Chapter 179: Six Thousand Years Undying

The old woman was dressed very simply, indistinguishable from any ordinary village elder, appearing quite unremarkable. Yet, it was this very old woman who now stood as the center of attention, drawing all eyes. The people from the Fluctlight Holy Land were on high alert, daring not to make any move.

The pyramid, forged from an unknown metal, shimmered with an ethereal green glow. Sun, moon, and stars appeared on its surface, emitting streams of pure light that flowed towards the old woman like ripples of water. Yet, it failed to stir her in the slightest. The old woman remained perfectly still, unaffected, murmuring to herself as she circled the pyramid. "Hum." The green pyramid trembled, emitting a resonant hum, then brilliant light filled the sky, and boundless greenery enveloped the reddish-brown land.

Everyone was astonished. The barren and desolate land had transformed completely; boundless grass carpeted the ground, vibrant with life, and ancient trees, thousands of years old, stretched on for miles. The aura of primeval antiquity surged forth, vast and ancient, like the boundless universe, like the endless starry sky. Millions of living beings arrived, one after another. It was as if an ancient world had reappeared. A rumbling sound echoed, and enormous creatures, like mountains, crushed everything in their path as they moved.

Moreover, many strange races occasionally emerged from the lush land, which was filled with dense spiritual energy and powerful beings, dazzling everyone. "Is this the Northern Region from primeval times? So vibrant with life, with everything flourishing, completely unlike how it is now!" One could clearly see the formation of Origin Stones: the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was so concentrated that it crystallized into Origin. Many powerful creatures died, and then were enveloped by dripping Origin, becoming sealed within it. At this point, everyone finally understood why remnants like severed fingers and heads of ancient creatures were found. "Heavens!"

Just then, everyone gasped, for they saw incredibly powerful humanoid creatures tearing mountains apart with their bare hands. There were many different types of humanoid creatures: some covered in mossy armor, some with animal fur, some with imposing physiques, others with slender forms, and even some as beautiful as shining pearls or jade. All were immensely powerful.

Within the dense ancient forests, immense and magnificent temples, awe-inspiring to behold, could occasionally be seen. Each ancient temple was guarded by various different humanoid creatures, appearing solemn and sacred. The temples varied greatly; some resembled current Taoist temples, others celestial palaces, and there were even pyramids like the one before them. "Quite interesting..." Just then, the old woman's voice drifted out, clearly heard by everyone.

With a wave of her sleeve, all the light in the sky vanished, the vibrant life on the ground receded, and all the powerful creatures disappeared. The land became a lifeless, barren wasteland once more, and the pure light flowed back into the pyramid. "Whoosh." The old woman stepped forward and entered the pyramid directly. The glow on the green tower dimmed again, then fell silent.

Everyone from the Fluctlight Holy Land felt their hearts pound. This old woman was unfathomable; they could not, and were unable to, stop her. The Fluctlight Saintess, pure and beautiful like an unfolding immortal lotus, felt her mind shaken. Who was this old woman, to make her beautiful eyes widen so? Many venerable masters quickly surrounded the green pyramid, quietly waiting for the old woman to reappear.

Among the thousands of mortals, many were utterly terrified. The scenes that had just appeared made them wonder if they had entered another world. The pyramid glowed faintly. The old woman stepped inside with utmost composure, as if walking across a bridge or over a step, completely unimpeded. "Indeed, quite interesting..." the old woman repeated. But when heard by the others, the meaning was profoundly different. Such an ancient relic was clearly priceless to cultivators, yet she didn't seem particularly concerned about it.

"Senior, you are...?" The Fluctlight Saintess smiled before speaking, blooming like an immortal flower, radiant yet graceful. "I am just an ordinary old woman," the old woman said, smiling kindly at Yao Xi. "You are blessed with good fortune."

The Fluctlight Saintess's heart stirred, and she wanted to speak, but the old woman had already turned to look at the others, her gaze sweeping over each of the Fluctlight venerable masters. "I'll take it with me to see what's special about it. I will return it to your Fluctlight Holy Land later," the old woman stated. "Senior, you cannot..." Several venerable masters tried to step forward and stop her. This was something the Supreme Elder had repeatedly cautioned them to guard at all costs, implying its immense importance. However, they were utterly unable to stop her.

The old woman reached out her hand. The hundred-meter-tall pyramid, with its shimmering sun, moon, and stars, emitted a hazy glow. In an instant, the magnificent pyramid suddenly shrank. With a flash of green light, it became as small as a baby's fist, glowing like a pearl in the old woman's hand. With a mere lift of her hand, she brought the green tower into her palm, causing the venerable masters to swallow their words. They knew they certainly couldn't stop her.

Ye Fan already knew the old woman was unfathomable, but he was still shocked, his heart filled with unease, because she had seemingly, deliberately or not, glanced his way. The old woman slowly walked into the distance, her figure rapidly blurring. Almost instantly, she vanished into thin air, leaving no trace.

After the old woman left, the Fifteenth Mining Area plunged into chaos. The cultivators of the Fluctlight Holy Land debated amongst themselves; such a major incident necessitated immediate reporting. "Go, leave this wretched place!" This was Ye Fan's urgent thought. Origin Stones were found in the Northern Region, but he didn't believe they couldn't be found elsewhere. Continuing here, who knew what monstrous things he might dig up, and he might even lose his life in the process. Moreover, Yao Xi was here, and the Fluctlight Holy Lord was also coming. Both of them had seen him, making this place extremely dangerous.

Some time ago, Ye Fan had already planned his escape. Every now and then, people would go out to purchase supplies like rice and flour. The disciples of the Fluctlight Holy Land were unwilling to deal with ordinary people, so they always took some Origin Stone miners with them on these trips. He intended to blend into such a group. Once in the outside world, he would be free as a fish in the sea or a bird in the sky, no longer bound. If this place weren't isolated from the outside by Dao patterns, he would have fled long ago. "Find a place to cultivate to the third and fourth Secret Realms, then come back and auction off the Fluctlight Saintess's bra..." Ye Fan's mischievous thought, of course, was merely a way to motivate himself.

It had been over a month since he was poisoned by the Immortal-Sealing Powder, and only now were wisps of divine power flowing within him; his Sea of Wheels was finally slowly recovering. And in the past few days, while chiseling stone at the deepest part of the mine, he finally gained something: he dug out several walnut-sized Origin Stones and refined all of them. Eventually, in his golden Sea of Bitterness, the green lotus trembled, and a muffled thud sounded within him, indicating his divine power was now fully circulating. Ye Fan didn't know what kind of ordeal he had been through. If the Immortal-Sealing Powder's dosage was sufficient, it could seal even a great power's divine energy until it dried up. Had it not been for his special physique, he would have completely become a mortal.

With his Sea of Wheels unsealed and cultivation restored, Ye Fan prepared to escape. Of course, before leaving, he planned to accumulate more Origin Stones, but this spiritual material was too rare; a single mine could hardly yield a few kilograms. Moreover, Origin Stones were encased in strange stone skins, rendering even a cultivator's spiritual sense useless, making it impossible to detect or excavate more. "I really wish I could raid the Fluctlight Holy Land's Origin Stone vault." Ye Fan could only dream about it; his strength was far too inferior. Even if there were no defenders, he probably couldn't break into such a place.

Two days later, as Ye Fan prepared to leave, blending into the supply purchasing team, news arrived that the Fluctlight Holy Lord would soon arrive, and no one was permitted to enter or exit. "Damn it, what a twist! Don't let anything happen," he thought, startled. Half an hour later, an earth-shattering boom came from outside the Origin Stone area; the void shattered!

When the Fluctlight Holy Lord arrived with his people, unparalleled masters joined forces to attack just as the void cracked open, causing that part of the void to collapse. "Kill!" Shouts of battle shook the heavens. Outside this Origin Stone area, brilliant lights soared, magical artifacts flew, people shouted, and horses neighed, as countless figures charged in. "Peacock King!" The Fluctlight Holy Lord's voice was cold. Enveloped by one hundred and eight rays of light, with many worlds surrounding him, he appeared like a divine king choosing his domain. "Fluctlight Holy Lord!" Opposite him, the Peacock King was as before, like a graceful young man, but his eyes were sharp, capable of shaking mountains and rivers with his roar. "You demon, you dare to appear again? Today, I shall slay you!" Behind the Fluctlight Holy Lord were several old men; one of them shouted. "Indeed, people will be slain, but it will be you!" The Green Flood Dragon King appeared, standing alongside the Peacock King. "Boom!" Heaven and earth trembled as a fierce battle erupted. The Dao patterns on the outer perimeter of the Origin Stone area were torn apart, and many cultivators charged in. "The Fourth Great Bandit and the Seventh Great Bandit are here!" The Fluctlight Holy Land cultivators fell into chaos. The entire Origin Stone area completely boiled over, descending into utter chaos.

Ye Fan was surprised. From the shouts of the crowd, he learned that the Green Flood Dragon King was the Fourth Great Bandit in the Northern Region, and the Seventh Great Bandit was a powerful individual named Tu Tian. Two Great Bandits, along with the Peacock King, were actually planning to ambush and kill the Fluctlight Holy Lord. The powerful individuals under the two Great Bandits had already charged in, battling with the Fluctlight cultivators inside. Now, if he couldn't seize the opportunity to gain something amidst the chaos, Ye Fan felt he would truly be letting himself down.

He didn't even consider the Origin Stone vault; it was certainly impenetrable and undoubtedly the target of the two Great Bandits' subordinates. He rushed directly towards a stone tower in the Fifteenth Mining Area, where temporarily collected Origin Stones were piled up. Battle cries shook the heavens, and no one paid attention to this place now. After all, compared to the Origin Stone vault, this was nothing. The stone tower was no more than ten meters tall, but it was extremely sturdy. Ye Fan pushed the stone door a few times, but it didn't budge. "There are restrictions here too..." Without another word, he swung his fists and smashed. "Boom!" The stone tower shook, and with the fifth punch, he finally broke open the stone door. Fortunately, there were no profound restrictions.

The front was dazzling with light, and Ye Fan immediately squinted. Blocks of Origin Stones were displayed on jade shelves, glittering with colorful light, totaling dozens of kilograms. All the Origin Stones collected over these days were here, not yet transported away, shimmering in various colors, truly splendid. "So many... the total collected from over twenty Origin Stone mines!" Ye Fan felt a surge of excitement. So many Origin Stones meant he could enhance his strength, a priceless treasure to him. He immediately conjured his jade purification bottle and stored all of them inside.

"Who are you, brother? You're really fast, you got here before me." A voice came from outside the stone tower. A young man around twenty years old looked at him in surprise. "I just happened to pick something up. The professionals are out there battling the Fluctlight Holy Land folks," Ye Fan casually replied. "I am the professional you're talking about. I can't believe you got ahead of me, you're even quicker on your feet than I am."

Ye Fan was speechless for a moment. The young man before him was of average height, not particularly handsome, but his eyes were extraordinarily bright, almost like the legendary "thief's gleam." "I heard there was some trouble in the Fifteenth Mining Area, and good Origin sources might be unearthed, so I specifically came here instead of attacking the main vault," the young man's eyes became even brighter, practically radiating "thief's gleam." He continued, "According to the rules of our trade, since I caught you, you have to give me a quarter..."

"Who said I'm in your line of work? I'm not a professional," Ye Fan wanted to say, but he felt that this young man was quite unusual and didn't want to fight him here. So he said, "There's nothing special here. If you don't believe me, take a look." He conjured his jade purification bottle, and a piece of Origin Stone appeared. "If there's nothing, then forget it." The young man was disappointed and waved his hand.

As the two exited the stone tower, Ye Fan intended to leave, but the young man suddenly grabbed him. "Wait, something's off. I sense a familiar scent on you." "I'm really not a professional. I don't have anything special on me." "No, this is... the Fluctlight Saintess's aura!" The young man's eyes shone brightly like pearls as he stared at Ye Fan. "Brother, you're truly impressive. You're even more nimble than me. You can even steal things from the Fluctlight Saintess." "I... I'm really not a professional," Ye Fan shook off his hand. He said, "I don't even know what you're talking about."

"I've been close to the Fluctlight Saintess before. Our trade's outstanding individuals never forget a scent; it's definitely her aura," the young man held no animosity towards Ye Fan and was completely at ease. "Take it out and let your brother have a look." Ye Fan speculated it must be the Fluctlight Saintess's bra. He directly conjured his jade purification bottle and stored it inside. "Heavens, my immortal eyes are blinded!" The young man saw it clearly and immediately exclaimed, "Brother, you're amazing, truly amazing! When did our line of work produce such a talent like you? Brother, I'm dying of admiration! This is something I've always dreamed of doing!"

"I'm really not in your line of work. I obtained this by chance," Ye Fan felt it was too dangerous to be associated with this guy. If he attracted Yao Xi, the trouble would be immense, and he really wanted to get rid of him. "I admire you so much. In our profession, we value obtaining things by clever chance, not being too deliberate," the young man said with an admiring look. "This thing... also by clever chance?!" Ye Fan was almost speechless. "This kind of high-difficulty task, ordinary people can't do it," the young man sighed. "My grandfather was a hero his whole life, yet he had one lifelong regret."

"Who are you? Who's your grandfather? What lifelong regret?" Ye Fan felt this guy's identity seemed quite extraordinary. "My grandfather is Tu Tian, the Seventh Great Bandit. He roamed the Northern Region, able to steal anything. His biggest regret in life was never stealing a Saintess to be his wife." Ye Fan was shocked. The grandson of the Seventh Great Bandit, he indeed had a significant background. "My name is Tu Fei. To fulfill my grandfather's core wish, I am determined to steal a Saintess to be my wife." Ye Fan truly didn't know what to say. Kidnapping Saintesses from various Holy Lands to be wives—how could they even think of that? "The Fluctlight Saintess is over there. Come on, let's go take a look, find an opportunity to act, and capture her," Tu Fei's eyes shot out two beams of light as he gazed towards the sky.

At this moment, battle cries shook the heavens, and fighting was rampant everywhere. Just ahead, Yao Xi, with her ethereal skin and jade-like body, was beautiful beyond compare, like thin clouds veiling the moon, or a jade sea caressing a pearl. Her long dress fluttered, dancing in the heavenly wind as she battled numerous bandits. Ye Fan pulled away, feeling that following this guy would inevitably lead to bad luck. With battles raging everywhere, it was the perfect time for him to leave.

Tu Fei soared into the air and shouted, "Yao Xi, did you lose something? One of our profession's geniuses got his hands on it!" Ye Fan stumbled, almost falling to the ground. This damn scoundrel had no filter; he really dared to say anything. Wasn't he just bringing him huge trouble?