Chapter 219: Intent of the Primordial

The warm jade glowed, shimmering with a soft light. A gentle radiance emanated from Ye Fan’s fingertips, bringing a sense of peace, as if one were walking under a hazy moonlit night. "The path is vast and unknown…" Ye Fan stood with his hands behind his back, feeling a profound sense that the Dao was formless and boundless. How could it be grasped? Who could clearly define it?

After standing still for a long time, he stepped forward to the stone cave. He touched the cold rock wall, where the ancient characters, worn smooth by time, were very faint and would soon disappear forever.

He used his finger as a pen, tracing the three lines of characters again and again. His mind was focused on the ancient script, pondering the state of mind of the Great Emperor Wushi.

Ye Fan forgot everything else, standing alone before the stone wall. His movements became slower and slower, each stroke deliberate, power flowing through his fingertips. Like the still reflection of the moon in a well, he became fixed before the ancient cave.

Time flowed slowly, as if winding back. He seemed to glimpse a figure, covered in dust and ash, standing on the desolate land.

He wanted to walk forward, but found that there was no beginning or end, an eternal continuum that he could not approach. He knew that was the Great Emperor Wushi.

Ye Fan sank into an exceedingly ethereal state. His fingers slowly carved, as if lifting a sky-reaching mountain, weighing millions of tons.

Unfortunately, he could not approach the figure standing at the end of the world, nor meet the Great Emperor Wushi. That was merely a trace, an imprint erased by history.

The Emperor Jade in Ye Fan’s left hand grew hotter and hotter. The stone cave gently shook, and pieces of rock cracked and continuously fell off.

The ancient jade radiated light in all directions, flowing into the stone cave. Stone fragments flew everywhere, and dust covered the ground. He stepped forward, as if standing under the starry sky of over one hundred thousand years ago.

This Emperor Jade was indeed extraordinary, growing more hazy and gradually scalding hot, illuminating the ancient cave completely.

It was as if a fragmented historical scroll unfolded before Ye Fan’s eyes. A faint, ethereal figure flickered in and out of view.

"Having peered through the path to immortality, I see no ancients before me, no future generations behind me. I alone stand atop the clouds."

This was the imprint held by the Emperor Jade. The words of the Great Emperor from over one hundred thousand years ago stirred his heart. However, time was too ancient; nothing could last forever. The fragmented scroll ultimately scattered with the wind, leaving little behind.

"Vast as the ocean, minuscule as dust, all things..." The voice ceased there.

Ye Fan remained motionless, his fingers tracing characters in the air. Just now, he had felt an inexplicable state of mind, an ethereal quality that continued to linger.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but his entire body began to glow, his pores expanded, and he seemed like a jade figure, unstained by dust, as if he had undergone a baptism.

It took a full two hours for Ye Fan to slowly regain clarity. He awakened from that inexplicable Dao charm.

"The Scripture of Wushi, I must obtain it!"

He had not heard any miraculous techniques, but the lingering imprint still allowed him to perceive a profound charm of the Great Dao. Both his spirit and body felt as if bathed in holy light, receiving an indescribable baptism.

A rumbling sound echoed, the rock wall collapsed, and Ye Fan had to withdraw.

Looking back, the ancient cave no longer existed; in a blink, it had become a mere historical trace. He felt regret, though he already knew that the Scripture of Wushi was not here, he was still somewhat disappointed.

The Emperor Jade was still glowing, not dimming, and he understood that there must be something else.

Stone cliffs stood tall, and low hills rose one after another. Immortal vines formed bridges, connecting one precipice to another, creating a serene and simple landscape.

Ye Fan strode forward, passing stone mountains, walking among flowers and grasses, until he reached a secluded spot.

"Who are you?" The people of Xuanyue Cave were alerted, and figures rushed out, shouting reprimands.

Ye Fan arrived at the back mountain as if entering an unmanned territory. His large sleeves fluttered, sending the rushing young disciples flying one by one.

He held the ancient jade, searching forward by instinct.

"Quickly, report to the elders! Someone is trespassing in our Xuanyue Cave!" "An enemy has invaded and entered the back mountain of our Xuanyue Cave!"

Many people shouted, reporting to the sect elders.

Ye Fan floated past beautiful peaks, arriving at a serene place. The back mountain was lush with vegetation and contained a huge deep valley.

Upon reaching this place, the Emperor Jade grew even brighter and intensely hot, as if wanting to fly out of his hand.

This was a desolate valley, filled with miscellaneous items: herbal dregs, broken furnaces, rusty swords, and shattered talismans. It was a desolate valley used for discarding things.

He didn't know how many years had passed, but the vast valley was almost filled, entirely with items discarded by cultivators. It was lifeless and permeated by murky energy.

"This place..."

Ye Fan frowned, but without much hesitation. He flicked his sleeve, and immediately, debris flew everywhere, broken metal clanged, falling into the distance.

"Hey, you Daoist, what are you doing?" An elder from Xuanyue Cave finally arrived.

Ye Fan ignored him, swinging his large sleeves back and forth, sending fragments flying everywhere. The valley was continuously cleared, and the Emperor Jade grew hotter and hotter.

"Bang!" An elder rushed forward but was sent flying by Ye Fan along with a large amount of discarded items.

"Who are you, and why have you trespassed here?" Several elders from Xuanyue Cave flew over and landed around the valley.

Ye Fan had already sealed Xuanyue Cave, so he had no qualms. He said, "I am the one who killed your Grand Elder."

"What?" The people around were shocked.

They had not yet received the news; they only knew that the previous Grand Elder had remained in Qingxia and had not returned.

"Go report to your current Grand Elder; I will come for his life soon," Ye Fan said, continuing to rummage through the discarded valley.

"...Nonsense! The Grand Elder's cultivation is profound and powerful; he has been in seclusion for years and rarely encounters rivals in this region."

Ye Fan summoned his Lihuo Divine Furnace and instantly absorbed several elders into it. With a flash of fire, they turned into black ash, their names erased from existence.

"You..."

The others instantly paled, feeling terrified. Several elders were annihilated before they even had a chance to resist. Such methods made everyone's legs turn to jelly, and they fled in panic, completely dispersing.

Ye Fan used the Lihuo Divine Furnace to refine all the waste in the valley, finally clearing it out.

"Ding!" The ancient jade vibrated, and its light grew brighter. Ye Fan came to the bottom of the valley, began digging, and cleared away a patch of black soil from amidst the discarded and ruined materials.

"Another piece of Emperor Jade!" He was overjoyed. At the bottom of the valley's soil lay a broken jade piece, covered in mud, its age unknown.

"Hum!" The two Emperor Jades met and both radiated auspicious light.

Ye Fan picked up the jade pendant from the ground; the mud fell off by itself. He placed them together, and they shone brilliantly, warm and translucent.

"It's still not complete; these are just two fragments. At least six or seven more are missing," Ye Fan said, frowning.

However, he didn't expect to gather all the Emperor Jades at once; that would be unrealistic.

The Sect Master of Xuanyue Cave and eight Grand Elders all arrived, and battle immediately erupted.

Unfortunately, this was a battle without suspense. Ye Fan summoned the Lihuo Divine Furnace; its flames crackled, melting an entire mountain peak.

Lava surged, and heat waves scorched the sky.

Soon after, peace returned to the area. All nine power holders were killed.

Ye Fan leisurely strode to the front mountain, his heart as calm as an ancient well. With each step, he killed ten people; he repeatedly flicked his fingers, ending life after life.

This was a massacre, one man against over a hundred people! All those who had committed evil deeds or were unforgivably wicked were completely eradicated by him, erased from this world.

In the end, only thirty-one people were spared. They truly had committed no evil deeds and had all vehemently opposed looting.

Ye Fan opened Xuanyue Cave's treasury; dazzling light met his eyes. There were a full 1,400 catties of Origin Stones, comparable to Qingxia Sect, which he unceremoniously took.

He carefully flipped through Xuanyue Cave's highest secret scriptures. Then, he threw them, along with various weapons, to the survivors, and drifted away.

These people were future "miners," but he couldn't tell them yet.

Before coming to Xuanyue Cave, Ye Fan had disguised himself as a Grand Elder of Lihuo Sect. He summoned his Divine Furnace and set fire to several immortal peaks of Seven Star Pavilion and Luoxia Gate.

As a result, the two sects indeed went to Lihuo Sect to demand an explanation, and bloody conflicts occurred. However, they did not truly engage in a full-scale battle.

Lihuo Sect had a total of two Grand Elders at the third realm of Dao Palace. One was annihilated by Ye Fan, and another strong cultivator was still in the sect.

The strong cultivators from all three sides assumed that the Lihuo Divine Furnace had been stolen by someone, and that it wasn't the true Lihuo Sect Grand Elder carrying out the killings.

Unfortunately, even if they had deduced all of this, they couldn't change anything.

In the following days, Ye Fan defeated them one by one. He successively "visited" Lihuo Sect, Seven Star Pavilion, and Luoxia Gate, destroying them one by one.

After eliminating the four scourges of this region, he obtained a total of two 'fang' of Origin Stone, weighing 6,600 catties.

This was a huge gain, but it was still a considerable distance from what he needed. Every step forward required a tenfold increase, meaning he needed 10,000 catties of Origin Stone, roughly three 'fang', to break into the third realm of Dao Palace.

Ye Fan felt a little dizzy. In the past, he wouldn't even dare to imagine it. Now, the amount of Origin Stone he needed could no longer be measured in catties, but in 'fang'.

He could still imagine gathering 10,000 catties, finding a way to collect them. But when he thought of the next number—100,000 catties—he felt dizzy and confused.

If he didn't have the Origin Heavenly Book, he felt he could give up cultivating. Otherwise, it would be impossible to collect such an amount.

One could imagine that for the numbers after that, even a Holy Land would be severely strained, and no one could afford it.

Qingxia, Seven Star, Xuanyue, Luoxia, and Lihuo — these five sects existed in name only, having become Ye Fan's reserve of miners.

His gains were undeniably massive, especially after he found a yellowed thin booklet in Lihuo Sect. It contained only one style, the Embrace Mountain Seal. It was very profound, greatly inspiring him. Similar to the Mountain and River Seal, its power was immense, adding another variation to his Sacred Battle Techniques.

"If I get one more 'fang' of Origin Stone, I can advance to the third realm of Dao Palace." Ye Fan's thoughts wandered infinitely; he was preparing to enter the Jade Lake.

With the five sects destroyed, he wasn't worried about stirring up trouble.

Small heavenly grottoes like Lihuo Sect, Qingxia Sect, and Xuanyue Cave could be said to be the lowest-tier sects in the Northern Region. Above them were medium-sized sects, large sects, super-factions, Holy Lands, and so on.

Unless they were small factions in special regions like life restricted zones or divine medicine gardens, which super-sects might support as outposts, it would be difficult for them to have any interaction.

How vast was the Northern Region! Even cultivators would need several months to fly from one end of the Northern Region to the other.

Some sects were often hundreds of thousands of miles apart, or even over a million miles, the journey being extremely distant.

In such a vast region, large factions were naturally well-known. But low-tier sects like Lihuo Sect and Xuanyue Cave were almost unnoticed by others; only small sects of similar scale in their local region would have heard of them.

One could say, one was in heaven and one was on earth; the two were like being in two different worlds.

Therefore, Ye Fan wasn't worried that the disturbances here would attract the attention of any Holy Land. The distance was simply too great; heavenly palaces in the sky would not care about ant nests on the ground.

The Eastern Wasteland had seven great life restricted zones, including the Primeval Forbidden Zone in the Southern Domain and the Archaic Mine of Grand Beginning in the Northern Region.

When it came to mystery, without a doubt, this life restricted zone in the Northern Region could rank highly.

Originally an Origin Stone mine, it had become a desolate forbidden land where successive Holy Lords had entered but never returned.

Named "Grand Beginning," it implied existence before the heavens and earth began. It was hard to imagine just how ancient it truly was.

There was a legend that this ancient mine was not excavated by humans at all. It had already existed long before the birth of humanity.

Another saying was that it was excavated by humans, but one would have to qualify 'human' with 'Immortal'—a claim not widely accepted, as it was difficult to say whether immortals truly existed.

Regardless, this place was a forbidden land. Even a peerless prodigy would enter but never return. It was unknown how many heroic figures had been buried there.

The most recent instance was seven hundred years ago, when the ruler of an immortal dynasty in Zhongzhou—a true hegemon of his era who commanded boundless, magnificent lands—for some reason ventured into the Archaic Mine of Grand Beginning but vanished without even causing a ripple.

Outside the Archaic Mine of Grand Beginning, large areas were almost entirely occupied and excavated by various Holy Lands, making it the most productive Origin Stone mining area.

This region was barren, completely devoid of vegetation.

Outside the Archaic Mine of Grand Beginning, on the boundless reddish-brown earth, only one city stood: Origin City.

It was located within the Origin Stone mining area and was built by cultivators. No mortals frequented this place; most were disciples from major factions and those transporting Origin Stones.

Of course, it was still very far from the Archaic Mine of Grand Beginning, about thirty thousand miles away; otherwise, probably no one would dare to come.

Ye Fan came to this city because he heard that the Holy Maiden of Jade Lake had not yet returned to Jade Lake but was still in this region, seemingly transporting a batch of stone materials.

"The Holy Maiden of Jade Lake is still here. If I use her jade pendant to enter Jade Lake early, it might be inappropriate. The Stone Appraisal Conference is still a long time away."

Furthermore, he had another objective: he had always heard of the Archaic Mine of Grand Beginning and greatly wished to observe it from a distance.

Origin City was not very large, merely a small city entirely built from reddish-brown giant stones, and it was quite famous.

Most of the rice, grains, and other necessities for the various mining areas had to be purchased here, as it served as a transit station.

Soon after Ye Fan arrived here, he found out everything: the Holy Maiden of Jade Lake had gone to the peripheral region of the Archaic Mine of Grand Beginning and would only return after some time.

At the same time, he learned that Yao Xi and the Holy Son of Shaking Light had also gone with her.

Of course, the so-called peripheral region was at least a thousand miles from the actual Archaic Mine of Grand Beginning; no one dared to truly venture into danger.

"What kind of place is the Archaic Mine of Grand Beginning?" Ye Fan stroked his chin, pondering seriously.

The founding ancestor of the Zhang family, that Origin Master, had his greatest regret being unable to enter the Archaic Mine of Grand Beginning. If a peerless prodigy of his generation was so fearful, then naturally, Ye Fan wouldn't dare to rashly break in.

"Observing from afar might also allow me to discover some things," he thought. He believed that the former Origin Master must have seen something, which was why he dared not enter.