Shrouded Sky

Chapter 241 - Impluse

Along the way, Ye Fan carefully pondered and felt that it was ever more profound and exquisite. In the Dao Palace, five dragons coiled and soared, inner and outer energies mingled, and five essences rushed to the heavens.

Until now, having obtained the complete Western Emperor Scripture, Ye Fan finally understood why this secret realm was called the Dao Palace. It was like an eternal palace within, containing endless Dao power.

The five divine treasuries were hazy and indistinct, and behind them, five ancient temples loomed faintly, towering and distant, mysterious and vague.

When there was no self and no things, when body and mind were empty and tranquil, one could hear bursts upon bursts of the sound of the Dao’s great discourse, like celestial chanting, yet also like ancient sacrificial music, as if transcending time and space, slowly coming from that distant past.

It was truly mysterious, even strange, how could such sounds exist within the human body?

Before entering the Dao Palace Realm, Ye Fan had heard people say that cultivating this secret realm could sometimes feel unbelievable, with all sorts of inexplicable phenomena occurring.

After obtaining the complete, flawless mental method that interpreted the ancient Western Emperor’s teachings, he truly felt this kind of “unbelievable.”

The Dao Palace was like the heavens, giving birth to five towers. Though vague and hazy, their existence could be sensed. Heavenly chants and ancient sacrificial sounds pierced through time and space, drifting in ethereally.

Ye Fan was puzzled and did not understand why this was. He thought of the speculations of the world. Ancient texts recorded something called the “Departed Me.” Though one lived in the present world, there was a “me” that lived in the past, it was that “Departed Me” chanting scriptures for the present life.

The “Departed Me” endured, giving birth to the five energies, lingering in the Dao Palace, chanting for oneself, stirring heaven and earth, capturing traces of the Dao, nourishing the life’s master, allowing the “me” of this life to be immortal.

This was a very mystical theory, one that few could explain clearly. The riddle was difficult to fully solve. However, outstanding cultivators would not believe there was truly a so-called “past life.” The “Departed Me” was not the “me” of a previous life.

Besides the “Departed Me,” there was another theory: the human body was like heaven and earth, corresponding to the greater world. The Dao Palace was so named because it housed the “Dao Me,” the Dao-natured aspect, corresponding to the Dao of the greater world.

According to this theory, the chanting and ancient sacrificial sounds from within the palace were actually the “Dao Me” resonating with the world’s Dao, an interaction between inner and outer.

More precisely, it was the “Dao Me” capturing traces of the Dao, comprehending the supreme principles of heaven, and the true Dao-nature within not showing outwardly, but nurturing itself in the five energies, quietly stirring the great Dao of heaven and earth.

“In other words, my Dao-natured side is comprehending the Dao, seeking the principles of immortality, and nourishing my life. In other words, “that” is me, it is not truly heavenly chanting or ancient sacrificial music, but me comprehending the Dao.”

After obtaining the flawless scripture, Ye Fan finally recognized the unbelievable nature of the Dao Palace Realm. Regarding all this, it was somewhat beyond comprehension.

“Cultivators, in pursuing long existence and walking to the end of the immortal path, will certainly encounter many such things. I think perhaps from ancient times to now, only a few Grand Emperors could truly understand it.”

On the path of cultivation, seeking transcendence and keeping oneself in the world, the road was long. To truly comprehend the Dao, there would be many puzzling riddles; only by walking further along this road could one slowly understand.

Ye Fan completely understood why ancient beings of great ability sometimes cultivated only one secret realm, there was clearly reason behind it.

Not to mention the Oceanic Wheel, just speaking of this Dao Palace, there were many unclear aspects. “Departed Me” or “Dao Me”? What exactly were they? Even cultivating for an entire lifetime might not make it clear.

Ye Fan had a premonition that later in cultivation, he might need to return to re-cultivate these secret realms. The Oceanic Wheel and Dao Palace still had much secret power to excavate.

However, for now he did not need to think too much. With the flawless mental method in hand, it was enough for him to cultivate this secret realm into a divine Dao Palace. Future matters could be dealt with in the future.

The ancient Jade Pool was more than ten thousand miles from the Primordial Mine. Traveling at top speed, it took more than half a month to leave the uninhabited zone and approach places with oases.

Along the way, Ye Fan carefully absorbed and experienced. Although his realm had not advanced, his strength had greatly improved. Running the truly flawless mental method, the godpower he unleashed was much stronger.

This was the marvel of the ancient scriptures. Ordinary methods could not compare. Using this method was equivalent to raising the starting point, combat power rose invisibly.

“The reason the holy sons and holy daughters of the great sacred grounds have cultivation beyond their peers is greatly related to this!” Ye Fan sighed.

Especially a prodigy like the Radiant Light Saint, born with heaven-defying talent, cultivating a peerless ancient scripture, his combat power became even more terrifying. Fighting beings of the same realm left no suspense; for he could suppress his peers with ease.

For this half month, Ye Fan both studied the Western Emperor Scripture and sparred with the big black dog, putting his insights into action, an excellent sparring partner.

With the complete Western Emperor Dao Palace scroll in hand, his combat power increased greatly. When he unleashed the War Paragon Art, the big black dog bared its teeth, feeling even more pain.

“No way, I need compensation. Sparring with you for free every day burns up so much of my godpower,” the big black dog complained.

“Bitten by you every day, and I still have to pay you? What are you thinking?” Ye Fan retorted.

“You think I want to bite you? Thick skin, tough meat, not tasty, just wastes my strength.” These days it had been very passive, whenever Ye Fan wanted to test his insights, he would find it, and after finishing, would rush into the air, making it keep grinding its teeth.

Leaving the desolate uninhabited area and entering an oasis, Ye Fan glanced sideways at the big black dog. “You’re as tall as a big bull, too conspicuous and ugly. Can’t you make yourself smaller?”

“Kid, what are you saying? Such a strong and powerful treasure body, if not called handsome as jade, it’s close enough.” The big black dog raised its head high.

Ye Fan looked at its black-silk-like body and struck a blow: “More like jade that’s been dropped into a coal mine.”

“Punk, this is called alpha male aura, such masculinity, do you understand?” The big black dog’s face turned ugly.

“This won’t do. You’re too conspicuous, you must shrink. If you really don’t want to, then be my mount for now. Plenty of people ride exotic beasts.”

“Fuck off!” The big black dog’s face fell long, if Ye Fan hadn’t been in the air, it would have pounced already.

“Don’t refuse. I don’t even want to be a dog knight. If people saw me riding a bald-tailed dog, they’d laugh their teeth out.”

At this moment, they had just entered the oasis, still in a sparsely populated area. Occasionally, passing cultivators couldn’t help but glance at the big black dog, it was indeed eye-catching.

“What are you looking at? Never seen a person-pet before?!” The big black dog was displeased.

At first, Ye Fan found it strange, then suddenly understood, the dog was being nasty, implying he was the “person-pet.”

“Damn it, dead dog, do you want your skin peeled?!”

The big black dog strode forward with its head high. “I’m just telling the truth. Those people are so ignorant, they think I’m taking my person-pet out for a stroll, staring non-stop. Really annoying.”

“You damn dog!” Ye Fan’s face darkened, he wanted to beat it up. People were clearly looking at the dog, yet it twisted it into something like that.

“Kid, I think you’re passable, why not be my person-pet?” the big black dog tilted its head and said.

Clanging sounds like ironworking rang out, they fought directly.

“Even if you were my pet, I wouldn’t want you, how dare you talk such nonsense!”

“I wouldn’t fancy you as a person-pet either. I’ll definitely find a holy son as my pet in the future.”

Ye Fan cursed in his heart, this big dog still wanted to find a person-pet? Truly asking for a beating, it was deliberately provoking him.

In the end, Ye Fan threatened it with the ancient scripture of a Demon Race’s Grand Emperor, and only then did the big black dog reluctantly shrink, becoming the size of a firewood dog. Without counting the bald tail, it was no more than one meter long.

“My peerless elegance has been seriously suppressed, this damages my image.”

“Peerless elegance… do you want to attract a pack of big wolves?”

“Woof…” The big black dog pounced forward, luckily Ye Fan was prepared.

They passed through some towns without stopping, heading straight for the most prosperous city of this oasis.

“Kid, you’re unreliable. You don’t even know where that powerful guy’s dwelling is, yet you’re taking me to find the Demon Emperor’s ancient scripture?” The big black dog was very dissatisfied.

“Don’t talk to me about unreliable, you know what you did when we went to Jade Pool’s old site,” Ye Fan shot back.

This oasis was called Cloud Marsh Prefecture, about three thousand miles across, not a large prefecture. In the vast Northern Region, there were many such oases.

Cloud Marsh was tens of thousands of miles from the most flourishing Celestial City of the Northern Region, a remote place, far from the region’s center, not a prosperous land.

The central city of this oasis was called Sun Dawn, with a population of about nine hundred thousand. It was the most prosperous ancient city of the prefecture, with over a thousand years of history.

“Can you actually find that great expert’s residence?” Arriving outside Sun Dawn City, the big black dog asked.

“The Northern Region has thirteen warlords. He’s ranked fourth, feared by the great sacred grounds. His residence certainly can’t be known by outsiders, I need to find a descendant of a warlord to ask.”

This was the city Tu Fei and Blackwater had told Ye Fan about. If he wanted to find them, he could stir up some trouble near Sun Dawn City in Cloud Marsh.

Sun Dawn City’s ancient walls were mottled, with much stone skin peeled off, showing the power of time, yet still majestic and towering.

When entering the city, Ye Fan saw his own portrait, more precisely, a wanted poster, hanging high on the walls. The young face on it now had a bounty raised to one square of source.

“Kid, you’re pretty valuable,” the big black dog snickered.

“Go cool off somewhere!”

The streets bustled with traffic and crowds. The big black dog darted around, biting whatever it wanted, attracting a crowd of creditors around Ye Fan, making him grit his teeth in anger.

Not long after entering the city, he heard news of a gathering of Cloud Marsh’s younger generation of heroes.

Ye Fan chose a place to eat, beside a stone-gambling shop. Most of those coming and going were cultivators.

“The younger generation of Cloud Marsh is gathering, there will probably be a lively show.”

“This is organized by the Ancient Desolate Ji Clan, sending out invitations mainly to mobilize forces to help them find someone.”

“Even Radiant Light Sacred Ground will have young geniuses attending, otherwise there wouldn’t be such influence.”

“The person making both sacred grounds mobilize is that young brat whose poster is on the city gate. I don’t think he’s much.”

“That kid burned to death the Ji Clan’s Supreme Elder, could you do that?”

Ye Fan listened carefully, his face calm. The Ji Clan had indeed put in a lot of effort to hunt him down.

In the Southern Region, he had already become the public enemy of the Ji Clan’s younger generation.

This time, it was the result of the Ji Clan’s young generation’s efforts. Similar gatherings were being held in other oases too.

Ye Fan habitually touched his chin and pondered. The Ji Clan’s younger generation had only three people who had reached the fourth realm; Radiant Light Sacred Ground was similar, with just three or four.

If Ji Haoyue didn’t come, and if the Radiant Light Saint didn’t appear, he didn’t mind revealing himself and killing freely at the gathering.

“If I reveal myself, charge into the venue, and slaughter all around, that would be like slapping the sacred grounds in the face. But… would the commotion be too big?”

Ye Fan spoke to himself. He indeed had such an impulse, being hunted by the Ji Clan all the way to the Northern Region without peace, and with Radiant Light Sacred Ground’s younger generation joining in, he really felt the urge to strike.

The reason he had this thought was because he had obtained the Celestial Source Tome, mastered the Heaven-Changing Earth-Swapping Technique. With his true body, he could wreak havoc and then leave with a flick of his sleeve, leaving them unable to find any trace.