Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 237: Chapter 242 Immortal Pool

Misty fog billowed and water splashed as the black dog paddled, running on the waves like a black arrowhead as it quickly charged onto the shore.

"What’s happening? How can they move?" It looked very disheveled, glancing back.

Damn it, this dead dog really deserves a beating, Ye Fan thought. He almost went over to push it back down again, looking at it sideways.

"Kid, you’re really uncool! You just stood on the shore watching the fun without helping me," the black dog turned back, baring its teeth.

"I was thinking of stepping in, but it was to give you a good smack," Ye Fan said. He stood on the shore, looked at it a few times, then glanced at the blurred silhouettes in the water. "What did you actually see?"

The black dog knew it was at fault, so it didn’t argue much, wandering around the lake and muttering something.

"What are you mumbling?"

"I saw fairies, each with skin like ice and bones of jade, breathtakingly beautiful. I was captivated! Let’s go down and explore together?" the black dog suggested.

"You were captivated? Then they definitely weren’t fairies—most likely big, ugly curs."

"WOOF WOOF... Kid, are you tired of living?" The black dog’s bald tail shot upright.

"Alright, stop biting. My legs are full of your teeth marks." Ye Fan quickly tried to pacify it, still relying on it to find the West Emperor Scripture and not wanting to provoke its anger.

Around the lake, the Spiritual Qi was so dense it couldn’t be dispersed, almost forming into liquid—a cultivator’s dream Cultivation Holy Land.

Droplets of water sparkled, and mist drifted. Everything beneath the water was vague; a few human figures slowly submerged into the depths of the lake.

Their bodies were rigid, dressed in sackcloth, with disheveled black hair, making them terrifying underwater, like water ghosts—very eerie.

"Are they all corpses?" Ye Fan inquired in detail.

The black dog looked grim, saying, "It’s really unlucky. This was clearly an Immortal Lake, a place where peerless fairies would bathe. I eagerly went down to find holy divine relics, but... damn it."

"So you find good stuff and want to hoard it, but when you see evil things, you call me down to accompany you?" Ye Fan glared at it.

"Let’s go down together. Maybe we’ll uncover some treasure," the black dog coaxed.

"Not going. I’m not interested in corpses," Ye Fan refused.

"You might regret this. This is the most important place in Jade Lake. If the pool water had no corpses, I’d want to take it all..."

Years ago, this pool was famous worldwide, known as the most renowned Immortal Pool in the northern region. Its Spiritual Qi was so abundant that it even produced Source.

Drinking this pool’s water over a long period could extend a mortal’s lifespan, with even better effects for cultivators. The women of Jade Lake exuded a saintly, transcendent aura. This was connected to the water, which could slowly improve their physique, rendering their bodies flawless and pure over tens or hundreds of years.

The water of Jade Lake is also the best water source for refining medicine. Some Great Sects and Sacred Lands would even specially come here to request its water when refining precious Divine Pills.

"The materials the West Emperor Mother used to refine her peak weapon were extracted from this Immortal Pool. If we go down, there’s a chance we might find something too," the black dog tempted.

"Stop dreaming. If there were any, would they still be here?" Ye Fan sneered.

Peak weapons require exceptionally high-quality materials. A Great Emperor possesses a very long lifespan, far exceeding that of ordinary cultivators. However, even traversing all lands throughout their entire life might not be enough to gather all the necessary components.

Precious holy divine relics like Phoenix Blood Red Gold are extremely rare, appearing once in millennia, unattainable merely by seeking. Refining peak weapons requires the most precious materials that have existed since the beginning of heaven and earth.

Therefore, from ancient times until now, all peak weapons, whether lost or existing, total just a few pieces throughout the Eastern Wastelands.

"But you never know, maybe there really is a piece of Immortal Material left there," the black dog said, its eyes lighting up.

"Jade Lake evacuated. Even if there was something, it would have been scavenged long ago. Why would anything be left for you?" Ye Fan remained unmoved.

"You don’t understand. This pool is very mysterious. The West Emperor Mother originally founded her Sect here because of it. Maybe there’s something else at the bottom, who knows? I suspect the so-called ’Yaochi Immortal’ phenomenon was triggered by this pool."

"Indeed there are—corpses. You’ve seen them. What’s left to check?"

"Why did Jade Lake evacuate? Why are there so many corpses in the pool? Don’t you want to find out?" The black dog was unhappy.

"If I had enough power, I’d want to excavate the Great Primordial Mine and overturn the nine sacred mountains of the Ancient Desolation Forbidden Land. But for now, I only wish for the West Emperor Scripture and don’t want to take risks."

"If you don’t go down with me, forget about ever obtaining the West Emperor Scripture in this lifetime!" The black dog bared its teeth.

Damn it, this dead dog is even threatening me, Ye Fan cursed inwardly.

The lake water was warm. Splashing droplets, crystalline as jade, carried potent Spiritual Qi that autonomously penetrated the pores and entered the body.

"The people of Jade Lake bathe in this water every day; their cultivation base can’t help but improve. I might as well wait until I’ve found enough Source, then go into secluded cultivation here. It would surely bring great advancement," Ye Fan exclaimed.

"See? Now you understand its benefits. Would This Emperor deceive you?" the Black Emperor said with a proud expression.

"Quit the attitude. Hurry down, I’ll follow behind you."

"Let’s soak for a while longer. Wait until our spirits have replenished, then we’ll go down. I’m feeling a bit uneasy," the Black Emperor said, a little sheepishly.

"Have you snuck in here before?" Ye Fan asked, enjoying the water with his eyes closed, addressing the devious, scheming black dog.

"I wish! But I never had the chance. I’d only heard about it, so today I want to savor it properly," the Black Emperor replied.

"I guess only important people from Jade Lake can enter this pool?" Ye Fan asked.

"The peak weapon left by the West Emperor Mother has always been suppressed in the pool. Ordinary people indeed can’t enter; only the Empress, sacred lady, and Grand Elders can. However, the water can be drawn out for other disciples to use."

"The peak weapon is submerged at the bottom of the pool all year round?" Ye Fan was surprised.

"Too bad it was taken away by the people of Jade Lake, alas!" the Black Emperor said, very greedily.

The water rippled. The Black Emperor submerged, and Ye Fan followed. They descended for over a hundred meters before slowly approaching the lake bottom.

"What the—" Ye Fan felt his scalp tingle. Densely packed beneath the lake were the corpses of young women.

This was no Immortal Lake; it was clearly a burial pit. There were hundreds of them, filling the entire center of the lake, piled up.

Those lotus-like arms, those slender jade-like legs, still glinted with a sheen, but the bodies were rigid, showing no signs of life.

Each woman’s corpse had disheveled hair, a pale complexion, and was dressed in white sackcloth bearing the Jade Lake emblem. Their hair, like snakes, danced chaotically, a creepy sight in the dim lake bottom.

No wonder the Black Emperor had bolted from the water the first time it came down, trying to lure him down too.

This place was supposed to be an Immortal Lake, yet such a scene truly made one feel terrified.

There were no fish or aquatic plants in the Immortal Pool, only a dead silence and corpses.

"You go look for treasure. I’ll wait here for you," Ye Fan transmitted using his divine sense.

"I somehow feel uneasy," the Black Emperor muttered.

A dozen or so corpses floated up gently, drifting along. They moved with the water rather than rising on their own, but even so, it was a hair-raising sight.

The surface of the corpses had a wax-like substance; they had already become like wax figures. Yet, even so, they shouldn’t have remained uncorrupted for so long. This puzzled Ye Fan.

"Are you going to search for treasure or not? If not, let’s go find the West Emperor Scripture," Ye Fan urged.

"Kid, go see if they have any wounds, how they died," the Black Emperor transmitted very unscrupulously.

Why don’t you go? Ye Fan thought, wanting to give it a good beating.

"They’re all fairies, each as beautiful as a flower. For you, it’s a feast for the eyes, but for me, it’s terrifying," said the Black Emperor.

"I want to slap your dog’s head!"

"Damn it, what kind of talk is that?"

In the end, Ye Fan and the Black Emperor dove down together to inspect the corpses. However, upon careful observation of the hundreds of Jade Lake disciples’ bodies, they found no wounds, no visible fatal injuries.

"Stop looking. We can’t stay here for long; something’s not right," Ye Fan urged.

"I want to know why Jade Lake retreated. Maybe it’s related to this pool?" The Black Emperor was persistent.

"If you manage to find out, it’ll really be big trouble. Everyone from Jade Lake has avoided this place. If the two of us find a clue, we’re just courting death," Ye Fan said sternly. "Hurry up and find the treasure, or else we’ll leave immediately."

The Black Emperor was also a bit unnerved. Despite its arrogance, the thought of an entire Sacred Land retreating made its heart pound.

What could have caused the strongest Sacred Land in the Eastern Wastelands to withdraw? the Black Emperor wondered.

The Black Emperor sank to the bottom of the lake and began searching, hoping to try its luck at finding Immortal Material. After thrashing about for an hour, it had stirred the lake bottom into murkiness but only picked up a few Jade Hairpins.

Suddenly, Ye Fan felt a chill down his spine and snapped his head back. Right behind him, among the pile of female corpses, their black hair was disheveled, all dancing chaotically.

In a trance, he saw a pair of eerie eyes open, shining coldly through the piled bodies.

In the shadowy lake waters, Ye Fan felt his scalp prickling and quickly began to paddle upward.

Above, floating corpses drifted by. One corpse’s hair entwined around his ankle. With a strong shake, he rapidly broke free, bursting through the water with a WHOOSH and rushing ashore.

The lake water shook, and almost instantly, the Black Emperor burst out, darting forward as fast as it could with three female corpses dangling from its bald tail.

"Kid, help quick!" The Black Emperor rushed onto the shore as though its tail was on fire.

On its bald tail, the hair of three female corpses was tangled and had been dragged ashore with it.

The Black Emperor shook its tail vigorously, finally shaking them off. Shortly after being exposed to the air, the three corpses dissolved into pools of liquid.

Ye Fan felt a wave of nausea. He had been soaking in the pool just moments earlier, and now he was witnessing this scene.

"It seems there’s something below. What did you see just now?" the Black Emperor asked, its face grim.

"I thought I saw a corpse open its eyes just now. But thinking about it carefully, it also felt like two pearls embedded in the lake bottom. Why don’t you go down and check again, since you’re after treasure anyway?" Ye Fan said, not very kindly.

"Damn it, no more searching!" The Black Emperor shook its fur vigorously. Water droplets flew everywhere, and its body, slick and shiny, repelled water. It said, "The Immortal Pool has become the Ghost Pool! There’s definitely something down there. Yaochi Immortal? I think it’s more like ’Yaochi Flying Ghost’!"

"Why are there so many corpses? The people of Jade Lake should have buried them properly. Why would they be tossed into the Immortal Pool?" Ye Fan was puzzled.

"Who knows what happened? Maybe someone else threw them in," the Black Emperor said, a bit unnerved. "Whatever you say, I’m not going down there again!"

Ye Fan and the Black Emperor moved away from the Immortal Pool and gazed at it from afar. The mist churned. Whether it was psychological or something else, it now felt eerie rather than sacred.

This crucial place, with its towering peaks, hosted numerous majestic palaces that stood to this day, seemingly immortal. They harbored incomprehensibly profound Dao Glyphs, enabling them to endure through time.

Ye Fan entered a gigantic palace. The floor was paved with jade, smooth and sleek, untouched by dust. Despite the long passage of time, the palace seemed to have a purifying effect and remained free from dirt.

TAP, TAP, TAP...

In the expansive palace, only his own footsteps echoed, carrying particularly far.

CREAK...

CLANG, CLANG, CLANG!

He pushed open a door that hadn’t been opened for endless years, and the hall rang out, as though he were stepping back into the ancient Jade Lake.

Standing here, he seemed to touch the brilliance of yesteryear—a group of beautiful fairies, transcendent on this great land, shining brilliantly beneath this Starry Sky.

After standing for a long time, Ye Fan strode forward, traversing hall after hall.

The vast and grand palace was empty, containing nothing but the desolation left by time.

Ye Fan found nothing. It was impossible to find anything.

The Black Emperor wandered around, passing through more than a dozen palaces, but in the end, it too returned with nothing.

"Does Jade Lake have a medicine field? After so many years, if it still exists, divine medicine might have grown there." Before Ye Fan’s words had even finished, the Black Emperor darted out, transforming into a streak of black light, moving as fast as it possibly could.

"That damn dog is so unreliable!" Ye Fan cursed, chasing closely behind. If he hadn’t mastered the old madman’s footwork, he would have been left in the dust. The Black Emperor sprinted, stirring up a black gust of wind.

After running for some eight miles, they reached a verdant area where the Black Emperor finally stopped, wandering among these mountains.

"Black Emperor, you’re so untrustworthy! You ran faster than a rabbit when you heard ’medicine field.’ Why aren’t you running now?" Ye Fan teased.

"Am I, This Emperor, that unscrupulous? I was waiting for you so we could search together," said the Black Emperor.

"You, kind-hearted? You probably couldn’t find it, right?" Ye Fan stepped forward.

This mountainous land was thriving, filled with green vegetation, but there were no medicinal herbs; he couldn’t smell any medicinal fragrance.

"Strange. Setting aside rare Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, why can’t I see even the most common herbs anywhere?" the Black Emperor whispered almost imperceptibly.

Ye Fan had black lines appear on his forehead. This damn dog really hadn’t found anything and was just pretending to wait here out of goodwill!

In the end, the Black Emperor lamented, "Too ruthless! The people of Jade Lake moved the entire medicine field."

A careful examination revealed that ahead, in a vast expanse, was a colossal square pit, with even the surface soil taken away.

Ye Fan felt a bad premonition. Could the West Emperor Scripture have been dug up too? Despite the Black Emperor’s earlier assurances that the people of Jade Lake wouldn’t touch that cliff, he now felt completely uncertain.

"Let’s go quickly to find the West Emperor Scripture! If the Scripture is gone too, I’ll... I’ll have the urge to kill someone!"

"Don’t worry. Those Scriptures aren’t legible to anyone. Even the Empresses of Jade Lake throughout generations didn’t necessarily understand them. Even if it were laid out in front of you, you wouldn’t recognize it. They were created through the West Emperor Mother’s Enlightenment; outsiders can’t decipher anything. Nobody knows she engraved them."

"How do you know then?" Ye Fan was suspicious.

"What kind of existence do you think This Emperor is? I personally heard someone mention this secret!" the Black Emperor said proudly.

Reluctantly leaving the medicine field, they swiftly rushed towards a mountain range. This place was barren, filled with cliffs and stone mountains everywhere. It lacked soil and was purely large rocks.

As soon as Ye Fan entered the mountains, he was awestruck. Carved on a stone wall was a woman, an image evoking the feeling of a natural manifestation of the Dao. Though merely a stone carving, it possessed the profound beauty of Dao law appearing as if by nature, and the Miao Realm of Heaven and man together.

"It’s just a carving, without any martial techniques, merely a standing pose. Yet why does it give the feeling of ’the Dao and I are one’?" Ye Fan was truly shocked.

"Come on. There should be many carvings in these mountains. If you want to see them, take your time to observe," the Black Emperor prompted.

Ye Fan reluctantly moved forward, yet the image of the carving occasionally floated into his mind.