Chapter 563: The Immortal Ancient World
Does the Immortal Domain truly exist? Even the ancient emperors and the human race's Heavenly Emperors could not say for certain, unable to enter it. Can a mere Immortal Mansion truly uncover its secrets?"
"It's a trace of an immortal relic. Believe it or not, I choose to believe." Qi Huoshui said very calmly.
"You believe..." Ye Fan directly gave her a flick on the forehead, leaving a mark on her jade-smooth brow.
"Surnamed Ye, you dare lay hands on me?!" Qi Huoshui finally exploded, her fiery nature fully revealed. Although her cultivation was sealed, her movements were not restricted.
At this moment, though she had no divine power, she still attacked. Her left arm extended lightly, pale as lotus root, her palm and fingers like blades, chopping toward Ye Fan's neck. Then, her right leg spun, long and straight, fair and smooth, barely concealed by her skirt, kicking toward Ye Fan's head.
Her slender waist twisted, round and firm, moving like a water snake, agile, graceful, and swift.
"Bang"
Ye Fan did not dodge her left hand, letting it chop against his neck without moving a muscle. Qi Huoshui's brows furrowed slightly as she shook her hand in pain, her delicate fingers turning red, as if she had struck a boulder.
As for her long right leg, it missed. Ye Fan did not want dirt on his forehead, so he stepped back slightly to the side and grabbed her smooth ankle, lifting it high.
"You... let go!" Qi Huoshui screamed, her face flushing red. Her skirt could barely cover her snow-white, slender legs. Her eyes blazed with killing intent, and her hair danced lightly.
"Bang"
Ye Fan swung his hand, and she flew lightly through the air, landing on a rattan chair. "Let me leave, or else..."
"Clatter, crash!"
Qi Huoshui's fiery temper flared up. She threw whatever she could grab, and finally, with a clang, she slapped a bronze lion, hurting her own hand. She crouched down, shaking her fingers repeatedly.
"If you have the strength, keep smashing. If you can't manage, I'll bring you a pile of sandbags," Ye Fan said with a laugh.
"Surnamed Ye, treating me like this..." Qi Huoshui didn't finish her sentence. Her beautiful eyes shot killing glares, but though furious, she dared not go too far.
Ye Fan showed no courtesy. He directly searched her, extracting a precious vase from her Wheel Sea. Inside were all sorts of things: ten-thousand-year-old spiritual medicines, a Saint Lord-rank weapon, and a bronze token.
"Could there really be an Immortal Mansion?" He was surprised. The bronze token should be the Immortal Mansion Token that Princess Qi had mentioned.
Disciples of the Extraordinary Scholars Mansion could all seek immortal fortune. Everyone had been issued such a bronze token, which seemed quite significant.
"Lord of the City, something terrible has happened!" As soon as Ye Fan returned to the Wilderness Hut, a villager rushed over in panic to report.
"What's wrong?"
"The Ancient Mast Forest is emitting battle cries, just as the ancestors said." The villagers trembled, all pale-faced.
"Is that so? Has this happened before?" Ye Fan was surprised as he approached the edge of the Ancient Mast Forest.
The old trees stood dry and withered, many with hollow trunks, yet they stubbornly lived, coiled like dragons resting here.
Ye Fan came closer and listened carefully. He heard no sound, only the rustling of leaves and the cool shade on the ground.
He looked at the villagers doubtfully, showing confusion. Immediately, someone stepped forward, pale-faced, and whispered, "Press your ear to the trunk, and you'll hear it."
"Is that so?" Ye Fan was skeptical. They were just old trees; even if they had become spirits, they shouldn't be like this.
But the next moment, as he leaned in to listen, his body jolted. He showed an expression of disbelief and stepped back several paces.
The old trees were cracked, one after another. Legend said they had existed for over a hundred thousand years, never changing. The villagers called them sacred trees and never harmed a single leaf.
Now, Ye Fan was truly stunned. From within the trunks came earth-shaking battle cries, as if an ancient battlefield lay before him—men shouting, horses neighing, blades flashing.
"Rumble!"
When he pressed his ear to the trunk, he could even feel the vibrations, as if hundreds of warhorses were charging, pounding the ground with a thunderous roar.
Ye Fan was excited. He had come for the Wilderness Hut, but had been unable to find a way in. He never thought that after a few days away, such a change would occur.
"Do these ancient trees have any detailed legends?" He wanted to know more.
"The ancestors only said roughly that when the gate to the Immortal Realm opens and divine sounds emerge, one should not approach easily, or they might accidentally enter," said the oldest elder.
Ye Fan found it mysterious. That night, he wandered through the ancient forest for half the night, but dared not meditate there. In such a critical time, he feared he might immediately pass away.
For two consecutive days, he pondered in the mast forest, trying to get to the bottom of it. When he pressed his ear to the trunks, he not only heard the sounds of an ancient battlefield but also dragon roars, phoenix cries, and qilin calls, widening his eyes in shock.
"An illusion—it must be flood dragons, luan birds, and qilin beasts!" He didn't believe in the existence of immortal spirits in the present age.
"Boom!"
Then, he heard the sound of a great flood, the roar of an ocean, and waves surging to the sky.
"This is bizarre. How can these sacred trees have such sounds?" Ye Fan was utterly perplexed.
For several days, he stayed there, trying to understand, but the more anxious he became, the more he found no solution.
On the sixth day, as he lay listening to the thickest ancient tree in the center of the forest, a soul-shaking roar nearly shattered him!
"Immortal Emperor..."
It was not any language, but a divine thought, as if transmitted through the ages, spanning billions of years, piercing through a star domain to reappear in the world.
Ye Fan's divine sense was incredibly powerful, yet under the residual waves of this divine sound, his face turned deathly pale. The golden lake in his brow emitted dazzling light, nearly scattering.
"Who is this, shouting the name of the Immortal Emperor?!"
His heart was shaken. This was not the first time he had heard those four words. Even the ancient kings worshipped and revered him as a being surpassing the gods.
Ye Fan finally understood why the ancient great emperors had built huts here in their later years. This place was too extraordinary, surely holding some secret.
"It wasn't that the human emperors wanted to retire here peacefully, but that they discovered some mystery!" He made this deduction.
On the seventh day, he listened before the smallest ancient tree at the edge. He was dumbfounded to hear a divine thought transmitting the three words "Extraordinary Scholars Mansion."
A flash of insight struck Ye Fan. His thoughts scattered instantly. He turned and left, returning to the city. He took out a precious vase, unsealed it, and released Qi Huoshui.
"Surnamed Ye... you dared to seal me for seven days! I'll fight you to the death!" Qi Huoshui's peerless immortal face was filled with fury. She clawed at him, charging in to fight, no different from a fiery shrew.
"If you dare move again, you'll be promoted from maid to bed-warming servant," Ye Fan threatened without a hint of shame.
"Tap," "tap," "tap"...
Qi Huoshui was truly frightened. She backed up more than ten steps, her hand on her heaving chest, very unsettled. On her jade-white cheeks, her large, spirited eyes held a trace of anger, but she dared not act fiery anymore.
"You should have behaved earlier. Go pour tea and water," Ye Fan ordered.
"You're dreaming!"
"You really are a fiery one. Fine, I won't make things hard for you. Just tell me in detail about that Immortal Mansion," Ye Fan said casually.
"You want to go in?" Qi Huoshui's eyes lit up. "Don't worry about that. Just tell me the details," Ye Fan said, sipping tea as he listened.
He was quite surprised. The Immortal Mansion was located in the ancient mountain range, said to be connected to the Immortal Domain, filled with ancient secrets and many unknown mysteries.
According to the speculations of the Extraordinary Scholars Mansion's great powers, it was very likely a place where ancient great emperors had left their footprints, a mysterious and unpredictable site.
"Is the Ancient Mast Forest connected to that Immortal Mansion?" Ye Fan muttered to himself.
He wasted no time. That very day, he flew toward the ancient immortal mountain range. This was his first time approaching the Extraordinary Scholars Mansion since arriving.
This mountain range was filled with auspicious energy. With his divine eyes, he could clearly see tens of thousands of purple great dragons coiled around, a truly astonishing sight.
Here, cinnabar cliffs and strange rocks abounded. Qilin beasts lay alone, luan birds danced, purple mist swirled, ten-thousand-year-old spiritual medicines grew on cliffs, and immortal fungi grew beside ancient trees.
No matter how you looked at it, it was a divine land, making one feel as if they had stepped into the Immortal Realm. The mountain range was extraordinary, very mystical—jade mushrooms, spiritual springs, long-lived deer, ancient cliffs... like a painting.
In this mountain range, every ten steps was a new scene, gathering divine beauty and grandeur. Ye Fan did not disturb the spiritual birds and rare beasts, nor did he approach the central Extraordinary Scholars Mansion easily.
Because this place was too unusual. One misstep could lead to discovery, and he didn't want to be caught.
"Pang Bo might be inside," Ye Fan mused. Besides the Wilderness Hut, his other purpose here was to find his old friend.
Soon, he understood the situation. The Extraordinary Scholars Mansion had sealed the mountain, allowing no one in or out. He finally understood why no one had come to the city to trouble him in recent days.
The Immortal Mansion was a major matter. After consulting with some major powers, the Extraordinary Scholars Mansion did not want to leak news prematurely and planned to open the cave dwelling together.
Ye Fan stopped dozens of miles away, gazing at the Extraordinary Scholars Mansion. Under the bright sky, purple smoke rose there, leaping like dragons.
"I can see it without using my divine eyes. This place is unfathomable, filled with immortal mist, ten thousand dragons soaring to the sky, seizing the wonders of heaven and earth!"
Ye Fan waited for several days and finally discovered the secret. The Immortal Mansion had opened, located in the back mountain of the Extraordinary Scholars Mansion. The divine and beautiful aura there could not be blocked, and even the great formation could not seal it.
"An immortal cave dwelling!"
He was very eager, but he simply could not enter. Top-tier great powers guarded it, and there were more than four or five of them, completely sealing the area.
Though it was called an immortal cave, the people of the Extraordinary Scholars Mansion kept walking in without any sense of crowding. It was impossible to tell how vast it was.
Ye Fan, sixty-seven miles away, watched for several days with his divine eyes. People constantly entered and exited, especially the over seven hundred disciples of the Extraordinary Scholars Mansion, all of whom had moved.
During these days, people were frequently injured and withdrew, and even corpses were carried back. He was very shocked. At times, great powers staggered out, severely wounded and near death.
"This Immortal Mansion is very unusual. So many people go to seek immortal fortune, making it their trial ground, yet even Saint Lord-rank figures almost died inside."
Ye Fan was quite tempted, but had no way to get there. For the first time, he regretted not joining the Extraordinary Scholars Mansion, missing such an opportunity.
He waited outside for seven or eight days, watching as almost everyone withdrew. But within three days, after some rest, they began their second attempt at seeking immortal fortune.
"Is it truly a place of immortal burial? Unfortunately, I have no way in..." Though he mastered the Stride Art, he could not break through the defenses of several top-tier great powers.
Ye Fan sighed deeply and returned to the Wilderness Hut. In the ancient village, he sought other methods, circling the ancient trees every day. The villagers were terrified, and someone advised, "City Lord, young master, don't approach the sacred trees when they emit divine sounds, or you'll be swallowed up."
His heart stirred. "How would one be swallowed?"
"During special times, those tree holes connect to the Immortal Realm..." The oldest elder in the village told him a little-known secret.
Ye Fan decided to take the risk. When no one was around, he gritted his teeth, approached an ancient tree, and reached his hand into the hollow trunk.
"Space force!"
He was shocked, confirming his speculation. Pressing his ear to the trunk, he had heard many sounds, including the shouts of some young people.
"Disciples of the Extraordinary Scholars Mansion!"
This time, he was certain and no longer worried. He decided to take the gamble.
"Whoosh"
When Ye Fan risked himself and entered a hollow tree trunk, a ripple appeared on the spot, and then he vanished into thin air, leaving nothing behind.
Fortunately, the villagers did not see it, or they would have shouted that the City Lord had passed away, swallowed into the Immortal Realm.
In that brief moment, Ye Fan felt as if he had experienced ten thousand years. He truly feared a mistake, dissolving into nothingness. Endless darkness enveloped him, and he didn't know how long passed before he saw light again.
"Is this... that Immortal Mansion?!" He couldn't help but exclaim.
The scene before him was completely different from what he had imagined. This was not a dark underground world, nor was it inside a mountain.
It was very bright. The sky was clear as washed, without a trace of impurity, like a huge blue sapphire inverted above.
"Caw!"
A giant bird flew across the sky, momentarily blocking the sun. Its feathers shimmered with five-colored light, casting a huge shadow on the ground.
Ye Fan was horrified. How big was this bird? Like a large cloud, blotting out the sky.
"More than one!" He was truly shocked. In the distant sky, there were similar clouds, but of different kinds.
"Roar!"
In the distance, the earth shook and the mountains trembled. A mountain ridge flew up, charging into the sky, emitting endless ferocious aura.
"How can a mountain ridge move?" Ye Fan was puzzled at first, but then showed a look of terror. It was no mountain ridge, but clearly a giant green snake.
It had slept for who knows how many years, covered in soil, with many ancient trees growing on it.
It soared into the high sky, fighting with the cloud-like giant bird. Snake scales flew, colorful feathers fell, and blood poured down like rain. The battle was incredibly fierce.
"Heavens, what kind of world is this? Such ancient desolate beasts still exist, and such slaughter seems commonplace."
Ye Fan's heart surged. Was this the Immortal Mansion? It was clearly a world, with no connection to a cave dwelling.
In the distance, ancient trees towered into the sky. The mountains were primeval, old vines like dragons, lofty peaks majestic, great rivers vast—a scene of ancient times.
"Ah..."
From the mountains came human screams. Ye Fan turned into a shadow and rushed over, seeing a young man die in the mouth of a flood dragon, bitten in two and sinking into a deep pool.
"Be careful, don't wander off!" From hundreds of feet away, someone shouted loudly, and more young people appeared.
"Disciples of the Extraordinary Scholars Mansion..." Ye Fan's brows twitched. He finally confirmed that this was indeed the Immortal Mansion, as real as a world.
"This is a primeval ancient world. Though it holds peerless immortal treasures and even great emperor scriptures, it is also full of danger. Deep ahead, even top-tier great powers have fallen. You must be cautious!"