"Thank you for explaining everything, Senior Brother Gu. I'm deeply grateful."
Ye Fan faltered after hearing Gu Sheng's words, but forced himself to stand firm. He bowed to Gu Sheng, then slowly turned away, his steps resolute. It seemed he had already made his decision.
"Ye Fan! Ye Fan, you can't go! You can't leave Lingxu Grotto-Heaven!"
Pang Bo hurried in front of Ye Fan and spread his arms to stop him. "Ye Fan, listen to me. I'll find a way to get you the resources you need. We promised we'd go back together. Are you just giving up on yourself now?"
"Pang Bo, step aside!"
Ye Fan said calmly, "Listen to me. Step aside! I'm not giving up on myself. I've been planning to leave Lingxu Grotto-Heaven for a long time.
"My cultivation progresses too slowly here. You heard what Senior Brother Gu just said. My constitution isn't suited to secluded cultivation. I need to venture out into the world.
"I've made up my mind. I'm going to the Northern Region to earn enough Source for myself. Even if I can't reach the Four Extremes, the Dao Palace realm would still make me a powerful figure in my own right. I still have time. I can still find ways to grow stronger.
"I won't act recklessly. Without absolute confidence and enough resources, I won't attempt to break through to the Four Extremes. In short, even if heaven forbids it, even if the road ahead is broken, I'll carve a new path through it."
Ye Fan spoke with utter conviction, voicing his true feelings. Even though the conditions Gu Sheng had laid out were extraordinarily harsh, he had not given up. As he spoke, he tightened his grip on the Bodhi Seed tucked against his chest.
He still remembered what