Chapter 708: 断木崖

Shrouding the Heavens, Chapter 711: Brokenwood Cliff

On a bright moonlit night, the great river flowed gently, its surface shimmering.

Countless flower petals danced in the air, each glistening under the moonlight, releasing a faint, fragrant scent that filled the nostrils and caused every pore in one's body to open.

The Divine Moon Chariot, enveloped in a shower of petals and glowing brilliantly, passed through the sky. Under the bright moonlight, it resembled a magnificent and ethereal palace from the Lunar Realm.

Yi Qingwu, a woman like the Goddess Luo, was the undisputed most beautiful woman in the Ziwei Ancient Star Domain. Even women who were confident in their unparalleled beauty felt ashamed in her presence.

With skin like jade and a celestial bone structure, her every appearance caused a sensation. Without exception, all who beheld her beauty were astonished, believing her to be the reincarnation of the Mysterious Lady of the Nine Heavens. Her presence captivated hearts, even stirring the ancient 'living fossils'.

There were no elaborate descriptions or paintings of this woman circulating in the world, yet her grace and beauty surpassed all others, like a divine moon in the sky, inspiring fervent admiration. Many young men were enchanted by her, leading to numerous duels and considerable turmoil.

"She comes from the Guanghan Palace. Many who sought marriage with her were politely rejected, making her unattainable for the descendants of numerous divine dynasties," Yan Yixi sighed softly.

The ancient lineage of Guanghan Palace made Ye Fan's heart skip a beat. Extremely surprised, he asked, "Then why is she to become Yin Tiande's future Dao companion?"

"Brother Ye, you know too little about that great enemy. You don't realize how terrifying he truly is. Yin Tiande is formidable enough to awe the entire world," Yan Yixi replied.

"That powerful…"

"Of course. When you truly face him, you'll find it even more chilling," Yan Yixi warned seriously.

Ye Fan stroked his chin. Someone who inherited Laozi's legacy and understood the 'One Qi Transforms Three Pure Ones' technique must be an unparalleled master, seemingly incredibly terrifying.

Yan Yixi continued, "Only Yin Tiande, with his formidable cultivation, dared to venture alone into the Immortal Palace, a place no one had passed through in 50,000 years. He successively overcame 108 life-and-death Heavenly Gates, astonishing the Grand Palace Lord of Guanghan Palace, who then emerged from seclusion and ultimately accepted his proposal."

Under the bright moon, the divine chariot flew away, wreathed in countless petals, carrying an endless pure fragrance, and leaving behind a mysterious trail of light.

"What a pity. Such a divinely beautiful woman, the most beautiful in the world, is to become Yin Tiande's Dao companion," Yan Yixi lamented.

He opened a folding fan adorned with images of beautiful women, each possessing captivating charm that could make fish sink and wild geese fall, and beauty that would make the moon hide and flowers blush. They were all peerless beauties, representing some of the most exquisite women of their time.

Among them, one woman was particularly unique. Only a section of her slender, ethereal body was visible, obscured by mist, making her true form and essence indiscernible.

"This is Yi Qingwu. Although I have seen her, I cannot truly capture her in a drawing. It has become a demon in my heart; if I cannot depict her, I cannot achieve enlightenment."

Upon hearing this, Ye Fan immediately laughed. "You lecher! If you're coveting Yin Tiande's Dao companion, just say so. Why be so mournful and pathetic about it?"

"Alas, do not attempt to comprehend my flawless Dao heart with your mortal gaze. The world is vast, and true companions are hard to find," Yan Yixi replied.

"Caw, caw, uh…" A crow flew past, cawing incessantly in the night sky.

"Your true companion has arrived," Ye Fan laughed heartily.

However, Yan Yixi's expression changed. He said in a deep voice, "Grand Disciple of the Sky Demon Granny has arrived!"

"Sky Demon Granny?" Ye Fan's heart was startled; he was sensitive to these four words.

"Precisely. A terrifying demon master, a Sky Demon Physique, known as the Sky Demon Granny. The world fears her, and almost no one dares provoke her now."

The Sky Demon Granny had four disciples, all renowned for over a millennium. Each possessed immense magical power. Although they hadn't established their own sects, they were formidable enough to make various great sects wary.

An ancient bronze chariot, carrying an old corpse, flew through the sky, absorbing moonlight. A flock of crows pulled the chariot, creating an ominous sight.

"This is the Sky Demon Granny's Grand Disciple, the Evil Corpse. Legend has it that he was formed from the spiritual awakening of the remains of an unparalleled ancient powerhouse."

The Sky Demon Granny possessed the ultimate physique among the demon race; few in the world dared to provoke her. Even her four disciples commanded such awe that everyone avoided them.

Soon after, the two saw more powerful figures flying by, some radiating monstrous demonic aura, others with magical power vast as the sea. All were at the level of sect masters.

Undoubtedly, they had all come for a single page of ancient divine scripture, eager to investigate and see if they had a chance to glimpse its heavenly mysteries.

Brokenwood Cliff was a treacherous stretch of rapids along the Falling Star River, dense with reefs, with swift currents and a narrow channel.

Naturally, this presented no challenge to cultivators. Its unique feature was a section of wooden cliff, formed from an ancient colossal tree that had once reached the heavens, now split apart.

"For such a wooden cliff, how thick must that ancient tree have been!" Ye Fan exclaimed in surprise.

The river flowed swiftly past a black cliff face, several hundred zhang long and thousands of meters high, standing there. At a casual glance, it was indistinguishable from a rock cliff.

"Legend says it was a Tree King that endured countless tribulations but could never take human form, eventually being struck down here. It is said to be connected to the Falling Star River, containing a true dragon egg that will hatch after ten thousand kalpas. During this process, no one can achieve the Dao beside it."

At this moment, numerous figures flickered near Brokenwood Cliff. An unknown number of masters lay hidden, all gazing intently at the sheer cliff.

"The people from Human King Hall and the Ancient Longevity Temple have truly arrived. Are they really going to exchange ancient scriptures here?" Yan Yixi was taken aback.

On the black broken cliff stood an elder with bright silver hair, full of vigor. Bathed in moonlight, he resembled an ancient immortal sage. He was none other than the Vice Hall Master of Human King Hall, a living fossil over three thousand years old, brimming with energy and spirit.

"That's Daoist Sanque!" Yan Yixi said with a solemn expression, pointing him out to Ye Fan.

A young Daoist stepped forth on the moonlight, his moon-white robes fluttering, embroidered with a Yin-Yang Bagua diagram that occasionally reflected light like a mirror.

His complexion was fair, and he appeared remarkably handsome, possessing an ethereal grace. His demeanor transcended his age, akin to a Daoist master who had cultivated for a very long time.

His Daoist name was Sanque. His cultivation was profound, capable of rivaling creation itself. At his current age, he could already represent the Longevity Temple and arrive bearing the divine ancient scripture, an unparalleled sacred relic.

The Vice Hall Master of Human King Hall and Daoist Sanque stood facing each other on the broken cliff, greeting each other with the courtesy of peers. This alone spoke volumes about Daoist Sanque's terrifying power.

"Alas, the news still leaked. Which part went wrong? Who is the one divulging secrets?" The Human King Hall's living fossil frowned.

The two did not flee. Instead, they each carefully took out a wooden box, both ancient in style, carved with dragons and phoenixes. Holding them in their palms, they prepared for the exchange.

The surroundings were silent, save for the rushing sound of the Falling Star River. There was no other noise. On Brokenwood Cliff, the moonlight was bright. The two unparalleled masters held the wooden boxes, simultaneously extending them forward.

In the shadows, countless pairs of eyes watched, all holding their breath, patiently waiting for that moment, hoping for an opportunity.

Boom!

Suddenly, a giant black hand emerged from the void, engulfing the entire Brokenwood Cliff from below, intending to seize both Daoist Sanque and the Human King Hall's living fossil.

Who was this, daring to attack two unparalleled masters simultaneously? Everyone's eyes widened.

"Bang!"

Daoist Sanque and the Human King Hall elder each struck out with a palm, simultaneously retracting their wooden boxes, and let out a loud shout.

Silently, a massive black fissure appeared in the void, and another giant purple hand reached out, grabbing downwards to seize the divine ancient scripture.

"Caw, caw, uh…" Crows cawed, pulling a bronze chariot carrying an old corpse, but when the attack came, there were four figures.

The Sky Demon Granny's four disciples had all arrived, hidden within the chariot, and now joined the fray, attacking together.

"The Sky Demon Granny has arrived; that's more like it. Though you are comparable to sect masters, you're still not enough!" A clear, cold voice rang out. A giant white hand reached down from the sky, clawing towards Brokenwood Cliff, and shaking the four figures in the bronze chariot away.

"Powerful individuals are gathering. Those who are attacking must at least be living fossil-level figures!" Yan Yixi whispered.

The black wooden cliff became a chaotic zone. The void continuously tore open; first, massive hands reached out, and then actual human figures descended.

"That person is Wu Daoque!" someone exclaimed.

One person was recognized as Wu Daoque, the most terrifying rogue cultivator in Luzhou, who once, in a single night, battled across eight thousand li and annihilated two great sects entirely.

"Venerable Sky Fox! Didn't he already pass away? How is he here again?!"

Another person was identified as a Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox, rumored to have passed away over a millennium ago. He was an unparalleled ancient demon lord of the demon race, whose power was unfathomable.

It was widely rumored that the ancient Daoist temple in the Underworld Ridge and the Human King Hall, the oldest lineage, each possessed half a page of an ancient scripture written by deities, containing the secret of immortality. This was why the most fearsome cultivators had all appeared today.

Tear!

Under the clash of these unparalleled masters, the black wooden cliff shattered with a boom, sending fragments flying everywhere. This was an ancient Tree King, existing since antiquity, countless times harder than rock, difficult even for mighty experts to crack, yet now it was destroyed.

A giant purple hand snatched a wooden box that had been flung into the sky, instantly shattering it. But it was empty!

"We've been tricked!"

Another wooden box was seized and opened, but it too was empty; there was nothing inside.

At this point, Daoist Sanque and the Human King Hall elder both faded away. They were merely manifestations formed from a wisp of primordial qi, not their true bodies.

"Damn it! The information was false. They didn't come here to exchange!"

"Pursue them!"

Numerous masters soared into the sky and vanished into the night. Once the legendary unparalleled experts departed, many more figures appeared across the area, revealing their presence.

"That mysterious master named Ye has also arrived! After slaying the Ninth Prince of the Golden Crow Clan and Lu Ya's avatar, he actually dared to come to a place like this!" someone recognized, and many people looked towards the Falling Star River.

"Strange, not a single member of the Golden Crow Clan came today. Could it be that they received some warning and knew there was no divine ancient scripture here?" Ye Fan wondered.

"Legend says the Golden Crow Clan recently discovered a shocking secret concerning the ultimate prosperity of their race, so they are mostly preoccupied and cannot spare anyone."

"What kind of secret could be more important than the divine ancient scripture?" Ye Fan asked, puzzled.

"It is rumored to be the legendary true immortal Fusang Divine Tree, and they are currently verifying the authenticity of the information," Yan Yixi whispered.

Suddenly, his expression changed. Just then, a young man in five-colored divine robes descended, chuckling sinisterly, "Senior Brother, long time no see. How have you been?"

Yan Yixi's face immediately darkened. He said, "Master has passed away many years ago. You and I cultivate our hearts in the mortal world, following different Grand Daos. There is no longer any connection between us."

"I heard that Yi Qingwu has become a demon in your heart. As your junior brother, I wish to help you resolve this. How about we join forces today to capture this most beautiful woman?" The young man in five-colored divine robes asked with a mischievous look.

"I cultivate the Path of Ruthlessness; you cultivate the Heavenly Art of Human Desire and have now fallen into a human devil. Our paths are different, and we cannot conspire together!" Yan Yixi sternly refused.

"Haha, ruthlessness and human desire are but a single thought apart; you truly are uninteresting!" The man in five-colored divine robes turned to Ye Fan and said, "Brother Ye, I've long admired you from afar, and today I finally meet you. How about we join forces to capture Yi Qingwu and drive that bastard Yin Tiande crazy!"

Ye Fan was about to refuse, but at that moment, flower petals danced in the sky, a heavenly shower of petals descended, and a divine chariot flew from the distant heavens, landing gracefully.

"Are you Ye Fan?" A maid flew out and asked.

"Haha, the most beautiful woman, Yi Qingwu, is about to make a move against you! Brother Ye, it's the perfect opportunity for us to team up and take her down!" The man in five-colored divine robes laughed loudly.