Chapter 194: A Glimpse of the Infinite Path Becomes Emptiness

Ye Fan could only sigh, unable to truly grasp the ancient scriptures before him. The cultivation method left by the Great Emperor, if inherited, would be sufficient to establish a Holy Land.

This was no exaggeration; it was truly the case. The very foundation of the major Holy Lands lay in the secret texts they each possessed, a testament to the power of a supreme ancient scripture.

Suddenly, Ye Fan noticed several lines of text on a nearby stone wall. Upon closer inspection, he realized they were left by Jiang Taixu, indicating that even the powerful Divine King of the Eastern Wasteland had been unable to examine the ancient scripture.

"Great Emperor Wushi, whose power rivals creation itself, astounding through all ages. A sigh, unable to observe his methods, the greatest regret of my life..."

According to Divine King Jiang, the stone scripture had been personally sealed by Great Emperor Wushi and was impossible to open. It could only be unsealed if the Great Emperor was resurrected, or if someone arrived bearing his personal token.

Furthermore, he theorized that this scripture contained the power of the Great Dao, and that its presence here served as a gateway. Deeper within lay the very origin of Purple Mountain.

After reading this, Ye Fan's heart sank. A supreme treasure manual lay before him, yet he could only stare helplessly, as there was simply no way to open it.

"I want to see..." he muttered, unwilling to give up.

Ye Fan walked a wide circle around the stone scripture and discovered several more lines of ancient text. These appeared to be even older.

"Who is the peak at the end of the immortal path? Once Wushi is seen, the Dao becomes empty..." The signature was Gu Tianshu, indicating he had also visited this place.

Ye Fan naturally remembered this person, an ancient figure from 70,000 years ago, even more powerful than Jiang Taixu. Among the thirty-seven individuals who entered the Demonic Mountain, he was ranked first in strength.

Gu Tianshu, who shook the heavens and earth 70,000 years ago, had been unable to break Great Emperor Wushi's seal. His words revealed his profound respect for Great Emperor Wushi.

Upon closer reflection, this made sense. Throughout history, only a handful of Great Emperors had emerged in the Eastern Wasteland, each representing one of the most formidable "monuments" of power across all eras.

"Who is the peak at the end of the immortal path? Once Wushi is seen, the Dao becomes empty..." Ye Fan murmured the lines, his heart pounding. Was that Great Emperor truly so formidable?

Just a dozen words were enough to fully describe his unparalleled achievements across all ages. It was regrettable not to have lived in the same era, and a cause for lament that one could not meet him.

Ye Fan thoroughly and carefully searched around the stone scripture, but ultimately found nothing new.

As he stopped and sat on the ground in resignation, he suddenly noticed how peculiar the area was, shaped like an altar, with the stone scripture displayed upon it.

It was a vast elevated platform, bearing immense engraved patterns. If not examined closely, they appeared to be natural grooves.

Ye Fan stood up once more. After pinpointing the center of the altar, he walked toward it. As he did, the jade pendant on his body glowed even more intensely.

"Something is strange here," he thought, "but I don't know if it portends good or ill."

As he reached the center, the strangeness intensified. The patterns here were significantly denser, resembling Dao patterns.

This technique was vastly different from modern methods, leaning more towards nature. The patterns were formed from elements like wind, rain, thunder, lightning, and depictions of birds, beasts, flowers, and insects.

At the very center, Ye Fan discovered a recess. It was about the size of a human head.

A low hum resonated as the ancient jade in his hand vibrated gently. It seemed to have come alive, glowing with dazzling brilliance.

"Could this ancient jade be meant to fill this spot?" he wondered. Doubtful, he held the jade pendant up to it, and found that one of its corners perfectly aligned with the recess.

"What would happen if I put the jade piece in?" He felt a mix of surprise and uncertainty and did not act immediately.

"Could this open a seal? Could it be the key to unlocking the *Wushi Sutra*?" This thought filled him with unease.

Of course, he also considered the worst-case scenario: that it might be connected to the Primordial creatures, or even to the entity within the peerless Divine Source.

"Unfortunately, this ancient jade is incomplete," he thought. "It probably won't be able to fully function."

Ye Fan dared not act rashly.

He pondered how to depart. Perhaps he would have to wait several years until all the Primordial creatures that had already emerged had decayed, and then he could leave.

Because, according to the information he had gathered, once Primordial creatures broke free from their origins, they could not long endure in the world. They would turn to dust within a few years, or at most a few decades.

"I'm no Divine King Jiang; I can only last a few years at most..." Suddenly, Ye Fan shivered with a sense of dread. He sensed something was watching him.

This gave him a bad feeling. If Primordial creatures pursued him here, his chances of survival would be slim. Did they not even fear the *Wushi Sutra*, which contained the Great Emperor's Dao source?

Ye Fan quickly retreated to the vicinity of the stone scripture. He scanned his surroundings, but found nothing; there was nothing to be seen.

"Was it an illusion?" He felt a touch of doubt, wondering if his nerves, stretched taut for days, were finally playing tricks on him.

Regardless, he dared not move recklessly. He sat in meditation before the stone scripture, quietly cultivating. He muttered to himself, "Endure for a few years, and reclaim my freedom."

Only half a day passed before Ye Fan realized his instincts were correct. There was definitely something nearby, he could feel it. It appeared to be completely unafraid of the stone scripture.

"It's circling," he deduced. Unable to sit still any longer, Ye Fan abruptly stood up. In the distance, faint roars could be heard, as if Primordial creatures were traversing the ancient mine, attempting to bypass the hall formed by the Ultimate Dao weapon and advance towards his location.

Simultaneously, the hidden creature extended its divine sense to observe him, allowing him to clearly perceive its presence.

"I can't stay here any longer," he decided, resolving to retreat to the Bell Hall. Before leaving, he glanced at the recess in the center of the altar. As he approached it, he gritted his teeth and pressed the ancient jade into place.

"Surely, what the Great Emperor left behind isn't meant to harm future generations." Suddenly, the moment the ancient jade settled into the recess, the area became dazzlingly bright, with light soaring skyward. A massive curtain of light instantly enveloped him.

The cauldron he had already summoned immediately absorbed him, sheltering him within. Ye Fan was startled, unsure what astonishing transformation would occur after the jade piece settled into the recess.

He had no time for further contemplation. The light curtain swiftly tore through the void, and everything became blurred. "It's actually traversing the void! Where am I being taken?!"

Since the ancient jade was incomplete, opening the void this way could easily lead to complications.

However, there was no turning back. Darkness enveloped him, silent and absolute, with nothing visible as he was drawn into the void. A beam of light shot out, and the ancient jade flew in as well. Ye Fan hastily retrieved it with his cauldron, seizing it in his hand.

The jade piece was incomplete, meaning it was unlikely to reach Great Emperor Wushi's intended destination. This filled him with apprehension. His only solace was being protected within the Myriad Things Mother Qi Cauldron, safe from being crushed.

*Whoosh*. Before long, the void was torn open again, revealing boundless darkness where nothing could be seen. *Plop*. He plunged into water, and an icy chill permeated the cauldron, reaching him.

"Where am I?" Ye Fan emerged from the cauldron. Cold currents swirled around him, and the river flowed swiftly. "Is this underground?" He punched upward, and a rumbling sound echoed.

He drifted with the current, surrounded by pitch-black darkness and sheer rock walls. Suddenly, a massive whirlpool appeared ahead, and the dark river plunged straight down into the depths of the earth.

Ye Fan surged out of the water. He then violently hammered the rock, even summoning the Golden Tome to slash repeatedly, forcing a path upwards, driving toward the surface.

It was hard to imagine how far he had descended. He dug upwards for hundreds of meters but still hadn't reached the surface. He then ascended for over a thousand more meters, finally feeling flowing air as he burst out from underground, though he was still engulfed in boundless darkness.

"This is..." He looked around, recognizing the familiar surroundings of a massive, seemingly endless ancient mine. "The Dragon Vein! I'm out!" Ye Fan exclaimed, barely able to believe he had actually emerged from Purple Mountain. This was precisely the ancient mine beneath the Dragon Vein he had chosen, and he even saw the carvings on the mine walls.

"Yes! I'm truly out!" He rushed forward, his hand tracing the ancient diagrams—the very image of the Great Emperor's peerless Divine Source. Unable to contain his excitement, he had assumed he would be trapped inside, much like Divine King Jiang, never imagining such a swift escape. When he had first decided to enter Purple Mountain, he knew the Great Emperor's jade pendant would likely be useful, but he never anticipated its crucial role in allowing him to traverse the void at such a critical juncture.

"What was that?!" Suddenly, Ye Fan's heart tightened. It felt as if something in the ancient mine was observing him. "Could it be a demonic bat? No, they wouldn't escape my divine sense..."

This gave him an ominous feeling. Without hesitation, Ye Fan transformed into a bolt of lightning, streaking away. He had overcome countless perils; it would be truly unjust to fall at the very last hurdle.

It wasn't long before he reached the end of the vast mine. He soared upward, ascending thousands of meters. Light streamed down from above, and fresh air enveloped him.

Soon after, he finally emerged onto the surface. Ye Fan had been trapped in Purple Mountain for over a month. Standing on the ochre-colored earth, feeling the warmth of the midday sun, he felt as though he had been reborn, unable to calm his racing heart for a long time.

It was a long time before he finally left the Dragon Vein and walked away into the distance. His journey into Purple Mountain had yielded immense gains, yet it also left him with lingering regrets.

It was lamentable that a Divine King, after enduring for four millennia, would ultimately turn to dust. Jiang Taixu had imparted to him a supreme secret method, for which Ye Fan was deeply grateful, and he felt pity for the old Divine King.

"If I ever become powerful enough," he vowed, "I will return. Even if I cannot save your life, I will ensure your remains are properly buried and honored." The Nine Secrets represented the supreme, incomparable in value and immeasurable in worth! They were the most powerful secret arts across nine distinct domains.

The Divine King imparting his methods was a profound act of grace.

Finally, he thought of the *Wushi Sutra* again. His inability to bring it out was truly his greatest regret.

"Who is the peak at the end of the immortal path? Once Wushi is seen, the Dao becomes empty." Such an assessment perfectly illustrated its epoch-making achievements, and for Ye Fan, such an ancient scripture held an unparalleled allure.

He severely lacked subsequent cultivation methods. The *Wushi Sutra*, not being passed down in the world, was most suitable for him, as it would cause no disputes and attract no unwanted attention.

Even someone as powerful as Gu Tianshu had left such a message, which thrilled him deeply!

Ye Fan felt it would be necessary to collect more ancient jade in the Northern Region in the future. Perhaps he could gather all pieces of the Emperor Jade; if so, then one day, should he re-enter Purple Mountain, he might be able to open the *Wushi Sutra*.

"The *Wushi Sutra* has lain there for over a hundred thousand years; it won't be lost. Sooner or later, I will glimpse its secrets."

Ye Fan walked for several tens of miles, constantly feeling as though something was following him.

Yet, each time he turned around, he saw nothing, leaving him perplexed.

"There must be some kind of creature following me; this feeling... is very special!" Ye Fan was suspicious. It didn't feel like malicious intent; he sensed no killing aura.

He pondered for a moment, recalling the sensation of being observed by an unknown entity near the *Wushi Sutra*; the two feelings were similar. A shiver ran down his spine. "No way," he murmured, "could a creature from Purple Mountain have come out with me?!"

However, he had detected nothing during the void traversal, so he muttered to himself, "Perhaps I'm overthinking this..."