Chapter 628: Boundless Starry Ancient Road

The stone forest was immense, with each rock oddly shaped and distinct.

Ahead, a small body of water, once a lake, was now almost completely dry. Could this be the Immortal Transformation Pool? Ye Fan was unsure, finding it highly improbable. How could an Immortal Pool possibly be dry?

Sakyamuni's imprint was distinct: a face radiating compassion and a solemn, divine visage, embodying the wisdom of a great sage and an aura of pity for others.

"They say he is the World-Honored One, yet they also deny it. A traitor might be linked to him; some even claim he is the demonic manifestation of the Buddha..." He recalled the words of the young nun in white. Sakyamuni held a truly unusual identity in this world, the complex reasons for which remained unclear.

On Earth, Sakyamuni is inseparable from any mention of Buddhism. Yet, in this world, it was profoundly ironic: the founder himself had become a traitor, even an opposing demon.

"One of our Ji family elders met one of Sakyamuni's ten great disciples over a thousand years ago," Ji Ziyue whispered. "At that time, that Buddhist disciple had just returned from overseas."

Beyond the Five Great Domains stretched an endless ocean dotted with countless islands. Some whispered of divine islands within this vast expanse, where unparalleled masters resided, and even ancient emperors, whose names remained unknown, had achieved Nirvana.

Others claimed that the ocean, far more expansive than the Five Great Domains, might contain immortal islands where deities were born.

This was primarily because the ocean was unimaginably vast, boundless, and far more immense than the current Five Great Domains. No one had ever managed to cross it completely, filling people with profound awe and reverence.

"One of Sakyamuni's ten great disciples returned by crossing the sea..." Ye Fan's heart stirred. He remembered An Miaoyi's words; hadn't she mentioned something similar when she gifted him the essence of the Nirvana Sutra?

"What was that person's cultivation level?" Pang Bo asked.

"Unfathomable," Ji Ziyue replied. "One of our Grand Elders confronted him at the time but couldn't discern his true depth, as if facing an abyssal ocean." This was something she had only recently learned.

"The esteemed Sakyamuni, revered as the Buddha Ancestor in another world, is regarded as a great traitor here. What a true irony," Pang Bo said, shaking his head.

Ye Fan pondered, recalling Buddhism in his homeland. Although commonly attributed to Sakyamuni, Buddhist practitioners existed long before him; it was more accurate to say he popularized it rather than founded it.

Some ancient scriptures recorded that during his travels, Sakyamuni observed Buddhist practitioners harming themselves in their pursuit of cultivation. He deemed this not to be the true path, and subsequently, the teachings of the Tathagata emerged.

Ye Fan gradually formed a bold conjecture: Earth possessed a lost history. Even setting aside the enigmatic ancient China, ancient India alone had an extraordinary past.

If Buddhism had existed earlier, predating Sakyamuni's birth, then might there have been Buddhist sages even older than the Tathagata who, by using the ancient star gates left behind, had already reached the Other Shore?

If this were true, it would open up countless possibilities! Many mysteries would begin to unravel.

In that instant, Ye Fan's mind also turned to "the Other Shore," an extraordinary term in Buddhism.

"Has Earth truly lost a period of its records, with a segment of its history obliterated? Perhaps this history was far more extensive than just a few millennia!"

Of course, another possibility existed: people from this world had once traveled to Earth along the ancient starry road, establishing Buddhism there, and later Sakyamuni traced its origins back to this place.

Ye Fan's mind raced with countless possibilities. The ancient starry road, impossibly distant, was certainly not built by inhabitants of just one or two ancient stars; it spanned numerous star regions. Where did the path of the ancients lead?

"Look, the imprints he left behind are quite elaborate," Li Heishui said. "They're composed of minuscule, almost invisible, strange characters." The others gathered closer, secretly astonished. The numerous tiny characters were so minute, difficult to discern even with divine eyes, yet they collectively formed a human-like figure.

"It's Sanskrit!" Pang Bo exclaimed. He and Ye Fan exchanged glances; it was an ancient Indian script, and neither of them could recognize a single character.

"No wonder. He left imprints on Saint Cliff, and here too, there's Sanskrit, written down for those who come later," Ye Fan murmured thoughtfully.

Last time, he had been too careless and hadn't fully deciphered the imprints on Saint Cliff, which now appeared to be composed of numerous tiny characters. This must have been intended for people from ancient India.

"Did they anticipate that future generations would follow in their footsteps? Guiding the way, but where have they gone now?"

Ye Fan and Pang Bo squatted there, staring at each other in frustration, their minds racing. These were characters left by the Tathagata, likely holding secrets of the starry sky, yet they couldn't recognize a single one.

"Why Sanskrit!?" They both silently questioned the heavens, rendered speechless.

In the distant past, Earth produced more than one Buddha. At the very least, in the same era, there was another ancient individual of immense wisdom.

Two thousand five hundred years ago, during the Hundred Schools of Thought era in ancient China, numerous philosophers emerged. Each was extraordinarily brilliant and talented, making a name for themselves throughout history and leaving an indelible mark on its annals.

Regardless of others, Laozi alone was comparable to the Buddha. Just as Sakyamuni was a divine being with great supernatural powers, the immensely wise Laozi was undoubtedly also a figure who transcended the human and the divine.

They quickly stood up, eager to examine another imprint. It depicted an old man riding a green ox, leisurely traveling westward, appearing serene and detached.

Indeed, this imprint was also composed of tiny characters that, when combined, formed the image of the sage on the green ox, serving as guidance and explanation for future generations.

These two ancient figures certainly wouldn't have left random imprints. They most likely knew that successors would follow, and so they meticulously recorded the path they had taken.

"Quick, see what it says," Pang Bo urged, unable to recognize a single character himself.

Although Ye Fan had some knowledge of ancient scripts, he frowned at this moment. A few characters were Bronze Inscriptions, but surprisingly, some were Oracle Bone Script.

Not to mention him, even old scholars who specialized in these scripts couldn't read them word for word, as neither script had been fully deciphered on Earth.

"Departing Hangu Pass to the west..." He could only decipher this continuous phrase. Other words and terms were fragmented, such as "Great Emperor," "ancient road," "domain," "immortal," "Ziwei Ancient Star," and "Gouchen."

"This old man is incredibly awesome!" Pang Bo exclaimed, momentarily speechless. "He left Hangu Pass to the west and just walked into the star domain!"

Ancient texts recorded: "When Laozi journeyed west, Yin Xi, the gatekeeper, saw purple energy hovering over the pass, and indeed, Laozi rode a green ox through."

Laozi's last appearance in ancient China was at Hangu Pass. Purple energy was said to have come from the east, and he left behind the five thousand words of the *Tao Te Ching*, recorded by Yin Xi. From that day onward, he was never seen again.

Ye Fan also sighed with emotion. He had never considered Laozi's fate on the other side of the starry sky, merely viewing him as an ancient man of immense wisdom. Now, however, he had to concede that Laozi was a cultivator who had entered the starry sky and reached the Other Shore.

The Buddha and Laozi were born in nearly the same era, both figures from two thousand five hundred years ago. Was this merely a coincidence?

"They followed the ancient star gates left by their predecessors into the star domain..." Ye Fan murmured to himself.

Over two thousand years ago, numerous philosophers emerged on Earth, almost concurrently. Was this a mere coincidence, or did it conceal some profound mystery?

This world had Buddhism, but it was not Sakyamuni's. Its reverence for Amitabha Buddha was understandable, as this concept also existed on Earth.

However, this world also possessed Taoism, yet it was not Laozi's Tao, making it difficult to trace its true origins.

"Who founded Taoism?" Ye Fan couldn't help but ask.

"It's too complex," Ji Haoyue replied, shaking his head. "Taoist masters are like wandering clouds and wild cranes. They left behind doctrines and imparted secret techniques, but unlike Buddhism, they were never a unified entity. They're very loosely organized, making it difficult to pinpoint a single origin."

Regarding Taoism, not only in this world but even on the other side of the star domain, its true origins are difficult to ascertain.

To understand Taoism, one must acknowledge the Huang-Lao school. And to speak of Huang-Lao, one must push back the timeline even further.

Laozi lived two thousand five hundred years ago, but the "Huang" in Huang-Lao lived over four thousand, almost five thousand years ago.

The Taoism named by later generations can, in fact, be traced indefinitely back in time; its true origin is difficult to pinpoint within the slow, long river of history.

Laozi left few traces in this world. If he continued along the ancient starry road, where did he ultimately go?

The star gates left by the ancients led to endlessly distant, unknown places. Where was the ultimate destination? Ye Fan didn't know, but he felt that this world was not the end; ancient stars still lay ahead.

Inside the giant bronze coffin was an engraved image that both he and Pang Bo had seen with their own eyes. It depicted a brilliant starry sky, with Earth and the Big Dipper constellation merely a small corner, suggesting an even vaster journey ahead.

"Two thousand five hundred years ago, numerous philosophers emerged with incredible brilliance," Ye Fan murmured to himself. "That was a truly glorious era..."

Since Laozi and the Buddha were almost divine, how could the other extraordinarily brilliant figures of that same period have been mere mortals?

Unfortunately, that era was like a final burst of fireworks. From then on, deities gradually receded, and any subsequent appearances were merely man-made creations.

"Could it be that two thousand five hundred years ago, the last group of ancient sages on Earth decided to leave their homeland together and journey along the ancient starry road...?"

In ancient China, the Ziwei Ancient Star, the Four Symbols, and the Twenty-Eight Mansions formed a vast celestial map. Did the ancient starry road, opened by the ancients, necessitate passing through each of these? And where was its ultimate destination?

What about individuals far more ancient than Laozi, such as the seventy-two ancient kings who performed the Fengshan sacrifice on Mount Tai? Did they enter the star domain even earlier, perhaps having already reached the end of the starry sky?

"'In ancient times, people lived for a hundred years and their vigor did not wane...'" How far back did the "ancient times" spoken of by the Yellow Emperor truly extend?

For us, the Yellow Emperor, a figure from four to five millennia ago, is already considered an ancient sovereign. So, what kind of era was the "ancient times" that he himself was lamenting?

How many past events had ancient China truly erased? It was highly probable that a vast ancient history lay sealed away by time. When would it finally be unveiled?

Ye Fan fell into deep thought, his mind drifting and his imagination boundless. In this vast star domain, how many ancient stars truly harbored life?

Were the constellations spoken of in ancient China merely an inspiration, or did they hold a more profound significance?

Earth, Mars, Ziwei... one ancient star after another. Where was the origin, and where was the ultimate destination?

What was the true significance of this ancient road? Where did it lead, and what kind of place was its destination?

Was the Nine Dragons pulling the coffin a return to their homeland after battle and death, or was it merely an aimless journey?

The five-colored altar, with the Nine Dragons traversing the dark and cold cosmos, its origin unknown and its path uncertain. Whom was it transporting? And would it ever set sail again?