Chapter 774: Immortal Three Slash Path

Chapter 777: Severing the Immortal Three Paths

Under the cold moonlight, a vast and desolate land stretched out, where only a lone wolf howled mournfully across the bleak, frigid prairie.

Amidst this environment, a magnificent ancient temple stood, bathed in golden radiance, sacred and solemn, grand and imbued with righteousness, radiating an ineffable mystery.

Inside the grand hall, a green lamp illuminated an ancient Buddha statue. An Miaoyi sat cross-legged on a prayer mat, her jade-like, fair face perpetually adorned with a smile. Her slender, nimble fingers lightly plucked the zither strings, producing wondrous musical notes that resonated melodiously.

"Why don't you recognize me?" Ye Fan asked, stepping forward with a gentle pace. At this moment, the fierce intensity he displayed when sweeping through ancient aristocratic families was long gone.

"Dong!" From deep within the temple, a bell chimed, its sound resonating for hundreds of miles, causing the entire great prairie to tremble. Ye Fan stopped, resisting the sonic wave.

At this moment, a halo of Buddha light rose from behind An Miaoyi's head, making her white robes appear even purer. She now resembled a Bodhisattva, holy and transcendent.

Her dark hair danced, each strand glistening. A divine halo behind her head protected her, lending her a solemn and majestic appearance. Although she was smiling radiantly, one felt her heart was distant.

"Miaoyi, why don't you recognize me anymore?" Ye Fan asked softly.

"A separation of over a decade," An Miaoyi replied, "yesterday is like flowing water, gone and irretrievable. Flowers will bloom again, geese will return, but if a person looks back, will they still be the same?" A layer of mist gathered in her eyes, but she still smiled, her gaze shimmering with a stunning brilliance.

Ye Fan's heart trembled. In his most difficult and trying times, everyone had been waiting to see him fail, believing the Sacred Body was fated to a certain destiny and could not break the curse. Only An Miaoyi had firmly believed he could successfully break through.

To this end, she had even gambled herself. During that period, only she had wagered her entire life.

"It is still me; I have never changed," Ye Fan declared. He strode forward, looking at her earnestly, wanting to get closer.

However, the lingering bell chimed again. The divine halo behind An Miaoyi's head grew even more resplendent, the Buddha light becoming brilliant, ethereal, and sacred, making her inviolable…

"Time cannot flow backward; there is never a path of return. Once a step is taken, one can only go forward," An Miaoyi said, smiling gently. Yet, she felt even more distant.

Twelve years ago, he had left without looking back, unable to even bid farewell to this woman. Recalling all the past events, Ye Fan couldn't help but lose himself in thought for a moment.

"Even if we move forward, the person and the heart remain the same."

In the past, when Ye Fan successfully broke through the barrier and shattered the curse, he was also injured by the Great Dao, with little life left and a seemingly hopeless future. He endured cold sarcasm and ridicule; even a mere inheritor from the Five Elements Palace dared to speak disrespectfully to him.

During that period, An Miaoyi sought spiritual medicine for his recovery, even giving him the Buddhist Nirvana Sutra and healing him through dual cultivation.

He could not possibly forget all of this.

"Miaoyi, I know you still remember me," Ye Fan said softly, slowly moving forward.

During this process, it was rare for Li Tian to say nothing. He stood silently with Yan Yixi at the temple entrance, observing everything in silence.

An Miaoyi smiled, dazzlingly beautiful, an immortal divine radiance blossoming around her. Yet, Ye Fan felt her becoming increasingly distant and unattainable.

"I no longer recognize you."

These words were spoken softly, but they made Ye Fan's heart tremble. Having come to this world, he had witnessed countless births and deaths, struggled for survival, and cultivated for power, with no personal emotional entanglements to speak of, only deep impressions.

Now, upon hearing these words, a bitter ache arose within him. His heart was touched, as if he was suddenly entangled.

"If you don't recognize me, why did you ask if the person is still the same?"

"'If a person looks back, will they still be the same?' I was speaking of myself. Once a step is taken, there is no way back," An Miaoyi said, her voice very soft. Her jade-like fingers, slender as spring onions, plucked the zither strings, playing celestial music that lingered over the vast prairie and drifted exceptionally far in the bleak, cold night.

"What are you talking about?" Ye Fan exclaimed, striding forward to her side.

An Miaoyi smiled, her dark hair falling smoothly like silk. She radiated astonishing beauty as she said, "She waited for you for many years, but you never met."

"She… who is she?" Ye Fan asked with a trembling voice.

"You know who she is," An Miaoyi said, her expression softening, her words growing even softer, and her eyes filling with mist.

"She is you!" Ye Fan declared.

"No," An Miaoyi said, smiling, though tears were on the verge of falling. "The former her was me, but the me of today is no longer her."

"Why do you say that?" Ye Fan asked, his heart trembling.

An Miaoyi tossed her dark hair, countless strands dancing around her. Her face was filled with holy light, and she laughed loudly, though tears fell, hidden among her hair.

"Because that 'her' no longer exists. Now there is only me, and I no longer recognize you." At this moment, her voice turned cold.

"Miaoyi…" Ye Fan stepped forward, wanting to grab her arm, wanting to get close to her.

But An Miaoyi lightly plucked a zither string. From deep within the monastery, great bells boomed and roared, and the Buddha light behind her head blazed brightly, faintly revealing a compassionate Great Buddha.

Ye Fan could not approach. To get closer, he would have to resort to force, as a field of power blocked his path.

"I waited for you here simply to see you one last time, to fulfill her final wish," An Miaoyi said. Behind her, the boundless Buddha light was solemn and inviolable, completely lacking the tenderness of a moment ago.

"What do you mean 'you and her'?" Ye Fan's voice was firm and resolute. "There is only one Miaoyi in this world. No matter who it is, no matter what, I want to find her and bring her back!" He unleashed his Golden Sacred Domain and strode forward with steady steps.

"Do you intend to attack me?" An Miaoyi asked calmly.

"There is only one Miaoyi in this world," Ye Fan declared, his eyes flashing with cold lightning. "To bring her back, I apologize, but I must offend you!" He raised his hand and pointed forward.

"Bang!" The Buddha light flashed, and An Miaoyi blocked the strike, then lightly floated backward, sitting cross-legged on a lotus platform like a female Bodhisattva, solemn and majestic.

"Dong…" The great bell boomed, shaking heaven and earth like a Buddhist chant, awakening people as if a basin of cold water had been splashed on their heads.

"Bang!" "Bang!..." The two fought in the hall, faster than lightning. Secret arts and Daoist techniques surged together, impacting all directions. The Golden Sacred Domain was brilliant, and the Buddha light was boundless, constantly colliding.

Although it was not a fight to the death, but merely a small-scale confrontation, it was still remarkable, with many astonishing and extraordinary aspects.

"Whoosh!" A streak of shimmering light broke through the air. They flew out of Miaoyu Temple and began fighting on the desolate great prairie, leaving trails of brilliant light in the night sky.

"Youngster Ye, do you want us to intervene and blast her down with the holy weapon?" Li Tian yelled.

"You're still joking at a time like this," Yan Yixi said, glaring at him. "Let them fight; don't interfere."

"I already figured it out," Li Tian mumbled. "This kind of fight won't kill anyone; Youngster Ye can't bring himself to do it."

Ye Fan battled An Miaoyi. The two fought from the sky to the ground, then plunged into a large lake. He couldn't strike with full force, but he was also extremely surprised.

This was the first time Ye Fan had seen An Miaoyi fight; he had never seen her display her cultivation before. Yet, she was so powerful that it astonished even him.

Two hours passed. Ye Fan frowned and displayed formidable strength; otherwise, he truly wouldn't be able to subdue this breathtakingly beautiful woman.

"This woman is too powerful, damn it!" Li Tian said, his expression grave. "She has touched the threshold of Immortal Three Paths Severed. Youngster Ye could be injured if he's not careful."

"Indeed formidable, to possess such cultivation. She is an extraordinary woman," Yan Yixi said, nodding.

"Bang!" "Bang!..." Another hour passed. Ye Fan repeatedly unleashed powerful strikes; his Six Paths Reincarnation Fist suppressed everything, his Combat Saint Technique derived Tai Chi principles, and his Golden Sacred Domain pressed down, finally capturing An Miaoyi alive and imprisoning her in a field of golden light.

This was a beautiful body, with dark hair cascading down, a swan-like neck, snowy white and delicate, and a face as ethereal as a dream, full of spiritual energy.

"Miaoyi, what exactly happened to you?" Ye Fan asked, extending his powerful divine consciousness to assault her Immortal Platform, wanting to understand clearly.

A new battle began: a battle of divine consciousness. An Miaoyi was bathed in Buddha light, her divine consciousness manifesting as an incredibly powerful female Bodhisattva.

This was a clash of Daos: auspicious energy descended from heaven, propitious light surged from the earth, lotus flowers drifted across the sky, giving a sense of divine presence. Daoist Five Tones and profound Buddhist words resonated and roared together.

This was a magnificent small world, where their confrontation wove together one extraordinary scene after another.

"Bang!" Finally, Ye Fan descended from the sky. Without harming An Miaoyi, he subdued her divine sense with his own primordial spirit.

A soft laugh was heard. A familiar, melodious voice, magnetic and incredibly gentle, said, "My little man, you've returned, and you're truly getting more powerful."

"Miaoyi!" Ye Fan released her, quietly gazing at the woman with misty, star-like eyes. She was even more stunning than before, imbued with a newfound gentleness, and his heart seemed to draw much closer.

"I didn't expect to see you again," An Miaoyi said, her smile sweet, her gaze captivating, a single smile capable of toppling a city. "It seems my obsession is very deep, possessing such power that she had no choice but to compromise."

"What are you talking about? Who is she?" Ye Fan asked, staring at her blankly.

"She is me," An Miaoyi said with a faint smile, her words convoluted. "A 'me' that severed you, that severed a part of myself." But Ye Fan instantly understood.

"Immortal Three Paths Severed… you actually chose to sever everything related to me. No, you severed a part of yourself, eradicating everything about me."

"You left, you departed this world, without looking back, without any attachment. Did you mean for me to just reminisce in vain?" An Miaoyi's smile was captivating, but it held a hint of self-pity.

Ye Fan's heart felt a pang. This was a woman who appeared alluring and charming, but whose heart was sometimes very proud, even a little unyielding.

He still clearly remembered An Miaoyi's former somber and resolute words.

"If I am to live a life of chaos, I shall fall into the mundane world," she had once said. "And should I ever become an emperor, I shall sever all connections to those related to me, cleansing my life's glory and shame, its ups and downs!"

He stared fixedly at the woman, remaining silent for a long time, until a gust of wind brought him back to his senses.

"You've touched the threshold of Immortal Three Paths Severed?"

"No need to be surprised. Many people are stuck here, unable to pass. Many spend their entire lives trying to sever the Dao." At this point, An Miaoyi chuckled and said, "My little man is still amazing, catching up step by step, and now you've caught up. Over a decade has passed, and while Wang Teng has become even more terrifying, he is still blocked outside the Immortal Three Dao Gate, unable to pass. He is no match for you, who are at the eighth small stage of the Immortal Two Layer Heaven."

Immortal Three Paths Severed cuts off a cultivator's future path, leaving no Dao to follow. Many spend their entire lives struggling, making no progress.

At this stage, cultivating for ten years or a thousand years makes little difference. If one can comprehend, if one has great perseverance, perhaps a breakthrough can happen overnight; if one does not understand, one will be stuck for an entire lifetime.

Heavenly Severing of Human Path destroys the foundation.

Immortal Three Paths Severed cuts off the cultivator's path. A person can also sever the Dao, taking a blade to oneself, severing the thoughts in one's heart, severing completely, cleansing thoroughly, and forging one's own Dao!

"Severing the Path… you actually made such a choice…" Ye Fan murmured, looking at her flawless face.

An Miaoyi smiled brilliantly and captivatingly, coming to his side. "If I fail," she said, "everything will turn to smoke and vanish. If I succeed, after ten or a hundred years, upon entering the Immortal Three stage, everything will be remembered again."

Ye Fan reached out and caressed her jade-like cheek, whispering, "How could you possibly fade away like smoke with the wind? I promised to guard your Dao, to ensure your success. At the very least, you will be a female Saint."

"Hey, hey now…" Li Tian interrupted. "There are two living people down here, oh, and a child too. Don't be so excessive, okay…?" He then released Little Tongtong.

The little one had just appeared when he burst into tears, saying, "Uncle Pervert, go make others step in dog poop! I don't want to learn cultivation from you, I don't want to step on you!"

"Damn it, this kid is truly unlikable!"

"Master…" Tongtong cried out, sniffling, seeing Ye Fan take An Miaoyi and fly away.

"Forget it, don't yell," Li Tian said, patting his head. "They're a pair of lovers; you can't ruin the mood. You don't want to follow them right now, do you?"