The Legend of Futian Chapter 2961 - Human Affairs

A lake sat in the backyard adjacent to the Qingzhou Academy, serving as the residence for Ye Futian.

Beside the water stood an ancient tree, beneath which Ye Futian was currently positioned, rod in hand. Whenever the line went taut with a hooked fish, he would pull back the rod while Xia Qingyuan worked to unhook the catch and place it into the waiting bucket.

She appeared immensely delighted by the simplicity of this mundane life. With a wide grin, she remarked, “This one is even larger than the last.”

“It seems a grand feast is in our future,” Ye Futian replied, smiling back at her.

As time drifted by, Ye Futian remained focused on his fishing. Eventually, his eyelids grew heavy and he drifted into a state resembling sleep.

Xia Qingyuan remained by his side, waiting in tranquil silence.

...

On a continent far removed from the Nine States, a small hut sat nestled within a secluded valley, surrounded by a desolate, snow-dusted mountain range. At that moment, an old man with a sage-like aura was seated outside the dwelling, likewise engaged in fishing.

An absolute silence reigned over the area, as if the entire world had fallen mute. No sound disturbed the peace.

Suddenly, the old man’s brow furrowed slightly as he sensed a presence. Following this, the image of another figure fishing within a different dimension manifested.

Upon seeing this silhouette, a smile touched the old man’s lips.

“Master.” The figure offered a bow and a smile. It was now clear that this was the Master of Four Corner Village. Gazing at the old man, he inquired, “How much time has passed since your return?”

“A significant amount of time,” Ye Futian responded. “I apologize for disturbing your peace.”

“It is no trouble at all,” the Master replied, his eyes fixed on Ye Futian.

Ye Futian currently possessed the appearance of an ordinary man. Though his features remained as striking as ever, he radiated no aura whatsoever. To any observer, he was indistinguishable from a common peasant.

Ye Futian had returned to a state of primordial nature. He seemed like nothing more than a speck of dust in the vast world, an unremarkable living being among many.

“It appears you have ascended to yet another realm of existence,” the Master remarked, observing Ye Futian’s state.

“I have come this time because I seek your guidance on a certain matter,” Ye Futian said.

“Speak,” the Master said with a nod of encouragement.

“Master, you once mentioned being imprisoned by time. How did you eventually break free from its shackles?” Ye Futian asked. Since coming back, he appeared to spend his days in idleness, yet he was perpetually in a state of deep meditation.

However, his current form of meditation differed from his past methods. Having become the Heavenly Path, traditional meditation no longer offered him any progress.

Instead, he had gained profound insights from his previous conflict with the Human Ancestor.

Everything in existence eventually reverts to its fundamental form.

“The fact that you can bypass the restrictions of dimensions to appear here proves you have reached a higher peak. Even as you command the Heavenly Path, you can manifest an avatar of yourself. I was only able to escape the temporal trap because I realized that the me of the past, the me of the present, and the me of the future are one. Every version of myself is the true self,” the Master explained.

Ye Futian was momentarily stunned by the Master’s revelation.

The past is me; the present is me; the future is me.

In the teachings of Buddhism, there was a concept that one cannot grasp a past thought, a future thought, or even a present thought.

While these ideas seemed to conflict, they were inherently connected.

“I thank you, Master,” Ye Futian said, offering another bow.

“Go now,” the Master said, vanishing into thin air as if the encounter had never occurred.

Meanwhile, Ye Futian remained by the lake, fishing with his eyes closed. He had not moved a muscle from his original position.

The Master’s words echoed repeatedly in his mind. Simultaneously, another realization resonated within him: “I am the Heavenly Path; I am myself.”

All things were illusions, yet everything possessed true existence.

...

As time marched on, the global conflict grew more intense. The scale of the fighting expanded, and the brief peace the world had enjoyed was threatened by an all-encompassing war.

On that day, a terrifying presence descended upon the City of the Ruins. A massive altar channeled an invincible power that blanketed the entire sky.

The cultivators of Empyrean were shaken by the arrival of this force, realizing that their Immortal Sovereign was nearing manifestation.

The conclusion of this world war would be signaled by the arrival of the Immortal Sovereign.

Empyrean's cultivators gathered in the City of the Ruins, exuding a formidable aura. At the altar’s summit, a group of Heavenly Immortals hovered, watching the heavens. Their leader, an Immortal Emperor, looked upward with a gaze that seemed to pierce the very void. Soon, numerous divine consciousnesses began to manifest in the area.

“It seems everyone has arrived,” the Immortal Emperor noted, looking out into the distance.

Suddenly, several figures appeared in the sky. Ji Wudao stood at the highest point, while Gu Dongliu and The Buddha appeared elsewhere, all focusing on the same direction as they felt the encroaching threat.

“The Immortal Sovereign arrives in seven days. At that time, you must choose between submission or death,” the Immortal Emperor declared. The altar acted as a gateway to another universe, drawing in an unending stream of alien power.

Following this declaration, the spectral faces in the clouds vanished.

High above in the Heavenly Palace of the Heavenly Realm, Ji Wudao sat in a meditative lotus position. He opened his eyes and glanced toward the lower world, his vision cutting through the clouds to see the altar below.

He then looked up at the heavens and vowed, “I shall surpass him! I will prove it to you!”

...

Within the city of Qingzhou, the head of the Cao Clan, Cao Zheng, presided over a meeting in the main hall. The clan's elite, including Cao Yuan, were in attendance.

The purpose of their gathering was to arrange Cao Yuan’s marriage. He had previously expressed a desire to wed Hua Nianyu, the daughter of Mr. Hua, an idea that the clan found very appealing. They were now finalizing the strategy.

“This plan is sound,” one Elder remarked. “We have already placed several people within the Qingzhou Academy. Word is that the Chancellor holds Hua Fengliu in high regard. Securing this marriage would grant us influence over the entire Academy. Furthermore, we would gain Hua Fengliu’s backing. He has mentored many talented students lately who are destined to become the future leaders of Qingzhou.”

“I agree. Cao Yuan is exceptionally talented himself. I suspect Hua Nianyu’s cultivation is also quite advanced. They would be an ideal pairing,” another added.

The Cao Clan stood to gain immensely from this union.

“I will withhold my consent until we have confirmed Hua Fengliu’s true history,” an older member cautioned.

“This is merely a formal proposal. Even if he declines, we can use the interaction to investigate his background further,” someone countered.

After weighing the arguments, Cao Zheng reached a conclusion. “Very well,” he announced. “We shall present the marriage proposal seven days from today!”