Chapter 1394
The Changing of the Guard: Old Trees Blossom with New Flowers
Within the Jinghai Cave, all was silent once more.
Ye Yang remained seated cross-legged on the jade platform, the Concentration Jade beneath him now covered in cracks.
But he exuded an indescribable radiance.
It wasn't the light of spiritual energy, nor the radiance of a treasure, but a kind of clarity that emanated from within.
The instant he broke through to the Mahayana realm.
His skin, flesh, bones, and even his soul seemed to have been tempered to the extreme by those eighty-one lightning tribulations.
After all the impurities have been removed, only the purest essence remains.
He opened his eyes.
The blazing sun in his left eye had disappeared, and the cold moon in his right eye had vanished, but deep within his pupils, there was something indescribable.
It was as if an entire world was being conceived within it.
Mahayana Buddhism.
This is Mahayana Buddhism.
Ye Yang raised his right hand and looked at his palm.
The palm lines remained the same, but he could clearly feel that this body was completely different from before the breakthrough.
If the physical body was a fortified city...
Now every brick and stone in this city has been replaced with Vajra Glass.
With a slight movement of his divine sense, he could take in the environment within a hundred miles, observing even the smallest details at any time.
This is a special kind of "perception".
At this moment, in his consciousness, he could see the flow of every drop of seawater and the trajectory of every swimming fish.
Even the slow growth of corals deep in the ocean, the breathing of tiny creatures in the mud and sand... all of this was clearly reflected in his mind.
This is the difference between Mahayana Buddhism and the tribulation of lightning.
A cultivator undergoing tribulation in the lightning tribulation integrates the power of the laws into their own body, thus achieving perfect harmony with the Dao.
But in the end, it was still a "borrowing".
Borrow the power of heaven and earth for your own use, and borrow the might of the laws to defend against enemies.
The Mahayana period is about "transformation".
He thoroughly refined his understanding of cultivation realms and his dedication to immortality into an integral part of himself.
With every gesture, one no longer borrows the power of heaven and earth, but becomes heaven and earth oneself.
When words are spoken, the law follows; when intentions are moved, the Way arises.
Ye Yang closed his eyes again and began to circulate the "Immortal Stabilization Technique".
This technique is a relic left behind by the immortals, and its mysteries are unfathomable.
In the past, when I was cultivating, there were always many obscure and difficult-to-understand aspects, as if I were looking through a thin veil.
It's within reach, yet I can never quite see it clearly.
Now that he has broken through to the Mahayana realm, that veil has finally been lifted.
"I see."
A sudden realization dawned on Ye Yang.
The essence of the "Method of Fixing Immortals" lies in the word "fixing," but even more so in the word "immortal."
The so-called "fixing immortality" does not mean fixing the will of immortals, but rather fixing one's own foundation in the path of immortality.
After Mahayana Buddhism, one ascends to become an immortal.
The key to ascending to immortality is to create a true world within one's own body.
Only when one's own body forms a world can one bear the spiritual energy of immortals and withstand the baptism of the tribulation of ascension.
And the "Method of Fixing Immortals".
It's astonishing that he reached this threshold so early in his Mahayana journey.
Ye Yang took a deep breath and focused his mind back on his body.
He felt the slow rotation of the chaotic space within his dantian, and his heart was filled with both joy and emotion.
From mortal to Qigong master, from Qigong master to martial artist, and from martial artist to true immortal.
Along the way, I have experienced countless life-or-death situations before finally reaching this level.
Ye Yang stood up.
This simple action caused the air around him to emit a soft hum.
With one step, his figure disappeared from the Jinghai Cave.
The next moment, he was standing on the sea.
A sea breeze caresses your face, and the vast expanse of blue waves stretches out before you.
The afterglow of the setting sun cast a golden-red hue over the entire sea.
The calamity clouds had long since dispersed, and a long rainbow stretched across the sky, creating a magnificent and extraordinary scene.
The cultivators around the vast sea gasped in surprise when they saw Ye Yang appear.
"It's Senior Ye!"
"He succeeded! He has truly entered the Mahayana path!"
"My God... I actually witnessed the birth of a Mahayana cultivator!"
The young disciples were so excited that their faces turned red, and the elders at the Refinement of Void and Nascent Soul realms were also moved, bowing respectfully in the direction of Ye Yang.
This is out of reverence for Mahayana practitioners and respect for those who pioneered the Great Way.
But Ye Yang's gaze was fixed solely on Ancestor Canghai. After entering the Mahayana stage, his perception had become more than ten times stronger than before.
The essence of heaven and earth and all things was as clear as a beacon in his eyes.
At this moment, when he looked at Ancestor Canghai, he discovered many things that he had not noticed before.
The life force within the Canghai Ancestor was almost gone.
That wasn't an injury, nor a curse, but rather the end of one's lifespan.
Ye Yang could even see that the inner world within the dantian of the Canghai Ancestor was slowly collapsing.
Mountains crumbled, rivers dried up, and the sky shattered into countless fragments, turning into ashes piece by piece.
This is the scene when a Mahayana practitioner reaches the end of their life.
When the world within one's body collapses, that is the time of death and the dissipation of one's spiritual essence.
"senior!"
Ye Yang took a step forward and instantly arrived in front of Ancestor Canghai.
Without the slightest hesitation, he placed his right hand on the chest of the Canghai Ancestor, and his Mahayana-stage Dao power entered his body.
The spiritual energy, like a warm and gentle river, flowed into the dried-up meridians of the Canghai Ancestor, attempting to nourish the withered flesh and blood and to fill the shattered foundation.
However, it was no use.
The amount of Ye Yang's Dao power that entered was dissipated as much as it entered.
The body of the Old Ancestor of the Vast Ocean was like a bottomless abyss.
No matter how much vitality is injected, it will be completely swallowed up by the collapsing inner world.
It's like a broken cup; no matter how much water you pour into it, you can never put it back together.
"enough."
The Old Ancestor of the Vast Ocean opened his eyes and looked at him, his gaze as calm as a stagnant pool.
"No need to waste your energy, Fellow Daoist Ye."
His voice was soft, yet it carried a calm acceptance of life and death.
"I know my own condition best. This body of mine won't last more than three days."
Ye Yang's hand froze in mid-air.
He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but no words came out.
The Old Ancestor of the Vast Ocean laughed at his appearance.
"I have lived for seventeen thousand years, rising from a rogue cultivator to the Mahayana stage, traversing this world for thousands of years, establishing the Canghai Pavilion, and protecting this region. I have experienced everything I was meant to experience, and enjoyed everything I was meant to enjoy. To be where I am today is already a blessing from the Heavenly Dao, and I have nothing to regret."
He patted Ye Yang's hand on the back and then let go.
"But it's you."
The old ancestor of the Canghai Sea's gaze swept over Ye Yang, a hint of amazement flashing in his eyes.
"Having just entered the Mahayana stage, he already possesses the rudiments of the creation of heaven and earth within his body. In my ten thousand years of life, I have never seen such a foundation in anyone else."
"Given time, your chances of transcending tribulation and ascending to immortality will be more than ten times greater than mine were back then."
He paused, his tone becoming serious.
"So, I'm going to swallow my pride and ask you for a favor."
Ye Yang took a deep breath, suppressed the surging emotions in his heart, and said in a deep voice.
"Please speak, senior."
"I have no children in my life, but I have taken in a few disciples, all of whom have passed away before me. The thousands of disciples in this Canghai Pavilion, though not of my bloodline, are all children I raised myself."
He turned his head and stared intently at Ye Yang.
"After I leave, there will be no more Great Emperor to guard this Canghai. Once I pass away, the wolves outside will be watching and will not let Canghai go."
"I don't ask you to join the Canghai, nor do I ask you to serve the Canghai. I only ask you..."
The old ancestor of the Canghai paused slightly.
"At a critical moment when the sea is on the verge of extinction, just one act from you will be enough to ensure the sea's safety for a thousand years."
Ye Yang did not hesitate.
He was able to break through to the Mahayana realm thanks to Canghai's help.
Ye Yang looked into the eyes of the Canghai Ancestor and nodded solemnly.
"I promised you, senior."
Upon hearing Ye Yang's definitive reply, Cang Hai finally burst into laughter.
The laughter was full of energy, showing no sign of his previous serious injuries.
"Good! Good!"
He said "good" twice, then reached out and patted Ye Yang hard on the shoulder.
"With your words, I can leave in peace."
He turned around and took a step towards the sea.
The sun finally sank below the horizon.
Ye Yang stood alone on the sea, watching the departing figure of the Canghai Ancestor.
He sighed inwardly.
Learning the Way is difficult, time is wasted, and death is inescapable.
The path to immortality is far too difficult. (End of Chapter)