Chapter 1512: Central Province Immortal Mansion
The porcelain doll was innocent and carefree, showing no fear at all toward Ye Fan, a powerhouse on par with a Great Sage. Her tone was charmingly naive, pure and natural.
Ye Fan noticed the longevity lock hanging around her snow-white neck and understood in his heart, knowing whose descendant she was. He couldn't help but feel a touch of emotion.
The longevity lock was crafted from purple gold, though its luster and extraordinary nature had been deliberately concealed, making it not particularly eye-catching. Yet its peaceful aura could still be sensed.
This lock was extraordinary. It was made from the leftover material the Buddha used to forge the Demon-Subduing Pestle, which the Bodhisattvas of the Western Desert had shaped into a life-protecting lock. It had been lost outside, once worn by Central Emperor Xiang Yufei before falling into Duan De's hands.
In the end, Ye Fan, Princess Yudie, and Dongfang Ye had ambushed the unscrupulous Taoist in the Immortal Mansion World, stripped him clean, and the longevity lock ended up in Yudie's hands.
"How is the princess?" Ye Fan asked.
"My mother is doing well. She has mentioned Uncle many times, telling me to learn from you and cultivate diligently." The porcelain doll said happily.
The Central Province had four great Imperial Dynasties, beneath which were nine major kingdoms and the Hundred Schools of Thought. Princess Yudie was the heir of the Anping Kingdom among the nine dynasties and had now become its queen.
Ye Fan had once saved Yudie and was gifted a scroll of an ancient scripture that elucidated the mysteries of the natural Dao. It was suspected to have been written by a Human Clan Great Emperor in his later years. Li Ruoyu of Clumsy Peak treasured it as a priceless find, and Ye Fan himself had been deeply inspired by it.
Yudie was one of the most beautiful women in the Central Province, ranked third by gossips. She had countless suitors across this land and was immensely popular among her generation.
The stunning young girl of yesteryear had now become a mother. Ye Fan could only sigh at how swiftly time passed!
"My mother said that if I could meet Uncle, I should seek your advice and invite you to our home as a guest." The porcelain doll's big eyes sparkled, her voice childlike.
Ye Fan smiled and patted her head. This child was very endearing.
In truth, this little girl wasn't shy at all. She asked Ye Fan many questions and even inquired about matters on the Stellar Ancient Path.
The people nearby were envious. Eventually, even the younger generation of cultivators gathered around, creating a lively scene. They were full of curiosity about the legendary Sacred Body, addressing him as "Senior" as they asked questions.
In the distance, a group of cultivators who had been practicing for nearly two hundred years stood silently. These people had lived through Ye Fan's era and witnessed his rise. Looking back, it felt like a dream, but now everything was different.
They were naturally geniuses, renowned in their own regions, yet compared to the current Ye Fan, they paled into insignificance. Slaying the Celestial Prince, embarking on the Ancient Human Path, contending with Great Sages, and threatening to level Mount Sumeru in anger—which of these wasn't a world-shaking event?
"Time has truly changed so much!" Some sighed quietly.
Some powerful figures, though not old, had witnessed the turmoil of the past century and developed a desire to retire, unwilling to struggle further in this chaotic era.
Ye Fan spoke briefly with the young people about his journey before heading deeper into the Extraordinary Scholars Mansion to find the old mansion master and inquire about some matters.
Unfortunately, he was unsuccessful. The old mansion master had disappeared for decades or even centuries and was no longer here. He had come for nothing.
"Uncle, let me treat you to some wine." The porcelain doll ran over, pulling him toward a small tavern. Within the mansion, the mountains were beautiful, and peach blossoms bloomed along the roadside, their fragrance intoxicating.
The little one was very studious, asking many questions about cultivation. Then, emboldened, she asked Ye Fan to teach her the art of "One Art Breaks All Techniques," looking very nervous.
Ye Fan smiled and said, "Alright, I'll pass on a scroll of the Dao Scripture to you."
He couldn't casually teach other scriptures, as they belonged to places like the Jade Pool and the Jiang Family. Spreading them recklessly would cause major problems. The Dao Scripture had no such concerns.
The porcelain doll immediately cheered, clenching her small fists tightly. Clearly, the little girl had been angling for the essence of this scripture.
Ye Fan pointed a finger at her brow, leaving her alone to ponder, then stood up and walked away.
"Uncle, the Immortal Mansion World is so lively! For years, saints from beyond have been coming and going, exploring nonstop. Aren't you going? Some friends and I are heading in too." The little girl called out from behind.
"You go ahead. I'll follow shortly." Ye Fan replied. He knew the porcelain doll wanted to enter but was afraid of accidents, hoping he would protect them.
Ye Fan's main purpose in coming to the Central Province was to enter the Immortal Mansion World, so he didn't refuse. He couldn't decline to look after the descendants of old acquaintances.
He changed taverns and saw some familiar faces, likely cultivators from his own generation. After chatting, it turned out to be true. As the conversation opened up, he didn't mind sharing some of his experiences over the years when asked.
"Brother Ye, your fame now shakes the world. You've killed so many foreign saints that they dare not act rashly, while we've accomplished nothing and our Dao is impure. Truly, we've wasted our years."
"What's the use of saying such things? Since Brother Ye still remembers us, let's drink to our hearts' content."
After the initial restraint, everyone relaxed. From them, Ye Fan learned many things, gaining a full picture of the upheavals in the Big Dipper Star Domain over the years.
Years had passed, and the Immortal Mansion World still retained its wild, primordial atmosphere. Savage beasts roamed, strange birds appeared, and deep within, powerful saints had already emerged.
Over the years, this world had long been opened to the outside. First, the Ancient Clan made a move, having heard that the Immortal Emperor was buried here with his divine thought remnants.
Then, foreign saints descended, sensing that this place might be connected to the ancient path to immortality. They all rushed here to investigate.
For decades, they came and went, heroes appearing and disappearing, uncovering many secrets. Yet the deepest parts remained inaccessible, a forbidden zone.
"Will Senior Ye come?"
This was a group of young people, six or seven in number, constantly looking back.
"Don't worry. Uncle Ye is coming." The porcelain doll guaranteed, having heard a secret transmission.
Ye Fan had indeed entered, promising to protect them for three days before leaving.
Apes howled, tigers roared, azure dragons soared, and giant rocs spread their wings. Over the years, the creatures here had grown stronger. The change in the world's rules made this place more suitable for cultivation than the outside world.
On the first day, the young people encountered danger. A thousand-zhang-long centipede chased them, spewing poisonous mist like clouds, forcing them to flee for thousands of li, nearly meeting their end.
Ye Fan didn't intervene, quietly watching them escape. He only showed himself at critical moments.
Finally, these vibrant young faces learned their lesson. They no longer ventured recklessly, only training in the outer regions, abandoning their lofty ambitions.
Three days passed in a flash. Ye Fan appeared and said, "If you're willing, I'll take you to the deepest part for a visit. But it won't count as training—just to broaden your horizons."
"Great!" The group cheered.
Ye Fan headed toward the place where the Immortal Emperor's coffin had been laid. He had heard that the divine thought remnants had vanished. Some said the evil thoughts had been worn away by time, others that they had escaped.
As for the Immortal Emperor's human skin, it had been retrieved by several ancient imperial clans through negotiations with the Human Clan and enshrined in the highest temple.
This place was now empty. The ten-thousand-zhang jade platform was shrouded in chaotic mist, cascading like a waterfall, but the ancient emperor's coffin, human skin, and divine thought remnants were nowhere to be found.
"That's fine. Otherwise, those divine thought remnants causing chaos would always lead to big trouble." Ye Fan muttered to himself.
If it were just evil thoughts, it would be manageable. But if the bald head summoned his past life, awakening the true Immortal Emperor, he would be invincible under heaven, sweeping away all living beings.
"The Immortal Emperor is too terrifying. Even his life and death are almost a mystery." Ye Fan sighed.
In the past, the Immortal Emperor had died and was buried in Purple Mountain, known to all races. Yet that wasn't the case at all. Who knew how many tens of thousands of years later, his coffin appeared here again.
How could one person be buried twice? First in Purple Mountain, then here. There was a time gap between the two burials, suggesting the Immortal Emperor was likely not dead then!
Various signs indicated that after being buried in Purple Mountain, he had revived, his body undergoing nirvana, reappearing in the world. Then he came here, opened the path to immortality, and tried to break into the Immortal Domain.
Ye Fan left this place and journeyed deeper into the Immortal Mansion World. This space was vast, spanning tens of thousands of li, with boundless territory.
"Kill..."
The roar of battle shook the heavens. Deep within this pure land, a vast battlefield appeared, barren of life, with rolling demonic clouds and surging murderous aura.
This was the place that had stopped countless people. Almost no saint could pass, blocked by an overwhelming killing intent.
Black mist churned, and the murderous intent spanned the ages. In the past, this place must have witnessed a cataclysmic battle. Remnants of Great Emperor array patterns remained, and the scorched earth held no trace of life.
Vague figures could be seen battling within the mist—residual images left from before the ancient times, undimmed even after endless years.
It was hard to imagine how terrifying that battle had been. Thousands of troops and horses had turned to ashes, leaving behind unextinguished resentment and killing intent, imprinted on this shattered landscape.
"Immortal Emperor!"
Someone roared, the sound shaking heaven and earth. Even after countless ages, it still made people's ears ring. One could imagine how astonishing that roar was, stirring the mountains and rivers.
Ye Fan was stunned. The porcelain doll and the others turned pale, all terrified. Though young, they had naturally heard of the ancient emperor, and this roar made their hearts tremble.
"Did he really open the path to immortality here?" Ye Fan muttered, growing more certain.
He told the children to stay put and not wander, then turned into a shadow, circling the vast battlefield to measure and observe carefully.
It must have been a great catastrophe. Even the Great Emperor's array patterns had shattered. Was this the result of forcefully breaking through the path to immortality, or a battle between two ancient emperors?!
Even Ye Fan couldn't be sure. This battlefield was too terrifying. Though most of the laws and resentment had worn away, a small amount remained, creating such a spectacle.
Because of this, most saints were stopped here. Nine out of ten couldn't pass. In just a moment, Ye Fan spotted no fewer than eighteen saints lingering in this area.
Some were from the Ancient Clan, others were sages from beyond the domain. All were powerful, investigating this place.
"How did a few snot-nosed brats get in here? Aren't you afraid of dying without a burial place?" A foreign saint approached, seeing the porcelain doll and the others. His eyes were sinister, gleaming with light.
The powerful aura he naturally emitted pressed down on the porcelain doll and the others, nearly breaking their bones and forcing them to their knees.
"Do you have a problem?" Ye Fan arrived silently, staring coldly at him.
"You... are the Human Clan Sacred Body?!" The foreign powerhouse's voice trembled. He stumbled backward, quickly bowed deeply, and then hurried away without another word.
The nearby saints all knew Ye Fan had arrived, causing a stir of unease. They nodded in his direction but kept their distance, quickly retreating to leave this area to him.
Ye Fan didn't delay. His body blazed with golden light, forming a golden sacred domain. He led the young people into the battlefield, actually passing through it.
This sight left many saints stunned and wide-eyed.
"Daoist friend, you are truly no ordinary being. Your grace is unmatched in this era."
As soon as Ye Fan emerged, he saw an acquaintance. Chaos Expansion Great Sage, the peacemaker, smiled warmly and greeted him with a kind face.
Looking further, on this side of the battlefield, several figures stood, none of them weak. All were Great Sages, staring solemnly at the scene before them!
"What is that? Could it be a fallen immortal?" One person spoke, his voice trembling. He was clearly a newcomer, unfamiliar with this place.