Chapter 1180: Into the Primordial

**Chapter 1181: Entering the Primordial Mine**

Honestly, Duan De's behavior utterly bewildered everyone. They felt he was simply tired of living. How could he dare to enter the Primordial Mine? What a joke; even the Victorious Fighting Buddha might perish if he went in!

He walked along, humming a tune, his expression serene. It was evident he wasn't jesting; he was truly approaching the forbidden zone and was about to enter.

"Duan De, are you tired of living?" Ye Fan demanded.

"Morally deficient Daoist, you're not serious, are you? You're really going in?" The big black dog asked, its bell-like eyes wide.

"Uncle Duan, no! Don't do anything rash. If you die, I'll be very sad," the little bald monk also cried out.

The Victorious Fighting Buddha stopped, his golden fur shimmering, his appearance solemn and benevolent. He looked at Duan De, but said nothing.

"Ancient Buddha, there's no need to look at me like that. This humble Daoist does not belong to your lineage and has no dealings with the people of Mount Sumeru; I will not become a monk," Duan De chuckled awkwardly.

The Victorious Fighting Buddha remained silent, walking around Duan De, observing him carefully, lost in thought.

"This humble Daoist is just a nobody, with no special background," Duan De said, reciting "Immeasurable Celestial Venerable."

Everyone else found this odd and fell silent, staring intently at him. Duan De's origins were mysterious; no one knew his master, and he was becoming increasingly extraordinary.

However, even when they opened their Heavenly Eyes and observed carefully, they couldn't discern anything.

The Victorious Fighting Buddha said, "If you had achieved immortality and cultivated the Dao for a million years, why would you still recite 'Immeasurable Celestial Venerable'? You'd simply revere yourself, likely unmatched."

Duan De coughed, a frustrated expression on his face, and said, "If I were such an existence, why would I be so constrained? I could ascend to the sun and moon, descend to the underworld, roam the nine heavens and ten earths at will. Even if there were gods in the Primordial Mine, they probably wouldn't be able to harm me."

Everyone considered this and agreed. Indeed, while Duan De's origins were mysterious and his cultivation bizarre, he absolutely couldn't be a supreme-level figure; otherwise, he wouldn't be in such a predicament.

"To be honest, I'm here out of pure necessity, likely facing certain death. It's truly like seeking my own demise, just as you all say," Duan De sighed.

"If you really want to go in, you'll need an ancient emperor's token, otherwise, you'll just die. Do you have such a thing?" the Divine Silkworm Princess asked.

Moments ago, they might have thought he was joking and not serious, but now he was so solemn. If he truly stepped inside, he could be trapped in an inescapable abyss; they had to warn him.

"I have an ancient token," Duan De nodded, producing a battered, somewhat rusty copper plate that was ancient and unpretentious.

Duan De seemed to possess quite a few ancient tokens. He had once bluffed others with one, and now he had another. He was truly unfathomable.

"An ancient emperor's token is not just anything. How could you have dug up something like that?" The Divine Silkworm Princess naturally didn't believe his copper plate was effective.

"Don't worry, I don't want to die immediately. This should be genuine; I dug it out myself."

The Divine Silkworm Princess disbelieved him, saying, "Nonsense! The ancient emperor's tokens are all in the hands of the major imperial clans. They've never been buried underground or lost. How could you have one?"

"Mine is undoubtedly real, and it will definitely get me in. An ancient emperor personally forged it, probably over a million years ago," Duan De stated confidently.

Since he said so, and given how cunning he was, he certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to seek death. Naturally, everyone had nothing more to say and no way to dissuade him.

"Brother Duan, since you're about to enter the Primordial Mine, isn't there anything you want to say? Won't you talk about your origins and past?" Ye Fan asked.

They had known each other for many years, and though the Daoist was incredibly unscrupulous, he had certainly helped them many times. Now, with an uncertain fate awaiting him in the Primordial Mine, Ye Fan wanted to inquire.

"As for this humble Daoist, I am just one among the multitude, nothing special. In fact, for all these years, as I've traveled through ancient underground tombs, I've been seeking answers to three questions," Duan De said earnestly.

Everyone's expressions grew serious. They found his earnest demeanor rare and were eager to know what these three questions were, so they listened attentively.

"Who am I?"

"Where do I come from?"

"Where am I going?"

Duan De's face was completely serious, not joking at all, yet everyone still felt he was pulling their leg, clearly being perfunctory.

"Uncle Duan is a philosopher," the little bald monk said, blinking his large eyes.

The Dragon Horse scoffed, saying, "Pfft, I'll spit immortal energy on you! It's one thing for someone on the other side of the starry sky to utter such nonsense, but you spend all your days robbing graves and digging up tombs..."

"How could you understand the profound questions this humble Daoist delves into? This is great archaeology, studying the origin and trajectory of all beings!" Duan De declared shamelessly, returning to his usual self.

The group scorned him, saying nothing more.

Ye Fan paused, watching his retreating figure, lost in thought, yet still unable to see through him.

The group reached the outer edge of the Primordial Forbidden Zone, daring not to step further.

The beings within the Primordial Mine, having awakened in this era when the path to immortality was about to open, usually remained dormant, unwilling to expend even a trace of their "divine energy."

In the past, even entering the forbidden zone was inconsequential. But now, it was vastly different; stepping inside would disturb the supreme beings deep within the zone, and then it would be hard to say whether it was a blessing or a curse.

Ultimately, Ye Fan and his companions retreated, traversing the void to enter the Divine Silkworm Ridge, where they awaited news. The vast, undulating mountain range seemed endless, covered everywhere with floss trees, teeming with various exotic silkworms, while true Divine Silkworms, descendants of the ancient emperor, were rare.

"These mulberry trees are formed from divine source, not actual vegetation!"

Ye Fan, Li Heishui, Yan Yixi, Dongfang Ye, and others were visiting the ancient imperial family's land for the first time and were naturally surprised, finding everything they saw novel.

Even the Saint Prince and Ji Zi, being direct descendants of ancient holy emperors and great emperors, had never been to such a place, marking their first visit to this divine land.

As for the big black dog, it was a bit uneasy, looking left and right uncomfortably in this place. There was no helping it; it had too many enemies, even having provoked the Divine Silkworm race.

In the deepest part, there were nine Divine Silkworm Ridges, majestic and mysterious, shrouded in vast mists, all of which were immortal energy, carrying the aura left by ancient emperors.

Ye Fan and the others could only come here thanks to their connection with the Victorious Fighting Buddha and the Saint Prince; naturally, they couldn't actually enter the central forbidden zone.

However, they were fortunate enough to ascend the first Divine Silkworm Ridge, entering a magnificent area where vegetation was lush, dotted with ponds, and very secluded.

On a large bluestone at the foot of the mountain, a slovenly Daoist lay in deep slumber, a row of wine jars beside him. He was the Divine Silkworm Daoist, a direct descendant of that clan's ancient emperor.

His face was somewhat pale, and a melancholic aura hung between his brows. He was in a deep, motionless slumber.

The Divine Silkworm clan members sighed, saying nothing. This ancient prince was unlike Huang Xudao, Huo Qilin, and others; he lacked vitality and carried an aura of decline. He seemed utterly out of place in this world, and had been so for years, a fact no one could change.

Ye Fan and the others did not disturb him. They entered this mountain ridge, passed through the divine mulberry forest, walked past the Source Mountain, and arrived at a spring pool as green as jade.

This pool was only about ten feet long, yet wisps of immortal energy rose from it. Under the Divine Silkworm Princess's control, it became emerald and crystalline, transparent and luminous, astonishingly transforming into a mirror.

A flash of green light swept across, illuminating the scene of the Primordial Forbidden Zone, clearly reflecting the figures of the Victorious Fighting Buddha and Duan De.

This was a spiritual pool left by the ancient emperor of the Divine Silkworm Ridge. Every direct descendant could cultivate their body here, and it had an even more miraculous effect: it could observe the Three Realms and Six Paths, similar to the All-Seeing Eye of the Demon Emperor's Palace.

Unfortunately, without being an ancient emperor, it was difficult to fully activate. Later generations could only inject the aura of the people and scenes they wished to see to capture their trajectories.

Given the Divine Silkworm Princess's relationship with the Victorious Fighting Buddha, she could naturally obtain a wisp of his concentrated aura. Now, by this spiritual pool, everything could be observed.

"They've gone in!" Ye Fan exclaimed.

The Victorious Fighting Buddha and Duan De, holding their ancient emperor's tokens, stepped into the Primordial Forbidden Zone, instantly making everyone tense up, holding their breath as they watched.

"Damn it, how could I forget the Heaven-Devouring Demonic Pot? This is something this emperor coveted for a lifetime! I should have snatched it just now; letting him take it in is like casting pearls before swine!" The black dog was filled with deep regret.

The Primordial Forbidden Zone was terrifying beyond measure; every step taken could invite a fatal danger, for it buried ancient secrets from eons past, and even Great Saints and ancient titans dared not approach.

"Something's happening! There's a disturbance in the Primordial Mine!" Ji Zi said in a low voice.

In the emerald spiritual pool, the Primordial Mine radiated a mystical mist, spiraling upwards, hazy and eerie, causing everyone to shiver even from that distance!

"What is Duan De saying? Why can't we hear anything?" Everyone was anxious, staring at the spiritual pool.

At this moment, inside the Primordial Forbidden Zone, Duan De held the ancient emperor's token, his lips moving, but no one knew what he was saying.

"How did an extra ancient token appear? I've never seen it before," a cold, emotionless voice echoed, as if from the chaotic immortal realm beyond the thirty-three heavens, shaking heaven and earth with its rumbling, making everyone by the spiritual pool turn pale.

Duan De said something else, but it was unknown what. The Primordial Mine fell completely silent. After a long time, the rusty copper plate in his hand flew into the Primordial Mine.

"It truly is an ancient emperor's token!"

Finally, only this cold voice emanated from the ancient mine.

Inside the ancient mine, three dazzling lights shot forth in quick succession. They were true immortal radiance, instantly striking Duan De's body.

Poof!

His body exploded, tearing into pieces. The blood mist dissipated, transforming into wisps of energy that merged into the heavens and earth, vanishing in an instant.

"What? Duan De is dead!"

"No, why did this happen?"

By the spiritual pool, the group cried out in alarm, their faces all ashen. Duan De had died like this, his body and spirit annihilated, with not a single bone fragment remaining!

No one could accept this fact. What kind of person was Duan De? Cunning and slippery, how could he choose such a path to death?!

"Uncle Duan!" The little bald monk, Huahua, burst into tears.

"Master Duan!" Ye Tong also cried out. In the past, when Ye Fan traveled far, for a long time, it was the big black dog, Duan De, and Li Tian who had tutored him, making Duan De a semi-master figure to him.

"How could this be?" Everyone cried out.

In the Primordial Mine, the mist grew thicker, immortal energy ascended, and the cold, emotionless voice spoke again: "It is the ancient Heavenly Art of Transcending Tribulations!"

(To be continued)