Chapter 1338: Different Paths

Difficult to imagine, how天才 can one be, if even a proud old man like Yu Beidou deems him a peerless genius.Only know that this person indeed found a way to break free from the impasse of Fate Divination, yet in doing so, created the greatest error of their lineage…Regarding the dead end of the art of Fate Divination, they must have divined upon it countless times.Those unwilling to face the result, however, strayed onto a deviant path.Therefore, for that predetermined outcome, can it truly only be accepted?"What is the difference between the Art of Blood Divination and the Art of Fate Divination?" Jiang Wang asked.Yu Beidou said: "If destiny is a long river. The Art of Fate Divination is when one leaps out of the water, observing the river's flow from the bank, peering into the birth and death of every fish within.The Art of Blood Divination, however, is based on the connection between each fish and the River of Destiny, killing one such fish, and utilizing the ripples it stirs in the River of Destiny to briefly perceive the River of Destiny.In a sense, the Art of Blood Divination is a tributary of the Art of Fate Divination.The greatest difference lies in this: the Art of Fate Divination perceives the River of Fate through oneself, while the Art of Blood Divination embodies the Heavenly Will through human life."Yu Beidou's explanation was simple and clear, detailing the similarities and differences between Fate Divination and Blood Divination with precision."Imparting the Dao" is inherently a manifestation of ability, and to explain such a profound Dao path with such clarity demonstrates his profound cultivation base. He is a true figure capable of passing on the Dao lineage and establishing a sect.Alas, the Art of Fate Divination is no longer passed down…"Can it be understood thus…" Jiang Wang said, "Cultivating the Art of Fate Divination, the stronger the cultivation, the longer one can remain 'out of the water', observing the River of Destiny for a longer time. Cultivating the Art of Blood Divination, the stronger the cultivation, the greater the ripples created by killing a single fish, thus one can perceive more changes in the River of Destiny."Yu Beidou nodded: "Precisely so.""The Art of Fate Divination is the diviner's own adventure, while the Art of Blood Divination creates ripples with the lives of others." Jiang Wang said: "Thus… it is indeed an evil art.""In a sense, he indeed opened a new frontier for the path of Fate Divination," Yu Beidou said, "The process of leaping out of the River of Destiny is perilous, something you have just experienced.Because fish cannot leave the water, and humans are born within destiny, departing from the River of Destiny itself is an adventure.In almost every generation, there were inheritors of the Art of Fate Divination who, after leaping out of the River of Destiny, never returned. The Art of Blood Divination, however, completely shifted this danger outwards… For the diviner, this is naturally a good thing. But for humanity, this is a venomous sac."Jiang Wang listened in silence."My senior brother said that diviners are pioneers, and naturally should not be sacrificed. There are always people willing to sacrifice, who should sacrifice. But humans, once they harbor the thought of sacrificing others, their roots rot away…"Yu Beidou said: "Initially, when he divined, he would pay a suitable price to those willing to die. Later, he would capture those who deserved death, using their sinful blood for divination. But who deserves death, and who does not, how can there be a perfectly just answer? The standard for 'deserving death' constantly changed, constantly lowered… And then, in urgent situations, he would just casually seize a person…""Who to sacrifice, how to sacrifice, all decided by the diviner's single word. Once such an Art of Blood Divination is passed down, its poisonous influence is boundless. Even with my senior brother's strength and temperament, he could not control himself. What of others in the world? Some cages, once opened, can never be closed again…"Jiang Wang could fully understand these words, for his hometown, Fenglin City, was sacrificed in this very manner…Analogous to the Art of Blood Divination, Fenglin City was that fish that was killed.When Zhuang Gaoxian sacrificed the Fenglin City domain, it was also under the pretext of the future of the Zhuang Kingdom.Sacrificing oneself is a great deed, sacrificing others, however, is a crime, no matter how grand the reason."Among all evil arts in the world, none surpasses Blood Divination," Jiang Wang said, "That senior brother of yours, has already become a demon.""I fully believe that at the very beginning, he merely wished to break the impasse of the Art of Fate Divination. He simply did not want a glorious history to conclude, did not want the efforts of people like us to ultimately be merely a bubble.But he forgot. The Art of Fate Divination, at its inception, was meant to assist humanity.It was to enlighten the future of humanity that the Art of Fate Divination came into being.It was not from the start to force others to sacrifice. To kill first in order to find a path forward, such an Art of Blood Divination is fundamentally flawed."Yu Beidou said: "He cultivated the Art of Fate Divination for three hundred years, but after creating the Art of Blood Divination, from walking on thin ice to becoming completely reckless, he only took three years. When sacrificing others becomes a habit, one loses self-awareness. The poison of Blood Divination lies in killing humanity."Jiang Wang fell silent.Yu Beidou's description brought him much to contemplate.In this world, there are many who do not treat themselves as human, and even more who do not treat others as human.Throughout his journey, he had seen too much.Cultivation is about transcending the mundane, discarding the dross, it is about extraordinary courage, responsibility, and compassion, and should not be about being high and mighty."In terms of effect. The Art of Blood Divination does not see as far as the Art of Fate Divination. But when applied to individuals, it can often be more precise.In terms of cost, the Art of Blood Divination requires almost no price from the diviner.From the perspective of the diviner alone, Blood Divination might be superior to Fate Divination.Those who harm others without benefiting themselves are still countless. If harming others can benefit oneself, this art will be difficult to eradicate throughout the ages."Yu Beou sat cross-legged, immersed in the past, his voice filled with sorrow: "On the night the Art of Blood Divination was perfected, I saw the River of Destiny, all stained with blood. At that time, I quietly told myself that this was a wrong path, and I must correct it… But do you know how I killed my senior brother?"Jiang Wang knew that Yu Beidou asked this question not for an answer, but simply for a listener.Therefore, he listened attentively.Yu Beidou's eyes drooped slightly: "He did not guard against me."Regarding his senior brother's death, Yu Beidou only said this one sentence.But all the complexity and torment were contained within it.Jiang Wang now, of course, knew that Yu Beidou personally killed his senior brother, and for so many years, had been pursuing the Divining Demon, seeking to eradicate the Art of Blood Divination. This was Yu Beidou's choice, based on the tradition of the Art of Fate Divination and his stance for humanity.But from his senior brother's perspective?That peerless genius, merely unwilling to see the Art of Fate Divination disappear, unwilling to reach a dead end, attempted to forge an unprecedented path. To forge a new path, he must have endured much hardship and put in great effort, and finally he succeeded!With whom would he share his joy?His master, his junior brother, those he believed were fellow travelers…Even though he had clearly embarked on a different path. To be able to pioneer a path like the Art of Blood Divination, he should have been a figure indifferent to worldly affairs, viewing all beings as mere grass… Yet he did not guard against Yu Beidou, and ultimately died in Yu Beidou's scheme…Humans are truly complex.Not only Yu Beidou, not only that senior brother of Yu Beidou, are complex.Including the Divining Demon, who can be an exception?From whatever angle one looks, the Divining Demon deserves death a thousand times over.But from the Divining Demon's own perspective, his master, who had clearly opened a new path for the Art of Fate Divination, a formidable figure who established a new sect, was assassinated by a junior uncle who was jealous of his talent… How could he not hate?He stared at Yu Beidou until his death, his eyes unclosed!What "venomous sac," what "cage," he would only see as excuses.From his perspective, Yu Beidou was a despicable scoundrel who was jealous of the virtuous and capable.He did not hesitate to fall into demonhood, did not hesitate to sacrifice himself to the sword, all to complete this act of revenge.When he casually used human lives for divination, when he sent people to bathe Qingyun Pavilion in blood for the sake of balanced blood…Would he think he was doing something wrong?(Forgot to mention at noon, the appreciation event on the Starting Point Readers Circle, giving away Crimson Heart merchandise and physical copies of "Journey to the West Chronicle," will start in August…For those who haven't found it, don't worry, the operation is in preparation.)