Chapter 795: Ascending to Immortality
A faint wisp of the female saint’s spiritual imprint was transmitted, causing Ye Fan’s heart to tremble. What kind of sentiment was this?
Using a female saint’s true heart to pursue, only to find footprints, to follow behind, to gaze upward for an entire lifetime—it was a sigh-worthy tale.
To become a female saint, she must have been a peerless prodigy, a divine maiden, haloed with divine radiance, the focus of all eyes, looking down upon the world.
Yet, she abandoned everything, set out alone, facing the cold and dark universe, ceaselessly searching.
Through endless years, a solitary path of loneliness, rosy cheeks turned to withered bones, she sat in meditation and passed away in a corner of the desolate cosmos.
Thus, she grew old in solitude, with no one knowing her final thoughts.
No result, no hope, and in the end, such an outcome.
On the grand Dao platform, shrouded in chaotic mist, the tall, imposing figure seated cross-legged remained motionless, as if it had not shifted a single inch for millennia.
Ye Fan felt that the crescent-shaped pendant, which could calm the Primordial Slaughter Formation, itself spoke volumes.
In the eyes of the world, Wu Shi was divine and mighty, omnipotent, intimidating all races, suppressing the seven Forbidden Zones of Life, annihilating extraterrestrial deities, sweeping across the eight desolates and six directions, invincible under heaven and earth, feared past and present.
Yet, no matter his heaven-defying abilities, shaking the ages and surpassing the present, he could not reverse time or change the female saint’s fate.
There must have been an untold story between them; otherwise, the crescent pendant could never have calmed Wu Shi’s formation. Even Black Emperor could not set foot here, unaware of Wu Shi’s life or death.
“A pity, a lament. Though the ancient Great Emperors were invincible under heaven and earth, they were also the most sorrowful people.”
Everyone has their own story. The ancient Great Emperors were unmatched in power, suppressing the myriad ages and heavens, sweeping away extraterrestrial deities, yet they too had such regrets.
“Pay respects to Emperor Wu Shi!” the Old Blind Man kowtowed devoutly.
Duan De and Ye Fan were no exception, performing solemn rites and sincerely bowing to Wu Shi. Walking the path of an emperor, one fears not heaven, respects not earth, and believes in no others, but this does not mean disrespecting the sages of the past.
Wu Shi had made great contributions to the human race, worthy of their homage—this was the reverence and respect due.
“Great Emperor…” When the Old Blind Man looked up again, the space before him was empty, nothing at all.
“How can this be?” They were horrified. The tall, majestic figure had vanished, no longer on the Dao platform, as if it had never appeared.
“Was that him we just saw?” They doubted.
“Perhaps it was a shadow left from a bygone era.”
After careful consideration, they concluded this must be the case. Otherwise, how could an ancient Great Emperor be so imposing? A wisp of imperial might could collapse heaven and earth.
If it were his true body here, they could not even approach; they would likely shatter instantly, flesh and soul ceasing to exist.
Who had ever seen a true imperial corpse? No one in the world could get close.
In the past, even the shed skin of the Immortal Emperor required an Extreme Imperial Weapon to confront; otherwise, one could not draw near, let alone the true body of a Great Emperor.
The entire world fell silent—this was the bleak latter half of a Great Emperor’s life.
Neither alive to be seen nor dead to leave a corpse, where was Wu Shi? Where had he gone?
At this moment, the three were filled with doubts and countless thoughts. What had happened? This Dao platform was empty, with nothing at all.
The Dao platform was utterly still, shrouded in chaotic mist. With complex emotions, they stepped forward step by step, carefully examining every inch of the area.
The ancient Dao platform bore the mottled marks of time, recording the loneliness of a Great Emperor’s life. He sat alone, back turned to all beings—what was he gazing at?
At the center of the platform, the imposing seated figure was gone, but the image of his back, with thick black hair cascading like a waterfall, was hard to erase from their minds.
“There’s something on the ground!”
At the spot where he had sat, a shattered feathered robe lay scattered, having endured for who knows how many tens of thousands of years.
“A feathered Dao robe!”
“Could Emperor Wu Shi have dissolved into the Dao?”
The three’s hearts shook in unison, feeling a sense of sorrow. Even the most powerful human Great Emperor could not withstand the passage of time, leaving not even a corpse behind.
Wu Shi left nothing behind. How divine and mighty he was in life, unrivaled across the nine heavens and ten lands, yet in death, he departed so quietly, like a wisp of wind fading away.
He died without shaking heaven and earth, without trembling the world, simply scattering with the wind. Was this still the Wu Shi who made all heavens and realms gasp for breath?
“He left like this. This doesn’t seem like the unmatched, domineering Wu Shi. Even in death, he should have stirred heaven and earth. How could he choose to dissolve his own imperial body?” Duan De muttered to himself.
Suddenly, the Old Blind Man’s body trembled, and he showed an expression of disbelief. “This… could it be that he ascended to immortality?”
Duan De exclaimed, “What? Impossible! Since ancient times, who has achieved immortality? All past legends are unreliable; evidence can be found to prove them false.”
“Perhaps Emperor Wu Shi truly succeeded, forcibly breaking the heavenly restraints and ascending to immortality,” the Old Blind Man said, his eyes burning with fervor.
Ancient texts recorded that ascending to immortality was actually dissolving into the Dao, a journey to the end of life, not true immortality.
But some refuted this, claiming that in the distant past, there were true immortals of antiquity, with a single calamity every ten thousand ages, allowing only one to ascend.
“I think it’s dissolution into the Dao. Look, there are ashes here, clearly left from the emperor’s body burning during his ascension,” Duan De said, staring at the tattered robe fragments.
“Ascending to immortality means the true body can only take one weapon into the Immortal Domain. The ashes should be from other items the emperor carried that were destroyed,” the Old Blind Man countered.
“This further proves that Emperor Wu Shi dissolved into the Dao, because the Primordial Bell remains, not taken by him,” Duan De said.
“Perhaps there was a special reason. He didn’t have time to bring the imperial weapon and went alone to the Immortal Domain. Who in history has opened the path? The opportunity is fleeting,” the Old Blind Man said, his confidence waning.
“Enough, arguing over this is meaningless. Whether dissolution or ascension, he has ascended and is no longer in this world. A chaotic era without a human Great Emperor is coming. Let’s focus on that,” Ye Fan interrupted them.
There was nothing else on the Dao platform. They all sighed, utterly surprised and deeply disappointed.
In the end, Ye Fan placed the snow-white female saint’s skull among the shattered feathered robe fragments, burying them here.
“Unable to be together in life, may they share the same tomb in death,” he murmured softly.
On the cliff wall below the platform, a gap held an ancient medicinal king blooming with seven-colored flowers, swaying with dazzling divine radiance, the whole plant translucent and fragrant.
“How can we return empty-handed from a treasure mountain? Every medicinal king is a life. Let’s pick them all,” Duan De said.
He was quite open, urging Ye Fan to gather them. At this moment, they dared not let go of the crescent-shaped pendant, or they would be unable to move and instantly turned to dust.
On the Dao platform, dense Dao patterns covered it—this was a flawless Primordial Slaughter Formation. Unless the Great Emperor himself came, no one could enter.
A chaotic waterfall cascaded from the platform, with patches of Dao patterns flickering in and out of sight, but they did not harm the three at all. They climbed along, picking eight ancient medicinal kings in one go.
Duan De and the Old Blind Man trembled with excitement. Each could extend life by four hundred years—what an astonishing divine treasure! A few more picks would rival an Immortal Elixir.
In the end, they were drenched in medicinal fragrance, their flesh nearly transparent from the glow of the ancient kings. Breathing in the essence, every pore opened, making them feel as if they were floating like immortals.
When they climbed down from the platform, they had collected thirteen ancient medicinal kings in total. If this got out, it would shock the world.
Aside from Purple Mountain, all the desolate wilds and great wastelands combined probably didn’t have this many. Each required over ten thousand years of nourishment with earthly milk.
“We’re rich! Together, they’re almost as good as an Immortal Elixir!” Duan De was so excited he nearly convulsed.
The Old Blind Man couldn’t stay calm either, his eyes blazing, nearly mad, as he caressed one ancient king after another, a dazzling, crystalline sight.
When the three calmed down, Ye Fan tossed the crescent-shaped pendant back onto the platform, landing it right among the feathered robe fragments, before the snow-white, crystalline skull.
A ten-thousand-zhang chaotic divine waterfall poured down, engulfing the platform. No one could take a step forward without turning to ash—even a sage would fail.
“Wait, do you think this platform could be a great tomb, with Wu Shi’s corpse inside?” Duan De suddenly asked before they left.
“This…” Ye Fan and the Old Blind Man were startled.
“Based on my years of tomb-robbing experience, this is very likely an imperial tomb,” Duan De said with certainty.
Even if it were, they had no strength to enter. The platform was densely covered with patterns. If they tried to dismantle it, even with the pendant or following a formation diagram, they would be obliterated.
Finally, they left the area. Purple Mountain was vast, with many places they hadn’t explored, but Ye Fan had lost interest. He only wanted to go to the Primordial Bell.
As they walked back, passing the row of crystal coffins carved by the Immortal Emperor, they all froze, then felt a chill run through their bodies, cold air rising from the depths of their hearts.
All the crystal coffins were open, completely empty. Black footprints marked the ground, making the place like a hall of death, cold and terrifying.
“Hurry!” Duan De shouted. No one was more familiar with tombs than he, and seeing this, his face turned pale.
“Aooow…”
From all directions, mournful wails erupted, as if the gates of hell had opened. Dark, withered figures surged forward.
“Damn it! These are all subordinates of the Immortal Emperor. This time, we’re in real trouble. Every one of them was a divine general from the mythical era!”
Even though these beings had long died and lost their magical power, their withered bodies were still terrifyingly strong. With such a group charging, even an ancient great sage would be torn apart.
There was no choice but to sacrifice the Ancient Devouring Demon Jar. Even Ye Fan entering the saint shell wouldn’t work—there were too many of these terrifying ghosts.
“There’s a living, fearsome being controlling these dried corpses. It wants to seize the medicinal kings.”
The Ancient Devouring Demon Jar trembled, spewing out patches of black light, carving a path. They ran forward quickly, not daring to stop.
The Ruthless Great Emperor’s weapon was indeed powerful, capable of slaughtering a swath, but it consumed a great deal, possibly draining them dry. This was no place for a desperate fight.
The three fled swiftly, with a group of ghosts—some with dragon heads, others with qilin bodies—chasing closely behind. The entire interior of Purple Mountain was in turmoil, filled with corpse shadows.
“Damn it! Even a sage would meet their end here. That old Immortal Emperor left behind such a pack of useless subordinates!” Duan De cursed.
“Boom”
Finally, they had to activate the Devouring Jar, shaking out a terrifying wave of black light. The Immortal Emperor’s subordinates were formidable, but they still shattered.
“No good. There are too many, not concentrated, and a living being is directing them from the shadows,” the Old Blind Man frowned.
In the end, they retreated to the rear of the largest hall in Purple Mountain, where a stone scripture lay displayed.
“You go. I’m staying,” Ye Fan said, pressing an imperial jade into a stone groove.
“Why are you staying? You’ll die here for sure. Come with us,” the Old Blind Man said.
“There’s no choice. The ten thousand ancient races are about to emerge. Without a force to intimidate them, an unprecedented dark calamity will come,” Ye Fan said.
“What do you plan to do?”
“Purple Mountain is my first stop. I want the Primordial Bell to ring for three months straight, shaking the mortal world and making them doubt Wu Shi’s life or death,” Ye Fan said.
“You’re insane! Not three months—even three rings will turn you to ash. Not even the saint shell can withstand the bell’s waves!”
“I have a way to block it. You go quickly,” Ye Fan urged, pressing another imperial jade into the groove, which immediately burst into a curtain of light, tearing open the void.
“If you dare stay, and we do nothing, we’d have no face to leave,” the Old Blind Man said, steadfastly leaving the Devouring Jar behind.
Duan De was nearly in tears but didn’t object, saying with a sob, “Damn it, don’t lose it for me. In three months, I’ll come dig the grave and steal my own treasure.”
Moreover, of the thirteen medicinal kings, they took only four, leaving the other nine for Ye Fan to sustain his life.
The Primordial Bell was about to ring. An unprecedented great storm was coming!