Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 317 - Celestial City

Ye Fan flew all the way north for more than ten days, crossing countless mountains and rivers, not knowing how many tens of thousands of miles he had traveled, and finally approached the Celestial City of the Northern Region.

The Celestial City of the Northern Region was the absolute center, as famous on this red soil as the Primordial Mine, revered as sacred by the people of the north.

Late autumn had arrived, the weather already cold. On the bare branches of the trees, a few stubborn leaves still clung on.

The oasis where the Celestial City stood was vast, spanning tens of thousands of miles. The city was large and numerous, and compared with other regions, the Celestial Region was the most peaceful. Even the most daring bandits would not come to plunder this oasis, for all the great powers had stationed forces here.

The northern wind was fierce, white grass bending; the season of snow was not far away. Travelers on the road were many, and most had already put on fur clothes.

The road leading to the Celestial City was broad, wide enough for more than a dozen carriages to travel side by side. In addition to the residents of the Northern Region, cultivators could often be seen flying across the sky.

At this moment, Ye Fan was less than six hundred miles from the city. On both sides of the road rose tall mountains and broken cliffs, majestic and towering. The bluestone road looked as if it had been carved out by splitting mountains and cutting cliffs.

When less than two hundred miles remained, the number of travelers increased significantly. Beasts galloped like wind and lightning, most of them cultivators.

Suddenly, a thunderous rumbling came. Dozens of riders charged forward like a surging tide.

They were extremely arrogant, riding their beasts in the air just a few meters above the ground, galloping along the main road.

The wild beasts roared, and a gust of wind swept past, blowing the hair of many travelers into disarray. Many glared angrily.

They could clearly see the dragon horses’ hooves and the scaled leopards’ claws trampling through the air above their heads, a great insult to those walking below.

The riders sped through the sky without any concern for the feelings of those on the road, rushing toward the Celestial City and disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Ordinary people would never dare such behavior, for those traveling to the Celestial City were almost all cultivators, it was far too easy to offend someone powerful.

“Which Ancient Desolate Clan do these people belong to? So arrogant, stepping on our heads as they pass,” someone on the road said discontentedly.

“Let it go. Don’t talk too much. If they hear you and turn back to cause trouble, it will be a disaster,” another advised.

“I think they’re from the Imperial Gold Bloodline of the Northern Reaches. Maybe they didn’t mean it, perhaps they’re in a hurry.”

“I heard a descendant of the Imperial Gold Bloodline, a powerful being’s offspring, offended a young master of the Godfiend Palace. They fought, both sides were wounded. These people are probably rushing there because of that.”

Ye Fan hadn’t even entered the Celestial City yet, but he already sensed that this was a place where heroes gathered and storms converged.

This city gathered the powers of the world, imperial clans from the Middle Continent, the Imperial Gold Bloodline from the Northern Plains, Supreme Giants from the Western Desert, and even the holy lands of the Eastern Wilderness.

Before long, Ye Fan finally arrived near the number one city of the Northern Region.

It was a pure land. Outside the Celestial City, for 150 miles in every direction, the land was lush and green, untouched by seasonal change.

Though it was late autumn, the area was full of vitality. The air was warm like spring, the wind gentle, the vegetation abundant, and spirit springs flowed everywhere.

The spiritual energy was extremely dense, many times stronger than in other regions. Ancient trees rose hundreds of meters high like small mountains, their branches stretching toward the sky, and vines as thick as dragons coiled around cliffs.

“It’s already late autumn. Why is it still so full of life?” someone, like Ye Fan, was puzzled and asked another traveler.

“The Celestial City has existed since ancient times. It influences the very environment of this region,” someone replied.

Half an hour later, Ye Fan finally saw the legendary Celestial City, and he was deeply shocked.

The ancient city was colossal. Its walls stretched like a slumbering dragon, unbroken and majestic, glinting like molten bronze under the sun.

The massive gate tower rose a hundred meters high, awe-inspiring and magnificent. Even from afar, the city’s sheer size pressed down on the heart.

“This is the center of the Northern Region’s power... Since ancient times, there have been countless legends about it. Searching the old records, one realizes just how ancient it is.”

No one could trace its true origin. Since the earliest written history, the city had never changed its location, existing through endless ages.

It was also called the Divine City. According to legend, in ancient times it hung in the sky, only falling to the earth during the Desolate Era.

The city was many times larger than any imperial capital, vast and magnificent. To walk across it as a mortal without flying would take an entire day.

Inside, it was bustling beyond imagination, halls and towers everywhere, streets wide and clean, with gambling houses, immortal towers, palaces, saintly halls, and monster clans, all luxurious and grand. Mortals and cultivators mingled freely.

Half of the people in the city were cultivators. In such a place, no one dared act recklessly, one might accidentally bump into a scion of an Ancient Desolate Clan, or worse, step on the foot of an elder from a Sacred Ground.

Ye Fan found his eyes overwhelmed. The city was enormous, its layout intricate and mysterious. He suspected some of the palaces were as ancient as the city itself.

Along the busy streets stood vast palace-like buildings, intricately carved and splendid, like royal residences.

“What is this place?” he asked passersby.

“This is the inn run by the Five Elements Mountain, not bad at all.”

“A palace used as an inn... and that’s considered ‘not bad’?” Ye Fan was dumbfounded.

Not far ahead, he saw another grand complex, beautiful scenery, towering buildings, golden brilliance.

“What’s this place then?”

“That’s a stone-gambling house, though a small one. You should try those owned by the holy lands.”

“A palace this grand is just a small stone-gambling house...” Ye Fan was speechless.

Soon, he saw several floating towers suspended in the air, yet arranged in elegant, harmonious order.

“Excuse me, elder, what’s this place?” Ye Fan asked again.

“First time in the Celestial City, right?” said a gray-haired man by the roadside. “That’s a restaurant, quite a good one too.”

Ye Fan rubbed his chin, not sure what to say. Everything here was so extravagant.

The older man chuckled. “If you have enough source, go up and have a meal. They have every delicacy under the heavens. Beautiful female cultivators serve wine and play the zither for guests.”

No one was allowed to fly inside the city. Even cultivators strictly followed the city’s rules. The main streets bustled with people, shoulder to shoulder.

After wandering a while, Ye Fan reached a quiet place, a Daoist temple. It wasn’t tall or imposing, but it covered a vast area.

Giant, ancient trees grew all around, their shade dense and tranquil. The temple, hidden amid worldly splendor, was far quieter than its surroundings, exuding a sense of peace and return to simplicity.

It was a special place, despite many people coming and going, it remained serene, as though the Grand Dao itself flowed within it.

“Uncle, may I ask what this place is? Why is there a Dao Temple here?” Ye Fan asked a plump man in his forties.

“New here, aren’t you? I can tell you just arrived in the Celestial City,” came the familiar line.

The chubby man grinned. “This is the Stone Workshop of the Absolute Dao Sacred Ground, very famous. A great place. Lately, their Saintess often appears here. If you want to see her beauty, don’t miss the chance.”

“Uncle, why do you sound so perverted?”

“Heh heh... you don’t know. Lately it’s been lively here. Eight lunatics showed up, claiming they want to win the hand of the Absolute Dao Saintess through stone-gambling.”

“Uncle, you’re really quite the gossip,” Ye Fan said, glancing at him.

“Those eight are big shots. Even the Jiang family’s supreme elder couldn’t stop them. But when they pulled out a Red Jade Token, the old man turned and left.”

“What’s their background?” Ye Fan asked curiously.

“Who knows,” the man muttered. “Come on, let’s go in...”

Ye Fan declined. The man chuckled slyly, swaying his hips as he walked into the Absolute Dao Sacred Ground’s Stone Workshop.

“People trying to win a saintess’ hand, stealing my spotlight... But that’s fine. The more chaos, the better for me to blend in,” Ye Fan muttered to himself.

Turning a corner, he suddenly saw a great lake ahead, its blue waters rippling like a vast sapphire set into the earth.

Crowds strolled along its shores, willows swaying, warm winds blowing.

On the lake, many dragon-shaped towers floated, music drifting in the air. Ye Fan noticed that most of the people by the shore were young.

Looking closer, he was astonished to see that deep within the lake, amidst the clouds, many floating ships and palaces hovered in the sky.

“What is this place?” Ye Fan wondered aloud.

This time, no one told him he was new, instead, they looked at him with disdain.

“You came all the way here and pretend to be innocent?”

“Brother, I really don’t know what this place is. Please tell me,” Ye Fan said sincerely.

Crowds moved about under the willows. The man glanced at him. “You mean you don’t know the famous Exquisite Desire Temple of the Celestial City?”

“What’s Exquisite Desire Temple? This is my first time in the city,” Ye Fan replied.

“It’s one of the ten most renowned places in the Celestial City. Lately, their successor is about to make her debut. I bet some holy sons and heirs of Ancient Desolate Clans have already snuck in to watch. You’re telling me you came straight here by accident?”

“I really didn’t know before, but I’d like to see it now,” Ye Fan said.

The man gave him a look. “At night is when it’s lively. Lights shine everywhere, the Immortal Lake glows, celestial towers appear in the air, and jade boats drift above. The successor of Exquisite Desire Temple is about to appear, even the holy sons and heirs will secretly come to see her.”

“Exquisite Desire Temple is that famous?” Ye Fan asked in surprise.

“It’s an ancient lineage with immense power. Its fame is boundless, almost equal to that of a Sacred Ground.”

Exquisite Desire Temple ranked among the top three of the ten great places of the Celestial City, not only for its strength but also its mysterious allure. It was said that the members of the temple, when young, often had ambiguous ties with various holy sons, some of whom later became Sacred Lords themselves.