Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 453: Chapter 458: Entering the Undying Mountain

The diameter of the Green Gold Round Plate could reach a hundred zhang; it was extremely large, yet its speed was incredibly fast. It flew agilely and smoothly, and it could traverse through space.

The several Peacock Kings continually constrained each other, each striking at the other, until it finally found an opportunity, rushed away, and disappeared into the Undying Mountain.

Many people exclaimed that such a sacred artifact was likely the treasure of ancient sages. If it entered one of the Ancient Desolation Forbidden Lands, it would never be retrieved, since no one dared to enter.

BANG! BANG!

The several Peacock Kings reached out with large hands towards the Undying Mountain. They had been too absorbed in battling one another just now, letting the sacred artifact escape their grasp. Alas, it was too late to regret now.

The Green Gold Round Plate was too fast to catch, instantly disappearing into the depths of the black mountains.

The several Peacock Kings dared not go deep, only venturing in several hundred meters before reluctantly withdrawing their hands. They were unwilling to risk their lives here due to the many terrifying legends associated with this place.

Suddenly, the Green Gold Round Plate shook violently as if trapped by some mysterious force. The black mountains became misty, generating strange powers that distorted space.

BOOM!

As if shackled, the Green Gold Round Plate couldn’t fly smoothly. It crashed into the mountains with a thundering sound, raising a cloud of dust, and fell deep within the Undying Mountain Range.

“What a shame, it’s missed just like that!”

The several Peacock Kings were very unwilling, yet helpless. Even if ancient sages were revived, they wouldn’t dare enter the Undying Mountain easily.

Many people who followed here felt extremely regretful seeing this scene. They hadn’t even figured out what kind of sacred artifact the Green Gold Round Plate was before losing its trace.

At this moment, the scorching sun hung in the sky. The Undying Mountain was vibrant and green, with black soil and black cliffs appearing ancient and mysterious.

“An artifact from Outer Heaven, what exactly is its origin?”

“Is there really no way to take it out? What terrifying things are inside the Undying Mountain?”

“Unless the Great Emperor is resurrected, no one dares provoke this Life Forbidden Land. We should retreat.”

People discussed fervently. In this terrible Ancient Desolation Forbidden Land, no one could find peace; all wished to leave early.

The several Peacock Kings said little and vanished with a flash. Upon seeing this, many more dared not linger.

However, many still chose to remain, full of curiosity at seeing the Undying Mountain for the first time, and seriously examining it. Some daring individuals even walked forward and dug out some black rocks at the edge of the Forbidden Area, prepared to take them away.

WHOOSH!

With a flash of light, a tall figure appeared on a distant mountain ridge. His striking golden hair stood out, and he held a black Great Wilderness Halberd, his eyes sharp and aggressive.

“Golden-Winged Peng King!” Tu Fei whispered.

“Why don’t we just kill him here?” Li Heishui murmured. “He always causes trouble for Ye Fan. Instead of waiting, why don’t we attack first?”

“Forget it.” Ye Fan shook his head. “Killing him would drive the old Peng King, who has little lifespan left, into madness. Let’s not provoke him since he’s not bothering us now.”

The Golden-Winged Peng King’s gaze was sharp as a blade, and he naturally saw Ye Fan. Holding the Great Wilderness Halberd, he exuded killing intent, seemingly eager for battle. Yet, noticing many people around Ye Fan, he eventually snorted coldly.

“Little bird, don’t get too cocky, or next time we might roast you!” Black Emperor taunted.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

The Golden-Winged Peng King unleashed thousands of golden sword auras. One hundred and eight thousand dazzling swords made him look like a brilliant golden sun.

“That dog, I won’t stoop down to your level!” the Golden-Winged Peng King said coldly, his gaze sharp as swords, full of wildness. Staring at Ye Fan, he continued, “You’re about to die soon. Can you still fight? I want to personally break your bones. If you’re a short-lived ghost, I’ll be very disappointed!”

“Birdman, you’re too arrogant! Haven’t you learned your lesson from being beaten last time?” Black Emperor mocked.

“Last time I restrained myself. This time, my Celestial Roc transforms again! What is a sacred body? I will slay it to pave my Great Emperor’s path!” The Golden-Winged Peng King was as arrogant as ever, possessing a demonic aura.

Their conversation immediately attracted much attention. Nowadays, no one wanted to provoke the Doomsday Holy Body who, with little time left, was capable of anything. Unexpectedly, the Golden-Winged Peng King dared to challenge him.

“It seems he’s entered the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm. No wonder he’s so brazen.” Tu Fei was surprised. The Golden-Winged Peng King had finally broken through, overcoming his shackles.

Such a person had always been compared to the Flickering Light’s Saint Heir and was thought of as one of the strongest among the younger generation. Now that he had entered the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm, one could only imagine how terrifying his combat power would become.

“Alright, if you want to battle me, set a time, and I’ll be there!” Ye Fan responded. Entering the Four Extremes Secret Realm required enlightenment and constant battle to find breakthrough opportunities.

WHOOSH!

With a flash of light, a dozen or so figures appeared on a distant mountain. It was Phoenix and some young people from the Wind Clan; they too had rushed over upon hearing the news.

Ye Fan had anticipated encountering the Wind Clan upon entering the Central Territory but didn’t expect to meet Phoenix so soon.

Seeing Ye Fan caused a stir among them. Some showed peculiar expressions, and someone whispered, “He actually arrived here. Does he really want to enter the Undying Mountain seeking fortune and extending his life?”

Someone murmured, “Trying to enter the Undying Mountain is pure suicide. No one can come out alive. Facing imminent death, he can’t defy the heavens and must simply wait to die.”

“He still owes our Wind Clan three million jin of Source. It seems there’s no way he’ll return it. Such bad luck,” some young people grumbled, very displeased.

“What a shame about our Wind Clan’s Source. We would at least hear some sound if it were thrown into water, but it was wasted on him.”

Ye Fan laughed and said, “Three million jin of Source is indeed quite a sum, but rest assured, I’ll repay it.”

The crowd was shocked. They hadn’t expected Ye Fan’s hearing to be so sharp, able to hear every word from afar.

Phoenix was as graceful as an Immortal, standing tall and straight, surrounded by a five-colored glow, wearing a Phoenix Mask. With a faint glance at Ye Fan, she said, “Our clan’s Peacock King has already stated that there is no need for you to repay those Sources.”

“If I don’t repay, I’ll fear being constantly ridiculed. However, I am truly grateful to the Wind Clan’s Peacock King,” Ye Fan said.

Phoenix ignored him and turned to greet the Golden-Winged Peng King, smiling. “Congratulations to Brother Peng for another breakthrough.”

The Golden-Winged Peng King laughed heartily. “I will battle the sacred body. At that time, Wind Princess, you are welcome to witness!”

“Okay!” Phoenix nodded.

ROAR!

Suddenly, a loud roar was heard. A mountain instantly collapsed, and the Dragon Horse, as large as a small mountain, appeared again. Its eyes were like grinding discs, glaring fiercely at everyone.

Not long ago, it had fought against a Peacock King, holding its ground firmly, and now it shocked everyone.

“Run quickly!”

The crowd exclaimed in alarm, fleeing in chaos. This was the Barbarian Beast King, on the same level as the Peacock King, existing at the Peak. Few could contend with it.

With a dragon head, horse body, and qilin feet, its enormous body spanned the sky. A stomp from it turned a large group of people into a blood mist, perishing forever.

ROAR!

In the mountainous land, more strange and powerful beasts appeared, charging like a flood and cutting off everyone’s retreat. There were giant birds with scales, giant ants over ten meters long, and lions as large as small hills.

“It’s over! We can’t traverse space here!” someone cried out in horror.

“It’s the power of the Undying Mountain! It has sealed the power of space!” Even the Dao Glyph Masters were frightened.

The Undying Mountain is an extremely unique place, forming its own world and affecting the surrounding regions, making it impossible to open a Domain Gate.

The strange and powerful beasts flanked them in a fan shape, intending to massacre them. If they didn’t want to die, they could only flee into the Undying Mountain; otherwise, there was no way out.

“Break through!” Ye Fan shouted. These strange and powerful beasts were berserk, their eyes bloodshot, terrifyingly aiming to wipe everyone out. Wielding the Dragon Pattern Black Gold Sacred Spirit Sword, he charged first, engaging the strange and powerful beasts, hoping to escape.

None of the ferocious beasts could be easily slain. They were descendants of pre-Ancient Desolation Barbarian Beast Kings, their bloodline endowing them with immense strength.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Ye Fan and Pang Bo faced great resistance. Together they only managed to kill five strange and powerful beasts and nearly got injured themselves.

ROAR!

The ferocious beasts were in an uproar. Among them were experts from the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm and even higher-leveled beast kings. They surged like a tide, making Ye Fan’s group struggle immensely.

On the other side, the Golden-Winged Peng King, Phoenix, and others joined forces. They also faced tremendous pressure, doing their best to resist.

In nearly the blink of an eye, more than half of the cultivators here had been wiped out, unable to contend. Only a dozen forces were left struggling.

CLANG!

Ye Fan confronted a massive red ant, over ten meters long. It sparkled as if carved from scarlet heart, yet it was ferocious beyond belief, possessed of unimaginable strength.

It was only in the first transformation of the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm, but its mighty divine energy was not much weaker than Ye Fan’s. This was an Innate Divine Technique of its race, an Inheritor of an Ancient Barbarian King, possessing terrifying divine energy.

“Not good, that Barbarian Beast King has locked onto us!” Pang Bo exclaimed.

The gigantic Dragon Horse, obviously the king among the strange and powerful beasts, hovered in the sky, fixating on them solely because they had slain the most strange and powerful beasts.

“We’re in trouble now! Curiosity killed the cat!” Black Emperor muttered. “We shouldn’t have come down to investigate.”

BOOM!

The Dragon Horse, as enormous as a mountain, shattered the void as it dove down. Its massive body, like a cloud, cast a giant shadow on the ground, making it hard to breathe under its weight.

As it rushed, it also scanned the Golden-Winged Peng King and Phoenix. It raised a hoof and stomped down with a BOOM, and that part of the world shattered instantly.

The young members of the Wind Clan suffered heavy casualties. The Golden-Winged Peng King and Phoenix were incredibly fast and dodged迅疾, yet they were still impacted by the fringes of the storm. This made them cough up blood and fall into the beast tide, where they were swallowed up.

Ye Fan and the others gasped. This was a Barbarian Beast King, absolutely unstoppable. A simple strike could destroy heavens and earth. Unless a Peacock King appeared, no one could oppose it.

“Retreat! Quickly retreat!” Li Heishui shouted.

Even if they had to retreat into the Undying Mountain, they couldn’t face this beast king, or else they’d have no chance of survival.

Ye Fan picked up the pitiful little girl and retreated as if flying. Pang Bo, Li Heishui, Tu Fei, and the Black Emperor all decisively chose this path, rushing toward the Undying Mountain.

BOOM!

The Dragon Horse, engulfed in divine flame, landed. Its hoof, much larger than a house, shattered the ground, and the cracks that burst open were several meters wide.

It chased like a tornado. Every cultivator it encountered along the way was crushed to pulp with a single neigh from it; not one could withstand even half a step.

Ye Fan and the others gritted their teeth and charged directly into the Undying Mountain, as this was the only way to survive; there were no other alternatives.

Other cultivators, seeing this, also retreated into the Undying Mountain. Strange and powerful beasts cut off escape routes like a flood, making it impossible to flee any longer. Any further delay would mean total annihilation.

“We’ve entered the Undying Mountain! This is…” Tu Fei paled.

Li Heishui turned green. This was one of the Ancient Desolation Forbidden Lands, always known for being a place of no return; entering was akin to stepping into the Ghost Gate.

More people were forced in, their cries echoing. The black mountain range exuded a mysterious power that made one’s heart palpitate and skin crawl.

“Ah…”

Suddenly, many people shouted in terror. Strange marks appeared beneath their feet, and in a flash of light, they vanished, with no one knowing where they went.

“My God, what is going on?!” Many were terrified.

ROAR!

The Dragon Horse pressed forward, spewing a terrifying light that swept across everything. All in its path was reduced to powder; even plants and black rocks became fly ash.

About eighty percent of the people couldn’t even let out a scream before being utterly destroyed in body and spirit. Ye Fan and the others were forced to retreat quickly. At this time, a flash of light appeared beneath Pang Bo’s feet. He cried out as he and several others disappeared from their spot.

When they reappeared, they found themselves within the mountains of the Undying Mountain, surrounded by black mountains, verdant and towering, with some lakes dotting the mountainous terrain.

“Damn it! We’ve ventured deep into the Undying Mountain,” Black Emperor exclaimed. “This is a huge problem! Unless a Great Emperor comes to save us, we really have no way out.”

“What do we do?” By now, they were all at a loss. Entering the Undying Mountain was a death sentence.

“Do not move hastily!” Black Emperor advised. “The Undying Mountain is special, with Array Patterns inscribed by ancient Great Emperors during ancient battles. A wrong step could transport us into other mysterious and dangerous regions within the Undying Mountain Range.”

But no sooner had it spoken than it accidentally stepped onto an ancient pattern. With a flash of light, it and the others disappeared again.

When they appeared again, they found themselves atop a black Short Mountain. Though not tall, it was extraordinarily majestic and imposing.

In this place, every black mountain body was the king of mountains, the emperor among peaks, inspiring awe to the point one couldn’t help but feel like prostrating in worship.

Surrounding them were many black mountains. Standing on this Short Mountain, they couldn’t see very far. The vibrant greenery around was very quiet.

“We’re done for!” someone exclaimed in despair. “We’ve ventured deeper inside! This is definitely not the outer region anymore; we’ve gone at least a quarter of the way in!”

PLOP!

A splash echoed from a lake nestled in the mountainous land beneath the solemn Short Mountain. Unknown creatures were moving within.

They all inhaled sharply, their hearts chilled. “Creatures that have grown in the Undying Mountain…” someone muttered.

SWOOSH!

Dozens of figures flickered into existence by the lakeside. They were cultivators who, like Ye Fan’s group, had been involuntarily brought into the Undying Mountain. Now, they all cried out.

A mysterious power pulled at them, leaving them unable to struggle. All were submerged in the lake water without so much as a ripple, only a dozen streams of blood gushing out, dyeing the lake surface red.

“Among them were experts from the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm, yet they were wiped out so easily!” Pang Bo was shocked, his face paling to an extreme.

“Over there, there’s a glowing Ancient Tree…” the pitiful little girl innocently pointed into the depths of the Undying Mountain Range.

It was very distant, almost near the central region of the Undying Mountain. Even Ye Fan’s Divine Eye couldn’t see clearly, yet the little girl saw an Ancient Tree.

“It must be the Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree, or else an Undying Divine Medicine!” Black Emperor said.

“Nannan, what do you see?” Ye Fan gently asked.

“Nannan sees an Ancient Tree,” the pitiful little girl said seriously, her big eyes blinking. “Its leaves are of various colors and shapes: golden, crimson, pure white… they flow with brilliance. The trunk is as rugged as a dragon. I thought I saw someone meditating under the tree, but when I rubbed my eyes, he was gone.”

“That must be the Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree! But how could someone appear?!” Black Emperor was shocked to the core.

“What exactly is inside the Undying Mountain?” Ye Fan inquired.

“The Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree is not at the very center of the Undying Mountain. What’s deeper inside, I’m not sure either, but there certainly is Undying Divine Medicine!” Black Emperor said. (To be continued. www., support the author, support legitimate reading!)