Chapter 475: Thousand-Year Period

The Heavenly Jade ruins were desolate, overgrown with wild vegetation that engulfed the mountain gate. Ancient, withered trees, too large for a dozen people to embrace, stretched their dry, gnarled branches towards the sky.

Amidst the collapsed mountain gate, a figure stood utterly still, like a wooden post, without a ripple of movement, as if turned to stone.

Walking from a distance, they hadn't sensed his presence at all. Only upon approaching did they suddenly realize that someone had been standing there for a long time.

His back was to the mountain gate, his black hair cascading like a waterfall. He was tall and imposing, his presence unfathomable, like a bottomless chasm or an endless starry sky.

The large black dog had once been a powerful being. Although its cultivation had diminished, its discerning eye remained keen. It bristled, unable to gauge the depth of the figure's power.

"Unfathomable, utterly terrifying!" This was the Black Emperor's telepathic assessment. It felt its calves cramping and, carrying little Niannian, it turned and fled.

The large black dog was utterly disloyal; without a word to anyone, it vanished in a flash.

Ye Fan's heart also pounded. He had initially thought the old madman had returned, but now he hesitated. This person's back was magnificent, his black hair thick and abundant, entirely different from the emaciated old madman.

"Let's retreat too!" Li Heishui called, stepping backward slowly. The figure blocking the mountain gate was clearly not someone to provoke.

Yet, he knew that with the figure's cultivation, they had surely been discovered already. He didn't panic, but continued to retreat slowly.

Ye Fan was also filled with doubt and surprise. Without another word, he retreated along their original path. For an unknown, terrifying entity, a mysterious powerhouse whose strength couldn't be gauged, keeping a respectful distance was the best option.

The figure remained motionless, like an immortal statue, standing silently within the collapsed mountain gate, devoid of any vital aura.

"Gone, he's vanished!"

Ye Fan and Li Heishui had retreated further, their eyes unblinking, yet the tall figure had already disappeared without a trace.

"What kind of movement technique is that? It's too fast, as if he was never there!" Li Heishui's heart pounded.

"Incredible! Even the Peerless Divine King has an opponent; this world truly doesn't lack extraordinary individuals!" Ye Fan was also astonished.

When they returned to Divine Doctor Wang's thatched hut, the large black dog was muttering, "Damn it, who was that? This Emperor couldn't see through him at all! Too terrifying!"

"You disloyal dog! You abandoned us and ran off!" Li Heishui scornfully remarked.

"For someone like that, it makes no difference whether we run or not. We were just putting on a show, letting him know we were respectful. If he wanted to act, even if I set up array patterns and teleported away, he could collapse space with a single palm strike and drag us out of the void," the large black dog retorted.

Only little Niannian remained relatively quiet. Though curious, the small girl was well-behaved and didn't ask many questions, simply listening.

Divine Doctor Wang emerged from his thatched hut. After hearing the detailed account, he sighed softly, "Heavenly Jade is truly extraordinary. To think that even after six millennia since its destruction, such a terrifying figure still exists is truly unnerving."

"This is a land that reaches the heavens, where every mountain range resembles a soaring dragon. It's problematic that such divine land has not been occupied by later generations," the large black dog mused with suspicion. "It's not that later generations didn't want to seize it, but rather that this place is peculiar..." Divine Doctor Wang explained. Although he lived nearby, he had only visited a few times.

In ancient times, the Heavenly Jade Holy Land was immensely prosperous. After its demise, numerous divine treasures were left behind and divided among other sacred lands. However, none ever dared to fully occupy this divine territory.

Six thousand years ago, after failing in an assault on the Barren Ancient Forbidden Land, the Heavenly Jade Holy Land, which had reached an unparalleled peak of prosperity, was annihilated overnight. Only three or four individuals escaped, but their lifespans quickly withered, and their bodies and spirits perished shortly after.

For the various sacred lands, it was a grand feast; they virtually emptied Heavenly Jade of its resources, and several supreme sects even sought to establish a presence there.

However, not long after, loud wailing could be heard from the Heavenly Jade Holy Land every full moon night. Several Holy Lords investigated in the dead of night but found nothing. This continued for many years.

In the years that followed, every thousand years, a sorrowful wail would emerge in the dead of night, truly unnerving all the sacred lands.

From then on, no one dared to covet the place again. Despite knowing it was a land of soaring dragons, capable of reaching the heavens, they dared not lay claim to it.

"Thinking about it carefully, another thousand-year cycle has arrived. The full moon night is almost upon us. Could it be that person has returned again?" Divine Doctor Wang furrowed his brows.

"That's insane! Appearing once every thousand years... can time really not erase him? That's too terrifying!" the large black dog mumbled, fear in its heart.

Ye Fan suddenly recalled something and asked Divine Doctor Wang, "Senior, do you know what ancient scriptures Heavenly Jade cultivated, or the origins of their miraculous movement technique?"

The large black dog had once mentioned that the old madman's footwork bore the shadow of the "Movement" secret from the Nine Secrets, and Ye Fan wanted to understand it better.

"Heavenly Jade's ancient scriptures were very powerful and profound, but unfortunately, they were annihilated and not passed down. Their movement technique was unparalleled, surpassing even the Sky Roc's extreme speed by a fraction."

At this point, Divine Doctor Wang paused slightly in thought before saying, "Few in the world know that Heavenly Jade's movement technique evolved from the Nine Secrets."

"What?" Ye Fan was startled, realizing the large black dog had indeed guessed correctly.

"In ancient times, our lineage produced a Saint, so we naturally know some of those ancient secrets," Divine Doctor Wang slowly explained.

Tens of thousands of years ago, the various sacred lands besieged the Heavenly Court, leading to the collapse of that ancient divine dynasty. All major sects gained something from its downfall.

Heavenly Jade obtained the most valuable item: a corner of the Heavenly Court's core sacred art, the ancient scroll of the "Movement" secret. It became their top secret and was passed down.

The old madman's movement technique originated from the Heavenly Court's "Movement" secret, though it was incomplete. Heavenly Jade continuously evolved it, eventually developing the unparalleled divine speed seen in later generations.

The full moon night arrived swiftly. Ye Fan and his companions stood on a distant peak, gazing towards the Heavenly Jade Holy Land.

As moonlight poured down like water, a thunderous wail echoed through the clouds, startling countless beasts into a stampede and shaking the mountains.

"It's him... that tall figure!" the large black dog shuddered.

Ye Fan and the others saw the figure again. He appeared and vanished like a ghost within the Heavenly Jade Holy Land, moving erratically from east to west, so fast that their eyes couldn't follow his speed.

"Woooo..."

The wailing roared like thunder, like the mighty roar of rivers and seas, deafening and carrying exceptionally far into the night. The entire world trembled.

"Indeed, people from all the sacred lands have come!" Divine Doctor Wang remarked, his eyes fixed on the distant sky.

The thousand-year cycle was a very special occasion; all the sacred lands wanted to see if that person had truly returned, if he was still alive.

One could imagine their shock. The wailing rose again, indicating that this thousand-year cycle had indeed not been broken.

"That's outrageous! A thousand-year cycle! Several generations of old Holy Lords have died, yet he can still come here and wail!" the large black dog muttered.

"Quiet down, you mangy dog, don't talk nonsense!" Li Heishui warned.

In the distance, people from the various sacred lands silently withdrew. They dared not linger, having only come to confirm the phenomenon. After all, they had once plundered the divine treasures of the Heavenly Jade Holy Land and felt quite uneasy.

Now, with this peerless figure still alive, no one could remain calm. In the blink of an eye, the distant sky became empty and silent.

"Is it really the old madman?" Ye Fan wondered. Besides the mad old man, could there be another incredible being who survived the Heavenly Jade Holy Land's destruction? How was that possible?

The wailing continued for half an hour, only subsiding at midnight. The myriad peaks ceased trembling, and the land that reached the heavens became peaceful.

"This time, he should be gone," Divine Doctor Wang sighed. "Legend says that after each wailing, he disappears for a thousand years."

"Let's go take a look!" Li Heishui suggested.

In the profound quiet of the night, the Heavenly Jade ruins were utterly silent, with broken walls and crumbling remains visible everywhere, an image of profound desolation.

What was once a glorious, supremely prosperous immortal holy land had ultimately come to this state, making one lament that true permanence is hard to find in the world.

Bluestone steps were overgrown with green moss, and wild grass engulfed the ground, leaving a desolate scene. Several large stone blocks bore numerous ancient inscriptions.

Six millennia had passed, and anything valuable had long been taken, leaving nothing behind. Even the medicine fields were now overrun with wild grass.

"Feel free to look around," Divine Doctor Wang said. "I'll carefully study the layout of these medicine fields again." It wasn't his first time observing them, but each visit allowed him to find incomplete Dao patterns that could accelerate the growth of spirit herbs.

Ye Fan and his companions walked through the vast ruins. Rubble, broken walls, and partially collapsed ancient halls, covered in thick dust, were visible everywhere.

"An underground palace..." They discovered a massive underground palace where the structures within were still remarkably intact.

However, as they ventured deeper, they all gasped in surprise: an endless expanse of interconnected tombs formed a vast underground cemetery.

Firelight flickered, revealing paper money and offerings before each tombstone, indicating someone had just been there to sweep the graves.

"Divine Doctor Wang said that the Heavenly Jade Holy Land's sole divine land hasn't been found. Could their ancient scriptures be buried there, perhaps among these tombs?" Li Heishui wondered with suspicion.

Unfortunately, even with the Black Emperor's mastery of Dao patterns, they couldn't uncover anything. After paying their respects, they all withdrew.

Upon reaching the deepest part of the Heavenly Jade ruins, the desolation was even more pronounced: crumbling ancient halls, broken bluestone steps, and a vast training ground...

Everything bore witness to its former glory and its current desolation; the once supreme holy land had utterly become a relic of the past.

"Heavenly Jade's most mysterious divine land still cannot be found. Their ancient scriptures have truly turned to the dust of history..." Everyone felt a deep sense of regret.

The bright moon flickered in the sky, casting large patches of moonlight like white feathers over the sparse woods. Little Niannian's body glowed with colorful light as her small stone slowly merged into her form.

"Niannian is going to forget the past again..." the little girl said, her voice small and low with sadness.

On the night of the full moon, she would experience a rebirth, forgetting everything from before. However, Ye Fan was prepared and took out a brilliant piece of beautiful jade.

"Niannian, don't worry. Everything you've experienced is recorded in this, and you'll understand it all in a moment."

"Mm!" The little one nodded seriously.

As moonlight poured down like water, like a thin mist, colorful light shot from Niannian's glabella, and a new small stone emerged.

She was utterly bewildered, recognizing no one, and timidly, fearfully looked at everything around her.

Ye Fan pressed the jade containing her memories into her mind. Before long, the little girl quieted down again, looking very happy and cheerful. She said, "Niannian didn't forget the past."

The colorful small stone on her glabella became increasingly crystalline and brilliant, about to fall off. Just then, the little one suddenly cried out, "There's a world there!"

She extended her small, tender hand, pointing into the void, her mouth forming an "O" shape in astonishment and curiosity.

"Niannian, what are you talking about?" Ye Fan, Li Heishui, and the large black dog all looked surprised.

"Niannian saw a pure land, with lots of shimmering flower petals fluttering inside, but... there are coffins everywhere on the ground, and a person!" the little girl cried out.

She timidly took a few steps back, still staring at the void.

"Could it be Heavenly Jade's divine land?!" They were all astonished.

The void Niannian pointed to was in the high heavens above the deepest part of the Heavenly Jade ruins. Even Ye Fan, using his divine eye, couldn't see anything, yet she saw straight through it.

"That person sat up from the only unsealed coffin; he's coming out! It's the same person we saw a few days ago! He... he's found us!" The little girl grew even more frightened, unable to speak further.

*Swish!*

Silently, a tall figure emerged from the ground in the deepest part of the ruins. That person had walked out of the divine land.

He wore ancient green robes, his black hair thick, his eyes hollow. In a single stride, he appeared before Ye Fan and his companions, fixed his gaze on little Niannian, and then extended a large hand forward.