Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 488: Chapter 493: Taiyang Fire Nurtures the Divine Crow

The black mountains stood tall, exuding the aura of the Ancient Netherworld. They were majestic and awe-inspiring, creating a sense of overwhelming power that made one’s heart tighten.

One of the black peaks was fractured, a particularly striking sight, as if a massive being had burst out from within, splitting the mountain open.

“Are you certain that Emperor Wushi once sealed a creature within the belly of this mountain?” Li Heishui asked, his face skeptical. If it were true, what a colossal creature that must be.

“Does it benefit this Emperor to lie to you?” the Black Emperor retorted.

As powerful as Emperor Wushi, who looked down upon all ages, could he have had an undying enemy that needed to be sealed here… Ye Fan felt a growing unease; his heart was troubled.

“Throughout ancient and modern times, there is no enemy Emperor Wushi could not defeat!” the Black Emperor spat, its drool flying. “Whether it was a creature from the Ancient or a peerless Holy Spirit, even if a god came, they would only become a stepping stone on his path forward. It’s truly nostalgic to think about!”

“Even gods… Why not say immortals descended? What are you reminiscing about?” Li Heishui glanced askance at it.

The Black Emperor coughed dryly and said, “This Emperor means, if one could have followed Emperor Wushi, what a joyous experience that would have been! Traversing the world unchallenged, who would dare to oppose him? If you were a dragon, you’d have to coil for me; if you were a phoenix, you’d have to nest for me…”

“Doggy, don’t brag,” the pitiful little girl’s simple sentence left the Black Emperor speechless.

“Do you know what kind of creature was suppressed here?” Ye Fan asked.

“I don’t know, but the battle back then was incredibly fierce. It was a great battle fought in Outer Heaven, lasting a full two hours.”

According to the Black Emperor, Emperor Wushi typically subdued opponents with a mere raise of his hand, no matter how strong they were. Most battles were resolved within a few moves. Rarely did a battle last for many hours in his lifetime.

That is Emperor Wushi, one of the most powerful figures in all of history, and he actually fought for two full hours in Outer Heaven… Ye Fan was deeply shocked.

Even the old madman beside them had a gleam of light ripple through his hollow eyes; he was evidently intrigued and moved.

“Emperor Wushi originally intended to kill it but later thought it might be useful in the future, so he sealed it here. As for what kind of existence it is, outsiders cannot know.”

“Good heavens! It was either an ancient king or a peerless Holy Spirit. It must have been an existence at the Great Emperor Level; there’s no need to even think about it!” Li Heishui lamented, “People truly cannot be compared. A true man should live like Emperor Wushi, with nothing in Heaven or Earth able to restrain him! Anyone who dared to block his path would simply be swept aside!”

The group continued forward. This section of the path was devoid of Array Patterns, so their journey was relatively smooth. They soon arrived before the black, broken mountain, where they sensed an eerie Qi Mechanism.

It felt as if a massive lifeform had departed not long ago; its body heat and aura still seemed to linger, causing them to shiver involuntarily.

“Damn it, this… does this mean that after hundreds of thousands of years, it’s still alive? Still here in this black Holy Cliff…” Even the Black Emperor was unsettled.

“Having been entrenched here for so long, it has left indelible traces,” the old madman said. With just a single step, he was atop the broken mountain, looking down.

“He… he’s unaffected! He can still soar through the skies and burrow into the earth. This terrifying Forbidden Land cannot affect him, while we can’t even lift ourselves off the ground,” Li Heishui said, his voice filled with extreme envy.

Ye Fan and the others obediently climbed up. Each black, jagged rock was stained with the marks of time, and one or two ancient spiritual medicines occasionally grew in the crevices, their medicinal age very old.

“I can feel the aura of that supreme existence. Something’s not right,” the Black Emperor grew even more anxious.

They stood on the broken mountain, peering into the hollow belly of the mountain. It was like a bottomless abyss, pitch-black, with no end in sight.

“There’s treasure…” Li Heishui said, pointing to the deepest, darkest depths where a flicker of Divine Light could be seen.

The old madman reached out with a large hand. Across the endless void, he plucked the light from the Abyss and threw it to the ground with a CLANG.

“This is its Qi Mechanism!” the Black Emperor exclaimed, its whole body going limp as it quickly retreated.

Ye Fan and the others also felt as if a peerless sword aura was pressed against their throats. Its sharp aura was bone-chilling, causing their whole bodies to tremble, and they involuntarily retreated as well.

This was a silver scale, about the size of a palm. It was sparkling and translucent. Silver Holy Flames leaped vigorously upon it, and the emanating waves of its aura made hearts tremble.

“A supreme existence, able to contend with a Great Emperor! This is its scale!”

Although the Black Emperor’s body was shaking, drool still flowed from its mouth. It pounced forward, immediately pressing the scale under its large paw, and shouted, “This Emperor claims it!”

Undoubtedly, this was a holy divine relic for refining Vessels, a rarity in the world. A single scale was worth more than a million jin of Source. Much like the golden Divine Horn sealed within the Divine Source Ye Fan had gifted to the Wind Clan Sacred Lord, its value was immeasurable.

The old madman frowned and, surprisingly, spoke aloud to himself, “What a powerful creature!”

Ye Fan suddenly fixed his gaze on a stone. He tapped it, then with a soft PFFT, sliced it open, revealing a gentle, moonlight-like glow.

This was a piece of Source resembling a star, about the size of a fist. It was exceptionally crystalline and hovered in mid-air, not falling.

“Divine Source!” Li Heishui exclaimed.

This piece of Source, much like the Divine Source that had been cut from the Blood Sacrifice Platform—the one sealing the primordial maiden—seemed to be condensed from starlight and was vastly different from ordinary Divine Sources.

“There’s Source within the black mountain itself? Doesn’t that mean the Undying Mountain isn’t lacking in Divine Source?” Even Ye Fan himself was surprised.

“Of course! And the quantity is not small!” the Black Emperor said excitedly as it stowed away the scale.

“If one becomes powerful enough, they can go to the Undying Mountain to dig for Divine Source and gather Undying Divine Medicine. That place is full of treasures.”

“HEH HEH…” The eerie, sinister laughter echoed again, and the humanoid creature in the mountain range ahead flashed out of sight once more.

The old madman sent out a beam of Divine Light, yet it did not strike its target, disappearing into the void, becoming part of the eternal Law.

“What on earth is that?”

“It’s a flesh-and-blood creature, densely covered with long black hair. Its chilling laughter made it sound like a demon from Hell, sending shivers down one’s spine.”

After they left the broken mountain, the Black Emperor began to suffer again. Immense lightning bolts continuously劈落下来, and with every hundred-odd zhang they walked, the Black Emperor would let out a long howl like a tortured wolf.

Continuing like this was not a solution. Even if Ye Fan had brought a considerable amount of Divine Spring from the Ancient Desolation Forbidden Land, it wouldn’t be enough to heal a large dog that was constantly being struck by lightning.

“If this keeps up, this Emperor will die!” The Black Emperor refused to advance another step. It didn’t know how many of its bones had been fractured; luckily, the old madman had helped set them.

No wonder Red Dragon Daoist was trapped in the depths of the Holy Cliff for one thousand five hundred years, nearly destroyed in both form and spirit… Ye Fan muttered to himself. And this is still just the periphery; we haven’t ventured deep inside yet.

Who was Red Dragon Daoist? He was a figure half a generation senior to all the Sacred Lords and was already over three thousand years old. If he merely showed himself, even the various Sacred Lords would have to retreat.

“Don’t you know the Array Patterns here? How are you still getting struck so terribly?” Li Heishui remarked, clearly not the one in pain.

“Damn it, you try it! This is a Killing Array laid down by a Great Emperor of old! Even if you know how it transforms, it’s impossible to fully comprehend. Whoever walks in front gets struck by lightning!”

With each black mountain peak they crossed, the power of the Array Patterns increased tenfold. With the Black Emperor’s current strength, it could barely manage. If it were to enter the next region, a single strike would turn it to ash.

“Show the Array Patterns you know to Senior,” Ye Fan reminded.

The Black Emperor had long had this idea and readily agreed. It spread out a fragmentary Ancient Scroll on the ground for the old madman to examine.

“This is just a corner, not even one-tenth of the whole thing,” Li Heishui said, rolling his eyes.

“Do you think this is some common cabbage?” the Black Emperor said arrogantly. “This is a Killing Array personally laid down by a Great Emperor of old! Such a thing doesn’t exist in the Mortal World. To have even a map of one-tenth of it is already remarkable. If one could fully comprehend it, they could roam unhindered across Heaven and Earth!”

“The Array Patterns are fragmented, just a corner. How do we proceed? It’s not of much reference value,” Ye Fan said.

“There you’re mistaken,” the Black Emperor stated with utmost confidence. “This corner happens to show the way into the area we need to enter. As long as it’s comprehended, no calamities will befall us once we go in.”

The old madman’s hollow eyes filled with radiance, as if he were awakening. He sat cross-legged on the ground, staring motionlessly at the Ancient Scroll.

Ye Fan and the others did not disturb him, waiting quietly nearby. The Black Emperor muttered, “Don’t underestimate this small corner. Even if Sacred Lords were to study it for ten lifetimes, they might not grasp its secrets. Only a Saint could possibly comprehend its mysteries.”

「One day, two days…」

The old madman sat still for a full nine days. He didn’t move a muscle, his eyes shimmered with Divine Radiance, seeming powerful enough to pierce through the void.

During this period, roars occasionally echoed from the black mountains, and gusts of strange black wind howled, sweeping past them several times.

“It’s just a corner of the Array Patterns left behind by a Great Emperor of old, yet even a Saint needs such a long time to comprehend it…” Li Heishui clicked his tongue in amazement.

“The key is the word ‘comprehend.’ Many people could study it for countless lifetimes and gain nothing. However, someone with great karmic fortune might achieve something within a few months,” the Black Emperor said.

“Are you saying we might have to wait for several months, or even years?”

“Although he is a contemporary Saint, this is, after all, a Killing Array left by a Great Emperor. We will have to wait for some time at the very least,” the Black Emperor nodded.

Emperor Wushi’s achievements were comparable to Creation itself, so the Array Patterns he left behind are unfathomably profound. Few in the world can understand them; they require meticulous, step-by-step deciphering.

At this moment, the old madman suddenly sighed, rose to his feet, and gazed at the sky, lost in thought.

“Uncle, have you comprehended it?” the pitiful little girl asked, looking up with her innocent little face.

“Though I cannot comprehend them completely, I can navigate our way in and out,” the old madman said, still pondering, as he began to walk forward.

“Luckily, we have a Saint with us. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have been able to take a single step on this Holy Cliff…” Li Heishui said with relief.

RUMBLE…

Ahead, a sound like a tsunami arose. The black wind uprooted many thousand-year-old Ancient Woods, sweeping them high into the sky.

“It’s that strange black wind again. Why does it always appear not far from us?”

“It’s here again!”

The eerie black wind sent chills down their spines. It lifted massive boulders, each weighing tens of thousands of jin, as if the earth were rending, swirling them around not far away.

Ye Fan opened his Divine Eye and observed carefully. He immediately shivered; within the eye of the black wind, a pair of cold and malicious eyes stared intently at them.

CHH!

The old madman had clearly noticed it long ago. His eyes shot out two beams of Divine Radiance that slashed forward. A vast fissure tore through the void, instantly shattering this illusory space.

The black wind vanished, and those eyes swiftly extinguished, disappearing into nothingness, leaving no trace.

In the sky, a tuft of black fur fluttered down. Other than that, there was nothing.

“This…”

The group gasped. No wonder the Black Emperor had said that once one enters the Holy Cliff, they might die without even knowing how, encountering bizarre and calamitous events.

The Divine Radiance unleashed by the Saint hadn’t managed to extinguish that entity. It had only severed a wisp of black beast fur; they hadn’t even seen what it looked like.

And this wasn’t even the deepest part. Who knew what terrifying creatures they might encounter? Everything was so bizarre it defied understanding.

BOOM!

When Ye Fan and the others stepped into a valley, they immediately felt an unbearably scorching heat, as if they had jumped into a furnace, on the verge of being reduced to ashes.

Ye Fan hurriedly took out the Bodhi seed, holding it in his hand, helping the others—everyone except the old madman—resist the terrifying heat.

Ahead of them, a towering black peak blocked their path. It was as tall as the other mountains but much broader, like a black wall that stretched as high as the sky, seemingly without end, barring their way.

On this black mountain, there were many Ancient Caves from which flames spewed forth. The intense heat emanated from them, unbearable even from a great distance.

“The Taiyang Fire here is truly as Emperor Wushi said: it never extinguishes and only grows stronger. It’s just as he predicted,” the Black Emperor murmured to itself.

“What… it’s Taiyang Fire! This is one of the most terrifying flames in the world, and it has actually been birthed here,” Li Heishui exclaimed.

“The flames within those Ancient Caves contain a considerable amount of Taiyang Fire. Its current purity might already be extremely high,” the Black Emperor said, gazing intently.

CAW…

Suddenly, a piercing cry came. From the Ancient Caves on the black mountain wall burst forth streaks of fire. Flocks of black Divine Crows flew out, wreathed in boundless True Fire.

“This is terrible! Hundreds of thousands of years have passed, and the Taiyang Fire has birthed Fire God Crows! There seem to be many of them! We must leave quickly,” the Black Emperor’s expression changed.

CAW, CAW, CAW…

Before the mountain wall, from one Ancient Cave after another, flew out flock after flock of black Divine Crows. Gleaming with a dark light, they flew over, bringing with them a sky-covering inferno.

“So many Divine Crows… Heavens…” Even the Black Emperor felt its fur stand on end.

Li Heishui was also dumbstruck. The sky was blotted out by the swarm of Fire God Crows, which covered the heavens like a dark cloud, bringing with them vast, rushing flames.

Across the entire mountain, the Ancient Caves had erupted into a frenzy. Endless Fire God Crows flew out, all diving toward them. The heat was terrifying, enough to melt stones to ash.

“Damn it, there must be over a million of them!”

A million black Fire God Crows covered the sky. This was a force capable of destroying Heaven and Earth, almost irresistible by human strength. Their numbers were simply too overwhelming.

These Divine Crows had all become sentient spirits. They were far from ordinary birds, having been birthed from Taiyang Fire. They were incredibly terrifying and possessed immense destructive power.

BOOM!

The old madman stood unmoving. A terrifying aura burst from his body; his thick black hair flew about, making him resemble an immortal god or demon.

Within a ten-zhang radius around him, he was Immune to All Techniques. Neither the Taiyang Fire nor the Fire God Crows could penetrate. Any that tried to force their way in were reduced to dust.

With millions of Fire God Crows, the Bodhi seed might not be able to defend against them. The concentration of Taiyang Fire is too intense, enough to reduce us to ashes. Without the Saint’s presence, we’d be doomed. Ye Fan’s heart shook violently.

CAW, CAW, CAW… A million Fire God Crows cried in unison, their calls echoing through the Heavenly Universe, striking fear into everyone’s hearts.

On the black mountain, within the central Ancient Cave, flames surged, and a pair of golden eyes flashed, staring at everyone.

It exuded an extremely terrifying Qi Mechanism, like an Evil Dragon gazing down upon lambs—superlatively powerful and dreadful. Even the Black Emperor couldn’t help but shiver.

The golden eyes were filled with infinite killing intent. This was an incredibly terrifying existence, and it seemed to want to swoop down on the old madman and the others.

My god, what kind of creature has been born? Does it dare to attack even a Saint? Everyone’s hearts leaped into their throats.

However, in the end, that existence restrained its impulse, closing its golden eyes and allowing them to pass by unharmed.

Could it be that the mythical Three-legged Golden Crow has been born? That would be a heaven-defying existence! The Great Emperor once mentioned this possibility… the Black Emperor thought, muttering to itself.

“There is indeed a golden Divine Bird. It has three legs. The pitiful little girl saw it,” the pitiful little girl said innocently.

SWOOSH!

The entity in the Ancient Cave heard these words and immediately opened its golden eyes again. Endless killing intent弥漫而出, and it coldly stared at the group!

BOOM!

The million Fire God Crows went berserk, overwhelming the area. That terrifying existence, like a deity within the Ancient Cave, fixed its gaze intently on the pitiful little girl!