Chapter 488: Uns Start Formation Pattern

Dozens of black mountains stood side by side, giving off a powerful sense of oppression. Seeing them felt like re-entering the Immortal Mountain.

"Big Brother, is there also Enlightenment Tea here?" Little Nannan asked, looking up. The child still remembered that naked old tea tree.

"Not here," Ye Fan said, stroking the little one's head, "but there's something even more mysterious."

"What's strange ahead?" Li Heishui asked the big black dog. "Normally, no one dares to approach this place; people avoid it like a ghost."

"It's hard to say what's in here," the big black dog mumbled, "but it's definitely eerie. Strange deaths might occur after entering."

"What do you mean?" Li Heishui pressed.

"Specifically," the big black dog added, "after entering, you wouldn't even know how you died. It's extremely bizarre and mysterious, leaving people utterly bewildered."

"So, it's also an ill-fated land," Ye Fan said, surprised, "where you don't even know what you'll encounter?" This place was highly unusual, and he had no idea what they might encounter.

However, they weren't overly afraid. After all, they were accompanied by a Saint. If even the Old Madman couldn't enter or exit this place, then no one in this era could.

"Awoo..." The long howl of a lone wolf echoed, its sound piercing and mournful, reverberating through the black mountain range.

"Your relatives are lurking here," Li Heishui said, nudging the big black dog.

"Woof!" The big black dog bared its fangs, bit his wrist, and refused to let go.

"Damn it, I just stated a fact! Why are you getting so agitated? Let go quickly!" Li Heishui shrieked.

"Uh..."

Several old crows, exuding an aura of death, flapped their wings on a withered old tree outside the black cliffs, emitting chilling cries full of desolation.

"Why does this place feel so inauspicious...?" Li Heishui mumbled after pulling free from the Black Emperor's maw, feeling a chill down his neck.

"It's fine, I don't believe these black cliffs can truly be haunted," the big black dog said, somewhat lacking confidence. "Even though a Great Accomplishment Saint Body died here, it's been over a hundred thousand years. Any unknown beings, even if they existed, would have long vanished under the power of time; nothing can live that long." The only thing it trusted was the Old Madman's combat power.

"Let's go!" Ye Fan picked up Little Nannan, placed her on the Black Emperor's back, and then strode forward.

Plop!

A white rabbit darted out, followed by a weasel that also scurried away. Both were incredibly old, their fur nearly all shed.

Hiss...

Then, a large snake, its scales rattling on its skeletal body and as thick as a water vat, slowly crawled out as well, winding its way towards the distant cliffs. "Why are these all inauspicious creatures from folklore...?"

Everyone felt it was very strange. These creatures were naturally no threat to them, but in folk legends, they held significant ominous meanings.

As they neared the black Sacred Cliff, the strange aura grew more intense, as if they had arrived at a graveyard, sending chills down their spines.

"Wuwu..." A sudden wailing sound rose, extremely mournful and shrill, its sound carrying for more than ten miles.

Right beside them, stood a withered old tree, so thick that five or six people couldn't encircle it, growing on the edge of the Sacred Cliff.

In the tree was a terrifying bird's nest, built entirely of withered bones, over half a person's height, exuding a sinister aura with wisps of black mist swirling around it.

"Damn it, what kind of bird is this?" Li Heishui exclaimed in surprise, feeling the chill on his body intensify.

Beside the bird's nest built of human bones, stood an eerie monstrous bird. Its body was as black as a crow, with a human face that also had a bird's beak, a black, curved beak like a knife.

It was over a meter long, ink-black, its body exuding extremely heavy sinister energy, as if it had a dead human head attached, making the entire withered ancient tree feel icy cold.

"This place is truly damn evil!" The big black dog shuddered and couldn't help but curse, "This is an ancient bird, almost never seen even in ancient times. It specializes in eating the bones of powerful beings. Legend has it that anyone it wails over doesn't live long."

Flap, flap!

The monstrous bird spread its wings and flew away, dropping a half-chewed human skull from its mouth, which looked somewhat gruesome.

"Why do I feel like this is an unlucky start, like an ominous omen?" Li Heishui muttered softly.

Whoosh!

A strong wind arose. The Old Madman suddenly made a move, his large sleeves sweeping across the world, sending countless plants and stones flying. A low roar came from a distance, making their souls tremble.

Ye Fan and Li Heishui were instantly shocked. A humanoid creature, covered in long black fur, which made them feel unnerved, flashed and vanished into the depths of the black Sacred Cliff.

"Damn it, there really is something! What kind of creature was that?" The big black dog was also startled.

Around them, all the inauspicious sights vanished. The sounds of the old crows and lone wolves disappeared, and this black mountain range returned to peace. "Let's go inside and take a look," Ye Fan said. "Soon, everything will depend on your mastery of formation patterns."

The group finally stepped into the Immortal Mountain. Ye Fan took out the ancient scroll he had obtained in Lizhou, Northern Region long ago, to search for the locations marked with the Nine Secrets.

"It's in the deepest part of the Sacred Cliff..."

The few of them gathered to examine it closely, then frowned simultaneously. The moment they stepped into the Sacred Cliff area, they felt as if they had entered the Immortal Mountain itself, with no difference.

"We can't fly anymore!" Li Heishui was the first to notice the anomaly. They couldn't leave the ground at all, unable to leap into the void.

"There are ancient Great Emperor's formation patterns here," the big black dog said, strange light gleaming in its eyes, "not inscribed by the Void Great Emperor, but laid down by another..."

"Be extremely careful," Ye Fan reminded them. "Even Daoist Scarlet Dragon was trapped in the deepest part for a full fifteen hundred years, nearly being refined into ashes."

"Don't worry, this time I have absolute certainty," the big black dog declared, its confidence suddenly soaring for some reason. "With my mastery of Dao patterns, I can move through here as if there's no one around! Follow me."

Crack!

The big black dog bravely walked forward, but after just two steps, bolts of lightning suddenly descended from the clear sky, striking it, causing it to foam at the mouth, stumble and fall to the ground, with black smoke rising from its body.

If Ye Fan hadn't felt it was unreliable at the crucial moment and picked Little Nannan up beforehand, the little one would have also been struck by lightning.

"Doggy, are you okay?" Little Nannan asked, blinking her big eyes, truly feeling a little scared afterward.

"I'm in so much pain..." The big black dog lay there, its four large paws twitching continuously, muttering, "Great Emperor... why did you strike even me?"

"I've noticed, everything you do, you damn dog, is outrageous," Li Heishui taunted. "You said you'd move through here as if there's no one around, well, how did that turn out? Struck by lightning, weren't you?"

"Woof, damn it!" The big black dog tried to bite him, but struggled for a long time and still couldn't stand up. It was severely injured, with many broken bones.

This made everyone feel a chill in their hearts. The mysterious and terrifying Sacred Cliff was even more sinister than they had imagined. They had only just stepped inside, and the Black Emperor, with its profound mastery of Dao patterns, had almost been struck to death.

Whoosh, the Old Madman pointed a finger. The big black dog was enveloped in a ball of light, and instantly, its bones clacked and clacked as its injuries rapidly healed.

It scrambled to its feet, muttering curses, "Damn it, why did it strike even me? Where did this formation pattern go wrong? Let me think about it carefully."

After the big black dog studied it carefully, it looked puzzled, then relieved, saying, "So there were subtle modifications! I know what went wrong now. This time, there will definitely be no problem!"

It walked ahead again, initially without any issues, but when it took its thirteenth step, another massive bolt of lightning descended from ten thousand feet above.

Crack! Crack!

This time, the big black dog was even worse off. Its entire body was charred black, white smoke poured from its ears, and sparks of electricity crackled from its mouth as it coughed. It was practically cooked through.

"Awoo... This Emperor is in so much pain! Damn it, woof!" The big black dog howled incessantly, every inch of its flesh twitching.

"Good heavens, this damn dog is going to get itself killed!" Ye Fan exclaimed, dumbfounded. "Luckily, it wasn't us this time." He had seen unreliable people, but never anyone this unreliable.

"Doggy, are you alright? I smell roasted meat..." Little Nannan asked, concerned.

"It smells so good!" Li Heishui was quite something; at such a critical moment, he couldn't help but swallow.

The big black dog immediately became furious, shouting, "Damn it, you black ghost, what kind of look is that? What do you mean? Woof!"

When these two outrageous characters were together, there was rarely peace; they would always squabble endlessly, no matter the situation.

This time again, it was thanks to the Old Madman's intervention and healing that the big black dog stumbled back to its feet. However, its fur, once as smooth as silk, now looked as if it had been plucked, uneven and no longer soft.

"This is outrageous! Why did it strike even me? This Emperor truly has the worst luck imaginable!" the big black dog grumbled indignantly.

"Do you know who laid down these formation patterns...?" Li Heishui asked, looking at it suspiciously.

"These are the Limitless Formation Patterns!" the big black dog said, gnashing its teeth. "I clearly saw how they evolved in an ancient text, so how could I still be struck by lightning...?"

"Nonsense!" Li Heishui retorted, not believing it. "How could a Great Emperor's formation patterns be recorded in an ancient text? They shouldn't even exist in this world! Besides, even if they were left behind, a powerful being wouldn't understand them even after studying for ten lifetimes."

Ye Fan's heart, however, skipped a beat. He remembered some things the big black dog had said before: that the Limitless Great Emperor had once visited this place to pay respects.

If that were the case, then it was highly likely that these were indeed the formation patterns inscribed by the Limitless Great Emperor. But this damn dog knew too much. Could it have followed the Limitless Great Emperor? But how could it have lived until this era, when even ancient Great Emperors couldn't?

During this process, the Old Madman remained silent, standing aside and staring at the ancient land, as if deep in thought.

The big black dog no longer dared to walk at the very front. It egged Li Heishui to go ahead, offering to guide the way.

"Damn it, you outrageous dog, you don't even dare to go yourself, and you want to get me killed?!" Li Heishui vehemently refused.

Ultimately, the big black dog bit the bullet itself, clutching a can of divine spring water given to it by Ye Fan, and stepped to the very front.

Boom! Crack! Crack!...

Almost every dozen steps, the big black dog would let out a shrill scream, constantly being struck by lightning, and it was unknown how many times it had cramped up.

"Oh, Great Emperor, you were struck by lightning so often back then," the big black dog grimaced, muttering incessantly. "Are your grievances really so strong? How can even the outermost formation patterns be so terrifying? They're almost turning me to ash!"

Finally, they crossed over a black mountain and arrived at a void-like area. This area had no formation patterns, but its aura was very mysterious.

It was a very open valley, situated among the black mountains. In the center was a lake, as smooth as a mirror.

At this time, the evening glow had already dyed the horizon red, giving the lake a layer of golden radiance.

"A peerless spiritual medicine, over twenty thousand years old!" Li Heishui exclaimed, pointing to an azure plant in the lake that glowed with a dreamy radiance.

The big black dog also ran over. They were about to pick it, but just then, the lake erupted with a loud rumble, and waves surged skyward.

It was a humanoid creature with hair as white as snow and a complexion almost deathly pale, without a trace of blood, like snow itself. It was practically like a zombie, reaching out its large claws towards them.

"What is that?" Everyone was startled and quickly retreated.

"It's an ancient corpse!" the big black dog cried out. "It's been dead for at least tens of thousands of years. In recent years, it has gained sentience and has the cultivation of a Half-Step Almighty!"

"Uncle, quick, save us!" Little Nannan said, very nervous, grabbing the Old Madman's sleeve and shaking it.

If Ye Fan and the others had come in alone, it would have surely ended badly for them. With their cultivation, they would have been unable to resist at all.

Whoosh!

The Old Madman lightly pointed a finger. A beam of green light shot from his fingertip, and the ancient corpse was instantly frozen, unable to move.

Boom!

However, just then, the lake waters violently churned, iron chains rattled loudly, and there were terrifying creatures below.

Divine light shot from everyone's eyes as they gazed into the lake. They all gasped in cold air as three more ancient corpses surged up from below, still comparable to Half-Step Almighties.

Moreover, in the deepest part of the lake's center, there was a massive shadow, which turned out to be an iron sedan chair, with iron chains entwined around its poles, looking very eerie and frightening.

"These four ancient corpses are just the sedan bearers," they thought, "what kind of being is in that iron sedan chair?" Everyone was alarmed, and their scalps felt a little cold.

Hiss. The Old Madman still merely raised a hand and pointed, instantly freezing the three ancient corpses. Then, staring into the depths of the lake, he let out a soft cry: "Halt!"

His voice boomed like thunder, possessing an inexplicable mighty power, like a celestial deity subduing demons. The churning lake waters instantly calmed, and the black iron sedan chair swayed a few times, seeming very unwilling, but ultimately ceased to tremble.

Ye Fan and the others felt their hair stand on end, feeling that this trip wouldn't be too smooth. They had just entered and already encountered such powerful creatures, and there was no telling what else lay inside.

"Hehehe..." A sinister sneer, like that of a ten-thousand-year-old ghost, came from the black mountains ahead. Vaguely, a humanoid creature flashed and disappeared.

Two beams of light shot from the Old Madman's hollow eyes, piercing into the black mountain range. The malevolent sneer from the humanoid creature vanished completely.

They ascended a great mountain and looked ahead. Their hearts skipped a beat; ahead, there was a broken black mountain, a sight that shocked the big black dog even more.

"What happened? That peak was destroyed," the big black dog exclaimed. "I remember... no, legend has it that the Limitless Great Emperor once carved a 'Seal' character there, suppressing a terrifying creature. Has it escaped?"

"No matter," Ye Fan said, "it's been over a hundred thousand years. Even if any unknown entity still existed, it would have long turned to ashes. No matter how great a figure, they cannot withstand the power of time."

"That's true," the big black dog conceded, unusually showing a look of nervousness. "But we should still be careful. I always feel uneasy about this."