Chapter 1078: Receiving Guidance

Ye Fan's golden divine sense, like a sharp knife, cleaved the sky. This was a realm of spirit and divine thought, a phantom world where perceptions and sights were not necessarily real, forged from the incomplete imprints of ancient sages.

The majestic voice vanished, and the world became much clearer. The Arhats from all directions looked on in surprise.

Ye Fan did not linger. The golden Arhats he saw were imprints from perhaps thousands or tens of thousands of years ago, not clear consciousnesses, making deep communication impossible.

This resembled a ruined world. Some great Buddha imprints were surrounded by monks, but the more expansive regions were desolate.

Of course, not every place was accessible without hindrance.

Some ancient temples and holy shrines shone brightly, illuminating the entire cosmos, piercing the clouds, and standing atop the most majestic mountains. Such places were difficult to enter, as they contained relatively intact imprints of true Buddhas.

In certain forbidden areas, Ye Fan could only walk around.

On sacred mountains where Buddha's chants thundered, and in grand temples bathed in boundless Buddha light, he clearly saw several ancient Buddhas, seemingly seated since ancient times, transcending space and time to preach.

"Buddhism is truly unfathomable. Ancient sages created a spiritual realm. After cutting off their path, those who enter deep meditation have the chance to enter this realm, comprehend the Dao here, and perhaps attain the Bodhisattva fruit in the future."

It was said that this spiritual realm was based on the infinite mental power of Mount Sumeru, from which it radiated.

Lan Tuo Temple, however, had a much weaker power of faith compared to Mount Sumeru; they were not comparable.

If he were on Mount Sumeru, his true body might enter a peculiar realm, leading to even more miraculous events.

This was because there was a place on Mount Sumeru where the spiritual realm materialized, allowing a true body to enter, much like a divine realm.

Now, being in Lan Tuo Temple, what he saw and felt was not clear; many places were blurry and could not be compared.

After bypassing vast ancient battlefields and traversing endless lands, Ye Fan found nothing. He did not see any sign of An Miaoyi and wondered where her spirit had wandered.

Deep within this realm, golden lotus flowers were everywhere, and Dao traces intertwined like threads, making movement difficult.

"This is..."

He finally noticed a small stone nunnery beside a spiritual lake, where the golden lake water resembled molten gold. This was pure spiritual energy, one of the origins of this peculiar paradise.

There were traces left by An Miaoyi here. On a large, recumbent ox-shaped bluestone, her imprint was carved, indicating she had once meditated and gained enlightenment there.

"The Eight Destructions Scripture?" Ye Fan murmured, frowning slightly. This was a scripture meant to sever ties with the mortal world and attain pure transcendence. Although he had never read it, he had heard of it.

The scripture stated that if sentient beings frequently and respectfully invoked the Bodhisattva of Eight Destructions, they could be freed from attachments.

Ye Fan continued forward and soon saw another ancient temple with An Miaoyi's Dao traces. She had once cultivated the Divine Glazed Dharma Body there, aiming to dispel thoughts and cut off illusions, which was also a profound worldly detachment view.

In the vast mortal world, the mundane is illusory, impure, and tainted. One often meditates on the Celestial Platform, making the mind as clear as glass, dissolving various human thoughts, and also practices the "White Bone Meditation."

These were methods for detaching from the mundane, transcending the world, severing ties with the mortal realm, and advancing to a state of no desires and no thoughts, thereby escaping the greater world.

Ye Fan worried that after practicing such methods, one would truly depart from everything human, completely detached. But could it truly succeed?

Only immortals in the Nine Heavens could truly reach this stage. How could a mortal achieve this? It was too transcendent.

Whether the Buddhist pursuit of the afterlife was right or wrong, he did not know. If one followed that path, this life would seem empty and illusory.

"Miaoyi..."

Ye Fan followed her traces, calling out loudly, but could not find her. After passing through Bodhi grounds and venturing into the Ancient Buddha Nirvana Valley, he completely lost her trail.

Ye Fan recited his own scriptures, calling out to her divine sense, hoping to establish a spiritual connection and bring her back.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of ocean waves. After passing through an ancient ruin, a sheer cliff blocked his path, beyond which a vast silver sea surged.

A stone ridge stretched across, blocking the mysterious silver sea. In a trance, he saw a beautiful figure, robes fluttering, leaping into it.

"Sea of Past!"

Ye Fan rushed forward. On the cliff were three large characters clearly naming the silver ocean: "Sea of Past." It stretched endlessly, and there was no beautiful figure to be seen.

"I clearly saw her. That must have been an imprint left long ago. She leaped in from here..."

Ye Fan muttered to himself, wanting to enter the sea, but he felt an immense danger that was completely at odds with his own Dao.

"I don't believe in the past, nor do I cultivate for the afterlife. I only believe that being invincible in this life can lead to eternity. This sea is called 'Past,' and I cannot enter it; it conflicts with my Dao."

He stood on the precipice, frowning. Then he let out a sudden roar, striding forward and declaring, "I firmly believe in my own Dao. What 'Sea of Past'? It's all illusory. If I sweep through this life invincibly, fighting my way forward, then the path beneath my feet will be the immortal road of this present age!"

To find An Miaoyi, Ye Fan disregarded the danger, leaped into the sea, and unleashed a punch that shattered the heavens and earth. A section of the silver divine sea was evaporated, unable to block him.

Within a ten-zhang radius, nothing could approach him. Even pervasive Buddha light had no effect, and even myriad golden lotus flowers blooming and Dao traces could not impede his path.

"Boom!"

Silver waves surged sky-high, and golden lotus flowers, rooted in the void, threatened to engulf him. But he unleashed a torrent of golden light that swept away all obstructions.

"The immortal path lies ahead, and I shall ascend it myself. Let Buddhas walk the path of Buddhas; I will walk my own path, needing no one to guide me across." He uttered a celestial sound that dispersed all Dao traces, never changing his course, pressing forward with courage.

He firmly believed that if one was invincible, anything could be overcome. He would be the master of his own destiny, not relying on a vague, elusive future, nor wavering in the face of the past.

"Open up for me!"

Golden light emanated from Ye Fan's entire body, like a golden sun illuminating his path. With every casual gesture and stride, he caused the silver sea to erupt, shaking the earth and astonishing the heavens.

He searched within this silver divine sea, sweeping away all obstacles. Some golden Arhats watched him, astonished.

"Who is this person, daring to force his way through like this? Instead of purifying himself with the Sea of Past, he's shattering everything..."

Ye Fan plunged into the depths, searching in every possible way, but ultimately found nothing. There was no glimmer of hope; he had no idea where An Miaoyi had leaped.

Finally, he carved out a path, defeating the silver Sea of Past and crossing through it.

Standing on the cliff, he remained silent for a long time. Everyone had their own unique Dao. He had called out to An Miaoyi, but there was no response. He also had no way to change An Miaoyi's path or lead her out.

With a long sigh, Ye Fan realized he had stayed in this spiritual realm long enough and could only reluctantly withdraw.

Inside Lan Tuo Temple, powerful vital energy surged. His spirit returned to his body, and his vitality was fully restored, astonishing some old monks.

An outsider actually entered the Bodhisattva Realm and then calmly withdrew, which was uncommon in ancient times.

"Benefactor, you are fated with our Buddha. Would you be willing to join Lan Tuo Temple? If so, you will surely attain the status of an ancient Buddha in the future, perhaps even becoming a Buddha Ancestor," said Ku Ci.

Ye Fan was speechless. The people of Lan Tuo Temple wanted to convert him to Buddhism, which was impossible. How could he agree?

"Master, has Miaoyi awakened?"

Inside the nine-story stone pagoda, the beautiful figure's aura grew increasingly faint. The lampwick, no bigger than a bean, was about to extinguish, and both the person and the lamp, as well as the stone Buddha, appeared incredibly dim.

It seemed as if a gust of wind could bring everything to an end.

"Miaoyi... wake up." Ye Fan called out. This was worrying; she had been in secluded meditation for so long without waking. It might mean her spirit had perished, leaving only her physical body in the mortal world.

"This... is truly dangerous. Throughout history, revered monks and ancient Buddhas have entered nirvana in this manner," Ku Ci said, frowning.

An Miaoyi was in secluded meditation, her spirit having entered the Bodhisattva Realm. It was unknown what she had encountered, but she was now unable to awaken.

"Miaoyi... wake up!" Ye Fan chanted scriptures, hoping to guide her back, awaken her potential, and use her physical body as a Dharma vessel to retrieve her spirit.

However, another half a month passed, and An Miaoyi's body began to grow cold. Her spirit had been separated from her physical body for too long, and her vitality was fading into silence.

This did not mean her physical body was dying, but it was extremely dangerous. Her body's latent potential perceived her primordial spirit as withered and unable to return, thus entering a state of self-preservation.

The human body was a treasure. Even if the spirit died, the body could persist for a long time, and this seemed to be manifesting now.

"Is she truly going to enter nirvana by entering secluded meditation?" Ye Fan's voice trembled as he clenched his fists. He intended to re-enter the Bodhisattva Realm.

However, the results were disappointing. He entered and exited seven times, but to no avail.

"Miaoyi, don't die..." Ye Fan's heart was filled with anxiety, his emotions fluctuating wildly. Could their farewell fourteen years ago truly be eternal?

"Spirit, return!" He sat cross-legged inside the stone pagoda, calling out with all his heart, hoping to guide a lost spirit back.

Ku Ci chanted Buddhist mantras without cessation. It was now evident that, like the revered monks of past generations, An Miaoyi had entered nirvana and could no longer return.

"Why is this happening?" Ye Fan cried out in sorrow.

He suddenly stood up and entered the Bodhisattva Realm for the eighth time. This time, he advanced valiantly, clearing a path, even intruding upon many imprints left by great Buddhas.

He stopped at many magnificent sacred temples, letting out long cries towards the sky, searching for that exquisitely beautiful and otherworldly woman.

In this hazy world, filled with mysterious Buddha light, his radiance illuminated the entire realm. He stood like a deity, overlooking all directions, shouting loudly, calling out to An Miaoyi.

He was like the greatest ancient Buddha, roaring across heaven and earth, unleashing invincible light that illuminated all directions.

Finally, he returned, exhausted once more. Ye Fan was almost in despair; even true invincibility could not change everything.

Another forty-nine days passed. Revered Monk Ku Ci concluded that An Miaoyi had entered nirvana, and there was no hope left.

A group of old monks chanted scriptures, performing rituals for her peaceful transition to the Pure Land. They all knew that no miracle could occur; it was impossible to defy fate.

Ye Fan delved into the Bodhisattva Realm for the ninth time. This time, he almost perished within it, barely managing to break out. He roared towards the sky in fury, powerless to reverse the situation.

"Miaoyi..." Ye Fan called out, holding her cold body as he walked out of the Buddhist pagoda, filled with profound sorrow.

"She has officially entered nirvana. Look, Buddha flowers have flown from her head, proving that her soul flame has extinguished," Ku Ci said.

A fragrant aroma permeated the air, and a shower of flowers descended from the void, scattering over the stone pagoda. An Miaoyi's body grew completely cold, and the green lamp extinguished.

"How could this happen?" Ye Fan was distraught, caressing her face, feeling no warmth at all. Tears streamed down uncontrollably.

As the petals from the void fell, the last flicker of light died out, and the delicate fragrance dispersed. An Miaoyi's expression was serene, as if she were in a deep sleep.

"Miaoyi... wake up." Ye Fan wept.

Ku Ci led the old monks away, knowing there was nothing more to be done. Even the soul flowers had completely dispersed; how could she awaken?

Silence surrounded the stone pagoda. Ye Fan sat alone, holding the cold body, pondering what his cultivation was for if it only led to such a separation of life and death in the end. What was the meaning of it all?

"Miaoyi... wake up." He called out repeatedly, tears ceaselessly falling.

After an unknown amount of time, a weak voice spoke, "You're crying..."

The cold body, like a jade sculpture, stirred slightly. On that peerless face, a pair of eyes slowly opened.