Chapter 1050: Ploughing and Sweeping the Nest

Compared to the warm and blooming southern lands, the North Domain was far more desolate. Not a blade of grass grew; the barren land stretched for millions upon millions of miles, seemingly without end.

“In primeval times, this land was the most vibrant place in the world. Lush vegetation, ancient herbs everywhere, and spiritual energy so dense it was almost tangible. All races flourished here. Alas, prosperity inevitably declines; this is the law all things obey,” the Holy Prince lamented.

Ye Fan and the Holy Prince arrived in the North Domain and headed straight for a forbidden land where living beings dared not tread. It was a vast expanse of ancient, magnificent mountains.

Geographically, this was a land of ascending dragons. Faintly visible mountain ranges coiled like dragons, their ridges undulating. The landscape was grand and imposing, stretching far and wide, seemingly aligned with the sun, moon, and stars, as if alive and breathing.

Before primeval times, this place boasted numerous ten-thousand-foot waterfalls, like heavenly rivers cascading boundlessly, a divine spectacle. But now, everything had dried up; not a single blade of wild grass remained, only barrenness.

The Holy Prince and Ye Fan journeyed over a hundred thousand miles to reach the deepest part of this ancient range. It had to be said, these sacred mountains were incredibly grand, with few equals.

“Whoosh!”

A deafening sound of water came from ahead, carrying with it a vibrant energy. Ancient trees formed dense forests. Primeval powerhouses had forcefully restored everything here using heaven-defying methods.

In just a few decades, the vegetation and ancient herbs had grown as if they had aged ten thousand years, casting vast shadows. Of course, many plants had also been forcibly transplanted from other places.

Directly ahead, nine massive waterfalls cascaded from the sky, white and misty, with steam rising, hanging over mountains tens of thousands of feet high.

“This…” Ye Fan couldn't help but marvel. The mountain landscape here was indeed magnificent and splendid; it would be difficult to find comparable places anywhere in the world.

The ten-thousand-foot waterfalls cascading down produced sounds like collapsing mountains and raging tsunamis, or like a thousand armies galloping, creating an immense uproar.

On the mountain walls, tens of thousands of feet high, exotic medicinal herbs, almost extinct, had taken root. Their stems were thick, and their leaves were vibrant green and translucent.

“Here…”

Duan De and the others had arrived earlier. They were observing the terrain around the massive mountain. The Black Emperor was the busiest, sending out numerous formation flags to set up a heaven-deceiving array.

“If we can truly seal this place, no matter what happens inside, even if tens of thousands of people undergo tribulation simultaneously, the outside world won't know. We can safely raid this stronghold.”

In the surrounding areas, there were also several unique mountain formations, quite distant from this location. Each main peak was guarded by an Ancient Ancestor King.

These were the most formidable beings in the world today. Until one became a Saint, they were mere ants in the eyes of such powerhouses. Naturally, they dared not disturb them.

Everyone carried jade tablets given by the Black Emperor, inscribed with various runes that could obscure heavenly secrets and conceal one's aura. Ye Fan had once used these to evade detection when he was divined by the Diviner's disciple.

Upon arrival, Ye Fan further cloaked their auras with his profound Source Arts, having each of them carry several Source Stones inscribed with the Dao marks he had comprehended.

It must be said, this mountain range was very expansive. Their current location was merely the entrance; the entire area comprised vast, towering, and perilous mountains.

“I'm half-dead from exhaustion. You all must be careful and make sure the formation flags are properly placed,” the Black Emperor urged.

On that day, the group acted in unison. Each of them was a formidable expert capable of deterring an entire region, so setting up formations was naturally easy for them.

Among them, Ye Tong was the most excited. Having been a "good child" all his life, this experience of raiding a stronghold was entirely new to him.

“Boundless Venerable, goodness gracious!” Duan De chuckled, his face flushed with excitement, as he gazed into the depths of the mountain gate with his hands behind his back. It was his suggestion that had brought them here to raid the place.

Half an hour later, the big black dog personally went to inspect, fearing any oversight. Their lives depended on it; if an Ancestor King trapped them inside, they would be in serious trouble.

Afterward, Ye Fan also moved, personally setting up a Source Heaven Maze Array for extra caution, ensuring foolproof security.

“All right, there shouldn't be any problems now. Even if we provoke an Ancestor King, we can immediately jump into a domain gate and escape, so there's no need to worry,” the Black Emperor said.

This time, they were well-prepared, each carrying an ancient formation platform, ensuring they could escape the area instantly, no matter the time or place. Caution was key to long-term safety.

“Everyone, prepare to enter the mountains. Get your Saint Weapons ready. If a big one jumps out, kill it immediately,” the Black Emperor reminded them.

The Holy Prince also stepped forward, cautioning them to be careful, as this was the Heavenly Emperor's Son's stronghold, a palace left by his father. Calling it a den of dragons and a tiger's lair would be no exaggeration.

The mountain gate was wide, and the nine ten-thousand-foot waterfalls formed a spectacular sight. Upon entering, immortal energy swirled, cranes danced, and various magnificent scenes were countless.

Green mountains rose one after another, five-colored mists undulated, and palaces and pavilions floated in the air, resembling a mythical world.

“Who are you?!”

Naturally, there were guards at the mountain gate. A dozen Ancient Clan members, all with impressive cultivation, immediately rushed forward. However, who could stop such a group of formidable individuals?

Li Tian chuckled sinisterly. With a clang, the lid of the Divine Maiden Furnace was lifted, absorbing the essence of the sun and moon. Spiritual energy surged from all directions, and the dozen or so struggling Ancient Clan members were all sucked inside.

“Why the commotion? What's happening?” From a distant ten-thousand-foot peak, a powerful fluctuation emanated. Blood energy steamed there, indicating a supreme expert was in seclusion.

“He actually reached the Dao-cutting realm! I didn't expect there would be such powerful individuals left behind. Let me handle this.” Ye Fan stepped forward, his bones crackling. In an instant, he transformed into a supremely handsome young man, identical to the Heavenly Emperor's Son.

“Seeing your face makes me want to punch it,” Dongfang Ye remarked. It was uncanny how similar it was, in both appearance and spirit.

Ye Fan smiled and once again performed the Heaven-Changing, Earth-Transforming Great Art, altering everyone's appearance. They all became descendants of the Eight Divisions Divine Generals, almost identical to those who had appeared in Qingxia City.

Even the big black dog became a Kirin beast, while the Dragon Horse transformed into a crimson flood dragon. Each looked more ferocious than the last, exuding a menacing aura.

Ye Fan's Source Arts were simply divine. No matter whom he used them on, it was impossible to find any flaws, and the transformations were completed in an instant.

He led the way forward, descending onto that mountain peak. The Dao-cutting realm expert guarding the place immediately emerged from seclusion and stared blankly the moment he saw them.

“Son of God... you've returned so quickly.” The Ancient Clan member seemed flustered.

“Clang!”

The Holy Prince personally acted, activating the Divine Maiden Furnace. Fiery flames surged, engulfing the expert and refining him into a pile of ashes.

“There are barely any people left here; it's truly empty. Let's sweep it clean,” the Dragon Horse said menacingly.

They entered smoothly, encountering few Ancient Clan members along the way, and proceeded directly to the important areas. Indeed, it was largely deserted.

“Heh heh, I, your Daoist master, have finally made it in! This feels even more accomplished than robbing a Saint's tomb. I truly hope to find some immortal treasures,” Duan De said, rubbing his hands, with a somewhat mischievous grin.

In the very center were several main peaks, each piercing the clouds, like immortal swords thrust upside down into the ground. On top of each was a Heavenly Palace, grand and immense, radiating auspicious energy in streams.

“This is a treasure land! Let's start with the first one!” the big black dog howled, rushing forward.

This place had formations, but dismantling them was not difficult for the Black Emperor. It had carved hundreds of jade tablets, combining the Array of No Beginning Killing Formation with various Dao patterns, using formations to break formations.

The group successfully passed through and entered the ancient palace. It was exquisitely decorated with carved beams and painted pillars, gleaming with gold and jade. Treasures were everywhere; many ornaments were crafted from divine source.

“Search separately!”

The group rushed deeper inside. Duan De and the Black Emperor were clearly experts; they eagerly darted towards one direction, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

“Boom!”

Suddenly, a powerful fluctuation emanated, and a palace hall collapsed. The Barbarian was ambushed; his entire left arm exploded, gushing blood, with bone fragments starkly visible.

“Be careful, there's a Dao-cutting realm expert here!”

Hearing the news, Ye Fan rushed over immediately. It was a three-eyed Ancient Clan member who, even seeing Ye Fan in the form of the Heavenly Emperor's Son, showed no respect and attacked instantly.

“Bang!”

Ye Fan struck him down with a single palm, making him vomit blood and fall to the ground.

“Who are you? How dare you impersonate the Son of God!” His third vertical eye glared furiously. He couldn't find any flaws, yet his intuition told him these people were not who they appeared to be.

“Bang!”

Dongfang Ye regenerated a new arm using the Barbarian Ancient Profound Art and swung his wolf-tooth mace. The opponent couldn't withstand the Saint Weapon and, with a *poof*, turned into a cloud of blood mist.

This was merely an interlude; everyone else was proceeding relatively smoothly. The Dragon Horse charged through the ancient palace, stomping through halls, causing rocks to scatter and the palace to collapse as it wreaked havoc everywhere.

“How come I haven't even seen a Saint Weapon?” it puffed white smoke, eager to find a Saint Soldier.

Suddenly, the Holy Prince exclaimed, having made an astonishing discovery. The entire group rushed over.

“This chessboard is not simple!” Duan De immediately concluded upon his arrival.

The stone chessboard was rough and lacked luster. It had dozens of crisscrossing lines and looked ancient and worn, seemingly unremarkable at first glance.

However, upon closer inspection, the chessboard exuded a powerful killing aura, like an ancient battlefield, generating an astonishing killing intent, as if a primeval war was replaying in the mortal world.

“Something's off. Let's grab an Ancient Clan member and check.” Yan Yixi acted, pulling an Ancient Clan servant hiding in an ancient well, and searched his Sea of Consciousness to find out more.

“It's indeed extraordinary. The Heavenly Emperor's Son occasionally comes here to arrange chess games, sometimes sitting for a day and a night.”

“So that's it.” The Holy Prince nodded thoughtfully, saying, “Legend has it that the Undying Emperor was skilled in divination and enjoyed playing chess. This is most likely a stone chessboard he left behind.”

Everyone was greatly astonished. If that were true, this chessboard would be incredibly precious; it might even contain Dao marks.

“Without a doubt, this is a divine treasure. Otherwise, the Heavenly Emperor's Son wouldn't frequent this place to play chess,” Duan De said, eagerly conversing with the monkey, wanting to trade for it.

Several of them tried, focusing their spiritual consciousness into the rough chessboard, and immediately felt an endless killing tribulation, as if they were in primeval times, experiencing battle after battle.

“It truly is a treasure! The Undying Emperor transformed genuine primeval killing tribulations into imprints, carving them into the stone board. It's worth comprehending even for Saints!”

“This treasure is of immense value. We must keep it safe and slowly comprehend it back home,” the Holy Prince said, carefully putting it away.

Not long after, they swept this massive palace clean. Finding nothing else of particular interest, they withdrew and headed to the next location.

The second main peak was exceptionally tall, and its grand palace was even more magnificent, as majestic as the Central Heavenly Palace of the Primeval Heavenly Court. It exuded an awe-inspiring presence; standing there, one felt as if they could survey the entire world. Various auspicious signs appeared, with thousands upon thousands of strands of immortal energy cascading like waterfalls.

The Black Emperor broke through the formations, and the group smoothly reached the main peak. As it was primarily a residence, there weren't any overly terrifying grand formations.

This place had vast patches of ancient herbs, clearly never depleted throughout the ages. Rooted before the Heavenly Palace's path, sacred energy permeated the air, and a rich fragrance filled their nostrils. The medicinal herbs had leaves of deep green, fiery red, shimmering purple, and other varied colors.

“That is...” As they stepped into the Heavenly Palace, they were all petrified.

Dense immortal energy rushed towards them. Various Dao fluctuations undulated like boundless star fields, astonishing and bewildering them, as if they were facing an ancient universe.

Even Ye Fan, the Holy Prince, Duan De, the Black Emperor, and others, who had seen much of the world, were now trembling with excitement, their mouths dry.

“Gulp!”

They could clearly hear many of them swallowing, utterly stunned by what they saw before their eyes.

“Damn, only the Undying Emperor could do something like this! He truly didn't hold back; it's an unparalleled immortal item!”

“It's too astonishing! A group of Saints would have to bow and beg for it! I never imagined this legendary item would remain in this world!”

“An astonishing immortal fortune! It's still alive in the divine spring. We never expected such great luck. If the Heavenly Emperor's Son knew we were here, he would surely be enraged to the point of spitting blood.”

Even Ye Fan's eyes widened. The gains from this raid were immense; just this one immortal item made the trip more than worthwhile, enough to make him smile in his sleep.