# Chapter 955: Transmitting the Dharma in the Age of Dharma Decline
The secret ground of the Numinous Treasure Sect was located within these Gezao Mountains. In ancient times, it served as a secluded retreat for retired sect leaders, supreme protectors, and the like. Ordinary disciples and followers were strictly forbidden from entering.
But now, the world was vastly different. Earth had almost no conditions suitable for cultivation. Only such secret grounds still had spiritual energy seeping out. To ensure the continuation of their heritage, core members could now enter.
The Numinous Treasure secret ground was only a few li in circumference. A mysterious array pattern isolated it from the outside world, preserving everything with a primitive and ancient atmosphere.
The spiritual mountain was very low, springs gurgled, ancient trees were rugged and sturdy, and wisps of auspicious energy swirled around.
In dozens or even hundreds of years, Ye Fan was the only person not belonging to the Numinous Treasure Sect to set foot here. He received great courtesy—the sect leader personally welcomed him, and various elders waited respectfully.
There weren't many people here, because the spiritual energy was limited and couldn't support too many people cultivating together. Only important figures were present.
They were very respectful and extremely polite, wanting to invite Ye Fan to expound the scriptures and supplement the lost texts of the Numinous Treasure Sect. They ordered people to bring that Dao platform into this secret ground.
Ye Fan was astonished. The once-great Numinous Treasure Sect had produced a world-shaking powerhouse like Ge Hong in the past—how had it fallen to such a state now? He didn't sense any Immortal Scripture here, nor did he find any Dao traces of the Nine Secrets.
He had many questions in his heart and couldn't help but ask them directly.
The Numinous Treasure Sect Leader sighed softly and recounted everything he knew. After Earth's spiritual energy dried up and became unsuitable for cultivation, the strong practitioners of various sects chose to travel far away, and no one knew where they went.
Back then, almost all the great supernatural power practitioners had left. Once they departed, many heritages were nearly severed.
As for the current sects, where could they find complete ancient scriptures? What they had was compiled by the few people who were unwilling to leave back then. It couldn't compare to the glorious days of the past.
Ye Fan was stunned. He finally understood why the Numinous Treasure Sect, which had produced Ge Hong and was suspected to be a lineage of the Numinous Treasure Heavenly Venerable among the Three Pure Ones of Daoism, had fallen so badly. The true orthodoxy had nearly perished.
"What about the other sects? Are they the same?"
"More or less the same. The great supernatural power practitioners left, and the orthodoxies all suffered losses. Earth's Dao field was abandoned." The Numinous Treasure Sect Leader sighed.
A group of great supernatural power practitioners vanished without a trace, and then the Age of Dharma Decline began. It became difficult to produce strong practitioners. With a gap between generations, all sects declined.
"The Numinous Treasure Sect was hit very hard. Almost no scripture is complete. Relying only on a few young disciples from back then, it's impossible to compile all the classics." The Numinous Treasure Sect Leader sighed deeply.
Now, they could no longer be considered a supreme great sect holding the leading position, because they had lost too much, and it was impossible to recover.
Any sect that had surviving elders still had relatively complete classics. Those old predecessors who were attached to their homeland and didn't leave made great contributions to the continuation of their orthodoxy.
"Are there still such people now?" Ye Fan asked.
"If there are, they can't be more than a few. Over twenty years ago, the Nine Dragons Pulling a Coffin landed on Mount Tai, shocking the cultivation world. That year, the last ancestor of the Dragon Tiger Mountain was invited out of seclusion to protect the ancient altar. Not long after he returned, he passed away while sitting in meditation. They say he was the last surviving elder."
"So it was the old Daoist from Dragon Tiger Mountain." Ye Fan had heard Yang Xiao mention this before. Later, medical research institutions tried desperately to save his life but failed. However, they unexpectedly discovered that he might have lived for one to two thousand years.
Since Ye Fan had come to the Numinous Treasure secret ground, he naturally had to ask about the Nine Secrets. He wanted to collect them all at all times. Since he had chosen the path of attaining the Dao and becoming an immortal, this would be an essential wondrous technique to protect his Dao body.
The Numinous Treasure Sect Leader smiled bitterly. Not to mention the modern era, even back then, this was the highest secret. It was something Immortal Master Ge Hong had obtained by chance and only passed on to a few disciples.
Ye Fan was extremely disappointed. In the Age of Dharma Decline on Earth, not only had the world's spiritual energy dried up, but even the methods had declined. Ancient wondrous techniques were nowhere to be found.
The Numinous Treasure Sect Leader was about to step into the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm. In the current era, he was considered a cultivator of the Central Land. Various sects quickly reacted.
Almost on that very day, various factions dispatched strong practitioners to understand their background. As for Pang Bo's family, they were certainly targeted by a certain lineage of ancient demon gods that very day.
Ye Fan nodded and asked him to elaborate on which major demon god clans existed in the world today.
"The main lineage of the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow, the Heavenly Qilin Clan, the Vermilion Phoenix Orthodoxy, and the Ten Thousand Demon Valley. On the surface, there are these four major ancient demon god clans. Whether there are any hidden ones that don't emerge from the world is unknown."
The Numinous Treasure Sect Leader thought for a moment and felt that those who could react quickly that day and enter Pang Bo's home could only be powerful demon god clans.
"By the way, you must be careful!" The Numinous Treasure Sect Leader seemed to remember something and had someone fetch a wooden box. When opened, it contained a very old black-and-white photograph.
During World War II, a demon god had emerged, appearing on various battlefields, cultivating through them. His blood energy surged to the heavens, shocking the cultivation world.
This black-and-white photo was taken by an ordinary person at the time. It was taken by cultivators and circulated to various major sects, causing fear.
In the dim photograph, the surging blood energy, though very blurry, was enough to be shocking and chilling, as if a bloody aura was about to burst through the paper.
Ye Fan stared at the photo for a long time, then silently nodded. This was most likely an ancient great demon, extremely terrifying. With so many heroic spirits having died back then, it would surely elevate his Dao cultivation to another level.
He thought for a moment and told the Numinous Treasure Sect Leader to instruct his disciples not to reveal anything about him, especially his cultivation level. Then he asked where the four major ancient demon god clans were located.
"Please rest assured. I have already instructed them well. Moreover, the guests who are not from our sect have also been informed. It won't be leaked."
The Numinous Treasure Sect Leader only knew the general regions and didn't know the true secret grounds of the four major demon god clans, because these were taboos. Getting too close might bring great disaster.
This trip to Gezao Mountain, though he didn't obtain the Nine Secrets, allowed Ye Fan to understand the current cultivation world on Earth. The gains were substantial.
Before he had even left Gezao Mountain, Ye Fan stopped in his tracks. In the distance, a person with gray wings descended, surging with black mist.
Behind him, the expression of the Numinous Treasure Sect Leader changed instantly. This was a powerful figure at the Four Extremes Secret Realm, with gray hair and gray eyes, as if he had come from hell.
He directly stated his purpose, mentioning the matter of the Nine Dragons Pulling a Coffin from back then, claiming that the Numinous Treasure Sect must have also brought back important items. Today, he wanted to borrow them for a look.
"Don't I find this somewhat similar to the ancient Fallen Feather Clan?" Ye Fan remarked.
"They are people from the Western orthodoxy," the Numinous Treasure Sect Leader said.
"Who are you, and why are you here?" This person born with gray wings had pupils like dead ashes, dim and lusterless, as he mercilessly swept his gaze over.
"Who I am is not important, nor do I need to tell you." Ye Fan circled around him and said, "I don't have time now, but I will visit Jerusalem City one day."
"You want to go to our ancient holy city? It's been a long time since any cultivator has come calling..." This gray-haired strange man suddenly extended a large hand, grabbing at Ye Fan's crown, fast as lightning.
"Pfft"
Ye Fan pointed a finger through the air. Though there was still some distance between them, both of the strange man's arms snapped off, and gray blood splattered.
"You... who are you?" The man bearing gray wings was shocked. He hadn't expected to hit such terrifying iron plate. This was clearly a great supernatural power practitioner!
Ye Fan waved his hand and instantly confined him over. Fear was written all over his face, and he struggled desperately but couldn't break free.
Beside them, everyone was horrified. This was a strong practitioner at the Four Extremes Secret Realm. Even current sect leaders were barely at this level, yet Ye Fan had grabbed him like a dead duck.
Ye Fan extracted a beam of light from between his brows—that was the sea of divine consciousness. Reading his memories, a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth. "I really thought a fallen angel had come. So this is just the result of cultivating the Western orthodoxy to a certain level."
"You... who are you? My lord will manifest in the human world. Release me." The gray-haired man was shocked and terrified.
"Pfft"
Ye Fan tapped him with a finger, and he dissipated like snowflakes. All the flesh, blood, organs, bones, and the sea of divine consciousness melted cleanly, ceasing to exist.
The surrounding people didn't even dare to breathe heavily. They secretly thanked their luck that they hadn't offended this god, hadn't fought with him, and had received his guidance.
"I'll have to make a trip to the West someday. I really wonder who I'll encounter there." Ye Fan muttered to himself. Bringing Guo Zhen and Little Pine, he vanished in an instant.
A few days later, he arrived at Changbai Mountain, entering this primeval land to search for the ancient demon god clan.
[Note: This is a romance novel. Interested readers can go take a look.]