Destiny in Cinders

An Jing wasn’t aware that both Third Middle School and the nemesis he defeated by proxy had taken note of him. It didn’t really matter at the end of the day. Even if he knew, he would only laugh it off. Only mediocre people didn’t get noticed, after all.

It didn’t change anything for him anyway since he and Huo Qing both made themselves at home at Nian Quan’s new pad, relishing lavish feasts and ice cream on the daily as well as access to a Foundation Building Realm qi-collection formation. An Jing had found a third base for himself in Skysource; the first was the warehouse at Hilltwixt, which was temporarily sealed, and the second was Metalhand’s recycling house. The one-eyed man had left to report to the Justice Restoration Army, so Huo Qing and Rustfeather ran the place in his absence.

While Nian Quan’s apartment was no doubt under the supervision of Third Middle School, it was only to the extent of ensuring his safety. The inside of the apartment was much more private and secure than An Jing’s other two hangouts and was also safe from any fey incursion.

An Jing opened the window and looked outside at the neon-filled skyline, so saturated with color that even rainbows couldn’t compete. Artificial light sources littered the ground. As the air quality was rather decent with few particulates obscuring the view, An Jing could see all the way to the end of the district.

The buildings were constructed in a manner that left enough space between them. The streets were wide and clean, lined with trees on both sides with leaves covered in interconnected spirit patterns that formed major formations, a truly awe-inspiring sight.

Rather than motor cars, the vehicles that passed through this dense area were flying shuttles that didn’t create any noise pollution and personal arcane-artifact vehicles. While high-performance personal vehicles like An Jing’s Frostwhite Dart created lots of noise, those used in the city were fitted with noise-dampening formations.

The whole residence was no different from a library where one could study and cultivate in silent focus. The air was refreshing and there was no acid rain to worry about thanks to the massive semi-transparent barrier that shielded the whole residential area. There was even a patch of grass nearby where children played in a carefree manner. Seeing all this made An Jing feel like he wasn’t in a world that had emerged from the ruins of a grand spanning calamity but rather the harmonious civilization of his old home.

Is this even located in the same dimension as the other lower-city districts or the safe zone’s settlements? Where’s the gang fights and filthy buildings abandoned to acid-rain corrosion? That thought only occurred to him for a moment before he laughed sardonically. Well, Void Embrace is no different. Things are pristine and peaceful in the divine capital where spoiled young masters complain about how filthy rice planted using manure fertilizer is while countless people in the northern frontier face starvation daily. Fucking hell... During the first couple of months Mother and I spent surviving the snow calamity, we dreamed of having plain rice to eat!

The only reason those dreams lasted only the first couple of months was that An Jing couldn’t even recall how plain rice tasted like even in his dreams after that. By then, he would’ve been happy if they even had bark or rice husks to eat while trying to not end up as someone else’s food!

Though our worlds differ, human nature is the same. We all have heartless people at the top. An Jing closed the window, his resolution even firmer than before. Grand Chen’s imperial court and Skysource’s megacorporations brandish their swords and enforce their rules. To resist them, we need our own swords... our own rules... I already have the sword. I will amass power in time, of this I am certain. What I should really think about are what rules I will impose. How can I amass power and wield it in a way that people on my side won’t eventually end up like Grand Chen and the megacorps?

He already had an idea about the first part. All he needed was to develop his two bases using the relative advantages of each world in the other. As for the rules, he would cross the bridge when he came to it. His little ragtag group was still too small for him to worry about such things. Naturally, as their leader, he should at least have them on his mind.

Eventually, he snapped out of thought when he heard the chatter coming from the large dining hall. Huo Qing and Nian Quan were having a rather animated conversation about formation theory.

”Huh! I didn’t think that my qi-collection formation would be so different from an industrial-grade one.” That was the first thing that caught Huo Qing’s eye in the residence. He immediately got permission to analyze it like a true nerd. ”I thought that my formation would be able to reach the Foundation Realm if I nested it ninefold according to the text An Jing gave me. Looks like I have quite some ways to go.”

Curious, Nian Quan asked Huo Qing to give him a demonstration. So, Huo Qing used some simple spirit materials to set up a double nested formation, which somehow shocked the honor student.

”Everything about this formation, from the methodology and the operating theory, is new!” Despite his injuries, he got out of bed with his crutches to take a closer look at the formation. ”Heavens... It’s a formation within a formation! I see... It’s operating on the principle of ’yang in yin, yin in yang.’ Even though formation theory isn’t my forte, I can tell that your design is incredibly advanced, Huo Qing! Its strength isn’t efficiency, but rather adaptability! I can already imagine one crucial application. You know how settlements have large-scale strategic formations? You’re able to optimize the flow of qi and fengshui configurations using this method to leverage the use of energy to its maximum effect!”

”I see!” Huo Qing’s talent in formation theory was no doubt superior to most average people’s. The only reason he hadn’t thought of that first was that he had spent most of his life away from places with large-scale formations to even have the requisite imagination to conceive of such ideas. Having it pointed out by Nian Quan flipped a switch inside him.

”Aha! I get it now. The writer of the Soul Domination Mantra has never intended on teaching someone to set up a major formation from start to finish. I think the author assumes that the readers who consult the text would already be familiar with various types of major formations, so the contents of the text are mostly about optimization and enhancement! I really have to work harder!”

The two cultivators continued their theoretical dialog while An Jing, someone who only knew about practical cultivation and combat, felt somewhat out of place. He didn’t know much about formations, talismans or artifact refinement. As for pillmaking, he only knew a few simple recipes, so he couldn’t hope to match the level of their discussion.

”It seems like Skysource’s categorization of cultivation disciplines into pills, formations, talismans, artifacts and combat is pretty reasonable. All five contribute to the overall capabilities of a cultivator, and knowledge in each discipline can also fuel progress in parallel disciplines, resulting in breakthroughs in understanding.” An Jing watched as their eyes flashed while they accessed the spirit net with their chips and felt a little left out. ”I should pick up other disciplines too. Only knowing how to fight and kill isn’t enough. I need something that can help with growing my power base and improving the lives of the others around me. Only then can I know how societies operate better.”

”I’ll teach you about artifact refinement,” Yvelbane said. ”But still, I think you only feel left out because you don’t have a chip like the locals, not that you can’t match their level of conversation. These things are useful indeed, especially deep in the city. You need a chip if you plan to participate in the society of Skysource. It’s about time you got your hands on one.”