Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 612: Chapter 616 Qin Sect

The Qinling Mountains, spanning no less than a million miles in circumference, could be considered vast and boundless, yet comparatively, they were merely a corner of the Central States’ western region.

This was a mysterious Ancient Land, difficult for outsiders to understand, fraught with many legends. Since ancient times, it had been home to numerous experts, exceedingly powerful yet little known to the world.

It was said that in ages past, an unbeatable Ancient Saint roamed the Five Great Domains without encountering a worthy rival. However, after arriving in Qinling, he was beaten until he groveled on the ground by an old man herding sheep.

Even in more recent ancient times, some twenty thousand years ago, similar incidents occurred. Eight sovereigns came to Qinling seeking ancient secrets but were all unceremoniously tossed into a lake by a simple fisherman.

This was an Ancient Land with its own unique legacy, shrouded in mystery for outsiders, veiled in a thick layer of fog.

Within the million-mile expanse of Qinling, mountains were ubiquitous, and beneath the earth lay countless Ancient Tombs. Someone had once excavated the mausoleums of twelve ancient Emperors within a mere six months.

This region was truly extraordinary. After their deaths, some Emperors of the Ancient Divine Dynasties would always try by any means necessary to have themselves buried deep within the earth of Qinling, a practice that puzzled many.

Some said this was an Immortal Land. Ancient tales spoke of people ascending to immortality amidst rosy clouds.

Others claimed it was an incomprehensible place, its subterranean depths filled with Tombyards where individuals cultivated in pursuit of the Dao, unknown to the outside world.

There were far too many hidden secrets concerning Qinling. Some even rumored that the Green Emperor, whose brilliance astonished ancient and modern times, was also born in Qinling before eventually journeying to the Eastern Wastelands.

A local legend told of an Immortal Transformation Pool within Qinling. Thirty thousand years ago, a green lotus there gained spiritual sentience, soon achieved Dao transformation, and gradually grew to become the Green Emperor Body whose fame would later shake ancient and modern times.

Qinling, full of hidden experts and many Ancient Tombs underground… This was the conclusion Ye Fan reached after staying for a while, accompanied by a few quiet sighs.

Although he had seen Li Xiaoman, it was impossible for him to acknowledge her. Instead, he stayed behind, wandering this Ancient Land, quietly observing, trying to find traces of Hua Yunfei.

A declining, small sect occupied four Short Mountains, with a total of no more than twenty people. One could say it was pitifully small. Li Xiaoman was a disciple on one of these Short Mountains.

Ye Fan had observed from afar and found it somewhat odd. The cultivation bases of these people varied greatly: the weak were merely in the Wheel and Sea secret realm, yet the strong possessed the power of the Immortal Platform First Layer Heaven.

This can’t be right! How can such a declining small sect have a figure at the Holy Land Supreme Elder Level?

Moreover, he discovered two or three disciples who were extremely powerful, their cultivation bases having reached the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm, no weaker than the young experts from Qi Shi Mansion. This was indeed peculiar.

These individuals were all concealing their cultivation bases. Ordinary people could not possibly see through them; only Ye Fan, having cultivated the Source Heaven Divine Eye, could pierce through illusions to perceive their true cultivation base.

This isn’t simple at all; there must be some underlying reason. I need to be cautious. Ye Fan decided to stay long-term, meticulously trying to understand everything. He learned that this declining small sect was called the Qin Sect, and this location was merely a branch, considered an outer sect.

Such a small outer sect actually has a high-level expert of the Immortal Platform First Layer Heaven… He found it unbelievable.

The Qin Sect was not large, totaling just over a hundred people. It had four branches—east, west, south, and north—which were considered the outer sects.

The main sect was located at the center of this mountainous region, merely twenty to thirty miles from each of the eastern, western, southern, and northern branches—very close indeed.

Scattered throughout this area were some mountain villages inhabited by ordinary people, living as neighbors to the Qin Sect. Mischievous children often ran up to the Short Mountains to play, and no one stopped them.

One could say that this declining small sect of just over a hundred people truly had no strict regulations, appearing very lax and not at all like a Hidden Secret Sect.

Are the nine secret arts hidden within this small sect?

The lineage of the Qin Sect’s Head Elder bore the surname Qin, which seemed vastly different from the Cai Clan, with no apparent connection.

The only suspicious aspect was that, despite its decline, this small sect incredibly possessed a history spanning thousands of years. In the mortal world, countless dynasties would have risen and fallen in that time.

The nearby mountain villages had no idea to what era the Qin Sect could be traced; it was so ancient, seemingly having existed since their ancestors’ time.

They don’t bear the Cai surname, yet such a small sect has such a long-standing inheritance…

Ye Fan was very cautious. He spent these days observing and found that, aside from the Southern Vein where Li Xiaoman was, the other eastern, western, and northern branches were similar: they each had masters of the Immortal Platform First Layer Heaven and one or two disciples in the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm.

This defied common sense. Even for a top-tier Great Sect, this would be extraordinary. With so few members, how could their young disciples be so powerful and numerous?

Finally, he quietly approached the central main peak, intending to observe the strength of the main sect.

Though referred to as the main peak, it was merely over a thousand meters high, only two or three hundred meters taller than the surrounding Short Mountains. It was devoid of any majestic grandeur or divine, ethereal aura, appearing quite ordinary and commonplace.

It was rather similar to the small Daoist Temple where that old Saint resided—appearing plain and ordinary, yet possessing an air of returning to fundamental simplicity.

Soon, Ye Fan’s heart skipped a beat. He discovered a sovereign sitting in meditation at the Mountain Gate, motionless.

Is this really a small sect? I’ve only just reached the Mountain Gate, and I already encountered a sovereign!

He was astonished. On this Short Mountain was a cluster of buildings. Could there be even more formidable people within, perhaps several sovereigns?

Ye Fan did not get closer. Such individuals possessed extraordinary spiritual perception, and any carelessness could lead to his detection. If not for the golden small lake at his brow having undergone Heavenly Tribulation baptism, which tremendously enhanced his divine sense, and his possession of the Source Heavenly Divine Technique, he would have long been discovered.

This is a Hidden Secret Sect!

Now, he could confirm that this seemingly declining small sect was truly extraordinary, harboring unknown secrets. Though not bearing the Cai surname, it was highly probable that this place held secrets worth investigating.

「 」

In the following days, Ye Fan carefully studied the county and state annals of the region. He discovered that long ago, there was a prominent surname in this locality—Cai.

Unfortunately, it was unclear in which era this clan had migrated en masse, vanishing without a trace.

The former land of the Cai Clan…

Soon after, Ye Fan accidentally found an ancient book in the library of a local prominent family and learned more.

In the extremely distant past, the only prominent surname here was Cai. For unknown reasons, the entire Cai Clan moved away thirty thousand years ago, disappearing completely.

Thirty thousand years ago… wasn’t that the era when, according to legend, the Green Emperor attained his form and achieved enlightenment?

The Cai Clan had lived in Qinling back then, and there was a rumor that the Green Emperor had also originated from this region, his beginnings traced to the Immortal Transformation Pool.

It’s highly probable that the members of the Qin Sect are descendants of the Cai Clan. They’ve returned to their ancestral homeland but under a new guise. However, the Green Emperor passed away ten thousand years ago. What could they possibly still fear?

Ye Fan had not found any trace of Hua Yunfei, but he believed he must be nearby, perhaps even within the Qin Sect.

He likely possesses a secret treasure that conceals his Qi Mechanism, making it troublesome that my Source Heaven Divine Eye cannot see through it.

After careful consideration, Ye Fan felt that his only option was to first join the Qin Sect and slowly search for the nine secret arts; otherwise, he would have no legitimate way to get close.

He should probably avoid Li Xiaoman’s Southern Vein for now. If she were to discover any clues about him, the consequences could be very unfavorable.

The various branches were only a few dozen miles apart, so encounters were inevitable. However, as long as he didn’t reveal his old habits and relied on the Heaven and Earth Changing Technique he had learned from the Heavenly Source Book, there shouldn’t be any problems.

「 」

The Qin Sect’s Eastern Vein consisted of three Short Mountains, with four individuals ranked Elder or above, fifteen disciples, and also several hundred chickens, ducks, and geese.

Ye Fan found it rather amusing. There was clearly a great expert of the Immortal Platform First Layer Heaven presiding here, yet they were raising hundreds of domestic fowl, just like in the Mortal World.

He chose this place because the Eastern Vein was about to open its mountain to recruit disciples. The timing was perfect for him to try and blend in.

“Doggy, after you go up the mountain, you must cultivate diligently! And no more stealing goose eggs, understand? This is your sect now,” a hunter sternly told his child.

Ye Fan was somewhat speechless. He, along with four snot-nosed kids, was heading up the mountain. These were all children from the villages at the foot of the mountains who often ran up to play and were now about to become disciples.

This Qin Sect’s recruitment was so unceremonious that Ye Fan was truly at a loss for words. They simply recruited locally, taking children from the nearby villages without any talk of checking their innate talent or potential.

A Hidden Secret Sect cannot be judged by common sense… he could only mutter to himself, as the snot-nosed kids, around six or seven years old, curiously observed him.

Ye Fan felt slightly awkward at the prospect of becoming martial brothers with a group of young children. Fortunately, not long after, two more individuals ascended the mountain, also intending to seek apprenticeship and learn cultivation.

One was about eighteen or nineteen, with a refined and scholarly appearance, exuding an academic air. The other was over fifty, with thinning hair, gaunt and looking sickly, his beard already white, yet he too had come to pursue Cultivation.

The Qin Sect’s Eastern Vein accepted all applicants without refusal. The four snot-nosed kids, along with Ye Fan and the other two, a total of seven new disciples, were thus admitted into the sect.

Vaguely, Ye Fan sensed that this scholar and the sickly old man were not simple. However, in front of others, he couldn’t rashly use his Source Heaven Divine Eye to investigate them.

This Hidden Secret Sect truly fears nothing, accepting anyone. This must be the source of their confidence. This was a genuine feeling Ye Fan had after spending a few days on the mountain. The scholar was a powerful cultivator at the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm, and the sickly old man was a special cultivator focusing on a Single Secret Realm—the first Ye Fan had ever encountered; his strength was difficult to ascertain.

Ye Fan was astonished. The small Eastern Vein of the Qin Sect, with just three Short Mountains and a total of twenty-something people, already had, among these new disciples, not only the scholar and the sickly old man but also two other young cultivators at the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm.

If word of this got out, it would terrify people! The quality of disciples in this Hidden Secret Sect, across its few branches, almost rivals that of the Sacred Lands.

With only just over a hundred members in total, yet achieving such a standard, it was like something out of a fantasy. No one would believe it if told.

Most of these people, like me, have probably found some clues leading them to the Qi Mechanism of the nine secret arts…

After a more detailed investigation, Ye Fan felt that this small piece of land concealed crouching tigers and hidden dragons, possibly including the most outstanding successors from certain supreme Great Sects, individuals whose depths were hard to fathom.

BOOM!

Nearby, dust and smoke billowed into the sky, followed by the frantic scattering of chickens and indignant barking of dogs. A snot-nosed kid ran out from near the chicken coop, crying his eyes out.

“Senior Brother, help me…!”

“What happened, Doggy?” Ye Fan asked with a chuckle.

“Little Stone and the others fell into a sinkhole! There’s a huge, vermilion-lacquered coffin inside…” The four snot-nosed kids were just as mischievous as they had been before coming up the mountain. They had gone to steal eggs, only for the ground to inexplicably crack open, causing them to fall into a sinkhole.

Many people on the mountain were startled by the commotion and rushed to the scene. Upon seeing it, they were all astonished: an underground Ancient Tomb had been exposed.

Ye Fan couldn’t help but marvel. Qinling was indeed teeming with ancient tombs. To think that one would even appear within the sect’s grounds. It truly was a peculiar place.

“Greetings, Martial Uncle…” The dust had not yet settled when a graceful figure descended from the sky. Li Xiaoman had arrived at the Eastern Vein of the Qin Sect, paying her respects to its Mountain Master, an expert of the Immortal Platform First Layer Heaven.