Chapter 108: Landing on the Holy Mountain

The nine sacred mountains rose majestically, ancient trees towering and strange rocks jutting out, creating a magnificent sight.

At the foot of the mountain, Ye Fan looked at Jiang Hanzhong and said, "I have only one condition: release all six of them." As he spoke, he pointed to Liu Yiyi, Zhang Ziling, Lin Jia, and the others.

Liu Yiyi and Zhang Ziling looked anxious and worried, gesturing for Ye Fan to escape quickly, but they couldn't speak aloud because they were surrounded by knights.

Zhou Yi, Lin Jia, and Wang Ziwen hadn't expected Ye Fan to prioritize their escape at such a moment. Li Xiaoman also paused, her gaze fixed on Ye Fan not far away.

"They can't help at all now, and there's no point in them staying," Ye Fan said, staring at Jiang Hanzhong. "You only want to use them to test the skeletons on the mountain. There's no need to sacrifice innocent people."

"You are indeed compassionate and righteous, but unfortunately, you are not qualified to negotiate with us," Jiang Hanzhong said, casting a dismissive glance at the group nearby. He said nothing more, clearly not intending to let them go.

Nearby, Zhou Yi, Li Xiaoman, and the others all blanched. They naturally understood the Jiang family elder's intentions: ultimately, he would kill them to silence them, ensuring they wouldn't leave alive. Ye Fan picked up a rock weighing over ten pounds from the platform, weighed it in his hand a few times, then swung his arm and powerfully hurled it towards the mountain. It was hard to imagine his strength; the rock arced gracefully, soaring directly from the foot of the mountain to the mountainside, crashing heavily into a pile of white bones. "What are you doing?!" Elder Ji Yunfeng of the Ji family roared in fury, a murderous intent clear in his eyes. "Didn't you want to test those skeletons on the sacred mountain? I'm just doing it for you; there's no need for living people."

Elder Xu Daoling of the Yaoguang Holy Land's face immediately darkened. "Who told you to act recklessly?"

Jiang Hanzhong also showed murderous intent, holding a brocade box in his hand. It gleamed faintly, neither wood nor jade, not dazzling but imbued with an ancient aura. While it showed no terrifying energy fluctuations, it exuded an extremely dangerous sensation.

Ye Fan had the illusion that it was an entire world rather than just a box, as if it could contain all things, encompassing mountains and the earth. "Boom!"

At that very moment, a violent tremor came from the sacred mountain, as if some colossal creature had been enraged. Countless rocks tumbled down, smashing and breaking many trees.

"The skeletons are coming down the mountain!" many knights shrieked. On the sacred mountain, countless white skeletons were crawling downwards, densely packed. Their speed wasn't particularly fast, but the sheer white mass sent shivers down their spines. "Look what you've done!" Jiang Hanzhong roared, glaring at Ye Fan, his murderous intent completely undisguised.

"You would get the same result even if you sent people!"

"Make a decision quickly now, on what to prioritize and whether to continue gathering the divine medicine," Elder Xu Daoling of the Yaoguang Holy Land said, his face grim.

Elder Ji Yunfeng of the Ji family said with a solemn expression, "There's no need to hold back now. Let's bring out our respective forbidden artifacts and forcibly clear a path forward. We must reach the sacred mountain and gather the divine medicine."

The Jiang family elder's face was ashen. He shot a fierce glare at Ye Fan, then held up the brocade box in his hand. "This forbidden artifact allows my divine power source to surge nine times, instantly restoring my cultivation. I have nine opportunities to strike."

Ye Fan was immediately startled upon hearing this. He secretly called himself lucky; this old man could actually use divine abilities. If they had truly fought desperately just now, he would have undoubtedly died.

In the Ji family elder's hand appeared a fist-sized, completely black strange stone, densely covered with countless inscribed patterns, exuding a natural Dao charm. "This forbidden artifact was personally refined by a Supreme Elder of my Ji family, imbued with endless Dao patterns. It can briefly condense 'heavenly momentum,' giving me nine opportunities to strike."

Ye Fan's heart was awestruck. The foundations of these Ancient Desolate families were incredibly profound, capable of manifesting such artifacts that allowed them to briefly restore their divine power within the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Land.

The Yaoguang Holy Land elder held a palm-sized biyu leaf, sparkling with green light. It, too, was covered with mysterious and intricate Dao patterns, flowing smoothly like naturally formed leaf veins. "To gather divine medicine in this forbidden land, a Supreme Elder of my Yaoguang Holy Land personally refined this artifact, allowing me three opportunities to strike."

Jiang Hanzhong didn't believe it at all and sneered, "Impossible. Yaoguang Holy Land is not weaker than our Ancient Desolate families. Why would they be so careless as to bring such an inferior forbidden artifact just to enter the Forbidden Zone?" The Ji family elder's expression was also cold as he said, "Brother Xu, there's no need to hide your capabilities now." "Although I only have three opportunities to strike, this forbidden artifact contains the sealed divine power of a Supreme Elder from my Yaoguang Holy Land, which can be used twice." Upon hearing this, Jiang Hanzhong and Ji Yunfeng gasped. This emerald leaf was indeed a priceless treasure.

The three elders gathered, discussing briefly.

Ye Fan, listening nearby, understood. These so-called forbidden artifacts were priceless treasures specifically refined for entering the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Land. These Holy Lands and Ancient Desolate families possessed immense power, deep foundations, and incredible methods. He couldn't help but ask, "Why didn't you prepare more forbidden artifacts?"

"What would a mortal like you know?!" Jiang Hanzhong's face was not pleasant; he now had an impulse to kill because of Ye Fan's reckless action. At this moment, the sacred mountain was covered with countless skeletons, all crawling downwards.

Xu Daoling glanced at him and said, "The materials required to refine such a forbidden artifact are unimaginable; they could entirely be used to create a 'great artifact' of absolute power." "There's no time to waste! Move forward immediately!" Elder Ji Yunfeng of the Ji family urged.

Ye Fan was forced to walk at the very front, with the three elders closely behind him, followed by the numerous cultivators and Li Xiaoman's group.

The sacred mountain was lush with vegetation and adorned with strange rocks, truly beautiful, but no one paid attention to these details. In this life-or-death situation, everyone was gripped by anxiety.

They had just climbed halfway up the mountain, still far from the summit, when they felt an ominous, malevolent aura. All the savage beasts began to roar. "I... I'm getting old!" a knight cried out in alarm.

In that instant, many people's appearances aged, as if they had traversed ten years. Many middle-aged individuals' temples turned gray. "If we go any further, we'll die!" someone shouted, and many were shaken. "What are you panicking about!" Jiang Hanzhong yelled back. "If we succeed, each of you will have an immense opportunity."

At this moment, Ye Fan's appearance remained unchanged, and the three elders showed no abnormalities either. The forbidden artifacts in their hands emanated a peculiar aura, protecting them. Furthermore, Zhou Yi, Liu Yiyi, Wang Ziwen, Li Xiaoman, and the others at the rear also showed no changes. "Why aren't they affected?" Jiang Hanzhong's eyes widened in surprise.

Ye Fan instantly thought of many things. That day, they had appeared at the summit of the sacred mountain without undergoing any terrifying changes. It was only after leaving the forbidden land that many people began to age.

"Could it be related to the Nine Dragons pulling the Coffin?"

Below, Zhou Yi and Wang Ziwen's group were also discussing in hushed tones.

"It's most likely connected to the nine dragon corpses and the ancient bronze coffin. Perhaps during our journey across the starfield, we became imbued with their aura."

"The demonic aura from deep below couldn't affect the bronze coffin. Didn't we personally witness a creature bound by iron chains roaring furiously in the dead of night back then..."

The youngest knight in the group couldn't bear the loss of his youth and cried out in terror, "Elder, we can't go any further..." "Useless trash! What good are you?!" Jiang Hanzhong, holding a long spear with one hand, instantly pierced him through. Blood splattered as he was flung dozens of meters away, crashing heavily to the ground. The others fell silent, too terrified to say another word.

Through the dense vegetation, the mountain peak was faintly visible. It was at this moment that the skeletons from the mountain appeared before them, about to engage the group. "Elders, quickly use the forbidden artifacts, or we won't be able to hold on!" At this point, everyone had aged several more years, and some of the savage beasts had already grown weak.

The mountain was a sea of white, countless skeletons crawling everywhere, making one's scalp tingle. An ominous, malevolent aura drifted down with the mountain wind, and many people screamed in terror.

A horrifying event occurred: the flesh and blood of many knights began to wither, and many instantly aged twenty years, leaving a group of white-haired old people on the scene. "I'll go first!" Ji Yunfeng took out the black strange stone, holding it in his palm. In an instant, streams of black light shot forth, rising into the air.

"Boom!"

An extremely powerful and terrifying fluctuation erupted from Ji Yunfeng's body, vast and unfathomable like an ocean, surging in all directions. This was his true strength.

Ye Fan's heart tightened with awe. The Ji family elder was too powerful; he felt like a mere duckweed, while the other was a vast sea—there was no comparison whatsoever. "Is this his true strength?"

If they had met under normal circumstances, Brother Ye would have surely died. The difference between them was as vast as heaven and earth; their strengths were too far apart. A casual strike from the elder would have been enough to turn him into dust.

A Heavenly Net Umbrella burst forth from Ji Yunfeng's body, stirring up gusts of fierce wind that shattered trees and rocks into dust. The dense mass of skeletons ahead also turned to powder in an instant. "Charge upwards quickly!" Ji Yunfeng shouted. He rushed to the very front, the Heavenly Net Umbrella vibrating violently, carving out a hundred-meter-long pure land where all skeletons were pulverized and swept away by the fierce winds.

With a flash of light, the Heavenly Net Umbrella flew back. Ji Yunfeng's body trembled as his divine power source dried up. A crack appeared on the black strange stone in his hand, indicating one opportunity had been used, leaving eight more. "Hurry!" Jiang Hanzhong and Xu Daoling both shouted. Time was extremely tight; they had to seize the opportunity and advance quickly.

Suddenly, shouts came from behind. Li Xiaoman, Zhou Yi, Wang Ziwen, and Lin Jia, taking advantage of the moment, swiftly rushed down the mountain. Several white-haired knights, their bodies no longer agile, failed to block them. "Ye Fan..." Liu Yiyi and Zhang Ziling shouted towards the mountain. "You two, go quickly, don't worry about me!" Seeing their hesitation, Ye Fan roared downwards. Zhang Ziling gritted his teeth, abruptly turned, and, pulling Liu Yiyi's hand, rushed away without looking back.

Several white-haired knights hurled their spears, which narrowly missed piercing the two, whistling past them before embedding themselves in the ground and trembling violently. "I'll chase them!" some knights exclaimed, about to mount their savage beasts and charge down the mountain.

Jiang Hanzhong roared, "Don't mind them! Rush up the mountain! We cannot waste this opportunity created by expending our divine power source." As he spoke, two sharp beams of light shot from his eyes, staring intently at Ye Fan. "You be honest with me. If you dare try to escape, I will instantly turn you into dust."

At this moment, Li Xiaoman was in the lead, followed closely by Zhou Yi, Wang Ziwen, and Lin Jia. The four vanished in the blink of an eye. Zhang Ziling and Liu Yiyi then also disappeared into the mountain forest.

They had seized this rare opportunity. It was impossible for those on the mountain to pursue them at such a critical juncture. The six finally broke free from control and escaped down the mountain.

Elder Ji Yunfeng of the Ji family sneered, "Wanting to live isn't that easy. The moment you step out of the Forbidden Zone, almost everyone will age to death and turn into dust."

The mountain was covered in white bones, countless skeletons struggling to crawl down. This time, it was Jiang Hanzhong's turn to act. He held the brocade box in his palm, and a terrifying aura instantly permeated the air. The energy fluctuations he emitted were utterly horrifying, as if a million great mountains were pressing down simultaneously, making one's heart tremble with fear.

Ye Fan felt a chill from head to toe. For him, beings of this caliber were like gods in the clouds, impossible to fathom or gauge their depth.

And so, Jiang Hanzhong, Ji Yunfeng, and Xu Daoling took turns attacking, finally approaching the summit of the sacred mountain, now less than two hundred meters from the top.

Just then, screams erupted from behind. People continuously fell. After nearing the summit, many knights' life forces rapidly vanished, and many completely aged to death. "No! We can't hold on either!" At this moment, although Jiang Hanzhong, Ji Yunfeng, and Xu Daoling held their forbidden artifacts, their appearances had significantly aged, and their figures were somewhat hunched. "If this continues, we'll certainly die. We can't even get close to the summit." "Retreat, all of you retreat!" Xu Daoling cried out in anguish, ordering the knights to fall back. Their original plan could not be executed; the people they brought were completely useless.

Jiang Hanzhong coldly stared at Ye Fan. Holding the brocade box, his entire body glowed with divine light, and an ocean-like power surged forth, instantly immobilizing Ye Fan. Then, he took out a sealed jade bottle, broke the seal on the spot, and a dark flash instantly plunged into Ye Fan's body. "A puppet mark?" Ji Yunfeng asked.

"Precisely. I don't trust this boy. What if he goes up and destroys the divine medicine, or recklessly consumes it himself? Wouldn't all our efforts be in vain?" Jiang Hanzhong patted Ye Fan and said, "Go on up!"

Then, he turned to the other two and said, "Now, we will fully assist him and send him to the summit. We must gather the divine medicine." "Alright!" Xu Daoling nodded.

Ji Yunfeng said, "Combined, we still have nine opportunities to strike. Risking the danger of turning to dust, if we advance another hundred meters, we should be able to clear all the skeletons and send him to the summit."

The closer they got to the summit, the heavier the malevolent aura became. Although the skeletons had been cleared, the three elders were still rapidly aging, and even Ye Fan couldn't resist it, transforming from a youth to a young man.

At this moment, hundreds of ancient characters vibrated within Ye Fan's heart, echoing like the great bells of Huangzhong, shattering the dark flash that had surged into his mind and completely expelling it. The puppet mark had no effect on him whatsoever.

Ye Fan broke out in a cold sweat. He had almost been crippled at the last moment. The Jiang family elder was too insidious; there was no warning, and at that moment, Ye Fan had no ability to resist. Now, he pretended to be controlled, diligently obeying the three elders' words, and strode towards the summit. "Take this!" Xu Daoling tossed over a jade purification bottle. "This bottle can hold an entire mountain. It has its own internal space. Use it to collect the divine spring after gathering the sacred medicine."

With only dozens of meters left to the summit, the three elders had cleared all the skeletons and stopped, daring not to take another step forward. At this point, they were in constant danger of turning to dust, having already aged beyond recognition.

Ye Fan felt his life force draining away. The moment he reached the summit, his hair had turned white as snow, and he had aged beyond recognition.

"That is..." At this moment, his expression froze. On the sacred mountain, a woman of peerless beauty stood quietly. She suddenly turned and looked at him.