Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 611: Chapter 615: 18 Diagrams

Debris and ruins stretched as far as the eye could see, not a single blade of grass grew. A massive Abyss, extending for over a hundred miles, loomed dark as night, its bottom unseen—all formed by a single fingerprint.

Ye Fan stood there dumbstruck. Had the records from that unconventional history actually come true? A person, standing ten thousand miles away, had pointed a finger and destroyed an ancient family comparable to a Divine Dynasty.

Green Emperor!

The only one to achieve enlightenment in the Post-Huanggu Era, his origins were mysterious, his cultivation base immeasurable—an enigmatic Great Emperor who had astounded the world.

Ye Fan felt the terrifying power of the Demon Emperor. Standing ten thousand miles away and merely flicking a finger, he had caused the annihilation of an eternal legacy—what immense divine power was this?

I think if he so wished, creating a fingerprint stretching ten thousand miles wouldn’t be an issue.

The hundred-mile-long great canyon was remarkable; it had precisely destroyed the Pure Land of the Cai Clan without extending any further, the control exact and miraculous to the extreme.

The ancient Great Emperors were too powerful; erasing a Divine Dynasty with a mere wave of the hand wouldn’t be difficult!

The Green Emperor… what kind of figure was he? The sole Great Emperor of the Post-Huanggu Era, undoubtedly one of the most astonishing figures in all of history. Would such a being truly annihilate an ancient family for the nine secret arts?

The nine secret arts, Taoism’s highest divine arts, indeed stirred the heart, but would they truly lead a Great Emperor to commit such an act of absolute destruction? Ye Fan pondered but found it difficult to comprehend.

Could there be some other unknown, profound secret? Or does it perhaps involve the secrets of an Immortal…

He believed the Cai Clan must have held many secrets, enough for even the Green Emperor to take action. If he could find the clan, perhaps he might unveil a historical mystery.

In the present era, apart from the clan members themselves, likely no one knew the myriad causes and effects of that bygone time.

Ye Fan walked through the ruins but discovered nothing. He mused that over the past ten thousand years, countless people must have paid their respects here, and any clues would have long since vanished.

He descended into the bottomless Abyss, feeling the power of that single finger. It had penetrated ten thousand zhang deep, and the earth below was hardened, rock and soil layers alike having been utterly flattened.

Ye Fan departed with a mix of melancholy and awe. A glorious family, with a legacy passed down through ages, could not withstand a single finger from the Green Emperor. It was a lamentable fate.

According to the information Pang Bo had given him, the Cai Clan had not been entirely wiped out; some members were outside at the time and had surely escaped the disaster.

In the ten thousand years since, several emerging sects were suspected of being founded by Cai Clan survivors, believed to have changed their identities to continue their family’s legacy.

Ye Fan also believed the clan was not entirely extinct; otherwise, how could there have been an elder Saint who, before dying, gazed toward the West and underwent Transformation, becoming one with the natural world?

「In the following days, he embarked on a long quest.」

The Vermilion Bird Sect was a Great Sect that had risen eight thousand years prior. It occupied a vast territory amidst picturesque mountains in the western region of the Central States.

Ye Fan had to traverse the void to reach it this time, as the distance was too great. He sighed helplessly; in the past two months, he had visited many places but had found nothing.

This mountainous region was predominantly red earth; without vegetation cover, it resembled a stretch of burning flames. The Vermilion Bird Sect had been prosperous for the past few thousand years, its ranks filled with experts.

This was almost Ye Fan’s last target. If there were still no descendants of the Cai Clan here, he would truly be at his wit’s end.

A few days later, Ye Fan disguised himself as an Earth Master and lingered in the area, gathering many details. The sect possessed seventy-two Spirit Peaks and boasted over ten thousand disciples.

However, to his disappointment, there was no mention of any special divine arts within the sect; they were either well-hidden, or he was in another mistaken location.

Several more days passed. Ye Fan then learned that this was the place where a Phoenix had fallen, its blood dyeing the mountains and rivers red, which was why the local earth and stones were crimson. The sect’s most powerful technique was called the Shaoyang True Scripture.

It’s an evolved scripture derived from a fragment of the Taiyang True Scripture! He was surprised. No wonder the sect was flourishing; they possessed a Fragmented Scripture with a significant origin.

Merely one-fifth of the Taiyang True Scripture had allowed a Great Sect to establish itself as a dominant power. This was enough to demonstrate the profound and extensive nature of the human race’s supreme scriptures from Ancient Times: the Taiyin True Scripture and the Taiyang True Scripture.

Half a month later, Ye Fan spent a piece of Divine Source to learn a secret from a disciple nicknamed ‘the Omniscient.’ The sect’s founding patriarch indeed bore the surname Cai. However, he had not stayed long, departing five hundred years after establishing the sect and leaving everything to be managed by his disciples.

“Brother, you’re looking for the nine secret arts, aren’t you?” The Omniscient patted Ye Fan’s shoulder, his voice tinged with profound meaning. “For eight thousand years, countless people have come searching. Don’t waste your time; there’s truly nothing here.”

Ye Fan smiled as well. Clearly, this approach was futile; many others had already attempted it.

“Let me tell you,” the Omniscient continued, “our founding patriarch might very well have been a Cai Clan survivor, but he didn’t pass down any of the nine secret arts, only a Fragmented Scripture.”

The Omniscient elaborated further. Over the past eight thousand years, many remarkable individuals had come seeking, only to leave in frustration, having gained nothing.

The nine secret arts were Taoism’s nine most powerful divine arts. They contained too many secrets and were said to be envied by the heavens, preventing them from being unified. Now, they were scattered across the world, with several having been lost completely.

Searching like this was akin to finding a needle in a haystack; it was almost certain that no clues would be found.

“You spent a piece of Divine Source for information—quite generous of you,” the Omniscient remarked. “Let me offer you a piece of advice, free of charge: our forefather journeyed south. It’s said he went to an Ancient Land called Han Chuan.”

Ye Fan smiled bitterly. Eight thousand years had passed; seeking clues about someone from so long ago was incredibly difficult. He even suspected the sect’s founding patriarch was the old Saint who underwent Transformation.

However, to obtain the nine secret arts, he could only continue his search. Despite knowing many had tread this path, he still hoped to discover precious clues.

He had journeyed from the west, and now he was heading to the southern part of the Central States. The distance was extremely vast, so he would have to traverse space once more.

Fortunately, this ‘southern part’ was the region adjacent to the west, not the absolute southernmost tip of the Central States; otherwise, he would have truly been dismayed.

He had more than enough mysterious jade platforms on him. By now, he could even inscribe them himself—though only the simplest kind, each capable of traversing a distance of merely a few tens of thousands of miles.

Throughout this journey, Ye Fan traversed the void, using and abandoning countless mysterious jade platforms—too many to count. He finally reached Han Chuan, located in the southern part of the Central States.

This region spanned a million square miles, but in the vast southern expanse of the Central States, it was merely a small corner.

Han Chuan was a plain dotted with eleven renowned great cities. These cities gathered the Dragon Qi between heaven and earth, and each one was extremely ancient, possessing prosperous destinies.

Each ancient city was a major power in itself. Ye Fan felt a headache coming on; after half a month of secret inquiries, he had only managed to obtain a single, tiny clue: people from the Cai Clan had indeed come here, but their whereabouts afterward were unknown.

Ultimately, after exhausting all his methods, he finally learned that the Cai Clan had originally intended to be reborn from the ashes here, to restore their former glory. However, they had eventually departed for reasons unknown.

「The next stop was in the eastern Central States, almost nearing the Eastern Wastelands. To travel from the south to the east meant crossing more than half of the Central States, an even more remote journey.」

If Ye Fan wanted to continue onward, ordinary mysterious jade platforms would definitely not suffice, not unless he carried a mountain-load of them to squander. What he needed now was an exceptionally large Divine Array, for the distance was truly too immense.

Are the Cai Clan’s people deliberately tormenting others? First west, then south, and then east. Is north next?

Ye Fan realized that searching in this manner would definitely not work. Over the past ten thousand years, countless people must have sought the Cai Clan’s nine secret arts. The fact that the arts had not resurfaced proved that most of these searchers had failed.

Thus, if he continued on this path, he seemed destined for failure.

I can’t think like those before; I need to consider this from a different angle.

「Afterward, he began to spend his Divine Sources, purchasing information from the Central States’ three great ancient sects to speculate where the nine secret arts might be.」

The Hundred Knows Sect, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and the Red Dust Pavilion. These three ancient sects were ranked among the myriad schools and teachings of the Central States. Their origins were ancient, traceable to before the Ancient Desolation Era. They were the best-informed, selling information to outsiders—a thousand gold pieces per word—and their intelligence was very precise.

I can only hope Hua Yunfei has found a clue…

Ye Fan deeply hoped Hua Yunfei would not obtain the nine secret arts, yet now, Hua Yunfei was his only lead. Hua Yunfei had visited that small Daoist temple before him and had likely obtained more clues, perhaps even something left behind by the old Saint.

He no longer searched for the Cai Clan but began spending a large amount of Source, using these three ancient sects to seek traces of Hua Yunfei.

First, Ye Fan issued a commission task: to compile statistics on where the most Saint Son Level figures had fallen.

He knew full well that Hua Yunfei cultivated the Heaven-devouring Demon Technique. To devour extraordinary essences, figures at the Saint Son Level would undoubtedly be his preferred targets.

Soon, a secret letter from the Hundred Knows Sect arrived containing the relevant information. Upon reading it, Ye Fan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

The letter simply stated that the regions where Ye Fan, the Sacred Body, had appeared were where the most Saint Son Level figures had perished. It highlighted places such as Fire Demon Ridge, the Qi Shi Mansion, and the Immortal Mansion World.

How did it end up pointing to me…

Fortunately, the Hundred Knows Sect followed up with more detailed information. In the western Central States, some outstanding disciples from Great Sects had died in the past two years. In the southern Central States, several prominent figures had disappeared. And in the eastern Central States, some young powerhouses of exceptional talent had mysteriously vanished.

Ye Fan’s heart stirred. Over the past two years, some astonishing figures in the Central States had inexplicably disappeared, leaving behind numerous unsolved cases. However, due to the sheer vastness of the region, these incidents had largely gone unnoticed.

Could this be Hua Yunfei’s doing? But the incidents are too dispersed, making it impossible to deduce his location… He drew several circles on the map, dividing it into more than a dozen potential areas of activity.

He spent considerable time connecting the times and places of these people’s deaths, compiling them into a trajectory map.

Predicting Hua Yunfei’s trajectory based on this is still unreliable; there are too many variables.

Then, Ye Fan spent a large amount of Source, commissioning the three ancient sects to investigate a crucial aspect: gathering locations where Heavenly Tribulations had occurred over the past two years.

This was exceedingly difficult; those undergoing tribulations typically sought uninhabited areas to avoid detection.

However, the three ancient sects were truly extraordinary. They actually managed to deliver some very valuable information, pinpointing certain regions and stating with certainty that someone had undergone a Heavenly Tribulation there.

Using this, Ye Fan drew another map, but it still couldn’t be definitive. He pondered seriously for a long time.

This was still far from enough. The world was too vast, and even all this information combined was insufficient to deduce Hua Yunfei’s whereabouts.

During his time with the Black Emperor, Ye Fan had learned in detail about the various characteristics of the Heaven-devouring Demon Technique, including the myriad problems and difficulties one would encounter while cultivating it.

This technique defied the harmony of heaven and earth; it was a Demon Path with a one-in-ten chance of survival. When devouring the essences of others, one could easily incur heavenly retribution, requiring several ancient medicinal formulas to harmonize the process.

Apart from the Black Emperor, it was unlikely that even people from the Divine Dynasties knew these formulas; very few in the current age understood their purpose.

Ye Fan listed several exceedingly rare spiritual medicines that were the primary ingredients for these ancient formulas. They were difficult to find in the world, but if they were ever put up for sale, their trail could be followed.

This piece of information was of critical importance. Soon after, Ye Fan received a dossier from the Red Dust Pavilion. Based on the times and locations of the sales of these spiritual medicines, he drew yet another map.

Once the Heaven-devouring Demon Technique reaches minor completion, during its trials, it can devour mountains and rivers; a black hole that pulverizes everything.

Based on the various points mentioned by the Black Emperor, Ye Fan issued another task: to investigate unusual activities concerning mountains and rivers in various locales—specifically, whether any mountain ranges had disappeared in certain regions, and so on.

In this manner, guided by various details, Ye Fan issued a total of eighteen tasks. Each one cost a substantial amount of Source. From the eighteen sets of information he received, he created eighteen corresponding maps.

Then, he collated and synthesized all the data, merging the eighteen maps into one final trajectory chart that represented Hua Yunfei’s likely movements.

Five of these regions are the most suspicious!

Late one night, Ye Fan was hunched over his desk, meticulously studying the map. After careful deliberation, he identified five regions.

Hua Yunfei, I’m coming for you!

「The next day, Ye Fan set out. He began to investigate the five regions marked on the map, one by one.」

It was a tedious process. He spent a month eliminating four of the regions, finally arriving once more in the western part of the Central States—not at the Vermilion Bird Sect this time, but in an area called Qinling.

This time, Ye Fan spent even longer. After more than a month, he finally discovered some clues, but he still couldn’t pinpoint Hua Yunfei’s exact location.

Qinling was a mysterious land, home to many ancient sects. These sects were all extremely powerful but had no connection to the Cai Clan; most had existed for many millennia.

However, it was in this very region that Ye Fan discovered traces of Hua Yunfei, which corresponded well with the trajectory chart he had compiled from the eighteen maps.

I believe you’re in this region, but Qinling is vast. I can only advance slowly, but I’ll definitely find you.

「Half a month later, Ye Fan passed by a declining small sect. There was no ancient city here to condense Ancestor Root Dragon Qi, only several unimpressive, unremarkable Short Mountains.」

Suddenly, he saw a familiar figure on a Short Mountain, among several disciples of the declining small sect.

Li Xiaoman…

It was indeed an old acquaintance from the other side of the starry sky, someone he hadn’t seen for nearly three years. She was as elegant as ever, her beauty undiminished by time, clad in a white robe that fluttered gently, exuding an ethereal, otherworldly aura.

In that instant, Ye Fan knew: Hua Yunfei must be here. He had found the right place.

I suppose the nine secret arts must be here too. Remarkable! Hua Yunfei found the nine secret arts in just over two years, something others sought fruitlessly for eight thousand years.

A declining small sect with merely a few dozen disciples—could the nine secret arts truly be here? Ye Fan stood in the distant sky, observing Li Xiaoman, and quietly contemplated.

She became a disciple of this sect. Perhaps this declining small sect isn’t as insignificant as it seems…

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