Shrouded Sky

Chapter 111 - Celestial Bridge Realm

In the cave dwelling, several items were gleaming with light. The Purple Copper Eight Trigrams Mirror, indeed worthy of being a weapon refined by a cultivator who had crossed the Other Shore Realm, had been left in a sealed chamber by Ye Fan for a year. Now, it was shrouded in god glow and purple mist, once again radiating brilliance.

As for the Jade Purification Vase, it was pure white and lustrous, densely inscribed with Dao Runes, and had regained its mystical properties, though whether it could truly contain an entire mountain remained unknown. The sacred tree branch inserted within it was still brimming with life, soaking in god spring water without any signs of withering. As for the Heaven Net Umbrella, though it had been pierced by the Heavenly Jade Saintess, the damage wasn’t severe. It still emitted a mysterious glow and remained extraordinary.

"Cultivators above the Other Shore Realm, these people’s weapons must be incredibly powerful." Ye Fan repeatedly refined them, erasing all traces to prevent others from sensing them. Then, he tried to store them in his Bitter Sea, but something surprising happened. Neither the Purple Copper Eight Trigrams Mirror, the Jade Purification Vase, nor the Heaven Net Umbrella could sink into the Bitter Sea, let alone be nourished in the Life Spring, they could only float beneath the Celestial Bridge suspended above the sea.

"You, Green Copper, occupy the best spot but are of no use to me, and now you're pushing all the other weapons away." Ye Fan was quite speechless and immediately saw the reason why.

The Green Copper had settled at the spring’s eye at the bottom of his bitter sea, monopolizing the prime location and even pushing the Golden Book to the edge. It had completely forced the other three weapons out of the Bitter Sea, not allowing them to even come close.

"This is merely a golden page recording the 'Dao Scripture,' yet it surpasses even the Purple Copper Eight Trigrams Mirror and the Jade Purification Vase. I don’t know whether to marvel at its power or pity those three weapons for being too weak."

Weapons refined by cultivators who had crossed the Other Shore Realm were certainly extraordinary, which indirectly spoke to the mysterious power of the Golden Book.

This place was about four hundred miles from the Desolate Forbidden Ancient Realm. It was surrounded by mountains, with exotic birds and wild beasts frequently appearing, it was a truly primitive region.

Ye Fan didn’t fly. Instead, as he walked toward the edge of the mountain range, he practiced the old madman’s footwork technique. The god technique that allowed one to shrink space at will made him deeply envious, it was faster than flying. Unfortunately, his cultivation level was insufficient to comprehend the “Dao Runes” engraved in his memory and thus could not yet perform this secret art.

Two days later, Ye Fan arrived at a small town, finally a place with human presence.

"More than a year has passed. The Jiang Clan, Ji Clan, and Radiant Light Sacred Ground must have already retreated," he thought, wanting to find someone to inquire about the current situation.

His greatest gain over the past year wasn’t that he had reached the Celestial Bridge Realm, but that his god sense had developed to an incredibly terrifying level. It was incomparably refined, and the small golden lake between his brows could emit godlight, sharp as a celestial sword or gentle as a breeze, instantly perceiving everything around him.

"There are cultivators on that restaurant's upper floor," he sensed shortly after entering the town.

Unfortunately, he didn’t hear any news about the Jiang Clan, Ji Clan, or Radiant Light Sacred Ground there, but he did overhear something significant.

“The Demon Emperor’s tomb has finally sunk. That ruin was filled with resentment, mountains of bones, rivers of blood. In the end, it couldn’t be conquered. Our Eastern Wilderness’ supreme treasure, the Desolate Tower, has now vanished forever.”

“It can’t truly disappear forever. The Desolate Tower exists with the world itself. It’ll reappear one day.”

“That’s true. It could suppress even immortals to death. Naturally, it won’t decay or vanish. Maybe in a few thousand or tens of thousands of years, it’ll return to this world, choosing a destined one.”

“I don’t think it’ll take that long. It’s been gone for ten thousand years already. I bet it’s about to reappear, perhaps emerging from the depths of the Eastern Wilderness.”

Ye Fan was shocked. The turbulence surrounding the Demon Emperor’s tomb had lasted a full three years and had only just subsided. All factions from the Eastern Wilderness had intervened, even several mysterious figures from the Heartlands had appeared. Yet no one could subdue it. At the crucial moment, it sank into the earth’s veins, like a dragon returning to the sea, vanishing deep beneath the Eastern Wilderness.

Over the next half month, Ye Fan traveled through various towns, mingling among crowds while keeping a low profile, and finally learned the truth he had been seeking.

A year ago, the Jiang Clan, Ji Clan, and Radiant Light Sacred Ground entered the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Realm and were completely annihilated, not a single survivor. This caused an uproar and shocked every sect. Since then, no one dared to enter that Forbidden Burial Ground again.

“Liu Yiyi, Zhang Ziling, Lin Jia, Zhou Yi, and Li Xiaoman… they’ve all disappeared.” This news was troubling. Ye Fan frowned.

“If I were them, I wouldn’t return to my sect either. Otherwise, I’d surely be interrogated by the Sacred Grounds and Ancient Clans. A single flaw would mean certain death. The Eastern Wilderness is vast. Countries like the State of Yan are countless. Escaping is the smartest choice.”

Ye Fan believed the six hadn’t died but had escaped after sensing danger.

“We’ll probably meet again one day.”

He also realized there was no point in staying in Yan. It had no powerful sects or Ancient Clans, only six grotto-heavens and blessed lands that were insignificant in the eyes of major factions. This place lacked opportunities. He needed to explore other secret realms beyond the Oceanic Wheel Realm and thus had to leave.

“I should join a Sacred Ground or an Ancient Clan to learn the cultivation methods of higher secret realms. The Golden Book only records techniques for the Oceanic Wheel Realm, it’s not enough.”

Ye Fan never believed he could collect the entire Dao Scripture. It was fragmented over ten thousand years ago. No one knew where the pages had ended up. The Sacred Grounds and Ancient Clans all held ancient scriptures no weaker than the Dao Scripture. He wanted to start there. While he could use the Dao Scripture to cultivate in the Oceanic Wheel Realm, he needed other ancient scriptures for other realms, if he could obtain them.

“I still have time. I don’t need to worry yet about lacking cultivation techniques.”

Ye Fan had reached the Celestial Bridge Realm, but the Other Shore lay ahead. He had no idea when he could cross it. Exploring other bodily secret realms required reaching the Other Shore, as the end of the Oceanic Wheel Realm was the beginning of access to the others.

“The Eastern Wilderness is vast, with countless nations and kingdoms. It’s said there are seven Forbidden Burial Grounds. I’ve only seen one, who knows what the others are like…”

Ye Fan realized he couldn’t return to the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Realm anytime soon. It was too dangerous. With his current strength, he couldn’t possibly gather a third sacred medicine. Success would be a fluke. He guessed the other forbidden grounds must be just as mysterious, perhaps holding great fortune too.

“The ancient scriptures of the Sacred Grounds and Ancient Clans… the seven Forbidden Burial Grounds… the vast Eastern Wilderness… all worth exploring.”

But before leaving, he decided to visit Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven to retrieve the items he’d left behind. Back then, he was too weak and had fled in desperation. Now that he had reached the Celestial Bridge Realm, he had the confidence to return.

For three years, Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven had been restless. The Demon Emperor’s tomb had drawn countless sects, drenching that demonic land in blood, piling corpses by the cold pool, with resentment soaring into the sky.

Eventually, a peerless figure used mysterious divine arts to purify the ruins. Otherwise, the entire sect would have had to relocate.

Standing at Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven’s gates, Ye Fan felt a surge of emotion. Back then, he was deemed a wasted body, and no one was willing to take him in. He had only entered thanks to Pang Bo.

“Pang Bo, once I’m strong enough, I will bring you back!”

Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven was cloaked in mist. Immortal mountains loomed faintly in the distance. The ancient trees at the gate were gnarled, the strange rocks stood tall, and waterfalls cascaded, giving it a fairyland-like charm.

“Who are you, and why have you come to Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven?” asked a gatekeeper disciple.

“Senior brother, I’ve come to visit Elder Wu Qingfeng.” Ye Fan, now appearing around fourteen, wore a sunny, mountain-like smile that made him likable.

The gatekeeper didn’t make things difficult. “Come with me.”

As they entered, Ye Fan stepped onto the familiar stone steps and was stunned. “Why are these stone steps cracked? They weren’t like this before.”

When he first came here, the ancient scripture in his heart had automatically resonated when he stepped onto the stairs. He remembered it clearly and suspected something unusual lay beneath.

“How would you know what they looked like before?” the disciple asked suspiciously.

“I used to live here, so I know. Please, senior brother, what happened to these stone steps?”

The disciple looked around, then whispered, “It’s a scary story. There was a yin vein beneath here, connected to the Demon Emperor’s tomb. That was where it finally escaped, sinking deep beneath the Eastern Wilderness.”

Ye Fan was shocked. He hadn’t expected that. In an instant, he thought of the Desolate Tower said to exist with the world and capable of suppressing immortals.

“Was the ancient scripture’s resonance back then related to the Desolate Tower?” he wondered. The scripture came from the stars, obtained from the bronze coffin, so he couldn’t understand why it would react to an item from this world.

Inside Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven, green peaks and clear valleys formed a beautiful scene. Palaces and pavilions dotted the landscape, with drifting mist adding a sense of tranquility.

Seeing Elder Wu Qingfeng again filled Ye Fan with warmth. He respectfully bowed deeply, the old man had helped him much and was worthy of respect.

“Child, it’s really you,” Wu Qingfeng said emotionally. He hadn’t changed much, white-bearded, tall, with an otherworldly aura. Seeing Ye Fan reminded him of Pang Bo, and he sighed deeply. Pang Bo had become his disciple, only to be taken away by the demon race in the ruins.

They sat in a quiet valley. A nearby lake sparkled like a blue gem. A cluster of bamboo surrounded a few thatched cottages, very serene.

Seated on a stone chair in the bamboo grove, sipping tea, Ye Fan asked, “Elder, what do you know about higher bodily realms of cultivation?”

Wu Qingfeng looked at him in surprise. “Child, don’t aim too high. Do you remember what I told you? If a person can fully explore even one secret realm in their life, they are already extraordinary. Cultivating the Life Wheel and Bitter Sea to their limit is enough to reach the peak.”

“Then why do the Sacred Grounds and Ancient Clans cultivate multiple secret realms?”

“They’re different. They possess ancient scriptures comparable to celestial tomes, that’s a natural advantage.” Wu Qingfeng sighed. “Honestly, just cultivating one secret realm is enough. It’s said that many ancient great powers did only that.”

Ye Fan fell into deep thought, but ultimately raised his head, resolved. He could not limit himself to just one secret realm. If others existed, there must be a reason, they must be cultivable.

Wu Qingfeng didn’t understand. He believed Ye Fan’s Sacred Physique could barely cultivate and wouldn’t accomplish much. But the kind old man still patiently answered his questions.

Ye Fan finally learned the next realm’s name, Dao Palace. After the Oceanic Wheel Realm, one had to cross the Bitter Sea to reach the Other Shore, and only then could one begin exploring this new realm.

Reportedly, the Dao Palace housed five god-spirits, and cultivating this realm would lead to many unfathomable phenomena.

But Ye Fan only had the Oceanic Wheel Realm cultivation method, one page from the Golden Book. There was no way he could cultivate the Dao Palace Realm with it.

“To obtain the most profound techniques, I must go to the Sacred Grounds and Ancient Clans and acquire their ancient scriptures,” Ye Fan thought.

“Elder, among all the scriptures the Sacred Grounds and Ancient Clans hold, which is the strongest?” he asked.

Wu Qingfeng shook his head. “Those Sacred Grounds are too mysterious and powerful. We don’t know what ancient scriptures they truly possess.”

Ye Fan pondered, “Maybe each has its own strengths.”

“Exactly,” the elder agreed. “It’s said that for the Oceanic Wheel Realm, the Dao Scripture is supreme. But for the Dao Palace Realm, the most powerful method comes from Jade Pool Sacred Ground. Each scripture focuses on a specific realm.”

Ye Fan made up his mind, to go to Jade Pool Sacred Ground and learn their Dao Palace cultivation method.

“Does Jade Pool accept male disciples?”

“Never,” Wu Qingfeng said suspiciously. “You’re not thinking of…”

“Then do Jade Pool’s female disciples marry?”

“They can, but the conditions are very strict. You probably won’t be able to marry one,” the elder chuckled.

Ye Fan laughed without the slightest embarrassment, then asked more questions. The elder, though puzzled, patiently answered them all.

Jade Pool Sacred Ground was extremely far from the State of Yan and the most low-key and mysterious among all Sacred Grounds and Ancient Clans.

Ye Fan also learned that one of the seven Forbidden Burial Grounds, the Primordial Mine, was in the same general region as Jade Pool Sacred Ground.

Of course, in such a vast land, “same region” meant they were within ten thousand miles of each other. The Jiang Clan was also located there, about thirty thousand miles from the Primordial Mine.

“Primordial Mine…”

It was Ye Fan’s first time hearing the name of this forbidden zone. As one of the seven great forbidden areas, it had to be extraordinary.

“The source there is very rich. That’s why both the Jiang Clan and Jade Pool Sacred Ground chose to develop there,” Wu Qingfeng explained.

Ye Fan felt even more compelled to go. If he couldn’t find sacred medicine, finding source would be the next best thing.

“What exactly is the Primordial Mine?” he asked in confusion.

“It’s ancient beyond measure, no one knows how long it has existed. Long ago, it was the Eastern Wilderness’s most famous source mine. But something ominous was dug out, and it became a forbidden zone.”

“What did they dig out?” Ye Fan asked, stunned.

“They found Supreme Godsources. Some of the creatures sealed within eventually revived and killed everyone.”

“What?!”

“Some say there were even humans sealed in those Godsources.”

Ye Fan was shocked speechless. The area he was headed for was shrouded in mystery, Jade Pool Sacred Ground, the Jiang Clan, the Primordial Mine, each held profound meaning for him.

With everything in the State of Yan resolved, Ye Fan’s new journey was about to begin, and the adventures ahead would only grow more exciting.