Ancient City, Ancient Ape
Not only was the stone bridge shaking, but the ground was also trembling violently, causing the people on the ground to sway as if they were standing on a ship's deck instead of the ground, being pushed up and down by the waves.
Immediately following, a violent gust of air swept over, invisible yet propelled by the roar, like a relentless tidal wave, stirring up and sweeping away the dust in its path.
Sand and stones flew everywhere in the ancient city.
Even across a canyon, Qiu Yan could still feel the wind whipping against his face, making his clothes flutter wildly.
Amidst the raging wind, chaotic thoughts were mixed in, affecting Qiu Yan and seeping into his soul, stirring and echoing within it, causing lingering thoughts, as if someone were shouting loudly in Qiu Yan's ear.
The distracting thoughts caused Qiu Yan's Heart Fire to surge even more violently, and the book that had just been immersed in the fire seemed about to expand and explode! Only by diverting his attention to suppress it could Qiu Yan calm it down.
"Absorbing eight at once, it has undoubtedly left behind some problems..."
Qiu Yan knew that there were some of the eight Sage Spirit that he had not fully understood. It was like a person who had eaten too much. If he sat still, he might be able to digest it after a while, but if he exercised vigorously or had his stomach pressed, it might cause a backlash.
While understanding these things, Qiu Yan also became curious about the things that made the sounds. A single roar could shake the ground, stir up a gale, and even affect the mind. It was extraordinary no matter how you looked at it.
"The roar alone has far-reaching implications. The creature or thing that made the sound is very likely related to the content of the Three Passes. Is this trial really a case of annihilation if you don't pass it?"
As he pondered, Qiu Yan looked in the direction of the sound, his gaze sweeping across the ancient city, but he saw nothing.
At that moment, a calm voice came from the side—
"Judging from your expression, you probably don't know the true nature of this Three Passes."
The one who spoke was naturally Bai Zhaoyuan. As he spoke, he did not look at Qiu Yan, his gaze remaining fixed on the distant ancient ruins. He said calmly, "The Yin Side of the Scholar Forest gathers the darkness and chaos of people. To pass the first two trials, one must control oneself and settle one's mind and will. But to pass this Three Passes, it is not enough to simply control one's mind. One must also subdue the illusions!"
"Illusion?" Upon hearing this word, Qiu Yan's mind raced, connecting the Three Passes into a unified whole, recalling the evil in human nature he had witnessed before. He then asked, "How does this illusion manifest itself?"
Qiu Yan was actually wary of Bai Zhaoyuan. Since his first appearance, he hadn't met Qiu Yan many times, but every time they met, Bai Zhaoyuan wore the same expression, looking at Qiu Yan as if he were looking at a deep pool that had never changed in millennia. There was a sense of coldness and mystery about him.
The behavior of this type of person is difficult to predict.
"Illusions are the thoughts of all beings, unfathomable." After replying with this, Bai Zhaoyuan nodded to Qiu Yan, "However, since we've come this far, we must eventually leave. My path is to shatter illusions, and this place is precisely where I'll be tempered. I'll take my leave first."
After saying this, he took a step onto the rickety stone bridge, walking alone. With each step Shrinking Earth to Inches between people, and in a few flashes, he reached the other side of the canyon. Without looking back, he walked into the ancient city.
Watching Bai Zhaoyuan's departing figure, Qiu Yan narrowed his eyes, various thoughts flashing through his mind.
He unexpectedly arrived at the Yin Side of the Scholar Forest this time to undergo the so-called "Three-Gate Trial." Although the time involved was very short, it made him realize the dangers involved.
"Leaving aside the fact that the old man was trapped for many years, just considering the enlightenment of the second level of the illusion, under normal circumstances, it would take several years to comprehend it before one could escape, like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon. If it weren't for the help of these three things, I wouldn't have thought I could accomplish it in a short time..."
Thinking of this, Qiu Yan's attention shifted slightly, focusing on his right sleeve, where three orbs of light were floating erratically—after the illusion shattered, Qiu Yan's soul was enveloped in light, and the Spring and Autumn Brush, the Literary Ancestor Paperweight, and the Northern Abyss Jade Basin spontaneously entered his sleeve.
"Being trapped in the illusion for several years, not to mention the impact on the soul, the physical body alone, neglected for so long, could decay and perish, ultimately becoming a rootless soul. This is probably one of the reasons why the Three Passes are so difficult. However, those like Chen Jing, who took the easy way out and made thorough preparations beforehand, have both protection and shelter for their physical bodies, so they don't have to worry about their vital Qi and Blood depleting. I imagine those who participated in the Apricot Altar Dao Discourse were also in a similar situation..."
As Qiu Yan pondered, he recalled some ancient books he had read before, which mentioned that some ancient people would suddenly fall into a deep sleep or go mad for several years, only to suddenly recover one day and change their lives forever.
"Those people were likely either those who stumbled into the Scholar Forest by mistake, or those who deliberately sought to Three-Gate Trial on the Yin Side of the Scholar Forest. Those who succeeded left their mark in history books, while those who failed remained unknown and unnoticed, leaving no trace. Even the High Antiquity feudal lord who remained silent for three years before his astonishing resounding success might have been for this reason. As for the physical bodies of these people..."
Connecting the dots, Qiu Yan suddenly realized something—
"After the soul Spirit Projection, the physical body will enter a state of hibernation, and the need for nutritional intake will be reduced. Even without much preparation, it can last for a long time."
Of course, this is on the premise that there are no external enemies.
"In other words, only those who can quickly escape the second level have a chance to pass the Three Passes. I did so because I had external assistance, but Bai Zhaoyuan's speed in breaking through the level is no less than mine, so he seems to have quite a few secrets. On the other hand, Bei Xuan hasn't shown up yet, and he's very likely still lingering in the first two levels..."
Upon realizing this, Qiu Yan suddenly understood that even if one achieved success in Literary Dao and Daoism, one might not be immune to obstacles.
"Although both are Literary Path Creation, Bei Xuan has a rather perfectionist streak. If he enters the illusionary realm of the second level, he will likely be unwilling to give up until he has thoroughly explored all its mysteries and principles. However, this obsession could very well cause him to become trapped in his obsession and find it difficult to escape!"
Just then, another roar came from the ancient city opposite, causing quite a stir once again. However, for Qiu Yan, who was already prepared, it posed little threat. He had long since suppressed the Sage Sun's Canon, which was composed of the Sage Spirit, within his Heart Fire.
As the strong winds returned, they brought with them dull thuds, as if heavy objects were hitting the ground.
Splash!
In the distance, a stone building suddenly collapsed, as if it had been hit by something.
These buildings were at least several tens of meters tall, yet they collapsed just like that.
Seeing this, Qiu Yan narrowed his eyes, banishing all distracting thoughts from his mind.
"There's no turning back now, so we can only move forward. Besides, this do-or-die approach might not be a bad thing."
With this thought in mind, Qiu Yan stepped onto the stone bridge.
As he climbed up, he realized how powerful the cold, howling winds surging from the canyon were. They howled and raged, carrying with them all sorts of distracting thoughts, but Qiu Yan's mind was as firm as a rock, giving no chance for those thoughts to intrude.
After a few steps, he arrived on the other side. Stepping onto the ground of the Ancient Ruins City, an ancient aura that had endured since time immemorial rose from beneath his feet, cleansing his soul and clearing Qiu Yan mind.
But the next moment, a strong sense of alarm rose from the bottom of my heart!
Violent, dangerous, and inescapable!
Various moods emerged from the warning signs, bringing with them an indescribable terror!
The warning came suddenly, but not unexpectedly. Qiu Yan flicked his fingers as if he hadn't noticed anything, and stepped forward into the ancient city. He even had the leisure to explore the street scenes along the way.
"This city appears on the Yin Side of the Scholar Forest, so it's probably not a real place. But nothing in this world comes into existence without a reason. Even if it's a fictional thing, it must have a prototype. So even if such a city never actually existed in history, it must exist in the minds of many people..."
As Qiu Yan walked along, he looked around and noticed that most of the buildings along the way were tall stone houses. These houses appeared rough in decoration, but upon closer inspection, one could feel their magnificent grandeur. Even the dilapidated and half-destroyed houses were much taller than the pavilions in the Mortal Realm, giving people a rugged and solemn feeling.
"These destroyed houses appear to have been smashed by something with brute force!"
As Qiu Yan walked, his attention gradually focused on the damaged parts of the building.
The broken and collapsed areas were uneven, without any signs of being cut or split, and the edges were covered with cracks.
Recalling the deafening roar from before, Qiu Yan narrowed his eyes, a guess forming in his mind, though he was still unsure what kind of "illusion" the other party represented.
The road was deserted, a solitary figure stood alone, and the crisp sound of footsteps gradually created a heavy atmosphere.
Qiu Yan's journey was not merely a cursory glance; he also regulated his thoughts with each step, calmed his State of Mind, tightened his nerves, and emanated an aura that spread outwards.
Sudden!
Thump! Thump! Thump!
A dull thud resounded, the ground trembled, and dust and sand bounced and made a soft sound.
Qiu Yan suddenly raised his hand, made a hand seal, and his aura instantly dissipated!
The next moment...
Rumble!
Ahead, large swathes of buildings collapsed with a deafening roar.
Call!
A strong wind blew, and billowing dust filled the air.
Amidst the smoke and dust, a huge shadow, at least thirty feet tall, could be faintly seen behind the collapsed houses!
Whoosh!
Smoke and dust surged rapidly, and an arm suddenly pierced out from the middle, covered with a thick layer of brown hair, with a huge hand at the front of the arm!
As the arm thrust out and swung, dust was swirled up, forming a gust of wind, and the giant hand instantly covered Qiu Yan!
Boom!
Qiu Yan covered the surrounding ground with his hand and disappeared completely, leaving only a deep pit with cracks around the edges!
"Roar!!!"
A deafening roar erupted once more, and the owner of the giant hand let out a long howl to the heavens!
As the smoke cleared, the creature's true form was revealed: an enormous ape!
This ape is enormous, its face covered in downy hair, and when it roars, it reveals sharp fangs!
ps:
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