Chapter 176: Crossing the Northern Domain
Ye Fan clearly heard the "crack" of his own bones, his body nearly deformed, suffering an unimaginably severe injury. With a "plop," he fell into a mountain stream, completely slipping into a half-conscious, half-awake state, groggy and dazed.
A river formed by mountain streams, waterfalls, and springs wound through the beautiful hills. Ye Fan floated up and down, carried along by the current, swept off into the distance. The river was not particularly swift. After half a day, it entered the plains and merged into a surging great river.
Ye Fan occasionally woke up, but had no strength at all. Floating in this wide river, he felt that at least a dozen bones in his body were broken.
One must know that his physical body was comparable to a precious treasure, yet it was still injured to this extent. It was easy to imagine how terrifying the situation had been.
After drifting for a full three days, Ye Fan's consciousness gradually revived. He immediately grimaced in pain, as many places ached severely.
By this time, the river had calmed down. Not far away, there was a dock with many boats moored, and a city stood by the riverbank.
"Bang"
He was washed by the river to the front of the dock, crashing into a large boat. Someone immediately noticed him.
"Damn, what bad luck. A dead body hitting the boat means no good luck all year." The people above cursed.
"Not dead, seems to still be breathing."
"Fish him up and take a look."
Someone went into the water, and with a flurry of hands, they hauled Ye Fan onto the large boat.
"Could he be a strong cultivator?" the boat captain said with awe. "Could he be seriously injured and fallen into the river?"
He reached out to probe Ye Fan's Wheel Sea, then quickly stood up and cursed, "He's useless, no divine power fluctuations." The others gathered around, observing Ye Fan and discussing. "His face is disfigured, mouth crooked and eyes slanted, one leg long and one short, his body is also deformed. Never seen such an ugly person." "This ugly freak is clutching a woman's undergarment in his hand, refusing to let go. Could he be trying to die for love?" "That bra is really beautiful, but it's wasted in his hands." "Hey, Li Laosan, don't tell me you want it? The woman he fancied can't be any good either. Be careful not to have nightmares." The people at the dock chattered endlessly.
Ye Fan quickly understood. The void had shattered, his physical body had suffered severe damage and was completely deformed. To recover, he would need to reset his bones. For now, he probably really did look like an ugly freak. "What should we do with him? Looks like he can survive." "Throw him on the dock and let him fend for himself. That counts as accumulating some hidden virtue, doing a good deed."
The boat captain circled around Ye Fan and said, "We can't save him for nothing. Isn't the 'Joyful Gang' in the city recruiting people everywhere? Sell him there. That's also helping him make a living."
"What exactly is the Joyful Gang looking for people for?" someone beside him asked.
"I heard they're acting on behalf of a major power, recruiting people to go to the Northern Domain to mine Source."
"Heavens, the Northern Domain! An ordinary person couldn't reach it in ten lifetimes. How would they get there?"
"Cultivators have immortal methods and can cross the void. Although we can't get there, it's no trouble for them."
Ye Fan originally wanted to stand up and leave, but when he heard their words, he was momentarily moved and didn't get up. "Ugly freak, are you okay?" the boat captain leaned down and asked. "I'm fine. I'll recover in a few days of rest." Ye Fan naturally had to cooperate.
Hearing this, the boat captain was very satisfied. "Give him some food, then send him to the Joyful Gang."
The Joyful Gang was merely a small sect, even inferior to the Spirit Ruins Cave Heaven, but in such a city, it was a behemoth.
This region was near the Yaoguang Holy Land, and all sects were subordinate to it. The Joyful Gang's status was far from sufficient; it was a bottom-level sect, controlled by those sects that were vassals of Yaoguang Holy Land. "Why are you sending all kinds of people here? We need strong laborers, not someone like this cripple." The Joyful Gang people were very dissatisfied when they saw Ye Fan's appearance. "He's very strong, definitely not disabled. Let him move a stone to prove it," the boat captain said with a flattering smile.
Ye Fan cooperatively lifted a large stone, walked a few steps, and threw it to the ground. Thus, he was kept. Five days later, the Joyful Gang sent him and several hundred others to a sect called "Jade Void." "Check carefully. Don't let any cultivators sneak in. We're taking people to mine Source, not helping people cross the void. If something goes wrong, no one can bear the responsibility." Jade Void was subordinate to Yaoguang Holy Land, serving it.
An old man held a jade needle and had Ye Fan and the others come forward one by one. Beams of jade light shot out, piercing toward everyone's Wheel Sea position. "Very good, none have divine power." The old man nodded with satisfaction.
However, it didn't end there. Next, over a dozen old men came forward, repeatedly and carefully checking more than ten times before letting the several hundred people pass. This was selecting people for Yaoguang Holy Land, so they naturally dared not be careless in the slightest. During these days, Ye Fan learned a lot of information.
In the Northern Domain, a peerless divine Source had emerged, shaking the Eastern Wasteland. Many major powers couldn't hold back and descended upon the northern lands, supporting their own representatives to excavate Source mines in the areas where divine Source had appeared.
Since time immemorial, the various Holy Lands and Primordial Aristocratic Clans had already entered the Northern Domain, each owning their own Source mines. This time, the Primordial Ancient Mine was restless, and divine Source had appeared in other places as well, making them pay even more attention.
Source was extremely mysterious, formed before the ancient times, and could even be traced back to the beginning of heaven and earth, buried deep underground.
It was very difficult for cultivators to find, because Source was all wrapped in a peculiar "stone skin." Even cultivators couldn't see through this stone skin. Only after mining it out could one determine whether there was Source.
It was like jadeite on the other side of the starry sky. When wrapped in old skin, no precision instruments could detect it. Only by cutting it open could one know if there was "green." Moreover, mining Source sometimes led to all kinds of strange and evil occurrences, such as mysterious creatures that had slept for eons being unearthed, or baleful qi from before the Primordial Ancient era leaking out. Therefore, cultivators rarely mined Source themselves.
These ordinary people who had been recruited, although they knew they were going to the Northern Domain to mine Source and it wasn't very safe, couldn't resist the temptation of gold coins.
Ye Fan's Wheel Sea was currently sealed, his divine power dried up. Staying in this region meant there was absolutely no way out. He decided to take a risk and use this opportunity to go to the Northern Domain.
At present, many bones in his body were deformed, including his cheekbones and jawbones. He was completely disfigured. His left shin was even broken into three pieces, making his left leg look shorter. The same was true elsewhere; his body was nearly deformed. His vitality was truly powerful. In just five or six days, the broken bones had already healed.
However, because they hadn't been set properly, the bones connected in a crooked shape, making him look like an ugly freak no matter how you looked at him. Ye Fan did this on purpose. He would only reset his bones after reaching the Northern Domain. For now, he needed this appearance.
After staying at Jade Void for seven or eight days, they repeatedly checked to make sure there were no oversights before sending Ye Fan and the others to Yaoguang Holy Land. From a great distance, the people of Jade Void descended from the clouds and led the several hundred people forward on foot.
Ye Fan was very surprised. Ahead, amidst steaming clouds and radiant mists, great mountains were all floating in the sky, not resting on the ground at all.
Each great mountain was majestic and imposing. Some were wreathed in demonic clouds, others surrounded by colorful mists, as if they had existed since the beginning of heaven and earth, exuding an aura of the Primordial Ancient era.
"A bunch of country bumpkins, never seen the world before," a young cultivator mocked, though he himself was also inwardly shocked. "This is just a corner of Yaoguang Holy Land. Deeper inside, it's even more mysterious and magnificent. They say there are various temples from before the ancient times, and even a Divine City, standing atop the clouds, never falling."
How could these hundreds of ordinary people have ever seen such a scene? They were all dumbfounded, calling it a land of immortals, and some even knelt down directly.
Ahead, light flashed, and several figures quickly approached. The people of Yaoguang Holy Land had arrived.
Led by a middle-aged man, several young men and women followed behind, landing on the ground.
Ye Fan couldn't say he wasn't nervous, but he had to take the risk. In the Southern Domain, he had no way to survive. Fortunately, aside from the Holy Maiden, no one in Yaoguang Holy Land knew him. He didn't think it would be so coincidental as to run into the Holy Maiden of Yaoguang.
The people of Jade Void hurried forward, their attitudes humble, performing great bows. The middle-aged man waved his hand, telling them to rise.
A dazzling light enveloped the several hundred people. Strange energy fluctuated. It took a full half hour before the light faded. The middle-aged man nodded and said, "No problem. None have divine power."
Hearing this, Ye Fan breathed a sigh of relief, but his heart also sank. The Sealing Immortal Powder was so terrifying, temporarily drying up his divine power. Even powerful cultivators couldn't detect it. Could he still recover? The middle-aged cultivator waved his sleeve, which instantly covered the sky and blotted out the sun, sweeping all several hundred people inside. The hundreds of ordinary people cried out in alarm. Such a secret technique filled them with terror.
However, it wasn't long before they saw the light of day again, appearing on a giant island floating in the sky. Around them, mist was hazy, and clouds surged.
They could vaguely see many great mountains floating in the distance, majestic yet graceful, truly magnificent. "So this is Yaoguang. What I see is just a corner. So grand and magnificent, no wonder it's revered as a Holy Land. Grand Mystery is already huge, but it absolutely can't compare," Ye Fan sighed inwardly.
He really wanted to know what kind of grand scene the various ancient temples deep within Yaoguang Holy Land would present, and even more so, he wanted to see that never-falling Divine City. But he couldn't have his wish. For now, he was just an ordinary person about to go mine Source.
Suddenly, Ye Fan's expression froze. On this floating giant island, a woman descended, her immortal grace otherworldly, extremely familiar.
She wore a blue dress, like a white lotus rolling with dewdrops, or a fresh snow lotus on a snowy mountain, giving a fresh and natural feeling.
"Wei Wei!"
Ye Fan was very surprised. He had seen an old acquaintance.
Wei Wei was from the Spirit Ruins Cave Heaven. It was she who had brought Ye Fan and Pang Bo out of the forest outside the Ancient Forbidden Land.
It was said that her talent was extremely high, rarely seen in a thousand years. The Spirit Ruins Cave Heaven didn't want to waste her aptitude and had sent her to Yaoguang Holy Land. He never expected to meet her again today. Ye Fan turned sideways, not wanting to be discovered by her. "Senior Sister Yao Xi is back. It seems she suffered a great loss outside this time, injured quite badly..." a disciple of Yaoguang Holy Land said.
"Senior Sister Yao Xi will be going to the Northern Domain soon." Wei Wei parted her red lips, glancing at Ye Fan with seeming intent, then slowly walked away.
Ahead, mist was hazy. An immortal gate stood before them. All ordinary people had to pass through here to undergo another inspection.
In addition to their several hundred, there were also several thousand people waiting here. Everyone passed through one by one, and nothing unexpected happened, letting Ye Fan breathe a sigh of relief. "I have business in the Northern Domain. Today, I'll take a batch of people over."
At the center of the island was a high platform, entirely built from Dark Jade, gleaming with light. An old man in green robes stood atop it, with some young disciples behind him. "Farewell to the Supreme Elder!" Wei Wei and the others bowed at the foot of the platform.
"Swish"
The old man in green robes waved his sleeve, sweeping all several thousand people inside. Then, the Dark Jade platform blazed with light, a Domain Gate opened, and he stepped inside, followed by the several young people.
Being swept into the sleeve of Yaoguang Holy Land's Supreme Elder, Ye Fan breathed a sigh of relief. He was about to enter the Northern Domain. This time, he had finally left the Southern Domain.