Chapter 459: Headless Horseman

Chapter 463: The Headless Knight

On several black mountains, the dilapidated palaces were ancient. According to the Black Dog, their architectural style dated back over a hundred thousand years, vastly different from the current era.

Clearly, these ancient palaces were inscribed with Dao patterns; otherwise, even divine iron would have long since corroded, making their survival for so long impossible.

They greatly desired to climb the mountains and investigate, but Little Nannan said that the area was covered in black patterns, with no golden lines, and banded black mist was everywhere.

The Black Dog shivered, saying, "Without golden paths of life, that place is surely a land of certain death. We must not approach it!"

From a distance, they observed four mountain peaks with ancient structures, and on those mountains, there were also medicinal fields cultivating many herbs.

"The scent of herbs, do you smell it? A strong medicinal fragrance! These are spiritual objects over ten thousand years old!""Outside, it's difficult to find even a thousand-year-old spiritual herb, yet here there are spiritual herbs over ten thousand years old!"

Tu Fei, Li Heishui, and the others couldn't move their feet, craning their necks to stare at the medicinal fields on the black mountains. The rich herbal scent wafted directly from there.

Immortal divine medicines are rare, only a few exist in the world. However, other rare spiritual herbs can reproduce on a large scale and are not unique.

Since the Ancient Desolation, almost no one has been able to enter this place. These spiritual herbs have grown for countless millennia, thriving even after wilting, and are all peerless treasures.

There were four black low mountains. Each had a medicinal field on its mountainside, clearly cultivated by humans. None were very large, but the herbal fragrance was overwhelmingly strong.

"Nannan, look carefully. Are there any golden patterns around the medicinal fields?" Ye Fan whispered.

"Only one or two, and none of them lead into the medicinal fields. There's still some distance," Little Nannan replied innocently.

"Let's go forward and check. If it's not feasible, we'll retreat immediately!" Ye Fan made this decision.

They chose the third low mountain, which had one more golden pattern than the others, and its medicinal field was further from the structures on the mountaintop.

The group proceeded, finally reaching the foot of the mountain, all feeling nervous. The medicinal field was overgrown with peerless spiritual herbs. If they could collect a dozen or so, they could certainly refine rare spiritual elixirs.

Such spiritual herbs, tens of thousands of years old, once refined into elixirs, would surely have the effect of bringing the dead back to life and regenerating flesh and bone. They could rival the Nine-Aperture Exquisite Elixir of the Taixuan Sect, be priceless, and serve as life-saving divine objects.

"Dead men's bones..."As soon as they reached the foot of the mountain, they discovered white bones, snow-white and translucent in the grass. It was clear these belonged to supreme experts, and in moments, they found over a dozen skeletons.

"These are most likely old Saint Lords who, near the end of their lives, entered this Forbidden Zone of Life!"

Soon, they identified some of them by jade pendants from the Immortal Dynasty of the Central Plains; several were peerless Imperial Lords, but all had regrettably perished here.

"Something's wrong. How did these people die at the foot of the mountain? This is strange, let's retreat quickly!" Ye Fan, holding Little Nannan, was the first to fall back.

These were all top-tier figures, on the verge of reaching the medicinal fields to make their final attempt, yet they all died here without harvesting a single spiritual herb.

They retreated quickly. After moving back a certain distance, they all felt a splitting headache, and their blood seemed to be burning throughout their bodies.

"Poison! That medicinal field not only contains ten-thousand-year-old spiritual herbs but also highly toxic substances capable of killing supreme experts!" the Black Dog exclaimed in alarm.

The group turned pale, feeling weak all over, nearly collapsing to the ground. Their muscles felt as if they were tearing open, and their bones seemed on the verge of breaking.

"It's fine, we won't die. We recently consumed the sacred fruit from the Ancient Desolation Forbidden Zone; its medicinal properties can counteract all poisons," the Black Dog said through gritted teeth, urging everyone to hold on.

Ye Fan and Little Nannan were unaffected, and Pang Bo's poisoning symptoms were mild, causing no significant harm.

"Each take a leaf of the Enlightenment Tea; that also helps detoxify!"

Afterward, Ye Fan took out divine spring water and had everyone drink a lot. After also swallowing a leaf of the Enlightenment Tea, they all recovered.

"Even peerless Imperial Lords could be poisoned to death. If we hadn't consumed the immortal divine medicine, we would all have died here today," they said, still shaken. Every step in the Immortal Mountain Range was terrifying.

They stood not far from the foot of the mountain, looking up at the medicinal field on the mountainside. It was lush with various herbs, making it impossible to tell which one was highly poisonous.

"There's a corpse in the medicinal field!"

Pang Bo discovered a corpse, seated cross-legged in the medicinal field. Its body was shriveled, with golden light flowing around it. The skin was tightly wrapped around the bones, as if it were wearing a layer of golden robes.

"It's a bald man, without a single strand of hair. His body is shriveled, but not decayed!" Li Heishui muttered.

Ye Fan was startled. "It's a monk from the Western Desert. His golden body is intact; clearly, he was an enlightened monk!"

"This monk has been dead for at least ten thousand years. His strength was far greater than a Saint Lord's, comparable to a peerless Divine King of this era," the Black Dog concluded.

"Even a figure like this died up there. It truly is a dangerous place!"

"A supreme expert like him certainly wasn't poisoned to death. There are still unknown dangers up there!" The Black Dog looked grave, completely abandoning the idea of going up to collect spiritual herbs.

They also saw a shocking sight: a head wearing a purple-gold crown, its white hair like snow. It looked as if it had been torn off, with an uneven break, lying quietly amidst the medicinal field.

"Let's leave quickly; we can't stay here long!" Ye Fan prevented Little Nannan from looking, fearing it would frighten the little girl.

They swiftly retreated, and during their withdrawal, they surprisingly discovered four ten-thousand-year-old spiritual herbs growing among the weeds. Had it not been for the pervasive herbal fragrance, they would have been impossible to find.

Tu Fei laughed heartily, stepping forward to pluck them one by one. All four spiritual herbs contained five-colored divine light, condensed with powerful vitality, nurtured by the essence of heaven and earth. Each one sparkled translucently.

"We're rich! We can refine peerless spiritual elixirs. Each herb is worth a life!" Tu Fei's mouth was split into a wide grin, almost reaching his ears.

They speculated that these were probably seeds that had fallen from the medicinal field and taken root nearby. The group originally intended to search thoroughly. However, a sudden "thud" echoed from the ancient structures on the low mountain, nearly making their hearts burst.

"There's a living creature in the ancient palace!"

They fled without looking back, no longer daring to linger for even a moment. Even the golden-bodied old monk and the old Daoist had died in the medicinal field. That place was absolutely a land of great danger.

"Thud," "thud..."Behind them, it sounded as if a divine drum was being beaten, producing muffled thuds. Each beat accelerated their blood flow, almost making their blood vessels rupture.

"Why does it feel like the heartbeat of a powerful creature?" The Black Dog exclaimed in surprise. "If it really is a heartbeat, it's comparable to the vigorous life force of an ancient royal family."

The group, like the ancient Enlightenment Tree, ran like mad, not once looking back, until they had passed through more than a dozen black mountain ridges before finally slowing down.

"This isn't working; we're getting closer to the central region of the Immortal Mountain step by terrifying step!" Pang Bo said gravely.

"Putting ourselves in a deadly situation to find a way out... according to the layout of these Dao patterns, there should be a path to life, a way to leave the Immortal Mountain," the Black Dog said, sounding uncertain.

After advancing a dozen li, they discovered a massive lake, where a stone crocodile was churning the waves. It was clearly a terrifying existence.

"Why has another stone embryo appeared!?"

"I understand..." The Black Dog said thoughtfully. "It's unknown how many supreme beings reside in this Immortal Mountain, but one of them must be a Holy Spirit. The Nine-Aperture Stone Man and this stone crocodile should all be its descendants!"

They detoured widely, but the stone crocodile still spotted them. However, after staring at Little Nannan, it sank back to the bottom of the lake and did not reappear.

Everyone felt fortunate; if it weren't for Little Nannan, they would surely have died on this trip, with no path to survival. Every step in the Immortal Mountain was a deadly trap, and with their strength, they couldn't have gone far.

"An extraterrestrial divine object!" The Black Dog cried out, its long tongue lolling out, its face filled with astonishment.

Just ahead, there was an azure-gold disk, a hundred zhang in diameter, lying among a pile of rubble. It was almost completely buried by huge rocks, and it was precisely the extraterrestrial divine object that several Saint Lords had been fighting over.

It had collapsed a cliff and was buried beneath the rubble, shimmering with a cold light, mysterious and unfathomable.

"A divine object forged by ancient sages, this is a true treasure!"

"Don't go there, there isn't a single golden pattern, it's completely enveloped in black light," Little Nannan's voice was soft and tender.

"What? Another place of certain death!" The Black Dog was filled with disappointment.

Ye Fan and Pang Bo were also helpless. No one wanted to investigate it more than them, to see if it was a divine object left by ancient sages or a product of an extraterrestrial civilization.

Finally, they approached the central region of the Immortal Mountain. Twenty-seven towering mountains, black as ink, were all enveloped in banded black mist, blocking their path.

Each was a monarch among mountains, emanating an oppressive aura that made one feel suffocated. They were grand and majestic, radiating an unchanging terrifying presence from ancient times.

On the black mountain bodies, although ancient trees towered and were lush, they still inspired dread!

"Twenty-seven great mountains block the direct east. You see rows of great mountains standing side by side in every direction. If they are all twenty-seven, then a total of one hundred and eight mountain kings stand, encircling the central region of the Immortal Mountain."

What exactly the center of the Immortal Mountain was like, they were all intensely curious, but they also knew full well that once they got close, death was certain.

"Where is our path to survival?" By now, they were close to despair. If they continued, they would truly have to cross these great mountains and enter the innermost central region.

"There's a chessboard there, full of golden light..." Little Nannan pointed innocently towards an ancient forest.

"A chessboard full of golden light..." The Black Dog suddenly leaped up, saying, "It must be the Gate of Life left by the Void Emperor!"

Guided by Nannan, they entered the ancient primeval forest and indeed saw a massive chessboard, intricately crisscrossed and carved with Dao patterns. However, apart from the little girl, no one else could see the golden light.

"Excellent! This must be the Gate of Life; we can slowly figure out its secrets." The Black Dog was very excited. This was inscribed by a Great Emperor, containing the ultimate mysteries of heaven and earth, a divine treasure for it.

The Black Dog squatted beside the chessboard, beginning to ponder. The others couldn't make sense of it and looked around.

"Not good, a creature has appeared in the center of the Immortal Mountain!" Li Heishui said in a low voice, his expression changing drastically.

"A creature really has appeared!" Pang Bo exclaimed, surprised.

"He has no head!" Ye Fan's pupils rapidly constricted. The sight was incredible.

It was a Headless Knight, clad in black iron armor, tall and formidable. He wielded a black spear, possessing an aura capable of subjugating heaven and earth. Unfortunately, he had no head, and a good amount of blood stained his neck.

Beneath him was a tall stone horse, shaking its head and tail, neighing with its head held high. It was incredibly powerful and terrifying. Its hooves, as large as bowls, shattered the void with every step.

The appearance of such a Headless Knight in the center of the Immortal Mountain was truly horrifying. The only comforting thing was that he didn't approach them, only appearing among the twenty-seven great mountains.

"What exactly is in the center of this Immortal Mountain, that such a terrifying entity, without a head, still lives!"

"We can't gauge his depth at all, but that stone horse alone is terrifying enough; one can only imagine his true strength!"

The Headless Knight was extremely terrifying, still more than a dozen li away. However, the powerful aura he emanated could be clearly felt, surging like a tide.

"Black Dog, have you figured out the way?" Ye Fan urged. If they couldn't leave quickly, a great disaster might befall them if the Headless Knight discovered them.

He had emerged from the Immortal Mountain. It was impossible to determine what kind of being he was; even Little Nannan's unusual background might not be enough to deter him.

"All right, I've figured it out," the Black Dog said. "These are formation patterns left by an ancient Great Emperor; we can use them to traverse the void and leave." It was overjoyed, not only able to escape but also having obtained such a set of formation patterns, which thrilled it immensely.

"Who am I? You can rest assured!" the Black Dog declared proudly, though it eventually showed some hesitation. "However, to be safe, we can go one by one. Who wants to go first?"

Hearing this, no one dared to speak. They simply had no confidence in it.

The Black Dog was furious, saying, "Do you really have so little faith in me?"

"Alright then, I'll go first!" Pang Bo said.

"No, let's go together," Ye Fan interjected.

Pang Bo chuckled, saying, "What the Black Dog said makes sense; it's safer to go one by one. Don't worry, we're all blessed with great luck and long lives."

"I trust you. You must transport Pang Bo to a safe place," Ye Fan said.

"Don't worry, absolutely no problem. I'll send him to Wangkong City, where we just left," the Black Dog said, looking like it had everything under control.

It selected a spot on the chessboard, then had Pang Bo stand on it, activating the Dao patterns densely arranged around it. With a flash of light, Pang Bo instantly disappeared.

In his place, a series of strange runes appeared, continuously flickering, incredibly profound.

Upon seeing this, the Black Dog's mouth dropped wide open, its tongue almost hitting the ground. It stammered, muttering softly, "Damn it, how did he get transmitted so far? What the hell!"

Ye Fan felt something was terribly wrong. He grabbed it, asking, "Where did you send Pang Bo?"

"Don't panic, he wasn't sent too far. You'll definitely see him again in the future," the Black Dog explained nervously.

Hearing this, Ye Fan became even more certain that Pang Bo had been sent incredibly far away. He held onto the Black Dog firmly, saying, "Tell me quickly, where did you send Pang Bo?"

"You don't need to worry, it's very close, just to the west of the Eastern Wasteland," the Black Dog explained.

"Is that 'close'?! We're in the central region of the Eastern Wasteland, and you sent him to the western region! Expecting him to fly back on his own would take at least two or three years!" Ye Fan exclaimed angrily.

"Cough..." The Black Dog cleared its throat, becoming even more guilty. "You misunderstood. What I meant was, I accidentally... sent him to the west of the Eastern Wasteland, cough, more precisely... the Central Plains."

"You damned dog, I'll kill you!" Ye Fan choked the Black Dog, furious and enraged.

Pang Bo had been transported to the Central Plains. Expecting him to fly back on his own would take at least five or six years, or even over a decade if it was far enough.

"This dog is just outrageous!" Tu Fei and Li Heishui were also dumbfounded and indignant.

"Let go!" The Black Dog struggled, but its confidence was clearly lacking, knowing it had caused trouble.

"You said you'd send him to Wangkong City in the central region of the Eastern Wasteland, but he ended up in the Central Plains. How could you be so absurd?!" Ye Fan wanted to beat it up.

"Cough, since ancient times, the Central Plains has been a land of exceptional people and spiritual energy, with endless ancient inheritances. Pang Bo has obtained the Ancient Scripture of the Demon Emperor; what he lacks most now is experience. His going to the Central Plains is a good thing for him," the Black Dog argued self-righteously.

"This dog is utterly unreliable!" Li Heishui and Tu Fei were also exasperated.

"Regardless, being able to teleport out of the Immortal Mountain is cause for celebration!" The Black Dog spoke with increasing confidence, then suddenly remembered something and wailed, "Oh no! Half of the Enlightenment Tea is with him—over fifty leaves!"

Ye Fan had given the God-Beating Whip to Pang Bo to collect Enlightenment Tea leaves, and they were still with him.

The Black Dog wailed, extremely vexed. Ye Fan, however, let out a sigh of relief. Pang Bo had gone to the Central Plains alone, but with these divine objects in hand, he at least had some assurance.

"Divide the divine Enlightenment Tea leaves, quick, divide them up!" the Black Dog clamored.

The Kirin Seed in Ye Fan's hand also had about fifty leaves. They immediately divided them, with the Black Dog, Tu Fei, and Li Heishui each getting over a dozen leaves.

"Who's next this time?" the Black Dog asked.

"We wouldn't trust you even if it killed us!" Li Heishui and Tu Fei shook their heads in unison.

"If you don't trust me, then you'll just be trapped in the Immortal Mountain," the Black Dog retorted, pouting.

In the end, Tu Fei mustered his courage and stepped forward, saying, "You damned dog, if you dare send me to the Central Plains, I'll be back to settle this with you!"

"Don't worry, that was just a mistake. This time, I guarantee there will be no problems!" the Black Dog swore solemnly.

Tu Fei stood still, stepping onto the Dao patterns.

After a long period of contemplation, the Black Dog activated the Dao patterns, muttering to itself, "This time, it shouldn't be so outrageous, right?"

"Whoosh!"With a flash of light, Tu Fei vanished. A series of strange, incredibly mysterious patterns appeared in his place.

The Black Dog was dumbfounded, stammering and speechless.

Seeing this expression, Ye Fan and Li Heishui knew immediately that something was wrong; the damned dog had made another huge mistake. They both pounced on it, grabbing it and demanding, "Where did you send Tu Fei?!"

"Cough, let go. This time it's not far. I just sent him north," the Black Dog said.

"The Northern Territory?!"

"Cough, it's... the Northern Plains."

"I'll kill you!" Li Heishui gripped it, refusing to let go.

The Northern Plains are alongside the Eastern Wasteland, Central Plains, Southern Ridge, and Western Desert, forming the northernmost end of this world, a completely different concept from the Northern Territory of the Eastern Wasteland.

"The Northern Plains! There are no signs of human habitation for millions of li; it's incredibly desolate, either vast grasslands or large Gobi deserts. You could walk your whole life and never see a single person, yet you actually transported him to that godforsaken place!" Li Heishui started wrestling with the Black Dog.

"Boom!"Suddenly, from the central region of the Immortal Mountain, the Headless Knight emitted an overwhelming wave of energy and charged towards them on his tall stone horse. The horse's hooves, as large as sea bowls, shattered the void with every step, terrifying beyond measure.

"Oh no, the Headless Knight is coming!" Ye Fan exclaimed in alarm.

"This time, we'll go together. Quick, stand inside!" the Black Dog shouted.

"Doggy, be careful, okay? This time, please don't teleport us to the Western Desert," Little Nannan said innocently.