# Chapter 968: Rong Cheng
The last sentence on the ancient stele seemed utterly unbelievable to Ye Fan, leaving him nearly petrified, truly unable to believe it!
It actually mentioned the Ginseng Fruit Tree, and his first thought was of Zhen Yuan Great Immortal from Journey to the West, the master of Five Villages Temple. However, that was merely a fictional character from a novel.
"Did Zhen Yuanzi really exist in ancient times?" Ye Fan asked the old crane and the Third Valley Master.
"No." The First Valley Master shook his head, indicating that this person absolutely did not exist.
The monkey nearly laughed out loud. In his early years mingling among mortals, he had thoroughly read Journey to the West and was quite invested in it—otherwise, he wouldn't have given himself such an unconventional name. But now he shook his head vigorously.
"How strange. The stele clearly states that the Ginseng Fruit Tree is also buried here. Who could this be?" Ye Fan muttered to himself, asking the two if they knew of this divine tree.
The two shook their heads, indicating they had never heard of it. Not just them, but even the Demon God Ancestor of ancient times had never seen an Immortal Elixir.
Such things were too heaven-defying. They had heard ancient secrets—a Life Star could at most give birth to one such tree. If another were discovered, it must have been brought from another star domain.
"Don't worry about all that. Even if an ancient Sacred Emperor is buried here, so what? The person is dead, nothing to fear. Leaving behind an Immortal Divine Tree is perfect for us," the Third Valley Master said excitedly.
Earlier, after passing through eight Dragon Mountains, aside from seeing eight ancient jade coffins, they had also seen eight divine tree branches. Unfortunately, they were all contaminated by corpse qi and couldn't be refined into medicine. Now, learning that the living mother tree was here naturally stirred their hearts and minds. If they could obtain it, it would be a great fortune.
Arriving here, all three of them could sense a divine elegance. Ninety Dragon Mountains had collapsed, leaving only the first nine standing majestically.
This one in particular was the most magnificent. A waterfall cascaded down from within the dragon's mouth, a vast white expanse stretching a thousand zhang, sealing the burial site on its own.
The mountain body was shrouded in rising purple qi, giving it an extraordinary appearance—clearly a divine land and precious ground.
"Chi"
As soon as Ye Fan and the others approached, a beam of light slashed down from the purple-qi-shrouded mountain. The blade's edge split the sky, tearing the heavens in two.
This was a sudden attack—swift and terrifying, enough to make one's heart and spirit shatter. Ye Fan pulled the two back, moving like an illusion or lightning, retreating several li away.
The blazing purple light split space, cutting into endless nothingness before disappearing. But the residual fluctuations were heart-shaking, startling them into stopping in their tracks.
"Incredible. This Earth Immortal's methods are heaven-defying. This place was nourished by the Immortal Divine Tree for a time, giving this Dragon Mountain a spirit—it's alive!"
Ye Fan's eyes gleamed as he assessed with Source Art. This was the ultimate Dragon Mountain that could be nurtured postnatally. Going further was impossible.
The old crane and the Third Valley Master were also horrified. This Dragon Mountain originally had a dragon shape, but now, looking closely with divine eyes, it made their hair stand on end.
The mountain body was covered in rock walls, all shaped like fine scales, one after another connected together. Occasionally they would open and close, just like real dragon scales. The entire Dragon Mountain was lifelike.
"The mountain body has grown dragon scales?!" The First Valley Master had never heard of such a thing and couldn't help but be shocked.
Ye Fan was also seeing this mountain formation for the first time. He had only read about it in books before, never imagining someone had actually raised a living mountain.
"This terrain might give birth to a true dragon, but it would take millions of years. For now, this is a dormant dragon, breathing dragon qi that can kill those who approach."
Ye Fan told them to be careful. Using Source Art to decipher, he led the two forward, step by step approaching the waterfall, moving very cautiously.
This was a green mountain, sparsely covered with vegetation, mostly rock that had transformed into cyan scales, piece by piece attached to (tie zai) the mountain body, like a great cyan dragon coiled there.
"No, the dragon body is cyan. Why is purple qi seeping out through the gaps between the scales?" Ye Fan was surprised and stopped.
He rose into the air, looking into the distance. The ninety Dragon Mountains had collapsed, with wisps of qi rising, ranging from black to crimson red, all different colors.
He sensed a chill. Though the dragons were man-raised, they had gained spirit. The collapse of ninety mountains had generated some resentment that had invaded this place, staining the cyan dragon, causing the rising qi to mutate.
"We must be careful. This place originally had nothing, but now it may harbor killing intent."
Ye Fan hung a cauldron above his head and held a piece of green copper in his hand as he led the two to the mountain's base. Using extreme Source Art, he continuously altered the terrain beneath their feet.
It must be said, his methods were heaven-defying. No one in the current era could match him. His Source Art was nearly divine. Moving along the side of this dormant cyan dragon, altering the mountain formation, he acted with ease.
Originally, this dragon was a great killing weapon. The purple qi emitted from each scale could transform into killing light. But now it was frozen, unable to burst forth.
Ye Fan opened a path and arrived beneath the vast white waterfall. Water cascaded from the dragon's mouth, making it seem alive, possessing a divine charm.
"This Earth Immortal's coffin is inside the dragon's mouth. Isn't he afraid of being flooded?" the First Valley Master asked, uncertain.
Ye Fan observed carefully without speaking. He applied Source Art everywhere, clearing away troubles as he moved toward the dragon's mouth. Suddenly, the great waterfall stopped, its flow severed, and the thunderous sound vanished.
"This dragon's scales are moving!" the old crane exclaimed.
The cyan Dragon Mountain trembled, all its cliff walls quaking like dragon scales opening. Dozens of hanging coffins appeared, previously hidden behind the scales.
"Bang"
The boat-shaped ancient coffins burst open. Ear-piercing cries rang out as dozens of Daoists dove down like flying yakshas.
"What are these things? Why do they look like this?" the Third Valley Master exclaimed in shock.
These people were covered in scales, as if transforming into dragons. Their eyes were cyan, devoid of any human emotion. They breathed dragon qi and exuded powerful auras.
"Bang"
The old crane sacrificed a flying sword, white as jade, and struck at one of the Daoists. But after a flash of brilliant light, the sword shattered on its own.
He was a Dragon Transformation Great Perfection cultivator, attacking with a sword cultivation tradition, yet he couldn't harm the opponent at all. His weapon was destroyed on the spot.
Ye Fan was astonished. These Daoists were extraordinary, fused with the mountain formation. Like the Dragon Mountain itself, they had come to life from death, gaining a chance at rebirth.
Of course, this was merely the revival of their corpses. The people couldn't come back to life; their spirits had long dissipated.
"You two, retreat along the path I just walked."
The old crane and the Third Valley Master didn't dare delay upon hearing this. They knew Ye Fan was a great divine ability cultivator, and staying would only cause trouble.
A piercing shriek rang out as a Daoist pounced down, covered in dense dragon scales, his pupils a chilling cyan, hair disheveled. He possessed the strength of the first level of the Immortal Platform.
"Pu"
Ye Fan didn't move. His golden fist shot up against the heavens. With one punch, everything shattered, reducing the Daoist to powder on the spot. Cyan blood rain fell, the same color as the Dragon Mountain.
He was inwardly shocked. Judging by their clothing, these people were servants—woodcutters and water carriers in some Daoist sect. Yet they were this powerful, especially their bodies, which after growing dragon scales, were harder than vajra.
Ye Fan continuously threw punches, his golden blood qi blotting out the sun. Each strike was a sure kill, shattering over a dozen diving human-dragon corpses in succession, startling the distant old crane and Third Valley Master into a state of terror.
"Heaven Source Demon Sealing!"
Ye Fan used Source Art. Dozens of beams of light were borrowed from the cyan Dragon Mountain, sealing back all the Daoists still diving from the hanging coffins. The dragon scales closed, blocking the dozens of hanging coffins.
The world fell silent. No waterfall sound, no piercing cries. But Ye Fan didn't advance. He stood still in place.
"Don't those Daoists' robes look familiar? They're very much like ancient Shu region robes," the monkey said.
"That's right, I noticed too. They must be from Shu," the old crane nodded softly.
"Ao..."
Suddenly, even more piercing cries rang out. Two very small crystal hanging coffins appeared from the opened dragon-scale cliff walls. Two Dao boys flew down.
Their hair was already white, showing they were of great age, very old. But their faces were like children's, very youthful. In life, they had already severed the Dao, their physical bodies extremely powerful.
Ye Fan frowned, inwardly amazed. The two Dao boys who served the Earth Immortal were already kings who had severed the Dao. This was truly astonishing. No wonder his disciples included several sages.
"Ao hou..."
At the same time, four more great roars sounded. Four more ancient jade coffins appeared on the cyan Dragon Mountain. They seemed to be the Earth Immortal's nominal disciples.
"Three Greatly Accomplished Kings, one Half-Saint!"
Ye Fan was shocked. If all these people charged at him, it would certainly put him in danger. Even if their divine consciousness no longer existed and this was just a physical instinct, it would still be troublesome.
"Accumulated yang becomes spirit, spirit contains form. Form is born from the sun, the sun is born from the moon. Accumulated yin becomes form, form contains spirit..." He recited the complete Salvation Scripture, then took out the human-faced ghost bronze lamp, illuminating a greenish, eerie light.
It must be said, this had a divine effect. Both the Salvation Scripture and this ancient lamp obtained from Yinghuo were sacred artifacts for suppressing ghosts. The effect was immediate—the six corpses all flew backward, rushing into their hanging coffins and sealing themselves within the dragon-scale cliff wall cracks.
Ye Fan ascended the cliff, entering the crack shaped like a dragon's mouth. Here, he felt a peaceful qi, the killing intent gone. He called the other two over.
The waterfall had stopped. Inside the dragon's mouth, he felt no dampness. Instead, it was very dry and clean. In the center lay an ancient coffin, simple and ordinary, with nothing remarkable about it.
It was actually a yellow mud coffin!
It was dull and lusterless, even somewhat rough, lying silently there without any fluctuation. Was this the Earth Immortal's coffin? Even his disciples used ancient jade coffins, yet his own was so simple.
"That's right, it must be. An Earth Immortal connects with the vast earth's qi. His coffin should naturally be made of yellow mud," the old crane said, his voice trembling.
Was this the Earth Immortal that Red Pine had sought? Ye Fan stared blankly. They had actually found him. In the past, only ancient Great Sages dared to investigate.
Think of how vast Red Pine's divine abilities were. He attained the Dao during Shennong's era, his Dao skills spanning heaven and earth. A speck of dust turned into a sword could fill the sea; a blade of grass turned into a sword could slash down the sun, moon, and stars. He shook the ancient world, revered by all, yet he never found this place.
The old crane and the Third Valley Master were also excited, their bodies trembling. This touched upon forbidden territory. Back then, the Demon God Ancestor of Ten Thousand Demon Valley hadn't found it either, yet now they had.
It was all because this was the end of the Dharma era. The ancient sages had all departed, leaving behind a mess, allowing them this opportunity.
Otherwise, it would have been completely impossible!
"Who do you think he really is?" Ye Fan calmed down.
In front of this cyan Dragon Mountain, the ancient stele had a few lines of text, seemingly erected by his disciples, saying that this person had once entered Shu and was revered as the foremost immortal.
"The Daoists and boys we saw earlier wore Shu region clothing," the old crane said.
They didn't dare rashly touch the Earth Immortal's yellow mud coffin. Instead, they first speculated about his identity, fearing danger. They wanted to make precise judgments based on his personality in life.
"Could it be Rong Cheng Gong?" the First Valley Master showed a strange expression.
In the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Qiao Xiu's "Records of Shu" recorded: "The Eight Immortals of Shu, first is Rong Cheng Gong, also known as Ghost Rong District, hidden in Hongmeng, now Qingcheng Mountain."
That era was too distant. They couldn't fully understand it and could only speculate from ancient book records.
"I don't know which era he was born in. It's said he passed away in Shu."
As for Rong Cheng Gong's strength, even the old crane and Third Valley Master, who were born in Shu, didn't know. He was very low-key and left no shocking battle records.
"Was this who Red Pine was seeking? Was he that powerful?" the Third Valley Master had doubts.
"It should be him, because he was also called Rong Chengzi," Ye Fan said.
In ancient times, being able to carry the character "zi" meant one was an extraordinary, heaven-defying figure. All the "zi" had heaven-spanning, earth-crossing abilities. At the very least, they were ancient sages.
"I thought Daoism was deliberately mythologizing him, but now it seems those records are true," the old crane sighed softly. Clearly, he also knew.
"Biographies of Immortals" recorded that Rong Chengzi appeared during the Western Zhou dynasty, visiting King Mu of Zhou to teach him the way of longevity. King Mu of Zhou was one of the most legendary emperors in ancient Chinese history, known as "Mu Tianzi," an almost god-like existence recorded in "The Biography of Mu Tianzi."
During the Western Zhou, Rong Chengzi lived on Taimu Mountain in Fujian Province, refining alchemy and cultivating the Dao, also very low-key. He only later entered Shu.
"That makes sense. Red Pine passed away during the Warring States period. Before that, he entered Shu, most likely seeking Rong Chengzi's whereabouts," Ye Fan said.
"That doesn't quite fit either. Even if Rong Chengzi's divine abilities were vast, he might not have surpassed Red Pine. Remember, the latter was already famous throughout the world during Shennong's era, the most renowned cultivator," the old crane raised a question.
Ye Fan shook his head, because Rong Chengzi was also not simple. He had manifested as early as the Yellow Emperor's era, teaching the Yellow Emperor guidance techniques and expounding on the great Dao of longevity. Even Daoist leader Ge Hong had recorded this.
Rong Chengzi manifested in different periods, his reputation and deeds recorded in many ancient texts, including: "Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic: Plain Questions," "Biographies of Immortals," "Biographies of Immortals," "Yellow Emperor's Original Record," and others.
"Before Shennong attained the Dao, he learned methods from Red Pine. Before the Yellow Emperor attained the Dao, he was inspired by Rong Chengzi. In a sense, they should be comparable. And Red Pine should predate Rong Chengzi's era," the old crane said.
Ye Fan said: "These two—one manifested during Shennong's time, the other during the Yellow Emperor's time. But who knows what era they truly belonged to? However, one thing is certain: Rong Chengzi is far more ancient than you imagine. Clues can be found in the classics. For example, Zhuangzi once mentioned some ancient emperors..."
"Zhuangzi: Cutting Open Satchels" recorded: "In ancient times, there were Rong Cheng, Da Ting, Bo Huang, Zhong Yang, Li Lu, Li Xu, Xuan Yuan... At that time, the people knotted ropes and used them."
This record listed twelve ancient emperors. Rong Cheng predated Shennong and the Yellow Emperor's eras. He was a powerful tribal leader in ancient times, a legendary immortal.
"If I'm not mistaken, the so-called Rong Chengzi is the ancient Rong Cheng, an extremely ancient immortal, even more so than Red Pine," Ye Fan said.
The Third Valley Master was a bit dumbfounded. These two, deducing from various ancient texts, finding clues, first evolving Rong Cheng Gong into "zi," then further deducing him as Rong Cheng—it was truly astonishing.
They looked at this yellow mud coffin. The shock in their hearts was imaginable. This was an existence revered as an immortal during the ancient primitive period, whose true identity might be Rong Cheng. It made them feel immense pressure.
When writing this chapter, I consulted quite a bit of material. Since Red Pine was written as so ancient, finding someone older than him was quite difficult. Of course, if you insist on mentioning Zhen Yuanzi, Hongjun, and other fictional characters, then I have nothing to say. Well, since I researched so carefully, I also earnestly ask for your *** support. Thank you.