Chapter 5: Causality

In the blink of an eye, a full year had passed since Wang Lin became Fang Zhiyi’s disciple.

Aside from the first few days upon arriving at the God of War Temple, Wang Lin had not seen Fang Zhiyi again. His duties were simple: after preparing breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day, he would leave the meals at the entrance of her great hall and return an hour later to collect the dishes.

As usual, Wang Lin carried the tray to her door. Just as he had countless times before, he prepared to set the tray down and depart. Suddenly, the hall doors creaked open.

"Come in," came Fang Zhiyi’s cold, indifferent voice.

Wang Lin’s bowing motion froze. Steadying his nerves, he carried the wooden tray and walked slowly inside.

"Set it down."

"Yes, Master." Wang Lin placed the lunch on the table with steady hands. Once finished, he stood before Fang Zhiyi. Unable to resist, he stole a glance at her and was instantly rooted to the spot.

Fang Zhiyi sat quietly upon the cloud-silk cushions. Her features were like finely carved jade, her expression imbued with a cold, distant detachment, as if the turmoil of the mortal world had nothing to do with her. Sensing his gaze, she looked at him. As their eyes met, hers appeared like the frigid, clear springs of a high mountain, untainted by a speck of dust.

Wang Lin instinctively lowered his head, his trembling fingers hidden within his sleeves.

"Where have you been lately?"

As soon as she spoke, a flicker of unease crossed Wang Lin’s face. He had not been idle; beyond practicing the sword manual she had given him, he had been venturing out daily, desperate to find a way to quickly increase his power. Facing Teng Huayuan, he was still far too weak. Wang Lin was exhausting every method to grow stronger, determined that his future fate would be held in his own hands rather than controlled by others.

After a moment of hesitation, he decided against mentioning his creation of wandering spirits. Although Fang Zhiyi was his master, they were not yet well-acquainted, and he felt it prudent to remain cautious.

"I wish to enter the late stage of Foundation Establishment soon, so I have been searching for opportunities outside," Wang Lin replied.

Fortunately, Fang Zhiyi seemed to have asked only in passing. Upon hearing this, she did not press him, merely stating, "There will be a great upheaval in the Fire-Burning Kingdom soon. Stay here and do not wander about."

Fang Zhiyi felt this was what she owed him as his master. Although she possessed the power of foresight, she could do nothing to intervene.

Everything in this world is governed by cause and effect; causes create, and effects are born. There is no effect without a cause, and no cause without an effect. Even knowing the outcome, Fang Zhiyi could not act to change it. If she were to disturb the cause, the result would inevitably shift, and once everything ceased to follow its destined trajectory, the world would spiral out of control.

***

At first, Wang Lin was confused by her words, unsure of what she meant.

Three days later, waves of violent, scorching heat began to coalesce frantically over the sky of the Fire-Burning Kingdom. The nation earned its name from its inextricable link to fire, home to countless volcanoes, both large and small. Naturally, such fluctuations were common.

Though it appeared to be merely a third-grade cultivation nation, the Fire-Burning Kingdom held hidden depths, standing only a hair’s breadth away from being a fourth-grade power. The strongest forces within were the Four Great Sects, each possessing numerous powerful Nascent Soul ancestors.

In the face of the day's events, every Nascent Soul ancestor—regardless of where they were or if they were in secluded meditation—received an emergency summons. Without hesitation, they abandoned their tasks and emerged from seclusion. As they had done countless times before, they sought to seal the restless volcanoes and prevent an eruption. The power of these volcanoes was immense; if left to erupt unchecked, it would mean total catastrophe for the entire kingdom.

Ordinary mortals might have chosen to flee to other nations in search of a sliver of hope, and even if their monarchs tried to stop them, they would eventually yield to the persuasion of the cultivators. In the eyes of the cultivators, the lives of mortals were as insignificant as ants. Yet, though mortals were tiny, they were numerous, and among them would always be those with the aptitude for the Dao.

However, while mortals could flee the Fire-Burning Kingdom to survive, the cultivators could not. If they migrated en masse, a great war would inevitably break out, leading to devastation that would claim both cultivators and mortals alike. More severely, if the spiritual energy were disrupted, the local cultivators would be unable to survive for a long time to come.

Yet, at this stage, no one viewed the calamity as truly dire, having grown accustomed to the restless volcanoes of their homeland.

Wang Lin gazed at the scorching heat gathering in the sky. For some reason, Fang Zhiyi’s voice echoed in his mind: *There will be a great upheaval in the Fire-Burning Kingdom soon.*

Fang Zhiyi was a powerhouse at the Semi-God stage; in Wang Lin’s eyes, she was already an invincible existence. If even she viewed this situation with such gravity, it meant this eruption was by no means as simple as those of the past.

Just then, a sigh sounded behind him. There was only one other person here, and he did not need to turn to know who it was.

"Master."

Fang Zhiyi stood quietly on the mountain peak, wreathed in immortal mist. Her long, dark hair drifted in the wind, and her eyes were like the clear moon reflected in autumn waters—transparent yet unfathomable. She stared intently at the horizon, where firelight flickered and surged, as if an impending doom were about to arrive.

After a long while, she turned back to carefully survey the courtyard where she had resided for many years. In that moment, Wang Lin seemed to perceive a sense of lingering attachment in her gaze, but before he could dwell on it, she said, "Pack up the things in the hall. It is time to leave."

Leave? Go where?

Wang Lin did not ask, simply giving a low acknowledgement before turning to enter the hall.

Only after following Fang Zhiyi out of the courtyard did he realize something was amiss. The God of War Temple was the leader of the Four Great Sects, with over three thousand inner and outer disciples. Yet, at this moment, everyone had already packed their belongings. It was clear that the entire temple was preparing to depart.

Seeing Fang Zhiyi approach, Huo Hongfei set down his things and hurried over, bowing respectfully. "Elder Fang."

Fang Zhiyi frowned slightly. "Where has Feng Luan gone?"