Shrouded Sky

Chapter 221 - Source Locks Man

The mist grew thicker. As cultivators, they normally could see clearly for a hundred meters, but now even that distance was obscured. This fog carried a strange power. The boundless land had been swallowed entirely by darkness.

“Brother, do you have a plan? Can you really get us out of here?”

“Daoist, we’re counting on you. If we get out of this alive, I’ll build you a longevity shrine…”

Trapped in the Forbidden Burial Ground, no one could stay calm. All were restless and uneasy, crowding around Ye Fan.

“Do you have any source stones? I need them to reshape the terrain,” Ye Fan asked the other five.

Old Blade didn’t say a word. He directly handed over a dozen pouches, each containing fifty kilo of source stones, the payment he had collected.

Seeing that, the other four also emptied their pouches, contributing over three hundred more kilo. These weren’t ordinary people. Ordinary men wouldn’t have paid fifty kilo of source just to explore the Primordial Mine.

“Is this enough?” Old Blade asked.

Ye Fan took out another five hundred kilo of source himself and said, “Barely enough.”

“Don’t push it. We’ve still got more,” the others said. Hearing his hesitation, they handed over another three hundred-plus kilo. Now they had truly given everything.

Ye Fan took out 108 great flags and carefully began carving on them, inscribing mysterious patterns based on the Celestial Source Tome.

He planned to attack rather than defend, anchor the earth veins, lock down the godsource, and forcefully carve out a path.

Of course, he knew that with his current strength, anchoring the godsource was impossible, unless he fully comprehended the Celestial Source Tome. He still had a long way to go.

Still, altering the terrain within a small area was within reach. He had about a 20% chance. He was preparing to “startle the snake,” to frighten off the sentient evil source.

An hour later, Ye Fan finally finished carving the 108 great flags. He then whispered to the others, “Stay close to me. Don’t stray, no matter what.”

Hearing his warning, all but Old Blade were visibly nervous.

Boom!

Ye Fan planted a flag into the ground, using his finger like a blade to carve a star map around the base. Then he embedded over ten kilo of source stone into the center.

“Will this really work…?” one of them asked, doubtful. He couldn’t see any effect.

“Look, the fog around the flag has weakened significantly,” another observed, more attentive.

Everyone brightened up.

Ye Fan moved quickly. He dared not delay for fear of an accident. Soon, more than a dozen flags had been planted, fluttering in the fog.

The area around them immediately cleared up. The mist was forced back, and the scene grew less blurry.

Zzzt!

In the distance, a radiant light burst forth from a star map beneath one of the flags, glowing brightly in the night.

“Something’s wrong! Something’s pulling out the flags!” someone shouted.

Crack!

A flag snapped in two. A blurry, agile figure darted past, tearing through it.

Crack!

A second flag was destroyed. In the distance, a creature covered in beast fur flickered and vanished from sight.

“What do we do now? We plant them, it tears them down,” Old Blade scowled.

“This is bad,” Ye Fan thought grimly. He had a hunch before, and now he was sure: this creature was a guardian of the godsource.

“What now?” the others asked.

“Whatever you do, don’t hurt it,” Ye Fan warned. “This is just a peripheral spirit. According to the Celestial Source Tome, it’s the lowest-level guardian.”

There had to be something sealed within that godsource!

It likely housed a terrifying, living creature. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have such a strong guardian spirit.

Normally, powerful spirits slumbered, leaving only the weakest behind to guard the source. If that one were harmed, it would alert the stronger ones, beings they stood no chance against.

“A sealed godsource like this must be a rare treasure,” Ye Fan murmured. “Are we getting close to the core of the Primordial Mine?”

He hesitated. The godsource was guarded, he couldn’t risk trying to “startle the snake” anymore. Even without facing what was inside, just one of the more powerful guardians could easily wipe them out.

“What would a Source Master do in this situation…?” Ye Fan asked himself, pondering for a while.

After about fifteen minutes, he relocated all the flags to a single location and inscribed a massive star map, embedding over a thousand kilo of source stones.

“Everyone, we have only one chance…” Ye Fan transmitted mentally. “Soon, the terrain will shake, the mist will break briefly. If we fail to escape then, we die.”

He wasn’t bluffing. When the ground started shaking, it could awaken more powerful spirits. If they didn’t break through, they’d be sealed in for good.

“Get ready. I’m going to start,” Ye Fan warned. He threw the last hundred kilo of source into the center of the star map.

In an instant, radiant light shot skyward, tearing through the black fog. Starlight rained down like water.

The ground shook violently. Over a hundred flags burst into flames, and the thousand kilo of source stones turned to pure essence, cracking the earth.

The carved star map aligned with the stars above, drawing down celestial power. The land trembled fiercely.

“Go!”

Ye Fan was the first to charge forward, Old Blade hot on his heels. They ran for their lives.

Behind them came low, guttural roars, something was awakening.

Screams rang out. Blood rained. But no one looked back, they ran with everything they had.

Before long, Ye Fan and Old Blade broke through the mist. Two others followed close behind, not daring to pause. They ran straight toward Flame Dragon Grave.

Behind them, the fog churned once more, resealing the area.

Only when they reached the outskirts of the Flame Dragon Grave did the four survivors finally breathe again. That place had been too eerie. From afar, clouds and mist surged, shrouding everything in impenetrable gloom.

Outside, the moon shone brightly. Stars glittered in the sky. The night was serene.

“Good thing this place has Dragonblood Spill, or we’d be doomed,” someone said.

Ye Fan and the others stood at the edge of the blood-colored lake. They sensed no beings had followed.

“That godsource definitely seals something terrifying,” Ye Fan said, stroking his chin. Even as a future Source Master, he realized now, one wrong move, and it could cost him his life.

“One day, when I’m strong enough, when I’ve mastered the Celestial Source Tome… I’ll dig you out myself!” Ye Fan vowed, staring at the misty area behind them.

In just a few hours, he had already found three godsources. This Forbidden Burial Ground truly was mysterious. Why was it like this?

“Let’s get out of here,” one of the surviving cultivators urged. “There may be no living things here now, but between this dragon ravine and the blood lake… the whole place makes my skin crawl.”

Ye Fan nodded. Although it wasn’t yet daybreak, staying near the Flame Dragon Grave or Dragonblood Spill was still dangerous.

They circled dozens of miles wide, steering far clear of the fog zone, hiding their presence as much as possible, afraid of inviting disaster.

The moon hung high. Silvery light bathed the red earth like a gentle mist.

The scene was peaceful, nothing like the terrifying Forbidden Burial Ground it truly was. More like a quiet, moonlit path fit for an evening stroll.

“Are we actually getting out of here? Based on direction, we should be moving outward, but… why do I feel like we’re heading toward the Primordial Mine?” someone said.

“I feel the same unease,” another added.

Even Ye Fan looked uncertain. “It’s like… something’s distorting our sense of direction.”

Old Blade looked troubled. “Could the power of the ancient mine be calling to us, luring us off course…?”

Unable to find a way out, they climbed to a high point to look ahead.

“It’s over… we’re not making it out alive!”

“Oh god, human-shaped… forbidden gods!”

Two of the cultivators trembled, teeth chattering. They pointed in the same direction, arms quaking uncontrollably.

Ye Fan and Old Blade turned to look, and were instantly stunned.

It was hard to gauge the distance, but on the horizon stood three figures. Though far away, their outlines could still be vaguely seen.

Under the moonlight, the land was utterly silent. The silhouettes on the horizon were blurry and almost dreamlike.

Clearly, those beings had seen them too.

One glowed with dazzling golden light, standing like a burning sun, like a divine being.

Another was tall, draped in white robes like snow, long hair drifting. Like a celestial maiden from the heavens, glowing ethereally.

The one in the middle was plain and misty, unreal, like an illusion.

Three figures stood in this Forbidden Burial Ground. The more godlike they looked, the more disturbing it was.

“I’ve walked the night road my whole life, and finally met a ghost!” Old Blade muttered. He had skirted the Primordial Mine for decades, always escaping danger. Now he felt like this was the end.

They couldn’t see the trio’s faces clearly, but the divine aura was undeniable.

Ye Fan’s heart pounded. “Run!”

The other two were already half in tears, legs cramping. With all the stories they’d heard about the mine, they were sure this meant death.

“Human-shaped, godlike beings…”

“We must have reached the very heart of the Primordial Mine!”

Ye Fan acted first, heading down from the high ground. As soon as the three figures vanished from view, he ducked and sprinted.

Old Blade, though elderly, was nimble, keeping pace with Ye Fan.

The other two, trembling, tumbled after them, scrambling for their lives.

Ye Fan ran for dozens of miles before stopping. Old Blade was close behind. They waited a long while before the other two caught up.

Both collapsed to the ground, not from exhaustion, but sheer terror.

“We… encountered that kind of thing…” they stammered, drenched in cold sweat.

“They didn’t kill us… why not?” Old Blade wondered.

None of the four could understand. Encountering such godlike beings in the Forbidden Burial Ground usually meant certain death. Not even the ancient sect masters had ever survived it.

“At least we’re still alive. Let’s just get out of here,” Ye Fan urged.

Whatever direction those three had been in, they could never go that way again. The four calmed their nerves and chose a new path.

After walking for about an hour, something felt off again.

“We’re getting closer to the Primordial Mine!” Ye Fan and Old Blade said at the same time.

Waves of suppression, fear, sorrow, and despair rolled toward them from ahead, overwhelming emotions.

They activated their divine sense and looked into the distance. On the horizon, endless starlight fell like water, pouring toward the earth.

The sky full of stars formed a glowing river, streaming into the land’s edge. The strange power came from there.

It had to be the Primordial Mine! All four had the same realization. Their hearts raced, likely, they were less than a hundred miles away.

Since ancient times, from Eastern Wilderness’ sages to Middle Continent’s emperors, no one who entered had ever come back.

“Those three godlike beings earlier… could they have spared us just to push us into the mine?!”