Having stabilized the sect and secured his position, Lu Chenge retired to Azure Cloud Peak. His two Laws (Incineration and Void) and his three unique disciples were flourishing. But his attention was entirely focused inward, on the tiny, golden Primordial Nascent Soul Seed resting in his spiritual sea. It was ripe, but it needed a final, transcendent catalyst to hatch.
Using his Grand Ascension consciousness, Lu Chenge could now perceive the karmic threads and soul signatures of everyone in the sect. He wasn't just observing Qi; he was observing destiny.
He scanned through thousands of souls, seeking an essence related not to matter or energy, but to The Soul itself—the final ingredient for Nascent Soul breakthrough.
He found her in the most desolate corner of the sect grounds, scrubbing spiritual dishes in a pool of frigid water.
🛑 The Fate-Warped Disciple
Her name was Yuan Meng. She was the source of constant petty disasters: dishes slipped from her hands, tools broke near her, and even other disciples suffered mild, random injuries when she was nearby. Her file classified her spiritual roots as 'Curse-Grade, Fate-Warped'—a sign of bad karma that no cultivator dared touch.
Lu Chenge used his Divine Soul Observation Art. Where others saw only bad luck, he saw a beautiful, radiant soul choked by a web of black, knotted destiny threads. Her inner essence was pure, but externally, it was bound by a powerful curse.
"Yuan Meng," Lu Chenge called out, descending quietly.
Yuan Meng froze, dropping the dish she was cleaning (it shattered, of course). She immediately panicked. "Grand Elder Lu! I—I'm sorry! I'll pay for the dish! It's just my bad luck!"
Lu Chenge smiled gently. "Your luck is not bad, child. It is merely tangled."
"I am seeking a fourth disciple, one who can look beyond the misfortune and control their own path. Are you willing to cultivate under me?"
Yuan Meng was speechless, tears welling up. "Master, no one will even stand near me. My luck is terrible..."
"Then we shall reverse your terrible luck," Lu Chenge said, his voice decisive.
🌟 Contribution 6: Destiny Reversal
Lu Chenge knew this was the final, most crucial contribution. He needed an artifact of pure, unadulterated karmic and soul purification. He retrieved the last celestial artifact from his vault—one earned during his very first 10,000X return, having been patiently waiting for the right moment.
He presented a shimmering, rolled parchment tied with a golden ribbon: the Heavenly Destiny Reversal Scroll.
"Take this, Yuan Meng. It is not a pill for strength, but a decree for your soul. It will untangle the knots of destiny and cleanse your path. It is my final gift to complete my set of disciples."
Yuan Meng cautiously took the scroll. The moment her touch met the parchment, the seal broke, and a blinding wave of pure, white light enveloped her. The System, recognizing the Ultimate Soul/Fate Contribution, launched its most powerful sequence yet.
[Host Contribution Detected: 1 x Heavenly Destiny Reversal Scroll (Celestial Fate Artifact).] [Contribution Essence: Soul Purification, Karmic Correction, and Destiny Alteration.] [Commencing 10,000-Fold Return (FINAL BREAKTHROUGH TRIGGER)…] [Return Acquired: 10,000 x Grand Ascension Level Soul Nourishment Pills.]
The resource return was enormous, but Lu Chenge barely registered it. His entire focus was internal.
[Host has received 10,000X return of Soul Purification and Karmic Essence. Host's Primordial Nascent Soul Seed is deemed Fully Ripe.] [Final Cultivation Advance: The Primordial Nascent Soul Seed hatches. The Law of the Soul is instantly mastered.] [BREAKTHROUGH: Host Lu Chenge has entered the NASCENT SOUL REALM!]
🌠 Ascension
A pillar of pure, golden light erupted from Lu Chenge's body, silent but overwhelming. His Golden Core vanished, and in its place, a miniature version of Lu Chenge—his Nascent Soul—sat cross-legged in his dantian, serene and pulsing with the power of three mastered Laws: Incineration, Void, and Soul.
He had done it. From a weak Peak Foundation Establishment cultivator to a multi-Law Nascent Soul Master in less than a month, all through the art of strategic giving.
Yuan Meng, her destiny threads purified, looked up at her Master, who was now radiating the light of true ascension. Her once "Curse-Grade" roots were now Unbound Fate-Grade, the rarest of all.
Lu Chenge stabilized his new, terrifying power. He was an immortal among men.
"Rise, Yuan Meng. You are my last, and perhaps my most important, disciple," Lu Chenge said, his voice now carrying the weighty resonance of a true immortal. "We have much to discuss about fate and cultivation."
He had four disciples, each embodying a celestial Law, and he was now a Nascent Soul cultivator ready to conquer the universe, one generous gift at a time.