Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 489: Chapter 494: Entering the Holy Cliff Center

The black mountain loomed like an endless wall, blocking the way ahead. In its center, the huge Ancient Cave was pitch black, completely different from the other caves erupting with Taiyang Fire.

Within, only a pair of golden eyes could be seen. They were especially intimidating in the darkness, like a god from Hell, brimming with killing intent.

SWISH!

The old madman swung his great sleeve, lifting the pitiful little girl and placing her on his broad shoulder. Then, he faced the black Ancient Cave.

Killing intent surged like a tide, engulfing the group. The golden eyes in the darkness, in particular, were fixated on the pitiful little girl.

Is it really a Three-legged Golden Crow?! Li Heishui and the others were stunned. How could such a mythical being appear in the world? It was a creature from legend, comparable to the True Dragon, Divine Phoenix, and Purple Qilin—undefeated.

A creature born from Taiyang Fire, they thought, it should only resemble a Three-legged Golden Crow in form but is by no means comparable to an immortal being. They knew it was impossible for such a creature to be born in this world. Even Ancient Saints were almost never seen anymore, as the world had long since changed.

If nothing unexpected happened, the Great Emperors of antiquity would remain mere legends. The Three-legged Golden Crow could not truly appear in the mortal world either; only something resembling it could exist, at best.

CAW, CAW, CAW…

The sky filled with Fire God Crows, like a black tide. They propelled endless Taiyang Fire that melted the very earth, continually swooping down to attack.

The hearts of the group trembled. Over a million Fire God Crows engulfed them. Their terrifying power was unmatched, destroying everything in their path. Except for the black mountain that resembled an endless demonic wall, all other peaks collapsed in the flames.

This cliff was cut from the Undying Mountain and is said to be indestructible, they thought with horror, yet it’s about to be melted! Truly terrifying!

BOOM!

Fortunately, the old madman was powerful enough. Within a ten-zhang radius around him, all was calm and peaceful, as if a spring breeze wafted through. Though millions of Fire God Crows attacked, they could not penetrate this sanctuary.

Rustling sounds were endless as many Divine Crows fell to the ground, turning to ashes. The old madman’s ten-zhang domain was like a divine land, unassailable.

SHRIEK!

Suddenly, from the black Ancient Cave came a terrifying screech that made one’s scalp tingle. Those golden eyes grew even colder.

At the same time, the millions of Fire God Crows seemed to receive a command. Suspended in the sky, each one shot out a ray of ebony light—one of its life essence Divine Feathers.

Over a million black Divine Feathers, each evolved from the life essence Qi of a Divine Crow, possessed a lethality that made one’s blood run cold.

PUFF!

The void shattered under the assault. A million ebony feathers shot out simultaneously, enveloping the area and concentrating their attack on the group. The consequences were terrifying, horrifying to behold.

BOOM!

Ye Fan and the others were experiencing such a scene for the first time. Each Fire God Crow was as developed as a spirit; they were effectively facing a million cultivators!

If it weren’t for the old madman’s presence, they wouldn’t even leave bone fragments behind. If a million of these firebirds swept past, everything would turn to ash, and everyone would inevitably be annihilated, body and soul.

POP!

The old madman stood alone against the million spirit-like fire crows. He swept his hands, and then with a powerful shockwave, a wail echoed from the sky. All the incoming life essence ebony feathers burst apart, turning to powder.

SHRIEK!

Once again, a soul-crushing avian screech echoed from the black Ancient Cave. The cold golden eyes of the Three-legged Golden Crow glistened with even greater radiance.

CLANG!

It wielded a golden Ancient Staff, sweeping it forward. The endless Taiyang Fire it commanded was now tens of thousands of times hotter, turning everything it encountered to dust.

The old madman let out a cold snort, thrusting a large hand forward. The golden Ancient Staff instantly snapped.

The creature cried shrilly. A golden sun within the Ancient Cave shot out billions of rays of Divine Radiance, each like a golden needle. Ye Fan and the others couldn’t open their eyes at all.

This was an indiscriminate attack, sweeping in all directions. It was powerful enough to slaughter thousands of troops; its destructive power was immeasurable. It was about to breach the old madman’s ten-zhang divine land.

BANG!

The old madman flung his great sleeve, enveloping the millions of golden rays of Divine Radiance. He then took a single step forward, rushing straight into the black Ancient Cave.

An existence comparable to an Ancient Saint was taking the initiative to attack. This was the first time Ye Fan and the others had witnessed such a thing, and it was enough to demonstrate the unthinkable power of the Three-legged Golden Crow.

With a shrill cry, the golden light blazed even more intensely, yet it couldn’t impede the old madman in the slightest. He stepped straight into the Ancient Cave in a single stride.

BOOM!

A deafening sound resounded as the black mountain shattered on the spot. The Ancient Cave above collapsed, and enormous rocks soared through the clouds.

Dust and smoke filled the air, and Taiyang Fire surged to the sky, blazing brilliantly. When everything calmed, only seven or eight golden feathers drifted down.

Each feather was as dazzling as the sun and stained with a trace of golden blood. They emanated terrifying fluctuations that discouraged anyone from approaching.

Such a terrifying existence! Too bad it escaped! The big black dog was both excited and regretful. It rushed forward and, with some trepidation, sealed the eight blood-stained Divine Feathers.

These were feathers of the Three-legged Golden Crow—divine treasures for refining Vessels, rare in the world and priceless in value.

With these, it thought, I can refine the Golden Crow Fan! A single swing could incinerate all things in the world!

The Three-legged Golden Crow had fled, leaving a pool of golden blood on the ground. The blood merged into the Earth’s veins, rushing into the underground magma rich with Taiyang Fire.

“What is this?” Li Heishui found a piece of black Beast Bone in the fractured mountainside.

Taiyang True Technique… The big black dog’s heart skipped a beat as it recognized some ancient characters on the bone.

Is it nine secret arts comparable to ancient scriptures? Li Heishui’s eyes lit up instantly.

“It’s a fragmented text,” the big black dog said. “An ancient technique deduced by ancient cultivators. It’s far from complete. There’s no clue how it ended up in this Ancient Cave. This Three-legged Golden Crow must have used it as a reference.”

Although it was only a fragment, it was extremely valuable. The Taiyin and Taiyang True Technique contained within this ancient technique were incredibly profound, having been deduced and summarized by sages over generations.

The group gathered to study it carefully. They felt its unfathomable depth and were all greatly inspired. Even the old madman read it through once seriously, which spoke volumes about its value.

In the end, Li Heishui carefully put it away. If only I could gather the complete Taiyang True Technique, he thought. It’s said to be one of the ultimate cultivation spells of ancient cultivators.

The Black Emperor nodded and said, “Several Great Emperors of old were inspired by ancient techniques when creating their respective ancient scriptures, thereby comprehending the marvels of heaven and earth.”

The old madman led the way. Unlike the unreliable Black Emperor, who always seemed to attract lightning, their journey under his guidance was smooth. They crossed several Great Mountains without incident.

Ahead lay a pitch-black grand canyon. From afar, faint, ghostly wails could be heard coming from its dark depths, as if it were connected to the Netherworld.

“Why is that deep grand canyon spewing out hailstones?” someone wondered aloud.

“Damn it, those aren’t hailstones! They’re human skulls!”

When they drew closer, they were shocked. The black grand canyon was bottomless, and ghostly winds howled from within. Numerous white skulls were being blown up from its depths, crashing to the ground with sickening thuds.

“What’s down there? Is it really connected to Hell? Why are so many human skulls being blown up?!”

The area around the grand canyon was a sea of white, with countless skulls rolling about.

The pitiful little girl was very nervous. Sitting on the old madman’s shoulder, she gripped his clothes tightly with her little hands, her large eyes filled with anxiety.

WHOOSH… A violent wind erupted, bringing up even more skulls and making one’s hair stand on end.

Snow-white skulls kept rolling across the ground. Not a single blade of grass grew here; it was a world of death.

That thing has appeared again! Ye Fan recognized the presence within the eerie black wind. Its venomous eyes were unforgettable. It moved within the canyon, hidden by the wind, and bursts of cold laughter echoed out—a clear provocation against the Saint’s dignity.

The old madman placed the pitiful little girl on the ground. Then, with a SWISH, he vanished, diving straight into the black grand canyon.

AHHHHH!

A sound like the mournful wail of a ten-thousand-year-old Fierce Ghost erupted. The entire black Holy Cliff trembled, and the fifty-odd Great Mountains surrounding it shook simultaneously.

BOOM!

A large section of the black grand canyon collapsed. Below lay a sea of bones, endless and ghastly white. It was unknown from what era they originated, or why they had been left there.

SPLAT!

A geyser of black blood spurted up, corroding a large pit into the ground. The unknown, beast-haired existence screamed and vanished into nothingness.

The old madman soared up from the canyon. Looking like a god or a demon, he had heavily injured the unknown existence but, regrettably, had not annihilated it.

To escape from a Saint’s grasp… just how powerful must that existence be?! Ye Fan and his group were dumbfounded.

What exactly is it? the group wondered, feeling uncertain and bewildered.

“It was formed from the arm of a corpse,” the old madman stated.

“What?!” Everyone was stunned. An arm from a corpse had produced a True Spirit and taken form? That was terrifying enough! If its original body were still alive, how horrifying would it be?

I know what it is now… The Black Emperor shivered and then said, “In the past, a great dark turmoil at the Undying Mountain caused rivers of blood to flow across the land. The Void Emperor emerged and slew an unparalleled existence. He used the Void Mirror to obliterate its form and spirit, leaving only an arm to fall into the Undying Mountain.”

With this explanation, the group naturally understood. The Holy Cliff had been cut from the Undying Mountain, so that arm had come along with it.

After an Ancient Great Emperor’s death, their flesh does not decay and remains lifelike. So, it wasn’t considered unusual that the preserved arm hadn’t rotted.

However, for it to have produced a True Spirit and transformed into such a being—that was terrifying. It was nearly impossible to annihilate, except by a Saint.

While passing a pond, the old madman stopped and stood for a long time, looking down into the water. His body was unmoving. Much later, he suddenly shivered and retreated, appearing dazed.

“Uncle, what’s wrong?” the pitiful little girl asked, tugging at his sleeve.

Ye Fan and the others were also surprised. What’s wrong with the old madman? Why is he acting like this? they wondered, and began to walk forward together.

“Don’t come over! This is the Reincarnation Lake!” the old madman warned softly.

Ye Fan and the others stopped immediately, all astounded. The Black Emperor cried out, “Reincarnation Lake… Such a heaven-defying thing truly exists? It’s capable of showing one’s past and future!”

Just then, the pitiful little girl looked at the lake curiously and muttered, “Nannan sees herself… on a five-colored altar… No, on a large purple star… and also…”

“Don’t look at those things!” the old madman hurriedly intervened, pulling the little girl back and away from the Reincarnation Lake.

“One should not look at one’s own past and future, otherwise it will affect one’s present state!” The Black Emperor looked extremely solemn. “Great Emperor Wu Shi once said this.”

“There is only one Reincarnation Lake in the world,” the old madman said, speaking more than usual. “Legend says it is related to the ethereal immortal world—a place whose existence is uncertain. Only Great Emperors can gaze into it!”

He departed decisively, without a hint of hesitation, heading deeper into the Holy Cliff.

Although the fifty-odd Great Mountains covered a vast land, they were not impossible to traverse. The old madman led the way, passing through one Calamity Land after another, until they finally reached the deepest part.

The central, giant mountain towered into the clouds. It was entirely dark red, as if soaked in blood, and one could even smell a faint scent of fresh blood.

“There’s a Stone Coffin on this mountain!” From afar, they gazed at the legendary Holy Cliff, all showing expressions of surprise.

Could the corpse of a Great Success Holy Body be entombed on this mountain? Ye Fan’s heart pounded fiercely.

“The Investiture of the Gods… How is Great Emperor Wu Shi’s Investiture of the Gods sealed on this mountain?!” the Black Emperor exclaimed in shock.

Everyone else was surprised too. They moved, circling to the other side of the mountain, where they saw a golden Ancient Scroll.

On the entirely black Great Mountain, there was a gold-colored Ancient List. It was sealed onto the mountain, and a mysterious Qi Mechanism flowed from it, exuding a vast pressure.

No, when was this sealed here? Why don’t I know?! The Black Emperor’s expression changed again and again.