Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 457: Chapter 462: Celestial Court Heritage

The Saint’s Divine Skin was square, over a foot long, perfect and flawless. It was crystalline and nearly transparent, with mysterious and eerie glimmers that unsettled the heart.

Small ancient characters densely covered both sides, numbering in the tens of thousands; ordinary eyesight could hardly decipher them, as the writing was minuscule.

These ancient words were etched like iron hooks and silver strokes, as vigorous as dragons and serpents. They seemed like countless blades and swords set upon it. The Saint’s Divine Skin exuded a crystalline gleam, striking the heart and soul with terrifying killing intent.

At this moment, the group felt as if they stood in a land of extreme cold. The bone-chilling coldness made it seem as if they were facing millions of wailing creatures, with visions of mountains of corpses and seas of blood looming before them.

Who could have stripped the skin from an ancient sage and refined it into this parchment for recording texts? Such methods were terrifyingly cruel and dreadful.

The large black dog was shaken by the killing intent from the Saint’s Divine Skin. Its massive paws trembled, and it finally collapsed, flattening itself on the ground. Even it couldn’t hold the skin, which indicated just how terrifying it was.

“It certainly isn’t the skin of these white bones here!”

Because this skeleton definitely hadn’t reached the Saint Realm; it is said that even after an ancient sage dies, every inch of flesh and skin doesn’t decay, yet only white bones remained of him.

“This is… a Killing Saint Technique!” The large black dog read those ancient characters, trembling uncontrollably.

Everyone gathered close, reading line by line. They had experienced many things, yet at this moment, their hearts surged with an excitement that was almost overwhelming.

On the Saint’s Divine Skin, various methods of killing were recorded—bizarre and terrifying Holy Techniques created exclusively for slaughter!

“It’s just too terrifying!”

They had read less than half, yet chills ran down their spines and their scalps tingled. The Killing Secret Technique is impossible to guard against; if confronted with it, they would most likely meet a grim end.

The art of killing, evolved into a Dao—a unique path dedicated to slaying all living beings, achieving the Supreme Dao Fruit with a Blood Dripping Holy Sword in hand.

“This is an evil book, a demonic scroll that truly should be destroyed…” Tu Fei trembled as he spoke.

“Wrong, this is a Supreme Dao with much worth learning from. If mastered, even without killing, it can also be used for self-preservation,” Li Heishui said.

“I know what this is…” The large black dog stared at the Saint’s Divine Skin and the gold token, its Heart Spirit stirred as it recalled some ancient inheritances.

“You know what it is?!” They were all surprised, staring intently at him.

“It is… the celestial court’s Killing Saint Technique,” the large black dog sighed, an endless tide of memories welling up in its heart, making it difficult to remain calm.

“Celestial court?!” They were all staggered, their expressions incredulous.

“This celestial court is not the commonly known one. From a far ancient era, there were three Assassin Divine Dynasties. These were eternal and formidable inheritances, even older than the ancient Sacred Lands of the Eastern Wastelands…” the large black dog explained.

The assassin organizations evolved into Sacred Lands, and then into immortal Divine Dynasties. Their terrifying power was almost unfathomable, making the entire world pale at the mere mention of the word ‘kill’.

The various Sacred Lands were fearful and deeply apprehensive. They never dared to provoke these powers, because the three Assassin Divine Dynasties were too terrifying—they even dared to assassinate ancient sages.

“The ancient assassin Sacred Lands were incomparable to later assassin organizations. They never killed the nameless, only targeting figures at or above the half-step sovereign level!”

“This is… too frightening!” Tu Fei and the others were awestruck.

“An ancient heritage, a terrifying Dao of Killing—truly unparalleled in its dreadfulness,” the Black Emperor sighed.

Celestial Court, Mortal World, Hell—these three names were as weighty as mountains, representing the most terrifying inheritances from over a hundred thousand years ago. These were the three ancient Assassin Divine Dynasties.

It wasn’t that their mysterious arts surpassed the ancient scriptures of the Sacred Lands. Rather, their ‘Dao’ was exclusively created for killing, making it impossible to defend against. They aimed to achieve the Supreme Dao Fruit through this path.

All three ancient Assassin Divine Dynasties had slain ancient sages. Who wouldn’t fear such terrifying forces? Moreover, they had also produced peerless Killing Saints.

Those who reached the Saint Realm through the Dao of killing… Just thinking about them made one’s scalp tingle. Their lives were spent crawling out from mountains of corpses and seas of blood. They wielded unmatched Holy Techniques for slaughter, and if they targeted someone for assassination, that person’s death was nearly certain.

Before the Ancient Desolation, the names Celestial Court, Mortal World, and Hell represented paramount intimidation; none dared to oppose them.

However, this intangible atmosphere of horror made all the Sacred Lands extremely uneasy and dissatisfied. Ultimately, they joined forces against the three Assassin Divine Dynasties.

The Sacred Lands chose their timing well. At that time, they had all developed to a state of extreme prosperity, and several supreme sages had emerged, while the old sages of the three great Assassin Divine Dynasties were on the verge of passing away from old age, with no successors yet apparent.

That was a world-shocking war Before the Ancient Desolation. All the Sacred Lands participated. Such a conflict had rarely occurred since antiquity and could be considered a calamity for the human race.

In that battle, the land was bathed in blood. The ancient Assassin Divine Dynasties, with their pervasive reach, assassinated targets everywhere. It was an intensely dark era of bloodshed, where countless top experts fell.

In the end, the Sacred Lands, with their absolute strength, held the upper hand. They used peak weapons to eliminate the old sages of the three Divine Dynasties who were on the verge of passing, thereby achieving victory in one fell swoop.

Ranked first, the celestial court was fragmented and thoroughly eradicated, with no continuation of its inheritance, as the Sacred Lands focused their assault on this Divine Dynasty, killing all of its top experts.

The two ancient Assassin Divine Dynasties, Mortal World and Hell, were not completely annihilated. However, they vanished after that war, never returning to their former glory.

Because they knew that without a Great Emperor’s Extreme Dao Holy Weapon in hand, they could not withstand its suppressive power. This was true even though their individual killing power was unmatched and their assassination skills were indomitable.

It is said that these two Assassin Divine Dynasties fled to the Central States, leaving the Eastern Wastelands behind. However, some claim the Eastern Wastelands remained their main base of operations, albeit an extremely low-key one.

In the Post-Ancient Desolation Era, ‘Mortal World’ and ‘Hell’ appeared again. Yet, they never dominated as they had Before the Ancient Desolation, a time when even the various Sacred Lands would retreat before them.

“Celestial court… you’re saying this is the Supreme Killing Technique of the ancient foremost Assassin Divine Dynasty?” They were stunned.

This snow-white, jade-like skeleton truly belonged to someone from over a hundred thousand years ago, an apex assassin of the celestial court who had died here.

Imagining the dark turmoil of that time, all powers had united against the Assassin Divine Dynasties, with the celestial court heavily assaulted. This person must have found nowhere to escape and fled into the Undying Mountain.

Ye Fan and the others finally understood why the Saint’s Divine Skin and the golden token exuded such a bone-chilling killing intent that was so hard for them to bear. The relics and nine secret arts of the foremost ancient Assassin Divine Dynasty would naturally be so.

“This needs careful study. It’s a terrifying and ancient inheritance. Even if not used for assassinating others, it would be more than sufficient for self-preservation!” Ye Fan examined it closely.

Currently, he severely lacked various Holy Techniques. The Golden Winged Little Peng King and the Saint Heirs were all covetous threats. Furthermore, the Vicious Man’s legacy was muddled, and it was unknown how many inheritors remained, all possessing peerless Holy Techniques. Ye Fan desperately needed methods to counterbalance them.

All of them squatted down to read carefully. The celestial court’s inheritance was invaluable. If word of it spread, it would inevitably cause a massive sensation, perhaps even sparking boundless bloodshed.

They finished reading the front and then turned to the back. The more they read, the more their hearts pounded. The methods of killing were truly boundless in their variety, ranging from the despicable to the seemingly righteous, and all were impossible to defend against.

Finally, the Saint’s Divine Skin Ancient Scroll concluded by indicating that there was a subsequent volume to the celestial court’s inheritance. This was also its core, and it was surprisingly one of the————nine secret arts!

“No wonder they could command such power in the ancient era! They actually mastered one of the nine secret arts!”

“Could it be that secret of the Holy Cliff?!”

“Hehe…” The little girl’s laughter echoed.

The group had been so focused on observing the inheritance on the Saint’s Divine Skin that they hadn’t noticed the pitiful little girl. Now, they were shocked to find her playing with several small golden creatures, laughing joyfully.

Below this stone cliff, there were several ancient caves, clearly marked with chisel traces. The pitiful little girl had run to the front of one such cave. She was surrounded by an obedient golden pony and a gentle golden swallow, both of which allowed her to pet them.

“What is that?” the group was astonished.

The golden pony was just over a foot tall and was pulling a small golden chariot. The golden swallow was about half the size of a palm and fluttered gracefully. A one-foot-long golden calf nuzzled against the pitiful little girl.

In addition, there were some other strange small creatures whose names they didn’t know. They all had one thing in common: they were not of flesh and blood but were golden bodies. Yet, they could move and were incredibly lively and vivid.

“These Ancient Caves are Divine Mines, and there are holy divine relics inside that have already achieved Spirit Communication! They are treasures for refining Vessels!” the big black dog excitedly shouted.

The group quickly stood up. For cultivators, secret manuals and Weapons were always precious, tempting to anyone.

“Oh heavens, this is too mysterious! There’s a little person in the golden chariot!”

A little golden man jumped down from the chariot. He tugged at the pitiful little girl’s sleeve, bouncing excitedly, incredibly lifelike and mysterious.

“They all came from within the Ancient Cave! Let’s go in and take a look!” The group was about to move forward when suddenly a terrible pressure emanated from one of the Ancient Caves.

Then, a pair of green eyes lit up. These eyes, with tears flowing, shone like divine lamps. They were so dazzling it was impossible for anyone to look directly at them.

In that instant, everyone was frozen, unable to move, feeling as if they were plunged into an ice cave. They couldn’t even speak. There was an unknown creature inside the Ancient Cave!

“Big brothers, what’s wrong with you?” The pitiful little girl noticed something was amiss and ran over, pushing them with her small hands.

At this point, they finally regained their ability to move, but the invisible intimidation still lingered, completely locking them down.

“Quickly, let’s leave! That Ancient Cave has a Divine Gold that has achieved Spirit Communication. It will likely become a Holy Spirit in the future!” the big black dog whispered.

Ye Fan endured the boundless killing intent, sealed the golden token and the Saint’s Divine Skin, and put them away. The group quickly retreated, distancing themselves from the Ancient Caves.

The pitiful little girl reluctantly waved her small hand, bidding farewell to the golden man-horse figures and the other small creatures as the group retreated.

It wasn’t until they had walked a long distance that the terrifying intimidation disappeared, allowing them to finally breathe a sigh of relief. There was definitely something extraordinary back there. Without the pitiful little girl, they would have died; that skeleton was a clear warning.

“Pitiful little girl, how did those little creatures get close to you?” Ye Fan asked in detail.

“I don’t know either. They are very cute and approached me on their own,” the pitiful little girl said with innocent charm.

“If I’m not mistaken, there’s probably a Great Emperor’s exclusive holy divine relic inside—the Immortal Tears Green Gold!” the big black dog said solemnly.

“What?!” everyone exclaimed.

“That is evidently a Divine Gold Mine! Did you notice? Those eyes were green, with mystical tears flowing. It must be Immortal Tears Green Gold!” the big black dog was increasingly certain.

Phoenix Blood Red Gold, Dragon Pattern Black Gold, and Immortal Tears Green Gold—these are all supreme holy divine relics. They are incredibly rare; even ancient Great Emperors might not have been able to collect them, let alone ordinary people.

“That piece of Immortal Tears Green Gold has already achieved Spirit Communication and may become a Holy Spirit in the future. Even a supreme expert wouldn’t be able to handle it. We’d better leave quickly.”

The group was both shocked and regretful. A supreme holy divine relic was right there, stirring their hearts, yet they couldn’t seize it.

“Be content. We’ve obtained the Killing Dao Sacred Technique of the celestial court. With this, we could even rebuild that ancient Assassin Divine Dynasty!”

After advancing a dozen miles, the black great mountain appeared even more grand and imposing. It felt as if they had unknowingly arrived in the Ancient era, with ancient auras flowing that made their hearts palpitate.

After advancing another dozen miles, the black Great Mountain loomed before them. It seemed to reach the celestial court above and press down upon the Nine Netherworld below. Majestic and oppressive, its ancient woods and dense forests were wreathed in bands of dark mist.

SHWOOSH!

A green light shot up from the black great mountain ahead. It streaked across the sky, flying into the depths of the Undying Mountain Range and emitting a refreshing fragrance that drifted down from above.

“That is… Did you see it? It’s a green turtle! How can it fly inside the Undying Mountain? Even we can’t do that!”

“No, wait! It has roots! And even from this distance, it emits such an intoxicating fragrance! That’s an Undying Divine Medicine!”

The group stood rooted to the spot, greatly astonished. To think they would actually witness a world-shocking Immortal Treasure within the Undying Mountain—one that could fly through the heavens, burrow through the earth, and choose its own dwelling place! They had actually witnessed such a thing with their own eyes.

“That is the legendary Undying Divine Medicine—Ten Thousand Years! I never thought it would be in the Undying Mountain!” the big black dog drooled, so covetous he nearly bit off his own tongue.

In this world, every Undying Divine Medicine is unique. If one perishes, it becomes extinct, never to appear again.

Even in the times before the Ancient Era, there were only a few such divine medicines, and each had its appearance recorded in detail.

This Undying Divine Medicine, named ‘Ten Thousand Years,’ resembles a small green Xuanwu tortoise when mature and possesses Endless Medicine Power. It is said that consuming a mature ‘Ten Thousand Years’ can extend one’s lifespan by ten thousand years!

Each Undying Divine Medicine has different effects; some can help one comprehend the Dao, while others can endow supreme Divine Power. This Ten Thousand Years Divine Medicine primarily focused on extending life.

As expected, the saying ‘a thousand-year-old turtle, a ten-thousand-year-old tortoise’ isn’t incorrect! Consuming it could extend one’s life by ten thousand years! This was too heaven-defying, comparable to the lifespan of a Great Success Holy Body!” Tu Fei salivated profusely.

“Ten thousand years… The ancient Great Emperors each cultivated an Undying Divine Medicine. They must have lived far longer than we can imagine!” Pang Bo was also moved.

“If only we could catch it!” Li Heishui’s eyes lit up.

“It’s very difficult to catch. That old tea tree must have startled it when it bolted. Now the Ten Thousand Years Divine Medicine has flown off into the depths of the Undying Mountain, taking precautions against us,” the big black dog lamented, blaming the group for scaring away the enlightenment ancient tree.

“This Undying Mountain is indeed full of mysteries,” Ye Fan sighed quietly. “It has all sorts of things—nine-aperture Stone Men, enlightenment ancient trees, Netherworld Grass, Immortal Tears Green Gold, and now even the Ten Thousand Years Medicine has appeared.”

“There are houses over there…” After advancing several more miles, the pitiful little girl suddenly pointed her small hand forward.

Ahead stood many black great mountains. Some among them were imposing and majestic. Although not particularly tall, even shorter than the surrounding Great Mountains, they possessed the dignified air of kings among mountains.

“How can there be ancient buildings there?!”

On those few mountains, there were some ancient edifices. They resembled Ancient Divine Temples or perhaps dilapidated Daoist Temples, all exceedingly old.

“Who could have built these? To dare to erect such structures in the Undying Mountain is truly incredible!”