Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 240: Chapter 245 Impulse

Along the way, Ye Fan dedicated himself to comprehending the "West Emperor Scripture," increasingly finding it profound and sublime. The five dragons in the Dao Palace coiled and soared, internal and external mist swirling, five energies skyrocketing.

Until now, upon obtaining the complete scroll of the West Emperor Scripture, Ye Fan understood why this secret boundary was called the Dao Palace. It resembled an eternal palace, imbued with endless power of the Dao.

The Five Great Divine Treasures were hazy and indistinct. Behind them, five ancient temples loomed, majestic yet distant, mysterious yet blurry.

In moments of selflessness, when body and mind were tranquil, one would hear waves of the Dao’s solemn sound. This sound was akin to Zen Chanting or the sacrificial sounds of Ancient Times, seeming to cross time and space, coming leisurely from the distant past.

It was extremely mysterious, even eerie. How could there be such sounds within a human body?

Before entering the Dao Palace secret realm, Ye Fan had heard people speak of it, saying that cultivating this secret boundary sometimes felt unbelievable, with inexplicable events occurring.

Upon obtaining the complete "West Emperor Scripture" and demonstrating the flawless nine secret arts of the ancient West Emperor, he indeed felt this kind of "incredibility."

The Dao Palace was like the heavens, forming five structures. Although vague and indistinct, their presence could be sensed, and the Zen Chants and ancient sacrificial sounds cut through time and space, coming ethereally.

Ye Fan was quite puzzled, unable to understand why this would happen. He recalled people’s speculations; Ancient Books recorded it as "Past Me." Though living in the present, there is a "Me" living in the past, and this "Past Me" chants scriptures for this life.

The "Past Me" exists eternally, transforming into five energies and lingering in the Dao Palace. It chants scriptures for itself, invoking heaven and earth and capturing the traces of the Dao. This nurtures the master of destiny, allowing the "Me" of this life to be eternal.

This is a rather mysterious notion, and scarcely anyone can articulate it clearly; this riddle is difficult to explain fully. However, outstanding cultivators do not believe in so-called "past lives," and the "Past Me" is not the "Me" of a past life.

Beyond the "Past Me," there is another theory: the human body resembles the universe, corresponding to the Great World. The Dao Palace is called the Dao Palace because it houses "Dao Me," an aspect of Dao nature, corresponding to the Dao of the Great World.

According to this theory, the Zen Chants and ancient sacrificial sounds emanating from the palace structures are actually "Dao Me" resonating with the world’s great Dao, an interaction between inside and outside.

More precisely, it involves capturing the traces of the Dao and comprehending the ultimate principles of the Heavenly Dao. The true nature of the Dao Me is not revealed outwardly; it is born within the five energies, silently invoking the great Dao of heaven and earth.

This means, it is my own Dao nature that is comprehending the great Dao, understanding the ultimate principle of Longevity, nurturing the master of destiny.

In other words, it is myself, not any Zen Chanting or ancient sacrificial sounds, but I am in Enlightenment.

After obtaining the complete "West Emperor Scripture," Ye Fan finally realized the "incredible" nature of the Dao Palace secret realm; some aspects of which were beyond understanding.

Cultivators, in the pursuit of eternal existence while reaching the end of the immortal path, will certainly encounter many similar things. I suppose from Ancient Times only a few Great Emperors might have truly understood it.

Embarking on the path of cultivation, seeking transcendence, striving for eternal existence in the world—the journey is long and arduous. To truly understand the great Dao, many puzzling enigmas must be faced. Only by traveling farther on this path can one gradually come to clarity.

Ye Fan thoroughly understood why in Ancient Times great sovereigns existed who cultivated only a single secret boundary; there is evidently a reason for this.

Not to mention the Wheel and Sea, just speaking about the Dao Palace, there are many unclear aspects. "Past Me" or "Dao Me"? What exactly are they? Probably not even a lifetime of cultivation might bring clarity.

Ye Fan had a premonition that in the later stages of cultivation, perhaps in the future, he would have to return and re-cultivate these secret boundaries. There are still many Secret Powers to be mined in the Wheel and Sea and the Dao Palace.

However, for now, he need not think much about it. He had obtained flawless nine secret arts, with the "West Emperor Scripture" in hand, enough to cultivate this secret boundary into a great Dao divine palace. Future problems would be resolved in the future.

The Yaochi Ancient Land is over ten thousand li away from the Great Primordial Mine, taking more than half a month of rapid travel to leave the uninhabited area and approach places with oases.

Along the way, Ye Fan earnestly appreciated the "West Emperor Scripture." Although his Realm did not improve, his strength significantly progressed. Operating the truly flawless nine secret arts, the divine energy he unleashed became much stronger.

This is the beauty of the ancient scriptures; ordinary nine secret arts cannot be compared. Using this cultivation method elevates the starting point, enhancing Combat Power invisibly.

The Saint Heirs and Sacred Ladies of the major Sacred Lands, their cultivation base surpasses their peers, greatly related to this! Ye Fan sighed.

Geniuses like the Flickering Light Saint Heir, with their celestial aptitude and cultivation of unparalleled ancient scriptures, possessed exceedingly terrifying Combat Power. They could defeat masters of the same rank without suspense, capable of dominating their generation.

「Over the past half month,」

While comprehending the West Emperor Scripture, Ye Fan also sparred with the big black dog, putting his insights into practice. It was the best sparring partner.

Having the complete West Emperor Dao Palace Scroll at hand, his Combat Power increased significantly. When the Fighting Saint Technique was unleashed, the big black dog would grimace, feeling even more pain.

"No, I want compensation! Sparring with you for free every day drains a lot of my divine energy," the big black dog complained.

"Being bitten by you every day and then having to compensate you? What are you thinking?" Ye Fan retorted.

"Do you think I want to bite you? Your tough skin and rough flesh are not tasty, just wasting my effort." Recently, it was quite passive. Every time Ye Fan wanted to savor his insights, he would certainly seek it out, and when finished, he would fly into the sky, making it grind its teeth constantly.

Stepping out of the desolate uninhabited area and entering an oasis, Ye Fan glanced sideways at the big black dog and said, "You look as big as a bull, really eye-catching and unsightly. Could you make yourself smaller?"

"Youngster, watch your mouth! Such a strong and powerful Sacred Body, if not said to be elegant as jade then it’s close," the big black dog raised its head proudly.

Ye Fan looked at its satin-like black body and mocked, "More like jade that fell into a coal mine."

"This is called divine might, so masculine, do you understand?" The big black dog’s expression was unfriendly.

"This won’t do, you’re too conspicuous. You must become smaller." Ye Fan thought for a moment and said, "If you really don’t want to, then temporarily be my mount. Plenty of people ride strange and powerful beasts."

"Go to hell!" The big black dog’s face fell long. If Ye Fan weren’t flying in the air, it would surely have pounced.

"Don’t be unwilling. I’m not keen on being a dog knight either. If someone sees me riding a tailless dog, they’d surely laugh their heads off."

At this moment, they had just entered the oasis and were still in a sparsely populated area. Occasionally, passing cultivators would see the big black dog and couldn’t help but glance at it twice. It was indeed attention-grabbing.

"What are you looking at? Never seen a human pet?!" the big black dog was displeased.

On first hearing, Ye Fan found it odd, and then he instantly realized this big dog was being too mischievous, implying he was the human pet.

"Damn it, you damned dog, are you asking for a skinning?!"

The big black dog raised its head and continued on, "What I’m saying is the truth. Those people are just inexperienced, thinking I’m walking a human pet around. They just keep staring. It’s really annoying."

"You damned dog!" Ye Fan scowled, wanting to give it a good beating. People were obviously looking at *it*, but it had to say something like that.

"Kid, I think you’re just about passable. Why don’t you become my human pet?" the big black dog tilted its neck and said.

CLANG! BANG! SMASH!

The sound of conflict, like iron striking iron, rang out as they started fighting.

"You damned dog, I wouldn’t want you as a pet even if you begged me, yet you dare to spout such nonsense!"

"This Emperor wouldn’t look twice at a human pet like you. In the future, I’ll definitely find a Saint Heir to be my pet."

This damn dog, Ye Fan cursed inwardly, a big dog wanting a human pet, it really deserves to be flayed. It’s deliberately provoking me!

In the end, Ye Fan threatened it with the ancient scriptures of the demon race’s Great Emperor. Only then did the big black dog compromise, grudgingly shrinking its body down to the size of a domestic dog. Not counting its bald tail, it was no longer than a meter.

"My unparalleled grace has been severely overshadowed! This damages my image."

"Unparalleled grace... Are you trying to attract a pack of big wolf-dogs?"

WOOF!

The big black dog pounced forward. Fortunately, Ye Fan was on guard.

They passed through a few towns without stopping, heading directly towards the most prosperous city of this oasis.

"Kid, you’re really unreliable. You don’t even know the dwelling place of that sovereign and still need to ask people. How can you lead me to find the ancient scriptures of the Demon Emperor?" the big black dog complained.

"Don’t you dare use those words ’unreliable’ with me. You know perfectly well what you did when we went to the Yaochi Ancient Land," Ye Fan rebutted.

This oasis is called Quzhou, spanning over three thousand li. It’s not considered a large region, and in the boundless northern region, there are many such oases.

Quzhou is hundreds of thousands of li away from the most prosperous sacred city of the northern region. It’s a long journey, far from the center of the northern region, and is not a bustling place.

The central city of this oasis is called Chaoyang, with a population of about nine hundred thousand. It’s the most flourishing ancient city in this region, with over a thousand years of history.

"Can you find that sovereign’s residence or not?" outside Chaoyang City, the big black dog asked.

"The northern region has thirteen great bandits. He ranks fourth and is feared by all the Sacred Lands. His residence couldn’t possibly be known by outsiders. I need to find a descendant of one of the great bandits to inquire."

This was the city Tu Fei and Li Heishui had told Ye Fan about. To find them, he needed to stir up some commotion around Chaoyang City in Quzhou.

Chaoyang City, with its eroding ancient relics, showed the passage of time as much of the stone skin had fallen from its walls. Yet, it remained majestic and imposing.

Upon entering the city, Ye Fan found his portrait—or rather, a wanted poster—hanging high on the city wall. The youthful face on it had a bounty raised to a block of Source.

"Kid, you’re quite valuable," the big black dog snickered.

"Go find a cool place and stay out of trouble!"

The streets were bustling with traffic and pedestrians, extremely lively. The big black dog darted around, biting at whatever it wanted to eat. This resulted in a crowd of creditors surrounding Ye Fan, making him grind his teeth in frustration.

「Not long after entering the city,」

He heard about an upcoming grand gathering of the young prodigies of Quzhou.

Ye Fan chose a place to eat, located beside a Gambling Stone Workshop. Most of those coming in and out were cultivators.

"Quzhou’s young generation is gathering. There might be quite a spectacle to watch this time."

"This is organized by the Ancient Nobilities’ Ji Family. They’re sending out invitations primarily to rally forces to help them find someone."

"Both the Ji Family and the Flickering Light Sacred Land will have young powerhouses present. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have such a draw."

"The one causing both Sacred Lands to mobilize such forces is that brat on the wanted poster at the city gate. I don’t think much of him."

"That brat once burned a Grand Elder of the Ji Family to death. Could you do that?"

Ye Fan listened carefully, his expression calm. The Ji Family had indeed gone to great lengths to flush him out.

During his time in the southern region, he had already become a public enemy of the Ji Family’s young generation.

This time, it was orchestrated by the Ji Family’s young prodigies, and similar gatherings were happening in other oases as well.

Ye Fan habitually stroked his chin, contemplating. The Ji Family’s younger generation only had three people who had reached the Fourth Level Secret Realm. The Flickering Light Sacred Land was similar, with only about three or four people.

If Divine King Ji Haoyue hasn’t come, and if the Flickering Light Saint Heir hasn’t appeared, I wouldn’t mind unveiling my True Body and slaughtering everyone at the gathering.

If I reveal my True Body, crash the venue, and wreak havoc, it would be like slapping the Sacred Lands in the face, but... wouldn’t that cause too much commotion?

Ye Fan mused to himself. He indeed had an impulse. Being hunted by the Ji Family all the way to the northern region with no peace, and the younger generation of Flickering Light Sacred Land also joining in, truly made him restless and want to strike.

The reason he had such thoughts was that he had obtained the Heavenly Source Book and mastered the Heaven and Earth Changing Technique. He could unveil his True Body, cause chaos, and then leave without a trace, making his whereabouts hard for the others to find.