Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 523: Chapter 528: The Emergence of the Dragon Nest Ancient Clan

From beginning to end, the Sacred Lands’ Lords said little, all remaining calm; only some of the Grand Elders were discussing.

Several elders from Wanchu sneered, letting Ye Fan enter the Underground Palace first to lead the way, a look on their faces as if they had long seen through him.

The Grand Elders of the Purple Mansion came to his side, almost holding him hostage, making him go down first to investigate.

“I brought you to this place. If you want to see the Immortal Medicine, go down yourselves. If you lack even this courage, why come here at all?” Ye Fan refused, advancing no further.

“No, you must take us to the end!”

“You cannot prove your innocence until we see the True Dragon Medicine!”

Cruel smiles touched the corners of their mouths; they had no intention of letting him go and were determined to have him lead the way.

These people were very cautious, believing that with Ye Fan accompanying them, he would not dare to play any tricks.

Beside them, the Sacred Lands’ Lords remained silent, showing no intention of going down, observing the Great Snow Mountain carefully as if it were none of_their business.

“Young man, you had best follow us down,” a Heroic Lord finally spoke, his tone allowing no refusal.

“You have no other choice: either come along, or die!” The person in the shadows was very direct, an open threat, their identity unrevealed.

Ye Fan felt a chill in his heart. These old undying ones were each more ruthless than the last, still wary of him, even contemplating killing him. If he ventured deep into the Underground Palace, anything could happen; the slightest accident would provide them with a reason or an excuse to eliminate him. They could even manufacture an accident to ensure he never left the Underground Palace.

Ye Fan was unafraid. He had long known such things would happen, and his heart filled with intense killing intent.

“Alright!” He nodded and headed into the Underground Palace first, with the Black Emperor and the Fighting Saint Ape by his side.

“Hold on.” The Queen Mother of the West spoke. Her hair was dark and thick, adorned with a Nine Phoenix Hairpin, her face lovely, dignified, holy, and quite serene.

“Ye Fan has brought you all to this place; he has done what was required. If you still do not trust him, you can go down and explore for yourselves.”

“Queen Mother, you are mistaken. His innocence is not yet proven. He needs to lead the way for confirmation,” a Heroic Lord countered.

Others spoke in turn, and ultimately, several Sacred Lands’ Lords expressed their willingness to descend and see the Undying Divine Medicine; other unique individuals and cultivators felt similarly.

The Queen Mother of the West had Ye Fan stay by her side, not allowing him to be at the forefront, as the group ventured deep underground.

“This is a core Underground Palace of an Ancient Sacred Land!” Many were surprised upon entering.

The Underground Palace was magnificent, vast, and boundless. It emitted an ancient aura, seemingly covered in a layer of dust. Its stone chambers and stone halls were all filled with the traces of time.

Deep inside the Underground Palace, Dragon Qi surged like subterranean rivers. Bathing in it made one’s pores open all over their body.

“This is a piece of Divine Land!”

An old royal uncle from Great Xia in the Central States was so excited he almost shouted. Their inherited Grand Emperor Scripture contained the Emperor’s Dragon Qi, an offensive Holy Technique that required refining the body with endless dragon veins.

For those cultivating the Grand Emperor Scripture, this was an indescribably valuable place where dragons ascended to the heavens!

“There’s a peerless divine treasure here, with a large amount of Divine Sources!” Several members from the ancient families of Source Technique had also come, and Ouyang Ye made this assessment.

The crowd burst into an uproar. This was truly a place of divine treasures! No wonder Ye Fan had been reluctant to let them come. Everyone wore a peculiar expression.

“I am saying this for the last time, and I will not repeat myself: this place holds great danger!” Ye Fan warned.

“Don’t worry. Whatever happens, you won’t have to bear the consequences. That was made clear from the start,” someone sneered.

“Young man, stop obstructing us. Quickly show the way,” another said, their voice laced with killing intent.

The Underground Palace was vast and grey. They traveled for dozens of miles before finally reaching the edge of a cliff.

A giant Abyss lay before them, its depths as black as ink, seemingly bottomless. It felt as if it could swallow one’s very Heart Spirit, causing them to sink into it.

Dragon Qi gushed out in waves, and occasionally, small Divine Source Granules shot up. This scene left everyone dumbfounded, filled with mystery and an eerie quality!

“Below is the abandoned old nest of an Ancient True Dragon!” Ouyang Ye exclaimed.

Hearing this, the others were greatly shocked. All of them stared at him, quietly waiting for him to continue.

Ye Fan’s heart tensed. Having an old fellow who was infinitely close to becoming a Source Earth Master following them might ruin his grand plan.

“This is an Immortal Burial Land! It must be an ancient Dragon Nest, likely filled with Immortal Treasures!” Ouyang Ye was so excited that the wrinkles on his face smoothed out, and his withered body trembled.

Ye Fan felt relieved. Though the opponent was skilled in Source Technique, his understanding couldn’t compare to a Heavenly Source Master; he was merely glimpsing the periphery. The Myriad Dragon Nest—only the Heavenly Source Book contained records of it, and there was no way to crack it. It was considered one of the most terrifying Desolate Lands in the world! If he truly understood it, he wouldn’t be talking about Immortal Treasures; he would certainly turn back, for even Heavenly Source Masters were powerless against it.

“An Immortal Burial Land!” A group of old men gasped. Then, the eyes of many began to burn like scorching suns, as if they were gazing upon a stark naked peerless beauty.

Ye Fan was slightly surprised. Below the vast Abyss, the terrifying Qi Mechanism was faint, not as fierce as before. In the past, they had seen an Ice Palace drifting within, containing a woman like ice and snow, but now it did not appear in the Abyss.

The group was agitated, feeling the aura of Dragon Qi and Divine Sources. All of them prepared to leap down.

“It is enough for this old man to lead the way,” Ouyang Ye said proudly.

At this moment, Ye Fan had The Queen Mother of the West protecting him, so those Heroic Lords did not go too far and did not force him to proceed further.

Several Sacred Lands’ Lords remained unmoved; no one went down, including the Divine Monk of the Western Desert and the War King from the Southern Mountains’ God of Battle Hall.

The Grand Elders from various Sects made their move and leaped down. Besides them, there were also some powerful scattered cultivators and some other unique individuals, which made Ye Fan rather regretful.

These important figures were very patient. They had hardly said a word from beginning to end, with others handling and executing everything. Unless the Undying Divine Medicine appeared, they would likely not act.

“Damn it, kid, be content! Do you really want to wipe out all the Sacred Lands’ Lords? The Eastern Wastelands and the rest of the world will fall into chaos!” the Black Emperor bared its teeth.

Ye Fan finally showed a bright smile, touched his chin, and said nothing. He felt this was sufficient. At least, those who had initially coerced him had all jumped down. Among them were not only half-step sovereigns but also a few full sovereigns. If all of them perished below, those Heroic Lords would probably feel like crying.

Time ticked by. After a long wait, there was still no movement. Ye Fan grew suspicious. How could this extremely dangerous place be so tranquil?

「Half a quarter-hour later」

Someone rushed up, exceedingly excited, and reported to the Sacred Lands’ Lords.

“Below, there truly is an Ancient Dragon Nest, an Immortal Burial Land! And there’s also an ancient five-colored altar.”

“What?!”

At this, neither the Sacred Lands’ Lords nor those supreme Sect Hierarchs could remain seated. All were restless; the Divine Monk from the Western Desert even chanted a Buddhist mantra.

“Preliminary judgment indicates a peerless divine treasure! We detected the aura of the True Dragon Divine Medicine, but the Dragon Nest’s Ancient Cave is sealed by a Stone Gate, and we can’t get in.”

More than ten people flew up, reporting the situation one after another, each of them excited beyond measure.

“An Immortal Burial Land!”

“Immortal Treasures spoken of only in myths!”

At this point, no one could remain calm. Not only was there an Undying Divine Medicine, but possibly also an ancient nest where a dragon was buried. Who could remain indifferent?

Above the Abyss, the Sacred Lands’ Lords and the supreme Sect Hierarchs all flickered and disappeared, rushing down. Even they could not resist making a move.

“Kid, you’ve stirred up huge trouble!” The Black Emperor was dumbfounded. If all these people went down and died, the impact would be too great.

“Could it be that the Ancient Royal Clan sealed the Myriad Dragon Nest with the stone gate? If so, and they break through that Stone Gate…” Ye Fan shivered violently.

He too was dragged down, accompanied only by the Black Emperor and the monkey. It was too dangerous here; he hadn’t let Li Heishui and the others follow.

“I sense it… the Qi Mechanism of an Ancient King…” the monkey spoke, his expression solemn.

The Abyss was over ten thousand meters deep. When they landed, an ancient and desolate aura washed over them, as if they had returned to the time immemorial.

The Earth Formation was incredibly vast yet also dim. As far as the eye could see, it was an empty expanse, not at all like being underground, but more like arriving at an ancient battlefield.

Many people stood before the dilapidated five-colored altar, observing it attentively, while more rushed into the Myriad Dragon Nest, where Dragon Qi flowed like a mighty river, surging endlessly.

At the base of the immense cliff, nine Ancient Caves were lined up in a row, connected internally. These were the entrances to the Ancient True Dragon’s Nest.

This place was comparable in its Earth Formation to nine dragons guarding a pearl. The Great Emperor Wushi had once come here but ultimately chose Purple Mountain.

Purple Mountain, where nine great dragons guarded a pearl, held the legacy of Great Emperor Wushi; even his Extreme Dao Holy Weapon was sealed there.

Even the Black Emperor did not know why Great Emperor Wushi had not chosen the Myriad Dragon Nest.

Finally, everyone entered the nine Ancient Caves. The interior was like a honeycomb, with many interconnected caverns leading to the deepest part.

At the very end, a huge Stone Gate blocked the way. It was engraved with many ancient characters that were completely indecipherable, as they were not of the human race’s script.

It was immediately apparent that this gate was extraordinarily remarkable, with the aura of the Great Dao permeating from it. The ancient characters were especially striking; they seemed to be branded with a sacred weapon and possessed a life of their own.

“Brother Ape, do you recognize these? What’s written on it?” Ye Fan asked.

The monkey looked quite embarrassed, scratching his head. “I was too young back then. I only received my clan’s branding legacy and hadn’t learned to read characters yet.”

“You can’t even recognize a single blasted character?!” The Black Emperor bared its teeth and chuckled.

The monkey glared, almost hoisting it up, bolts of light shooting from its Golden Eyes.

BOOM!

Someone began to attack the gate, attempting to open it and enter the Myriad Dragon Nest. The sound was deafening!

“This is bad!” The Black Emperor’s fur stood on end.

“Prepare that corner of the Void Emperor’s Array Patterns!” Ye Fan sent a mental transmission, not caring where it would reach. Right now, only a Great Emperor Array could get them out of here; otherwise, they might be trapped.

BOOM!

A Heroic Lord from a supreme Great Sect personally took action. The blast shattered rocks within the Ancient Cave, but the Stone Gate remained unmoved.

The ancient characters on it, however, seemed to awaken, squirming like little dragons and exuding an aura of eternal existence.

In front of the Stone Gate was a pit where the True Dragon Immortal Medicine had once taken root. Ye Fan clearly remembered the scene from that day; there was a peerless, great danger within the Myriad Dragon Nest.

BOOM!

Many Heroic Lords joined forces to break the Restriction, attempting to open the Stone Gate, but they still could not budge it. It didn’t even tremble.

“Boy, come here! Tell us what exactly is going on here!” A Grand Elder from Wanchu reached out with a large hand to grab Ye Fan.

“You’re courting death!” The monkey’s eyes narrowed, and he moved to block the hand.

However, powerful experts surrounded them, all exuding killing intent, making him feel immense pressure.

“Quickly, tell us what’s going on! Why can’t this gate be opened? And where did the True Dragon Divine Medicine go?” a Grand Elder from the Purple Mansion Sacred Land also demanded.

At this time, they were very anxious and had torn off their disguises. They blatantly demanded the whereabouts of the Undying Divine Medicine, without any further mention of investigating the Ruthless Person’s legacy.

A cold smirk touched Ye Fan’s lips. “Old undying ones, have you revealed your true colors? Are you here to verify something, or to seize the divine medicine?!”

“You’re courting death…” Those Grand Elders were all furious. With numerous Heroic Lords present, they were not afraid of the monkey intervening, and their killing intent was palpable.

RUMBLE…

Just then, the enormous Stone Gate, which hadn’t budged even under the combined efforts of all the Sacred Lands’ Lords, suddenly creaked open. An unparalleled, terrifying Qi Mechanism surged out!

“AH…”

A large hand shot out and ripped the head clean off a Grand Elder from Wanchu. Flesh and blood sprayed, accompanied by a miserable scream.

SQUELCH!

Another large hand plunged directly into the chest and abdomen of a Grand Elder from the Purple Mansion, tearing out his internal organs in one go.

Blood sprayed everywhere. Organs, a grotesque mix of colors, spilled onto the ground—a horrifyingly bloody scene.

It all happened too quickly, beyond anyone’s imagination!

Two terrifying creatures, like demons from Hell, stood before the huge Stone Gate, exuding peerless killing intent and slaughtering mercilessly.

RIIIIP!

The Grand Elder from the Purple Mansion, who had just been berating Ye Fan, was seized by one of the terrifying creatures and torn alive into two halves.

A rain of blood fell, spattering those nearby—an incredibly dreadful sight.

SPLAT!

The Grand Elder from Wanchu, who had just tried to attack Ye Fan, let out a慘scream as his head was smashed open like a thousand blooming peach blossoms, red blood and white brain matter splattering everywhere.

“Ancient creatures! True Demon Domain!” someone exclaimed in shock.

The two terrifying creatures had long, snake-like lower bodies, each seven or eight meters in length. Their upper bodies were human-like but possessed three heads and six arms.

They unleashed the True Demon Domain, immobilizing the five or six Grand Elders in front of the Stone Gate. Not a single one managed to escape; all were brutally dismembered!

Everyone’s scalp tingled. They sensed that disaster was imminent; it seemed they had opened the Gate of Hell and released world-shocking malevolent spirits.

This was the slumbering place of Ancient creatures. If an Ancient King were to emerge, it would be an immeasurable catastrophe!

Everyone retreated swiftly. Many glared at Ye Fan, wanting to strangle him alive, feeling that this kid was utterly nefarious.

“None of you could open the Stone Gate, so how would I know what’s behind it?” Ye Fan said, feigning innocence.

Everyone was too angry to speak, but no one had the time to argue with him; the terrifying killing intent was already pressing in.

ROAR…

An incandescent Divine Light appeared, cutting off their retreat as a golden creature, half-human and half-demon, emerged.

This creature was even stronger, extremely terrifying. But as people lamented their predicament, they also felt a sliver of relief: it was not a humanoid Ancient creature.

If such an existence appeared, most likely everyone here would perish!

“Kill!”

Everyone attacked in unison. Numerous Heroic Lords exerted their full strength, but the Ancient creatures appeared with eerie suddenness, more than a dozen materializing out of thin air.

ROAR…

Meanwhile, a dreadful roar echoed from within the Myriad Dragon Nest. What people saw inside sent a chill down their spines.

Giant Divine Source Blocks floated within, nearly three meters long—a priceless Immortal Treasure. No one had ever seen such a large block of Divine Source. Humanoid creatures were sealed inside!

And this was not the only Great Divine Source Block. The Myriad Dragon Nest was vast, pervaded by an ancient and desolate atmosphere, endless Divine Radiance, and other Divine Source Blocks.

SWISH!

Divine Light flashed like lightning, and more than twenty additional Ancient creatures suddenly appeared, cutting off their escape route—an unparalleled crisis.

“That is…” At this moment, everyone trembled as if doomsday had arrived. They saw something else inside the Myriad Dragon Nest.

An ancient coffin floated amidst a Divine Source Heap, exuding a pressure so terrifying it made people feel suffocated, as if their flesh and bones were about to shatter!

The pile of Divine Origin Fragments was two or three cubic meters, enough to submerge the ancient coffin—a terrifying and bizarre sight.

And at this time, they also finally saw the True Dragon Immortal Medicine. It was rooted in the Divine Origin Fragments in front of the ancient coffin, wreathed in the Qi of myriad dragons. The entire plant was resplendent and dazzling, less than a foot tall, like a dragon lying dormant.

“The Ancient races are not buried in coffins…” the monkey said, shocked and very puzzled.

“What? You mean it doesn’t belong to the Ancient races?!” Ye Fan was astounded.