Shrouded Sky

Chapter 110 - Nine Ancient Words

"Nameless is the beginning of Heaven and Earth."

Inside the cauldron, nine ancient words were engraved on its inner wall, weaving together the Dao and the truth of the universe. At first, they resembled the stars, glimmering with divine brilliance, then turned to chaos, breathing out creation, emerging from nothingness, transforming endlessly, without a fixed pattern.

"Named is the mother of all things."

Ye Fan felt as if he had arrived at the birth of all existence. Heaven and Earth had just taken shape. Yin and yang were in harmony. Energy united to give life to all things. Heaven acted, Earth transformed, growth and decay, prosperity and destruction, alternating in an endless cycle. What was eternal, and what was a fleeting instant, at this moment, they were one and the same.

A strange sensation rose in Ye Fan's heart. The nine ancient words fused with the cauldron, as if opening the heavens and shaping the earth, recreating a world. At this moment, the cauldron became profound and mysterious, shrouded in chaos, simple and majestic.

Though physically within the cauldron, Ye Fan felt as though he stood at the end of the universe, at the origin of time itself. One moment the sky was filled with stars, the next, utter void.

Following the ancient techniques recorded in the Dao Scripture, he used the "vessel" to suppress himself, striving to achieve immortality in a single instant. Ye Fan had finally succeeded and prepared to consume the divine medicine to advance his cultivation.

Within the cauldron, the atmosphere was mystical and hazy, forming a world of its own. Ye Fan opened the jade box. A radiant, golden fruit emitted a rich and intoxicating fragrance.

The cauldron had already become a vessel of immortality. With no more hesitation, Ye Fan placed one golden fruit into his mouth and gently bit down. The dragon-eye-sized holy fruit instantly transformed into nectar.

He activated the mystical methods described in the Dao Scripture, dissolving the divine medicine quickly. The golden energy flowed through his body, illuminating it as if he were cast in pure gold.

With the "vessel" suppressing him to realize eternal stillness, the divine medicine began to refine his flesh. Though his body didn’t regress to an infant state, the mysterious golden energy bathed him repeatedly, strengthening his muscles, organs, and bones to an unimaginable degree.

But something shocked him: although the ancient techniques were operating, the golden energy wouldn’t flow into his Sea of Bitterness.

"Why is this happening?" Ye Fan was confused. Without channeling the energy into the Sea of Bitterness, he couldn’t open it and therefore couldn’t improve his cultivation.

Time slowly passed. The strange energy gently flowed through his body, refining every inch of flesh, enhancing his physique, and making him stronger.

"Why won't it enter the Sea of Bitterness..." Ye Fan pondered without answer.

Suddenly, the golden energy began flowing toward his forehead, like tiny streams gathering between his brows. Radiant and shimmering, they formed a small golden lake.

“This is...” At that moment, Ye Fan felt his spiritual awareness heighten dramatically. His five senses sharpened. The world inside the cauldron became vivid and alive.

Eventually, most of the golden energy had concentrated between his brows, forming a brilliant, golden pool. Only a small portion had entered his body to nourish it. His cultivation hadn't improved, but his divine sense had become incomparably powerful.

“I understand now, the legend is true!” Ye Fan suddenly recalled something. “There are nine sacred mountains in the Forbidden Ancient Realm, each bearing a completely different kind of divine medicine. It’s said that each one has a distinct effect.”

It was now clear: the mysterious energy in this golden fruit did not flow into the Sea of Bitterness or Life Spring, but nourished the divine mind, quickly strengthening the spirit.

Three years ago, Ye Fan had been told the Primeval Desolate Sacred Physique couldn’t cultivate. Yet in the years since, his progress had skyrocketed, no worse than any natural talent. He had long suspected that the divine fruit he consumed then had poured into his Sea of Bitterness and shattered the curse.

"Maybe that's it. The first divine fruit helped open the Sea of Bitterness, and today’s one has strengthened my divine sense."

Legend had it that the nine types of sacred fruit each had a unique function, but all of them could revive the dead, regrow flesh and bones, nourish the body, temper the physique, and rebuild one’s foundation.

"The first divine medicine helped me embark on the path of cultivation by opening the Sea of Bitterness. This second one has expanded my spirit, what kind of opportunity lies ahead?"

When all was calm, Ye Fan felt mentally clear and spiritually powerful. His senses were abnormally sharp. After storing the cauldron away, he appeared back in his cave dwelling, and the change became even more apparent.

Then he stepped outside and looked out from the cliff. His vision instantly broadened, distant scenery now appeared crystal clear.

Ye Fan took time to appreciate this change. Everything in the world, every blade of grass, every tree, seemed to have come alive.

“This transformation is great, but what I really need now is to open the Sea of Bitterness, to let my godpower surge, and raise my cultivation.”

He felt joy but also disappointment. His emotions were conflicted. The effect of this divine medicine was powerful, but not what he currently desired most.

He consoled himself, murmuring, “They say that at a certain level, only by strengthening the divine sense can one perceive the Dao. At that point, cultivation depends on comprehension alone. This must be laying the foundation for that stage.”

With that, Ye Fan calmed his heart.

For the next month, he didn’t consume more medicine but focused on silent cultivation, determined to fully refine and absorb every trace of the divine energy.

To his surprise, he discovered that his now-improved physique made opening the Sea of Bitterness far easier.

After a month, Ye Fan once again used the cauldron to suppress himself and consumed a second golden fruit.

This time, too, the golden energy first refined his body, then streamed toward his brow, deepening the small golden lake. His divine sense grew even stronger. When he stepped outside again, he could hear the breathing of wild beasts and even the crawling of distant ants.

Wherever his divine sense reached, he no longer needed eyes or ears, he simply perceived everything. “My senses are growing ever sharper.”

There was another pleasant surprise: his enhanced body, glowing with golden brilliance, now faced little resistance while opening the Sea of Bitterness.

He entered closed cultivation again for an entire month. When he emerged, Ye Fan had become more ethereal.

From then on, at the beginning of every month, he would use the cauldron to suppress himself and consume a sacred fruit, undergoing near-complete rebirth. His divine sense became so refined it seemed ready to take form.

Meanwhile, his body was evolving too. His physical body glowed with divine brilliance. The Sea of Bitterness opened smoothly.

Time flew. After consuming six golden fruits and a month of cultivation with each, Ye Fan emerged transformed. His very aura had changed, like mist shrouded him. His robes fluttered in the mountain wind. He looked like an exiled immortal standing on the cliff.

Between his brows, the golden lake was now unfathomably deep, fully transformed into divine consciousness that could nearly take physical form.

His golden Sea of Bitterness had changed dramatically: waves roared, godlight flashed, thunder rumbled, it had doubled in size, nearly the size of a fist.

At its center, the Life Spring surged. godpower bubbled endlessly, its mouth now vastly widened. From it, beams of godlight occasionally burst forth.

“Godpower like tides, godlight across the sky, I’ve reached the peak of the Life Spring Realm!” Ye Fan felt excited.

This divine fruit was renowned throughout the Eastern Wilderness. It had countless legends, and now he understood its effects firsthand. Though the golden energy didn’t enter the Sea of Bitterness, it transformed his body and nurtured his spirit.

“It truly lives up to its name!”

Beyond the Oceanic Wheel Stage, the human body had other secret realms. Jiang Hanzhong and the others had surpassed the Other Shore Realm, and the power gap between them felt immense. Ye Fan yearned to grow stronger.

He held the final golden fruit in his palm, returned to his cave, and once again used the cauldron to suppress himself.

After consuming it, his body trembled. Bones cracked, flesh quivered, organs vibrated violently, he was in immense pain.

“This is…” he gritted his teeth, enduring the torment.

He instantly realized, this was true rebirth. The first six fruits had only initiated transformation. Now he was breaking the cocoon, being reborn. Flesh, organs, and bones were reconstructing, a different kind of regeneration.

It was like when he and Pang Bo first consumed sacred fruit and emerged from the Forbidden Ancient Realm, youth restored. This was the same level of transformation.

His bones became jade-like, impossibly hard, like divine weapons. His organs became flawless, pure, like sacred artifacts. His skin glowed, nearly transparent, gleaming like treasure.

His entire body radiated godlight. The golden energy became a stream flowing into his brow, his divine spring deepened.

Ye Fan entered deep seclusion. Two months later, thunder boomed from his cave. Tsunamis of energy crashed. Rainbows shot into the sky.

His golden Sea of Bitterness was now the size of a fist. Above it, a cold, shining rainbow hung in the sky, a divine vein had formed!

He had reached the Celestial Bridge Realm!

Ye Fan rose and walked outside. He emitted no overwhelming aura. He didn’t seem otherworldly, just quietly handsome, like a neighbor’s big brother, not particularly extraordinary, but calm and grounded.

He didn’t test his strength. He didn’t need to. He already knew.

Ye Fan lived peacefully for a month, watching tigers on the mountain, observing streams, before resuming his cultivation.

This time, he began refining his vessel, engraving the first line from the mysterious scripture found in the bronze coffin: "Heavenly Dao reduces excess and fills the lacking." He imprinted it onto the cauldron. Though it faded quickly, it made the little cauldron even more extraordinary.

After over a year of cultivation here, Ye Fan had gained deep insights. His understanding of the Dao had grown immensely.

The nameless is called Dao, it comes from nothingness and is the origin of Heaven and Earth. The named is Heaven and Earth, it has form, softness, and hardness, and is the mother of all things.

He felt that the cauldron, the Dao, and Heaven and Earth were innately connected.

The cauldron, three legs and two handles, was mysterious. Its three legs stabilized Heaven and Earth, its two ears birthed yin and yang, and its round shape held chaos.

It evolved Dao and Law, this was the nameless. It created form and contained all things, this was the named.

“The cauldron feels like a vessel born from the natural world, perfectly uniting the named and nameless, evolving the Dao and mothering all things. Using it was the right choice. It truly deserves to be called a sacred relic of ancient China.”

After cultivating here for over a year, Ye Fan decided it was time to leave, and venture back into the world.