Chapter 181: Six Thousand Years Undying
The old woman was dressed very plainly, no different from an elderly lady in an ordinary mountain village, appearing completely unremarkable.
Yet it was precisely such an old person who now became the focus, drawing everyone's gaze. The people of Yaoguang Holy Land were on high alert, not daring to act rashly.
The pyramid cast from an unknown metal shimmered with an azure luster, with sun, moon, and stars floating upon its surface, streams of clear radiance flowing out like water waves surging toward the old woman.
But they could hardly shake her in the slightest. This elderly woman remained unmoved, unaffected. She muttered to herself as she circled the pyramid.
"Hum—"
The azure pyramid vibrated, emitting a trembling sound. Then, brilliant light filled the sky, and an endless expanse of green enveloped this reddish-brown land.
Everyone was greatly astonished. The barren and desolate land had completely transformed—boundless grass covered the ground, full of vitality. Ancient trees stretching for thousands of years formed continuous patches.
A primeval aura rushed forth, vast and ancient, like the boundless universe, like the endless starry sky. Countless living beings came surging in.
It was as if an ancient world had reappeared, rumbling sounds deafening the ears. Huge creatures, like mountains, rolled past.
There were also many strange races that appeared from time to time. The lush land, dense spiritual energy, and powerful creatures dazzled the eyes.
"Is this the Northern Domain of the primeval era? Full of life, all things flourishing—completely different from now!"
They could clearly see the formation of Source. The world's Source Qi was too dense; it crystallized and gave birth to Source.
Many powerful creatures died, occasionally wrapped by dripping Source and sealed within. At this point, everyone finally understood why ancient creatures had left behind severed fingers, heads, and other remains.
"Heavens..."
At that moment, everyone gasped. They saw extremely powerful humanoid creatures actually tearing apart great mountains with their bare hands.
There were many types of humanoid creatures, each different—some covered in scales, some with beastly fur, some with towering physiques, some with slender forms, and some as beautiful as bright pearls and fine jade—all extremely powerful.
In the dense ancient forests, they occasionally saw massive temples, towering and majestic, striking fear into the heart.
Before each ancient temple stood various humanoid creatures guarding it, solemn and sacred.
The temples were all completely different—some like current Daoist temples, some like heavenly gates, and even pyramids like the one before them.
"Quite interesting..." At this moment, the old woman's voice rang out, heard clearly by everyone.
She waved her sleeve, and all the brilliant light vanished. The vitality of the land faded away. All the powerful creatures disappeared, and it became a lifeless wasteland again. The clear radiance flowed back into the pyramid.
"Whoosh—"
The old woman stepped forward and directly entered the pyramid. The luster on the azure tower dimmed again, then fell silent.
Everyone in Yaoguang Holy Land was terrified. This old woman was unfathomable; they could not stop her, nor could they try.
The Holy Maiden of Yao Chi, like an immortal lotus budding, her body pure and radiant, was shaken in spirit. What kind of person was this old woman, making her beautiful eyes widen?
Many eminent elders quickly surrounded the azure pyramid, waiting for the old woman to emerge.
Among the thousands of mortals, many were terrified. The various scenes that had just appeared made them feel as if they had entered another world.
The pyramid trembled slightly. The old woman stepped out, very calmly, as if crossing a bridge or stepping over a threshold, completely unhindered.
"Indeed quite interesting..." The old woman said these words again.
But to the listeners, the meaning was vastly different.
Such an ancient relic was obviously priceless to cultivators, yet she did not seem to care much about it.
"Senior, you are..." The Holy Maiden of Yao Chi smiled before speaking, like an immortal flower blooming, bright yet not lacking in grace.
"I'm just an ordinary old woman." The old woman looked at Yao Xi, smiling kindly. "Your fortune is not shallow."
The Holy Maiden of Yao Chi's heart stirred. She wanted to say something, but the old woman had already turned to look at others, sweeping her gaze over the eminent elders of Yaoguang one by one.
"I'll take it away, see what's special about it, and return it to Yaoguang Holy Land later," the old woman said.
"Senior, you can't..." Several eminent elders wanted to step forward to stop her. This was something the Supreme Elders had repeatedly emphasized must be guarded, so it was clearly of great importance.
But they simply could not stop her.
The old woman reached out to grab it. The hundred-meter-tall pyramid, with sun, moon, and stars flickering on it, emitted a hazy radiance.
In almost an instant, the majestic pyramid shrank down. With a flash of azure light, it became the size of an infant's fist, like a bright pearl, glowing in the old woman's hand.
With a mere gesture, she had taken the azure tower into her palm, making those eminent elders swallow their words. They knew they could not stop her.
Ye Fan had long known the old woman was unfathomable. But he was still shocked now, his heart uneasy, because she had glanced in his direction, seemingly intentionally or not.
The old woman slowly walked into the distance, her figure quickly blurring, and in almost an instant, she vanished without a trace.
After the old woman left, the Fifteenth Mining District fell into chaos. The cultivators of Yaoguang Holy Land buzzed with discussion. Such a major incident had occurred, and it had to be reported immediately.
"Let's get out of this damned place!" This was the urgent thought in Ye Fan's mind.
The Northern Domain produced Source. He didn't believe he couldn't get Source elsewhere. If he continued here, who knew what cursed things might be dug up? He might end up losing his life.
Moreover, Yao Xi was here, and the Saint Lord of Yaoguang was also coming. Both of them had seen him. This place was very dangerous.
Some time ago, Ye Fan had already figured out how to leave. Every so often, people went out to buy rice, flour, and other supplies. The disciples of Yaoguang Holy Land didn't like dealing with commoners, so each trip would bring along some Source miners.
He planned to blend into such a group. Once in the outside world, the sea was wide enough for fish to leap, the sky high enough for birds to fly—no longer constrained.
If it weren't for the Dao patterns laid here, isolating the area from the outside, he would have already fled.
"Find a place to cultivate to the third or fourth secret realm, then come back and auction off the Holy Maiden of Yao Chi's undergarment..." Ye Fan thought wickedly. Of course, this was just to motivate himself.
Since being hit with the Immortal-Sealing Powder, more than a month had passed before a trace of divine power began to flow in his body, and the Wheel Sea slowly revived.
In the past few days, while chiseling rock at the deepest part of the mine shaft, he had finally found something—a few walnut-sized Source blocks, all of which he refined.
Finally, in the golden Sea of Suffering, the azure lotus swayed. A muffled sound came from within his body, and his divine power began to flow fully.
Ye Fan did not know what kind of ordeal he had gone through. If the dose of Immortal-Sealing Powder was sufficient, it could seal even a Great Power's divine power until it dried up. If not for his special physique, he would have completely become a mortal.
After the Wheel Sea was unsealed and his cultivation restored, Ye Fan prepared to escape this place.
Of course, before leaving, he planned to gather more Source. But this spiritual substance was too rare. Even a single mine shaft could yield only a few catties. Moreover, Source was wrapped in a strange stone skin, making even a cultivator's spiritual sense useless for detection, so he couldn't find more.
"I really want to empty out Yaoguang Holy Land's Source vault." Ye Fan could only think about it. His strength was far too lacking. Even without guards, he probably couldn't break into such a place.
Two days later, Ye Fan prepared to leave, blending into the group of people going out to buy supplies. But that day, news came that the Saint Lord of Yaoguang was about to arrive, and no one was allowed in or out.
"Damn it, one twist after another. I hope nothing goes wrong." His heart tightened.
Half an hour later, a earth-shattering boom came from outside the Source district. The void shattered!
When the Saint Lord of Yaoguang arrived with his people, the void had just split open when peerless experts joined forces to attack, causing that part of the void to collapse.
"Kill!"
The battle cries shook the heavens. Outside this Source district, light shot into the sky, magical artifacts flew, and shouts and horse neighs filled the air. Countless figures charged in.
"Peacock King!" The Saint Lord of Yaoguang's voice was cold. Surrounded by a hundred and eight beams of light, with many worlds revolving around him, he was like a Divine King descending to the world.
"Saint Lord of Yaoguang!" On the other side, Peacock King was as before, like a handsome youth, but his eyes were sharp, and his roar shook the mountains and rivers.
"You demon, you dare to appear? Today, we'll slay you!" Behind the Saint Lord of Yaoguang were many elders, one of whom shouted.
"Indeed, someone will be slain, but it will be you!" Azure Dragon King appeared, standing alongside Peacock King.
"Boom—"
Heaven and earth shook. A fierce battle erupted. The Dao patterns at the edge of the Source district were torn apart, and many cultivators charged in.
"The Fourth Great Bandit and the Seventh Great Bandit are here!" The cultivators of Yaoguang Holy Land fell into chaos.
The entire Source district boiled over, turning into a mess.
Ye Fan was shocked. From the shouts, he learned that Azure Dragon King was the Fourth Great Bandit in the Northern Domain, and the Seventh Great Bandit was a formidable man named Tu Tian. Two Great Bandits, along with Peacock King, were actually ambushing the Saint Lord of Yaoguang.
The strong men under the two Great Bandits had already charged in, fighting fiercely with the Yaoguang cultivators inside.
If he didn't take advantage of the chaos to grab something, Ye Fan felt he would be letting himself down.
The Source vault—he didn't even think about it. It was definitely unopenable, and it was surely the target of the two Great Bandits' men. He headed straight for a stone tower in the Fifteenth Mining District, where the temporarily collected Source was stored.
The battle cries shook the heavens. No one was paying attention to this place now, since it was nothing compared to the Source vault.
The stone tower was no more than ten meters tall, but extremely sturdy. Ye Fan pushed at the stone door a few times, but it didn't budge.
"There are restrictions here too..." Without a second word, he swung his fist and smashed.
"Boom—"
The stone tower shook. On the fifth punch, the stone door finally broke open. Fortunately, there were no profound restrictions.
Ahead, it was dazzling. Ye Fan squinted. Pieces of Source were displayed on jade shelves, flowing with light and color, totaling dozens of catties.
All the Source collected these days was here, not yet sent away. It was colorful and very brilliant.
"So much... the total from over twenty Source mines!" Ye Fan's heart raced. So much Source meant he could increase his strength. For him, it was a priceless treasure.
He directly summoned the Jade Purification Vase and stored it all inside.
"Hey, brother, who are you? You're quick, even faster than me." A voice came from outside the stone tower. A young man around twenty years old looked at him in surprise.
"I'm just taking advantage of the situation. The professionals are outside fighting with Yaoguang Holy Land's people," Ye Fan replied casually.
"I'm the professional you're talking about. Didn't expect you to beat me to it. You're even quicker than me."
Ye Fan was speechless. The young man before him was of medium build, not particularly handsome, but his eyes were exceptionally bright, almost like the legendary "thief's gleam."
"I heard the Fifteenth Mining District is haunted and might yield some good Source, so I came here instead of attacking the Source vault." The young man's eyes grew even brighter, practically gleaming with thievery. "According to our trade's rules, since I caught up, you have to give me a quarter."
Who's in the same trade as you? I'm not a professional. Ye Fan wanted to say that, but he felt this man was unusual and didn't want to fight him here. "There's nothing special. See for yourself." He summoned the Jade Purification Vase, and a pile of Source blocks appeared.
"Since there's nothing, forget it." The young man was disappointed and waved his hand.
The two left the stone tower. Ye Fan planned to leave, but the young man suddenly grabbed him. "No, there's something on you. I sense a familiar scent."
"I'm really not a professional. I don't have anything special on me."
"No, this is... the Holy Maiden of Yao Chi's scent!" The young man's eyes shone like bright pearls as he stared at Ye Fan. "Brother, you're not simple. You're even quicker than me. You even managed to steal something from the Holy Maiden of Yao Chi."
"I... I'm really not a professional." Ye Fan shook off his hand. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"I once got close to the Holy Maiden of Yao Chi. The outstanding people in our trade have perfect memories. That's definitely her scent." The young man showed no hostility toward Ye Fan and was completely familiar, like an old friend. "Take it out and let me have a look."
Ye Fan guessed it was the Holy Maiden of Yao Chi's undergarment. He directly summoned the Jade Purification Vase and stored it inside.
"Heavens, blinding my immortal eyes!" The young man saw it clearly and exclaimed on the spot. "Brother, you're amazing, really amazing. When did our trade produce a talent like you? I admire you to death. This is something I've dreamed of doing."
"I'm really not in the same trade as you. I got that thing by chance." Ye Fan felt that walking with this guy was too dangerous. If he attracted Yao Xi's attention, the trouble would be huge. He wanted to shake him off.
"I admire you so much. In our trade, we value 'gaining by chance,' not being too deliberate." The young man looked full of admiration.
"This thing... also values 'gaining by chance'?!" Ye Fan was truly at a loss for words.
"This kind of high-difficulty job, ordinary people can't pull it off." The young man sighed. "My grandfather was a hero all his life, but he died with regret."
"Who are you? Who's your grandfather? What regret?" Ye Fan felt this guy's identity seemed quite unusual.
"My grandfather is the Seventh Great Bandit, Tu Tian. He roamed the Northern Domain and could steal anything. His greatest regret in life was not stealing a Holy Maiden as his wife."
Ye Fan was shocked. The grandson of the Seventh Great Bandit—he really had a big background.
"My name is Tu Fei. To fulfill my grandfather's wish, I've vowed to steal a Holy Maiden as my wife."
Ye Fan didn't know what to say. Capturing Holy Maidens from various Holy Lands as wives—they really had some imagination.
"The Holy Maiden of Yao Chi is over there. Let's go take a look and find a chance to make a move and take her down." Tu Fei's eyes shot out two beams of light, looking into the distance.
At this moment, battle cries shook the heavens. Fierce fighting was everywhere.
Ahead, Yao Xi, with her immortal-like skin and jade-like body, was like a thin cloud covering the bright moon, like a pearl caressed by the jade sea—beautiful to the extreme. Her long skirt fluttered as she danced with the wind, battling many bandits.
Ye Fan broke free. He felt that following this guy would bring him great misfortune. With battles raging everywhere, now was the perfect time for him to leave.
Tu Fei soared into the air and shouted, "Yao Xi, did you lose something? A genius of our trade got his hands on it!"
Ye Fan stumbled, almost falling to the ground. This bastard had no filter on his mouth. He really dared to say anything. Wasn't this inviting disaster upon him?