Walker Of The Worlds

Chapter 2676  Changing Fates And Determination

HUALA!

A mysterious power suddenly descended upon the area.

Lin Mu felt it immediately—a strange, invisible force connecting him and Meng Bai. Though he could not see it, he could sense it, like an unseen thread linking their fates together.

ʼIs this… Karma?ʼ Lin Mu wondered.

The thread lingered momentarily before fading from perception, but Lin Mu knew it was still there, binding master and disciple in a bond that could not easily be severed.

He exhaled deeply, feeling the weight of responsibility settle onto his shoulders. A week ago, he would have never thought he would be taking in a disciple. Fate was unpredictable, constantly shifting the tides of oneʼs life.

Regardless of what the future held, Lin Mu knew one thing: there was no use resisting fate. He could only walk forward, step by step, on the path that lay ahead.

Unknown to Lin Mu, however, taking in a disciple had far-reaching implications that neither he nor even Xukong could fully realize.

Far beyond the limits of the universe, beyond the void, there existed a wheel.

Carved from an unknown material, the wheel turned without stopping. The force driving it was a river, but if one looked closely at the water, they would find themselves lost in its depths.

From this river, countless smaller rivers branched out, and from each of those, even more tributaries split. Along the lengths of these rivers and tributaries, countless water wheels spun ceaselessly.

These wheels, unattached to any physical support, moved of their own accord, responding to the ever-flowing river. Some were made of gleaming gold, others of translucent crystal, while some rotted away, appearing as if they had long outlived their purpose.

In this place, time did not exist, nor did space. Only the river and its wheels endured, persisting eternally in their motion.

Yet among the myriad tributaries, there was one particular stream unlike any other. It was barren, devoid of a water wheel. Its flow was erratic, swelling unpredictably as though struck by a sudden flood, only to shrink as if a drought had set in the very next moment.

This peculiarity had continued for an untold amount of time, making it somewhat predictable in its unpredictability.

Until today.

The strange tributary suddenly changed its course, curving sharply in an unforeseen direction. It rushed forward, its currents surging with newfound force until it reached another tributary, one far smaller in comparison.

If the first tributary was an ocean, then this second one was but a puddle left behind by a passing rain.

The smaller tributary had a water wheel spinning upon it, a simple wooden construct much like those seen in a common village. It was plain and unassuming, blending into the vast expanse of countless other wheels.

And yet, the larger tributary moved towards the smaller one and flowed into it.

HUALA!

A profound change occurred. The moment the two streams merged, the smaller tributary swelled to a hundred times its original size. It surged with newfound energy, as though it had been revitalized by the infusion. The waters blended together for a brief time before parting once more, but even after they separated, the smaller tributary remained ten times larger than it had once been.

Yet the most remarkable transformation happened to the water wheel itself.

The simple wooden wheel, once ordinary and unremarkable, began to glow with a golden radiance. Its surface changed, the rough wooden texture smoothing out, transforming into a metal-like sheen. The spinning slowed, as though adjusting to the magnitude of the change.

”Oh?” A mysterious presence stirred, taking note of the transformation. ”A tributary without a wheel has merged with another, and the water wheel has changed…”

The presence observed, intrigued.

”A wooden wheel evolving into a golden one? That wheel-less tributary carries more power than I expected. To upgrade such a base construct by several levels… How fascinating.”

It paused, its curiosity piqued.

”It seems its sequence of surprises is far from over. Perhaps I should observe it more closely.”

With that, the presence vanished, leaving the golden wheel to spin in its newfound brilliance.

Meanwhile, back in the mortal realm, Meng Bai lifted his head.

”Master…”

Lin Mu extended a hand, helping the boy to his feet. ”You may now rise.”

Meng Bai clenched his fists, his eyes brimming with gratitude. ”Thank you once more. I do not know why you have chosen to help me, but just what you have done so far is enough for me to dedicate my life to you.”

The boy knew that even if Lin Mu abandoned him now, he had already gained enough to secure his future. His talent had been enhanced, his body purified—there was no Immortal Sect that would reject him. They would clamor to make him a core disciple, pouring resources into him without hesitation.

Meng Bai had seen others like this before. Small-clan geniuses, once discovered, would be immediately recruited by powerful sects, given vast resources to ensure their growth. With that kind of backing, he could have anything he desired in the world.

And yet, despite the tempting possibilities, Meng Bai knew deep in his heart that following Lin Mu was the wiser path. There was something greater awaiting him by this manʼs side, something beyond mere wealth or sect prestige.

His instincts screamed that this was an opportunity beyond measure, the kind that only came once in a lifetime—if even that.

Cultivators were fated to defy the heavens, to carve their own paths despite the dangers that lay ahead. Fear was a luxury they could not afford.

And Meng Bai was no naïve child. He had lived as a street urchin, surviving on scraps and witnessing the cruelty of the world firsthand. The cultivation world was no different—might ruled above all, and kindness was as rare as a phoenix feather.

Yet Lin Mu had extended kindness to him, had granted him a new path despite gaining nothing in return.

Meng Bai knew he would be a fool to ever let go of such a chance.

He took a deep breath, his determination settling within him like tempered steel.