Shrouding the Heavens-Chapter 188 - 191 Entering Purple Mountain Divine King Jiang Taixu

Chapter 188: Chapter 191 Entering Purple Mountain Chapter 192 Divine King Jiang Taixu

The pitch-black ancient mine was desolate, devoid of any sound. Ye Fan stood for a long time, thinking about many things. In the end, he didn’t change his mind and chose to continue forward.

He walked alone, neither fast nor slow, carefully observing everything around him. However, there were no more carvings on the rock walls; whatever had been there was now gone.

Having already traveled more than thirty li, the ground’s soil suddenly became loose, turning grayish-white and allowing his feet to sink completely.

At first, Ye Fan didn’t pay much attention, but after walking a few hundred zhang, he began to feel an increasing, bone-piercing chill. The area was heavy with ominous energy, like a north wind whipping snow against him.

When he stepped on a hard object and heard a cracking sound, Ye Fan instantly understood what kind of place he had arrived at.

The grayish-white substance on the ground was not ordinary soil but bone ash, containing unpulverized dry bones. This ominous energy was emitted by these bone ashes.

He was a cultivator and didn’t fear such things, but he couldn’t help but wonder how many human bones were needed to accumulate these ashes.

He quickly recalled the Supreme Divine Source in this Dragon Vein. When it emerged, bones piled up like mountains, and blood flowed like rivers. *Could it be caused by that terrifying creature from over a hundred thousand years ago? Those miners of the past all rested here...*

Walking far, the grayish-white bone ash still hadn’t ended, and a thick layer had accumulated within the ancient mine.

CRUNCH.

After walking another several hundred meters, the bone ash finally gave way to dry bones, densely packed everywhere. They had long since decayed; a gentle step would reduce them to ash. Under the power of time, nothing can endure forever.

In this place, the ancient mine was like an ice cellar; the chilling cold swept over skin like razor blades.

*No wonder the Demon Bats reside here; it’s as described in the ancient books—they like to nest at the edges of formidable areas.*

Ye Fan became highly cautious. He didn’t want to unwittingly lose his life in the ancient mine before even reaching Purple Mountain.

WHOOSH... WHOOSH...

The ominous wind howled. Shadows flickered among the piles of dry bones, forming faint and indistinct ghostly images.

*Are such things real?* Ye Fan was astonished.

He raised the stone dagger in his hand and resolutely moved forward. This two-foot-long Ancient Blade truly seemed to possess the power of exorcism, causing those phantoms to retreat.

CLANG CLANG.

The sound of iron chains came from the dry bone piles ahead, making Ye Fan’s heart tense as he felt the cold baleful air.

He stuck close to the mine wall, moving silently forward, his aura completely hidden by the stone clothes, without a trace leaking out.

Just over a hundred zhang ahead, in the rock wall of the mine shaft, there was a pitch-black deep hole. The rattling of the chains originated from within.

That hole was incredibly deep. Its penetrating chill transformed into a palpable substance, inflicting needle-like pain upon one’s skin.

Ye Fan quickly lowered the cover on his stone helmet, concealing his eyes and face.

From the depths of the black hole, barely audible roars echoed, accompanied by the sound of chains, as if a fierce creature was chained within.

It was clearly visible that among the dry bone piles were many ghostly shadows. They were shattered by the roar, transformed into ominous energy, and then swallowed by the black hole.

*What is this?!* Ye Fan frowned, certain it was not a benign entity. He feared it was an immensely fierce creature.

Over a hundred thousand years ago, many miners and cultivators died here, so much blood spilled it could float shields. After so many years, the birth of sinister spirits was only natural.

*No matter what it is, as long as it doesn’t block me, it’s fine.* He secretly estimated, believing the fierce creature wouldn’t break out. He cautiously bypassed it as he continued deeper into the mine shaft.

*Perhaps this stone clothing truly has some unique effects; sinister things cannot stick to it.*

After traveling a long distance, the dry bones finally disappeared. The ancient mine was incredibly dry, with nothing left within.

Ye Fan calculated the distance. Having already penetrated approximately thirty-five li, he believed Purple Mountain wasn’t far away.

After advancing another four or five li, light appeared in front of him, flickering softly.

This startled Ye Fan. Having just walked through bone piles, he believed he had entered a highly dangerous area and expected it to become increasingly perilous.

However, just a few li away, abundant Spiritual Qi surged toward him, bringing a sense of harmony.

*I’ve just emerged from a pile of corpses, and now there’s a Pure Land?*

The call of an Immortal Crane came from ahead. It was not an illusion, as he truly saw it.

Advancing several li further, a bright world appeared before him. The ancient mine was no longer dark. Gentle light flowed, creating a scene of harmony and sanctity.

*This is the aura of Source!*

Although it was brightly lit, his vision couldn’t span far due to the flowing mist, which blocked his sight.

Ye Fan seemed in awe; the mist was formed from dissolved Source and contained exuberant Life Qi.

*Vibrant Source Qi everywhere—there must be a plentiful Source here...* Ye Fan searched but found no trace.

Source Qi brushed past, radiating splendor. An Immortal Crane spread its wings and flew by, seemingly oblivious to him as it skimmed through the ancient mine.

*This is...* Ye Fan was astonished.

AWOOO... He then saw an Earth Dragon, lizard-bodied with Dragon Scales and armor, move by not far away. Its enormous body seemed very weighty.

Soon, a flock of fire-red little birds flew overhead, flapping their wings, which caused intense air fluctuations.

*How can there be living beings?*

Wearing the stone clothes, the creatures couldn’t sense his Qi. This left him dazed and bewildered by the scene.

*According to my understanding, this was a land of deathly silence, where nothing could exist. However, things are not as I expected.*

*Source Qi... it’s formed from Source Qi!* Ye Fan was suddenly shocked. *There can’t possibly be such creatures underground.*

*There is Divine Source here!* He recalled the legends he’d heard in the stone village—some Divine Sources, if they leaked, would transform into all sorts of inexplicable creatures that roared and raged in the vicinity.

Ye Fan was immediately filled with excitement. *Finding Divine Source would be an enormous gain! Such a treasure would be fought over even by the Sacred Lands, who would stop at nothing and face off directly for it.*

Ye Fan held the stone dagger in his hand, standing in front, searching within the swirling Spiritual Qi.

CRACK.

The sound of bones cracking came from underfoot. He frowned; in such a seemingly peaceful place, there were unexpectedly many white bones.

*Huh, this is...* Ye Fan was greatly shocked. *These bones couldn’t possibly be from over a hundred thousand years ago; they are all very tough and gleam with a luster.*

Squatting down amidst the mist, he carefully observed and saw over a dozen skeletons. Some bones dated back thousands of years, while others seemed to be just a few hundred years old.

*It seems that over the years, people have occasionally stumbled upon this place...* Ye Fan was taken aback. *All those people died here. This seemingly peaceful land isn’t as simple as it appears.*

The Immortal Crane, Earth Dragon, flocks of fiery red birds, and other creatures were circling and running around everywhere.

Additionally, Ye Fan discovered many huge pits filled with fossilized bones, all belonging to strange, ancient creatures.

He found the place peculiar and slowly moved forward within the ancient mine, traversing over a li until he finally reached the area where the Spiritual Qi was densest.

Moreover, he sensed a terrifying murderous intent here that shook him to the core.

Directly in front, there were two bottomless pits. One surged with Spiritual Qi, constantly billowing upward, while the other exuded a baleful air. This baleful air was more fearsome than the sharpest sword aura and made one’s heart tremble.

The two were very close, and silence filled their surroundings.

*Yin Yang Eye!*

Ye Fan was genuinely astonished. These two black pits bore a striking resemblance to the Yin Yang Eye within a Taiji eight trigram diagram. If a circle were drawn around them, it would strikingly resemble a natural Taiji eight trigram diagram.

Indeed, they operated just like that. The pit spewing Source Qi was surrounded by fossilized bones, exuding a sinister aura. The one spewing baleful air was surrounded by gleaming light and Source stones scattered everywhere.

Bearing Yin while embracing Yang, and bearing Yang while embracing Yin, this was entirely a natural Taiji eight trigram diagram, not man-made; it showcased the mighty power of nature.

*It contains Dao Divine Power!*

Ye Fan was shaken. *No wonder the Zhang family’s Heavenly Source Master repeatedly emphasized that the great power of this place was immovable and untouchable—seeing a glimpse, observing a pattern, one could comprehend the entirety, just like knowing the chill of winter by observing ice on an eave.*

*Before even entering Purple Mountain, such terrain can already be seen. It’s imaginable how terrifying this place is.*

Indeed, it was a natural Taiji eight trigram diagram, with Source Qi and baleful air intermingling and revolving, blocking the way forward.

Ye Fan had to crouch down in front of the natural Taiji eight trigram diagram to carefully observe the many skeletal remains. *If the Zhang family’s ancestor died here, I have no reason to proceed.*

There were more than twenty skeletons; judging by their bone quality, they had existed for periods ranging from thousands to tens of thousands of years. All had been pierced by sword aura.

Ye Fan picked up a piece of a skeleton and tossed it toward the natural Taiji eight trigram diagram.

WHOOSH.

The Source Qi and baleful air swirled, forming thousands of threads of sword aura, and the skeletal fragment instantly vanished into ash.

He exerted divine energy, trying to break through the surrounding mine walls to find another route, but the Divine Map seemed sentient, as sword aura sliced directly toward him.

The supreme might formed by nature chilled Ye Fan’s heart. With such a Divine Map blocking the way, how could one advance? It was practically indestructible.

Ye Fan carefully examined the ground; these white bones must have all belonged to powerful individuals, yet no one had been able to break through. Everyone was pierced and killed here.

One white skeleton even shimmered with a silver light and had very unique bone quality. It clearly belonged to a distinguished personage, yet they still could not escape death.

Ye Fan meticulously searched and found several shattered weapons. In front of a slender skeleton, he discovered a jade pendant with the words "Jade Lake" inscribed on it.

This stirred his heart. He searched carefully, but unfortunately, he found no other relics, and certainly not the Jade Lake’s core technique he needed.

*How to proceed?* According to Ye Fan’s knowledge, the Zhang family’s ancestor a millennium ago did not possess a very high cultivation base, so he could not have gone far.

*If he could reach this place, I should be able to as well. Did he perish here, or did he enter inside?*

Ye Fan wandered around the Taiji eight trigram diagram, summoned the Origin Qi Cauldron, gritted his teeth, and prepared to test whether the cauldron could withstand such sword aura.

RUMBLE...

Suddenly, he observed an unusual phenomenon: sometimes, the Taiji eight trigram diagram was entirely shrouded in baleful air, while at other times, it was fully covered in Source Qi.

It wasn’t always Yin and Yang revolving; occasionally, it would give birth to solitary Yin and solitary Yang, becoming monopolar. The sword aura during these times was even more terrifying, and its dreadful fluctuations sent chills through Ye Fan.

However, at this moment, he noticed an anomaly. Whenever solitary Yang formed—at the moment when the Divine Origin Cave’s eye alone spewed forth—the stone clothes and stone dagger he wore would start to glow.

*This... These must be the old skins of the Divine Source, having a subtle connection with each other.*

*Perhaps the unparalleled sword aura formed by the Divine Source might not shatter the stone clothes.* With this thought, Ye Fan took immediate action.

When solitary Yang formed, transforming the Divine Source into an awe-inspiring sword aura, he extended the stone dagger forward.

In an instant, he felt a tremendous impact, like a torrential river striking a raft. The stone dagger was not shattered but nearly slipped from his grip, swept away by the force.

Ye Fan gawked, remarking in amazement, *"The relationship between all things is so mysterious! The unparalleled sword aura formed by the Supreme Divine Source, powerful enough to shatter anything, does no harm to the stone skin encapsulating it."*

Except for the inheritance of the Heavenly Source Master lineage, cultivators could never know such a restraining relationship. The Natural Divine Map that even supreme cultivators found insurmountable could be breached in such a manner.

*So, a thousand years ago, an ancestor of the Zhang family really entered... I hope he didn’t go too far, so I might find him.*

Life is most important; that’s his bottom line. If there’s real danger, he can only give up. Seeking opportunity is fine, but he cannot risk his life.

In front of the Natural Divine Map, there was a thick layer of bone powder. Over endless years, countless cultivators had been pulverized here.

As for the dozens of skeletons behind him, their preservation indicated their strength. They were certainly exceptional figures, as the sword aura in the Taiji eight trigram diagram had not shattered them.

*I remember the bones in the Bronze Immortal Palace; many had a jade-like luster, and here there’s one too... My heart is uneasy. That must be an unparalleled figure from the Eastern Wastelands, yet they met their end here. This shakes me deeply.* Ye Fan turned to look at the silver skeleton.

*Sometimes, sheer power is not enough; one needs the right means.*

Ye Fan waited for fifteen minutes, and when the solitary Yang rose again, he removed his stone clothes to test once more and finally confirmed he could pass.

*Beneath this place, there exists a Supreme Divine Source. Unfortunately, it has formed into a Natural Divine Map, so no one can excavate it.*

After one hour, Ye Fan adjusted to his optimal state, preparing to traverse the terrifying Divine Map.

*I wonder what lies beyond this Divine Map. It should lead to the underground of Purple Mountain, right?*

As the solitary Yang rose, he transformed into a streak of lightning, rushing forward. The unparalleled sword aura was dazzling, shooting from yang to yin, enveloping the entire Divine Map, with sword beams numbering in the thousands.

However, upon encountering the stone clothes, the sword aura turned into water waves, unable to penetrate. The Divine Source’s stone skin indeed possessed spirituality, emitting a gentle Holy Light, protecting Ye Fan and allowing him to pass through safely.

SWOOSH.

He passed through the water-like light curtain and reached the other end, crashing into a stone wall with a BANG.

The ancient mine had reached its end, with a purple stone wall blocking the path ahead.

*Purple Mountain!*

Ye Fan knew he had finally reached the underground of Purple Mountain. After some exploration and finding nothing unusual, he directly summoned the Golden Page, split the purple rock, and proceeded inside.

He was shocked to discover that as he progressed, the passage opened behind him rapidly closed up, as if Purple Mountain had a life of its own, quickly repairing the broken areas.

Ye Fan felt uneasy. He turned to carve his way back and soon rushed out again.

*It’s not as bad as imagined...*

Finally, along the way, Ye Fan left numerous divine sense imprints as marks and continued to carve through Purple Mountain.

BOOM.

With one last loud crash, his vision became hazy. In front, green jade formed steps and white jade formed a portal, revealing a grand building complex.

He finally reached his destination and entered the interior of Purple Mountain.

Ye Fan did not act rashly. He quietly sensed the area, and upon detecting no signs of life, he ascended the steps.

This was a cave estate carved within Purple Mountain. Ascending the green jade stone steps and entering the white jade moon gate, it was incredibly silent, as cool and tranquil as the legendary Guanghan Palace.

*There are nine Dragon Veins in total, which means there should be nine entrances leading into Purple Mountain.*

*Moreover, there must be living ancient creatures inside. The carved map in the ancient mine indicates that the Divine Source should be here.*

Ye Fan’s heart was pounding. The creature from over a hundred thousand years ago was so terrifyingly strong that only a Great Emperor could suppress it.

This palace was deserted. There was nothing left behind; everything was carved from ancient jade, without a single word or message left behind.

Ye Fan took out the piece of Emperor Jade he had obtained and wore it as a jade pendant, thinking it would cause no harm.

The halls and pavilions, carved entirely from ancient jade, were truly like palatial emerald halls. Ye Fan explored thoroughly but found nothing unusual.

Eventually, at the end of the structures, he saw a dozen Blood Jade stone steps leading to a deep cavern.

*This jade palace is merely a gateway; this is the passage leading deeper into Purple Mountain...*

Ye Fan moved forward, and after a short distance, he suddenly saw an inscription on the purple stone wall.

"Divine King Jiang Taixu accidentally entered Demon Mountain, deciding to investigate!"

Ye Fan was quite shocked. *An Eastern Wastelands Divine King had come here and gone inside!*

*His surname is Jiang, most likely from the Ancient Nobilities Jiang Family...*

These dozen or so characters had vigorous strokes, containing a sense of the Dao, giving the impression that a god’s aura circulated within them, as if a Divine King stood before him.

*This is probably a Great Success Eastern Wastelands Divine King! No one else could have forcibly broken through a naturally formed Divine Map with absolute strength.*

Ye Fan ran his hand over these inscriptions, sensing the carvings were at least four thousand years old.

He walked a few steps further and saw another line of words. It read: "Record of scattered cultivator Li Mu’s exploration of Demon Mountain."

Ye Fan was amazed; this stone inscription looked even older. Its faded marks suggested it had existed for at least ten thousand years.

*This must be a powerful scattered cultivator!*

Five steps away, a line of delicate words, like waterborne lotus flowers, fresh and distinct, they seemed alive.

"Yaochi Saintess Yang Yi, searching for Zhang Lin. Left this before entering Demon Mountain."

Ye Fan was greatly surprised that even the Yaochi Saintess had been here before.

*Zhang Lin... wasn’t the ancestor of the Zhang family called Zhang Lin? That Heavenly Source Master was on good terms with Jade Lake, and the Saintess was his confidante.*

*Could it be the Yaochi Saintess from ten thousand years ago? That Saintess had traversed the North Region and eventually disappeared; little did I expect she entered here.*

*She was loyal and devoted to that Heavenly Source Master, such a pity...* Ye Fan didn’t know the fate of Divine King Jiang Taixu or the scattered cultivator Gu Tianshu, but he was sure that the Saintess did not escape, otherwise she wouldn’t have disappeared. He said, "You erected a cenotaph for Zhang Lin, but who will lay a tombstone for you?"

After walking forty to fifty steps forward, Ye Fan saw thirty or so lines of inscriptions, some with names so ancient they had vanished from the Eastern Wastelands tens of thousands of years ago.

Among them, the oldest line of inscriptions even bore a date, which, after careful calculation, dated back more than seventy thousand years.

Finally, Ye Fan saw a line of shallow engravings, clearly lacking in power, incomparable to others.

*These engravings aren’t that old...* Ye Fan observed keenly, reading: "Left by Zhang Jiye, descendant of Heavenly Source Master Zhang Lin, before entering Emperor Mountain."

He was the only one to call this mountain Emperor Mountain, while everyone else referred to it as Demon Mountain.

*Yes, that’s him!*

Ye Fan was certain this was the ancestor of Fifth Grandpa Zhang, as these traces dated back roughly a thousand years.

*His cultivation was indeed shallow. I hope he didn’t go too far; otherwise, I’ll have to retreat.*

Seeing that the inscriptions left by these thirty-odd people all contained Dao rhythm, Ye Fan realized this place was even more terrifying than he had anticipated. He had a hunch that none of these powerful individuals had made it out alive.

*For endless ages, thirty-seven individuals have left inscriptions here...*

Upon careful comparison, Ye Fan concluded the person from seventy thousand years ago, Gu Tianshu, was the most powerful, followed by the Divine King Jiang Taixu from four thousand years ago.

*Gu Tianshu’s inscriptions remain imbued with Dao rhythm even after seventy thousand years; it’s uncertain to what terrifying level he had achieved, surpassing even the Divine King.*

However, he wasn’t too shocked, as the old madman was such a character, who, according to the Peacock King, had once beaten a Great Success Divine King to death. That was likely true.

The third most powerful among them was the Yaochi Saintess Yang Yi, whose inscriptions seemed to sway with life, like lotus blossoms.

The weakest was undoubtedly Zhang Jiye, a Source Master who had entered relying on the stone clothes rather than his own strength.

*Zhang Jiye, Brother Zhang, please don’t venture too far. We both entered relying on tricks; let me find you quickly.*

Ye Fan muttered to himself, noting that many strong individuals referred to this place as Demon Mountain, a place of no return. *I can’t imagine surpassing them.*

*The only comforting thought is that Brother Zhang’s cultivation is really nothing special, and I can surpass him.*

The purple cave dwelling had complex terrain, appearing as both natural stone caverns and the remnants of ancient mines from Source Vein excavation.

Inside Purple Mountain, a hazy purple radiance flowed, not particularly dim, giving off a hazy, ethereal vibe.

Ye Fan stumbled as he proceeded, his steps light then heavy, passing several abandoned mine sections. He increasingly felt an uneasy flutter in his heart.

Deep within Purple Mountain, as if a frightening demonic force was summoning him, he found it difficult to resist, fighting the urge to proceed in a certain direction.

*How can this be!* Ye Fan bit his lips to keep himself clear-headed while employing mystical arts recorded in the Dao Scripture.

*What exactly is inside this Purple Mountain?* At this moment, Ye Fan’s sacred body displayed its uniqueness, as an inner green lotus swayed, its three leaves symbolizing the creation of all things, and exuded a mysterious light that enveloped him.

Simultaneously, the stone clothes began to shine subtly, revealing its own spirituality. The demonic summons immediately weakened.

*It’s over. That Brother Zhang from a thousand years ago must have been summoned inside. Finding the Heavenly Source Book seems as impossible as climbing the heavens.*

Ye Fan felt a strong sense of foreboding. *An intense unease is rising in my heart.*

*Could this demonic force be emitted by some prehistoric creature?*

The purple cave system was a labyrinth of numerous irregular caverns, nearly causing Ye Fan to lose his way. He gritted his teeth and continued a little further.

He pinned his hopes on Zhang Jiye’s low strength, believing he couldn’t have gone too far.

In that moment, the green lotus within Ye Fan’s Seas of Bitterness inexplicably emerged and floated beside him, enshrouding him in a hazy mist.

*It seems I’ve entered a land of great malevolence and danger, provoking this reaction from my physique.*

Before long, Ye Fan found seven skeletons, all glimmering with a jade-like radiance, clearly left behind by unparalleled powerhouses.

Without exception, their cause of death was the same: clear finger-sized holes in their skulls. They had been killed with a single blow, their divine sense shattered.

*This is...* Ye Fan turned to leave.

Over endless eons, a total of thirty-seven individuals had entered. For seven of them to have died here, and this was merely the periphery, showed just how exceptionally perilous it was.

He came here to seize fortune, not to gamble with his life.

*Given Zhang Jiye’s low cultivation, why haven’t I seen his remains? The jade-like skeletal remains couldn’t be his.*

Suddenly, the demonic summoning force grew stronger, causing Ye Fan to quickly turn and run back.

"No need to flee; you’re temporarily safe..." An abrupt voice rang in Ye Fan’s ear, shocking him.

"Who... are you?"

The voice came from another direction—not from the demonic force deep within Purple Mountain. It was very weak, as if on the verge of expiring.

"Speak, who are you?" Ye Fan pressed on.

"Divine King... Jiang Taixu." The weak voice was faint and barely coherent.

Yet, these words thundered in Ye Fan’s ears like heavenly thunder.

*A Divine King at Great Success... is still alive!*