Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 514: Chapter 519: An Invitation from the Qi Mansion

The Immortal Pool overflowed with Spiritual Qi. Nearby orchids exuded their fragrance, Dragon Grass gave off its scent, Shell Ginseng glistened, and ten-thousand-year-old spiritual medicines covered the ground. Precious beasts resembling the Three-legged Golden Crow, Divine Phoenix, and qilin-like creatures roamed about, creating a scene like a mythical world.

The Nine Orifice Strange Stone lightly trembled, its light blazing. It was like strands of silk connecting to the tender arm of the pitiful little girl, where the enormous Qi flowed and permeated entirely.

A few Grand Elders of Jade Lake were distressed. They wanted to stop it but were all repelled by a sheet of colorful light, unable to approach. Each one of them was anxious and uneasy.

“Quickly stop her! Don’t let the Stone King be harmed!”

They shouted and acted together. Colorful lights burst from their palms and fingers, shooting out beams of jade light to pull the pitiful little girl away and resolve the Stone King’s crisis.

“Little girl, are you okay?” Ye Fan was very worried. He quickly stepped forward to ask, but when he touched the colorful light, he was also pushed away, unable to get close.

“It bit me.” The pitiful little girl looked aggrieved, pouting her small lips, her eyes clear and bright, her eyelashes lightly trembling.

“Did it hurt you much? Are you injured anywhere?” Li Heishui asked with concern.

The Nine Orifice Stone King glowed with vibrant colors, constantly trembling and spraying enormous Qi. This Qi surged into the pitiful little girl’s arm, dyeing her with a layer of brilliant light, making her resemble a glowing porcelain doll.

“My palm hurts a bit. It bit me and won’t let go,” the pitiful little girl said innocently, wrinkling her dainty little nose.

“As long as you’re not hurt, that’s what matters. Nothing must happen to you,” Wu Zhongtian said.

The people of Jade Lake were rendered speechless, a hint of resentment in their hearts. The Stone King was currently dispersing its enormous Qi, yet these people were still worried about this child.

“Do you have a way to make her let go?” a Grand Elder asked.

“Little sister, can you move away from the strange stone? Step back quickly, or it might be dangerous,” the Yaochi Saintess said, squatting down patiently to speak with the pitiful little girl.

“It’s going to be a huge disaster sooner or later. She might as well drain it clean!” the big black dog bared its teeth, looking excited. It wished the pitiful little girl would drain all the Stone King’s enormous Qi.

“Shut your mouth, you damn dog!” Ye Fan glared at it, then advised the pitiful little girl to step back; otherwise, they likely wouldn’t be able to leave Jade Lake.

“I want to step back too, but it bit my palm,” the pitiful little girl pouted, trying to retreat, but her small hand was stuck fast.

“What should we do?” The people of Jade Lake were frantic. Some wanted to ask the Queen Mother of the West for help, even considering invoking a strand of Extreme Dao Holy Power.

Upon hearing the intent to use Extreme Dao Holy Weapons, the big black dog started. It shivered, jumped up, and claiming to have an idea, stepped forward to guide the pitiful little girl.

“Close your eyes. Imagine in your heart that you are a divine being, omnipotent, floating in the air…”

“Are you stalling for time?” The Yaochi Saintess, who was very astute, looked discontentedly at the big black dog, threads of Divine Light shooting from her eyes.

“No, I’m using the Mind Guiding Technique to help her relax. Otherwise, even if the Queen Mother of the West came, she couldn’t separate them,” the big black dog argued confidently, then continued to guide her.

“You are a divine being, overlooking the ancient earth, the majestic mountains and rivers, the birth of all things. Everything is at your feet. You fly toward the Immortal Realm…”

The big black dog murmured mystically, like an old sorcerer, chattering on endlessly.

The women of Jade Lake, though generally good-natured, were nonetheless irritated. They wanted to stomp on its big black face with their lotus feet.

“What are you rambling about?!” A Grand Elder couldn’t tolerate it anymore. She prepared to harness Jade Lake’s internal great Dao to summon a strand of Extreme Dao Holy Power.

SWISH!

However, just at this moment, the pitiful little girl’s hand loosened. She floated up, slowly distancing herself from the Nine Orifice Strange Stone, and ceased to absorb its enormous Qi.

The pitiful little girl remained earnest, meticulously going through the scenarios as instructed by the Black Emperor. She glowed all over, like a little fairy.

Every inch of her skin shimmered dazzlingly, as brilliant as colorful glaze, flawless and pristine. An aura of holy Qi diffused from her, purifying souls.

“Did it really work?” the big black dog muttered.

Upon hearing this, everyone wanted to stomp on it, especially the pure and elegant fairies of Jade Lake, who glared at it fiercely.

“I mean, this ancient Guiding Technique… I, the Emperor, have never tried it. I never thought it would actually work!” the big black dog hastily explained, afraid of angering these fairies.

WHOOSH!

The Nine Orifice Stone King, freed, darted away like a startled old rabbit. With a swish, it transformed into a strand of Divine Light and dove into the Immortal Pool, refusing to come out again.

“It’s truly gained sentience! It can run on its own!” Liu Kao exclaimed.

All Stone Kings can fly and burrow. They have long since evolved their own divine sense and are more terrifying than many powerful cultivators, let alone this Nine Orifice Strange Stone that was destined to give birth to a Holy Spirit.

SWISH!

The pitiful little girl, meticulously, continued to earnestly perceive the scenarios. Suddenly, she soared skyward, emitting boundless, radiant clouds of light.

“She’s soaring to immortality!” the big black dog shouted in surprise.

Everyone was amazed, especially Ye Fan and Li Heishui. The pitiful little girl usually couldn’t fly, but now she was not only floating upward but also breaking through the void. It was utterly astonishing.

“It’s really like an immortal’s flight…” The people of Jade Lake were stunned, lost in thought.

At that moment, the pitiful little girl was shrouded in Immortal Light. Ascending as if in broad daylight and soaring away amidst radiant clouds, she actually forged a pathway as if to enter a mysterious world.

BOOM!

Suddenly, a strand of Extreme Dao Immortal Power descended, like the Nine Layers of Heaven collapsing. It rendered everyone motionless, their hearts and minds terror-stricken.

“Oh no…!” The pitiful little girl screamed as she plummeted. Unable to fly anymore, and facing the ten-thousand-foot drop, her eyes filled with fear.

Golden Blood Qi surged around Ye Fan as he struggled to summon the Origin Qi Cauldron. Tens of thousands of strands of Origin Qi descended, safeguarding him.

SWISH!

He felt as if he were shouldering millions of mountains. Defying the heavens, he arduously flew into the sky to catch the falling pitiful little girl and bring her back.

Even this short distance subjected him to an incomparably terrifying pressure. If not for his strong physical body and the descending Origin Qi, he could hardly have flown at all.

“The West Emperor Tower!”

Wu Zhongtian, Jiang Huairen, Liu Kao, and others were all shocked. This must be the Extreme Dao Holy Weapon forged from Immortal Tears Green Gold—the West Emperor Tower, also known as the Immortal Tear Tower!

This was a strand of Extreme Dao Immortal Power, suppressing everything. No one could resist it; not even figures at the Saint Master Level could challenge its might.

There had only been a few ancient Great Emperors in total, so there were also only a few Extreme Dao Holy Weapons. Jade Lake possessed one, forged by the West Emperor from Immortal Tears Green Gold, renowned throughout the ages!

The Sacred Lands that had produced a Supreme Emperor naturally had a stronger foundation than other ancient inheritances, leaving behind sacred weapons sufficient to suppress all!

Anyone entering such a Sacred Land would be enveloped by the Extreme Dao Holy Weapon. Even exceptional masters dared not act rashly and could not break through its suppression.

Usually, even without being actively wielded, the Immortal Tear Tower, having stood there for ages, had naturally formed an unparalleled great Dao that suppressed the entire region, rendering it impregnable.

The pitiful little girl had been blocked by the pressure of the Extreme Dao Holy Weapon. She was unable to break through the void and leave, unable to force her way through.

“This child…”

As Ye Fan and the others were reeling from the terror of the West Emperor Tower, several Grand Elders of Jade Lake fixated on the pitiful little girl, watching her closely.

“I… I didn’t mean it. It was that stone… it bit me…” the little one said uneasily in a small voice, thinking she had made a big mistake.

The Nine Orifice Stone King hadn’t been harmed at its core. This relieved the people of Jade Lake, who were surprised by the child’s identity and origins. Clearly, she was no ordinary child.

The monkey, using his Eyes of Golden Flame, stared at the little one for a long time but couldn’t see through her. He muttered, “Strange. Is she a god?!”

Ye Fan and the others emerged from the Immortal Pool area, breathing a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the people of Jade Lake were calm and did not pursue the matter.

“Jade Lake will face a great disaster sooner or later. That Stone King will likely cause rivers of blood to flow across the lands. Once it truly comes into the world, it will be a being comparable to an ancient Great Emperor. Who could contend with it then?” the big black dog said, its expression grave.

“Anyway, it’ll have nothing to do with us. In five thousand years, our bones will have long turned to dust,” Jiang Huairen said, disgruntled and indifferent.

Hearing these words, Ye Fan felt a particular sense of loss for the first time. He realized that five thousand years later, he would be in his prime, but barring any unforeseen circumstances, his friends would have long since passed away.

A Saint Master could only live for a little over two thousand years. However, if Ye Fan achieved Great Success, he could live for ten thousand years. He would have to watch Li Heishui, Tu Fei, and his other friends pass away before him.

Jade Lake was vast, covering an extremely wide area with various types of terrain. After traversing a Spirit Mountain, they came to a swampy area ahead. Several beams of golden light danced in the mud, observed by a few elderly individuals.

“Dragon Loach!” The big black dog exclaimed in surprise, rushing over excitedly. “These are treasures for refining medicine! They’re many times more precious than spiritual medicines tens of thousands of years old! They are priceless treasures! To think Jade Lake actually has three!”

The Dragon Loach was only about a foot long and shaped like a dragon, but it was essentially a type of loach. Entirely golden, it leaped about in the swamp, its Spiritual Qi soaring. Every drop of its essence blood was of immeasurable value.

Beside the swamp, the few elders present were all extraordinary individuals. Even the monkey felt a trace of tension upon seeing them, clearly viewing them as opponents he might have to fight to the death.

“One of them looks like the Queen Mother of the West!” Wu Zhongtian said softly, a look of surprise on his face.

Among them was a woman who appeared to be thirty-five or thirty-six years old. She was beautiful and dignified, with a serene demeanor. Her black hair waved lightly, and there was a red dot between her brows. Her eyes were like water, making one feel a sense of closeness. Indeed, she possessed the bearing of a queen mother.

Beside her stood three elders, each of them extraordinary. One wore a golden Feather Robe, looking as if he were about to ascend to immortality through feathering. Another was dressed in Purple Clothes, wreathed in purple Qi, exuding an air of unspeakable nobility. The last one was ethereal and indistinct, like a wisp of mist integrated into the great Dao of heaven and earth.

“Another Sacred Body has appeared. Rare indeed,” the elder in the golden Feather Robe remarked with a nod.

“You are…” Ye Fan asked hesitantly.

“This is a senior unique talent from the Central States,” the Queen Mother of the West said, her voice dignified and holy, her gaze ethereal.

They are definitely prominent figures, Ye Fan and his companions speculated. Otherwise, the Queen Mother of the West of Jade Lake wouldn’t introduce them with such care.

“Would you be willing to go to the Central States to cultivate?” the elder in the golden Feather Robe asked calmly.

Ye Fan was startled, unsure why he was being asked this, not understanding the reason.

“The Qi Shi Academy is about to reopen. This is a rare opportunity,” the Queen Mother of the West of Jade Lake said with a smile from the side.

“Qi Shi Academy…” Ye Fan was puzzled. He had truly never heard of it; after all, he was not originally from this world.

Beside him, Li Heishui and the others were astonished, stammering, “O-once every ten thousand years… Is the Qi Shi Academy really going to reopen again?!”

“After so many years, it’s still continuing…” the big black dog muttered in surprise.

“Only those at the Saint Son Level can enter! It’s a divine land for the cultivation of future leaders, reopening once every ten thousand years. Who would have thought it would happen again in our time!” Wu Zhongtian’s eyes radiated Divine Light.

“I’ve heard that each time, only the most exceptional young experts are chosen from the Central States, Northern Plains, Western Desert, Southern Mountains, and Eastern Wastelands. Is that true?” Jiang Huairen asked.

The elder in the golden Feather Robe nodded. “Each Sacred Land can send at most two people. This applies to all five great regions: the Central States, Eastern Wastelands, Southern Mountains, and the others. Only the most outstanding young experts are chosen.”

“Kid, accept their offer!” the Black Emperor transmitted secretly to him.

“Why?” Ye Fan asked via transmission.

“The Qi Shi Academy reopens only once every ten thousand years! It might be related to the Outer Domain. The Great Emperor Without Beginning once mentioned the name ‘Ziwei’ in connection to it. Besides, all the Saint Heirs and Saintesses, along with various King Bodies, will enter. Those ancient inheritances are all sending their chosen representatives. This is an absolutely heavenly opportunity—you must go!”