Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
In the golden ancient road of the Great Path, the roaring sound of the Great Path continued as Ye Futian forced his way forward. He used all the will of the Way that his body could muster in order to fortify his own might to the extreme. His goal was to cross the golden ancient road in the most aggressive manner possible and reach the end.
Those illusive and surreal statues collapsed and shattered, and the pressure that had descended finally dissipated completely. Ye Futian stood at the end of the ancient road, which was also in front of that sacred palace.
A holy and solemn atmosphere enveloped this space. Faintly, the ancient noble atmosphere could be felt, which made Ye Futian even more certain that this place was very likely very important in the Divine Palace. It seemed it was fate that he had mistakenly broken into it as a place of comprehension and spiritual cultivation.
He thought it was a place of common comprehension before, but he did not expect that it would be so difficult to get in. Judging from the level of defense, could other disciples of the Divine Palace step in here?
If the answer was no, he could totally believe that.
But ahead, there seemed to be a person.
The great doors of the sacred yet ethereal palace were wide open, but that figure sat outside the palace. He was dressed very simply, and his hair casually fell on his shoulders. He sat atop the stairs with his eyes closed, not releasing any breath released from his body. Although Ye Futian was here, he still sat there quietly as if he was completely unaware of it at all. It was as if he was the only person in this world.
Ye Futian glanced at the man in front of the palace above the stairs, and all he saw was his back. Although he did not know the man, he could feel his loneliness. He sat there as though he were independent of this world, that all the entanglements of the world had nothing to do with him.
What kind of realm was this?
One was reluctant to disturb his cultivation even in the slightest. Here, it seemed that any little movement would be a transgression.
Ye Futian stood there quietly for a moment. He then slowly raised his feet and walked up the stairs, step by step, toward the upper ground. After a while, he came behind the figure, facing the sacred palace that was in front of them. It was a palace filled with great mystery.
The cultivator who had been sitting there, had he entered it already?
The person seemed to have been sitting here for a long time, so he should have gone inside already.
Ye Futian looked at him again, and when he saw that the other was still irresponsive, he raised his feet and prepared to walk past him.
“You are not a disciple of the Divine Palace?” At this time, a voice came out, and it was from the mysterious figure who had been sitting there. His voice was clear and powerful. It was as if it could imprint itself onto the minds of the others.
Even though he was speaking, he sat there with his eyes closed, not turning his head. He did not even look at Ye Futian.
“No,” Ye Futian replied, “I was invited by the Divine Palace for the trial, and then entered the Divine Palace to cultivate and came here.
“May I ask, what is this place?” Ye Futian asked. He was becoming more and more curious. What was this place? It was so mysterious, solemn, and magnificent that even the most genius talents could not come here at all.
“Ancestral Land. Divine temple,” the man answered. Ye Futian heard his words, and his heart trembled slightly. Even though he had guessed that this place was highly unusual, the response still shocked him.
The Ancestral Land of the Divine Palace—the divine temple.
Divine Palace was the premier holy land in Upper Heavens Realm as well as its most prestigious holy place for spiritual cultivation. This was the Ancestral Land of the Divine Palace.
No wonder it was so difficult to get in. Just that river and the ancient road of the Great Path alone were enough to deter most people. It was basically impossible for the disciples cultivating at the Divine Palace to come.
He had come accidentally, but the figure sitting in front of him was surely an exception as well.
“If not a disciple of the Divine Palace, then don’t enter the Ancestral Land of the Divine Palace. Go back,” the figure continued. His voice was extremely calm, without any trace of emotion. It was as if stating something that was extremely ordinary, and his tone did not betray any feelings.
Ye Futian didn’t get angry when he heard the response. It was not entirely unreasonable. The Ancestral Land was of great significance to principalities of spiritual cultivation, and it was unlike ordinary places of cultivation as it may truly contain the core of inheritance.
Since he was not admitted to the Divine Palace to cultivate, he was not a disciple of the Divine Palace. It would be inappropriate to say that he was seeking inheritance in the Ancestral Land.
However, it had taken him a lot to get here, and to not enter now as he was right in front of the door was, more or less, an unreasonable request.
Although, in theory, it was inappropriate for him to enter the Ancestral Land of the Divine Palace, the Divine Palace had not stopped him after all. The guides had also said that any location was allowed so long as one could reach it. Therefore, he had gotten here with his own power, and he would enter the Ancestral Land as long as he could. He did not consider that against the rules of the Divine Palace.
“I still want to go in and take a look,” Ye Futian said. The other did not respond.
Ye Futian looked ahead and lifted his feet, walking toward the divine temple. He spat, “Just because one is not a disciple of the Divine Palace does not mean they should not enter the Ancestral Land of the Divine Palace. However, the elders of the Divine Palace once said that as long as one could enter, then one may enter. So, my apologies in advance.”
As he was speaking, he continued to move forward, wanting to enter the Ancestral Land.
“Quite right. As long as you are able to enter, you may enter. However, whether you can enter the divine temple is not really decided by you.” At this time, a hollow and ethereal voice came and sounded in Ye Futian’s ears. He glanced at the person in front of him, frowning. The person who spoke was not the one in front of him.
There were others in the divine temple?
He stopped advancing. His eyes were fixed on the divine temple.
“What’s your name?” That ethereal voice was heard again. This time, he faintly felt that the person who spoke was the divine temple itself, not the figure who was in front of him; it was someone using the temple to speak.
“Shen Jing of Taixuan Mountain,” Ye Futian replied.
“Wrong,” the other responded. Ye Futian’s expression changed. “How?” he asked.
“You are not a cultivator from Taixuan Mountain, nor are you Shen Jing,” the other said.
Ye Futian’s heart trembled slightly. Suddenly, caution flashed across his eyes. He refocused his eyes.
“I did come from Taixuan Mountain,” Ye Futian responded.
“Everything is an illusion. Is it true just because you came from Taixuan Mountain?” the other continued. Ye Futian understood that his disguise might have been detected by the other. He felt as though, standing before this divine temple and being shrouded in that sacred breath, he no longer had any secrets.
Everything would be easily exposed.
“What is true, and what is false?” Ye Futian continued, “Is what’s true and false really that important?”
It didn’t matter what his true identity was. If the Divine Palace did not participate in external disputes, then it mattered not who he was.
Whether he was from Taixuan Mountain or the Heavenly Mandate Realm, there was no difference to the Divine Palace.
The other was silent for a moment, as if to contemplate Ye Futian’s statement. A few moments later, a sigh came from the divine temple.
“You are right. What is true, and what is false? The world is false, and so is the Great Path. What is the point of pursuing the truth?” After a moment of silence, the other let out a gentle sigh. It was a sigh that made everyone felt a sense of desolation.
Ye Futian was surprised when he heard this.
What did it mean?
The world was false, and the Great Path was also?
He didn’t understand.
“I don’t understand,” Ye Futian looked in front of him and said.
“Why do you cultivate?” The other did not respond to Ye Futian directly but asked instead why he cultivated.
Ye Futian also asked himself for what did he cultivate?
He thought about it for a moment but realized that he understood nothing.
“In the past, I cultivated in many things, and it is the same now, but my mentality at the moment is that I must cultivate. There are too many things that require cultivation.” Ye Futian sighed with emotion. It was as if he no longer remembered his original intention for cultivation.
What for? The pride of being born an emperor?
He seemed to have forgotten the lofty ambitions he once had.
Now, he was asked the reason for his cultivation. It was mostly that time was carrying him forward and that he no longer had a choice not to cultivate.
“I had to cultivate!”
A low mumble was heard as if to discern Ye Futian’s answer.
This reflection told the stories of many cultivators.
Out of those who cultivated in the world, how many still remember their original intention? Too many of them were forced to continue with their cultivation.
Sailing against the currents, if not advancing, retreating was the only outcome. Yet retreat was not possible.
That mysterious breath disappeared, and the ethereal voice seemed to no longer exist.
“Elder,” Ye Futian asked, but there was no response.
“May I enter?” Ye Futian asked. There was still no response. It was as if the other had completely fallen into a state of quietude, leaving Ye Futian to choose for himself.
At the very most, he probably would not interfere.
“I will assume that elder’s silence means agreement,” Ye Futian bowed slightly and said. Since there was no outward disagreement, then it was up to him. As long as he could enter, he would enter.
As he was speaking, Ye Futian continued to move forward.
Ye Futian passed by the figure who was sitting there, trying to walk past him. However, at this moment, he suddenly stopped. An extremely powerful force of the Great Path fell on him and compelled him to stop.
As his eyes slowly moved, Ye Futian looked at the figure sitting there, and on the other’s body, an extremely bright divine light was released.
Boom.
An extremely unbridled breath slammed into Ye Futian’s body. It even rushed into his spiritual will. The breath of the Great Path inside his body roared as if it encountered a great threat, hence the roar.
The young man who had been sitting there opened his eyes. He looked forward.
Anyone who was not a disciple of the Divine Palace had no right to enter the Ancestral Land of the Divine Palace!
