Chapter 494: Entering the Heart of Sacred Cliff
The black mountain mass stretched before them like an endless wall, blocking their path. The massive ancient cave at its center was pitch black, completely unlike the other caves that spewed Solar True Fire.
There, only a pair of golden eyes were visible, exceptionally terrifying in the darkness, like a deity from hell, radiating boundless killing intent.
"Swish"
The Old Madman flicked his wide sleeve, sweeping up Little Nannan and placing her on his broad shoulder, then turned to face the black ancient cave.
Killing intent surged like a tide, drowning the group, especially the pair of eyes in the darkness that stared fixedly at Little Nannan.
"Is it really a Three-Legged Golden Crow?!"
Li Heishui and the others were stunned. How could such a thing exist in the world? It was a celestial spirit from ancient myths and legends, comparable to True Dragons, Divine Phoenixes, and Purple Qilins, utterly invincible.
"A life form born from Solar True Fire should only resemble a Three-Legged Golden Crow in form, but it is definitely not a true existence comparable to celestial spirits."
They knew that such a creature could not be born in this world. Even ancient sages could hardly appear anymore, as the heavens and earth had long changed.
Without a doubt, the ancient Great Emperors would forever remain legends. As for the Three-Legged Golden Crow, it could not appear in the mortal world either—only things resembling it existed.
"Caw caw caw..."
Countless Fire Spirit Crows surged like a black tide, carrying overwhelming Solar True Fire that melted the earth itself as they continuously swooped down to attack.
The group's minds trembled. Over a million Fire Spirit Crows engulfed them, their terrifying power unparalleled, destroying everything. Except for the black mountain that stood like an endless demonic wall, all other peaks collapsed from the heat.
"This cliff was cut from the Immortal Mountain. Legend says it is indestructible, yet it is about to be melted by the flames—truly terrifying!"
"Boom!"
Fortunately, the Old Madman was powerful enough. Within a ten-zhang radius, a serene calm prevailed, as if a spring breeze was blowing. Though a million Fire Spirit Crows attacked, they could not break through.
A rustling sound continued without end as many spirit crows fell to the ground, turning to ashes. The Old Madman's ten-zhang domain was like a sacred land, inviolable.
"Screech!"
Suddenly, a bone-chilling, terrifying cry came from the black ancient cave. The golden eyes grew even colder.
At the same time, the million Fire Spirit Crows seemed to receive an order, hovering in the sky as each shot out a dark light—one of their lifebound divine feathers.
Over a million black divine feathers, each evolved from the lifebound essence of a spirit crow, possessed a lethality that sent chills down one's spine.
"Puff!"
The void immediately shattered. A million dark feathers shot forth simultaneously, flooding the area and concentrating on the group, the terrifying consequences shocking the mind.
"Boom!"
Ye Fan and the others experienced such a scene for the first time. Every Fire Spirit Crow had become a spirit; they were essentially facing a million cultivators!
If not for the Old Madman being here, not even their bones would remain. A million firebirds charging through would turn everything to ash, and everyone would surely perish, body and soul.
"Pop!"
The Old Madman single-handedly resisted a million spirit crows. He traced a circle with his hands, then shook violently. A mournful cry came from the sky as the lifebound dark feathers all shattered, turning to powder.
"Screech!"
From the black ancient cave came another soul-shaking bird cry. The Three-Legged Golden Crow's cold eyes blazed with even brighter golden light.
"Clang!"
It swung a golden ancient staff, sweeping forward. The endless Solar True Fire was tens of thousands of times more intense than before, reducing everything it touched to ashes.
The Old Madman let out a cold shout, reaching out a large hand to grab forward. The golden ancient staff snapped instantly.
The bird's cry turned shrill. A golden sun in the ancient cave shot out billions of divine beams, each like a golden needle. Ye Fan and the others could not even open their eyes.
This was an indiscriminate attack, sweeping in all directions, enough to kill an army. Its lethality was immeasurable, and it was about to breach the Old Madman's ten-zhang sacred domain.
"Bang"
The Old Madman swept his sleeve, catching the countless golden divine beams. He took a step forward, charging straight into the black ancient cave.
An existence comparable to an ancient sage taking the initiative to attack—this was the first time Ye Fan and the others had seen it, proving that the Three-Legged Golden Crow was terrifying beyond imagination.
A shrill cry rang out, and the golden light blazed even brighter, but it could not stop the Old Madman even half a step. He strode directly into the ancient cave.
"Boom!"
A deafening sound erupted. The black great mountain collapsed on the spot. The top of the ancient cave caved in, and massive rocks shot through the clouds.
Dust filled the air, Solar True Fire soared into the sky, and everything blazed brightly. When calm returned, only seven or eight golden feathers drifted down.
Each feather was as dazzling as the sun, stained with a trace of golden blood, radiating terrifying fluctuations that made people dare not approach.
"What a terrifying existence! Too bad it escaped!" The Big Black Dog was both excited and regretful. It rushed over and, trembling with fear, sealed away the eight bloodstained divine feathers.
These were feathers of the Three-Legged Golden Crow, divine materials for artifact refinement, rare in the world and of incalculable value.
"With these, we can refine a Golden Crow Fan. A single wave would burn everything in the world to ashes!"
The Three-Legged Golden Crow had fled, leaving a pool of golden blood on the ground that seeped into the earth veins, plunging into the underground magma rich with Solar True Fire.
"What is this?" Li Heishui discovered a piece of black beast bone in the broken mountain.
"Solar True Art..." The Big Black Dog's heart skipped a beat. It recognized some ancient characters on the bone.
"Is it a heart technique comparable to an ancient scripture?" Li Heishui's eyes lit up immediately.
"This is a fragment, an ancient method deduced by cultivators of old. It's incomplete, and somehow ended up in this cave. That Three-Legged Golden Crow must have referenced it," the Big Black Dog said.
Though a fragment, it was still extremely precious. The Lunar and Solar True Arts in the ancient method were profound and mysterious, summarized and deduced by sages of past generations.
The group gathered together, studying it seriously. They found it unfathomably profound and were greatly inspired. Even the Old Madman read it carefully, showing its value.
Finally, Li Heishui carefully stored it away, saying, "If only we could collect the complete Solar True Art. Legend has it that this is one of the highest cultivation methods of ancient cultivators."
The Big Black Dog nodded, saying, "Several ancient Great Emperors were inspired by ancient methods when creating their own scriptures, possessing the wonder of seizing heaven and earth's creation."
With the Old Madman leading the way, unlike the unreliable Big Black Dog who always got struck by lightning, they traveled with danger but no mishaps, crossing several great mountains in succession.
Ahead lay a pitch-black great canyon. From a distance, they heard the wailing of ghosts, coming from the dark depths, as if connected to the underworld.
"Is that deep canyon spewing hailstones?"
"Damn it, those aren't hailstones—they're human skulls!"
When they got closer, they were shocked. The black great canyon was bottomless, with ghostly winds howling. Countless white skulls were blown up, crashing to the ground with a thud.
"What place is below? Is it really connected to hell? Why are so many human skulls being blown out?!"
Around the great canyon, a vast expanse of white stretched out, with countless skulls rolling about.
Little Nannan was very nervous, sitting on the Old Madman's shoulder, her small hands gripping tightly, her big eyes filled with unease.
"Whoosh..." A fierce wind blew, bringing up even more skulls, making everyone's hair stand on end.
The ground was covered in rolling white skulls. Not a single blade of grass grew here—it was a world of death.
"That thing appeared again!"
Ye Fan spotted the presence within the black strange wind. Its malicious eyes were unforgettable. It moved within the great canyon, hiding in the strange wind, its icy, sinister laughter echoing—a provocation to the sage's authority.
The Old Madman set Little Nannan down on the ground. With a "swish," he vanished, plunging straight into the black great canyon.
"Ah..."
A scream like a ten-thousand-year-old vengeful ghost's wail shook the entire black Sacred Cliff. Over fifty great mountains trembled simultaneously.
"Boom!"
The black great canyon collapsed in a large section. Below, a sea of white bones stretched endlessly, a ghastly sight, left from some unknown era for unknown reasons.
"Puff!"
A spray of black blood shot up, corroding a large pit in the ground. The mysterious existence covered in beast fur screamed miserably and vanished into the void.
The Old Madman soared up from the great canyon, like a god or demon, severely wounding the unknown existence, but unfortunately failing to destroy it.
"Escaping from a sage's hands—how powerful must that existence be?!" Ye Fan and the others were stunned.
"What is it?" They were filled with doubt and fear.
"It is an arm from a corpse that took form," the Old Madman said.
"What?" Everyone was stunned. An arm from a corpse had developed a true spirit and taken form, becoming this terrifying. If its original body were alive, how terrifying would it be?
"I know what it is..." Black Emperor shuddered, saying, "In the past, the dark turmoil of the Immortal Mountain caused rivers of blood to flow across the land. Emperor Void appeared, slaying a supreme existence, using the Void Mirror to destroy it, body and soul, leaving only an arm that fell into the Immortal Mountain."
With this explanation, they naturally understood. Sacred Cliff was cut from the Immortal Mountain, and that arm had followed here.
After an ancient Great Emperor's death, their flesh remained immortal and lifelike. That arm surviving without rotting was not unusual.
But for it to develop a true spirit and take form as a corpse was terrifying. Except for sages, almost no one could destroy it.
When they passed by a pond, the Old Madman stood for a long time, staring down, his body motionless. Only after a long while did he shudder, retreat, and stand there dazed.
"Uncle, what's wrong?" Little Nannan walked over and tugged at his sleeve.
Ye Fan and the others were also surprised. What was wrong with the Old Madman? Why was he acting like this? They walked forward together.
"Don't come over—this is the Reincarnation Lake!" The Old Madman let out a soft shout.
Ye Fan and the others immediately stopped, all startled. The Big Black Dog even cried out, "Reincarnation Lake... such a heaven-defying thing really exists? It can see through one's past and future!"
Just then, Little Nannan looked curiously at the lake water and muttered, "Nannan saw herself... on a Five-Colored Altar... no, on a purple great star, and..."
"Don't look at those!" The Old Madman quickly stopped her, pulling the little girl back, away from the Reincarnation Lake.
"Don't look at your own past and future, or it will affect your current state!" The Big Black Dog showed extreme seriousness, saying, "Emperor Wu Shi once said that."
"There is only one Reincarnation Lake in the world. Legend says it is connected to the ethereal, uncertain Immortal Domain. Only a Great Emperor can observe it!" The Old Madman spoke more than usual, a rarity.
He left decisively, without a moment's hesitation, heading deeper into Sacred Cliff.
Although the fifty-plus great mountains covered a vast area, they were not unreachable. The Old Madman led the way, crossing one cursed land after another, finally reaching the deepest part.
The central giant mountain towered into the clouds, its entire body a dark red, as if soaked in blood, and they could even smell a trace of blood.
"There's a stone coffin on this great mountain!" They stood in the distance, observing the legendary Sacred Cliff, all showing surprise.
"Could it be that the corpse of the Great Accomplishment Saint Body is buried on the mountain?" Ye Fan's heart pounded violently.
"The God-Sealing List... The God-Sealing List refined by Emperor Wu Shi—why is it sealed on this great mountain?!" Black Emperor cried out in shock.
The others were also astonished. They moved around to the other side of the mountain and saw a golden ancient scroll.
On the pitch-black giant mountain, a golden ancient list was sealed to the mountain's surface, flowing with mysterious energy, radiating an overwhelming pressure.
"That's not right. When was this sealed here? How come I don't know?!" The Big Black Dog's expression shifted repeatedly.