Chapter 430: Secrets and Entering the Forbidden Zone
The Northern Domain was rich in Source, and also harbored terrifying creatures that had slumbered since ancient times. From antiquity to the present, it had always been a place where events converged.
The Primordial Ancient Mine spanned the ages. The Dark Era, the Ancient Cataclysm, the great calamity of the human race—all had its shadow cast upon them, more or less, leaving behind endless legends.
Since the dawn of humanity, no one knew how many world-dominating heroes had entered it in their twilight years, only to never return. No one had ever heard of them reappearing in the world.
A month after Ye Fan left, shocking news came from the Northern Domain: the Holy Lands had explored an ancient temple within the Primordial Forbidden Zone, returning in defeat with heavy casualties.
The entire world was astonished. No one had expected the Holy Lands to dare enter the Primordial Forbidden Zone, engaging in a bloody battle with unknown creatures within an ancient temple.
The Holy Lands had been tight-lipped, not a single piece of information leaking out beforehand. No one knew how long they had prepared. It was only after the operation failed that people learned of it.
The world was shaken. The Holy Lands had actually entered the Primordial Forbidden Zone. It was too abrupt. They must have discovered some earth-shattering secret; otherwise, why would they take such a risk?
The land buzzed with noise as everyone discussed it. People were shocked to find that there had been signs of this long ago.
A year earlier, beautiful music had been heard from the Primordial Forbidden Zone. Someone had seen a woman of peerless grace traveling, shaking the Northern Domain and spreading throughout many great sects.
It was from that time onward that the world’s attention converged on the Northern Domain. Whether it was the younger generation or supreme sect leaders, all began to journey north.
Ye Fan clearly remembered that Azure Dragon King had specially come to the Southern Domain to invite Peacock King north. It was also from that time that the various Holy Sons and Holy Maidens had headed north one after another.
“That’s it! So that’s how it is!”
He suddenly understood. The Primordial Forbidden Zone must have yielded an extraordinary discovery. It had truly touched the nerves of the Holy Lands, taking them a whole year to prepare.
Connecting the dots, everything made sense. Why had the Northern Domain been in such turmoil for the past year? Why had all kinds of figures appeared there, as if it were the center of the world?
Within the Primordial Forbidden Zone, a world-shaking ancient temple had appeared, and the wondrous voice of a stunning divine maiden had been heard. Unfortunately, the Holy Lands had ultimately withdrawn, failing to obtain everything.
However, they must have gained a great deal, having prepared for over a year.
When Ye Fan found Ye Huiling, another shocking piece of news emerged, still from the Northern Domain!
The Ancient Devouring Demon Jar had appeared. After months of rumors, its burial site was finally discovered. The result was blood staining the underground cavern, with countless experts dead and wounded.
The sacred weapon of an ancient Great Emperor captured everyone’s attention. As soon as this news broke, the world was shaken once more!
People had to wonder: was it mere coincidence that the Holy Lands had just returned in defeat from the Primordial Forbidden Zone, and then the lid of the Devouring Demon Jar appeared?
Soon, precise news arrived. The Holy Lands had suffered heavy casualties among their Supreme Elders, and the younger generation had nearly been wiped out.
There had long been rumors that opening the Ruthless Great Emperor’s Dao arena required the combined efforts of multiple physiques—the Heavenly Demon Body, Divine Body, Sacred Body, and others—using their blood for a sacred sacrifice.
Now, it had indeed come true. The various kings rose together, using their blood to open the Dao arena of the number one ruthless person of ancient times. But what awaited them was merciless slaughter.
The weapon storage site of the ancient Great Emperor was inscribed with world-subduing array patterns. No matter how talented you were, you couldn’t withstand a single strike. It pierced heaven and earth, destroyed all things, and swept away everything like a storm.
If not for Azure Dragon King taking up the Green Emperor’s sacred weapon at the critical moment, and the Seventh Great Bandit Tu Tian attacking with the Demon Jar, barely opening a path, not a single person would have survived!
The world was in uproar. The number one ruthless person of ancient times was truly merciless—ruthless to herself, and even more ruthless to anyone who dared offend her. She had nearly wiped out all the elite of the Eastern Wasteland’s younger generation.
The Divine King Physique of the Ji Family, Yan Ruyu, the Divine King Physique of the Jiang Family, the Heavenly Demon Body, the Innate Dao Fetus, Xia Jiuyou, the Holy Son of Yaoguang—all were severely injured, nearly perishing body and soul.
“Too ruthless! She refined herself into a weapon and showed no mercy to her descendants. Truly the number one person not to be provoked in ancient times!”
“She created the Indestructible Heavenly Art, giving birth to a divine fetus from her aging body. She refined her own old body. Legend has it she might be the longest-lived among the ancient Great Emperors.”
When Ye Fan learned of this, his first thought was conspiracy!
Because Black Emperor, that knowledgeable fellow, had made various judgments and told him many secrets.
Sure enough, more precise news came out. He found clues: within the Ruthless Great Emperor’s Dao arena, the Heavenly Demon Body, Divine Body, Innate Dao Fetus, and others had been trapped, their origins nearly stripped away.
“This…”
It matched the secrets Black Emperor had told him. The number one ruthless person of ancient times was born of mortal flesh, yet she suppressed all kings and ultimately achieved the path of the supreme Great Emperor. Before creating the Indestructible Heavenly Art, she had also created the Devouring Demon Art.
When this art was first perfected, everyone in the world hunted her because she could devour the origins of others. The ruthless person faced countless near-death experiences, having more enemies than even Emperor Wu Shi.
These secrets had long been lost to the river of history. Only Black Emperor still remembered them. Almost no one in the world knew that the Indestructible Heavenly Art was preceded by the Devouring Demon Art.
“Could it really be as Black Emperor said—that someone has obtained the inheritance of the number one ruthless person of ancient times?” Ye Fan shuddered with a chill.
In the distant Northern Domain, Black Emperor was furious, howling loudly, staring at that Dao arena. It was going mad, nearly biting Pang Bo, Tu Fei, and Li Heishui.
At the critical moment, it had stopped Pang Bo and the others from entering the ruthless person’s Dao arena, saving them from a great catastrophe.
But Black Emperor was beside itself with rage because it discovered that someone had already visited the Dao arena. The lid of the Devouring Demon Jar had definitely been taken.
The final result proved its guess correct. The disaster occurred. Many cultivators barely escaped but did not obtain that half of the Extreme Sacred Weapon, nearly being completely annihilated.
Additionally, there was one person who remained calm and also did not enter: the unscrupulous Taoist Duan De. When he arrived, he was first stunned, then narrowed his eyes and did not take a single step inside.
When Ye Fan learned all this and thought of the secrets Black Emperor had told him, he felt that a deeply calculating and terrifying figure had orchestrated everything.
“Someone obtained the ruthless person’s inheritance and wanted to take out the Divine Body, Heavenly Demon Body, Innate Dao Fetus, and others all at once. Who could it be?”
Ye Fan thought of one person. If it were him, it would be too sinister and terrifying—showing no outward signs yet laying deadly traps at every step, sending chills down his spine.
The two shocking pieces of news from the Northern Domain slowly faded. Supreme sect leaders, various powerful experts, and the Holy Sons all withdrew, returning to various parts of the Eastern Wasteland.
Under the moonlit night, Ye Fan met with Ye Huiling. Everything went smoothly, and he borrowed the Heaven-Covering Treasure Robe.
Under the watery moonlight, the woman from the Central Province was ethereal and otherworldly, her skin like fine white jade, her eyes lively. She was straightforward: if Ye Fan successfully climbed a Sacred Mountain and returned with the Immortality Divine Medicine, she wanted one fruit.
Ye Fan agreed without hesitation. If he truly succeeded, he would certainly climb several Sacred Mountains. The nine divine roots were all derived from one main root.
“Miss Ye, please do me a favor. If I don’t return from this journey, please take someone away and care for them for me.”
“Oh? Who are they?” Ye Huiling asked in surprise.
Ye Fan pointed to Zhang Wenchang in the small tavern. “Take him away from here. Help him escape this environment.”
Then, he pointed to the inn. Through the window lattice, Little Nannan could be seen, like a delicate porcelain doll, her long eyelashes resting as she slept peacefully.
“Alright, no problem.”
The next day, as morning glow rose and dew rolled on green leaves, reflecting seven-colored light, Ye Fan stepped into the eight-hundred-mile primeval forest, heading toward the Ancient Forbidden Land.
Half a month passed. The people of the Guhua Imperial Dynasty and the Yin Yang Sect had not left; they were still in the Yan Capital. But no one was watching the forbidden zone anymore.
Along the way, Ye Fan saw no one. He carefully avoided areas where peerless strange beasts might exist and arrived at the edge of the Forbidden Zone of Life.
The vast forest was deathly still, not a sound to be heard. No birds or beasts moved, no ants or insects were visible. It was like arriving at the end of the world.
“Bang”
Ye Fan’s foot finally stepped into the forbidden zone. Immediately, he felt a terrifying aura assaulting him.
This was… the power of Desolation!
Last time, when he reached the foot of the Nine Sacred Mountains, it was no more than this. Now, just one step in, he was already under such assault. His entire body felt cold.
At this critical moment, the Stone Armor clung to his body, and the Heaven-Covering Treasure Robe covered him, protecting him tightly. He strode forward.
“Shua”
The moment he entered, even with the peerless Stone Armor covering him, Ye Fan still shuddered. His entire cultivation was stripped away, leaving nothing behind.
In this Forbidden Zone of Life, he became a mortal, unable to fly or traverse the earth. But unlike others, his Wheel Sea did not dry up, his Dao Palace did not darken, and his Four Extremes were not sealed. His divine power had not disappeared; it was merely sealed within his body.
The Sacred Body’s physical form was extremely powerful. His golden blood energy still surged, ready to burst out at any moment. This was the fundamental reason Ye Fan dared to enter the forbidden zone.
Ye Fan strode forward quickly. Before long, he had traveled over ten li. He sensed something abnormal. The power of time seeped through the Stone Armor, strand by strand, penetrating inside.
“Not good!”
His heart tightened, and his face changed color. This was only a tenth of the journey, and it was already this dangerous. No wonder the peerless imperial lord of the Central Province had met his end here.
“Chi”
Ye Fan activated the Source Heaven patterns. Thousands upon thousands of divine patterns shimmered with flowing light, wrapping around him. At the same time, the Heaven-Covering Treasure Robe blazed with divine radiance, shielding him.
He looked up at the sky. There was no turning back now. If he retreated, he would surely die within half a year. But advancing through this deadly land, though like walking on the edge of a bottomless abyss, might open the only path to survival.
Inside the forbidden zone, ancient trees were like mountains, towering into the sky. Their branches were like giant hands, nearly level with the mountain ridges.
Vines as thick as water jars coiled like true dragons, winding from the foot of the mountains to their peaks, vigorous and powerful.
Along the way, Ye Fan saw countless spiritual medicines, all rare in the world, of extremely ancient vintage. But he had no time to pick them.
Every second, he was wasting his life. Stopping was not worth it. Now, only the Immortality Divine Medicine could be of use to him.
After traveling thirty li, the Heaven-Covering Treasure Robe dimmed. The Dao patterns within it were severed!
The material of this robe was unknown, tougher than divine iron. It had fallen from the heavens and been refined into a treasure robe, indestructible, isolating all auras. Hence, it was called Heaven-Covering.
But now, it could not withstand the assault of Desolation. Its Dao patterns were worn away. The robe retained only its toughness. Dao, principles, techniques, and methods were all stripped away.
Ye Fan moved swiftly, racing forward. Ahead was an abyss; behind was hell. There was no safe ground. Only he could save himself, carving out a path of survival.
“Bo!”
The Source Heaven patterns within the Stone Armor began to break. They could not hold out either. In the blink of an eye, thousands of them were severed, more than half gone. Soon, they would all disappear.
“Dao Scripture!”
Ye Fan activated the Dao Scripture’s heart method. Nine ancient characters emerged on the Stone Armor, used to seal himself, achieving eternity and resisting the power of time.
It was worthy of being the innate patterns of a Great Emperor. They blocked the assault, and he temporarily calmed down, no longer having his life drained.
But there were only nine ancient characters. Though he could inscribe them, he did not even know their meaning, let alone comprehend their ultimate mysteries.
When he had advanced sixty li, the nine ancient characters gradually faded. Together with the Source Heaven patterns, they were worn away, about to disappear.
“Only sixty li in, and it’s already countless times harder than last time!”
Ye Fan’s heart pounded violently. If this continued, he would surely die. There was no path to survival. Ahead, the aura of Desolation would only grow stronger.
He gritted his teeth and sprinted, charging over peak after peak. By the time he reached seventy li, he had already aged. And at that moment, the nine ancient characters and Source Heaven patterns within the Stone Armor had all vanished.
Now, only the empty Stone Armor and Heaven-Covering Treasure Robe remained. No Dao, principles, techniques, or methods protected him.
Ye Fan did not panic. He took out the Qilin seed, holding it in his hand. Drawing on its essence, he ran wildly, using the Immortality Divine Medicine to extend his life, charging through the final stretch.
The final stretch was especially difficult. Even with the divine medicine prolonging his life, he continued to age. Even the Dao injury worsened.
Finally, after covering over a hundred li, he saw the Nine Sacred Mountains in the distance. Ye Fan was eroded to the bone by time, his consciousness growing blurry.
He gritted his teeth and pressed on, finally reaching the foot of the mountain. But his strength was nearly spent.
At the same time, his hair stood on end. On that Sacred Mountain, several figures stood side by side, looking down at him with cold eyes. He was chilled from head to toe!