Chapter 956: Original Dragon Cave Tianlin

Changbai Mountain, with its magnificent terrain, lies like a sprawling dragon. Renowned since ancient times, it is one of China's ten most famous mountains, reaching high altitudes and often called the "Roof of Northeast China."

Even though it was late winter, approaching spring, the Changbai region remained blanketed by heavy snow, an expanse of silvery white with drifts several feet deep.

This ancient saying praises the mountain's perpetual snow and ancient pines, depicting it as the premier peak on Earth. This praise indirectly highlights the mountain's grandeur and spectacular scenery. Snow lay everywhere, so deep in places that stepping into it could cause a person to disappear entirely.

Majestic snow-capped peaks rose magnificently, one after another. The rocks on the mountain were distinctive, primarily white pumice, unlike those found elsewhere.

Ancient pines, their age unknown, dotted the landscape. In this uninhabited region, towering "tree kings" often emerged, fearfully huge and thick, resembling small hills.

Little Pine was especially lively here, its silky, lustrous purple fur appearing even more crystalline against the white snow. It scampered about, digging for pinecones.

"This isn't right," Guo Zhen exclaimed, surprised. "This ancient forest seems to get deeper and larger the further we go." He felt something was off after entering the depths of Changbai Mountain; the terrain became increasingly rugged, the landscape more primitive, and the snow-capped peaks impossibly high.

Ye Fan remained silent, meticulously searching for something, occasionally closing his eyes to sense his surroundings. The path he had chosen was extremely rugged, sometimes requiring them to traverse sheer cliffs.

Guo Zhen dared not interrupt, knowing that Ye Fan was likely breaking a formation. This area was protected by ancient spells, and Ye Fan intended to enter the mysterious uninhabited zone.

Suddenly, the world seemed to turn upside down, and the scenery transformed drastically. A more expansive, wild mountain range appeared, with heavy snow falling like goose feathers. A desolate aura swept over them as they entered an unknown, primeval snowy wilderness.

"This is different," Guo Zhen said, his voice filled with surprise and uncertainty. "I can guarantee this area isn't on any map. Where exactly are we?"

Since leaving Gezao Mountain, Guo Zhen had journeyed with Ye Fan. Having grown familiar with him, he no longer felt reserved, unlike the older members of the Lingbao Sect who treated Ye Fan with cautious deference.

Ye Fan, sensing Guo Zhen's good nature, decided to mentor him, bringing both Guo Zhen and Little Pine along into Changbai Mountain.

"This is what the true Changbai Mountain should be like," Ye Fan explained. "I had to expend considerable effort to bypass the ancient formations guarding this place. There are areas here that ordinary people can never access."

Guo Zhen was astonished and believed Ye Fan's words, for he saw pines of astonishing girth, clearly untouched by human logging for at least a millennium. There were vast stretches of forest, utterly devoid of human tracks.

"Aoooooh..."

A tiger's roar reverberated for dozens of *li*, shaking accumulated snow from the pines, nearly burying Little Pine.

While picking pine nuts beneath the snow, the small purple creature tugged on what turned out to be a tiger's tail. A large, striped tiger burst from the snow, letting out a mighty roar as it turned.

Startled by the sudden roar, Little Pine's amethyst-like fur bristled. Its tiny paws clutched its chest, its whole body puffed up, and it scampered backward in a hurried retreat.

"Such an enormous tiger!" Guo Zhen gasped. "This is incredible! It must be nearly four meters long and weigh at least seven or eight hundred *jin*. Has this tiger become a spirit?"

"This isn't that unusual," Ye Fan replied. "Siberian tigers are naturally large, far surpassing other tiger species. More than one such exceptionally large individual was captured during the Soviet era, and these instances were well-documented."

Little Pine quickly recovered, seemingly embarrassed. After all, it was a creature with cultivation. It lay there, shaking its tiny head and attempting to mimic a tiger's roar.

"Owooo... Eeyah!"

Both Ye Fan and Guo Zhen were amused. The sound was incredibly childlike; despite striking a roaring posture, its voice was ridiculously high-pitched, best described as simply "tender."

The small purple creature, disheartened, lowered its head in embarrassment, sensing its own lack of an imposing aura.

Yet, the Siberian tiger turned and fled. Its enormous size was rare, and it clearly possessed a degree of spiritual intelligence, perceiving something eerie about the squirrel and feeling a surge of fear.

They continued deeper, trekking through thick snow in the remote mountains. Before long, they encountered an even larger wild tiger in the forest, measuring five to six meters long and undoubtedly weighing close to two thousand *jin*.

"This... it's practically a spirit!" Guo Zhen exclaimed in astonishment.

"Something's indeed off," Ye Fan conceded, his pupils gleaming with divine light. "They're unusually large, but that also indicates we're nearing our destination."

Swoosh!

In the distance, a flash of purple light caught their attention. They initially mistook it for another Little Pine, but it was a purple sable, clearly possessing some spiritual intelligence.

"Exactly," Ye Fan confirmed. "It appears we've reached the Dragon Cave region of Changbai Mountain. The creatures here have all absorbed some dragon aura, making them quite extraordinary."

Ye Fan's purpose for this journey was to find the Sky-Lin Clan, one of the four ancient demon god clans, known for their unfathomable power and potential to dominate the world.

After subduing the five-to-six-meter-long Siberian tiger, they rode on its back as it galloped. Its powerful strides kicked up large swathes of snow, each leap covering more than ten meters.

"There's a Mountain God Temple there," Guo Zhen observed. "It's like a gateway. This is supposed to be an uninhabited area, so how can there be such a building?"

As they approached, they saw that the temple was ancient, built at least several centuries ago, and quite grand in scale.

Suddenly, a chilling wind swept over them, accompanied by a shriek that made their scalps tingle, particularly eerie in the primeval forest. A three-meter-long owl burst from the temple, its sharp talons lunging for their skulls.

"A demon bird!" Guo Zhen exclaimed, startled. The owl was enormous, and its face eerily resembled that of a human.

Ye Fan simply pointed, freezing the owl in mid-air. From its skull, he extracted a ball of light formed from its divine consciousness. After examining it, they continued their journey.

Ahead lay a forbidden zone, a place even spirit beasts normally dared not approach. It was clearly the secluded domain of the Sky-Lin Clan, with faint wisps of dragon aura emanating from the snow-capped peaks ahead.

"Demonic aura, a powerful demonic aura!" Guo Zhen's face paled. After traveling several dozen *li* deeper, even he could sense the demonic presence, to say nothing of Ye Fan.

Amidst the snowy ridges, a white dragon seemed to writhe, intermittently visible, inhaling and exhaling the essence of heaven and earth, resembling a moving mountain range.

"That couldn't be a real dragon, could it?"

"It's likely a *jiao* with profound cultivation," Ye Fan murmured to himself. "No wonder both the Jin and Qing dynasties regarded Changbai Mountain as the ancestral dragon-shaped land. There's real significance to that belief."

Historical records indicate that Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty, during his eastern tour, led the crown prince, various princes, and officials to the banks of the Songhua River. Facing southeast, he paid homage to Changbai Mountain, performing the kowtow ritual (three kneelings and nine prostrations), and personally declared it the "ancestral land where the dragon arose."

Moreover, the Changbai Mountain deity was formally enshrined, receiving sacrificial rites akin to the Five Sacred Mountains. Later, Changbai Mountain's status was even elevated above that of the Five Sacred Mountains.

Descendants later unearthed ancient steles from Changbai Mountain on multiple occasions. Some were from the Qing Dynasty, older ones from the Jin Dynasty, and even earlier, unidentifiable mysterious dragon steles.

"When the Qing army entered the Central Plains, they always claimed their dragon ancestors originated from Changbai Mountain. It seems many significant events occurred there in the past," Ye Fan mused as he continued forward. With his cultivation level, he dared to venture even into a dragon's lair or a tiger's den.

They arrived at the legendary Dragon-Shaped Land, where majestic snow-capped peaks towered, one in the center being particularly enormous. At the base of this mountain was an ancient cave, from which wisps of dragon aura emanated. Several ancient pines stood tall, making the entire area appear ancient and mysterious.

"Who are you, trespassing on our clan's forbidden land?!" someone bellowed.

A dozen figures emerged, clad in cold, gleaming armor crafted from metallic scales. A demonic aura flowed around them, and each individual radiated murderous intent.

In the modern era, encountering such individuals in a primeval mountain range would undoubtedly leave ordinary people wide-eyed with astonishment, then trembling in fear.

Having experienced far too much, Ye Fan remained unperturbed, his expression calm. He stated that he had come for a visit and wished to meet the master of this place.

"What exactly is the Sky-Lin Clan?" Guo Zhen whispered, finding these individuals incredibly unsettling. They were all tall, and their vital energy felt overwhelmingly oppressive.

"Their progenitor was a Sky Serpent," Ye Fan explained, "who ultimately ascended to become a Demon God of immeasurable depth. Some of its descendants chose to evolve into *jiao*, while others remained great serpents, thus forming the Sky-Lin Clan." He had learned this from the Sect Master of Lingbao.

"That Sky Serpent..." Guo Zhen began, a little worried for Ye Fan. He feared that if the Demon God still resided in Changbai Mountain, and had not departed, they would face immense trouble.

"Upon reaching that realm," Ye Fan conjectured, "their sole pursuit is the Dao, becoming an immortal. They would have likely departed long before the arrival of the Era of Dharma Decline."

"If you wish to see the master of the Primeval Dragon Cave, you must first state your name," the dozen figures in scale armor demanded. Their hair was disheveled, their gazes intimidating, and some even had *jiao* horns growing from their heads! "Not everyone in this world is granted an audience here!"

"Ye Fan," he stated, introducing himself.

"We haven't heard of you," they replied. "State your origin and sect. Let's see if you're truly qualified!" These individuals, from the Primeval Dragon Cave, possessed a peerless bloodline, and were inherently arrogant, looking down on all others.

"I am the Lord of the Heavenly Court! Am I qualified?" Ye Fan stated indifferently, stepping forward. Wisps of golden vital energy erupted from him, and a terrifying, mountain-like pressure surged forward, stifling them.

"The Lord of the Heavenly Court... what audacity..." These individuals managed only a few words before falling silent. They stood trembling, gazing at Ye Fan in sheer terror.

The young man, wreathed in golden vital energy, sent shivers down their spines. They felt as though they were facing an ancient demon god, and, trembling uncontrollably, they instinctively knelt.

Ye Fan did not overdo it. He reined in his imposing aura, becoming calm once more, merging with the natural surroundings like a green pine standing sentinel in the snow.

"The Lord of the Heavenly Court..." After picking themselves up, these individuals were inwardly appalled. How could anyone dare to claim such a title? Were they not afraid of divine retribution?

Especially on Earth, ancient legends told of several great figures who attempted to establish a "Heavenly Court" and use it as a doctrinal name, yet all met their ends with bitter regret.

The figures said no more, their faces now showing deep reverence. They dared not delay, bowed profoundly, and swiftly departed to report.

"An esteemed guest has arrived! Please forgive our failure to greet you sooner!" A middle-aged man emerged from the snowy ridge, his hair as white as snow, followed by a group of people.

Ye Fan was surprised. This individual had reached the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm, making him, according to the Lingbao Sect Master, a peerless expert of this era, capable of traversing the world unhindered.

Ye Fan also stepped forward and performed a courteous greeting, stating that he had presumptuously arrived and caused disturbance by seeking out this place. Since the other party was polite, he naturally would not resort to force.

The newcomer introduced himself as Bo Yi, the Sky-Lin Clan Chief's brother. He possessed an extraordinary demeanor and vigorous vital energy, indicating further room for improvement in his cultivation.

Ye Fan nodded discreetly, glancing at the Primeval Dragon Cave in the distance. Auspicious energy continuously surged forth from it, confirming it as a truly wondrous place, making such cultivation levels unsurprising.

"My elder brother is in secluded cultivation and has not emerged for many years," the Sky-Lin Clan Master's brother explained. "He is unable to receive guests, so please forgive him."

"Brother Bo Yi, you are too kind," Ye Fan replied. "It is my fault for disturbing your tranquil cultivation."

Bo Yi led some clansmen to welcome Ye Fan into a cave dwelling situated within a massive snowy mountain, distinct from the Primeval Dragon Cave.

The moment they entered, Ye Fan was shaken, a sense of dread rising within him as he felt an immensely powerful aura. Little Pine, even more nervous, immediately clutched his robes.

After walking several dozen *zhang* forward, an enormous void appeared. The entire mountain was hollowed out, and governed by spatial laws, making the interior incredibly vast.

"What is that..."

Ye Fan beheld a colossal Sky Serpent, coiled into a massive mountain that completely filled the mountain's interior. Without the spatial formation, this serpent-mountain would have been several times taller than the snowy mountain itself!

Guo Zhen was utterly dumbfounded. The sheer size of the serpent was almost beyond belief.

Its gargantuan maw was agape, a truly terrifying sight. It loomed over them, resembling a divine demon, its oppressive presence making it difficult to breathe.

A faint, pervasive trace of sacred might descended, an overwhelming terror that only the strongest cultivators could truly perceive. It was clear that this power was sealed.

"This is the discarded skin of our ancestor," Bo Yi explained.

It was, in fact, the discarded skin of the Sky Serpent, the progenitor of the Sky-Lin Clan and a peerless Demon God. No wonder even in its sealed state, faint wisps of terrifying power still emanated from it.

Ye Fan simply nodded, saying nothing. Was this their attempt to assert dominance? He remained unfazed, continuing to walk forward alongside them.