Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 458: Chapter 463: Headless Knight

On several black mountains, the ruined palaces looked very ancient. As the Black Emperor said, their architectural style was that of over one hundred thousand years ago, very different from the present era.

Clearly, those ancient palaces were carved with Dao Glyphs; otherwise, even divine iron would have decayed long ago and couldn’t have survived for so long.

They wanted to climb the mountains to have a look, but the pitiful little girl said that the area was covered by black patterns, without a single gold line, and shrouded in ribbon-like black mist.

The large black dog shivered and said, “Without a golden path of life, that is surely a place of certain death; we must not approach it!”

They watched from a distance. There were four mountain peaks with ancient structures, each having herb fields with many spiritual medicines.

“The scent of medicine! Can you smell it? Such an intense aroma! These are spiritual items over ten thousand years old!”

“In the outside world, it’s difficult to find a spiritual medicine that’s thousands of years old, yet here, there are spiritual medicines over ten thousand years old!”

Tu Fei, Li Heishui, and others found themselves unable to move, craning their necks to stare at the herb fields on the black mountains, from which the rich medicinal aroma was wafting.

The Undying Divine Medicine is extremely rare in the world, with only a few specimens, but other treasured spiritual medicines can be widely propagated and are not unique.

Since the Ancient Desolation, hardly anyone has been able to enter this place. It is unknown for how many tens of thousands of years these spiritual medicines have been growing, with cycles of withering and flourishing; they are all supreme treasures.

“If we don’t climb the mountain peaks and don’t approach those buildings, just picking some rare spiritual medicines shouldn’t pose a big problem, right?” Pang Bo couldn’t resist asking.

Each of the four black Short Mountains had an herb field halfway up, clearly cultivated by human hands. They were not large, but the aroma of the medicines was strong and pungent.

“Pitiful little girl, carefully observe the area around the herb fields for any golden patterns,” Ye Fan said softly.

“There are only one or two lines, and none of them reach the herb fields; there’s still quite a distance between them,” the pitiful little girl naively replied.

“Let’s go have a look. If it’s not possible, we’ll retreat at once!” Ye Fan decided.

They chose the third Short Mountain, where there was one more golden pattern than the others, and the herb field was farther from the buildings on the summit.

The group cautiously moved forward and finally reached the foot of the mountain. Everyone was very nervous; the herb field was full of Supreme Spiritual Medicines. If they could pick a dozen, they could definitely refine a supreme spiritual pill.

These spiritual medicines were over ten thousand years old. Once refined into pills, they would possess the power to resurrect the dead and regrow flesh on bones. Such effects were comparable to the Taixuan Sect’s Nine Orifice Exquisite Pill, making them invaluable, life-saving divine items.

“Dead men’s bones…”

As soon as they reached the foot of the mountain, they found white bones, sparkling and snow-white among the grass. They were obviously the remains of top experts, and in a moment, they discovered more than ten such skeletons.

“These must be those old Peacock Kings who entered the Ancient Desolation Forbidden Land at the end of their lives!”

Quickly, they confirmed the identities of some of the deceased. There were jade pendants from the Central State Immortal Dynasty; several were absolute Emperors, but all had died here.

“Something’s not right. How did these people die at the foot of the mountain? This is odd. We must retreat quickly!” Ye Fan, holding the pitiful little girl, was the first to fall back.

These were all top figures who were about to reach the herb fields, yet they had all died here without harvesting a single spiritual medicine.

They quickly retreated some distance, all feeling splitting headaches, their blood seeming as if it were on the verge of igniting.

“Deadly poison! That herb field not only contains spiritual medicines over ten thousand years old but also toxins capable of killing top experts!” the Black Emperor shouted.

Everyone’s face turned pale, their bodies felt weak, and they nearly collapsed to the ground, their muscles feeling as if they were tearing apart, their bones about to break.

“It’s okay, we won’t die. Not long ago, we consumed the sacred fruit from the Ancient Desolation Forbidden Land. That medicinal power can cure all poisons,” Black Emperor gritted his teeth, urging everyone to persist.

Ye Fan and the pitiful little girl were unaffected, and Pang Bo’s poisoning symptoms were relatively light, causing no major harm.

“Each of you, take a leaf of Enlightenment Tea; that’s also an antidote!”

Then, Ye Fan brought out the Divine Spring, giving plenty to each person to drink. After they each consumed one leaf of Enlightenment Tea, they all recovered.

“Even absolute Emperors can be poisoned to death. If we hadn’t consumed the Undying Divine Medicine, we’d all have died here today.” They felt a lingering fear; each step in this Undying Mountain Range was nerve-wracking.

They stood not far from the foot of the mountain, gazing at the herb field on the slope. It was lush with various medicinal plants, and they had no idea which ones contained deadly poison.

“There is a corpse in the herb field!”

Pang Bo discovered a corpse sitting cross-legged in the herb field. Its body was dry, with a golden gleam flowing around it, uncorrupted. Its skin tightly wrapped its bones as if it were wearing a suit of golden armor.

“That is a bald man, not a single strand of hair. His flesh is shriveled, but not decayed!” Li Heishui murmured.

Ye Fan was shocked and said, “It’s a monk from the Western Desert. The Golden Body remains intact; he was obviously an enlightened monk!”

“This monk has been dead for at least ten thousand years. His strength was much greater than that of a Peacock King, comparable to the unrivaled divine kings of today,” judged the Black Emperor.

“Even such a figure perished here; it truly is a perilous place!”

“A master of such unparalleled skill couldn’t have been poisoned to death; there must still be unknown perils up there!” The big black dog showed a grave expression, completely dismissing the idea of going up to gather spiritual medicines.

“There’s also a head in the medicinal field…” Tu Fei was startled; he noticed that the head also had withered skin and flesh.

It wore a violet-gold crown, with hair as white as snow. The head looked as if it had been torn off, the severed part very uneven. It lay quietly in the medicinal field, a shocking sight.

“Let’s get out of here quickly; we can’t stay long in this place!” Ye Fan did not let the pitiful little girl see, afraid it would frighten her.

They retreated rapidly. During this process, they unexpectedly discovered four ten-thousand-year-old spiritual medicines growing among the clumps of wormwood. If not for the spreading fragrance, they would have been impossible to find.

Tu Fei laughed heartily, stepping forward to pick each one. All four spiritual medicines were imbued with five-colored divine light, containing a powerful vitality, nourished by the splendor of heaven and earth. Each one shimmered brightly.

“We’re rich! We can refine supreme spiritual pills with these; each one is like a life!” Tu Fei’s mouth nearly split to his ears in glee.

They speculated that these must have been seeds blown from the medicinal field, which had taken root and sprouted nearby. The group initially wanted to search the area thoroughly. However, a sudden loud sound came from the ancient palace on the Short Mountain, almost causing their hearts to split open.

“There’s a living presence in the ancient palace!”

They left without looking back, not daring to linger even for a moment longer. Even the old monk with the Golden Body and that ancient Taoist sage had died in the medicinal field; that place was definitely a land of great evil.

THUD, THUD…

Behind them, it was as if a drum was being beaten. The sound was muffled, causing one’s blood to flow faster with each beat, veins on the verge of bursting.

“Why does it feel like the heartbeat of a powerful entity?” The Black Emperor was shocked, saying, “If it really is a heartbeat, it bears the thriving vitality of an Ancient Royal Family.”

The group, like the Enlightenment Ancient Tree, ran madly without ever looking back, until they had crossed over a dozen black mountain ridges before slowing down.

“This isn’t a solution; we are getting closer to the center region of the Undying Mountain with every step!” Pang Bo said solemnly.

“To find life on the brink of death… according to the layout of these Dao Glyphs, there should be a path of life, a way to leave the Undying Mountain,” the big black dog said uncertainly.

After advancing a dozen miles, they discovered a huge lake. Within it, a stone crocodile was stirring the waves, appearing formidable at a glance.

“Why has another Stone Embryo appeared!?”

“I understand now…” the Black Emperor said thoughtfully. “It’s unknown how many supreme beings are in this Undying Mountain, but one must be a Holy Spirit. The Nine Orifice Stone Man and this Stone Crocodile should be his descendants!”

They circled far around, but the Stone Crocodile still noticed them. However, after it focused on the pitiful little girl, it sank back into the lake and did not reappear.

Everyone felt fortunate. If not for the pitiful little girl, they would surely have died on this journey, with no path of life in sight. In the Undying Mountain, each step was a Desolate Land; with their strength, they couldn’t go far.

“An Outer Domain artifact!” The big black dog exclaimed, its large tongue sticking out, a look of shock on its face.

Just ahead, there was a Green Gold Round Plate, about a hundred zhang in diameter, lying amidst a pile of rocks, almost completely buried by massive stones. It was exactly the Outer Heaven artifact that several Peacock Kings had fought over.

It had crashed into a cliff and was buried under rubble, flashing with a cold, mysterious light.

“A divine item refined by ancient sages! This is a treasure!”

“Don’t go over there. There isn’t a single golden pattern; it’s completely engulfed in black light,” the pitiful little girl’s voice was soft.

“What? Another deathtrap!” The big black dog was filled with disappointment.

Ye Fan and Pang Bo were also helpless. No one was more eager than them to go over and see what it really was, whether it was a divine item left by ancient sages or a form of Outer Domain civilization.

Finally, they approached the center region of the Undying Mountain, where twenty-seven Great Mountains towered into the sky, black as ink, all shrouded in ribbon-like black fog, blocking the way ahead.

Each one was an emperor among Great Mountains, its presence imposing, almost suffocating. They were majestic and imposing, flowing with an eternal, terrifying Qi Mechanism.

Despite the towering ancient trees on the black mountain bodies, lush and verdant, they instilled fear!

“Twenty-seven Great Mountains block the true east. Look, there are rows of Great Mountains in every direction. If each direction has twenty-seven, then there are a total of one hundred and eight kings among mountains standing tall, enclosing the center region of the Undying Mountain.”

What kind of place was the center of the Undying Mountain exactly? Everyone was filled with intense curiosity, yet they knew that approaching it meant certain death.

“Where is our path of life?” By now, they were almost desperate. To advance further meant truly crossing these Great Mountains and entering the very center region.

“There’s a chessboard over there, full of golden light…” the pitiful little girl adorably pointed towards an Ancient Forest.

“A chessboard filled with golden light…” The big black dog suddenly jumped up and said, “This must be the Gate of Life left by the Void Emperor!”

The pitiful little girl led the way, and they entered this Primitive Forest. Sure enough, they saw a gigantic chessboard, crisscrossed with lines and carved full of Dao Glyphs. However, besides the little girl, no one else could see the golden light.

“Great! This must be the Gate of Life. We can slowly figure out the way,” the Black Emperor exclaimed excitedly. “This was carved by a Great Emperor, containing the ultimate mysteries of heaven and earth. For me, it’s truly a divine treasure!”

The big black dog squatted by the chessboard and began to ponder. The others couldn’t make sense of it and looked around.

“Oh no, a creature is emerging from the center of the Undying Mountain!” Li Heishui whispered, his expression drastically changing.

“There really is a creature appearing!” Pang Bo exclaimed in shock.

Twenty-seven Great Mountains stood tall in front of them, blocking the central region. Demonic clouds swirled, and a creature flew out. Initially, it was blurry, but after passing through the black mist, it suddenly became clear.

“It has no head!” Ye Fan’s pupils shrank rapidly at the incredible sight.

It was a headless knight, clad in black Iron Armor, tall and majestic, wielding a black lance. It possessed an aura that could subdue the heavens and the earth. Unfortunately, it had no head, and its neck was stained with a lot of blood.

Underneath it was a tall stone horse, tossing its head and tail, rearing high and neighing, exuding a terrifying power. Its bowl-sized stone hooves cracked the void with each step.

The appearance of such a headless knight in the center of the Undying Mountain was truly terrifying. The only comforting thought was that it didn’t approach them and only wandered among the twenty-seven Great Mountains.

“What on earth is at the center of the Undying Mountain, for such a terrifying existence to emerge, living even without a head!”

“It’s impossible to tell its depth, but that stone horse alone is already so terrifying. One can only imagine the knight’s strength!”

The headless knight was extremely terrifying. Though it was still ten or so miles away, its powerful Qi Mechanism could be clearly felt, surging like tidal waves.

“Black Emperor, have you figured it out yet?” Ye Fan urged. If they couldn’t leave quickly and were discovered by the headless knight, they could be in great danger.

It had burst out from the Undying Mountain; what kind of entity it was, was beyond comprehension. Even though the pitiful little girl had an extraordinary background, it was unlikely she could subdue it.

“Alright, I’ve figured it out! These are Array Patterns left by an ancient Great Emperor. We can use them to traverse the void and leave,” the big black dog said, filled with joy. Not only could they escape from this place, but it had also obtained such a set of Array Patterns, making it incredibly excited.

“Are you sure you’ve understood it correctly?” Ye Fan asked. He felt this damn dog was too unreliable; every time it traversed the void, it deviated by millions of miles. He truly feared a major problem occurring here.

“Who am I? Don’t worry!” the big black dog proclaimed arrogantly, though it still sounded a little unsure at the end, adding, “However, to be cautious, we can go one by one. Who wants to go first?”

Hearing it say this, no one dared to speak up. They really had no confidence in it.

The big black dog was very frustrated and said, “Don’t you trust me at all?”

“Alright, I’ll go first!” Pang Bo said.

“No, let’s go together,” Ye Fan intervened.

Pang Bo laughed and said, “The damn dog has a point. Going one by one is safer. Don’t worry, we are all people blessed with great luck.”

The big black dog became even more frustrated and angry, saying, “How can you not believe in me like this?!”

“I trust you. You must transport Pang Bo to a safe place,” Ye Fan said.

“Rest assured, absolutely no problem! I’ll just transport him to Wangkong City, where we were not long ago,” the big black dog said, acting as if everything was under control.

It selected a position on the chessboard, then had Pang Bo stand on it. It activated the densely packed Dao Glyphs nearby, and with a flash of light, Pang Bo disappeared.

In his place, a series of strange runes appeared, flickering continuously, incomparably mysterious.

Seeing this scene, the big black dog’s mouth fell wide open, its tongue almost dropping to the ground. It stammered in a low voice, “Damn it, how did it send him so far? What the hell!”

Ye Fan sensed something was terribly wrong, grabbed it, and demanded, “Where did you transport Pang Bo?!”

“Don’t worry, he didn’t go that far. You’ll definitely see him again in the future,” the big black dog nervously explained.

Hearing it say this, Ye Fan became even more certain that Pang Bo had been sent extremely far. He held onto it tightly and said, “Quick, tell me! Where did you send Pang Bo?!”

“You don’t need to worry. It’s quite near, just to the west of the Eastern Wastelands,” the big black dog explained.

“That’s near? We’re in the Central Eastern Desolate, and you sent him to the west! Expecting him to fly back himself would take at least two or three years!” Ye Fan fumed.

“Ahem…” the big black dog coughed, feeling even guiltier, and said, “You misunderstood. What I meant to say is, I inadvertently… sent him to the west of the Eastern Wastelands. Ahem, to be precise… to Central States.”

“Damn dog, I’ll kill you!” Ye Fan grabbed the big black dog by the neck, furious and seeing red with rage.

Pang Bo had been transported to Central States. Expecting him to fly back on his own would take at least five or six years. If it was far enough within Central States, it might even take over a decade.

“This damn dog is too outrageous!” Tu Fei and Li Heishui were also瞠目结舌, extremely indignant.

“Let go!” The big black dog struggled, but its confidence was clearly lacking. It knew it had messed up badly.

“You said you’d transport him to Wangkong City in the Central Eastern Desolate, but instead, you deviated all the way to Central States! How can you be so outrageous?!” Ye Fan wanted to beat it up.

“Ahem, since ancient times, Central States has been rich with talented people and endless ancient inheritances. Pang Bo obtained the Demon Emperor Ancient Scripture, and what he lacks most now is experience. Going to Central States is a good thing for him,” the big black dog argued eloquently.

“This damn dog is too unreliable!” Li Heishui and Tu Fei were equally frustrated.

“No matter what, being able to teleport out of the Undying Mountain is something to be thankful for!” The big black dog’s confidence grew as it spoke. Then, as if remembering something, it惨叫道, “Oh no! He has half the Enlightenment Tea Leaves! Over fifty leaves!”

Ye Fan had given the God-beating Whip to Pang Bo to collect the Enlightenment Tea Leaves, and it was still with him.

The big black dog screeched,无比的懊恼, but Ye Fan let out a sigh of relief. Pang Bo was alone in Central States; having these divine items in hand at least provided him with some security.

“Divide the Enlightenment Divine Tea Leaves! Quickly, divide them!” the big black dog shouted.

On the Qilin Seed in Ye Fan’s hand, there were also around fifty leaves. He distributed them immediately; the big black dog, Tu Fei, and Li Heishui each received over a dozen.

“Who’s next?” the big black dog asked.

“I wouldn’t trust you even if it cost me my life!” Li Heishui and Tu Fei shook their heads in unison.

“If you don’t trust me, you’ll just be trapped in the Undying Mountain,” the big black dog pouted.

In the end, Tu Fei mustered his courage and stepped forward, saying, “Damn dog, if you dare to send me to Central States, I’ll settle scores with you when I get back!”

“Don’t worry, that was just a mistake earlier. This time, I guarantee there’ll be no problem!” The big black dog vowed confidently.

Tu Fei stood still, stepping onto the Dao Glyphs, unmoving.

The Black Emperor pondered for a moment beside him before activating the Dao Glyphs, muttering to itself, “This time, it shouldn’t be that outrageous, right?”

WHOOSH!

A flash of light, and Tu Fei disappeared. In his place, a series of strange runes emerged, incredibly profound and mysterious.

The big black dog was dumbfounded, stammering, unable to speak.

Seeing its expression, Ye Fan and Li Heishui knew something was terribly wrong. The damn dog had messed up badly again! They both pounced on it, grabbing it and demanding, “Where did you send Tu Fei?!”

“Ahem, let go! This time it’s not far. I just sent him to the north,” the big black dog said.

“The Northern Region?!”

“Ahem, it’s… the Northern Plains.”

“I’ll kill you!” Li Heishui grabbed it and refused to let go.

The Northern Plains, alongside the Eastern Wastelands, Central States, Southern Mountains, and Western Desert, is one of the five great regions, representing the world’s northernmost part. It’s a completely different concept from the Northern Region of the Eastern Wastelands.

“The Northern Plains! Millions of miles of desolation, incredibly barren! It’s either vast grasslands or the Great Gobi. You could walk for a lifetime and quite possibly never see another person! You actually sent him to such a godforsaken place!” Li Heishui started grappling with the Black Emperor.

BOOM!

Suddenly, the headless knight in the central region of the Undying Mountain unleashed a terrifying wave of power. Riding its towering stone horse, it charged towards them. Its hooves, as large as sea bowls, shattered the void with every step, an utterly horrifying sight.

“Oh no, the Death Knight is coming!” Ye Fan exclaimed.

“This time, we all go together! Quick, stand in here!” the big black dog barked.

“Doggy, be careful, okay? This time, please don’t send us to the Western Desert,” the pitiful little girl said innocently.