Chapter 566: Fairy Cave

The lake water receded, and an ethereal light flickered from underground, emitting strange sounds. Before long, the entire immortal lake vanished, revealing a great rift valley.

It was surrounded by stone cliffs, appearing to have been artificially excavated and deliberately shaped into a lake, full of spiritual beauty. Earth's dragon qi overflowed from below.

An ancient cave glowed with immortal light, containing and emitting dragon qi. Although not extremely violent, it possessed a certain ethereal charm, clearly not an ordinary place.

"Haha..." Fatty Duan burst into laughter. The area was quiet, and no one else had been alarmed.

In the distance, others were still scrambling and fighting to enter the immortal dwelling within the immortal vein, unaware that everything had been meticulously planned by the unscrupulous Daoist, merely using their efforts.

"Only I, the humble Daoist, can decipher and arrange a series of interconnected caves like this," Duan De said, full of pride and complacency, chuckling incessantly. He then vanished inside in a flash.

"This person is truly mysterious to possess such methods; everyone else has been exploited," Princess Yudie exclaimed in surprise, not expecting Fatty Duan to be so unscrupulous.

Ye Fan and the princess waited for a quarter of an hour before descending to the bottom of the dried-up immortal lake. Cliff walls rose steeply around them, and an ancient cave shimmered with light. An immortal gate, intricately carved with dense runes, stood open.

"This damn fatty is truly something else; he made many cultivators risk their lives tens of miles away just to open this gate for him," Ye Fan grumbled to himself, always feeling Duan De deserved a beating. Yet, no one had ever managed to make him suffer a significant loss.

"This place is very profound!" Princess Yudie frowned. Although the stone gate was open, numerous array patterns remained inside.

These ancient patterns, whose age was unknown, were mysterious and intricate. They tried to deduce the Dao patterns but could not comprehend or decipher them.

Neither of them possessed deep mastery of Dao patterns, so they frowned, realizing that rashly entering might lead to being trapped. This place was likely connected to an ancient Great Emperor, just as Duan De had suggested.

"You wait here first; I'll go in and take a look," Ye Fan decided. He intended to use the 'Movement' secret technique to traverse the ancient array and give it a try. Otherwise, if they waited any longer, the entire dwelling would be emptied by Fatty Duan.

"Be careful!" Princess Yudie cautioned, her bright eyes and white teeth charming as she exhaled a fragrant breath.

With a whoosh, Ye Fan vanished in a flash, moving through auspicious light. The ancient cave was not damp but very dry. Although it had no embedded pearls, many peculiar stones emitted colorful glows.

Inside the cave dwelling, immortal mist swirled, and colorful mists shone brightly, giving it an ethereal charm. Not far in, white jade steps appeared, leading to even more remote depths.

"Immortal Jade Liquid..." Ye Fan was surprised. Beside a spring pool, there was a small platform, only about half a foot tall, with a small bowl on top. The bowl contained more than half a bowl of white liquid.

This was Earth Milk, nurtured by a spiritual root of the earth. If it were the liquid produced by an ancestral root, it would possess the power to revive the dead and regrow flesh on bones, second only to immortal medicines, making it an invaluable immortal treasure.

"Unfortunately, it's not true Immortal Jade Liquid; it's just Earth Milk produced by an ordinary spiritual root," Ye Fan said with regret after a careful inspection.

Suddenly, his expression hardened. The half-foot-tall small platform was very unusual, crystalline and transparent, emitting faint wisps of spiritual energy and a mysterious aura.

"This is... solidified Immortal Jade Liquid!" Ye Fan exclaimed, utterly shocked.

In the past, immortal treasures had been born here, freely dripping down and allowing spiritual energy to dissipate, forming this half-foot-tall platform. It seemed that after the Immortal Jade Liquid had completely flowed out, only ordinary Earth Milk could be produced.

At this moment, Ye Fan felt a pang in his heart, liver, and stomach. A half-foot-tall platform—how much immortal liquid would it take to solidify into this? It was truly too extravagant and wasteful.

Undoubtedly, countless ages ago, this place was connected to an ancestral immortal root, which produced immortal liquid that dripped down completely, unused by anyone.

Ye Fan sighed deeply and finally put away the small platform. It felt heavy in his hand, like a small mountain, which surprised him.

It appeared to be a beautiful piece of jade, yet it was as heavy as a mountain. Ordinary cultivators would be utterly unable to lift it, he muttered to himself.

Immortal Jade Liquid was incredibly rare; he had never heard of such a large quantity being produced, nor had he known anyone who would waste it by letting it dry up naturally. Ye Fan felt that this small platform's material was unique and might prove very useful in the future.

Misty light flowed, making the ancient cave appear dreamlike. Ye Fan used the 'Movement' secret technique to bypass the array patterns and, passing through the white jade steps, entered the deeper parts of the dwelling.

"Withered spiritual herbs, all tens of thousands of years old!"

In a vast stone cave, he discovered some plants cultivated in jade fields. They were clearly precious items, but they had withered and decayed countless years ago.

Only immortal divine medicines could endure in the world, never dying. Other herbs, after growing for many tens of thousands of years, would eventually perish as their spiritual energy dissipated.

"They couldn't have grown for eighty or ninety thousand years only to die, could they?"

Ye Fan murmured to himself. If that were the case, it would truly be a waste of divine materials, allowing them to turn to dust, absorbing so much essence of heaven and earth only to have it dissipate.

Suddenly, his expression stiffened. There was a figure seated cross-legged ahead, without any aura. He only noticed it when he got closer.

"An old ape!"

Ye Fan was astonished. It was an ancient ape that had long since passed away, its age unknown. Its grayish-white fur would turn to dust with the slightest touch, yet its pure white bones inside still gleamed.

Without a doubt, this cave dwelling had existed for at least eighty to ninety thousand years. The fact that the old ape's remains were preserved until now attested to its formidable power and terrifying nature in life.

Ye Fan muttered to himself. After carefully observing the white jade bones inside, he concluded that this old ape was at least a top-tier Saint Lord. However, its posture and the layout of the ancient cave suggested it was merely guarding the dwelling, not its master.

"This... a top-tier Saint Lord ape, could it merely be a guardian spirit beast?!" His heart pounded at the thought. What kind of person could be the master of this dwelling?

Ye Fan walked forward, his mind restless. This place was likely the dwelling of an ancient Saint, or perhaps even left by an ancient Great Emperor. There might truly be an ancient scripture here!

"Where did that damn fatty go?" He dared not delay, activating the 'Movement' secret technique and moving quickly forward, searching for Duan De's whereabouts.

In the depths of the dwelling, dragon qi swirled and colorful lights flickered. He arrived at a relatively open area with numerous jade trees, most no more than half a meter tall, all sparkling brightly.

"Immortal Wonder Trees?!"

Ye Fan was startled. The more he looked, the more he felt this was a mysterious place. There were forty-nine jade trees in total, each of a different color: some like red agate, some as vibrant green as leaves, and others as brilliant as gold.

The forty-nine jade trees were not carved but cultivated, rooted in jade, their root systems like coiling dragons.

"The records in the ancient texts are actually true!"

Since arriving in this world, Ye Fan had read many strange ancient texts about this land in his search for a way home, encountering numerous absurd records.

Earth Marrow could give birth to jade trees, which could grow as if alive. If obtained by Saints and Great Emperors, they could be refined into supreme weapons of unparalleled power.

If nurtured by the world's ancestral immortal roots, jade trees comparable to the exclusive sacred artifacts of ancient Great Emperors could be born. Once refined into treasures, they could break through anything.

The Black Dog once spoke of a legend: eighteen or nineteen thousand years ago, an ancient Saint successfully refined an Immortal Wonder Tree. One branch bore seven leaves, and with a gentle sweep, it could shatter all things, making it invincible under heaven.

"Forty-nine jade trees... this really is an attempt to refine an Immortal Wonder Tree!" The more Ye Fan looked, the more he was alarmed.

They were rooted in the jade veins, arranged meticulously in a complex and profound manner. Upon closer inspection, each tree bore intricate patterns interwoven with various unfathomable Dao marks.

"The Great Expansion number is fifty, of which forty-nine are used. This relates to the Great Dao. There should be one more, the 'one' that escaped, which is that Immortal Wonder Tree!"

Ye Fan's heart pounded with excitement. These jade trees had all died and turned into jade. Their endless miraculous power must have been taken by the "one" that escaped, which was then refined into the Immortal Wonder Tree.

He searched carefully and finally found the fiftieth tree, the one that had escaped.

It was the Immortal Wonder Tree!

"It failed, it withered..." Ye Fan stared blankly. Why had this happened? It was truly a waste of a divine artifact.

"Wait, no, it wasn't completely ruined; there must be some branches left!" Ye Fan noticed that although the entire jade tree was withered, lacking luster, and cracked, a section was missing, as if it had just been broken off.

"Duan De!" He instantly thought of the damn fatty; it must have been him who broke it off.

At the top of the withered jade tree, there should be an intact young branch of the Immortal Wonder Tree that hadn't died. Even though the refining failed, that small section certainly possessed infinite wondrous uses.

"A section of an Immortal Wonder Tree!" Ye Fan's heart raced with excitement. That was definitely a divine artifact. The damn fatty truly had great fortune to obtain such a treasure.

"I'll ambush him later and settle some karma. He took so many of my treasures in the past; it's time for him to pay me back," Ye Fan began to ponder how to deal with Duan De.

He left the area and walked forward, entering an ancient cave for alchemy. Bottles and jars filled white jade shelves, but unfortunately, upon opening these jade bottles, all the elixirs had spoiled.

Such was the power of time; nothing could resist it. It had ruined many precious items, leaving only unchanged dust.

"Nine-Revolutions Immortal Elixir!"

Ye Fan examined every jade bottle. Finally, he saw a small multicolored gourd with these four ancient characters carved on it, causing his heart to tremble.

To bear such a name, it must have been an unparalleled immortal treasure, likely capable of enduring. Unfortunately, when opened, it was empty.

"There's no trace of Duan De's aura here. He hasn't checked this place. The former master of this dwelling probably didn't leave any immortal elixirs behind."

Ye Fan explored many ancient caves, finding everything ruined. There had originally been many divine artifacts, but they had unfortunately been submerged by the passage of time, turning into common earth.

He traveled a considerable distance further. Eventually, colorful light flowed ahead, and the array patterns were profound. Even with the 'Movement' secret technique, he couldn't pass through, as he hadn't fully comprehended this profound art yet.

At this moment, Ye Fan greatly missed the Black Dog. If that fellow were here, the array patterns certainly wouldn't block their path, and he would likely even seal off Duan De.

He thought carefully and decided to retreat. If he were to enter like this, he would likely get trapped and possibly fall into the hands of that damn fatty.

Ye Fan returned along the same path. Outside the ancient cave, besides the peerless beauty Princess Yudie, there was also a disheveled barbarian, dressed in animal skins and carrying a large wolf-tooth club.

"This is Dongfang Ye..." Princess Yudie introduced.

Ye Fan was surprised to learn that this barbarian, whose surname was Dongfang, was a monstrously powerful being who had even cracked the palm of a great expert.

Dongfang Ye, true to his name, possessed a wild and primitive demeanor. Beneath his animal skin attire, his skin was bronze, strong, and powerful. His wolf-tooth club was made of stone.

At that moment, he smiled guilelessly, revealing a mouth full of pure white teeth, appearing very simple and honest.

"This place is at least the dwelling of an ancient Saint, and it might even be where a Great Emperor passed away..." Ye Fan seriously described the situation inside.

"Unfortunately, we can't get in," Princess Yudie frowned slightly. The array patterns were too complex to decipher.

"We don't need to go in. We'll ambush that damn fatty later!" Ye Fan chuckled.

"This... isn't quite right," Princess Yudie hesitated.

Dongfang Ye chuckled good-naturedly and said, "If it were anyone else, I wouldn't agree, but he always eyes my ancestral wolf-tooth club. One time, he almost stole it..."

This seemingly simple barbarian raised both hands in approval of ambushing Duan De, though he explicitly stated they wouldn't kill him, only relieve him of his treasures.

Ye Fan gave him a strange look. This fellow appeared harmless and guileless, but he didn't seem entirely straightforward either.

The group discussed Duan De's combat strength, concluding it was profound and immeasurable. Even though the barbarian had almost fought Duan De, he didn't know his true depth.

"Let's set a trap with array patterns!" Ye Fan took out some jade blocks and placed them at the exit without leaving any traces. As soon as the jade pieces were arranged, they automatically vanished.

"Can the array patterns really trap him? He managed to break through the restrictions to get in, so he must have a deep understanding of them," Princess Yudie reminded him.

"Don't worry, this was prepared specifically for that damn fatty by a certain... powerful entity," Ye Fan chuckled.

Back then, when the Black Dog and Duan De clashed fiercely, the Black Dog didn't suffer any loss. Afterward, it helped Ye Fan carve this set of array patterns for future use.

"Does it really have such a strong effect?" Dongfang Ye chuckled guilelessly.

"It's a small array, not grand, designed to avoid his detection. As soon as he steps in, he'll be momentarily disoriented, and we'll only have that brief window to act and subdue him," Ye Fan explained.

"Boom!"

A loud bang echoed from inside the cave dwelling, and at the same time, colorful mist surged out. Fatty Duan was making a huge commotion inside, evidently breaking through restrictions.

They waited patiently, not rushing in to observe.

Over the next two hours, various sounds periodically emanated from the ancient cave, and the commotion grew louder. Dense spiritual energy surged like water.

"I hope he gets many immortal treasures, even an ancient scripture of a Great Emperor!" the barbarian said guilelessly.

Princess Yudie was somewhat speechless. This fellow was far from as simple as he appeared; he was clearly planning to thoroughly fleece Duan De.

Ye Fan chuckled, then put his arm around Dongfang Ye's shoulder, discussing for a long while how to make their move.

"He's coming out!"

Ye Fan's spiritual senses were very keen, detecting the aura. They remained hidden within the array patterns, not worrying about being exposed.

Duan De emerged, grumbling and cursing incessantly. His clothes were tattered, clearly indicating he had suffered a great loss inside.

"Hum!"

The array patterns activated, glowing brightly. Duan De was instantly disoriented; his spiritual sea was almost stripped away and sealed permanently!

"Bang!"

The barbarian, without hesitation, swung his large club from behind, hitting Duan De directly on the back of his head. Fatty Duan's eyes rolled back in pain, and he nearly fainted instantly.

Duan De's body went limp, and he swayed as he tried to turn around. At that moment, Ye Fan, holding the half-foot-tall small platform, brought it down squarely onto his face.

"Thud!"