Shrouding the Heavens - Chapter 218

The warm jade exuded warmth, a crystalline radiance glowed, its soft light flowing through Ye Fan’s fingers, bringing a serene tranquility, akin to walking under the hazy moonlight.

The Dao is vast and unknowable... Ye Fan stood with his hands behind his back, pondering this. The Dao is formless, infinite; how can it be grasped? Who can truly define it?

Standing silently for a long time, he approached the stone cave and touched the cold rock wall. The ancient inscriptions, worn by time, were faint, soon to fade forever.

He used his finger as a pen, tracing those three lines of script over and over, his mind engaged with the ancient characters, contemplating the mindset of the Great Emperor No Beginning.

Ye Fan forgot everything else, standing solitary before the stone wall, his movements slowed, etching character by character with penetrating force, like the bright moon reflected in a still well, fixed before the Ancient Cave.

Time ebbed, seemingly reversed, as though he saw a figure submerged in dust and ashes, standing on the desolate ground.

He wished to walk forward, yet found there was no beginning, no end, never reaching the figure. He knew it was—the Great Emperor No Beginning.

Ye Fan immersed himself in an exceedingly ethereal realm, his finger slowly carving, as if lifting a Great Mountain, heavy beyond measure.

Alas, he could never reach the figure dwelling at the world’s end, never seeing the Great Emperor No Beginning, merely an imprint erased by history.

The Emperor Jade in Ye Fan’s left hand grew increasingly hot. The stone cave gently shook, with stone skin cracking and falling away.

The ancient jade’s splendor overflowed, streaming into the cave. Stone fragments flew, and dust filled the air. He stepped forward, as if under the starry sky of over 100,000 years ago.

This piece of Emperor Jade was indeed extraordinary, becoming increasingly radiant, eventually scorching hot, bathing the Ancient Cave in a bright, clear light.

It seemed a fragmented historical scroll unfolded before Ye Fan’s eyes; a phantom figure flickered, now visible, now hidden.

"Gazing to the end of the immortal path, I see no ancients before me, nor any successors behind me. Alone, I stand at the pinnacle of clouds."

This was the imprint fixed by the Emperor Jade. The words of the Great Emperor from over 100,000 years ago stirred one’s soul.

However, time was too distant; nothing could remain for long. The broken scroll ultimately dispersed with the wind, leaving little behind.

"Vast as the seas, minute as dust, all things possess..." The voice ceased.

Ye Fan remained unmoved, carving letters in the void. Just moments ago, he had sensed an inexplicable state of mind, an ethereal feeling that lingered even now.

An unknown amount of time had passed. His entire body began to glow, and all his pores opened as if he were a jade figure, unstained by even a speck of dust, as though he had undergone a baptism.

After four full hours, Ye Fan slowly returned to clarity, awakening from that elusive Dao charm.

The No Beginning Scripture, I must obtain it!

He hadn’t heard the wondrous technique, but the leftover imprint still conveyed a divine Dao charm; his spirit and body felt as if bathed in Holy Light, receiving an indescribable baptism.

Rumbling echoed as the rock wall collapsed, and Ye Fan had to retreat.

Turning back, the Ancient Cave had vanished. In the blink of an eye, it had become a relic of the past. He felt regretful; although he already knew the No Beginning Scripture wasn’t here, he was still somewhat disappointed.

The Emperor Jade continued to shine, not dimming. He understood there was still something.

Stone cliffs towered, and short mountains stood one after another. Immortal vines acted as bridges, linking steep precipices, tranquil and serene.

Ye Fan walked onward, passed stone mountains, and entered an area of flowers and grass, arriving at a secluded place.

"Who are you?" The people from Xuanyue Cave were alarmed; figures rushed over, shouting reprimands.

Ye Fan reached the back mountain, moving as if through an uninhabited realm. With a flutter of his wide sleeves, he sent the approaching young disciples flying.

Holding the ancient jade, he searched forward by instinct.

"Quickly report to the Elders! Someone has forcefully entered our Xuanyue Cave!"

"A strong enemy has invaded and entered the back mountain of our Xuanyue Cave!"

...

Many shouted, reporting to the sect’s elders.

Ye Fan drifted past picturesque peaks, arriving at a serene place. The vegetation in the rear mountain was abundant, and there lay a giant deep valley.

Upon reaching here, the Emperor Jade shone more brightly, intensely hot, eager to fly from his hand.

This was an abandoned valley, filled with debris: medicinal residue, broken furnaces, rusty swords, and cracked Dao Talismans. It was a wasteland for discarded items.

An unknown number of years had passed. The expansive valley was nearly full, all of it with items thrown away by cultivators. An air of stagnant Death Qi and murky qi rose.

Here...

Ye Fan frowned slightly, yet hesitated little. With a flick of his robe sleeve, debris flew everywhere, and scrap metal clanged as it tumbled into the distance.

"Hey, Daoist! What do you think you’re doing?!" An elder from Xuanyue Cave had finally arrived.

Ye Fan ignored him. His sleeves waved back and forth, and fragmented objects scattered in the sky as the valley continued to be cleared. The Emperor Jade grew hotter.

BANG!

An elder rushed forward but was sent flying by Ye Fan along with a large amount of refuse.

"Who are you? Why have you intruded here?" Several elders from Xuanyue Cave flew over, landing around the valley.

Ye Fan had already sealed Xuanyue Cave, so he had no concerns. He said, "I am the one who killed your Grand Sect Hierarch."

"What?" Those nearby were shocked.

They hadn’t received any message, only knowing that the former Sect Hierarch had stayed at Qingxia and never returned.

"Go report to your current Sect Hierarch. I shall take his life shortly." Ye Fan rummaged through the waste valley, continuing his search.

"You’re... speaking nonsense! The Grand Sect Hierarch wields profound power, has been in seclusion for years, and is unmatched in this region."

Ye Fan summoned the Fire God Furnace, instantly capturing several elders inside. A flash of fire reduced them to black ashes, erased from existence.

"You..."

The others’ faces changed drastically; they felt terror. Several elders had no time to resist before they were exterminated.

Such means caused everyone’s legs to cramp up. An uproar ensued, and they fled completely.

Ye Fan used the Fire God Furnace to refine the valley’s waste, finally clearing the place.

DING!

The ancient jade emitted a trembling sound, its light growing stronger. Ye Fan reached the valley bottom and began excavating, clearing away a patch of black earth amidst ruined forging scraps.

Another Emperor Jade!

He rejoiced greatly. Right there in the mud at the bottom of the valley, a broken piece of jade, covered in filth, lay buried, its age unknown.

BUZZ!

The two Emperor Jades met, both radiating auspicious colors.

Ye Fan picked up the jade pendant from the ground. Mud fell away. Placing them together, they shone harmoniously, smooth and shimmering.

Still incomplete. These are just two pieces. I’m missing at least six or seven more. Ye Fan furrowed his brows.

However, he didn’t expect to gather all the pieces of the Emperor Jade at once, as that would be unrealistic.

The Head Elder of Xuanyue Cave and eight Grand Elders all rushed over, and the battle erupted immediately.

Unfortunately, it was a battle without suspense. Ye Fan summoned the Fire God Furnace, the flames crackling as an entire mountain peak was melted.

Magma surged, and heat waves scorched the sky.

Soon after, tranquility returned here. All nine figures of authority were slain.

Ye Fan walked leisurely to the front mountain, his heart as calm as an Ancient Well, killing ten people with each step, pointing repeatedly to end one life after another.

This was a massacre, one person killing over 200! All those who were utterly wicked and guilty of heinous crimes were completely eradicated by him, erased from this world.

Ultimately, only 31 people were spared; they were truly without a hint of malice and had all strongly opposed plundering.

Ye Fan opened the treasure vault of Xuanyue Cave. What met his eyes was a dazzling brilliance: a total of 1,400 catties of Source, comparable to the Qingxia sect, which he unreservedly took for himself.

He carefully flipped through Xuanyue Cave’s highest Secret Scripture and then tossed it along with various weapons to the survivors before leaving gracefully.

These people are the future "miners," but for now, he could not reveal anything to them.

Before coming to Xuanyue Cave, Ye Fan had once disguised himself as a Grand Elder of the Li Huo Sect and wielded the Divine Furnace to burn several Immortal Peaks of the Seven Stars Pavilion and Luoxia Sect.

As a result, both sects indeed went to the Li Huo Sect to demand justice, leading to bloody conflict, although it didn’t escalate into a full-scale battle.

The Li Huo Sect had a total of two Grand Elders at the third realm of Dao Palace. Ye Fan had killed one of them, with one more powerful person still guarding the sect.

The experts from all three factions agreed that the Fire God Furnace had been stolen and that it was not truly a Grand Elder of the Li Huo Sect committing the slaughter.

Unfortunately, even though they speculated all this, they couldn’t change anything.

In the following days, Ye Fan defeated each of them in turn, successively "visiting" the Li Huo Sect, Seven Stars Pavilion, and Luoxia Sect, exterminating them one by one.

Eliminating these four poisonous tumors from this region, he acquired a total of two ’fang’ of Source, weighing 6,600 catties.

This was a massive harvest, yet there was still a significant gap between this and what he needed. Every step forward would require a tenfold increase. This meant that to break into the third realm of the Dao Palace, he would need 10,000 catties of Source—a full three ’fang’.

Ye Fan felt a little dizzy; in the past, he wouldn’t have dared to imagine it. Now, the Source he needed could no longer be measured in catties but had to be calculated in ’fang’.

He could envision 10,000 catties and could find a way to gather it, but the next number—100,000 catties—made his head spin.

If not for having the Heavenly Source Book, he felt that he could abandon cultivation because it would be impossible to collect that much otherwise.

One could imagine, for the numbers after that, even the Sacred Lands would cough up blood over it; no one could afford it.

The five sects of Qingxia, Seven Stars, Xuanyue, Luoxia, and Li Huo existed in name only, becoming Ye Fan’s reserve of miners.

His gains were undeniably huge, especially having found a yellowed booklet in the Li Huo Sect, containing just one technique—the Mountain Embracing Seal.

It was very profound, giving him great enlightenment, similar to the Mountain and River Seal, with immense power, adding another variation to his Fighting Saint Technique.

If I can get one more ’fang’ of Source, I can then advance to the third realm of the Dao Palace. Ye Fan’s thoughts wandered infinitely as he prepared to enter Jade Lake.

With the five sects exterminated, he was not concerned about causing a stir.

Small Heavenly Paradises like the Li Huo Sect, Qingxia Sect, and Xuanyue Cave were considered to be among the lowest-ranking sects in the Northern Region. Above them were medium sects, large sects, superpowers, and Sacred Lands.

Unless they were small forces in special regions like Ancient Desolation Forbidden Lands or Divine Medicine Gardens, which Great Sects would need to support as outposts, it was otherwise difficult to have any interaction with them.

The Northern Region was vast; it would take cultivators months to fly from one end to the other.

Some sects were tens of thousands of *li* apart, or even over a million *li*, with extremely long journeys needed.

In such a large area, large powers were certainly well-known, but sects like the Li Huo Sect and Xuanyue Cave, at the bottom level, went almost unnoticed, only known to similar small factions in the same region.

It could be said that one was in the sky and the other on the ground; they were as if in two different worlds.

Therefore, Ye Fan was not worried that the turmoil here would draw any Sacred Land’s attention, as the distance was just too far. The heavenly watchtowers in the sky wouldn’t care about ant nests on the ground.

The Eastern Wastelands had seven major Ancient Desolation Forbidden Lands; the Southern Region’s Ancient Desolation Forbidden Land and the Northern Region’s Great Primordial Mine were all among them.

If discussing mystery, without a doubt, this Ancient Desolation Forbidden Land in the Northern Region could be ranked at the top.

Originally a Source mine, it became a Desolate Land, with countless generations of Sacred Masters going in and never returning.

Named Taichu, implying it existed even before the beginning of Heaven and Earth, it’s hard to imagine how ancient it truly is.

There’s a legend claiming this ancient mine wasn’t excavated by humans; it existed before the birth of the human race.

Another saying is that humans did dig it out, but an "Immortal" should be added after "human." This saying is not widely accepted because it’s hard to say whether Immortals exist.

No matter how it is said, this place is a Forbidden Land; even unparalleled geniuses cannot return, and it’s unknown how many heroes were buried there.

The most recent instance was 700 years ago when an Emperor of an Immortal Dynasty from the Central States, an unparalleled Heroic Lord who ruled over boundless beautiful mountains and rivers, ventured into the Great Primordial Mine for some reason and vanished without so much as a ripple.

Outside the Great Primordial Mine, large regions were almost entirely occupied by the Sacred Lands, being the most productive Source mining area.

This region had not a blade of grass growing; it was completely a barren land.

Outside the Great Primordial Mine, on the boundless red-brown earth, only one city stood, named—Yuan City.

It lay within the range of the Source mining areas, built by cultivators. No ordinary people were around, mostly disciples of large forces and those transporting Sources.

Of course, it was still far from the Great Primordial Mine, about 30,000 *li* away; otherwise, no one would dare to come.

Ye Fan came to this city because he heard that the Yaochi Saintess hadn’t returned to Jade Lake yet but was in this area, seemingly to transport a batch of stone materials.

The Yaochi Saintess is still here. If I use her Jade Pendant to enter Jade Lake early, it might not be appropriate. There is still a long time before the Stone Viewing Event.

Besides, he had another purpose: always hearing about the Great Primordial Mine, he wanted to observe it from afar once.

Yuan City was not very large, just a small city entirely built of red-brown giant stones, but very well-known.

Most of the grain and rice needed by the various major mining areas had to be procured here. It was a transit hub.

Not long after arriving, Ye Fan found out that the Yaochi Saintess had gone to the edge of the Great Primordial Mine and would return after some time. He also learned that Yao Xi and the Flickering Light Saint Heir had accompanied them.

Of course, this so-called peripheral region was still at least 1,000 *li* from the true Great Primordial Mine; no one dared to truly venture closer.

The Great Primordial Mine, what kind of place is it exactly? Ye Fan mused, stroking his chin thoughtfully. The Zhang family’s first ancestor, that renowned Heavenly Source Master—his greatest regret was being unable to enter the Great Primordial Mine. If such an exceptional figure of his generation harbored such apprehension, Ye Fan naturally dared not rush in recklessly.

Observing from afar, perhaps I can find out something. He believed that the Heavenly Source Master of old must have discerned something, which was why he had not dared to enter. He wanted to corroborate this with the Heavenly Source Book and begin to unveil the mysteries of the Great Primordial Mine, to understand just how bizarre it truly was.