Shrouded Sky

Chapter 181 - The Sea Is Wide For Fish To Leap

The so-called Paragon Artifact represents the pinnacle of what a weapon can achieve. In the entire Eastern Wilderness, only a handful exist, each crafted by the hands of ancient emperors, countable on one’s fingers.

How many Grand Emperors have there been since antiquity? Those recorded in ancient texts are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns, and thus, Paragon Artifacts are exceedingly few.

A clay-colored earthen jar, unremarkable in appearance, possessed extraordinary power. Under the combined efforts of the Azure Flood Dragon Monarch and Heaven-Slayer, it devoured heaven and earth, absorbing everything in its path.

Crack!

In the sky, an Eight Trigrams Furnace, as large as a small mountain, blazed with towering flames, standing in opposition. Yet, it could not withstand the earthen jar, emitting sounds of cracking.

Boom!

The massive furnace shattered instantly, flames surging in all directions, raging across the ten quarters. But in mere moments, the flames were entirely consumed by the earthen jar.

This was already the ninth weapon destroyed by the supreme elders. Before a Paragon Artifact, nothing could resist; all could only shatter.

The unassuming clay-colored jar was a Paragon Artifact forged from the flesh and blood of an ancient Grand Emperor, its might immeasurable. If not for its missing lid, the enemies would have already been annihilated.

“Let us see how long you can hold out!” the Azure Flood Dragon Monarch roared, joining Heaven-Slayer to once again channel the earthen jar’s power.

Opposite them, an ancient cauldron floated steadily, adorned with dragon runes and shrouded in chaotic mist, simple yet profound.

This was a replica of the Dragon-Rune Cauldron of the Radiant Light Sacred Ground, controlled by an exceptionally powerful elder who exerted all his strength to resist the clay-colored jar.

But a replica, no matter how refined over centuries by this supreme elder, could not withstand the Paragon Artifact of an ancient Grand Emperor.

Despite their combined efforts, the replica Dragon-Rune Cauldron lasted only half a quarter-hour before it began to tremble. The dragon runes peeled away, and its luster dimmed.

Crack!

The replica Dragon-Rune Cauldron finally gave way, cracking and on the verge of shattering, about to be consumed by the earthen jar.

“Old Slayer, this Paragon Artifact of yours is too extraordinary. I’d give anything to trade for it, you can take everything I have,” the Azure Flood Dragon Monarch exclaimed in awe.

“This is my lifeline; I’d never trade it,” Heaven-Slayer replied, firmly rejecting the offer.

At this moment, the faces of the Radiant Light Sacred Ground’s members were ashen. Their weapons had all been destroyed, and they could no longer hold on.

The terror of a Paragon Artifact was chilling. If only they had brought the true Dragon-Rune Cauldron, a treasure of their sect, they wouldn’t be in such a dire situation. Meanwhile, the Peacock Monarch battled the Radiant Light Sacred Lord, traversing countless realms, locked in a fierce struggle.

The sun and moon dimmed, heaven and earth lost their color. The two Supreme Giants, with their boundless godpower, caused giant mountains on the ground to crumble with a single roar from the distant sky.

Ye Fan watched, mesmerized. The Paragon Artifact left him in awe. The Radiant Light Sacred Ground’s forces were on the verge of defeat, likely to fall to this earthen jar.

He was no longer in a hurry to leave. The Azure Flood Dragon Monarch and his allies held the upper hand. If they could eliminate those old relics, the Radiant Light Sacred Lord would be in grave danger. For now, Ye Fan could join the Peacock Monarch and his group, leaving with them and no longer needing to flee.

“Brother Genius, in our line of work, loyalty is key…” Tu Fei had also reached the edge of the battlefield, landing beside Ye Fan.

The Radiant Light Saintess did not pursue. It was clear to all that the Radiant Light Sacred Ground’s leaders were in dire straits, suppressed by the ancient Grand Emperor’s Paragon Artifact, facing the risk of total annihilation at any moment. Despite the Radiant Light Sacred Ground’s deep foundation, distant aid could not quench immediate thirst, and crossing the void was too late.

Boom!

The distant sky trembled with shouts and beastly roars as iron cavalry thundered across the heavens.

At the horizon, it was as if a flood had surged forth, killing intent piercing the sky. A great banner fluttered prominently, bearing a single large character: Jiang!

The people of the Ancient Desolate Jiang Clan had arrived, one of the dominant forces in the Northern Region, far surpassing the Radiant Light Sacred Ground’s influence in this territory.

“Friends of the Radiant Light Sacred Ground, the Jiang Clan has come to your aid!”

Hundreds of iron cavalry charged forward, led by several formidable figures, their battle intent surging like a tidal wave, chilling to the bone.

“What rotten luck!” Tu Fei cursed.

In the sky, the expressions of the Peacock Monarch, Azure Flood Dragon Monarch, and Heaven-Slayer darkened. With the powerful Jiang Clan’s arrival, their efforts were on the verge of collapse.

The Radiant Light Sacred Ground’s cultivators shouted in unison. Having lost many in the battle and nearing collapse, the arrival of such reinforcements naturally reinvigorated them.

“Brother Genius…” Tu Fei turned, only to find Ye Fan had already fled, disappearing in the blink of an eye. Stunned, he shouted, “Hey, Brother Genius, in our line of work, you can’t be so disloyal!”

Ye Fan didn’t dare linger. He knew his own limits. In a clash between the warlords and sacred grounds, someone of his strength staying behind would only make him cannon fodder.

This was a group of powerhouses, not a single weakling among them. Those with lesser cultivation had already perished in the earlier chaos, leaving blood and mist lingering over the brutal battlefield.

Boom!

The rear shook violently as the battle reached a fever pitch. The Azure Flood Dragon Monarch and Heaven-Slayer, desperate, prepared to pay any price to take down a group of strong foes.

The Peacock Monarch’s eyes gleamed with sharp killing intent, transforming into a five-colored peacock that tore through the heavens. Behind them, the battlefield boiled, as if the sky and earth were about to be annihilated.

Ye Fan moved like lightning, employing his mysterious footwork to its fullest, vanishing across the vast land in a flash. “I’ll be back…” he murmured, disappearing into the boundless earth. He needed to find a place to cultivate in peace, to grow stronger and avoid being entangled in such conflicts.

The reddish-brown land stretched endlessly, devoid of vegetation or water, only vast emptiness and silence.

Seven or eight days had passed, and Ye Fan had no idea how many miles he had covered. Not a single oasis or even a leaf had appeared.

Having left the source region behind, Ye Fan let out a long breath. From now on, the sea was wide for fish to leap, the sky high for birds to soar, he was free from constraints.

The Radiant Light Sacred Ground’s roots were in the Southern Region. Even if the Radiant Light Saintess knew he was in the Northern Region, they couldn’t muster enough forces to pursue him.

The thirteen great bandits were their greatest concern. Guarding their source mines demanded immense effort, leaving little room for other matters.

“I need the cultivation methods of the Dao Palace Realm…” Ye Fan muttered to himself.

This was his primary goal in coming to the Northern Region. Having reached the Other Shore Stage, time was pressing, and he urgently needed the Jade Pool Sacred Ground Sacred Ground’s cultivation method.

The thought gave him a headache. He had set himself an enormous challenge. The ideal was grand, but putting it into action was incredibly difficult. “The most effective approach would be to kidnap a Jade Pool Sacred Ground beauty of the Dao Palace realm and demand their mysterious method.”

However, the consequences would be severe. Having only learned one supreme scripture from the Ji Clan, without even cultivating their Void Scripture, had already brought him catastrophic pursuit.

If he truly kidnapped a Jade Pool Sacred Ground fairy and cultivated their secret method, it would undoubtedly spark a monumental disaster.

In the past, those who dared to cultivate a Sacred Ground’s scripture were either exterminated or had their sects wiped out, all traces erased.

Sacred Grounds and Ancient Clans valued their scriptures above all else. Anyone who learned them would face relentless pursuit and annihilation.

“I’ve set myself an enormous problem…” Ye Fan rubbed his temples. If he had a choice, he’d rather not take on such a challenge.

“Jade Pool Sacred Ground fairies can marry, but the conditions are said to be extremely strict…”

He recalled Elder Wu Qingfeng’s words. How could a lofty Jade Pool Sacred Ground fairy marry a small cultivator like him? Time was tight, and there was no opportunity to slowly approach a Jade Pool Sacred Ground fairy. This path was fraught with difficulties.

“Am I really going to become a great demon king and kidnap a Jade Pool Sacred Ground fairy?” Ye Fan was truly conflicted. He didn’t want to make an enemy of Jade Pool Sacred Ground, yet he desperately needed their method.

“What does it take to become the Jade Pool Sacred Ground’s son-in-law…” Ye Fan mused aimlessly. “Perhaps there’s still some buffer time.” He recalled Elder Wu Qingfeng’s words: many ancient great powers focused on cultivating a single secret realm and still reached the pinnacle.

“There must be many secrets of the Oceanic Wheel Realm yet to be uncovered. Perhaps I can recultivate it, buying enough time to approach a Jade Pool Sacred Ground fairy.”

Ye Fan felt that the most urgent task was to enhance his strength by any means necessary. Unless absolutely necessary, he didn’t want to become a “demon king.”

After careful consideration, he decided to prepare for both possibilities. In either case, he needed the strength of a demon king, capable of defeating a Jade Pool Sacred Ground fairy of the Dao Palace realm.

Unwilling to cultivate in this region, feeling it wasn’t far enough, Ye Fan continued onward. Along the way, he occasionally stopped to dig into the reddish-brown earth, searching for source stones. But his gains were minimal; without mastering the art of source mining, he found little.

After more than ten days, Ye Fan finally spotted an oasis and signs of human presence. “I’ve been traveling using supreme scriptures, stopping and starting, yet I’ve likely covered seventy thousand miles and only now see signs of life…”

The vastness of this land, surpassing all of Earth’s continents, left him in awe.

“Countless ages ago, this land was lush with vegetation, teeming with races, and powerful humanoid figures could tear the heavens with their hands. Temples dotted the earth. What happened to turn the Northern Region into a barren wasteland?”

Ye Fan didn’t linger, continuing his journey until the twentieth day, when he finally stopped to find a place for secluded cultivation.

Along the way, he saw oases ranging from a few miles to over a thousand miles in size, scattered across the reddish-brown land.

The Northern Region’s people were fierce, and he witnessed frequent bloodshed over oases and source mines, with battles erupting constantly.

Ye Fan avoided entering any oasis, ultimately settling in an empty desert. He carved out an immortal cave in a stone mountain and began his cultivation.

He brought out his Jade Purification Vase, and a dazzling array of colorful source stones illuminated the cave, radiant and brilliant.

A rough estimate suggested the source stones totaled about sixty pounds, a tremendous wealth that would boost his strength. Ye Fan began his cultivation, preparing for a breakthrough.

The Other Shore Stage was one of complete inner transformation. Legends spoke of ancient Supreme Giants who cultivated only the Oceanic Wheel Realm, undergoing nine cycles of life and death. Ultimately, they broke free like a butterfly from a cocoon, achieving great perfection. Upon emerging, clouds stirred in all directions, and extraordinary phenomena filled the sky.

Of course, this was the result of years of effort, sometimes a lifetime, not an overnight achievement.

Cultivating a single realm required not only powerful mental cultivation methods but also ancient scriptures. Ye Fan lacked this knowledge, so he couldn’t compare to the ancient Supreme Giants.

In the next seven days, the cave was filled with spiritual mist. Ye Fan’s Oceanic Wheel Realm displayed wondrous phenomena: a green lotus swayed, a golden sea surged, and a blue sky wove with lightning… His transformation had begun.