Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 560: Chapter 564: Immortal Mansion Attains the Dao

CAW! CAW!

A bird’s cry shook the mountains, and a golden figure streaked across the sky. It smashed a mountain peak in the distance, grabbed a twenty-meter-long Ancient Elephant, and flew back to a cliff.

There was a huge bird’s nest, over a hundred feet wide, occupying the entire cliff. It was entirely built of Purple Maple Wood, from which a fragrant smell wafted amidst a dim purple light.

A giant Lightning King Bird, immensely majestic with golden light flowing all over its body, dazzling and bright, was tearing apart the twenty-meter-long Ancient Elephant, which dripped with fresh blood.

Large chunks of flesh were torn off as it fed its young. Each fledgling was nearly ten meters long, with electric light flickering and golden light shining around them.

The cliff face had long been dyed dark red, soaked with blood, looking as if it had been this way for many years.

Ye Fan clicked his tongue. This is truly a primitive world; the sights are terrifying! Such Lightning King Birds were long extinct in reality, with only a few descendants remaining. Yet, they still exist in this world.

Such a monstrous bird, even if seen by the Grand Elders of the Sacred Lands, would likely make them take a detour, not daring to provoke it.

Ye Fan had stopped because he found some engravings on the cliff. Although very ancient, they were still faintly visible, and he wanted to examine them thoroughly.

“A Sword technique!”

He was surprised. It was a fragment of a Sword technique. It seemed a master had once meditated here, engraving some momentary insights. Though messy, they were infinitely enlightening.

“This bird’s nest is blocking a large part of it.”

Ye Fan was a bit regretful. The bird’s nest, made of Purple Maple Wood, crowded the cliff. It seemed to have been there for many years, and the cliff face was heavily stained with blood from the Lightning King’s feedings.

Are there actually people in this world? he mused.

Ye Fan waited at a distance for a long time. Only after the Lightning King departed did he approach the cliff to carefully study the engravings. They were the work of a powerful expert, all of them ancient techniques.

The cliff face was dim and reeked of blood. Lightning swirled within the bird’s nest, and the young birds were highly alert, constantly screeching at him.

Ye Fan ignored them. He had been captivated the moment he arrived. The insights left behind during states of enlightenment were highly valuable to someone seeking a breakthrough.

The fragmented Sword technique was profound, but he paid it little mind. Instead, he focused on comprehending those insights. His mind emptied, and he felt himself verging on immersion in the Dao.

CAW! CAW!

One young Lightning King shrieked loudly, spewing a lightning bolt as thick as a water tank. It was imbued with the Five Elements Thunder Tribulation Power, startling Ye Fan and forcing him to dodge aside.

These are only a few fledglings, yet they can already unleash wisps of Heavenly Tribulation’s might! This was beyond his expectations. Without dwelling on it, he continued circling the isolated cliff, observing.

Ultimately, he even lifted the over hundred-foot-wide bird’s nest to view the engravings at the top of the cliff. He contemplated them carefully, gaining much insight.

“This is truly a treasure site! If I discover more meditation spots like this, I might be able to ascend to the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm immediately.”

Ye Fan was already at the peak of the Four Extremes, the circle of perfection. He was likely on the verge of entering the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm and now only lacked the right opportunity.

He didn’t linger, as the Lightning King could return at any moment. After memorizing the insights, he flew to a distant mountain peak, sat cross-legged, and silently pondered them.

“Ahead is a bird’s nest, dazzling with golden light! At first glance, it belongs to a top-tier strange and powerful bird. Let’s go take a look; we might be able to catch a young one to tame and bring back.”

“That’s… the legendary Lightning King! It’s an ancient fierce bird capable of battling a Flood Dragon King!”

A group of young cultivators flew in, all with expressions of keen interest. They headed towards the Ancient Nest on the cliff. Each one was remarkably powerful, an elite from the Five Great Domains, and each had their own legends.

“There’s also a Sword technique! A master once meditated here!”

They spotted the engravings and, with intrigued expressions, quickly flew forward to observe them earnestly. Each one was deeply focused.

“As expected of the Ancient Wilderness Immortal Mansion! Even a desolate cliff holds such a profound text. If we venture further, there will surely be even greater harvests.”

They all began memorizing, imprinting those ancient techniques in their minds, planning to return later for a thorough study.

“There are four young Lightning Kings. Let’s capture them first and discuss how to divide them once we’re back,” someone suggested.

The others nodded in agreement and joined forces. But just then, a long screech echoed from the distance, and golden light blinded half the sky as a giant bird returned.

A bolt of golden lightning, as massive as a mountain range and terrifyingly thick, struck directly. It moved so fast that no one could react in time.

“AAAH…”

A young disciple from Qi Shi Mansion screamed as he was turned to ashes on the spot, leaving nothing behind.

Ye Fan was shocked. Such lightning is comparable to a Heavenly Tribulation! No wonder this bird, once fully grown, becomes such a fearsome creature, capable of suppressing even the Grand Elders of the Sacred Lands.

CRACK!

Another bolt, colossal as a mountain range, flew over. Indeed, the lightning was immense, comparable in scale to a mountain range, filling the void and destroying everything in its path.

“AAAH…”

Another scream, and a beautiful woman also failed to escape, her body and soul instantly obliterated.

The others fled quickly, but how could they outpace the Lightning King? It was not only a Thunder God Bird but also possessed speed akin to lightning itself.

SWISH!

Someone activated a mysterious jade platform, traversing the void to escape. Three others fled in different directions.

The Lightning King pursued relentlessly, transforming into blazing golden divine flames. The horizon was scorched by its lightning.

Battle cries echoed from the distant sky as several Elders on flying swords arrived to battle the Lightning King. However, they could not gain the upper hand and were on the verge of defeat, retreating as they fought, their bodies scorched black by lightning.

Even half-step sovereigns can’t handle it! Ye Fan was shocked. He then turned and left, delving into the depths of the mountain range to seek other opportunities.

ROAR!

A mighty tiger’s roar echoed, causing a flock of wild geese in the sky to plummet, wailing in distress.

Ye Fan was astonished. By this time, he was already over a hundred li away. He saw a black tiger, its entire body as pitch-black as ink, spanning over a hundred feet in length. It roared towards the sky, the sound so powerful that the mountain under its feet cracked.

An Ancient Divine Tiger, capable of contending with a sovereign!

Upon careful observation, his heart grew wary. This was an ancient, bizarre creature that had cultivated for over two thousand years and possessed exceptionally powerful vitality. As it stood there, its terrifying pressure made all creatures within a radius of several dozen li kneel on the ground.

It could definitely rival a Demon King of its generation, but it hadn’t transformed into human form. It was an Ancient Barbarian Beast King, one that nobody was willing to confront.

ROAR!

It opened its cavernous mouth, shooting out a beam of black light several li long. The beam plunged into a deep pool on another mountain and instantly dragged out a Flood Dragon over three hundred feet in length.

As this Flood Dragon emerged from the pool, lightning flashed, thunder roared, fierce winds erupted, and sand and stones flew about. It was clearly a Beast King of high stature.

This Flood Dragon is so powerful! Anyone at the Ninth Transformation of the Dragon Transformation realm who approaches it would face certain death! Ye Fan was alarmed; it was clearly a beast with profound Daoist Practice.

However, to his astonishment, the black Divine Tiger opened its mouth and inhaled. In an instant, it pulled the Flood Dragon from several li away directly to it and swallowed it in one gulp.

BOOM!

The ancient, bizarre Divine Tiger exerted too much force, sucking over even the mountaintop where the deep pool was located and swallowing half of it in one bite.

This black Divine Tiger… it’s too powerful! Even if the Peacock King himself came, capturing it would be uncertain. It’s hard to say who would live and who would die!

Ye Fan silently retreated, unwilling to provoke such a powerful king of bizarre creatures. This was a primitive world where he had seen many beasts that should have long been extinct, all of them Barbarian Ancient Kings.

He hadn’t retreated far when his attention was drawn to a mountain peak. It was barren, resembling a colossal piece of Ink Jade, dry and pristine.

This place was quiet, devoid of birds or beasts, as if it were an Ancient Desolation Forbidden Land. Other creatures dared not approach, and it clearly looked like the dwelling of a Barbarian Beast King.

Could this be the lair of that Divine Tiger?

Ye Fan drew closer. As he neared the barren Moyu Mountain, he was startled. It was inscribed with numerous ancient characters that resembled ghostly glyphs, etched with iron hooks and silver strokes.

Divine treasures! He became immediately excited, realizing these were the engravings of a peerless expert, documenting the deduction of some secret arts.

Ye Fan read them carefully, discovering three supreme Dharma Seals that surprised him greatly. These were three very profound ancient secret arts, their origins and lineage difficult to ascertain.

The Mountain Embracing Seal, the Human King Seal, and the Heaven-Flipping Seal. These formed a combination with imposing names, representing the three aspects of Heaven, Earth, and Man—a concept that was exceedingly complex and unfathomable.

He had previously learned the Mountain Embracing Seal, but compared to what was recorded here, his version was far too superficial to even be called a true secret art, nowhere near reaching the realm of perfection.

The Human King Seal and the Heaven-Flipping Seal were also ancient secret arts. They followed the Mountain Embracing Seal, forming a cohesive whole. They were exceptionally profound and were definitely rarely seen Holy Techniques.

There were deductions for other secret arts on the stone wall, but they were all chaotic. Only these three were flawless and the most profound, instantly capturing Ye Fan’s Heart Spirit.

He sat cross-legged before the black cliff, motionless, contemplating deeply. He silently began to evolve the three Ancient Techniques using the Fighting Saint Technique, aiming to transform them into his own unique Supreme Divine Technique.

AWOOO!

A tiger’s roar shook the mountains. The black Ancient Divine Tiger traversed the peaks; it leaped from one mountaintop to another like a dark cloud, accompanied by a destructive gale that sent boulders the size of Grinding Discs flying.

Sure enough, this is the habitat of that Barbarian Ancient King! Ye Fan was startled. He immediately turned to leave, employing the “Word” secret technique to vanish in an instant.

He sat cross-legged on another mountain peak, silently comprehending the three Ancient Techniques. The Mountain Embracing Seal, Human King Seal, and Heaven-Flipping Seal revolved in his mind as he rapidly deduced their intricacies.

Soon after, seeing the Divine Tiger depart, Ye Fan returned to Moyu Mountain. He repeatedly studied and comprehended the three Holy Techniques, and three profound imprints rushed into his mind.

This instantly shook him, and he felt a surge of excitement, grateful that he had returned to comprehend them further. The engravings on the stone wall were merely the forms; their true essence had transformed into three impressions, providing him with the flawless Dharma Seals.

SWISH!

Stone powder swirled. After the impressions were released, three vacant areas remained, and the inscriptions of the three Holy Techniques automatically vanished. The stone wall became as smooth as a mirror, as if nothing had ever been there.

Ye Fan was deeply excited. Although he practiced mystical arts, he lacked powerful secret arts and often found himself at a disadvantage during battles. With these three Ancient Seals in hand, he would be much more composed.

“Enlightenment Marks!”

Ye Fan discovered precious carvings at the mountaintop, left by a peerless expert during moments of enlightenment. Though incomplete, they were tremendously beneficial to him, and he imprinted each one upon his mind.

For a whole half-month, he remained motionless, sitting in meditation atop a mountain summit, comprehending the Enlightenment Traces he had acquired. Finally, he opened his eyes.

“Half-step into Dragon Transformation!”

Ye Fan was shocked to find that by observing others’ Enlightenment Traces, he had already stepped one foot into the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm. He knew that if he could find more such insights from enlightenment, he would definitely break through into the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm immediately.

What kind of place is this? Could it be that many supreme experts have entered it before? They’ve left indelible marks on some of these ancient mountains!

He began to ponder. He had explored only a small region of this Immortal Mansion yet had already gained such enormous benefits. This clearly indicated its immense importance.

An Immortal Burial Land!

This thought emerged in his mind. This place held endless treasures but also harbored tremendous dangers; a single misstep could lead to demise.

Ye Fan recalled the sounds he had heard in the Ancient Locust Forest. Could there be actual traces to follow? He had personally heard the cacophony of tens of thousands of troops in battle. Additionally, he had heard dragon roars, Phoenix Cries, qilin whinnies, and the name of the Undying Emperor—a name that could purportedly crush the Ancient Era.