Walking the Missed Paths Together

"What's wrong?" The Canary leaned half her body out and looked back at Qi Yuan. Seeing that he wasn't moving, her face was filled with curiosity. "Ahem... I'm a bit too big. It's a little hard to get in." Qi Yuan was speechless. After reflecting across the heavens, with Ning Tao's help, he had found the coordinates of the Liufeng Realm. For a powerhouse of his realm, descending to a lower world merely required knowing its coordinates, after which he could enter through the Dark Void. The problem now was that he was too powerful, making it a bit difficult to squeeze in. He felt rather speechless about the Liufeng Realm. Back then, it had been the same—the game icon had only loaded halfway. Yet the game couldn't wait to send him a wife, namely Ning Tao back then, who on the other side called him "husband" over and over, making Qi Yuan's heart itch with anticipation. This wanton game was always seducing him, yet never letting him in. Now it was just the same—hard to get into. "How could that be!" The Canary wrapped her small hands around Qi Yuan, gritted her teeth, and pulled hard. He remained completely motionless. However, this action seemed to make her think of something, and her small face flushed red. "Do it yourself." "Ah, I understand now. It's not actually that I'm too big; it's because this is a game world and I'm a person from reality. Entering a game world... is indeed hard!" Just imagine: on Blue Star, how difficult would it be for a person to crawl into a computer game? Wouldn't they have to smash the screen and stuff themselves inside? A game might look vast, but anyone slightly clever would realize that the scenes inside were all fake, not a real world, all tucked behind a screen. Unless there was a colossal computer, it would be difficult to shove a human being into a game. "Looks like I need to fire up my brilliant brain." At this moment, Qi Yuan's thoughts raced. Suddenly, something struck him. "Is it because I didn't pretend to be a game character?" He recalled True Monarch Dazhi once saying that when a Yang God of the Heavenly Position Realm descended into a world, they would be reduced to a Mythological-level powerhouse. Those in the realm of lesser reason would drop by a minor realm. Those in the realm of Great Ultimate Reason would retain their full strength. The Divine Infants within him were too numerous, and he possessed combat prowess comparable to a Yang God. If he didn't restrain himself, he couldn't enter at all. In fact, if he exerted just a bit too much force, the Liufeng Realm might shatter. "Condense," Qi Yuan murmured softly. Instantly, the four thousand Divine Infants within his body reined in their power. His own aura also contracted. In this moment, his Immortal Dao aura fell to the Mythological level. *What about the Myriad Dao Martial God?* Qi Yuan pondered. Did the realm of Myriad Dao Martial God carry such restrictions? He gave it a try and pushed into the Liufeng Realm. Delight flashed through Qi Yuan's eyes. "It doesn't reject it at all!" The power brought by the Myriad Dao Martial God realm didn't seem to be detected by the laws of heaven and earth. Embracing the Canary, his figure flashed, and he stepped into the Liufeng Realm. "I need to be careful. The quality of this game is a bit shoddy..." Qi Yuan felt that if his Myriad Dao Martial God power accidentally leaked out, the Liufeng Realm would be riddled with holes. It felt as though a character in a game threw a punch and punched a hole straight through the computer screen. Therefore, even though the world didn't restrict his Myriad Dao Martial God power, he had to keep it in check himself. After all, the Liufeng Realm was the Canary's home. "Sure enough, my Immortal Dao power is capped at Mythological." Qi Yuan took a moment to sense it. Before entering the Liufeng Realm, he had lowered his Immortal Dao power to the Mythological level. After entering the Liufeng Realm, he found he couldn't restore it. Presumably, he would have to leave this world before it could recover. No wonder Yang Gods rarely descended to lower realms. Otherwise, with their strength fixed at Mythological, if they were besieged by a dozen or so Mythological powerhouses and died in a minor world, it would be far too humiliating. At this moment, the Canary took a deep breath of air, delight dancing in her eyes. "This is the Liufeng Realm!" Ahead, straight maple trees shone with crimson, blanketing everything in red like a fairy-tale world. Ning Tao's figure appeared. She and the Canary stood on Qi Yuan's left and right. A nostalgic look filled her eyes. "This is the place where I first heard your voice." Dressed in a black gown, Ning Tao was petite and dainty. She looked up at Qi Yuan, her eyes filled with boundless reminiscence. "What a coincidence," Qi Yuan smiled. Past memories resurfaced. Looking at Ning Tao's endearing, cool, and gentle smiling face, he said softly, "Ning Tao has grown up. She is the most beautiful girl in the world." Back then, the young Ning Tao had the character "Demon" carved into her face, was reviled as a demoness, and was hunted down. On this mountain, her pursuer had cursed her as a demoness and an ugly freak. Back then, the young Ning Tao had stubbornly raised her head and declared, "When I, Ning Tao, grow up, I will definitely be the most beautiful girl in the world." That voice had reached Qi Yuan outside the game jade slip. In a good mood, Qi Yuan had casually replied a few words, which broke the assassin's focus and gave Ning Tao the opportunity to strike back and kill him. Qi Yuan reached out to touch Ning Tao's cheek where the character "Demon" had once left its mark, his touch infinitely gentle. Ning Tao smiled, bright and radiant as thawing spring snow or pear blossoms greeting the bough. "When reflecting across the heavens, I found no trace of the Gate of Myriad Demons. "Now that we have entered this world, my cultivation is restricted and I cannot assist you, Husband. Husband, please search for the Gate of Myriad Demons yourself." "All right," Qi Yuan nodded. When searching for things, a Yang God was certainly better than a Mythological. Since he still retained his Myriad Dao Martial God realm, if he was careful and thorough, he could sweep across the entire Liufeng Realm in about a quarter of an hour. This sweep would be limited to searching for the aura of the Gate of Myriad Manifestations. Of course, that was also out of consideration for the Liufeng Realm. Otherwise, it wouldn't be good if he accidentally caused the Liufeng Realm to collapse. "There is a stone pool ahead. I am going to take a bath. Husband, you mustn't peek!" "Heehee, Miss Me is going too!" Holding hands, Ning Tao and the Canary headed toward the stone pool of the past. Even if countless years had passed and the stone pool was gone, with Ning Tao's current power, she could easily recreate it. At this moment, Qi Yuan closed his eyes. The power of the Myriad Dao Martial God was unleashed. The vast Liufeng Realm shrank in his perception. He even felt that if he threw a single punch at the Liufeng Realm, the world would shatter. Hence, he had to search carefully. "Sometimes being too strong isn't a good thing either." Suppressing his vitality and bloodline power, Qi Yuan conducted a simple sweep across the entire Liufeng Realm, searching for the aura of the Gate of Myriad Manifestations. This sweep was very rough. After all, if he got too detailed, the game's server would crash. Minute by minute ticked by, and disappointment appeared in Qi Yuan's eyes. "As expected, I didn't find it. Fortunately... I have plenty of time." The flow of time between the Canglan Realm and the Upper Realm was one to one. And one day in the Canglan Realm was roughly ten years in the Liufeng Realm. Time was abundant, and rushing would do no good anyway. The Gate of Myriad Manifestations, as one of the most miraculous treasures Qi Yuan had ever seen, was not something that appeared just because one wanted to see it. It required opportunity, and it required time. In any case, the phenomenon of Ten Suns in the Sky had already taken form, and the Great Oblivion Heart Scripture was influencing the Liufeng Realm at every single moment, which was equivalent to Qi Yuan searching constantly. Inside the Gate of Myriad Manifestations, Qi Yuan's Great Oblivion Heart Scripture had once left an imprint. As long as the Gate of Myriad Manifestations was still in the Liufeng Realm, given enough time, the Stellar Golden Cores would find it. Otherwise, even if he destroyed the Liufeng Realm, it probably wouldn't appear. Before coming, Qi Yuan had also noticed that his left eyebrow was twitching. Therefore, he was bound to gain something from this trip to the Liufeng Realm. He might as well... treat it as a vacation. Qi Yuan stood up and walked toward the stone pool. At that moment, a crisp voice rang out. "Heehee, you really did peek back then. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have married you." Back then, Ning Tao had said in the stone pool that if Qi Yuan peeked, she would marry him when she grew up. The Canary was working backward from the result to deduce what happened in the past. "Don't frame me. I am a true gentleman." Qi Yuan looked over. Upon the bluestone, the Canary wore a gown of alternating blue and orange-yellow. Patterns of flowers and birds were embroidered onto the blue silk, and the bow of her orange-yellow sash before her lower belly was dampened by water, like a butterfly caught in the rain. She lifted the hem of her skirt, swinging her two tender, fair calves. Her bare, jade-like lotus-root feet lacked socks, and her delicate, round toes were like works of art, translucent, petite, and small enough to cradle in a palm. Within the pool, Ning Tao in her black gown was fully submerged in the water. Through the crystal-clear pool, her expression was cool and alluring, her excessively pale skin forming a stark contrast with her black stockings, which wrapped around her feet with dainty, lovely toes held together. One was cute as a cherry; the other was cool as a snow pear. Looking at the two of them—or rather, the one of them—Qi Yuan's expression softened gently. "There is still plenty of time. I will walk with you through all the roads... I missed walking with you." From the Canary to Ning Tao, across the countless years between them, Qi Yuan had been absent for far too much. Especially after the Gate of Myriad Demons, when the Canary had become a demoness, despised by heaven and reviled by people. Though she had loved beauty most of all, she had been regarded as an ugly freak; one could easily imagine what she had endured. "Hmph, then there are plenty of roads to walk!" The Canary turned her head away, unable to suppress the joy on her face. From within the water, Ning Tao reached out a slender jade hand. "Then let us begin here." Ning Tao and Qi Yuan's affinity had begun right here. With a splash, water sprayed everywhere. "Hey, this water is freezing! Miss Me didn't want to get in!" the Canary grumbled. Even so, she clung to Qi Yuan, deep affection pooling in her eyes. At that moment, Qi Yuan held the Canary's exquisite, petite jade foot in his hand, a curious look surfacing in his eyes. "Why do we never hear about women having a foot fetish?" Could it be because men's feet were just no good? Qi Yuan let his mind wander randomly. "Disgusting!" The Canary's pretty face flushed crimson. "Ning Tao, hurry and help me—step on him!" ... "Save me, Master, save me!" "I'm so miserable!" "I'm going to die!" "Vicious! How could they be so vicious!" Inside the room, Ling Yayi wanted to weep but had no tears, wailing like ghosts and wolves. Buddha Son Wuguang looked at Ling Yayi, his eyes calm. "If he is still alive and can come to save you, everything can come to an end." "Hey, Buddha Son Wuguang, you're not human! Who bullies people like this! "I said I don't want to be a monk, and I don't want to participate in any Myriad Buddhas Assembly!" The little old man Ling Yayi was filled with indignation. Getting captured by this Buddha Son Wuguang was bad enough. Yet Buddha Son Wuguang actually wanted him to become a monk. Naturally, he had refused. In the end, Buddha Son Wuguang didn't care about his wishes at all, "torturing" him daily under the claim that his desires were too deep and needed to be dissolved. This "dissolving" was purely mental torture. First, he used Daoist techniques to magnify Ling Yayi's desires several times, even tenfold. Next, all kinds of delicacies from mountain and sea, alluring fox women dancing spicy dances, and magic treasures of every sort paraded past him. Yet he could only watch—unable to touch, take, or eat. How could Ling Yayi not be furious? This kind of torture was exhausting, no different from rubbing one out twelve times in a single night. As for why that figure was so specific, nobody knew. "You possess the power of reincarnation and share an affinity with our Buddha; you ought to become a true Buddha of your generation. "This time, when the Myriad Buddhas Assembly convenes, you shall represent our Tanke Sacred Ground and must secure first place," Buddha Son Wuguang said placidly. "The desires upon you are too numerous. If you do not diligently cleanse them, even with the power of reincarnation, you will find it hard to rank among the top ten." "Who begs someone for help like this!" Ling Yayi wailed in agony. Far too vicious. There were truly bad people in the Upper Realm! Who tested people like this! This wasn't torture and interrogation! If it were torture and interrogation, he might have confessed long ago! "Can't I just represent you? Please stop torturing me, okay?" "This is not torture, but the cleansing of desires. "A pity that you are not the Blood Lord. "Were it him, perhaps no cleansing would be necessary, and he would already be a true Buddha of his generation!" The power of reincarnation on the Thirteen Northern Demon Fiends was undeniably linked to the Blood Lord. The Blood Lord undoubtedly bore an even richer power of reincarnation. From a few brief words in ancient records, Buddha Son Wuguang had discerned that the Blood Lord was a truly extraordinary genius. Unlike the one before him, whose desires were far too numerous and motley. "Heh, you're wrong about that. My master was far more ruthless than me. "He killed without blinking an eye; his robes were soaked crimson! "Why do you think he was called the Blood Lord? Wasn't it because he slaughtered too many people? "Could someone like him become a true Buddha?" Ling Yayi sneered with a laugh. Since his master wasn't around anyway, indulging in a few casual fabrications to satisfy his mouth wouldn't hurt. "Having slain millions, what he slaughtered was no longer living beings, but the stray thoughts within his heart. "Should such a chosen talent not become a true Buddha?" Buddha Son Wuguang's voice was rich with Buddhist nature. Ling Yayi froze, his lips twitching. "Are my desires so numerous because I haven't killed enough people?" Buddha Son Wuguang shook his head. "If you slaughtered too many, you would become a demon of your generation. "After laying down the butcher's blade, your divine soul would be extinguished, and your mortal flesh could serve as our Buddhist sect's Dharma-protecting Vajra." "...So whether I kill a lot or kill a little, I'm always wrong!" Ling Yayi was entirely speechless. "Besides, isn't it 'lay down the butcher's blade and become a Buddha on the spot'? Why does my flesh have to become a Dharma-protecting Vajra?" "If becoming a Buddha were so simple, the Buddha Realm would likely be rife with slaughter at every turn." In Buddha Son Wuguang's calm tone, a hint of helplessness surfaced. "Hey, if my fellow disciples were captured by you people from the Upper Realm, what kind of treatment would they receive?" Ling Yayi asked cautiously. "Possessing the power of reincarnation, you can become true Buddhas, so generally speaking, there will not be much danger. "Furthermore, you are... Bai Ze's junior brothers. Within the Buddha Realm, no one should do anything to you. "However... all things follow their karmic affinity; anything is possible," Buddha Son Wuguang replied. The Buddha Realm was not entirely peaceful either. Otherwise, the lands of the Buddha Realm would not have waged war against one another for so many years to vie for orthodoxy. The opportunity to contest for orthodoxy had appeared this time in the Liufeng Realm. Therefore, the Buddha Sons from every sacred ground of the Buddha Realm had entered the Liufeng Realm. Buddha Son Wuguang naturally hoped that the Buddha Realm could be unified and end the strife. Yet... was unification truly so easy? "I hope they're all right," Ling Yayi sighed. "This feeling... really sucks."