Chapter 462: Heavenly Court Inheritance
The sage’s skin was square-shaped, over a foot long, completely intact, crystal clear and nearly transparent, dotted with luster, mysterious and eerie, unsettling the heart.
The small characters on it were densely packed, covering both the front and back, totaling tens of thousands of words. Ordinary eyesight could not make them out, as the script was extremely tiny.
These ancient characters were like iron hooks and silver strokes, vigorous as dragons and serpents, as if thousands of sabers and swords were fixed upon it. The sage’s divine skin emitted a crystalline gleam, its terrifying killing intent slashing at the heart and soul.
At this moment, the group felt as if they stood in a land of extreme cold, piercingly frigid, as if facing millions of wailing souls, with scenes of mountains of corpses and seas of blood appearing before their eyes.
What kind of person had flayed the skin of an ancient sage and refined it into a medium for recording text? It was horrifying—such means were cruel and dreadful.
The big black dog was intimidated by the killing intent on the ancient sage’s divine skin, its large paws trembling. In the end, it spread it on the ground, unable to hold it itself, showing just how terrifying it was.
“It definitely isn’t the skin of the white bones on the ground!”
Because that skeleton had absolutely not reached the sage realm. Legend said that even in death, every inch of an ancient sage’s flesh and skin would not rot, yet this one was nothing but bones.
“This is… a life-slaying sacred art!” The big black dog trembled uncontrollably as it read those ancient characters, unable to calm down.
Everyone gathered close, reading word by word and line by line. They had experienced many things, but at this moment, their emotions surged, excited beyond measure.
The ancient sage’s divine skin recorded various methods of killing, a sacred art that was both bizarre and terrifying beyond compare, employing every conceivable means, created solely for killing!
“This is too horrifying!”
After reading less than half, cold air rose from their bodies, their scalps tingling. The killing secret techniques were impossible to guard against. They asked themselves that if they faced them, they would likely meet disaster.
The art of killing had evolved into a Dao, a path unlike any other—slaying all living beings in the world, achieving the supreme Dao fruit with a blood-dripping sacred sword in hand.
“This is a heretical book, a demonic scroll. It really should be destroyed…” Tu Fei’s big mouth trembled as he spoke.
“Wrong. This is a supreme Dao, with much worth learning from. If mastered, even without killing, it can be used to protect one’s own life,” Li Heishui said.
“I know what this is…” The big black dog stared at the sage’s divine skin and the golden token, its mind shaken. It recalled certain ancient inheritances.
“You know what it is?!” Everyone was startled, all eyes fixed on it.
“It is… the Heavenly Court’s life-slaying sacred art.” The big black dog sighed softly, endless memories surging in its heart, turbulent and hard to calm.
“Heavenly Court?!” Everyone was stunned, showing expressions of disbelief.
“This Heavenly Court is not that Heavenly Court. In ancient times, there were three great assassin divine dynasties, immortal inheritances lasting ten thousand generations, even more ancient than the holy lands of the Eastern Wasteland…” The big black dog narrated slowly.
Assassin organizations evolved into holy lands, then into immortal divine dynasties. One could imagine their terror—they made the world pale at the mere mention of the word “kill.”
All the holy lands feared them but could do nothing, deeply wary, never daring to provoke them, because the three great assassin divine dynasties were so terrifying that they would even assassinate ancient sages.
“The ancient assassin holy lands were nothing like later assassination organizations. They never killed the nameless, only those at the half-step great power level and above!”
“That’s… too frightening!” Tu Fei and the others shuddered.
“Ancient inheritances, a terrifying life-slaying Dao—truly incomparably dreadful,” Black Emperor sighed.
Heavenly Court, Mortal World, and Hell—these three names carried the weight of ten thousand jun, representing the most terrifying three inheritances from over a hundred thousand years ago: the ancient three great assassin divine dynasties.
It wasn’t that their secret arts surpassed the ancient scriptures of the holy lands, but that their “Dao” was created solely for killing, impossible to guard against. They sought to achieve the supreme Dao fruit through this.
The ancient three great assassin divine dynasties had all slain ancient sages. Who wouldn’t fear such terrifying forces? Moreover, they had produced unmatched assassin sages.
Those who entered the sage realm through the life-slaying Dao—just thinking about it made one’s scalp tingle. Their entire lives were crawled through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, their combat sacred arts unmatched in the world. If they set out to assassinate someone, that person’s death was almost certain.
Before the ancient era, the names Heavenly Court, Mortal World, and Hell were a supreme deterrent. No one dared oppose them.
However, this intangible atmosphere of terror made the holy lands deeply uneasy and dissatisfied. In the end, they joined forces to strike against the three great assassin divine dynasties.
The holy lands chose their timing well. At that time, they had all developed to an extreme peak, producing several supreme sages, while the old sages of the three assassin dynasties were on the verge of passing away, with little strength left to act, and no successors yet to appear.
That was a shocking great war before the ancient era, in which all the holy lands participated. It had occurred only a few times since ancient times, truly a great calamity for the human race.
In that battle, the earth bled. The ancient assassin divine dynasties were everywhere, assassinating at will. It was an extremely dark era of bloodshed. Countless secrets, scriptures, and weapons—eternally precious things—tempted everyone.
“Heavens, so mysterious! A golden little carriage with a little person inside!”
The golden little person jumped down from the carriage, tugging at Little Nannan’s sleeve and hopping about, lifelike and utterly mysterious.
“They all come from the ancient cave. Let’s go in and take a look!” As the group moved forward, a terrifying pressure suddenly emanated from one of the ancient caves.
Then, a pair of emerald-green eyes lit up, tears glistening within, dazzling like divine lamps, making it impossible to look directly at them.
In that instant, everyone was frozen, unable to move a muscle, as if plunged into an ice cellar, unable even to speak. An unknown creature was in the ancient cave!
“Big Brother, what’s wrong with you?” Little Nannan noticed the anomaly, ran over, and pushed them with her small hands.
Only then did they regain movement, but the intangible pressure remained, locking onto them completely.
“Let’s go quickly! The divine gold in the cave has become sentient. It might become a sacred spirit in the future!” The big black dog whispered.
Enduring the boundless killing intent, Ye Fan sealed the golden token and the ancient sage’s divine skin, storing them away. The group quickly retreated, distancing themselves from the several ancient caves.
Little Nannan was reluctant, waving her small hand backward to bid farewell to the golden little figures and horses.
Only after going far away did the terrifying pressure vanish. They let out a long breath. There was definitely an extraordinary existence there. Without Little Nannan, they would have all died there—the white skeleton was a clear warning.
“Nannan, how did those little creatures come to you?” Ye Fan asked in detail.
“Nannan doesn’t know either. They were very cute and came to me on their own,” Little Nannan said innocently.
“If I’m not mistaken, there might be a great emperor’s exclusive sacred object inside—Immortal Tear Green Gold!” The big black dog said solemnly.
“What?!” Everyone cried out in shock.
“That’s clearly a divine gold mine. Did you notice? Those eyes were green, with mysterious tears flowing. It must be Immortal Tear Green Gold!” The big black dog grew more certain.
Phoenix Blood Red Gold, Dragon Pattern Black Gold, and Immortal Tear Green Gold were all supreme sacred objects, rare beyond seeking. Even ancient great emperors might not collect them, let alone ordinary people.
“That piece of Immortal Tear Green Gold has already become sentient. It might become a sacred spirit in the future. Even a top expert couldn’t handle it. We’d better leave quickly.”
The group was both shocked and regretful. Such a supreme sacred object was here, stirring their hearts, but they couldn’t obtain it.
“Be content. We’ve obtained the Heavenly Court’s life-slaying sacred art. We could even rebuild this ancient assassin divine dynasty.”
After advancing another dozen li, the black mountains grew even more majestic, as if they had unknowingly stepped into an ancient era. An ancient aura flowed, making hearts pound.
Another dozen li on, the black great peaks seemed to touch the Heavenly Court above and press down on the Nine Netherworlds below, towering and awe-inspiring, with ancient trees and wolf-like forests wrapped in band-like black mist.
“Swish!”
A green light shot up from the black mountain ahead, streaking across the sky and flying deep into the Immortal Mountain range, releasing a heart-soothing fragrance as it flowed down from the sky.
“That was… did you see it? A green turtle. How can it fly in the Immortal Mountain? We can’t!”
“No, it has roots. Even from this distance, with such an intoxicating fragrance, that’s an immortal divine medicine!”
Everyone stood still, very surprised. The Immortal Mountain indeed contained world-shaking immortal treasures that could fly through the sky and choose their own dwelling places. They had witnessed one with their own eyes.
“That’s the legendary immortal divine medicine—Ten Thousand Years. Who would have thought it was in the Immortal Mountain!” The big black dog was so greedy it nearly bit off its own tongue.
In the world, every immortal divine medicine was unique. If one died, it would be completely extinct from the world, never to appear again.
Even before the ancient era, there were only a few such divine medicines, and each one’s appearance was recorded in detail.
This immortal divine medicine called “Ten Thousand Years,” when mature, resembled a small green black tortoise, possessing boundless medicinal power. Legend said that eating the mature little tortoise could extend one’s lifespan by ten thousand years!
Different immortal divine medicines had different effects. Some helped one comprehend the great Dao, others granted supreme divine abilities. This Ten Thousand Years divine medicine focused on extending life.
“As expected, a thousand-year king, a ten-thousand-year turtle. Eating it can extend life by ten thousand years. That’s too heaven-defying—comparable to the lifespan of a great accomplishment sacred body!” Tu Fei drooled profusely.
“Ten thousand years… Every ancient great emperor raised an immortal divine medicine. They lived far longer than we imagine!” Pang Bo was also tempted.
“If only we could catch it!” Li Heishui’s eyes gleamed.
“Very hard to catch. It must have been startled by that old tea tree running away. Now it’s flying deep into the Immortal Mountain, guarding against us,” the big black dog said regretfully, blaming the group for scaring the Enlightenment Ancient Tree.
“This Immortal Mountain is truly mysterious and unfathomable. It has everything—nine-orifice stone men, Enlightenment Ancient Trees, Netherworld Grass, Immortal Tear Green Gold, and now the Ten Thousand Years medicine has appeared,” Ye Fan sighed.
“There are houses there…” After advancing another few li, Little Nannan suddenly pointed her small hand ahead.
Ahead, many black mountains stood. Among them, several had a heavy, imposing aura. Though not particularly tall—even shorter than the surrounding great peaks—they had the air of mountain lords.
“How are there ancient buildings?!”
On those mountains, some ancient halls stood, resembling old divine temples or ruined Daoist monasteries, very dilapidated.
“Who built these? Daring to construct such things in the Immortal Mountain—unbelievable!”