Chapter 429: Fragments of the Great Path Within the Sacred Fruit

Shrouding the Heavens: Chapter 433 – Fragments of the Great Dao within the Holy Fruit

The Archaic Deep Abyss has existed since time immemorial. What secrets does it hold? No one truly knows, for there are simply too many legends surrounding it. What exactly is the Desolation beneath the endless abyss? Is it a living entity, or merely a force? No one can say for sure; perhaps only ancient Great Emperors truly comprehend it. It is pitch black, like a bottomless chasm that seems capable of devouring one's very soul.

Below, the five-colored altar hung silently, without the slightest tremor. It was a mystery what power sustained it, as it seemed to have remained perfectly still since time immemorial. It was fragmented and scarred, bearing the unique marks of countless ages. Its original luster had faded, leaving behind only simplicity and authenticity.

Ye Fan's heart was restless. Mount Tai, the ancient planet Yinghuo, the Archaic Forbidden Land... where would he go next? The Ancient Emperor Star Ziwei? This was an unpredictable journey. Ye Fan longed to leap down. This five-colored altar connected to ancient planet Yinghuo, and perhaps it was a way home. He desperately wished to reverse his path and return.

As the setting sun dyed the sky red, the aura of the Desolation suddenly intensified, like a volcano on the verge of eruption. Ye Fan's body felt a strong assault. He quickly retreated to the Life Spring Pool for nourishment, then filled his Jade Pure Bottle with divine water and rushed like the wind towards the holy mountain where the bronze coffin rested.

Ye Fan’s choice was correct. As darkness fell, the Archaic Deep Abyss became even more terrifying, as if a peerless fiend had emerged. Terrifying fluctuations surged, and heaven and earth trembled. The aura of the Desolation permeated the air, enveloping the nine holy mountains and then surging towards even more distant forbidden zones. It was like the end of the world had arrived, silent but filled with boundless oppression.

Hiding inside the bronze coffin, Ye Fan observed silently. He was deeply shaken. What existence, or what kind of power, lay beneath the abyss? "Perhaps only a resurrected ancient Great Emperor could resist this," he mused, "or could this be the very qi of a Great Emperor?" A myriad of thoughts swirled in his mind, yet he couldn't truly comprehend it.

He immersed the Qilin seed and the seven-colored stone in the Jade Pure Bottle, nourishing them with divine spring water. Then, he took out several ancient jades belonging to Great Emperor Wushi and arranged them. Once the four imperial jades were pieced together, they formed half a map, revealing Purple Mountain guarded by nine dragon veins. He pondered it for a long time, uncertain when he would be able to enter.

Finally, Ye Fan opened the small white jade cauldron and took out a pink fruit. It looked like it was carved from pink jade, about the size of a fist, and shaped like a lively pink doll. Its sweet aroma permeated his internal organs and seeped into every inch of his flesh and blood. Richly fragrant, it was an irresistible temptation. The crystal-clear fruit contained infinite vitality.

"Is this what the Ginseng Fruit from ancient myths and legends on the other side of the starry sky is like? It must be similar to an immortal medicine," he mused.

Ye Fan took a bite of the pink-jade-like fruit. His mouth was filled with fragrance, and his entire body became enveloped in a radiant glow. He felt as if he were about to ascend, his form shimmering with ethereal mist. He did not consume it all at once. After taking a bite, he began to meditate and refine it, aiming to maximize its medicinal effects. He planned to stay in this forbidden land for several months rather than leaving immediately.

In just an instant, his body felt as if it were on fire. His depleted and withered flesh suddenly radiated brilliantly, enveloped by a scorching light. "This is..." Ye Fan was startled. His Great Dao injuries were being nourished; though there were no signs of complete healing, he felt a wave of comfort. "Fragments of Heaven and Earth Laws!" Two divine lights shot from his eyes, and his entire body glowed even brighter. Within this holy fruit lay a power of rules and order, which could only be perceived by those who had reached the fourth Secret Realm. It was precisely the presence of this power that infused a trace of vitality into his Great Dao injuries. This was a very good sign; consuming more holy fruits would surely lead to significant improvement.

"The Immortal Divine Medicine truly lives up to its name as a holy object, containing such fragments of Heaven and Earth Laws..." Ye Fan knew this was the best remedy for his Great Dao injuries. The night was peaceful. He remained still and silent, refining the fruit little by little.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, in the latter half of the night, Ye Fan was jolted awake by a tremendous sound. The world seemed to turn upside down, and the nine holy mountains began to tremble. "Clank! Clank!" The colossal sound of iron chains, like demonic echoes from hell, was overwhelming, reverberating through the heavens. The dreadful iron chains, producing a deathly, massive sound, pierced him with their bone-chilling cold, as if a peerless fiend had broken free from a hellish prison.

Ye Fan was horrified; the hairs on his body stood on end. He felt a peerless killing intent; had he not been inside the bronze coffin, his body might have been ripped apart. He stood at the edge of the bronze coffin, looked up towards the holy mountain, and a chill instantly ran down his spine, as if he had plunged into an ice cellar. Endless demonic clouds surged forth from the abyss, like tempestuous waves crashing into the clouds. Vaguely, several gigantic iron chains gleamed with cold light, stretching up into the sky.

A terrifying entity was tightly bound, struggling in the sky. The world itself seemed on the verge of collapse, accompanied by low roars that echoed in one's heart, like mountains pressing down. "What is that?" Ye Fan muttered to himself. When they had first arrived in this world, they had witnessed this terrifying phenomenon late at night after leaving the Archaic Forbidden Land. Some said it was an Archaic Slave, an untamed peerless figure, while others claimed it was a clone forged by the Desolation itself. It was difficult to truly understand.

Ye Fan retreated to the depths of the bronze coffin, calming his mind to continue refining the holy fruit. His fundamental resolve remained unshaken by external disturbances; he forgot everything and was not bothered by the sounds. It took Ye Fan a full three days to completely refine one Ginseng Fruit, allowing it to fully unleash its potent medicinal effects. All its essence was absorbed.

Inside his Great Dao injuries, vitality surged, showing signs of improvement. His blood qi became much more abundant, and his body regained its vigor. "Indeed... Great Dao injuries require corresponding laws to soothe them; mere life essence isn't enough!" Ye Fan muttered to himself. Afterward, he spent another three days refining and absorbing a second Ginseng Fruit. His life essence immediately became vigorous, and golden blood qi coiled around his body.

However, Ye Fan frowned. The Great Dao rule fragments he absorbed were repetitive and didn't have much further effect. "Does the same type of holy fruit really contain the same divine efficacy, just as the legends claim?"

In the forbidden land, there was actually only one divine medicine plant. The ten types of divine fruits were all born from it and couldn't be considered true immortal medicines on their own. However, if all nine types of fruits were gathered and combined, their efficacy would be comparable. The original main root, although it didn't manifest as nine separate divine medicine plants, had nine mutated divine roots. When their medicinal effects were combined, they could rival two or three immortal medicines. Of course, there were significant drawbacks. Immortal divine medicines are unique; once divided, they lose their spirituality and can no longer fly or burrow. The Heaven and Earth Laws they embody also become fragmented and incomplete. Only by reuniting them could one obtain the truly flawless and complete efficacy of an immortal divine medicine.

Ye Fan sealed the third holy fruit, no longer consuming it. He prepared to risk climbing the mountains to collect other holy fruits to treat his Great Dao injuries. "What if I encounter an Archaic Slave again?" This was Ye Fan's greatest concern. It was impossible to turn danger into safety every time; perhaps next time, he would be killed, body and soul utterly annihilated.

He went to the depths of the bronze coffin and embraced the small inner coffin with his hands. He shook it with all his might, but it remained perfectly still. He was endlessly curious and wanted to open it, yet he couldn't budge it at all. "It's unrealistic to try and carry the coffin up," he sighed, "It seems I can only rely on myself to risk it!" With a deep sigh, he poured the divine spring water from his Jade Pure Bottle into his mouth. Then, he took out the Qilin divine medicine seed and the seven-colored small stone and rushed towards the holy peak.

During the day, the nine holy mountains were quiet. Although the aura of the Desolation was intense, it was far less potent than at night. Ye Fan continuously drank divine spring water, drawing essence from the divine medicine seed and the small stone, and thus did not age significantly. He ascended a holy mountain he had never climbed before. From afar, he saw a radiant, crystalline patch from which an endless fragrance drifted. Ye Fan quickly approached, plunged into the Life Spring Pool, drank his fill, and only then observed the holy fruit.

Here, there were seven small trees, entirely white, from their leaves to their branches, shimmering with a crystalline luster. Each bore a crescent-shaped fruit, distinct in color from the plant itself, shining silvery like tiny moons hanging on them. Ye Fan took out his jade cauldron, picked all seven Silver Moon Divine Fruits, carefully sealed them, and then rushed towards another holy mountain. The Archaic Slaves had not yet appeared; this was an excellent opportunity, and he wanted to collect all the divine medicines from the nine holy mountains in one go.

He arrived at another holy mountain, where five jade-green trees swayed, rustling and shimmering with vibrant colors. At their tops, each bore a heart-shaped fruit, blood-red, vibrant, and beautiful, as if meticulously polished from the most dazzling rubies. Their fragrance was refreshing. When the small trees swayed and the red heart-shaped fruits trembled, they truly looked like five pulsating hearts, brimming with potent vitality and strength.

Ye Fan quickly picked them, preparing to rush to the next holy mountain. But when he glanced into the abyss, his expression drastically changed: Saintess Tianxuan flew up, like a celestial maiden gracefully stepping on waves. Ye Fan turned and fled. His vitality was still vigorous, and his speed was exceptionally fast, with golden blood qi coiling around his body like burning divine gold fire. But Saintess Tianxuan was even faster, traversing the air and instantly appearing beside him. She slowly descended, her white robes fluttering, her grace peerless, like a goddess descending from the heavens. She made no move, merely staring blankly at Ye Fan's feet, with streaks of light flowing in her eyes.

Ye Fan's mind was sharp; he instantly considered a possibility. Doing his utmost, he began to display the Old Madman's footwork, rushing towards the ancient coffin. Just as he expected, Saintess Tianxuan's black hair fluttered as she flew through the air, her gaze fixed only on his feet. She made no move against him, merely observing his peculiar footwork.

"Whoosh!"

Not long after, Ye Fan rushed back and entered the ancient bronze coffin. Saintess Tianxuan stopped her movements and didn't follow. Her expression was somewhat blank, as if she was trying hard to recall something. "The Old Madman is not dead yet," Ye Fan transmitted, "I don't know if he is your senior brother or your senior uncle..." Without a sound, Saintess Tianxuan departed. With one flash, her figure appeared atop the holy mountain, and with another, she vanished into the abyss.

This time, after Ye Fan returned, he immediately entered seclusion, refining the silver moon fruits and the blood-red, heart-shaped fruits. Mist flowed and fragrance filled the air. For half a month, Ye Fan's entire body was crystalline and radiant, as if he were about to ascend to immortality. Golden blood qi surged within him, and an ocean-like essence surged forth. Most peculiar was that as he meditated, unfathomable Dao patterns coiled around him, making him appear like a deity, uniting with heaven and earth as he guided the Dao into his body.

Ye Fan remained motionless. The Great Dao injuries within his body slowly partially healed. The fragmented Heaven and Earth Law fragments proved highly effective for him in this ancient land.

"Whoosh!"

He opened his eyes, and two scorching divine lights shot forth. In the past half month, he had refined a total of three silver moon fruits and two heart-shaped fruits. "If I refine two or three of each divine fruit, my Great Dao injuries will surely be dispelled!" His body surged with essence, and fragmented Dao patterns coiled around him, continuously imprinting themselves into his body.

Ye Fan stood up and approached the coffin within the coffin, shaking it with all his might.

"Clang!"

It moved! He had actually managed to budge the small coffin! Ye Fan's heart trembled. What could be inside the coffin? He forcefully lifted the lid, eager to open it and see what lay within.

"Buzz!"

The moment the small coffin moved, the larger coffin shook. All the bronze carvings flickered with light, especially the star map, which appeared even more strangely radiant, as if a real firmament had emerged, with stars twinkling. The vast firmament, the boundless starry sky, was cold and dark, devoid of vitality, with desolation as its eternal theme. The blurry ancient starry road, like a thread, quickly flashed in and out of existence. Ye Fan was truly stunned. The ancient starry road had no end. Who had laid it, and to what distant place did it lead? To the ancient star Ziwei, or to an even older and more mysterious star field?