Journey to the East, Part Three

"Hmm? Do you want to become a monk? I can help shave your head!"

Tilting her head, Sanzang looked at Li Ye with great kindness. "Those lost upon the path, unable to prove themselves... all conditioned things are impermanent, all dharmas are without self, and nirvana is tranquil extinction."

Sanzang's sudden words plunged Li Ye into silence. It was not that he could not understand her Buddhist verse; the Buddha-nature Sanzang possessed was plain for all to see.

It was simply that, facing Sanzang as she was now, Li Ye felt as though he were being lectured by a kindly parent.

It was as if Sanzang had seen through everything about him.

Is this Buddha?

Li Ye could not help but laugh. "Master Sanzang, I have some understanding of the profundity of Buddhist teachings, but there is one question I would like to ask you to resolve."

"Should I move forward for the lesser self, or for the greater self?"

"The lesser self means continuing at all costs, yet the road ahead has already been cut off. The greater self means saving humanity, something beyond my capabilities—yet the road ahead still remains."

Before Sanzang, Li Ye voiced the greatest question in his heart.

Indeed, after his journey to the Atlas Institute, Li Ye had come to understand the inevitable end. Yet he no longer wavered, choosing instead to keep moving forward.

But there was still a confusion within him that he could not resolve.

What exactly should the path he was determined to follow be?

Should he continue struggling in this mire, or should he help Chaldea regardless of the cost?

"What an idiot—"

With a mildly reproachful tone, Sanzang smiled and tapped Li Ye on the forehead.

"Huh?"

Sanzang's sudden action left Li Ye unable to think for a moment.

At that moment, Li Ye stood incredibly close to Sanzang. Her stunning face bore a smile as gentle as the spring breeze, her eyes curved like crescent moons.

Along with a faint fragrance, Sanzang's voice flowed past him like running water.

"Do not forget your original heart, and you may achieve your end. Do not reject your true heart, and that is called freedom. Rely neither on this shore nor cling to the other shore; do not remain in midstream, but ferry all living beings across without rest."

"Right now, you belong only to the present. Do not easily abandon the bonds that belong to you. If my foolish disciples thought like you, I would definitely rap them hard on the head!"

"Listen well. No matter what happens, you must never give up on yourself."

"What are you saying, Master Sanzang? Aren't you practically about to become a Buddha?"

After Sanzang finished, Li Ye took a deep breath and smiled freely. "Thank you for your guidance, Master Sanzang. I think I understand somewhat now. It seems humanity's salvation is what matters; by myself alone, I cannot keep going."

"Are you an idiot?!"

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

She had explained it all so seriously, and that was the conclusion he came to?!

Unable to bear it, Sanzang gave Li Ye another chop on the forehead. "Your brain is worse than Wuneng's! Wuneng may be a little ugly, but his mind is still sharp!"

"How are you supposed to be a disciple like this?!"

"You're mistaken, Master Sanzang. I have no intention of giving up on myself. I just think the route is wrong. What exactly should humanity's salvation be, and where should it lead? Don't you think that is a wonderful question?"

"Only after breaking free from my desire to survive did I truly understand that. And I have you to thank for that, Master Sanzang."

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

Only after Li Ye finished speaking did Sanzang pull her hand free from his grasp. She nodded with great approval. "Mm-hm, now that is how a disciple should be."

As Li Ye and Sanzang chatted idly, a strange ripple came from afar—

Mana fluctuations? No, a Servant summoning?!

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

It was undoubtedly mana fluctuations similar to when the Lion King summoned the Knights of the Round Table!

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

"Huh?! Wait for me!"

Not understanding what was happening, Sanzang could only rush out after Li Ye.

Other than the Sun King Ozymandias manifesting and the Lion King's Heroic Spirit summoning, this was Li Ye's first time witnessing the manifestation of a masterless Servant—

Unlike the many complicated rituals required by a Heroic Spirit Summoning Circle, Li Ye saw only a hexagonal rune slowly spread out as immense mana seeped forth from the void.

It flowed across this vast desert.

The wind that began to rise quietly seemed to raise the sandstorm's might to another level!

"Master Sanzang, did you make this much commotion when you appeared too?"

Li Ye raised a hand to shield himself from the sand. Crackling crimson mana burst from his palm, vaporizing the sandstorm before him!

"I don't know! When I opened my eyes, whoosh, I just manifested all alone!"

Sanzang tried to describe the scene to Li Ye, but limited by her abilities, she merely waved her arms about, leaving Li Ye unable to understand a single thing.

"It's appearing—"

At Li Ye's murmur, a blurry figure emerged amidst the boundless yellow sands.

He could vaguely make out a man clad in heavy armor.

Before Li Ye and Sanzang could make any move—

Whoosh—

A strange blaze erupted from thin air, engulfing the Servant.

The rapidly spreading flames seemed to turn the yellow sands into a sea of fire. The searing heat made even the sandstorm scorching hot!

"AAAAAHHHH!!!"

The howl that rang across the desert nearly drowned out the sound of the storm.

Crusaders?

Li Ye's pupils constricted. He knew that blaze all too well. The aura permeating the sea of fire was undoubtedly the Madness Enhancement curse born from the Crusaders' twisted minds!

"Not a natural manifestation?"

The moment he saw that strange firelight, Li Ye immediately realized his judgment had been wrong.

This was not a Heroic Spirit summoning initiated by a Ley Line, but a summoning circle activated by someone!

Otherwise, it would have been impossible for the Madness Enhancement that twisted a Heroic Spirit's will to appear!

The fire burned fiercely in Li Ye's field of vision, as if it intended to burn him away along with everything else!

But who is doing the summoning?

Realizing something was wrong, Li Ye swiftly swept his gaze around, trying to find an unusual figure.

Could it be a Magus from the Crusaders' remnants? Or was it someone else?

"Master Sanzang! Watch the surroundings!"

"There's no one—"

Sanzang looked around. Just as she spoke, horrifying mana swept toward them.

The air seemed to be stained with blood in an instant, and a thick stench of blood filled the air. Yet Li Ye and Sanzang knew that it was only an illusion!

"Was it that Servant?"

Li Ye whirled around. Within the sandstorm, an enormous source of mana was rapidly approaching them!

A visible sea of fire came rushing toward them!

It was precisely the Servant who had been summoned earlier!

Screech!

Having determined that the Crusaders' remnants were carrying out the summoning and had imposed the Crusaders' Madness Enhancement, Li Ye did not hold back. He closed his five fingers and turned his hand into a blade.

He slashed forward!

The erupting crimson ferocious light tore through the air, revealing the rapidly approaching figure within Li Ye's and Sanzang's sight!

And Li Ye finally saw the Servant clearly.

Clad in heavy armor, he was tall yet astonishingly swift. His silver hair whipped wildly, and his rough features were filled with bloodlust!

Splat—

A spray of blood burst forth. The blood that exploded from the Servant's body actually rushed toward Li Ye at high speed!