The Path to Another World

The old Taoist priest finally finished telling this tortuous story. Although so many years had passed, every time he mentioned Kazaji and Amaterasu, whom he had treated like brothers, his heart ached, and he became extremely agitated, cursing repeatedly before finally calming down. The two listened quietly, sometimes clenching their fists, sometimes sweating profusely, sometimes happy, sometimes sad. They were completely drawn into the old Taoist priest's thrilling story, swayed by his emotions. Single-handedly, fighting three against one, punishing evil beasts, upholding justice—what heroic spirit! This was truly worthy of a man's life. The two couldn't help but feel a sense of solemnity, not only for the old Taoist priest's formidable strength but also for his concern for the world. Between his own life and the lives of the people, he had not hesitated at all to choose the world over himself. Ye Fan recalled a saying: "The greatest heroes are those who serve their country and its people." This couldn't be more fitting for the old Taoist priest.

"Master, what happened next? Do you know the identities of those two mysterious people? Their plot didn't succeed, right?" Ye Fan was eager to know what happened next after hearing only half of what he had heard.

"I still don't know the identities of those two, but they shouldn't be from this realm. However, none of them fared well. Although I perished, I severed half of Orochi's head, so he's probably only at 30% of his peak fighting strength. Amaterasu was also severely injured by my self-destruction, and Kazaji was swept into a spatial rift, with no chance of survival! Even after so many years, I believe they haven't recovered their peak strength. My final self-destruction merged with my cultivation of thousands of years. Even if those two were incredibly powerful, they weren't top-tier experts and couldn't completely conceal my aura. I believe someone must have sensed that I had met with misfortune. My soul was severely injured and has been sleeping in the Bagua to recover, so I have no idea what happened afterward! These humans should have some records, right? You're literate, you know?" The old Taoist coldly laughed. He was indeed a ruthless person, willing to suffer losses himself rather than let his enemies gain the slightest advantage.

Upon hearing the old Taoist mention these things, Ye Fan and Tian Jun couldn't help but feel anger and shame. They recalled how a tiny island nation had dared to invade their homeland, turning half of China into a chaotic and devastating place, with millions of compatriots dying under the swords of those demonic enemies. Ye Fan's great-grandfather was one of them, captured by the Japanese to build a bunker and never heard from again. The old Taoist's mention of Amaterasu reminded Ye Fan of that hateful island nation, and he longed for the opportunity to go there alone and wreak havoc, but it was just a fantasy. "What's with that expression? Who offended you again?" the old Taoist suddenly asked, noticing their sudden change in expression—a look of mortal enmity, as if they wanted to devour their flesh and drink their blood.

"The Amaterasu you mentioned is the guardian deity of a certain island nation, though he has never shown himself. But this nation, like him, is synonymous with despicable. For thousands of years, they have relentlessly harassed the inhabitants of our border regions, killing, burning, looting, and massacring—committing all sorts of atrocities, no different from beasts. Even worse, decades ago, this island nation initiated a war among mortals, slaughtering hundreds of thousands of our Chinese people, destroying countless families, and creating countless orphans and widows. Although they were eventually driven out of China, the scars left behind have been difficult to heal for centuries. Moreover, in recent years, they have begun to stir again, making some small moves to seize some of our Chinese islands! But our China is no longer the China of decades ago. We are now rich and powerful, with a fierce and powerful army. I believe we can definitely teach them a lesson they will never forget, wipe away their shame, and make them proud!" Ye Fan excitedly recounted the historical crimes of the island nation, his fists clenched so tightly that he didn't even notice his fingernails piercing his palms.

"These bastards! If I had known, I wouldn't have exiled these prisoners to this deserted island and entrusted them to Amaterasu's care. Our descendants wouldn't have suffered this calamity. If I hadn't had a sliver of kindness, hoping these heinous criminals could repent, I would have slapped them all to death!" Hearing of the suffering endured by the descendants of China, Qinglong's hatred for Amaterasu intensified. He punched a crack in the space in front of him. "Don't worry, I will definitely pass on all my skills to you. Since you are my disciple, you will also bear this responsibility, continuing to protect the Chinese people, upholding the might of China, deterring evildoers, and ensuring the eternal continuation of our great nation!" The old Taoist priest, abandoning his usual playful demeanor, spoke righteously to Ye Fan.

Looking at the solemn-faced old Taoist priest, Ye Fan also nodded solemnly and said firmly, "As a descendant of the Chinese nation and a descendant of the dragon, I will definitely defend my dignity with my life. Those who offend my divine might, no matter how far away, will be punished!"

"Good, as expected of my disciple Qinglong, a descendant of China, you have backbone and domineering spirit! With me personally teaching you, it would be difficult for you not to succeed! If you have any questions about cultivation, feel free to ask me. Don't worry, I understand your thoughts. Although you may not be able to go back now, the most important thing for you now is to improve your strength. There's always a way out, and things will work themselves out. As long as you are strong enough, crossing the void is not difficult! My Bagua contains a magic weapon specifically for flying in space, which can help you when the time comes!" Qinglong couldn't help but grin from ear to ear as he looked at Ye Fan and Tian Jun's resolute faces. As long as a person has guts and dares to take responsibility, it's impossible for them to be a weakling.

Ye Fan and Tian Jun stared at the old Taoist priest with shining eyes. Realizing the man's immense background, Ye Fan smiled obsequiously and said, "Master, look, I'm your only disciple. I'll avenge you someday, but right now I'm weak and powerless. Do you have any unused magical treasures on you? Give them to me! After all, good things shouldn't go to outsiders. I think this whisk you have is quite nice! Why not give it to me?"

Seeing Ye Fan, who had been serious just moments before, instantly revert to his true nature, revealing his greedy essence, the old Taoist priest's face darkened with anger. He shouted, "I think you don't want to go back to Earth, do you? Hurry up and start practicing! I might leave you at any time, and then we'll see who you find to guide you!" He then gave the two of them two hard taps on the head. Seeing that there was no way to get them to cooperate, the two could only exchange a glance, shrug their shoulders, and obediently find a place to quietly circulate their spiritual energy and begin practicing. Fortunately, the concentration of spiritual energy in space was several times that on Earth, and although it had only been a few days, they could clearly feel their strength increasing.

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