Chapter 584: Ancient Mansion, Precious Radiance
The divine mountain stood towering and majestic, with no grass or trees growing upon it, yet it was not lacking in vitality. Immortal mists swirled around, phoenixes danced in flight, and a heart-soothing fragrance wafted out.
"Divine Immortality Pill!" people cried out in shock. For the medicinal fragrance to carry this far, it had to be a divine medicine left over from the ancient era.
A commotion stirred the scene. Many surged forward, yet few dared to act rashly, for above their heads, over a dozen great figures had yet to make their move.
The Imperial Lords of the Central Province, the Demon Lord and War Lord of the Southern Ridge, and the Divine Monks of the Western Desert—each sat with solemn dignity, unmoving, all staring at the pair of stone doors.
The ancient stone doors stood about eight zhang high, sealed tightly with seamless joints, dry and clean. Everyone frowned, suspecting they would be difficult to open.
In the end, a Great Power from the Guhua Imperial Dynasty stepped out from the crowd, walking forward one step at a time. Approaching the doors, he pushed with force. With a thunderous rumble, one stone door shifted half a chi wide, revealing a crack.
Everyone was astonished. They had assumed the place was sealed and would require great effort, never expecting it to be so easy.
At that moment, the medicinal fragrance grew even richer, flowing out from behind the stone door. Many felt as if they were floating, unable to resist swallowing their saliva, as though they were about to ascend to immortality on radiant clouds.
"Swish"
The dozen or so supreme figures in the sky, without distinction of rank, transformed into streaks of divine light and dove down, lining up in a row before the cave mansion.
No one dared to step forward and contend with them. These were the rulers of the present world; even a peerless Great Power would not dare to oppose them all at once.
"Amitabha..." An old monk chanted the Buddha's name.
The so-called Amitabha was the title of an ancient emperor, but whether he was born in the Western Desert was hard to say, for legends claimed he came from an ancient star beyond this domain.
"I shall clear the way!" The Demon Lord of the Southern Ridge stepped forward. With a shake of his hands, the great doors burst open with a crash, and he strode inside.
"Such a rich fragrance—there truly is an immortal medicine!"
"Unfortunately, with these dozen here, even other Great Powers might not make a move, let alone the likes of us."
Behind them, the crowd murmured. Many were unwilling, and among them, Great Power-level figures watched with gleaming eyes, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
The pair of stone doors swung wide open, and dense mist surged out—this was primordial spiritual energy. The crowd rushed forward like a swarm, sensing the presence of the divine medicine.
"Damn it, this time we've lost big. The legendary Divine Immortality Pill from myth—there's no way it'll have anything to do with us." Duan De was dejected, listless, grumbling in frustration.
"Boom!"
A thunderous noise came from within the cave mansion. A great battle had broken out. Without needing to guess, it was clear that supreme experts had clashed over the divine medicine.
"Let's go in and take a look!" Dongfang Ye couldn't hold back any longer and charged forward first.
The Old Blind Man performed a hasty divination. The tortoise shell scattered, and he called out, "Danger but no harm, a tremendous opportunity—hurry up and go!"
This old fellow leaped and bounded like a live rabbit, showing no signs of frailty. He was extremely excited and confident.
"This old codger must have taken an aphrodisiac," the Barbarian muttered. Though agile himself, he was stunned to see the Old Blind Man overtake him.
Ye Fan, Jue Youqing, and Duan De followed behind, entering the cave mansion. Spiritual energy surged, washing over them, filling every inch of their flesh with power.
"There really is a divine medicine!" Duan De couldn't help himself. His eyes darted around as he pondered the various methods and layouts of tomb studies, ready to make a move.
This cave mansion, though imposing from the outside, didn't seem vast. But once inside, they found themselves in what felt like another world—immensely spacious.
By now, over a thousand people had entered, standing in the first layer of the ancient cave mansion, yet it wasn't crowded at all. Another two thousand could fit without issue.
"The divine medicine is over there!"
Ahead lay a field of jade, with a rich fragrance wafting from it. Green leaves supported immortal blossoms, shimmering with flowing light, dazzling and brilliant.
"There's more than one divine medicine!"
"No, these must be Medicine Kings!"
People exclaimed endlessly. Everyone's eyes turned red, eager to rush forward. These were priceless treasures; possessing even one would make even a peerless Imperial Lord bow.
In a medicinal field built from five-colored divine jade, the black soil was fertile. Six ancient herbs sparkled with crystalline light, flowing with immortal mist. The fragrance they emitted made many swallow loudly.
Above, the stone ceiling dripped with earthly liquid at intervals, seeping into the soil to nourish these six ancient herbs.
"Though they aren't Divine Immortality Pills, these are ancient Medicine Kings, grown for eighty to ninety thousand years. Heavens, to have so many appear at once—this is truly against the natural order!"
People marveled, many with eyes nearly popping out.
In the world, even a single Medicine King was rarely seen. Though inferior to a Divine Immortality Pill, it was still an immortal treasure. A single Medicine King could extend one's life by at least four hundred years.
In the present age, aside from the immortal medicines recorded in ancient texts, what other spiritual treasures could achieve this? It was second only to the Flat Peach Ancient Tree of the Jade Pool!
Medicine Kings were difficult to cultivate, requiring constant watering with earthly spiritual liquid and at least eighty thousand years of growth before they could be called such.
Who could wait that long? Eighty thousand years—even an immortal imperial dynasty's lifespan was only a little more than double that.
The Imperial Lords of the Central Province, the Demon Lord of the Southern Ridge, and the Divine Monks of the Western Desert surrounded the medicinal field. Not far away, a battle raged as other peerless Great Powers, unwilling to yield, fought their way in.
The crowd grew restless. No one could remain calm. Many wanted to charge in and join the fray, but they were intimidated by the reputations of those dozen figures and hesitated.
"Heavens, how long has this cave mansion existed? The Medicine Kings have flourished and withered for who knows how many generations," someone exclaimed.
In the medicinal field made of five-colored jade essence, beside the six Medicine Kings, there were traces of ancient herbs that had long since turned to mud—remnants of Medicine Kings that had rotted away countless millennia ago.
Clearly, these six were merely the descendants of those ancient Medicine Kings, reproduced over countless generations.
Each of the six Medicine Kings was of a different variety. Some bloomed with dreamlike seven-colored flowers, their petals as translucent as jade; others bore fruits like agate, intoxicatingly fragrant.
Each could extend life by four hundred years. Together, the six were nearly worth half a Divine Immortality Pill. Many breathed heavily, unable to restrain themselves.
"Why should they decide the distribution? Let's all go together and seize them!"
Finally, a Great Power could no longer hold back. He charged forward, engaging in fierce combat. Others threw caution to the wind, unwilling to be stopped even by Imperial Lords, Demon Lords, and the like.
"Bang," "Thud"...
The ancient cave mansion descended into chaos. Everyone struck out, charging madly forward, unleashing all kinds of magical artifacts against those dozen great figures.
If not for the protective array patterns here, the place would have turned to ash. With so many attacking, including peerless Great Powers, the force was enough to destroy an entire realm.
"Amitabha..." The Divine Monk of the Western Desert chanted the Buddha's name, but it was useless. A large iron hammer descended from above, smashing onto his bald head with a thunderous roar.
The place was in uproar. In an instant, many lost their lives. The six ancient Medicine Kings were all uprooted. Even those dozen great figures couldn't divide them evenly; each relied on their own means to snatch them.
"Kill!"
The cries of battle shook the heavens. Those who succeeded fled toward the second layer of the cave mansion, not daring to linger, while others pursued relentlessly.
The medicinal field was left empty, nothing remaining. The Barbarian pounded the stone wall in deep regret.
"Pfft"
Duan De emerged from the soil of the medicinal field, spitting out black mud, cursing, "Damn it, I was this close to getting one, and I ended up eating a mouthful of dirt!"
During the scramble, a peerless Imperial Lord had slapped him into the black mud. The others were astonished to see him bounce back, lively as ever.
Ye Fan walked over and collected the medicinal field, a few zhang in size, to use for planting precious herbs later.
"I once dug up a clay pot that was even better than this field, with a mysterious origin. Unfortunately, some bastard stole it," Duan De gritted his teeth in curse.
Ye Fan: "..."
Dongfang Ye: "..."
Both remained calm, saying nothing, afraid that Fatty Duan would notice something off.
"Six Medicine Kings, extending life by two thousand four hundred years—it's infuriating that those bastards got them," the Old Swindler rubbed his hands.
"Strength dictates the situation. Can we overpower those dozen peerless Great Powers?" the Barbarian said.
"Hurry up and go, or they'll snatch everything. I think there might be a true Divine Immortality Pill here!" Duan De said, leading the way deeper.
The second layer of the cave mansion was equally vast. Thousands had rushed in without feeling crowded, still spacious and empty. The battle had reached a fever pitch, with no one willing to let go of the Medicine Kings.
"A Sage's weapon!" someone exclaimed. Deep within this layer lay over a dozen pieces of broken bronze, exuding an ancient and mysterious aura, their luster dim.
"A broken bronze bell shattered into over a dozen pieces, but the array patterns within haven't been destroyed!" someone saw through it at a glance. Even Saint Lord-rank figures grew restless and charged forward.
Though the bronze bell was damaged, only its form was broken. The heavenly patterns it had birthed remained, and within it, the bell's "Deity" still slumbered.
"Clang!"
Even as fragments, the great bell was immensely powerful. One piece was struck, and dozens of people nearby turned into blood mist, their forms and spirits annihilated.
"How terrifying—the reputation of a Sage's weapon is well-deserved!"
Instead of fear, people grew even more eager. A crowd surged forward, including several Great Powers.
"Clang!"
Another bell sound rang out. This time, an Imperial Lord held two pieces of broken bronze, unleashing the Sage's tone.
"Pfft"
A Half-Step Great Power closest to him had his head separated from his body, as if struck by lightning. The bell wave swept over him, and without any resistance, he turned into a blood mist and vanished.
Such was the power of an ancient Sage's weapon. Though nearly ruined, a fragment the size of a palm still possessed this might!
"This is a divine object! If it could be reassembled and fully restored, when the bell sounds, who in the world could withstand it?!"
Some peerless Great Powers grew excited. If they could master such a Sage's weapon, hanging it above their heads, where could they not go? They would roam the world without equal!
"Bang!"
Duan De flew back, spitting blood, but he clutched a piece of the bell wall tightly—about a foot long, rusted and dull.
Ye Fan and the others were quite surprised. The dozen or so bronze fragments had all been taken by those peerless Great Powers. That Fatty Duan could snatch one from the tiger's mouth was unexpected.
"Damn it, if anyone wants to piece together that Sage bell in the future, they'll have to buy it from me at a sky-high price!" Duan De gritted his teeth, having planned this all along.
The crowd went wild. Every layer of this ancient cave mansion held divine objects. Everyone rushed deeper, convinced that even more extraordinary treasures lay ahead.
Ancient scriptures, Divine Immortality Pills, Great Emperor's holy weapons—most likely at the very deepest level. Everyone was excited, sprinting at full speed, of course led by Great Powers.
If a major force didn't have a Great Power entering, they couldn't possibly obtain any treasure, for this place gathered many supreme experts.
A great lake blocked the way. No one expected it to be so vast, stretching endlessly like a green sea.
"Swish"
Some Great Powers directly crossed over, flying toward the center of the blue lake. Others, unable to fly, gritted their teeth and walked on the water, rushing forward quickly.
"A white jade heavenly ladder, leading to the outer realm?!" people exclaimed.
When they reached the depths of the lake, they saw a Milky Way falling from the nine heavens. Ahead was a heavenly ladder made of jade, leading up into the depths of the sky, suspended in midair, wrapped in mist.
Many were frustrated. Few could fly, making it impossible to climb that heavenly ladder or ascend along it.
"Splash"
Suddenly, the sound of water breaking came from afar. A small boat drifted over, with a figure standing on it, wearing a straw raincoat and a bamboo hat, holding a bamboo pole.
"The Deity's Remnant—this time, he has truly appeared!" The Old Blind Man shuddered.