Early the next morning, after a brief court meeting, a consensus was reached for Long Lie, the great general of the Dragon Clan, to succeed as the High Priest of Holy Mountain.

This was a rather peculiar appointment.

Long Lie had always been a valiant, powerful, and hot-tempered dragon; he had no interest in mystical matters, no faith, and had never read a single Buddhist scripture. You…

He had ventured into the unknown realm beyond fate, and he knew not how much time had passed. In this chaotic void, time had lost its meaning, and space seemed to be torn into countless fragments, drifting aimlessly. He walked on the edge of destiny, each step like treading on the brink of nothingness, with neither beginning nor end.

The faint light in his palm still flickered, a spark from beyond fate, a symbol of freedom. It seemed to possess a consciousness, guiding his direction. He did not resist, nor did he hesitate; he simply followed this wisp of light, steadily moving forward in the void beyond fate.

Gradually, he noticed a strange change. The faint light was no longer just pure light, but a projection of will, as if an imprint left by some entity. It was guiding him towards an unknown depth.

“Who are you?” he whispered.

The faint light did not respond, only flickering slightly, as if waiting for him to find the answer himself.

He continued to move forward, traversing layers of nothingness, as if entering a rift in fate. Those souls once bound by fate now floated in the void; their consciousness was not yet fully awakened, but they had already deviated from the trajectory of fate.

He could feel their confusion and fear, and also their inner longing. They yearned for freedom, but did not know its cost; they longed for a path beyond fate, but did not know how to proceed.

“The third path of fate…” he murmured to himself, “It is not a path of no return, but a path that truly belongs to oneself.”

He slowly extended his hand, and the faint light in his palm transformed into a thin thread, coiling around the floating souls. His consciousness connected with them, slowly transmitting his understanding of freedom and his insights into fate to them.

“You have broken free from the shackles of fate, but this does not mean you have gained true freedom.” His voice echoed in the void, “True freedom is the right to choose, the courage to face the unknown, and the steadfastness to endure solitude.”

The souls began to awaken, their consciousness gradually clarifying, and they began to comprehend their situation. Some remained confused, but more began to follow him, moving forward in the direction indicated by the faint light.

“Freedom…” he whispered, “It is not without cost. It requires solitude, the endurance of unknown fears, and the facing of a future where nothing is certain.”

He continued forward, and the souls behind him grew in number, forming a path, a path leading to the unknown. This path had no established rules, no set destination, only the freedom of continuous progression.

Meanwhile, in the ancient hall at the nexus of fate, Lin Yi and Lu Chen still floated on the line of fate, gazing at the void beyond the end of fate.

“He is no longer a part of fate,” Lu Chen slowly said, “But he has forged a new path beyond fate.”

Lin Yi smiled slightly: “The third path of fate has never been a path of no return. It needs someone to walk it, someone to lead the way.”

Lu Chen was silent for a moment, then slowly said, “Then, where will this path lead?”

Lin Yi’s gaze was profound: “No one knows. But it is this very unknown that makes it a true path to freedom.”

They gazed silently at the void, as if waiting for something.

And at the other end of fate, the young cultivator still stood on the mountaintop, looking up at the sky.

His eyes shone with a determined light.

“The third path of fate…” he murmured, “I, too, shall embark on it.”

He slowly closed his eyes, beginning to sense the existence of that path. He vaguely felt a strange fluctuation, as if calling to him, guiding him towards an unknown direction.

He opened his eyes, his gaze as firm as iron, “And I, too, shall embark on my own path.”

He took a step, as if stepping into the unknown realm beyond fate.

It was merely awaiting the next choice.

And this time, the third path of fate had only just begun.

In the void beyond fate, that figure continued to walk.

His steps were firm, his gaze profound. His existence was no longer part of fate, but a traveler beyond fate. He walked amidst the unknown, each step seemingly tearing apart the established order, each breath like rewriting the laws of heaven and earth.

He had no name, no past; he simply existed, existing beyond fate, walking amidst the unknown.

He slowly raised his hand, and a faint light gathered in his palm. That light belonged to no known law, nor to any predetermined fate. It was free, unknown, the radiance of the third path.

“Beyond fate, there is still a path,” he whispered.

And at this very moment, in the long river of fate, a new ripple silently spread.

It was merely awaiting the next choice.

And this time, the third path of fate had only just begun.

The third path of fate is not a path of no return.

It has no turning back, no room for retreat.

Once embarked upon, it means abandoning all established trajectories, all known laws, all meaning bestowed by fate.

It is a true freedom, and also a true solitude.

However, it is this very solitude that makes it a true path.

That figure continued to walk in the chaotic void beyond fate, as if he had become one with this nothingness. He had no direction, no end, simply walking, walking in realms untouched by fate, walking on the boundary of freedom.

The faint light in his palm gently flickered, a spark from beyond fate, a symbol of freedom. He gazed at it, as if gazing at an unspeakable truth.

“The third path of fate…” he whispered, “It is no longer a part of fate, but a true freedom.”

He slowly closed his eyes, sensing the depths of this void. He could feel that subtle changes were occurring in the long river of fate. Those trajectories that were once tightly bound by fate were now quietly shifting. Some had already stepped out of fate’s trajectory, embarking on unknown paths.

“Freedom…” he softly said, “It is not without cost. It requires solitude, the endurance of unknown fears, and the facing of a future where nothing is certain.”

But in his eyes, there was no hesitation, only firm resolve.

He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze as deep as an abyss. He could feel that the third path of fate had begun to spread, like a wisp of light unknown to heaven and earth, quietly tearing apart the established order.

And in the ancient hall at the nexus of fate, Lin Yi and Lu Chen still floated on the line of fate, gazing at the void beyond the end of fate.

“He has truly embarked on that path,” Lu Chen slowly said, with a hint of awe in his voice.

Lin Yi gently nodded: “Yes, he is no longer a part of fate, but a traveler beyond fate.”

Lu Chen was silent for a moment, then slowly said, “Then, how will fate respond?”

Lin Yi smiled slightly: “Fate… can no longer respond.”

They looked at the void beyond the end of fate; that figure had completely disappeared from fate’s sight. And the third path of fate slowly unfolded in that void, like a road leading to the unknown, awaiting the arrival of the next traveler.

“Perhaps, the journey of fate should be this way,” Lin Yi whispered.

Lu Chen gently nodded, his gaze profound: “Yes.”

They gazed silently at the void, as if waiting for something.

And at the other end of fate, the young cultivator still stood on the mountaintop, looking up at the sky.

His eyes shone with a determined light.

“The third path of fate…” he murmured, “I, too, shall embark on it.”

He slowly closed his eyes, beginning to sense the existence of that path. He vaguely felt a strange fluctuation, as if calling to him, guiding him towards an unknown direction.

He opened his eyes, his gaze as firm as iron, “And I, too, shall embark on my own path.”

He took a step, as if stepping into the unknown realm beyond fate.

It was merely awaiting the next choice.

And this time, the third path of fate had only just begun.