Translator: CinderTL
Cold sweat beaded on Cui Yousheng's forehead, his eyes darting nervously. How dare I look? How could I look? How should I look?
Wasn't this all over?
He had personally delivered the Cui Family's descendants to Xu Sanyan to be slaughtered. What more could he possibly want?
Does he want me dead too before he'll be satisfied?
Cui Yousheng froze at the thought...
Damn it, could I have guessed right?
He stole a glance upward and saw Xu Sanyan staring at him with an inscrutable smile, his heart pounding with unease.
"Brother Xu... didn't we put this behind us? Though I bear the Cui surname, I severed all ties with the Cui Family long ago. If... if it troubles you, I'll change my name immediately and sever all remaining connections."
Cui Yousheng spoke while carefully observing Xu Sanyan's expression.
"Ah, Brother Cui, what are you saying? I was just asking casually," Xu Sanyan waved dismissively, acting as if he were the one whose family had been annihilated.
"Phew... I'm relieved Brother Xu doesn't hold a grudge," Cui Yousheng wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
"Brother Cui, if you have other matters to attend to, please feel free to leave," Xu Sanyan dismissed him with a curt order.
Cui Yousheng hastily rose, inwardly sighing with relief. He had long wanted to leave this place. "Then I'll take my leave," he said.
"Mm, safe travels," Xu Sanyan replied with a faint smile, watching Cui Yousheng and his companions depart. He waved Elder Ren over and nodded toward their retreating figures.
Elder Ren understood instantly and led two disciples to follow them.
Moments later, Cui Yousheng's furious curses echoed from outside, followed by a brief commotion before silence returned.
Elder Ren returned, carrying Cui Yousheng's lifeless head, eyes still wide in death. He casually tossed it aside and produced several storage pouches, handing them to Xu Sanyan.
"Aiya, why did you kill them? I only told you to see them off!" Xu Sanyan feigned surprise, then shook his head. "Well, it's all the same in the end."
Qin Manyang rolled her eyes discreetly.
Xu Sanyan opened the storage pouches and glanced inside. Finding nothing of value, he tossed them to Elder Ren. "Keep these."
"Thank you, Holy Son," Elder Ren replied, glancing at the pouches with disdain before casually tossing them to a nearby disciple.
Xu Sanyan entered the inner chamber alone, turning to instruct, "Guard this door. No one is to enter."
"Yes, sir."
Xiang Tan stood silently before the wooden door.
Xu Sanyan sat cross-legged on the ground, pressed the jade slip against his forehead. The moment it made contact, a wave of coolness washed over his mind, and his divine sense was involuntarily drawn into it.
Boom!
Suddenly, a deafening roar echoed in Xu Sanyan's mind, and a magnificent panorama unfolded before his eyes.
In an instant, he felt as if he had transformed into a feather, drifting through the sky, stripped of his physical body and soul, leaving only a trace of consciousness behind.
Beneath the boundless sky, golden rays pierced through the clouds, striking the earth below.
Myriad mountains rose from the land, their peaks varying in height, while countless birds soared through the valleys, creating a scene of breathtaking beauty.
Xu Sanyan had lost all awareness of his purpose. His consciousness had vanished, leaving only a faint remnant that urged him to observe intently, comprehend deeply, and remember everything.
At the same time, a deep, resonant voice echoed in his ears:
"The heavenly dao is formless and defies definition. Its governing principles encompass all of nature, indifferent to good and evil, high and low. To grasp even a single dao is to attain immortality."
"The human dao is boundless, yet it relies entirely on the heavenly dao. The blood sea dao, the calamity dao, the sword dao, the formation dao, the asura dao..."
With each dao named, a golden ray descending from the sky blazed brighter, resonating with the voice.
"The human dao operates beneath the heavenly dao, following its principles while also interpreting its intent. By striving to harmonize one's being with the dao, one may attain the Dao Harmony Realm."
"What does it mean to become an immortal? It means mastering a human dao and seizing a portion of the heavenly dao's authority—thus, one becomes an immortal!"
Next, the voice began explaining the significance of various dao paths:
"The blood sea dao—the blood sea is not the demonic path as commonly understood, but rather a vast and profound great dao..."
As the voice entered Xu Sanyan's ears, a pillar of light flickered, involuntarily drawing his gaze. He stared fixedly at it.
Countless images flashed across the light pillar: humans and demon beasts locked in fierce combat, blood splattering as they fought. Gradually, these scenes coalesced into a new image:
A naked man, his meridians and blood vessels clearly visible through his skin.
"This is qi and blood, the essence of the physical body and the foundation of cultivation..."
The voice, ancient and distant, seemed to resonate from an unknown source. Xu Sanyan listened intently, absorbing its meaning.
This was why, despite having the Old man by his side, Xu Sanyan had gone to such lengths to seize the jade slip. Some truths cannot be conveyed through words alone; even if the Old man explained them clearly, Xu Sanyan could not truly grasp them.
Moreover, the Old man had lost his cultivation level and could no longer employ such grand methods to help Xu Sanyan comprehend the Great Dao. Thus, the jade slip remained his only hope.
Xu Sanyan became completely absorbed in this state, losing all track of time and unaware of how much time had passed in the outside world.
In a wide alleyway east of Endless Central City's heart, Lin Fan sprinted frantically along the wall, his face pale with panic. He glanced back repeatedly to see if the corpse demon was still pursuing him.
After several sharp turns, he finally shook it off. Lin Fan collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath, his chest heaving violently.
Once his breathing steadied, he silently retrieved a handkerchief from his inner pocket—the one Zuoqiu Yi had given him earlier.
"Wait for me. I'll definitely come for you!" Lin Fan vowed, his voice firm. He recalled Zuoqiu Yi's face, pressed the handkerchief to his nose, inhaled deeply, and carefully tucked it back into his pocket.
Feeling sufficiently rested, Lin Fan rose to his feet. Just as he did, a shadow flashed past in his peripheral vision.
He whirled around to see a large, slightly ajar gate of an ancient mansion nearby. The gate's original color was long faded, and only a deep, impenetrable darkness could be glimpsed through the crack.
The mansion's antiquated appearance clashed sharply with the city's modern architecture. Its size was unremarkable, no different from ordinary courtyards outside the city, making its presence here seem utterly out of place.
Whoosh!
A streak of light darted through the gate's gap, sending a jolt through Lin Fan's mind. He silently retreated two steps, ducking behind a corner to observe with a furrowed brow.
He was certain something lurked inside, but he couldn't identify it or determine if it was dangerous. Unwilling to risk a rash entry, he remained hidden, watching intently.
Creak...
The massive gate swung open on its own, creaking slowly to reveal a narrow gap. The wind whistled through the opening, producing a sharp, eerie "ee-yah" sound, like a ghost hiding inside, straining its voice.
Gulp.
Lin Fan unconsciously swallowed hard, cold sweat instantly trickling down his temples.
He knew something inside was inviting him in.
Any sane person would never enter such a place. Lin Fan was no fool; he began backing away slowly, his eyes fixed on the gate.
One step...
Two steps...
Three steps...
Thump!
His heel struck something. Suddenly, a yin wind swept past him from behind, piercing through his thin coat and stinging his skin.
Lin Fan's pupils constricted sharply. He distinctly remembered there being nothing behind him!
Mechanically, he twisted his neck. A pitch-black, bottomless tunnel stretched before him, the gate now fully open and swaying gently in the breeze.
The ancient mansion... had appeared behind him!
"What the... hell!"
Lin Fan slowly spat out the words, whipping around. The mansion that had been in front of him was now gone.
"Ee-yah~~"
"Hehehehe~"
Various sounds drifted from within the mansion: the droning of opera singers, the playful shrieks of children.
Lin Fan pressed his lips into a tight line. He knew the ancient mansion had its sights set on him, determined not to let him leave.
(End of the Chapter)
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