Ye Fan: Senior, Are You an Immortal?

Ye Fan slowly raised his head and looked up at the summit of the Mountain Peak once more.

That figure, seemingly unconcerned with worldly affairs, continued to leisurely sip tea.

But in Ye Fan's eyes, that person was no longer some unfathomable senior, nor some lofty deity.

That is the Way!

It is the living, breathing origin of the Great Way, walking among humankind!

The shock, horror, and fear that had flashed through my mind earlier vanished at this moment, sublimating into a kind of fanaticism and worship that came from the deepest part of my soul, almost like faith.

Thump!

Ye Fan's knees could no longer support his weight, and he slammed heavily onto the hard, red earth.

This kneeling was different from any other time.

They lost their instinct for survival, their reverence for the unknown, and their yearning for opportunity.

Yes, it is merely the most instinctive and purest form of worship from a mortal who has glimpsed the truth of creation.

He held the warm, Jade Slip slip in his hands as if it were his entire world.

His body trembled violently from extreme excitement, as if it might fall apart at any moment.

He opened his mouth, his dry throat feeling like it was burning, and every word was squeezed out from the depths of his soul.

"S-Senior!"

His voice was hoarse and trembling uncontrollably.

"Who... who exactly are you?"

Asking that question required almost all of Ye Fan's strength.

He stared intently at the figure, his eyes bloodshot, like a drowning man grasping at a last straw, or a devout believer questioning his god.

"Are you... a real... deity?"

This question echoed across the desolate wasteland and resonated in the hearts of every survivor.

Pang Bo and his classmates were all dumbfounded.

They had just recovered from the strange phenomenon of golden light shooting from Ye Fan's eyes, and now they were stunned by his infatuated and obsessed appearance.

"Fanzi, what... what's wrong?" a boy muttered softly, instinctively taking two steps back.

"He's gone mad! I think he's gone mad! He got a treasure from the gods and he's gone crazy with joy!" another sarcastic voice rang out, its tone filled with undisguised jealousy.

"Don't talk nonsense!" Pang Bo turned around and glared at the man, his face also filled with worry and confusion. "Fanzi, are you alright? Don't scare me!"

However, Ye Fan remained oblivious to everything around him.

In his world, only that figure atop the mountain remained, only that answer that could determine whether his worldview would completely collapse and then be rebuilt.

The Mountain Peak are shrouded in mist.

Qin Feng finally put down his teacup.

He heard the soul-searching question, but paid it no heed.

The questions of an ant are not worth his attention.

He simply felt that Yun Xiao beside him seemed a little reserved because of the atmosphere down the mountain, so he smiled calmly, stretched out his long arm, and very naturally wrapped his arms around Yun Xiao's slender waist, gently pulling her into his embrace.

Yun Xiao's delicate body trembled slightly, and a captivating blush rose on her beautiful face. However, she did not struggle but instead obediently leaned against Qin Feng's chest, feeling the warmth and security that belonged only to her.

This scene, witnessed by Ye Fan at the foot of the mountain, deeply shocked him.

She's a fairy!

In that senior's arms, she was like a docile kitten.

After making this intimate gesture, Qin Feng seemed to remember something. He casually glanced down the mountain, a faint smile playing on his lips, and spoke softly.

His voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly, as if he were whispering right next to them.

"Immortal?"

Qin Feng held Yun Xiao in his arms, speaking casually as if explaining a boring piece of common sense to his lover.

"It's just a name given by later generations to beings that cannot be understood."

Boom!

Ye Fan's mind went completely blank, as if struck by an invisible star.

Not a deity?

This answer is a million times more terrifying than simply admitting to being a deity!

Immortals are already the limit of mortal imagination.

But in the mouth of this senior, is this term merely a "designation" full of limitations and ignorance?

So what is he...?

Is it an existence that surpasses even gods?

Is it the being that created the gods?

Or is he himself "Tao," the embodiment of the universe?

Ye Fan dared not think any further. He felt his very soul trembling, as if any further speculation would lead to his complete annihilation for glimpsing the truth of some forbidden secret.

Qin Feng ignored the young man down the mountain who was already caught in self-doubt and a reshaping of his worldview.

He simply found the planet somewhat uninteresting, so he raised his hand and pointed into the distance to that forbidden land shrouded in endless Chaos Qi, where even light could not escape, a place that made all cultivators in the entire Big Dipper Star Domain tremble with fear.

Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land.

His tone remained as casual as ever, as if he were talking about something trivial.

We are just travelers.

"I came here for an old friend."

Upon hearing this, not only Ye Fan, but also his classmates who had just recovered from the shock, all gasped in surprise.

Traveler?

Old friend?

Going to such a place to visit an old friend?

Are you kidding me!

That's Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land!

It is a death trap, a graveyard for cultivators! Since ancient times, countless Great Powers saints have entered it, but none have ever come out again, leaving not even a handful of yellow earth behind.

And these seemingly divine figures actually claimed they were just passing through and happened to be visiting a friend in the forbidden area?

This goes beyond being described as powerful or terrifying.

This is overturning the world's entire understanding!

What kind of being is qualified to reside in the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land?

What kind of person could be worthy of addressing such a figure as "an old friend"?

In unison, the most terrifying legend about the deepest part of the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land surfaced in everyone's mind.

Could it be...?

They dared not think about it; they only felt a chill run from the soles of their feet straight to the top of their heads, making even their souls tremble.

Ye Fan was struck dumb, staring blankly in the direction Qin Feng was pointing, his heart filled with turbulent emotions.

It turned out that his meager opportunity was utterly insignificant in the eyes of this senior.

Their level is such that they can chat and laugh with the Lord of the Forbidden Zone!

I am but a rather interesting speck of dust in the scenery of someone else's journey.

This realization instantly shattered the slight sense of pride Ye Fan had felt from obtaining the true meaning of the <Source Heaven Book>, leaving not even a trace.

Instead, there was a deeper sense of awe and a touch of enlightenment.

Qin Feng seemed quite pleased with their shock and didn't bother to say anything more.

He had already spent a breath on this little guy, which was more than enough.

His gaze fell on Ye Fan one last time, like an elder giving a casual piece of advice to a junior he found agreeable.

Your path does not lie here.

"Go, use what I gave you, and forge your own path."

After saying that, Qin Feng didn't linger for a moment.

He didn't even make any extra movements; it was just a thought.

At the summit of the Mountain Peak, the figure that Ye Fan and the others dared not even look directly at, along with the group of peerless beauties beside him, the ancient stone table, the exquisite tea set—everything began to appear illusory.

It did not transform into a stream of light, nor did it tear apart the void.

They were like a painting that had always been there, which, with a gentle breeze, along with the entire space, turned into shimmering specks of light and silently dissipated into the air.

It was as if they had never been there.

Only that calm remark still echoes long after it has faded from this desolate, red land.

Everything returned to normal.

The sky was still that unfamiliar sky, and the earth was still that desolate earth.

It was as if everything that had just happened was merely a bizarre, collective illusion.

If not...

If Ye Fan hadn't been clutching that ancient Jade Slip, radiating a warm glow, tightly in his hand...

If it weren't for the two bottomless holes still clearly visible on the rock face not far away.

Dead silence.

A long, deathly silence.

Everyone froze in place, motionless, like weathered stone sculptures.

Their faces still held the shock, horror, and awe of the previous second.

I don't know how much time passed; maybe a minute, maybe a century.

"Pulse."

Pang Bo swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing as he produced the only sound in the world.

He stiffly turned his head, looking at Ye Fan, who was still kneeling on the ground, with an expression of utter disbelief. He then glanced at the Jade Slip in Ye Fan's hand and stammered:

"Fan... Fanzi... just now... that wasn't an illusion, was it?"

Ye Fan did not answer.

He slowly stood up from the ground and patted the dust off his knees.

His movements were slow, yet they exuded an unprecedented composure.

He looked down at the Jade Slip in his hand, and the vast and boundless Dao of "Origin" still surged and flowed in his mind.

Then, he raised his head and looked in the direction where the group of immortals had disappeared, towards that Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land that made All Spirits tremble.

His eyes changed.

The initial shock and fervor faded, replaced by an unwavering, brilliant light, as if a flame were burning within it.

My mentor said, "My path lies elsewhere."

My mentor told me to use what he gave me to create my own future.

Ye Fan took a deep breath, his chest filled with unprecedented pride and fighting spirit.

He may never be able to catch up with that senior, or even have the right to look up at his back.

But at least he saw a way out!

A path to Tongtian, leading to higher places, to that unimaginable, truly magnificent world!

"Walk!"

Ye Fan suddenly turned around and shouted at the group of classmates who were still in a daze behind him.

"Let's get out of here!"

His voice, full of power, was like a heavy hammer, jolting everyone awake from their daze.

Yes, the immortals have already left.

The opportunity has already been presented.

What are these mortals doing still staying in this perilous, hellish place?

"Yes, yes, yes! Let's go!"

"This place is terrifying!"

The crowd finally stirred; the joy of survival was once again replaced by fear of the unknown, and they frantically searched for a safe place.

Only Pang Bo strode over to Ye Fan, patted him hard on the shoulder, and said in a low voice, his face full of excitement:

"Fanzi, we... we've really encountered immortals!"

"What's in that Jade Slip? Is it a peerless martial arts manual? The kind that can grant immortality?"

Looking at his best friend and seeing the pure excitement in his eyes, Ye Fan couldn't help but smile.

He did not explain the true value of the Jade Slip, because it was beyond the scope of what language could describe.

He simply held the Jade Slip slip tightly in his palm, feeling the power that could change the world, his gaze fixed intently ahead.

His legend, Ye Fan's legend, truly begins from this moment.