Chapter 144: Void Shattered
At this moment, the sky was dark, dotted with countless stars. In the valley, the altar stood tall, entirely constructed from Dark Jade, its surface spacious and open.
The Old Madman used his fingers like a blade, carving and engraving upon it with intense focus. Stone chips flew as complex Dao patterns, dense and intricate, were deeply imprinted—profound beyond comprehension.
The bright moon hung high, casting down pure moonlight. Only the rustling sounds of carving echoed around the Domain Gate. The Dark Jade was translucent, etched with sets of mysterious patterns.
Ye Fan watched from the side, trying to comprehend, but felt dizzy instead. Those were endless spatial imprints, easily causing one to lose their way. "Senior, where are you going?" Ye Fan asked, feeling that recklessly following might be dangerous.
*Bang*
The altar shook, Dark Jade radiated light. The Dao patterns were fully engraved and took shape. The Old Madman stood upright in the center of the altar. Seeing no response, Ye Fan hesitated—should he follow or not?
"Senior, I wish to travel with you?" he spoke again. Such a supreme expert was a living ancient scripture. If guided by such a figure, his cultivation would inevitably soar.
But at that moment, the old man went mad again, crying and laughing without answering Ye Fan. "To hell with it!" Ye Fan decided to follow. He had wanted to leave the Grand Mystery Sect anyway—it was no longer safe here. If taken back to the Ji Family, the consequences would be dire. Ye Fan leaped up, flew onto the altar, and stood beside the Old Madman.
At that instant, the altar began drawing energy. The "Source" buried underground radiated brilliance, flowing toward the altar like rippling water.
The Dark Jade was translucent, continuously shining. The Dao patterns carved by the Old Madman seemed alive, trembling and glowing with spiritual light.
The void twisted and collapsed, then a pitch-black portal opened. The Domain Gate was successfully activated, connecting to an unknown destination.
The mentally deranged Old Madman stepped inside, and Ye Fan followed closely, appearing in silent nothingness. Nothing could be perceived—eternal darkness, boundless silence. The Domain Gate slowly closed, and the entire altar began drawing endless Source power.
Suddenly, the Old Madman let out a loud cry. He clutched his head, and the "Immortal" character on his forehead blazed with light, releasing a mysterious energy that enveloped him.
This was a terrifying force. The void became unstable, cracking open. Strange light flickered in the eternal darkness.
The Old Madman fell backward, sinking into slumber. He floated there motionless, covered in a layer of silk-like substance bursting from the "Immortal" character on his forehead, like a cocoon.
Ye Fan was shocked. What change had overcome the Old Madman? He had shattered space itself. About to cross the void, yet the place was extremely unstable—this was a catastrophic disaster. "It's over! How could this happen?!" Ye Fan's face turned pale. An accident during void crossing could easily reduce one to dust.
*Crack, crack*
The void crossing failed. Large fissures appeared, about to collapse.
Ye Fan frantically activated the profound techniques recorded in the *Dao Scripture*, struggling to mobilize the Mother Qi of All Things. If the void shattered without immense divine power to resist, he would surely be ground to dust.
It was a long, agonizing process—a torment for Ye Fan. The void did not immediately collapse.
Finally, a strand of Mother Qi of All Things began to flow, circulating hazily within his body, exuding a heavy aura.
"I can't fully draw out the Mother Qi of All Things..." Ye Fan grabbed the cocoon-covered Old Madman. Perhaps only this body could withstand the force unleashed when the void shattered.
*Crack, crack*
At last, the eternal darkness reached its limit. With a boom, it shattered.
The void was crushed to its extreme—silent annihilation.
Great form has no shape; great sound has no voice!
The destructive force pulverized everything. At this moment, the Old Madman's formidable nature manifested. The cocoon on his body emitted strange light, forming a barrier that stabilized a region of space.
*Bang* *Bang*
The Old Madman and Ye Fan were thrown out, reappearing in the real world. They hadn't left the Grand Mystery Sect, only traveling dozens of li. They crashed onto a deserted mountain range.
Behind them came a deafening roar. Light shot into the sky as the Dark Jade altar shattered.
*Boom*
This was a powerful energy wave. Dazzling brilliance soared to the heavens, dimming the countless stars. It was as if ten suns had appeared simultaneously, illuminating all directions.
Ye Fan shuddered in fear. Void crossing was too dangerous. Such terrifying energy could have shredded his body multiple times. Fortunately, they had fallen out here.
Within the Grand Mystery Sect, cultivators from all 108 main peaks were alarmed. At the Domain Gate's location, light blazed like dozens of volcanoes erupting simultaneously, making everyone pale. "This... the Domain Gate was activated, space was pierced, void crossing failed!" "Could one of Grand Mystery's great figures have met with an accident during crossing?" Many elders soared into the air, gazing toward the Domain Gate.
At the same time, the Grand Mystery Sect Leader and numerous eminent elders were shocked. Such an abyssal energy fluctuation made even them uneasy.
"Who activated the Domain Gate?" a Supreme Elder inquired.
"The void collapsed. If someone was inside, they're likely doomed," another Supreme Elder said with a doubtful expression.
Dozens of li away, Ye Fan's heart raced. He silently thanked his luck for escaping disaster. "Without the Mother Qi of All Things, without the Old Madman's cocoon, I'd probably be dead." He slowly calmed down.
At this moment, they had fallen among mountain ranges. The Old Madman was wrapped in his cocoon, sunk in slumber, motionless. "Such a peerless figure is truly unfathomable. Even void shattering can't harm him!" Ye Fan was awestruck. In truth, the void's collapse was entirely due to the Old Madman's influence.
Ye Fan didn't dare linger. He carried the Old Madman and rushed toward Clumsy Peak like lightning, moving through the forest rather than flying.
At this time, the Grand Mystery Sect was in chaos. From the 108 main peaks, many experts charged toward the Domain Gate. No one paid attention to Clumsy Peak's direction. Ye Fan brought the Old Madman to Clumsy Peak and placed him in his own dilapidated temple.
Li Ruoyu appeared silently, saying in a low voice, "Was what just happened related to you two?" His spiritual perception was exceptionally sharp, sensing something amiss.
"It has nothing to do with me..." Ye Fan pointed directly at the Old Madman.
Li Ruoyu probed with his divine sense. His Dao heart immediately became unstable, his body feeling as if it would tear apart. The natural Dao's flow was obstructed. The cocoon before him was like a demonic fetus, making his heart pound. "This is..." He sucked in a cold breath, stepping back several paces.
Ye Fan didn't hide anything. He directly revealed the Old Madman's identity and briefly explained what had happened. "If not immortal, then mad—a peerless expert from six thousand years ago..." Li Ruoyu was moved, unable to remain calm.
Anyone who learned of this would be shaken. The Old Madman had lived through countless eras, a living ancient scripture.
"Such a figure appearing on my Clumsy Peak—whether it's good or bad for Grand Mystery..." Li Ruoyu frowned.
At this moment, the Grand Mystery Sect Leader and some eminent elders stared at the shattered Dark Jade platform, long silent, their hearts filled with shock.
"These Dao patterns are too profound, hard to understand. Even a Holy Land's Domain Gate might not compare."
"Who could have carved them?"
At this, the few elders guarding the area snapped to attention and quickly recounted what had happened.
"What? It must be him!" The Grand Mystery Sect Leader and the eminent elders all showed expressions of surprise.
Soon after, the Grand Mystery Sect Leader and the sect's eminent elders appeared on Clumsy Peak. Li Ruoyu had invited them here. The Old Madman's appearance was too significant to conceal.
However, Li Ruoyu did not mention Ye Fan, claiming the Old Madman had fallen from the void and appeared on Clumsy Peak by accident.
In the following days, everything was calm. The Grand Mystery Sect sealed off the news, not letting it spread.
The sect's eminent elders treated the Old Madman like a sacred object, setting up dedicated guards to ensure no one disturbed him.
The Old Madman was in a strange state, covered by a cocoon with strange energy flowing. One eminent elder tried to probe but was shaken until he spat blood.
"Haven't you noticed? There's something strange on Clumsy Peak—some secret..." Ji Ziyue whispered to Ye Fan.
Ye Fan was speechless. Li Ruoyu had warned him not to leak information, or he might be implicated. "I hope the Old Madman wakes up soon, with no accidents..." Ye Fan could only pray silently.
The next few days remained calm and uneventful. Now that Clumsy Peak had risen in status, it had accepted many outstanding disciples. The main peak was no longer desolate.
Every day, disciples from other peaks came to visit. Ye Fan got to know many young disciples, while Ji Ziyue was surrounded like the moon by stars.
One day, someone from Star Peak came, inviting Ji Ziyue and Ye Fan. Upon hearing this, Ye Fan frowned, but Ji Ziyue smiled brightly, unafraid of trouble.
That same day, Ji Ziyue mysteriously said to Ye Fan, "My great-grandfather is here."
Ye Fan was startled and blurted out, "That old immortal is here again?"
"How dare you speak like that!" Ji Ziyue glared at him with wide eyes.
"Slip of the tongue. Is he here to take you back?" Ye Fan asked awkwardly.
"No. The Mad Old Man appeared on Clumsy Peak. The Grand Mystery Sect thought they could keep it secret, but my family and the Yaoguang Holy Land already know. Several big shots have arrived. Something unusual is bound to happen next."
Ye Fan felt ashamed. He couldn't tell Ji Ziyue many things, yet she unreservedly shared everything she knew with him.
In the distant sky, a golden ancient war chariot rumbled across the heavens. The chariot was covered in sword marks and arrow holes, exuding an endless, ancient aura.
That's all for today's chapter. I've been writing late into the night these past few days, and my mind is very tired. I'll calm down and carefully think about the subsequent plot, crafting exciting content to come.