Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 421: Chapter 426: Ancient Desolation’s Ancient Site

The moon shone brightly in the night sky as a solitary boat drifted downstream. Specks of light glistened on the river, and occasionally, a fish leaped from the water, sending up a splash.

On both banks, towering mountains stood tall. The cries of apes and roars of tigers disrupted the tranquility of the night, yet added a touch of liveliness.

Ye Huiling stood on the small boat, her fine hair dancing gently in the breeze. Her skin was like the finest white jade, and a Jade Flute gleamed beneath her crimson lips. Its ethereal and wondrous tunes were soft and enchanting, like heavenly music lingering in the air.

She chuckled, openly stating that she had come for the Undying Divine Medicine. However, even with the Heaven Covering Treasure Robe, it was impossible to venture deep into the Seven Great Life Forbidden Lands; few in the world could achieve this.

Furthermore, Ye Fan received some very bad news: many people had come from the Central States, all with their sights set on the Undying Divine Medicine.

“Why is this happening?” Ye Fan wondered.

“An old Emperor of an Immortal Dynasty in the Central States is running out of lifespan,” Ye Huiling explained. “And a supreme Sect Hierarch from one of the great sects, whose strength is no less than the old Emperor’s, is also nearing the end of his life. Neither of them wants to leave this world.”

Ye Fan gazed at the moon, pondering. The Central States are in turmoil. A peerless Emperor and a supreme Sect Hierarch are trying to extend their lives, and now I’m caught up in it. This journey is filled with uncertainty.

He knew he had to make preparations. Otherwise, if he fell even one step behind, he might regret it for a lifetime, and there was no medicine for regret in this world.

“You need not worry too much,” Ye Huiling continued, her eyes like black gemstones that seemed capable of discerning others’ thoughts. She possessed a pure and transcendent aura, and her smile made even the bright moon pale in comparison. “Since ancient times, it has never been heard that any former Sacred Lord who ventured deep into the forbidden lands and the Great Wilderness has ever reappeared in the world. Success is almost impossible.”

“I, too, would find it difficult to obtain the Undying Divine Medicine,” Ye Fan said. “If I borrowed the Heaven Covering Treasure Robe, I might very well disappoint Miss Ye’s kind intentions.”

Of course, no one in the world would casually gift such Treasure Clothes, Ye Fan thought. Ye Huiling had also come for the Undying Divine Medicine, but she knew how terrifying those forbidden areas were—not places ordinary people could venture into.

“Given your physique,” Ye Huiling said, her cheeks glowing, “if you were to wear the Heaven Covering Treasure Robe, your chances would be quite high.”

Ye Fan also laughed and shook his head. “The world knows I have Dao Injuries within me,” he said. “Even if I managed to pick a mature Undying Divine Medicine, it would be hard to heal them.”

“We come into this world, and sometimes we cannot choose what we experience. We can only take a gamble,” Ye Huiling said, her smile pure.

Ye Fan didn’t explicitly say he truly wanted to go to a Life Forbidden Land. He didn’t want to attract attention before he could even begin the journey, so naturally, he wouldn’t divulge much.

Ye Huiling also wouldn’t lend him the Treasure Clothes immediately. There were still variables involved. For now, it was just their first meeting, and she had frankly stated that she needed to consider it.

The Eastern Wastelands contained the Seven Great Life Forbidden Lands, endlessly mysterious. These were the last seven places thought to contain Ancient Divine Medicine; chances in other Primitive Wildernesses were slim.

Through a process of Unraveling the Silk, Ye Huiling eliminated possibilities one by one and concluded that the Immortal Dynasty of the Central States, along with that supreme Great Sect, would eventually come to this region.

This was because, although all Seven Great Life Forbidden Lands were rumored to contain Undying Divine Medicine, this was the only place where it had actually been seen since ancient times, a fact also recorded in ancient books.

The river current quickened. The cries of apes echoed incessantly from both banks as the small boat sailed past countless peaks.

Thousand-fathom cliffs lined the shore. The small boat shot forward like an arrow. Ye Huiling ascended into the night sky, her robes fluttering, like Chang’e flying to the moon, leaving only a breathtaking silhouette behind.

She and Ye Fan agreed to meet outside a Life Forbidden Land in the future. If they came to an agreement, she would bring the Heaven Covering Treasure Robe and lend it to him.

Ye Fan felt a sense of urgency and dared not delay on the road. Once the experts from the Central States arrived, there would be many troubles, and the difficulties would increase substantially.

His destination was a full 1,500,000 miles away, considerably far. Ye Fan took out the mysterious jade platform and began to traverse the void. These were small, single-direction Domain Gates, each capable of advancing him tens of thousands of miles.

In this way, Ye Fan consumed a great deal of Source and finally arrived at a familiar place.

He had returned to the southern region with a clear purpose: to re-enter the Ancient Desolation Forbidden Land, ascend the nine sacred mountains, drink from the Divine Spring, and eat the sacred fruit, all to heal and recuperate in that primeval realm.

He didn’t know much about the other Life Forbidden Lands. This was the only place where divine medicine had truly been seen, and thus, it was where he felt most confident; after all, he had succeeded here once before.

Of course, he dared not be complacent. Based on what he had learned later, the Ancient Desolation Forbidden Land was incredibly terrifying. The only reason he hadn’t met with disaster on his previous two visits was due to the presence of the bronze coffin.

Otherwise, that abyss was nearly unapproachable. Merely standing at the foot of the sacred mountains could lead to mysterious death, let alone attempting to climb them. It had always been a place of no return.

Pang Bo had also experienced it firsthand. After reading numerous ancient books in the Demon Clan’s Sacred Land, he had learned even more. He told Ye Fan his speculation: it was undoubtedly because the nine dragons pulling the coffin had fallen on the mountaintop, neutralizing the peerless curse.

Several years had passed. Ye Fan didn’t know if ascending the mountain again would be as uneventful as before. He had no certainty at all, but he also had no path of retreat.

Having returned to the southern region, Ye Fan found himself lost in thought, wondering how his former classmates were doing: Lin Jia, Zhou Yi, Wang Ziwen, Zhang Ziwen, Liu Yiyi, Li Xiaoman…

They had all come to this world together. Presumably, they had each forged different life paths by now. Perhaps we’ll reunite soon.

While passing by the super-sect Taixuan Sect in the southern region, Ye Fan stood on a high mountain, gazing into the distance. The one hundred and eight main peaks presented a magnificent and diverse spectacle, like a divine land.

Zhuo Peak, the natural Grand Dao, the nine secret arts… So many memories came flooding back: Li Ruoyu, Ji Ziyue, Hua Yunfei, Li Xiaoman… Many past events had occurred here.

He did not linger. Before obtaining the divine medicine, it was not advisable for him to reveal himself. Otherwise, many complications might arise, likely causing great trouble.

That same day, Ye Fan entered the state of Yan. This was the starting point of their journey to this world, the place they had arrived after crossing the starry expanse.

Yan stretched 2,000 miles from north to south and 3,000 miles from east to west. Such a territory was merely a drop in the ocean within the Eastern Wastelands; countless nations like it existed.

The reason it was known to the world was undoubtedly because of the Ancient Desolation Forbidden Land located in its central region. From ancient times to the present, it had been the subject of too many legends. Countless peerless masters had fallen there, and even extraordinary Sacred Lands had been obliterated within it.

Stepping onto this land, Ye Fan felt a surge of excitement. He was eager to see those classmates again; they had all come from the other side of the starry sky and shared similar experiences.

Ye Fan entered Yan’s capital, revisiting a familiar place. The city was bustling with a flow of vehicles and shoulder-to-shoulder crowds, vibrant and lively. The calls of vendors rang out incessantly.

“Crispy fried chicken wings! If they’re not tasty, you don’t have to pay!”

“Zhang Zhiguan’s steamed dumplings! Thin skin, big filling, delicious and juicy! Come and taste them!”

Ye Fan smiled. This place was just as he remembered, unchanged, as if he had never left.

“Big brother… I’m hungry. Please buy me a bun to eat, I’m begging you! Pitiful little girl is very hungry.”

Suddenly, a tender and pitiful voice reached him, and he felt a gentle tug at his trouser leg.

Ye Fan looked down and saw a little girl, filthy from head to toe and looking utterly pitiful. She was blinking her large eyes as she gazed up at him.

She looked no more than three or four years old. Her clothes were tattered, and her face was covered in grime, yet her eyes alone were bright and clear.

“Pitiful little girl is so hungry… Big brother, please be kind and buy me a bun to eat,” the little girl pleaded timidly. She looked very scared, tears welling in her eyes, as if she hadn’t eaten for many days.

Ye Fan felt a pang in his heart. He bought some steaming hot steamed dumplings and handed them to her, telling her to eat slowly and be careful not to burn herself.

Then, he stood up and walked away. He had too many things to deal with. Despite his compassion, he couldn’t possibly take her with him to the Ancient Desolation Forbidden Land.

The little girl was deeply grateful. She watched him disappear, tears still filling her large eyes. Heedless of the heat, she began to wolf down the dumplings.

Suddenly, Ye Fan stopped. The scene just now felt far too familiar. Three years ago, in this very city, on this very street, something remarkably similar had occurred.

His body stiffened as it all came back to him in a flash: it was the same little girl! Those ragged clothes, that dirty little face, those tear-filled eyes—they were exactly the same.

Three years had passed, yet she hadn’t changed at all. She was still just as he remembered, a sight that was heart-wrenching and filled him with immense pity.

How could this be?!

Ye Fan whirled around and sprinted back. He couldn’t believe that a child wouldn’t have changed even a little after three years. This was clearly no ordinary matter!

This little girl isn’t faking it, but she’s definitely not an ordinary child. Such pure and innocent eyes don’t exist in this world. Her pitiable appearance alone is enough to make one’s heart tremble at a single glance.

The street was bustling with people, a ceaseless flow of pedestrians. Ye Fan searched carefully, but then he suddenly paused, retracting his divine sense and no longer projecting it outwards.

It was because he had spotted peerless experts. Ahead of him were four eminent figures wearing Dragon Crowns, with Dragon Qi coiling around their bodies. They exuded an imposing and awe-inspiring presence, walking with the gait of dragons and tigers, an aura so majestic it could cow the spirit.

Their cultivation base had reached such a realm that they disdained to conceal it, nor did they need to. An Ancestor Dragon Head manifested above each of them, as if the Heavenly Emperor himself had descended, inspiring an urge to prostrate oneself in worship.

The four supreme figures of the Ancient Hua Dynasty!

Ye Fan had seen them before in the divine city. They had once bid four hundred and ten thousand jin of Source at the Heavenly Demon Treasure Pavilion for the severely damaged Human-shaped Divine Medicine he had cut out, of which only a foot remained.

“So that’s it!” Ye Fan had a flash of insight. The old Sacred Lord of the Ancient Hua Dynasty was nearing the end of his lifespan, and they were searching everywhere for Undying Divine Medicine to prolong it. This time, the Immortal Dynasty from the Central States that intended to enter the Ancient Desolation Forbidden Land was undoubtedly them. And people from that other supreme Great Sect must have arrived as well.

After this delay, Ye Fan looked for the little girl again, but she was nowhere to be seen, perhaps having been swept away by the crowd. He frowned slightly, chose a direction at the crossroads, and continued on.

“Stop following me all the time!”

A girl’s pleasant voice came from ahead, though it clearly held a note of pique.

Ye Fan was surprised; he hadn’t expected to encounter Ji Ziyue here. She was dressed in purple, looking ethereal and otherworldly. Her hair cascaded like a waterfall, and she was wrinkling her delicate nose, playfully baring her small, sharp canine teeth.

A group of people followed her, surrounding and protecting her as she moved forward.

“Hey, Ye Fan’s over there!” Ji Ziyue suddenly exclaimed, pointing ahead.

The people surrounding her were all startled and turned to look. Ji Ziyue instantly leaped up, hitched up a corner of her purple skirt, and bolted, trying to escape. It was a lively and amusing sight.

Ye Fan was surprised. Her cultivation base had clearly been sealed; otherwise, she would have flown off long ago.

On the street, an old woman stepped out, grabbed Ji Ziyue’s arm, and stopped her. “Getting more and more mischievous,” she said.

“I don’t want you following me!” Ji Ziyue fumed.

The old woman quickly vanished. The group of people who had been following Ji Ziyue earlier swarmed forward again, once more surrounding her.

Ye Fan’s expression turned grim. He recognized Ji Hui; the old woman from before was indeed her. It could be said that all their past grievances and grudges had stemmed from her.

Back then, when he had escorted Ji Ziyue home, Ji Hui had repaid his kindness with enmity. Not only did she show no gratitude, but she also dispatched Ji Ren to hunt him down, and eventually, she had even taken action herself.

The subsequent series of troubles had all originated from Ji Hui’s pursuit. It could be said that this old woman was the person Ye Fan hated the most.

This old hag must have predicted I’d return and actually set a trap for me! She still wants to deal with me!