Chapter 1008: Pregnant Immortal

Chapter 1009: Immortal Conception

The Land of Immortality was an enigmatic place. Throughout history, countless heroes and prodigies sought to uncover its secrets, but almost all met a tragic end.

Tens of thousands of peaks stood side by side, encircling a vast valley. Each dragon-headed peak opened its maw, from which cascaded a vibrant, ethereal waterfall, its celestial light converging towards the central Immortal Pond.

"What's in the pond?" Ye Fan couldn't see clearly. The Immortal Pond was filled with billions of dazzling, blinding divine rays, making it impossible to penetrate even with his Celestial Eye.

Within the valley, ribbons of immortal energy swirled, divine mist billowed, auspicious light shimmered, and various celestial splendors flowed, creating a magnificent earthly paradise.

Even the Dragon Horse was overcome with intense emotion, stamping its hooves restlessly, eager to charge forward immediately. Born in Kunlun, it naturally knew of this place where immortals were conceived, but had never had the chance to enter.

Ye Fan's expression was exhilarated. With one hand grasping the ancient scroll and the other clenched into a fist, he had finally entered, ready to unveil a mystery of eons.

At this moment, Little Pine remained the calmest. It didn't have as many thoughts; the fathom-long Immortal Pond only sparked its curiosity. What truly captivated the little purple creature was the allure of the Medicine Kings, which were far more tangible.

Such an innocent heart was rare, and it was precisely the fundamental reason why its cultivation could advance so rapidly.

"Let's go!" Ye Fan dismounted the Dragon Horse and personally led the way. This place was of immense importance, crucial to whether he could achieve immortality in the future.

Upon reaching this area, the murderous aura intensified. Even without being triggered, it sent shivers down their spines. This was despite the pervasive immortal mist, which obscured more than half of the killing intent.

Clearly visible were intricate and profound patterns in the void, interwoven into star-field-like trajectories that covered every corner. It was imaginable that triggering them would lead to eternal damnation.

Flight was impossible in this Land of Immortality. Only immortal herbs could grow on the ground, which surely was a method of the Source Emperor. Even with dense killing formations, a pure land for divine medicines was provided.

"Their root systems merge with these laws, gaining recognition to survive here," Ye Fan murmured to himself.

Immediately, he shivered. The laws and killing formations in this place were so powerful they sent chills down one's spine. It was certain that the "formation spirit" mentioned by Black Emperor had already been born!

"Yes, it must be so." His pupils contracted sharply. After careful observation, he became even more convinced. The formation creator of yesteryear possessed heaven-reaching cultivation, allowing the formation to evolve a divine will, gaining life, and transforming into a being woven from Dao traces.

Only by holding this ancient immortal scroll could one enter the formation. It was no longer merely a safe path map but also a token. Otherwise, even understanding the formation's operation and layout would likely lead to bitter defeat. The methods of ancient Great Emperors were unpredictable; they could transform formations into living spirits, allowing the formation body to change freely.

Black Emperor had said this was the pinnacle of Dao patterns and formations: a deity being born within a formation was a heaven-defying act by ancient Great Emperors, tantamount to an extension of their lives.

The terrain in the valley was uneven, yet not a speck of dust could be seen. Jade-like medicine fields spread everywhere. Those from antiquity had long foreseen that precious medicines, even immortal elixirs, would surely be born here, making the Immortal Pond even more sacred.

Among these ancient medicines, Ye Fan discovered countless Medicine Kings, his heart trembling. If all these were combined, they would be even more precious than divine medicines.

Alas, he could only gaze enviously. Besides those found directly on the path, he couldn't rashly touch anything else, even if it was within reach, or a fatal disaster would surely strike.

The Dragon Horse exhaled immortal light, its eyes almost popping out, while Little Pine also found its steps faltering. Medicine Kings appeared intermittently, seemingly within arm's reach—a tremendous temptation.

There were demonic fruits resembling polished red agate, translucent and glistening, exuding a rich fragrance. Immortal orchids, like carved jade, were vibrant green, translucent throughout, and intensely aromatic. Cloud vines, wreathed in blue mist, were hazy and emitted a refreshing, soul-invigorating scent.

Countless ancient herbs of varying grades and types were scattered everywhere, as if one had accidentally stumbled into an immortal's medicine garden, with treasures lining the ground. Each ancient herb shimmered with brilliant light, dazzling to behold. Many withered Medicine Kings, having lost their luster, lay on the ground, their released essence nourishing the area.

Due to the immense passage of time, Medicine Kings were not immortal elixirs. It was difficult for them to survive for eighty or ninety thousand years; any longer, and they would turn into rotten mud, decaying completely.

The immortal vines and divine orchids here had passed through countless generations. The current Medicine Kings were born from newly sprouted seeds, undergoing thousands of cycles of rise and fall, wilting only to flourish again.

Ye Fan and his companions continued forward. Along this relatively safe, winding path alone, Little Pine had dug up a total of eleven Medicine Kings—an incredible haul that would surely astound anyone who heard of it.

Finally, they drew near, about to reach the Immortal Pond. It was then that Ye Fan saw a very strange tomb situated by the path, interrupting the formation within the Immortal Valley.

He couldn't help but be astonished. What level of cultivation was required to so brazenly disrupt a Great Emperor's killing formation, which had given birth to a divine will, and construct a tomb there? Such methods defied the heavens.

Ye Fan opened his Celestial Eye and gazed into the tomb, seeing dozens of fragments that pieced together into a ghost-face mask, lying beside a blood-stained robe. His expression trembled.

The cracked ghost-face mask seemed neither to cry nor to smile; it held sorrow within its smile and a smile within its sorrow. The marks on it were identical to those on the Devil Suppressing Pot!

"It's him! He died here!"

It must be that young man, who, after parting with the Ruthless Great Emperor, never met her again. Lost in the vastness of life and death, he lay dead in the Land of Immortality, unable to escape his predetermined fate.

"I just can't stop worrying about my sister..."

From within that tomb, from the shattered ghost-face mask, such a faint wisp of sound emanated, carrying regret, unwillingness, and pleading, as if transcending a thousand ages.

Though the mask was made of ordinary copper and crudely crafted, it possessed an inexplicable divine charm. Lying in the tomb, it stirred a ripple in one's heart.

Ye Fan sighed. The Ruthless Great Emperor, using heaven-defying forbidden divine arts, had recreated scenes she wished to know, ensuring that the young man's last words before death would never extinguish.

"Not for immortality, but only to await your return in this mortal world."

A woman's voice seemed to descend from the Nine Heavens, causing even the gods to tremble. Above and below the heavens, she alone was supreme, choosing a path incomprehensible to the world.

Ye Fan, Little Pine, and the Dragon Horse shivered intensely. A woman who defied all ages, overlooking past, present, and future, her words echoing for eternity.

In front of this earthen tomb, there was no headstone, nor any interwoven Dao traces. Yet, it lay across the formation, existing eternally—a true miracle.

In a trance, Ye Fan saw a little girl, only two or three years old. Her figure was blurry, her hair braided into two horn-like pigtails. Her face was indistinct, but her large eyes were pure, glistening with tears as she cried pitifully. Her small clothes were patched, and her tiny shoes, with toes poking out, were worn. She extended her small, helpless hands, striving to grasp something.

He shook his head vigorously. The tomb remained just a tomb, burying the blood-stained robe and mask fragments, nothing more.

Ye Fan paused for a moment, then turned and left, filled with emotion. The Ruthless One, whose name resounded through eons, unparalleled in talent, created peerless cultivation methods. Yet, she suffered such misfortune. Even standing above the Nine Heavens, making gods tremble, she could not alter her fate's outcome.

Even the Dragon Horse, with its fiery temper, was remarkably well-behaved in this place, not daring to even breathe loudly, following closely behind.

As the ancient scroll unfurled, Ye Fan compared it to the terrain map, passing through areas few could reach, ancient or modern. Approaching the central Immortal Pond, streams of radiant light flew towards them, illuminating their entire bodies.

This was an intoxicating place, where auspicious light erupted and thousands of streams of propitious energy flowed. A second such place would be hard to find anywhere. If one could cultivate here for a long time, great gains would surely be achieved.

However, no one dared to linger here to comprehend the Dao. If, by chance, one were to resonate with the Grand Dao and merge with this ancient formation, interwoven killing laws would emerge, leading to utter disaster!

"Whoosh!"

An ancient herb in the medicine field flashed and vanished, leaving behind a refreshing scent that almost intoxicated one to the bone. As the light mist entered their bodies, Ye Fan, the Dragon Horse, and Little Pine felt as if they were about to ascend into the heavens, their entire bodies comfortable, their joints audibly clicking.

"An immortal medicine!"

Within the Immortal Valley was a divine medicine capable of self-levitation and escape. The spirit born within the formation did not harm it, and it fled into the distance.

"As expected of an immortal land, there's even an immortal medicine!"

Ye Fan marveled. The Rongcheng Clan had already obtained one, and yet there was another here. However, it was not surprising for such a divine medicine to manifest in a place where immortals were conceived.

Recalling He Shouwu's words, he stopped and projected his voice into the distance, stating that a great calamity would befall this place in the future, and asking if the immortal medicine was willing to leave with him.

The Dragon Horse, standing by, rolled its eyes. How could a person be so shameless? Even when trying to capture an immortal divine medicine, he spoke so grandiosely, as if it were for its own good.

However, to the Dragon Horse's surprise, the divine medicine actually responded positively. With a not-so-powerful divine sense, it conveyed to Ye Fan that if he took away the hope of immortality, the great calamity here would resolve itself. But if he found it difficult to take it, then it would leave with him.

Radiant light flowed, and mist diffused. Ye Fan was speechless for a moment. He hadn't seen the true form of the divine medicine. It was clearly an either-or decision, and he truly had no way to force the immortal medicine.

Ye Fan could only choose to move on. While immortal medicines were extremely rare, with not every ancient life-bearing planet necessarily giving birth to one, they weren't absolutely impossible to encounter. The hope of immortality, however, was unique across all ages!

The rest of the journey was smooth. They walked all the way to the side of the Immortal Pond. Along this path, Little Pine had dug up a total of seventeen Medicine Kings. If this news were to spread to any star field, it would cause widespread shock and disbelief—it was a miracle!

"This is the Immortal Pond... where the hope of immortality is conceived." Ye Fan's voice trembled. He had finally arrived, and even he found it hard to suppress his excitement. This mystery of eons was finally about to be unveiled.

The Dragon Horse, its entire body glowing with fiery light, nudged Ye Fan forcefully with its large head, wishing it could leap directly into the Immortal Pond. Only Little Pine remained quiet, standing by Ye Fan's side with its small medicine basket, observing curiously.

"This..." Ye Fan was greatly astonished. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that this place where immortals were conceived resembled a placenta that had been shattered by a palm, turning into a pond!

"Who did this?" His face instantly changed. Had the hope of immortality been taken, or perhaps destroyed? But that wasn't right; the divine medicine had just said the hope of immortality was still here.

"The Ruthless One did it!" Ye Fan suddenly realized this conclusion, feeling a chill run down his spine. This Great Emperor was indeed extraordinary, truly as she herself had said—not seeking immortality!

He opened his mouth and exhaled a stream of innate vital essence, intending to disperse the thousands upon thousands of radiant beams shooting from the Immortal Pond, for the place was too dazzling to keep one's eyes open.

As the immortal light parted, he opened his Celestial Eye and peered into the pond. Instantly, his mind reeled. He saw an artifact; the hope of immortality was still there, submerged at the bottom of the pond! (To be continued)