382: Chapter 382 Seeking the Way and Refining the Heart

After stepping into the vortex portal, the light and shadows before his eyes gradually became distorted.

The sensation this time was different from any previous teleportation; there was no world-spinning dizziness, nor was there the even more terrifying pressure he had expected.

Before him was an extremely ordinary, even somewhat crude, small village.

Low mud walls, several dilapidated thatched huts, and rising cooking smoke... Under a crooked old tree at the village entrance, several elderly men in coarse cloth clothes were chatting while smoking pipes, and children chased and played on the dirt road.

It was a scene of utter peace and harmony.

The setting sun dyed the horizon orange-red, casting a warm halo over the tranquil village.

Everything appeared so real and peaceful, forming an extremely eerie contrast with the hardships and dangers of the first eight levels of the Ancient Path to Heaven.

"An illusion? Or has a temporal distortion sent me to some real place?" Ye Tian's brow furrowed slightly as he spread out his spiritual sense.

However, as far as his spiritual sense reached, everything was real.

There were no traces of energy distortion, nor any signs of Formation fluctuations.

"Brother Ye Tian, you're back!" a crisp voice called out.

Ye Tian turned his head and saw a young girl about eight or nine years old with her hair in pigtails and rosy cheeks. She came skipping over, naturally grabbing the hem of his clothes and looking up with her big eyes blinking.

"Mother told me to call you home for dinner! We have wild vegetable pancakes today; they smell so good!"

"Go home for dinner?" Ye Tian stared at this completely unfamiliar yet inexplicably familiar little girl, momentarily dazed.

He clearly remembered just stepping into the ninth level of the Ancient Path. Why was he here? Where was Wendao Mountain? And... who was he?

A moment of trance rippled through the lake of his heart.

No! That's not right!

I am Ye Tian! A Disciple of the Liuli Xuan Sect! I am currently braving the ninth level of the Ancient Path to Heaven!

As soon as the thought arose, the scene before him flickered slightly.

The innocent smile on the little girl's face seemed to stiffen for a split second, but it immediately returned to normal as she looked at him expectantly. "Brother Ye Tian, let's go quickly! Mother must be getting anxious waiting!"

Ye Tian took a deep breath, suppressing the strange feeling rising in his heart.

He knew that this ninth trial was likely far more bizarre than he had imagined.

It wasn't physical pressure, nor a direct attack on the Divine Soul, but... the heart?

He circulated the Illusory Sea Heart Sutra. The power of his Divine Soul hung high like a bright lamp, illuminating himself and dispelling that trace of trance.

The village remained before him, but that sense of reality now possessed a hazy quality, like looking at flowers through a fog.

He didn't pull his hand away from the girl's grasp. Instead, he followed her toward a small adobe courtyard in the village.

He wanted to see exactly what this ninth level, "Refining the Heart to Ask the Dao," intended to refine and what it intended to ask.

Pushing open the wicker gate, he saw a woman in coarse clothing with a simple wooden hairpin drawing water from a well in the courtyard. Her features were gentle, and a warm smile bloomed on her face when she saw him. "Tian'er, you're back? You must be tired.

Go wash your hands quickly. Your father should be coming back from the fields soon. We'll eat in a moment."

Tian'er? Father? Mother?

Has the illusion pried into my memories?

"Coming!" Ye Tian heard his own mouth naturally emit the clear voice of a youth. He looked down.

At some point, his Liuli Xuan Sect Disciple robes had vanished, replaced by coarse cloth garments. His body had also shrunk, taking on the form of a fifteen or sixteen-year-old youth.

He walked silently to the water vat and used a wooden ladle to scoop water to wash his hands.

The cold water stimulated his skin; the sensation was incredibly real.

He looked up at the sky. The sunset remained, and the clouds drifted lazily.

Everything seemed so natural, so... tempting to indulge in.

No! It's fake! No matter how real it feels, it's fake! I am the Cultivator Ye Tian. My Dao lies above the Nine Heavens, not in this tiny pastoral life!

His Divine Soul power vibrated again, and the scene before him became a bit more illusory.

Yet the mother's gentle calls, the aroma of food wafting from the house, the morning glories blooming on the fence in the corner of the yard...

This warm tapestry called "home" woven from these elements was like the softest yet most resilient threads, entangling his Dao Heart.

"Where is the Dao? Where does the heart belong?" An indifferent voice rang out directly within the lake of his heart. "Is it to seek that ethereal immortal path of longevity, struggling forward through blood and gore?

Or is it to guard this tangible world of mortals, enjoying a lifetime of stability and peace?"

"The former is arduous and lonely, filled with slaughter and calamities, where friends and family are lost, and the Great Dao is heartless."

"The latter is ordinary and joyful, with parents in the hall and wife and children at one's knees, a life of present stability."

"What is real? What is an illusion? What is your heart's desire?"

The voice was like a bell, repeatedly questioning his original heart.

Ye Tian stood still, watching his mother's busy silhouette in the sunset, hearing the laughter of his father—who had died when he was young—coming from the house, and the chirping, childish chatter of a "younger sister" who had never existed.

A sense of tranquility rose from the deepest part of his heart.

On the path of cultivation, every step was a thorn; he was often accompanied by loneliness, danger, and endless conflict.

Everything here was as beautiful as a dream one never wanted to wake from.

For a split second, a thought even surfaced: Staying here... doesn't seem bad?

But the moment this thought arose, it was crushed by an even more powerful will.

No! No matter how good this is, it is but a reflection in the water, a dream woven by the Ancient Path based on my inner desires!

My Dao is to hack through thorns and brambles, to advance with courage and vigor, to explore the ultimate truths of heaven and earth, and to protect all that I cherish!

It is not to indulge in false warmth and waste my time here!

Parental affection and the joys of family are indeed what my heart desires.

But I must rely on my own hands to strive for and protect them in the real world!

Not to deceive myself within this illusory cage!

"My Dao is ahead, beneath my feet, and in every inch of real struggle!" Ye Tian suddenly looked up, the confusion in his eyes vanishing, replaced only by a rock-solid determination.

Addressing the void and his own heart, he said word by word, "Though this place is good, it is not my home. Though this joy is peaceful, it is not my wish. The Great Dao is vast; my heart yearns for it. Though thousands may stand against me, I shall go forward!"

With those words, he no longer lingered. He turned and strode toward the village entrance, heading in the opposite direction of the setting sun without hesitation.

"Tian'er! Where are you going? Come back and eat!" the woman's anxious calls echoed behind him.

"Brother! Do you not want Nannan anymore?" the little girl cried out.

"You brat! Think your wings are strong enough now? Get back here!" his father roared.

Ye Tian's steps didn't falter for a moment, and he didn't even look back. He knew that if he did, he might truly be lost forever.

As he stepped firmly outward, the village, houses, and family behind him began to blur and fade rapidly, like a fading painting.

The cooking smoke, the voices, the aroma of food, and the warm light of the sunset all turned into specks of light, dissipating into the void.

When the scene shifted again, the village had vanished. In the next moment, it had become a straight road ahead.

The road wasn't long, and at its end stood a magnificent, massive stone gate.

The gate was slightly ajar, with a dense white light behind it, obscuring the view.

Two large characters were carved upon the lintel.

Wendao!

The starting point of the road was right beneath his feet.

And on both sides of the road, he saw others.

Not far to the left, Li Xuanxiao stood with his sword cradled in his arms, his gaze clear and firm, though fine beads of sweat dotted his temples.

He had clearly just experienced his own "Wendao," perhaps related to the sword or some other obsession. He glanced at Ye Tian but said nothing.

To the right, Qin Pojun leaned on his long spear, his chest heaving slightly, with a lingering trace of iron-blooded slaughter in his eyes. What he had experienced was perhaps a battlefield or a difficult choice.

Further away, the Ghost Girl's figure emerged from a patch of pink, seductive mist. The face beneath her black veil seemed slightly flushed, but her eyes had returned to their usual charm—though beneath that charm, there seemed to be a hint of coldness.

Han Xiao silently walked out from an illusion of mountains of corpses and seas of blood. His hemp clothes seemed even more tattered, but his gaze was terrifyingly calm.

One after another, over a dozen more figures appeared at the starting point of this "Wendao Path."

Everyone's expression was different; some were struck with realization, some were relieved, some were fearful in hindsight, and some had eyes filled with even greater determination.

Those who could pass the ninth level's "Heart Refining" trial and make it here were all individuals with extremely resilient wills.

Those who had indulged in their own desires or were unable to extricate themselves from illusions of fear had likely been automatically teleported out by the Ancient Path, losing their chance to reach the summit.

Ye Tian saw Feng Xuan, Yu Miaoqing, Pei Tieshan, Shui Qingdie, and Dongfang Xinghe. They had all successfully made it through, though their faces were somewhat pale, clearly indicating that the trial just now had a significant impact on them.

Pei Tieshan's eyes were even slightly red, as if he had cried.

Seeing Ye Tian, they all breathed a sigh of relief and gathered around.

"Junior Brother Ye, just now..." Feng Xuan spoke with lingering fear.

"Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother. I am fine," Ye Tian said.

Feng Xuan nodded heavily.

Ye Tian's gaze swept across the crowd, and he frowned slightly.

Yun Wuji was still nowhere to be seen.

He had previously speculated that Yun Wuji might be trapped in the eighth level or had ascended early.

But looking at it now, he had either failed the "Heart Refining" trial and been teleported away, or... he was still in the middle of the trial, or perhaps he had encountered something else?

Yet it was hard to imagine what kind of difficulty that mysterious and unpredictable Eldest Senior Brother could encounter.

Suppressing his doubts, Ye Tian turned his gaze toward that ancient "Wendao" stone gate.

Behind the gate was the summit of Wendao Mountain, where the Ancient Legacy Hall was located.

Having endured nine levels of trials, defeated powerful enemies, and seen through the heart's barriers, he had finally made it here.

The final Opportunity was right before his eyes.

Ye Tian took a deep breath, his eyes shining with divine light.

"Let's go, to the summit!"

He took the lead, stepping onto this short "Wendao Path" and walking toward the slightly ajar stone gate.

Li Xuanxiao, Qin Pojun, and the others also set off almost at the same time.

The final step on the path to the Dao.