Volume One: Entering the Path Chapter Forty-Three: The Investigation Results

As Mengyuan began its investigation and Ye Junze entered his cultivation, the entire space once again sank into its usual silence. Time passed by, second after second. Only the beams of light still glowing in midair and the sound of Ye Junze’s breathing during cultivation kept the place from seeming utterly lifeless.

...

When the beams of light in the space converged upon the little cauldron, somewhere unknown—perhaps disturbed by what was happening with the cauldron—a faint stir was felt. In the darkness, a voice spoke, filled with confusion, murmuring, “This familiar fluctuation... could it be?” Yet as the speaker voiced his suspicion, he seemed to deny it, shaking his head and muttering, “No, impossible. So much time has passed, how could it be?”

Listening closely, the speaker’s voice carried a sense of age and weariness, as though he had witnessed the world for countless years, surviving endless events, and only accumulated such world-weary weight with time. As if memories were awakened, the aged voice continued, “After that incident, you vanished without a trace, and the rest of us scattered, some grew old, some died. Those who could not withstand the trials of cultivation have long since returned to dust and earth, their souls dissolved into the world, fading from existence. Only I remain, barely lingering on, perhaps soon to follow them. Before my body dissolves, will I have the chance to see you again?”

As he spoke, his voice trembled unconsciously, as if overcome by deep sorrow. Suddenly, as though struck by a thought, he rose to his feet, his emotions surging uncontrollably. His shout echoed in the darkness, “No! As long as there is even a sliver of hope, I will never give up. Before I depart, I must do something.”

He paced anxiously, lost in thought. After a while, he stopped abruptly and declared, “Yes, this is it. There’s still hope, this time.” Having found a solution, he sat once more and murmured, “I wonder if the remaining power will suffice. But there’s no other way. So be it—even if it costs me the last of my lifespan, it does not matter.” His resolute expression revealed how important this endeavor was to him.

Having made his decision, he no longer hesitated. He formed seals with his hands, chanting words too quickly to be heard clearly. As he began, the unknown place underwent a mysterious transformation, unseen by any others.

...

After Lin Xin returned to her dormitory, she ordered dinner just like Ye Junze. Once she had eaten, she tidied herself and lay on her bed. Suddenly remembering something, she took out her phone and sent Ye Junze a message: “I’m getting ready to rest. Good night, junior.” She waited for a while, but received no reply. “He must be busy with something,” Lin Xin thought, “maybe he’s cultivating.”

Not getting a reply, Lin Xin didn’t dwell on it. She put down her phone and prepared to sleep.

Meanwhile, Ye Junze, completely immersed in the Illusory Realm, naturally didn’t see Lin Xin’s message. He continued his cultivation undisturbed, but this peace did not last long.

“Investigation complete.” Mengyuan’s calm voice sounded once more in the air after a long silence.

The moment Mengyuan spoke, Ye Junze heard it and withdrew from his cultivation state.

...

Having finished cultivating, Ye Junze hurriedly asked, “Mengyuan, do you have the results?”

“Yes, the investigation is complete,” Mengyuan replied in its usual emotionless manner.

“Then tell me the result, don’t keep me in suspense,” Ye Junze said, unable to contain his curiosity.

“Very well.” Mengyuan began to explain.

“When you first touched this little cauldron, I only felt a vague familiarity, but could not confirm it was the artifact from my memories. However, after the recent investigation—”

“What happened after the investigation? Hurry up, don’t keep me guessing at a time like this.” Ye Junze, hoping at last to satisfy his curiosity, grew agitated at Mengyuan’s hesitation.

Noticing Ye Junze’s rising emotion, Mengyuan continued without further delay. “After the investigation, I discovered that this little cauldron is, and yet is not, the artifact from my memories.”

“What do you mean?” Ye Junze asked, puzzled.

“Because the spirit of this cauldron is missing. It is incomplete,” Mengyuan replied truthfully.

“The spirit is missing? Like Lingxu?” Ye Junze recalled the small sword from before.

“No, not the same.” Mengyuan paused. “Lingxu’s sword spirit is merely damaged and dormant, but the cauldron’s spirit has fully dissipated, perhaps long gone from this world.”

“So, since this cauldron once had a spirit, it must have been an exceptionally powerful artifact. Why, then, can I only sense faint spiritual energy from it now?”

“Because the cauldron seems to have endured some battle and suffered damage. With the spirit missing, its power is now a mere fraction of its former self—perhaps only one-tenth remains,” Mengyuan replied.

“Then, by your reasoning, it’s basically useless now, isn’t it?” Ye Junze had harbored hope that he’d found a treasure, but Mengyuan’s final words dashed those expectations completely.

After a long silence, Mengyuan replied in its usual emotionless tone, “That is correct.”

Ye Junze, his hopes crushed, muttered helplessly, “So what did I buy it for?” He thought privately that, though he hadn’t spent much, even one spirit stone was still money!

“But it’s not impossible for it to return to a complete state,” Mengyuan suddenly interjected.

“Oh? How?” Ye Junze asked, curious.

...

“As I said, the cauldron was damaged. If you can find and restore the missing parts, it might be possible for it to recover,” Mengyuan answered.

Ye Junze, who had just regained a little hope, immediately slumped, discouraged. “On such a vast earth, how am I supposed to know where the missing parts are? How can I even begin to look?”

Mengyuan attempted to comfort him, in its emotionless way: “You must keep hope. If you manage to repair it, it will be a powerful artifact.”

Ye Junze could only reply, “Ha, you really think I’m that foolish?”

Afterwards, Ye Junze thought about the artifacts he’d obtained. Lingxu—he had hoped to show it off, only to learn its sword spirit was still dormant with no telling when it might awaken. And today’s unnamed little cauldron—he thought he’d found something precious, but it turned out to be even more broken than Lingxu, and the difficulty of repairing it was like climbing to the heavens. Was it too much to ask for a whole, powerful artifact? Ye Junze thought bitterly.

Mengyuan, oblivious to Ye Junze’s thoughts, would only comfort him as it understood.

With the investigation concluded and all information relayed to Ye Junze, Mengyuan withdrew its power from the cauldron. The beams of light faded and vanished, and the now unsupported cauldron began to descend slowly from midair until it touched the ground.

Ye Junze’s heart tightened as he saw the cauldron falling—already damaged, what if it broke further from the height? But seeing it settle smoothly onto the ground, his worry faded. “Mengyuan is truly reliable,” he thought.

He picked up the cauldron, carefully examined it for any damage, and then prepared to resume cultivation. At that moment, an anomaly occurred.

Suddenly, a white light burst forth from the cauldron’s interior, shooting out from Ye Junze’s hand and stopping midair. Ye Junze’s gaze followed the light, which then began to shift dramatically, spreading out sideways like a painting unfolding.

As the light fully expanded, Ye Junze’s eyes grew vacant with shock.

The scene displayed by the light was like a living video, presenting image after image. Ye Junze watched, his spirit shaken, eyes fixed on everything within.

The background was a vast battlefield, filled with scenes of fierce combat between people—broken weapons, dried bloodstains everywhere. The landscape was steeped in violence. The scene shifted, revealing a man holding a sword, his back to the viewer so Ye Junze could not see his face. The man’s determined figure, sword raised and charging forward, struck Ye Junze with awe. He slashed at his enemies, who, unable to withstand his strength, fell back in defeat. The man possessed the might of a lone hero standing against thousands.

The perspective shifted again, showing a gigantic cauldron glowing in the sky above the battlefield. Its owner was the sword-wielding man. Ye Junze observed the enormous cauldron, its patterns matching those on the small one in his hand. At this moment, he realized the extraordinary cauldron shown in the vision was the very one he held.

The scene shifted once more. The valiant man, faced with countless foes, was finally exhausted despite his power. His breath was ragged, his body covered in wounds, and his cauldron had shrunk, bearing clear cracks. The man murmured words Ye Junze could not hear. After speaking, he hurled the cauldron with all his strength, sending it streaking away like a meteor, its destination unknown. With this, the vision ended, and the beam of light converged, returning to the cauldron.

Ye Junze looked at the cauldron in his hand, which had once again grown still, as if everything just witnessed had been a mere illusion.

He shook his head, put the cauldron away, and stood in place, lost in thought.