Atlas of Heaven and Man.

Chapter 1530 The Determination of Light and Shadow is Only by the Mind

After leaving the second hall, the chanting outside suddenly subsided and soon disappeared completely.

Chen Chuan glanced around and saw that the road ahead no longer led uphill, but instead turned downhill.

He looked in that direction and saw that the surrounding area was covered by dark, heavy tree shadows, so even he couldn't see where it led. So he released his mental field to explore.

Previously, considering that this place contained the secrets of the Xuanjiao sect and that the spirits of predecessors might reside there, and having benefited greatly from the Xuanjiao sect in the past, he had come here again to test his fate. To show respect, he did not release his domain spirit to explore the area. Now, all he saw were demons and monsters, so naturally, he didn't need to care about them.

However, when he expanded his mind outwards, he could not sense anything; all around him was nothingness.

This must be the purpose of this airspace. It is clearly not just a simple secret storage place. It feels somewhat similar to the "Heaven Beyond the Body" opened up by the Duanchen Sect, as if it is supported by higher-level forces.

However, it's hard to say where this superior power comes from—whether it's from the Xuan Ancestor or a demon.

With this layer of power maintaining it, it is very difficult to break through by normal means. As things stand, they are only guiding him and there is no attack or action against him for the time being.

Let's follow this identifiable path and see what happens.

He descended the steps. At first, the stone steps under his feet were in good condition and relatively flat, but the further he went, the more dilapidated they became. Some parts were completely broken, and the path became rugged. Furthermore, withered branches on both sides stretched out onto the road surface, like withered hands reaching out to drag him.

Ling Su then transformed into a cloud of white mist, clearing away the obstacles in his path.

After walking a while longer, he suddenly felt something and looked back. He could no longer see the path he had come from, only a long and secluded mountain path remained. He also had a feeling that someone was watching him from behind.

Looking back, the melodious sound of bells and chimes echoed from the second hall he had just passed on the mountain, and the chanting had grown louder. This time, the sound was coming from the place he had just passed, and there were also faint lights on the hall, as if someone had relit the candles.

He glanced at it, then turned around and continued on his way. After walking for a while, two paths appeared ahead. They looked the same at first glance, but upon closer inspection, they seemed to be quite different.

There seems to be some crucial choice here.

If one could fly across, things would be simpler. However, if one cannot detect anything in the surroundings through the senses, then even in mid-air, one would still be unable to discern anything and would not get any results.

He thought about it for a moment, but didn't dwell on it too much, and simply followed his habit and walked to the right.

While walking, he could still discern things in the distance, but the deeper he went, the darker it became. Even with the spiritual fire emanating from him, he could only see the path beneath his feet.

This has nothing to do with him personally. Even ordinary fighters can see in the dark, let alone a fighter from Dongxuan Temple. This must be due to the influence of this area.

No matter what happened, he kept walking forward without stopping, and the path he walked gradually became dark. At this moment, the red scarf on the scabbard fluttered behind him, as if to shield him from the shadows.

Walking in a place where one has no origin and no destination, one is likely to doubt that this place has no end, especially when the sound of chanting behind one gradually disappears as one walks, as if one is going to an unknown place. If one's will is not firm, one will inevitably feel doubt and fear.

But his battles with extraterrestrial demons and his numerous solo journeys through the void were all minor incidents in his eyes.

Furthermore, he vaguely sensed that many things here were trying to tempt him to change his mind. Since evil always arises from the mind, he would guard his mind and not let it change.

With a thought, he placed a divine seal around his body and continued walking as before. After walking for an unknown amount of time, some light gradually appeared ahead. As he got closer, he saw a low path illuminated by scattered firelight.

Looks like we've arrived.

But he felt that something was wrong. He stopped and looked up. At the same time, the platinum-gold spiritual light around him expanded outward. Under the illumination of this light, he saw that above him were statues of demonic ancestors.

These statues seemed to grow out of the ground. Not only were they strangely shaped, but their clothes, hair, and sleeves were also intertwined and facing each other at an angle. Their hair buns were almost touching each other, their faces were abnormally distorted, and their strange and fierce eyes were staring straight at him standing below.

Each statue is about 100 meters tall, and the sense of oppression they exude is extremely strong. There is only a narrow path, which is the only gap between their bodies.

After looking at it, Chen Chuan lowered his gaze again and saw that the path was deep and long, with no end in sight, and he didn't know where it led.

Now it's his turn to decide whether to continue this way or turn back.

His gaze was deep and calm. With a wave of his hand, he took the weapon that matched his destiny, which instantly transformed into a long mace. The mace shimmered with a dazzling and crystalline light under the illumination of the spiritual fire.

He took a deep breath, raised his long mace high, and assumed a demon-slaying stance. A flash of divine light seemed to appear around him, and he swung it forward, striking one of the demon ancestor statues with a loud bang!
The golem was instantly shattered, collapsing into a shower of fragments. At the same time, a head fell to the ground in front of it, scattering mud and wood debris everywhere.

He chose neither of them, but decided to forge his own path!
At that moment, he stepped on it, and with a crack, the mangled head was crushed into a pile of mud. He stretched out his other hand and waved it outward, and a burst of Xuan Kong fire scattered outward, causing the fragments to burst into flames.

At this moment, he actually felt that the power of the Xuan Kong Fire had slightly increased during the burning process. So he became even more ruthless and struck at the other demonic figure blocking his way, smashing it to pieces with a bang.

As he wielded his long mace, striking repeatedly forward, he cleaved through statues, carving a path through them.

When he shattered the last one, the space in front of him suddenly became empty, and the light in the area went out as well.

In the pitch-black space, it seemed that only the platinum-gold light on his body existed. However, after only a moment, a loud commotion erupted behind him. Just as he passed by that road, countless mysterious flames soared into the air, and sparks flew everywhere in all directions.

He flicked his long mace to the side, scattering a few glittering fragments, and then continued walking forward.

After walking for a while, he suddenly heard a tinkling sound. As he took a step, ripples spread out from his feet, indicating that he had stepped into a shallow puddle.

After about a hundred steps, a banyan forest appeared ahead, with aerial roots hanging down one by one. He heard birds chirping and insects singing, but he still could not sense any living beings.

Behind the banyan grove, you can see a Taoist-style archway standing there.

Inside the doorway, a figure stood with his back to him, looking somewhat like himself, yet also like another statue.

Upon seeing it, he walked in that direction without stopping, each step clearly making a splashing sound.

After walking for a while, he noticed something strange. The mountain gate seemed to be right in front of him, but no matter how he walked, he couldn't get closer to it.

His eyes flashed. Since he couldn't reach it, there was no need to go. He gripped the mace handle with both hands and thrust it into the water in front of him. He activated the Great Azure Sky Force Field, and instantly, rings of water surged outward from him.

His power was immense. Under the force of the force field, these tides instantly converged into a surging tidal wave, with each wave pushing the one before it surged forward.

Upon reaching the rear, it became an enormous tidal wave, crashing into the mountain gate and causing it to collapse. The figure was swept away and submerged by the water.

After the crashing waves subsided, the surroundings quieted down. Then he heard a slight tremor, seemingly coming from the ground beneath his feet. The sound was initially faint, but as the tremors intensified, it reverberated in all directions, becoming like rolling thunder from the sky.

Chen Chuan noticed that the ground beneath his feet was slowly rising, while the original water flow was rushing down in all directions.

After a while, he realized that he was standing on the head of an enormous, mysterious, and demonic statue. The statue seemed to be standing up and lifting him up.

He looked up and saw a golden lotus platform in the sky. As he was lifted up, the distance between them kept closing until they were level, at which point the upward momentum finally stopped.

At that moment, he landed just a few steps away from the lotus platform. Only then did he see clearly that in the center of the lotus platform, a seed emitting a golden auspicious light was floating in mid-air.

He raised an eyebrow. A seed of immortality?

If there's one cultivation resource he's currently lacking, it's this. He came here hoping to find it and try his luck.

The last one he was looking for, but to have everything he wanted appear was perhaps too much of a wish fulfillment.

He opened his third eye between his eyebrows, glanced around, and his gaze swept across the area like a lightning bolt, yet there was nothing wrong with it.

After a moment's thought, he realized that the path he had previously considered was to focus on himself, absorb other immortal species, and eventually create an immortal abode.

Looking at this one, its quality is far better than anything I've seen before. So perhaps we can use it as a foundation to develop directly, without having to exert any effort ourselves.

but……

He chuckled. For most people, obtaining such a divine seed might be enough, but for him, it would only provide a slight benefit.

Whether he has this thing or not, it won't make much difference to him, nor will it change his established path of cultivation. As for the thing in front of him, he'll take it if he wants, without worrying too much.

With this thought in mind, he stepped onto the lotus platform and reached out to take the immortal seed.

……

……

(End of this chapter)