Shrouding the Heavens - Chapter 241

The tavern was adjacent to the Gambling Stone Workshop, and business was booming. Those who frequented the place were either cultivators or stone gamblers, all of them lavish spenders.

By a window on the second floor sat a man in green, no more than twenty-one or twenty-two years old. He had fair skin and a delicate, somewhat effeminate air, lacking in masculine vigor. This was clearly a disciple from a noble family. Beside him, two young women attentively served him wine and food. He took a sip of wine and remarked, "He was able to burn the Ji Family’s Grand Elder to death not because his cultivation base was world-shattering, but because the prominent figures of the Ji Family were caught unprepared and perished when that terrifying flame he’d collected touched them. Without that flame, he’s nothing."

"Brother, you’re exaggerating," someone nearby disagreed. "But regardless, the young man did burn a prominent figure to death, which is certainly no simple feat."

The man in green glanced at the dissenter and said, "More than half a year ago, he was merely at the Paramita Realm. Without that flame, many could kill him as easily as tearing paper."

Someone in the tavern, thinking he was boasting, said, "Brother, you’re speaking rather excessively. You claim killing him is as easy as tearing paper. Can you actually do it?"

The delicate man in green took another sip of wine and declared, "Killing him would be as easy as lifting a finger; a single slap would be enough to finish him!"

Ye Fan, who was sitting nearby, couldn’t help but glance at him. The man appeared calm, showing no overt arrogance, yet he was clearly quite conceited.

Nearby, someone, annoyed by this attitude, said, "That young man is only fifteen or sixteen, yet his cultivation has already reached the Paramita Realm. That’s already quite impressive. May I ask what realm you are in, Brother?"

"The third level of the Dao Palace Realm," the man in green replied, taking a white cloth handed to him by a maid to wipe his mouth.

Many people looked surprised. To have such a cultivation base at his age was indeed astounding. No wonder he was so conceited.

"What is your name, Young Master?" someone asked.

"Situ Feng." The man in green gently tossed the white cloth onto the table.

"Are you Situ Feng from the Yan Cloud Sect?"

"Indeed."

"No wonder! So it’s Situ Feng. Among those around twenty years old in this generation, few in Quzhou can contend with him."

"Quzhou has no Great Sects, let alone Sacred Lands. To possess the strength of the third level of the Dao Palace Realm at his age is indeed something to be proud of."

The people in the tavern were all discussing animatedly, clearly having heard the name Situ Feng before.

Ye Fan naturally felt no goodwill towards this delicate man who claimed he could kill him with a single slap, but he wasn’t going to argue with him there. He asked, "Where is the gathering of Quzhou’s younger generation being held? I’d like to go and see it."

"It’s in the Yunduan Mountain Range, not far from Chaoyang City," someone in the tavern replied enthusiastically.

"Thank you, brother. Do you know when it starts?" Ye Fan inquired in detail.

"It’s set for two days from now. Many young experts from Quzhou will be there."

Ye Fan smiled and asked, "Do you know which notable figures from the younger generation of the Ji Family and the Flickering Light Sacred Land will be present?"

"That’s hard to say, but there will certainly be outstanding individuals attending, especially since they’re the ones organizing it."

Not long after Ye Fan left the tavern, the big black dog ambled over from nearby, muttering and cursing under his breath. After listening carefully, Ye Fan couldn’t help but laugh. The big black dog had been quite unlucky. He’d encountered an unscrupulous meat seller who had chased him down a street, intending to skin him for his meat. He did, however, have the sense not to attack mortals.

This mountain range, located one hundred and twenty li from Chaoyang City, featured steep peaks that pierced the clouds, hence its name, the Yunduan Mountain Range. The mountains in the oasis were naturally teeming with life, no longer barren. As far as the eye could see, there was a vast expanse of green, densely packed with large trees. The tallest peak reached six thousand meters, its summit wreathed in white mist and swirling clouds, presenting a majestic sight.

Ye Fan arrived early, wanting to familiarize himself with the terrain first. The big black dog followed reluctantly, his face long with displeasure.

The range stretched for hundreds of li, with no sects established within its bounds; it was ownerless land. This wasn’t because the place lacked beauty. Rather, over the past thousand years, three medium-sized sects had successively established themselves here, only for all of them to perish. Other sects, feeling the place was ominous, had since avoided it.

In truth, the Yunduan Mountain Range was very picturesque. Mountains and water existed in harmony, dragon springs gurgled, and jade belts wound around the peaks, making it an excellent place for cultivation. Otherwise, three sects wouldn’t have previously chosen this location.

"So, it’s this place..." The big black dog’s black fur bristled all over his body.

Seeing this, Ye Fan was greatly surprised. It was the first time he’d seen the big black dog so tense.

"Have you been here before?"

The big black dog looked uncertain. He slowly calmed down, and his black fur smoothed out.

"Let me get a good look!" He began to sprint rapidly, circling the mountain range for dozens of li before reaching an open area.

"What did you find?" Ye Fan asked.

"It really is this cursed place. I never expected to come back here." The big black dog’s expression was unsettled.

"What kind of place is this?" Seeing his reaction, Ye Fan knew it wasn’t an ordinary mountain range.

"This Emperor suffered greatly here back then," the big black dog paced, looking thoroughly dejected.

"When was that?"

"A long time ago, naturally. You wouldn’t understand even if I told you," the big black dog said, trying to appear nonchalant.

"Even Divine Kings only have a lifespan of four to five thousand years. If you’ve lived for over a thousand, you should be thanking the heavens. What exactly happened?"

"Why should I tell you about the setbacks This Emperor suffered?" The big black dog turned and continued to circle the mountains.

After obtaining the Heavenly Source Book, Ye Fan had been practicing diligently. He now used the "Observing the Situation Technique" to inspect the area, and the entire mountain range unfolded before his eyes. There’s nothing special. It’s not a Desolate Land. Even if there are Source Veins underground, their quantity is pitifully small. That was his conclusion.

Hmm, something’s not right, Ye Fan thought, suddenly surprised. Although this place wasn’t dangerous, it felt peculiar. Using the Observing the Situation Technique to look ahead, he could see a faint trace of white mist rising. That was definitely not ordinary mountain mist; it was rising from underground, a wisp of vapor detected by his spiritual perception. This place isn’t a Desolate Land, nor is it Immortal Soil, yet it has a strange feeling.

"So many years have passed, yet it seems nothing has changed," the big black dog muttered.

Ye Fan walked over and said, "Tell me about it in detail. After all, I’m a disciple of a Heavenly Source Master, and I know more about Earth Formations than you do."

"People in your profession love to dig, but unfortunately, the issue here isn’t about Source," the big black dog grumbled.

"Then what did you encounter back then?" Ye Fan asked.

"Back then, This Emperor was trapped here for eighteen years and nearly died!" the big black dog said through gritted teeth.

"I don’t see any danger," Ye Fan said, observing the area again. Apart from the white wisps of mist, he really couldn’t sense anything else.

"If you could truly see the danger, then we’d be in big trouble. This place used to be the Dao Field of some significant figure; it’s quite extraordinary."

"You must have been trying to steal something from them, right?"

"That person has been dead for who knows how many years! I was just here to try my luck back then!" the big black dog corrected harshly.

"Whose Dao Field was this, that you suffered such a great loss?" Ye Fan was very curious.

"A ruthless individual, who eventually refined even themselves," the big black dog said, unwilling to elaborate. No matter how much Ye Fan pried, he wouldn’t reveal any more.

"So, according to you, we shouldn’t enter these mountains?"

"That’s not an issue. Going in isn’t a major problem. As long as you don’t dig around recklessly, no one will die," the big black dog inadvertently let slip.

Ye Fan laughed. "Honestly! The lengths you’d go to for treasure. What exactly did you get up to back then?"

The big black dog, his face dark, retorted defensively, "People in your line of work just love to randomly dig up mountains and excavate the land! I’m merely reminding you!"

Ye Fan was only here to attend the grand gathering of Quzhou’s younger generation and didn’t intend to stay long, so he wasn’t particularly worried.

Here, there was a very wide riverbed, dry for who knew how many years; the pebbles were almost weathered away. This wide, dry riverbed meandered from the mountains into the distance, like a coiling flood dragon.

Ye Fan followed the riverbed into the mountains. He wandered for the better part of a day without discovering anything remarkable. When he asked the big black dog, the creature remained tight-lipped, unwilling to disclose anything.

"A treasure that tempts you so much must be extraordinary, right? Don’t you want to dig it up?" Ye Fan coaxed.

"Naturally, it’s a great treasure, buried underground for tens of thousands of years. I don’t mind it staying buried for a few more decades. When I’m strong enough, I’ll come and claim it myself," the big black dog stated firmly, his lips sealed.

「Two days passed in a flash.」

The Yunduan Mountain Range was no longer deserted; it suddenly became bustling with activity. Divine rainbows frequently streaked across the sky, carrying numerous figures, almost all of whom were young cultivators.

In the central area of the mountain range stood a broken mountain, extremely broad and wide. Its fractured surface was flat and smooth, as if cleaved by a peerless weapon, forming a massive platform. Many figures stood upon it, yet it didn’t feel crowded at all; on the contrary, it was so vast that it appeared rather spacious.

Ye Fan mused to himself, This broken mountain is at least ten times wider than the other mountains. If it hadn’t been broken, it would probably soar into the heavens, making it the tallest peak around here.

"They certainly know how to pick a spot," the big black dog remarked, his large, bell-like eyes gleaming.

"This is the Dao Field of that significant figure you mentioned, isn’t it?" Ye Fan probed.

The big black dog did not respond.

「An hour later,」

Ye Fan, his wide sleeves fluttering, rode a cloud and arrived on the broken mountain. He hadn’t brought the Black Emperor with him; otherwise, it might expose him.

Young cultivators were everywhere, all engaged in animated discussions. In the distance, more figures continued to fly in.

A five-colored divine light tore through the sky as a Jade Boat flew over, emitting thousands of auspicious rays. It descended from the heavens, a powerful divine energy fluctuating around it, and landed on the broken mountain. A commotion immediately swept through the crowd; an important group had arrived.

"The prodigies from the Ji Family and the Flickering Light Sacred Land are here!"

"The Ji Family and the Flickering Light Sacred Land possess an immortal legacy spanning over a hundred thousand years. The young disciples they nurture are so powerful; it’s truly astonishing!"

...

People chattered animatedly, quickly surrounding the spot, clustering before the divine jade like stars around the moon.

Ye Fan did not step forward but remained where he was. It was then that he noticed Situ Feng, the man who had boasted he could kill him with a single slap. This effeminate man, still dressed in green, appeared quite self-assured. Instead of pushing his way into the crowd, he stood at its edge with an air of arrogance.

"Brother Situ..." Ye Fan stepped forward.

Situ Feng turned, frowning. "Who are you?"

"Ye Fan!"

Upon hearing this name, Situ Feng spun around sharply, his gaze fixed on him.