Chapter 1021: The Last Path into the Stars
The furnace was mottled with verdigris, its lid rattling and clanging as if it might be flung open at any moment.
Everyone was forced to retreat. A copper furnace sealed by the quasi-emperor Shakyamuni—who knew what lay inside? Its shape strongly resembled a demon-refining cauldron.
If nothing unexpected occurred, it likely suppressed an ancient demon saint from the ancient era!
"Why does it smell so fragrant?"
The only surprising thing was that a refreshing fragrance occasionally wafted from the furnace. Little Pine was the first to notice, utterly intoxicated and unafraid. His tiny, purple diamond-like nose twitched as he floated in bliss.
"What exactly is going on?" Ye Fan asked.
Several eminent monks carefully studied the stele inscription, their expressions shifting from shock to intense excitement, then to boundless joy, nearly dancing with glee.
This was uncharacteristic of them—normally steady and renowned high monks. Clearly, the copper furnace was of immense significance to cause such loss of composure.
"This is a medicine furnace!"
"It's a cauldron of great medicine personally refined by the Buddha Shakyamuni!"
At these words, everyone present revealed looks of astonishment. A furnace of medicine left by a quasi-emperor was truly shocking, far exceeding their expectations.
"This is the great medicine left by the Buddha!"
One monk repeatedly chanted the Buddha's name to mask his excitement and loss of composure. This was of great importance, causing everyone's heart to tremble violently.
The stele bore very ancient origin script, requiring careful study to understand. The monks slowly translated it, reading it aloud for the others.
Over two thousand years ago, Shakyamuni had refined medicine here, intending to use the dragon vein fire of Mount Meru to slowly ripen a cauldron of great medicine for future generations.
However, this medicine was so rare that the time required was unimaginable. Even by the day the Buddha departed, the elixir had not yet formed and was still being nurtured.
"This is a Buddhist great medicine, almost never successfully refined in ancient times. Its divine effects far exceed those of a Medicine King!" one monk said.
After centuries of nurturing, using the essence of dragon veins as fire for slow refinement, even the saint-rank medicine furnace's spirituality was consumed, its inner deity dying, yet the great medicine remained unfinished.
Later, Shakyamuni entered the stars, instructing his descendants to continue guarding it, that one day it would surely succeed.
Another few hundred years passed. Mount Meru gradually withered due to a shocking incident. The great virtuous saints of later generations could wait no longer and also prepared to enter the stars.
However, the Buddhist great medicine was incomplete. If forcibly taken away and the earthly dragon fire changed, all efforts would be wasted, or even the furnace would explode, destroying everything.
In the end, all the Bodhisattvas of Buddhism withdrew, leaving this stele as an explanation, sealing the entire Mount Meru, hoping that one day the great medicine would be completed.
Everyone exchanged glances. This medicine was far too time-consuming, requiring hundreds of years. Even many saint monks could not wait and had to leave.
"This medicine was refined from the essence of an immortal divine tree," one monk exclaimed, pointing to the last line of the stele inscription, his fingers trembling.
The main ingredient was actually the essence of the only Bodhi divine tree in Buddhism!
Back then, the Buddha used a section of the immortal tree's main trunk to refine the medicine, adding it to the copper furnace, clearly intending to refine a cauldron of peerless precious medicine.
This moved everyone. Shakyamuni was attempting something—he had a divine tree, completely different from ordinary Bodhi trees, and he did not hesitate to expend a section of its trunk. This was absolutely to refine an immortality pill!
If he succeeded, it would mean that one immortal tree could later produce four cauldrons of great medicine, multiplying the medicinal power several times.
"Whoever gets it, it's theirs!" The Dragon Horse acted first, its mysterious power turning as it spat out a stream of essence, flipping the furnace lid open.
"Chi!"
A green glow shot into the sky, incredibly fast. Everyone sensed something was wrong—this cauldron of medicine had such strong spirituality that it tried to escape the moment the lid was opened. They all soared into the air to chase it.
Even Ye Fan was startled. He activated the Stride Art, turning into a bolt of lightning, and extended a large hand to cover it. The Dragon Horse, blazing with fiery light, opened its mouth wide enough to swallow a mountain.
However, contrary to everyone's expectations, this cauldron of medicine was very special. What shot into the sky was merely a cloud of medicinal vapor, not the true form. This green cloud also had powerful medicinal properties, fooling even experts like Ye Fan, the Divine Knight, and the Dragon Horse. The real medicine was below.
When the several top experts realized this and dove down, they saw the little purple one sitting contentedly, hugging a small, emerald-green tree in bliss. The Dragon Horse immediately raised a hoof to snatch it, but was slapped away by Ye Fan.
This was a single pill, very uniquely shaped. It was not a round immortal elixir but resembled a small Bodhi tree, about a palm high, entirely emerald and sparkling, complementing the little stone Buddha.
"The elixir is complete!"
"This might be the second cauldron of great medicine ever refined in Buddhism's recorded history!"
The first cauldron was from ancient times, beyond understanding and unverifiable. But this cauldron was real and before their eyes, having consumed the deity of a saint weapon and been refined with the earthly vein essence of Mount Meru.
Ye Fan observed carefully and found the medicinal power of this pill was extremely intense. Little Pine, just holding it, had already floated off the ground, the rays entering his mouth and nose, making him seem to ascend in glory.
"It has about seventy to eighty percent of the medicinal power of an immortality pill!" was his judgment—this was definitely a divine treasure.
"Hurry and seal it with jade, or the medicinal energy will dissipate," the Divine Knight reminded.
Ye Fan took out a white jade cauldron, sealed the small tree-shaped divine pill inside, and then handed it to Little Pine for safekeeping.
The little purple one shook his head vigorously, his long eyelashes blinking, his big eyes black and bright as gems. He wanted to offer it as a gift to his master.
"It's always the master giving medicine and weapons to the disciple, never the other way around. You discovered this medicine, and you obtained it in the end. Keep it."
Ye Fan flicked his hand, dispersing the medicinal cloud and distributing it to those present. It also possessed immortal divine properties and was of great value.
Little Pine insisted on offering it to Ye Fan, but was ultimately refused. Ye Fan decided to seal the divine pill inside the "pinecone."
"At the other end of the stars, there are immortality pills. Your master doesn't lack these things; I've used them several times to shed my mortal body and transform. You need this now; you can use it to undergo transformation and temper your Dao body."
Ye Fan took out the liquid drops gifted by the Changbai Mountain ancestral ginseng and gave one drop to each person present. These were originally prepared for Little Pine, but now that he had obtained this cauldron of great medicine, he no longer needed them.
On the other side of the stars, his eldest disciple Tongtong and Little Sparrow had the Nine Orifices Sacred Spirit Divine Liquid, which was immensely beneficial for cultivation. Ye Fan had always felt regret that he hadn't built the same solid foundation for Little Pine, but now that worry was resolved.
The Dragon Horse opened its mouth but couldn't say anything. This was discovered by Little Pine and ultimately obtained by him, leaving this wicked horse feeling unlucky.
They searched every corner of Mount Meru. The several monks copied many scriptures from some cliffs, their spirits lifted—many were lost texts.
They conducted a thorough sweep here, not leaving until several days later. Although there were no other precious artifacts, it was still a worthwhile trip.
Finally, they returned to the mortal world.
"Master, where do we enter the stars from?" Zhang Qingyang asked.
"Go find Hangu Pass," Ye Fan said.
Back then, both Shakyamuni and Laozi had entered the stars and both had descended upon the Big Dipper Star Domain. There were no star coordinates on Mount Meru, and the Buddhist route map was unobtainable.
Now, they could only seek the path Laozi had taken. This was also the answer Ye Fan had obtained from consulting the old Daoist on Fangzhang Mountain. Laozi had indeed left a path for future generations, but it was extremely difficult!
Hangu Pass was famous throughout history, the most renowned strategic pass in ancient China. Because it was located in a valley, deep and dangerous like a box, it was called Hangu Pass.
In the past, this place echoed with warhorses neighing and was strewn with corpses. It had once been an ultimate battlefield, where one man could hold the pass against ten thousand.
In those days, the allied armies of six states attacked the pass but ultimately suffered "rivers of blood and millions of corpses." What Qin relied on was Hangu Pass.
For cultivators, this place held an especially significant status. Laozi rode his ox westward, purple qi coming from the east, surging for thirty thousand li, and finally exited west through Hangu Pass, leaving behind many immortal secrets.
For thousands of years, countless Daoist practitioners from home and abroad have come here to pay homage and worship, making it the most important site of the Daoist path!
Hangu Pass is located in present-day Wangduo Village, fifteen kilometers north of Lingbao City, Henan Province. Ye Fan, the Divine Knight, the Dragon Horse, Little Pine, the Buddhist child Huahua, Zhang Qingyang, and Long Yuxuan—a group of seven—arrived here.
"Little Pine, go back." Ye Fan patted his head.
The little purple one cried again, his big eyes red, tears streaming down in strings. He begged his master more than once to take him along, whimpering softly.
Ye Fan's heart ached too. Parting was always helpless. The other end of the stars held things he couldn't let go of, and this side also had his attachments.
"Master is doing this for your own good. We will meet again in the future. For now, stay away from the vortex, cultivate quietly, and stay out of the battlefield. That's the best choice."
"I'll leave when Master ascends the star path, watching you depart with my own eyes," Little Pine choked out timidly.
Ye Fan nodded and said no more. Only one person could attain the Dao on a single ancient star. He had thought it over many times and could only be ruthless and leave the little one behind.
"This parting could be decades, centuries, or even millennia..." He sighed silently in his heart.
The ancient city of Hangu Pass in the mortal world no longer existed. Even with Ye Fan's divine powers, it took a full half year to barely open an ancient path, entering a realm enclosed by ancient formations.
Ahead, ribbon-like black mist spread, ghostly and eerie, bones littering the ground, ghost fires everywhere. The world had no light, utterly dim.
This was an ancient battlefield, filled with the wails of ghosts and spirits. Countless yin spirits roamed this place, all the souls of soldiers who died in battle long ago!
At the horizon's end lay a valley, where a massive city stood—the Hangu Pass of the cultivation world, famous since ancient times!
"Legend says that passing through Hangu Pass and opening the West Gate leads to a boundless starry sky. In the past, Yin Xi was in charge of guarding this place. I wonder if there are still saints guarding it now," Ye Fan muttered to himself.
This ancient battlefield was filled with countless yin soldiers and yin horses, appearing in the thousands. There was no reincarnation here; their wailing made one's scalp tingle. Black mist surged, and vicious ghosts charged at them from time to time.
Ye Fan, riding the Dragon Horse, chanted the Salvation Scripture. All evils retreated, and all yin spirits were purified, turning into smoke. The entire world became bright.
When they arrived before this number one pass in history, a great shout rang out, making everyone's ears ring. Before the city gate, demonic energy surged to the heavens, blood light covering the land, completely drowning the ancient battlefield.
"Who dares to charge Hangu Pass?" This was an ancient great demon, blood light like an ocean, demonic power overwhelming, guarding the pass.
"It's you!" Ye Fan was startled. He hadn't expected that before leaving, he would encounter the world-dominating demon venerable who had manifested in the mortal world during the war years. This figure matched the blurry traces in the photograph.
"We wish to pass through Hangu," Ye Fan stepped forward, indicating they wanted to borrow the path.
"I am ordered by Guan Yinzi to guard this pass. If you wish to pass, you must prove your strength with your abilities," said this great demon, a Dao-Severing King. Demonic energy surged around him, his eyes brilliant, his body robust, his skin like jade, extremely eerie.