After the three women entered seclusion, Yun Fan checked the formation again, and after confirming it was safe, he left.
By the time he returned next, the three women would likely be close to exiting seclusion.
At this moment, Yun Fan stepped out of this special world and headed towards the direction of the God Realm.
However, what awaited him was a net of heaven and earth, a trap.
Outside the God Realm, Yun Fan didn't find it particularly strange. Besides the dense divine power and the more complete Heavenly Dao laws, it was much like the mortal world.
Of course, for divine power users, the God Realm was a paradise because the divine path was complete, and one wouldn't fall from the divine realm here.
But for someone like him, who was unaffected wherever he went, it didn't seem particularly novel.
However, at this moment, on the desolate frontier of the God Realm, by a lake, stood a thatched hut.
On a bridge in front of the thatched hut, a man was fishing.
The moment Yun Fan saw him, he realized the man was incredibly powerful. In terms of strength, the man was definitely a peak Mahayana stage cultivator.
Even much stronger than him.
Yun Fan walked closer, wondering if the man was here to kill him.
Of course, at this moment, even if the man was here to kill him, he couldn't escape.
Before the actual battle, he didn't know if he could defeat the man.
At this moment, Yun Fan approached him and watched him fish.
"You've arrived!"
The man seemed to have known Yun Fan would come, and he seemed to recognize Yun Fan's identity. Thus, their opening exchange was very simple.
"Were you deliberately waiting for me here?"
Yun Fan asked.
"That's right. The God Realm has issued an order. Once you step into the God Realm, the guards at the passage are responsible for killing you. It seems you've coincidentally arrived at the passage I'm guarding!"
Upon hearing this, Yun Fan understood the man's meaning and then asked, "Then why aren't you making a move?"
"In fact, I already have!"
In an instant, a splash of water erupted and shot towards Yun Fan.
Yun Fan's expression changed, and he quickly dodged, then charged directly at the man.
Under the setting sun, the two engaged in a heaven-shattering battle amidst the reeds.
If this place wasn't reinforced by formations, the fight between them could have annihilated an area of a thousand miles. This was the terrifying power of the Mahayana stage.
The Mahayana stage was called divine not without reason; a casual strike could destroy a city.
Yun Fan finally discovered the man's terrifying strength. Even though he had just broken through to the Mahayana stage, he couldn't compare to the man.
He was completely suppressed throughout the entire fight.
At this moment, Yun Fan used the man's strength to temper his own. He didn't use his demonic power. Sudan Novel Network.
However, as the man's strength grew and his attacks became increasingly lethal, Yun Fan became enraged and quickly unleashed his demonic power.
"Too late!"
The next moment, a tattered ancient sword in the man's hand was already pressed against Yun Fan's origin. One step further, and his origin would be pierced.
Although for Mahayana stage cultivators, the origin wasn't as crucial as the divine soul, if his origin were pierced, he wouldn't feel good.
"Why didn't you kill me?"
Yun Fan asked in confusion, as he couldn't detect any killing intent in the man's eyes.
The man replied, "If you don't cut when it's time to cut, you'll be plagued by chaos! You were too indecisive. You should have used your strongest trump card the moment you started fighting me, because gods give you no second chances!"
With that said, he retracted the ancient sword and sat back down by the lake to fish.
At this moment, Yun Fan deeply understood his meaning and sat down beside him.
"May I ask for your esteemed name, Senior?"
Yun Fan asked.
The man replied, "My name was forgotten long ago in the mythological era. You can call me Nameless. I have no name and no desire to have one again!"
Hearing this, Yun Fan was a little puzzled. Perhaps his state of mind wasn't as serene as the man's.
"Do you know why I didn't kill you?"
He asked Yun Fan.
Yun Fan shook his head, "I don't know!"
The man said, "There are many reasons why I didn't kill you! Let me tell you a story, and you'll understand!"
Another story!
Yun Fan was speechless, but at this moment, he was eager to listen. He hoped Nameless's story wasn't too simple.
At this moment, Nameless began, "In the mythological era, when the anomalies erupted, there was a young boy whose parents died in the anomalies. He narrowly escaped death! But the anomaly-infected martial artists ran rampant everywhere, so he hid in a dilapidated Taoist temple, too afraid to go out. Every night, when he heard the screams of the anomaly-infected martial artists, or the screams of those not infected being slaughtered by anomalies, he would cower in the temple, trembling. He didn't know how long this dark period would last, and could only wait aimlessly!"
Yun Fan could understand that feeling of loneliness and despair. He also knew that a protagonist like this was likely recounting his own story.
At this moment, Nameless continued, "As time went by, the anomalies did not diminish. He lived in fear and despair every day. He had countless times wanted to end his own life. He waited for the gods high above to quell the darkness, but they didn't! He was only human, not a god, so he knew that if he were infected, he would become a walking dead."
This was something Yun Fan knew. To become a puppet of anomalies, one had to be at least Emperor level. Below Emperor level, if infected, one would become a walking dead. From this, Yun Fan could deduce that this was Nameless's youth, or perhaps he hadn't even begun cultivating martial arts.
"One day, the anomalies finally discovered his hiding place. Several walking dead anomalies tried to tear him apart and consume him! Finally, in the boy's despair, a young girl suddenly appeared and slew all these infected walking dead. From that moment on, the boy realized that this girl was the god who had saved him! He thought the girl would look down on his weakness, but the opposite was true!"
He spoke enraptured, "Those were the happiest days of the boy's life. The girl comforted him and encouraged him not to give up and to keep living. Later, he learned that the girl's sect had also been annihilated by anomalies. From then on, they depended on each other. Love blossomed over time, and they survived arduously in this anomalous end of the world!"
As he spoke, tears streamed down his face. Yun Fan remained silent throughout, a quiet listener.
At this moment, he said, "He thought that even without gods to save them, he and the girl could live happily. But one day, he and the girl were again surrounded by anomalies. After fighting their way out, his heart was heavy because he had been infected!"
His voice quickened, his emotions surging.
"Seeing this, the girl comforted the timid boy not to be afraid. What if he became an anomaly? She would become an anomaly with him and would not let him be alone! Then the girl removed her protective gear and inhaled the anomalous energy! At that moment, they held hands, both terrified, but because they had each other, they calmly turned into anomalies together. But the final outcome was that the girl became an anomaly, while the boy did not!"
"Why was that?"
Yun Fan asked, confused.
Nameless replied, "Because the boy was not infected by the anomalies. He didn't know that the wound pierced by the anomaly wouldn't be infected. But it was too late for regret, because the girl had already become an anomalous walking dead. The boy wanted to die with her, but unfortunately, being a coward, he didn't even have the courage to commit suicide. Filled with grief and regret, the boy fled!"
Hearing this, Yun Fan finally understood why the man was so emotional. Living a lifetime filled with regret was not a good feeling.
At this moment, he continued, "That night, the boy cried. The next day, when he summoned his courage and returned to the Taoist temple, he found that the girl, who had become a walking dead, had not left. Although the girl had no consciousness left, subconsciously, she was still waiting at the temple. The boy took out a dagger, prepared to end his life and accompany the girl to the underworld. However, before he could act, the gods' rescue arrived, clearing the anomaly-infected walking dead! No matter how Yun Fan tried to block the girl, who had become an anomaly, she was eventually cleared. Before she died, the boy saw her tears!"
The story ended, and Yun Fan's heart remained unsettled, for this was the most accurate portrayal of the late mythological era.
At this moment, he said to Yun Fan, "That boy was me!"
"I deeply understand your feelings, Senior. Anomalies are indeed hateful. Since their appearance in this world, they have brought disaster to it!"
Yun Fan said through gritted teeth.
But Nameless said, "No, as hateful as anomalies are, they are not as hateful as gods. The gods could have rescued us, but they didn't help mortals. In their eyes, it didn't matter how many mortals died!"
Yun Fan nodded. Not all gods were selfless. There were good gods, but the bad ones were in the majority.
He continued to blame himself, "I hate myself even more. She became an anomaly for me, but I was weak!"
Nameless said, "Ten thousand years have passed. Countless times I have wanted to destroy the anomalies, even if it meant dying in battle. But ultimately, the gods reached a deal with the anomalies. I, who hated the gods the most, have ended up becoming the god I despised!"
Yun Fan didn't know how to persuade him. Just as he was about to try, Nameless said to him, "The reason I didn't kill you is that I see hope in you. Whether it's gods or anomalies, in the end, they are all birds of a feather. And you are the one who will purge these impurities!"
This was Nameless's true intention.
Yun Fan nodded, "I understand!"
In fact, he and the gods, and even the anomalies, had reached a point of no return. There would ultimately be a battle in the future.
Whether it was his past self or his present self, he was a thorn in their eyes.
At this moment, Yun Fan asked Nameless, "Senior, have you ever heard of the tribulation of the gods?"
Nameless replied, "It was a long time ago. I didn't witness it, but I have heard of it!"
"Oh?"
Just as Yun Fan was puzzled, Nameless said, "According to the records of the gods, a most heinous Demon Ancestor appeared between heaven and earth, causing the populace to suffer and the gods to wail. In the end, the gods and anomalies joined forces to eliminate this Demon Ancestor, restoring peace and prosperity to the world!"
Seeing that the gods had blackened his name, Yun Fan wasn't angry. After all, with the methods of the gods, Yun Fan thought it was perfectly normal.
There was no need to explain, nor could he explain.
At this moment, Nameless continued, "But the truth is not like that. When the Demon Ancestor was alive, he never encroached upon the God Realm, nor did he slaughter mortals. To the Demon Ancestor, the God Realm and the mortal realm were merely passers-by. The Demon Ancestor's sole objective was to kill anomalies!"
"Unfortunately, due to the long passage of time, all the truth has been concealed by the anomalies and the gods. The Demon Ancestor, who is you, has become a universally reviled existence!"
Hearing this, Yun Fan felt indignant. These guys were truly detestable. One day, he would settle the score.
At this moment, Yun Fan asked, "Do you know any of the hidden secrets involved?"
Nameless asked in confusion, "Don't you know?"
He found it strange. Yun Fan was the person involved! It was puzzling that as the person involved, he didn't know.
Yun Fan said speechlessly, "Senior, you overestimate me. I have no memories from ten thousand years ago!"
"Very well, then I will tell you in detail!"