Absolute Destiny Game.

Chapter 628 Theoretical Analysis of Immortal Fate

Ku-hi!

With a slight depressurization sound, the alloy hatch of the silver-gray gaming pod slowly opened upwards, and Xiao Jie sat up from inside the pod.

"Brother Jie! You're finally out!"

He stepped out of the gaming pod, his foot barely touching the floor, when he heard an excited voice. Turning his head, he saw Gu Feiyu sitting on a nearby lounge chair, phone in hand, his face beaming with barely suppressed excitement; he had clearly been waiting there for a while.

"What happened? Why are you so excited?" Xiao Jie stretched and asked, somewhat puzzled. Although Gu Feiyu was outgoing, it was rare to see him so excited, almost gesturing wildly.

"I've encountered a destiny with immortals!" Gu Feiyu almost jumped up, his voice trembling with excitement, his face beaming with uncontrollable excitement.

Xiao Jie was very familiar with Gu Feiyu in this state. Back when they ran a game studio together, whenever Gu Feiyu discovered a new strategy or bug in a popular game, or found a top-tier piece of equipment that could sell for an astronomical price, he would rush to him immediately like this, excitedly sharing the good news in almost the same tone.

This time was no exception, and judging from their demeanor, their excitement far exceeded that of the past. This is understandable, after all, "fate" is far more valuable than the equipment and rare mounts in ordinary online games. It almost means a chance to rise to the top in one step, a huge opportunity that can truly change the fate of "players".

"Oh? Congratulations!" Xiao Jie was genuinely happy for him, and at the same time, his curiosity was piqued. "How exactly did you meet him? Tell me about it."

His initial encounter with the immortals was largely due to chance and a bit of luck. Whether it was obtaining the Demon Refining Gourd or the subsequent series of events, he didn't deliberately pursue the so-called "immortal destiny," but rather treated it as part of the game's exploration process.

This time, however, Gu Feiyu went with a clear purpose, actively seeking and triggering a predestined connection with the immortals, and he actually succeeded.

If his method is traceable and can be summarized, then it means that there is a "fate-building guide" that can be replicated! Its value is simply immeasurable.

"Haha, speaking of which, it's all thanks to the intelligence and analysis you shared with me before, Brother Jie!" Gu Feiyu rubbed his hands excitedly.

"What did I tell you?" Xiao Jie asked, somewhat puzzled. "What did I tell you?"

"It's about the experiences of that 'Celestial Venerable'!" Gu Feiyu explained, "Didn't you mention before that the Celestial Venerable's team was almost wiped out during an expedition, leaving him the only one in dire straits, and that's when he encountered a celestial destiny in a deep mountain?"

When I heard this, a thought suddenly struck me. I realized that 'team annihilation' and 'being trapped in a desperate situation' might also be hidden conditions for triggering a special encounter. This was an important variable I hadn't considered when summarizing the elements of a serendipitous adventure!

He became more and more excited as he spoke, his words flying by: "And there's also Brother Jie himself. When you first entered the game, Brother Han went on an adventure with you, and then he died. That's when you triggered the incense-burning event that the village chief of the newbie village gave you."

Now it seems that the death of a teammate might also be a hidden trigger condition! You gained the village chief's favor and a special mission because of Brother Han's 'death'; while the Celestial Venerable triggered a higher-level immortal affinity because a bunch of his teammates died. This is definitely not a coincidence!

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jie was taken aback and subconsciously retorted, "Isn't your reasoning a bit too far-fetched? According to you, does that mean the more teammates who die, the greater the chance of triggering an opportunity?"

"Of course it's not that simple!" Gu Feiyu quickly waved his hand. "'Dead teammates' is likely just one of many conditions. I think triggering the Immortal Affinity requires meeting a series of complex hidden prerequisites. It may be that all of them must be met, or it may be that a certain number of them must be met."

He counted on his fingers: "For example, 'being trapped in a desperate situation and isolated,' 'being in a special map with clear legends or ruins of immortals,' 'the player possesses a trait or item that immortals value—such as high merit, special quests, special items, etc.,' and 'experiencing significant sacrifices or losses'... These conditions are likely indispensable!"

"But didn't you already try to put yourself in dangerous situations before?" Xiao Jie recalled Gu Feiyu's various reckless behaviors.

"No, no, no, that's different!" Gu Feiyu shook his head repeatedly. "Before, I only explored some high-level maps and encountered some powerful monsters, and I was beaten and ran away with my head in my hands."

It was dangerous, but far from a true 'desperate situation'! I was fully prepared from beginning to end, with ample supplies and a backup plan, so it wasn't a real dead end.

The desperate situation I'm talking about has to be the kind of despair where you're completely out of ammunition and supplies, with nowhere to turn and no chance of survival! So this time, I meticulously planned and deliberately created a real 'desperate situation' for myself!
I first spent a long time accumulating merit points to over 1000. Then I accepted a time-limited, high-difficulty quest to 'collect life-saving medicine for a dying old man,' creating a 'noble' motivation.

Next, I spent a lot of money to hire a team of skilled NPC bodyguards as my 'teammates' and 'sacrifices', and took them on an adventure in a valley I had chosen beforehand, a place with ancient legends of immortals.

We wandered around in those deep mountains and forests for more than three hours, running out of all our food and medicine supplies. Then, we 'accidentally' stumbled into a monster's lair, which led to a fierce battle. All the镖师 (bodyguards/escorts) were killed, and I myself almost died several times. I barely managed to escape, and then I ran deeper into the valley, 'accidentally' attracting several more waves of monsters along the way.

In the end, I really didn't have a single healing potion left, and my mana was almost depleted. I was truly at my wit's end, and I almost couldn't help but send you a message for help.

But thankfully I managed to hold back in the end—and then, haha! The immortal really did appear!

Xiao Jie was speechless for a moment, looking at Gu Feiyu's excitedly glowing face, before finally managing to stammer, "You really are... brave enough. Aren't you afraid of making a mistake, and if the immortal doesn't appear, you'll really be dead?"

"Of course I've considered it, but you can't catch a wolf without risking your cub! If you don't push yourself to the limit, there's absolutely no chance of success. This is a destiny of immortality, so it's worth risking my life for it."

If the plan fails, don't worry about me, Brother Jie! We can always reincarnate!
Xiao Jie was speechless again. Should he be called bold and meticulous, or a gaming fanatic and gambler?

However, this style of doing things is actually quite in line with Gu Feiyu's personality.

"So, who is the immortal who descended?" Xiao Jie asked curiously, thinking that he now had some connections in the immortal realm and might be able to help Gu Feiyu make connections.

Having a connection with the immortals doesn't guarantee becoming an immortal; it only provides a sliver of opportunity. However, with the help of an immortal like myself, things should be much easier.

However, Gu Feiyu immediately suppressed his smile and firmly shook his head: "This... Brother Jie, I can't say which immortal it is."

"What can't you tell me?" Xiao Jie asked, puzzled. "I might know him and be able to help you get closer to him so he can teach you a few more of his special skills."

"No, I really can't say it." Gu Feiyu's attitude was unusually firm. "If I say it... I'm afraid this chance to become an immortal will fall through, and my path to immortality may be interrupted."

Seeing Xiao Jie's puzzled look, he explained earnestly, "Brother Jie, this involves the underlying logic of the game's 'fate' system. Based on my in-depth research over this period, the 'fate' system in this game seems to be 'unrepeatable' in essence."

It strongly discourages the 'mentoring' approach to immortality, a formulaic path. If you attempt to gain immortality by leaking crucial information and having others imitate you, the system will likely flag it as 'revealing heavenly secrets' and 'disrupting cause and effect,' rendering your attempt futile and preventing your success!

Xiao Jie was somewhat skeptical: "How could that be? Are you overthinking it? Look at me, didn't I arrange for immortals to be masters for An Ran, Wentian Wuji, and your brother Han? Aren't they all doing quite well now?"

"No! They could never become immortals this way!" Gu Feiyu's tone was unusually firm, almost a definitive statement.

"Hey, I'm an immortal now, are you going to argue with me about this?" Xiao Jie was amused by his resolute attitude.

"Brother Jie, although you are an immortal, I think you really don't understand the matter of becoming an immortal as well as I do. Although you are good at playing games, you rely more on intuition and improvisation. I think I am still stronger in terms of in-depth exploration and summarization of game information."

If you don't believe me, think back carefully to how you became an immortal. Was the entire process of becoming an immortal truly carried out smoothly, step by step, according to your initial plan?

Xiao Jie seemed to be deep in thought as he carefully recalled his arduous path to immortality.

Initially, he planned to cultivate to immortality step by step using the ancient Qi cultivation technique, but he found that the spiritual energy in the Nine Provinces world was too weak to ascend. However, he unexpectedly obtained the Demon Refining Pot and used it to refine demon cores and extract spiritual energy.

Later, he switched to the hidden profession "Demon Refiner", thinking that he could become an immortal by refining demon cores and purifying spiritual energy. However, he found that the spiritual energy in his body was mixed with the power of demon spirits, making it impossible for him to ascend. Fortunately, he won a bet with N God Machine and obtained key information. After going through countless hardships to reach Guyun Prefecture, he finally found a chance to become an immortal.

The mental and physical trials within the illusory realm were fraught with difficulties and dangers. Ultimately, it was thanks to Gu Feiyu helping him consume a large number of demon cores in reality that a connection was triggered between reality and the game, allowing him to finally seize that fleeting opportunity and ascend to immortality.

The entire process was fraught with twists and turns, filled with unexpected changes and serendipitous coincidences. It's fair to say that if any one step had gone wrong, he would not have succeeded.

Indeed, almost none of the steps were strictly in accordance with his original plan.

"You mean... in the process of becoming immortals, these few will inevitably encounter various unplanned 'accidents' that will prevent them from following their original paths?" "That's right!" Gu Feiyu nodded vigorously. "I believe that the system—or rather, the 'Heavenly Dao' of this world—cannot possibly allow the mass production of immortals in a standardized manner."

The process of a player achieving immortality is essentially about exploiting loopholes in the system's rules. Success means the individual has exceeded the system's normal control. The system will naturally try to close these loopholes.

He further elaborated on his theory: "However, the system doesn't completely block the way; it leaves a glimmer of hope, which is 'chance.' But are all these seemingly coincidental 'chances' really just coincidences?"
Brother Jie, don't forget that the system can influence and even manipulate the behavior of NPCs! Even those powerful immortals are greatly influenced and manipulated by the underlying logic of the system in their behavior patterns.

In other words, all NPCs, all monsters, and even the entire world of Kyushu may be operating under a perfectly programmed system.

His voice carried a calmness that seemed to see through everything: "And we players, if we want to become 'Ascensioners,' must pass every hidden test set by the system. Perhaps the very existence of the Nine Provinces world is to select qualified 'Ascensioners.'"

So, under these circumstances, how could the system possibly allow players to mass-produce identical ascension mechanisms like on a factory assembly line? No, absolutely not! Every destiny for immortality is inherently unique and impossible to replicate! Only players who complete their ascension under these circumstances are truly unique and powerful.

Hearing Gu Feiyu's meticulous and insightful analysis, Xiao Jie fell into deep thought. Although he was somewhat reluctant to admit it, he felt that Gu Feiyu's words did indeed make some sense.

Deep down, he could sense that the system, though seemingly intangible, exerted omnipresent control over the game world. Many seemingly random events appeared to be subtly guided and balanced. Every monster drop, every important NPC's dialogue options, and every quest issued seemed to be under the control of an invisible force, slowly pushing the game's progress in a specific direction.

Especially when he thought about the fortune teller's prediction for him today, this feeling became even more certain.

(So, wouldn't my original plan to mass-train ascended teammates and then travel to the Great Thousand Worlds as a team be very difficult to achieve?)
Xiao Jie frowned, feeling a sense of unease.

But he immediately shook his head, dispelling the momentary frustration. (No, things are possible with effort! Besides, Wentian Wuji, Haomie, and Xiayi Wushuang were all top-tier gamers; each had their own opportunities and potential.)

Just like Gu Feiyu, hasn't he successfully triggered his unique destiny for immortality? Perhaps it can't be mass-produced like on an assembly line, but as long as the method is right and the guidance is correct, someone will always be able to seize their own opportunity and successfully ascend.
“What you said makes sense.” Xiao Jie took a deep breath and said to Gu Feiyu, “It seems that becoming an immortal ultimately depends on one’s own efforts and fortune; it cannot be forced.”

However, he hadn't completely given up. An Ran was still the one he had the best chance of nurturing. She possessed the Demon Refining Pot, a magical artifact that could convert spiritual energy, and he had helped her with her ascension strategy. She could also easily obtain demon cores. Logically speaking, her chances of success were extremely high.

We have to give it a try.

Xiao Jie decided to wait and see how An Ran and the others fared. Right now, he only hoped that the so-called "doomsday catastrophe" could be delayed for a while longer, giving them enough time to grow.

Silent all night.

The next morning, Xiao Jie entered the game on time. A flash of white light, and his figure appeared in an elegant guest room specially prepared for him in Xiaoyue Palace.

He pushed open the carved wooden window, letting in the cool morning air, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees. He strolled out of the room and walked to the tall jade railing surrounding the palace, looking down at the gradually awakening Giant Wood City. Compared to the hustle and bustle of yesterday after the great battle, the city was noticeably quieter today.

With the great battle over, the players went their separate ways. Many high-level and powerful players chose to team up and explore the "Demon Wilderness," whose danger level had just been lowered. Previously, it was a high-risk area for level 40 players, and ordinary players wouldn't dare to venture deep into it. Even players over level 40 wouldn't easily risk entering.

With the adventure level now lowered, this presents a map brimming with opportunities for high-level players. Meanwhile, lower-level, ordinary players have naturally returned to their familiar maps, continuing their routine of leveling up, completing quests, and grinding for equipment.

Long Xingtianxia had already led the main force of the Longxiang Kingdom back to the north in a grand retreat. After this battle, the Longxiang Kingdom annexed Canglin Prefecture, greatly increasing its national strength. He needed time to return and digest the spoils of war, recuperate, and rebuild the nation's strength.

At the same time, they also began to investigate and plan for the other three remaining outlying states, preparing for the next step of annexation and unification. Now that they have acquired four of the nine states, and the Dragon Soaring Kingdom already controls half of the land, it seems that the unification of the world is only a matter of time.

Wentian Wuji, Haomie, Deidara, and the others also went on their own adventures.

Even the three immortals, Lin Xuance, Su Zhiqing, and Wu Qingyue, have disappeared without a trace.

Xiao Jie found Master Xiaoyue, who was handling official business, and asked, "Master Xiaoyue, do you know where my three fellow Daoists have gone?"

Master Xiaoyue looked up from a pile of documents and replied, "The three immortals returned to Guyun Prefecture early this morning. Before they left, they said that although the demon star has been eliminated, the threat of the great calamity has not been averted. We need to go back and make preparations as soon as possible, and refine some magical treasures and talismans needed to deal with the future war. Before they left, the three immortals asked me to remind everyone to pay attention to whether anything special is happening in various parts of the Nine Provinces. If the great calamity of the end times has already arrived, there will definitely be signs."

Xiao Jie nodded to indicate that he understood, bid farewell to Master Xiaoyue, and walked out of Xiaoyue Palace again. He came to the fence and looked at the much emptier Xiaoyue Palace and Giant Wood City in front of him. For a moment, he felt a little lost.

The long preparations, missions, and battles suddenly ended, and the sudden quiet was somewhat unsettling.

"Well, at least I have some free time to myself before the next disaster strikes," he muttered to himself.

Opening the task list, the gleaming golden introductory task, "The Path to Heaven," was prominently displayed. Looking at the task description, Xiao Jie couldn't help but feel a little uneasy and anxious: "Is the system really going to deliberately arrange all sorts of 'tribulations' for me just to force me to go to the Great Thousand Worlds?"

But then he thought again and relaxed. "It shouldn't be that outrageous. At worst, I'll just log out of the game. You, the system, can't possibly control whether I log off in the real world, can you?"

Right now, this relatively peaceful period is a good time to reflect and further enhance one's strength. Whether one ventures into the wider world or confronts crises in this world, true strength is the only reliable foundation and the basis for survival.

As for where to begin... there is an urgent matter to deal with right now, namely the demonic black liquid that I swallowed yesterday.

I don't know what that thing is; I have to figure it out.

Xiao Jie found an empty room, sat cross-legged, and carefully sensed and explored his newly acquired supernatural power—[Universe Within the Belly].

This innate divine power, originating from the giant Kun of the North Sea, is a unique ability that evolved during its long journey through the vast universe, devouring the void. It does not actually swallow objects into a biological "stomach," but rather creates and maintains an independent dimensional space within the caster's body, outside the real dimension.

Its internal space is often much larger than the size of the giant Kun itself, forming its own universe, which is extremely mysterious.

Xiao Jie closed his eyes and concentrated, entering a deep meditative state. In an instant, a huge spatial image clearly appeared in his sea of ​​consciousness.

All around was a surging, chaotic void, reminiscent of the primordial chaos at the beginning of the universe. In the center of his consciousness was a relatively stable, clearly defined, and vast cavity. This space was several miles long and wide, and several miles high, truly expansive.

This "Universe Within the Belly" is only in its initial stage, much smaller than the belly of the giant Kun from the North Sea, which could almost contain mountains and seas. However, even so, it is already enormous and practical for Xiao Jie at present.

This thing can be used as storage space, much larger than a backpack. It can also be linked to another innate divine power, "Devouring Heaven and Earth," to store devoured substances inside.

At this moment, this space has been filled with a lot of material. Countless huge rocks, broken mountain fragments, and deposited soil are piled up and scattered everywhere in a disorderly manner, forming a large area of ​​low earthen and rocky hills.

These were the ruins and remains that Xiao Jie, in his giant form, absorbed into his body during the final moments of yesterday's battle. These ruins originally formed the Demon Star Giant when he activated "Devouring Heaven and Earth."

Naturally, this also includes those strange black substances that wriggle like they are alive and exude an ominous aura.

With a thought, Xiao Jie cast a "Spirit Astral Projection" spell, and his spiritual consciousness instantly coalesced into a human form in this strange space.

Xiao Jie's spiritual avatar slowly descended onto the mountain of rubble, scanned the surroundings, and quickly located the black substance.

These viscous, black asphalt-like liquids were either slowly flowing between the cracks in the rocks or condensing into clumps, wriggling gently.

Like clumps of black flesh and blood.

He had a strong intuition that the black substance left behind after the Demon Star's body disintegrated definitely held immense value. Since the Demon Star believed it could rely on this thing to fight against the great calamity, it was absolutely worth spending time and effort to study it in depth.

(End of this chapter)