Chapter 490: Entering the Holy Cliff Center

The black mountain, like an endless wall, blocked their path. In the center of the mountain was a colossal ancient cave, utterly dark, completely unlike the other caves that spewed true sunfire.

Inside the dark cave, only a pair of golden eyes was visible, exceptionally menacing. They belonged to a god-like entity from hell, radiating endless murderous intent.

With a sweep of his sleeve, the Old Madman scooped up Little Nannan and placed her on his broad shoulder, then turned to face the ancient black cave.

A tidal wave of murderous intent surged towards them, threatening to overwhelm the group, especially focusing on Little Nannan with the eyes in the darkness.

"Is it really a Three-legged Golden Crow?!" Li Heishui and the others were astonished. How could such a creature exist in the world? It was an immortal spirit from ancient myths, comparable to true dragons, phoenixes, and purple qilin—an unbeatable being.

"A creature born from true sunfire must only resemble a Three-legged Golden Crow, but it's certainly not a true immortal spirit."

They knew such a creature couldn't be born in this world; even ancient saints were almost unheard of, as the world had long since changed.

Barring any unexpected events, ancient Great Emperors would remain eternal legends, and the Three-legged Golden Crow would not appear in the mortal realm, only creatures resembling it.

"Caw, caw, caw..." Myriad fire god-crows descended like a black tide, bringing with them surging true sunfire that melted the very earth as they relentlessly attacked.

The group was shaken to their core. Millions of fire god-crows overwhelmed them with unparalleled destructive power, annihilating everything in their path. Except for the black mountain, which stood like an endless demonic wall, all other peaks collapsed into ashes.

"This cliff was cut from the Undying Mountain, said to be indestructible. Yet, even it is melting from the fire. This is terrifying!"

Fortunately, the Old Madman was powerful enough. Within a thirty-meter radius around him, a tranquil stillness prevailed, as if a gentle spring breeze was blowing. Even with millions of fire god-crows assaulting them, they could not penetrate this barrier.

There was a continuous rustling sound as many divine crows fell to the ground, turning to ash. The thirty-meter area around the Old Madman was like sacred ground, inviolable.

"Shriek!" Suddenly, a terrifying, scalp-tingling cry erupted from the black ancient cave. The golden eyes grew even colder.

At the same time, the millions of fire god-crows seemed to receive a command. Suspended in the sky, each shot out a dark beam of light—one of their natal divine feathers.

Millions of black divine feathers, each formed from the vital essence of a god-crow, possessed chillingly destructive power.

"Puff!" The void instantly shattered. Millions of dark feathers launched simultaneously, engulfing the area and targeting the group. The horrific consequences were mind-numbing.

"Boom!" This was Ye Fan and his companions' first experience with such a scene. Every single fire god-crow had achieved sentience; they were effectively facing a million cultivators!

If not for the Old Madman, they wouldn't even have bone fragments left. If a million firebirds had swept through, everything would turn to ash, and everyone would be annihilated.

The Old Madman, single-handedly resisting a million sentient fire-crows, made a sweeping gesture with his hands, then powerfully vibrated. A mournful cry echoed in the sky as the natal dark feathers that had been shot down all burst apart, turning into powder.

"Chirp!" From the black ancient cave, a soul-shattering bird cry resonated again. The golden light in the Three-legged Golden Crow's cold eyes intensified.

"Clang!" It brandished an ancient golden staff, sweeping it forward. The endless true sunfire was tens of thousands of times hotter than before, incinerating everything it touched into dust.

The Old Madman let out a cold shout, extended a large hand, and grasped forward. The golden ancient staff instantly shattered.

A shrill bird cry pierced the air. A golden sun inside the ancient cave emitted billions of divine rays, each like a golden needle. Ye Fan and his companions couldn't even open their eyes.

This was an indiscriminate attack, sweeping in all directions, capable of slaughtering armies. Its destructive power was immeasurable, threatening to breach the Old Madman's thirty-meter sacred ground.

"Bang!" The Old Madman swept his sleeve, enveloping millions of golden divine rays. He then took a single step, charging directly into the black ancient cave.

This was the first time Ye Fan and his companions had witnessed an entity comparable to an ancient saint initiating an attack, which spoke volumes about the Three-legged Golden Crow's incredible power.

A piercing shriek erupted, and the golden light intensified, but it couldn't stop the Old Madman for even half a step. He entered the ancient cave in a single stride.

"Boom!" A deafening sound echoed as the black mountain instantly shattered. The area above the ancient cave collapsed, and enormous boulders shot through the clouds.

Smoke and dust filled the air, and true sunfire soared to the heavens in a brilliant blaze. When everything settled, only seven or eight golden feathers drifted down.

Each feather was as dazzling as the sun, stained with a trace of golden blood, and emanated a terrifying aura that deterred anyone from approaching.

"What a terrifying existence, but it got away!" The Big Black Dog was both excited and regretful. It rushed over and, despite its trepidation, sealed away the eight blood-stained divine feathers.

These were the feathers of the Three-legged Golden Crow, divine materials for crafting artifacts, incredibly rare and of immeasurable value.

"With these, one could forge a Golden Crow Fan, capable of incinerating everything in the world with a single wave!"

The Three-legged Golden Crow had escaped, leaving a puddle of golden blood on the ground that seeped into the earth's veins, plunging into the underground magma containing true sunfire.

"What's this?" Li Heishui found a piece of black beast bone in the fractured mountain.

"The True Sun Art..." The Big Black Dog's heart skipped a beat as it recognized some ancient characters inscribed on it.

"Is it a cultivation method comparable to an ancient scripture?" Li Heishui's eyes immediately lit up.

"This is a fragmented piece of an ancient art, derived by cultivators from antiquity," the Big Black Dog explained. "It's incomplete and somehow ended up in this ancient cave. This Three-legged Golden Crow must have referenced it."

Although fragmented, it was extremely valuable. The Taiyin and True Sun Arts within the ancient method were profoundly mysterious, having been summarized and deduced by enlightened beings throughout generations.

The group gathered, studying it intently. They found it unfathomably profound and were greatly inspired. Even the Old Madman read it carefully, which spoke volumes about its value.

Finally, Li Heishui carefully put it away and said, "It would be wonderful if we could complete the True Sun Art. It's said to be one of the highest cultivation techniques of the Primordial cultivators."

The Big Black Dog nodded, saying, "Several ancient Great Emperors, when creating their own ancient scriptures, were inspired by this ancient art. It holds the wonder of seizing the creation of heaven and earth."

The Old Madman now led the way, no longer as unreliable as the Big Black Dog, who always attracted lightning. They proceeded without major incidents, crossing several massive mountains.

Ahead lay a dark, vast canyon. From a distance, they heard the mournful wails of ghosts emanating from its dark depths, as if it were connected to the underworld.

"Why is that deep canyon spewing out hail?"

"Damn it, it's not hail, it's human skulls!"

As they drew closer, they were stunned. The black canyon was bottomless, and ghostly winds howled, blowing up countless white skulls that clattered loudly as they hit the ground.

"What kind of place is down there? Is it really connected to hell, to be blowing up so many human skulls?!"

Around the canyon, the ground was a vast white expanse, with an uncountable number of skulls rolling about.

Little Nannan was very nervous. Perched on the Old Madman's shoulder, her small hands clutched tightly, and her large eyes were filled with unease.

"Whoosh..." The strong winds intensified, blowing up even more skulls, a truly unsettling sight.

White skulls rolled continuously on the ground. Not a single blade of grass grew here; it was a world of death.

"That thing has appeared again!"

Ye Fan spotted the entity within the strange black winds. Its malevolent eyes were unforgettable. It moved within the canyon, hidden by the bizarre winds, and periodic chilling sneers emanated from it, clearly provoking the saint's might.

The Old Madman gently set Little Nannan on the ground, then vanished in a flash, disappearing straight into the black canyon.

"Ah..." Like ten-thousand-year-old specters wailing tragically, the entire black Saint Cliff trembled, and over fifty massive peaks shook simultaneously.

"Boom!" A large section of the black canyon collapsed, revealing a sea of white bones below, stretching endlessly, eerily pale and terrifying. It was unclear from what era or why they had been left there.

"Puff!" A stream of black blood shot upwards, corroding a large pit in the ground. The mysterious, beast-haired entity shrieked and vanished into the void.

The Old Madman ascended from the canyon, like a god or a demon. He had severely wounded the unknown entity, but unfortunately, he hadn't destroyed it.

"To escape from a saint's hands, how powerful must that entity be?!" Ye Fan and the others were stunned.

"What exactly was it?" The group was filled with doubt and alarm.

"It was an arm from a corpse that had transformed," the Old Madman stated.

"What?!" Everyone was dumbfounded. An arm from a corpse had developed a true spirit and taken form; if even that was so terrifying, how formidable would its original body be if it were alive?

"I know what it is!" The Black Dog shivered, then said, "In the past, during the great dark upheaval on Undying Mountain, blood flowed like rivers across the land. The Void Great Emperor emerged and slayed a supreme being, annihilating its form and spirit with the Void Mirror, leaving only one arm to fall into Undying Mountain."

With that explanation, the group immediately understood. Saint Cliff was a section cut from Undying Mountain, and that arm had been carried along with it.

The flesh and blood of ancient Great Emperors were said to be incorruptible and lifelike even after death, so it wasn't unusual for the arm to be preserved without decay.

However, for it to develop a true spirit and transform into a living entity was terrifying. Apart from a saint, almost no one could destroy it.

As they passed by a pond, the Old Madman stood motionless for a long time, looking down. Only after a significant period did he jolt, stepping back with a dazed expression.

"Uncle, what's wrong?" Little Nannan walked over and tugged on his sleeve.

Ye Fan and the others were also surprised. What had happened to the Old Madman, and why was he acting this way? They cautiously walked forward.

"Don't come closer! This is the Lake of Reincarnation!" the Old Madman softly warned.

Ye Fan and the others immediately stopped, startled. The Big Black Dog cried out, "The Lake of Reincarnation! Does such a heaven-defying thing really exist, capable of showing one's past and future?!"

Just then, Little Nannan gazed curiously at the lake's surface and mumbled, "Nannan saw herself... on a five-colored altar... no, on a giant purple star... and also..."

"Don't look at those!" The Old Madman quickly stopped her, pulling the little girl back and away from the Lake of Reincarnation.

"Don't look at your past or future, or it will affect your current state!" The Big Black Dog's expression turned incredibly serious. "The Great Emperor Wushi once said this..."

"There is only one Lake of Reincarnation in the world," the Old Madman uncharacteristically added, "It's said to be connected to the elusive Immortal Realm, whose existence is unknown. Only Great Emperors are capable of viewing it."

He decisively departed, without a trace of hesitation, pressing deeper into Saint Cliff.

Although the fifty-odd colossal peaks covered an immense area, they were not unattainable. The Old Madman led the way, passing through one cursed land after another, finally reaching the deepest part.

The central colossal mountain soared into the clouds, its entire body a dark red, as if stained with blood. They could even smell a faint trace of blood.

"There's a stone coffin on this mountain!" Standing afar, they gazed at the legendary Saint Cliff, all displaying shock.

"Could it be that the corpse of the Great Accomplished Holy Body is buried on the mountain?" Ye Fan's heart pounded.

"The Investiture of the Gods List! How is the Investiture of the Gods List, forged by the Great Emperor Wushi, sealed on this mountain?!" The Black Dog shrieked in surprise.

The others were also surprised. They moved, circling to another side of the mountain, where they saw a resplendent golden ancient scroll.

On the pitch-black colossal peak, a golden ancient list was sealed into the mountain, emanating a mysterious aura and an immense pressure.

"This isn't right. When was this sealed here? Why didn't I know?!" The Black Dog's expression kept changing.