bit of his energy to push Ju Feng away. His annoyance was evident in his expression.

"Watch where you're going, disciple."

"Sorr... sorry, senior."

Replied Ju Feng as he bowed with a cupped hand. He quickly gathered his thoughts. He was so lost in his own mind that he wasn't paying any attention to his immediate sorroundings. Not a very good sign at all. That was the same way he barged into the force-field of the revenant. The acolyte observed Ju Feng for a moment before sighing. His anger had receeded to the ignorance of the disciple. What was the point in punishing him for that? He was in a happy mood due to the luminary week and the kid appeared to be genuinely unaware and apologetic about the whole situation.

"Just be careful next time, you don't want to be barging into people like that."

"Yes, senior. Thank you."

Ju Feng said and watched the acolyte departed in relief. Oh, that was too loose of him. He continued staying in one place as he raised his head to the sky, observing its glory. He was interrupted by elder Wang Xiu who had been watching the whole scene, quietly, from afar. A disciple of hers whose help she would be needing in the near future. She continued to examine Ju Feng with her inherited ancestral-bloodline's sense. She had been sensing a dark cloud on Ju Feng's soul since leaving the forsaken palace. Something definitely happened to him inside that place that left a gloomy mark on his soul.

"Haven't you had enough of the sky already, young one?"

"Elder... Wang."

Ju Feng said while bowing his head with a cupped hand.

"This disciple greet you."

"Hm. Walk with me."

"Yes, elder Wang."

After walking in silence for few minutes, elder Wang Xiu cleared her throat and glanced at Ju Feng.

"Mm. Now tell me, what is going on with you?"

"With me? What do you mean, elder Wang?"

Asked Ju Feng in reply as confusion was written all over his face. What was going on with him staring at the sky or for standing in one spot? Probably, for almost barging into the acolyte?

"I noticed a cloud over your soul, Ju Feng. A little too strong cloud. What is troubling you?"

A cloud? Over his soul? Realization dawned on him as remembered the ancestral bloodline trait of elder Wang Xiu. She could see immediate things that were related to the soul. Ju Feng sighed deeply in resignation before answering solemnly.

"Ah. This, I couldn't hide from you, elder Wang Xiu. To tell you the truth, elder Wang Xiu, there was a worldly oracle I met at the forsaken palace. She told me about a fated-death."

"Heavens tears! A fated-death?"

"Yes, elder Wang. My fated-death." 

"Yours? And you didn't bother to let me know?"

Asked elder Wang Xiu in utter shock and annoyance. Despite the fact that she would be needing him in the near future, he was still her direct disciple. An important disciple. So, how could he have a death he couldn't escape?

"Do you even know what that means, Ju Feng?"

"Yes, elder Wang. That I must die."

"Sorrowful heaven. That is no joke. No wonder how lost you were in thoughts, no wonder the cloud I saw on your soul. But, a dark cloud? That was a sign of uncertainty in a soul's reincarnation. That powerful death? Sorrowful heavens. Quickly, come with me. We must seek the grand elder."

Elder Wang Xiu led Ju Feng towards the sect's haven as she sent out her mind connection to the grand elder. She knew grandelder along with some elders and avolytes, was recieving honored guest, but she hoped he would be able to spare her a minute or so.

"Elder Wang Xiu."

"Forgive my intrusion, grand elder. I know you are busy now, but if you have a second to spare later, you need to see this."

***

The Luminary week!

It was the annual free and happy week for the sect members to practically enjoy themselves, but without breaking any sect rule. The only week in the sec's year that members of the sect could decide not to do anything but recline, or hold and participate in one form of activity or the other. As the disciples, the acolytes and some of the elders, entertained themselves with various forms of exploits, the sect's heirarchy was also recieving different honored guests. This was the main reason for the luminary week.

Planet Lorra, was an ancient world. One of the first major worlds created during the expansion and it was one of the first to be occupied. At a time when few worlds had only been sparsely occupied, planet Lorra was already occupied. The Last-Sword sect was already established in this world by this time. The sect was here, as a first of its kind, when the world was still under one emperor, the first Jade emperor, who was also a friend of the sect's ancestral patriarch.

The luminary week was to celebrate the long term existence of the Last-Sword sect and its peaceful friendship with others, especially the equally ancient ones. Just as it was with the tradition of the Last-Sword sect, it recieved the notable guests from different places, every year.

And like every year, honored guests had been coming-in from all over the continent and other worlds through out the week. Gifts were brought, also rare and expensive ones were exchanged. All these honored guests, were attended to by the grandelder. Only few of the honored guests, required the attention of the sect's patriarch. But, the sect's patriarch had been unavailable for many years now after sealing himself inside the Never-Ending immortal cave. That made the responsibility, of recieving all the guests, fall on the grandelder.

***

And on this day, the grandelder was recieving one of the few uppermost guests, stellar Wind-Eternal, a true ascendant who was more powerful than most hegemons. Despite his power surpassing the threshold of the mortal plane, he had found a way to have balance and avoided being pushed out of the mortal plane. After his heavenly tribulations, he rejected ascension to the heavenly plane. Hence, he became an hegemon.