Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 292 - Godsource

Ye Fan stripped away the layers of stone skin. When his blade reached the center of the millstone-sized rock, countless divine rays shot out, like golden needles flying in all directions, blinding to the eye.

The eruption was too sudden. Stone shells fell away, and the stone core blazed like a miniature sun. No one could look at it directly, tears welled up uncontrollably.

“What kind of treasure is this… could it be Godsource?” Fifth Master Zhang turned his head aside. His eyes were swollen, pierced by the light.

Had he really cut out Godsource? That was Ye Fan’s first thought as well. His heart pounded. What he lacked most right now was source.

Squinting, he observed carefully. What floated before him was no larger than a soybean, a tiny bead of light, half-real, half-illusory, like the purest mote of sacred radiance rather than material substance.

Once the stone core was fully peeled, that little bead did not fall but hovered in midair. Its aura was mysterious and wondrous, like a speck of primal essence from the dawn of heaven and earth itself, inviting reverence.

Fifth Master Zhang didn’t dare face it directly. He used the corner of his eye, and without realizing it, stretched out a calloused hand to touch. It was a subconscious motion.

Even the black dog, collapsed on the ground and convulsing in a faint, twitched twice toward it, foam dribbling from its jaws, as if lured.

Godsource!

Ye Fan was certain now. This was primordial aura, condensed since the opening of heaven and earth, a rare treasure of the world.

It never sank, always floating. It embodied the purest, most original essence of heaven and earth. One couldn’t help but want to kneel. These were the very traits described in the Celestial Source Tome.

For the first time, Ye Fan touched Godsource. A sacred breath flowed through his fingertips, filling his body with warmth like spring sunlight, cleansing him as if baptizing his flesh.

This was Godsource, a sacred substance of unimaginable effect, coveted by holy lands. Whenever one appeared, it would inevitably trigger storms across the world.

But this piece was tiny, no bigger than a bead. Compared to those colossal Godsources large enough to seal ancient creatures, it seemed almost insignificant.

Yet it was undeniably precious. If word spread, countless would fight to the death over it.

Godsource came in many varieties, with vastly different effects. Ye Fan had not yet delved deep enough into source studies to truly understand them.

“This can’t possibly be worth fifty thousand kilo of source…”

Even if it was Godsource, its size was too small. He needed a lot of source to break into the fourth level of the Dao Palace realm. One bead wouldn’t cut it.

“So this is Godsource… just what did my ancestors leave behind?” Fifth Master Zhang muttered. After touching it, he felt his body lighter, blood vigorous, his health renewed.

For ordinary people, the effect was immense. But Ye Fan’s Sacred Physique resisted external aid, dulling the benefits.

“Legends say there are dozens of types of Godsource, some with inconceivable powers. If only I could examine them all,” Ye Fan said, eyeing the remaining stone relics.

Though tempted, he chose not to cut further. He suspected the true value of these stones wasn’t in small beads of source, but perhaps in flesh-fruits. Cutting rashly might ruin priceless treasures.

A long time passed before Ye Fan and Fifth Master Zhang calmed down. After all, this was Godsource, no one could remain composed at first sight.

The Black Emperor had fainted. Otherwise, it would surely have pounced to snatch it away; it had always lusted after Godsource.

Fifth Master Zhang, knowing Ye Fan’s unique body required immense source to cultivate, urged him to keep it.

Ye Fan didn’t argue. He desperately needed source. This favor, he would repay later.

From another stone relic, a pink fruit had been unearthed, potent, but deadly. The black dog was unconscious for five days, and even after waking could not rise, twitching occasionally.

“Damn it, I must have been cursed eight lifetimes over! What kind of a dogshit stone is this?! The fruit it bore is pure poison, enough to kill a true dragon!” it cursed between spasms, foaming at the mouth.

“Serves you right, you moron. Who told you to be so greedy, swallowing it in one gulp?” Ye Fan said dryly.

The black dog glared murderously, but it couldn’t stand. Sometimes it coughed up more foam. Clearly, it wouldn’t recover for half a month.

Ye Fan studied the fruit for a long time but couldn’t decipher its use, so he set it aside.

Eventually, he left the verdant mountains and streams. His only thought now was to seek source and break through. Even robbing a holy land, if there was a chance, he would not hesitate. Time pressed on him.

When he emerged to the outside world, rumors abounded. The storm over the ancient scroll had only grown. The Peacock Monarch ambushed the Radiant Light Sacred Lord and nearly succeeded, shaking the Northern Region.

If not for the Ji Clan’s Supreme Patriarch traveling with him, a disaster might have unfolded. Even so, blood was spilled.

Several Ji Clan and Radiant Light elders were struck to ashes by Red Dragon. The Radiant Light Sacred Lord himself was badly wounded by the Peacock Monarch’s Chaos Treasure Seal.

The uproar was immense. The return of Red Dragon, and the Peacock Monarch’s attempt to kill a Sacred Lord, both were world-shaking events.

While Ye Fan had been in seclusion, the Northern Region had been boiling with unrest.

By now, Purple Mountain was no longer secret. Many powerhouses knew of it, though none dared act rashly. Nine dragons coiled around that mountain, a matter tied to ancient emperors. Even Supreme Giants hesitated.

Still, countless cultivators were tempted, waiting for an opening. No one wanted to go first.

Years earlier, the Demon Emperor’s tomb had horrified all: mountains of bone, seas of blood, holy lands taking turns to attack. Even then, the Yin Grave within swallowed them whole, vanishing into the depths.

With that bloody lesson fresh, the Eastern Wilderness’s powers would not repeat rashness. Holy lands gathered in the Northern Region, planning to confront Purple Mountain together.

The Jade Pool Festival was indefinitely postponed. Purple Mountain overshadowed everything.

Though not yet opened, its storm already raged. A holy lord was wounded, a taste of what was to come.

Hearing all this, Ye Fan stroked his chin. He had played a part in this chaos by sending out the ancient scroll. He had indeed stirred the heavens.

“How much is one Godsource bead worth?” He couldn’t calculate. Tu Fei planned to borrow ten thousand kilo of source for him; the rest he had to find himself. A staggering amount.

“Maybe it’s time to head for the Celestial City…” For days he had been immersed in the Celestial Source Tome. He was ready to gamble everything.

Fire Cloud Prefecture, crimson as flame, filled with Fire Cloud trees, a strange species unique to this land.

The Fire Cloud trees had leaves like burning fire and trunks of red-brown. From afar they looked like seas of flame, or endless evening clouds. The name fit perfectly.

Since entering this prefecture, the landscape was dominated by them. Red vastly outnumbered green. It was like spotting a single green among ten thousand reds.

This prefecture lay not far from the Celestial City, at most eleven or twelve days’ journey. Ye Fan pressed on, his goal clear: he would wager everything in the holy land’s source gambling.

Fire Cloud City was the prefectural capital. Its walls stretched like a great wall, majestic and ancient. It was a famed city.

Long ago, a powerful Ancient Desolate Clan had ruled here, shaking the Eastern Wilderness. Their reign lasted over a hundred thousand years, until they vanished into dust tens of thousands of years ago.

It proved again: no lineage is eternal. No family forever. All things end.

At the gates of this vast city, Ye Fan saw two wanted posters, both bearing his likeness. Issued by Radiant Light and the Ji Clan.

Both lineages had offered sky-high bounties. Anyone providing information would earn five thousand kilo of source.

And if someone revealed his exact whereabouts, they would receive a full fifty thousand kilo. An astronomical price.

Such posters were spread across all central oases. Seeing them made Ye Fan sick. Who wanted to be hunted everywhere?

“No wonder they’re holy lands, throwing around tens of thousands of kilo like nothing…”

He knew why he was so valuable. Beyond grudges, they craved the Motherly Energy of All Things. For that, even half a million kilo wouldn’t be too much.

“To think they want my cauldron and my life for a mere hundred thousand kilo. What a fine plan,” he sneered at the gates.

On the horizon, dozens of riders approached on strange beasts that walked the air, armored knights flashing in iron. They were Ji Clan soldiers.

“Damn it, no useful clues anywhere. When will we finally drag that brat surnamed Ye out? If he dares appear, I’ll crush him with one hand!” a young Ji rider spat coldly.

“Hmph.” Their leader snorted, then said, “Don’t underestimate him, Ji Yunteng. Even those at the fourth level of Dao Palace might not be able to suppress him.”

Ji Yunteng sneered. “Just a useless discarded body. What’s so great about him? Sure, people at the same realm lost, but I don’t believe that as a Dao Palace fourth layer, I couldn’t squash a Dao Palace second-layer waste! The bastard hides, but if he dares show himself, I’ll stomp him dead.”

“Don’t be arrogant. The Radiant Light Saint was strong, the Leviathan Prince was proud, and both were captured by him.” Their leader was steady, cautioning the others.

Ji Yunteng scoffed. “That was only because the Chaos Stone froze everyone. Without that, could a broken physique capture the supreme talents of the Four Pillars Realm?”

“If he dares show, I’ll kill him with a flick of my finger!” another young Ji elite fumed.

Assigned to search Fire Cloud Prefecture, they had only grown more frustrated, venting their anger.

“That brat has us running ragged every day for his traces. I’d love nothing more than to slap him into dust!”

“A useless body causing such chaos… If I catch him, I’ll squash him like a bug!”

The young Ji elites, full of resentment, entered the city.

Ye Fan’s lips curved in a cold smile. “A bounty of tens of thousands of kilo? Heh, perhaps I should claim it myself.”

Using the enemy’s source to feed his bottomless hunger, what could be better? He swept his robe and slipped into Fire Cloud City.