Chapter 237: Ancient Jade Pool

In the Northern Region, the temperature difference between day and night was significant. The moonlight was clear and cold, and a bone-chilling frost permeated the air. On the horizon, several white figures appeared ethereal, flickering in and out of sight like immortals, and then soared into the sky.

Ye Fan vanished with every stride, leaving more than a dozen afterimages on the vast, open land. He pursued them for a long distance but caught nothing. He stood in the night, gazing up at the boundless starry sky.

‘What were those things?’ he wondered. The white figures had vanished into the vast night sky, never to be seen again.

‘Flying Immortals of the Jade Pool,’ replied the large black dog.

‘Flying Immortals?’ Ye Fan was puzzled. To cultivators, immortals were illusory and unreal. Although legends spoke of their existence, there was no proof, and even records in ancient texts could not withstand scrutiny.

‘It's hard to say,’ the big black dog shook its head. The Jade Pool was an ancient site where, under the night moon, the miraculous sight of flying immortals occasionally appeared. No one could explain what it was; it appeared hazy from afar and vanished upon closer inspection. Legend had it that these were remnants from the primordial past, reflections from endless ages ago, or replays of ancient events.

‘It can't be immortals…’ Ye Fan didn't believe it.

‘I didn't say it was immortals,’ the Black Sovereign said, its eyes glowing green. In the darkness, it looked no different from a wolf.

There was nothing but sand and gravel on the vast, empty land. The latter half of the night was incredibly quiet. Ye Fan and the Black Sovereign searched for most of the night but found nothing.

Back then, the Jade Pool sect was established here because its mountains and waters possessed spiritual essence, making it a rare immortal land. But now, it was desolate, with nothing but red sand. Since the miraculous sight of Jade Pool Flying Immortals had appeared, this was undoubtedly the former site of the Jade Pool. Yet, no matter how they searched, they found no trace or clue.

As the morning glow erupted, fiery red and golden, the reddish-brown earth shimmered. Ye Fan and the Black Sovereign had worked all night; not to mention ruins, they hadn't even found a single piece of pottery tile.

‘You're so unreliable! You told me there was a scripture here, but we can't even find the entrance.’

‘Do you know what 'good things come to those who wait' means? That's something created by the legendary Western Empress. How could it be obtained so easily?’ The big black dog offered an excuse.

‘Before we came, you spoke so casually, saying it was carved on a cliff face, and we'd find it as soon as we got here. So, what's the result?’ The big black dog pulled a long face, sulked to the side, and squinted its eyes in thought. After a long time, it finally said, ‘This place is sealed. This Emperor is feeling a bit unwell, so I might not be able to open it right now. We'll have to find another way.’ It sprang to its feet and said, ‘Let's go to the edge of the Jade Pool. The seal is weakest there; we might be able to sneak in.’

They walked for half a day, searching high and low, even digging many large pits in the sandy ground. Only then did the big black dog confirm, saying, ‘Let's search here.’

The midday sun was scorching; with the blazing sun directly overhead, a person's shadow almost merged with them. The Black Sovereign circled around, then suddenly jumped up and exclaimed, ‘Found it!’

Hearing this, Ye Fan rushed over. Ahead, a patch of red sand shimmered brightly. The scorching sunlight flowed there, making it feel like a huge furnace.

‘Is there something strange underground here? Can we enter the Jade Pool from this spot?’

‘I remember there's an ancient well at the edge of the Jade Pool Immortal Land. This should be it. We can most likely get in through here,’ the big black dog replied.

‘Hey, old Black, are you reliable? Don't just make things up again,’ Ye Fan said, a bit skeptical of it.

The big black dog bared its teeth and threatened, ‘Call me Black Sovereign!’ Ye Fan smacked his hand down, stirring up red sand and revealing a large pit on the ground, exposing some large stones.

‘That's right, this is it. Time is merciless; even this ancient well has been buried by sandstorms,’ the big black dog said, squatting down to examine it closely.

When they cleared the ground, an ancient well appeared below. It was constructed with ancient jade stones, and its opening was sealed by large rocks. The sunlight from the sky was drawn into this well, making it hot like a large furnace.

‘The former site of the Jade Pool is indeed extraordinary. Even sealed, it can automatically absorb the essence of the sun and moon. This well is absorbing sunlight.’ When Ye Fan lifted the large stone, a dark, gaping well opening was revealed. It was very deep, with no visible end.

‘Are you sure this well leads to the Jade Pool?’ Ye Fan asked, looking at it skeptically.

‘It should be close enough,’ the big black dog said in an uncertain tone.

‘What do you mean, "close enough"? Are you certain? Have you ever entered through here? This well is so deep; who knows where it might lead.’

‘Isn't this our only option? We need to explore slowly,’ the big black dog said, picking up a stone and dropping it into the ancient well. For a long time, no sound echoed back.

‘It's a bottomless pit!’ Ye Fan exclaimed in surprise.

‘I remember now! This place definitely leads into the Jade Pool. Someone entered through here before. Kid, you go down and scout ahead.’

‘Why don't you scout ahead?’

‘This Emperor is having a slight issue with my cultivation right now, so it's not suitable for me to fly. Only you can go down.’

‘You're leading the way, but you want me to scout ahead?’ Ye Fan glared at it.

‘Huh, there's light down there,’ the big black dog suddenly peered into the well. Ye Fan was surprised and looked down, but saw nothing. Just then, he felt the large dog's head bump into him, knocking him down.

‘You bald-tailed dog, you're truly cunning and wicked!’ Fortunately, he had been on guard against the big black dog; he grabbed its mane and pulled it down with him.

‘Kid, one person going down is enough; there's no need for both of us to come in.’

‘Yeah, I also think you going down alone is enough. How about I just throw you down?’

Ye Fan was about to let go, intending to fly upwards himself. ‘I can't fly! Kid, if you dare let go, I'll never forgive you!’ The big black dog bit Ye Fan.

‘Damn it, bitten by a dog again!’ Ye Fan didn't fly up; instead, he held onto the big black dog as they both fell, hoping to find a path.

The ancient well was indeed very deep; they descended more than two thousand meters before reaching the bottom. There was no water, only mud on the ground, with the stones thrown in by the big black dog deeply embedded.

As they landed, a peculiar smell wafted up, and there were even withered leaves in the mud.

The ancient well was connected to an underground river, but the riverbed was dry. It stretched horizontally into the distance, and occasionally they could see small pools of water with blind fish swimming in them.

‘This dried-up riverbed definitely leads into the Jade Pool. Even if there's a seal, this would be its weakest point,’ the big black dog said, its eyes flashing green.

The riverbed was pitch black; they couldn't see their hands in front of their faces. They could only perceive their surroundings using their spiritual senses. Ye Fan stumbled forward, while the Black Sovereign followed beside him.

‘You can find a passage like this? Is this a hole you dug before?’ Ye Fan swallowed the words ‘dog hole,’ fearing the big black dog would erupt in anger.

‘Damn it, kid, are you cursing me?’ The big black dog was extremely perceptive, as cunning as a human, and immediately sensed the implication.

Fearing a bite, Ye Fan quickly diverted its attention, saying, ‘No, you're overthinking it. How did you discover this path?’

‘In the past, the ancient well was full of water, making it almost impossible to discover this path. However, someone did enter through here before, but it has nothing to do with me; I merely heard about it.’

They walked on and on, for thirty or forty li. Ye Fan felt the terrain gradually rising; they were slowly ascending towards the surface. Here, the seal was extremely weak, and there was a faint light. The formations couldn't stop them at all, allowing a direct path forward. After walking several more li, daylight filtered down, indicating they were very close to the exit.

‘This place really leads into the former site of the Jade Pool,’ the big black dog muttered.

‘So you really weren't sure!’ Ye Fan wanted to hit it a couple of times, but he was afraid of being bitten. This was a large lake, but it had dried up, and its bottom was cracked. This riverbed connected to a large crevice at the bottom of the lake.

As they emerged from the riverbed, a rich spiritual energy immediately washed over them. It was refreshing, making them feel as if bathed in a spring breeze.

The bottom of this large lake was parched and, if not for the large crevices, was shaped much like a frying pan.

Many enormous fish bones lay on the ground; the lake's desiccation had caused their demise. Their size was astonishing; some were more than ten meters long, nearly twenty.

‘Fish this big must have been close to becoming spirits.’ Around the lake, towering ancient trees stood rooted on the banks, incredibly robust. Unfortunately, they had all withered, with only one or two still holding onto a dozen or so yellow leaves.

‘These trees are too thick! They must have been growing for thousands, even tens of thousands of years, right?’ Ye Fan asked in surprise.

Such ancient trees should have become spirits, yet they had withered and died here, which was quite peculiar.

‘There's something strange about this place!’ The big black dog's large, bell-like eyes glowed with a faint light, and it said, ‘Whether it's the ten-meter-long fish in the lake or the ancient trees on the bank that would take more than a dozen people to embrace, none of them clearly managed to become spirits.’

‘What do you feel?’ Ye Fan asked.

‘I don't sense anything specific, just a gut feeling. Perhaps this is why the Jade Pool withdrew,’ the Black Sovereign said, scanning the lake shore.

It was quiet all around, a bit lifeless.

Ye Fan walked out of the dry lake bed and onto the shore, surveying his surroundings. In the distance, everything was withered; many trees were dried up, bare, and devoid of life, giving an immense sense of desolation.

‘Didn't you say this was a world of fragrant flowers and singing birds? Why is it so desolate and withered?’

‘Something has changed here…’ the Black Sovereign said, walking forward.

Although the former site of the Jade Pool was desolate, the spiritual energy was very dense, many times stronger than outside. It was indeed a holy land for cultivation.

After walking several li, they heard the sound of flowing water. Passing through a large stretch of withered trees, lush greenery appeared before their eyes.

Ahead, green plants were everywhere, lush and vibrant. A lake was as clear as a sapphire, and large areas of vegetation along the shore were full of vitality.

Giant ancient trees, with branches stretching towards the sky, were as large as small mountains. Thick vines, like winding ancient dragons, climbed everywhere. Various flowers and grasses emitted wafts of refreshing fragrance; their vibrant colors were pleasing to the eye.

Ye Fan found it strange; why was the contrast so stark? They were very close to each other, yet one area was utterly desolate while the other was so vibrant and full of life.

The big black dog ran forward, passing through this lush area. After just over a thousand meters, they encountered another desolate, quiet area.

‘Strange, it can't all be due to water issues.’

They continued forward, discovering that ninety percent of the area was lifeless, with only a few places showing vitality.

The mountains were similar; most were barren and treeless. Only a few peaks were imbued with spiritual essence, with green peaks and verdant valleys.

After traveling dozens of li, they finally saw a few pavilions, but they were already half-collapsed. Even though they were inscribed with Dao patterns, they couldn't withstand the erosion of time over so many years.

‘Almost there! We're nearing the core area of the Jade Pool,’ the Black Sovereign exclaimed, its bald tail held high as it ran forward.

After crossing several mountain ranges, they finally arrived at a place shrouded in immortal mist. It was quiet all around, and all the vegetation had withered.

Vast complexes of palaces stood like celestial abodes, some perched on mountaintops, others situated before dried-up waterfalls…

If this place were to regain its vitality, it would surely be an immortal realm.

‘The Jade Pool palaces that hung in the air have all been moved; not a single one was left behind,’ the big black dog said, scanning its surroundings.

‘Does the Jade Pool have an ancient city that never falls?’ Ye Fan asked.

‘Naturally, there is one,’ the big black dog said, its eyes flickering as if searching for something. ‘The central region is past the mountain ridges ahead.’

They advanced quickly, crossing the withered land. The mist ahead grew even more ethereal.

After successively crossing several mountain ranges, lush greenery appeared before their eyes once more. Flying waterfalls and flowing springs, shrouded in mist, and magnificent palaces stood one after another, as if they had entered the immortal realm.

‘It's great that the central region didn't become a dead land!’ the big black dog exclaimed, charging forward.

‘On which cliff did the Western Empress carve the scriptures?’ Ye Fan pressed. Upon reaching such an immortal land, he too felt a sense of restlessness.

‘What's the rush? Let's go to a good place first!’ From the beautiful cliff, grand waterfalls cascaded down, their silver streams stretching for a thousand zhang, magnificent and a vast expanse of white.

Palaces stood in profusion, like a scene from a painting.

‘Where exactly are you going?’ Ye Fan asked.

‘Naturally, we're going to the Jade Pool's Sacred Lake! The Jade Pool gets its name from it!’

Not far away was an open area, surrounded by endless exotic flowers and rare plants, with palaces situated around. In the central area, spiritual energy swirled, auspicious light flowed, and there was a hazy lake.

‘This should be the place,’ the big black dog said, charging forward.

Here, the spiritual energy was even denser, many times richer than anywhere else. Standing here, one could automatically absorb the primordial essence of heaven and earth without even circulating cultivation techniques.

With a 'plop,' the big black dog plunged into the immortal lake.

‘Black Sovereign, is there some treasure in the lake? Why are you so impatient?’

The big black dog didn't answer, swimming towards the center of the lake like a streak of black light. Then it dove headfirst.

‘Howl!’ After being submerged for a few minutes, the big black dog let out a howl and shot out of the water, as if startled.

‘What did you see?’ Ye Fan asked, startled.

‘Nothing much! It's incredibly refreshing! This is the Jade Pool's immortal lake. Bathing here has miraculous effects; it clears channels and invigorates muscles, greatly accelerating cultivation. Kid, you should come down too.’

‘Nonsense! Look how scared you were just now. There's definitely something strange. You're trying to drag me into trouble with you, aren't you?’ Ye Fan stood on the shore, arms crossed, watching it.

‘Kid, you're too suspicious. Is this Emperor really that dishonest?’ the big black dog said.

‘When have you ever been honest? Get up here and go find it for me!’ Ye Fan urged.

‘The water quality of this immortal lake is special. In the past, only the Jade Pool's immortal maidens could enjoy it. This is where peerless beauties used to bathe; outsiders couldn't even enter, let alone see it. Don't you want to come down and experience it?’

Suddenly, Ye Fan's heart jolted. He saw several human figures in the water, gliding beneath the surface, pale and chilling.

‘You bald-tailed dog, you really are sly and malicious!’ The big black dog seemed to sense something, leaped high out of the water, and cried out, ‘How did they follow us? Why are they still moving?’

‘Damn it, this dead dog really did want to drag him into trouble along with it,’ Ye Fan thought to himself.

The big black dog darted and dashed, skimming the water's surface, its bald tail erect, as it raced towards the shore.

Beneath the lake's surface, several blurry figures, with disheveled black hair and clad in white, glided past. The sight made Ye Fan's heart pound! ‘What were those things?’