Chapter 897: 斩道

Chapter 899: Severing the Path

Ayur Holy Lake, a crystal-clear gem on the plateau, is believed to be where Amitabha Buddha once bathed his golden body and planted a green lotus. Pilgrims frequently journey here, taking a step and a kowtow with each movement, solely for worship.

Some elderly herdsmen spend years on this journey, with some even dying en route. Yet, they do not perceive it as hardship; rather, they savor and enjoy the process, treating it with utmost seriousness, for a single pilgrimage is equivalent to a spiritual elevation.

Even if these individuals are covered in wounds, the moment they arrive at Ayur Lake, their spirits are invigorated, as if they have accomplished the most important task of their lives.

Ye Fan and An Miaoyi walked around Ayur Holy Lake in silence, like an immortal couple, before heading deeper into the plateau.

They observed pilgrims who were profoundly devout, worshipping with their very lives. From the crown of each person's head, divine light emanated, a sign of their spiritual devotion and a form of cultivation, visible only to individuals with a "fetal bone" like Ye Fan.

The altitude here was high, the grass on the ground was fresh and green, the sky exceptionally clear blue, and the clouds seemed to float directly overhead, as if one could reach out and touch them.

Ye Fan and An Miaoyi remained silent throughout, walking together across the plateau, treading through the rippling grass. They continued until the sun began to set, casting long shadows and bathing the landscape in a reddish glow.

Some things needed no words; everything was understood without speaking. They walked side by side, both aware of the path ahead and the inevitable conclusion.

Finally, they returned to Ahan Ancient Temple. In the setting sun, the entire temple was bathed in a layer of golden divine light, making it exceptionally sacred and beautiful.

The nearby lake sparkled, mirroring the clear blue sky and white clouds, and also reflecting their graceful, jade-like figures.

"Take care!" Ye Fan gazed at her, a pang of bitterness in his heart as he prepared to leave. He felt how insignificant a single person was, powerless to change so many things.

A heavenly chasm would soon reveal a path, and he had no choice but to follow it—a feeling of helplessness.

A single galaxy would sever their future, brutally separating people who could spend an entire lifetime yet never cross it. Gazing at the brilliant stars, one could only watch the flowers bloom on this side from the other shore.

"I think I can sever the path now," An Miaoyi said, standing by Ayur Holy Lake. Her face, illuminated by the sunset glow, was radiant, yet her eyes shimmered with a crystalline gleam that ultimately dissolved into tears.

Ye Fan took out an ancient bronze lamp, the only intact artifact he had obtained from the dilapidated Great Thunder Sound Temple on the ancient planet Mars, though it no longer glowed with light.

He presented the bronze lamp to An Miaoyi. A faint spark flickered across its wick as they took one final walk around Ayur Holy Lake. "Be careful on your journey," An Miaoyi murmured.

When he looked back, her figure was still by Ayur Lake, radiating peerless grace. She became an eternal vision, bathed in the entire sunset glow.

"I have severed the path... but I have forgotten the past." Two lines of crystalline tears streamed from An Miaoyi's beautiful eyes as she watched the receding figure, lost in thought.

From her luminous white forehead, a beam of light shot forth, entering the bronze lamp in her hand. The brilliant light of the path caused the wick to flare, and the lamp suddenly illuminated, burning with an unquenchable flame.

"Who am I, and who is he?" An Miaoyi asked serenely, her tears continuously rolling down her face as she stood before Ahan Temple, seemingly oblivious to her own state.

The setting sun cast a red hue upon her body, and a stream of divine radiance flowed around her, making her appear even more transcendent, pure, flawless, and unsullied by dust.

"Boom!"

At that moment, over Ayur Plateau, auspicious signs descended from the heavens, divine lotuses emerged from the earth, and the sky filled with soaring Buddhist light. A mysterious aura permeated every inch of space.

Behind her, a female Bodhisattva appeared, holding a flower and smiling. Her presence filled the sky, surrounded by the sun, moon, and stars, while a myriad of great paths and ten thousand divine principles manifested simultaneously.

"Dong..."

Across the entire Western Desert, bell tolls resonated from many ancient temples. A female Bodhisattva, manifesting with the Buddhist light, appeared above every monastery, astonishing countless onlookers.

As the bells tolled softly in the beautiful sunset, An Miaoyi severed the path, giving rise to incredibly miraculous phenomena that manifested throughout the world.

Surrounded by various divine radiance, with the sun, moon, and stars revolving around her, she became increasingly sacred. Yet, tears still streamed down her face as she murmured, "If I've forgotten, then let me sever it completely, sever it clean."

"Dong."

Inside Ahan Ancient Temple, the bells rang out across heaven and earth, and the Buddhist light grew even stronger. From her brow, strands of light emerged, one after another, all flowing into the bronze lamp. The flames flickered, making the lamp burn brightly and perpetually.

"Suddenly enlightened, the wondrous source of mind revealed. The shell of ignorance shatters, universally true. In dreams, the six realms clearly exist, but upon awakening, all is empty—neither saint nor ordinary being."

An Miaoyi withdrew her gaze. Dressed in light robes, she sat cross-legged on a precious lotus, her hands forming a meditation mudra. She was exquisitely beautiful and otherworldly. The last two tears rolled down her face, leaving no trace of sadness.

On the horizon, Ye Fan had not left. He remained standing there, and when he witnessed this final scene, a pang of sorrow pierced his heart.

The sunset vanished, the sky-filling Buddhist light receded, and the various phenomena dispersed. An Miaoyi was gone, and a Zen chant echoed.

Ye Fan stood on the horizon, silently gazing at Ayur Holy Lake, motionless like a stone statue, until the stars filled the sky, and then the morning glow began to rise.

After a night passed, he set off towards the rising sun, striding eastward. He did not use any magic or divine powers; though he did not prostrate with every step, he walked like an ascetic pilgrim.

He worshipped not gods, nor Amitabha Buddha, nor any Great Emperor. Before his brows, there was always a small golden figure: his true self.

"I am invincible in this world. I can crush everything, change everything. Even if ancient Great Emperors reappear, they cannot stop my advance!"

Several days later, his steps quickened. Without employing secret techniques or activating divine power, he moved as if carried by the wind. A mysterious Dao flowed within him, allowing him to cover several *li* with each step.

At this moment, Ye Fan was immersed in a unique and wondrous state. His body merged with heaven and earth, and though he stood at the second tier of the Immortal Platform, he vaguely glimpsed everything pertaining to the third tier of immortality.

Ahead, however, lay a heavenly chasm, impassable due to lingering obsession, preventing him from severing the path. Two more days passed, and he fully awakened. His physical body felt light and luminous, as if he had undergone an ascension and rebirth, and his sea of consciousness was rich and full.

"Is this my own alternative pilgrimage?" Ye Fan wondered. He then wasted no more time. He took out the formation platform that Black Emperor had prepared for him and, on that very day, traversed back to the Eastern Barren Lands.

The Central Plains Ancestral Temple was a place that drove cultivators worldwide to frenzy. It brimmed with temptations: ancient scriptures, immortal materials, insights from past sages, and the green cauldron that had existed since primordial times. Acquiring just one of these treasures would suffice for a lifetime's benefit.

Regardless of the dangers, the allure was irresistible, drawing people in like moths to a flame. Many individuals who had been in seclusion for years, even those believed to have long since passed away, reappeared, eager to enter and explore.

In recent days, the Five Domains were in turmoil, with powerful figures from all walks of life setting out for the Central Plains, all intent on unearthing this relic that had been sealed for over two hundred thousand years.

"We must obtain the damaged green cauldron!" This was the sole objective of the various primordial tribes, especially the great imperial families, who sought to uncover the secret of achieving immortality. While the Ancestor Kings dared not emerge, their descendants had all departed.

Negotiations between the Four Great Divine Dynasties, Yaoguang Holy Land, and other factions finally concluded. The Ancestral Temple's seal was set to open in the coming days, granting access to those deemed qualified.

Ye Fan returned, his heart calm and all his emotions in order. No matter how reluctant he was to leave his old acquaintances in this world, he knew he had to depart. Whether his parents were still alive or not, even if he found nothing, he had to go back and see—this was an obsession in his heart that he could not sever.

Heaven's Village remained as it was. Monkey had returned a few days before Ye Fan, and his worries had proven unfounded; his uncle seemed fine, suggesting nothing bad had occurred.

Upon his return, Ye Fan found Pang Bo and instructed him never to separate from him once they entered the Ancestral Temple; they were to act together. The Ancient Buddha's meditation had made no mention of Pang Bo returning, which caused Ye Fan some concern, fearing that something unexpected might happen.

"Are you really going to leave after this final battle? Can't you stay?" Inside Heaven's Village, Li Tian, Li Heishui, and others were deeply saddened, reluctant to part ways.

In the past few days, Ji Ziyue had not visited again, saying she would come on the day of their departure to bid them farewell. She had lost her usual cheerful smile.

"Listen, kid, if you're really leaving, can't you at least sire a Sacred Body Dao Embryo before you go? Or how about this: I'll go fetch one for you! This Emperor is ready to go all out!" the big black dog declared, his words both enraging and amusing everyone, significantly lightening the somber mood of their farewell.

The Feathered Divine Dynasty's Ancestral Temple was scheduled to open in three days. At that time, heroes from all corners would converge in the Central Plains, setting off a storm of events across the land!

Ye Fan, Monkey, and Duan De set off early to avoid any unexpected delays that might cause them to miss the opening. They needed to make ample preparations outside the temple.

Not everyone was permitted to enter the Ancestral Temple; only a select few from the Five Domains were deemed qualified, a decision made through joint consultation among the various major sects. Aside from the immortal great sects, it would be difficult for others to gain access.

As representatives of the world, the immortal inheritances naturally possessed the authority to suppress any dissent; thus, even if smaller factions wished to object to this decision, it would be futile. Of course, rogue cultivators could also gain entry if they were powerful enough, but this would require passing several arduous trials and fighting to earn their qualifications.

Ye Fan's arrival in the Central Plains immediately drew worldwide attention. The Four Great Divine Dynasties promptly sent him a letter, inviting him to explore the Ancestral Temple with them, thus granting him direct qualification.

Subsequently, ancient imperial descendants such as Monkey, the Imperial Son, Huang Xudao, Huo Liner, Huo Qilin, and Divine Silkworm Daoist were also announced as qualified to enter.

Li Tian, Li Heishui, and others were discontent, as they didn't even qualify. Black Emperor and Duan De were even more vocal, exclaiming, "Damn it, can't we just fight our way in? Let's form a duo and turn the whole place upside down!"

The extremely strict entry requirements naturally sparked widespread discontent. However, people soon fell silent again; this time, aside from the Four Great Divine Dynasties and Yaoguang Holy Land, even other immortal Holy Lands had only a few limited spots, with many major sects allowed only one sect master to enter.

It was easy to imagine how precious those qualification letters were. They represented an endorsement, a collective recognition by the various major powers of one's might and status.

"I can't wait! I hope the Imperial Son goes in so I can settle accounts with him!" Monkey exclaimed.

"I hope Wang Teng appears, and even more, I hope the other two divine children of the Killer Divine Dynasty show up, so we can avenge our blood feuds!" said Li Heishui and Jiang Huairen.

"I have a premonition that Hua Yunfei and Li Xiaoman will definitely appear!" said Pang Bo.

The Ancestral Temple was three days from opening. Outside the Central Plains' former primary ancestral vein, experts were already gathered like clouds. Heroes from all paths had appeared, and even numerous masters from the primordial tribes had arrived.

The Central Plains Dragon Vein was a sea of people, with forces from all ten directions converging there!