Chapter 196: The Beginningless Scripture
The vast hall, spanning several hundred zhang in area and as empty as a plaza, was somewhat dim. A lone skeleton sat quietly there, with shocking finger-sized holes visible on its bones. Not far away, on the purple rock ground, lay some scattered fragments of stone clothing, tattered and worn beyond recognition. "Zhang Jiye!"
Ye Fan strode over. Indeed, the stone clothing fragments on the ground were made of the same material as the stone clothing he wore—the outer skin of Divine Source.
This skeleton had multiple fractures. Having sustained such severe injuries and still managing to reach this place, his vitality must have been remarkably long-lasting.
By his side lay a silver book, indeed carved from metal, about a hundred pages thick. It felt exceptionally heavy in the hand, with three ancient characters engraved on it: Source Heaven Scripture. The strokes were bold and vigorous, the calligraphy forceful, the characters solid and condensed, like three azure dragons crouching in repose. "It really is the Source Heaven Scripture!"
Ye Fan's heart surged with excitement. He had entered Purple Mountain specifically to seek this out, and had been on the verge of giving up, never expecting to obtain it at such a critical moment. In the Northern Domain, for tens of thousands of years, over-mining of source had nearly exhausted the source veins, making source increasingly precious.
Ye Fan's physique was special, requiring a massive amount of source—something that would have been extremely difficult before. But now, things were different. Mastering this book, if he could cultivate to become a Source Heavenly Master, not to mention vast quantities of source, even finding Divine Source would not be impossible. "Haha..." He couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Every step he advanced required ten times the source. The first realm of the Dao Palace alone was already beyond what a small sect could bear, and the astronomical figures that followed could almost crush a person's breath. "There's a way to solve everything now..." Ye Fan opened the Source Heaven Scripture. Streams of silver light shot out, flowing with iridescent brilliance, sparkling like diamonds.
This was truly a treasure. Not to mention the content within, even the material itself was rare in the world, indestructible, comparable to the golden pages that recorded the Dao Scripture. "This is a secret treasure. No wonder it could break into Purple Mountain; it can be used even without deep cultivation."
Within, each ancient character shone like stars, radiant and dazzling. This silver book captivated the heart at first glance.
The opening chapter made clear that this was not merely a sacred text for seeking source; it expounded on heaven, earth, and humanity, approaching the Dao through source, with the ultimate goal of achieving unity between heaven and man. "Looking up, one observes the patterns of heaven; looking down, one examines the laws of earth; observing the markings of birds and beasts, and the suitability of the land... Inner qi germinates, outer qi takes form, inner and outer multiply each other..." "Qi disperses when carried by wind, and stops when bounded by water. The ancients gathered it to prevent dispersion, directed it to make it stop..."
Ye Fan flipped through the pages continuously, encountering such records one after another. This was indeed a profound and extensive body of knowledge.
As he turned further, the silver iron pages emitted a strange luster, making his expression increasingly solemn. No wonder it was a remarkable book—its techniques bordered on the Dao.
It did not discuss cultivation methods, yet it approached Daoist principles, covering a wide range of topics: examining the forms of mountains and rivers, the structure of terrain, the changes of celestial phenomena, involving yin and yang and the five elements, and even methods of heaven-human resonance (tian ren gan ying), profound and obscure, difficult to comprehend. "Above, it corresponds to the stars; below, it manifests in maps; heaven and earth generate, hexagrams stabilize..." After reading, Ye Fan fell silent for a long time. It was too complex—a profound scripture involving far too many things. "No wonder, from ancient times to the present, only five Source Heavenly Masters have emerged in total. The Zhang family possessed such a remarkable book, yet only their founding ancestor managed to cultivate it."
Ye Fan sighed. Becoming a Source Heavenly Master was extremely difficult. The hundred pages of the Source Heaven Scripture recorded highly abstruse knowledge, requiring great effort to comprehend—it could never be achieved overnight. When he reached the latter half, he grew increasingly astonished. Driving mountains and commanding seas, sensing the stars, uniting man with heaven... "No wonder a Source Heavenly Master could contend with the unmatched experts of the Holy Lands."
When he turned to the last few pages, Ye Fan suddenly discovered that beneath each line of text, there was a line of smaller characters, different in style from the main text of the Source Heaven Scripture, as if added by a later person. "In the center of the valley, there is no valley, formless and shadowless, without opposition or compliance, dwelling low without moving, remaining still without decaying, the valley is thus formed, yet its form is unseen..."
This was a cultivation method, definitely not part of the original Source Heaven Scripture. He was very surprised—this was the Art of the Five Spirits, which was the heart method for cultivating the Dao Palace, a secret for nurturing life.
When Ye Fan first embarked on the path of cultivation, Elder Wu Qingfeng had told him that stepping onto the Other Shore was often for the sake of prolonging life. Later, he learned that cultivating the Dao Palace and nurturing the five divine blessings was a secret art for extending lifespan, and also the foundation for cultivating Dao power. "This is clearly a life-nurturing art..." Ye Fan muttered to himself. The few pages of scripture were recorded in general terms, but enough to extend life. The more he read, the more astonished he became. After finishing those pages, he found himself unable to tear away. "This is indeed a heart method for the Dao Palace secret realm, but it's incomplete, seeming to be a high-level summary and condensation. Yet it's very profound; cultivating it should lead to extraordinary achievements..." What kind of mystic art was this? Its profundity was no less than that of the Dao Scripture. One could tell at a glance it was a supreme secret manual.
Suddenly, a vague thought arose in his mind: could this be the incomplete heart method of the Yao Chi Holy Land? He felt it was possible.
Back then, the Holy Maiden of Yao Chi was the beloved confidante of the Source Heavenly Master. After learning of his disappearance in his later years, she disregarded her own life and entered the Demon Mountain to search for him. One could imagine how extraordinary their relationship was. "Perhaps that's really it. The Holy Maiden of Yao Chi gave him part of the heart method to nurture his life and increase his lifespan..."
The silver celestial scripture was indeed a secret treasure. Ye Fan stored it within his body, where it stood side by side with the golden pages of the Dao Scripture, both floating and sinking. One gold, one silver, gleaming with metallic luster, exceptionally eye-catching.
He dug a pit on the ground, buried Zhang Jiye's bones, erected a small tombstone for him, and bowed deeply. "Rest in peace here."
The empty hall had nothing else. Ye Fan searched for a long time but did not find the extreme weapon—the bell. "It seems the Great Emperor's weapon isn't so easy to obtain. Perhaps it's left here to suppress something." He shook his head and gave up the search. Now that he had obtained the Source Heaven Scripture, he had no other desires. It was time to return. But once he left the hall, he would likely encounter those ancient creatures again, and the path back had been cut off. "What should I do?" Ye Fan frowned. Purple Mountain was no benevolent place. Staying long-term, no one could predict what might happen.
Even the powerful Eastern Wasteland Divine King had been trapped here for four thousand years, on the verge of turning to dust. If Ye Fan couldn't find a way out, he certainly wouldn't last more than a few years.
Ye Fan summoned his cauldron, letting it hover above his head, dripping strands of Mysterious Yellow Mother Qi to protect his physical body. Then, stepping unsteadily, he walked toward the exit of the hall.
But no sooner had he gone a short distance than piercing cries rang out. Seven or eight ancient creatures appeared simultaneously, each with a ferocious appearance, all different, encircling him.
Some were bird-like, others crocodile-like, and a few resembled humans. Their roars shook the ancient mines around them.
The six-armed creature was no longer the strongest. There were even more terrifying existences, striding forward, causing the void to collapse under their steps. With a single step, all directions trembled, as if an emperor had arrived!
One creature closely resembled a human male, except it had three heads and nine arms, clad in armor. Its purple hair danced, actually tearing the void. "These aren't beings from peerless Divine Source—how are they already this powerful!" Ye Fan was shaken. Such existences were immeasurably terrifying. If released into the mortal world, few human experts could suppress them. Without hesitation, he leaped into the cauldron and flew backward.
An icy, bone-piercing snort rang out. The purple-haired man descended like a heavenly god, landing outside the hall. His eyes were as deep as the ocean, captivating the soul.
His three heads and nine arms moved simultaneously, unleashing a suffocating wave of energy. The surrounding ancient mines silently collapsed. The other ancient creatures trembled in fear, retreating, and a few even knelt directly.
Without a doubt, the purple-haired man was a superior among the ancient creatures. The void around him split open. Nine massive hands reached into the hall, like the manifestation of an immovable wisdom king, sealing everything.
Ye Fan felt his cauldron being pulled backward. The opponent was actually trying to draw him out. The terrifying pressure made him feel as if his soul was about to shatter.
Inside the cauldron, he shouted. The Dao Scripture heart method activated, the Nine Secrets manifested, his body trembled like a war god, divine power surging through him, resisting the cauldron's retreat. "Dong!"
A deep, resonant bell sound rang out. The three-headed, nine-armed purple-haired man let out a muffled groan, cast a reluctant glance into the hall, then took a step and vanished in an instant.
The heart-stopping, terrifying wave receded like a tide. The other ancient creatures also disappeared in an instant.
Ye Fan's heart chilled. That purple-haired man was too terrifying, his divine might shocking the world. If released, he would surely cause boundless chaos. "Three heads and nine arms... it feels somewhat similar to some deities..." This thought arose in his mind. But for now, there was no time to dwell on it. Finding a way to escape was the most urgent matter. "This bell sound... this hall..."
Ye Fan was astonished to discover that the entire hall was very likely the ancient bell itself—the extreme weapon of that Great Emperor from over a hundred thousand years ago.
"It's too massive. How can I collect it..." Ye Fan tried, but it was like an ant trying to shake a tree. The most powerful restrictions were definitely laid here. Though the Great Emperor was no more, this bell still possessed unparalleled power, as if immense divine force was flowing within. "You... why are you wandering around..." Suddenly, the voice of Divine King Jiang Taixu came through, still extremely weak. "Senior, you're unharmed! That's wonderful!" Ye Fan was overjoyed to hear his transmission. "They... have awakened... you... cannot leave." Jiang Taixu's divine sense was even weaker than before, but his ability to find Ye Fan within Purple Mountain also demonstrated the Divine King's terrifying power. "Senior, if we join forces, we can definitely break out. I have divine spring water here that can help you recover your divine power."
"If you had come ten years earlier... I might still have had a chance." Divine King Jiang spoke intermittently, saying he was at the end of his rope and couldn't escape his trapped place. Even if Ye Fan brought him a sacred fruit, it would be useless because he couldn't reach it. At the same time, Ye Fan received a very bad piece of news.
Even without the ancient creatures, once one entered Purple Mountain, it was almost impossible to leave. This was a death ground. The Great Emperor from over a hundred thousand years ago had used heaven-defying means to make this place a self-contained world—only entry, no exit. "One of the Nine Secrets... I have passed it on... no matter what... it will not be severed in my hands..." Jiang Taixu said, extremely weakly.
Ye Fan instantly understood his intention. This supreme secret art was known to him alone in all the world. It was not an ancient scripture of the Jiang family. He wanted to pass it on to someone, to fulfill a wish. "Senior, rest assured. If I escape, I will definitely notify the Jiang family to come and rescue you!" "No!" Jiang Taixu was very urgent. "I am about to decay. I don't need anyone to come and die. Don't tell them about this place." "What kind of place is this, exactly?" Ye Fan asked. But after saying those words, Jiang Taixu fell silent, with no further sound.
This place was shrouded in layers of mystery. Ancient creatures had taken over the nine dragon veins guarding Purple Mountain, each vein containing peerless Divine Source. What kind of place was Purple Mountain before the ancient times? The Great Emperor from over a hundred thousand years ago was a later arrival—what had he done here?
Ye Fan sighed. To understand all this, he would probably have to thoroughly comprehend the Source Heaven Scripture. The path back was cut off; he couldn't go outward. Gritting his teeth, Ye Fan headed deeper into Purple Mountain.
No sooner had he left the hall than he sensed the demonic summoning force. He nearly lifted off the ground and floated directly over. "No wonder even the Divine King was trapped here to die. This kind of demonic power..." Ye Fan's body trembled, completely involuntarily, his soul wanting to leave his body.
One could imagine that back then, the generation's Divine King, who ruled the Eastern Wasteland with innate pride, would certainly have wanted to investigate. In the end, he was no match... "Is it the beings within the nine blocks of Divine Source?"
Unable to withstand the pull of this power, Ye Fan retreated. Then he suddenly noticed, ten li away, a massive stone book.
Yes, the area ahead was very open, visible at a glance. A stone book stood on the ground, over ten meters long and one to two meters thick.
An item on his body emitted a candle-like glow—it was the jade pendant, the Imperial Jade obtained from Chen Dahu. "This is..." Ye Fan walked forward step by step, enduring the danger of his soul nearly scattering, slowly approaching the stone book.
Though it was less than ten li, Ye Fan took a full three hours to cover the distance, leaving a deep trail of footprints on the ground, sweat pooling everywhere, his bones feeling like they were splitting.
His ears rang, and his consciousness grew hazy. The demonic summoning was becoming unbearable. But finally, he reached the stone book. Here, things improved somewhat. The demonic power weakened, allowing him to regain some clarity. "Sss!"
He sucked in a cold breath. Behind the stone book, vines covered the ground, lush and green. The ancient mines were filled with plants, and it was through them that the demonic power was emitted. "Probably a few more li, and that would be the center of Purple Mountain!" Ye Fan muttered to himself.
Just then, he noticed that the Imperial Jade on his body was growing brighter, and the thick stone book also emitted a soft glow. Ye Fan approached, blew away the dust of ages, and saw three large characters on it: Beginningless Scripture! "This is..." His heart shook. The character "scripture" suggested it was a supreme divine text. He naturally immediately thought of the Great Emperor from over a hundred thousand years ago—this was most likely his ancient scripture.
Ye Fan couldn't help but be shaken. The Eastern Wasteland only had a few ancient scriptures in total. Here was an unearthed supreme text—how could he not be excited? "It won't open?!" He tried forcefully to turn the pages of the ancient scripture, but found it didn't budge at all. The stone book was heavier than a mountain. The Beginningless Scripture was like the root of heaven and earth, utterly immovable, impossible to open.
He held the jade pendant and scratched it across the surface, but it was useless. The ancient scripture only became hazy, with no sign of opening. "That's it. This jade pendant is incomplete..." Ye Fan was filled with regret. If the ancient jade were whole, he might have obtained a scripture that could shake the ages.
"The Beginningless Scripture... just hearing the name makes my heart unable to calm down, but I can't obtain it..." He sat on the stone scripture, trying every effort, but it was all in vain.