Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 487: Chapter 492: Array Patterns of No Beginning

Fifty-some black mountains stood side by side, exuding a strong sense of oppression. Seeing them felt like re-entering the Undying Mountain.

“Big brother, is there Enlightenment Tea here too?” the pitiful little girl looked up and asked. The little one still remembered the old tea tree that ran around naked.

“There’s none here, but there are more mysterious things,” Ye Fan said, touching the little one’s head.

“What’s strange inside?” Li Heishui asked the Black Emperor. This place was usually so frightening that no one dared to approach, as if avoiding ghosts and demons.

“It’s hard to say what’s here, but it’s somewhat sinister. Mysterious deaths might occur inside,” the Black Emperor grumbled.

“What do you mean?” Li Heishui pressed.

“Specifically, one might die inside without even knowing how. It’s very eerie and arcane, leaving people baffled,” the Black Emperor added.

“So this is a Calamity Land? One where you don’t even know what you might encounter?” Ye Fan was surprised. This place was very unusual; who knew what they might come across.

However, they weren’t overly afraid, as they were accompanied by a Saint. If even the old madman couldn’t enter this place, then no one in the current world could.

“AWOO…” A lone wolf’s howl sounded, mournful and tragic, echoing across the black mountain range.

“Your relatives must be around here,” Li Heishui said, nudging the Black Emperor.

“WOOF!” The Black Emperor bared his teeth and bit Li Heishui’s wrist hard, refusing to let go.

“Damn it, I was just stating a fact! Why are you so worked up? Let go!” Li Heishui cried out.

“CAW…” A few old crows, filled with a deathly Qi Mechanism, flapped their wings on a dead old tree outside the black cliffs, emitting terrifying, mournful calls.

“Why does this place feel so ominous…” Li Heishui muttered after prying the Black Emperor’s jaws off him, feeling a chill run down his neck.

“Don’t worry. I don’t believe this black cliff can truly be haunted,” the Black Emperor said, though somewhat unconvincingly. “Although a Great Success Holy Body died here, that was over a hundred thousand years ago. Even if there was some unknown existence, it would have long since vanished under the power of time. Nothing can live that long.” He was relying solely on the old madman’s Combat Power.

“Let’s go!” Ye Fan lifted the pitiful little girl, placed her on the Black Emperor’s back, and then strode forward.

PLOP! A white rabbit suddenly darted out, followed by a weasel. Both were incredibly old, their fur nearly all gone.

HISS… HISS… Then, a large, emaciated snake, as thick as a water barrel and all skin and bones, slowly crawled out. It meandered towards the distant cliffs.

Why are these all inauspicious creatures from folklore… They all found it very strange. These creatures were naturally nothing to them, but in folk legends, they held great significance.

As they neared the black Holy Cliff, the eerie atmosphere intensified. It felt as if they had arrived in a graveyard, sending chills down their spines.

“WOO… WOO…” Suddenly, a lamenting cry arose, incredibly mournful and piercing, carrying for several miles.

Beside them stood an ancient, dead tree, so thick that it would take five or six people to encircle it with their arms. It grew at the very edge of the Holy Cliff.

On the tree was a terrifying bird’s nest, constructed from dry bones. It was half a person tall, exuded a sinister aura, and was wreathed in wisps of black mist.

“Damn it, what kind of bird is that?” Li Heishui exclaimed, astonished. He felt the chill around him intensify.

Beside the nest, which was made of human bones, stood a bizarre, monstrous bird. It had a body as black as a raven’s, but possessed a human-like face, yet it also had a bird’s beak, curved and sharp like a black hook or blade.

It was over a meter long and as black as ink. A heavy, sinister energy emanated from it, as if it had a dead man’s head, making the entire dead Ancient Wood feel unnervingly cold.

“This place is really damn sinister!” The Black Emperor shivered and couldn’t help cursing. “This is an ancient bird, rarely seen even in Ancient Times! It specializes in eating the bones of powerful experts. Legend says that anyone it cries over will not live long.”

FLAP! FLAP! The monstrous bird spread its wings and flew away. As it did, a half-chewed human skull, grotesque in appearance, fell from its beak.

“I have a bad feeling about this; it feels like an ominous sign,” Li Heishui whispered.

WHOOSH! A violent wind erupted, and the old madman suddenly acted. His great sleeve swept out, seemingly encompassing heaven and earth, sending endless grass and rocks flying. A low roar followed from the distance, powerful enough to make souls tremble.

Ye Fan and Li Heishui were shocked. A humanoid creature, covered from head to toe in long black hair that gave off a chilling aura, flashed deep within the black Holy Cliff and vanished.

“Damn, there really is something there! What kind of creature was that?” the Black Emperor exclaimed in astonishment.

All around them, the ominous sights vanished. The cries of the old crows, the howls of the lone wolves, and all other unsettling sounds disappeared. The black mountains returned to silence.

“Let’s go in and take a look. We’ll be relying on your expertise with Array Patterns soon,” Ye Fan said.

The group finally stepped into the Undying Mountain. Ye Fan took out the Ancient Scroll he had obtained back in Li State in the northern region, searching for the locations marked with the nine secret arts.

“It’s deep within the Holy Cliff…” Ye Fan murmured, tracing a finger over the Ancient Scroll. The others gathered around to observe it closely, and then they all furrowed their brows simultaneously. The moment they stepped into the Holy Cliff area, they felt as if they had entered the Undying Mountain; there was no difference at all.

“We can’t fly!” Li Heishui was the first to notice something was wrong. He found himself unable to leave the ground or leap into the void.

“There are Array Patterns here left by an ancient Great Emperor,” the Black Emperor said, its eyes flashing with a peculiar light. “Not by the Void Great Emperor, but laid by someone else…”

“We must be cautious. Even the Crimson Dragon Daoist was trapped in the deepest part for fifteen hundred years and was almost refined to ashes,” Ye Fan reminded them.

“Rest assured! This time I’m absolutely confident. With my mastery of Dao Glyphs, we can move unhindered here!” the Black Emperor declared, suddenly brimming with confidence for some reason. “Follow me!”

CRACK! The Black Emperor strode ahead, but after taking just two steps, a bolt of lightning descended from the clear sky, striking him. He was jolted so violently that he foamed at the mouth, stumbled, and fell to the ground, black smoke rising from his body.

If Ye Fan, sensing the dog’s unreliability, hadn’t pulled the pitiful little girl back just in time, the little one would have been struck by lightning as well.

“Doggy, are you okay?” the pitiful little girl asked, blinking her large eyes, genuinely frightened.

“It hurts… so much…” The Black Emperor lay there, its four large paws twitching continuously. “Great Emperor… why did you strike even me?” it muttered.

“I’ve finally realized it. You’re completely unreliable in everything you do, you damn dog!” Li Heishui taunted. “You said we could move unhindered, and what happened? You were just showing off, and got struck by lightning, didn’t you?”

“WOOF! Damn it!” The Black Emperor wanted to bite him, but after struggling for a long time, it couldn’t get up. It was severely injured, with many broken bones.

This made everyone’s heart clench. The mysterious and terrifying Holy Cliff was even more sinister than they had imagined. They had barely stepped inside, and the Black Emperor, despite its profound skill in Dao Glyphs, had almost been struck dead.

SWISH! The old madman pointed a finger. The Black Emperor was enveloped in a beam of light, and instantly, its bones made cracking sounds as its injuries rapidly healed.

It scrambled up, cursing, “Damn it, why was even I struck? Where was the mistake in the Array Patterns? Let me think about this carefully.”

After some careful study, the Black Emperor showed a puzzled expression, which then cleared. “Ah, there was a subtle alteration! I know where the error was. This time, there will definitely be no problem!”

It proceeded ahead once more. Initially, nothing happened. However, as it took its thirteenth step, another massive bolt of lightning descended from high above.

CRACK! The Black Emperor fared even worse this time. Its body was scorched black, white smoke puffed out from its earholes, and it even coughed out sparks of electricity. Its entire body was almost cooked through.

“AWOO… It hurts so damn much! WOOF!” the Black Emperor wailed continuously, every inch of its flesh twitching.

Damn, this stupid dog is going to get itself killed. Good thing it wasn’t us this time, Ye Fan thought, dumbfounded. He had seen unreliable characters before, but never one *this* unreliable.

“Doggy, are you alright? I smell something like roasted meat…” the pitiful little girl asked with concern.

“It smells really good!” Li Heishui, quite the character himself, actually couldn’t help but gulp at such a moment.

The Black Emperor instantly flew into a rage. “Damn it, you black-hearted ghost! What kind of look is that? What are you implying? WOOF!”

Whenever these two “treasures” got together, peace was hard to come by; they would bicker endlessly, no matter the situation.

This time, it was again thanks to the old madman’s healing that the Black Emperor managed to stagger to its feet. However, its once satin-like fur now looked as if it had been plucked, looking patchy and no longer smooth.

“There’s no justice! Why am I always the one getting struck? This Emperor must have had terrible luck for eight lifetimes!” the Black Emperor fumed indignantly.

“Do you even know whose Array Patterns these are?” Li Heishui asked, looking at it suspiciously.

“These are the Array Patterns of No Beginning! I clearly saw how they evolve in an ancient book! How could I still be struck?” the Black Emperor gritted its teeth.

“Nonsense! How could the Array Patterns of an ancient Great Emperor possibly be recorded in ancient books? Such things simply cannot be preserved in the world! Even if they were, even sovereigns studying them for ten lifetimes wouldn’t be able to understand them!” Li Heishui retorted, unconvinced.

Ye Fan’s heart, however, skipped a beat. He remembered some things the Black Emperor had said before: the No Beginning Great Emperor had once visited this place to pay respects.

Following that line of thought, it’s highly probable that the No Beginning Great Emperor truly carved these Array Patterns. But this damn dog knows far too much! Could it have actually followed the No Beginning Great Emperor? But how could it have lived to the present age? Even ancient Great Emperors couldn’t do that!

Throughout this process, the old madman remained silent. He stood to the side, gazing at this Ancient Land, seemingly lost in deep thought.

The Black Emperor no longer dared to lead the way. Instead, it urged Li Heishui to go forward while it offered directions from behind.

“Damn it! This ridiculous dog doesn’t dare go itself, and now it wants to get me killed!” Li Heishui refused, absolutely unwilling.

Ultimately, the Black Emperor had to steel itself. Grabbing a container of Divine Spring that Ye Fan had given it, it once again took the lead.

BOOM! CRACK! Almost every dozen steps or so, the Black Emperor would let out a wretched scream as it was struck by lightning yet again. It convulsed an unknown number of times.

“Great Emperor, you were struck by lightning so often back then. Is your resentment really this strong? Why are even the outermost Array Patterns so terrifying? They’re about to blast me to ashes!” the Black Emperor whined, baring its teeth and muttering incessantly.

Finally, after crossing a towering black Great Mountain, they arrived at a desolate, empty area. This region had no Array Patterns, but the Qi Mechanism here was very strange.

It was an expansive valley, nestled between the black Great Mountains. In its center lay a lake, its surface as smooth as a mirror.

By now, the setting sun had dyed the horizon crimson, bathing the lake in a golden hue.

“A Supreme Spiritual Medicine! It must be over twenty thousand years old!” Li Heishui exclaimed, pointing to a vibrant azure plant in the lake that shimmered with a dreamlike brilliance.

The Black Emperor also dashed over, preparing to pick it. But just then, the lake water suddenly erupted with a loud ROAR, and enormous waves shot skyward.

A humanoid creature emerged. Its hair was white as snow, and its skin was just as pale, without a trace of blood, like a zombie. It extended a large claw towards them.

“What is that thing?” everyone exclaimed in shock, retreating swiftly.

“It’s an Ancient Corpse! It must have been dead for at least tens of thousands of years! It recently achieved Spirit Communication and has a half-step sovereign’s cultivation base!” the Black Emperor shouted.

“Uncle, save us!” the pitiful little girl cried out, very tense. She grasped the old madman’s sleeve and shook it.

If Ye Fan and his group had come alone, they would undoubtedly have met a terrible fate; their cultivation bases were insufficient to resist such a creature.

CHII! The old madman lightly pointed. A streak of azure light shot from his fingertip, instantly immobilizing the Ancient Corpse, rendering it unable to move.

BOOM! But just then, the lake water violently erupted again. The loud RATTLING of iron chains echoed from below, signaling even more terrifying creatures.

Everyone’s eyes shot out beams of Divine Radiance as they peered into the lake. They all gasped as three more Ancient Corpses surged up, each also at the half-step sovereign level.

And in the depths of the lake, there was a massive shadow—it was an iron sedan chair! Thick iron chains were wrapped around its carrying poles, looking incredibly sinister and frightening.

These four Ancient Corpses are merely the sedan bearers. What kind of terrifying existence is inside that iron sedan chair? they wondered, terrified, their scalps tingling.

CHII! The old madman again merely lifted a finger, immobilizing the three Ancient Corpses. Then, staring into the depths of the lake, he let out a soft cry: “DUO!”

His voice was like a clap of thunder, imbued with an unknown, majestic power. The boiling lake instantly calmed. The black iron sedan chair swayed a few times, as if unwilling to submit, but ultimately, it ceased its movements.

Ye Fan and the others felt their hearts clench. This journey was definitely not going to be smooth. They had only just entered and had already encountered such formidable creatures; who knew what other threats lay deeper within.

“HEHEHE…” A sinister cackle, like that of an ancient ghost, emanated from between the distant black Great Mountains. A humanoid figure was fleetingly seen before vanishing.

Two beams of light shot from the old madman’s vacant eyes, piercing towards the dark mountain range. The humanoid figure let out a malevolent cackle and then vanished completely.

They climbed atop a Great Mountain and gazed forward. Their hearts jolted at the sight: in front of them lay a collapsed black Great Mountain. Seeing this, the Black Emperor was even more shocked.

“What happened? Who destroyed that mountain peak? I remember… no, wait. Legend says that the No Beginning Great Emperor once inscribed a ‘Seal’ character there to suppress a terrifying creature. Could it have escaped?” the Black Emperor exclaimed.

“Don’t worry. Over a hundred thousand years have passed. Even if some peerless existence was suppressed there, it would have long since been reduced to ashes. Even the greatest figures cannot withstand the power of time,” Ye Fan said.

“That’s true, but we should still be cautious. I just have a bad feeling,” the Black Emperor said, uncharacteristically tense.