Chapter 1563: Purple Mountain Internal Practice Method

Chapter 1567: Learning Techniques Within Purple Mountain

“Is that really Emperor Wu Shi?” Even Ye Fan was stunned. Could this powerful man still be alive? That would be too astonishing.

Eighty thousand years had passed—an incredibly long time. Under normal circumstances, a true Great Emperor could not live this long, especially since Emperor Wu Shi had already entered his final years, with his vitality waning. How could he have survived such a twilight?

“Great Emperor, I’ve waited for you for many years. Have you finally returned?” The Black Emperor wailed, completely unlike his usual self, brimming with emotion and profound sadness.

“Xiao Hei.” After a soft sigh, the majestic figure wreathed in chaos turned and looked at the Black Emperor, uttering just those two words.

This nickname wasn’t particularly pleasant, but Ye Fan, the Holy Prince, and Ji Zi showed no hint of a smile. All of them trembled with shock, gazing in astonishment at the high platform.

Did this man truly possess consciousness? He could perceive everything and even converse with the Black Emperor!

“Great Emperor, take me with you! Whether it’s to slay immortals or venture into the Immortal Realm, please bring me. Xiao Hei might not be much help, but I can talk to you and keep you company.” The Black Emperor was utterly shocked. The Great Saint cried out, his usual arrogance gone, replaced by a profound unease, fearing it was all just a dream.

The figure, engulfed in chaos, had thick black hair, and from its physique, no signs of age were visible. Its true face remained unseen as it cradled the crystalline skull, walking step by step towards the depths of the high platform.

“Great Emperor, wait for me!” The Black Emperor cried out, about to lunge forward. But Ye Fan and the Holy Prince held him back tightly. The area was densely covered with Dao symbols, making it absolutely impossible to force their way through, even for the Black Emperor.

They watched intently, finally seeing the tall figure, still holding the skull, reach the deepest part of the platform. There, it suddenly transformed into a shower of light, dazzling and incredibly brilliant.

Then, the light shower slowly dispersed.

Only a skull remained, floating quietly. It then slowly descended, falling to the ground with a soft clink, beside which a translucent pendant gleamed.

“Great Emperor!” The Black Emperor went mad, crying out loud. He couldn’t accept this outcome.

Everything seemed clear, yet it was incredibly hard to accept.

The outcome was cruel, too real to face. The Black Emperor found it most unbearable, roaring in sorrow that shook the heavens.

There was nothing to be done. Even Great Emperors have their twilight years. Their vitality declines; no matter how powerful a man, there comes a day when the flame of his life extinguishes. Though Emperor Wu Shi was peerlessly mighty, he too could not escape this fate.

A Great Emperor who turned his back on all living beings carried too much history and mystery...

Precisely because of this, the powerful man seemed even more tragic. No matter how world-shaking his existence, he would ultimately enter his twilight, choosing in the end to depart alone.

“In an era as grand as this, seen only once in eternity, it would truly be a pity not to witness Emperor Wu Shi, not to see him confront the ancient supreme beings of the seven Forbidden Life Zones,” Ye Fan murmured with a sigh. It was also a form of comfort to the Black Emperor.

“He will! The Great Emperor will definitely appear! I believe he’s still alive, in the Immortal Realm. What just happened was him conversing with me across space and time!” The big black dog roared, as if clutching at a life raft.

With a soft hum, something in the distance trembled, emitting a peaceful glow. Undoubtedly, it was Imperial Aura, blossoming in wisps.

“What is that?” the Holy Prince asked, surprised.

“It’s an Imperial Scripture!” Having been here more than once, Ye Fan naturally knew what was hidden in that area.

“Let’s go!” They pulled the wailing Black Emperor forward, leaving this sacred place that inspired both reverence and sighs.

A massive scripture lay before them. Behind it, vines sprawled everywhere, lush and green, plants that grew in the Purple Mountain’s mine tunnels, exuding a demonic power.

The thick stone book was emitting a soft light. Brushing away the dust of ages, three large characters could be seen on it: Wu Shi Scripture!

The stone scripture was over ten meters long and one to two meters thick. Such a book was unheard of in the world, truly extraordinary.

The Black Emperor was also stunned. He hadn’t brought any Imperial Jade, nor had it been watered with the blood of a Congenital Sacred Body Dao Embryo. Why then was this scripture emitting such a peaceful aura, a light that felt so approachable?

“Clatter!”

A trembling sound came, as if a dust-sealed door had been pushed open. The massive scripture vibrated, humming, as wisps of Imperial Aura parted to either side.

The scripture had opened on its own, moving slowly, radiating ten thousand streaks of auspicious light. It was dazzling, imbued with a misty aura, revealing its true internal text!

“This is…” Everyone was astonished. Why was this happening? Wasn’t it supposed to open only when certain conditions were met? Yet now, it was turning pages automatically, baffling them.

Even the Black Emperor was dumbfounded. No one knew this place better than him, having lived here for many years, but now he couldn’t understand.

All the events happening today were too bizarre: first the Conferred God List loosened, then the Imperial Bell chimed, and now the scripture had opened, wreathed in auspicious light that filled the sky.

Page after page of scripture turned, not with a rustling sound, but with a tremolo that made the Heavenly Dao wail, as a grand chanting sound echoed forth.

It was louder than the combined chanting of three thousand Great Buddhas and eighty thousand gods and demons. It illuminated mountains and rivers, as if once this book was complete, no other scripture would exist in the world. Symbol after symbol flew out.

The Wu Shi Imperial Scripture was being recited, deafening them and making their throats dry. All of this was truly unbelievable.

They had obtained the Wu Shi Scripture just like that? It was a dream of countless people throughout history, yet no one had ever achieved it. Now, it had come true, laid out before them, waiting for them to study its techniques.

Ye Fan, Ji Zi, and the others stepped forward together, observing the massive stone book. Inside, one Dao rune after another was imprinted, complex and unfathomable.

It wasn’t a text composed entirely of characters, but rather Dao patterns, requiring personal understanding and enlightenment. This was both difficult and intricate, and what each person gained would certainly differ based on their individual comprehension.

“This isn’t the first page,” the Holy Prince said, trying to turn the page with his hand. Yet, it didn’t budge. The stone page was as heavy as billions of tons, something no mortal force could move.

It was a fragmented chapter, disjointed, containing only one section. It surprisingly spoke of the Grand Dao of Time, which was too profound. This single page alone captivated their hearts.

Involving the domain of time—this alone was enough to drive the world mad!

Unfortunately, turning to such a page revealed it was too incomplete. Only this one section was visible; it couldn’t be connected fore and aft, nor thoroughly understood. Forcibly trying to comprehend and enlighten oneself from it would definitely lead to major problems.

“What’s going on? It opened on its own. Why this particular page?” The Black Emperor shook his head vigorously, finding it unreal. He stretched out his large paw to turn the page, but still couldn’t move it.

Ji Zi stepped forward. He employed the laws of the Void Great Emperor, attempting to open it, but the result was the same—not the slightest change.

One must know they were already Great Saints and Sons of Emperors. How incredibly powerful they were, yet they couldn’t even turn a single page of the scripture. If word got out, no one would believe it.

“That’s not right. Since the Wu Shi Scripture has opened, it can’t be without reason. It can’t just be this one random page, can it?” the Holy Prince said.

Only Ye Fan remained unmoved. Seeing them look his way, he directly turned the scripture. With a rumble, the moment he touched it, the scripture seemed to ignite, its radiance blinding. Imperial Aura surged, parting to both sides. Fortunately, it didn’t rush towards them, or the consequences would have been unimaginable.

A humming sound resonated again as the scripture turned once more, opening to a new section. It then stabilized there, its radiance contained, the text thundering like a divine drum shaking the heavens.

Everyone showed a strange expression. Ye Fan had actually turned the page!

“Try again! See if you can turn to the first page!” Everyone was filled with anticipation. This was the most mysterious ancient scripture, finally about to be revealed today, exciting them greatly.

Hearing this, Ye Fan tried to turn the scripture again, but this time, it had no effect. It was unshakeable. Its luster flowed, fixed in place.

“Don’t force it, this is all we can do,” the Black Emperor said.

“This is… a forbidden secret art!” Ji Zi exclaimed, greatly surprised.

The few of them gathered closer, observing the runes and comprehending the Grand Dao, their minds drawn in. Ye Fan suddenly looked up at the Black Emperor; this art was too familiar.

Because, before his decisive battle with Yuan Gu, the big black dog had taught him this art, named “Wu Shi.” It was terrifying, capable of reverting everything to its origin.

“You are truly fortunate! To encounter such a scripture, quickly comprehend it, get what you can.” The Black Emperor said. In the past, he had seen Emperor Wu Shi perform it, but he himself had strayed in his enlightenment, so what he taught Ye Fan wasn’t orthodox.

This was a heaven-defying fortune. Naturally, the three of them quieted their minds and concentrated, doing everything possible to comprehend the technique, while the Black Emperor also re-examined and refined the scripture.

After an unknown period, they all opened their eyes, each revealing a trace of surprise. It was truly difficult; they had actually strayed, knowing themselves that what they had comprehended was not orthodox.

“Now you know why, don’t you? This is a technique for the Congenital Sacred Body Dao Embryo. The requirements for cultivation are too high; one must meet various conditions!” the Black Emperor said.

Firstly, one had to cultivate the most basic foundation-building method of this scripture. Unfortunately, they couldn’t open those chapters.

Moreover, even if they could open them, cultivating the initial parts of the scripture would certainly be troublesome, as it was prepared for the Congenital Sacred Body Dao Embryo.

Comparatively, Ye Fan had made some progress, grasping the core elements, because he bore the title of ‘Sacred Body,’ making him somewhat compatible.

“It’s not impossible to cultivate this forbidden secret art without the Wu Shi Scripture’s foundation-building chapters. You would need to reach the Quasi-Emperor realm and have gone deep enough in that realm to gradually master it,” the Black Emperor added.

This was also the fundamental reason he didn’t earnestly comprehend it back then, choosing instead to enlighten himself on the demon race’s Dao lineage. This resulted in even the only creature who had followed Emperor Wu Shi being unable to recite this scripture.

“Memorize this secret art and imprint it into your minds; it will surely be of great use in the future!”

Once imprinted into their minds, it would be impossible to erase. And at the same time, the Wu Shi Scripture closed with a rumble, its Imperial Aura contained, unable to be opened again!

“Dong…” The Wu Shi Bell chimed, shaking their hearts. For some unknown reason, it had rung again.

Simultaneously, wisps of Dao patterns intertwined and spread towards them, yet without a hint of destructive intent. In that instant, they felt a sudden enlightenment, as if they had instantly seen through the origin of this place.

The obstacles they faced during their recent enlightenment were shattered by the bell waves. The bell waves forcibly broke through those shackles, allowing them to see the light, especially Ye Fan, who returned from his mistaken path almost instantly.

Why was this? They were filled with doubt and surprise.

“This is a gift from the Great Emperor. Even without cultivating the foundation-building chapters, you can successfully master this art once you enter the Quasi-Emperor realm!” the Black Emperor guessed. It was likely because Ye Fan had brought the skull, and when the Divine List loosened and the Imperial Bell chimed today, everything was perceived, triggering something.

“All wrong!”

Suddenly, a mysterious voice echoed within Purple Mountain. Only these three words, shaking their minds, making them almost unable to believe any of it.

Especially Ye Fan, it wasn’t the first time he had heard these three words. Back in the Barren Ancient Forbidden Zone, the tall, slender figure standing above the abyss had also sighed, uttering similar words.

After so many years, in this place, he had actually heard those three words again. Was this a denial of all ages?!

At this moment, not just the Black Emperor, but also Ye Fan, Ji Zi, and the Holy Prince all began to wonder: was there truly a Great Emperor still alive in Purple Mountain? Otherwise, how could there be this voice and all the strange occurrences they had just witnessed?