Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 430: Chapter 435 Restoration and Breakthrough

The Vermilion Bird Fruit, Cauldron-shaped Fruit, and Eight Diagram Fruit were pristine and flawless, shining like rainbow-hued glass, dazzling and radiant. When refined, they transformed into incomplete natural images of the Dao, which were mysterious and profound, continuously imprinting into his body.

Outside Ye Fan’s body, a blood-red Vermilion Bird danced, an ancient and natural small cauldron floated, and the profound eight trigram diagram rotated, all exceedingly strange.

The medicinal power was indeed too strong. If the nine ancient characters had not been carved on his body, he might have transformed into a child. If he had become as small as the pitiful little girl, that would have been quite the spectacle.

In the bronze coffin, a heap of impurities appeared, including broken bones and cracked, dry skin. This sight sent chills down his spine, but it was reality; these were things he himself had shed.

For the past half month, Ye Fan had truly been undergoing a transformation, but it was an inhuman torment. His entire body had cracked open; his internal organs resonated like the Heavenly Sound, and his bones broke and reassembled inch by inch.

Of the last three kinds of Divine Fruits, he took two of each. After nearly twenty days of seclusion, he had completely absorbed the efficacy of the six sacred fruits.

At this time, his body was immaculate and flawless, entirely crystalline and nearly transparent. His bright red blood held a faint golden shimmer, and streams of golden light flowed within it.

Ye Fan stood up and pressed into the void. The space immediately collapsed. His physical body was pristine and flawless, divine brilliance flowing from him as if he were an immortal god on a divine altar.

At this moment, he felt his physical body was comparable to a Peacock King. If those individuals did not use their overwhelming magical power and fought him only physically, he could easily suppress them!

It was important to understand that there was a vast chasm in Realm between them. In terms of cultivation base, he was still far behind, but his physical shell was stronger, which was truly astounding.

The Divine Fruit’s medicinal power was extraordinary, allowing him to transform once more. Now he needed no weapons and could shatter divine soldier’s blades with his bare hands; he himself was a powerful humanoid weapon.

However, Ye Fan sighed lightly, feeling somewhat regretful.

Years ago, when he first consumed a sacred fruit, apart from transforming, he had also unlocked his Seas of Bitterness, allowing his sacred body to cultivate.

The second time he consumed a sacred fruit, after his body metamorphosed, his divine scan became incredibly terrifying, and a small golden lake formed between his brows, becoming a powerful trump card.

This time, however, all those strange and mighty energies had vanished into the Dao Injury and did not manifest; instead, they helped him resolve a situation of certain death.

“Damn Dao crack!”

But he soon found solace in understanding. Sacred Bodies had been unable to cultivate for over a hundred thousand years; how could the curse truly be broken without paying an immense price?

One could say he was using a single Undying Divine Medicine to contend against the intangible Dao between heaven and earth; achieving such a result was already a great fortune amidst misfortune.

The unparalleled divine king had exhausted all means, nearly sacrificing his life, yet still couldn’t help him defy fate. Needing so many sacred fruits to alter an outcome of certain death was no surprise; it had long been destined.

Ye Fan inwardly examined his injuries, a slight smile appearing on his face. After dozens of days of nourishment, the Dao fissures had healed, and his Life Origin was crystalline.

“This is…” Suddenly, his smile froze. Although the major crack on his Life Origin had healed, there was still an almost invisible, minute fissure.

Unless closely inspected internally, it was impossible to see. It was too well hidden, just a faint trace, qualifying as a hidden injury. If he were to venture out of the Ancient Desolation Forbidden Land like this, the old wound would most likely rupture over time.

“Why is it like this?!” Ye Fan’s heart grew uneasy. He had consumed various sacred fruits and, although he still had some, the Law Fragments they contained were repetitive, rendering them largely useless against the Dao Injury.

In the world of Ancient Times, even consuming Divine Fruits for nourishment couldn’t bring complete healing. What other methods could there be?

Ye Fan furrowed his brow. This was a very troublesome discovery. Am I truly destined to be suppressed by heaven and earth, unable to walk out unscathed?

Suddenly, he lifted his head, as if an idea had struck him, muttering to himself, “That’s right, it must be like this!”

The nine sacred mountains coexisted with nine types of Divine Roots. Though many sacred fruits had formed, possessing astonishing medicinal power, they were ultimately not the true Immortal Medicine.

Ye Fan suddenly understood. There is actually only one true Undying Divine Medicine here, and what I have obtained is incomplete.

The nine types of Divine Roots combined into one constituted the most original Undying Divine Medicine. Only then would the Heaven and Earth Rules they contained be complete and capable of repairing the Dao Injury within him.

In the past dozens of days, he had successively refined seven types of sacred fruits, lacking only two, which he himself had consumed years ago. Is this fate?

Only by combining all nine types of Divine Fruits can the Dao Injury be smoothed out, or by obtaining a truly matured Undying Divine Medicine—not these separately grown, mutated fruits…

Ye Fan looked at the Qilin Seed in his hand; it wasn’t mature. Even if planted on the sacred mountains, who knows how many years it would take until harvest?

He thought carefully, his eyes shining. Once more, he shouldered the small bronze coffin and began to climb the mountains, striving to fully resolve his crisis.

At this point, his physique was more terrifying than a Peacock King. Carrying the bronze coffin was no longer as strenuous, and he quickly arrived at a sacred mountain—the very place where he had first picked sacred fruit a few years ago.

He placed the bronze coffin on the ground and entered the Life Spring Pool. Cautiously, he excavated the roots of a small tree and cut off a small section of rhizome.

Since these are the nine Divine Roots formed from the main root of the Undying Divine Medicine, their rhizomes must be the most essential parts. I can use this to make up for the deficiency.

Ye Fan didn’t want to do anything utterly destructive. There were a total of thirteen small trees here; from each, he only took a small section of a side root and plucked some branches and leaves before descending the mountain.

「Seven days later,」 Ye Fan opened his eyes in the huge bronze coffin, a hint of satisfaction on his face. Everything was as he had guessed: the Divine Roots contained Dao Fragments, and a natural image of the Dao emerged and imprinted into his body. The cracks in his Life Origin had almost completely disappeared.

Of course, I want to achieve perfection, leaving no trace of side effects. Again carrying the small bronze coffin up the mountain, he came to the second divine medicine he had picked years ago to extract its Divine Roots.

「More than ten days later,」 Ye Fan sat cross-legged in the huge bronze coffin, carefully inspecting himself. His Life Origin was crystal clear and pure; the Dao Injuries had completely vanished, leaving no blemish.

Thus, in this land that retained the Ancient Laws, Ye Fan’s injuries were completely healed, with no lingering concerns. He let out a long sigh, having finally, genuinely broken the curse, defying heaven to reconnect the sacred body’s severed path.

However, the cost was indeed too great. If the outside world remained unchanged, it would be almost impossible for another sacred body like his to appear; no one could bear such a price.

This journey was a complete success; I’ve resolved a dead-end!

“The Undying Divine Medicine is indeed heaven-defying. No wonder every Great Emperor cultivated one. Not only can it resurrect the dead and regenerate flesh from bones, but it also contains Dao Rules!” Ye Fan exclaimed.

Even in Ancient Times, there were only a few such Undying Divine Medicines. They are the most precious holy divine relics in the world, worthy of being called Immortal Treasures, exceedingly rare yet sought after worldwide.

Now, it went without saying; all Undying Divine Medicines had flown into the Ancient Desolation Forbidden Land. They could no longer be seen and had become legends.

The sacred fruits of the Ancient Desolation Forbidden Land weren’t true Immortal Medicine, yet they contained infinite great power. Each was enough to allow Ye Fan to be reborn, which showed just how incredible real Ancient Divine Medicine would be.

Ye Fan did not leave but continued to cultivate in this place. Perhaps this ancient land can help me accelerate my cultivation. Hiding inside the ancient coffin, I won’t need to worry about being eroded by desolate forces.

Upon entering the Four Extremes secret boundary, all cultivation requires enlightenment, not relying on Divine Sources or other external materials to advance. Ye Fan already knew this; absorbing the sacred fruit was a clear example.

His physical body had transformed enough to rival a Peacock King, perhaps even overpower one, yet his Magic Power Cultivation hadn’t broken through to a new Realm.

“The Four Extremes secret boundary requires one to lodge their body in the void, imprint the unfeeling Dao, and comprehend the Heaven and Earth Rules to advance. It’s not just about cultivating the physical body, but also the true ‘Dao’!”

Ye Fan secluded himself, sitting cross-legged in the ancient coffin, motionless. His heart was harmonious and extremely ethereal as he quietly contemplated. His entire being became blurred, as if imprinted into the void.

One day, two days, three days… ten days…

Ye Fan’s mind was clear and bright, at times shining with flowing colors, at others entirely void. He resembled an Eternal god, unaware of the passage of time, letting worldly matters ebb and flow, his self intent on immortality.

One of his arms seemed to suddenly vanish, merging into the void, reaching toward the utmost limits of heaven and earth!

The human body has four poles, capable of connecting with the Four Extremes of Heaven and Earth, thereby invoking the myriad Dao. His left arm was imprinted in the void, transforming into a natural image of the Dao, becoming Eternity!

Ye Fan activated the mystical arts recorded in the Hengyu Universe Scripture, comprehending the Dao of Heaven and Earth, allowing his “first extreme” to become a manifestation of the Dao, as various Miao Yin from Heaven and Earth were simultaneously transmitted.

Even within this cursed Forbidden Land, nothing could block it. Various Dao Glyphs, like crystalline petals, fell, fluttering down and merging into the ancient coffin.

Natural images of the Dao appeared, surrounding Ye Fan. He resembled an immortal deity, enveloped in Chaos Qi, as if he were sitting cross-legged at the primeval beginning of the cosmos, surrounded by myriad Dao Glyphs.

The Heavenly Sound of the Dao resounded through the clouds. He was free of worry and elation, his expression peaceful, like a deity smiling with a flower in hand, possessing a calm confidence as he merged with heaven and earth.

In recent times, he had experienced far too much, constantly lingering between life and death. Having already developed a “Dao sense,” this time, during his seclusion within the Forbidden Land’s ancient coffin, everything fell into place, allowing him to break through in one go.

Ye Fan’s left arm merged into Heaven and Earth, becoming Eternity, a manifestation of the Dao. His right arm also flickered in and out of existence, wreathed by natural images of the Dao, as he advanced to the second layer of the Four Extremes Realm.

He sat there motionless, the Divine Sounds of the Dao ceaselessly audible within him, invoking the myriad Dao, as if ancient gods were chanting scriptures!

「Three months after Ye Fan entered the Ancient Desolation Forbidden Land,」 he finally opened his eyes. His gaze was filled with harmony, and his heart was exceedingly tranquil; he was only a step away from the third layer of the Four Extremes Realm.

He stood up, gazing toward the lands outside the Ancient Desolation Forbidden Land, and murmured, “It’s time to leave.”

Ye Fan pondered deeply; he knew he couldn’t just remain seated. If he wished to break through again, he would need some kind of opportunity; it wasn’t something that could be resolved by stagnant meditation.

He thought of Little Tingting, thought of Divine King Jiang. He couldn’t delay any longer; their Life Fire could extinguish at any moment. He needed to take the sacred fruit and find them soon.

This was also the main reason his Dao Heart was unsettled, preventing him from breaking through again!

“I’ve vanished from the Mortal World for three months. Perhaps many people think I’m dead…” Ye Fan stood up, looking out beyond the Ancient Desolation Forbidden Land.