Chapter 1 A Glance Across a Thousand Years

A single glance spanning a millennium.

The gaze was gentle and peaceful, yet as deep as the abyss, instantly occupying An Qisheng's entire field of vision.

In that instant, An Qisheng felt as if this gaze had filled his entire world!

He can actually sense my existence?

Even I don't know what state I'm in right now, yet he can detect it?

How is this possible?

According to his speculation, his ability only allowed him to touch the spiritual imprints left by all living beings throughout history, to perceive their state at that time.

How could he be discovered?

Could it be that his calculations were wrong, and his spirit could truly traverse millennia, dreaming for ten thousand years?

Had he really come to the past, a thousand years ago?

An Qisheng's heart pounded wildly, a myriad of thoughts swirling within him.

He was momentarily overwhelmed.

It wasn't that his mind wasn't steadfast enough, but this scene was simply too shocking.

It was fortunate that he had encountered a sage like Wang Yangming; if it had been a peerless demon, wouldn't he be in danger?

"Perhaps he didn't discover me? No, that's not right. I can feel it, he's looking at me..."

An Qisheng calmed himself, barely managing to gather his scattered thoughts.

He wanted to speak, but in this state, he couldn't. He wanted to manifest, but in this state, he couldn't.

He could only stare blankly.

Meeting across a thousand years, seemingly paradoxical, had actually happened.

Within the window paper illuminated by flickering lamplight, a figure moved.

Creak~

The window suddenly opened, and a gentle breeze blew into the room, causing the lamp flame to flicker.

At this moment, An Qisheng finally saw the true face of this unparalleled figure, the last sage of the Great Xuan Dynasty.

He was dressed simply, his body beneath the brown robe was somewhat thin, a wooden hairpin held his graying hair, his features were ordinary on his gaunt face, but his eyes, in this night, in An Qisheng's perspective,

Were like the sun and moon, like a vast ocean, like a boundless universe.

Unfathomable.

Seeing him, An Qisheng's heart instantly calmed completely, like the warm sun of winter shining upon him, comfortable, peaceful, and relaxed.

The deeds of this Yangming Sage resurfaced in his mind.

Unofficial histories recorded that the spirit of this Master Yangming had already reached the realm of the ancient sages, and could even predict the fate of the nation and glimpse the future.

If this was true...

"The seventh realm, this must be the seventh realm!"

An Qisheng's heart was filled with understanding.

"So, it's a little friend."

The breeze rustled his hair, Wang Yangming nodded slightly, his gaze fixed on An Qisheng, as if he truly saw this 'guest' from later generations.

His gaze was clear, without the slightest curiosity, only a hint of joy.

"He doesn't seem surprised by my arrival..."

The thought flashed through An Qisheng's mind.

He wanted to speak, but unfortunately, he was just an illusory and unknowable entity at this time, unable to master such advanced skills as vocalization.

Unexpectedly, Wang Yangming, sitting at the table in the room, seemed to hear An Qisheng's thoughts and replied:

"Little friend's mind is quite far from me, but it is not surprising that you can come to see me."

"There is no principle outside the mind, no object outside the mind. All things in heaven and earth are within my mind. Before you came, I had no you in my mind. Now that you have come, you are naturally in my heart."

Wang Yangming said calmly:

"If I cannot see, hear, or perceive you, then have you not come? Do you not exist?"

But little friend, do not be too alarmed. My knowing of your coming does not mean that I can harm you.

"Can Master Yangming hear my thoughts?"

An Qisheng's calmed state of mind was stirred again.

Wang Yangming's words, seemingly aimless, actually pointed out the many thoughts and questions that had turned in his mind earlier.

"One thought arises, one thought is known. This is not a difficult thing to understand. Communication between people still requires language and writing, but communication between hearts does not need these."

Wang Yangming's voice rang out.

But An Qisheng discovered that at the same time his voice rang out, he hadn't actually opened his mouth, and it wasn't a voice at all!

This seemed somewhat similar to the Buddhist神通 (shentong) [supernatural powers] of telepathy in legends.

"神通 (Shentong)? What are 神通 (shentong)? Walking, sitting, lying down, everything that seems habitual, if few can do it, is it also a 神通 (shentong)?"

Wang Yangming had already stood up at some point and was slowly pacing in the room.

Only when he stood up did An Qisheng see that the sage's body was already very weak, and he was walking with a bit of a stagger.

If one only saw this, he was truly just an ordinary old man.

But in An Qisheng's perception, this old man's body exuded a pure light that was impossible to look at directly.

The light of the mind?

A phrase suddenly popped into An Qisheng's mind.

"It is not easy for you and I to meet, but there is also a connection. I have learned much from you in your heart. If you have questions, I may be able to answer them."

The old man walked slowly and with difficulty, as if every step required great effort.

So much so that he was somewhat breathless as he spoke.

Such a state, appearing on a being who was very likely to step into the path ahead, was extremely unbelievable.

Inadvertently, An Qisheng thought of what Xue Zheng had once said.

Can heaven and earth carry the minds of sages, but worldly resources cannot support the old man's body in the world?

Wouldn't that mean that the higher the realm, the shorter the lifespan?

Then wouldn't the countless geniuses and outstanding figures of the past who sought the path ahead be seeking their own death?

"I..."

An Qisheng's heart was shaken and uneasy.

From Daoist Juechen, Xue Zheng, Mu Longcheng, the great masters he had seen, good or bad, were all unparalleled figures who had reached their limits.

If they knew that the path they were painstakingly pursuing was truly a dead end.

Then what should they do?

"To hear the Dao in the morning, one may die content in the evening."

As soon as An Qisheng's thought arose, the old man stopped, his gentle gaze falling into the courtyard, with a trace of a sigh:

"I already know what you are wondering, and I can answer all of your doubts."

"The road ahead may not be as beautiful as you think, and perhaps, this road should not be left behind.

But I must continue the past sages, and also pass on new ones..."

The old man pushed open the door and walked into the courtyard, the night wind blowing through the branches.

The rustling sound and the old man's voice entered An Qisheng's heart together:

"Old trees reach the sky, their roots must be deeper. If the roots reach the heart of the earth, then even if the sky is infinitely high, the branches and leaves cannot reach higher..."

"You must remember..."

Under the old tree, the old man stood with his hands behind his back, his thin body was incomparably tall in An Qisheng's heart, almost as tall as the sky:

"Go, go!"

Between the old man's sleeves, An Qisheng only felt that in his perspective, the heavens and earth melted, the ancient city collapsed, the house, the old tree, the lamplight, the old man...

Disappeared one by one.

Whoosh~

In a small hotel next to the train station, An Qisheng suddenly opened his eyes and woke up from his dream.

"Hoo..."

An Qisheng slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air.

Calming himself, he picked up the yellowed ancient scroll spread out in front of him. The ancient scroll was still there, but the spiritual imprint on it had dissipated.

"Master Yangming, you haven't said anything yet..."

An Qisheng smiled wryly.

You said you could solve my doubts, you should say something...

In his perspective, the captured spiritual imprint had disappeared.

This meant that he could not repeat his dream visit to Master Yangming.

"Master Yangming said he would solve my doubts, such a figure would never deceive me..."

An Qisheng felt something in his heart, unconsciously rubbing the ancient scroll in his palm:

"Then..."

Looking down at the yellowed ancient text on the scroll, a strange thought suddenly arose in his heart:

Could this book be left to me by Master Yangming?!!