Chapter 113: Secret Realm

Several items in the cave mansion shimmered with brilliant light. The Purple Copper Bagua Mirror, a weapon refined by a cultivator beyond the Nirvana Realm, lived up to its reputation. After being left in Ye Fan's secret chamber for a year, it was now enveloped in divine radiance and purple mist, radiating its brilliance once more. The Jade Purifying Vase, pure white and lustrous, was covered in intricate Dao patterns and had also regained its wondrous power, though Ye Fan wondered if it could hold an entire mountain. The holy tree branch inserted into it, submerged in the divine spring, remained as vibrant as ever, showing no signs of wilting. As for the Sky Net Umbrella, although it had been pierced by the Heavenly Jade Saintess, the damage was not severe. It was still shrouded in shimmering mist, appearing quite extraordinary.

"Weapons crafted by those beyond the Nirvana Realm must be incredibly powerful," Ye Fan mused. He repeatedly refined them, erasing all previous imprints to prevent others from sensing them. Afterward, he attempted to draw his weapons into his Sea of Suffering. It was then that something surprising happened: neither the Purple Copper Bagua Mirror, nor the pristine Jade Purifying Vase, nor the Sky Net Umbrella could sink into the Sea of Suffering. They couldn't even be submerged in the Spring of Life; they could only float beneath the Divine Bridge, above the Sea of Suffering.

"Green Copper Block, you occupy the best spot yet serve no purpose for me, and you're even forcing other weapons away!" Ye Fan was quite speechless, instantly realizing the reason.

The Green Copper Block was submerged at the bottom of the Sea of Suffering, near the spring's eye, monopolizing the prime location. It had pushed the Golden Scripture to the fringes. Moreover, it had directly forced the Purple Copper Bagua Mirror, Jade Purifying Vase, and Sky Net Umbrella out of the Sea of Suffering entirely, preventing them from even touching it.

"This is merely a golden page from the Dao Scripture, yet it's stronger than the Purple Copper Bagua Mirror and the Jade Purifying Vase. I don't know whether to call it extraordinary or those three weapons too useless."

Weapons refined by cultivators beyond the Nirvana Realm are naturally extraordinary. This indirectly highlighted the wondrous nature of the Golden Scripture.

This location was about four hundred li from the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land. It was surrounded by vast mountains, where strange birds and fierce beasts occasionally roamed, making it a truly primitive region.

Ye Fan did not fly. He walked out of the mountains, practicing the Old Madman's footwork. The divine ability of "Shrinking the Ground to an Inch" filled him with envy; it was even faster than flying. Unfortunately, his cultivation level was insufficient to comprehend the "Dao patterns" he had memorized, preventing him from performing such secret techniques.

Two days later, Ye Fan appeared in a small town. He had finally reached a place with human habitation.

"More than a year has passed; the Jiang family, Ji family, and Shaking Light Holy Land must have retreated by now," he wondered. He wanted to find someone to get an update.

Over the past year, Ye Fan's greatest gain wasn't his cultivation reaching the Divine Bridge Realm. Instead, it was the terrifying evolution of his divine sense. It was incredibly refined. The golden lake at his glabella could project divine light, as sharp as a heavenly sword or as gentle as a breeze, instantly perceiving everything around him.

"There are cultivators in that tavern," Ye Fan thought. Soon after entering the town, his divine sense detected the presence of cultivators.

Unfortunately, in that tavern, he didn't hear any news about the Jiang family, Ji family, or Shaking Light Holy Land. Instead, he overheard another significant event.

"The Demon Emperor's Tomb has finally sunk completely. That ruined land was filled with soaring resentment, bones piled like mountains, and blood flowing like rivers. It ultimately couldn't be conquered, and our Eastern Wasteland's supreme treasure, the Desolate Pagoda, has vanished forever."

"It can't disappear permanently. The Desolate Pagoda exists as long as the world does; it will emerge eventually."

"That's true. It can even suppress and kill immortals, so it naturally won't decay. Perhaps in a few thousand or tens of thousands of years, it will reappear in this world and choose a fated individual."

"I don't think it will take that long. The Desolate Pagoda has been gone for ten thousand years. I believe it should manifest soon; perhaps it will burst forth from beneath the Eastern Wasteland in the near future."

Ye Fan was astonished. The turmoil around the Demon Emperor's Tomb had actually lasted for three full years, only truly subsiding now. All the sects in the Eastern Wasteland had taken action. Even several mysterious grand figures from the Central Plains had arrived, but they still couldn't stabilize it. At the crucial moment, it had vanished into the earth's meridians, like a dragon returning to the sea, disappearing completely beneath the Eastern Wasteland.

Over the next half month, Ye Fan traveled between towns. He frequented crowded places but maintained a very low profile. He eventually learned what he wanted to know.

A year ago, the Jiang family, Ji family, and Shaking Light Holy Land had intruded into the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land. The result was complete annihilation; not a single person came out alive. This indeed caused a huge uproar, shaking all sects. No one dared to trespass into a forbidden zone of life again.

"Liu Yiyi, Zhang Ziling, Lin Jia, Zhou Yi, Li Xiaoman, and others have disappeared?" This news was not good, and Ye Fan frowned.

"If I were them, I wouldn't return to my sect. Otherwise, I would surely be interrogated by the Holy Lands and ancient aristocratic families. Any slight flaw would mean certain death. The Eastern Wasteland is so vast, with countless kingdoms like Yan, that fleeing this place would be the wisest choice." Ye Fan believed those six people hadn't died; they must have seen the situation was dire and fled far away.

"We'll likely meet again someday."

Ye Fan also felt there was no need to stay in Yan Land any longer. There were no powerful sects or ancient aristocratic families here. Only six blessed lands, which were insignificant in the eyes of the major sects. Opportunities were scarce here. He needed to explore other secret realms beyond the "Sea of Suffering" realm, so he had to leave.

"I should join a Holy Land or an ancient aristocratic family to acquire the cultivation methods for other secret realms. The Golden Scripture only contains the cultivation method for the Sea of Suffering realm, which is far from enough."

Ye Fan never believed he could collect the complete Dao Scripture. That was very unrealistic. It had been split apart tens of thousands of years ago, and now no one could say where each page of the Golden Scripture had ended up. The Holy Lands and ancient aristocratic families all possessed mysterious ancient scriptures no less powerful than the Dao Scripture. He wanted to start there. He could cultivate the Dao Scripture for the Sea of Suffering realm and then cultivate the ancient scriptures of various Holy Lands for other realms, provided he could obtain them.

"I still have time; there's no need to worry about lacking subsequent cultivation methods yet."

Ye Fan had reached the Divine Bridge Realm. The Nirvana Realm still lay ahead, and he didn't know when he would be able to cross it. To explore the other secret realms of the human body, one had to reach Nirvana. Nirvana, the endpoint of the Sea of Suffering realm, was its starting point for reaching other secret realms.

"The Eastern Wasteland is vast and boundless, with countless kingdoms. It's said to have seven great forbidden zones of life. I've only seen one, the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land. I truly wonder what the other forbidden zones are like."

Ye Fan felt it was impossible to delve deeper into the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land anytime soon. It was too dangerous. With his current strength, it was utterly impossible to gather the third type of holy medicine, and it would be difficult to succeed by luck again. He speculated that other forbidden zones of life must also be extremely mysterious places, perhaps offering great opportunities.

"The mysterious ancient scriptures of the Holy Lands and ancient aristocratic families, the seven great forbidden zones of life, the vast land of the Eastern Wasteland... all are worth exploring."

Before leaving, however, he felt it necessary to make a trip to the Spirit Void Cave Heaven. He wanted to retrieve the items he had left behind there. Back then, due to his insufficient strength, he had fled for his life and couldn't bother to retrieve his belongings. Now that he had reached the Divine Bridge Realm, his confidence was naturally ample.

For three years, the Spirit Void Cave Heaven had known no peace. The Demon Emperor's Tomb within the ruins had drawn countless sects from the Eastern Wasteland. Blood had stained that demonic land red, corpses piled high in the cold pond, and resentment surged to the sky.

After everything concluded, a peerless figure performed a profound and unfathomable divine art. They finally purified the ruins. Otherwise, the Spirit Void Cave Heaven would have had no choice but to relocate its entire sect.

Arriving at the mountain gate of the Spirit Void Cave Heaven, Ye Fan felt a surge of emotion. Back then, he had been deemed a 'waste body' and no one was willing to take him in. His presence here was solely due to Pang Bo.

"Pang Bo, once I'm strong enough, I will definitely rescue you!"

The Spirit Void Cave Heaven was shrouded in ethereal clouds and mist, with immortal mountains faintly visible. Ancient trees stood robustly before the mountain gate, strange rocks jutted out, and waterfalls flowed, giving it a strong sense of an immortal realm.

"Who are you, and why have you come to my Spirit Void Cave Heaven?" the disciple guarding the mountain gate asked.

"Elder Brother, I'm here to visit Elder Wu Qingfeng." At this moment, Ye Fan looked about fourteen years old, and his bright, sunny smile easily won people over.

The disciple guarding the mountain gate did not make things difficult for him and said, "Come in with me."

Walking into the Spirit Void Cave Heaven, Ye Fan was immediately startled as he stepped onto the hundred-plus bluestone steps. He asked, "Why are these bluestone steps cracked? They weren't like this before."

Back then, the first time he entered the Spirit Void Cave Heaven and stepped onto the bluestone steps, the ancient scripture in his mind automatically resonated, leaving a deep impression on him. He believed there must be something extraordinary beneath the bluestone steps.

"How do you know they weren't like this before?" The disciple looked at him suspiciously.

"I used to live here, so naturally I know. Elder Brother, please tell me what happened; why are all these bluestone steps cracked?" Ye Fan urgently wanted to know, as the ancient scripture in his mind was not resonating now. He was certain that the "item" beneath had disappeared.

The disciple looked left and right, and seeing no one passing by, he whispered, "It's terrifying to think about, but there's a Yin pulse beneath here, connected to the Demon Emperor's Yin Tomb. It was from here that it finally escaped, sinking deep beneath the Eastern Wasteland."

Ye Fan was shocked. He had never imagined such a result. In an instant, he thought of the Desolate Pagoda, rumored to exist alongside the world and capable of suppressing immortals to death.

"When I first entered this place, did the ancient scripture resonate automatically because of the Desolate Pagoda?" Ye Fan was completely perplexed. The ancient scripture came from the other side of the starry sky, obtained from the ancient bronze coffin. He couldn't understand why it would resonate because of an item from this world.

Inside the Spirit Void Cave Heaven, the peaks were green and the valleys emerald, creating a very beautiful landscape. Palaces and pavilions dotted the scenery, and swirling mist added an ethereal sense.

Meeting Elder Wu Qingfeng again, Ye Fan felt a sense of warmth. He bowed respectfully. This elder had taken good care of him back then and was a truly respectable senior.

"Child, it's actually you!" Elder Wu Qingfeng exclaimed with excitement. He hadn't changed much, still with white hair and beard, a tall and slender figure, exuding an otherworldly aura.

Seeing Ye Fan, he naturally thought of Pang Bo. He couldn't help but let out a long sigh. Pang Bo had been taken in as his disciple, but unexpectedly, he had been coerced by the demon race and disappeared into the primeval ruins.

This was a tranquil valley. Not far away was a clear lake, shimmering like a sapphire. In front were four or five thatched cottages and a large bamboo forest, making it very secluded.

Sitting on a stone chair in the bamboo grove, Ye Fan picked up a teacup from the stone table, took a sip, and began conversing with the elder.

When Ye Fan asked about other secret realms of the human body, Elder Wu Qingfeng looked at him in surprise. He said, "Child, don't aim too high. Do you remember what I told you? It's remarkable for a person to explore even one secret realm to its fullest in their lifetime. Cultivating the Wheel of Life and the Sea of Suffering to their limits can also make one a peak expert."

"Why do those Holy Lands and ancient aristocratic families cultivate other secret realms then?"

"You can't compare to them. They possess ancient scriptures comparable to immortal classics; this is an inherent advantage." Elder Wu Qingfeng sighed and shook his head, saying, "Actually, cultivating one secret realm is enough. It's said that many great ancient powers only cultivated a single secret realm."

Ye Fan lowered his head, a contemplative expression on his face. But he eventually looked up, having made a decision. He couldn't just cultivate one secret realm. Since other secret realms existed, there must be a reason for their existence and for cultivating them.

Elder Wu Qingfeng was quite perplexed. He thought that even if Ye Fan's Desolate Ancient Saint Body could barely cultivate, he wouldn't achieve much. However, the elder was kind and ultimately answered many of his questions.

Ye Fan finally learned the name of the next secret realm: Dao Palace. After the Sea of Suffering realm, one needed to cross the Sea of Suffering and reach Nirvana to slowly explore it.

It was said that there were five "deities" in the Dao Palace. Cultivating this secret realm would lead to various profound and unfathomable occurrences.

Ye Fan only had the cultivation method for the "Sea of Suffering" realm. The Golden Scripture was merely a single page from the Dao Scripture, making it impossible to contain the cultivation method for the "Dao Palace" secret realm.

"To obtain the most profound cultivation methods, it seems I can only go to the Holy Lands and ancient aristocratic families. I must acquire the mysterious ancient scriptures in their possession," Ye Fan murmured to himself.

"Elder, among the ancient scriptures held by the Holy Lands and ancient aristocratic families, which one is the most profound?" Ye Fan asked.

Elder Wu Qingfeng shook his head and said, "Those Holy Lands and ancient aristocratic families are too mysterious and powerful; they are beyond our understanding. It's hard to say precisely which mysterious ancient scripture each of them possesses."

Ye Fan truly wanted to know which ancient scripture was the strongest. Hearing this, he muttered to himself, "Perhaps each has its own merits."

"Yes, that's correct," Elder Wu Qingfeng said, as if remembering something. "Legend has it that for the 'Sea of Suffering' secret realm, the Dao Scripture is the most potent. And for the 'Dao Palace' secret realm, the mysterious ancient scripture of the Jade Lake Holy Land should be the strongest. Each ancient scripture has cultivation methods that focus on different secret realms."

Ye Fan immediately made a decision. He would go to the Jade Lake Holy Land to learn their cultivation method for the "Dao Palace" secret realm.

"Does the Jade Lake Holy Land accept male disciples?"

"Never," Elder Wu Qingfeng replied, looking at him suspiciously. "You're not thinking of..."

"Do female disciples of the Jade Lake Holy Land marry?" Ye Fan asked, his face unblushing and heart steady.

Elder Wu Qingfeng immediately laughed. He said, "They can marry, but the conditions are extremely strict. I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to marry one."

Ye Fan didn't feel embarrassed at all; he just laughed. He then asked many more questions. Although Elder Wu Qingfeng had some doubts, he didn't question Ye Fan and patiently explained everything.

The Jade Lake Holy Land was extremely far from Yan Land. Among all Holy Lands and ancient aristocratic families, it was the most low-key and mysterious.

At the same time, Ye Fan unexpectedly learned that the Primordial Ancient Mine, one of the seven great forbidden zones of life in the Eastern Wasteland, was also in the region where the Jade Lake Holy Land was located.

Of course, this so-called "same region" was only relative to the vastness of the Eastern Wasteland. In reality, the actual distance between them was a full ten thousand li.

The Jiang family was also in that area, about thirty thousand li from the Primordial Ancient Mine. The "same region" was actually extremely vast, as the Eastern Wasteland was simply too enormous.

"The Primordial Ancient Mine..."

This was the first time Ye Fan had heard the name of this forbidden zone of life. As one of the seven great forbidden zones of life in the Eastern Wasteland, it must have an extraordinary origin.

"The 'Source' in that region is very abundant. The Jiang family and the Jade Lake Holy Land both chose to develop in that area, which is inextricably linked to this."

Ye Fan felt even more strongly that he should go there. "Source" was something he greatly needed. If he couldn't get holy medicine, seeking "Source" was also a good alternative.

"What is the Primordial Ancient Mine?" he asked, his voice filled with doubt and surprise.

"Bearing the name 'Primordial,' its antiquity is evident; it's impossible to guess how many ages it has existed," Elder Wu Qingfeng said, taking a sip of tea and continuing, "It's said that countless ages ago, the Primordial Ancient Mine was the most famous 'Source' mine in the Eastern Wasteland. Later, something inauspicious was unearthed from it, and as a result, it became one of the seven great forbidden zones of life."

Ye Fan was deeply surprised and curious. "What exactly was unearthed?" he asked.

"Some peerless 'Divine Sources' were unearthed. It's said that within these 'Sources' were sealed powerful creatures that eventually revived and killed everyone."

"What?!" Ye Fan was profoundly shocked.

"Legend has it that some 'Divine Sources' actually contained sealed humans."

Hearing these words, Ye Fan was too shocked to speak. He felt that the region he was about to visit was extremely mysterious. The Jade Lake Holy Land, the Jiang family, and the Primordial Ancient Mine all held extraordinary significance for him.