Chapter 1079: Clear and Elegant Beyond the World

Chapter 1080: Serene and Ethereal

Ye Fan’s heart trembled, and he opened his eyes wide. Within the cold body in his arms, a soul imprint had appeared; she had actually revived.

Lost and then found again, a beautiful woman who had died now had life. Although very weak, this was undeniably real.

"Miaoyi!" Ye Fan cried, grasping her hand tightly, afraid that if he let go, he would lose her forever. One moment in heaven, the next in hell; he had been in despair, and now a sudden joy had arrived.

This was a profound emotional roller coaster. He had felt on the verge of losing her, but the woman in his arms had revived from death, stirring deep emotions within him.

The peerless beauty had entered a death seclusion and had become a cold corpse. He had thought they were separated forever, that he would never see her again, which would have been a great regret.

"You're back, it's enough that you're alive..." he murmured.

An Miaoyi's face was devoid of color, very pale. Her delicate features seemed carved from pure white mutton-fat jade. Her normally ethereal eyes now lacked luster, appearing dim and hazy.

She slowly extended a hand and wiped away the tears on his face. Her body was very weak; returning from the Bodhisattva Realm, she had encountered severe obstacles and almost achieved nirvana.

Years had passed, but An Miaoyi's beauty had not diminished in the slightest. Her immortal charm was more subdued, imbued with a tranquil serenity and peacefulness. She had shed her former allure and charm, refined by experience, making her even more captivating.

She smiled weakly; reuniting after many years in this Western Lantu Temple, there was an ineffable feeling. Her eyes flickered with spiritual light. "It really is you," she said. "I heard your call in the Bodhisattva Realm, and I managed to return with great difficulty from my lost state."

"You'll be alright. I'm here, and I will surely protect you," Ye Fan said, his gaze firm. With a soft exclamation, he activated the "Heal" Secret Art, and holy light emanated from his entire body, enveloping An Miaoyi.

Although his "Heal" Secret Art was incomplete, few in the world could compare to it. Neither the Phoenix Tribulation Rebirth Technique nor the Nirvana Art surpassed it.

An Miaoyi's main injury was to her soul; she had almost been lost in the Bodhisattva Realm. The "Heal" Secret Art, which restores the physical body and heals the spirit, was effective. Almost instantly, her condition greatly improved.

"I feel much better..." Soon after, she was able to sit up.

In the distance, Master Kuci had gone and returned. Though a Golden Arhat, whose mind was normally as calm as a still well, he now showed a look of surprise. How could someone who had clearly achieved nirvana revive?

"Could this be the Buddha's protection, a chosen one, which is why she could linger in the Bodhisattva Realm for so long, making us all mistakenly believe she had achieved nirvana?" he murmured to himself.

Then, he strode over, asking about the situation, eager to know what had happened.

"I crossed the Sea of the Past and waded through the River of the Future. On the horizon, I saw two great Buddhas, one Amitabha and the other Sakyamuni. Unable to choose, I eventually moved forward, passing between the two Buddhas... and then I got lost."

An Miaoyi spoke softly, recounting her experiences in the Bodhisattva Realm over the past days.

"It's good that you're back!" said Kuci.

When he had confined An Miaoyi in the nine-story stone pagoda, he hadn't harbored much ill will. He believed she might achieve Bodhisattva status in the future, and a century of arduous cultivation within the pagoda might be crucial.

Kuci then departed, not wishing to disturb them further.

"You're back..." An Miaoyi murmured, gazing blankly at Ye Fan. She slowly stood up; her soul was now stable.

She was a little thinner, her dark hair smooth. Her expression was serene and ethereal; though standing right before him, she seemed ready to transcend the mortal world at any moment, appearing incredibly distant.

"I tried hard, struggled to go back, but it was too late. After making up my mind, I still couldn't forget this shore, so I returned," Ye Fan whispered.

"Fourteen years have passed. I never thought we would meet again," An Miaoyi said softly.

Ye Fan walked beside her, and together they left Lantu Temple. The sunset glow dyed the western sky crimson, casting long shadows of their figures.

Lantu Temple, with qilin sculptures beneath its cliff walls and spirit ganoderma growing by the paths, was a place filled with refreshing fragrance, peace, and serenity, permeated by traces of the Great Dao.

"It's truly wonderful that you came to see me," An Miaoyi said, smiling like a young woman. Her bright eyes and white teeth showed a touch of charm and warmth. But Ye Fan's heart tightened; he felt a certain distance.

Ye Fan gently smoothed her dark hair and accompanied her outwards. They walked side-by-side along pebble-strewn paths, past temples and pavilions, their figures appearing warm and harmonious in the lingering glow of the sunset.

"I have chosen the path of Buddhist cultivation, and now I have achieved some spiritual fruits," An Miaoyi said.

"I know. Master Kuci said it shouldn't be difficult for you to attain Bodhisattva status," Ye Fan nodded.

"Walking this path requires a tranquil mind, free from desires. Walking is emptiness, sitting is emptiness, speaking, silence, movement, stillness — all are emptiness. Even if a white blade were to fall upon one's head, it would be like a sharp sword slicing through a spring breeze," An Miaoyi murmured.

Ye Fan's expression stiffened. He finally understood why he felt An Miaoyi was distant. It wasn't that their physical bodies were far apart, but that her state of mind had changed.

"Everyone possesses Buddha-nature, and Buddhas are also human. Why must one abandon so much? I don't wish for you to walk such a path," Ye Fan said.

"Everyone has Buddha-nature, but not everyone needs to become a Buddha," An Miaoyi shook her head.

For a moment, both fell silent. They walked on quietly; though it was very intimate, there seemed to be a subtle, invisible distance between them.

"Why cultivate Buddhism? There are many other Daoist methods in the world. If you wish, I can obtain the scriptures of the Human Emperors for you to choose from," Ye Fan said.

"I am fated with Buddhism; it suits me," An Miaoyi shook her head.

Ye Fan was about to say something, but An Miaoyi stretched out a jade-like hand, covering his lips. "Don't say anything," she said. "Let's just keep walking."

After a long time, the sun had set. In the dim Lantu Sacred Mountain, tree shadows swayed, and fragrant herbs filled the air. Ye Fan finally couldn't help but speak.

"Miaoyi, this path isn't easy. You don't have to take it. There are many other choices. Why confine yourself to the Western Desert?"

"This is my path. When I entered the Sea of the Past, when I waded through the River of the Future, my heart was so serene; it told me how to choose," An Miaoyi said.

"I... don't want this for you," Ye Fan said, looking at her.

She, originally a peerless beauty, was now destined to accompany ancient Buddhas by the glow of a solitary lamp, severing all earthly ties. How cruel was that?

"What's wrong with this? My heart is serene and immensely fulfilled. Witnessing a Buddha-flower bloom, so vibrant it seems to drip with color—my attainment is all within this," An Miaoyi said, light flowing in her eyes.

"Leave the Western Desert with me," Ye Fan said earnestly.

An Miaoyi sighed softly, looking at him. Her eyes held reluctance and lingering affection, but she shook her head.

Suddenly, she pressed her hand to her forehead, and a cold sweat broke out. Her eyes misted over. "In the past, I severed my Dao... and forgot my past."

"What?" Ye Fan grasped her arm.

"Now, I remember everything again. But fourteen years ago, when you left, I made a choice..." Two lines of shimmering tears streamed down An Miaoyi's beautiful eyes.

"Even if you severed your Dao and forgot, you've remembered again. Some imprints cannot be erased," Ye Fan said, his gaze firm. "The Buddhist talk of future lives is merely an escape. There's no true reincarnation, no transmigration. Our existence and perception are only due to this present life."

An Miaoyi calmed down and said softly, "Don't be so insistent. This is my path."

"It's not obsession; it's that you truly shouldn't choose to cultivate Buddhism," Ye Fan suddenly asserted, forcefully grasping her hand. "Leave the Western Desert with me."

An Miaoyi suddenly smiled, her peerless beauty, a smile capable of toppling cities. For a moment, it seemed to brighten the entire dim sacred mountain. "You really don't want me to cultivate Buddhism?" she asked.

"Yes," Ye Fan nodded. He didn't want An Miaoyi to spend her life accompanying ancient Buddhas by a solitary lamp, growing old alone in the Western Desert.

"Then I'll have to wait until I attain Bodhisattva status and can travel the world. Now, all races are rising, and saints from beyond the domain are arriving. If I don't become a Bodhisattva, how can I traverse the world?"

"You're not just humoring me, are you?" Ye Fan asked, startled.

"No," An Miaoyi smiled enchantingly, stunningly beautiful.

"It doesn't matter. If one day the Buddhas truly obstruct you, I will come for you. As long as I am unrivaled at that time, nothing can stop me!" Ye Fan declared.

"My little man is a bit overbearing," An Miaoyi said, her smile spreading like ripples. Her skin glowed faintly, her dark hair fluttered, and her eyes sparkled like stars. "I'll wait for you to come and get me."

Ye Fan nodded. He stepped over several spiritual ley lines with her, and together they walked deeper into the sacred mountain.

"In the future, no matter what happens, you must always trust me, just as I trust you," An Miaoyi said.

The moonlight was pure white, scattering like immortal feathers. In the lake, specks of light shimmered, and spiritual energy diffused.

Ye Fan scooped up clear water with a jade ladle and sprinkled it over An Miaoyi's beautiful hair, washing it for her. Specks of immortal light shimmered, creating ripples in the lake.

An Miaoyi chuckled, pushing him gently. "I'll do it myself," she said, motioning him away from the area.

Soon after, the sound of splashing water arose. She swam in the lake like a fish, her pristine body like ivory, shimmering with a crystalline luster.

In the distance, Ye Fan sat by a bonfire, roasting some wild game. He didn't know why, but he felt An Miaoyi was truly distant, even though she had said they would reunite in the future.

Before long, the beautiful woman emerged from the lake, walking lightly. Draped in a feather robe, it accentuated the graceful curves of her pristine, crystalline body, perfect in every detail. Her waist was slender enough to be clasped in one hand, her jade-like legs long and straight, without a single blemish.

Her long, wet hair was still beaded with water. A faint smile graced her mutton-fat jade-like face. Every gesture she made exuded peerless grace, pure and ethereal, like a celestial fairy who had mistakenly fallen to the mortal world.

"Let's go," An Miaoyi said. She ate a spiritual root but did not touch the wild game.

"Alright, I'll see you back," Ye Fan nodded, standing up.

"Back where?" An Miaoyi asked.

"Aren't we going back to Lantu Temple?" Ye Fan asked.

"The future is still far off. I know you're about to embark on a long journey. For the next half month, I won't be a Buddhist cultivator, and you won't be a Human Holy Body. We'll just be an ordinary couple, living a simple life," An Miaoyi said.

Ye Fan was first surprised, then he took her hand and departed, leaving the sacred mountain and bidding farewell to Lantu Temple.

For the next half month, they lived like an ordinary couple, sleeping and waking together. They watched the sunrise and sunset, crossed grasslands, and entered deserts, living a simple yet happy life.

At night, they gazed at the starry sky together. Ye Fan pointed out the other side of the cosmos, telling her what kind of world it was.

Time was fleeting, passing by so quickly. Stars dotted the sky, and the moonlight was hazy.

"We'll always meet again," An Miaoyi said. She stood up, her back to him. Her pure white, flawless back shimmered with a snowy luster, like jade.

Ye Fan stepped forward, embracing her ivory-like body, unwilling to let go. If he could choose, he would rather be a mortal.

"Half a month has passed. You should leave now," An Miaoyi said, gently pushing him away. Her feather robe flashed, covering her flawless, jade-like body. Her expression was serene, exquisitely pure and ethereal, as if very distant, standing in the ninth heaven.

*Swoosh* A green lamp appeared beside her; the Buddhist light from its wick flickered, then suddenly pulsed. The ancient green lamp made her appear even more ethereal.