Chapter 742: Feathered Immortal Cliff

The four characters, "Ancient Scripture of Deities," were so striking that they completely captivated the three individuals. They stared intently, and Li Tian's hands even trembled slightly.

The paper, yellowed with age, was the Daoist "Heavenly Dao Paper," refined through complex ancient methods involving comprehension, ritual, and manifestation. The moment it was unrolled, ripples of Dao power emanated from it.

On the yellowed paper, only a few characters were visible, yet they were inscribed with such force and Dao power, like dragons leaping from the sea. All of them were startled, their expressions changing to surprise.

"Night of the Full Moon, Immortal Ascension Cliff."

These eight characters were all that appeared on the yellow paper. Was this revealing a heavenly secret? Did it mean the Ancient Scripture of Deities would appear there? Their hearts pounded, unable to calm their excitement.

"Can we see Elder Heavenly Secret one last time?" Li Tian asked, his expression unusually solemn.

"The Patriarch is about to pass away," the young Daoist said sadly. "For the last three days, he will not see any outsiders or make any prophecies, otherwise it will bring great disaster upon our ancient Dao."

The Heavenly Secret Gate was a reclusive ancient Daoist sect. For many years, they had maintained an extremely low profile, precisely because their insights into heavenly secrets had often brought them great misfortune.

Throughout generations, the Elders of Heavenly Secret would become highly perceptive in their final moments, almost like divine prophets, able to glimpse many scenes from the future.

However, at such times, they were forbidden from speaking what they saw, lest it bring dire calamity upon their descendants. Not only would revealing heavenly secrets lead to their own tragic demise, but it could also cause the Daoist sect to be utterly extinguished.

"There are still two prophecies to bestow upon the three of you. Please return in twenty years," the young Daoist said, performing a Daoist salute and invoking the Heavenly Venerable.

With such an unexpected turn of events at the Heavenly Secret Ancient Daoist Gate, Ye Fan and the others naturally chose not to impose further. They respectfully offered sacrifices outside the Great Abyss before departing.

"Before the peerless Heavenly Secret Grand Tutor of the Ziwei Divine Dynasty passed away, he used his lifelong Dao power to deduce that the dynasty would surely flourish, and a divine infant would descend from heaven to become the divine lord," Yan Yixi sighed on the way back. "However, after he uttered those words, his youngest son died prematurely, and his eldest son was gravely wounded and on the verge of death. This shows how tragic the fate of those who reveal heavenly secrets can be."

"Is there truly some unseen power at play? Why can one foresee the future? What exactly are heavenly secrets and heavenly retribution?" Ye Fan murmured to himself.

"This phenomenon is quite elusive," Yan Yixi explained. "Given the myriad mystical aspects of the Heavenly Secret Ancient Daoist Gate, several ancient sages specifically researched it."

"Oh, do tell. What exactly did they discover?" Ye Fan asked, very interested.

"According to those ancient sages, nothing is truly predetermined by heaven; everything is in flux, and so-called prophecies are not necessarily precise."

These ancient sages possessed immense wisdom. They used the most straightforward Dao principles to explain all this, making it easily comprehensible to ordinary people.

According to them, all people, things, and events follow their own trajectories, constantly shifting. Occasionally, someone has a flash of insight, grasping these trajectories and thus merely foreseeing the future.

For example, when a yellow leaf withers, the moment it detaches from its branch, people can foresee it will fall to the ground. Similarly, when a great river bursts its banks, people instantly know in terror that downstream villages will be swept away. And when a wild goose cries out, struck by an arrow, people can predict it will eventually plummet to the earth.

These examples are simple, and people generally don't consider them prophecies. However, if one were to delve deeper and complicate these processes, they would indeed become what is known as "deducing heavenly secrets."

In this world, given certain "causes," some "effects" can occasionally be foreseen. This is precisely what is meant by "peeking into heavenly secrets."

Whether it's a person, an object, or an event, everything possesses its own trajectory of movement. If one observes the initial segment of a trajectory, it is sometimes possible to predict the subsequent path.

Of course, all things are subject to change, and no one can definitively predict the future. For instance, a falling yellow leaf might not necessarily land on the ground; a strong wind could blow it into a tree hollow. A river bursting its banks might change its course midway, not necessarily destroying downstream villages. Similarly, an arrow-stricken wild goose might fly far away, wounded, instead of falling.

Ye Fan found this explanation very logical. The ancient sages' simple arguments had made everything remarkably clear and easy to understand.

"So, the two prophetic Dao papers Elder Heavenly Secret gave us before he passed away might change and aren't necessarily precise?" Li Tian asked.

While it's true that people, events, and objects each possess their own trajectories, there are ultimately unpredictable variables.

However, they weren't overly concerned, as the path ahead was inherently uncertain. Even Elder Heavenly Secret had only offered four words: "Feasible outside the domain."

"What, then, is heavenly retribution?" Ye Fan inquired.

"According to those ancient sages, it's merely a form of Dao power," Yan Yixi replied.

When a person occasionally experiences a flash of divine insight, their consciousness transcends their own trajectory, allowing them to glimpse the path ahead and discern the "future." In this process, however, they also trigger the power of their "original trajectory."

The power of this trajectory is formidable. While discerning what lies ahead, one also interferes with this trajectory, and its fluctuations inevitably exert a force and influence upon the individual.

"That makes a lot of sense," Ye Fan nodded. The ancient sages were indeed extraordinary, having almost fully elucidated and revealed such profound mysteries.

"If I stand on this mountain and see the path ahead, does that also count as glimpsing a trajectory, and does Dao power then affect me?" Li Tian inquired.

"Yes, but it's negligible. This is a fundamental aspect, part of the trajectory force that each of us constantly faces."

"Why make it so complicated?" Li Tian scoffed. "I'll do what I do, I'll walk my own path. Trajectories, Dao power – I'll crush them all. Anyone who blocks my way will be cut down!"

The group continued their discussion as they departed from the Great Abyss.

Immortal Ascension Cliff, located in the easternmost part of Shenzhou and adjacent to the vast azure sea, was a place steeped in legend.

Legends concerning immortals were an eternal topic, remaining an enduring mystery whether in the Big Dipper star region or on this ancient planet.

Some claimed that ancient Great Emperors had ascended to immortality here, departing from this world, which explained the absence of Emperor secrets or ultimate Dao weapons.

Others believed it was a cliff that had fallen from the Immortal Realm, with a human great saint in primordial times having personally witnessed its descent.

Still others maintained that immortals had no name, but this was undeniably a place of ascension; any immortal was bound to pass through here.

Regardless of the claims, ancient texts indeed recorded that both the Taiyin and Taiyang ancient emperors vanished from this place. While definitive proof was lacking, this assertion was widely accepted.

"Ancient Scripture of Deities, the Night of the Full Moon, Immortal Ascension Cliff... this specific timing..."

If they didn't go to see it, Ye Fan and the others would be unable to let it go. However, this conflicted with the planned attack on the Eight Scenes Palace, presenting a dilemma.

"Regardless, let's first go to Immortal Ascension Cliff, and then rush to the Eight Scenes Palace afterward. If we truly can't make it, we'll wait for the next full moon night." The ocean before them was boundless, with billions of acres of azure waves, tides rising and falling, stretching out to infinity.

No matter how powerful an individual was, when confronted with such a sight, they would inevitably feel their own insignificance. Compared to the magnificent ocean and the vast universe, a single person was truly negligible.

"Every time I see this, I'm overcome by a sense of powerlessness," Li Tian quipped. "No number of beauties could ever fill all this water."

"Uncle, do lechers only see beautiful women?" Tongtong interjected at the opportune moment. "I really don't want to be like that."

"Go on, go somewhere cool."

"What are honor, disgrace, or heroic deeds? What does a person's entire being amount to?" Yan Yixi mused. "Facing this vast ocean can make one's heart feel expansive, forgetting all else."

On the azure sea, a figure as ethereal as a dream stepped lightly over the waves. From afar, she shone like the morning sun rising through the dawn mist. Closer, she was as resplendent as a lotus emerging from clear green water.

Her slender build, perfect posture, flowing hair, and skin as radiant white as mutton-fat jade shimmered with a crystalline luster.

Her pure, radiant oval face was framed by eyes like black gemstones. Her entire being exuded an innate grace as she drifted lightly towards them.

Yi Qingwu had arrived as arranged by Ye Fan. Tonight, there would likely be a significant battle, and perhaps a great opportunity, given that the Ancient Scripture of Deities was involved.

As the sea breeze blew, the sky gradually darkened. When the last sliver of shimmering gold vanished from the rippling surface of the sea, the sunset disappeared completely.

Immortal Ascension Cliff stood on the coastline. Though not exceptionally tall, it appeared mighty and towering in the dim light, like a primordial divine peak suppressing the vast East Sea.

Ye Fan and the others had already concealed themselves, quietly waiting to see what would unfold there.

As time passed, the bright moon ascended high, a silver disk casting large swathes of soft white radiance. The sea below appeared draped in a light, hazy white veil.

Immortal Ascension Cliff revealed its extraordinary nature, resembling a crystalline immortal platform. It drew in the essence of heaven and earth, resonating with the countless stars, making one almost believe that standing upon it truly allowed for ascension and departure into immortality.

On this bright moonlit night, all was silent. Even the azure sea seemed motionless, like a colossal mirror reflecting the light of the jade disk above.

"They're here!" Li Tian whispered softly.

In the distant sky, eighteen warships approached like eighteen dark clouds, blocking the moonlight and casting vast shadows below, filling onlookers with a sense of dread.

"These are the warships of the Human King Palace," Yi Qingwu stated, her voice magnetic and stirring, like celestial music. "This is the grand escort reserved for their most esteemed figures."

Elsewhere, Yan Yixi quietly remarked, "More people are arriving."

The boundless azure sea, like a colossal gem, lay without a ripple, shimmering with pure moonlight. At that moment, a magnificent ancient Daoist temple flew silently overhead.

"This is the Ancient Longevity Daoist Temple from the Underworld Ridge," Yi Qingwu whispered. "That ancient structure has stood there for countless millennia, perpetually uncorrupted. I didn't expect it to lift from the ground and arrive here tonight."

The group was surprised. This ancient Daoist sect maintained a very low profile, having only a few members in each generation, yet every one of them was extraordinarily powerful, like the contemporary Three-Deficiency Daoist, who was unfathomable.

It was clear that the Human King Palace and the Longevity Temple were about to exchange parts of the Ancient Scripture of Deities. Such a large-scale mobilization this time indicated they were serious, unlike previous encounters that had come to nothing.

The ancient scripture left by the deities comprised only a single page, torn into two halves. Incredibly mysterious, it had been passed down from primordial times to the present day, captivating countless individuals.

The legend surrounding it was encapsulated in just two words: "Immortality."

It was precisely for this reason that it was revered as an immortal scripture. Rumor had it that if one acquired the complete page of the ancient scripture and successfully cultivated it, it would be difficult, even impossible, to die.

"On the night of the full moon, a great calamity is destined to occur," Yi Qingwu sighed softly. "Since you know of this, others will certainly have discerned it too. Several 'perfected kings' who were presumed to have passed away will most likely 'revive'."

...Chapter 745: Immortal Ascension Cliff.