Chapter 263: The Secret Technique of the Holy Body Inheritance

The body was dried up, yet imperishable. Its vital energy flowed unimpeded, emanating a human aura.

Ye Fan remained still as a rock, his mind immersed in the golden body. Motionless, he sought to capture its Dao rhythm and grasp its operational pathways.

He felt this might be an immortal legacy!

If he could obtain it, it might greatly benefit his cultivation. After all, this was an Ancient Desolate Sacred Body, akin to his own.

The vital energy moved like a dragon, coiling and circling. This was a profound method, with mysterious operational pathways, like a dragon traversing the ocean, riding the wind and breaking the waves.

Ye Fan carefully captured and recorded the trajectory, estimating its power. He compared it with his own cultivation method to verify and cross-reference.

"No," he thought after observing for a moment. The path of vital energy in this grand Dao method was obscure and felt quite unusual.

"This isn't a traditional cultivation method," he realized. Comparing it with the Dao Sutra's Sea of Bitterness chapter, he found it resembled a secret technique more than a cultivation method.

Ye Fan's heart stirred. His spiritual consciousness became ethereal, and as he carefully grasped and pondered it, the more profound it seemed.

"This is a cultivation secret technique for a single Secret Realm!" His heart trembled as he drew this conclusion by comparing it with ancient legends.

Among ancient cultivators, some would dedicate their entire lives to cultivating a single Secret Realm, never stepping into others.

Legend had it that ancient powerful cultivators who focused on only one Secret Realm would undergo transformations of nine lives and nine deaths. Eventually, they would emerge from their cocoons like butterflies, achieving great perfection. Once they emerged from seclusion, clouds would gather from all directions, and auspicious phenomena would soar into the sky.

Of course, this was the result of long years of accumulation. Sometimes it would take an entire lifetime; it was not achieved overnight.

Cultivation in a single Secret Realm not only required a powerful cultivation method but also some ancient secret techniques to complement it.

Ye Fan had always been curious about this path of cultivation, and today he had caught a glimpse of such an ancient secret technique.

Across the entire Eastern Wasteland, there were only a few ancient scriptures. He had obtained the Sea of Bitterness chapter of the Dao Sutra, which was the strongest cultivation method for this Secret Realm, sufficient for cultivating a single Secret Realm.

However, he had always lacked complementary secret techniques. Now, catching a glimpse of the grand Dao's profound mystery, his heart instantly stirred with excitement.

He felt the Qi of the Grand Dao, which was enough to show the profundity of this secret technique, proving it could rival and match the Dao Sutra.

This Ancient Desolate Sacred Body had been dead for tens of thousands of years. Although imperishable, it was not truly alive. Yet, at this moment, it had inexplicably revived. Its original cultivation method had not activated; instead, this secret technique moved with the vital energy. This explained everything!

This was the most precious treasure, an unparalleled grand Dao secret technique that could perfectly complement the Dao Sutra.

Ye Fan focused his mind. He quietly contemplated and carefully observed, imprinting the operational pathways of this secret technique into his sea of consciousness bit by bit.

As an Ancient Desolate Sacred Body, it was difficult for him to progress far in this era. The Dao Palace Secret Realm had cut off his path forward, as even Sacred Lands could not provide the immense amount of Origin energy required.

Even with the Heaven-Origin Book, it would be extremely difficult, almost impossible to achieve, as the required astronomical amount of Origin was too vast. If he could obtain this grand Dao secret technique, he would have another option.

This imperishable Sacred Body's remains, with its dried-up muscles exuding a crystalline radiance, surprised the several people not far away.

"Little Ye Zi, are you sure you're alright?" Tu Fei asked.

"I say, kid, are you staring into that corpse's eyes?" the big black dog asked suspiciously.

Although Ye Fan was at a critical juncture, meticulously exploring this grand Dao secret technique, he still responded patiently, as he truly worried these people might make a move.

After all, this Sacred Body's remains were too astonishing. It had stood up under his control, with a divine bell above its head and a cyan-gold halberd in hand, looking as if it had been resurrected.

"I'm fine, don't worry," Ye Fan replied. "We share the same constitution, and our energies are intertwined. I'm just trying to see if I can discover anything."

He didn't understand why the two were like this. To say it was simply energy attraction was a bit far-fetched; perhaps it could be attributed to the mystery of the Ancient Desolate Sacred Body.

The current scene was indeed somewhat eerie; a person dead for tens of thousands of years had revived, making people inevitably think of many things. The others remained vigilant, observing.

Time passed bit by bit. Ye Fan carefully captured and grasped it, finally imprinting the complete secret technique into his mind.

Afterward, he observed it again, ensuring it was foolproof. Only then did he let out a long breath, having finally obtained this grand Dao secret technique.

This was a legacy left by an Ancient Desolate Sacred Body; its value and significance were immeasurable. It was too important for him!

"What is the origin of this Sacred Body, and how was it discovered?" Ye Fan asked, wanting to understand the full story.

"The Azure Dragon King discovered it in this small world," Qin Yao replied.

When the Azure Dragon King first entered this small world, his greatest gain was the Immortal Hall, which could prolong cultivators' lifespans. This Sacred Body was also found inside it.

"According to the Azure Dragon King's conjecture, these remains are likely those of the ancient sage who created this small world," Yan Ruyu said.

This greatly astonished Tu Fei, who showed an incredulous expression.

This Sacred Body had existed for tens of thousands of years. It couldn't be someone from before the Ancient Desolate era, as it hadn't cultivated to the Great Accomplishment realm.

"After the Ancient Desolate era, Sacred Bodies couldn't cultivate, only stopping at the Dao Palace Secret Realm," Tu Fei said, puzzled. "Could someone still cultivate this physique to such a realm?"

"These remains are comparable to an ancient sage, having opened up a small world?" The big black dog was also shocked.

Ye Fan's heart stirred. He inwardly examined the remains, his mind moving from the Sea of Bitterness into the Dao Palace. To his shock, he discovered that this Secret Realm had also been cultivated.

Of the Dao Palace's five divine stores, four were already in Great Perfection. Only the Heart Divine Store, though cultivated, was far from complete.

"Four divine stores in Great Perfection, doesn't that mean he refined millions of Jin of Origin but got stuck at the last astronomical amount?!"

Ye Fan was quite astonished.

Ancient mighty figures specialized in cultivating a single Secret Realm, almost their entire lives devoted to it. Yet, these remains had nearly cultivated two Secret Realms.

"This physique cultivated a single Secret Realm, then entered another Secret Realm. No wonder it became an ancient sage."

Ye Fan's mind returned to the Sea of Bitterness, entering the green lotus. With a thought, the dried-up body instantly became crystalline, its form as hard as refined iron, every inch of its muscle filled with explosive power.

Holding the cyan-gold halberd, he lightly swiped it. A silver dragon scissors nearby snapped into two with a "crack," as easy as cutting rotten wood.

"Dong!"

The bell's chime resonated softly as the divine bell above his head gently chimed. A floating purple-copper gourd in front silently cracked and turned into dust.

This physical body was extremely powerful, and having just revived, it displayed astonishing power.

Behind him, the others retreated, ready to act at any moment.

Ye Fan observed within the Sea of Bitterness. After a careful exploration, he found nothing else within this body apart from his own green lotus.

The vast golden Sea of Bitterness was silent; the waves had subsided, and there was nothing inside, completely empty.

"Whoosh!"

A flash of light occurred. The divine bell above its head sank into the Sea of Bitterness, and the cyan-gold halberd also flashed and vanished, returning into the body.

It sat on the ground in its original posture, its appearance solemn and dignified, sitting amidst various treasures.

The green lotus swayed, and endless divine power was drawn back. The golden Sea of Bitterness slowly dimmed and eventually dried up.

Green light flickered as the green lotus rushed out, accompanying Ye Fan. With a thought from its core, it completely returned into his own body.

Ye Fan really wanted to obtain this physical body, but it belonged to the Azure Dragon King, whose combat power was comparable to the various Sacred Lords. He could only sigh inwardly; if he truly acted, he would surely turn to ashes.

"Boom!"

The meter-thick white jade door closed. The group left the Nine-Layer Treasure Vault, standing on a towering, cloud-piercing peak. Several old demons were planting flowers and vegetables nearby, not paying them much attention.

"Let's go. Still want to go in?" Tu Fei patted Ye Fan's shoulder.

"I wonder what I could offer to make the Azure Dragon King hand over this body," Ye Fan muttered.

"Don't even think about it," Tu Fei said, shaking his head. "These are the remains of a Sacred Body, an ancient sage who opened up a small world. Its bones can be refined into a peerless weapon. What could you possibly exchange for it?"

"If you offered the Root of All Things Mother Qi in exchange, the entire treasure vault would be yours," an old demon said from behind, squinting his eyes.

"Let's go, quick!" The big black dog stood its bald tail on end and was the first to run. That fellow had sensed danger.

Ye Fan didn't want to get entangled with these old demons. If they were to act, even Yan Ruyu would likely be in a difficult position. He bowed, then used the old madman's footwork, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

"We need to leave here as soon as possible!" This was his inner decision. Every extra day they stayed increased the danger by ten percent.

"Princess, could you take me to see the Immortal Hall?" On the way, Ye Fan asked Yan Ruyu. An ancient sage had passed away there, likely leaving something behind, and as someone with the same constitution, he might be able to discover something.

"That's likely not possible. You'll have to wait a few months," Yan Ruyu gently refused.

"You activated those remains. What exactly did you gain?" Qin Yao asked.

Yan Ruyu and Tu Fei also looked over, as they had also been wanting to ask this question.

"What could there be to discover? It's just a skeleton," Ye Fan replied. "What could it leave behind after losing its life? Everything was due to the green lotus inside me controlling it." At this point, Ye Fan's heart stirred, and he said, "However, I did discover something: he only cultivated one Secret Realm, the Sea of Bitterness, and did not cross the Dao Palace threshold."

"An ancient sage who only cultivated a single Secret Realm?!" Tu Fei exclaimed in surprise.

Qin Yao was somewhat surprised and said, "It seems that after the Ancient Desolate era, indeed no one could break the curse, and Sacred Bodies could only stop at the Dao Palace Secret Realm."

At this moment, the big black dog suddenly jumped up, its copper-bell eyes staring at Ye Fan, and asked in shock, "Did he really achieve cultivation of a single Secret Realm?!"

"What's so surprising about that?" Ye Fan countered.

Yan Ruyu thoughtfully shook her head and said, "After the Ancient Desolate era, no Sacred Body was ever heard to have achieved cultivation of a single Secret Realm."

"To cultivate a single Secret Realm, in addition to a powerful cultivation method, one also needs complementary unparalleled secret techniques," the big black dog muttered, full of surprise. "But after the Ancient Desolate era, it's already difficult for Sacred Bodies to cultivate a single Secret Realm. What kind of ancient secret technique is that?!"

Ye Fan's heart skipped a beat; the secret technique he had obtained seemed to be far from simple.

"Comparable to an ancient sage, opening up a small world—what kind of secret technique is this?" Yan Ruyu also murmured to herself.

This was also why the Azure Dragon King had been reluctant to refine the remains into a weapon; he wanted to uncover its mysteries.

Ye Fan's heart was far from calm. He decided that tonight, after entering the Immortal Hall, while saving Pang Bo, he would thoroughly explore the place.

"Black Emperor, we're acting tonight. Are you confident?"

"Let's act quickly, those old demons are dangerous," the big black dog replied. "This Emperor doesn't want to stay here any longer."

Returning to the palace amidst the pine forest, Ye Fan directly closed the gate and took out various materials. He had the big black dog inscribe Dao patterns, preparing to break open the Immortal Hall's restrictions that night.

Night descended. Inside this small world, there was no bright moon, no stars, just complete darkness. One couldn't see their hand in front of their face.

Ye Fan and the big black dog silently arrived above the clouds, quietly observing the Immortal Hall.