Shrouded Sky

Chapter 193 - The Beginningless Scripture

Guarding an ancient scripture without being able to access it, Ye Fan could only sigh. The heart method left by the Grand Emperor, if passed down, could establish a sacred land. This wasn’t an exaggeration, such was the truth. The foundation of the major sacred lands rested on their secret scriptures, the power of supreme ancient texts.

Suddenly, Ye Fan noticed several lines of writing on a nearby stone wall. Upon closer inspection, they were left by Jiang Taixu. Even a mighty Eastern Wilderness God King had failed to view the ancient scripture. “Grand Emperor Beginningless, whose achievements rival creation itself, shakes the past and present. Alas, I could not glimpse his method, a lifelong regret…”

According to Jiang Taixu, the stone scripture was personally sealed by the Grand Emperor Beginningless, unopenable unless the Grand Emperor himself returned or someone arrived with his token. He also speculated that the scripture contained the power of the Grand Dao, left to suppress this place, serving as a gate. Beyond it lay the origin of Purple Mountain.

Ye Fan’s heart sank. A supreme treasure was before him, yet he could only stare, powerless to open it. “I want to see it…” he muttered unwillingly.

Circling the stone scripture, he found more ancient writing, older still.

“At the end of the immortal path, who stands at the peak? One glimpse of the Beginningless, and the Dao becomes void…”

The signature was Gu Tianshu, who had also been here.

Ye Fan hadn’t forgotten Gu Tianshu, a figure from seventy thousand years ago, more powerful than Jiang Taixu, ranked first among the thirty-seven who entered Demon Mountain. His words revered the Grand Emperor Beginningless, and rightly so, only a handful of Grand Emperors had existed in the Eastern Wilderness, each a monumental figure in history.

“At the end of the immortal path, who stands at the peak? One glimpse of the Beginningless, and the Dao becomes void…” Ye Fan recited, his heart surging. Was this Grand Emperor so formidable? These few words captured his unparalleled achievements, lamenting that one couldn’t witness him in his era.

Ye Fan searched meticulously around the scripture but found nothing. Sitting helplessly on the ground, he noticed something odd, this place resembled a sacrificial altar, with the stone scripture at its center. The vast platform bore massive etched patterns, resembling natural ravines if not closely examined.

Standing, he confirmed the altar’s center and approached. His jade pendant glowed brighter. “Something’s strange, good or ill?” he wondered.

At the center, the patterns were denser, resembling Dao inscriptions, distinct from modern techniques, more natural, composed of wind, rain, thunder, lightning, birds, beasts, flowers, and insects. In the very center, he found a groove the size of a human head.

Buzz.

His ancient jade trembled, glowing as if alive.

“Could this jade fit here?” He hesitated, comparing it to the groove and finding it matched one corner. “What happens if I place it in?” He wavered, uncertain.

“Could it unseal something, perhaps open the Beginningless Scripture?” The thought stirred him. But he also considered the worst, it might relate to ancient creatures or the being in the supreme divine source. “The jade is incomplete, so it likely won’t work fully,” he reasoned, holding back.

He pondered escape. Perhaps waiting a few years for the awakened ancient creatures to decay was the only way, as they couldn’t survive long outside their sources, dying in years or decades. “I’m not Jiang Taixu; I can only last a few decades…”

Suddenly, a chill ran through him. Something was watching him. If ancient creatures had followed, he was in grave danger. Did they not fear the Beginningless Scripture, sealed with the Emperor’s Dao? He retreated to the scripture, scanning around but seeing nothing.

“An illusion?” He wondered if days of tension had caused hallucinations.

Regardless, he dared not move recklessly. Sitting by the scripture, he meditated, muttering, “Endure a few years, and I’ll be free.”

Half a day later, he sensed something nearby, unafraid of the scripture. “It’s circling…” Unable to sit still, he stood. Distant roars echoed, as if ancient creatures were crossing mines, bypassing the bell-hall to approach. Simultaneously, a hidden presence’s divine sense probed him, unmistakable.

“I can’t stay here…” He decided to retreat to the bell-hall. Before leaving, he glanced at the altar’s groove. Gritting his teeth, he pressed the jade in. “The Grand Emperor’s creation wouldn’t harm his descendants.”

As the jade sank in, dazzling light erupted, a massive curtain enveloping him. His pre-summoned cauldron instantly sheltered him. Ye Fan’s heart raced, unsure what placing the jade would trigger.

Before he could think further, the light tore through the void, everything blurring.

“Huh? It’s crossing the void! Where to?!” The incomplete jade risked errors in transit. Unable to reverse it, darkness and silence surrounded him as he entered the void.

A light flashed, and the jade flew in. Ye Fan caught it in the cauldron. The incomplete jade couldn’t reach the Emperor’s intended destination, worrying him, but the Godrune Cauldron ensured his safety.

Swish.

Soon, the void split, revealing endless darkness.

Splash.

He plunged into icy water, the cold seeping through the cauldron.

“Where am I?” Emerging, he found turbulent waters and stone walls. A massive whirlpool ahead pulled the dark river underground.

Ye Fan punched upward, the cauldron rumbling, and slashed with his golden book, carving a path to the surface. Unimaginably deep, he dug hundreds of meters without reaching it, then over a thousand more, finally feeling flowing air and emerging into darkness.

“This is…” The vast ancient mine seemed familiar, endless. “The dragon vein! I’m out!” Ye Fan shouted, stunned to have escaped Purple Mountain. He recognized the mine’s carvings, the Grand Emperor suppressing the divine source.

“I really made it!” He rushed forward, touching the carvings, his excitement uncontainable. He had anticipated the jade’s importance but not its critical role in crossing the void. “What’s that?!” A presence watched him, not Hellbats, as it evaded his divine sense, stirring unease.

Without lingering, he sped like lightning through the mine. Having survived ninety-nine trials, falling at the last hurdle would be unjust. Soon, he reached the mine’s end, soaring thousands of meters until light and fresh air greeted him. Emerging onto the reddish-brown earth under the noon sun, he felt reborn after over a month trapped in Purple Mountain.

After a long pause, he left the dragon vein, walking into the distance. The journey yielded great rewards but also regrets. The God King, enduring four thousand years, would soon turn to dust. Jiang Taixu’s transmission of a supreme technique stirred gratitude and pity in Ye Fan.

“If I grow strong, I’ll return. Even if I can’t save you, I’ll bury your remains and honor you,” he vowed. The Nine Secrets were unparalleled, their value immeasurable, each the pinnacle of its domain. The God King’s teaching was a great kindness.

He lamented failing to retrieve the Beginningless Scripture.

“At the end of the immortal path, who stands at the peak? One glimpse of the Beginningless, and the Dao becomes void.”

This evaluation underscored its timeless achievement, its allure irresistible to Ye Fan, who lacked advanced cultivation methods. Uncirculated, it wouldn’t draw attention or conflict. Even Gu Tianshu’s awe-inspired words stirred him.

Ye Fan resolved to collect ancient jades in the Northern Region. A complete imperial jade might one day unlock the Beginningless Scripture. “It’s been there for a hundred thousand years; it won’t be lost. One day, I’ll uncover its secrets.”

After traveling dozens of miles, he felt followed, but saw nothing each time he turned. “There’s definitely something trailing me, a unique feeling!” Unlike malevolent intent, it lacked killing aura. Recalling the sensation of being watched by the Beginningless Scripture, he shivered. “No way… did something from Purple Mountain follow me out?!”

During the void crossing, he’d noticed nothing. “Maybe I’m overthinking…” he muttered.