svetikya Chapter 16 3 Forks
Chapter 16 3 Forks
Lin Dong paused, remained silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head and said, "No one knows his background, not even I am quite clear about it. All we need to know is that Brother Yi is no ordinary person."
More than exploring Li Yi's background, he cared about his own cultivation. There was no ease on the path of cultivation; only by being strong enough could one gain a foothold and protect those around them.
……
The news that Black Dragon Stronghold was wiped out by one person and that a person with double pupils had suddenly appeared was gradually spreading in the surrounding cities of Qingyang Town, becoming the most talked-about topic among martial artists on the streets.
In the streets and alleys, in taverns and teahouses, everyone was talking about this matter. The rumors spread like wildfire, following the official roads and streams, reaching even more distant cities.
Li Yi, the instigator of all this turmoil, was completely unaware of it. He showed no regrets and did not look back at the Black Dragon Village that was gradually being swallowed up by the mountains. He calmly looked at the distant, continuous mountains, moved, and followed the dirt road in the mountains, heading straight east.
According to his original plan, he intended to travel eastward to Yan City.
Yan City is the central city of this region, far more suitable for cultivation and training than the small Qingyang Town or the remote Black Dragon Stronghold. With his current cultivation level, coupled with the talent and foundation of his double pupils and supreme bones, going to Yan City would allow him to not only access a wider world of martial arts, but also to seek opportunities to hone his cultivation and explore clues about his own origins.
Having made up his mind, Li Yi walked steadily along the winding dirt road. The wind swept through the treetops, rustling the grass and trees, and occasionally an unknown bird would fly across the sky, leaving behind a few clear cries that broke the silence of the mountains and fields.
He traveled alone, without companions or external ties, as if he were the only figure in the world, silently heading towards the unknown distance. Such a solitary journey might be unbearably lonely for others, but Li Yi was already used to solitude. He had never liked noisy crowds, nor did he have any interest in engaging in superficial dealings with various forces. One person, one road, was enough.
After walking at a leisurely pace for several days, the mountain road finally came to an end, opening up into a wide-open space where a three-way intersection lay before us.
Two roads, one on the left and one on the right, lined up on either side.
To the left is a wide and well-maintained road, its surface worn smooth and hard by the constant passage of carriages and pedestrians. Neat rows of ancient trees grow along both sides of the road at intervals. Looking into the distance, the road stretches into the plains, and the distinctive outline of an official road can be vaguely seen. It is clearly a proper official road connecting major cities.
The path on the right, in comparison, appeared much more shabby. It was narrow, rugged, and uneven, with weeds growing rampantly from the cracks in the rocks. Bushes and vines grew on both sides, extending into the depths of the forest. At a glance, it was impossible to tell where the path led; it looked more like a wild trail trodden by ordinary woodcutters and hunters.
Standing in the middle of the crossroads, Li Yi stopped and looked up at the sky, trying to determine the direction by the position of the sun before choosing a road.
His method of finding direction was always simple and direct. He didn't remember road signs, ask passersby, or rely on maps; he determined his location solely by the sun, moon, stars, tree shadows, and wind direction. In his view, the world had its own laws, and as long as one understood these laws, one wouldn't go astray. Why depend on external objects or others, unless…
Looking up, the thick layers of clouds overhead resembled a giant gray cloth covering the entire landscape, completely blocking out the blazing sun and preventing any sunlight from reaching the horizon. The sky was a hazy gray, obscuring the outline of the sun and making it impossible to determine direction using it.
Li Yi frowned slightly, but his expression remained calm, without the slightest hint of anxiety. If they couldn't observe the sunrise, then they would find another way.
He slowly lowered his head, his gaze falling on the several tall, ancient trees beside him. It was morning, and normally, with the sun in the east, the shadows of the trees should be pointing west. He carefully examined the shadows on the ground; the dappled shadows cast by the interlacing branches were clearly defined, and indeed, they were steadily slanted to the west.
The tree shadows face west.
Li Yi was secretly certain that since the sun rose in the east and the shadows of the trees stretched to the west, the due east direction was the exact opposite of the shadows.
He turned to look at the two forks in the road. The wide official road on the left stretched due north, far from his intended eastward direction. The narrow country path on the right, however, meandered eastward, following the shadows of the trees.
Without much hesitation, Li Yi's gaze sharpened, and without a moment's delay, he lifted his foot and stepped onto the path to the right.
In his mind, the direction would never be wrong. As long as he followed the eastward path determined by the laws of nature, he would eventually reach Yan City. As for whether the road was a wide official road or a mountain path, he didn't care. The main road had its hustle and bustle, and the path had its tranquility. For a cultivator, there was no good or bad road. As long as the direction was right, he would just keep going.
After stepping onto the path on the right, the surrounding scenery gradually changes.
At first, you could still see some signs of human trampling on the road, but the further you went, the narrower the road became. The vegetation on both sides became more and more lush, with towering ancient trees blocking out the sun. Their branches intertwined and almost formed a dense green canopy overhead, blocking out most of the sunlight from the outside world.
The path underfoot was gradually covered by weeds and withered branches. The faint traces of the path became increasingly faint, and it no longer resembled an official road at all. It had completely turned into a desolate mountain trail deep in the heart of the mountains.
The road was rugged and uneven, with protruding rocks and overgrown tree roots blocking the way from time to time. There was no sound of vehicles or people around, only the whistling of the wind through the grass and trees, and the occasional low growl of a ferocious beast from the depths of the mountains and forests, exuding a primitive and desolate atmosphere.
Ordinary travelers, upon reaching this point and finding the road increasingly remote and desolate, having long since strayed from the main road, would likely have already harbored doubts, turned back, and chosen the main road again.
But from the moment Li Yi stepped onto this path, he never once had the slightest thought of turning back.
His steps remained steady and unhurried, as the path became increasingly remote and desolate, his expression unwavering, without a trace of doubt about his initial directional judgment. Once he identified the eastward direction through the shadows of the trees, he was certain that he had chosen the right path. As for the remoteness and difficulty of the journey, he considered them merely ordinary setbacks on his journey, not worth mentioning.
He was inherently stubborn and had his own set of rules for doing things. Once he made a decision, he rarely changed it. Moreover, in his logic, he determined his location based on the laws of nature and the shadows of trees, which was perfectly reasonable. Therefore, it was even less likely that he would turn back halfway just because the road was desolate.
Walking alone in the secluded wilderness, Li Yi calmed his mind and secretly circulated his internal energy as he walked forward.
Within his dantian, the abundant Yuan energy flowed and circulated throughout his body along his meridians. The cultivation he had consolidated after the recent destruction of the Black Dragon Stronghold was quietly being refined and refined in this solitary and tranquil state.
Deep within his eyes, the eerie light of his double pupils flickered intermittently. Occasionally, as he swept across the surrounding mountains and forests, he could pierce through layers of trees and glimpse the lurking monsters deep within.