Chapter 112: Secret Realms
Inside the cave dwelling, several items shimmered with light. The Purple Copper Eight Trigrams Mirror, a weapon refined by a cultivator who had crossed the Other Shore realm, had been discarded by Ye Fan in a secret chamber for a year. Now, divine mists swirled around it, purple qi shrouded it, and it had regained its luster. As for the Jade Purification Vase, it was pure white and warm, densely covered with Dao patterns, and had also recovered its divine nature, though it was unknown if it could still hold an entire mountain. At this moment, the sacred tree branch inserted inside was soaking in the Divine Spring, still vibrant as ever, without withering. As for the Heavenly Net Umbrella, although it had been pierced through by the Holy Maiden of Tian Xuan, the damage was not severe. Light and mist swirled around it, making it quite extraordinary.
"Cultivators who have crossed the Other Shore realm—their weapons should be very powerful." Ye Fan repeatedly refined them, erasing all traces upon them to prevent anyone from sensing them. Then, he tried to store his several weapons into his Sea of Suffering. At that moment, something surprising happened. Whether it was the Purple Copper Eight Trigrams Mirror, the pure white Jade Purification Vase, or the Heavenly Net Umbrella, none could sink into the Sea of Suffering, let alone be immersed in the Life Spring. They could only hover beneath the Divine Bridge above the Sea of Suffering.
"Green Copper Block, you occupy the best spot but are useless to me, and you even force other weapons to stay away." Ye Fan was quite speechless, immediately seeing the reason.
The Green Copper Block was immersed in the spring eye at the bottom of the sea, monopolizing the best place, even pushing the Golden Book to the edge. It directly forced the Purple Copper Eight Trigrams Mirror, Jade Purification Vase, and Heavenly Net Umbrella out of the Sea of Suffering, not allowing them to come near at all.
"This is just a golden page recording the *Dao Scripture*, yet it's stronger than the Purple Copper Eight Trigrams Mirror and the Jade Purification Vase. I don't know whether to call it extraordinary or those three weapons too useless."
Weapons refined by cultivators who had crossed the Other Shore realm were naturally extraordinary, which indirectly highlighted the divine nature of the Golden Book.
This place was about four hundred li from the Ancient Forbidden Land, surrounded by great mountains, with occasional strange birds and savage beasts appearing—a pristine wilderness.
Ye Fan did not fly. As he walked out of the mountains, he practiced the Old Madman's footwork. That divine technique of shrinking the ground to an inch was something he envied immensely, faster than flying. Unfortunately, his cultivation level was insufficient to comprehend the "Dao patterns" he had memorized, so he could not perform such a secret technique.
Two days later, Ye Fan appeared in a small town, finally reaching a place with human habitation.
"More than a year has passed. The Jiang Family, Ji Family, and Yaoguang Holy Land should have withdrawn by now," he thought, eager to find someone to inquire.
Over the past year, Ye Fan's greatest gain was not reaching the Divine Bridge realm in cultivation, but the terrifying level his divine sense had reached. It was incredibly condensed. The golden lake between his brows could shoot out divine light, as sharp as a heavenly sword or as gentle as a breeze, instantly perceiving everything around him.
"There are cultivators on that restaurant." Soon after entering the town, Ye Fan's divine sense caught the aura of cultivators.
Unfortunately, on that restaurant, he did not hear news about the Jiang Family, Ji Family, or Yaoguang Holy Land. Instead, he heard another important piece of news.
"The Demon Emperor's tomb has finally sunk. That ruin is filled with vengeful qi, mountains of bones, and rivers of blood. In the end, it could not be conquered. The Eastern Wasteland's supreme treasure—the Desolate Tower—has vanished forever."
"It can't be gone forever. The Desolate Tower coexists with the world; it will emerge sooner or later."
"That's true. It can even suppress immortals to death, so it naturally won't decay. Perhaps in a few thousand or ten thousand years, it will reappear in this world and choose a fated person."
"I don't think it will take that long. The Desolate Tower has been gone for ten thousand years. I feel it should appear now. Maybe soon, it will burst forth from the Eastern Wasteland's underground."
Ye Fan was astonished. The turmoil over the Demon Emperor's tomb had lasted a full three years and had only now truly subsided. All the major sects of the Eastern Wasteland had acted, and even mysterious great figures from the Central Province had come, but they still could not stabilize it. At the critical moment, it had escaped into the earth's veins, like a dragon returning to the sea, completely vanishing beneath the Eastern Wasteland.
Over the next half month, Ye Fan traveled between towns, appearing in crowded places but keeping a very low profile. Gradually, he learned what he wanted to know.
A year ago, the Jiang Family, Ji Family, and Yaoguang Holy Land had charged into the Ancient Forbidden Land, only to be completely annihilated. Not a single person came out alive, causing a massive uproar that shook all the sects. No one dared to enter the Forbidden Zone of Life again.
"Liu Yiyi, Zhang Ziling, Lin Jia, Zhou Yi, Li Xiaoman, and the others have disappeared." This news was not good, and Ye Fan frowned.
"If I were them, I wouldn't return to my respective sects either. Otherwise, the Holy Lands and Primordial Aristocratic Clans would interrogate them. At the first sign of a flaw, they would be dead. The Eastern Wasteland is vast, with countless kingdoms like Yan. Fleeing here is the wisest choice."
Ye Fan felt those six were not dead. They had likely seen the situation was dire and fled far away.
"We'll probably meet again someday."
Ye Fan also felt there was no need to stay in Yan. There were no powerful sects here, let alone ancient aristocratic clans—only six Cave Heaven paradises, insignificant in the eyes of the major sects. This place lacked opportunities. He needed to explore other secret realms beyond the "Wheel Sea" and had to leave.
"I should join a Holy Land or a Primordial Aristocratic Clan to obtain cultivation methods for other secret realms. The Golden Book only records the cultivation method for the Wheel Sea Secret Realm, which is far from enough."
Ye Fan never thought he could collect the complete *Dao Scripture*—that was very unrealistic. It had been dismantled over ten thousand years ago, and now no one could say where the golden pages had fallen. The Holy Lands and Primordial Aristocratic Clans all possessed mysterious ancient scriptures no less than the *Dao Scripture*. He wanted to approach this from that angle: cultivate the *Dao Scripture* for the Wheel Sea Secret Realm and use the ancient scriptures of the Holy Lands for other secret realms—provided he could obtain them.
"I still have time. I don't need to worry about lacking subsequent cultivation methods yet."
Ye Fan had reached the Divine Bridge realm, with the Other Shore still ahead. He didn't know when he would cross it. Exploring other secret realms of the human body could only begin after reaching the Other Shore. The Other Shore, the endpoint of the Wheel Sea Secret Realm, was the starting point for connecting to other secret realms.
"The Eastern Wasteland is boundless, with countless nations. It is said there are seven Forbidden Zones of Life. I've only seen one, the Ancient Forbidden Land. I wonder what the other forbidden zones are like."
Ye Fan felt it was unlikely he could venture deep into the Ancient Forbidden Land again anytime soon. It was too dangerous. With his current strength, he couldn't possibly pick a third type of sacred medicine, and it would be hard to succeed by luck again. He guessed that the other Forbidden Zones of Life must also be extremely mysterious places, perhaps holding great opportunities.
"The mysterious ancient scriptures of the Holy Lands and Primordial Aristocratic Clans, the seven Forbidden Zones of Life, the vast Eastern Wasteland... all worth exploring."
But before leaving, he felt it necessary to visit the Spirit Ruins Cave Heaven to retrieve the items he had left there. Back then, due to insufficient strength, he had fled for his life without retrieving his belongings. Now that he had reached the Divine Bridge realm, he naturally had more confidence.
For three years, the Spirit Ruins Cave Heaven had been in turmoil. The Demon Emperor's tomb in the ruins had attracted countless sects from the Eastern Wasteland. Blood stained that cursed land, corpses filled the cold pool, and vengeful qi filled the air.
When it was all over, a peerless figure had used a mysterious and profound divine technique to purify the ruins. Otherwise, the Spirit Ruins Cave Heaven would have had to relocate its entire sect.
Standing at the mountain gate of the Spirit Ruins Cave Heaven, Ye Fan felt a surge of emotion. Back then, he had been considered a waste physique, unwanted by anyone. He had only come here because of Pang Bo.
"Pang Bo, when I have enough strength, I will definitely rescue you!"
The Spirit Ruins Cave Heaven was shrouded in mist, with immortal mountains faintly visible. At the mountain gate, ancient trees stood tall, strange rocks jutted out, and waterfalls and springs flowed, giving it a fairyland-like charm.
"Who are you, and what business do you have at the Spirit Ruins Cave Heaven?" a disciple guarding the mountain gate stepped forward to ask.
"Senior brother, I am here to pay respects to Elder Wu Qingfeng." Ye Fan, now appearing about fourteen years old, wore a sunny smile that easily won people over.
The disciple guarding the gate did not make things difficult for him. "Come with me."
Entering the Spirit Ruins Cave Heaven, as he stepped onto the hundred-plus bluestone steps, Ye Fan was greatly startled and asked, "Why are these bluestone steps cracked? They weren't like this before."
Back then, when he first entered the Spirit Ruins Cave Heaven and stepped onto the bluestone steps, the ancient scripture in his heart had automatically echoed, leaving a deep impression on him. He felt there must be an extraordinary artifact beneath the steps.
"How do you know they weren't like this before?" the disciple asked suspiciously.
"I once lived here, so I naturally know. Senior brother, what happened? Why are all these bluestone steps cracked?" Ye Fan urgently wanted to know. At this moment, the ancient scripture in his heart did not sound, confirming that the "artifact" below had disappeared.
The disciple looked left and right, and seeing no one passing by, lowered his voice and said, "It's terrifying to say. There was a yin vein underground, connected to the Demon Emperor's yin tomb. In the end, it escaped from here and sank into the Eastern Wasteland's underground."
Ye Fan was shocked. He had never expected such an outcome. In an instant, he thought of the Desolate Tower, said to coexist with the world and capable of suppressing immortals to death.
"Back then, when I first entered this place, the ancient scripture echoed automatically. Was it related to the Desolate Tower?" Ye Fan was puzzled. The ancient scripture came from the other end of the starry sky, obtained from the ancient bronze coffin. He couldn't understand why it would echo because of an artifact from this world.
Inside the Spirit Ruins Cave Heaven, the peaks were green and the valleys lush, very beautiful. Temples and pavilions dotted the landscape, and swirling mists added an ethereal quality.
Meeting Elder Wu Qingfeng again, Ye Fan felt a sense of warmth. He performed a grand bow. This old man had taken good care of him back then and was a respectable elder.
"Child, it's you!" Elder Wu Qingfeng showed excitement. He hadn't changed much—white hair and beard, tall and slender, with a transcendent aura.
Seeing Ye Fan, he naturally thought of Pang Bo and let out a long sigh. Pang Bo had been accepted as his disciple but was coerced by the demon clan and disappeared into the primordial ruins.
This was a quiet valley. Not far away, a clear lake sparkled like a blue gem. Ahead were four or five thatched huts and a large bamboo grove, very serene.
Sitting on a stone chair in the bamboo grove, Ye Fan picked up the teacup on the stone table, took a light sip, and began conversing with the old man.
When Ye Fan asked about other secret realms of the human body, Elder Wu Qingfeng looked at him with surprise. "Child, don't aim too high. Do you remember what I told you? To explore a single secret realm to its end in one's lifetime is already remarkable. Cultivating the Wheel of Life and the Sea of Suffering to their limits can also make you a peak-level expert."
"Why do the Holy Lands and Primordial Aristocratic Clans cultivate other secret realms?"
"You can't compare with them. They possess ancient scriptures comparable to immortal classics—that's an inherent advantage." Elder Wu Qingfeng sighed and shook his head. "In truth, cultivating one secret realm is enough. It's said that many ancient great powers only cultivated a single secret realm."
Ye Fan lowered his head in contemplation, but eventually looked up with a decision. He couldn't just cultivate one secret realm. Since other secret realms existed, there must be a reason for their cultivation.
Elder Wu Qingfeng was puzzled. He felt that Ye Fan's Primordial Saint Body, even if barely cultivable, wouldn't achieve much. But the old man was kind and ultimately answered many of his questions.
Ye Fan finally learned the name of the next secret realm—the Dao Palace. After the Wheel Sea Secret Realm, one needed to cross the Sea of Suffering and reach the Other Shore before slowly exploring it.
It was said that within the "Dao Palace," there were five "deities." Cultivating this secret realm would give rise to all sorts of mysterious and unfathomable phenomena.
Ye Fan only had the cultivation method for the "Wheel Sea" Secret Realm—a single page of the *Dao Scripture*—and certainly not the cultivation method for the "Dao Palace" Secret Realm.
"To obtain the most profound techniques, it seems I must go to the Holy Lands and Primordial Aristocratic Clans. I must get their mysterious ancient scriptures," Ye Fan muttered to himself.
"Elder, among the Holy Lands and Primordial Aristocratic Clans, which one possesses the most profound ancient scripture?" Ye Fan asked.
Elder Wu Qingfeng shook his head. "Those Holy Lands and Primordial Aristocratic Clans are too mysterious and powerful for us to understand. It's hard to say which ancient scripture each one holds."
Ye Fan really wanted to know which ancient scripture was the strongest. Hearing this, he murmured, "Perhaps each has its own merits."
"Indeed, that's true." Elder Wu Qingfeng seemed to recall something. "Legend has it that for the 'Wheel Sea' Secret Realm, the *Dao Scripture* is supreme, while for the 'Dao Palace' Secret Realm, the mysterious ancient scripture of the Yao Chi Holy Land is the strongest. Each ancient scripture focuses on different secret realm cultivation methods."
Ye Fan immediately made a decision: go to the Yao Chi Holy Land to learn their cultivation method for the "Dao Palace" Secret Realm.
"Does the Yao Chi Holy Land accept male disciples?"
"Never." Elder Wu Qingfeng looked at him suspiciously. "You're not thinking..."
"Do the female disciples of Yao Chi Holy Land marry?" Ye Fan asked without blushing or skipping a beat.
Elder Wu Qingfeng laughed. "They can marry, but the conditions are very strict. I'm afraid you won't be able to."
Ye Fan didn't feel embarrassed at all and laughed. Then he asked many more questions. Although Elder Wu Qingfeng was a bit puzzled, he didn't inquire and patiently answered everything.
The Yao Chi Holy Land was very far from Yan, the most low-key and mysterious among all the Holy Lands and Primordial Aristocratic Clans.
At the same time, Ye Fan unexpectedly learned that one of the Eastern Wasteland's seven Forbidden Zones of Life, the "Primordial Ancient Mine," was also in the same region as the Yao Chi Holy Land.
Of course, this "same region" was only relative to the vast Eastern Wasteland. In reality, the actual distance between them was a full ten thousand li.
The Jiang Family was also in that region, about thirty thousand li from the "Primordial Ancient Mine." This so-called "same region" was actually very vast, after all, the Eastern Wasteland was enormous.
"Primordial Ancient Mine..."
This was the first time Ye Fan had heard the name of this Forbidden Zone of Life. As one of the Eastern Wasteland's seven Forbidden Zones of Life, it certainly had an extraordinary origin.
"That region is rich in 'Source.' The Jiang Family and Yao Chi Holy Land both chose to develop there, and this is closely related."
Ye Fan felt even more that he should go there. "Source" was something he desperately needed. If he couldn't get sacred medicine, seeking "Source" was also a good option.
"The Primordial Ancient Mine is..." he asked hesitantly.
"Named 'Primordial,' it shows its ancientness. It's impossible to guess how many years it has existed." Elder Wu Qingfeng took a sip of tea and continued, "It is said that in endless ages past, the Primordial Ancient Mine was the most famous 'Source' mine in the Eastern Wasteland. Later, something ominous was dug up, and it became one of the seven Forbidden Zones of Life."
Ye Fan was deeply surprised and curious. "What was dug up?"
"Some peerless 'Divine Source.' It is said that the 'Source' sealed powerful creatures that eventually revived and killed everyone."
"What?!" Ye Fan was deeply shocked.
"Legend has it that some 'Divine Source' even sealed humans."
Hearing this, Ye Fan was speechless with shock. He felt that the region he was about to go to was very mysterious. The Yao Chi Holy Land, the Jiang Family, and the Primordial Ancient Mine all held extraordinary significance for him.
After settling the last few matters in Yan, Ye Fan's new journey was about to begin. What followed would be even more exciting. Calling for monthly ticket support.