From Joy of Life, the Tian Gang is reversed

Chapter 559 Minor Destiny Technique
Li Chengqian took the piece of ore that Fang Qingxue handed him.

The ore was dark purple throughout, with an uneven, pitted surface and faint shimmering silver threads. It did indeed retain a considerable amount of thunderous energy, and was known as "Thunder Pattern Iron," a common type of iron found in the Thunderclap Sea, usually used to forge thunder-type magical artifacts. However, even with Fang Qingxue's current cultivation level at the Celestial Realm, coupled with the assistance of the Undying Lightning Talisman, she was unable to refine it. This meant it was definitely not just ordinary Thunder Pattern Iron.

He condensed a wisp of ancient, frigid divine energy at his fingertips, attempting to freeze and disintegrate the ore. The surface of the ore was instantly covered with a layer of dark blue frost, but the interior remained completely still. He then activated the Void-Splitting Heaven Divine Energy, whose incomparably sharp energy was enough to cut through ordinary magical artifact materials, but when it landed on the ore, it only sparked a few flecks, leaving not even a white mark.

“There’s definitely something strange about this.” Li Chengqian raised an eyebrow; the hardness of this ore was beyond his expectations. He pondered for a moment, a resolute glint in his eyes.

"Cousin, step back a bit."

Fang Qingxue did as she was told and took a few steps back. She saw a profound, dark, terrifying aura, seemingly capable of ending all things and reducing everything to nothingness, begin to gather in Li Chengqian's palm. It was none other than the Great Annihilation Technique, one of the Three Thousand Great Daos he had recently deciphered from Ying Tianqing!
"Buzz!"

A silent black ripple spread out like a wave, precisely enveloping the dark purple ore. This time, the ore was no longer indestructible. The seemingly ordinary outer layer of stone, under the force of destruction, rapidly decomposed and annihilated like weathered sand, turning into the finest dust that drifted away.

The outer layer of stone peeled away, revealing the core within. It wasn't the expected metal or crystal core, but a small, thumb-sized, warm, translucent crystal, resembling the finest mutton-fat jade. Inside, the crystal wasn't uniform; instead, it contained countless naturally formed veins, millions of times finer than a hair. These veins weren't chaotic; rather, they converged and intertwined strangely, ultimately forming, at the crystal's core, an extremely ancient, twisted character radiating an ineffable Daoist aura—

"Life!"

This character was neither a script commonly used in the Xuanhuang Great World, nor any known ancient rune, but the moment it came into view, Li Chengqian's soul trembled involuntarily, as if he had touched some of the most fundamental rules of the universe.

An indescribable longing and excitement rose from the bottom of his heart. At the same time, the Taiyin Refining Technique spontaneously accelerated its operation, showing an unprecedented "interest" in this crystal.

Fang Qingxue, standing to the side, underwent a strange change in expression the moment she saw the character "fate." Her eyes became somewhat unfocused, as if drawn by invisible threads, and her slender, jade-like fingers, as if acting on their own, gently touched the ancient character on the crystal.

"Qingxue!" Li Chengqian called out to remind her, but it was too late.

The instant her fingertips touched the crystal, no earth-shattering phenomenon occurred. The distorted character for "fate" suddenly glowed faintly, and like a living thing, it instantly disappeared into Fang Qingxue's body along her fingertips. The jade-colored crystal, on the other hand, lost all its spirituality and, with a soft "pop," turned into a small pinch of ordinary white powder.

Fang Qingxue's delicate body trembled slightly, and the light in her eyes instantly dimmed, replaced by emptiness and bewilderment, as if her soul had left her body. This state lasted only a moment. The next instant, her gaze refocused, but deep within her pupils, there was a trace of vicissitude and mystery she had never seen before, as if she had seen through the long river of fate.

She slowly raised her hand, looking at her fingertips, where a strange aura seemed to linger.

“Cousin…” Fang Qingxue’s voice was tinged with uncertainty and shock, “I… seem to have obtained a… very strange supernatural power.”

"What is it?" Li Chengqian suppressed the turmoil in his heart and asked in a deep voice.

Fang Qingxue focused her senses for a moment, then her tone became serious: "It seems to be called... Minor Destiny Technique."

"Minor Destiny Technique?" Li Chengqian was greatly shocked. It really was this! A branch of divine power closely related to the supreme Great Destiny Technique!
“Hmm.” Fang Qingxue tried to explain, her tone filled with disbelief, “This divine power… cannot be directly attacked or defended. It seems… that it can, within a certain range, slightly… interfere with or even distort the trajectory of fate at the cost of burning one’s own lifespan. For example, it can make an attack that might otherwise fail hit, or make a divine power unleash extraordinary power at a critical moment… but the price is lifespan.”

Burn through lifespan, interfere with destiny!
As expected, it's a minor destiny technique. This is how Fang Qingxue obtained her minor destiny technique.

Li Chengqian remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking, his expression somewhat serious: "Qingxue, this divine ability has a peculiar effect and is related to the legendary Great Destiny Technique, the first of the Three Thousand Great Daos, which has never appeared before. However, the price of burning one's lifespan is extremely heavy. It should never be used lightly unless absolutely necessary, in a life-or-death situation!"

Fang Qingxue nodded solemnly: "I understand, cousin. This feeling is very clear. Using it is like borrowing from something in the dark, only, we don't know if that something is alive or dead." She paused, looked at Li Chengqian, her eyes clear and sincere: "Cousin, this supernatural power is extremely profound. Although I have inherited it, I have only just begun to understand it. I will pass on my insights and the method of its operation to you, which may help you deduce the Great Dao."

After saying that, she raised her hand, and a stream of light shot out from between Li Chengqian's eyebrows, and a mysterious flow of information containing the aura of destiny surged into Li Chengqian's sea of ​​consciousness.

It's the Lesser Destiny Technique!

Li Chengqian did not refuse and closed his eyes to carefully comprehend it. This supernatural power was indeed infinitely profound, involving cause and effect, fortune, and even the timeline in the unseen world. Its complexity far exceeded any supernatural power he had encountered before, and was even more obscure than the Great Chaos Technique. He could understand it, but to cultivate it or even master it was by no means an easy task.

However, the existence of this Lesser Destiny Technique seemed to have deepened his understanding of the Three Thousand Great Daos of this world. Combined with the Daoist essence of the Great Chaos Technique and the Great Annihilation Technique, he seemed to have vaguely grasped something...

He opened his eyes and said to Fang Qingxue, "Thank you, cousin. This technique is of great reference value to me and is of great help in my analysis of the Three Thousand Great Daos. With this supernatural power, I will be able to unify the Five Elements and refine the legendary Great Five Elements Technique."

Upon hearing this, Fang Qingxue's face also showed joy.

The two looked at each other and smiled.

Three more months passed, and the forty-nine islands had taken initial shape, with the basic formations already stable. A familiar beam of light came from afar; it was Su Muyu.

Despite her travel-worn appearance, she wore a joyful expression. Upon seeing Li Chengqian and Fang Qingxue, she immediately bowed and greeted them: "Senior Brother, Senior Sister! The first batch of 137 disciples and capable servants selected by Lanyue Peak and Zidian Peak have safely arrived at the outer perimeter of Guixu and are temporarily residing in Wan Gui Hai City."

"You've worked hard, Mu Yu." Li Chengqian nodded, then asked, "How has the sect been lately?"

Su Muyu's smile widened: "Reporting to Senior Brother, everything is well in the sect. There's also some fantastic news! Senior Brother Xu Wenyuan broke through the debate on supernatural powers half a month ago, entered the realm of supernatural powers, and became a true disciple! He's currently in seclusion on Lanyue Peak to consolidate his cultivation!"

"Wen Yuan has broken through? Good!" Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian's face also showed a genuine smile. Xu Wen Yuan's foundation was solid and his temperament was tenacious, so his breakthrough to the Divine Power level was within his expectations, but the speed was even faster than he had anticipated. In this way, his foundation within the Feathered Ascension Sect would be even more stable, and he would have more reliable manpower to help manage the Forty-Nine Islands.

Su Muyu continued, "Senior Brother Xu asked me to tell the senior brothers and sisters that he will stabilize his realm as soon as possible and then come to Guixu to serve the senior brothers."

Li Chengqian looked toward the direction of the Feathered Immortal Sect, his mind racing. He shook his head and said, "No need. Things here are temporarily settled. We will return to the sect soon. Mu Yu, you should first arrange for the disciples and servants you brought to familiarize themselves with the environment in Wan Gui Hai City and purchase necessary supplies. Once they have settled down on the Forty-Nine Islands, they can return to the sect with us."

"Yes, senior brother!"

Su Muyu accepted the order and left.

"Cousin, has something happened at the sect? Why are you in such a hurry to return?"

"We've been out here long enough this time, and we've gained a great deal. This is our base, but the Feathered Immortal Sect is our foundation. The sect's resources are limited. Along the way, apart from a few great divine abilities, we've received almost no support from the sect. This is not right. If we don't accept the sect's support, how can the sect trust us? Some things still need to be fought for."

(End of this chapter)