Chapter 1009: The Embryo of Immortality
The Immortal Formation Ground was a place of mystery. Throughout the ages, countless outstanding figures had sought to come here and see for themselves, but almost all had met their end in regret.
Ten thousand mountain peaks stood side by side, encircling a valley. Each dragon-headed peak opened its maw, letting fall a colorful waterfall. Immortal light surged, converging toward the central Immortal Pool.
"What is in the pool?" Ye Fan could not see clearly. In that Immortal Pool, divine light shone in billions of strands, brilliant and dazzling. Even with his heavenly eye open, he could not see through it.
Within the valley, ribbon-like immortal mists coiled, divine mists surged, auspicious light shimmered, and all kinds of immortal radiance flowed, forming a magnificent, otherworldly immortal scene.
Even the Dragon Horse could not suppress its intense emotional fluctuations. Its four hooves stamped restlessly, unable to calm down, eager to charge over immediately. Born in Kunlun, it naturally knew of the Immortal Embryo Ground, but had never had the chance to enter.
Ye Fan's expression was one of excitement. One hand gripping the ancient scroll, the other clenched into a fist, he had finally entered. He would unveil the eternal mystery!
At this moment, the calmest was still Little Pine. It had fewer concerns. The ten-foot-long Immortal Pool only sparked its curiosity; it was not as substantial as a Medicine King, which was far more enticing to the little purple creature.
A childlike heart was the rarest, and this was also the fundamental reason for its rapid progress in cultivation.
"Let's go!" Ye Fan jumped off the Dragon Horse and took the lead himself, guiding the way forward. This place was extremely important, concerning whether he could attain the Dao and become an immortal in the future.
At this location, the killing intent was even stronger. Even without triggering it, it caused one's heart to palpitate. This was still under the cover of the immortal mist, which concealed most of the murderous aura.
One could clearly see lines in the void, dense and intricate, interwoven into a star-field-like trajectory, covering every corner. One could imagine that triggering them would inevitably lead to utter ruin.
In this Immortal Formation Ground, flight was utterly impossible. Only immortal herbs could grow on the ground. This was definitely the work of the Source Emperor. Even with the slaughter formation densely packed, it provided a pure land for divine medicines to survive.
"Their roots and stems merge with these laws, gaining recognition to survive here," Ye Fan muttered to himself.
Then, he shuddered. The laws and slaughter formations of this place were so powerful they made one's heart race with terror. They had definitely already given birth to what Black Emperor called the "Spirit Within the Formation"!
"That's right, it must be so." His pupils contracted sharply. After careful observation, he was even more convinced. The formation-setter of that era possessed heaven-reaching cultivation, allowing the formation to evolve a divine spirit's will, gaining life, transforming into a living being woven from Dao marks.
Only by holding this Immortal Treasure Ancient Scroll could one enter the formation. It was no longer merely a safe path map but had become a token. Otherwise, even if one understood the formation's operation and layout, they would most likely meet their end. The methods of an Ancient Great Emperor were unpredictable; turning a formation into a living spirit meant the formation body could change freely.
Black Emperor had said this was the highest realm of Dao patterns and formations. Giving birth to a deity within the formation was a manifestation of an Ancient Great Emperor's heaven-defying power, equivalent to an extension of their life.
The terrain within the valley was uneven. There was not a single speck of dust. Everywhere were jade-like medicinal fields. The people of that era had long anticipated that this place would surely produce precious medicines, even Divine Immortality Pills, to make the Immortal Pool even more sacred.
Among these ancient medicines, Ye Fan discovered countless Medicine Kings. His heart shook violently. If gathered together, they would be more precious than Divine Medicines.
Unfortunately, he could only covet them from afar. Aside from those encountered on the path, even those right before his eyes, within arm's reach, could not be touched recklessly, or else disaster would surely strike.
The Dragon Horse breathed in immortal light, its eyes nearly bulging. Little Pine also couldn't move its feet. Medicine Kings appeared from time to time, reachable with a stretch of the hand. It was a tremendous temptation.
There were demon fruits shaped like polished red agate, crystal clear and dripping, fragrant and tempting. There were immortal orchids carved from emerald jade, verdant and tender, translucent and bright, their fragrance assailing the senses. There were cloud vines entwined with azure mist, hazy and ethereal, their clear fragrance refreshing the spleen.
All kinds of ancient medicines were countless, of varying grades and numerous types. It was as if they had accidentally stumbled into an immortal's herb garden, with treasures everywhere.
Every ancient medicine flowed with light and color, brilliant and dazzling. There were also many withered Medicine Kings, having lost their luster, lying on the ground, their released essence nourishing this place.
Because the time was too long. A Medicine King was not a Divine Immortality Pill. Growing to eight or nine thousand years was already remarkable. Any longer, and it would turn into mud and decay.
The immortal vines and divine orchids of this place had gone through who knows how many generations. The current Medicine Kings were all grown from seeds that had sprouted and taken root anew. Ten thousand generations of rise and fall, withering and flourishing.
Ye Fan and the others advanced all the way. On this relatively safe, narrow path alone, Little Pine had dug up a total of seventeen Medicine Kings. This was a super harvest. If word got out, it would surely shock people, leaving them dumbfounded.
Finally, they drew near, about to reach the Immortal Pool. And it was at this moment that Ye Fan saw a grave. It was very strange, sitting right by the path, cutting across the formation within the immortal valley.
He couldn't help but be astonished. What kind of cultivation did one need to dare to recklessly destroy within a Great Emperor's slaughter formation that had given birth to a divine spirit's will, creating a tomb? The methods were heaven-defying.
Ye Fan opened his heavenly eye and looked straight into the grave. He saw dozens of fragments pieced together into a ghost-face mask, lying beside a blood-stained garment. His expression shook.
The ghost-face mask, full of cracks, seemed to cry yet not cry, seemed to smile yet not smile. There was sorrow in the smile, and a smile within the sorrow. It was exactly the same as the marks on the Devouring Demon Jar!
"It was him. He died here!"
It must have been that youth. After parting with the Ruthless Great Emperor, they never saw each other again. Life and death were vast and uncertain. He had fallen in the Immortal Formation Ground, unable to escape his destined fate.
"I just can't let go of my little sister..."
From within that grave, from the shattered ghost-face mask, such a faint voice actually emerged, carrying regret, carrying unwillingness, carrying a plea, as if it had crossed a thousand ages to arrive.
This mask, though made of ordinary copper and crudely crafted, possessed an inexplicable divine charm. Placed in the tomb, it stirred one's heart.
Ye Fan sighed. The Ruthless Great Emperor, using a heaven-defying forbidden divine art, had restored some of the scenes she wished to know, allowing the youth's last words to never be extinguished.
"Not for achieving immortality, but to wait for your return in this mortal world."
A woman's voice seemed to come from the Nine Heavens above, causing even the gods to tremble uncontrollably. Above the heavens and below the earth, she alone was supreme, having chosen a path that the world could not understand.
Ye Fan, Little Pine, and the Dragon Horse shuddered violently. A woman who looked down upon eternity, overlooking the past, present, and future, her single phrase had endured for ten thousand ages.
Before this earthen grave, there was no stele erected, nor could any interwoven Dao marks be seen. Yet it spanned across the formation, enduring forever. One had to call it a miracle.
In a daze, Ye Fan saw a little girl, no more than two or three years old. Her figure was very blurry. She had a pair of small horn-like braids. Her face could not be seen clearly, only a pair of large, pure eyes, holding tears, crying pitifully. Her small clothes were patched, she wore little shoes with her toes poking out, and she helplessly stretched out her small hands, trying hard to grasp something.
He shook his head forcefully. The grave was still a grave, burying a blood-stained garment and fragments of a mask, nothing else.
Ye Fan paused for a moment, then turned and left. His heart was filled with emotion. The Ruthless One was famous throughout eternity, her talent supreme. She had created various unparalleled techniques, yet she suffered such misfortune. Even standing above the Nine Heavens, making all gods tremble, she could not change the outcome.
Even though the Dragon Horse had a very violent temper, in this place, it was obedient, not daring to breathe too loudly, following closely behind.
The ancient scroll was spread out. Ye Fan compared it to the terrain map, passing through regions that few in history had reached, approaching the central Immortal Pool. Rays of multicolored light flew towards them, making their bodies glow.
This was a place that made one intoxicated. Auspicious light surged forth, auspicious energy numbered in the tens of thousands. A second such place would be hard to find in the entire world. If one could cultivate here for a long time, they would surely gain greatly.
However, no one dared to stay here long to comprehend the Dao, lest they inadvertently trigger the Dao, merging with this ancient formation, interweaving killing principles, and bringing disaster upon themselves!
"Swoosh"
An ancient medicine in the medicinal field flashed and vanished, leaving behind a fragrance that could make one's bones feel drunk. Light and mist entered the body. Ye Fan, the Dragon Horse, and Little Pine felt as if they were about to ascend to immortality. Their entire bodies were comfortable, their joints cracking.
"Divine Immortality Pill!"
Within the immortal valley, there was a divine medicine that could fly on its own. The spirit born within the formation did not harm it, and it fled into the distance.
"As expected of an immortal ground. There is another Divine Immortality Pill here!"
Ye Fan exclaimed in admiration. Rong Chengshi had already obtained one, and here there was another. However, it was not surprising that such a divine medicine would be born in a place nurturing immortality.
He remembered what the He Shou Wu had said, so he stopped here and transmitted his voice into the distance, saying that this place would face a great calamity in the future, and asked the Divine Immortality Pill if it would be willing to leave with him.
The Dragon Horse rolled its eyes beside him. How could someone be so shameless? Wanting to capture a Divine Immortality Pill, yet making it sound so noble, as if it were for its own good.
However, contrary to the Dragon Horse's expectations, the divine medicine truly gave a positive response. It transmitted a message with its not-so-strong divine sense, telling Ye Fan that if he took away the hope of achieving immortality, the great calamity of this place would resolve itself. But if he could not take it, then it would leave with him.
Radiant light flowed, mist filled the air. Ye Fan was speechless for a moment. He hadn't seen the true form of that divine medicine. It was clearly a binary choice. He really had no way to deal with the Divine Immortality Pill.
Ye Fan could only choose to move on. Although Divine Immortality Pills were rare in the world, and a single life-bearing ancient star might not even produce one, they were not absolutely impossible to encounter. But the hope of achieving immortality was unique throughout history!
The path ahead was smooth. They walked all the way to the edge of the Immortal Pool. Along this journey, Little Pine had dug up a total of seventeen Medicine Kings. If this were spread to any star domain, it would shock people and make them unable to believe it. It was a miracle!
"This is the Immortal Pool... that nurtures the hope of achieving immortality." Ye Fan's voice trembled. He had finally arrived at the front. Even he could not suppress his excitement. The eternal mystery was finally about to be unveiled.
The Dragon Horse's body flickered with fiery light. It forcefully nudged Ye Fan with its big head, eager to jump directly into the Immortal Pool. Only Little Pine was very quiet, carrying its small medicine basket, standing by Ye Fan's side, curiously observing.
"This..." Ye Fan was greatly shocked. Upon careful observation, he found that this Immortal Embryo Ground actually resembled a placenta, shattered by a single slap, turned into a pool!
"Who did this?" His expression changed instantly. Had the hope of achieving immortality been taken away, or destroyed? But that wasn't right. The divine medicine had already said that the hope of achieving immortality was still here.
"It was the Ruthless One!" Ye Fan immediately thought of this conclusion and couldn't help but feel a chill. This Great Emperor was indeed extraordinary, truly as she herself had said, not for achieving immortality!
He opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of primordial essence, trying to disperse the thousands of strands of multicolored light shooting out from the Immortal Pool. This place was too dazzling, making it hard to open one's eyes.
The immortal light was parted. He opened his heavenly eye and looked into the pool. His mind immediately shook violently. He saw an object. The hope of achieving immortality was still there, sunk at the bottom of the pool!