Chapter 197: At the End of the Immortal Path, Who Stands as the Peak? Upon Seeing Wu Shi, the Dao Turns to Emptiness
Ye Fan could only sigh, possessing an ancient scripture but unable to obtain it. The mental cultivation method left behind by a Great Emperor, if passed down, would be enough to develop a Holy Land.
This was no exaggeration; it was indeed true. The foundation of several Holy Lands’ teachings was each a secret canon they held—such was the power of a supreme ancient scripture.
Suddenly, Ye Fan discovered several lines of text on a stone wall not far away. Upon closer inspection, they were left by Jiang Taixu. Even the Peerless Divine King of the Eastern Wasteland had been unable to view the ancient scripture.
"Emperor Wu Shi, whose profound mastery of the Dao surpasses heaven and earth, shaking the past and astounding the present. Alas, to be unable to glimpse his methods is a great regret of my life..."
According to Divine King Jiang’s account, the stone scripture had been personally sealed by Emperor Wu Shi and could not be opened unless the Emperor were resurrected or someone came bearing his token.
Furthermore, he speculated that this scripture contained the power of the Dao, left here to suppress something. This was a gateway; beyond it lay the origin of Purple Mountain.
After reading this, Ye Fan’s heart turned cold. A peerless treasure lay before his eyes, yet he could only stare helplessly, with no way to open it.
"I want to see it..." he muttered unwillingly.
Ye Fan walked a full circle around the stone scripture and saw a few more ancient characters, likely from an even earlier time.
"At the end of the immortal path, who stands as the peak? Upon seeing Wu Shi, the Dao turns to emptiness..." The signature was Gu Tianshu, who had also come here.
Ye Fan naturally remembered this person. He was a figure from seventy thousand years ago, even more powerful than Jiang Taixu. Thirty-seven people had entered the Demon Mountain, and in terms of strength, he ranked first.
Seventy thousand years ago, Gu Tianshu had shaken heaven and earth, yet he could not break Emperor Wu Shi’s seal. From his words, it was clear he held the Emperor in the highest esteem.
Upon reflection, this was indeed true. Since ancient times, the Eastern Wasteland had only produced a few Great Emperors, representing the strongest "monuments" of past and present.
"At the end of the immortal path, who stands as the peak? Upon seeing Wu Shi, the Dao turns to emptiness..." Ye Fan murmured. His heart surged with emotion. Was that Great Emperor truly so formidable?
Just over a dozen words sufficed to convey his unparalleled achievements. Not being born in the same era was regrettable; not being able to meet him face to face was lamentable.
Ye Fan searched around the stone scripture carefully and thoroughly but ultimately found nothing.
When he stopped and sat down in frustration, he suddenly noticed that this place was strange. It resembled an altar, with the stone scripture displayed atop it.
It was a vast platform, with enormous patterns carved into it. If one didn’t look closely, they might seem like natural ravines.
Ye Fan stood up again. After determining the center of the altar, he walked forward. At that moment, the jade pendant on his body shone even brighter.
"There’s something odd. I can’t tell if it’s auspicious or ominous..."
When he reached the center, he found it increasingly peculiar. The patterns here were much denser, resembling Dao patterns.
This technique was vastly different from modern methods, leaning more toward nature. The patterns were composed of wind, rain, thunder, lightning, birds, beasts, flowers, and insects.
At the very center, Ye Fan discovered a recess about the size of a human head.
"Hum—"
The ancient jade in his hand trembled lightly, as if it had come to life, radiating dazzling light.
"Could this ancient jade be meant to fit here..." He was doubtful. Holding the jade up for comparison, he found it matched one corner of the recess.
"If I put the jade piece in, what will happen?" His heart was uncertain, and he didn’t act immediately.
"Could it be opening some seal? Would it unlock the *Wu Shi Scripture*?" With this thought, his mind grew restless.
Of course, he also considered the worst-case scenario—it might be connected to ancient creatures, or even to beings sealed within divine source stones.
"Unfortunately, the jade is incomplete. It probably won’t truly work." Ye Fan didn’t dare act rashly.
He pondered how to leave. Perhaps he would have to wait a few years until the ancient creatures that had already emerged all decayed, then he could depart.
According to the information he had, once ancient creatures broke free from their source stones, they couldn’t last long in the world. In a few years at most, or decades at least, they would turn to dust.
"I’m no Divine King Jiang. I can only hold out for a few years at best..."
Suddenly, a chill ran down Ye Fan’s spine. He sensed something watching him.
This made him feel that something was terribly wrong. If an ancient creature had tracked him here, he was truly in danger. Was it possible that even the *Wu Shi Scripture*, sealed with the Emperor’s Dao power, didn’t deter it?
Ye Fan quickly retreated, drawing near the stone scripture, and scanned his surroundings. But he found nothing—saw nothing.
"Was it an illusion?" He wondered if his nerves had been too strained over the past few days, causing hallucinations.
Regardless, he dared not move recklessly. He sat down in meditation before the stone scripture, silently cultivating, muttering to himself, "Endure a few years, and I’ll regain my freedom."
After only half a day, Ye Fan felt something was off. Something was definitely here, not far away, seemingly unafraid of the stone scripture.
"It’s circling nearby..."
With this judgment, Ye Fan could no longer sit still. He leaped to his feet.
In the distance, faint roars could be heard. Those ancient creatures seemed to be crossing the ancient mine, trying to bypass the hall formed by the Extreme Weapon and advance toward him.
At the same time, the hidden creature extended its divine sense to spy on him, making him clearly aware of it.
"I can’t stay here any longer..." He decided to retreat to the Bell Hall.
Before leaving, he glanced at the recess in the center of the altar. Approaching it, he gritted his teeth and pressed the ancient jade into place.
"Something left by a Great Emperor can’t be meant to harm his descendants."
Suddenly, the moment the ancient jade sank into the recess, the place became dazzling. Light shot into the sky, and a massive light curtain instantly enveloped him.
The cauldron he had already summoned immediately took him in, protecting him inside.
Ye Fan’s heart pounded. He didn’t know what astonishing changes would occur after the jade piece entered the recess.
Before he could think further, the light curtain quickly tore through the void, and everything became hazy.
"It’s crossing the void! Where is it going?!" The jade was incomplete; opening the void like this was very likely to cause chaos.
But it was already irreversible. All around was darkness, silent and empty. He had already entered the void.
A beam of light shot over, and the ancient jade flew in as well. Ye Fan quickly used the cauldron to collect it, grabbing it in his hand.
The jade piece was not complete, so it couldn’t reach the destination Emperor Wu Shi had originally designed. This worried him. The only thing he was grateful for was that hiding in the Primordial Qi Cauldron meant he didn’t have to fear being crushed.
"Swish—"
Before long, the void was torn open again. Boundless darkness appeared before his eyes, revealing nothing.
"Plop—"
He fell into water. An icy, bone-chilling current seeped through the cauldron.
"Where is this?" Ye Fan emerged from the cauldron. Around him, cold currents surged, and the river flowed swiftly.
"Is this underground?" He punched upward, and a rumbling sound echoed.
He drifted with the current. All around was pitch black, with stone walls on either side. Suddenly, a massive whirlpool appeared ahead, and the underground river plunged straight downward.
Ye Fan burst out of the water. He struck violently, even summoning the Golden Book to slash repeatedly, forcing a path upward toward the surface.
It was hard to imagine how deep underground he had been. He carved through several hundred meters without reaching the surface.
Then, he excavated another thousand meters upward before finally sensing flowing air. He burst out from underground, but still, boundless darkness surrounded him.
"This is..." It looked familiar. It was a massive ancient mine, seemingly endless.
"The Dragon Vein! I’m out!" Ye Fan exclaimed in shock. He could hardly believe he had escaped from Purple Mountain.
This was the path he had chosen—the ancient mine beneath the Dragon Vein. He even saw the carvings on the mine walls.
"That’s right! I really am out!" He rushed forward, touching the ancient carvings. They depicted the Great Emperor suppressing the divine source stone.
He could hardly contain his excitement. He had thought he would be trapped and die inside like Jiang Taixu, but he had escaped so quickly.
When he chose to enter Purple Mountain, he had guessed the Great Emperor’s jade pendant might prove useful, but he hadn’t expected it to be so crucial—allowing him to cross the void at a critical moment.
"What’s that?!" Suddenly, Ye Fan’s heart tightened. Something in the ancient mine seemed to be spying on him.
"Could it be demon bats? No, they can’t evade my divine sense..." This gave him a bad feeling.
Ye Fan didn’t linger. He transformed into a bolt of lightning and shot forward. He had come through ninety-nine hardships; if he stumbled at the last step, it would be too unjust.
Before long, he reached the end of the great mine. Leaping upward, he ascended several thousand meters. Light appeared above, and fresh air rushed to meet him.
Soon after, he finally reached the surface.
Ye Fan had been trapped in Purple Mountain for over a month. Now, standing on the reddish-brown earth, feeling the warmth of the midday sun, he felt as if he had been reborn. For a long time, he couldn’t calm down.
Only after a considerable time did he leave this Dragon Vein and walk into the distance.
This trip to Purple Mountain had brought him great gains, but also regrets.
It was a pity that the generation’s Divine King, after enduring four thousand years of suffering, would ultimately turn to dust.
Jiang Taixu had passed on supreme secret techniques to him, filling him with gratitude. He felt that this old Divine King was somewhat pitiable.
"If I become strong enough, I will go back in. Even if I can’t save your life, I will bury your bones and pay my respects."
The Nine Secrets represented the supreme, incomparable to anything else. Their value was immeasurable—they were the strongest secret arts in nine domains.
The Divine King’s transmission of the method was a great kindness.
Finally, he thought of the *Wu Shi Scripture*. Not being able to bring it out was the greatest regret.
"At the end of the immortal path, who stands as the peak? Upon seeing Wu Shi, the Dao turns to emptiness."
Such an evaluation was enough to illustrate his achievements, surpassing past and present. For Ye Fan, such an ancient scripture held unparalleled allure.
He was severely lacking in subsequent cultivation methods. The *Wu Shi Scripture*, not passed down in the world, was most suitable for him. It wouldn’t cause disputes or attract attention.
Even someone as powerful as Gu Tianshu had left such a message, stirring Ye Fan’s emotions.
Ye Fan felt that in the future, he should collect ancient jade pieces in the Northern Domain. Perhaps he could gather the complete Imperial Jade. If so, one day, when he entered Purple Mountain again, he might be able to open the *Wu Shi Scripture*.
"The *Wu Shi Scripture* has lain there for over a hundred thousand years. It won’t be lost. One day, I will uncover its secrets."
After walking dozens of li, Ye Fan felt as if something was following him. But every time he turned back, he saw nothing. This puzzled him.
"There must be some creature following me. This feeling... is very peculiar!" Ye Fan suspected. It didn’t feel like ill intent; he sensed no killing intent.
He thought for a moment and recalled the feeling of being spied on by an unknown creature before the *Wu Shi Scripture*. The two sensations were similar.
He shuddered. "No way. Did something from Purple Mountain come out with me?!"
But during the void crossing, he hadn’t noticed anything. He muttered, "Maybe I’m overthinking it..."
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