Inside the Heaven-Reaching Road, amidst the endless Heaven-Reaching Pillars.

Ye Xiaofan stood quietly in place. It was obvious that the path before him now offered only two choices.

One was to give up the Ten Elements Fusion and break through to the True Self Realm in a normal manner. The other was to fuse the Spiritual Essence in front of everyone, completing the Ten Elements Fusion before stepping into the True Self Realm, ensuring a higher and farther future.

If he gave up, he would completely miss the opportunity to climb even higher. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

However, with his current talent and comprehension, coupled with the World Tree Martial Soul and more, even without the Ten Elements Fusion, he would inevitably become an entity capable of shaking the ages.

Yet, if he chose to fuse now, it meant his secret of the Ten Elements Fusion would no longer be known only to Luo Qingxian and Luo Qingchen, but would be as good as made public.

Once everyone knows that Ye Xiaofan has fused the Ten Spiritual Essences, Yunmo Xi would inevitably develop a murderous intent, and countless hostile forces would certainly harbor hidden dangers.

Needless to say, even the cultivators here, even if he safely walked out of the ’Hundred Sects Battle Domain’, cultivators throughout the whole Hundred Broken Mountain Range would not allow him to grow, especially those mortal enemies of the Sword Saint and the hostile forces of the Divine Sword Sect, all would not watch him grow step by step until he eventually threatened the entire Hundred Broken Mountain Range.

At that time, he would become the bearer of a world-shattering murder target, arousing the heads of various forces to disregard their statuses to suppress and kill him.

"Junior Brother Ye...?" Luo Qingxian looked at those increasingly determined eyes, heart almost pounding out of her chest, no need to say she knew what this decision meant for Ye Xiaofan, yet there was clearly a decision in his eyes.

Just as Luo Qingxian thought, at this moment, Ye Xiaofan indeed had an answer in his heart.

He could give up the Ten Elements Fusion, and even so, he could still intimidate the ten directions in the future, becoming a peerless powerhouse, influencing the eternal years.

But he did not want to leave regrets on the path of cultivation in the future.

At this moment, the words of Dugu Nan and Qi Yun gradually echoed in Ye Xiaofan’s mind, countless images flashed by swiftly.

In a trance, he seemed to see that figure standing again at the peak of the South Peak, using all of his life’s understanding to teach his only disciple, serving as a guiding light.

He slowly turned back, looking at ’himself’ with full experience, as if comprehending his entire life, while also seeming to guide that youthful figure, murmuring—

...

"We cultivators naturally defy the heavens, in cultivation, all worldly obstacles and encountered enemies are but clouds of smoke."

...

"A cultivator, desiring to achieve, needs the courage to face everything, looking out to the world, what harm is it if the whole realm is an enemy? It’s nothing at all!"

...

"Fear of strong enemies, hesitation and retreat, how can one be strong?"

...

"After a dark passage, there will be a bright future, a desperate situation will also find life, entering the game with oneself, one can still defeat destiny, why fear the world?"

...

"Fan’Er, remember, when you see everyone as an enemy, that is when you truly rise."

...

"The strong make thousands of enemies, the weak are defeated by one!"

...

"Let him be strong, like a gentle breeze brushing against the mountain, let him be fierce, like the bright moon illuminating the great river!"

...

Rumble—!!!

At this moment, Dugu Nan’s endless past teachings roared in Ye Xiaofan’s heart.

Those meticulous teachings day by day, like seeds subtly planted in Ye Xiaofan’s heart, have long begun to root, sprout, at this moment branch, and leaf, and finally transform into a towering ancient tree, a towering tree of faith.

"Some things, sooner or later, must be faced, it’s only whether they come early or late."

"One day, everyone must carry their own weight, must take that step."

Words of truth like thunder in his ears, continually roared in Ye Xiaofan’s heart, as if invisibly giving him endless confidence and courage.

In fact, the moment he sensed the True Self Shackles, Ye Xiaofan was panicked, even somewhat at a loss, after all, this change came too suddenly, catching him off guard.

However, at this moment, he was unusually calm, as if his heart had settled down. Finding the right master was the most boast-worthy and fortunate thing in Ye Xiaofan’s life.

Facing the urgency and helplessness in Luo Qingxian’s beautiful eyes, Ye Xiaofan gradually calmed down.

He looked over all the extraordinary geniuses on the Heaven-Reaching Road with his gaze, as if his whole mind underwent some kind of change.

When Ye Xiaofan once again looked at Luo Qingxian, she was almost rendered speechless by the shock from those eyes.

In the other’s eyes, she actually saw a trace of the aura of a true strong man looking down upon the world, though still very immature, it was already beginning to take shape.

"Junior Brother Ye, have you really thought it through? You want to fuse the Ten Elements here?" Luo Qingxian’s eyes were filled with endless astonishment, already shocked by something on the other side.

To fuse the Ten Elements here, knowing what he will face in the future, he surely understands more clearly than herself, yet he was relentless, majestic as a rainbow.

Ye Xiaofan heard this and chuckled bitterly, then spoke lightly: "Senior Sister Luo, I have no choice, nor do I wish to leave any regrets on the path of cultivation, only from now on, I beg Senior Sister to protect me at least once. If I, Ye Xiaofan, succeed in leaving here today, I will surely remember this favor in the future."

Ye Xiaofan smiled helplessly, in fact, since the day he entered the Divine Sword Sect, since he bowed under the Sword Saint’s tutelage, many things were no longer under his control.

Now the only thing he can do is to crazily make himself stronger, strong enough to make everyone fear, strong enough to control his own life.