He Said, Let There Be Light!

The sides were flanked by towering cliffs and precipices, nestled against the mountains and beside the water. The area was vast, yet there were no other roads for passage.

The village was situated on such terrain. To pass through here, the only way was to traverse the entire village.

However, just as they were about to enter the village, Pan Shi stopped, no longer choosing to move forward.

At this moment, Yang An was also quite exhausted. They had traveled for a full day, with only two short breaks in between. He had essentially been on the move the entire time, yet he still had to maintain a calm and composed demeanor, which was no easy feat.

Seeing Pan Shi suddenly stop and not continue forward, Yang An got a chance to catch his breath. At the same time, he looked at Pan Shi with confusion.

"Senior Brother, what's wrong?"

Pan Yu also asked, a little puzzled.

"We need to be careful from now on."

Pan Shi said with a serious expression, then pointed towards the village ahead.

"In past years, many of our fellow disciples from Three Pine Mountain have gone to Xi Yue River to participate in the Communal Feast Convention. Occasionally, some disciples would go and never return. The problem lies here."

"This is an unnamed village, a necessary passage on the way to Xi Yue River. If we were to detour around it, it would take a very long journey to get back on the main road. Therefore, this place has become a gathering spot for most cultivators coming from the north. They usually rest here temporarily."

"This is also why we set out a bit earlier this year, needing to reach Xi Yue River as quickly as possible. If we can get ahead of those people, that would naturally be best."

The village in the darkness had no lights, exuding an eerie silence everywhere, appearing completely devoid of life.

After Pan Shi explained the reason, Yang An and Pan Yu finally understood the hidden dangers.

But other than passing through the village, there was no other way to proceed.

"It seems there shouldn't be any ordinary people in the village, right?"

Yang An said.

Although it was already dark, they could still make out the silhouette of the surrounding terrain. This place was almost a classic "a sliver of sky" type of location.

Since it was a necessary passage to Xi Yue River, it meant that not only cultivators might pass through here, but possibly even demons.

And if even entering here was dangerous for cultivators, ordinary people would have no chance of survival if they stayed here.

Hearing Yang An's words, Pan Shi nodded.

"As fellow Daoist friend has also noticed, as a necessary passage to Xi Yue River, this place is actually very complicated. No matter who it is, they must pass through here to head south. Therefore, this place is essentially a death trap."

"Then what should we do?"

Pan Yu asked with some worry.

Although they had arrived sufficiently early, if there were still other cultivators or demons hidden in the village, they would inevitably encounter them.

"It's alright, we can try to skirt around the edge of the village. As long as we're careful, it should be fine."

Pan Shi pondered for a moment and said, as this seemed to be the only option for now.

Yang An and Pan Yu both agreed.

"However... Fellow Daoist Yang, I have a small, perhaps presumptuous request. I wonder if you could grant it?"

Pan Shi wanted to say something, then turned to look at Yang An.

"Please, say what you will."

Yang An appeared calm on the surface, but was extremely nervous inside.

Could it be that he wants me to lead the way?

In this pitch-black night, he couldn't see the road ahead at all. It was difficult to even walk normally, let alone lead the way.

If there was a large rock in front of him, he might just walk straight into it, unable to discern it.

The thought of this possibility made Yang An feel like he was in trouble.

Upon receiving Yang An's agreement, Pan Shi looked at his junior sister, Pan Yu.

"Fellow Daoist, you also know that my junior sister is currently only in the Resonance Stage. She is a mortal and cannot see in the dark like you and I. Therefore, I will lead the way ahead, but I hope Fellow Daoist can assist my junior sister a little."

Pan Shi stated his request.

After hearing this, Yang An unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.

So he just wanted him to look after Pan Yu. He almost thought something major was coming.

Fortunately, if it's just this, then it's only a minor issue.

"Yes."

Yang An replied calmly, accepting Pan Shi's request.

It was also an opportunity he needed, as he was also a mortal and effectively blind at night. Why wouldn't he agree?

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist!"

Pan Shi said gratefully.

Having Yang An, a cultivator in the Origin Feeder Realm, by their side did indeed give him a lot more confidence. This was why Pan Shi had always wanted to get to know Yang An, and now was the time for that connection to prove useful.

However, Pan Shi was also very curious about how Yang An would help them.

He knew that Yang An's physical condition had not fully recovered yet. Even their journey had been entirely on foot, and he couldn't even use the aerial travel ability that cultivators in the Origin Feeder Realm could normally employ. Therefore, he was even more curious about what methods this disciple from a hidden great sect would use.

Just as Pan Shi finished speaking, a faint white light suddenly appeared before his eyes, illuminating the area within two meters and revealing the figures of the three of them.

Seeing the white light emanating from a halo that suddenly appeared behind Yang An's head, Pan Shi was stunned.

He had originally thought Yang An would use a simpler method, like temporarily channeling some mana into Pan Yu to help her activate her True Sight, allowing her to see in the dark like them.

But he hadn't expected Yang An to directly summon Buddha Light.

Was it… that extravagant?

This was Buddha Light, something only those with profound Buddhist attainment could condense. It consumed an immense amount of mana.

Even highly accomplished monks wouldn't easily use it unless absolutely necessary, and rarely as an offensive measure.

This was because, besides its destructive capabilities, its primary function was to empower the cultivator, allowing them to gain deeper insights into Buddhist teachings and accelerate their cultivation under its radiance.

And this was different from when they first met Yang An. The Buddha Light emanating from the halo now was more gentle, its range reduced to just around the three of them, and it displayed no aggression.

Consequently, under the illumination of this Buddha Light, Pan Shi and the other felt no discomfort. Instead, they felt a sense of peace and even clarity of thought.

What did this indicate?

It showed that Yang An's control over the Buddha Light had reached an incredibly effortless level, allowing him to wield it as easily as his own limbs, and even influence others.

One could only say, truly worthy of fellow Daoist Yang!

Pan Shi could only sigh inwardly with envy.

This was the foundation of a disciple from a major sect!

Meanwhile, Yang An was naturally unaware of Pan Shi's thoughts. He simply felt this method was suitable, so he used it.

Since they couldn't see in the dark, why not just create a light source?

Besides, the source of this Buddha Light was a Bone Relic he had already fused with, so it wouldn't consume his own mana. It was there to be used.

However, he had to admit, this thing was quite effective. Not only did it possess some offensive capability, but it could also be used as a searchlight at night.

It perfectly solved the problem he was currently facing.

Simply marvelous!

With this thought, Yang An's mind stirred. The halo that had been floating behind his head instantly drifted, tracing an arc in the air and landing precisely in his hand.

Yes, this felt more like a searchlight.

A smile appeared on Yang An's face.

Seeing this, Pan Shi beside him twitched his mouth.

This was another way of using it that he hadn't even heard of before.

You could actually take this thing off and hold it in your hand?!