Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 552: Chapter 556 Adjacent to Qi Shi Mansion

“What? You’re going to the Deserted House?” When Princess Yu Die returned and heard Ye Fan’s decision, her beautiful eyes widened in shock, her small cherry mouth agape.

The Deserted House referred to the place where a Great Emperor of ancient times had built his lodge. After tens of thousands of years, it had long since become a wasteland.

She strongly objected, saying, “You can’t go there! Since ancient times, countless Lords have died there, and not a single one has gained anything. It’s a land of death!”

She was tall and slender, graceful and elegant. Her cherry lips were bright and fresh, her nose fine, and her eyes clear and bright, lending her immense charm. Her long hair fluttered, carrying a delicate fragrance as she stood opposite Ye Fan, an orchid-like scent wafting towards him.

“I discussed it with Father,” Princess Yu Die explained. “I intended to give you either the Purple Dragon Platform or the Fire Phoenix Ridge. Those are Holy Lands for cultivation, where one can progress one to two times faster than elsewhere, as they are naturally interwoven with Dao Marks.”

When she had spoken in detail with the Old Emperor, Grandmaster Xiao had casually mentioned the Deserted House, expressing willingness to return it to the Dynasty and be done with it.

And the Old Emperor had merely joked that if Ye Zhetian desired this land, it could be given to him. However, Xiao Mingyuan had spread a different message based on this.

Anyone hearing for the first time that it was a Great Emperor’s late residence would find it hard to resist. Ye Fan knew they were counting on him going, as it was an irresistible temptation.

“Since His Majesty has said as much, I am willing to go and observe. It will broaden my knowledge,” Ye Fan said with a laugh.

Princess Yu Die strongly objected, her full bosom heaving with emotion. “Countless millennia have passed! Innumerable seniors and powerful figures have gained nothing there. All who resided there met with disaster. Why must you take such a risk?”

Ye Fan did not change his mind. He claimed he was only going to observe and would not reside there for long, assuring her that no problems would arise.

“You saved my life, and I wished to repay you, yet such a situation has arisen,” Princess Yu Die sighed softly. She took out a White Jade Small Jar and handed it to Ye Fan.

The white Jade vessel, though sealed, still emitted a fragrance that made one feel utterly comfortable. Every pore seemed to relax; it was immensely soothing and refreshing.

“Dragon Marrow!” Xiao Mingyuan, who had gone, suddenly returned, exclaiming in surprise.

This fellow has ill intentions, Ye Fan thought. Could he still be after the Dragon Marrow? He smiled, directly uncorked the jar, and poured the contents into his mouth.

A rich fragrance filled the garden. A single, grape-sized drop of sparkling liquid, flowing with five-colored divine light, landed in Ye Fan’s mouth. Its aroma was intoxicating, seeming to permeate one’s very bones.

He savored it for a moment, then swallowed it down, muttering, “Not much flavor, huh?”

Everyone nearby was dumbfounded. Even Princess Yu Die didn’t know what to say. He had consumed such an Immortal Treasure so casually, while others would have meticulously refined it.

“Brother Ye, I don’t mean to criticize, but this is like casting pearls before swine! Such a reckless waste of a divine item… It’s truly… far too wasteful!” Xiao Mingyuan, watching from the side, felt his heart ache.

Nearby, the old guardian also opened his mouth, completely speechless. If it had been given to him, he would certainly have refined it to its utmost limit to strengthen his Life Qi.

“Brother Ye, you should quickly find a place to meditate and fully refine it. That way, you can restore your Yuan Qi,” Princess Yu Die advised, then turned and left.

In the garden, everyone dispersed, leaving only the bubbling sound of the spring water and the rustling of green trees. Ye Fan sat cross-legged beside a rockery, silently circulating the Heavenly Technique.

He had consumed Undying Divine Medicine before, so he didn’t place extreme value on Immortal Treasures like Dragon Marrow. However, he didn’t want to actually waste it; his earlier actions were merely to make Xiao Mingyuan give up any hope of obtaining it.

“Dragon Marrow, Dragon Qi, Dragon Transformation!” Ye Fan was startled. He found the Dragon Marrow to be truly magical, internally containing fragmented Law Fragments.

The Wheel and Sea, Dao Palace, and Four Extremes—these three secret boundaries corresponded to different parts of the human body. Dragon Transformation was no exception; the body underwent nine transformations, leaping to become a dragon.

The so-called Dragon Transformation involved cultivating the vertebral column, which was considered a hidden Great Dragon within the body. The next secret boundary aimed to awaken its nine transformations, allowing it to harmonize with the Dao.

However, Ye Fan was currently unclear on how to proceed. He had yet to break through into this realm, nor did he possess the corresponding ancient scriptures. This secret boundary was said to be incredibly mysterious.

Ancient Books record that a dragon, upon leaping through its nine transformations towards Immortality, might witness Blessed Paradises and other strange phenomena. These accounts include numerous mysterious and unpredictable events, sometimes even riding a dragon beyond Taixu.

But as for the exact process, no one could say clearly. Everyone’s experience was different, each having their own unique path of Enlightenment.

“Spirit enters Taixu!”

A moment ago, as Ye Fan refined this drop of Dragon Marrow, he had touched upon such a Law Fragment, leaving him utterly stunned.

If I could obtain the Dragon Transformation Scroll of an ancient scripture and possess abundant Immortal Treasures like Dragon Marrow, I could surely cultivate this secret boundary rapidly!

Currently, the Four Extremes Secret Realm of his body—his limbs—had been refined to the Circle of Perfection. They were capable of imprinting into the void, and both his arms and legs could touch the Dao.

He felt that with the right opportunity, he could break into the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm, yet he lacked an appropriate ancient scripture. Before coming to the Central States, he had already investigated thoroughly. When it came to the strongest scripture for the Dragon Transformation, it was undoubtedly the Great Xia Divine Dynasty’s Grand Emperor Scripture.

Their Emperor’s Dragon Qi possessed unparalleled Attack Power, comparable to the All Secret. Part of its Source Power originated from their Dragon Transformation Scroll.

Ye Fan could only covet it from afar. He lacked the confidence to seize an ancient scripture from an Ancient Divine Dynasty. After all, the Grand Emperor of old had stood side by side with deities, leaving behind Extreme Dao Holy Weapons to safeguard the dynasty’s eternal existence.

Worst case, I’ll cultivate a Single Secret Realm, starting anew from the Wheel and Sea! He wasn’t excessively worried; mastering a Single Secret Realm thoroughly could also lead to Sainthood.

Ye Fan was about to leave the Anping Country Imperial City, preparing to head to the Deserted House to try his luck for an Emperor’s opportunity.

“Which Great Emperor’s late residence is it, after all?”

“Over a hundred thousand years, perhaps even more than two hundred thousand years, have passed. Who can say for sure? Especially concerning the abode of an ancient Great Emperor in his later years, perhaps even his own descendants wouldn’t know,” Princess Yu Die said, shaking her head.

“Is there not a single clue at all?” Ye Fan inquired.

“Some say it was a Great Emperor from the Eastern Wastelands, others claim it was the Heavenly Emperor of the Southern Mountains, and still others suggest an ancient emperor from the Central States. It’s utterly unconfirmable,” the old guardian said.

Princess Yu Die sighed. “Actually, what’s the need to differentiate so precisely? There were only a few Great Emperors in ancient times. The Great Emperors of the Eastern Wastelands, Southern Mountains, Central States, and Northern Plains were unique in their respective Great Domains. However, some Ancient Books record that some of these Great Emperors might have been the same person.”

“What?” This was the first time Ye Fan had heard such a notion.

“Do you really think each of the Five Great Domains had five or six Great Emperors?” Princess Yu Die shook her head. She believed that attaining the Dao as an ancient emperor was extremely challenging, so only a few had ever truly existed.

“There are legends that the Ruthless Great Emperor of the Eastern Wastelands was actually the Heavenly Emperor of the Southern Mountains, and similarly left an unsurpassed imperial name in the Northern Plains,” the old guardian stated.

“Is this true?!” Ye Fan was genuinely shocked.

“For example, Emperor Hengyu of the Eastern Wastelands and the founder of the Ancient Hua Dynasty in the Central States might have been the same person.”

The Ancient Hua was one of the Four Immortal Dynasties of the Central States. And indeed, back then, Emperor Hengyu had killed a supreme being from the Great Primordial Mine and had, in fact, journeyed far to the Central States.

Ye Fan was dumbfounded. To think such secrets existed left him deeply surprised.

“According to the research of an Ancient Saint from distant antiquity, the Great Emperors of old can be counted on one’s fingers. The Five Great Domains actually only had those few individuals.”

“This… is hard to believe!” Ye Fan stared, awestruck.

Ye Fan finally set off, leaving the ancient capital of Anping Country and heading towards the Deserted House, hoping to find his own destiny.

“You mustn’t be rash. Do not stay there for long. I am cultivating at Qi Shi Mansion, and I will visit you when I have free time,” Princess Yu Die said, seeing him off.

It had to be said, the Central States were truly vast. The territory of the Ancient Ping Country alone stretched for a million miles. Ye Fan summoned the mysterious jade platform and traversed the void over a dozen times to approach his new domain.

Ahead, immortal mountains towered majestically, wreathed in auspicious energy. Simurghs soared through the air, longevity apes climbed the peaks, qilin-like creatures roamed freely, and Ten Thousand Years Spirit Medicines grew rooted on the cliffs.

Anyone seeing such a sight would recognize it as a Holy Land, akin to an otherworldly Immortal Cave, exceptionally ethereal and magnificent.

Ye Fan activated his Divine Eye and observed carefully, becoming even more amazed. In that instant, he saw purple energy surging, engulfing the immortal mountains, as if ten thousand Great Dragons were leaping into the sky.

“It truly is divine land, invaluable!” he exclaimed in awe.

However, this was not his fiefdom. This was the ancient mountain range where Qi Shi Mansion was located. Within a five-hundred-mile radius, auspicious energy swirled, profound and mysterious.

As for his fiefdom, it was positioned nearby, adjacent to this ancient immortal mountain. Its radius was roughly a hundred miles, but the scenery was very different.

The source of all spiritual veins, the essence of the Ancestor Root, seemed to converge towards the Spirit Mountain where Qi Shi Mansion stood. In contrast, the surrounding lands were barren, devoid of any Immortal Qi, presenting a starkly different scene.

Ye Fan stood in the void, looking down. Within a hundred-mile radius, there were quite a few verdant areas, but they lacked spiritual essence. Did the ancient Great Emperors truly choose this location? he wondered. Why not use the adjacent ancient immortal mountain, choosing instead to build their lodge in this desolate place? It’s hard to understand.

Upon closer examination, he saw a dilapidated city within this territory. It wasn’t very large; housing twenty thousand people would be a stretch, making it more like a large town, yet it was surrounded by ancient walls.

Ye Fan flew down and landed on the ground. The Deserted House had a specific location, but he wasn’t in a hurry to go there. Instead, he headed towards the city to formally take charge of this territory.

The city was dilapidated. Its two main gates looked ready to collapse, and the moat was a murky mess of silt, almost entirely dried up. A few loaches could be seen wriggling in the remaining muck.

“Stop! Who are you?!”

On the cracked ancient city walls stood over a dozen soldiers. Their armor was ill-fitting, and they clutched iron spears and rusty long blades, shouting arrogantly at him.

As Ye Fan spoke, a thought flickered in his mind. “I am your new Lord, here to take over this city.” This dilapidated wall actually has divine energy fluctuations! It’s not as unremarkable as I first thought. It’s likely etched with powerful Array Patterns, suggesting it has existed for an incredibly long time.

“What lord? This place already has a master!” a brutish soldier roared impatiently.

“Then I shall go and meet him,” Ye Fan stated.

“You wait outside first!” one of them yelled.

Ye Fan was taken aback. Have I just arrived, only for a group of soldiers to try and put me in my place? He didn’t say much, merely stood outside the city and waited patiently.

However, after a full hour passed, still no one came out. The soldiers on the walls were playing drinking games and swigging old wine, leaving him completely ignored.

Ye Fan laughed. Just a few thuggish soldiers with a rudimentary understanding of cultivation dared to treat him this way. He soared into the sky, intending to force his way in.

“Enemy attack! Defend the city!” several of the fierce soldiers shouted.

BOOM!

The dilapidated city suddenly emitted Divine Light. Array Patterns emerged on the walls, and a curtain of light soared upwards, completely enveloping the small ancient city and protecting it within.

“Kill him! He dares to attack our city!” someone yelled.

Ye Fan’s eyes turned cold. Just arrived, and someone already wants to put me in my place? He recalled that this was originally the Xiao Family’s fiefdom and immediately understood the situation.

“Are you trying to rebel? I have an Imperial Decree here! Are you seeking death?!” he shouted.

A middle-aged man finally appeared, wearing Divine Iron Armor as he ascended the city wall. “Nonsense!” he declared. “This land has a master! Show me your Imperial Decree!”

Ye Fan was surprised. This person was an expert at the Fifth Transformation of the Dragon Transformation realm! Could the master of such a dilapidated city possess such a cultivation base?

“Look closely!” Ye Fan flicked his wrist, tossing down a piece of yellow cloth.

The man caught it but didn’t even glance at it before forcefully tearing it to shreds. “This is a fake Imperial Decree!” he bellowed. “Activate the Array Patterns! Kill him for me!”

BOOM!

The city radiated brilliant Divine Light as intricate patterns intertwined, forming an attack that crushed down towards Ye Fan. Its power was surprisingly great, definitely not something an ordinary person could have set up.

Ye Fan’s face darkened. To encounter such a situation immediately upon arrival was unexpected. He said coldly, “It seems I’ll have to take this city by force. Once I become the City Lord, I’ll be sure to give you all a proper welcome!”

End of Chapter Two.

(To be continued…)