Karma

## General Wuxia Term

**Karma** (业 yè) (缘 yuán) (因果 yīnguǒ) (功德 gōngdé) – cosmic merit or demerit accumulated throughout one’s life based on one’s deeds. Determines which type of reincarnation (out of the Six Paths) they will experience in their next life. Some novels expand on this concept and have Karma affect even the daily lives of the characters or bind certain characters together through karmic ties/relationships.

## Summary

**Karma**, destiny, those were illusory and intangible concepts, but they truly did exist. Karma is the relationship between the person with its environment and the Heavenly Dao. To be touched by karma was to be part of the grand system of cause and effect in the world, it was the driving force of reality.

Destiny and karma were closely intertwined with one’s inevitable fate. In addition, every time one was victorious, every time one survived a dangerous situation, the faith in themselves that they carved in their bones would be even greater. Then, the next time they encountered danger, they would be far more confident and the chances they had of returning alive would also be higher.

To martial cultivators, relatives, friends, comrades were but passing travelers. They did not hold too much of an importance in the martial road, in the end, if they were lacking then they wouldn't be able to catch up with a peerless master. Whitedemon to Lin Ming:

> *Those who walk down the road of martial arts defy the will of the heavens. Those who break through the limits of life are doomed to live days of loneliness. Family clans, descendants, even wives and parents, all of them are nothing but passing travelers in your life. And yet for this family clan that you are not even deeply related to, you are willing to step into such obvious danger. What a joke. How can someone like you, who cannot even clean themselves from the karma of this world, possibly speak of walking down the road of martial arts or defying the will of the heavens?*
>
>

The following are Lin Ming's thoughts on karma, without noticing it, Lin Ming’s words brought with them an overwhelming momentum. His rebuttal to Whitedemon:

> *In this world, there is no one that can divorce themselves from their karma. Those that walk down the road of martial arts must all depend on lucky chances, thus they cannot diverge from their destiny. If their destiny is lacking then no matter how monstrous a talent is, they will never be able to grow. They may even die. Destiny is an illusory ideal and yet it is not at the same time.*
>
>

> *Fulfilling your wishes, passing through countless dangerous situations, having your thoughts be smooth, defeating kings on the same level, those are the ways that you can accumulate destiny. Destiny must be hand in hand with your faith to overcome all; only then will you be able to walk down your road! Those that cultivate martial arts must have their hearts clear of distractions. They do not like to owe debts to others because they do not wish to saturate themselves with further karma.*
>
>

> *But in the dust of mortality, all living creatures, the endless lands, splendor and destitution, glory and failure, life and death, all of these ideas are entangled together, becoming the most complex karma in your life. Just because you do not clearly understand it does not mean you can just blindly cut it off, because if your fatality with your world is never resolved, then your heart will forever be discontent. In the Southern Wilderness I once experienced the 72 Sorcerer Pagodas, a lucky chance left behind by a true Divine Realm powerhouse. In order to settle his karma with this world, he spent an immense amount of strength to cast his incarnation down and return to this world. And you, a little demon cultivator, actually dares to speak of the fatality of this world.*
>
>

For Lin Ming to say these words with his fourth stage Life Destruction cultivation by no means stemmed from his arrogance. Rather, it came from his extraordinary experience and insight, as well as his great strength and talent that surpassed the will of the heavens. This unwavering confidence made all who heard it feel as if every word he spoke was the truth.

Whitedemon had wanted to attack Lin Ming’s heart of martial arts with words, but after experiencing Lin Ming’s intense rebuttal, he had no words left to reply with!

In terms of speaking of the heart of martial arts, the fatality of the world, and karmic ties, he had already lost.

## Martial Artists

Many martial artists possessed an incredible strength that could shake the heavens and earth, but they also held onto a firm faith of destiny, karma, and samsara. Many of these martial artists wouldn’t want to do something that could harm their own destiny. Even Lin Ming was no exception.

1. ↑ Glossary of Terms in Wuxia, Xianxia & Xuanhuan Novels