Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 512: Chapter 517 Making Friends with Monkeys

The Jade Lake was magnificent and beautiful, with sacred mountains towering and elegant peaks ethereal, as if one had stepped into the Immortal Realm, becoming lost and enchanted.

Stone cliffs poured Divine Spring. Spiritual medicines grew alongside the cliffs. Auspicious Beasts lay hidden in the mountains. The area exuded both Immortal Qi and wondrous sights, splendid and colorful.

This was the renowned divine land of the Eastern Wastelands. It was naturally wrapped in Dragon Qi—not in small numbers. Noble purple aura was present in tens of thousands of strands, and Immortal mist hovered, forming into a Great Dragon.

Ye Fan’s residence was quite serene, a refined abode nestled within a Purple Bamboo Forest, accompanied by a clear and tranquil small lake outside the house, peaceful and quiet.

The purple bamboo was like jade, each segment glistening. Spiritual medicines grew in the forest, not densely packed but seen occasionally in clumps. Upon closer inspection, they had hundreds of years of medicinal age, some even being ancient medicines over a thousand years old.

As soon as it arrived, the big black dog roamed around, eyes darting everywhere, claiming it was leading the little pitiful girl to enjoy the scenery, but who knew what it was really up to.

“This damned dog clearly has ill intentions. It’s most likely headed for the Immortal Peach Orchard,” Li Heishui said.

After entering the Jade Lake, the big black dog endlessly dawdled, constantly dropping hints to people, inquiring where the Immortal Peach Orchard was. When no one was watching, it was almost drooling.

The Jade Lake’s Immortal Peach Orchard was world-renowned. It was known in the far east as one of the most famous spiritual roots. Just a bite of its peach flesh could prolong a mortal’s life for many years, and it was also greatly beneficial to cultivators.

“It’s not an Undying Divine Medicine, but it still attracts it so much?” Jiang Huairen was skeptical.

“Didn’t you hear that damned dog muttering? It’s looking for the most ancient Peach Tree, not those spiritual peaches in the Immortal Garden. I suspect it at least rivals a Supreme Spiritual Medicine over ten thousand years old.”

“I remember my grandfather once said there was an ancient tree in the Jade Lake—the most precious thing beneath the Undying Divine Medicine,” Wu Zhongtian mentioned.

“What? Close to an Undying Divine Medicine? What kind of spiritual root is this?” Liu Kou was astonished.

“It’s said to have been brought out from the Divine Ruins…”

The Divine Ruins, one of the Eastern Wastelands seven areas forbidden to life, alongside Undying Mountain and the Great Primordial Mine, was situated in the west of the Eastern Wastelands, mysterious and enigmatic.

Legend had it the place was the remains left by gods, with records mentioning an indestructible South Heavenly Gate there, majestic heavenly watchtowers, boundless and endless.

It was an Ancient Desolation Forbidden Land, always a place of no return, with no one being able to fully explore its secrets. Over hundreds of thousands of years, the world had changed, but the Divine Ruins had undergone no change at all.

In Heaven and Earth, there were only a few Undying Divine Medicines, each capable of choosing its habitation freely, moving through sky and earth. Now, all dwelt within Life Forbidden Lands.

It was rumored that the Undying Peach Tree had rooted itself in the Divine Ruins. It was just over a meter high and capable of bearing only two or three Immortal Peach divine medicines in ten thousand years.

It is said that over a hundred thousand years ago, a Saint of the Jade Lake once entered the Divine Ruins. They barely escaped with their life, ultimately emerging not with the Undying Peach Tree, but carrying back an Immortal Peach divine medicine.

Why was the Jade Lake so named? The world knew they had a spring pool famous worldwide; many Sacred Lands came here to request its water for refining medicine, considering it a Divine Pool.

Especially before the Ancient Desolation, this pool was extremely miraculous, its waters nearly rivaling the Spring of Life, possessing the effect of bringing the dead to life and restoring flesh to bones.

After returning, the Saint planted the seed of the Immortal Peach divine medicine into the soil and irrigated it daily with the Yaochi Divine Spring, eventually causing it to take root and sprout.

Never before had an Undying Divine Medicine been able to spawn a second plant; all were unique. Yet the Yaochi Divine Spring nurtured it, creating a miracle.

However, Heaven and Earth Immortal Treasures are unmatched and ultimately cannot coexist. Aside from its first fruits rivaling nearly half an Immortal Peach divine medicine, the fruits produced thereafter were not comparable.

It could be called the world’s number one spiritual medicine, but not an Undying Divine Medicine, because this kind of Immortal Peach fruit could only extend the life of mighty cultivators by over a thousand years.

“Over a thousand years! That can also be considered a divine medicine!” Jiang Huairen exclaimed.

Wu Zhongtian shook his head and continued, “That was before the Ancient Desolation. Nowadays, it surely won’t work.”

“Why?” Liu Kou asked.

Before the Ancient Desolation, the water in the Jade Lake was almost like the Spring of Life. Irrigating with it daily caused the Peach Tree to naturally grow vigorously, and the fruits produced had the qualities of a divine medicine.

However, eighty or ninety thousand years ago, the pool’s spirituality waned, becoming far less potent than before, and watering with it no longer had such significant effects.

And tens of thousands of years ago, the Jade Lake, for some unknown reason, abandoned its old land and relocated here. Even though the roots of the Immortal Pool were moved along with extraordinary means, it was still greatly harmed.

Wu Zhongtian’s grandfather, Wu Dao, was knowledgeable of the past and present and aware of many secrets. He speculated that the Divine Spring was far inferior to before, and the fruits borne by the Ancient Peach Tree planted nearby could now extend life by at most five hundred years.

Ye Fan thought of the Yaochi Ancient Land, where he once ventured with the Black Emperor for the West Emperor Scripture. He had seen that abandoned Immortal Pool, its bottom filled with corpses, and to this day, he still couldn’t understand what had happened.

“How does this damned dog know everything? No need to say more; it’s definitely after the world’s number one spiritual medicine.” Everyone was speechless, silently praying it wouldn’t cause trouble. Otherwise, it would be too much to handle.

「Half an hour later.」

The big black dog returned, carrying the little pitiful girl. It was listless and unenthusiastic. Upon seeing it like this, everyone sighed in relief.

“Where did you go?” Ye Fan asked.

“Roaming mountains and waters, watching beauties bathe,” the big black dog replied moodily.

“Damn dog, you didn’t really go peek at the Fairy of the Jade Lake’s bath, did you? Blessings should be shared; take us to see too!” Liu Kou’s eyes gleamed.

“Damn it, do you think this Emperor is as lecherous as you!” The big black dog grew more vexed.

“The doggy went to steal peaches but got caught and chased out,” the little pitiful girl chirped.

“Knew you were up to no good! Stay out of trouble!” Everyone rebuked it together.

“Damn it! Accursed monkey! If it hadn’t moved first and alerted them, the people at Jade Lake wouldn’t have been able to fend off this Emperor!” The big black dog grumbled furiously.

“What kind of bandit logic is this? Stealing peaches and you think you’re justified? How did the Fighting Saint Ape even get involved in this…”

“In the Ancient Times, the Undying Peach Tree was in the hands of the Fighting Saint Ape lineage of Ancient Kings. Damn monkey’s thieving nature hasn’t changed; now it’s eyeing it again.” The big black dog cursed, “That dead monkey doesn’t dare go to the Divine Ruins for the real Undying Peach Tree, yet it runs here to join the fun, competing with this Emperor for business.”

Ye Fan and the others had been at the Jade Lake for several days, but the grand gathering hadn’t started yet; it seemed some important figures had yet to arrive.

Except for a few special places, they were mostly free, their movements unrestricted, and they roamed this Ancient Land, observing everything.

“Brother, there’s a monkey over there,” the little girl said, tugging at Ye Fan’s clothes.

“Where’s a monkey? This Emperor hates monkeys the most, always has, always will!” the big black dog shouted.

Ye Fan’s gaze flashed, and he saw a golden-skinned, very robust young man standing nearby. He was very sturdy, full of power, his eyes like torches, radiant and spirited.

Fighting Saint Ape… Ye Fan’s heart skipped a beat. He used the Divine Eye to see its true form: its entire body was covered in golden fur, with Eyes of Golden Flame. It had actually changed its appearance and sneaked in.

This was a fierce character. Being of an Ancient King’s Royal Family, though not yet fully grown, it already vaguely possessed the power to suppress sovereigns. Why had it come here?

Ye Fan was astonished to find that a Grand Elder from Jade Lake courteously led the monkey out. Clearly, they had detected it but had not besieged it.

“Did you recognize me?” the monkey asked. He had transformed into human form, and his voice was young. He wasn’t speaking the ancient language; he could already speak human words.

Ye Fan nodded, looking at him quietly. The Fighting Saint Ape was something he had cut out from a strange black stone, and there was a significant cause and effect between them.

“Aren’t you afraid that the human race will hunt you down?”

“The world has changed. The ancient races are going to revive. If they hunt me down, an Ancient King will surely destroy their Sacred Lands in the future. They know this,” the monkey said very calmly.

“Why have you come here?” By this time, Jiang Huairen and the others also realized this was the Fighting Saint Ape that had once wreaked havoc in the divine city. They were all utterly astonished.

“I want Jade Lake’s Ancient Peach Tree to save someone.” The monkey was very direct, his eyes shining. “I know you have a Qilin Seed. If you give it to me, I will repay you with a great favor in the future.”

Ye Fan was moved. This monkey was quite extraordinary, with a special physique. Once it activated the Heavenly Technique, it made his Sacred Blood boil. Not knowing what cause and effect there was, he certainly did not want to become hostile, hoping to make friends.

Soon, they started talking. The atmosphere was quite harmonious. Ye Fan diplomatically expressed that the Qilin Seed was no more, but there were other divine items that could serve as substitutes.

“I’ve talked with the people of Jade Lake. If I can nurture a Stone King with the blood of an Ancient King for a month, they promise to give me an Immortal Peach divine medicine,” the monkey said.

Liu Kou and the others were all in awe. The fairies of Jade Lake were indeed negotiation experts. Nurturing a Stone King with the blood of an Ancient King for a month—this was truly an astonishing price.

In the current age, where could one find such a pure Ancient King bloodline? Their whole body was a treasure, especially their essence blood, which was the most precious.

“I need your Source Technique to help infuse the King’s Blood into the Stone King,” the monkey said.

“That’s not a problem; it’s not very difficult,” Ye Fan nodded.

“Jade Lake sure knows how to do business. I thought they were a group of white-clad fairies, but it turns out they’re people with blood and flesh too,” Jiang Huairen mumbled.

“Don’t talk nonsense. Comparatively speaking, they are detached from worldly affairs, above all sects,” Wu Zhongtian scolded, stopping him from speaking recklessly.

“Alright, let’s go meet the people of Jade Lake now,” the monkey nodded.

The Inheritor of the Heavenly Source Master and the Fighting Saint Ape arrived together. Jade Lake was very courteous; several Grand Elders personally came out to welcome them, and the Yaochi Saintess accompanied them.

“This stone is very special, different from other Stone Kings. We don’t wish to seal it, but hope to nurture life from it,” one of the Grand Elders said.

In the past, an Ancient Saint from Jade Lake had left this stone, full of expectations. It had been passed down to this day.

The Yaochi Saintess gracefully led the way, like an exiled Immortal, her ethereal movements flowing with endless divine charm—a beauty that could bring peace and tranquility to the soul. Accompanied by several Grand Elders of Jade Lake, she led them to Jade Lake’s sacred heart—the Immortal Pool, from which the place derived its name.

Ahead, water mist shrouded the area. It was surrounded by fragrant flowers and birdsong, like a mythical world. Creatures like Three-legged Golden Crows, Fire Phoenixes, and qilin-like precious beasts and strange and powerful beasts roamed nearby.

“That Ancient Peach Tree indeed has borne fruit again!” the big black dog muttered excitedly.

By the side of the Immortal Pool stood an ancient tree, gnarled like a Coiled Dragon. It towered tens of meters high, reaching towards the sky, its roots anchored at the edge of the Immortal Pool. It was lush green, with some fruits on it, rich in fragrance. Its scent caused one’s whole body’s pores to expand; it was clearly a Supreme Treasure Medicine.

The Undying Peach Tree in the Divine Ruins was barely one meter tall; though this tree was so tall and had grown for over a hundred thousand years, it still couldn’t compare.

Under the Ancient Peach Tree was a crystalline stone with nine apertures and eight holes, absorbing the Sun and Moon Essence. It looked extremely mystical!

“Damn, such a stone actually exists!” the big black dog exclaimed in shock.

Under the Ancient Peach Tree by the Immortal Pool, a few people were watching. Among them, Ye Fan recognized Ouyang Ye, who was infinitely close to the realm of a Source Earth Master. It was this old man who had recognized him in the divine city, leading to his peril.

Ouyang Ye also looked over, his eyes flickering with uncertainty, not knowing what he was thinking. A faint, meaningful smile touched his lips.

Ye Fan greatly disliked the ancient families of Source Technique and ignored him.

“HUMPH!”

The Fighting Saint Ape snorted coldly and immediately attacked, thrusting a large golden hand forward. “You actually dare to have killing intent towards my friend?” he said. “Are you seeking death?!”