Chapter 633: The Land of Immortal Ascension
Ye Fan’s head throbbed. Boundless star domains, ancient star after ancient star—where did this ancient path lead?
He exchanged glances with Pang Bo, their minds racing with countless thoughts. This ancient star was by no means the final destination; it was most likely just a waystation.
To advance, to return home, they had to transcend. Only by continuously growing stronger could they leave this world; otherwise, they would be trapped like birds in a cage.
The vast universe, the endless starry sky—how many secrets did it hold? The pre-Qin Qi Refiners had left Earth—where had they gone?
“Sigh, don’t overthink it. We’re not planning to join those ancient sages in their fun anyway. Going home is the real goal.” Pang Bo sighed.
For now, even if they had such ambitions, it was useless. To enter the star domains, they would at least need to be on par with ancient sages; otherwise, they could only rely on Five-Colored Altars.
“Maybe there are other Star Gates. The altar at the Ancient Forbidden Land isn’t the only one. We need to understand this world better if we want to go home.” Ye Fan transmitted secretly.
Ji Haoyue used his Heaven Deduction Divine Art to calculate, examining both imprints thoroughly but finding nothing. This was a unique talent of the Divine King Physique, highly useful in battle.
In the end, they left and walked forward. Mist rose from that dried-up lake. It looked close but was difficult to approach.
“Eh, this is no ordinary place!” Ye Fan showed surprise.
“We’ve been here once before but couldn’t get through. We specially prepared some materials—array patterns that can break through illusions—to try and force our way in.” Li Heishui said.
Jiang Huairen, Wu Zhongtian, Liu Kou, and the others acted, offering Star Stone, Withered Dragon Wood, and other items, filling them in front of the stone forest and tossing them into the lake.
The mist swirled, showing no sign of weakening. As they approached, it grew thicker. The dry lake, now just a puddle, gradually became shrouded in heavy fog, enveloping the entire stone forest.
“It’s no use. Same as last time. There’s no way through.” Pang Bo frowned.
The dense fog soon submerged the area, causing them to lose their sense of direction. They had no choice but to retreat. This place was very strange.
They caught a lone wolf and drove it into the mist. Almost instantly, it dissolved, vanishing from the world—flesh and bone gone without a trace. Truly terrifying.
“This place really is bizarre…” They sacrificed a magical artifact, but soon after, it emitted cracking sounds and was destroyed in the mist.
“Could it really be the Immortal Transformation Pool?” Ye Fan’s heart raced. If it were an immortal pool, there would be immense fortune to be had!
It had already dried up, becoming a small puddle. If there were any immortal treasures, they could be easily discovered and taken.
“Shakyamuni and Laozi both came here. It might really be the Qinling Immortal Pool, the birthplace of the Green Emperor.” Pang Bo rubbed his hands together.
“Since ancient times, countless divine objects have sunk into the Immortal Pool. Legends say there are shattered Extreme Imperial Weapons and immortal treasures.” Ji Ziyue knew a lot, her dark eyes sparkling with wisdom.
“Don’t act rashly. Let me take a closer look.” Ye Fan stepped back and observed the mountain terrain from outside the mist.
Stone forests grew densely, cliffs hung in the air, and there was little green vegetation near the dried-up lake, though the surrounding peaks were lush with life.
“This place is extraordinary. The more I look at it, the more familiar it seems…” He muttered.
No one disturbed him, knowing he had inherited the legacy of the Origin Heavenly Master and was an authority on mountain and river topography.
“This is—the Land of Immortal Ascension!” Ye Fan’s mind shook violently. This terrain closely matched the records in the Source Heaven Scroll, leading to a mysterious and unfathomable place.
The others were startled. Just the name alone told them it was no ordinary land, undoubtedly divine and likely near the Immortal Transformation Pool.
“As the name implies, this is a rare and wondrous place in the world, leading to a realm of immortals. The journey is difficult and fraught with great danger.”
Although recorded in the Source Heaven Scroll, the Land of Immortal Ascension was only a legend, never actually seen. Even several Origin Heavenly Masters had not been fortunate enough to witness it, only inferring its existence from the terrain.
In the Qinling Mountains, such a path undoubtedly pointed to the Immortal Transformation Pool. The so-called Immortal Ascension Path must originate there.
“Is it easy to pass through?” Jiang Huairen asked, full of hope.
“One in ten thousand survive. It’s like charging through a death gate. Very hard to get through.” Ye Fan said. This was no less dangerous than the various forbidden zones of the Eastern Wasteland.
“This… are we just supposed to watch? Ahead might be the Immortal Transformation Pool! Since ancient times, countless immortal treasures and fragments have sunk into it.”
The Land of Immortal Ascension—just the name alone indicated it was a terrifying place that cut off the path of mortals. Otherwise, if everyone could ascend, what kind of immortal land would it be?
“We can try. Now that it has appeared on its own, the danger should be at its lowest. There’s considerable hope.”
The Land of Immortal Ascension was usually invisible, hidden in the void. Only those who had cultivated the Heavenly Eye could see it, and even then, with great difficulty.
It might only descend into the mortal world once every ten thousand years, taking form at that time, allowing people to catch traces of it and glimpse a fraction of its secrets.
Ye Fan finally understood why no one could find the Immortal Transformation Pool. It appeared only once every ten thousand years, existing in the void, not belonging to the mortal realm at all—a true immortal land.
“It’s almost like descending from another world!”
This was also an opportunity. Under normal circumstances, even if one occasionally caught its trace with the Heavenly Eye, they could never enter, facing a one-in-ten-thousand chance of survival.
Whenever it descended on its own, it weakened infinitely, becoming less terrifying. With sufficient skill, one might be able to pass through.
“If we wield an ancient sage’s weapon to clear the way, we should be able to enter.” Ye Fan said.
“Is there no other way?” Pang Bo was unwilling to give up.
“Big brother, go report to the clan head. They can surely lend us a sacred weapon.” Ji Ziyue blinked her big eyes.
“Didn’t we agree long ago? If we find anything here, we split it evenly. If you bring those old fossils from your family, we’ll have to invite our grandfathers, the great bandits.” Li Heishui said.
If they really alarmed the Ji Family, the few little bandits would have to flee. Even if they brought their grandfathers, they’d have to carry the Devouring Demon Jar.
“Don’t rush. Let me try to open a passage.” Ye Fan said.
Following the records in the Source Heaven Scroll, he observed the surrounding mountain and river terrain, felt the pulse of this world, and continuously deduced, carving many Source Heaven patterns on the ground.
After a long time, Ye Fan stood up and walked step by step toward the dried-up lake. Source Heaven patterns automatically appeared beneath his feet, flashing like patches of star domains.
“Little Leaf, are you sure about this? If not, let’s skip it!” Pang Bo tried to dissuade him, afraid he might get into danger.
“Don’t worry. I’m just testing. I won’t put myself in harm’s way.” Ye Fan smiled.
“Be careful, okay? Don’t be reckless.” Ji Ziyue softly reminded him, wrinkling her cute nose and waving her fair hand.
“Little Leaf, be extremely careful!” Li Heishui and the others also warned.
Soon, Ye Fan’s voice came from the mist, telling them to enter. He had preliminarily judged that this path was viable; at worst, they could retreat.
Pang Bo, Ji Ziyue, and the others all entered the mist, feeling as if they were standing on clouds as they looked around. The thick fog made it impossible to see even those standing opposite them, creating an eerie and unsettling feeling.
Source Heaven patterns flickered beneath Ye Fan’s feet, complex and profound, merging with the pulse of the earth to discern the path and secrets he sought.
The others followed closely, stepping unevenly as they advanced, their hearts tense and excited. After all, they were approaching the legendary Immortal Transformation Pool.
The birthplace of the Green Emperor, where the Green Copper Block also lay submerged—what else was there? No one could say, filling them with endless anticipation.
“Don’t stray far from me. Stay within ten zhang. Otherwise, even a Great Power who takes the wrong step will be dissolved into pus and blood.” Ye Fan warned solemnly.
“That terrifying?” Jiang Huairen muttered. Even a Great Power could be dissolved—it made their legs tremble.
“Wait, we’ve entered the dried-up lake, but there’s no water at all. It feels like we’re walking on mountain ground?” Wu Zhongtian grew suspicious.
Ye Fan said, “Most of what we see is illusory, not real. Unless you’ve cultivated the Heavenly Eye Penetration, it’s hard to see through.”
They moved cautiously, following behind Ye Fan, almost stepping exactly in his footprints. After advancing for over half an hour, they had traveled a great distance, and the mist grew even thicker.
Suddenly, they felt something was wrong, though none could say exactly what. The path had been too quiet, and an eerie aura had appeared.
“Damn it, there’s an extra person among us!” Pang Bo’s hair stood on end.
At these words, everyone’s heart shook violently. There were clearly eight people, but now a ninth had appeared, following along.
The fog was so thick that even those standing close couldn’t see clearly. A humanoid figure stood among them, and no one knew which one was the latecomer.
At that moment, their scalps tingled. An extra person was never a good omen. Faintly, they caught a smell of decay.
“Hmph!”
Ji Haoyue snorted, flicking a string of blood beads from his fingers. They lit up the thick fog like a rainbow, piercing through it.
A shrill cry like a vengeful ghost’s wail rang out. The humanoid figure in the mist was shot through, stumbling away in escape, vanishing in an instant.
But the terrifying scream still echoed, making their skin crawl. It was like the curse of a thousand-year-old vengeful spirit—icy and venomous.
“That creature was very powerful, no weaker than someone at the first level of the Immortal Platform. Brother Haoyue scared it off with a flick of his fingers.” Ye Fan was astonished.
“Divine blood breaks evil; it’s a matter of mutual opposition. That was a rotting corpse. Actually, the sacred blood in your body can also be used to burn it to ashes.” Ji Haoyue said.
Ji Ziyue was very perceptive, her big, dark eyes darting around as she muttered softly, “I don’t think this feels like entering an immortal pool. Why would there be undead here?”
“On the Land of Immortal Ascension, such things on the path are not surprising.” Ye Fan explained.
Half an hour later, they emerged from the misty area. Ahead, the evening glow was like blood, dyeing the sky red, with faint golden light mixed in.
“What place is this? When I observed the terrain from outside, I didn’t see any landscape like this.” Li Heishui frowned.
“This is the true appearance of this place. What we saw before was all illusion.” Ye Fan said.
The terrain here was extraordinary. The mountains were majestic, the valleys wide, and dragon qi coiled around the peaks. The view was magnificent and awe-inspiring.
“Bang”
The ground ahead split open. A rotten wooden coffin, almost decayed, revealed a large hand covered in red fur reaching out, and a figure crawled out.
“What is this place? Is this really the Land of Immortal Ascension? Another undead appears. It’s like a burial ground.” Jiang Huairen’s hair stood on end.
This was a tall corpse, extremely eerie under the blood-red sunset. Its eyes were vacant as it advanced toward them.
Ye Fan flicked his finger, sending out several golden blood beads. They landed on the corpse, and with a sizzling sound, golden flames ignited, burning it until it howled in agony before fleeing into the distance.
In the distance, over a dozen silver-winged yakshas, their bodies like silver castings gleaming with metallic luster, dared not approach, staring fixedly at Ye Fan.
Before long, a massive mountain blocked their path. At its summit was a pool of water, shimmering under the sunset, flowing with dreamlike radiance.
“The Immortal Pool! It must be the Immortal Transformation Pool!” Everyone was excited.
“Eh, no. Look, there’s another strange place not far away.” Pang Bo pointed to the other side.
Beside it stood another great mountain, on which was an ancient cave. It exhaled dragon qi, stirring their hearts. Two banana trees, who knew how many tens of thousands of years old, shimmered with green radiance, growing on either side of the ancient cave.
“The Millennial Dragon Cave of the Qinling Mountains!” Ye Fan’s heart shook. The third-generation Origin Heavenly Master might be buried inside.