Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 536: Chapter 541: A Letter from the Ancient King

“Ancient beings are truly emerging; they actually want to enter the Jade Lake…” The crowd could not help but be astonished.

“Why have they come, have they not explained?” Someone asked.

“I don’t know, he only asks to enter and can speak after meeting the Queen Mother of the West,” a beauty from the Jade Lake answered.

“Everyone, do not hastily resort to life-or-death means; now that ancient beings have emerged, who knows what calamity may follow?” The Queen Mother of the West addressed the crowd.

No one said a word, each with a heavy heart, the future unpredictable; thinking of those ancient kings who commanded winds and rains, traversing the lands, comparable to ancient Saints.

Will such beings re-emerge? If they do, this land might change owners.

Perhaps only a few immortal inheritances, wielding Extreme Dao Holy Weapons, might have some confidence.

The crowd exchanged briefly and proceeded towards the Heaven Temple; a confrontation was impossible for now.

Along the way, fire burned in the eyes of the people from the Yin Yang Sect, wishing to flay Ye Fan alive; earlier, his defiance towards the old Sect Hierarch had made them all immeasurably angry.

“What are you looking at, haven’t you seen such a handsome uncle?” The large black dog bared its teeth.

The people of the Yin Yang Sect were furious but could find no way to argue with a dog, for to quarrel with it would be to become a laughingstock.

The various Heroic Lords returned to the Heaven Temple, Ye Fan sitting at the end, while the younger generation could only stand at the entrance of the great hall, waiting and watching.

It wasn’t long before a powerful being flew in, following behind a few disciples of the Jade Lake, stepping on clouds as they entered the hall.

“Indeed, an ancient being!”

Many exclaimed, most witnessing an ancient being for the first time, revealing expressions of astonishment.

This humanoid ancient being stood over two meters tall, immensely robust, covered in fine, silver scales shimmering with light, as was his face, adorned with a pair of large silver wings, resembling two gleaming Heavenly Sabers.

He was strong and vigorous, with silver hair like a waterfall, and a jade horn on his brow, coiling like a dragon, over a foot long, crystal-clear and bright.

Additionally, on his broad shoulders were two small heads, one a wolf’s head, the other a crocodile’s, both covered in dense silver scales.

“Mageti Da…” The ancient being stood proudly in the hall and uttered these words.

“What is he saying?” The crowd looked at each other, not understanding.

“Have you all forgotten the common language of the Ancient Times? It seems time has passed too long, the human race has forgotten much,” this ancient being spoke in human language.

“During the Ancient Times, the human race also spoke such language?” Many were amazed.

“Humans were among the beings of the Ancient Times; naturally, they had to use this divine language to survive,” the ancient being explained.

“Divine language…” Some were lost in thought as if some Ancient Books carried brief mentions.

“This is the language of ancient deities, used by all tribes. Otherwise, how could they communicate if each tribe had its language?” The ancient being spoke indifferently.

Humans also existed in the Ancient Times, though they were few. Those eras were so distant that many past events had become irretrievable, forever lost to history.

“I am Gudao Ya; this time, I have come only to deliver a message,” he said coldly, handing an ancient animal hide scroll to a Grand Elder of the Jade Lake.

“What kind of message?” The Queen Mother of the West, after accepting it, furrowed her brow; the script resembled a phoenix and dragon, indecipherable.

She passed it to other Heroic Lords, all dumbfounded; it was ancient script, none could recognize it.

“The human race has forgotten the past, even abandoned Divine Text; do they not cultivate Taiyang Sacred Power and Taiyin Holy Power anymore?” The ancient being named Gudao Ya was puzzled.

“Over a million years have passed, and no one in the world can recognize such ancient characters; please read it aloud,” a Grand Elder of the Jade Lake suggested.

“The human race had two world-shaking ancient scriptures interpreted and expounded in Divine Text; have they all been lost? Truly forgotten,” Gudao Ya sneered.

No one argued with him; in truth, after the Ancient Times, the human race shone brightly, with ancient emperors emerging, each creating their Supreme Ancient Scripture.

Gudao Ya wasted no time; he unrolled the ancient animal hide scroll and read it aloud to everyone, leaving all in unrest.

Ancient beings are truly about to emerge!

However, the timeframe was broad, from one year to five thousand years, during which the sleeping kings would all return to the earth!

The reassurance for everyone was that the ancient beings did not intend to wage war on the human race; the letter clearly stated coexistence among all tribes, just like in ancient times.

Of course, many secrets from ancient times passed down; though coexistence among all tribes was mentioned, racial wars still inevitably occurred.

What a pity; this is not the era of a Great Emperor. If only a Great Emperor from the human race were alive, even the ancient beings, upon their emergence, would have to bow.

Many harbored such thoughts, lamenting as they understood future friction was inevitable, with potential catastrophic wars.

At the great hall entrance, the younger generation showed astonishment, foreseeing likely bloodshed in such an era; they might have to face ancient beings.

It’s foreseeable that in such a grand era, immeasurably great beings will emerge, rising to the Peak over the corpses of myriad tribes, though not necessarily belonging to the human race.

Perhaps, humans comparable to the ancient emperors may appear!

The ancient animal hide scroll’s conclusion mentioned the human race controlling too vast a territory, and with the ancient beings’ emergence, some areas would need to be ceded.

“How large a territory do you desire?”

“Around every sleeping place of the Ancient Kings, an expanse of a hundred thousand miles, all belongs to us,” Gudao Ya said.

The crowd pondered, uncertain how many ancient tribes there were; if only a few or even dozens, it would be insignificant.

After all, this land is vast; oftentimes, within a million miles, human habitation is sparse.

Upon reflection, other areas were negotiable except the Taichu Forbidden Area; its one hundred thousand miles is the Great Primordial Mine of the Sacred Lands, the place yielding the most Source in the world. Relinquishing it would be unbearably painful for the Sacred Lands.

“Are you from the Great Primordial Mine?” The Queen Mother of the West inquired.

The ancient being trembled at the words, saying, “I am merely delivering a message for the king of the Taichu Forbidden Area, unrelated to the supreme beings of the ancient mine.”

Everyone was shocked; even ancient beings feared the ancient mine, increasing the sense of terror.

Monkey once said only the Ancient Emperor and a few lords of the Royal Families could enter the ancient mine; others had no right to step inside.

“I heard there was a human race gathering in the Jade Lake, so our king sent me to deliver a message…” Gudao Ya mentioned. This message was for all human race experts.

He bore some arrogance, having the ancient royal bloodline; though not purely, it still carried the superiority of the Supreme.

However, when he inadvertently discovered the monkey, he was greatly startled; his forehead jade horn shimmered, sensing something.

“Are you… the Fighting Saint Ape?!” Gudao Ya was shocked, sensing a familiar qi mechanism.

The monkey remained exceptionally calm, sitting in meditation, showing no response.

“When the old Sacred Emperor passed away, he left a son and a younger brother; are you… the Sacred Prince?!” Gudao Ya almost knelt.

The Fighting Saint Emperor, the last ancient emperor from the Ancient Times, invincible in heaven and earth, revered by all tribes, a god worshipped by all beings.

The monkey’s lineage, when detailed, was staggering, as the sole offspring of the old Sacred Emperor, truly the Sacred Prince.

Gudao Ya pondered for a moment, then immediately bowed, “Greetings to the Sacred Prince!”

“My father has passed for over a million years; there are no ancient emperors anymore. I am merely a member of a Royal Family now,” the monkey waved it off.

“The old Sacred Emperor was unparalleled throughout the ages; his accomplishments were recognized by Creation itself. Though long passed, none will forget.” Gudao Ya held great respect for the monkey.

In the great hall, others were stunned, not expecting the monkey’s lineage to be so remarkable, inciting greater awe.

The monkey pondered and pointed at the people of the Yin Yang Sect, “Be mindful of them, and those people.” As he spoke, he gestured towards the Wanchu Sacred Land’s people.

These people were dumbfounded for a while, then they all became angry. This monkey was really not acting properly, stirring up trouble deliberately, seriously lacking virtue.

“You should get closer to them,” the monkey said, pointing at Ye Fan and his companions again.

Gudao Ya was only responsible for delivering the message and didn’t stay long; he left, but the people found it hard to remain calm.

In the next five thousand years, the ancient races will all emerge; the land will not be peaceful.

Some didn’t want to let Ye Fan go, but with powerful figures like the Coiled Dragon Daoist and the Peacock King present, no one dared to provoke any trouble.

Moreover, the Queen Mother of the West openly stated that Jade Lake would also protect Ye Fan, and the tragedy at the Myriad Dragon Nest could not entirely be blamed on him.

A huge commotion thus subsided, but it was hard to say what would happen once Ye Fan left Jade Lake.

Everyone already understood that the main purpose of this Peach Blossom Festival was for Jade Lake to request everyone’s assistance in sealing several Stone Kings.

At the same time, at the Stone Appreciation Conference, various sects could also exhibit strange stones and sell them.

“Senior Coiled Dragon, I’ll gift you a matured Human Essence Fruit,” Ye Fan said with a smile while moving through the Marvelous Stone Heaven in Jade Lake.

“What?” Coiled Dragon Daoist was stunned. A Human Essence Fruit can extend life by tens to over a hundred years, making it an exceptionally rare treasure.

“Definitely more mature than before,” Ye Fan smiled.

He directly went to the pile of strange stones in Wanchu Sacred Land, leaving ten thousand pounds of Pure Source and took a piece of stone material.

The faces of Wanchu’s people instantly changed, but they couldn’t stop him because all the stone materials in the Marvelous Stone Heaven were already priced for sale, and just leaving the Source allows anyone to take the materials.

“Human Essence Fruit!”

“My heavens, a Human Essence Fruit has been cut out!”

The crowd exclaimed, as fragrance wafted through the air, and the elders all gathered around, their eyes extremely fervent.

“A matured Human Essence Fruit is almost transforming into an Earth Destiny Fruit, this is a priceless Immortal Treasure that can extend life by a hundred years!”

Everyone was stunned, except for the people from Wanchu Sacred Land whose faces turned green. Ten thousand pounds of Pure Source sold for one Human Essence Fruit; a Grand Elder almost hit his head against the wall.

Only then did people remember Ye Fan’s other identity as the inheritor of the Heavenly Source Master, a guest of honor for those with few Life Essences.

Many showed complex expressions, secretly sighing and envying the Coiled Dragon Daoist’s fortune immensely.

Ye Fan then moved to the pile of strange stones from the Yin Yang Sect, searched for a long time, shook his head and sighed, left thirty thousand pounds of Source and picked up a “waste stone.”

When cut open in front of everyone, it emitted dazzling light, and a face-sized Divine Source rolled out, suspended in the void, illuminating the entire Marvelous Stone Heaven, brilliantly magnificent.

“What a pity, it’s not an Immortal Treasure, can’t use it as a gift for Senior Peacock King,” Ye Fan sighed.

Beside him, the crowd went crazy; such a large piece of Divine Source, worth a million pounds of Pure Source, yet he spoke like that, seriously deserving of thunder and lightning.

Many cursed him silently, secretly wishing for bad luck.

Then something even more infuriating happened; he casually tossed such a huge piece of Divine Source to the big black dog. The Black Emperor hugged it, a silly grin reaching his ears.

“Damn it, such desecration, given to a dog?!”

The people from the Yin Yang Sect were furious to the point of vomiting blood, yet powerless because their old Sect Hierarch was also seeking treasure in the Marvelous Stone Heaven, witnessing this scene, with blue veins popping on his forehead but ultimately enduring it.

“Clearly inspected by a Source Technique Master, it was a waste stone, how could it cut out such a large piece of Divine Source!” The people from the Yin Yang Sect were incredibly aggravated.

“Little kid Ye, don’t play favorites,” Li Heishui and Jiang Huairen’s eyes gleamed and they all gathered around.

“I’ll keep looking,” Ye Fan strolled casually.

“Ancient Spiritual Medicine, extinct now, worth three hundred thousand pounds of Pure Source!” Soon, exclamations arose, and people stared at Ye Fan’s group intently.

In the distance, Ouyang Ye and several people from the ancient families specializing in Source Techniques were exasperated and sighed deeply.

“This kid is far from an Earth Master, yet he has mastered the Heavenly Source Master’s ‘Forbidden Immortal Technique’, much more accurate in seeing Source than us.”

“Is it the Holy Technique forming the Forbidden Immortal Six Seals?”

“Indeed!”

The ancient families specializing in Source Techniques were envious but helpless; trying to seize the Heavenly Source Book now is purely seeking death.

“Another Divine Source!” Many exclaimed.

Ye Fan cut out today’s second Divine Source, worth five hundred thousand pounds, from the pile of strange stones in Purple Mansion Sacred Land, gifting it to Li Heishui.

Many were going insane; strolling casually and picking divine treasures at random was too incredible, causing frustration.

“No wonder the Heavenly Source Master can turn Sacred Lands green with envy; such skills, no one has a way, any divine object cannot escape his discerning eye.” Someone sighed, wishing to hold Ye Fan and have him select a stone material for them.

Unfortunately, there weren’t many who could invite Ye Fan to help today; the Sacred Lands had no hope.

Moreover, outrageously, Ye Fan wandered continually among the strange stone piles of the Sacred Lands, making them grind their teeth in anger, but there was nothing they could do.

“An Immortal Flower!” Everyone exclaimed.

Approaching noon, Ye Fan cut out a strange flower from the Ancient Times, said to keep one youthful forever, beauty lasting till death.

It had little attraction for male cultivators, but for many females, it was undoubtedly an Immortal Treasure.

It instantly caused a sensation, many gathered around, even the Sacred Ladies were no exceptions.

“Twin Immortal Flowers, two blooms!” Many gasped.

Ye Fan pondered, looking around; only two women seemed familiar and friendly in the Marvelous Stone Heaven. He smilingly gave them away.

One bloom was given to the princess of the demon clan, Yan Ruyu, the other to the Yaochi Saintess. Their joy was overwhelming, as there’s no woman who doesn’t love beauty.

Once the Immortal Flower is cut out, it must be consumed immediately, as it cannot be preserved for long. Ye Fan didn’t want to waste it.

Amid envy, the Immortal Flower found its owner; all female cultivators looked as if they could kill.

Yao Xi, the Wanchu Saintess, and others wanted to ask for a petal but finally restrained themselves.

「Days later,」 Jade Lake carefully escorted several Stone Kings out, inviting skilled individuals for assistance.

Among them, one stone was the most peculiar, colorful, dazzling, with strong life fluctuations.

Ye Fan activated his Divine Eye, examined closely and was shocked; inside it was a sealed snow-white and crystalline egg, mysterious beyond measure.

“This Stone King has become increasingly active, almost piercing through the void several times; if not for the Immortal Tear Tower suppressing Jade Lake, it would’ve vanished long ago,” the Queen Mother of the West lamented.

BOOM!

When some skilled individuals attempted to seal it, the Stone King emitted dazzling light, with countless auspicious colors.

“This is…”

The monkey was horrified; the egg contained within the Stone King, snow-white and crystalline, managed to project a real image through the stone material.

On the snow-white eggshell, endless Divine Light manifested various patterns, imprints of racial inheritance.

“My heavens, the Undying Emperor truly exists, not just a legend!” The monkey finally confirmed something, startling him to almost jump.

He was extremely excited, staring at the Stone King, wanting to touch it but retreating, his fingertips trembling.