Shrouded Sky

Chapter 357 - Royal Primordials

Ye Fan walked around the edge of the abyss, carving symbols into the ground and condensing celestial source runes. Combining his geomantic and aura-observing techniques, he sought to deduce everything within the Myriad Dragon Lair.

Inside an ice palace below, the female Sacred Lord had not been destroyed, he saw a glimmer of hope in that and wanted to divine what lay beneath.

No one knew how much time had passed before he finally stood up, mentally exhausted. Unknowingly, he had walked a full circle around the abyss.

“How is it?” the big black dog asked impatiently.

The Myriad Dragon Lair was a place of unmatched peril, yet it was said to contain infinite divine treasures. If they could enter, perhaps great fortune awaited.

“In this abyss, I can only deduce a general outline,” Ye Fan replied. “It’s difficult to grasp the full picture.”

“So what do we do? Leave, or take the risk?” Pang Bo asked.

“We can descend a little,” Ye Fan said. “From what I’ve divined, the upper reaches of the abyss are empty. The real danger lies within the Myriad Dragon Lair itself.”

“Kid, you’d better be careful,” the big black dog bared its teeth. “Otherwise, we’re basically jumping into a demon’s pit.”

Tu Fei supported the idea of exploring further. “It’s worth a try. The ancient sacred ground, the Underworld God Palace, must have received some mysterious inheritance down there. Maybe we can obtain something too.”

Eventually, they reached a consensus, they would descend to investigate.

Since their great battle at the Ageless Chamber, the big black dog’s golden bell drill had awakened. Soon after, it gained the ability to fly, so now it needed no help from others.

To be cautious, they prepared the Profound Jade Altar, ready to use it to traverse the void and flee back upward if necessary.

Dragon power surged like a vast ocean tide, creating heavy resistance as they descended. They dared not move quickly, so they went down slowly, little by little.

The deeper they went, the darker it became, eventually, not even an outstretched hand could be seen. Fortunately, their divine senses were strong, allowing them to perceive their surroundings.

“This abyss was excavated,” Ye Fan observed.

On the walls of the chasm were clear marks of blades and axes. This discovery shocked them all, who would dare dig into the Myriad Dragon Lair?

It was clear that the nest, hidden underground, had been unearthed, only then did it emerge into the world.

Halfway down, they encountered the Ice Palace again, crystal-clear and luminous.

From time to time, waves of dragon power would surge upward, lifting and lowering the palace.

Inside, the woman’s body glowed like jade, her black hair flowing, her face serene and peerless, an absolute beauty, hard to imagine as a Sacred Lord.

“I think her eyelashes just moved,” the big black dog shuddered, taking a step back.

“Don’t spout nonsense, mutt,” Tu Fei scolded.

It had been seventy to eighty thousand years, none of them believed she could still be alive. Not even an ancient emperor could live so long.

The Ice Palace rose again, while they continued to descend toward the Myriad Dragon Lair, chasing both opportunity and peril.

One thousand meters… two thousand… three thousand…

They were awed, it seemed endless. Even after four thousand meters, the bottom was nowhere in sight, as though the pit led straight to the underworld.

Ye Fan had to stop to use his source runes to divine the way forward. One wrong step could mean instant death.

After a long time, he exhaled in relief. His results showed no immediate danger, they could continue.

Five thousand meters… six thousand…

When they reached over nine thousand meters, they finally sensed the bottom, still a few hundred meters below.

“Damn, this really might be a heavenly pit, ten thousand meters deep,” the black dog muttered.

“Everyone, stay sharp,” Ye Fan warned. They were nearing the abyssal floor, danger could strike at any moment.

At last, they landed. An ancient, desolate aura swept over them, as though they had stepped back into the primordial age.

The abyssal floor wasn’t entirely dark, bits of Godsource fragments glimmered faintly, casting scattered light.

Yet the pit was so vast that most remained in shadow. Gazing ahead, it felt less like being underground and more like standing on an ancient battlefield.

“What’s that?”

In the distance stood what looked like the ruins of an ancient structure, crumbling, nearly destroyed.

They hurried forward, surprised to find man-made buildings outside the Myriad Dragon Lair.

“It looks like an altar. Could it have been a place of worship?”

“It’s almost completely collapsed, must have been abandoned for endless ages.”

Before even getting close, they could tell, it was an ancient sacrificial altar, worn by the ages. The stones themselves were decaying.

“That’s...” Ye Fan’s pupils contracted sharply.

“How can this be?” Pang Bo exclaimed, utterly shocked.

As they stepped onto the broken platform, their hearts pounded uncontrollably.

At the top stood a five-colored altar, built from stones of five hues. Though half-collapsed, it still exuded an aura of great antiquity.

Ye Fan and Pang Bo were overwhelmed. They nearly threw themselves onto the altar, touching the stones and murmuring nonstop.

“So familiar… If we weren’t deep beneath the earth, I’d think we were back atop Mount Tai, at the moment the Nine Dragons pulled the coffin skyward.”

This altar was nearly identical to the five-colored altar on Mount Tai, same structure, same style, even similar material.

“The way home,” Ye Fan whispered.

“We really can go back one day,” Pang Bo echoed, trembling with emotion as they caressed the stones.

“What’s wrong with you two?” Tu Fei asked.

“Don’t tell me you’ve been possessed,” the black dog said, retreating a few steps.

It took a long time for Ye Fan and Pang Bo to calm down. For them, this was the road of hope, the proof that Earth and this world were connected. They were sure they could return someday.

“Have you ever seen an altar like this before?” Ye Fan asked.

Tu Fei shook his head. “Never. Not even ancient texts mention it.”

“Emperor’s formation runes!”

The big black dog cried out, pressing its huge face to the ground, nearly howling.

Tu Fei jumped in shock, and quickly looked closer. The words Emperor’s runes were enough to stir anyone’s heart.

“This was definitely set up by a Grand Emperor!”

The black dog trembled, staring wide-eyed at the strange runes beneath their feet, symbols impossible to comprehend.

It traced them with its paw. “If I could understand even a tenth of this, I’d benefit for a lifetime.”

Ye Fan’s eyes lit up. “Can you repair the five-colored altar? Can you tell what it does?”

“Unless the Emperor himself returned to life, there’s no way to fix it. I can’t decipher a single symbol,” the dog said, carefully copying the runes.

Ye Fan and Pang Bo sighed. They searched the altar thoroughly, but found nothing else of value.

Only the big black dog was elated, grinning like an idiot, as if it had stumbled upon a divine treasure.

After lingering for a long time, the group moved on toward the Myriad Dragon Lair. There, dragon power flowed like rivers, and nine immense dragon forms coiled and circled as if alive.

Ahead lay nine vast tunnels in a row, shining with light, the source of all the surging dragon power.

Ye Fan studied the terrain and the dragon energy, carving source runes into the ground to divine the layout, then took the lead.

All nine tunnels interconnected, each leading into the Myriad Dragon Lair. As they stepped inside, the dragon power washed over them like a baptism, making every pore tingle with energy.

“Wait… could this be that place?” The black dog’s expression turned stunned.

“What do you mean?” Tu Fei pressed.

“Damn it, I know what this is,” the dog said. “Nine dragon tunnels, this must be the same place the Beginningless Emperor once visited.”

“You know about that Emperor?” Tu Fei asked skeptically.

“I read about it in an ancient text,” the dog replied, brushing him off. “This terrain is on par with the Nine Dragons Encircling the Pearl, but the Emperor chose the Purple Mountain instead.”

The Purple Mountain, where nine dragons encircled a single orb, was where the Beginningless Emperor left his legacy and sealed his supreme weapon.

Tu Fei was stunned. “So the Myriad Dragon Lair ranks second only to the Purple Mountain? No wonder no holy land or great sect could conquer it.”

“The Emperor came here himself. Many of these traces were carved by his hand,” Ye Fan said, trying to steady his emotions.

They continued in silence, communicating only through divine sense.

“What’s that fragrance?” the black dog sniffed the air.

They followed the dragon power for more than ten miles until they reached a region filled with countless stone caverns like a honeycomb, and were stunned.

The nine main tunnels all led to the same vast chamber, the true Myriad Dragon Lair, where divine light poured in all directions. Within, Godsource stones floated, and inside some, figures seemed sealed.

“There’s no mistaking it,” the black dog growled. “Those are Royal Primordials. They really chose this place to sleep.”

The group was speechless. The power of primordials was terrifying enough, but their royal bloodlines were on another level entirely.

“What a pity,” Pang Bo sighed. “We’ve come so far, only to see those enormous Godsources and not touch them.”

“I can’t stand it,” Ye Fan said bitterly. He desperately needed Godsource, and now he could see it, glittering within reach.

“Perhaps the Underworld God Palace gained its inheritance from them. Maybe we could communicate somehow…” Tu Fei suggested.

“Don’t even think about it,” the black dog said flatly.

He suspected the so-called Underworld God Palace had been founded by humans carrying primordial blood, meant to guard this place.

“So that’s why the Jiang Clan’s God-King destroyed them,” someone murmured. “To eliminate threats to humanity itself…”

“Let’s leave,” the black dog urged. “If even one Royal Primordial awakens, the earth will drown in blood. No one could resist.”

“One day,” Ye Fan said quietly, “when my Primeval Desolate Sacred Physique is perfected, I’ll come here again.”

“The scent’s getting stronger,” Tu Fei said. Even his dull nose could sense the intoxicating fragrance.

“This...” the black dog’s eyes lit up. “It must be a Primordial Godly Medicine! Far more precious than Godsource!”

In this age, nothing could compare to a divine herb of the primordial era, one that could restore even a dying sovereign to life.

It was priceless, and even in ancient times, such herbs were nearly extinct.

Ye Fan activated his divine sense. Purple light shot from his eyes as he searched, and then his heart trembled.

“It really is a Primordial Godly Medicine.”

Just outside the Myriad Dragon Lair, where all dragon power converged, a sacred plant shimmered with gold.

Pang Bo, Tu Fei, and the black dog saw it too. Their eyes gleamed with desire.

“That herb was nourished by the entire Myriad Dragon Lair,” Tu Fei said.

“Yes,” Ye Fan agreed. “Bathed in dragon power and divine essence, it’s the only place in the world that could produce something like this.”

They could hardly move, entranced.

But the herb stood too close to the Royal Primordials, approaching it meant certain death.

“They’re asleep,” the black dog whispered. “Maybe we can snatch it.”

“Don’t talk nonsense, mutt. Why don’t you go?” Tu Fei snapped.

“I’ll go,” Ye Fan said at last.

“Ye Fan, that’s suicide,” Pang Bo protested.

“It’s fine,” Ye Fan said calmly. “If it fails, I’ll activate the Profound Jade Altar and escape instantly.”

Pang Bo wanted to go with him, but Ye Fan refused.

In the end, he went alone.

Pang Bo, Tu Fei, and the black dog waited in the distance, ready to respond.

Dragon power surged like waves. Ye Fan concealed his life force, moving like a withered branch, using the Motherly Energy Cauldron to shield his body.

Step by step, slowly, carefully, he approached the nest.

The Myriad Dragon Lair was enormous. Through one of the tunnels, he could only glimpse a small part, yet it was enough to make him tremble.

Within the Godsource, he saw an ancient coffin floating among the glowing stones. A crushing pressure filled the air, making his bones feel as if they’d shatter.

The Godsource fragments piled high, enough to drown the coffin.

Nearby, a massive chunk of Godsource, nearly two meters long, shone blindingly bright. Within it was a humanoid figure.

They truly were Royal Primordials.

This was only what he could see, the rest of the nest stretched for miles, unknowable.

Finally, Ye Fan reached the edge of the nest, near the divine herb.

It was bathed in dragon power, shining gold, about a foot tall, with nine golden leaves like drifting clouds.

At its crown grew a single fruit, a golden miniature dragon, translucent and lifelike, holding a golden pearl in its mouth that shimmered brilliantly.

The entire Myriad Dragon Lair had nurtured this one plant. Its value was beyond imagination.

A true Primordial Godly Medicine, perhaps the only one left in existence.

Bathed in dragon power, its fragrance almost intoxicated Ye Fan. He felt as though he might float away, transcending the mortal world.

He even wondered, if he consumed it, could he ascend on the spot?

Without hesitation, he moved forward to pluck it.

But in that instant, his divine sense screamed, his spirit plunged into icy dread. A mortal danger loomed before him.

Should he take another step?

In that split second between lightning and thunder, Ye Fan faced an impossible choice.