The Divine Urban Physician Chapter 3692 - 3682: Mysterious Elder, Karma!

Ultimately, Ye Chen located Yang Qianyu. By this point, his subtle probe into the Sacred Origin Heart inside the sect had spread far and wide, reaching Yang Qianyu's ears.

"Senior Brother, are you here to ask about the Sacred Origin Heart?"

Yang Qianyu cut straight to the point, gazing directly at Ye Chen as he asked.

"Yes."

Ye Chen showed no astonishment, fully aware that his questions would draw eyes within the Six Paths Sect—he hadn't bothered to hide them. Hence, Yang Qianyu learning of it was no shock.

"Senior Brother, I must apologize, but I can't disclose anything about the Sacred Origin Heart."

Yang Qianyu shook his head while eyeing Ye Chen and explained.

"I understand."

Ye Chen stayed calm upon hearing this. Like Liu Yunmiao, Yang Qianyu upheld strong principles and wouldn't cross certain lines, no matter the pressure.

Right then, a glint flashed in Yang Qianyu's eyes as he regarded Ye Chen and said: "That said, I don't see you as someone with bad motives. The sect's members know nothing of the Sacred Origin Heart's mysteries. If you're set on answers, seek out just two individuals."

"Oh? And who might they be?"

Ye Chen's brows lifted in surprise as he stared at Yang Qianyu and inquired.

"One is your master, the sect master. The other is the grand elder, secluded for a thousand years and rarely seen."

Ye Chen gave a slight nod at this revelation. The Sacred Origin Heart stood as the ultimate forbidden secret in the Six Paths Sect, a true taboo. In such a guarded realm, only the sect master held the real truths.

Wu Duancang served as the sect master. As the Chief Disciple of the Six Paths Sect, he was indeed Ye Chen's master.

Sect rules dictated that the sect master personally guided the Chief Disciple's martial arts and cultivation path.

Ye Chen knew little about the other figure Yang Qianyu named—the grand elder in seclusion for a millennium.

Noticing Ye Chen's unfamiliarity with the grand elder, Yang Qianyu went on: "This grand elder, Zhou Jiutong, wields tremendous might. Enemy forces hesitate to strike the Six Paths Sect out of dread for Zhou Jiutong, a handful of other sect powerhouses, and allies of the grandmaster."

Ye Chen nodded thoughtfully at Yang Qianyu's explanation, grasping that Zhou Jiutong was far from ordinary and extracting Sacred Origin Heart details from him would prove challenging.

Soon after, Ye Chen wrapped up his talk with Yang Qianyu, learned Wu Duancang's whereabouts, and headed straight there.

The Six Paths Temple handled only sect business; Wu Duancang preferred dwelling on the Six Paths Peak behind it.

Before Ye Chen unsealed the Netherworld Peak, the Six Paths Peak reigned as the sect's prime spiritual haven with the richest Qi. Yet, the Netherworld Spirit Water's rise elevated Netherworld Peak to the top spot.

As Ye Chen arrived at the Six Paths Peak's base, thick spiritual energy surged over him, affirming the mountain's elite status—perhaps hiding treasures akin to the Netherworld Spirit Water.

At the peak's foot, Ye Chen clasped his fists respectfully and called out softly: "Disciple Ye Chen requests an audience with Master."

His words echoed up the Six Paths Peak, and instantly, Wu Duancang's voice responded.

Wu Duancang's voice carried a cold edge: "I know your purpose. Cease your pursuit; your intent lacks purity, and I refuse to meet you."

These words made Ye Chen's face shift; Wu Duancang rejected sharing Sacred Origin Heart secrets and even denied a meeting, underscoring the heart's supreme value to the Six Paths Sect as an absolute forbidden topic.

"Understood, this disciple bids farewell."

With Wu Duancang refusing entry, Ye Chen had no choice but to hold back and prepare to withdraw.

Suddenly, Wu Duancang's voice boomed once more: "I know your bullheaded ways, but heed this warning—stay away from Cloud Gazing Peak. Grand Elder Zhou Jiutong's temper is unpredictable; provoke him, and don't fault me for harsh discipline!"

"This disciple comprehends."

Ye Chen answered, inwardly exasperated. Wu Duancang's refusal had pushed him toward Zhou Jiutong next, but his master had pierced right through that plan.

Even though Ye Chen had agreed on the surface, he refused to abandon his intentions. The Sacred Origin Heart mattered greatly to him, as it could restore Ye Luo's memories while granting him the means to seize the Chong Guang Divine Radiance Palace and rescue the Samsara Graveyard's powerhouses.

For Ye Luo's sake or to claim the Chong Guang Divine Radiance Palace, Ye Chen simply could not relinquish the Sacred Origin Heart. Disregarding Wu Duancang's stern warning, he pressed on toward Cloud Gazing Peak.

Deep inside the Six Paths Sect lies Cloud Gazing Peak, enveloped in vast seas of clouds, rising to astonishing heights and nearly claiming the title of the sect's tallest mountain.

Around Cloud Gazing Peak swirls extraordinarily dense spiritual energy. Even amid the potent Hongmeng Aura's flow, its potency rivals that of Six Paths Peak itself.

Ye Chen ventured here purely on a whim to test his fate. Terrified of rousing Zhou Jiutong's ire, he steered clear of the Mountain Gate and silently made his climb.

Halfway up the mountain, however, Ye Chen stumbled upon a Spirit Lake overflowing with spiritual energy. There, the energy had evolved into living forms brimming with spirituality, joyfully splashing about in the waters.

An old man sat fishing right by the Spirit Lake. His hair shone white, his eyebrows elongated to nearly brush his mouth's edges. His skin appeared sallow, his life force barely flickering, as if death could claim him in the next breath—a man clearly at death's door.

This bizarre sight filled Ye Chen with astonishment. Cloud Gazing Peak served as Zhou Jiutong's domain—how could such a frail elder materialize here for fishing?

Ye Chen rejected the notion that this elder was Zhou Jiutong. After all, Yang Qianyu depicted Zhou Jiutong as a mighty guardian who had shielded the Six Paths Sect across endless years, nothing like this withering figure before him.

While Ye Chen mulled this over, the elder sensed his presence. Those dull, hazy eyes swept over Ye Chen with cold detachment before fixing back on the lake.

The elder displayed total apathy toward the world, caring for no endeavors whatsoever, which drew Ye Chen closer.

"Old Sir, may I ask why you are here?"

Ye Chen voiced the questions stirring within him.

The old man shot Ye Chen a glance, then remarked, "Why can’t I be here? This mountain is so large; I can go wherever I want. There’s a lake here, and fish in the lake. I happen to have a fishing rod, so why not fish here?"

Ye Chen's eyebrows lifted slightly at these words. They hinted at profound undertones, yet rang as plain truth, leaving him somewhat perplexed.

Ye Chen conversed with the old man briefly afterward, realizing the elder possessed no trace of spiritual energy—an utterly ordinary mortal.

The sight of a commoner within the Six Paths Sect heightened Ye Chen's intrigue. He figured the man's disinterest in all things arose from his fleeting lifespan.

Ye Chen blurted out, "Sir, I see your vitality is weak. Why not let me treat you? At the very least, you could live for a few more decades."

Such boldness stemmed from Ye Chen's supreme mastery in medicine; healing a mere mortal posed no challenge at all.

"Treatment?"

The old man eyed Ye Chen, a odd smile creeping across his face, before shaking his head. "No need."

This reply only deepened Ye Chen's bewilderment. The elder regarded everything with supreme indifference, including life and death itself—a most peculiar stance.

"Why don’t you join me in fishing?"

Right then, the old man seized a nearby fishing rod, shockingly crafted from spiritual energy, prompting a flicker across Ye Chen's features.

Not only did this Spirit Lake spawn spiritual energy beings, it even shaped fishing rods for anglers. Had the lake awakened its own sentience?

Ye Chen accepted the elder's offer without hesitation, settling down beside him and gripping a fishing rod.

The spiritual energy rod brimmed with boundless pure spiritual energy, while the lake's denizens—products of dense spiritual essence—swarmed the bait hungrily. Ye Chen hauled in one vivid, spirit-laden minnow after another.

Yet whenever Ye Chen dropped the small fish into the spiritual energy basket at his side, they dissolved one by one, reverting to pristine spiritual energy and merging back into the lake. Regardless of his pace or haul, the basket remained barren.

Ye Chen frowned deeply at this spectacle. What meaning lay in fishing like this?

Meanwhile, the old man observed Ye Chen's angling. His own spiritual energy rod rested motionless in the depths, ignored by any spirit fish, as he sat there with patient calm.

Watching Ye Chen reel in fish only for them to return to the Spirit Lake, the old man shook his head.

"Catching them today is the cause. Their return to the lake marks the effect. The karmic cycle has fully closed. Why do you persist in fishing, thus extending the loop?"

These words stunned Ye Chen. He stared at the old man, realizing his once-cloudy eyes now gleamed with profound depth and infinity, as if holding limitless wisdom within.

"This..."

Ye Chen parted his lips, yet failed to grasp the old man's intent. Karma's cycle—tied to simple fishing—yet treated with such gravity by the elder.

"I fish simply because I choose to. They come back because they wish to return."

Ye Chen shook his head as he replied.

"Hmm?"

A spark flashed in the old man's eyes upon hearing this.

"You plant causes without restraint, harvesting endless effects in return. Does that not frighten you?"

The old man pressed on.

Ye Chen observed the elder closely, sensing a enigmatic and powerful aura slowly radiating from him. Distinct ripples emanated from the old man's form, ultimately surging through the skies and land.

This Spirit Lake, along with all of Cloud Gazing Peak and the whole Six Paths Sect, got shrouded in these strange ripples. Everyone sensed something elusive, like touching a deep truth, but the world felt alien and bewildering, leaving them lost.

Right then, Ye Chen found himself at a loss for words to the old man's query.

"All speak of karma, but who really comprehends its essence? Do you?"

"I sit here fishing. No fish bites, nor do I lift my line. It looks like I possess nothing, yet truly, I've obtained it all. Get it?"

With piercing eyes fixed on Ye Chen, the old man kept probing relentlessly.

Ye Chen stood stupefied by the old man's declarations. The inquiries grew ever deeper, delivered with rising speed, as though the elder voiced his inner doubts rather than questioning Ye Chen directly.

Suddenly, the Samsara Graveyard quaked, and Han Wenxin materialized, gazing at the old man with intense depth.

"Senior."

Ye Chen's mind shifted; he stepped into the Samsara Graveyard and bowed with clasped hands toward Han Wenxin.

"This elder hides great depths. Heed my guidance and answer him thus."

Han Wenxin now brimmed with keen interest, eyeing Ye Chen eagerly.

Indeed, Han Wenxin's core pursuit revolved around karma!

Han Wenxin had dedicated his existence to unraveling karma's principles!

Who dares challenge him in this realm?