Chapter 226: True Dragon Pulls the Coffin

The Great Xia Emperor was not the only powerful individual to die here; four Sacred Lords and a Divine King from the Eastern Wasteland also met their end in this pine forest. This record, left by a Source Heavenly Master, clearly documented the identities of those who died, discerning them from their relics before inscribing these words.

The ancient pavilion stood about four meters high, its ground covered in pine needles. Surrounded by trees, moonlight spilled upon it, making it appear serene and elegant. Its four stone pillars were densely covered with ancient characters.

The Emperor, the Sacred Lords, and the Divine King from the Eastern Wasteland all entered this secret realm in their twilight years, as their lifespans were nearing their end. Their cultivation levels were earth-shattering, yet they still perished in this forest.

Ye Fan observed the first stone pillar for a long time, sighing. He reflected that no matter how peerless a talent one was, they could not stop the passage of time. These individuals had come here in their later years to prolong their lives, but ultimately failed.

He walked to the other side and approached the second stone pillar. Reading carefully, he saw it contained some background information about this Source Heavenly Master, recounting some of their deeds during their lifetime.

Ye Fan quickly scanned it, stunned to realize this was actually the Fourth Generation Source Heavenly Master, who, in a sense, was his grandmaster.

The second stone pillar recorded some history of the Source Arts' lineage. Since ancient times, only five Source Heavenly Masters had appeared in the Northern Region, and they were all from the same lineage.

The name "Zhang Lin" was mentioned, who was the ancestor of Grandfather Zhang, and a disciple of the Fourth Generation Source Heavenly Master. He was taken on when the Fourth Master was two hundred years old, at which point he already knew he was entering his "later years" and began preparing for his end.

"I've encountered my grandmaster..."

On the third stone pillar, some of Ye Fan's most pressing concerns were addressed. The "Extremes Revert" terrain was almost unsolvable, but the Fourth Generation Grandmaster's mastery of Source Arts was profound, and he managed to carve out a path to survival, not perishing here.

Furthermore, it was clearly stated that the surface had been sealed by him and no longer posed a crisis. However, the "momentum" beneath the ground was extremely difficult to neutralize, and he dared not disturb it.

The ancient inscriptions solemnly warned future generations that even if one's cultivation was earth-shattering and their Source Arts comparable to a Heavenly Master, they must not act rashly, otherwise, it would lead to a great calamity resulting in death.

Ye Fan gasped. The surface part of the Immortal Forest had been deciphered by the Fourth Generation Grandmaster, yet it was still so dangerous, almost taking his life. One could imagine how perilous this place truly was.

Some terrains cannot be neutralized by human power, and some mountain ranges hold great secrets that bury the heavens; never touch them. This was a stern warning from the Fourth Generation Grandmaster.

The language on the third stone pillar was vague, but Ye Fan carefully pondered it and finally gained some insight. Besides the warnings, it subtly hinted at the secret of this place.

"Mountains and rivers bury ancient sages..."

Besides the "Extremes Revert" terrain, the Immortal Forest also contained Divine Source, and was a grand burial ground.

Ye Fan mused silently, standing for a long time. The underground was indeed terrifying; even the Fourth Generation Grandmaster had no solution for it, so he could not possibly touch it.

After pondering for a while, he approached the fourth stone pillar. He was immediately moved, as this pillar was an invaluable treasure to him.

The characters on this stone pillar were very small and densely packed, engraved deeply, seared three inches into the pillar, as if to prevent them from being erased. This was, surprisingly, a Source Art text.

The Fourth Generation Grandmaster, during his more than two hundred years, had faced countless dangers and encountered many perilous lands. Some of these even surpassed the scope of the *Source Heavenly Book*, and even that miraculous book had no solutions for them.

The Source Arts he had learned were fundamentally insufficient to break through them. He relied entirely on his own innovations and flashes of inspiration to escape those deadly places and live into his later years. The text on this pillar was his final enlightenment before his death, a supplement to the *Source Heavenly Book*, effectively continuing the miraculous book.

For a "Digger Lord," this was a supreme secret text comparable to the *Unstarting Sutra*, an immortal book that could not be obtained even with Divine Source.

From ancient times to the present, only five Source Heavenly Masters had ever appeared. This was the culmination of a Grandmaster's life's work, whose preciousness was immeasurable.

Ye Fan read on, word by word, silently committing it to memory, afraid of missing a single symbol.

This text was extremely profound and difficult to comprehend. The Source Arts described were unheard of, almost reaching the Dao. Ye Fan could not fully understand it and could only memorize it.

Once he had committed it to memory, he flicked his sleeve, sending stone fragments flying, and this Source Art text vanished. He estimated that if these Source methods were recorded in the *Source Heavenly Book*, they would add nine more pages.

"The Fourth Generation Grandmaster was indeed a peerless genius," Ye Fan sighed, "to have continued it by nine pages..."

After examining all four stone pillars, a doubt arose in his mind: why had the Fourth Generation Grandmaster come here, and where did he eventually go?

Inside the pavilion, there was a stone table and four stone stools. Time, like a knife, had etched marks named "Passing" upon them, simple yet embodying the accumulation of ages.

However, they were free of dust; although old, they were still clean. Ye Fan stepped forward and was surprised to find that there were also inscriptions on the stone table, but they were very faint and barely visible.

He sat on a stone stool, scrutinizing the table. His heart pounded, for it mentioned the Source Heavenly Master's later years.

The Fourth Generation Grandmaster was not at the end of his lifespan. Instead, he sensed that his "later years" were approaching and that ominous events would occur. He did not want to experience the same fate as his predecessors, desiring to break free. Thus, he came to the Primordial Forbidden Zone.

"No way..." Ye Fan was puzzled. He believed that the terrifying "later years" of Source Heavenly Masters were certainly related to their lifelong search for sources, and coming to the Primordial Forbidden Zone was practically digging one's own grave.

This place was almost the end of all sources in the world, if not completely. Why would he come here to avoid calamity?

He read on intently, gradually understanding the Fourth Generation Grandmaster's dilemma. Although the world was vast, there was no place for him to hide. After much thought, he entered this place. The "Extremes Revert" terrain, rare since ancient times, he hoped to use its "extreme" and "reversal" to change his destiny.

"Does this grandmaster rest here?" Ye Fan scanned his surroundings.

The pine forest was tranquil, the moonlight soft, the stream serene. There was no tomb anywhere.

Not wanting to experience the same fate as his predecessors and to resolve the calamity of his later years, the Fourth Generation Grandmaster's tone was resolute. An arrow was left at the end of the stone table, pointing towards the depths of the dense forest.

This pine forest stretched endlessly, tall and beautiful under the night moon, with thin, silvery mist drifting through it.

Ye Fan stood in the pavilion for a while, then stepped forward. After leaving the pavilion, the Heavenly Book in his hand rustled again, emitting auspicious light.

In the Immortal Forest, Source Heavenly patterns shimmered, guiding the way forward.

Ye Fan understood that both the ancient pavilion and this path were left for the next person to hold the Heavenly Book; otherwise, it would be impossible to discover the runes buried underground.

What exactly were the later years of a Source Heavenly Master like? What kind of changes would occur? Had the Fourth Generation Grandmaster managed to avoid it? Perhaps the answers lay ahead.

"As a Source Heavenly Master, throughout their life, they locate dragon veins and extract precious sources. Most of their time is spent roaming deep mountains and vast wilderness, unearthing many things that should not see the light of day. Perhaps this is why they incur divine wrath." Ye Fan murmured to himself.

He himself might very likely become a Source Heavenly Master. He wondered if he would encounter the same calamity in his later years. He still couldn't truly understand what kind of shocking change it truly was.

As he walked through the forest, Ye Fan did not encounter any danger. The Source Heavenly patterns on the ground rose like dragons and snakes, resembling a mysterious tortoise pulling a carriage, drawing in starlight from the heavens, with a clear radiance spilling over everything.

"The Fourth Generation Grandmaster's skill was truly profound," he mused. "This was his method for sealing the surface. Even after more than ten thousand years, it has not weakened."

Ye Fan felt deep admiration. This grandmaster was truly extraordinary. Even Sacred Lords and Emperors in their later years perished here, yet he managed to forge a path to survival.

In terms of combat power, a Source Heavenly Master could not compare to the great Sacred Lords. However, when entering such deadly places, he could be called a peerless individual, unmatched even by the Emperors of Central Plains.

"The grandmaster has already resolved the surface crisis," he wondered, "yet why am I still trapped here? How can I escape? Why didn't he leave any relevant information? Could it be found ahead?"

Ye Fan wanted to see the Fourth Generation Grandmaster's ultimate fate, but he wanted even more to leave this place. This Immortal Forest, which even Source Heavenly Masters could not fully decipher, had an unimaginable ferocity beneath its surface.

He feared that the longer he stayed, the more complications would arise, and if something was disturbed, then things would take a turn for the worse.

After walking for several more miles, Ye Fan successively discovered three dilapidated buildings. They were not very large, similar in scale to the divine temple he first saw, and all were extremely ancient, almost collapsing.

That they had not collapsed after such a long time could only be called a miracle. Ye Fan believed that Dao patterns or similar inscriptions must be carved inside, otherwise, any building would have turned to dust and ceased to exist.

These were true ancient ruins, located within the Primordial Forbidden Zone. If any artifacts could be found, they would certainly be terrifyingly significant.

However, Ye Fan only observed them, not approaching. He currently only followed the path indicated by the Source Heavenly patterns, unwilling to take risks.

The Source Heavenly patterns corresponded to the stars in the sky, with wisps of silver light merging into the forest, like flickering candlelight.

After walking another four miles, a magnificent building stood across the forest, blocking his path. The Source Heavenly patterns, surprisingly, led to this place.

The ancient temple was vast, like a mountain blocking the way ahead. Even towering ancient pines could not entirely obscure it.

However, as the silvery moonlight fell upon it, it did not make it appear bright and sacred; instead, it looked eerie and gloomy.

It was constructed from black boulders, which seemed to absorb light. It resembled a ghost castle, sealed for many years, utterly silent, without a single sound.

The grand gate stood open, revealing only pitch blackness inside. No scenery could be discerned, as if it connected to an abyss.

"Did the Fourth Generation Grandmaster hide here in his later years, and did he manage to change his fate...?" Ye Fan felt that this magnificent and mysterious place was somewhat eerie, too dark. Even with his eyesight, he could not clearly see the objects inside.

"The Source Heavenly Master's later years..." he thought. "No matter what, I should go inside. I need to know what happened."

He stepped forward.

Pine needles were several feet thick, burying most of the stone steps. It felt soft underfoot. After walking for over ten meters, the steps became higher, rising up to the ancient building.

"There are words..."

In front of the wide-open stone gate, there was an open space. Some runes were carved onto the stone slab.

Ye Fan was startled. He saw the Fire Dragon Tomb, the Dragon's Blood, and this pine forest, all meticulously carved onto the stone slab.

In addition, there were some annotations by the Fourth Generation Grandmaster, and many symbols he could not understand.

Ye Fan was very shocked. The carvings on the ground connected the Fire Dragon Tomb with this place.

The Fire Dragon Tomb meandered, with corpses scattered on the ground. The "Dragon's Blood" carving was also startling. Most peculiar was that there was an ancient coffin carved within the pine forest on the ground.

A low mountain ridge connected the Fire Dragon Tomb and this pine forest, like an iron chain. This was a True Dragon pulling a coffin!

Ye Fan's expression changed instantly. The carvings on the ground astonished him greatly. The lines of that ancient coffin were very delicate, even showing patterns. He felt a sense of familiarity.

Indeed, there was a sense of familiarity, similar to the giant bronze coffin pulled by nine dragon corpses that had brought him to this world.

Not entirely the same, but very similar. "This is..."

His scalp tingled. The Fire Dragon Tomb and Dragon's Blood—this was a dragon! And connected to the ancient coffin in the pine forest, wasn't this precisely a True Dragon pulling a coffin? It was strikingly similar to the coffin pulled by nine dragon corpses.

"What exactly is going on?"

Ye Fan was astonished. This was a real topographical map. There was a low mountain ridge between the Fire Dragon Tomb and the pine forest, which was equivalent to a genuine iron chain, connecting the two.

This was the terrain for hundreds of miles around. After being miniaturized and carved onto the stone slab, it unexpectedly revealed such profound mystery!