Chapter 228: Encounter in the Forbidden Zone
The sky was like ink, the stars and moon had vanished, as if plunged into eternal darkness. All around the Primordial Ancient Mine, there was only desolation.
An indescribable oppression, endless terror, a suffocating dread—as if many great black mountain ranges were descending, sinking into people's hearts. "What is this?" The four were shocked, their hearts heavy, completely unable to understand what was happening. "What's going on at the Primordial Ancient Mine? We're not going to die, are we?!" Chen Huaiyuan asked with a trembling voice.
Li Desheng was also shivering. His left eye emitted a faint light as his Netherworld Yin Eye opened wide, staring toward the direction of the Primordial Ancient Mine. "What do you see?" Ye Fan urged. "What's the situation at the Primordial Ancient Mine?" Old Knife Handle also pressed urgently. "I can't see anything. It's pitch black there, devouring everything. My eyes..." Li Desheng suddenly let out a loud cry, falling backward to the ground, a trace of blood seeping from the corner of his eye.
This sudden turn of events sent chills through the other three. They helped him up. "What happened to you?" Ye Fan asked.
The corner of Li Desheng's left eye had split open, oozing a thread of blood. His Netherworld Yin Eye was hollow and severely swollen. Fortunately, his pupil was unharmed, only the white of his eye was injured. "It hurts like hell!" He wept freely, continuously channeling divine power into his Netherworld Yin Eye. It took a long time before he recovered. "What happened?" Old Knife Handle pressed. "A black hole... a massive black hole, like it could swallow people..." Li Desheng was terrified; his Netherworld Yin Eye had nearly burst.
Whoosh.
After a moment, the starlight and moonlight in the sky reappeared, so abruptly.
The soft radiance was like smoke and mist, exceptionally sacred, bringing a feeling of light and warmth, sweeping away the previous desolation.
The blood-colored earth was pale and muted. Gravel, boulders, low hills—all were draped in a thin veil, like a light landscape painting. "That scared me to death. What was that just now?" Chen Huaiyuan patted his chest. The light had returned, and everything from before seemed as if it had never happened. The starlight in the sky gathered like water, flowing toward the Primordial Ancient Mine.
The massive black hole that could devour everything had vanished, leaving nothing different from before. "It really feels like an illusion," Ye Fan sighed.
But not long after, there was another dull *hum*, and all the sacred radiance was sucked dry again.
The wilderness stretched endlessly, pitch black, unable to see anyone face to face. Especially the Primordial Ancient Mine—it seemed to have become an abyss, darker than anywhere else. "Why has it gone dark again?" "Let's go. It's almost midnight now. Legend says this is how it is—the Primordial Ancient Mine devours the essence of heaven and earth, absorbing everything!" Old Knife Handle was alarmed. "We need to leave quickly, or I'm afraid we won't be able to." "Let's go!" Ye Fan ordered in a low voice. He had roughly figured out the situation here and led the three as they retreated.
Of course, their so-called retreat involved turning left and right, constantly changing directions, rather than moving in a straight line.
Ye Fan continuously calculated. According to the *Source Heaven Scroll*, even the placement of his steps had significance. The three behind him followed in his footprints.
This was a winding, circuitous path. If not three steps forward and two steps back, it was close to that—shifting left and right, very erratic.
Occasionally, Ye Fan would stop, calculate on the ground, carefully estimate and compare the surrounding terrain, then choose a direction to advance. "I say, Master Jue, you've got to get us out of here," Chen Huaiyuan muttered as he walked. "I've always admired extraordinary people like you. I've always wanted to get into this trade, but I only learned a bit of the basics." "Go stand over there and stop causing trouble," Old Knife Handle said, pushing him aside, afraid he would disturb Ye Fan.
Half an hour later, Ye Fan led them back to the starting point, about ten miles from the Primordial Ancient Mine.
During this process, dull sounds came from behind from time to time. A massive black hole, like a whale sucking in water or an ox drinking, devoured the essence of heaven and earth, as if an ancient ferocious beast had opened its heaven-devouring maw.
Ye Fan was affected several times. Whenever the world went dark, completely plunged into blackness, he had to stop and calmly deduce. Thus, they advanced and stopped intermittently, feeling as if they were taking a detour.
After a thousand miles, they finally broke free from this strange region, appearing a hundred and fifty miles away. "We finally made it out!" The four let out a long breath. Especially Ye Fan, who collapsed to the ground as if exhausted. The constant calculations had drained him.
He pulled out his Jade Purification Vase and poured a few mouthfuls of divine spring into his mouth, finally recovering. If he hadn't studied the *Source Heaven Scroll*, Ye Fan felt certain he would have been trapped inside, almost impossible to escape. "Master Jue, when we get back, I'll set up a longevity shrine for you. I mean it," Chen Huaiyuan said with a grateful expression. "Don't dream yet. We've only moved a little away from the divine mine. We're still in the Primordial Forbidden Zone. There are terrains like the 'True Dragon Coughing Blood' ahead, and we could die at any moment," Old Knife Handle poured cold water on him.
Ye Fan also sighed. The Primordial Forbidden Zone was extremely dangerous. Terrains like "Fire Dragon Pattern" and "Dragon Spilling Blood" were certainly not limited to one place. One wrong move and they could fall into a death trap.
The moonlight was peaceful. The group moved slowly, advancing cautiously, afraid of accidentally stepping into a deadly region. "What did the corpses you saw at the Primordial Ancient Mine look like?" Ye Fan asked Li Desheng. "Were they human?" Old Knife Handle also pressed. "All humanoid, but it's hard to say if they were human corpses. They were too far away. My Netherworld Yin Eye could only make out outlines. There were men and women, wearing very ancient clothing," Li Desheng said, still shaken. "Perhaps there are corpses of ancient Saint Lords and Imperial Lords. Or maybe they've always been there in the Primordial Ancient Mine..." Old Knife Handle muttered to himself. "At least we didn't see any living beings," Ye Fan said thankfully. There were too many legends about the Primordial Ancient Mine, each more terrifying than the last. "Living beings... How many people have seen them since ancient times?" Old Knife Handle murmured.
"I wonder if those three god-like beings from earlier are still nearby," Li Desheng said softly.
Strictly speaking, it was because of those three beings surrounded by halos that they had been forced to flee, nearly getting trapped at the Primordial Ancient Mine. "Let's hope we don't run into them again," Chen Huaiyuan muttered. "Hey, you two jinxes, can you shut your mouths?!" Old Knife Handle glared, very superstitious about such talk. "Damn it!" Ye Fan looked toward the distant horizon, his heart sinking.
The two jinxes had hit the mark!
Though it was midnight, it wasn't dark. The bright moon hung high, casting a hazy glow over the boundless blood-colored earth.
On the horizon, three figures appeared, looking in their direction. They were surrounded by halos, standing there like three deities.
The one in the center was faint and illusory, giving an unreal feeling.
The one on the left was covered in divine light, blazing and dazzling, like a blazing sun, as if the Sun God had descended upon the world.
The one on the right had white robes and black hair dancing together, like a Guanghan Palace fairy descending to the mortal realm, sparkling with crystalline radiance. "Three taboo existences..." "They really want to drive us into the Primordial Ancient Mine!"
Chen Huaiyuan and Li Desheng had just calmed down, but now they started trembling again. They wanted to run, but their legs were unsteady, shaking violently, unable to move from where they stood.
Ye Fan and Old Knife Handle wanted to flee, but behind them was the Primordial Ancient Mine, making it hard to turn around.
However, something surprising and incomprehensible happened. The three deities on the horizon suddenly turned and fled, as if avoiding snakes and scorpions, as if encountering fierce ghosts, escaping at an incredible speed.
Old Knife Handle was dumbfounded, utterly confused.
Li Desheng and Chen Huaiyuan were also wide-eyed and slack-jawed, stammering as they spoke.
"Taboo existences... afraid of us? What's... going on?" "Deities... fleeing... I... I'm not seeing things, am I?"
Though the distance was great and only blurry outlines were visible, Ye Fan still found them somewhat familiar. In an instant, a flash of insight struck him. "Your uncle!"
He dashed forward like the wind, chasing after them. "He dares to curse a living being in the Primordial Forbidden Zone?!" Chen Huaiyuan was shocked. "Crazy, absolutely crazy! Master Jue has lost his mind, chasing after three deities!" Li Desheng also screamed.
Old Knife Handle was dazed for a moment, then suddenly jumped up. "Chase them! They're not deities from the Primordial Ancient Mine—they're people just like us!" "What? They're human?" Chen Huaiyuan's courage swelled instantly. He cursed loudly, "Damn it! It was those three who made us run around and almost die at the Primordial Ancient Mine, and they're human too!"
Li Desheng also cursed, "By your grandmother's old man, they're human too, but they nearly got us killed. I'll be damned..."
They quickly realized that when they first met, the four of them had been standing on high ground. They hadn't started fleeing until they retreated to a low spot and couldn't see the three anymore.
Thinking back, the other side had probably chosen to flee as well, but the high ground had blocked their view.
Ye Fan was in the lead, Old Knife Handle second, with Chen Huaiyuan and Li Desheng bringing up the rear, chasing relentlessly.
The four were very composed. Not one of them shouted; they all pursued in silence.
Although the three ahead were incredibly fast and erratic, they couldn't fully unleash their speed, afraid of accidentally falling into a deadly region. Thus, they couldn't shake off the four behind them.
Though he could only see blurry outlines, Ye Fan was almost certain they were the Holy Maiden of Yao Chi, Yao Xi, and Holy Son Yao Guang.
He had long known that these three Holy Land heirs had come to the edge of the Primordial Ancient Mine to transport stone materials, but he never expected they would also be stranded here.
"Those three nearly got us killed at the Primordial Ancient Mine. If we don't scare them half to death, it won't be fair to us!" Li Desheng and Chen Huaiyuan both gnashed their teeth.
Ye Fan, through his actions, chased the three Holy Land heirs until they fled without daring to stop for a moment.
Holy Sons and Holy Maidens were always calm and composed, but now they were in a sorry state, mistaking those behind them for taboo existences from the ancient mine.
"I feel like they're human, not some unknown creatures." "Indeed, their sleeves are fluttering. The one in front looks like a Daoist, and somewhat familiar..." "They're most likely human. If they were terrifying creatures, they would have caught up to us by now."
The Holy Maiden of Yao Chi, Yao Xi, and Holy Son Yao Guang were extraordinary people. Even trapped in the Primordial Forbidden Zone, they didn't panic excessively. After making their judgment, they all stopped and halted. "Boundless Heavenly Venerable, might you be old acquaintances ahead?" Ye Fan called out as he rushed forward, seeing them stop. "Not good—they've stopped."
Before long, the two groups converged.
The silver moon hung high, its light pure and bright, soft and clear. Up close, they could see each other clearly.
Holy Son Yao Guang's hair shimmered with golden light, his entire body radiant. Though he showed no anger, his usual peaceful smile was gone, and his brows were slightly furrowed.
Yao Xi was dressed in white, pure as snow, like a fairy untouched by worldly dust. Her delicate brows knitted slightly. "Daoist, I never expected to meet you here. You truly live up to being Senior Duan's uncle."
Duan De was known as the Unscrupulous Daoist or the Virtue-Lacking Daoist. Yao Xi was very tactful, but her words carried meaning. Being chased like this in the Primordial Forbidden Zone was hard for anyone to take lightly. However, she had good composure and didn't lose her temper. "Boundless Heavenly Venerable." Ye Fan chanted a Daoist title and explained, "This is all a misunderstanding..."
The Holy Maiden of Yao Chi remained silent for a moment before speaking. "Daoist, how did you end up here?" "It's a long story..."
Just then, Chen Huaiyuan and Li Desheng arrived. "Who are you people? You nearly got us killed at the Primordial Ancient Mine!"
The two of them, without caring about anything, launched into a barrage of complaints, instantly deflating the anger of Holy Son Yao Guang, Yao Xi, and the Holy Maiden of Yao Chi.
After hearing them out, the three realized that both sides had scared each other—it was indeed a "misunderstanding."
Once the rift was resolved, Yao Xi complained, "Daoist, you really are a match for that unscrupulous Daoist. You clearly recognized us, yet you chased us in silence."
Holy Son Yao Guang also said, "Brother Dao, this joke went a bit too far."
The Holy Maiden of Yao Chi spoke in a heavenly voice, "Daoist, you nearly chased us into a death trap." "It was all a misunderstanding." Ye Fan changed the subject and asked, "How did you end up lost in the Primordial Forbidden Zone?"
"We were originally at the edge of the Primordial Forbidden Zone..."
According to their account, their experience was almost identical to Ye Fan's group. A strange black wind had swept through outside the Forbidden Zone of Life, killing many, and the three had been swept into the Primordial Forbidden Zone.
When they learned that the three were Holy Land heirs, Li Desheng and Chen Huaiyuan dared not make a fuss anymore. Old Knife Handle, however, remained calm throughout.
After learning the reasons for their entrapment, the seven of them sighed in unison—it was all because of that strange black wind. "Daoist, you really... came all the way here just to see the Primordial Ancient Mine," Holy Son Yao Guang shook his head.
When the two groups shared their experiences in the forbidden zone, the Holy Maiden of Yao Chi and the other two were quite surprised. They hadn't expected Ye Fan to be so formidable, breaking through a deadly situation. "I think if we just cross that blood-colored plain ahead, we can leave the forbidden zone," Old Knife Handle said.
Ye Fan and the three Holy Land heirs nodded in agreement. They felt the same way.
The seven advanced another sixty miles and unexpectedly saw a pine forest stretching before them. Moonlight shone through the pines, and clear springs flowed over stones—this was the reality before them.
The pine forest swayed, the clear spring murmured, the moon reflected in the stream—quiet, pure, and serene.
The Primordial Ancient Mine was a Forbidden Zone of Life, barren of all vegetation. How could there be such a place?
The group was puzzled, deeply surprised and alarmed. "Something is glowing..." Holy Son Yao Guang's eyes were deep, as if they could see through the pine forest.
The stream babbled, flowing over green stones, pure as white silk. The seven entered the forest and indeed saw a flickering light—something was glowing. "This is... a skeleton!"
The group was startled. Beneath an ancient pine tree lay a set of white bones, crystalline and sparkling, radiating light under the moonlight.
"This person must have had astonishing cultivation in life. For their bones to remain so jade-like after so many years is unimaginable." "There's a jade pendant here." Yao Xi discovered a warm jade in the stream, carved into a dragon shape, shining with precious light.
"This belongs to a Great Xia Imperial Lord!" the Holy Maiden of Yao Chi exclaimed in surprise.
This type of jade pendant could only be held by a Great Xia Imperial Lord—a symbol of status.
Everyone was shocked. An immortal imperial dynasty that had lasted over a hundred thousand years had an Imperial Lord of world-shaking cultivation who had fallen here. "Indeed, the Primordial Ancient Mine buries Saint Lords and Imperial Lords," Holy Son Yao Guang sighed. He wondered if he would one day end up here as well. "He died before even entering the Primordial Ancient Mine. There must be some unfathomable danger here. Let's leave quickly!" Yao Xi's peerless face showed ripples of emotion as her beautiful eyes swept toward the depths of the pine forest.
The group felt a chill. An Imperial Lord of an immortal dynasty, with cultivation that rivaled the heavens, had fallen here. This place was not as peaceful as it seemed on the surface. "Hurry!" Ye Fan, remembering something, was the first to retreat.
Now, the others regarded him as "Master Jue." Seeing his reaction, they grew even more uneasy and all moved to retreat. "Daoist, is there something wrong with this place? Have you noticed anything?" the Holy Maiden of Yao Chi asked softly, her jade-like body emitting a faint fragrance.
"This place shouldn't have a pine forest or a clear spring. It should be a barren land. When things reach their extreme, they reverse..." Ye Fan felt uneasy. The *Source Heaven Scroll* contained a warning: "When things reach their extreme, they reverse. If you see it, flee quickly."
That wasn't meant for ordinary people—it was a warning for Origin Heavenly Masters!
The latter part of the *Source Heaven Scroll* had touched upon such mountain and river terrains. Landscapes that defied logic and shouldn't exist must have something unimaginable underground. Even an Origin Heavenly Master would have to retreat!
Ye Fan's heart pounded. This was a terrain that could kill an Origin Heavenly Master—a demonic land that must be avoided. With his current abilities, he couldn't possibly deduce what lay underground. "So I've actually encountered the 'Extreme Reversal' terrain. It's recorded quite late in the latter part of the *Source Heaven Scroll*..." he muttered to himself. He definitely couldn't break it now!
Even if the first ancestor of the Zhang family, that Origin Heavenly Master, were reborn, he might not be able to break it!
Cold sweat streamed down Ye Fan's back as he retreated step by step. The clothes on his back were soaked. The others felt his tension and held their breath, following him back.
They retreated until they left the pine forest, but nothing bad happened. The clear spring babbled, pleasant to the ear, flowing through the forest, very peaceful.
A world-shaking Imperial Lord had died here—how could there be no danger? This was definitely a blood-soaked demonic land!
But even after retreating several hundred zhang, they still saw nothing. "..."
Ye Fan activated his ultimate speed, leaving a trail of afterimages as he shot forward. "Slow retreat won't work. Everyone, rely on your own luck. If we survive, we'll meet fifty miles away!"
Even "Master Jue," who had walked out of the Primordial Ancient Mine, was acting like this. The remaining six were terrified. Sounds of breaking air rang out as they each used their own methods, fleeing with all their might.
Ye Fan fled for his life, cold sweat running down his spine. The Primordial Forbidden Zone was too terrifying—deadly traps everywhere. He felt this place was no less dangerous than the ancient mine itself.