Chapter 184: Heavenly Book

"Do you know the name of that Great Emperor?" Ye Fan eagerly asked.

Wang Shu shook his head and replied, "I don't know. I only heard an intoxicated remark from Old Man Zhang, that it was an ancient Great Emperor, but no name was mentioned."

"My grandpa said..." Er Lengzi suddenly began, speaking mysteriously, "...that the Zhang family lives here specifically to guard that Purple Mountain.""What did your grandpa say?" Ye Fan asked, startled.

"My grandpa heard it from the older generations as well; it was just a single sentence, without much detail," Er Lengzi replied. He thought for a moment, then added, "It seems he also mentioned that a thousand years ago, the Zhang family's 'Origin Heavenly Book' was lost because of that Purple Mountain.""What's the 'Origin Heavenly Book' got to do with the Purple Mountain?" Ye Fan's heart churned. He desperately wanted to see that extraordinary book.

"My grandpa said it seems one of the Zhang family's ancestors, disregarding ancestral warnings, entered that great mountain and never returned. The 'Origin Heavenly Book' was lost then," Er Lengzi rambled, glancing back nervously after speaking, as if afraid someone might overhear.Ye Fan's heart surged with emotion. That Purple Mountain must be incredibly significant and extraordinary.

How many Great Emperors have there been throughout history? The Imperial Armaments they forged were unparalleled, mighty beyond compare. Possessing just one allowed them to dominate the world, and Holy Lands regarded them as their supreme treasures.

If one could merge with an Imperial Armament, they would be inherently invincible. If they could continuously supply it with divine power, they would be unmatched in the Eastern Wasteland.

The achievements of ancient Great Emperors were difficult for later generations to surpass. There was a speculation that several ancient scriptures in the Eastern Wasteland were created by Great Emperors from different eras. How could Ye Fan remain calm after considering all this?

The ancient Great Emperors forged Imperial Armaments and created peerless ancient scriptures, all of which were priceless treasures of the Eastern Wasteland.

"That Purple Mountain is connected to a Great Emperor. If I could find his cultivation method, it would be like obtaining a complete ancient scripture!"

Ye Fan believed that anyone capable of becoming a Great Emperor must have an absolutely unparalleled cultivation method.

"And if I could find an Imperial Armament as well..." Just the thought thrilled him.

However, he quickly calmed down. Old Man Zhang had repeatedly emphasized that it was an ominous place, and gaining anything from it would likely be harder than reaching the heavens.

Ye Fan left the stone village again. Half an hour later, he stood before the colossal Purple Mountain, circling it thoroughly. "Is there anything inside?" he murmured to himself. No matter how closely he observed, he found nothing out of the ordinary; even extending his divine sense yielded no results. "What exactly did that Great Emperor leave here, and why is it connected to him?" His greatest hope was that an ancient scripture, unknown to the world, lay hidden there, as that was what he currently needed most.

But he could only imagine. The power of ancient Great Emperors was unimaginable to later generations; even if something was left behind, it wasn't guaranteed that one could obtain it.

Ye Fan ascended the peak of Purple Mountain again. At that very moment, his expression froze. His face was filled with disbelief; he simply couldn't believe his eyes.

Yesterday morning, he had used the Golden Book to cleave and excavate a large pit there. Yet now, the mountaintop was perfectly smooth and unmarred; there was no damage whatsoever, everything was as good as new. "How is this possible? I clearly yesterday..." A shiver ran down Ye Fan's spine. The words "ominous place" floated into his mind. He quickly rose into the air, no longer standing on the peak. "Why is it like this? Can it repair itself?" Ye Fan's heart was troubled. "Or... was I deceived by an illusion yesterday? Did I not actually cleave the mountaintop? Are there some subtle Dao patterns that are hard to discern?" After a brief moment of thought, Ye Fan conjured the Golden Book, retreated to a distance, and controlled it to cleave the mountain again.

Golden light swirled, stone fragments flew, and rubble rolled as a large pit was again excavated on the mountaintop. He summoned a massive purple stone and touched it himself; this was definitely not an illusion. Afterwards, he broke off a small piece of the purple stone, flew far away, and quietly observed Purple Mountain.

Ye Fan was very patient. He watched from afar for an entire day. Even as the sky filled with stars, Purple Mountain stood towering, seemingly unchanged. He wasn't anxious, remaining motionless in the sky, extending his divine consciousness to observe meticulously.

This place was connected to an ancient Great Emperor, so he had to take it seriously, placing great hope on understanding everything about it.

It wasn't until midnight that Ye Fan discovered the large pit on the peak of Purple Mountain was silently and imperceptibly transforming, slowly leveling out and restoring itself to its original state. The stone fragment in his hand, however, had not disappeared; it was still there. "This mountain can grow on its own!" Ye Fan was utterly astonished.

He did not continue his investigation. It was exceptionally cold here at midnight; even with his physique, he felt waves of biting cold.

Since the Zhang family guarded this place, they must know some secrets. Unwilling to act rashly, he flew back towards the stone village, deciding to ask for details tomorrow.

When Ye Fan returned to the village and entered his stone house, he found Old Man Zhang still awake and anxious, waiting for his return. "You're finally back! Did you go exploring that purple mountain?" Ye Fan nodded.

Old Man Zhang sprang to his feet, urgently saying, "Don't ever go there again! Didn't I tell you it's not a good place? Frequent visits there can lead to trouble.""What kind of place exactly is Purple Mountain, and what's its connection to the ancient Great Emperor?" Ye Fan needed answers to these questions.

"Alright, I'll tell you everything, otherwise you'll surely go exploring again," Old Man Zhang sighed. "Actually, what I know is truly limited.""Please take your time.""This purple mountain was discovered by my Zhang family ancestors, specifically by the Origin Master of old. He warned his descendants not to approach it, only to revere it from afar."

That Origin Master solemnly warned that Purple Mountain was connected to a Great Emperor from before the Ancient Desolation. It must not be desecrated; revering it would bring benefits to future generations.

"There are artifacts inside, and under no circumstances should they be provoked, or it will cause great disaster. This is what my ancestor repeatedly warned," Old Man Zhang sighed. "Unfortunately, a thousand years ago, an ancestor disregarded ancestral warnings, took the 'Origin Heavenly Book', broke into Purple Mountain, and went inside. Alas!"Ye Fan's heart stirred even more. He felt there was most likely peerless divine source inside, and perhaps even an Imperial Armament.

Old Man Zhang saw through his thoughts and said, "There are indeed treasures in Purple Mountain, and more than one divine source, but you absolutely must not covet them.""More than one?!"

Each time a peerless divine source was unearthed, it would shake the Eastern Wasteland. The great Holy Lands would offer exorbitant prices, scrambling to acquire it, even leading to bloodshed.

For Holy Lands to openly disregard decorum, one could imagine how rare and precious peerless divine sources were. To think there was more than one in Purple Mountain, how could Ye Fan not be astonished?

"My ancestor, known as the Origin Master, had unparalleled knowledge of sources. He could determine dragon veins based on mountains and rivers, and locate divine sources with the aid of the stars." Old Man Zhang paused slightly here. "He was once tempted to extract the divine sources from Purple Mountain, but ultimately retreated.""Why?"

Old Man Zhang shook his head. "He even considered asking the fairies of Jade Lake for help, but ultimately gave up, saying he feared implicating Jade Lake.""What?!" Ye Fan was shocked. "Extracting divine sources from Purple Mountain would implicate a Holy Land?""He was vague, but I think that's what he meant. It might cause harm to Jade Lake."

Ye Fan found it hard to believe. The Jade Lake Holy Land was a major power, passed down since before the Ancient Desolation. Its founding patriarch was a Female Saint-Emperor who had left behind an Imperial Armament and founded an ancient scripture.

Having been passed down through endless ages, enduring vast changes and worldly turbulences, Jade Lake had always remained aloof from worldly disputes, standing firm and unyielding. Could a single Purple Mountain truly threaten them?

"Beneath that Purple Mountain... there are living beings," Old Man Zhang said, his face paling slightly. He hastily kowtowed towards Purple Mountain before standing up again. "That's why I'm telling you, absolutely do not go there. You won't gain anything, and if you force your way in, you'll only end up losing your life."Ye Fan's expression changed upon hearing this. Living beings. His chances indeed seemed slim.

However, there were still some things Ye Fan couldn't figure out. Peerless divine sources could seal terrifying creatures from before the Primordial Era, some of which were still alive. But what did this have to do with that Great Emperor, and what did he leave there?"I don't know either. My ancestor left no clues about what that ancient Great Emperor laid down," Old Man Zhang replied to that question.

Over the next three days, Ye Fan consulted Old Man Zhang, learning from him how to locate sources. The 'Origin Heavenly Book' was an extraordinary text, and even though only a small part of it had been passed down, it was still of great use to him.

Wang Shu, a clever young man from the stone village, noticed Ye Fan constantly studying how to locate sources these past few days and smiled. "Brother Ye, are you thinking of trying stone gambling?""Stone gambling?" Ye Fan was surprised. He wasn't unfamiliar with the term; on the other side of the starry sky (Earth), gambling on jade roughs was once popular."Yes, don't you know about it?" Wang Shu asked, puzzled."Tell me more about it," Ye Fan urged."It's about gambling on source stones..." Wang Shu patiently explained. Indeed, it was much as Ye Fan had guessed.

The stones produced by source veins were highly unusual, even for cultivators, who found it difficult to see through them. Neither divine consciousness nor divine power could clearly discern their interiors; only by actually cutting them open could one know if there was a source inside. Ye Fan already knew about this, but he hadn't realized that based on this, the stone gambling industry was extremely prosperous."In the past, our village was very wealthy. My grandpa's generation, they all went out to broaden their horizons and participated in stone gambling," Wang Shu said enviously."No problem, tell me all the details and precautions, and I'll take you sometime," Ye Fan offered."It's actually quite simple, there aren't many rules..." Wang Shu went on to explain a great deal.

"I want to go too," Er Lengzi said, approaching when he overheard them while passing by. "But the journey is too far. The closest place is several hundred *li* away, a very prosperous oasis spanning a thousand *li*."

"That's just an ordinary stone gambling spot. I heard the best place for stone gambling is tens of thousands of *li* away, in the most prosperous Holy City of the Northern Region," Wang Shu said with a look of longing. "Half of the top-grade source stones dug from around the Primordial Ancient Mine by those Holy Lands are sent there. It's a gambler's paradise!""The great Holy Lands..." Ye Fan was surprised."Yes, gambling there is a top-tier experience. Even powerful figures from the Central Plains and Northern Desert are attracted, supposedly all legendary cultivators," Wang Shu said, absorbed in his thoughts. "Everything there is top-notch service. Even the ladies who cut the stones are like fairies. The food offered is rare in the world, made from various exotic beasts, rare birds, and immortal medicines. The worst wines are century-old vintages. Going there to gamble on stones truly is an enjoyment..."

"Pfft!" Er Lengzi sneered, "That's just what some itinerant Taoist said. You haven't seen it with your own eyes, so who knows if it's true?""Of course it's true!" Wang Shu retorted. "Have you forgotten Old Man Zhang's ancestor? An Origin Master emerged from his lineage! He personally experienced all of that back then and left behind many legends."

"Oh, right, I forgot about that," Er Lengzi said, scratching his head sheepishly. "Brother Ye, are you really learning how to locate sources because you want to go stone gambling? Could you take me along to broaden my horizons?""Listening to you two talk, I really do want to see it for myself. It would be great if I could gamble one of those Holy Lands into ruin," Ye Fan muttered to himself, a hint of mischief in his tone."What's so great about those Holy Lands?" Er Lengzi said carelessly. "My grandpa said that back then, the Zhang family's ancestor, that Origin Master, gambled so well that he made the faces of those Holy Lands turn green!"Ye Fan was astonished to hear this. "What? Are you telling the truth?""Of course it's true," Er Lengzi continued. "This is something all the elders in our village know. The Zhang family's Origin Master left behind many legends."

Wang Shu added, "It's all true, not a single false word. Old Man Zhang's ancestor gambled and extracted divine sources from the Holy Lands. How could their faces not turn green? They felt like jumping into a river!"

Ye Fan was dumbfounded. What kind of discerning eye did that require, to find even divine sources? That Origin Master, who could recognize such treasures, was truly astonishing.

"Back then, Old Man Zhang's ancestor didn't just gamble for one divine source; those Holy Lands eventually became frantic, practically wanting to worship him!" Er Lengzi said, a look of intoxication on his face as if he himself had done it."The Origin Master is that amazing..." Ye Fan's heart couldn't settle. He felt that if he learned such an extraordinary technique, he could make the Shaking Light Holy Land and the Ji Family immensely tormented without shedding a single drop of blood.

"Indeed extraordinary. You know, from ancient times until now, only a handful of Origin Masters have appeared in the Northern Region, and their lineages have long since been broken, never to reappear," Wang Shu said mysteriously. "Old Man Zhang's ancestor, back then, did many glorious things...""What other glorious things?" Ye Fan's interest was piqued.

Wang Shu whispered, "He became a god of stone gambling. Not only did he make the Holy Lands' faces turn green, but he even gambled the Saintess of Jade Lake into his possession.""Pfft!" Ye Fan spat out the tea he had just sipped. "That too... Must be a rumor, right?"

"It's true! Old Man Zhang's ancestor was incredibly skilled at stone gambling. He targeted Jade Lake's Source Stone Pavilion and gambled for seven days and seven nights straight. The Saintess, trying to recoup losses, inadvertently gambled herself away, and still lost."At that moment, the fire of gossip burned fiercely within Ye Fan. He asked, "What happened in the end?""Ah, it's a pity. The Zhang family's Origin Master didn't make things difficult for her. He politely allowed the Saintess of Jade Lake to leave. From then on, his relationship with Jade Lake was quite extraordinary," Wang Shu said with a look of regret.

Ye Fan also sighed with emotion. That Origin Master must have been an extraordinary person. He desired even more to read the 'Origin Heavenly Book.' "No, I must find a way to make that extraordinary book see the light of day again."

Ye Fan profoundly realized how terrifying the Desolate Ancient Sacred Body, a bottomless pit, truly was. With each increase in cultivation realm, everything required would multiply tenfold. He made a preliminary estimate: to reach Great Perfection after the Ninth Transformation of the Other Shore, he would need over a hundred catties of source.

If he were to cultivate the first realm of the Dao Palace Secret Realm, calculating it tenfold, he would need a thousand catties of source. Even in the Northern Region, ordinary minor sects didn't possess that much source.

If he were to cultivate the second realm of the Dao Palace Secret Realm, again calculating it tenfold, Ye Fan nearly fainted. This was simply too terrifying!

He simply couldn't afford it; it defied all reason. After calculating the astronomical figures for later stages, even Holy Lands would likely 'spit blood' from the cost. "I must obtain the 'Origin Heavenly Book'!" Every time Ye Fan thought about his future cultivation, his face turned green.

Without the 'Origin Heavenly Book', the bottomless pit of the Desolate Ancient Sacred Body simply couldn't be filled. He had to become an Origin Master, not let his own face turn green, but rather make others' faces turn green.

"It seems no matter what, I have to take the risk. Without touching anything inside Purple Mountain, I must figure out a way to get the 'Origin Heavenly Book'."

"Brother Ye, why is your face green?" Er Lengzi asked innocently.

"Nonsense! How could my face be green? If anyone's face is green, it's those people from the Holy Lands."

"Brother Ye, are you really going to gamble on stones?" Wang Shu asked expectantly.

"Of course I'm going! I plan to gamble for the Saintess of Jade Lake. I won't let her go back. Otherwise, I'd be worse than a beast."