Chapter 560: Immortal Mansion Achieves Enlightenment

A cry echoed through the mountains as a golden figure streaked across the sky, shattering a distant mountaintop. It returned, clutching an ancient elephant over twenty meters long, and landed on a cliff.

There, a colossal nest, dozens of meters wide, filled the cliff. Constructed entirely from purple maple wood, it exuded a faint purple glow and a delicate maple fragrance.

An incredibly majestic and massive Lightning King Bird, its body shimmering with dazzling golden light, was tearing apart the twenty-meter ancient elephant, which was bleeding profusely.

Large chunks of flesh were ripped away as the bird fed its young. Each young Lightning King, already nearly ten meters long, pulsed with flowing electricity and shimmering golden light.

The cliff face, stained dark red and thoroughly soaked with blood, appeared to have been used for many years.

Ye Fan gasped in amazement. This truly was a primitive world, and the sights were terrifying. This type of Lightning King Bird, long extinct in the real world with only its descendants remaining, still thrived here.

Even the Supreme Elders of the Holy Lands would likely detour around such an extraordinary beast, daring not to provoke it.

Ye Fan paused because he noticed some ancient, albeit faintly visible, carvings on the cliff face, which he wished to examine closely.

"A sword art!" he exclaimed in surprise. It was an incomplete sword art, seemingly carved by a master who had once meditated here, capturing fleeting insights. Though disorganized, it offered boundless inspiration.

"This nest blocks a significant portion," Ye Fan lamented. The purple maple wood nest, which had evidently been there for many years, crowded the cliff, much of which was splattered with blood from the Lightning King's meals.

"Are there still humans in this world?" he wondered to himself.

Ye Fan waited a long time from a distance. Only after the Lightning King departed did he approach the cliff face, meticulously examining the ancient methods carved into the stone — the handiwork of a powerful individual.

The cliff face was dim, and the pungent smell of blood filled the air. Lightning crackled around the nest, and the young birds, highly alert, continuously chirped at him.

Ye Fan paid them no mind; he was immediately captivated upon arriving. Such insights, left behind during moments of enlightenment, were incredibly valuable to someone on the verge of a breakthrough.

The incomplete sword art was profound, yet he paid it little attention. Instead, he concentrated on internalizing the insights, his mind becoming ethereal, almost merging with the Dao.

"Caw!" A young Lightning King shrieked, spitting out a bolt of lightning as thick as a water jar, imbued with the power of a Five Elements Thunder Tribulation. Startled, Ye Fan dodged aside.

These were mere hatchlings, yet they could unleash the power of a heavenly tribulation, which utterly surprised him. Without dwelling on it, he continued to examine the solitary cliff.

Finally, he even lifted the dozens of meters wide nest to examine the carvings at the top of the cliff, pondering them intently and gaining profound insights.

"This is truly a treasure trove," he thought. "If I could find more such cultivation sites, I might instantly ascend to the Dragon Transformation Realm."

Ye Fan had already achieved Great Perfection in the Four Extremes, and his entry into the Dragon Transformation Realm could happen at any moment; all he lacked was the crucial catalyst.

He didn't linger, as the Lightning King could return at any moment. After memorizing the insights, he flew to a distant mountaintop, where he sat cross-legged and quietly meditated.

"There's a bird's nest ahead, dazzling with golden light," someone said. "It's clearly a top-tier exotic bird. Let's go see; maybe we can capture a young one to take back and tame."

"That's... the legendary Lightning King," another responded. "That's an ancient fierce beast capable of battling a Flood Dragon King!"

A group of young cultivators, all powerful elites from the five great regions with their own legends, flew towards the ancient nest on the stone cliff, their eyes filled with wonder.

"There's also a sword art here! A master once cultivated at this spot!"

Discovering the stone carvings, they all showed surprise, quickly flying forward to examine them intently, each person deeply focused.

"As expected of the Ancient Immortal Abode," they murmured. "Even a desolate cliff holds a profound classic. Moving forward, we're sure to find even greater treasures."

They all memorized the ancient methods, intending to return and thoroughly comprehend them.

"There are four young Lightning Kings in total. Let's capture them first, and then we can discuss how to divide them when we get back," someone suggested.

The others nodded in agreement and moved to act. Just then, a long shriek echoed from the distant sky, and golden light, dazzling enough to illuminate half the heavens, heralded the return of the colossal bird.

A golden lightning bolt, as terrifyingly thick as a mountain ridge, struck directly with such extreme speed that no one could react.

"Ah…" A young disciple from the Prodigy Mansion screamed, instantly turning to ash, leaving nothing behind.

Ye Fan was inwardly shocked; such lightning was comparable to a heavenly tribulation. No wonder this bird, once fully grown, would become a terrifying exotic beast capable of suppressing even the Supreme Elders of the Holy Lands.

Crack! Another mountain-sized lightning bolt flew in. Indeed, the lightning was so immense it was indistinguishable from a mountain ridge, filling the void and obliterating everything in its path.

"Ah…" Another scream, and a beautiful woman also perished instantly, her body and spirit obliterated.

The others fled quickly, but how could they outrun the Lightning King? Not only was it a thunder god bird, but it also possessed near-lightning speed.

Swoosh! Someone activated a Profound Jade Platform, crossing the void to escape the scene, while three others fled in different directions.

The Lightning King pursued relentlessly, transforming into fiercely burning golden divine fire that scorched the sky with lightning.

From the distant sky, roars echoed as several elders arrived on their swords, battling the Lightning King. Yet, they held no advantage, showing signs of defeat, retreating as they fought, their bodies blackened by the lightning strikes.

"Even Half-step Mighty Beings can't prevail!" Ye Fan exclaimed in surprise. He then turned and vanished into the depths of the mountain range, seeking other opportunities.

"Roar…" A fierce tiger's roar shook a flock of geese from the sky, sending them down with mournful cries.

Ye Fan was startled; he was already a hundred *li* away when he saw a black tiger, its body as black as ink and dozens of meters long. As it roared skyward, the mountain beneath its feet cracked.

"An Ancient Divine Tiger, capable of battling a Great Power!"

Upon closer inspection, awe filled him. This was an ancient mutated beast that had cultivated for over two millennia; its vital energy and blood were exceptionally powerful. Its terrifying presence caused all beasts within a radius of dozens of *li* to prostrate themselves.

It could certainly rival a Demon King, yet it had not transformed into human form. This was an ancient savage beast king that no one would wish to confront.

"Roar…" It opened its bloody maw and shot out a dark light, several *li* long, into a deep pool on another mountain. Instantly, it dragged out a flood dragon over thirty meters long.

The moment the dragon emerged from the pool, lightning flashed, thunder rumbled, and fierce winds kicked up sand and stones. It was clearly an extraordinary beast king.

"This flood dragon is so powerful, those who have completed the Ninth Transformation of Dragon can absolutely not approach it; they'd surely die!" Ye Fan was alarmed. It was an exotic beast with profound cultivation.

However, to his astonishment, the black divine tiger opened its maw and, with a single inhalation from several *li* away, instantly pulled the flood dragon before it and swallowed it whole.

Boom! The ancient mutated divine tiger, using excessive force, even sucked in the mountaintop containing the deep pool, swallowing half of it in a single gulp.

"This black divine tiger… it's too powerful. Even a Saint Lord might not be able to capture it; it's hard to say who would win!"

Ye Fan quietly retreated. He had no desire to provoke such a powerful mutated king. This was a primitive world where he had already encountered many exotic beasts that should have been extinct long ago, all of them ancient savage kings.

He hadn't retreated far when he was drawn to a mountain peak. Not a blade of grass grew on it; dry and clean, it resembled a colossal piece of black jade.

The area was eerily quiet, devoid of birds or beasts, as if it were a forbidden zone. Other creatures dared not approach, suggesting it was the lair of a savage beast king.

"Could this be the dwelling place of that divine tiger?"

Ye Fan approached. As he drew near the barren black jade mountain, he was startled to see numerous ancient characters carved upon it, resembling cryptic symbols, executed with powerful, sharp strokes.

"A divine repository…" he exclaimed, instantly excited. These were the etchings of an unparalleled master, detailing the derivations of various secret arts.

Ye Fan studied them diligently and was overjoyed to discover three supreme Dharma Seals. These were three incredibly profound ancient secret arts, whose original lineage was difficult to discern.

The Mountain Embrace Seal, the Human King Seal, and the Heaven Overturning Seal formed a powerful combination. Their imposing names represented the three seals of Heaven, Earth, and Man, making them incredibly profound and difficult to fathom.

Of these, Ye Fan had learned the Mountain Embrace Seal before, but compared to the version here, it was truly too rudimentary, barely deserving the title of a secret art, and far from reaching the realm of perfect mastery.

The Human King Seal and the Heaven Overturning Seal were equally ancient secret arts, connected to the Mountain Embrace Seal, forming a single, profoundly mysterious entity. They were truly rare sacred arts in the world.

While other secret art derivations on the stone wall were chaotic and incomplete, only these three were whole and utterly profound, immediately captivating Ye Fan's mind.

He sat cross-legged and motionless before the black cliff, dedicating himself to comprehension. Using the Sacred Fighting Method, he silently evolved the three ancient arts, transforming them into his own unique, supreme divine techniques.

"Aowr…" A tiger's roar shook the mountains as the black Ancient Divine Tiger strode forth. It leaped from one mountaintop to another like a dark cloud, bringing with it destructive gales that blew away many millstone-sized rocks.

"It truly is the dwelling place of this ancient savage king!" Ye Fan exclaimed in alarm. He immediately turned and activated the Art of Movement, vanishing in an instant.

He sat cross-legged on another mountain peak, quietly comprehending the three ancient arts. The Mountain Embrace Seal, Human King Seal, and Heaven Overturning Seal revolved in his mind, rapidly deducing their complexities.

Soon after, seeing the divine tiger depart, Ye Fan returned to the Black Jade Mountain. His fingers ceaselessly traced the three sacred arts, comprehending them repeatedly, until three profound imprints surged into his heart.

This immediately jolted him. He secretly rejoiced that he had returned for further enlightenment; the carvings on the stone wall were merely the forms, while the true essence had transformed into these three imprints. Only then did he obtain the complete Dharma Seals.

Swoosh! Stone dust scattered, leaving three blank spaces. After the imprints emerged, the three sacred arts vanished automatically, leaving the stone wall smooth as a mirror, as if they had never been there.

Ye Fan's heart pounded with excitement. While he possessed Profound Arts, he had long lacked potent secret techniques, often finding himself at a disadvantage in battles. With these three ancient seals now mastered, he would face future encounters with far greater confidence.

"Enlightenment Imprints!"

On the mountaintop, Ye Fan discovered precious, albeit incomplete, carvings left by unparalleled masters during their enlightenment. These were of immense help to him, and he imprinted each one deep within his mind.

For a full half month, he remained motionless, quietly meditating on a mountaintop, comprehending the traces of enlightenment he had acquired. Finally, he opened his eyes.

"Half-step Dragon Transformation!"

Ye Fan was astonished to find that by observing the traces of others' enlightenment, he had already taken a step into the Dragon Transformation Realm. He knew that encountering more such insights would surely propel him fully into it.

"What exactly is this place?" he mused. "Could it be that many supreme experts have entered here before? They've left indelible marks on these ancient mountains!"

He began to ponder. He had only explored a small portion of this immortal abode, yet had already gained such significant benefits. One could only imagine its true importance.

A place of immortal burial! The thought dawned on him. This place held endless treasures, but also immense dangers; a single misstep could lead to demise.

Ye Fan recalled the sounds he had heard in the Ancient Sophora Forest within the desolate hut. Could all of them be traceable? He had personally heard the clamor of a thousand armies battling, the roars of dragons, the calls of phoenixes, the cries of Qilins, and the name of the Undying Heavenly Sovereign, a being capable of dominating even the Primordial Era.