Chapter 105: Inside the Forbidden Land People from Six Thousand Years Ago

Within the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land, ancient, gnarled tree branches stretched out in all directions like coiled dragons. Each old tree towered into the sky like a small mountain.

Thick old vines, as wide as water tanks, coiled like enormous mountain snakes, each one robust enough to completely encircle a mountain.

Without knowing its true nature, one might mistake this place, with its lush vegetation and vibrant greenery, for a pure land. However, a closer look quickly reveals unsettling abnormalities. Within this vast forbidden zone, there are no bird calls or animal roars, nor any signs of insects. It is quiet, almost to the point of deathly silence.

This time, the three allied families, after careful selection, brought only a small number of cultivators, totaling just over eighty individuals.

“In the deepest reaches of this forbidden zone, there are nine holy mountains,” suggested Xu Daoling, the old knight from Yaoguang Holy Land. “Our three families should proceed separately and each ascend a holy mountain to avoid disputes over the unequal distribution of divine herbs.”

Yaoguang Holy Land had brought over thirty individuals, all exceptionally tall and strong. Each rode an exotic, monstrous beast of immense size and brute strength. This choice was deliberate: upon entering this area, the divine power source of both cultivators and demonic beasts would be suppressed, making it difficult to cast spells. Physical prowess thus became a significant advantage. The Jiang and Ji families also rode powerful, naturally gifted beasts, all for the same strategic reason.

The Jiang family had brought more than twenty powerful individuals. Their elderly leader, Jiang Hanzhong, sat atop a demonic elephant whose body shimmered with black scales. He chuckled, “Brother Xu, I must disagree. This place is fraught with unknown dangers. It would be far better if we advanced together. I believe that even if we only ascend one holy mountain, the divine herbs we gather will be sufficient for all three families. For years, almost no one has succeeded in this endeavor, so we cannot afford to divide our forces.”

After speaking, Jiang Hanzhong subtly glanced at Ye Fan, a strange glint in his eyes. Ye Fan’s heart immediately tensed. He was particularly sensitive to members of the Jiang family, as two years prior, knights from that very clan had relentlessly pursued him, leaving him nowhere to hide.

Xu Daoling, the old knight from Yaoguang Holy Land, shook his head. “I believe the most terrifying aspect of the forbidden land is the power of its curses. Even if we all stay together, it will be of no use. It would be better to advance separately; perhaps we might each discover our own opportunities.”

Jiang Hanzhong, the elder of the Jiang family, offered a knowing smile, glanced at Ye Fan, and then spoke: “Our Jiang family has only brought a little over twenty people, which is rather few. We were hoping to borrow a few individuals from Brother Xu.”

Ye Fan was entirely encased in divine iron armor, his head thoroughly concealed by a helmet, with only his eyes visible. At that moment, he realized the Jiang family had recognized him; certainly, some of the very knights who had pursued him before were present.

Xu Daoling, the elder from Yaoguang Holy Land, knew that Ye Fan had consumed a sacred fruit, making him more resistant to curses than anyone else. He intended to use Ye Fan to gather divine herbs from within the forbidden land. Upon realizing that the Jiang family also had their sights set on Ye Fan, he promptly refused their request.

Ji Yunfeng, the elder from the Ji family, observed with a cold gaze, sensing a hidden agenda between the two. Without changing his expression, he interjected, “It’s too early to discuss such things. We can make our decisions once we truly reach the depths of the forbidden zone.”

The other two families heeded his advice and continued their advance. At first, no one felt anything amiss, but after traveling for more than ten miles, everyone began to sense an abnormality.

“My divine power source is no longer flowing; it’s about to vanish…” A cultivator from the Jiang family was the first to cry out in alarm.

“My Spring of Life has closed,” exclaimed a powerful figure from Yaoguang Holy Land, his face paling, “no more divine power flows from it.”

Everyone’s expressions grew grim. The life essence within their bodies ceased to circulate, and even their Bitter Seas were slowly drying up.

“Why are you panicking? This was to be expected!” Jiang Hanzhong, the elder from the Jiang family, snapped coldly.

Ji Yunfeng, the elder from the Ji family, also spoke up: “It doesn’t matter if your divine power source dries up. Divine abilities aren’t necessary here; as long as you can withstand the power of the curses, that will suffice.”

At this moment, Ye Fan felt the vitality of his Spring of Life had diminished slightly, yet it had not withered; it still flowed steadily. His golden Bitter Sea, though somewhat dim, had not dried up either.

“Could it be that once the potential of the Desolate Ancient Sacred Body is unleashed, it can resist the malevolent forces of this place?” Ye Fan murmured to himself, unable to suppress his unease. He now possessed a formidable trump card, an absolute game-changer.

Zhou Yi, Lin Jia, Wang Ziwen, Li Xiaoman, Zhang Ziling, and Liu Yiyi—the six of them—also rode exotic beasts, following the main group. Several knights were tasked with their protection.

After advancing more than twenty miles, many of the savage beasts began to roar, clearly unsettled. One particularly weak panther trembled uncontrollably, its body shaking like a sieve, and collapsed to the ground, refusing to move another step.

The terrain ahead was flat, with ancient trees towering towards the sky, their branches like giant arms reaching upwards. The area was lush and verdant, with no obvious abnormalities visible.

Everyone proceeded cautiously and in silence, gripping their long spears and sharp swords, ready to charge at any moment. Since divine abilities were unusable, this was their only recourse.

After advancing more than two hundred meters and circling several ancient trees, each with a diameter of over twenty meters, the dozen or so mounts at the front all reared up, unseating their cultivators.

Behind an ancient tree stood a snow-white skeleton, upright and facing the group, exuding an eerie aura. All the knights immediately fell back, gripping their sharp spears and swords, pointing them towards the front.

“There are no signs of life, no divine energy fluctuations; it’s just a skeleton…” The knights who had been thrown from their mounts strode forward, swinging their long sabers and shattering the skeleton on the spot.

However, something horrifying occurred. The moment the skeleton shattered, several knights screamed in agony. Their divine iron armors, once gleaming and impervious to blades, rapidly dulled, emitting cracking sounds as they fractured and peeled away like rotting tree bark.

The eyes of those knights sank deep into their sockets, their flesh and blood withered, flaking away like dust. It was as if they had traversed millennia of time in an instant, turning into ash, leaving behind only white skeletons that crashed heavily to the ground.

“Retreat!” bellowed Jiang Hanzhong, the elder from the Jiang family. “No one is to approach it!”

Everyone sensed a malevolent force and swiftly retreated. Their mounts, agitated, roared even louder.

The previous scene was truly terrifying. Seven vibrant lives had vanished into dust in the blink of an eye. Such a death sent shivers down the spines of all present.

The area ahead remained silent; nothing further occurred, leaving only seven white skeletons and the shattered remains of their divine iron armors.

Ji Yunfeng, the elder of the Ji family, instructed: “Circle widely around it. If anyone detects anything unusual, do not act rashly.”

After passing through the ancient forest, a knight suddenly cried out in terror, “My hand!”

Though he had been a young cultivator, his hand now appeared incredibly rough, wrinkled, and utterly devoid of luster. He quickly tore off his helmet, his trembling fingers reaching for his face, and then screamed in horror.

Everyone was horrified. The knight’s face was now a mass of wrinkles, his hair white, his body hunched. His life force had sharply diminished; he was on the verge of dying of old age.

Nearby, several other knights also cried out in terror, their voices old and shaky. The same horrifying transformation was occurring in them; their eyes were clouded with age, and their lives were clearly in peril.

“Why…” one knight whimpered, his body hunched and trembling, the light in his eyes slowly fading. Then, with a thud, he fell from his mount, dead of old age.

Moments later, the remaining aged knights also perished, falling to the ground, their eyes wide and unseeing. Their mounts were also rapidly aging, losing their strength and becoming gaunt and bony as if afflicted by a severe illness. Yet, these exotic beasts, possessing longer lifespans than humans, did not die of old age.

Ye Fan noticed that all those who had died were the ones who had recently approached the white skeleton and whose mounts had been startled and thrown to the ground. This realization sent a chill down his spine.

Xu Daoling, the old knight from Yaoguang Holy Land, cautioned in a deep voice: “The horror of this forbidden zone is clear. No one should be careless; absolutely no one must act rashly.”

The journey remained somber and silent. Everyone was uneasy, unable to predict what lay ahead.

Riding his savage beast, Ye Fan carefully observed the vegetation in the mountainous terrain. He found it difficult to remain calm, yet to his surprise, he discovered numerous spiritual herbs, all ancient specimens that had grown for an unknown number of years.

A Dragon Tongue Grass shimmered with green light, appearing as if carved from emerald. It was so tall, nearly two meters, it could hardly be called grass anymore, more like a verdant tree. Its center resembled a small, green dragon extending its tongue, shimmering with specks of light.

In a nearby lake, a Jade Lotus shone even more resplendently. Its large lotus pod held nine seeds, each as big as a chicken egg, crystal clear and emerald green. A refreshing, soul-invigorating fragrance could be smelled from a considerable distance.

However, no one stopped. They had no time to waste; otherwise, even if they managed to ascend a holy mountain and gather divine herbs, they would still succumb to exhausted life force and never leave this forbidden zone.

A knight from the Jiang family, riding a savage beast that shimmered with red light, approached Ye Fan. Riding alongside him, he taunted in an almost imperceptible whisper: “Why aren’t you running now? Two years ago, you were so fast, scurrying like a stray dog…”

Ye Fan glanced at him and retorted, “I think you’re more like a loyal dog, still able to sniff out my scent after more than two years.”

“Your mouth is quite tough,” the knight sneered faintly. “I wonder if you’ll still dare to speak like that when I slowly carve you up. I heard you can’t cultivate at all. What foolish audacity. You’ll die without even knowing how.”

“Are you so confident you’ve got me, that I’ll die without a burial place?” Ye Fan asked calmly, completely devoid of anger.

“Do you expect Yaoguang Holy Land to protect you? Don’t dream. When the time comes, you’ll obediently gather sacred herbs for us, and perhaps you’ll even keep a complete corpse. I believe you understand that we have no intention of letting you leave here alive.” The knight named Jiang Feng revealed a sinister killing intent. “Of course, I can grant you a swift end. Just hand over that precious treasure, and I’ll ensure your death is painless.”

“Don’t you think you’re speaking too soon?” Ye Fan cast him a dismissive glance. “In this Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land, it’s hard to say who lives and who dies until the very last moment. Perhaps I’ll be the one twisting your neck.”

The knight named Jiang Feng swept a contemptuous glance over him. “Even if my divine power source is temporarily depleted, killing you would be no different than stepping on an ant; it would require no effort at all.”

“You’re certainly confident,” Ye Fan remarked, a cold smile playing on his lips, and said nothing further.

Jiang Feng’s face held a chilling, cruel smile as he spoke grimly: “Of the five knights who hunted you down originally, three are here with me now. We’d be delighted to hunt you once more, and this time, the outcome will certainly be different.”

After penetrating over a hundred miles into the forbidden zone, the nine holy mountains finally appeared in view. Though not exceptionally tall, they possessed a magnificent aura, exerting immense pressure as if the entirety of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths lay stretched before them.

“What is that—”

Everyone gasped, their scalps tingling. From the endless abyss encircled by the nine holy mountains, countless white skeletons were crawling out, densely packed and stark white.

“How can this be?” Everyone felt a profound chill.

“They are most likely people from six thousand years ago…” Ji Yunfeng, the elder of the Ji family, remarked, his face etched with solemnity.

Xu Daoling, the old knight from Yaoguang Holy Land, nodded and said grimly, “Indeed, it must be them. That Immortal Sect and Holy Land perished in the Desolate Ancient Abyss all those years ago, countless powerful individuals lost their lives there. These are they.”

Ye Fan also felt a chill run through him. In that instant, he thought of the Old Madman; the countless skeletons covering the mountain must be his former sect mates and old friends.