Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 495: Chapter 500 Departure

Before the Ancient Desolation, the Great Emperor Wu Shi personally suppressed a supreme existence. After over a hundred thousand years, a wisp of its primordial spirit, buried in the Immortal Source, managed to survive. This was an unbelievable entity, capable of battling ancient Great Emperors. Ye Fan, Li Heishui, and the Black Emperor were all terrified, feeling chills run down their spines.

The old Daoist was very calm. His attire was ancient, and his Daoist robe was nearly in tatters, as if he had just crawled out from a mound of yellow earth. He walked step by step from that distant ancient land, exuding an ancient Qi Mechanism.

“Any one of the nine secret arts, upon appearing in the world, will drive people to madness for it, as they contain supreme truths. I can unreservedly pass on the two I have mastered to you.”

The old Daoist’s words were bound to stir one’s heart; these were secret arts passed down through the ages. One didn’t even need to learn all of them; mastering just one or two would allow one to look down upon the entire Mortal World. The Nine Secrets represented the pinnacle of nine distinct domains, achievements that could not be surpassed. Originally, they were combined into a single codex, but regrettably, it was split apart by someone.

Since then, the Nine Secrets have been scattered across the world, never to be reunited. As the long years passed, several of them have completely vanished from the world. This was a great regret for peerless masters throughout the ages. Even if they could dominate the world, they could no longer see the complete Nine Secrets; once lost, they were incredibly hard to find.

At this moment, two of the Nine Secrets were about to be presented. No one could remain calm, yet Ye Fan and the others did not trust this old Daoist. A peerless master personally suppressed by the Great Emperor Wu Shi was definitely not a benevolent figure. How could he possibly pass on such supreme secret arts to them?

The name “Undying Daoist” practically said it all. He was likely an existence from within the Undying Mountain, and most probably not of the human race. Before the Ancient Desolation, during the great dark upheaval of the Undying Mountain, it was unknown how many heroes perished. Rivers of blood flowed, and the ancient heritage of the human race would never forget that era.

“Do you not trust me?” the Undying Daoist asked when he saw their silence. He continued walking step by step along the mountain road, drawing closer.

The old madman’s body had long since disappeared. Only an Ancient Map remained in his place, covered in Innate Patterns. A voice emanated from it, saying, “If you wish to fight, then make your move.”

“This humble Daoist has never intended to make a move. I sincerely wish to form a bond and pass on the human race’s Supreme Immortal Technique, so that the Nine Secrets will not be lost to time,” the old Daoist said, shaking his head.

This is a figure who competed with the ancient Great Emperors. His physical body has likely already been obliterated by the Investiture of the Gods. However, a wisp of his primordial spirit survived with the help of the Immortal Source, making him still extremely terrifying.

“Wu Shi…” An unusual light flickered in the eyes of the Undying Daoist.

The Black Emperor pondered for a long time, as if remembering something. He sent a mental transmission to the others, saying, “Be careful, he might truly possess some of the Nine Secrets!”

CLANG!

The Ancient Map, into which the old madman had transformed, suddenly trembled. It emitted a sonorous sound, like a peerless sacred weapon roaring, and obliterated an invisible beam of killing light.

“You couldn’t hold back in the end,” the old madman said in a deep voice.

“That wasn’t my killing intent. It was a trace of killing intent that overflowed from the obliterated physical body within the mountain’s belly,” the Undying Daoist spoke calmly. Afterward, he ascended step by step, the mountain path blurring beneath his feet as he climbed.

“Sever and Transform the World of Comfort? Do you intend to turn us all into nothingness?” The old madman, his demeanor calm and unwavering, transformed into a Dao Fruit that slowly rotated, sweeping out a region of Chaotic Light. He seemed to be the very fulcrum of creation, dissolving an indescribable power and causing the Undying Daoist’s expression to stiffen.

He might truly be a supreme existence possessing the Nine Secrets! The Black Emperor bared his teeth and retreated, sensing that the situation was dire.

“I didn’t expect that even after the world has changed so much, someone like you could still exist.” The Undying Daoist finally dropped his pretense, his expression turning cold.

Hearing this, everyone was immediately alarmed. Unveiling his mask meant this mysterious old Daoist was about to make his move, no longer concealing his capabilities.

“He probably can’t exert his full strength,” the Black Emperor shouted. “After struggling for so many years, he can likely only manifest such a wisp of primordial spirit.”

“HUMPH!”

The Undying Daoist was no longer calm. With his cold snort, countless sacred weapons seemed to descend from the heavens, their endless killing intent threatening to slash this world into annihilation.

CLANG!

The Ancient Map, into which the old madman had transformed, rotated to seal this world. It blocked the pervasive sounds of slaughter from the outside, preventing them from entering.

“Sure enough, the Great Emperor Wu Shi almost suppressed him to death! The power of his primordial spirit cannot be compared to that of a Great Emperor!” The Black Emperor’s expression turned excited.

“Wu Shi, you brat, you bullied me too much!” The Undying Daoist seemed to harbor a deep resentment towards the Great Emperor Wu Shi. Gnashing his teeth, his gaze shot out, actually materializing a world within the void that pressed forward.

BOOM!

Thousands of silken strands hung down from the Ancient Map, into which the old madman had transformed. Upon closer inspection, these strands were revealed to be Chaos Qi, and they crushed the world materialized by the Undying Daoist!

“Evolving a world of comfort… indeed the hallmark of a peerless powerhouse,” the Black Emperor said. “It’s a pity he can no longer replicate his former might; he’s about to be ground down by the Investiture of the Gods.”

“Was that you who spoke!?” the Undying Daoist snorted coldly, his ancient Daoist robe flapping. He seemed like a bottomless abyss from the Ancient era, devouring all energy. At this moment, he was incredibly terrifying, exuding a Qi Mechanism capable of destroying heaven and earth. He extended a large hand, grasping forward, intending to crush the old madman into paste.

Even with the old madman’s protection, Li Heishui, the Black Emperor, and the others couldn’t withstand it. Their bodies began to crack, and they fell to the ground, their Heart Spirits on the verge of collapse.

A wisp of Emperor’s Might… The Black Emperor was horrified, unable to speak further, as this Qi Mechanism alone threatened to annihilate them, body and soul.

BOOM!

Suddenly, the Investiture of the Gods halfway up the mountain shone brightly, erupting with a burst of golden radiance that struck the Undying Daoist, sending him tumbling head over heels on the spot.

“Wu Shi, you brat!” The Undying Daoist stood up, looking at the golden radiance in the void. His expression was ferocious, without a trace of his earlier serenity.

BANG!

The golden radiance in the sky transformed into a massive golden hand that pressed down. With a BANG, it slapped the Undying Daoist back onto the ground.

“I HATE THIS…” the Undying Daoist roared, forming hand seals and striking towards the sky.

DONG!

The massive hand showed no change. It pressed down again, slapping him so hard he flew through the air before being pounded into the mountainside, his body cracking from the impact.

“As long as he reveals even a trace of supreme Qi Mechanism, he’ll activate the Investiture of the Gods! He can’t stir up any storms!” The Black Emperor laughed, now that they were free from that oppressive pressure.

The supreme existence within the Undying Mountain… could it be a Holy Spirit? Ye Fan wondered in his heart.

“Suppress him, and we can obtain the other two secrets!” Li Heishui’s courage grew, and he shouted.

The Ancient Map, into which the old madman had transformed, slashed forward. Countless strands of Chaos Silk rained down, devastating everything in their path. Nothing could resist. Even though the Undying Daoist was but a wisp of primordial spirit, he was still terribly formidable. Yet now, he was helpless, firmly suppressed by the Investiture of the Gods.

“The Nine Secrets will never be made one again! These two shall accompany me to the grave!”

SWISH!

His body flickered and vanished into the mountain’s belly, disappearing from his original spot so quickly that time itself seemed to freeze.

“The Nine Secrets of Movement! He’s ventured into the Time Divine Domain!”

A chill ran through their bodies; the opponent indeed mastered one of the Nine Secrets. It wasn’t an empty boast.

He must have obtained the Nine Secrets of Movement on the Holy Cliff, just like us. If he truly mastered another one of the Nine Secrets, it might now be lost forever.

They had no way to pursue him. Even someone as powerful as the old madman couldn’t delve deep into the mountain’s belly to seek the other secret; no one knew what truly lay within the Holy Cliff.

With the Investiture of the Gods here, even if his primordial spirit is interred within the Immortal Source, it will likely be extinguished one day… They all frowned. Unless an ancient Great Emperor was reborn, who today would dare to unveil the Investiture of the Gods and enter the mountain’s belly to retrieve the Nine Secrets? This was especially true knowing that this opponent was likely the one who caused the lamentable death of a Great Success Holy Body in his later years.

“The Nine Secrets… We know the whereabouts of another one, yet we cannot obtain it…” Ye Fan muttered to himself.

“Be content. Do you really think you can reunite the Nine Secrets? Such a heaven-defying feat is nearly impossible, as several of them have long since completely disappeared!” the big black dog sighed.

They walked down the mountain without encountering any further obstructions. Everything went smoothly, and after two hours, they left the Holy Cliff. The fifty-odd great mountains stood side by side. This black mountain range wasn’t overly deep, but every step within was nerve-wracking, requiring a Saint to lead the way.

Finally, before the sun set, they emerged safely, all breathing a collective sigh of relief.

WOO WOO…

At the edge of the black mountain range, on a dead Ancient Tree, the strange bird with a human face and a crow’s body appeared again. Its cry sounded like mournful wailing, chilling to the bone. Its nest was built from human bones—snow-white and horrifying, exuding a gloomy, ominous aura that starkly contrasted with its jet-black body.

PFFT!

The old madman pointed a finger, and the strange bird instantly turned to ashes. A wisp of black gas exuded from it, morphing into the Undying Daoist’s likeness. It let out a shriek and then dissipated completely.

So it was formed from a trace of his Qi Mechanism, effective even over such a distance! No wonder anyone who enters this area dies without knowing how.

The old madman said nothing. He looked at Ye Fan and the others, then nodded. Without a backward glance, he departed, thus bidding them farewell.

“Uncle…” The little pitiful girl was very reluctant to part; she waved her small hand from behind him, softly calling out.

SWISH!

The old madman displayed the Nine Secrets of Movement, one of the nine secret arts. With one step, he reached the edge of the horizon; with the next, he disappeared completely into the void.

“Let’s go. We must leave quickly; this place is not suitable for lingering.”

Ye Fan and the others also distanced themselves from the Holy Cliff before sunset. They opted not to return to the human world but rather to retreat to a primeval mountain range a million li away. They had gained much this time. Ye Fan wished to go into seclusion to cultivate, and for now, avoid the sharp attentions of the Mortal World and Hell.

「Two months later.」

Above the primeval mountain range, lightning stretching ten thousand zhang long descended from the sky, forming a terrifying Thunder Sea! Originally, the sky was clear as if freshly washed, without a single cloud. Yet, a thunderstorm suddenly struck. A purple ocean of lightning engulfed the mountain range, and several large mountains were instantly blasted to smithereens.

“Damn it! It’s one thing for this brat to get himself struck by lightning, but to drag us into it too! DAMN IT! I was almost struck dead!”

A large black dog, as stout as a bull and wearing a pair of large, flowery shorts, was standing upright. It ran swiftly on its two hind legs, rapidly fleeing the scene.

“Doggie, run faster! The lightning is catching up!” the little pitiful girl, perched on its shoulder, cried out nervously.

“Don’t worry! This Sovereign is using the Nine Secrets of Movement, one of the nine secret arts! It won’t catch us!” the big black dog dashed away, its fur somewhat singed. It had evidently been struck by lightning earlier but had finally escaped the Thunder Sea.

Behind them, Li Heishui was indignant. “Damn it, this dead dog is truly heaven-defying! It runs faster on two legs than it used to on four!” He was emitting black smoke and baring his teeth, clearly having also been struck by lightning. He wasn’t as fast as the big black dog and had suffered more severely; some parts of him were even scorched.

The big black dog cursed continuously as it sprinted on two legs, its upper two paws flailing about like a dog paddle.

“Doggie, oh, stop cursing! Will Big Brother be in danger?” the little pitiful girl worried greatly.

“Rest assured, he won’t die. People like him *deserve* to be frequently struck by lightning; they probably feel uncomfortable if they’re *not* struck!” the big black dog fumed.

“Doggie, you’re too mean!” The little pitiful girl tugged the big black dog’s ears.

“It’s not that I’m mean, it’s that *he’s* too outrageous! Otherwise, why would he get struck by lightning the moment he makes a breakthrough?”

“Dead dog, you’re heaven-defying enough, aren’t you? Carry me too!” Li Heishui shouted, as the lightning behind them drew near again, relentlessly pursuing them.

“We’re doomed! Don’t tell me we’re really going to be dragged into this, undergoing his tribulation together?!” The big black dog’s face instantly turned green. Throwing its head back, it once again sprinted wildly on its two hind legs.

“You just run slowly back there! Someone has to be the scapegoat!” the big black dog howled, utterly unscrupulously.