Chapter 111: Divine Bridge Realm
The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth.
Inside the cauldron, nine ancient characters were imprinted on the cauldron walls, interweaving the "Dao" and "Principles" of heaven and earth. At first, they were like stars, dotted with divine radiance; then, like chaos, they exhaled and spread, emerging from nothingness, changing endlessly, without fixed form.
The named is the mother of all things.
Ye Fan felt as if he had arrived at the era when all things were first born. Heaven and earth took shape, yin and yang merged, combining qi to give birth to all things. Heaven bestowed and earth transformed, growth and decay, prosperity and destruction, continuously alternating in cycles. What was eternity, what was an instant—at this moment, they were indistinguishable.
A strange feeling surged in Ye Fan's heart. The nine ancient characters merged with the "cauldron," as if they were splitting heaven and earth, as if they were recreating a world. At this moment, the "cauldron" became profound and mysterious, unfathomable, like something born from chaos, ancient and majestic.
Although Ye Fan was inside the cauldron, he felt as if he had arrived at the end of the world, standing on the river of time. One moment, the sky was full of stars; the next, the heavens were barren and silent.
Following the ancient methods recorded in the *Dao Scripture*, he used the "vessel" to suppress his own body, achieving an instant of eternity. Ye Fan finally succeeded and prepared to take the divine medicine to enhance his cultivation.
The cauldron was filled with a mysterious aura, hazy and indistinct, forming its own world. Ye Fan opened the jade box, and the golden fruit, shining brightly, immediately overflowed with a rich, fragrant aroma.
At this moment, the cauldron had transformed into eternity. Ye Fan had no more concerns. He placed a golden fruit into his mouth, gently bit it open, and the dragon-eye-sized sacred fruit instantly turned into a divine nectar.
He activated the profound method recorded in the *Dao Scripture*, quickly dissolving the divine medicine. The golden energy immediately flowed to his limbs and bones. His body instantly became sparkling and translucent, as if cast from gold.
Ye Fan used the "vessel" to suppress his own body, achieving an instant of eternity. After the divine medicine dissolved, it moistened his physique, but he did not turn into an infant. The strange golden energy washed his physical shell again and again, making his flesh, organs, and bones tough to an unimaginable degree.
However, what surprised him was that although the profound method recorded in the *Dao Scripture* was operating, it could not guide the golden energy to flow into the bitter sea. "How can this be?" Ye Fan was filled with confusion. Unable to guide the golden energy, he could not open the bitter sea and had no way to improve his cultivation.
Time slowly passed. The strange energy flowed gently, washing every inch of his flesh, gradually moisturizing his physical shell, continuously improving his physique, and making his body stronger and stronger.
"Why isn't it gathering into the bitter sea..." Ye Fan was utterly perplexed.
Suddenly, the strange golden energy began to flow toward his brow, like a trickling stream, converging from all directions between his eyebrows. Divine radiance sparkled, and there it gathered into a small golden lake. "This is..." In that instant, Ye Fan felt his spiritual perception suddenly increase significantly. His five senses became extremely sharp, and the world inside the cauldron seemed to become vivid all at once.
In the end, the vast majority of the golden energy condensed between his brows, forming a small golden lake there. Only a small portion of the energy moistened his physique. His cultivation did not increase, but his divine sense became extremely powerful.
"I understand. The legends are true!" Ye Fan seemed to suddenly remember something and muttered to himself, "The Ancient Forbidden Land has nine sacred mountains, each bearing nine completely different divine medicines. It is said that each divine medicine has entirely different effects."
Obviously, the mysterious energy contained in the golden fruit did not enter the bitter sea or the life spring, but it could nourish the divine sense, allowing the spiritual power to grow rapidly.
Three years ago, Ye Fan was told that the Primordial Saint Body could not cultivate. But in the following years, he had been advancing by leaps and bounds, no less than any immortal seedling. He had always suspected that the energy contained in the sacred fruit he had taken back then had merged into his bitter sea, helping him break the curse.
"Perhaps that's really it. The sacred fruit from three years ago had a great effect on opening the bitter sea, while today's divine medicine can nourish the divine sense."
Legend has it that the nine different sacred fruits have nine different effects, the only commonality being that they can bring the dead back to life, nourish the physical shell, temper the body, and transform the bones and marrow.
"The first divine medicine allowed me to successfully step onto the path of cultivation, opening the bitter sea of the Primordial Saint Body. The second divine medicine strengthened my divine sense. What opportunities will it ultimately bring me?"
When everything calmed down, Ye Fan felt his spirit was full, his divine sense immensely strong, and his spiritual perception exceptionally sharp. He put away the "cauldron" and appeared in the cave dwelling. This feeling became even more pronounced.
Then, he walked out of the cave dwelling and stood on the cliff, gazing at the distant mountains. He immediately felt his field of vision become incredibly broad. Even very distant scenes became clear. Ye Fan carefully experienced this change. Heaven, earth, and all things—every grass and tree—seemed to become vivid all at once.
"Although this is a good transformation, what I need most right now is to open the bitter sea, allowing the divine power source to gush forth and improve my cultivation."
He had joy, but even more disappointment. His mood was conflicted. Although the effect of this divine medicine was very powerful, it was not what he most wanted at the moment.
He comforted himself, muttering, "It is said that only when a cultivator's divine sense grows strong at a certain realm can they comprehend heaven and earth and nature. Reaching that level, the only way to improve cultivation is through 'enlightenment,' with no other method. I am paving the way for the future right now." Thinking this, Ye Fan no longer felt disappointed, and his mood gradually calmed.
In the following month, Ye Fan did not take the divine medicine but instead cultivated silently. He wanted to completely refine and absorb the divine medicine, wasting not a single bit.
During this process, he was surprised to find that, due to the great improvement in his physique, opening the bitter sea became much easier. After a month ended, Ye Fan again used the cauldron to suppress his own body to achieve an instant of eternity and began to take the second golden fruit.
This time, the strange golden energy still first washed his physical shell, moistening every inch of his body, improving his physique, and finally turning into a trickling stream, merging between his brows, making the small golden lake much deeper. Ye Fan felt his divine sense grow stronger again. When he put away the cauldron and came outside the cave dwelling, he could hear the breathing sounds of many beasts in his ears, and even the sound of an ant crawling in the distance. Wherever his divine sense reached, without needing eyes or ears, he could perceive everything nearby, very ethereal. "My spiritual perception is constantly strengthening."
Additionally, there was another change that surprised Ye Fan. Due to the improvement in his physique, golden light flickered in his flesh and blood. When he opened the bitter sea, he did not encounter much resistance.
He immediately began to go into seclusion. Another full month passed. When he appeared again, Ye Fan had become somewhat more ethereal.
Thus, in the following time, at the beginning of each month, he used the cauldron to suppress his own body and took the sacred medicine. He underwent a transformation that was almost like being reborn, and his divine sense became even more condensed, almost ready to take form.
Furthermore, there was another gratifying change. His physique was transforming, his physical shell was improving, and divine radiance flickered in his flesh. There was no obstruction in the process of opening the bitter sea.
Time passed quickly. Ye Fan had already taken the sixth golden fruit. After a month of hard cultivation, when he walked out of the cave dwelling again, his entire temperament had undergone a great change. It was as if clouds and mist shrouded his body. The mountain wind blew, making his clothes rustle. He stood on the cliff like a banished immortal.
Between Ye Fan's brows, a small golden lake was unfathomably deep, impossible to measure to the bottom. It had completely transformed into spiritual power and could even take shape.
Moreover, the golden bitter sea had undergone earth-shaking changes. Waves surged to the sky, divine radiance shone, thunder roared, and it had grown more than twofold, quickly becoming the size of a fist.
In the center of the bitter sea, the life spring gushed, the divine power source boiled, and the bottomless spring eye had widened many times. It was inexhaustible, continuously surging out, and from time to time, rays of light shot out. "Divine power is like a tide, and the sky is full of light. I have reached the peak of the Life Spring Realm." Ye Fan was somewhat excited.
The sacred medicine was famous throughout the Eastern Wasteland. Since ancient times, there had been too many legends about it, possessing unimaginable miraculous effects. The strange golden energy mainly nourished and strengthened the divine sense, while also changing his physique. It did not flow into the bitter sea, but it still allowed him to be on the verge of breaking through the Life Spring Realm. "The sacred medicine truly lives up to its reputation!"
Apart from the "Wheel Sea," the human body has other secret realms. Jiang Hanzhong and others were existences beyond the Wheel Sea Other Shore Realm, making Ye Fan feel a huge gap. He urgently wanted to become stronger.
There was still one last golden sacred fruit left. Ye Fan held it in his palm and re-entered the cave dwelling. He used the cauldron to lock down his own body, achieving an instant of eternity.
After taking this golden fruit, Ye Fan immediately felt his body shake. His bones creaked and cracked, his flesh and blood trembled continuously, and his five viscera and six organs shook repeatedly. His entire body was in extreme pain. "This is..." He gritted his teeth, enduring this purgatorial torment.
In an instant, he understood. This was a transformation of being reborn. Taking the first six golden fruits could only be considered a change, not a fundamental rebirth. Only now was he truly breaking the cocoon to become a butterfly. His flesh, organs, and bones were reorganizing. This was a different kind of regeneration.
It was just like when he and Pang Bo first took the sacred fruit, left the Ancient Forbidden Land, and returned to youth. This was a change of the same level, a true rebirth!
After being washed, his bones were as white as jade, hard to an unimaginable degree, comparable to divine weapons and sharp blades. After being moistened, his five viscera and six organs were flawless and pure, without a trace of impurities, like divine artifacts. After being nourished, his body surface was crystal clear and lustrous, almost transparent, shining with precious radiance.
Ye Fan's physique sparkled with brilliance. The strange golden energy turned into streams, flowing into his brow. Golden light shone, and that small lake was bottomless.
Then, Ye Fan directly went into seclusion. It was not until two months later that rumbling sounds came from the cave dwelling. Tsunamis roared to the sky, thunderclaps resounded, and at the same time, rainbows shot out.
At this moment, Ye Fan's golden bitter sea had been opened to the size of a fist. A brilliant rainbow hung high above, spanning the sky, resplendent and magnificent. He had finally formed a small section of a divine bridge, suspended above the bitter sea. He had become a cultivator of the Divine Bridge Realm!
Ye Fan stood up and walked out of the cave dwelling. His entire person did not have a strong energy fluctuation. He was not particularly ethereal and transcendent. Instead, he looked very delicate, like the big boy next door. He had lost some of his extraordinary qualities and gained a flavor of plainness and returning to simplicity.
He did not make a move. He did not try to test his current cultivation level, because there was no need. He already understood in his heart. Ye Fan's heart was very calm. He lived a plain life for a month, sitting on a mountain watching tigers fight, looking at the water flow by the stream, and only then did he begin to continue his cultivation.
This time, he began to temper his "vessel." He imprinted the first sentence of the mysterious ancient scripture obtained from the ancient bronze coffin—"The Way of Heaven takes from the abundant to supplement the deficient"—onto the "cauldron." Although it could not be permanently imprinted, and the ancient characters would soon disappear, this small "cauldron" became increasingly extraordinary because of this.
In the end, after cultivating here for over a year, Ye Fan gained many insights, and his understanding of the Dao deepened considerably.
The nameless is called the Dao. It emerges from nothingness and is the beginning of heaven and earth. The named is called heaven and earth. It has form and position, hardness and softness, and is the mother of all things. He felt that the "cauldron," the "Dao," and "heaven and earth" seemed to have a natural connection.
The cauldron, with three legs and two ears, was profound and mysterious. The three legs stabilized heaven and earth, the two ears gave birth to yin and yang, and the round cauldron contained chaos. It evolved the "Dao" and "Principles," which was the nameless. It combined to give birth to form and substance, accommodating all things, which was the named.
"The cauldron seems to be a 'vessel' naturally derived from heaven and earth, perfectly combining the named and the nameless, evolving the 'Dao' and the 'mother' of all things. Choosing the cauldron as my vessel was indeed the right choice. It is truly worthy of being the mysterious sacred object of ancient China." Having cultivated here for over a year, Ye Fan decided to leave this place. It was time to go out and move around.
First chapter arrived. Will work hard on the second chapter. It will be very late. Fellow readers, please read it tomorrow morning.