The Path to Another World

"What? You want to take me as your disciple? Are you telling the truth or lying to me?" Hearing the old Taoist's words, Ye Fan was somewhat incredulous. This old man's cultivation was astonishing; he had been involved in the Investiture of the Gods alongside Jiang Ziya, making him practically a living fossil. Although he really wanted to become the old man's disciple, seeing the old man's eccentric appearance, he was afraid that the other party would not approve of him, so he didn't dare to speak up.

"Young man, don't be ungrateful! Back then, countless people knelt before my mountain gate begging me to take them as disciples, but I refused. Although I may talk nonsense, I keep my word. What's said is said, and if I said I'd take you as my disciple, I will. If you don't want to, then forget I said anything." The old Taoist was somewhat indignant at Ye Fan's skeptical attitude. It was rare for him to find Ye Fan agreeable, yet Ye Fan still doubted him.

"No, no! I just can't believe it. Such a good thing actually happened to me. You know, I've never won the lottery since I was a child, not even a consolation prize. Master, please accept my three bows!" Looking at the serious-looking old Taoist priest, Ye Fan knew that the old man was very serious. He quickly knelt down in front of the old man with a thud and respectfully kowtowed three times. The three kowtows hit the floor with a loud thud, and even a bruise appeared on his forehead. Ye Fan didn't feel any pain at all. He was still immersed in the excitement of becoming a disciple, fantasizing about wandering the world with a sword and dominating the world. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself and start daydreaming.

Seeing Ye Fan grinning foolishly, the old Taoist priest slapped himself in the face, cursing himself for his rash decision to take Ye Fan as his disciple. Seeing Ye Fan's dazed expression, he flew into a rage, flew over, and kicked Ye Fan hard in the butt, yelling, "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and tidy up these things! Don't go around saying you're my disciple! Look at you, I can't bear the shame!"

Ye Fan, who had been kicked a considerable distance, finally snapped out of his elation. Ignoring the sore spot, he scurried to the old man's side and quickly began tidying up the small pile of miscellaneous ores in front of him. Curious, he asked, "Master, what kind of treasures are these? Damn, why are they so heavy? I'll try again!" The first one Ye Fan picked up was a dark, iron-ore-like stone, but it was definitely not iron ore. The stone was about the size of a basketball. Ye Fan exerted almost all his strength; veins bulged on his arms, and his teeth chattered, but the stone seemed immovable. No matter how much force Ye Fan used, it wouldn't budge! Completely exhausted, Ye Fan turned to his new teacher for help: "Master, what kind of ore is this? What's it used for? It's so heavy, I can't move it!"

The old Taoist priest glanced at it casually and said dismissively, "This is the most basic refining material. It's called Star Iron, the most refined part of a planet. It's incredibly heavy. This piece is roughly half a planet compressed together, weighing no less than 10,000 tons. It has no other properties, only weight. The Heaven-Turning Seal in the Investiture of the Gods was made entirely of Star Iron, weighing hundreds of millions of tons. Once unleashed, it could even reduce a planet to ashes. It's incredibly domineering and powerful, capable of overpowering any technique with sheer force."

Upon hearing the old Taoist's explanation, Ye Fan shrugged helplessly. It weighed tens of thousands of tons; it would probably require the strength of a Nascent Soul cultivator to move it, while he had only just entered the Foundation Establishment stage. Seeing Ye Fan's bewildered expression, the old man, unusually calm, patiently explained the knowledge about the ore to him one by one: "Don't underestimate the art of weapon crafting. There are three thousand great paths. Someone once forged their own body like a magical artifact, and in the end, they became almost immortal, completely immune to attacks below the level of divine artifacts, becoming an eternally undefeated legend in the immortal realm. While cultivation emphasizes personal strength, magical artifacts are indispensable. They not only enhance combat power but also provide significant assistance in resisting heavenly tribulations. A good magical artifact must first be compatible with its owner's elemental attribute; only when attributes match can it unleash its full power. This fiery red one is the fire element's Flame Essence, and this one is the metal element... Actually, these materials for crafting are like the human body, all categorized into the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth in Daoist arts. There are also other attributes derived from these five, such as lightning, ice, light, darkness, etc."

Ye Fan absorbed the knowledge imparted by the old man with rapt attention. Lacking a proper teacher and with the decline of cultivation on Earth, much of it had been lost to the annals of history, making systematic learning impossible. Now, however, he eagerly sought to enrich himself. "Master, may I ask you a question?" Ye Fan suddenly remembered that his grandfather had been stuck in the Revolving Illumination stage for many years without any progress, and that he would eventually be obliterated by time.

"Ask away any questions you may have! Once you've landed safely, I'm going into seclusion to replenish the power I lost this time. I really miss the feeling of being full of power back then!" The old Taoist priest reminisced about his glorious past with a look of rapture.

Ye Fan asked curiously, "You've stayed on Earth for so many years and experienced the most glorious period of the Daoist sect in ancient times, but now the spiritual energy on Earth is scarce, and there are only two or three experts at the Nascent Soul stage. What is the reason for this?"

Hearing Ye Fan's question, the old Taoist priest looked on with a wistful expression, for he too had been a part of it back then: "In the past, it truly was a golden age of cultivation, with abundant spiritual energy. However, later, the water god Gonggong and the fire god Zhurong clashed, engaging in an earth-shattering life-or-death battle. Inadvertently, they knocked down Mount Buzhou, which held up the sky, creating a huge hole in the sky. Most of the spiritual energy was lost. Fortunately, the goddess Nuwa intervened and repaired the sky, but most of the spiritual energy had already overflowed. Later generations, lacking ambition, engaged in massive deforestation, causing the environment to deteriorate day by day. Nothing can generate spiritual energy anymore. Now, once the spiritual energy on Earth is used up, it's gone." The old man's words were like a death knell tolling in Ye Fan's ears. Did this mean his grandfather was doomed, and it was only a matter of time?

;