Chapter 212: Talking about Immortals and Discussing the Dao

Welcome.

The Great Xia was an immortal ancient dynasty that flourished for over a hundred thousand years.

Great mountains collapsed. Long rivers dried up, and seas turned into mulberry fields. Time flowed by. Everything changed.

Yet, the Great Xia remained as prosperous as ever. It never changed. Since the Great Emperor of ancient times established this immortal dynasty, it has always stood firm.

It recorded countless historical changes and preserved countless secrets. No one could say for sure how many.

Ye Fan thought of many things. What happened over two thousand years ago? Did Siddhartha Gautama come to this world? What kind of story did he have with the indigenous people, and why did it make the Great Xia Prince change color?

If there was a hidden story, it would inevitably lead to many conjectures. The Great Xia must understand all of this. It was an immortal dynasty. It should have records of all the major events that happened in this world.

The Sacred Son of Yaoguang smiled gently. His teeth gleamed, and even his hair emitted golden light. He was very amiable and looked forward.

“Infinite Heavenly Venerable,” Ye Fan recited a Taoist name. He shook his head and said, “This humble Taoist is a lone cultivator, wandering far and wide. I heard of it by chance and was perplexed, so I ask about it now.”

He was not disguised as Duan De. At this moment, he was tall and slender, his Taoist robe flowing. His appearance was otherworldly. Although very young, he possessed a touch of ethereal charm.

“Taoist priest, you are too humble,” the Sacred Son of Yaoguang smiled, like a spring breeze, “Could you enlighten me? Where did Siddhartha Gautama originate from, and what kind of being was he? How much do you know?”

Siddhartha Gautama came from the other side of the starry sky. How could Ye Fan reveal that? He said, “I only know the name Tathagata, but not the details of his life. Perhaps the Sacred Son could enlighten me: what is the true origin of this Siddhartha?”

“Siddhartha…” Colorful lights flickered in the Sacred Son of Yaoguang’s eyes, as if in a dream. It was evident that these two words held a mysterious power, always causing his expression to change.

One must know that figures like him and the Great Xia Prince would not change their expression even if Mount Tai collapsed before them, but the name Tathagata made their hearts restless.

“I was asking you, yet you turned around and asked me back. Taoist priest, you are truly impenetrable,” the Sacred Son of Yaoguang said with a warm smile, then shook his head.

“I merely heard it through hearsay and don’t understand the full details. I still hope Your Highness will not hesitate to enlighten me. Infinite Heavenly Venerable.” Ye Fan’s sleeves fluttered.

“This kid really thinks he’s a Taoist priest now, but he’s quite the charlatan,” Liu Kou muttered secretly.

“It’s all the nuns’ fault,” Li Heishui concluded.

“Heavy taste!” Jiang Huai’ren said more concisely.

The Sacred Son of Yaoguang’s eyes were deep, as if they could pierce through the sky of history, gazing into the eternally unknown. He said, “This name holds a demonic power. Over two thousand years ago, it was as if a spatiotemporal fault suddenly occurred, and everything about it ceased to exist. I only know that it once existed.”

Ye Fan’s smile was like the morning glow. He nodded, indicating understanding, but his mind was racing with countless thoughts, his ideas greatly diverging.

What did Tathagata do over two thousand years ago? What traces did he leave in this world, and do they still exist today?

All of this was a mystery, full of unknowns. It made him eager to investigate thoroughly. He urgently wanted to understand everything about it.

This was too important for him: the other side of the starry sky. The stargate left by the ancients, crossing endless galaxies. Where exactly was the destination of this journey?

He had too many unanswered questions. Was the Nine Dragons pulling the Coffin a coincidence? Or was it repeating the path of predecessors? Did the Buddha also arrive at the other end of the cosmos by accident?

“Tathagata, most likely, truly came to this world, but I wonder what terrible change occurred,” Ye Fan murmured to himself, then turned to look at the Great Xia Prince. He found the prince utterly indifferent.

Why was he like this? There must be a hidden reason. Siddhartha Gautama made him wary, making him unwilling to mention it further!

The Sacred Son of Yaoguang showed a peaceful smile, then turned to face the Great Xia Prince, saying, “Your Highness, your dragon energy soars to the heavens. As the Dragon Son of Great Xia, you must know something about Tathagata. I wonder what exactly happened over two thousand years ago. Why did everything about this person vanish into thin air? As if he had never appeared at all.”

“I don’t know either. There are sages in Buddhism today. If you want to understand, you can ask them yourself,” the Great Xia Prince said indifferently, making no further remarks.

Beside them, Yao Xi pondered. She had never heard the name Tathagata before. Clearly, the Sacred Son knew more than she did. After all, he was the future master of Yaoguang. This stirred a slight ripple in her heart.

Ye Fan completely calmed down. Trying to learn anything from the Sacred Son of Yaoguang would be as hard as ascending to heaven. The other party clearly wouldn’t reveal his secrets.

As for the Great Xia Prince, there was even less hope. Before he could even delve deeper, the prince already wore an expression of keeping people a thousand miles away.

He felt that in the future, it would be necessary to make a trip to the Western Desert, to the legendary Mount Sumeru, to understand the truth.

Of course, before that, he could try to learn something from the pure-hearted little nun.

Ye Fan turned to look. This truly was just a little nun, her white robes whiter than snow, her eyes pure. Her big, dark eyes darted around, and she was very timid. When he turned to gaze at her, she hid behind the Great Xia Prince like a frightened little rabbit.

The Great Xia Prince frowned. He doted on his younger sister immensely. As an elder brother, he least wished to see men like Ye Fan, always feeling they were trying to flirt with his sister.

“Infinite Heavenly Venerable. This humble Taoist is a monastic; I sweep the floor without harming ant lives, and I cherish moths, covering lamps with gauze. I harbor no worldly thoughts,” Ye Fan said earnestly, with a hint of meaning.

The Great Xia Prince remained expressionless, but inwardly, he was utterly disgusted. The little nun in white, however, pursed her lips and secretly chuckled. Her big, dark eyes looked at him several times.

“He’s getting addicted to being a Taoist priest,” Liu Kou muttered, “I bet he’s as bad as that crooked Taoist. He’s probably another unscrupulous one.” Liu Kou was practically equating him with Duan De.

“Have you heard of Siddhartha Gautama?” Tu Fei asked in a low voice.

“Never heard of him. Those baldies are too mysterious; they’re impossible to find. If it weren’t for people from Zhongzhou occasionally mentioning them when they come to the Holy City, I wouldn’t even know such a sect existed,” Li Heishui shook his head.

“I’ve heard of this sect, but I don’t know the details,” Wu Zhongtian frowned. “My grandfather talked about it. It seems this sect is very powerful, with some ancient Buddhas within it. They are unfathomable…”

“That’s all I know. Nothing else,” Jiang Huai’ren shook his head.

Ye Fan’s heart was now calm. Regarding Siddhartha Gautama, he would need to inquire slowly. His thoughts returned to the present. With light, immortal steps, and a rising Taoist aura, he walked a circle here and found that Yao Xi had no reaction at all. She didn’t recognize him.

“This means my Heaven-Shaking Transformation has reached a certain level of mastery,” he thought, “she can’t sense my aura…”

Ye Fan’s steps were light and nimble, embodying an air of immortal grace. He drifted gracefully toward Yao Xi. “Maiden, you are like a lotus emerging from water, bright and stunning. You clearly possess immortal bones and a naturally formed Daoist physique. You are truly a rare marvel of my Taoist sect.”

The Saintess of Yaoguang smiled faintly upon hearing this. She said, “Taoist priest, you flatter me too much. Is there something you need?”

“Not at all, what I say is true,” Ye Fan said with utmost seriousness. “I sensed the aura of an ancient Great Emperor on you, Immortal Maiden. Though your cultivation has not reached its peak, you possess such a strong immortal aura, truly not that of a mortal.”

The Immortal Maiden of Yaoguang was slightly surprised. There was a moon palace mark on her forehead, an ancient secret pattern whose rank was difficult to determine, known to almost no one. Could this Taoist priest have sensed it?

Her expression remained calm. “Taoist priest, you certainly know how to jest. May I ask what sect you are from?”

“This humble Taoist has no sect or faction; I am but a free-roaming cloud and wild crane. I have emerged this time solely to find a nephew-disciple,” Ye Fan recited his Taoist invocation.

“May I ask who your nephew-disciple is? I might have heard of them…” Yao Xi, of course, didn’t believe Ye Fan and thought he was talking nonsense.

“Actually, I was just about to ask you, Immortal Maiden. I wish to inquire about my unruly nephew-disciple. After all, Yaoguang is a Holy Land in the Eastern Desolate…” Ye Fan wanted to learn about the unscrupulous Taoist’s past from the disciples of these Holy Lands. He said, “His name is Duan De, and his Taoist title is Wuliang.”

“The unscrupulous Taoist is your nephew-disciple?” Yao Xi looked surprised.

“His behavior is indeed improper, and being called unscrupulous is fitting.”

“May I ask, Taoist priest, how old are you?” Yao Xi asked.

“This humble Taoist has cultivated the Dao for over three hundred years. Thinking carefully, I have idled away three hundred and eighteen springs and autumns.”

“Pfft!”

In the distance, Li Heishui spat out a mouthful of wine, his broken gourd nearly falling to the ground. He cursed in a low voice, “This kid is truly a beast!”

“I’ve seen thick-skinned people, but never one this thick-skinned,” Tu Fei cursed, “Damn it, he stole her bra, and now he’s pretending to be an enlightened master, talking about immortals and the Dao!” He wished Ye Fan would reveal himself.

“If the Saintess of Yaoguang knew this kid’s true identity, do you think she’d spit blood? Or maybe—"

“—should we shout it out?” Jiang Huai’ren chuckled.

Wu Zhongtian frowned and said, “Don’t mess around.”

“What do you call a hypocrite? What do you call a beast in human clothing? This is a living example!” Liu Kou muttered indignantly, “Truly a beast!”

Not far away, the Sacred Son of Yaoguang and the Great Xia Prince walked side by side towards the nine strange stones displayed in the Immortal Stone Workshop.

The Sacred Son of Yaoguang was glowing all over; his flowing hair had turned golden, as if cast from gold, like a celestial sun, dazzling as the day.

Wu Zhongtian frowned and said, “I feel he is like a furnace of heaven and earth, his vital energy as vigorous as—"

“—a vast ocean, surging and boiling. The Sacred Son of Yaoguang is probably the strongest of his generation, or very close to it.”

Li Heishui and the others changed their expressions upon hearing this. They had invited Wu Zhongtian specifically to contend with the Sacred Son of Yaoguang. They didn’t want him to make such an evaluation.

Tu Fei sighed, “Indeed, once his Sacred Light Art is unleashed, it’s unmatched. It illuminates the cosmos, and all directions are—"

“—purified. It truly renders one immune to all methods; no attacking technique can tear it apart.”

Li Heishui showed concern, saying, “His sacred light is growing ever stronger, fiercely blazing like the sun. I feel that even a Divine Physique would find it hard to break through. In this world, I think only one offensive art could counter him, but unfortunately, it has been lost forever.”

“Are you referring to the Combat Sacred Art of Divine King Jiang Taixu, who was the strongest in attack for five thousand years?!” Tu Fei frowned.

“Yes, otherwise, even a Divine Physique might not be able to tear through that sacred light; most likely, they could only fight him to a draw. For someone his age to cultivate this supreme secret art to such a level is truly astonishing!” Li Heishui replied.

Beside them, Jiang Huai’ren remained silent. Jiang Taixu was his ancestor, but unfortunately, the foremost offensive secret art had become lost.

“Perhaps, there is also another grand offensive art that could break through this perfected sacred light,” Wu Zhongtian said slowly.

“There is?” The others were surprised and disbelieving.

“You are confined to the Eastern Desolate and have forgotten about Zhongzhou,” Wu Zhongtian swept his gaze towards the Great Xia Prince, who was walking alongside the Sacred Son of Yaoguang. He continued, “The Imperial Dragon Qi of Great Xia, with its immense power that dominates heaven and earth, is said to be indestructible, breaking through anything, shaking heaven and earth. I think it could deal with the Sacred Son of Yaoguang.”

The Great Xia Prince, with his shining iron armor dazzling brightly, had dragon energy swirling around him. Faintly, nine true dragons could be seen coiling around his body, their heads held high, resting on his shoulders. He was incredibly majestic, like a Heavenly Emperor descending to the mortal realm.

“I wonder which is stronger, the Imperial Dragon Qi or Divine King Jiang’s Combat Sacred Art? People from Zhongzhou have always been arrogant, but the two have never directly contended,” Tu Fei said with immense regret. “It’s a great pity for all ages; we can no longer witness a peak duel between these two grand offensive arts.”

At this moment, the Sacred Son of Yaoguang and the Great Xia Prince were both evaluating the stone materials. Those nine strange stones had been displayed for an unknown number of days. This was their first time touching them personally.

At this time, Ye Fan and Yao Xi, having a pleasant and lively conversation, also walked over, making the few 'little bandits' sigh repeatedly and ceaselessly call him a 'beast in human clothing'.

“Taoist priest, do you also have knowledge of origin stones?” Yao Xi asked.

“What this humble Taoist has learned is broad but not profound, and I’ve achieved nothing of note. I have merely dabbled a little in the path of origin,” Ye Fan smiled.

“I think Taoist priest, you are being humble,” Yao Xi said with a faint smile, her eyelashes fluttering slightly, her dark pupils like stars, her jade teeth sparkling, and her beautiful lips gleaming, making her brilliantly charming. “Why don’t you step forward and comment on these nine stones?”

As soon as she spoke, both the Great Xia Prince and the Sacred Son of Yaoguang looked over, showing different expressions.

The Great Xia Prince truly had no good feelings towards him. This might be a common ailment among elder brothers, always fearing that some rascal would try to woo their sister.

The Sacred Son of Yaoguang, however, smiled very peacefully, revealing nothing. He possessed a special divine charm that attracted the gazes of most young female cultivators.

The delicate little nun was also secretly looking at Ye Fan, full of curiosity, appearing completely innocent and naive.

“Very well, then this humble Taoist will make a fool of himself,” Ye Fan stepped forward, but did not reach out. He circled the nine stones twice.

At this moment, within a magnificent building not far away, a graceful figure appeared. The Immortal Maiden of Jade Lake revealed herself, personally observing Ye Fan as he evaluated the stones. However, she was shrouded in immortal mist, so no one could see her true face.

She had been silently watching ever since Ye Fan uttered the name Tathagata and the words Siddhartha Gautama—something Ye Fan could not have foreseen.

Ye Fan circled them several times, then casually tapped the largest stone and flicked the smallest one. He said indifferently, “These two stones contain divine essence within; the rest are nothing but common rock.”

Immediately, chuckles erupted from the surroundings.

“What arrogance! He really thinks he’s an Origin Master. Are the Jade Lake’s immortal stones so easy to identify?”

“I think he’s talking absolute nonsense. Based on my years of experience in stone gambling, those two stones are absolutely—"

“—worthless white stones, containing nothing.”

“There are too many conceited people. There’s no need to pay attention to him.”

This was understandable. In everyone’s eyes, Ye Fan hadn’t carefully examined them at all. He had just tapped them a few times and declared that the two stones contained spiritual essence, which was indeed difficult to believe.

“Oh, Taoist priest, are you so certain?” the Great Xia Prince looked over and asked indifferently.

“This humble Taoist’s knowledge is limited; I’m merely making a random comment,” Ye Fan said modestly.

The Great Xia Prince shook his head and said, “If I were to choose, one of those two would be my first choice, while the other would need to be—"

“—replaced.”

It was well-known that he had come for the Saintess of Jade Lake, and by now, he was certainly well-prepared.

Ye Fan smiled and said, “How about Your Highness and I make a wager?”

“Oh, how would we wager?” the Great Xia Prince asked.

“If I can turn stone into gold, I only wish to speak with this little master for a moment,” Ye Fan said, pointing to the little nun.

The Great Xia Prince had originally been very interested, but upon hearing this, he immediately turned away, feeling utterly disgusted.

The little nun, meanwhile, wrinkled her nose and waved a tiny fist at Ye Fan.

“Taoist priest, are you certain that these two stones contain divine essence?” the Sacred Son of Yaoguang asked.

“This is merely this humble Taoist’s opinion.”

Yao Xi also stepped forward and smiled, “I think the Taoist priest’s insight is extraordinary.”

At this moment, to everyone’s surprise, the Saintess of Jade Lake appeared in mid-air, like a celestial maiden stepping on waves, exceedingly graceful and ethereal. She brought forth a shower of sparkling, crystal-clear flower petals that scattered downwards.

“Taoist priest, you have indeed chosen these two stones?” Her voice was like celestial music, beautiful and melodious.

Everyone around was astonished. No one had expected the Saintess of Jade Lake to appear in person—this had never happened before.