The Path to Another World

He didn't know how much time had passed; it seemed like he was dreaming when Ye Fan slowly awoke, his head throbbing. Suddenly, his expression changed drastically because he remembered the scene before he fainted. The unknown pendant had once again triggered some unknown mechanism, and the two of them instantly felt dizzy and their heads throbbing. They couldn't resist and passed out. Their last sight was of themselves being enveloped in a familiar blue light, far away from the underground palace, with only a sky full of stars...

Ye Fan cautiously opened his eyes a crack and carefully observed everything. The first thing he saw was Tian Jun next to him. He was not yet awake, but thankfully, his rosy cheeks and steady breathing told him that he was fine and just asleep. Seeing that Tian Jun was alright, Ye Fan was slightly relieved and then had the mind to observe everything outside.

Both of them lay sprawled on the cold floor, which turned out to be a large crystal from the altar's surface. Dense symbols lit up intermittently, creating a dizzying array that left Ye Fan bewildered; with his limited cultivation, he couldn't decipher their meaning. However, he did recognize the array formed by the dense lines. Gently removing the pendant from Tian Jun's neck, he compared the lines and patterns with his grandfather's explanations and finally understood: the altar was a teleportation array, and the statue and pendant were the keys to activate it. Realizing this, Ye Fan panicked and quickly stood up, looking around. Sure enough, they were simply drifting at a certain speed into the depths of space on a disc several square meters in size. A faint blue light protected the passengers inside, preventing any discomfort, such as from the lack of air or other essential elements.

Ye Fan stared blankly at everything before him. The pitch-black starry sky was filled only with the movement of this strange spacecraft. Countless constellations he had only seen in books were now clearer, seemingly within reach; and there was the blue planet receding into the distance—Earth. Ye Fan was stunned. He had considered all the possibilities, but he hadn't expected this one. He had actually encountered a time traveler, something only found in legends. He sat down dejectedly. He didn't feel any particular novelty or sense of accomplishment from the experience. But upon realizing he had traveled through time, his first reaction wasn't excitement or fear. The first thing that came to his mind was the thought that he would probably never be able to cook a meal for his parents again, never be able to quietly talk to them, never be able to fulfill his filial duties. Looking at Tian Jun, who was still unconscious, he quietly took out a cigarette and lit it, trying to calm himself. He thought about everything before he left, and his grandfather's words: if there was a way to come, there must be a way to go back. Perhaps this truly was a great opportunity. Earth's spiritual energy was exhausted; further cultivation would be futile. The only way was to absorb spiritual energy not found on Earth, and to reach another planet.

Having figured everything out, he kicked the unconscious Tian Jun awake: "Get up, Junzi, we're in big trouble!" "What is it? No, I remember we've fallen into a trap again!" Tian Jun, who had just woken up, almost jumped up and shouted.

"A trap? Just look outside!" Ye Fan said nonchalantly. "What's going on outside? Holy crap! Where are we?" When Tian Jun saw the scene outside, he almost bit his tongue off. It was too astonishing. He still thought he was in a dream where he was unconscious or watching a movie in a 3D cinema.

"If I'm not mistaken, we should be in space! Heading towards some planet," Ye Fan said casually after glancing around. "Could we have been captured by ET? Will they use us for experiments?" Tian Jun suddenly frowned and asked, his thoughts wandering.

Hearing Tian Jun's words, Ye Fan was somewhat amused and exasperated. He kicked it, but dared not use too much force. This was such a small area, and he didn't know how much the thin blue light could withstand. If he accidentally fell outside, he probably wouldn't survive even a second. At that point, not even a great immortal could save him. "That altar is a teleportation array. I guess it's related to that goddess of nature," Ye Fan explained.

"Can we go back? Where will we land? Will we drift in this dark space forever until we die?" Tian Jun asked worriedly, after all, Ye Fan knew more about this than he did.

"As long as we cultivate diligently, we can definitely do it. You know, at the peak of Daoist mastery, traversing the void is just a piece of cake. Remember Ge Qiusha? Once she reached that level, she could return to our homeland. Although I don't know how long it will take us to achieve that, I believe we can definitely do it as long as we work hard. Since Ge Qiusha put us on the teleportation array, she definitely won't let us die in vain. There must be something she needs us to do. Don't worry about that!" Ye Fan analyzed logically, completely unaware that the breast pendant was trembling slightly, seemingly nodding in agreement with what Ye Fan said.

Hearing Ye Fan's analysis, Tian Jun felt relieved. He plopped down on the spacecraft, quietly admiring the scenery outside. Few people, except for a very few astronauts, could observe the beauty of space so closely. Since he couldn't control how things would unfold, he decided to let nature take its course. Tian Jun took out his phone and started taking pictures to remember the moment. Seeing this, Ye Fan couldn't help but shake his head with a wry smile. What a clueless guy! Sometimes, being clueless isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Seeing Tian Jun's calm expression, Ye Fan, having nothing else to do, could only sit with him and quietly observe the rising and setting of the sun, day after day. Aside from resting, the only thing the two could do was repeatedly watch everything outside, occasionally watching shooting stars streak past. Finally, on the fifth day, Ye Fan sat there gazing at the starry sky, pondering the Taoist scriptures he had learned from his grandfather. Watching the first rays of dawn rise in the east, all the stars moved ceaselessly along some mysterious trajectory. Ye Fan felt a sudden enlightenment, a sense of clarity washing over him. Many cultivation questions he hadn't understood before instantly became clear. The vast spiritual energy in space transformed into an energy storm, pouring into Ye Fan's head, cleansing his body repeatedly, refining his very essence. His cultivation level, accumulated over many years, broke through in an instant. Clenching his hands, he felt the power within him increase far more than just a little. He couldn't help but smile knowingly; the feeling of having power was truly wonderful. Tian Jun stared in disbelief at Ye Fan, who had been reborn in an instant, and said with envy and disdain, "That's insane! Look, he can even break through to the sun." His words contained a hint of jealousy, but more so, joy.

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