Chapter 496: Leaving

A Nine Divinations existence from before the Desolate Ancient Era was personally suppressed by Great Emperor Chishen. After more than a hundred thousand years, a wisp of its primordial spirit survived, buried within the Immortal Source.

This was an incredible existence, capable of contending with ancient Great Emperors. Ye Fan, Li Heishui, and the Black Dog felt their hearts pound, filled with dread, their courage completely deflated.

The old Daoist was very calm, his attire ancient and worn, his Daoist robe nearly in tatters, as if he had just crawled out of an ancient mound of yellow earth. He walked step by step from that distant ancient land, exuding an ancient aura.

"Any one of the Nine Secrets, once revealed, would drive the world to madness, for they contain supreme profound truths," the old Daoist said. "The two I possess, I can pass on to you without reservation."

The old Daoist's words were undeniably enticing. These were secret arts passed down through the ages; even possessing just one or two of them would allow one to look down upon the mortal world.

The Nine Secrets represent the pinnacle of nine different domains, unsurpassable. Originally a single complete volume, they were unfortunately split apart.

Since then, they have been scattered across the world, never to be reunited. Over the long passage of time, several of them have completely vanished from the world.

This was a great regret for supreme experts throughout history. Even those who could rule the world were unable to see the complete Nine Secrets; once lost, they were incredibly difficult to find again.

Now, with two of the Nine Secrets about to be revealed, no one could remain calm. However, Ye Fan and his companions did not trust this old Daoist.

A supreme expert personally suppressed by Great Emperor Wushi was certainly not someone benevolent. How could he possibly pass on such supreme secret arts to them?

The Undying Daoist, his very name suggested everything. He was very likely a supreme existence from the Undying Mountain, and most probably not a human.

Before the Desolate Ancient Era, the Undying Mountain instigated a great dark turmoil. Countless heroes perished or were wounded, and blood flowed like rivers across the land. The ancient heritage of the human race would never forget those years.

"Do you not believe me?" The Undying Daoist asked, seeing their silence, as he continued to walk step by step along the mountain path.

The old madman's body had already vanished, replaced by an ancient diagram covered with innate patterns. A voice emanated from it, saying, "If you want to fight, make your move."

"This humble Daoist never intended to attack; I sincerely wish to befriend you," the old Daoist said, shaking his head. "I wish to pass on supreme immortal arts of the human race, so that the Nine Secrets are not lost."

"This is a figure who can contend with ancient Great Emperors. His physical body has most likely been destroyed by the God-Sealing List, but a wisp of his primordial spirit survived by relying on the Immortal Source, which is terrifying."

"Wushi..." A strange light flickered in the Undying Daoist's eyes.

The Black Dog pondered for a long time, as if remembering something. He secretly transmitted a message to the others, saying, "Be careful, he might really possess the Nine Secrets!"

Clang!

The ancient diagram formed by the old madman suddenly trembled, emitting a resonant clang. It was like a peerless divine weapon roaring like a dragon, obliterating a faint, almost invisible, killing light.

"You still couldn't resist after all," the old madman said in a deep voice.

"That was not my killing intent; it was a wisp of killing aura emanating from the physical body being ground down within the mountain belly," the Undying Daoist spoke calmly.

Then, he ascended step by step. The mountain path blurred beneath his feet as he climbed higher.

"'Shattering the Self-Sufficient World,' the old madman said, 'do you intend to turn us all into nothingness?' He was as calm as an ancient well, transformed into a Dao Fruit that slowly rotated, sweeping out a swath of chaotic light.

He was like the ultimate point of creation, dissolving an unknown power, which made the Undying Daoist's expression stiffen.

"He might truly be a supreme existence who possesses the Nine Secrets!" The Black Dog bared its fangs, retreating backward, sensing something ominous.

"I didn't expect someone like you to still exist even after the world changed," the Undying Daoist said, finally dropping his pretense, his expression turning cold.

At his words, the others were instantly alarmed. Dropping his mask meant this mysterious old Daoist was about to make his move, no longer holding back.

"He probably can't exert his full power," the Black Dog barked. "After struggling for so many years, he can probably only unleash a wisp of his primordial spirit."

Hmph!

The Undying Daoist was no longer calm; a cold snort escaped him. Countless divine weapons seemed to descend from heaven and earth, and a myriad of killing auras shredded this world.

Clang!

The ancient diagram formed by the old madman rotated, sealing off this area. It blocked all the pervasive killing sounds, preventing them from rushing in.

"As expected, Great Emperor Wushi nearly suppressed him to death," the Black Dog exclaimed with excitement. "His primordial spirit's power is simply no match for a Great Emperor!"

"Wushi, that brat, has truly bullied me too much!" The Undying Daoist seemed to harbor deep hatred for Great Emperor Wushi, gritting his teeth. His eyes shot out beams of light, actually conjuring a world in the void that pressed forward.

Boom!

The ancient diagram formed by the old madman dropped tens of thousands of silk-like strands. Upon closer inspection, they were strands of chaotic energy that crushed the world conjured by the Undying Daoist!

"Conjuring a self-sufficient world is indeed a technique of a supreme expert," the Black Dog said. "Too bad he can no longer display his former might; he's almost completely destroyed by the God-Sealing List."

"Did you say that!?" The Undying Daoist let out a cold snort, his ancient Daoist robe flapping violently. He was like a bottomless primeval abyss, devouring all power.

At that moment, he was terrifying beyond measure. He emanated an aura capable of destroying heaven and earth, extending a large hand, reaching out to grab the old madman, intending to crush him into a pulp.

Even with the old madman's protection, Li Heishui and the Black Dog could no longer withstand it. Their bodies began to crack, they collapsed to the ground, and their minds were on the verge of shattering.

"A wisp of imperial might..." The Black Dog was aghast, unable to speak. Just this aura alone was enough to obliterate their bodies and spirits.

Boom!

Suddenly, the God-Sealing List on the mountainside shone brightly. A golden glow burst forth, striking the Undying Daoist and instantly sending him tumbling.

"Wushi, that brat!" The Undying Daoist rose to his feet, staring at the golden glow in the void, his expression ferocious, devoid of any serenity.

Thump!

The golden glow in the sky transformed into a massive golden hand that pressed down. With a 'thump,' it slapped the Undying Daoist back to the ground.

"I hate this...!" the Undying Daoist roared, forming hand seals and striking towards the sky.

Thump!

The large hand remained unchanged, simply pressing down. It flung him away again, then slammed him into the mountain itself, causing his body to fracture and crackle.

"As long as he reveals a wisp of supreme aura, it will trigger the God-Sealing List," the Black Dog burst into laughter. "He can't cause any waves!" At that moment, they were freed from the oppressive might.

"Could this supreme existence from the Undying Mountain be a Saint Spirit?" Ye Fan wondered, surprised.

"If we suppress him, we can get the other two secrets!" Li Heishui's courage also swelled, and he shouted.

The ancient diagram formed by the old madman slashed forward, dropping tens of thousands of chaotic silk-like strands. They swept away everything with overwhelming force, shattering all in their path, with nothing able to resist.

Although the Undying Daoist was only a wisp of primordial spirit, he was an incredibly terrifying existence. However, at this moment, he was helpless, as the God-Sealing List firmly suppressed him.

"The Nine Secrets can never be united," he declared. "These two will be buried with me!"

Whoosh!

His body flickered and vanished, as if time almost froze. He disappeared from the spot, entering the mountain belly.

"Jing Zi Jue—it involves the divine domain of time!"

The group felt a chill run through their bodies. The opponent truly possessed the Nine Secrets; it was not an empty boast.

"He must have obtained the Secret of Travel on Saint Cliff, just like us," someone said. "If he truly possesses another, it's highly probable it will be lost forever."

The group had no other recourse. Even someone as powerful as the old madman could not delve deep into the mountain belly to pursue another secret, as no one knew what truly lay within Saint Cliff.

"With the God-Sealing List here, even if his primordial spirit is buried in the Immortal Source, it will likely be eventually worn away..." They all frowned.

Unless an ancient Great Emperor reappeared, who would dare to uncover the God-Sealing List and enter the mountain belly to retrieve the Nine Secrets now? One must remember that the opponent was very likely the one who caused the Great Accomplishment Sacred Body in his later years to die with regret.

"The Nine Secrets... we know the whereabouts of another, but can't obtain it..." Ye Fan muttered to himself.

"Be content. Do you really want to unite all the Nine Secrets?" the Black Dog sighed. "Such a heaven-defying feat is almost impossible, because several of them have already vanished completely!"

They walked down the mountain without encountering any further obstructions. Everything went smoothly, and two hours later, they left Saint Cliff.

The black mountain range, formed by over fifty towering mountains, was not incredibly vast. However, every step within it was alarming, requiring a Saint to guide the way.

Finally, before sunset, they emerged safely, all of them breathing a sigh of relief.

Woo-woo...

At the edge of the black mountains, on six withered ancient trees, the strange bird with a human face and crow's body reappeared. Its cries were like wailing, making people's courage falter.

Its nest was built from human bones, stark white and horrifying, radiating an eerie chill. Its color was a stark contrast to its own pitch-black body.

Zap!

The old madman pointed a finger, and the strange bird instantly turned into ashes. A wisp of black mist seeped out, taking on the appearance of the Undying Daoist, letting out a shriek, and then completely dissipating.

"It was actually a wisp of his aura transformed, and it extended so far!" someone exclaimed. "No wonder, once you entered this area, you wouldn't even know how you died."

The old madman said nothing, looking at Ye Fan and the others. Then he nodded, and without looking back, walked away into the distance, effectively bidding them farewell.

"Uncle..." Little Nannan reluctantly waved her small hand behind him, softly calling out.

Whoosh!

The old madman unleashed the Secret of Travel from the Nine Secrets. With a single step, he reached the edge of the sky, and with a second step, he vanished completely into the void.

"Let's go; we should leave quickly too. This place is not suitable for staying long," someone said.

Ye Fan and his companions also left Saint Cliff before the sun set. They did not return to the human world but instead secluded themselves in a primeval mountain range a million miles away.

This time, they had gained a great deal. Ye Fan intended to enter secluded cultivation, first avoiding the scrutiny of the mortal world and the Underworld.

Two months later, over the primeval mountain range, bolts of lightning tens of thousands of feet long descended from the sky. It was a sea of lightning, utterly terrifying!

Originally, the sky was clear blue, without a single cloud, yet thunder and lightning abruptly descended.

A purple ocean of lightning engulfed the entire mountain range, and several mountains were instantly shattered by the strikes.

"Damn it, it's one thing for this brat to get struck by lightning himself," exclaimed the Black Dog. "But for us to be dragged into this bad luck too, damn it, this Emperor was almost blasted to death!"

A large black dog, as sturdy as a bull, wearing a pair of large floral shorts, stood upright and ran on two legs, incredibly fast, fleeing for its life.

"Doggy, faster! The lightning is catching up!" Little Nannan said, sitting on its shoulder, very nervous.

"It's fine, this Emperor is using the Secret of Travel from the Nine Secrets; it can't catch up!" The Black Dog bolted, its fur somewhat charred. It had clearly been struck by lightning just moments ago and had now finally escaped the sea of lightning.

Behind them, Li Heishui complained indignantly, "Damn it, this dead dog is truly heaven-defying! It runs faster on two legs than it used to on four!"

He was emitting black smoke and baring his teeth in a grimace. He had clearly also been struck by lightning, and, not escaping as quickly as the Black Dog, was more severely injured, with some areas charred black.

The Black Dog continued to curse and complain while fleeing on two legs, its two large paws on its upper body swinging back and forth like a dog paddling.

"Doggy, stop cursing," Little Nannan worried, "will Big Brother be in danger?"

"Don't worry, he definitely won't die," the Black Dog said indignantly. "Someone like him needs to be struck by lightning regularly; he's uncomfortable if he's not!"

"Doggy, you're so naughty!" Little Nannan tugged at the Black Dog's ear.

"It's not me who's naughty; it's him!" the Black Dog retorted. "Otherwise, why does he get struck by lightning every time he breaks through?"

"You dead dog, aren't you heaven-defying? Carry me too!" Li Heishui shouted, as the lightning behind them actually drew closer, pursuing them and striking.

"This is terrible! We're not really getting dragged into this, are we? Are we all going to undergo tribulation together?!" The Black Dog's face instantly turned green. It tilted its head back, stretched out its two hind legs, and bolted once more.

"You can just run slowly behind us; someone has to be the scapegoat!" the Black Dog howled shamelessly.