123: Chapter 123 Ye Fan, who opened up the sea of ​​suffering

Ye Fan was stunned for a long time.

He looked down at the pile of stones at his feet, then looked up toward the direction where the mirror had vanished, and then back at the pile of stones.

"This... what is going on?"

He murmured, his voice filled with disbelief.

What was that mirror?

Why did it send him stones?

These stones... what were they?

Ye Fan squatted down and picked up a stone.

As soon as the stone touched his hand, he felt an extremely rich Spiritual Qi surge into his body through his palm. That feeling was a hundred, even a thousand times stronger than when he usually absorbed the essence of heaven and earth!

Ye Fan's eyes lit up.

He remembered the words Wu Qingfeng had spoken.

Source Stones.

A type of Ore containing extremely rich essence of heaven and earth.

If he had Source Stones, with his Heart-Nature, he might truly be able to open his Sea of Bitterness.

These stones...

Ye Fan looked at the crystal-clear stone in his hand, then at the pile at his feet, and his heart began to race.

If these really were Source Stones...

Then how much would this pile weigh?

A hundred catties? Or even more?

Ye Fan took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

Regardless of what that mirror was or why it sent him stones—these stones were now right in front of him.

They could help him open his Sea of Bitterness.

That was enough.

Ye Fan did not hesitate; he bent over to pick up a bundle of stones and walked quickly into the thatched hut. He placed the stones on the bed, then turned back out to continue moving them.

One trip, two trips, three trips.

It took a full seven or eight trips to move the entire pile of stones into the house.

Closing the door, Ye Fan looked at the small mountain of Source Stones piled on the bed, his eyes full of excitement.

He didn't know where that mirror came from or why it was helping him.

But he knew that with these stones, he could open the Sea of Bitterness.

Ye Fan sat cross-legged on the bed, picked up a Source Stone, and held it in his hand.

Closing his eyes, he followed the method taught by Wu Qingfeng and began to guide the Spiritual Qi within the Source Stone.

In that instant, he felt it.

That Spiritual Qi was like a surging river, pouring into his body and rushing toward that long-dormant Sea of Bitterness.

The Sea of Bitterness, which had originally been motionless, began to tremble slightly under the impact of this Spiritual Qi.

Ye Fan felt a surge of joy in his heart.

It moved!

The Sea of Bitterness moved!

He did not open his eyes, continuing to guide the Spiritual Qi, striking against it time and time again.

The Spiritual Qi in that Source Stone was quickly absorbed completely. He opened his eyes, swapped it for a new one, and continued the assault.

A night without sleep.

In the following days, Ye Fan began a period of frenzied Cultivation.

During the day, he attended Wu Qingfeng's lectures as usual and ate and chatted with Pang Bo as usual. At night, he returned to his thatched hut, closed the door, took out the Source Stones, and began to strike at the Sea of Bitterness.

One stone, two stones, three stones.

Every day he consumed a large amount of Source Stones, which resulted in the Sea of Bitterness trembling and loosening bit by bit.

Sometimes Pang Bo would come to find him, and looking at the thatched hut, he always felt something was not quite right.

"Ye Fan, is there something in your room? Why do I feel like the Spiritual Qi is exceptionally dense?"

Ye Fan smiled and did not explain.

He didn't know how to explain it.

He couldn't exactly say that one night a mirror suddenly appeared and gave him a pile of Source Stones, could he?

That would be too bizarre.

Seven days later.

On this night, Ye Fan sat cross-legged on the bed as usual, Source Stone in hand, guiding Spiritual Qi to strike the Sea of Bitterness.

He could no longer remember how many times he had struck it, nor how many Source Stones he had consumed. He only knew that the Sea of Bitterness was becoming more and more loose.

Finally—

Boom!

A loud explosion that only he could hear erupted within his body.

That long-dormant Sea of Bitterness was finally broken open at this moment!

Golden light burst forth from his body, instantly illuminating the entire thatched hut!

Ye Fan opened his eyes and looked down at his abdomen.

There, a golden Sea of Bitterness was slowly rotating. Golden waves surged and golden light flowed; the feeling was beyond words.

He had succeeded.

He had opened his Sea of Bitterness.

Ye Fan stared blankly at that golden Sea of Bitterness for a long, long time before coming back to his senses.

He smiled.

That smile was brilliant.

Inside Undying Mountain.

A massive Void Water Mirror floated above the courtyard, clearly reflecting the scene of Ye Fan opening his Sea of Bitterness.

That golden Sea of Bitterness, that dazzling golden light, and the brilliant smile on the youth's face—

Everything was captured within their sight.

Chu Tianjiao looked at the image in the water mirror, a slight smile appearing at the corners of his mouth.

"It is done."

He said softly.

Xiao Nannan stood beside him, also watching Ye Fan in the water mirror. Her eyes were slightly red, but her face was full of smiles.

"Big Brother... he really did it."

Willow Deity stood to the side, looking at the youth in the water mirror with a hint of approval in her eyes.

"His Heart-Nature is quite good. Had it been anyone else trapped by this Physique for so long, they would have given up long ago. It is rare that he could persist."

The Ancient Kirin Emperor sat by the stone table, drinking tea while watching the water mirror.

"That kid is just as stubborn as he was in his past life."

He smiled, his eyes holding a trace of reminiscence.

"Back then, Xiao Shitou was the same; once he set his mind on something, not even nine oxen could pull him back."

Chu Tianjiao nodded.

"He has even more resilience than in his past life."

He looked toward Xiao Nannan.

"Nannan, are you happy?"

Xiao Nannan nodded vigorously.

"Happy."

Her voice was a bit choked, but the smile on her face was more brilliant than ever.

Chu Tianjiao reached out and gently put his arm around her shoulder.

"That's good then."

He looked up at the youth who was grinning foolishly in the water mirror.

"Xiao Shitou, walk this life well."

"We are all watching you."

...

The night was deep.

Lingxu Cave-Heaven was immersed in tranquility. Moonlight like water spilled over the mountains, enveloping the entire sect gate in a silvery glow. Most Disciples had already gone to sleep, with only a few guard posts still lit with lamplight.

Wu Qingfeng sat cross-legged in his alchemy room, eyes closed as he adjusted his breathing.

He was getting older and required less sleep, spending most of his nights in meditation. He had grown used to it over the decades.

Suddenly—

He opened his eyes.

An ethereal aura drifted from the direction of the Disciples' quarters. That aura was very faint but very pure, carrying a slight golden light.

Wu Qingfeng was momentarily stunned.

That direction... was Ye Fan's residence.

The child with the Ancient Desolate Saint Body.

He had been paying attention to Ye Fan these past few days. The child came to lectures every day, asked questions every day, and went back to Cultivate every day. Yet, there had been no movement in that Sea of Bitterness.

Wu Qingfeng saw it and felt for him in his heart.

He knew how difficult the Ancient Desolate Saint Body was. Without a massive amount of resources, it was simply impossible to open the Sea of Bitterness. Lingxu Cave-Heaven couldn't provide him with those; he could only rely on himself.

But right now—

What was that aura about?

Wu Qingfeng stood up and pushed open the door.

He followed the aura and arrived in front of Ye Fan's thatched hut.

The light inside was still on, and he could vaguely see a figure sitting cross-legged on the bed. That golden aura was precisely emanating from that figure.

Wu Qingfeng took a deep breath and gently knocked on the door.

"Ye Fan?"

A rustling sound came from inside, and then the door opened.

Ye Fan stood at the doorway in simple cloth clothes, a hint of surprise on his face.

"Elder Wu? Why have you come?"

Wu Qingfeng did not answer. His gaze fell upon Ye Fan, carefully sensing the aura within his body.

Then, his eyes grew wider and wider.

"You... you've opened the Sea of Bitterness?"

His voice trembled slightly, filled with disbelief.

Ye Fan was stunned for a moment, then nodded.

"Yes, Elder. I just managed a Breakthrough by chance."

"By chance?!"

Wu Qingfeng was almost choked by those two words.