Shrouding the Heavens - Chapter 226

"Mountains and rivers bury the Saints of ancient times..." Ye Fan murmured. According to the guidance of the stone pillars in the ancient pavilion, it should be so.

Before this, he had not seen the ancient coffin in the pine forest, but he believed it did exist; the Fourth-Generation Ancestral Master would not carve randomly.

According to speculation, buried deep within the Immortal Forest, this should be the grand burial tomb vaguely mentioned on the stone pillar.

Ye Fan was quite shocked. What kind of existence is this? With such an Earth Formation, those buried here must be extraordinary.

The Fire Dragon Tomb connected to the pine forest, pulling a coffin as it flew—a sight remarkably similar to the nine dragons pulling the coffin. Could there be some inexplicable connection? Otherwise, why would even the lines of the ancient coffin be so alike?

The difference was that the nine dragon corpses truly existed, while this place was merely a type of terrain with only one Fire Dragon Tomb.

Ye Fan believed there must be some intersection of inheritance or civilization between the two; otherwise, the ancient coffins could not be so similar. He just did not know who inherited from whom.

Ye Fan mused endlessly. It took quite a while before he regained his senses. Thinking so much is useless right now, he thought. Escaping the Ancient Forbidden Area is the priority.

Regarding the Fire Dragon Tomb, Dragon Blood, and this pine forest, there were many Runes on the stone tablet. These were marked with Source Heaven Patterns, and Ye Fan felt dizzy looking at them.

If one cannot comprehend the *Heavenly Source Book*, there is no way to understand the Fourth-Generation Ancestral Master’s annotations or grasp their meaning.

What shocked him most was that large portions of the imprints on the stone tablet had been erased. The carved diagrams should have been huge, encompassing a broader Earth Formation, but they were destroyed.

Ye Fan lamented inwardly, Those smoothed stone carvings should have depicted various Earth Formations of this region, equivalent to a map of the outer perimeter of the Taichu Forbidden Area.

He believed there must have been quite a few Desolate Lands similar to Dragon Blood. If the carved diagrams were complete, it would have been possible to avoid such perilous areas.

The Taichu Forbidden Area is truly vast. The Fourth-Generation Ancestral Master only carved part of it, and unfortunately, even that was destroyed. Although Ye Fan felt regret, there was nothing he could do. The diagrams were lost, leaving only stone debris.

Such an Earth Formation, embodying the principle of ’reversal when things reach an extreme’, with unimaginable existences buried underground, made Ye Fan’s imagination wander. He wished he could dig a thousand meters down and uncover them.

He shook his head. Even Heavenly Source Masters found no solution here. Venerable Divine Kings of the Eastern Wastelands had perished in this place. He had no hope at all.

Great Primordial Mine... Ye Fan sighed. It is not a single secret place, but an expanse, stretching in clusters.

The ancient mines deep inside... no need to even think about them. Even if the old madman went, it would be entry without return.

As for these places near the outer part of the Taichu Forbidden Area, they were equally perilous—a place of great danger and evil where all who entered perished.

Ye Fan stood up and looked towards the interior of the Divine Temple; the scenery was vague.

This Divine Temple was many times taller than the few seen along the way. It was obviously a significant place, holding a special status in the past. But the years passed swiftly, taking everything away, and now only decay and desolation remained.

Ye Fan walked in with the *Heavenly Source Book*, carefully observing. His strong divine sense took form, capturing every inch of space. Anything found here would definitely be extraordinary, he thought.

Unfortunately, the inside was empty; nothing remained.

A thick layer of stone debris covered the ground and the central high platform. Besides dust, there was nothing else.

So that is it. All vanished with the ages, nothing left behind. Ye Fan understood. This Ancient Temple had not collapsed because astonishing Dao Glyphs had been placed here, but the Divine Statues and other items inside had naturally all decayed.

Tracing back to Ancient Times, even ten thousand years is merely a unit of measure, not the full span of its antiquity. So vast was the passage of time that even spiritual treasures would have decayed.

Unless it was a Peak Weapon refined by a Great Emperor—imperishable and capable of existing eternally in the world—nothing else could remain.

Ye Fan searched within the empty great hall, finding a rusty, mottled iron piece among a pile of ashes.

Even divine iron has decayed...

The iron piece was snow-white, covered in cracks and a great deal of rust. It had long lost its spiritual nature and was devoid of value.

He had seen this kind of divine iron in the eighth layer of the Flame Region. When Daoist Crow was refining weapons, he used this kind of Mutton Fat Jade divine iron as material.

Reportedly, it was very rare in the world, extremely scarce. The Flickering Light Sacred Master’s weapon also had this divine iron incorporated into it. Only sovereigns could find some. Common people simply could not obtain it.

This must have been a large piece, yet only such a tiny bit remains after being corroded by time.

Ye Fan believed this magnificent Ancient Temple must have been an important place in years gone by. The presence of divine iron suggested that many precious items should have been left behind, but they had all been destroyed by time.

As he expected, he saw pieces of broken copper and rotten iron in the ashes: Purple Bauhinia Divine Copper, Daluo Silver Essence, and Immortal Tears Green Gold.

Ye Fan felt a deep sense of regret. These were supreme Divine Materials, the first choice for refining Peak Weapons! All of them have lost their enormous Qi and are nearly wasted.

Especially the piece of Immortal Tears Green Gold. Even now, a fist-sized piece remained. Teardrop marks dotted its surface, said to be the tears of a Daoist saint. Unfortunately, the Green Gold no longer shone like jade, having long since dulled.

Such a pity! Could such materials have been common in the time immemorial? Nowadays, it is hard to gather much even if one searches all over the Eastern Wastelands.

Letting them decay in the dust was an extreme and extravagant waste. Ye Fan found dozens of pieces, yet none were usable.

What a pity. Even the various Sacred Masters would feel heartache upon seeing these...

Ye Fan searched thoroughly in the grand hall but found nothing useful. Divine Materials were indeed present, but they had all decayed.

Ultimately, beneath the Divine Platform in the center of the hall, he sensed an object. Brushing aside the thick layer of historical dust, he brought it forth to see the light of day once more.

Ye Fan was initially enthusiastic, but when he saw the object, his mouth twitched.

I thought it was a formed spiritual treasure, he mused. Even if its enormous Qi had run dry, I might still see unheard-of and previously unseen Dao Glyphs.

This object had no so-called Dao Glyphs. It was a Jade piece meant for handling and enjoyment, entirely an oily green and about the size of a walnut—it was a Green Jade Turtle.

It was vividly lifelike, almost indistinguishable from a real turtle. Vibrant and warm to the touch, it was clearly an excellent piece of jade.

That is strange. Both Daluo Silver Essence and Immortal Tears Green Gold are ruined. How could this Green Jade Turtle still be preserved?

Ye Fan sensed something unusual and turned it over repeatedly to examine it. It was a Mystic Turtle, its long neck resembling that of both a snake and a dragon, and its shell bore a pattern like the Eight Diagrams.

This piece of jade was also dull in color and completely devoid of enormous Qi. Although it appeared an oily green, it had long since lost its Spiritual Qi.

This was certainly not a Peak Weapon, far from it. He could not even sense the existence of Dao Glyphs on it. Ye Fan could not understand why it could remain intact.

His fingers turned golden, and he applied force to crush the jade. Yet, it did not break, which surprised him. This Green Jade Turtle is definitely not ordinary; its hardness exceeds my imagination! He had to take it seriously and extended his formidable divine sense to probe it.

What is going on? It seems like there is something inside... Ye Fan was astonished to find that an object was weakly detectable within the green jade.

Amidst all this decayed Divine Material, have I finally found a real treasure?

He examined it closely, unable to understand. This Green Jade Turtle was definitely not a weapon, yet it had not been destroyed over time.

Buried beneath the dust of the central Divine Platform of the Ancient Temple... could it have some special history? Ye Fan idly toyed with it, unable to fathom its secrets.

He passed through the grand Ancient Temple to the area behind it. The pine forest was silent. Within the woodland were hundreds of Source Heaven Patterns, all flickering and resonating with the *Heavenly Source Book* in his hand.

This is...

Ye Fan felt dizzy but slowly began to see a trace of understanding. This was a profound and unfathomable Source Heaven Map, capable of fixing dragon veins, locking Divine Sources, and altering the grand Earth Formation.

Has the Fourth-Generation Ancestral Master gone mad?

Ye Fan was shocked. This was a colossal ’Heaven Map’ that should have been laid out over miles of mountains and rivers, yet it was concentrated within a radius of about three hundred meters. Such proximity risked a catastrophic collapse.

Such a terrifying Source Heaven Map, even for a Heavenly Source Master, could not be arranged many times in a lifetime.

What was he doing? Ye Fan pondered for a while, then exclaimed, He is harnessing the power of the Earth Formation!

Undoubtedly, he was harnessing the power of the ’reversal when things reach an extreme’ Earth Formation!

Inspiration struck him. He recalled the stone-engraved diagram before the Ancient Temple. The ancient coffin marked within the pine forest seemed to be located right here.

Yes, it must be buried beneath this forest!

Ye Fan was immediately alarmed. The Fourth-Generation Ancestral Master had left inscriptions, strictly warning later generations to never recklessly disturb the Earth Formation beneath the pine forest, or they would face deadly disasters.

Yet he himself was harnessing the subterranean Earth Formation, a truly risky endeavor. One misstep could lead to complete destruction, as this ominous land buried ancient Saints, making outcomes unpredictable.

Ye Fan felt his heart pound with trepidation. He knew this was the true central area of the pine forest, with great evils buried beneath.

Within this three-hundred-meter radius were exactly three hundred and sixty-five Source Heaven Patterns: True Dragons soaring in the sky, Vermilion Birds dancing, Mystic Turtles appearing like mountains... The patterns here were not simple Runes; they all formed images, combining to resemble a scroll from the immortal world or a grand celestial phenomenon.

The Ancestral Master truly went all out, hoping to use this to protect himself and change his fate in his later years.

Ye Fan dared not enter. If he delved deep, he feared he might never return in this lifetime. This three-hundred-meter radius could invoke the killing intent of heaven and earth, harnessing the power of this land for one’s own use.

He stood outside the Source Heaven Map; the three-hundred-meter expanse was close enough to be clearly visible.

Carefully observing, there was a broken stone ruler on the ground, along with some torn stone clothes.

Ye Fan’s heart sank instantly. That ruler was made from aged Divine Source hide, known as the Heaven Measuring Ruler—extremely precious and essential for exploring Divine Mines.

As for the torn stone clothes, he was even more familiar with them, having worn them during the exploration of the Purple Mountain. They were also made from aged Divine Source hide and capable of isolating all auras.

Red hair... He saw several strands on the torn stone clothes. The Source Heaven Map had sealed this place, preserving everything from the past without allowing it to dissipate.

A chill permeated Ye Fan’s heart. The Fourth-Generation Ancestral Master had suffered an unfortunate fate, ultimately unable to change his destiny.

Was the red hair something he grew himself, or...? He thought of the Zhang family’s primogenitor.

No matter these details, something must have found its way here, causing calamity.

What on earth could it be? Something that even this ’reversal at extremes’ Earth Formation could not block? Not even the burial ground of ancient Saints could deter it?

If there are no remains, it means calamity struck, signaling failure. These were the words left by the Fourth-Generation Ancestral Master. Ye Fan saw a flat stone in the pine forest, inscribed with many characters.

He sighed deeply. The late years of a Heavenly Source Master were truly terrifying. The Fourth-Generation Ancestral Master had exhausted his efforts and hidden in the Taichu Forbidden Area, yet he still failed to escape calamity.

Even with the aid of this land’s power, nothing could be changed. Most fearsome was the psychological torment—it must have been a purgatory-like ordeal.

Ye Fan carefully read the inscriptions on the flat stone. He found the method to escape, which left him somewhat stunned. The surface of the pine forest had indeed been sealed by the Fourth-Generation Ancestral Master.

However, anyone holding the *Heavenly Source Book* would definitely be trapped inside. This was a result of the Source Heaven Patterns laid down by the Fourth-Generation Ancestral Master, intended for his successors to enter, accept the inheritance, and carry out the ’sublimation’ of his life’s work.

Ye Fan silently paid his respects towards the depths of the pine forest, lamenting that an extraordinary talent of a generation, capable of earth-shattering feats, was ultimately unable to change his own fate.

I do not want to experience such torment in my later years...

「One hour later.」 Ye Fan, following the inscriptions left by the Fourth-Generation Ancestral Master, smoothly walked out of the pine forest without encountering any danger.

Looking back, the moonlight was like water, and the pine forest resembled a serene painting.

Ye Fan sighed lightly. The majestic Fourth-Generation Ancestral Master could not even leave his remains behind... What truly happened?

He flew away, transforming into a wisp of light smoke on the blood-colored earth, distancing himself from this Desolate Land.

Dozens of miles were nothing to him and were soon left far behind.

Ahead, several figures stood in the moonlight, their bodies shimmering faintly. Not one was missing; there were precisely six of them.

Ye Fan had nearly encountered calamity, while these six were unharmed, waiting calmly. It was truly a tale of two different experiences. However, he had no complaints, as he had, after all, gained the Source Technique inheritance.

"I say, Young Man, you truly are audacious! You told us to run, yet you yourself recklessly charged towards the pine forest," one of them said.

"Indeed, Daoist, we all thought you were sacrificing yourself to save us," another added.

Li Desheng and Chen Huaiyuan were astonished to see him return alive and spoke thus.

Ye Fan’s mouth twitched. How could I possibly explain this? When summoned by the Ancestral Master, could one refuse?

"Daoist, are you carrying some ominous object?" the Yaochi Saintess asked in shock. She was surrounded by mist, her true face unseen, yet her seriousness and solemnity were perceptible.

"Nothing of the sort," Ye Fan replied, puzzled, looking towards her.

"No, there must be something ominous. My secret treasure sensed it. It is extremely dangerous," the Yaochi Saintess’s voice was like heavenly music as she asked very solemnly, "Did you obtain some item from the Taichu Forbidden Area?"

Ye Fan’s heart tightened. He immediately thought of the Green Jade Turtle. Besides that, I obtained nothing else.

With a flash of light, Ye Fan took out the Green Jade Turtle, holding it in his palm. In the moonlight, it looked somewhat glistening.

Upon seeing it, the Yaochi Saintess swiftly retreated a few steps, her beautiful eyes shining, and exclaimed, "What a terrifying aura! This is an extremely ominous object."

The Flickering Light Saint Heir and Yao Xi also retreated, trusting the Yaochi Saintess’s judgment.

I seem to have heard of such a thing... Old Man Knife remarked, his expression growing serious.

"This is a Divine Source!" Yaochi Saintess declared.

What? This is a Divine Source?! Ye Fan was quite surprised, then immediately shook his head. I have studied the Heavenly Source Book for some time. How could I not distinguish the characteristics of a Divine Source?

"This is an already desiccated Divine Source. Its enormous Qi has been completely absorbed, leaving it as just an empty shell," explained the Yaochi Saintess. "It has been refined into an empty vessel using Supreme Magical Power. Inside, something terrifying is sealed."

"That is right, I know of such things," Old Man Knife nodded. "A Divine Source Shell is the best material for sealing peerless, ferocious creatures."

"Are you suggesting that something extremely terrifying is sealed within this Green Jade Turtle in my hand?" Ye Fan was taken aback, feeling like he was holding a hot potato.

"Where did you get it from?" Old Man Knife asked, simultaneously taking a few steps back, seemingly wary of the Green Jade Turtle.

Ye Fan found it difficult to remain calm. This Green Jade Turtle, merely the size of a baby’s fist, unexpectedly has something unimaginably terrifying sealed within it! This is truly beyond my expectations.

He did not want to reveal the origin of this item. If he told them he had found it among the ashes beneath the Divine Platform of a grand Ancient Temple, they would likely be even more shocked.

"I picked it up in the pine forest," Ye Fan said. "How many years do you think it has been there? Do you think the sealed item within has long turned to dust?"

At this moment, Li Desheng suddenly shouted, blood seeping from his left eye as he pointed tremblingly at the Green Jade Turtle, "There is a demonic power within!"

His left eye was a natural Netherworld Eye, which could occasionally perceive the realms of the dead and see certain special things. His words made everyone tense up.

Ye Fan nearly flung it away. It is unbelievable! How could something remain alive for so many years? This is too unreal!

"What did you see?" several people asked Li Desheng.

"I cannot see clearly; it is too hazy. But it is extremely terrifying. Even my Netherworld Eye was injured," Li Desheng said, shaking his head.

"Everyone, do you think this is realistic?" Ye Fan shook his head. "This Divine Source Shell was found in the Taichu Forbidden Area. Even if it was a relic left by the human race, it must be thousands of years old. Can something sealed for so long still survive? Do you really think it is the Eastern Wastelands Divine King, capable of remaining immortal for four thousand years?"

"Do not worry, we will take a closer look in a moment." The Flickering Light Saint Heir’s body blazed with light and auspicious colors as a stream of Holy Light surged out, entering Li Desheng’s left eye.

In just an instant, his Netherworld Eye was restored and no longer bled. This filled everyone present with awe; the Holy Light that was Immune to All Techniques was indeed formidable.

Ye Fan also wanted to understand clearly. I do not want to carry a ferocious creature with me. If I end up harming myself, it would truly be a case of lifting a stone only to drop it on my own foot.

Li Desheng’s Netherworld Eye appeared as a black void, shooting out a ray of dim light as he once again looked towards the oily green Green Jade Turtle.

Meanwhile, the Flickering Light Saint Heir enveloped him in Holy Light to prevent him from suffering further injury and interrupting the process.

Li Desheng’s Netherworld Eye flashed one last time as the dim light disappeared. Within those brief moments, despite receiving assistance from the Flickering Light Saint Heir, he still shed over ten drops of fresh blood from his eye.

"What did you see?" Ye Fan pressed.

"I saw a blurred corpse, already decayed and shrouded in black mist. A demonic power was vibrating from it," Li Desheng said, his face exceedingly pale, as if he had received a great fright.

Ye Fan felt exceptionally unlucky. After finally obtaining an artifact from the Ancient Divine Temple, it turns out to have a corpse sealed within it! His mouth twitched.

At this moment, the Yaochi Saintess, Yao Xi, and the Flickering Light Saint Heir all turned pale. Even Old Man Knife was greatly shocked.

"That seal must never be opened! Otherwise, the Demonic Qi inside is enough to wipe out everyone in a small city," one of them warned.

"Is it really that terrifying?" Ye Fan asked.

"Of course! A creature sealed within a Divine Source Shell must have been a peerless entity. Even if it is dead, its Demonic Qi has not dissipated. Once it breaks free, the consequences would be catastrophic!"

"I advise you, Daoist, to discard it quickly. Otherwise, if it is damaged, you will be the first one harmed."

"Indeed so," Ye Fan said, stroking his chin and pondering. Discarding it is not an option. This is practically a deterrent-type artifact, worthy of keeping!

In the future, if I am being pursued, regardless of whether it is a Grand Elder of Flickering Light or a Grand Elder of the Ji Family, I will just fling this over. If it could take out half the life of such an important figure, it would all be worth it!

Moreover, since it is generally peerless figures who are sealed within a Divine Source Shell, there is no telling whether there might be Great Artifacts and treasures on the corpse!

The seven of them set off again, this time taking a wide berth around the pine forest and moving towards the edge of the blood-red plains. They felt they were finally about to leave the Taichu Forbidden Area.

Suddenly, the sound of light and nimble footsteps approached. Everyone turned their heads simultaneously.

Under the moonlit night, a young child with tousled hair came bounding towards them. They looked to be only about four or five years old, plump, fair-skinned, and very adorable.

This could not be a child of the human race, because it had a pair of pristine white wings on its back and its eyes held double pupils.

"A living being!" Old Man Knife’s expression changed drastically. The Yaochi Saintess, the Flickering Light Saint Heir, and Yao Xi were also startled, finding it difficult to remain calm.

Since ancient times, very few people had ever seen living beings in the Great Primordial Mine. Those who did invariably perished.