Shrouded Sky

Chapter 362 - An Era of Glory & Sorrow

“What the fuck?! You have the Beginningless Scripture in your hands?!” Ye Fan, Pang Bo, and Tu Fei all turned their gazes toward the big black dog.

It immediately grew uneasy, backing away a few steps. “Why the hell are you all looking at me like that? Your eyes are glowing green like a pack of wolves.”

Across the Eastern Wilderness and the Middle Continent, every sacred land and great sect had exhausted every method imaginable trying to open the Purple Mountain and obtain the inheritance of Grand Emperor Beginningless. Their hair was practically falling out from the effort, and now this black mutt suddenly made such a claim. Naturally, everyone was stunned.

“This damn dog only knows how to brag. If he really had the Beginningless Scripture, even pigs could fly.” Tu Fei scoffed.

The black dog cursed under its breath and then said proudly, “Do you even know who I am? What could possibly stump me? As long as there exists an innate Sacred Physique Dao Fetus in this world, I’d stake my life to forge a Beginningless Scripture!”

“You think you can just pull one out of your ass by saying so?” Tu Fei sneered.

But Ye Fan’s expression shifted slightly, his eyes locking onto the dog with a spark of intensity. The others didn’t know, but he did, this mutt had definitely come out of Purple Mountain.

“Damn it, kid, don’t look at me like that!” The black dog grumbled, clearly recalling the unpleasant Western Emperor Scripture incident.

“If you really want the Beginningless Scripture, it’s easy, just bring an innate Sacred Physique Dao Fetus into Purple Mountain, and I guarantee you’ll get what you want.”

“I’d love to, but who can open the Diagram of Mountain and Sea?”

They had already tried the Motherly Energy Cauldron, the Divine Lotus, the Heaven-Devouring Jar, and the golden Great Bell, but none of them could break through the painting.

Even the greatest enemies of the old Purple Mansion Sacred Lord had failed to do so. Knowing it was impossible, they stopped wasting their strength.

“Purple Mansion Fairy, if you don’t come out soon, I’ll auction this painting at the Demon Palace!”

The black dog shouted shamelessly, “For the prosperity of humanity, you’d better come out now! The innate Sacred Physique Dao Fetus truly must appear! If you still don’t come out, we’ll throw the scroll into the Primordial Mine or Undying Mountain. Not even the Diagram of Mountain and Sea can protect you there. I think it’d look best pasted on the gate of the Desire Nunnery.”

They took turns provoking and threatening.

“You four... b-bastards!” came the voice of the Purple Mansion Saintess from within the painting. Though she sounded calm, there was a hint of frustration in her tone.

“If you can perceive everything outside, that makes things easier,” Ye Fan smirked. “I’ll just hang you in my bedroom and treat you like any ordinary painting.”

Despite all their mockery, the Purple Mansion Saintess gave no further response.

Carrying the Diagram of Mountain and Sea was like carrying a scalding stone, it held a living Dao Fetus capable of channeling the Great Dao itself. If she ambushed them from within, they would be gravely wounded if not dead.

“Seal it first,” Ye Fan ordered.

With the black dog’s expertise in Dao Runes, they fully sealed the Diagram of Mountain and Sea. Then Ye Fan stored it within the Motherly Energy Cauldron, suppressing it with the nine mysterious characters from the Dao Scripture.

“Little bro, you’ve sealed quite a few big names,” Tu Fei said, tongue clicking in disbelief.

They stood in the snow, counting the ones Ye Fan had imprisoned, and their expressions turned strange. If these captives formed a mining crew, it would be the most terrifying labor force in history.

First, within the Departing Fire God Furnace were the outstanding prodigies of the Eastern Wilderness, Radiant Light Saint, the Leviathan Prince, and Yao Xi, all figures who could dominate their generation.

Then there were Xu Yuan, the cherished nephew of the third Warlord Xu Tianxiong, and Jiang Yichen, beloved descendant of a Jiang Clan powerhouse. Both held extraordinary identities.

There was also Radiant Light’s other Saint, Li Rui, and over a dozen female disciples from the Purple Mansion Sacred Ground, all with noble status.

And now, they had sealed away the Innate Dao Fetus itself, the same Purple Mansion Saintess whose terrifying strength they had witnessed firsthand. Her body and Dao were one, her existence nearly invincible among her peers.

Tu Fei sighed. “The Eastern Wilderness has entered a truly flourishing age. So many geniuses in one generation, back in the day, having two would already be remarkable.”

Now there were God-King Physiques, Innate Dao Bodies, the Radiant Light Saint, the Leviathan Prince… each one a heaven-defying prodigy.

“Such people, one is enough to define an age. Any more, and it becomes tragedy.”

The God-King Physique, by name and nature, stood supreme among peers. No matter how brilliant others were, being born in his era meant only sorrow; the Eastern Wilderness was destined to be his world.

The Innate Dao Fetus, peerless across the lands, once she reached the level of a Sacred Lord and fused completely with the Dao, no amount of divine power could overcome her suppression.

Radiant Light Saint and the Leviathan Prince were equally dazzling, some even said they had the bearing of future Grand Emperors.

In past eras, any one of these figures could have reigned as the undisputed number one of their generation. But now they had all appeared together.

“The Innate Dao Fetus, the Sacred Physique, the God-King Physique, the young Grand Emperor-like prodigies… they’ve never before been born in one age to contend against each other,” someone murmured.

So glorious, yet so tragic. For no matter how bright the stars, only one Grand Emperor can rise in the end.

The black dog scoffed. “What’s the fuss? Who said these physiques can’t appear together? You just haven’t seen such an era before.”

“When was that?” they asked.

“You wouldn’t know,” the black dog said smugly.

“Stop teasing us, mutt. What age was it?”

“Over a hundred thousand years ago,” said the black dog. “That was a dazzling era. The God-King Physique, the Heaven-Demon Physique, they all emerged. It was truly an age of many kings, shining brighter than any other.”

“How could that be possible?” Tu Fei asked, incredulous.

“It happened,” said the dog. “Every physique recorded in the ancient books appeared that age. The world had never seen such brilliance.”

“With all those kings and geniuses… the world must have been in chaos.”

The black dog’s expression softened. “Yes, when all stars shine, only then can the greatest among them be seen.”

“If each had been born in a different age, they would have ruled unchallenged. To live together was cruel.”

“Cruel yet magnificent,” the dog said. “That was an era of glory built on blood, a road paved with the corpses of kings.”

“So, who emerged supreme from that time?”

“Beginningless,” the black dog said simply.

Everyone drew in sharp breaths. No wonder, Grand Emperor Beginningless was the one who had risen above them all.

None could describe his true strength. Even before becoming Grand Emperor, he had faced a Paragon Artifact head-on with his bare hands, while its wielder had already nearly ascended to emperorship.

That meant he had resisted the might of a Great Dao itself!

“No wonder he stood unmatched through the ages,” Ye Fan said quietly. “Only someone born in such a terrifying age could achieve that.”

“All others, no matter how radiant, could only serve as the foil to his brilliance.”

“I feel like our current world isn’t far off,” Tu Fei mused. “In the Middle Continent, Western Desert, and Southern Ridge, there must be other monstrous geniuses. Maybe this is another era like that of Beginningless.”

“The glory of one man is the sorrow of an entire age of geniuses,” Ye Fan said softly. “When the stars shine too brightly, they only make the sun and moon appear more blinding.”

The group sighed deeply and left the snowy plain behind.

In the days that followed, they searched for isolated Saints or Saintesses to ambush, but found no openings. Their targets always traveled in groups.

So they roamed ancient mountains and mines instead, searching for dragon veins and source stones. Ye Fan urgently needed vast amounts of source to break his curse and reach the Four Pillars Realm.

Though his geomantic and source arts were refined, after traveling through endless lands he still hadn’t found a true dragon vein.

The Northern Region was known for its divine sources. Over countless years, the great powers had divided the resource zones among themselves, few untouched mines remained.

Of course, hidden dragon veins still existed, but they were nearly impossible to find.

After seven or eight days, Ye Fan only discovered one small mine and gathered a few exotic source stones, worth no more than four thousand jin of pure source.

When they crawled out of the mine, they were filthy, covered in soot and dirt.

“This won’t do,” Tu Fei said. “We should make our captives dig for us.”

“Leviathan Prince, captain of Mining Squad One. Radiant Light Saint, Squad Two. Yao Xi and the Purple Mansion Saintess…” They laughed bitterly, joking even in hardship, though they knew they couldn’t really release them.

“I’m not so sure, little bro,” Tu Fei said. “Can your cauldron really suppress the Leviathan Prince and Radiant Light Saint? If they break free, we’re screwed. And that Innate Dao Fetus, if she escapes, we’re finished.”

“For now, they’re sealed tight,” Ye Fan assured them.

At that moment, the black dog gulped down two large chunks of exotic source.

“This emperor has never mined before! Two thousand jin of source is far too little for me to break my noble precedent!”

For most, a thousand jin of source would be astronomical. But for a Primeval Desolate Sacred Physique, who needed tens of millions of jin, it was barely a drop.

Just thinking about the sheer number made Ye Fan’s head ache. Only sacred grounds, the Myriad Dragon Lair, or Purple Mountain had such immense reserves, but breaking in was suicide.

“If only we had an unmatched powerhouse to dig in the Primordial Mine…”

“Little bro,” Tu Fei suggested, “why not return to the Divine City? There’s refined stone there already. With your source arts, you might cut out tens or even hundreds of thousands of jin in a single day.”

Not long ago, Ye Fan had shocked everyone with his gambling on divine stones in the city, sweeping up huge profits like a storm.

But that had made him a marked man. Since then, he hadn’t dared to return.

Ye Fan nodded. “Seems I’ll have to take another risk. Black Emperor, carve me a supreme-grade Jade Altar as backup.”

“I’ll go with you,” Pang Bo said. “With the power I can summon, we’ll stay safe.”

“I’m coming too!” barked the dog.

Tu Fei snorted. “You? The moment you show up, the whole city will start a dog hunt.”

“Motherfuckers! Damn it, I’ll bite the ass of whoever tries!”

The black dog howled at the moon, ecstatic. It had just obtained the Ancient Demon Emperor Scripture from Pang Bo, and Ye Fan had given it the Green Jade Mystic Tortoise from the Forbidden Zone.

“Don’t worry,” it said. “I’ll stir up a storm outside. I’ll turn your pursuers into my pets and make the world think you’re looting source everywhere.”

And so, Ye Fan and Pang Bo set out for the Divine City once more, returning to the center of chaos and opportunity.

Snow blanketed the world; the Northern Region had entered its coldest season.

As they neared the Divine City, both men sensed something wrong, someone was tailing them, slipping past their divine senses.

“It’s that thing!”

At last, Ye Fan spotted the follower, a tiny golden creature sneaking behind them in the snow.

“It’s the divine silkworm you cut from that strange stone?” Pang Bo asked in surprise.

“That’s right,” Ye Fan said, smiling. “Last time, if I hadn’t escaped through the void, I never would’ve shaken it.”

The little golden creature glared, its eyes wide with indignation, pointing at him with a tiny paw as if accusing him of some great injustice.

“Hah, what a funny little thing,” Pang Bo laughed. “These strange stones are truly miraculous. Who knows what you’ll cut out next time.”

Ye Fan pretended to chase it, and the little creature panicked, crashing into a snowdrift before darting away.

“Thieves you can’t catch are the worst kind,” Ye Fan chuckled. “If I cut out another treasure, I’ll have to guard against that little rascal.”

As they approached the Divine City, the snow gave way to lush greenery. In the heart of winter, the warmth and vibrant colors felt like paradise, flowers bloomed, springs trickled, vines draped ancient trees, and the air smelled of life.

Finally, Ye Fan and Pang Bo split up, entering the city separately to avoid suspicion and maximize opportunity.

The moment they arrived, astonishing news spread across the Divine City.

The sacred grounds of the Eastern Wilderness and the great sects of the Middle Continent were preparing to attack Purple Mountain.

At most ten days away, perhaps even within two, the shocking event that would shake the world was about to unfold.

Reliable sources claimed that at least four Paragon Artifacts would be deployed!

A storm beyond imagination was coming. Purple Mountain would soon quake under heaven’s gaze.

Whether or not Grand Emperor Beginningless’ inheritance was found, something earth-shattering would emerge. What kind of power could withstand the might of Paragon Artifacts?

This battle might reveal the greatest of secrets, the truth of a Grand Emperor’s life, his death, and what he left behind.

And perhaps, the mystery of God King Jiang Taixu’s life and death would also be answered, whether only bones remained, or if a living legend would rise once more.