Journey to the East, Part Three

"Hmm? Are you going to become a monk? I can help you with the tonsure!"

Sanzang tilted her head, looking at Li Ye with great kindness. "For those lost, unable to prove themselves, all existence is impermanent, all phenomena are without self, Nirvana is peace and bliss."

Li Ye fell silent at Sanzang's sudden words. It wasn't that he didn't understand her Buddhist aphorisms; Sanzang's inherent Buddhist nature was palpable.

It was just that facing Sanzang at this moment, Li Ye had the strange feeling of being lectured by a kind and gentle elder.

It was as if Sanzang could see through everything about Li Ye.

'Is this what Buddha is like?'

Li Ye couldn't help but chuckle. "Master Sanzang, I deeply appreciate the profoundness of Buddhism, but I have but one question I wish for you to answer."

"Should I advance for the sake of my small self, or for the sake of the greater self?

The small self is the continuation at all costs, yet the path ahead is broken; the greater self is the salvation of humanity, beyond my reach, but the path ahead still exists."

Facing Sanzang, Li Ye poured out the greatest question in his heart.

Indeed, after his journey to the Atlas Institute, Li Ye understood the inevitable end. But he was no longer lost; he had chosen to keep moving forward.

Yet, a confusion that he couldn't resolve still lingered in his heart.

What path should he steadfastly tread?

Continue to struggle in this mire, or help Chaldea at all costs?

"What a silly person you are—"

With a chiding tone, Sanzang smiled and tapped Li Ye's forehead.

"Eh?"

Sanzang's sudden action completely disarmed Li Ye's train of thought.

At this moment, Li Ye was incredibly close to Sanzang. Her face, which Li Ye found stunningly beautiful, was adorned with a smile as warm as a spring breeze, her eyes curved like crescent moons.

Along with a faint, fresh fragrance, Sanzang's words flowed out like a gentle stream.

"Only by not forgetting your original intention can you achieve your goal. Not rejecting your true heart is freedom; not dwelling on this shore, not clinging to the other shore, not staying in the middle stream but crossing over all sentient beings without rest.

You belong only to the present moment. Please do not easily abandon the connections that belong to you. If my foolish disciples thought like you, I would definitely rap their heads hard!"

"Listen closely, no matter what, giving up on yourself is absolutely not allowed."

"What are you saying, Master Sanzang, aren't you almost becoming a Buddha!"

After Sanzang finished speaking, Li Ye took a deep breath and said with a smile, "Thank you for your guidance, Master Sanzang. I see things a little more clearly now. It seems that the salvation of humanity is the goal; I cannot continue on my own."

"Are you an idiot!"

Hearing Li Ye's words, Sanzang's voice rose by three whole octaves.

After she had spoken so earnestly, this was the conclusion he drew!

Sanzang couldn't help herself and struck Li Ye's forehead again with a chop: "Your brain is even worse than Wuneng's! Wuneng may be ugly, but his mind is sharp!

How can you be a disciple like this!"

"You're mistaken, Master Sanzang. I have no intention of giving up on myself; I just feel the direction is wrong. What is the salvation of humanity, and where does it lead? Don't you think this is a wonderful question?"

"After I broke free from the desire for survival, I truly understood this point. I have you to thank for that, Master Sanzang."

Li Ye gently removed Sanzang's slender hand from his forehead, his tone relaxed. "Simply put, I want to live on with humanity."

After Li Ye finished speaking, Sanzang finally withdrew her hand from Li Ye's and nodded with genuine approval. "Mmm, this is how a disciple should be."

As Li Ye and Sanzang engaged in casual conversation, a strange fluctuation emanated from the distance—

'A magic power fluctuation? No, a Servant Summoning?!'

By the time Li Ye recalled when he had encountered this familiar fluctuation before, his body had already shot forward.

It was undoubtedly a magic power fluctuation similar to when the Lion King summoned the Knights of the Round Table!

A wild Heroic Spirit summoning was happening right before his eyes!

"Eh!! Wait for me!"

Sanzang, not understanding what was happening, could only rush out with Li Ye.

Apart from the appearance of the Sun King Ozymandias and the Lion King's Heroic Spirit summoning, this was Li Ye's first time witnessing the appearance of an unaligned Servant—

Unlike the complex rituals required for a Heroic Spirit Summoning Circle, Li Ye only saw a hexagonal rune slowly unfold, and immense magic power seeped out from the void.

It flowed across the desert.

The suddenly rising wind seemed to intensify the sandstorm's power!

"Master Sanzang, was there this much commotion when you appeared?"

Li Ye raised his hand to shield himself from the wind and sand, releasing crackling crimson mana from his palm to evaporate the sandstorm before him!

"I don't know! I just opened my eyes and suddenly appeared alone!"

Sanzang tried to describe the scene to Li Ye, but limited by her own abilities, Li Ye could only see Sanzang gesturing wildly, unable to comprehend any information.

"It's appearing—"

As Li Ye whispered, a blurry figure appeared in the vast yellow sand.

It was vaguely discernible as a man clad in heavy armor.

Before Li Ye and the other could react.

Whoosh—

A strange flame erupted from nowhere, engulfing the Servant.

The rapidly spreading flames seemed to turn the yellow sand into a sea of fire, and the scorching heat made the sandstorm itself boil!

"Aaaahhhh!!!"

The roar that echoed through the desert almost drowned out the sound of the storm.

'Crusaders?'

Li Ye's pupils constricted. He was far too familiar with this flame. The aura permeating the sea of fire was undoubtedly the twisted, maddening curse of the Crusaders!

"It's not a natural manifestation?"

Upon seeing the strange flame, Li Ye immediately realized his judgment was wrong.

This wasn't a Heroic Spirit Summoning initiated by ley lines, but a summoning circle activated by someone!

Otherwise, the Madness Enhancement that twisted a Heroic Spirit's will wouldn't have appeared!

The flames burned fiercely in Li Ye's vision, as if intending to incinerate him along with everything else!

'But who is summoning?'

Realizing something was wrong, Li Ye quickly scanned his surroundings, trying to find any unusual figures.

Could it be a Magus from the Crusader remnants? Or someone else entirely?

"Master Sanzang! Watch out!"

"There's no one—"

Sanzang looked around and had just opened his mouth when a terrifying magic power swept over them.

The air seemed to be instantly dyed with blood, a thick smell of gore filling it, but Li Ye and Sanzang knew this was just an illusion!

"Is it that Servant?"

Li Ye suddenly turned his head. A massive source of magic power was rapidly approaching them in the sandstorm!

A visible sea of fire was coming with it!

It was the Servant who had been summoned earlier!

Screech!

Since he had already determined that the Crusader remnants were performing the summoning and had applied the Crusader's Madness Enhancement, Li Ye didn't hold back. He closed his five fingers, turning his hand into a sword.

He slashed forward!

A burst of crimson malevolent light tore through the air, revealing the figure that was normally approaching in Li Ye and the others' sight!

And Li Ye finally saw the Servant's appearance.

Clad in heavy armor, tall yet incredibly swift, with silver hair wildly flying, his rough face was filled with bloodthirsty desire!

Splat—

A spray of blood exploded, and the blood splattering from the Servant actually rushed towards Li Ye!