Chapter 238: Immortal Pool

The mist was hazy, and water splashed. The big black dog ran across the water, kicking up splashes, like an arrow shooting rapidly towards the shore.

“What’s going on? Why are they moving?” The dog, looking dishevelled, turned its head to stare back at the water.

Damn it, that wretched dog deserved a good beating. Ye Fan almost went over and knocked it back into the water, glaring at it sideways.

“Kid, you’re really dishonorable! You didn’t help me just now; you just stood on the shore watching the fun,” the big black dog growled, baring its teeth.

“I did want to act, but only to give you a good thrashing,” Ye Fan said, standing on the shore. He looked at the dog for a moment, then at the blurry figures in the water. “What exactly did you see down there?”

Knowing it was in the wrong, the big black dog didn’t argue much. It just ambled around the lake, muttering to itself.

“What are you muttering about?”

“I saw celestial maidens, each with skin like ice and bones like jade, beautiful enough to topple cities and states, and pitiful to behold. Shall we go down and investigate together?” the big black dog asked.

“If you find them pitiful, then they certainly aren’t celestial maidens. More likely, they’re just big wolfhounds.”

“Woof woof, kid, are you tired of living?” The big black dog’s bald tail bristled.

“Alright, stop boasting. My legs are covered in your teeth marks,” Ye Fan quickly placated it. He was still counting on it to help find the Western Empress Scripture and didn’t want to anger it.

Around the lake, the spiritual energy was so dense it seemed almost liquid, a sacred land for cultivation that all cultivators yearned for.

Water shimmered with light, and mist drifted. Everything beneath the surface was blurry, and several human figures slowly faded into the lake’s depths.

Their bodies were stiff, dressed in sackcloth, with black hair unbound. Underwater, they were terrifying, like water ghosts, extremely eerie.

“Are they all corpses?” Ye Fan asked, seeking clarification.

The big black dog looked sullen. “This is truly preposterous!” it declared. “This is clearly a fairy lake, a place where peerless celestial maidens come to bathe. I eagerly went down to search for sacred treasures, but what a stroke of bad luck!”

“You only want to monopolize good things, but when you find something sinister, you call me down to join you?” Ye Fan glared at it.

“Let’s go down together. Maybe we can find a treasure,” the big black dog cajoled.

“No, I’m not going. I have no interest in corpses,” Ye Fan refused.

“Kid, don’t you dare regret this! This is the most crucial place in the Jade Lake. If this pool didn’t have corpses, I’d want to take all its water…”

In years past, this pool was renowned throughout the world, the most famous celestial pool in the Northern Region. Spiritual energy permeated it, even forming origin stones within its depths.

For mortals, drinking this pool’s water for extended periods could prolong their lives, and for cultivators, the effects were even more profound. The sacred and ethereal nature of the Jade Lake women was linked to this water, as it could gradually improve their physiques. After decades or centuries, their bodies would become flawless and pure.

The water of the Jade Lake was also the best source for refining medicine. Some great sects and sacred lands would even specifically come here to request water when smelting precious divine artifacts.

“The materials the Western Empress used to refine her Ultimate Weapon were dug from this celestial pool. We might also find something if we go down,” the big black dog tempted.

“Stop dreaming,” Ye Fan scoffed. “If there were any materials left, would they still be here now?”

Ultimate Weapons require exceptionally rare materials. A Great Emperor has a lifespan far exceeding that of ordinary cultivators, yet even in their entire life, searching every corner of the world, they might not be able to gather all the necessary components.

Sacred items like Phoenix Blood Red Gold are seen once in a thousand generations; they are stumbled upon, not sought out. Moreover, to forge an Ultimate Weapon, only the most precious materials existing since the dawn of creation can be used.

Thus, since ancient times, the total number of Ultimate Weapons in the Eastern Wasteland, both lost and existing, amounts to only a handful.

“That’s not necessarily true. Perhaps a piece of celestial material genuinely was left behind,” the big black dog said, its eyes gleaming.

“The Jade Lake has already evacuated. Even if there was anything, it would have been thoroughly scoured long ago. How could they possibly leave anything for you?” Ye Fan remained unmoved.

“What do you know? This pool is incredibly mysterious. The Western Empress founded her sect here precisely because of it. There might be other things beneath the pool. I suspect that the so-called ‘Jade Lake Fairies Ascending’ phenomenon was triggered by this very pool.”

“There are indeed corpses; you’ve already seen them. What else is there to investigate?”

“Why did the Jade Lake evacuate? And why are there so many corpses in the pool? Don’t you want to figure it out?” the big black dog asked, clearly displeased.

“If I were strong enough, I’d want to excavate the entire Primeval Ancient Mine and unearth all nine sacred mountains of the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land. But right now, I just want to obtain the Western Empress Scripture, and I don’t want to take unnecessary risks.”

“If you don’t go down with me, you can forget about ever getting the Western Empress Scripture in this lifetime!” the big black dog snarled, baring its fangs.

Damn it, that wretched dog was even threatening him now. Ye Fan cursed inwardly.

The lake water was warm, and the splashes were as clear as jade. The spiritual energy was intense, naturally seeping into the body through the pores.

“The people of Jade Lake bathe in this water every day; their cultivation levels would inevitably improve. I might as well, once I find enough origin stones, cultivate in seclusion right here. I’m certain to make rapid progress,” Ye Fan exclaimed in surprise.

“What, now you know the benefits, don’t you? This Emperor wouldn’t lie to you,” the big black dog said with an air of arrogance.

“What are you so smug about? Hurry up and go down; I’ll follow right behind you.”

“Let’s soak a bit longer and wait until my spirit is fully refreshed before going down. I feel a bit uneasy,” the big black dog admitted, sounding a little nervous.

“Have you sneaked in here before?” Ye Fan asked the cunning black dog, closing his eyes to savor the moment.

“I would have liked to, but I never had the opportunity. I’ve only heard tales about it, so a genius like myself needs to properly experience it now.”

“This pool is probably only accessible to important figures of the Jade Lake, right?” Ye Fan inquired.

“The Ultimate Weapon left by the Western Empress has always been suppressing this pool. Indeed, ordinary people cannot enter; only the Queen Mother, the Saintess, or the Grand Elders are permitted. However, the water from the pool can be drawn out for other disciples to use.”

“The Ultimate Weapon is perpetually submerged at the bottom of the pool?” Ye Fan thought, surprised.

“Unfortunately, the people of Jade Lake took it away, sigh!” The big black dog lamented, sounding very greedy.

Water churned, and the big black dog sank. Ye Fan followed, slowly approaching the lakebed after descending over a hundred meters.

“Oh my god,” Ye Fan thought, his scalp tingling. The lakebed was densely packed, completely covered with the bodies of young women.

This was no celestial lake; it was clearly a burial pit. There were hundreds of bodies, piled up, filling the very center of the lake.

Those withered arms and long, slender jade legs still faintly gleamed, but their bodies were stiff and showed no signs of life.

Each female corpse was dishevelled, with pale faces and long, unbound hair. Dressed in white sackcloth bearing the Jade Lake insignia, their hair writhed like snakes in the dim lake, a truly unsettling sight.

No wonder the big black dog had been so startled during its first descent that it shot out of the water, clearly wanting to lure Ye Fan down there as well.

There were no fish or water plants in the celestial pool; it was utterly silent, with nothing but corpses.

“You go search for treasures; I’ll wait for you here,” Ye Fan transmitted via divine sense.

“I feel a little uneasy,” the big black dog muttered to itself.

Over a dozen corpses slowly floated upwards, drifting closer. They were merely moving with the water currents, not by their own volition, yet even this sight was unsettling.

The surface of the bodies was covered in a waxy substance, indicating they had long since become wax corpses. Yet, even as such, they shouldn’t have remained incorruptible indefinitely, which puzzled Ye Fan.

“Are you going to look for treasure or not? If not, let’s go find the Western Empress Scripture,” Ye Fan urged.

“Kid, why don’t you go examine them and see what injuries they have, how they died?” the big black dog suggested with a very devious divine transmission.

“Why don’t *you* go?” Ye Fan wondered, wishing he could beat the dog. The black dog replied, “They might be celestial maidens, strikingly beautiful, but I just look at their hair and get freaked out.”

“I want to smack your dog head!”

“Damn it, how dare you speak to me like that?!”

Eventually, Ye Fan and the Black Emperor submerged together to examine the corpses. However, after careful observation, neither of them found any injuries on the hundreds of Jade Lake disciples’ bodies; there were no visible fatal wounds.

“Stop looking. We can’t stay here long; something isn’t right,” Ye Fan urged.

“I want to know why the Jade Lake sect retreated. Perhaps it’s related to this pool?” the big black dog persisted.

“If you *could* find out, the trouble would be immense. Everyone from Jade Lake has already evacuated. If the two of us were to discover clues here, it would be pure suicide,” Ye Fan said solemnly. “You hurry up and find whatever treasure you’re looking for, otherwise, we’re leaving immediately.”

The big black dog also felt a bit unnerved. Though it was usually arrogant, the thought of an entire sacred land having retreated made its heart pound.

“What exactly caused the most powerful sacred land in the Eastern Wasteland to withdraw?”

The Black Emperor sank to the lake bottom and began searching everywhere, hoping to stumble upon some celestial materials. After half an hour of commotion, the lake bottom was completely muddied, and it had only managed to pick up a few jade hairpins.

Suddenly, Ye Fan felt a chill down his spine and spun around sharply. Right behind him, amidst the pile of female corpses, black hair was dishevelled and writhing wildly.

Suddenly, he vaguely perceived a pair of eerie eyes opening, piercing through the piled corpses and emitting a cold, faint glow.

Beneath the gloomy lake water, Ye Fan’s scalp tingled. He forcefully kicked the water and shot upwards.

As floating corpses drifted above, the hair of one body wrapped around his ankle. He violently shook his leg, quickly breaking free, and with a loud splash, burst from the water, rushing onto the shore.

The lake water churned, and almost instantly, the big black dog burst out, darting and scrambling, with three female corpses dangling from its bald tail.

“Kid, quick, help!” the big black dog yelped, rushing onto the shore as if its tail were on fire.

The hair of the three female corpses was entangled on its bald tail, and they had been dragged onto the shore.

The Black Emperor vigorously swung its tail, finally freeing itself. The three female corpses, upon contact with the air, instantly dissolved into three puddles of liquid.

Ye Fan felt a wave of nausea. He had just been soaking in that very pool, and now he was witnessing this grotesque transformation.

“There seems to be something down there. What did you just see?” the big black dog asked, its face dark.

“I thought I saw a corpse open its eyes, but now that I think about it, it felt more like two beads embedded in the lake bottom. Why don’t *you* go down and take another look? You’re searching for treasure anyway,” Ye Fan replied, being equally uncharitable.

“Damn it, no more searching!” The big black dog vigorously shook its fur, sending water droplets flying. Its body was sleek and black, not a single drop clinging to it. “This celestial pool has become a ghost pond!” it declared. “There must be something down there. ‘Jade Lake Fairies Ascending’? I think it’s ‘Ghosts Ascending’!”

“Why are there so many corpses?” Ye Fan asked, completely perplexed. “The people of Jade Lake should have buried them. Why would they throw them into a celestial pool?”

“Who knows what happened? Maybe someone threw them in there. But no matter what, I’m not going down again!” The big black dog said, a little agitated.

Ye Fan and the Black Emperor stepped away from the celestial pool. Looking back, mist swirled, and whether it was a psychological effect or something else, it now felt eerily sinister, no longer sacred.

This significant area was dotted with graceful peaks and numerous magnificent palaces. They stood resiliently, still immortal to this day, imbued with extremely profound Dao patterns that ensured their longevity.

Ye Fan walked into a massive palace. The floor was paved with jade, smooth, lustrous, and spotless. Even after countless years, the palace’s purifying effect ensured it remained untouched by dust.

“Tap… tap… tap…”

In the vast, empty palace, only his own footsteps echoed, resonating with an especially lingering sound.

“Creak…”

“Clang!”

Pushing open a doorway that hadn’t been opened in countless ages, the great hall echoed, as if he had stepped into the ancient Jade Lake sect.

Standing there, he seemed to sense the glory of yesteryear: a group of beautiful celestial maidens, transcending this land, shining brilliantly beneath the starry sky.

Ye Fan stood for a long time before finally moving forward, passing through one hall after another.

Within the tall and expansive grand palace, there was nothing at all—it was utterly empty, save for the desolation left by the passage of time.

Ye Fan found nothing; it was impossible to find anything there.

The big black dog wandered around, passing through over a dozen massive palaces consecutively, only to return empty-handed as well.

“Does the Jade Lake have a medicinal field?” Ye Fan mused. “After so many years, if it still exists, perhaps divine medicine could have grown there.” As soon as Ye Fan finished speaking, the big black dog shot out, transforming into a streak of black light, moving with incredible speed.

“That wretched dog is utterly unreliable!” Ye Fan cursed, chasing closely behind. If he hadn’t cultivated the Old Madman’s footwork, he would surely have been left far behind. The big black dog sprinted wildly, kicking up a gust of black wind.

After running for over twenty miles, they reached a lush area where the big black dog finally stopped, ambling among the mountains.

“Black Emperor, you’re truly dishonorable. You ran faster than a rabbit just hearing the words ‘medicinal field.’ Why aren’t you running now?” Ye Fan mocked.

“Am I really that dishonorable? I was waiting for you; let’s go look for it together,” the big black dog replied.

“You, kind-hearted? You must not have found anything, right?” Ye Fan said, walking closer.

This mountainous area was vibrant with green plants everywhere, but there were no medicinal herbs to be found, nor could any medicinal scent be detected.

“That’s odd,” the big black dog whispered, almost inaudibly. “Forget about rare heavenly treasures; how is it that not even the most common herbs can be seen here?”

Ye Fan’s brow furrowed. It was clear that the wretched dog hadn’t found anything at all; it certainly hadn’t been kindly waiting for him.

Finally, the big black dog sighed. “How ruthless!” it exclaimed. “The people of Jade Lake moved the entire medicinal field.”

Upon careful observation, they noticed a massive, square pit in the open area ahead, indicating that even the topsoil had been completely removed.

A bad premonition arose in Ye Fan’s heart. The Western Empress Scripture couldn’t possibly have been dug up as well, could it? Although the big black dog had repeatedly assured him that the Jade Lake people wouldn’t touch that specific cliff, Ye Fan now felt a deep sense of unease.

“Hurry up and find the Western Empress Scripture. If those scriptures aren’t there, I swear I’ll kill someone…”

“Don’t worry,” the black dog said. “No one can understand those scriptures. Even the successive Queen Mothers of Jade Lake didn’t fully comprehend them. Even if they were right in front of you, you wouldn’t recognize them. They were created by the Western Empress during her enlightenment; ordinary people can’t discern anything from them. No one knows she carved them.”

“Then how do *you* know?” Ye Fan asked, suspicious.

“What kind of existence is this Emperor? I personally overheard this secret!” the big black dog declared, an arrogant expression on its face.

Reluctantly leaving the medicinal field, they swiftly headed towards a mountain range.

Here, not a blade of grass grew; there were sheer cliffs and rocky mountains everywhere, with no soil, only massive stones.

As soon as they entered the mountains, Ye Fan was stunned. A woman was carved on a stone wall, conveying the sense of a Heavenly Dao guardian. Although it was just a stone carving, it possessed the profound essence of natural law and the wondrous state of unity between heaven and man.

“This is just a carving, without any specific techniques, merely a standing posture. Why does it give such a profound feeling of ‘Dao and I are one’?” Ye Fan was truly shocked.

“Let’s go,” the big black dog urged. “There should be many such carvings in these mountains. If you want to see them, you can take your time to observe them later.”

Ye Fan reluctantly walked forward, but that image continued to surface in his mind.