Shrouding the Heavens - Chapter 223

The Heavenly Universe was black as ink, the stars and moon vanished, as if plunged into eternal darkness. A desolate silence surrounded the Great Primordial Mine.

Indescribable oppression, endless dread, and a terrifying sense of suffocation descended, as if numerous black Great Mountains were falling, sinking deep into people’s hearts.

"What is happening?" The four were astonished, their hearts heavy, completely unable to comprehend what was unfolding.

"What happened at the Great Primordial Mine? We’re not going to die, are we?!" Chen Huaiyuan asked, his voice trembling.

Li Desheng was also shivering. His left eye emitted a ghostly glow as he strained his Underworld Eye, gazing towards the Great Primordial Mine.

"What did you see?" Ye Fan urged.

"What’s going on at the Great Primordial Mine?" Old Dao also asked hastily.

"I can’t see anything. It’s chillingly dark there, devouring everything. My eye..." Li Desheng suddenly screamed, falling backward to the ground as a trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his eye.

This unexpected turn chilled the other three, who quickly helped him up.

"Are you alright?" Ye Fan inquired.

Li Desheng’s left eye socket had cracked, and blood streamed out. The Underworld Eye was hollow and exceedingly swollen. Fortunately, the pupil was uninjured; only the sclera was harmed.

"It hurts so much!" He wept profusely, constantly infusing divine energy into the Underworld Eye. It took a long time for him to recover.

"What happened?" Old Dao pressed.

"A black hole, a gigantic black hole! It seems like it can devour heaven..." Li Desheng was panic-stricken; his Underworld Eye had nearly shattered.

SWISH! After a moment, the starlight and Moonlight abruptly reappeared in the sky.

Soft radiance, like smoke and mist, felt exceptionally sacred, bringing a sense of light and warmth that swept away the prior desolation.

The blood-colored earth appeared pale, with sand, boulders, and short mountains draped in a thin veil, resembling a faint landscape painting.

"That scared me to death! What happened just now?" Chen Huaiyuan patted his chest.

Light had returned, and it felt as if nothing untoward had occurred. The starlight in the sky gathered like water, flowing toward the ancient mine.

Yet, the all-devouring, enormous black hole had vanished, and the scene was indistinguishable from before.

"It really felt like an illusion," Ye Fan remarked.

However, moments later, a muffled BUZZ sounded, and all the sacred light was once again absorbed.

The surroundings plunged into vast, pitch-black darkness. People couldn’t see figures right in front of them. This was especially true for the Great Primordial Mine, which seemed to have become an Abyss, even darker than elsewhere.

"Why did it go dark again?"

"Right, it’s nearly midnight. Legend says this always happens: the Great Primordial Mine devours the essence of heaven and earth, absorbing everything!" Old Dao exclaimed, alarmed. "We have to leave quickly, or we might not be able to make it out!"

"Go!" Ye Fan commanded softly. Having roughly grasped the situation, he led the three in retreat.

Of course, this so-called retreat involved turning left and right, constantly changing directions, rather than proceeding in a straight line.

Ye Fan constantly calculated, following the records of the Heavenly Source Book. Even the placement of each footstep held significance, and the three behind him trod precisely in his footprints.

It was a convoluted and winding path; if not quite three steps forward and two steps back, it was close. They moved left, then right, their path extremely erratic.

Occasionally, Ye Fan would pause to perform calculations on the ground, carefully estimating and comparing the surrounding Earth Formation before deciding on a direction.

"I say, Great Excavator, you must lead us out," Chen Huaiyuan grumbled as he walked. "I’ve always admired remarkable figures like you. I’ve wanted to join this field too, but alas, I’ve only scratched the surface."

"Stay aside and don’t cause trouble." Old Dao shoved him aside, fearing he would disturb Ye Fan.

A short while later, Ye Fan led them back to their starting point, about eighty to ninety li from the Great Primordial Mine.

Throughout this process, muffled sounds frequently echoed from behind them. A gigantic black hole, gulping down worldly essence like a whale devouring water, resembled an Ancient Fierce Beast opening its Heaven-devouring maw.

Ye Fan was affected several times. Each time the world lost all light and plunged into complete darkness, he was forced to stop and calmly deduce their path.

Walking and stopping in this manner, it felt as if they had traversed a thousand-li circle. They finally exited this peculiar region, appearing one hundred and fifty li away.

"We’re finally out!"

The four of them let out a long sigh of relief. Ye Fan, in particular, seemed to have collapsed, slumping directly onto the ground; the constant calculations had left him somewhat exhausted.

He took out the pure jade bottle and tilted the nearly dry Divine Spring into his mouth, quickly recovering his strength.

Ye Fan thought, If I hadn’t comprehended the Heavenly Source Book, I would certainly have been sealed inside. Escape would have been nearly impossible.

"Great Excavator, when we get back, I’ll build you a Longevity Arch! I’m a man of my word," Chen Huaiyuan declared with a grateful demeanor.

"Don’t start dreaming just yet," Old Dao interjected, dousing his enthusiasm with cold water. "We’ve merely distanced ourselves a bit from the Divine Mine. We’re still within the Taichu Forbidden Area. Places with deadly Earth Formations like ’True Dragon Coughing Blood’ await, threatening to claim our lives at any moment."

Ye Fan also sighed. The Taichu Forbidden Area was extremely dangerous. Earth Formations like "Fire Dragon Veins" and "Dragon Blood" were certainly not limited to one spot; a wrong step could easily leave one trapped in a Desolate Land.

The moonlit night was peaceful. They walked slowly, taking careful steps, fearing an accidental plunge into a Desolate Land.

"What did the corpses you saw at the Great Primordial Mine look like?" Ye Fan asked Li Desheng.

"Were they of the human race?" Old Dao also pressed.

"They were all humanoid, but it’s hard to say if they were human corpses. They were too far away, and my Underworld Eye could only make out their outlines. There were males and females, and their clothes looked exceedingly ancient," Li Desheng recollected, lingering fear in his voice.

"Perhaps there are corpses of ancient Peacock Kings and Emperors, or maybe they were beings originally existing within the Great Primordial Mine..." Old Dao murmured to himself.

"Fortunately, we didn’t see any living presences." Ye Fan was relieved. There were too many terrifying tales about the Great Primordial Mine, each more dreadful than the last.

Old Dao mused internally, Living presences... from Ancient Times, how few have ever seen them...

"I wonder if those three god-like presences we saw earlier are still nearby..." Li Desheng whispered.

Strictly speaking, it was precisely because of the appearance of those three beings, wreathed in halos, that they had been forced to flee hastily, nearly becoming trapped at the Great Primordial Mine.

"Let’s hope we don’t encounter them again," Chen Huaiyuan mumbled.

"I’m telling you, can you two jinxes please shut up!" Old Dao glared, highly averse to such talk.

Oh no! Ye Fan’s heart sank as he gazed at the distant horizon.

Those two jinxes actually spoke it into existence!

Although it was midnight, the night was not completely dark. A bright moon hung high, and the boundless, blood-colored land was cast in a hazy glow.

On the horizon, three figures appeared. They were looking in this direction, each enveloped in a halo of light, standing like three gods.

The person in the center was indistinct and ethereal, giving an impression of unreality.

The person on the left was shrouded in Divine Light, blazing and dazzling, like the Taiyang God descending upon the world.

The person on the right, clad in a white robe with dark hair dancing, resembled a cold fairy gracing the mortal realm, shimmering with a crystalline light.

"Three taboos..."

"They really want to force us into the Great Primordial Mine!"

Chen Huaiyuan and Li Desheng, who had only just calmed down, began to tremble again. They were desperate to flee, but their legs felt like lead, quivering uncontrollably, and they stood rooted to the spot.

Ye Fan and Old Dao wanted to escape, but with the Great Primordial Mine directly behind them, turning back was incredibly difficult.

However, something shocking and inexplicable happened. The three "gods" on the horizon suddenly turned and fled, as if avoiding vipers and scorpions, as if encountering a Fierce Ghost. They escaped with unbelievable speed.

Old Dao was dumbfounded, utterly puzzled.

Li Desheng and Chen Huaiyuan were also agape, stammering,

"Taboo entities... afraid of us? What... what’s happening?"

"Gods... are escaping? I... I didn’t see that wrong, did I?"

Although they were far away and he could only see blurry outlines, Ye Fan felt a sense of familiarity. In that instant, a flash of insight struck him.

"Damn it all!" he yelled, then broke into a sprint, charging after them.

"He dares to curse the living entities of the Taichu Forbidden Area?!" Chen Huaiyuan exclaimed in shock.

"He’s mad, completely mad! The Great Excavator has been possessed! He’s actually chasing three gods!" Li Desheng also cried out.

Old Dao was momentarily dazed, then suddenly jumped up and shouted, "Chase them! Those aren’t gods from the Great Primordial Mine! They’re people, just like us!"

"What? They’re human?" Chen Huaiyuan’s courage instantly surged. He began to curse loudly, "Damn it! So it was those three who made us run around like fools, nearly getting us killed in the Great Primordial Mine! And they’re from the human race too!"

Li Desheng also cursed, "You sons of bitches! They’re human too, yet they nearly got us killed! I...!" he trailed off, sputtering with rage.

They quickly recalled their first encounter. The four of them had been standing on high ground. They only started to flee after retreating to lower ground, losing sight of the other three.

Thinking about it now, the other party likely chose to escape back then too. We just didn’t see them because the high ground blocked our view.

Ye Fan charged at the forefront, with Old Dao in second place. Chen Huaiyuan and Li Desheng brought up the rear, in relentless pursuit.

The four of them remained remarkably composed. Not one of them shouted; all pursued in silence.

Although the three figures ahead moved with incredible speed and elusiveness, they couldn’t fully disengage. They dared not exert their full strength, fearing they might accidentally stray into a Desolate Land. Thus, they failed to shake off the four pursuing them.

Though he could only see blurry outlines, Ye Fan was almost certain: they were the Yaochi Sacred Lady, Yao Xi, and Flickering Light’s Saint Heir.

He had long known that these three emissaries from the Sacred Lands had come to the edge of the Great Primordial Mine to transport quarried stone. However, he had never imagined that they too would become lost in this place.

"Those three nearly got us killed in the Great Primordial Mine! If we don’t scare them half to death, it’ll be an injustice to us!" Li Desheng and Chen Huaiyuan both gritted their teeth.

Ye Fan, through his actions, pressed the chase, forcing the three Sacred Lands’ successors to flee, not daring to pause even for a moment.

The dignified Saint Heir and Sacred Ladies, usually composed and calm, were now quite disheveled, mistaking the people behind them for taboo entities from the ancient mine.

"Why do I feel like they’re from the human race, not some unknown creatures?"

"Indeed. Their sleeves are fluttering. The one in front looks like a Daoist, and somewhat familiar at that."

"They are most likely human. If they were terrifying creatures, they would have caught up to us by now."

The Yaochi Sacred Lady, Yao Xi, and Flickering Light’s Saint Heir were, after all, extraordinary individuals. Even trapped in the Taichu Forbidden Area, they did not panic excessively. They quickly assessed the situation, then all halted their flight and stopped.

"Infinite Heavenly Venerate! Might those ahead be some old acquaintances?" Seeing them stop, Ye Fan rushed forward. He decided it was best to speak up rather than remain silent.

Not long after, the two parties converged. The Silver Moon hung high, its Moonlight bright and gentle. Now, up close, they could see each other clearly.

Flickering Light’s Saint Heir’s very hair seemed to shimmer with golden light, his entire body radiant. Although he showed no anger, his usual peaceful smile was gone, and his brow was slightly furrowed.

Yao Xi, clad in white as pristine as snow, looked like a fairy who transcended the mortal realm. Her fine brows knitted slightly as she said, "Daoist, who would have thought we would meet you here? You truly are worthy of being Daoist Duan’s martial uncle."

Daoist Duan De was known as the shameless Daoist, a man lacking in virtue. Yao Xi’s words were tactful, yet her implication was clear: being chased like that in the Taichu Forbidden Area would make anyone unhappy. However, her upbringing was excellent, and she didn’t lash out.

"Infinite Heavenly Venerate." Ye Fan recited the honorific and explained, "This is all a complete misunderstanding."

The Yaochi Sacred Lady remained silent for a moment before asking, "Daoist, how did you end up here?"

"It’s a long story..."

Just then, Chen Huaiyuan and Li Desheng caught up. "Who are you people?! You nearly got us killed in the Great Primordial Mine!" they demanded.

The two of them, without regard for the circumstances, launched into a barrage of complaints, instantly leaving Flickering Light’s Saint Heir, Yao Xi, and the Yaochi Sacred Lady speechless.

After listening to their account, the three realized that both groups had mutually frightened each other. It truly was a "misunderstanding."

Once the misunderstanding was cleared up, Yao Xi complained, "Daoist, you really are comparable to that shameless Daoist. You clearly recognized us, yet you chased us without a word."

Flickering Light’s Saint Heir also remarked, "Daoist Brother, this joke went a bit too far."

The Yaochi Sacred Lady’s voice, like a Heavenly Sound, added, "Daoist, you nearly chased us into a Desolate Land."

"It was all a misunderstanding," Ye Fan said, changing the subject. "How did you three also get lost in the Taichu Forbidden Area?"

"We were originally at the very edge of the Taichu Forbidden Area..."

According to the three, their ordeal was almost identical to that of Ye Fan’s group. A strange black wind had swept through the area outside the Ancient Desolation Forbidden Land, causing many deaths and injuries. The three of them were swept into the Taichu Forbidden Area.

Upon learning that the three were successors from Sacred Lands, Li Desheng and Chen Huaiyuan no longer dared to clamor. Old Dao, however, had remained calm from start to finish.

After understanding each other’s reasons for being there, all seven of them sighed with emotion. It turned out they were all there because of that same strange black wind.

"Daoist, you truly are something... to come all the way here just to get a look at the Great Primordial Mine," Flickering Light’s Saint Heir said, shaking his head.

After the two groups joined forces and learned about each other’s experiences in the Forbidden Area, the Yaochi Sacred Lady and her companions were quite surprised. They hadn’t expected Ye Fan to be so capable as to escape a situation of certain death.

"I believe that if we can just cross that blood-red plain ahead, we’ll be able to escape the Forbidden Area," Old Dao stated.

Ye Fan and the three Sacred Lands’ successors all nodded; they had the same feeling.

The seven of them traveled for more than sixty li until they saw a pine forest blocking their path.

*The bright moon shines among the pines; the clear spring flows over the stones.* This was a perfect description of the scene before them.

The pine trees swayed gently, the spring gurgled softly, and the Moonlight reflected on the stream, creating an atmosphere of serene, clear beauty.

The Great Primordial Mine was an Ancient Desolation Forbidden Land, where not even a blade of grass grew. How could such a place exist here?

Everyone was puzzled, feeling deeply surprised and astonished.

"Something is glowing..." Flickering Light’s Saint Heir’s eyes were profound, as if he could see deep into the pine forest.

The stream babbled as it flowed over green stones, pure and white like silk. The seven of them walked into the woods and indeed saw a shimmering light. Something was glowing.

"This is... a skeleton!"

Everyone was shocked. Under an ancient pine tree lay a pristine white skeleton, its entire body crystalline and gleaming, radiating a soft light under the moon.

"This person must have possessed a world-shaking cultivation base when alive. For their bones to remain so jade-like and lustrous even after so many years is unimaginable."

"There’s a jade pendant here." In the stream, Yao Xi discovered a piece of warm jade, carved into the shape of a dragon, radiating a precious glow.

"This belongs to an Emperor of Great Xia!" the Yaochi Sacred Lady exclaimed in surprise.

Such a jade pendant could only be possessed by an Emperor of Great Xia; it was a symbol of their status.

Everyone was astonished. An Emperor with world-shattering power from the Immortal Dynasty, which had endured for hundreds of thousands of years, had actually fallen here.

"Indeed, the Great Primordial Mine buries Peacock Kings and Emperors," Flickering Light’s Saint Heir lamented. He wondered if he, too, would one day walk this path.

"He died before even entering the Great Primordial Mine proper. There must be some unfathomable danger here. We must leave quickly!" Waves of emotion rippled across Yao Xi’s peerless face as her beautiful eyes scanned the depths of the pine forest.

A chill ran down everyone’s spine. An Emperor of an Immortal Dynasty, whose cultivation base had reached Creation, had perished here. This place was not as peaceful as it appeared on the surface.

"Let’s go, quickly!" Ye Fan suddenly remembered something and was the first to retreat.

Now, the others all regarded him as the "Great Excavator." Seeing his reaction, they grew even more uneasy and quickly moved to retreat.

"Daoist, is there something amiss with this place? Did you discern something?" the Yaochi Sacred Lady asked softly, her jade-like form exuding a faint fragrance.

Ye Fan felt a deep unease. This place shouldn’t have a pine forest and a clear spring; it should be a land of desolation. When things reach an extreme, they must reverse... The Heavenly Source Book contained the warning: "When things reach an extreme, they must reverse; retreat upon sight."

This warning was not for ordinary people, but for Heavenly Source Masters!

The latter half of the Heavenly Source Book had mentioned such terrestrial veins and landscapes—landforms that defied common sense and should not exist. It stated that unimaginable things must lie buried beneath, and even Heavenly Source Masters had to retreat!

Ye Fan’s heart pounded violently. This was an Earth Formation capable of killing a Heavenly Source Master, a devilish land from which one absolutely had to withdraw. At his current level, it was impossible for him to deduce what lay underground.

He murmured internally, I’ve actually encountered this ’Things taken to extremes must reverse’ Earth Formation. It’s recorded quite late in the latter half of the Heavenly Source Book... I absolutely can’t break through this at my current level! Even if the Zhang family’s founding ancestor, that Heavenly Source Master, were reborn, he might not be able to break through it!

Cold sweat streamed down Ye Fan’s back, soaking his clothes. He retreated step by step. The others sensed his tension and held their breath, following his retreat.

Even after they had left the pine forest, nothing untoward happened. The clear spring still sounded with a DING DONG, melodious and pleasant as it flowed through the trees, peaceful and harmonious.

But a world-shattering Emperor died here! How could there be no danger? This is definitely a bloodstained devilish land!

However, the group had already withdrawn several hundred zhang, and still, nothing happened.

WHOOSH! Ye Fan unleashed his maximum speed, leaving an afterimage as he shot away in an instant. Slowly retreating isn’t an option!

"Everyone, we rely on our own luck! If we survive, let’s regroup fifty li from here!"

The fact that the "Great Excavator," who had managed to walk out of the Great Primordial Mine, was reacting like this terrified the remaining six. The sound of tearing air echoed as they each used their own methods, fleeing with all their might.

Ye Fan fled for his life, a chill running down his spine. The Taichu Forbidden Area was too terrifying; Desolate Lands were everywhere. He felt that this place was no less dangerous than the ancient mine itself!