# Chapter 970
The yellow mud platform was rough and unadorned, but the characters on it were very clear, condensing the Dao marks of a Quasi-Emperor. The old crane and the Third Valley Master stood in the distance, trembling with fear.
Ye Fan studied it earnestly, reading what happened later.
Seas turned into mulberry fields. Rong Cheng, as a tribal chieftain from ancient times, lived until the Spring and Autumn Period, naturally growing increasingly profound in his cultivation. Having reached this realm, he already possessed the bearing of one who could dominate the world, yet he was always unable to attain the Dao, needing some kind of opportunity.
He set out alone, but he only had two fragmentary maps on him, with no way to approach the immortal land. Outside that region, he faced near-death experiences countless times and almost fell.
Later, after decades, when his lifespan was about to dry up and his life was approaching its end, he mistakenly stumbled into a sacrificial ground within that forbidden zone, adding insult to injury.
Ye Fan and the others were all shaken. This was a Quasi-Emperor, undefeated in the mortal world of his era, yet he had nearly died. Just how difficult was that path?
Rong Cheng stayed in that sacrificial ground for several months, his body withered, worn down until he barely had a human form. He barely managed to break out, but he did not give up and still chose to press forward.
However, no matter how heaven-reaching and earth-shattering his abilities were, he could never see the original "Birthplace of Immortals." He simply could not approach it, trapped in the forbidden zone for eighty years.
That place was very special. The patterns woven by immortal Dao marks could destroy everything. His Quasi-Emperor-level weapon shattered, making it difficult for him to struggle and survive.
In the eighty-first year, just as his life flame was about to go out and he was experiencing a final resurgence, he had an unexpected turn of fortune. He discovered a Divine Immortality Pill in that forbidden birthplace.
"What fortune!" Ye Fan could only sigh like this.
However, thinking carefully, it wasn't surprising. Since it could give birth to hope of becoming an immortal, it was only natural for a Divine Immortality Pill to appear there.
"That place is... Kunlun!" the old crane exclaimed.
Inside the yellow mud coffin, besides the text, there was also a carved map, very detailed and precise. A massive dragon vein stretched out, majestic and towering.
This Kunlun dragon vein was exactly the same as the central dragon mountain that appeared when the nine ancient jade pieces were combined together, extremely magnificent.
On the ancient jade piece map, it was located in the center, occupying a quarter of the territory, the most vast.
It was different from the Kunlun in reality.
According to the Kunlun map carved by the ancients, the Kunlun Mountains visible today were only a small tail section, a corner of the main body, very far from the complete picture.
Rong Cheng obtained a Divine Immortality Pill in the Kunlun immortal land, and at the same time, he happened to break out of the forbidden zone. A Quasi-Emperor had spent nearly a hundred years there, almost dying with his Dao extinguished, yet he had never truly stepped into the main area.
He became somewhat disheartened. After returning, his youngest disciple could not withstand the passage of time either, having passed away more than a decade ago. Only he remained, living alone in the world. In the end, he buried all his disciples and followers here.
The records on the yellow mud coffin ended here.
"Looking at his final state of mind, it seems he was already weary of the world and didn't want to live anymore. But why is his corpse not here?" the First Valley Master wondered.
Imitating the ninety-nine dragon mountains, building a yellow mud coffin for himself, burying his disciples and followers here as companions—it all looked like Rong Cheng was tired of the mortal world and wanted to end his life.
Ye Fan looked carefully and found traces at the bottom of the yellow mud coffin that seemed to be Dao dissolution. But there was a big question: where was the Divine Immortality Pill?
They searched everywhere in this place but found no trace. The ginseng fruit tree seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth, leaving no trace behind.
"Did he eat the Divine Immortality Pill or not? There's no record on the yellow mud coffin."
"Did he dissolve into Dao? The traces at the bottom of the coffin are ambiguous and cannot be judged. His life and death are somewhat confusing."
They discussed it but reached no final conclusion. They couldn't tell whether Rong Cheng was alive or dead, unable to determine the answer.
It could be seen that Rong Cheng had put in considerable effort, nurturing the ninety-nine dragon mountains, and had truly entered the yellow mud coffin himself, carving these words.
At that time, he must have been mentally exhausted, desolate and sorrowful, not wanting to exist alone in the world anymore. He lay quietly in the coffin waiting for death, or else none of this would have happened.
However, what actually happened afterward was unknown to outsiders.
"Kunlun... that thing is in Kunlun," Ye Fan muttered to himself.
"The true Kunlun dragon mountain is vast and towering, the ancestor of all mountains since ancient times. Many areas are extremely mysterious, and humans simply cannot set foot there," the First Valley Master said.
"Up!"
Ye Fan shouted loudly, lifting the yellow mud coffin, heavy as a mountain, and moving it aside. Two bone fragments appeared, similar to those obtained from the Red Pine Master's coffin.
He held them in his hands and examined them carefully. They were indeed carved with terrain maps, complex and magnificent, leading to the immortal land.
"I already have five fragmentary maps. I can use them to enter Kunlun." Of course, he would not take the risk. Even a Quasi-Emperor couldn't withstand it, facing near-death experiences and almost falling there.
With his current cultivation level, he could only hold the maps and observe from afar, making a preliminary survey of the terrain. He simply could not approach or retrieve the "hope" of becoming an immortal.
"There are more characters at the bottom of the coffin!" The old crane and the Third Valley Master were weak and trembling in this place. The Quasi-Emperor's aura was too intimidating; they couldn't bear it. When Ye Fan lifted the yellow mud coffin, they sat on the ground and saw clearly.
"Perhaps the ninth bone fragment is not broken."
There was only this one sentence. It was Rong Cheng's speculation, but it immediately left endless hope for later generations.
"Even a Quasi-Emperor can't enter. It seems we must collect all nine maps, or else there's no chance of success!"
Ye Fan took the two bone fragments and moved the coffin back to its original position.
"This yellow mud coffin is a supreme treasure, but ordinary people simply cannot activate it, and even carrying it around is very troublesome," the monkey said.
The First Valley Master said, "Better not have any ideas about it. Rong Cheng and his disciples are buried together here. This was his wish. If we take the yellow mud coffin away, there might be unknown great calamities."
They left this place. Only after walking out of the ninety-nine dragon mountain range did they let out a long breath. The experience just now was very special, revealing the secrets of ancient taboos.
Although they had learned a lot, more doubts arose in their hearts. Who was it back then that drove the ninety-nine dragon mountains from one ancient star to another?
This was a vast and long river of time. Even an Ancient Great Emperor living a second life only lasted a few tens of thousands of years in total. A single person simply couldn't endure that much time.
Rong Cheng also had doubts. According to his speculation, there must have been a very terrifying inheritance, extremely ancient, that had persisted all along.
However, this inheritance should have eventually declined, especially after the "hope" of becoming an immortal was damaged, falling even further.
Because in the years that followed, it almost never appeared again. If that divine dynasty had been strong enough when sending things to Earth for repair, the secret maps wouldn't have been lost.
"Over two hundred thousand years ago... a divine dynasty?" Ye Fan muttered to himself. A flash of inspiration struck him, and he immediately thought of the Feather Transformation Divine Dynasty.
His heart pounded. Could it be that the big brother in Ruthless Great Emperor's childhood memories, after being chosen and bearing a heaven-defying mission, had once come to Earth?
His mind shook. The secret of the ninety-nine ancient dragon mountains might be connected to the Big Dipper Star Domain.
"Feather Transformation Divine Dynasty... that's right, it's most likely them."
Ye Fan clearly remembered that the Feather Transformation Divine Dynasty was named this way because it meant the entire sect would ascend and become immortals!
Unfortunately, they failed. Over two hundred thousand years ago, they were wiped clean from the Central Province by a single hand, ceasing to exist.
"Was it them?"
If it really was them, many things would make sense. It was precisely because they were swept away and completely declined that the people who came here could no longer keep the ancient maps.
"The timing also matches."
If this hypothesis were true, the Feather Transformation Divine Dynasty was the last remaining power of that ancient inheritance. Otherwise, no one would have appeared for so many years.
Thinking of this, Ye Fan couldn't help but be shocked. How powerful was the Feather Transformation Divine Dynasty back then? They almost ruled the Central Province, dominating the world, with no force able to rival them.
Yet they were the final and weakest period of that ancient inheritance over endless years. Because no matter how you looked at it, they were far inferior to the unparalleled glorious might of the one who drove the ninety-nine dragon mountains from one ancient star to another!
"What kind of inheritance is this?" Ye Fan muttered to himself, his heart surging with waves. The vast universe, the boundless starry sky, held too many secrets.
It was hard for anyone to believe that such a behemoth had once dominated all of this, towering over many ancient stars. It was truly hair-raising.
Unfortunately, no matter how powerful the existence, it couldn't withstand the power of time. Hundreds of thousands or millions of years passed, and even an inheritance like a deity turned to ashes.
In this world, perhaps only the Ancient Great Emperors could fear nothing, trampling even the Great Dao under their feet! But unfortunately, they could only be undefeated for twenty thousand years, eventually turning to dust. Nothing could last forever.
"Feather Transformation Divine Dynasty..."
"The era of the Hundred Schools of Thought was extremely prosperous because people from other ancient star domains had arrived."
"Let me see what traces you have left here!"
Ye Fan's resolve was firm. He had to reach the Kunlun immortal land. Earth held many secrets. Returning in this age of declining Dharma was a rare opportunity to uncover them.
"Earth Immortal... it was actually a Quasi-Emperor," the Third Valley Master also sighed endlessly. In this world, there were ultimately no immortals.
"We cultivators, cultivating our entire lives, what is it all for?" The old crane's voice carried desolation. Even a Quasi-Emperor couldn't see hope, even an Ancient Great Emperor couldn't become an immortal, all had to die eventually.
And what about them, these minor cultivators? They couldn't see any light either. Cultivating bitterly day after day, facing stone chambers and dim lamps alone, abandoning the mortal world, entering secluded cultivation. In the end, they would still turn to yellow earth.
This truly shook one's Dao heart. Rather than this, it would be better to live a carefree life in the mortal world, at least doing justice to one's years.
"In the end, we must cultivate. Since we've set foot on this path, there's no turning back." Ye Fan's words were not loud, but he used a Dao Roar, pulling their minds back. Otherwise, seeds that could destroy their Dao foundation might have been planted.
"Yes, the path not tread by predecessors doesn't mean it's the end. Why think so far ahead? We are just insignificant drops of water in the waves of time. Just walk our own path. That should be the question for successive Great Emperors to ponder."
"Exactly. Our path is still long. There is still hope in our hearts. Great powerhouses, Saints, Great Emperors—all are goals we can strive for."
These two woke up and quickly adjusted their minds.
However, Ye Fan himself fell silent. In this age of declining Dharma, he sought nothing else. Attaining the Dao and becoming an immortal was his only goal. But where was the path? Throughout history, there was not a single verified case of someone becoming an immortal. No hope could be seen.
They walked out of the uninhabited region trapped by the ancient formation, left Dragon Tiger Mountain, and returned to the mortal world. Gazing at the mundane realm, where was the path?
"I want to attain the Dao. I want to step into the starry sky. I want to tread the immortal path that predecessors could not walk," Ye Fan muttered to himself.
The Cultivators' Assembly was about to begin. This was what the two Valley Masters told Ye Fan. And just as he returned to his residence in the north, he received a Dao talisman letter from the Numinous Treasure Sect Master, also informing him.
"To go or not to go?"
Little Pine immediately raised its four little paws and perked up its two small ears, indicating it was willing to go. Ye Fan smiled and patted its head.
Actually, he himself wanted to go and take a look. Not only could he meet some famous contemporary cultivators, but he could also enter the Supreme Purity Sect, where the assembly would be held.
The Numinous Treasure Sect, the Heavenly Master Dao, and the Supreme Purity Sect together formed the Orthodox Unity Sect, jointly revering the Three Pure Ones. The Supreme Purity Sect was originally the first to worship the Primordial Heavenly Venerable.
"The sect that first revered the Primordial Heavenly Venerable? I want to go and see what it's all about."
Suddenly, a Dao talisman flickered, appearing before Ye Fan's eyes. It was a divine talisman sent by the Numinous Treasure Sect Master, informing him that someone wanted to kill him.
"Heh, the people who want to kill me have appeared..." he muttered softly, letting out a cold laugh.
Alright, the ranking list is fiercely competitive, being broken through. I continue to tearfully beg for support. Please support.
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