Chapter 264: Yellow Springs Tomb

The night was deep, and everything was silent.

Above the clouds, the Immortal Palace stood majestically, etched with the marks of time. Some sections were close to collapse, yet it remained suspended, showing no signs of falling.

Numerous meteorites, ranging from palm-sized to over ten meters in diameter, lay silently strewn about, forming a natural, artfully arranged stone forest.

Ye Fan stood on a cloud, surveying the Immortal Palace from afar.

The Black Emperor stood on a magical artifact, using it for transport since it couldn't fly on its own. This was a five-colored jade pill, originally obtained by Ye Fan after he killed a Ji family disciple, and subsequently re-refined by the large black dog. It was a dark, shell-like object.

On the jade vessel, a large collection of materials was laid out, including star stones, profound ice jade, and divine blood earth. These were all obscure, uncommon, and rare materials. While not exceedingly precious, each possessed a unique function.

"This small world contains two powerful beings, comparable to the great Sacred Lords, as well as some formidable ancient demons," Ye Fan calmly stated. "If we create too much commotion and they sense us, we will surely die."

The large black dog gnashed its teeth. "If I don't get the ancient scripture of the Demon Emperor, I'm not finished with you," it growled. "This Emperor has taken too great a risk!"

By now, its expression had turned solemn. It dared not be careless, as even a minor mistake could lead to fatal disaster.

The large black dog circled the Immortal Palace extensively, reluctant to make a move. It pondered and considered every detail back and forth.

Ye Fan didn't rush it; everything now depended on the dog. Without a foolproof method, it was better to wait than to take a risk, as the opportunity wouldn't come again.

"It must be completely silent. Not a single fluctuation," the large black dog murmured to itself. It was grave and earnest, for their lives depended on it.

After a full half-hour, the large black dog finally completed its calculations, gnashing its teeth. "This Emperor will risk it," it declared. "That ancient scripture is a must-have!"

Inside the jade vessel, each material was intricately carved with Dao patterns—complex and arcane, resembling indecipherable talismans.

The large black dog silently launched a piece of divine blood earth, which merged seamlessly into the meteorite forest and settled motionlessly.

Piloting the jade pill, it swiftly circled the Immortal Palace, injecting all eighty-one pieces of divine blood earth, strategically placing them within the meteorite forest.

With that, the first material, divine blood earth, was depleted, densely spread around the Immortal Palace.

"No surprises," the large black dog exhaled with relief. "There should be no more issues now. My prediction was correct."

"What's the purpose of this divine blood earth?"

"This meteorite forest represents the stars of the heavens," the large black dog replied. "It's carved with extremely potent Dao patterns, forming a star field force field. The divine blood earth can disrupt this field's energy."

"That powerful?!" Ye Fan exclaimed in surprise.

"This meteorite forest is arranged according to the main stars of the heavens," the large black dog explained with a grave expression. "If it's triggered, it unleashes immense lethal power. Even mighty experts who fall into it would suffer casualties or perish."

Ye Fan drew a sharp breath, finally understanding why this place had no guardians: it simply didn't need any.

Next, the large black dog deployed "Profound Tortoise Shells." The Dao patterns etched onto these fifty pieces were even more intricate; however, it only placed forty-nine of them, each in a very specific position.

"What's the purpose of these Profound Tortoise Shells?" Ye Fan humbly inquired.

"The Profound Tortoise Shells are meant to subvert the miniature world created by this meteorite forest."

"Why was one left out? And the Dao pattern carved on it looks different," Ye Fan asked, puzzled.

"Explaining it in detail would be too complex," the large black dog replied casually. "The number of heaven and earth relies on fifty, but one is left unused, allowing the vitality of the heavens to materialize from emptiness. That's why forty-nine are used." It then began to deduce the next step.

Ye Fan sighed, realizing the vast and profound nature of Dao pattern studies. They involved too many elements and contained heavenly secrets, making them extremely difficult to master. He was currently unable to delve deeply into them.

The third material the large black dog deployed was profound ice jade. There were a total of one hundred and eight pieces, each intricately carved with dense and delicate Dao patterns.

"Ideally, Profound Yellow Stone would be used to create a small world and conceal the meteorite forest," it explained. "However, that material is incredibly rare and hard to find."

"What do we do then? Can profound ice jade be a substitute?" Ye Fan asked, wanting to avoid any errors.

"Fortunately, you have the cauldron forged from the Mother Qi of All Things," the large black dog replied. "Once we're inside, take it out and place it above your head; it will be enough to suppress everything."

"You had this planned all along, didn't you?" Ye Fan asked.

"If you didn't possess the source root of the Mother Qi of All Things, this Emperor would never have come here to break these Dao patterns. Profound Poison Stone is the primary material for breaching the meteorite forest."

Though typically mischievous, the large black dog was remarkably solemn and serious at this critical juncture. It showed not a hint of carelessness, knowing their lives depended on it.

Half an hour later, twenty-seven of the twenty-eight materials had been deployed, with only the star stones remaining untouched.

At this point, the Black Emperor began to introduce inscribed "source" into the meteorite forest.

The jade vessel held half a square of glittering "source," weighing over eight hundred kilograms. Due to time constraints, Ye Fan had only managed to collect twenty-eight types of materials in the demon city; the rest needed to be supplemented with this "source."

To rescue Pang Bo, he was willing to use all his "source." However, the large black dog, showing a rare touch of conscience, stated that half a square would suffice.

Even so, this was an astonishing expenditure. Over eight hundred kilograms of "source" were injected into the meteorite forest in the blink of an eye.

Finally, the Black Emperor deployed three hundred and sixty-five star stones, distributing them evenly throughout the meteorite forest.

"Alright, it's finally done," the large black dog exhaled. "I've temporarily replaced the meteorites with star stones, in a manner of 'stealing heaven and exchanging days'."

"Are you certain you've disabled the meteorite forest that represents the main stars of the heavens?" Ye Fan asked, his heart stirring with anticipation at the thought of seeing Pang Bo soon.

"It's not entirely 'broken,' but rather its star field force field has been temporarily paralyzed."

"Can we go in now?" Ye Fan asked, his heart pounding.

"Yes," the Black Emperor reminded solemnly. "Unleash your cauldron." A small, inch-tall cauldron flew out, rapidly expanding to a meter in height, where it hovered above Ye Fan's head. From it, wisps of the Mother Qi of All Things descended, imbued with profound yellow energy.

"The exclusive sacred artifact of ancient Great Emperors, rarely seen in thousands of generations, yet it fell into your hands..." the large black dog grumbled indignantly, clearly wishing it could seize it.

"What does this signify?" Ye Fan retorted. "It means I'm destined to become a Great Emperor in the future."

"How many Great Emperors have there been throughout history?" the large black dog scoffed, curling its lip. "They represent the pinnacle of the human race, and you..."

The Immortal Palace stood majestically amidst the clouds, its surrounding meteorite forest now utterly silent.

With the ancient cauldron hovering above his head, emitting streams of profound yellow energy, Ye Fan stepped forward on the cloud. The large black dog, piloting the jade vessel, followed closely behind, as they gradually approached the Immortal Palace.

The surroundings were exceptionally quiet. No hint of danger emanated from the meteorite forest. As they walked forward, everything remained utterly peaceful.

"Did you really disable it?"

"Of course!" the large black dog replied proudly.

After advancing for half a *li*, they reached the front of the Immortal Palace and ceased speaking aloud, communicating instead through spiritual sense.

"Are you certain that the entity which took possession is nearing the end of its life?"

"Absolutely!" Ye Fan confirmed.

"Good," the Black Emperor stated. "This Emperor will use the meteorite forest to temporarily seal this area, preventing any commotion inside the Immortal Palace from being detected by outsiders." The Black Emperor then repositioned the divine blood earth, profound ice jade, star stones, and other materials, rearranging them.

Simultaneously, Ye Fan began his own preparations, retrieving and donning the stone robe he had worn when exploring Purple Mountain.

This stone skin, derived from divine source, could isolate all auras, including spiritual sense. According to the large black dog's assessment, defeating the entity would require a battle of spiritual senses, making this the ideal protective armor.

The large black dog was also preparing, sticking over a hundred small, meticulously carved flags onto the jade pill. These were special protective items designed for spiritual sense battles.

The cauldron above Ye Fan's head bobbed gently, emanating a sky-devouring force that drew in the large black dog and the jade pill. Then, Ye Fan himself entered the cauldron.

"Our combined spiritual senses are powerful enough," the large black dog transmitted from within the cauldron. "It should be sufficient to suppress a lone, possessing spirit. My only concern is if your assessment is mistaken."

"He was already nearing his end years ago," Ye Fan replied. "Otherwise, why would he have borrowed King Azure Dragon's Immortal Palace if not to prolong his life?"

"Then let's go in!" the large black dog said, gritting its teeth.

The large cauldron moved silently forward. The Immortal Palace was completely quiet, its main doors tightly shut.

"Something's off!" Ye Fan sensed an anomaly.

This magnificent ancient palace didn't appear to be constructed from separate blocks; rather, it seemed carved out of a single stone mountain. It wasn't built by conventional methods.

The ancient palace, including its stone tiles, appeared to be one seamless structure, not visibly constructed piece by piece unless examined closely. It was a single, unified entity.

"Was this truly carved from a stone mountain?" Ye Fan asked, astonished. He couldn't fathom why such immense effort would be necessary.

*Whoosh!*

After a brief pause, he urged the cauldron forward. With a gentle tremor of profound yellow energy, the grand hall's stone doors silently swung open.

This perpetually suspended structure had existed for an immense duration, exuding a profound sense of historical age.

"Pang Bo, I've come to save you!" Ye Fan murmured to himself. The Immortal Palace was a vast, magnificent ancient structure, pitch-black inside.

"No one's in the hall," the large black dog transmitted.

"The ancient palace has multiple layers," Ye Fan replied, his heart restless. "He should be in one of the inner halls."

"Wait a moment, don't rush," the large black dog transmitted. "The hall has remarkably mystical Dao paths carved within it."

This ancient palace, known as the Immortal Palace, could slow the erosion of cultivators' lifespans, a property strongly linked to the Dao patterns inscribed within it.

The Black Emperor had observed for a long time but couldn't locate where the Dao patterns were inscribed, thus gaining no insight.

However, at that very moment, Ye Fan made a new, startling discovery.

"This is a Source Mountain!"

The entire ancient palace had been carved from a single stone mountain. From the outside, it looked like ordinary bluestone, but once inside, he was astonished: it was actually Source Ore.

This ancient palace must have been carved from a mountain range of Source Stone. If the hall were to be broken apart, it might yield a discovery of "source."

"No, that's not right!" At that moment, after careful observation, Ye Fan became even more surprised.

This ancient palace was far from simple. Or rather, this source vein was extraordinary; it harbored something unusual!

"What did you find, kid?" the large black dog asked.

"Don't disturb me. Let me examine this closely." Ye Fan scanned the grand hall, observing intently. Since the Source Stone mountain had been carved into a palace, judging by its topography was impossible. He could only infer based on the nature of the "source" material itself.

"I have a very bad feeling about this place..." Ye Fan's heart seized with shock.

"What is it?"

"This should be a death trap. How could it be called the Immortal Palace?" Ye Fan felt a chill run down his spine, a sense of dread welling up.

"What have you deduced?" the Black Emperor asked.

"I can't be sure yet. Let's enter the second hall and see." Ye Fan maneuvered the cauldron into the second, vast hall.

After observing closely there, his heart immediately jolted. He had confirmed his suspicion.

"This is a land of immense ill omen!" Ye Fan cursed inwardly. "This place takes lives; how could it possibly extend lifespans?"

"What's so significant about this place, kid?"

"Have you ever heard of ominous places like the Fire Dragon Tomb or Dragon's Blood, where divine sources are buried?"

The Black Emperor shivered. "Of course, I've heard of them," it said.

Ye Fan stated in a low voice, "This place is called the Yellow Spring Tomb, ranking alongside those ominous sites. This ancient palace was carved from a Source Mountain, and the Yellow Spring Tomb is located within the palace itself!"