# Chapter 1509: The Red Dust Bond Has Been Severed
After leaving Mount Sumeru, the chatterbox continued, warmly holding the hand of the old monk Maha. Anyone unaware of the details would have thought they were a pair of friends from different generations.
Maha could no longer endure it, but in the end... he could only endure it once more.
In the end, whether it was because Maha was following the decree of the Demon-Subduing Pestle, or truly felt a sense of guilt, or pitied Huahua's past life, or was moved by the chatterbox's words, he actually frowned and agreed to serve as a mountain gate guardian king for a few years.
This result left a group of people dumbfounded.
"Great Master, rest assured, in the future I will naturally cure that bowl-sized scar on your nose."
"Scram!"
Having finally sent off a group of plagues, all the Bodhisattvas and Ancient Buddhas stood there speechless for a long time before finally returning to Mount Sumeru.
Originally, Dongfang Ye and the others were still considering whether to ambush the old monk, but seeing this result, they let it go. They also feared that the Demon-Subduing Pestle and other imperial weapons would not approve if they continued to fight here.
"We'll see how he behaves. If he dares to act treacherously, we'll sever his cultivation." The group truly departed.
"So fragrant!"
After leaving Mount Sumeru, they arrived at a city. In an old shop run by mortals, Kaide held a large pig trotter in his left hand and a roast goose in his right, like a starving ghost reincarnated, his cheeks bulging as he ate, grease dripping from his mouth.
He devoured everything like a whirlwind, leaving the table in a mess, even swallowing the bones. The shopkeeper served several tables of meat dishes before he finally ate until he belched, reluctantly lifting his head.
Kaide first expressed sincere gratitude to Ye Fan, then glanced around the crowd. He had been observing Divine Knight for a long time on Mount Sumeru but hadn't asked.
He chattered away in what Dongfang Ye and the others considered "bird language," and upon receiving a response from Divine Knight, he immediately shouted loudly, rushed over, and gave him a warm embrace.
"Blind my immortal eyes!"
"I'm getting styes! I didn't see anything!"
Dongfang Ye, Li Heishui, Wu Zhongtian, Jiang Huairen, and the others all cursed. It was too scandalous—two grown men embracing. Well, to be precise, the monk was hugging Divine Knight.
"As they say in China, 'When a fellow townsman meets another, tears fill both eyes.' I've suffered so much. All these years, I've seen nothing but aliens every day, and finally I've met one of my own kind."
Kaide was a mess of snot and tears, smearing them all over Divine Knight, showing no regard for this Great Sage. It was fortunate that Divine Knight restrained his aura, or Kaide would have been shattered.
"This world is too dangerous. Minotaurs, Bigfoots, Corpse Ghosts, Cat Demons—everything exists, and they call themselves the Primeval Royal Clan, eating people all day long. And the monks in this world are all fanatical religious extremists. I escaped thirty-eight times in total, and they caught me every time, almost burning me. They wanted me to meet Amitabha, but I'm not even familiar with him!"
Kaide was so excited he was incoherent, his nerves frayed, rambling on and on without end.
"I came here in a coffin. How did you get here? I think we've both been abandoned by God. I've always had a dream: to return to Earth and join Satan, then attack God together!"
Divine Knight listened to his nonsense and was at a loss for words. In the end, he just patted him on the shoulder and said, "Spiritual wounds take time to heal."
"What do you mean? I'm not mentally ill—those monks are!" Kaide protested.
The group burst into laughter.
Divine Silkworm Princess had learned of Battle Victory Buddha's whereabouts on Mount Sumeru, but in the end, she found no evidence that the Victory Buddha had been converted. Unwilling to accept it, she led her people away.
Old Immortal, Old Blind Man, Tu Tian, and the others also left with the Devouring Demon Jar. The Ji family, Yao Yuekong, the Great Xia Prince, and others also set off on their journey.
Ye Fan saw them off, expressing his sincere gratitude.
The Heavenly Court's forces did not all withdraw from the Western Lands. They truly intended to take root and grow here, though this could only be considered a branch, to be managed by Huahua.
"Heavenly Court Buddhist Branch." That was the name Huahua came up with with a sly grin.
One could imagine how gloomy Maha's expression would be when he arrived. But overall, his safety should not be an issue. All the Bodhisattvas and Ancient Buddhas of the Western Desert were waiting for his subconscious to awaken, to prove the existence of past lives and reincarnation.
Kaide unhesitatingly joined the Heavenly Court. When he heard that he was still to serve as a Guardian Vajra and remain in the Western Desert, he nearly fell flat on his face.
"I'd rather die than be a monk again!"
"Wine and meat pass through the intestines—there's no need to keep those strict precepts." Huahua earnestly tried to keep him, offering him the position of Guardian Heavenly King.
In the end, Kaide, lacking any sense of loyalty, abandoned God, discarded Satan, and became a Guardian Heavenly King of the Heavenly Court.
Divine Knight departed, like a lone boat sailing into the vast ocean. He decided to charge into the outer realms and forge his own path.
Heavenly Village was in the outer realms and could not be found. Many members of the Heavenly Court, such as Qi Luo and the Silver Blood Twin Kings, remained in the Western Desert, allowing the Heavenly Court to temporarily take root there.
As for Yan Yixi, Li Tian, and others, they chose to travel the world. With this great era upon them, this land held too many wonders.
Of course, everyone had agreed that within the next few years, they would cross the star domain and leave the Big Dipper. They knew that once the path to immortality opened, this place would inevitably erupt into a world-shattering battle.
By then, even Saints would easily fall...
After a great drunken feast, everyone set off on their journeys.
In this battle, the Heavenly Court's reputation soared. In the eyes of the Golden Crow Clan and the Ancient Clan, Ye Fan had also earned a peerless reputation for slaughter. Using several imperial weapons at once shocked the world, causing all realms to tremble.
In a sense, the families that had deployed their imperial weapons were now bound together on the same war chariot. If one was provoked in the future, it might lead to several imperial weapons being smashed down together—who would dare to oppose them?!
The Five Regions buzzed with noise. Everywhere, people were discussing the battle at Mount Sumeru, which had become the focus of worldwide attention.
Ye Fan walked alone through the Western Desert, an immortal sword on his back, his robes fluttering, ethereal and otherworldly. Not a trace of killing intent remained. His green clothes were transcendent and dust-free.
He arrived at Lake Ashoka and stood there for a long time. Then he visited temples throughout the Western Desert, eventually arriving once more at Lantuo Temple.
"Benefactor, you have come." It was an old monk with snow-white eyebrows, as if he had long expected Ye Fan to arrive here.
Lantuo Temple was a magnificent ancient monastery. In the evening glow, the clusters of buildings were bathed in golden light. Each ancient shrine was solemn and sacred.
In the Western Desert, several ancient temples were most renowned—Lantuo Temple, Divine Radiance Temple, Hanging Temple, and others all carried the immortal Buddhist traditions, though the Great Thunderclap Monastery was undoubtedly the greatest.
In the past, Ye Fan had fought here, battling several divine monks to see An Miaoyi and grant her freedom.
Today, he returned to this place. The old monk in the temple naturally remembered, chanting Amitabha as he invited him inside.
That battle had not ended in a life-or-death struggle but had been resolved peacefully, so there was no enmity. However, the battle at Mount Sumeru had created some friction with the Buddhist sect.
Ye Fan had traveled throughout the Western Desert and learned that An Miaoyi had ultimately chosen to cultivate here, sealing herself in retreat. Thus, he came to see her.
"The Bodhisattva has been in seclusion for decades and has not emerged. Perhaps a hundred years will pass before she appears again," a divine monk said.
The nine-story stone pagoda remained. An Miaoyi had sealed herself within, contemplating supreme principles and cultivating her own Dao fruit.
"Did she say anything?" Ye Fan asked.
"She did." The holy monk nodded and spoke a single sentence.
"Meeting is not as good as remembrance."
These words struck Ye Fan like a thunderbolt. He stood there in a daze, unable to calm down for a long time. He stared at the sealed stone pagoda, wanting to break in.
This was a sacred pagoda, left behind by a Great Sage from some unknown era. It could imprison ascetic monks or seal oneself, suppressing one's own body. Forcibly opening it would likely destroy the stone pagoda and harm the person inside.
"The red dust bond has been severed. We shall meet on the path to immortality!"
The old monk handed Ye Fan a letter. Besides the previous sentence, this one was also written.
Ye Fan stood there, motionless, unable to speak a word. He let out a silent sigh. He circled the pagoda, clearly sensing a certain emotion. Holding the letter, countless memories surfaced in his mind.
Why did she say the red dust bond had been severed? Was it because of Ji Ziyue, or because she knew of his other entanglements, or because she could not see the future?
An Miaoyi was an extraordinary woman. Her thoughts, reflections, and decisions were always so unexpected, leaving one melancholy and bitter.
Meeting is not as good as remembrance. Distance brings beauty and haziness. If they truly stayed together, perhaps only ordinariness would remain, fading into blandness. Did An Miaoyi want him to remember forever? To leave behind the most beautiful side, the deepest imprint on his heart.
A passionate reunion, the most beautiful moment, a fleeting brilliance, then a turn, gazing at each other from within the red dust.
Ye Fan could not speak. The words "meeting is not as good as remembrance" left his heart empty and hollow. He walked through the ancient temple, unable to find peace in this state of mind.
"Benefactor, I think the most crucial part is still the last two sentences," a young novice monk of sixteen or seventeen spoke up.
Clearly, his status was not ordinary, or he would not have known the contents of the letter, nor would he be following a divine monk.
The old monk glared at him, forbidding him from speaking recklessly.
"Buddhism teaches liberation and prohibits false speech. I am only speaking the truth," the young novice said.
Ye Fan was startled. Seeing the novice's innate wisdom, he knew that this boy would not remain ordinary forever. He was destined to rise and soar one day.
He nodded, slowly calming down. He knew full well that the last sentence was the key, and he understood its meaning.
"The red dust bond has been severed. We shall meet on the path to immortality!"
On the path of the red dust, he could go his own way—marry, have children, raise a family, repay kindness... They only agreed to meet on the immortal path. Then they would see each other again, walk hand in hand, go to the same place, and never be separated in life or death.
Ye Fan walked silently, circling the stone pagoda again and again. Then he strode into the distance. That day, he wandered alone under the setting sun, walked alone by Lake Ashoka, and walked alone on the highlands.
Every place where the two had left their footprints, he visited alone. The past, one by one, surfaced in his heart.
In the end, Ye Fan returned to Lantuo Temple. He stood before the stone pagoda for a day and a night. Without seeing An Miaoyi, he slowly turned and walked away.
Before leaving, the old monk told him that An Miaoyi meditated on the Dao in her dreams. Looking back, she saw a flower of the past; looking ahead, she saw a flower blooming in the future, with petals raining down.
"I will protect her Dao. Only one flower of this life, never withering, will bloom eternally brilliant!" Ye Fan declared, his invincible conviction unwavering as he strode away.
He was no longer melancholy, no longer empty. Only one belief remained in his heart: if he was invincible in this era, what was there to fear? Everything would be shattered beneath his fists.
Ye Fan stepped forward. Sun, moon, mountains, and rivers reversed. The Western Desert rapidly receded behind him. He entered the Northern Plains, then continued northward, arriving at a vast expanse of ice fields.
"Tu Fei, I'm coming to save you!"