Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 463: Chapter 468 Mortal World

Ye Fan walked through Purple Heaven City, unaware of any abnormalities, but the pitiful little girl tugged at his clothes and said innocently, “There’s a person who keeps appearing.”

“What?!”

Ye Fan’s heart skipped a beat. His spiritual perception was incredibly sharp, yet he sensed nothing at all. This was not a good sign; if the person harbored ill intentions, he could suffer greatly.

“He turns into a different person each time and has appeared several times,” the pitiful little girl said obediently.

“Where?” Ye Fan asked, a bit unsettled.

“He’s already disappeared. He never stays long, but he might appear again.” The little girl blinked her big eyes and looked into the crowd.

“Did you notice any abnormalities?” Ye Fan asked Black Emperor and Li Heishui.

They were both shocked, having sensed nothing and were unaware of being followed, which put them on alert. The person was clearly extraordinary.

They questioned the pitiful little girl in detail, trying to understand what kind of person he was.

“Each time he changes into another appearance, yet I recognize him at a glance…” the pitiful little girl said softly.

Ye Fan and the others couldn’t help but be amazed. The pitiful little girl’s spiritual perception was too sharp, beyond their imagination; she had seen the person’s true body.

He was an incredibly ordinary man, not drawing any attention. He changed his appearance each time, hiding among the crowd and observing Ye Fan from ten zhang away.

“Ten zhang… this is a critical point. He doesn’t dare approach lightly, which is at least a relief. If he silently sneaked close to us, that would be extremely dangerous,” Li Heishui said, a bit uneasily.

The big black dog looked solemn, asking the pitiful little girl for details about the man’s actions, even questioning every step he took.

“Sneaking within ten zhang of us is too extraordinary; this person is frightening!” The big black dog showed a pensive look.

“Have you thought of something?” Ye Fan inquired. The fact that the person could sneak within ten zhang without anyone except the pitiful little girl detecting him indeed sent chills down their spines.

“I hope my feeling is wrong, otherwise the trouble will be huge!” The big black dog was nervous and couldn’t help but observe the surroundings.

“What are you speculating?” Ye Fan’s heart sank.

“The Mortal World!” The big black dog uttered these three words, growing more uneasy. It surveyed everything around and asked the pitiful little girl to keep an eye out for suspicious individuals.

“The Mortal World…” Li Heishui shivered.

They had just emerged from the Undying Mountain Range, where they had learned what a terrifying force it was—something that made all Sacred Lands tremble in ancient times.

In the past, three great Ancient Assassin Divine Dynasties existed on this vast land. They were eternal and ancient, making all Sacred Lands shiver with fear; they had even killed ancient saints.

The Celestial Court wielded the Supreme Killer Scepter, dominating the world. A single thought from them could make blood flow like rivers across the land, resembling the supreme Ancient Heavenly Court as they ruled others’ destinies.

The Mortal World hid within the vast sea of people. They were impossible to guard against, striking with deadly blows without warning; even ancient sages could not avoid them.

It is said that in their ancient halls stands a White Bone Tower, piled high with the skulls of various kings. They slew all the heroes of the world and were unbeatable.

Hell was home to a group of fallen gods who wielded blood-dripping divine swords. They slaughtered all the saints in the world, and were powerful, ruthless, terrifying, and bloody.

Legend has it that in Hell, they preserve the Divine Skins, bones, blood, and viscera of the ancient saints they slew throughout history. This practice is cold-blooded, chilling, and shrouded in utmost mystery.

The Celestial Court was destroyed when the ancient Sacred Lands banded together. However, The Mortal World and Hell endured, merely acting more discreetly. Their whereabouts remain unknown.

“Is it really The Mortal World?” Even Ye Fan couldn’t stay calm; the news was as stunning as a thunderbolt.

“I’m not yet certain, but I have a premonition that it’s very much like them. Otherwise, who could evade my spiritual perception?” Black Emperor was tense. Its origins were mysterious, and it was deeply wary of the Ancient Assassin Divine Dynasties.

“Who have we crossed to bring The Mortal World out against us?” Li Heishui felt a chill on his neck. Each person on the street seemed like a ruthless figure from “The Mortal World.”

“They haven’t completely vanished without a trace. Various clues were left, and they accept commissions from people. Many ancient inheritances can find them and hire them,” the big black dog said, appearing unsettled.

“You mean someone hired them to kill us?” Li Heishui exclaimed.

“Although the three Ancient Assassin Divine Dynasties use assassination to cultivate, they never kill for no reason. It’s likely that someone from ancient inheritances sought them out.” Black Emperor bared its teeth, feeling uncertain.

It was usually fearless, but facing one of the three Ancient Assassin Divine Dynasties, it felt a cold dread arise within it.

At this moment, the pitiful little girl tugged on Ye Fan’s clothes, her big eyes flashing. She looked very obedient and said nothing. Though simple, she was also very smart.

Ye Fan understood; that person had appeared again. He feigned a casual look and spotted the person, who was indeed exceedingly ordinary, without any distinguishing features, blending in perfectly with the pedestrians.

Even when using his powerful spiritual perception to peer at him, he detected no anomalies. Only when activating the Divine Eye did he see another face, proving the man wasn’t common.

No divine energy flowed, no strong blood qi, no killing intent. This defied the norms of cultivators—too peaceful and ordinary. Hard to defend against!

After a brief pause, the person, showing no flaws, moved with the crowd and disappeared into the sea of people. The group refrained from acting rashly.

“It’s that terrifying cultivation method, that abnormal Concealing Breath Divine Technique! It truly is The Mortal World!” The big black dog was very agitated, its black fur standing on end.

“Why is this happening…” Li Heishui also felt a sense of dread.

“Pray that The Mortal World of today is not the ancient Assassin Divine Dynasty; otherwise, we’re in deep trouble!” The Black Emperor gritted its teeth.

In the ancient halls of The Mortal World, the skulls of various kings are on display. If they were to add the skull of a sacred body like Ye Fan’s, it might be something they’d be very pleased to see.

“What are you afraid of? I have The Celestial Court’s inheritance and wield the Supreme Killer Scepter of the Ancient Assassin Divine Dynasty. If The Mortal World dares to target me, I will certainly strike back!” Ye Fan spoke calmly, yet with determination.

“The key problem is that The Celestial Court’s inheritance is incomplete, containing only the first part of the Killing Sacred Technique, missing the core of the second part—heart technique inheritance!” The Black Emperor expressed worry.

“Which of the nine secret arts does The Celestial Court possess?” Ye Fan asked.

The Ancient Divine Dynasty had been gone for too long. Let alone people of the current era, even in past ages, few knew which secret art they possessed.

“Besides me, perhaps no one in this world knows,” the Black Emperor stated.

The “Walking Rune Secret,” illustrious through the ages, is almost unknown as the core Holy Technique of the Ancient Assassin Divine Dynasty’s Celestial Court—the foundation of everything.

“Is this secret art really so formidable?” Li Heishui was shocked.

“It’s extremely powerful! It’s rumored that if you break through to the Ultimate Realm, you can alter time!” the Black Emperor said.

The “Walking Rune Secret,” one of the nine secret arts, represents the ultimate of movement in the world. It not only grants the fastest speed on earth but also allows one to leap to the Nine Heavens and dive into the Nine Netherworlds, capable of reaching any place.

Innate Array Patterns cannot trap it, and Supreme Dao techniques cannot block it. Even the Ten Directions Absolute Array can be traversed. This is the “Walking Rune Secret”; nothing can hinder it.

“With the supreme ‘Walking Rune Secret,’ no matter how ancient your inheritance or how many array patterns you lay down to seal a sect, you can’t stop someone who has mastered it. They move as if through unpeopled land,” the Black Emperor sighed lightly.

Ye Fan finally understood why The Celestial Court was so terrifying. No one could block them. They could walk into any place in the mortal world, reigning supreme—it wasn’t an exaggeration.

The “Walking Rune Secret” can reach ultimate sublimation. When speed breaks through worldly limits, that is the evolution of time! However, since ancient times, only the first lord of The Celestial Court—that old saint who obtained the Undying Divine Medicine and lived two lifetimes—had even touched upon its boundaries.

“Though we haven’t obtained the ‘Walking Rune Secret,’ I have mastered the old madman’s footwork, which is also extremely fast. It should be able to cooperate with The Celestial Court’s Killing Sacred Technique to contend with those from The Mortal World,” Ye Fan stated.

“I always felt your footwork has a trace of the ‘Walking Rune Secret.’ Perhaps there truly is some connection, and it might integrate with The Celestial Court’s Killing Technique,” the Black Emperor nodded.

Ye Fan and the others left Purple Heaven City and arrived once more before the Wind Clan’s Eight Hundred Divine Islands. Along the way, they erased part of the phoenix’s maid’s memories; there were some things she could not be allowed to know.

The mysterious person from The Mortal World did not appear again, but they still couldn’t feel truly at ease. Since they were targeted, it wouldn’t end peacefully.

“We must find out who exactly is trying to deal with us!” Li Heishui said.

This time, they went to the Wind Clan’s largest Ancient Island, where all the guests were headed. Passing through the central area, they saw Great Mountains that had existed since before the Ancient Netherworld, surrounding an ancient divine city.

Many were discussing that all of the Wind Clan’s “foundations” were suppressed there; it was the basis of their standing at the peak of the Eastern Wastelands. Even the Peacock King could not easily enter.

No one could linger in this place for long; everyone had to pass through swiftly, or they would be forcibly escorted away.

The Wind Clan Peacock King’s fifteen-hundredth birthday brought many people. The Divine Island was filled with cultivators, many of whom were world-renowned figures.

Ye Fan and his companions arrived here and met several Peacock Kings in succession, shocked. This was truly a gathering of experts as numerous as clouds; if anyone dared to provoke them here, they would surely die without a burial place.

The Flickering Light Saint Heir, the Golden-Winged Peng King, the Yaochi Saintess, the Ji Family Divine King Body, and other younger generation figures couldn’t approach. They could only sit far away, as many older figures were present, each a Heroic Lord in their own right.

Many people noticed the phoenix’s maid obediently standing behind Ye Fan and the others, showing looks of surprise and a bit of confusion.

The phoenix naturally noticed this scene. She had heard some rumors, and though her face was covered by a five-colored mask, one could imagine her expression must have been unpleasant.

“Return to your princess’s side,” Ye Fan said, lifting her Restriction. “We can’t afford to keep you.”

The phoenix’s maid dared not cause trouble and quickly retreated with her head bowed. She feared Ye Fan might say something unpleasant regardless of the consequences, and for that, the Wind Clan, for the sake of face, would never forgive her.

Everyone presented congratulatory gifts. Ye Fan took out a dull, black stone, only about the size of a plate, and handed it to the Wind Clan’s people.

“I heard he received the Heavenly Source Master’s inheritance and offered a Source. It must be a treasure, right?” someone whispered.

Some young disciples of the Wind Clan frowned; this was still the group that held a grudge against Ye Fan. They didn’t believe he could find a divine object in such a short time. Otherwise, why hadn’t he cut it open?

Zhao Fa from the Ziwei Sect laughed and said, “This stone, I know it. It was displayed in my Ziwei Stone Workshop for many years. I didn’t expect Ye Fan to buy it. This stone is merely a corner piece cut from a strange black stone that contained Divine Sources.”

The crowd was in an uproar. Many looked over, feeling Ye Fan was out of line; how could he casually buy a piece of stone to make up the numbers?

“We knew he was just being pretentious! That’s no divine object. He was unwilling to offer the Holy Sword and Divine Medicine Seeds to the Peacock King, so he brought a useless stone to make up the numbers.”

“This is too much! How dare he belittle our Wind Clan like this?”

The few Wind Clan disciples who had been suppressed by Ye Fan in the northern region were all displeased, showing anger and glaring at Ye Fan.

“Are you sure this is a corner piece, and that you once cut out Divine Sources from it?” Ye Fan asked Zhao Fa, surprised.

“That’s right. I witnessed it myself when they cut a fist-sized Divine Source from the main stone. This is just a piece of the stone skin,” Zhao Fa nodded with a smile. (To be continued. www., support the author, support legitimate reading!)