Shrouded Sky

Chapter 353 - Cutting Open The Celestial Source Master’s Divine Treasure

The sky was gloomy and gray, and the wind howled as snow and ice swept across the land.

Inside the stone house, the firewood in the fireplace crackled, casting a warm glow. The group gathered around eight pieces of stone artifacts, ready to cut them open.“Step back,” Ye Fan instructed. Though tens of thousands of years had passed, these stones still contained eerie, lingering powers.

Crack.

The first stone split open, releasing a handful of grayish powder that scattered across the floor like sand.

“What’s this?”

Everyone leaned in, puzzled, unable to tell what it was.

“It must have been something extraordinary, but its spirit essence was drained away, leaving only dust. Otherwise, it was probably some divine item that could bring the dead back to life.”

Even Ye Fan couldn’t identify it. There was no need to dwell on it, its power was gone.

He continued cutting through four more stones. Some were hollow, others petrified, but in all of them, the precious essence had long since disappeared.

When he began cutting the fifth one, an icy breath seeped from the crack. It was colder than the frozen world outside, chilling them to the bone.

“Something’s inside, finally, not another empty one!” Tu Fei exclaimed.

The big black dog’s eyes gleamed. Its body lowered, ready to pounce at any moment.

Ye Fan shot it a glance. “Behave yourself. Don’t even think about snatching this.”

“Relax, I never do anything dishonorable,” the black dog said innocently.

Crack!

The second cut widened the gap. The cold grew sharper, and faint divine light flickered from within.

“This must be something good!” Tu Fei gasped.

Zhang Wuye, Wang Shu, and Er Lengzi were equally astonished, staring wide-eyed at the stone in Ye Fan’s hands.

The black dog was practically drooling. It inched closer, its big paws twitching.

“You’re up to no good! You’re really thinking of stealing it, aren’t you?” Tu Fei snapped.

“Me? Steal? I, the mighty emperor, act with virtue and win hearts!” the dog said, feigning pride.

Ye Fan ignored it. Crack! The third cut fell. Holy light flowed out, tinting the stone with a faint golden glow, but the air grew so cold that everyone felt like they’d fallen into an icy abyss.

“Something’s wrong. Don’t move!” the black dog suddenly barked.

Everyone froze.

“What did you notice?” Zhang Wuye asked.

The dog didn’t answer. Its broad head and long ears stiffened; its copper-bell eyes widened as it crept closer, expression grave.

“Damn, this mutt’s lying! He’s going to snatch it!” Tu Fei yelled.

The dog was indeed shameless. It’d only shouted to distract them, then lunged forward, clamping its jaws on the stone and bolting out the door with astonishing speed.

“Chase him! That thieving dog even robs his own friends!” Tu Fei cried.

“Don’t bother,” Ye Fan said calmly. “Whatever’s inside isn’t good.”

AWOOOO!

At that moment, a miserable howl echoed across the snowy mountains. The black dog’s cry was so horrifying that it scared every wolf in a dozen miles away.

The group ran outside and saw the dog lying in the snow, foaming at the mouth, its fur standing on end like a porcupine.

“You knew, didn’t you?!” it snarled at Ye Fan.

“Knew what?” Ye Fan smiled.

“You set me up!” the dog howled, still gagging.

The others came closer. Er Lengzi pushed aside the shattered stone, and a shriveled head rolled out.

Everyone staggered backward in shock. The black dog collapsed, gagging harder, nearly retching up bile, it had almost swallowed that thing!

“Heavens! Why would a head be sealed inside a stone?!” Wang Shu exclaimed.

Zhang Wuye and Er Lengzi backed away, pale-faced.

“Is that… from an ancient creature?” Tu Fei muttered.

It was a dried-up head, nothing but a layer of leathery skin over bone. Sparse, straw-like yellow hair clung to its scalp, and the same icy aura poured from it.

Bits of Godsource glittered among the stone shards, reflecting off the skull’s eerie features.

“You did know!” the black dog growled, glaring murderously at Ye Fan.

“I didn’t even open it yet. You were the one who snatched it,” Ye Fan said.

“Serves you right,” Tu Fei mocked. “You’re too greedy.”

“Woof! Woof! Woof!”

The black dog barked furiously, setting off a racket throughout the stone village.

“Alright, stop it. You’ll call the wolves again.”

“Serves you right!”

No one sympathized with him. Even Zhang Wuye shook his head, chuckling.

The black dog slunk back, sulking, licking snow to rinse its mouth. “Damn it… How can someone as brilliant and majestic as me keep getting tricked?!”

“The most shameless dog in the world,” Tu Fei said, laughing with the others.

After examining it carefully, they determined the skull had once been sealed inside Godsource. But something terrible had devoured the source itself, leaving only the dried remains. Er Lengzi buried it outside.

Back in the warm house, the black dog dragged itself in, still dejected. The others burst out laughing again.

“What’s so funny?!” it barked, tail stiff. Then, pretending to ignore them, it sat down and stared intently at the sixth stone.

Crack.

Ye Fan sliced it open. A faint fragrance wafted out, and droplets of liquid trickled from within.

“This time it’s something good, right?” the black dog asked, eyes gleaming, but it didn’t dare to grab it again.

“Bring me a jade vessel,” Ye Fan said.

Tu Fei handed him a crystal-clear white jade bottle, perfect for storing precious substances.

Ye Fan carefully opened the stone. Inside was only a small pool of liquid, giving off a gentle fragrance.

“Could it be a divine fruit that melted?” Tu Fei guessed.

Ye Fan collected the liquid and studied it closely. “Judging from the shape of the hollow, it was indeed a fruit. Now it’s become fluid, let’s hope some of its essence remains.”

“Maybe it’s divine nectar!” the black dog said eagerly.

“Don’t even think about it. Want to try a sip?” Ye Fan teased.

The dog was tempted, but remembering how it had nearly died from the Ginseng Fruit before, it shook its head violently. “No thanks! Better let me hold onto it for safekeeping!”

“Not a chance.”

Ye Fan flashed a smile and stored it within his body. He’d bring it to the Celestial City, surely some ancient cultivator there would recognize it. Perhaps it was an unparalleled treasure.

Two stones remained. Ye Fan tapped one, then cut it open.

“There’s something inside!”

“What’s that? Looks like… a gallbladder?”

“Could it be an organ from some ancient creature?”

The group peered inside and saw a purple, walnut-sized object nestled in the core.

“If it was from an ancient beast, it should’ve decayed long ago,” Tu Fei said.

“It’s a stone gall, formed from divine stone itself,” Ye Fan said excitedly.

“What’s it do? Let’s have this greedy mutt try it; he’s hard to poison anyway,” Tu Fei joked.

“Why don’t YOU try it?!” the black dog growled, twitching at the memory of its last poisoning.

“This will be of great help to me,” Ye Fan said seriously, holding the purple stone gall. His eyes shone. “It can perfect my Celestial Source Perception, allowing me to attain the Celestial Sight.”

According to the Celestial Source Tome, when divine stone condenses a gall, it can sharpen one’s sight, granting spiritual perception at its peak. The Celestial Sight, the Lunar Sight, and other divine eyes were usually innate gifts; only those who transcended fate could awaken them later in life.

When a Celestial Source Master perfected his divine perception, the Celestial Sight would open, capable of seeing through illusion and into the very essence of all things.

“It’s a pity it’s purple, not golden. It hasn’t matured yet,” Ye Fan said, somewhat regretfully. “Still, if I nurture it with divine essence, it should grow.”

For a Source Master, such an item was beyond price, worth more than any fruit or medicine.

Finally, the last stone. Ye Fan cut it open, but it was hollow, nothing remained.

They all sighed. The Divine Treasures left by the ancient Celestial Source Master had nearly all been destroyed.

Thinking it over, Ye Fan realized the Ginseng Fruit and the purple Stone Gall had survived precisely because they hadn’t fully matured back then, otherwise, even they would’ve been consumed.

“What a waste,” Tu Fei lamented.

The harvest this time consisted only of the mysterious liquid and the purple Stone Gall. Ye Fan couldn’t yet judge their worth, but he had a feeling they were extraordinary.

By evening, the snow had stopped. From the distance, a towering figure approached the stone village, Pang Bo had arrived.

He lived up to his name, broad-shouldered, powerful, with thick brows and a heroic bearing. His arms were as thick as most men’s thighs. Having cultivated the Ancient Demon Emperor Scripture, he now exuded a sharp, primal aura. His black hair flowed freely, his eyes gleamed like twin suns, he looked like a god from the demon race.

Ye Fan, whose divine sense was unmatched, immediately recognized the familiar energy. In a few strides, he crossed hundreds of meters and met him outside the village.

“Pang Bo!”

“Ye Fan!”

The two old friends laughed heartily. In this alien world, meeting a friend from home was the greatest gift of all.

They exchanged playful punches, and Ye Fan asked, “How’d you find me?”

“A couple days ago, when I was hunting down the Radiant Light Saint Candidate, I ran into your mutt. It told me where you were,” Pang Bo said with a grin.

“Who are you calling his mutt?!” the black dog barked, tail stiff, storming out of the house.

Ye Fan smirked. “That dead dog only said it saw you, it never mentioned you were coming. Clearly, it’s after your Demon Emperor Scripture.”

“Hahaha! Brother, you’re a real beast,” Tu Fei said, coming out to greet him. “You hunted down a Saint all on your own? You’re my kind of guy! Tonight we drink until we drop!”

Though Pang Bo now carried an aura like that of a divine beast, his heart hadn’t changed. He laughed heartily. “Hell yeah! Then let’s drink until we can’t stand!”

“Excellent! I’ll go prepare some black dog meat!” Tu Fei shouted mischievously.

“Woof!”

“Alright, alright, don’t bite me in the ass! We’ll have lamb and donkey meat instead!”

Laughter filled the house.

Before long, steaming dishes covered the table, golden roasted lamb, crispy chicken wings, and bowls of strong wine. They drank and feasted freely.

“Brother Pang, did you kill that Radiant Light Saint Candidate?” Tu Fei asked between gulps.

“I wounded him gravely. If he’s alive, it’s barely so. He escaped into the Ice Snow Palace and hid under their protection. Otherwise, he’d be dead,” Pang Bo said regretfully.

Tu Fei whistled. “You’re terrifying. Hunting a Saint, most wouldn’t even dream of it.”

Pang Bo shrugged. “He got lucky this time.”

“Since you’re so bold, why don’t we go big?” Tu Fei suggested eagerly. “Let’s team up, kill a few Saints, and capture a few Saintesses while we’re at it!”

“Good idea,” Pang Bo said, setting down his cup. “I happen to know where one Saint and two Saintesses are traveling. Let’s go hunt them.”

“Hahaha! Excellent! Kill the Saints, capture the Saintesses!” Tu Fei cheered, drunk with excitement.

The black dog, equally drunk, wagged its tail and barked, “Bite their asses and make them our pets!”