Chapter 1786: Sitting in Nirvana
The battle ended, Yao Guang had fallen, leaving hearts and minds in turmoil. A cultivator spends their life fighting—struggling against the heavens, against the earth, against others, against themselves. In the end, what did they fight for? What did they leave behind?
Still just a pile of bones.
"Victorious Buddha, wake up!"
A mournful howl rang out as a group surrounded the old Battle Saint Ape, all revealing anxious expressions.
Ye Fan was drenched in blood, dragging his heavily wounded body. Everyone cleared a path for him, and even Golden Crow Great Emperor, Yin Tiande, Zhang Bairen, and the others had no intention of making a move.
At this moment, he exuded an indescribable, world-dominating aura. Though grievously injured, he still intimidated the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. Wherever his gaze swept, it chilled people to the bone.
The old Victorious Buddha's entire body glowed as he began to dissolve into the Dao. At his level of cultivation, no one dared to touch him, or else they would follow him into ascension. Everyone's face showed grief.
He should have sat in nirvana a hundred years ago. It was only because Ye Fan had refined some Imperial Blood into his body that he had lived an extra century. This time, he had forced himself to come solely to witness the battle between Ye Fan and the Chaos Body.
Ye Fan acted, evolving a supreme secret technique. His right hand traced a graceful arc, taking the Victorious Buddha away. Transforming into a bolt of lightning, he sped toward the Heavenly Court.
Monkey, Little Pine, and the other Heavenly Court experts retreated like a tidal wave, following behind, their hearts filled with worry. Everyone knew the Victorious Buddha could not survive; perhaps they could only see him off on his final journey.
The Mythological Battlefield fell silent. No one had expected such an outcome.
"What a pity for Yao Guang. He was worthy of being called a generation's outstanding talent."
Beyond that, what else could people say? The joys and sorrows of cultivators, the fall of the strong, the dimming of prodigies—they themselves might one day experience the same.
News of this spread across the universe, stirring up a great commotion.
Within the Heavenly Court, Ye Fan placed the old Victorious Buddha on a sacred mountain and ordered someone to summon the Divine Silkworm Princess, for time was truly running out.
"Is there really no way?" The Heavenly Court members were disheartened. Many looked toward Ye Fan.
Monkey's eyes were filled with tears. He was a fierce and resolute man, but at this moment, he could not hold back. His only remaining relative, his uncle, was about to die, filling him with unbearable sorrow.
Ignoring his own injuries, Ye Fan forced a drop of essence blood from his wounds. It sparkled with crystalline light and emitted a faint fragrance. He intended to refine it into the Victorious Buddha's body to extend his life.
"Don't waste it. I should sit in nirvana. Am I to learn from the Supremes in the Forbidden Zones, relying on others' blood to eke out a lingering existence?"
"Wait..." The Divine Silkworm Princess arrived, her eyes full of tears. She moved to touch the Victorious Buddha's face.
Everyone was startled. Such contact might cause the Divine Silkworm Princess to dissolve into the Dao along with him. Not everyone was as powerful as Ye Fan.
Ye Fan acted again. A soft light flew from his palm, enveloping the Divine Silkworm Princess, allowing her to approach.
"Don't grieve. Life, aging, sickness, death—who can avoid them? We have walked the heavenly path all our lives. Can we not see through this final extinction?"
The Victorious Buddha was very carefree, but there were too many in this world who could not let go.
"I have a method now. I can suppress the Victorious Buddha and seal him in Immortal Source, preserving this state. Whether to extend his life can be left for the future," Ye Fan said.
"I was sealed from the Ancient Era to this age, era after era. Such slumber, like withered wood, what meaning does it hold? Better to return this way." Seeing everyone's sorrow, the Victorious Buddha added, "Everyone must die. I have experienced all I should. What more is there to be unsatisfied with? The most important thing is contentment of the heart. In these final years, I have no regrets."
His words were simple. Then he pointed a finger, and a blurry world appeared, evolving the mortal realm. Time passed quickly, showing the life, aging, sickness, and death of ordinary people.
"We are the same as them, only living a little longer. Their joys and sorrows, their anger and happiness—we have them too. Look at that old farmer dying peacefully. Isn't that also a kind of blessing?"
Unable to achieve immortality, unable to enter the Immortal Domain, they would all eventually decay. It was merely a matter of time.
The Battle Victory Buddha had experienced the peak era of glory when his elder brother was alive, and also the great turbulent era after his brother's fall—wife separated, nephew scattered. A million years later, in this age, he had witnessed and experienced the most magnificent golden age. The flame of his life was about to go out, but he had no regrets.
"I will walk the road with you!" The Divine Silkworm Princess wiped away her tears and smiled.
In the end, the Battle Victory Buddha sat in nirvana.
Amid the brilliant rain of light, the Divine Silkworm Princess also dissolved into the Dao. Everyone wanted to stop her. Ye Fan could freeze her body, but he could not freeze her heart. In the end, he sighed in gloom.
Yet the Divine Silkworm Princess was content. In that rain of light, she joined the Victorious Buddha.
The two vanished from this world together, plunging the Heavenly Court into deep grief.
"Uncle, Aunt!" Monkey cried out, tears streaming down endlessly.
"Senior Brother, please restrain your grief. The Victorious Buddha departed calmly. The two of them left with smiles on their faces," Hua Hua consoled.
Everyone stepped forward. Though there was sorrow, it was not so desolate, for the two had ascended with satisfied smiles. Perhaps for them, that was a blessing.
Besides Monkey, the little silkworm wailed bitterly, crying as if dying, until Little Nannan dragged it away.
Half a year later, an elderly, decrepit elder arrived at the Heavenly Court. He laid flowers before the graves of the Victorious Buddha and the Divine Silkworm Princess, saying, "We are all old. It's time to take our final bow. Do you mind if I become your neighbor?"
"You..."
"My name is Gu Tianshu." The white-robed elder announced himself.
Black Emperor heard this and charged over with a roar, shouting, "Old Gu!"
Ye Fan was also startled. He emerged from seclusion and entered the Divine Ruins to meet this legendary senior expert who had only ever been heard of but never seen.
"Old Gu, tell me—did the Great Emperor truly sit in nirvana, or did he break into the Immortal Domain?" Black Emperor asked anxiously, his large claws grabbing Gu Tianshu's collar.
"I am the same as you. I was sealed in Source by the Great Emperor and fell into slumber. How could I know?" Gu Tianshu sighed.
"How can this be?" Black Emperor was utterly dejected.
"The Great Emperor chose Purple Mountain. He should have been waiting for someone—the Immortal Emperor. The Great Emperor never lost or miscalculated in his life. I... always believed he would not fail. He must have waited for that person."
"You mean the Great Emperor is together with the Immortal Emperor?" Black Emperor said.
"Yes. As long as the Immortal Emperor does not die, Emperor Wu Shi will not perish."
Gu Tianshu speculated.
Ye Fan listened quietly. Having reached this level, the past held less mystery for him. Some things he could already guess.
Gu Tianshu stayed, but his life was also short. He left behind several Medicine Kings for the Heavenly Court, and ten years later, he dissolved into the Dao in the Divine Ruins.
Another tombstone appeared there, standing beside the Victorious Buddha's grave.
This was just a microcosm, a beginning. As time passed, life, aging, sickness, and death would appear on a large scale. The Heavenly Court would inevitably see an entire generation depart forever.
Yes, the Old Madman and the Human Demon also had little lifespan left. They would eventually walk this path.
At night, Ye Fan stood alone on a cliff in the Immortal Mountain, gazing into the distant sky. He did not move all night. He pondered bitterly—was he truly going to watch them leave one by one?
This year, he was over two thousand three hundred years old. He had walked far on the path of cultivation, but relative to his lifespan, he still had a long way to go.
"I do not want the world to fall silent, leaving only me alone," Ye Fan murmured. Facing the rising morning glow, he sat down cross-legged, contemplating the path to immortality.
"Rustle..."
He unrolled the Immortal Treasure Map, studying it intently, as if trying to see through the scroll and perceive a vast Immortal Realm.
Two years later, news came from Big Dipper. Wei Yi, one of the Three Heroes of Heavenly Pivot, had sat in nirvana. Like the Victorious Buddha, he had refused to extend his life with divine medicine, choosing to depart naturally.
Ye Fan was deeply grieved. Another venerable elder had passed away. Like the Victorious Buddha, he had once protected Ye Fan. Now, unable to withstand the years, he had reached the end of his life.
Ye Fan's heart ached. These people reminded him of the White-Robed Divine King and the elder Gai Jiuyou. Tears blurred his eyes. From now on, was he truly going to watch his friends and loved ones leave one by one?
Thirty years later, another new grave appeared. Ye Fan led everyone in paying respects. It was the tomb of the Killing Saint Qi Luo, once the guide of the Heavenly Court. He had witnessed the Heavenly Court's prosperity and ultimate glory. The old killer had departed with a smile.
Assassins burned out too early, exhausting their potential. Their bodies were hollow. They had known glory, but their later years were destined for no miracles.
His cultivation in the Heavenly Court was not very high, but he was deeply respected by the younger generation. Without him, there might be no Heavenly Court today. He was a venerable guide.
"..." Ye Fan charged alone into the sky, letting out a great roar that shook most of the universe, startling many.
There was a pain in his heart, a feeling of powerlessness. His strength was rare in history, but even he had his limits. He could not hold back the lives of the elders around him one by one.
Watching venerable people pass away one after another, Ye Fan's heart was heavy.
After a year of silence, Ye Fan emerged again. He took Little Nannan and left the Heavenly Court.
"Big Brother, where are we going?"
"We are going to seek immortality, to find things related to eternal life," Ye Fan replied.
He unfolded the Immortal Treasure Map, stared at it intently, and traveled through the universe holding it, searching for something. This map was likely from the Chaotic Ancient Era, and the imprints on its reverse side should have been added by later generations.
"..."
When he reached a certain place, he heard the sound of the Immortal Bell, deafening and enlightening. But he could not obtain it. The bell merged into the void, dissolving into an unknown chaotic realm. It rang and vanished.
Then, Ye Fan went to Big Dipper, delving deep underground, seeking the Desolate Tower. That tower was the same—long since sentient. Even as a Great Emperor-level expert, without its recognition, he could not find it. The tower left no trace, merging into another realm.
"Much more slippery than Emperor Venerable's cauldron!" Ye Fan could only sigh like this.
"Big Brother, where are we going next?" Little Nannan asked.
"The place we are going this time might be dangerous for Nannan. Wait for me outside," Ye Fan said. But that place might also require Little Nannan.
"Nannan is not afraid," the little girl said with naive stubbornness.
Ye Fan shook his head firmly. Then, tearing the universe with his divine thought, he summoned Little Pine, telling him to accompany Little Nannan and guard her well, waiting outside the Ancient Forbidden Land.
He himself took a step and walked toward the only remaining Forbidden Zone of Life on Big Dipper.