Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 474: Chapter 479: 1000-Year Period

The Merak Ruins are desolate, with vegetation wildly overgrown, enveloping the Mountain Gate. Withered old trees, so large that a dozen people could barely encircle them, stretched their dry, hard branches skyward.

Within the collapsed Mountain Gate, a figure stood motionless, like a wooden stake, without a ripple, as if petrified.

When walking in the distance, one could hardly sense his presence. It was only upon nearing that one was startled to realize someone had been standing here for a long time.

He stood with his back to the Mountain Gate, black hair cascading like a waterfall, tall and immeasurable, like an Abyss, or perhaps the infinite Starry Sky, unfathomable.

The large black dog was once a sovereign, and though his cultivation base had since declined, his vision remained keen. He shivered repeatedly, unable to discern the depths of the figure.

“Impossible to fathom, utterly terrifying!” This was Black Emperor’s whispered appraisal; recognizing the cramps in his legs, he carried the pitiful little girl as he turned and ran.

The large black dog showed no loyalty, leaving without a word to anyone, disappearing instantly.

Ye Fan’s heart also raced. He initially thought the old madman had returned, but now he hesitated. This person’s silhouette was grand, and his dense black hair differed greatly from the old madman’s lean and haggard frame.

“Let’s retreat too!” Li Heishui signaled, retreating step by step. This person stood at the Mountain Gate, truly someone to avoid provoking.

Yet he knew that given the other’s cultivation base, they had likely been noticed long before, so they did not panic but instead retreated slowly.

Ye Fan was equally uncertain and did not say much, choosing to withdraw along the same path. An unknown, frightful presence, a mysterious powerhouse whose combat power was unmeasurable, was best respected from afar.

The figure remained motionless, like an immortal statue, standing within the collapsed Mountain Gate, devoid of any life Qi Mechanism.

“Gone, vanished!”

Ye Fan and Li Heishui retreated further, their eyes unblinking, yet they noticed the tall figure had already faded from view.

“What motion technique is this? So fast, as if he never appeared,” Li Heishui felt terrified.

“Such speed! A match for a peerless divine king. Truly, there is no shortage of extraordinary people in this world!” Ye Fan was also taken aback.

Upon returning to Divine Doctor Wang’s hut, the large black dog muttered, “Damn, what kind of person is this? This emperor couldn’t see through them, utterly dreadful!”

“You unfaithful dog, daring to abandon us, turning tail and fleeing!” Li Heishui derided.

“Against such a figure, whether we escape or not makes no difference. It’s merely a gesture, showing him our reverence. If he wished to act, even if I laid down Array Patterns to cross through space, he’d smack the space apart with a palm and drag us out from the void,” the large black dog countered.

Only the pitiful little girl remained relatively calm. Curious, yet well-behaved, she did not ask many questions, merely listening attentively.

Divine Doctor Wang emerged from the hut. After learning the details, he sighed softly, “Celestial Jade truly is extraordinary. Eradicated for six thousand years, and still such terrifying figures exist. Truly shocking.”

“This land reaches heaven; every mountain range is like a Great Dragon soaring into the sky. For such divine land to remain unclaimed by later generations naturally indicates a problem,” the Black Emperor mused with suspicion.

“It’s not that later generations don’t wish to claim it, but rather this place is peculiar…” Divine Doctor Wang remarked. Though residing nearby, he had rarely explored it.

In ancient times, when Heavenly Void flourished greatly, numerous divine treasures were left upon its fall, all divided among the Sacred Lands, yet none dared fully occupy this divine land.

Six thousand years ago, following the failed attack on the Ancient Desolation Forbidden Land, the Celestial Jade Sacred Land, then at the pinnacle of its prosperity, turned to dust overnight. Only three or four survived, but they soon withered and perished completely, body and soul.

For all Sacred Lands, this was a grand feast, and they nearly emptied Celestial Jade. Several supreme Great Sects even planned to station themselves there.

Yet shortly after, on every full moon night, wailing emanated from the Celestial Jade Sacred Land. Several Peacock Kings investigated at night but found nothing. This phenomenon lasted many years.

Over the ensuing eras, every thousand years, the sorrowful cries echoed deep into the night once more, thoroughly startling all Sacred Lands.

Thus, no one dared entertain thoughts of the place. Although they knew it was a Heaven-Reaching Land where dragons could soar, they dared not covet it.

“On reflection, another millennium cycle has arrived, and the full moon night approaches. Could this person have returned again?” Divine Doctor Wang frowned.

“Truly abnormal! Appearing once every thousand years, is he untouched by time? So terrifying!” the large black dog muttered, fearful.

Ye Fan recalled something and queried Divine Doctor Wang, “Senior, do you know if Celestial Jade possesses any ancient scriptures, and what are the origins of their Mysterious Step Technique?”

The large black dog once mentioned that the old madman’s footwork bore traces of the ‘Motion’ technique, one of the nine secret arts, prompting Ye Fan to seek understanding.

“Celestial Jade’s ancient scriptures are powerful and profound, yet they turned to ash, leaving no heritage behind. Their footwork is matchless, surpassing Celestial Roc Extreme Speed.”

Divine Doctor Wang pondered momentarily before speaking, “Few know that Celestial Jade’s footwork evolved from the nine secret arts.”

“What?” Ye Fan was astonished, realizing the large black dog had guessed correctly.

“In ancient times, our lineage produced a Saint, so we naturally know some of those ancient secrets,” Divine Doctor Wang slowly revealed.

Hundreds of thousands of years ago, the Sacred Lands besieged the celestial court, leading to the fall of this Ancient Divine Dynasty. The Great Sects all gained to varying extents.

Celestial Jade acquired what was most precious: a piece they cut from the celestial court’s core Holy Technique, the ‘Motion’ Ancient Scroll. This became their greatest secret and was passed down.

The old madman’s footwork originated from the celestial court’s ‘Motion’ technique but was incomplete. Celestial Jade continually evolved it, resulting in the unparalleled divine speed of later generations.

The full moon night quickly arrived. Ye Fan and his companions stood upon a distant peak, gazing toward the Celestial Jade Sacred Land.

Moonlight cascaded down like water. A wail like Heavenly Thunder shook the clouds, frightening beasts into a stampede and causing mountains to quiver.

“It’s him… that tall silhouette!” The large black dog shivered.

Ye Fan and his companions saw the person again, haunting the Celestial Jade Sacred Land like a phantom. He appeared suddenly in the east, then in the west, too swift for the eye to follow.

“WAIL…”

The wail was akin to the roar of thunder, like seas and rivers crying out, deafeningly loud. It echoed exceptionally far in the deep night, causing the whole realm to quake.

“Indeed, representatives from all Sacred Lands have come!” Divine Doctor Wang remarked, his eyes fixed on the distant sky.

The millennial period was a very special day; all the Sacred Lands wanted to see if that person had returned, whether he was truly dead or not.

One could imagine the shock in their hearts as the lamenting cries rose again; this millennial period had yet to be interrupted.

“This is too abnormal! With a cycle of a thousand years, generations of old Peacock Kings have passed away, yet he still comes here to lament!” muttered the Black Emperor.

“Shut up, you damned dog! Stop speaking nonsense!” Li Heishui admonished.

In the distance, people from various Sacred Lands left quietly, not daring to linger. They had only come to confirm. After all, they had once taken away the divine treasures of Celestial Jade Sacred Land and felt uneasy.

Now that this unparalleled figure was confirmed to still be alive, no one could remain calm. In the blink of an eye, the distant sky emptied.

Is it really the old madman? Besides the old madman, could there be another unimaginable being that survived in Celestial Jade Sacred Land? How is that possible! Ye Fan pondered.

The lamenting cries lasted for one hour, falling silent only at midnight. The myriad peaks ceased trembling, and the Heaven-Reaching Land fell into tranquility.

“This time, he should have left. It’s said that every time he finishes crying, he disappears for a thousand years,” sighed Divine Doctor Wang.

“Let’s go take a look!” suggested Li Heishui.

During this quiet and late hour of the night, the Merak Ruins lay in silence. Broken walls and ruins were everywhere, incomparably desolate.

Once gloriously illustrious, a super-powerful Immortal Sacred Land had now come to such a sight, evoking feelings that there truly is little that can be eternal in the world.

The green stone steps were covered in green moss, and wild grass carpeted the ground. Desolation was everywhere, with some huge stone blocks inscribed with many ancient characters.

Six thousand years had passed. Precious items had long been moved, and nothing had been left. The medicine fields were now overrun with wild grass.

“You can wander around freely. I’ll study the layout of these medicine fields again carefully,” said Divine Doctor Wang. It was not his first time observing, yet each time he discovered remnants of Dao Glyphs that could speed up the growth of spiritual medicines.

Ye Fan and the others walked in the vast ruins. Rubble and broken walls were everywhere, along with some half-collapsed ancient palaces thickly covered in dust.

“An Underground Palace…” They discovered a massive underground palace, its structures quite intact inside.

However, upon delving deeper, they all inhaled sharply. Endless graves were connected in a sheet, forming an underground tombyard.

The firelight flickered. Every grave mound had paper money and offerings; clearly, someone had recently visited these graves.

“Divine Doctor Wang said the only divine land in Celestial Jade Sacred Land hasn’t been found, and their ancient scriptures may be buried there. Could it be among these graves?” Li Heishui wondered.

Regrettably, even with all the Black Emperor’s skill in Dao Glyphs, he could not find anything. After paying their respects here, they all retreated.

Upon reaching the deepest part of the Merak Ruins, what they saw was even more desolate: collapsed ancient palaces, broken green stone steps, a vast, ruined martial arts field…

Everything recounted the past glory and the present desolation. The once unparalleled Sacred Land had utterly become a thing of the past.

“We still can’t find Celestial Jade’s most mysterious divine land. Their ancient scriptures have truly become the dust of history…” They all felt regretful.

The bright moon shimmered in the sky, and ample moonlight, like white feathers, fell onto the Desolate Woodland. Seven-colored light emanated from the pitiful little girl as her Seven-Colored Little Stone slowly merged into her body.

“Pitiful little girl is going to forget the past again…” the pitiful little girl murmured, her spirits low, her voice very soft.

On the night of the full moon, she would undergo a rebirth, forgetting all past memories. Yet Ye Fan had been prepared and took out the radiant Beautiful Jade.

“Pitiful little girl, don’t worry. Everything you’ve experienced has been recorded in here. Soon you’ll know it all.”

“Mm!” the pitiful little girl nodded seriously.

Like water, moonlight fell, like thin smoke. Seven-colored light shot from the pitiful little girl’s brow, and a new little stone emerged.

She was extremely puzzled, recognizing no one, surveying all around with some trepidation.

Ye Fan implanted the Jade bearing her memories into her mind. Soon, the pitiful little girl calmed down, delightedly proclaiming, “Pitiful little girl hasn’t forgotten the past.”

The Seven-Colored Little Stone on her brow grew even more brilliant and dazzling, nearly coming loose. Right then, the pitiful little girl suddenly cried out in surprise, “There’s a world over there!”

She extended her pink little hand, pointing at the void, her small mouth formed an “O” shape, full of shock and curiosity.

“What are you talking about, pitiful little girl?” Ye Fan, Li Heishui, and the Black Emperor all looked surprised.

“Pitiful little girl saw a Pure Land, with many crystalline petals flying, but… the ground is covered with coffins, and there’s a person!” the pitiful little girl shrieked.

She timidly retreated a few steps, still staring at the void.

“Could this be Celestial Jade’s divine land?!” They all froze in shock.

The void the pitiful little girl pointed at was located high in the sky, in the deepest part of the Merak Ruins. Ye Fan activated his Divine Eye but couldn’t see anything, yet she saw right through it.

“That person rose from the only uncovered coffin! He’s coming out! It’s the person we saw a few days ago! He… has discovered us,” the pitiful little girl stuttered, terrified and unable to speak further.

SWISH!

Soundlessly, a tall figure emerged on the ground in the deepest part of the ruins. That person walked out from the divine land.

He wore ancient azure robes, his black hair dense, his eyes hollow. He stepped right in front of Ye Fan and the others, fixating on the pitiful little girl, then reached forward with a large hand.