Shrouding the Heavens-Chapter 193 - 197: At First Sight, No Beginning Dao Becomes Empty

Chapter 193: Chapter 197: At First Sight, No Beginning Dao Becomes Empty

Guarding the ancient scriptures without gaining anything, Ye Fan could only sigh. The nine secret arts left behind by the Great Emperor, if passed down, could suffice to establish a Sacred Land.

This was no exaggeration. Indeed, the foundation of several Sacred Lands was precisely the possession of a Secret Scripture, showcasing the power of the Supreme Ancient Scripture.

Suddenly, Ye Fan noticed a few lines of text on the stone wall not far away. On closer inspection, they were left by Jiang Taixu. Even one as strong as the Eastern Wastelands Divine King had not been able to view the ancient scripture.

"The Great Emperor No Beginning had cultivation that mirrored Creation itself, astounding through the ages. It’s a pity I couldn’t view his scripture, a lifelong regret..."

According to Divine King Jiang, the Stone Scripture was personally sealed by the Great Emperor No Beginning and could not be opened unless the Great Emperor was resurrected, or someone came holding the Great Emperor’s relic.

Moreover, he speculated that this scripture contained the Power of the Dao, left here as a seal. This was a portal, and further in lay the essence of the Purple Mountain.

After reading this, Ye Fan felt a chill in his heart. The Supreme Treasure Manual was right before him, yet he could only stare, completely unable to open it.

"I want to see it..." he muttered, unwilling.

Ye Fan circled around the Stone Scripture once more and saw a few lines of ancient script, seemingly even older.

"At the end of the immortal path, who will stand at the peak? A glance at the No Beginning Dao, all is void..." The inscription bore the name Gu Tianshu; he had also been here.

Ye Fan naturally wouldn’t forget this person, an ancient figure from seventy thousand years ago, even more powerful than Jiang Taixu. Of the thirty-seven who entered the Demon Mountain, he was the most formidable.

Seventy thousand years ago, Gu Tianshu shook the heavens and earth, yet he couldn’t break the seal of the Great Emperor No Beginning. From his words, one could see his profound reverence for the Great Emperor No Beginning.

If one thought carefully, it made sense. Throughout history, the Eastern Wastelands had only a few Great Emperors, representing the most formidable "monuments" of ancient and modern times.

"At the end of the immortal path, who will stand at the peak? A glance at the No Beginning Dao, all is void..." Ye Fan silently recited, his heart surging. *Was that Great Emperor truly so formidable?*

Just a dozen words were enough to express such unparalleled achievements. Not being born in the same era, it was a pity one could not meet him; it truly made one sigh with admiration.

Ye Fan carefully searched around this Stone Scripture once more but ultimately gained nothing.

When he stopped and helplessly sat on the ground, he suddenly noticed that this place was peculiar. It resembled an altar, with the Stone Scripture displayed upon it.

It was a very spacious platform, with massive engravings on it that, at a casual glance, looked like natural ravines.

Ye Fan stood up again. After confirming the center of the altar, he walked forward. At this moment, the jade pendant on him shone even brighter.

*There’s something odd here, whether it’s auspicious or ominous...*

When he reached the central position, he felt it was increasingly strange. The engravings here were much denser, resembling Dao Glyphs.

This technique was very different from today’s methods and was closer to nature, with engravings composed of elements like wind, rain, and lightning, as well as birds, beasts, flowers, and insects.

At the very center, Ye Fan discovered a groove, about the size of a human head.

BUZZ!

The ancient jade in his hand trembled lightly, as if alive, radiating a dazzling brilliance.

*Could this ancient jade be meant to fit here...* He was puzzled. Comparing the ancient jade with the groove, he found that a corner matched perfectly.

*What will happen if I place the jade pieces in?* He wondered uneasily, not acting immediately.

*Could it open some seal? Perhaps even unlock the ’No Beginning Scripture’?* With this thought, his heart grew unsettled.

Of course, he also entertained the worst possibility: that it might be connected to the ancient creatures, or even tied to the existence within the Supreme Divine Source.

*Unfortunately, the ancient jade is incomplete. It most likely cannot truly function.* Ye Fan dared not act rashly.

He was contemplating how to leave, perhaps having to wait a few years for the ancient creatures that had already emerged to all perish before he could depart.

Because, based on the information he had gathered, once they broke free from their Source, the ancient creatures wouldn’t last long in this world, turning to dust within a few years, or at most, a few decades.

"I’m not Divine King Jiang. I can only hold out for a few years at most..."

Suddenly, Ye Fan felt a chill run down his spine as he sensed something watching him.

This gave him an ominous feeling. *If ancient creatures tracked me here, I’d be in grave danger. Don’t they fear the ’No Beginning Scripture’, sealed with the Great Emperor Dao Source?*

Ye Fan quickly retreated to the Stone Scripture and looked around, but he found nothing.

*Is it an illusion?* he wondered, suspecting that his nerves, overly tense from recent days, were inducing hallucinations.

Regardless, he dared not move recklessly. He sat in meditation before the Stone Scripture, silently cultivating, and whispered to himself, "I’ll endure for a few years, then I’ll regain my freedom."

「Only half a day passed.」

Ye Fan sensed something was definitely amiss. Something was certainly here; he felt it was nearby, seemingly unafraid of the Stone Scripture.

*It’s lurking around...*

Upon making this judgment, Ye Fan could no longer sit still. He stood up abruptly.

In the distance, faint roars could be heard, as if those ancient creatures were traversing the ancient mine, trying to bypass the hall formed by the peak weapon and were heading this way.

Simultaneously, the unseen beings probed with a divine scan again, allowing him to feel it distinctly.

*This place is no longer safe...* He decided to retreat back to the Bell Hall.

Before leaving, he glanced at the groove at the center of the altar. As he drew near, he gritted his teeth and pressed the ancient jade into it.

*Things left by a Great Emperor wouldn’t be intended to harm later generations.*

Suddenly, the moment the ancient jade sank in, the entire area became dazzling. Light soared to the sky, and a massive light curtain instantly enveloped him.

The cauldron, which he had brought out long ago, immediately drew him inside, protecting him.

Ye Fan’s heart pounded. He didn’t know what astonishing changes would occur once the jade pieces were inserted into the groove.

He couldn’t dwell on it for long. The light screen quickly tore apart the void, and everything became hazy.

*It’s actually traversing the void! Where will it take me?!* The ancient jade was incomplete; opening the void like this was very likely to cause trouble.

However, it was already irreversible. The surroundings went dark and silent. Nothing was visible; he had already plunged into the void.

A ray of light shot through, and that piece of ancient jade flew in as well. Ye Fan hurriedly used the cauldron to collect it, grabbing it in his hand.

The jade pieces were not complete. It was impossible to reach the original destination designed by the Great Emperor No Beginning, which left him uneasy. His only consolation was that he was hidden inside the Origin Qi Cauldron and didn’t have to worry about being shattered.

SWISH!

Before long, the void was torn open again. Boundless darkness appeared before his eyes; nothing could be seen.

SPLASH!

He fell into water. The bone-chilling water flowed in through the cauldron.

*Where is this?* Ye Fan emerged from the cauldron. Cold currents surged around him, and the river flowed rapidly.

*Is this underground?* He punched upwards, causing a rumbling sound.

He drifted with the current. The surroundings were pitch-black, and the walls around him were stone. Suddenly, a huge whirlpool appeared ahead; the subterranean river rushed straight down into the depths of the earth.

Ye Fan burst out of the water surface, smashing upwards fiercely. He even deployed his golden page, slashing continuously, forcibly opening a path upwards towards the surface.

It was hard to imagine how deep underground he had gone. He had dug several hundred meters without reaching the surface.

Then, he carved out over a thousand meters more. Finally, he felt flowing air and rushed out from underground, yet he was still faced with endless darkness.

*This is...* He looked around; it seemed familiar. This was an enormous ancient mine, seemingly endless.

"The dragon vein! I’ve emerged!" Ye Fan exclaimed in disbelief. He couldn’t believe he had actually come out of the Purple Mountain.

This was precisely the path he had chosen—the ancient mine beneath the dragon vein. He even saw the engravings on the mine wall.

"Indeed, I’ve really emerged!" he cried, rushing forward and touching the Ancient Map. It was the scene of the Great Emperor suppressing the Supreme Divine Source.

He couldn’t contain his excitement. He had thought he would be trapped inside like Jiang Taixu, but unexpectedly, he had freed himself so soon.

When he chose to enter the Purple Mountain, he knew the Great Emperor’s jade pendant would likely be very useful. However, he hadn’t expected it to be so crucial, allowing him to traverse the void at the critical moment.

*What was that?!* Suddenly, Ye Fan’s heart tightened, as if something was watching him within the ancient mine.

*Could it be Demon Bats? Unlikely, they can’t escape my divine scan...* This gave him a bad feeling.

Ye Fan did not stay. He transformed into a bolt of lightning, rushing away like the wind. He had passed ninety-nine trials; to fail at this very last one would be a terrible shame.

「Before long,」

He reached the end of the large mine. He flew upwards, ascending thousands of meters. Light shone from above, and fresh air greeted him.

Soon afterwards, he finally reached the surface.

Ye Fan had been trapped in the Purple Mountain for more than a month. Standing on the reddish-brown earth at this moment, feeling the warmth of the noon sunshine, he felt as if he had been reborn. He was unable to calm down for a long time.

「It took a long time before he left this dragon vein, walking into the distance.」

This trip to the Purple Mountain had brought him great rewards but also left him with regrets.

Alas, a Divine King of his generation, after enduring for four thousand years, was ultimately fated to turn to dust.

Jiang Taixu had imparted the supreme secret technique to him, leaving him grateful, and he felt a great deal of sympathy for the old Divine King.

*If I become strong one day, I will go back in. Even if I can’t save your life, I will bury your bones properly and pay my respects.*

The nine secret arts represented supremacy. They were incomparable, their value immeasurable! They were the strongest secret arts in nine distinct domains.

The Divine King imparting this technique was an immense act of grace.

Finally, he also thought about the ’No Beginning Scripture’. Not managing to bring it out was indeed his biggest regret.

"Who stands at the pinnacle at the end of the immortal path? Upon a glimpse of the No Beginning Dao, all else becomes void."

Such an evaluation was enough to demonstrate achievements that overshadowed all of history. An ancient scripture of this caliber held an unparalleled attraction for Ye Fan.

He severely lacked follow-up nine secret arts for cultivation. The ’No Beginning Scripture,’ not being passed down in the world, was perfectly suited for him, as it wouldn’t cause conflicts or draw unwanted attention.

Even someone as mighty as Gu Tianshu had left such a message; it stirred Ye Fan’s emotions profoundly!

Ye Fan thought, *In the future, I must collect ancient jades in the northern region. Perhaps I can gather all the Emperor Jade. If so, one day, should I enter the Purple Mountain again, I might be able to open the ’No Beginning Scripture’.*

"The ’No Beginning Scripture’ has lain there for over a hundred thousand years. It won’t be lost anyway. Sooner or later, I’ll catch a glimpse of its secrets," he murmured.

「Ye Fan walked out tens of miles.」

He always felt as if something was following him. But each time he turned back, he saw nothing, which made him somewhat puzzled.

*There must be some creature following me. This feeling... is very peculiar!* Ye Fan suspected it wasn’t malicious, as he didn’t sense any killing intent.

He thought for a moment, recalling the feeling of being watched by a mysterious creature in front of the ’No Beginning Scripture’; the two sensations were somewhat similar.

He shivered and thought, *Could it be? Did some creature from the Purple Mountain emerge with me?!*

However, while traversing the void, he hadn’t noticed anything. He muttered to himself, *Perhaps I’m just overthinking things...*