Ye Wudao suddenly remembered something and brought up the five pictures again. This time, he noticed a detail that he had not paid attention to before.
In every picture, there is an "exit".
The city gate was open, and people were coming in and out, but most people were wandering around the city without looking up in the direction of the city gate.
There is a gap in the temple wall, from which you can see the road down the mountain, but the old monk always turned his back to the gap and faced the fallen leaves.
Not far from the child's board, there was a thick piece of driftwood floating by. If he could let go of the board and grab the driftwood, he could use the strength of the driftwood to move toward the shore, but he did not let go.
The window behind the scholar was open, and snow drifted in from the window and fell on the ground. He could see the snow scene as long as he turned around, but he always lowered his head to look at the blank rice paper.
In the darkness of the void, that person did not come out.
Ye Wudao suddenly understood that the void itself was an open door.
They all have a way out, they all have an exit, but they don't see it.
In other words... they didn't dare to let go.
Ye Wudao stood in the stone chamber and let out a long breath.
Those five paintings were not a test of "whether he could understand the connection between the five scenes", but a test of "whether he could see things that others could not see."
Those exits have always been there, but they were ignored by the people in the picture.
And can he see it?
He re-examined his experiences in the past few years: from the earth to the Spirit Realm, from useless to Immortal Array Master, from knowing nothing to breaking into the Myriad Worlds Academy...
Has he ever been "stuck"?
Have you ever been stuck in one place because of fear, hesitation, and inertial thinking, even though the exit is right next to you?
The answer is yes.
He was silent for a while, and then said slowly, "The people in these five paintings are not others."
"It's me."
"That person in the city is me. I drift with the crowd and don't dare to look up."
"I am the old monk who sweeps leaves. I do repetitive things and think persistence is the meaning, but I forget to ask myself why I persist."
"I was the kid grabbing the wooden board. I was clinging to the little thing I had and didn't dare to let go and grab bigger pieces of driftwood."
"The person who keeps writing is me too. I think too much and hesitate to act."
"The person in the void is still me. I have been waiting in place and dare not walk into the darkness."
"These paintings just reflect my past in different ways!"
The moment he finished saying these words, the stone room suddenly lit up.
Those five pictures emerged again, but this time, they were no longer static.
At the city gate, a beam of light came in. The beam of light shone at the city gate, illuminating a way to the outside world.
At the gap in the courtyard wall behind the old monk, wild flowers emerged from the cracks in the rocks and were in full bloom.
On the driftwood next to the child, a bird stood at some point, looking down at its reflection in the water.
Through the window behind the scholar, the snow stopped, and the sunlight fell on the windowsill.
In the final void, a vague figure slowly turned around and faced him, with a faint smile on his face.
Then, the five pictures were shattered at the same time, turning into tiny shimmers of light that filled the sky and slowly fell on Ye Wudao.
The gentle voice sounded, with a hint of appreciation. "Seeing what others cannot see is wisdom."
"Seeing what you cannot see is enlightenment."
"Pavilion of Realization, clear the level."
Ye Wudao stood there, feeling that a place in his heart that had been tight was gently loosened.
He suddenly discovered something. The "exits" in the previous five pictures only appeared after he said those words.
In other words, those exits have always been there, but he didn't see them before.
Only when he sees and acknowledges them do they truly "appear".
This reminded him of a saying he read on Blue Star: When you are ready, the road will appear.
He smiled, bowed towards the stone chamber, and said softly, "Thank you, senior, for your advice!"
He could tell that the voice saying "pass the level" at this level was not the mechanical sound from before, but the voice of the young man when Myriad Worlds Academy first appeared.
In other words, the young man can see every move he makes here.
He is being watched!
At the top of the mountain, a young man wearing a green robe had a smile on his face.
He was in the main hall, looking down the mountain, looking at Ye Wudao who was walking on the way to the fourth attic.
"Little guy! It's very interesting! If you can understand Myriad Dao Bell, your talent is definitely one of a million."
"Strong determination, extraordinary wisdom, and good understanding!"
"Those who can pass the first three levels are already unique geniuses."
"Can you pass the next few levels?"
"Knowing and doing are one, knowing that you have passed the test, what about that?"
Ye Wudao didn't know that the young man in green robe was very interested in him at this time.
He has arrived in front of the fourth attic. On the attic plaque, there are three characters "Technique Forging Pavilion" engraved on it.
Without thinking much, he opened the door and walked in.
The world behind the door made his pupils shrink suddenly.
He stood in an endless wilderness, with three high platforms in front of him, and a vague light group suspended on each high platform.
The ground was made of gray-white hard soil, and it would not move when you stepped on it, and no spiritual energy fluctuations came from under your feet.
As for himself, all the breath in his body was suppressed.
Ye Wudao looked down at his hands, Way of Refining's Golden Flame was still there, but as weak as a candle in the wind.
Space Great Dao's perception range is compressed to three feet around the body.
Time Great Dao was completely silent, unable to even sense the 1% feeling.
His cultivation is still there, and his great ways are still there, but they are all suppressed.
That gentle voice came from the sky, but this time, there was a trace of solemnity in the voice that was not there before:
"Technique Forging Pavilion."
"Whatever you have learned is just talk if it cannot be used in actual combat."
"There are three forgings in this pass, forging the shape, Force Forging, and forging the heart."
"All tests are based on war, and all tests are matters of life and death."
Ye Wudao After listening, he was silent for a moment, and then breathed out softly. "Finally... it's time to start fighting!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the light ball on the first high platform suddenly exploded.
A giant beast stepped out of the light and landed heavily on the high platform.
The beast was pitch black, shaped like a tiger and leopard, with wings on its back, and its limbs were as thick as pillars. Every time a foot landed, the ground trembled.
Its eyes were red, staring at Ye Wudao, and it made a low roaring sound from its throat.
"First Forging, Forged."
"The cultivation level is suppressed to 70% of the current level of Seeker of the Dao. Defeat this beast and you can enter Second Forging."
"This beast has no wisdom, no fear, and will never rest."
The giant beast jumped down from the high platform, and the moment it landed, the ground cracked and gravel flew everywhere.
It didn't test anything and rushed directly towards Ye Wudao.
With extremely fast speed, his wings flapped and his figure pulled out an afterimage in the air, arriving in front of Ye Wudao almost instantly.
Ye Wudao sidestepped and used his right fist, Way of Refining's Golden Flame, to hit the beast's side ribs.
"Bang..."
The fist landed on the beast, making a dull loud noise.
Way of Refining's flames tried to "refining" the defensive layer on the surface of the animal skin at the moment of contact, but the effect was extremely weak.
There seems to be a special insulation layer on the surface of the animal skin, and Way of Refining's power is blocked out.
The giant beast was in pain, roared angrily, and slapped his chest with a claw.
Ye Wudao took three steps back to avoid the blow.
The claw wind passed over his chest, tearing his robe apart and leaving a shallow white mark on his skin.
He lowered his head and glanced at the white mark. The Immortal Artifact-level puppet's physical defense was actually left with a claw. The claws of this giant beast were comparable to Immortal Artifact!