# Chapter 1567: Learning the Dharma Within Purple Mountain
"Is it really Emperor Wu Shi?" Even Ye Fan was shocked. Was this powerful man still alive? This was far too astonishing and world-shaking.
Eighty thousand years had passed—a very long period of time. Under normal circumstances, a true Great Emperor could not live for such an eternity, especially since Emperor Wu Shi had already entered his final twilight years back then, his blood and qi withered. How could he have endured through such a dusk?
"Great Emperor, I have waited for you for many years. Have you finally returned?" Black Emperor wept bitterly, completely different from his usual demeanor, filled with emotion and immense sorrow.
"Little Black." After a light sigh, the majestic figure wreathed in chaos turned around, looking at Black Emperor, uttering only these two words.
This nickname was not particularly pleasant, but Ye Fan, the Holy Prince, and Ji Zi had not a trace of a smile. They were all trembling, staring at the high platform in shock.
Could this man truly possess consciousness? He could perceive everything and converse with Black Emperor!
"Great Emperor, take me with you. Whether it's to slay immortals or to storm the Immortal Domain, you must bring me along. Little Black may not be able to help, but I can speak with you to relieve your boredom." Black Emperor was stunned, the Great Sage wailing, no longer having his usual arrogance, instead filled with panic, afraid this was all a dream.
The figure submerged in chaos had thick black hair. From his silhouette alone, one could see no trace of old age, though his true visage remained hidden. Cradling that crystalline skull, he walked step by step deeper into the high platform.
"Great Emperor, wait for me!" Black Emperor shouted, about to pounce forward. But Ye Fan and the Holy Prince held him down firmly. There, Dao symbols densely covered the area; one absolutely could not force their way through, not even Black Emperor.
They gazed into the distance and ultimately saw that upright figure, holding the skull, arrive at the deepest part of the Dao platform. Then, he suddenly transformed into a rain of light—dazzling, brilliant, incomparably resplendent.
Afterward, the rain of light slowly dissipated.
There, only a skull floated quietly, then slowly fell to the ground with a soft clink. A translucent pendant also flickered.
"Great Emperor!" Black Emperor went mad, wailing loudly. He could not accept this result.
Everything seemed clear now, but it was difficult to accept.
This result was cruel, too real to face. Black Emperor could not accept it the most, his mournful roar shaking the heavens.
There was no way around it. Even a Great Emperor had his twilight years, his blood and qi declining. No matter how powerful a man, the flame of his life would one day be extinguished. Although Emperor Wu Shi was supremely powerful, he could not avoid this fate.
A Great Emperor who turned his back on all living beings, with too many past events and mysteries...
But it was precisely because of this that this powerful man became all the more sorrowful. No matter how world-shaking, he would eventually enter dusk, ultimately choosing to pass away alone.
"In such a rare era, seen only once in ten thousand ages, if we cannot behold Emperor Wu Shi, cannot see him face the ancient supremes of the Seven Forbidden Zones of Life, that would truly be a great regret." Ye Fan murmured softly, also a form of comfort for Black Emperor.
"It will happen! The Great Emperor will definitely appear! I believe he still lives, in the Immortal Domain. Just now, he was speaking with me across time and space!" The big black dog clung to this like a lifeline, roaring with effort.
With a soft hum, something in the distance trembled lightly, emitting a gentle, auspicious light. Without a doubt, it was imperial qi, blooming strand after strand.
"What is that?" the Holy Prince asked in surprise.
"It's an Imperial Scripture!" Ye Fan had been here more than once and naturally knew what was hidden in that area.
"Let's go!" They pulled up the grieving Black Emperor and moved forward, leaving this sacred ground that inspired both reverence and lament.
A massive scripture book lay ahead. Behind it, vines and creepers covered the ground, lush and verdant—plants growing from the mine tunnels within Purple Mountain, emitting a demonic power.
The thick stone book was emitting a soft light, brushing away the dust left by time. On it, three large characters could be seen: Wu Shi Scripture!
The stone scripture was over ten meters long and also one to two meters thick. Such a scripture book had never been seen in the world; it was very unique.
Even Black Emperor was stunned. They had not brought the Imperial Jade, nor had they used the blood of a Primordial Saint Body Dao Fetus to irrigate it. Why was this scripture book emitting such an auspicious aura, its light so intimate?
"Crack!"
A trembling sound came, as if a dusty door had been pushed open. The massive scripture book trembled, humming. Strand after strand of imperial qi parted to both sides.
This scripture book had actually opened on its own, moving slowly. Auspicious light shone in ten thousand ways, brilliant and hazy, revealing the true scriptures within!
"This is..." Everyone was stunned. Why was this happening? Hadn't they said conditions had to be met to open it? Yet now it was turning pages on its own, leaving them puzzled.
Even Black Emperor was dumbfounded. No one knew this place better than him, having lived here for many years. But now he couldn't understand.
Everything that happened today was too strange. First, the God-Sealing List loosened, then the Imperial Bell tolled, and now the scripture book had opened, wreathed in auspicious light filling the sky.
Page after page of scripture turned, not with a rustling sound, but with a trembling tone that pressed down on the Heavenly Dao, causing it to lament. A grand chanting of scriptures arose.
Louder than the combined chanting of three thousand great Buddhas and eighty thousand gods and demons, it illuminated mountains and rivers. It was as if once this book was completed, all other scriptures in the world became obsolete. One symbol after another flew out.
The Wu Shi Imperial Scripture was being recited, deafening, leaving people dry-mouthed. It was truly unbelievable.
Had they obtained the Wu Shi Scripture like this? Throughout the ages, how many had dreamed of this, yet not a single person had achieved it. Now it had come true, laid before them, waiting for them to study the Dharma.
Ye Fan, Ji Zi, and the others stepped forward together to observe this massive stone book. Inside were imprinted symbols of the Dao, complex and unfathomable.
It was not entirely textual scripture, but Dao patterns that required personal understanding and enlightenment. This was very difficult and complex. Different individuals would gain different insights based on their comprehension.
"This isn't the first page," the Holy Prince said, trying to turn the page with his hand. But it didn't budge at all. The stone pages were as heavy as billions of jun, impossible to move with mortal strength.
This was a fragment, disconnected from what came before and after. Only one section remained, and it was about the Dao of Time—too shocking. Just this one page alone captivated the heart.
Involving the realm of time, this was enough to drive the entire world mad!
Unfortunately, turning to such a page, it was too incomplete. Only this passage could be seen, unable to connect with what came before or after. It was impossible to fully comprehend. Forcing understanding and enlightenment would definitely lead to major problems.
"What's going on? It opened on its own, but why this page?" Black Emperor shook his head vigorously, feeling it was unreal. He extended his large claw to turn the book, but still couldn't budge it.
Ji Zi stepped forward, using Emperor Void's laws to try to lift it, but the result was the same—no change at all.
They were already Great Sages, and imperial princes at that—how powerful was that? Yet they couldn't even turn a single page of scripture. If word got out, no one would believe it.
"This isn't right. Since the Wu Shi Scripture opened, there must be a reason. It can't just be this one inexplicable page, can it?" the Holy Prince said.
Only Ye Fan remained unmoved. Seeing them look at him, he directly turned the scripture. With a rumble, the moment he touched it, the scripture seemed to ignite, blazing with brilliance. Imperial qi surged, parting to both sides. Fortunately, it didn't rush toward them, or the consequences would have been dire.
Humming again, the scripture book turned once more, opening to a new section, then stopped there. Its light was contained within, the scripture rumbling like divine drums shaking the heavens.
Everyone showed strange expressions. Ye Fan had actually turned it!
"Try again! See if you can turn to the first page!" Everyone was full of anticipation. This was the most mysterious ancient scripture, finally about to emerge today. It was exciting.
Hearing this, Ye Fan tried to turn the scripture again. But this time, it had no effect. It was immovable, its luster flowing, fixed in place.
"Don't force it. This is all we can get," Black Emperor said.
"This is... a forbidden secret technique!" Ji Zi said, very surprised.
The few of them gathered close, observing the runes, comprehending the Dao. Their minds were drawn in. Ye Fan suddenly raised his head, looking at Black Emperor. This technique was too familiar.
Because, before his decisive battle with Yuangu, the big black dog had taught him this technique. It was called "Wu Shi"—the most terrifying, capable of returning everything to its origin.
"You all have great fortune. This is that kind of scripture. Hurry and comprehend it. Get as much as you can," Black Emperor said. In the past, he had seen Emperor Wu Shi display it, but he had gone astray in his enlightenment. What he taught Ye Fan was not the authentic version.
This was a heaven-shaking fortune. The three naturally calmed their minds, doing everything possible to comprehend the Dharma. Black Emperor also re-examined and refined this scripture.
After who knows how long, they all opened their eyes, revealing expressions of shock. It was truly difficult. They had gone astray, and even they knew that what they had comprehended was not authentic.
"Now you know why. This is the Dharma of the Primordial Saint Body Dao Fetus. To cultivate it, the requirements are too high. Various conditions must be met!" Black Emperor said.
First, one had to cultivate the most basic Dao-building method of this scripture. Unfortunately, they couldn't open those chapters.
Moreover, even if they could open them, cultivating the early parts of the scripture would certainly be very troublesome, because it was prepared for the Primordial Saint Body Dao Fetus.
Relatively speaking, Ye Fan had still achieved something, grasping the core elements, because he had the word "Saint Body" in him, barely qualifying.
"Without the foundational Dao-building chapters of the Wu Shi Scripture, it's not impossible to cultivate. This forbidden secret technique requires you to reach the Quasi-Emperor realm, and to have advanced far enough in that realm. You can slowly master it," Black Emperor added.
This was also the fundamental reason why he hadn't bothered to comprehend it back then and instead focused on the demon clan's Dao tradition. This also led to the fact that even the only living being who had followed Emperor Wu Shi couldn't recite this scripture.
"Memorize this secret technique, imprint it into your minds. It will be of great use in the future!"
Once imprinted into the mind, it couldn't be erased. At the same time, the Wu Shi Scripture closed with a rumble. The imperial qi withdrew, and it could no longer be opened!
"Dong..." The Wu Shi Bell tolled, shaking the heart. For some reason, it had rung again.
At the same time, Dao patterns intertwined, spreading over, but without a trace of killing intent. In that instant, the few of them had a feeling of sudden enlightenment, as if they had suddenly seen through the origin of this place.
The obstacles they had encountered during their enlightenment were shattered by the bell waves. The bell waves forcibly broke through that shackle, allowing them to see the light. Especially Ye Fan—almost instantly, he returned from the wrong path.
Why was this? They were puzzled and uncertain.
"This is the Great Emperor's gift. When you enter the Quasi-Emperor realm, even without cultivating the foundational Dao chapters, you can smoothly master this technique!" Black Emperor guessed. It should be because Ye Fan had brought that skull. Today, when the Divine List loosened and the Imperial Bell tolled, everything was sensed, triggering something.
"You are all wrong!"
Suddenly, a mysterious voice sounded within Purple Mountain, only these three words. It shook the hearts of the few, making them tremble. They could hardly believe it.
Especially Ye Fan. This was not the first time he had heard these three words. Back in the Ancient Forbidden Land, the slender figure standing above the abyss had also sighed and said something similar.
After so many years, in this place, he had heard these three words again. Was this a negation of all ages?!
At this moment, not only Black Emperor, but also Ye Fan, Ji Zi, and the Holy Prince began to doubt. Was there really a Great Emperor still alive within Purple Mountain? Otherwise, why would there be this voice and all the other anomalies just now?!