Chapter 426: Ancient Forbidden Land
The night moon was bright and clear, a lone boat drifting downstream. Points of light sparkled on the river, and occasionally a fish leaped from the water, splashing up a spray of foam.
Towering mountains rose on both banks, with the cries of apes and the roars of tigers disturbing the tranquility of the night, adding a touch of vividness to the scene.
Ye Huiling stood on the small boat, her soft hair dancing lightly, her skin like mutton-fat white jade. Beneath her red lips, a jade flute gleamed, and ethereal, exquisite notes drifted softly through the air, like heavenly music swirling around.
She smiled lightly and frankly admitted that she had come for the Divine Immortality Pill. But even with the Heaven-Covering Treasure Robe adorning her, it would be impossible to venture deep into the Seven Forbidden Zones of Life. Few in the world could accomplish such a feat.
Furthermore, Ye Fan had received some very bad news. Many people from the Central Province had arrived, all of them scheming for the Divine Immortality Pill.
"Why is this happening?"
"An old imperial lord from one of the Central Province's immortal dynasties has exhausted his lifespan, and a supreme sect leader from the Hundred Schools of Thought, no weaker than that old imperial lord, is also nearing the end of his life. Neither of them wishes to depart from this world."
Ye Fan gazed at the moon, deep in thought. The turmoil in the Central Province—an unparalleled imperial lord and a supreme sect leader seeking to extend their lives—had implicated him as well. This journey was now filled with uncertainties.
He had to make preparations; otherwise, if he fell even one step behind, he might regret it for the rest of his life. There was no medicine for regret in this world.
"You don't need to worry too much. Since ancient times, no old saint lord who has ventured deep into the forbidden zones or the great wilderness has ever been heard of reappearing in the world. Success is almost impossible."
Ye Huiling's eyes were like black gems, seemingly able to see through others' thoughts. She possessed a holy and ethereal aura, and her smile made even the bright moon seem dim.
"It will also be very difficult for me to pluck the Divine Immortality Pill. If you lend me the Heaven-Covering Treasure Robe, I might very well let down Miss Ye's good intentions."
Naturally, no one in the world would gift a treasure robe for no reason. Ye Huiling had also come for the Divine Immortality Pill, but she deeply understood the terror of those forbidden zones—they were not places ordinary people could enter.
"With your physical body, if you wear the Heaven-Covering Treasure Robe, your chances are still quite good." Ye Huiling's cheeks glowed.
Ye Fan also smiled and shook his head, saying, "Everyone in the world knows that I have a Dao wound within me. Even if I pluck a fully mature Divine Immortality Pill, it would be difficult to heal it."
"When we come into this world, the things we experience are sometimes beyond our control. All we can do is take a gamble." Ye Huiling's smile was pure.
Ye Fan did not explicitly state that he truly intended to go to one of the Forbidden Zones of Life. Before he could set out, he did not want to attract attention, so naturally, he would not reveal much.
Ye Huiling could not simply lend him the treasure robe all at once. There were still variables involved, and this was only their first meeting. She had already made it clear that she needed to think it over.
The Eastern Wasteland had seven Forbidden Zones of Life, mysterious and boundless. They were the last seven places where Primordial Divine Medicine might still exist. In other primeval wildernesses, the chances were slim.
Ye Huiling analyzed the situation thread by thread, eliminating possibilities one by one. She believed that the immortal dynasty and the supreme sect from the Central Province would ultimately come to this region.
Because, although all seven Forbidden Zones of Life had legends of Divine Immortality Pills, since ancient times, only this place had been witnessed by others, and it was also recorded in ancient texts.
The river current grew swift. The cries of apes on both banks were unceasing as the light boat flew past ten thousand mountains.
By the water's edge stood thousand-zhang sheer cliffs. The small boat shot forward like an arrow. Ye Huiling rose into the night sky, her robes fluttering, like Chang'e fleeing toward the moon, leaving behind only a breathtaking silhouette.
She had made an appointment with Ye Fan to meet outside the Forbidden Zone of Life in the future. If terms were agreed upon, she would bring the Heaven-Covering Treasure Robe and lend it to him.
Ye Fan felt the urgency of time and dared not delay any further on the road. Once the experts from the Central Province arrived, there would be many troubles, and the difficulty would increase significantly.
A full one hundred and fifty thousand li separated him from his destination—an extremely great distance. Ye Fan took out a Dark Jade Platform and began to traverse the void. These were all small, single-direction Domain Gates, each capable of traveling tens of thousands of li.
In this manner, Ye Fan consumed a great deal of Source and finally arrived at an ancient, familiar place.
He had returned to the Southern Domain with a clear goal: to enter the Ancient Forbidden Land once more, ascend the Nine Sacred Mountains, drink from the Divine Spring, and eat the Sacred Fruit. There, in that primeval heaven and earth, he would heal his wounds and recuperate.
He did not understand the other Forbidden Zones of Life. Only this place had he truly seen the Divine Medicine, and it was also where he had the most confidence, since he had succeeded there twice before.
Of course, he dared not be careless. Based on what he had learned later, the Ancient Forbidden Land was incomparably terrifying. The reason he had escaped disaster the first two times was because of the existence of that bronze coffin.
Otherwise, that abyss was almost impossible to approach. Standing at the foot of the Sacred Mountains could cause inexplicable death, let alone climbing them. It had always been a place where one could enter but never leave.
Pang Bo had also experienced it firsthand. He had flipped through a vast number of ancient texts in the Demon Clan's holy land and learned even more. He shared his speculation with Ye Fan, saying that the Nine Dragons Coffin's fall into the mountains must have been caused by her.
Back then, when Ye Fan had escorted Ji Ziyue back, Ji Hui had repaid kindness with enmity. Not only did she show no gratitude, but she also sent Ji Ren to hunt him down, and in the end, she even came personally.
The series of storms that followed all originated from Ji Hui's pursuit. It could be said that the person Ye Fan hated the most was this old woman.
"That old hag must have been certain I would return. She actually set a trap for me and still wants to deal with me!"