Chapter 960: 万妖谷

The leader of the Tianlin clan, Bo Ren, asked Ye Fan to seal off the mountain. He explained that their own cultivation wasn't strong enough, and they feared the seal wouldn't hold, allowing their old enemies to intrude and attack them.

Ye Fan nodded, understanding that the Tianlin clan was demonstrating their resolve and promising him that they would not set foot outside Changbai Mountain for five hundred years.

Without another word, Ye Fan entered the Original Dragon Cave. Inside, immortal light shimmered brilliantly, and auspicious mist drifted like smoke. The ancient cave was profound, bearing the weathered marks of time.

The first thing he noticed were two meditation cushions, which immediately caught his attention. Dao patterns emanated from them, indicating that powerful cultivators had frequently meditated there for extended periods.

"Where are these two individuals?"

Many members of the Tianlin clan grew anxious, fearing an unforeseen event. The elderly Celestial Serpent quickly stepped forward to clarify, "They are the guardians of the Original Dragon Cave, and they haven't returned for over a century."

He dared not conceal anything, for at Ye Fan's cultivation level, once his potent divine sense was unleashed, no one could withstand it, rendering all secrets transparent.

Changbai Mountain was revered by the Jurchen people as their ancestral homeland, and they would make annual pilgrimages there in ancient times. These two guardians were ancestors of the Jurchen, and if they were still alive today, they would be over a thousand years old.

"People from the Jin Dynasty..." Ye Fan mused.

When the Jurchen emerged from their stronghold and conquered the Northern Song Dynasty, these two individuals had already entered the cave for cultivation. Remarkably, they later achieved significant progress in their Daoist practices, becoming guardians for the Tianlin clan.

"Thousand-year-old ancients," Ye Fan mused. The cultivation level of these two was significant and warranted attention.

The Manchu Qing also considered Changbai Mountain their ancestral land, being descendants of the Jurchen. The two ancient individuals Ye Fan had recently killed were Qing Dynasty figures, referred to as "Protector Daoists."

Clearly, these Protector Daoists were no match for the true guardians. The two Jin Dynasty ancients, aged around a thousand years, had survived since ancient times and might still be alive, possessing profound cultivation.

"Having left for over a century doesn't necessarily mean they've passed on," Ye Fan murmured, offering no further comment.

This ancient cave was incredibly deep. Legend holds that an ancient Saint Emperor once traveled north and meditated here for centuries, thus giving the cave its name, "Original Dragon Cave."

At the deepest point of the ancient cave lay a stone chamber, dry and immaculately clean. It was utterly devoid of furnishings, and even auspicious energy seemed to avoid it, making it appear remarkably austere.

Yet, Ye Fan's eyes immediately fixed on this spot. Disregarding everything else, he strode inside and inquired about the nature of the place.

The Tian Snake clan leader, Bo Ren, replied that this was the meditation chamber of their ancestral Demon God, who often spent centuries meditating there, and no one dared to approach.

"Where did the Tian Snake progenitor go?" Ye Fan then asked.

Bo Ren sighed faintly. "The vital energy of heaven and earth has diminished," he explained. "Our Tian Snake ancestor foresaw in ancient times that future eras would be unfavorable for cultivation and that achieving enlightenment would be arduous. He vanished from the human realm during the Warring States period."

Ye Fan entered the stone chamber, closed his eyes, and quietly sensed his surroundings. He felt something was amiss; the chamber contained no demonic energy. Instead, it was balanced and serene, detached from the mortal world, making it quite unique.

"Legend has it that an ancient Saint Emperor once came here to meditate," the old Celestial Serpent remarked. "Our ancestor only discovered this place a thousand years after that Saint Emperor departed."

"That makes sense," Ye Fan responded. He then instructed them to leave and settled himself in a meditative posture.

He remained there for half a month, not moving an inch. During this period, he only passed a Daoist scripture to Guo Zhen and provided him with a few source stones and two spirit herbs.

As for Little Song, he was quite restless. After gnawing on a spirit herb, he scurried up and down the stone chamber, unable to stay still, much like a mischievous little monkey.

"Three zhang into the stone, there's a stone carving!"

Ye Fan was astonished. After another half a month, he opened his eyes. A drawing was etched deep within the stone wall, so subtle that even his Source Heaven Eye struggled to perceive it clearly. Who could have left such a thing?

This defied all logic. His Heaven Eye could penetrate illusions and see through mountains and stone walls, yet it had taken him a full half-month of meditation here to even vaguely discern this image.

He instinctively reached out to break the wall but abruptly stopped himself. He recalled a legend: ancient cultivators of immense power inscribed images into stone using their minds, and forcibly breaking such a seal would destroy everything, leaving nothing to be gained.

Ye Fan did not act rashly. He eventually resumed his meditative posture before the stone wall, remaining still, quietly observing and comprehending. This deeply unsettled the Tian Snake clan; for as long as he stayed, their anxiety persisted.

"The Source Heaven Secret Art for Deciphering!"

In the current era, only Ye Fan possessed the ability to observe the image within the stone in this manner. Otherwise, even a Half-Saint would struggle to discern the Dao diagram etched three zhang deep into the stone wall.

He spent another half month, his eyes dry and his Heaven Eye almost strained to the point of tearing. Only then did he fully discern the image and managed to reproduce the entire stone carving himself.

The moment he saw it clearly, Ye Fan instantly recognized its nature. His heart pounded as he swiftly pulled out a bone fragment from his possession and then carved the map of mountains and rivers he had previously seen in the Lushan underground palace.

"It's all part of the same thing; this is a segment of a larger map!"

He was deeply shaken, committing the revelation firmly to memory before gently erasing the marks he had carved.

The opportunity for immortality!

He hadn't anticipated encountering such an artifact again in the Original Dragon Cave; it was truly unexpected. He speculated it must have been either carved by the Tian Snake progenitor or left behind by the ancient Saint Emperor.

Regardless, it was certainly the work of at least a Great Saint!

The ancient individual dismembered in the Longshan underground palace, and the immortal Chi Songzi cremated at Baling Mountain—each was a Great Saint. Upon reflection, it was truly astounding: maps collected by various human Great Saints were bound to be extraordinarily potent!

To be frank, when he acquired the first stone carving and the second bone fragment, Ye Fan hadn't given it much thought. However, now that he possessed a third map, his heart was greatly moved, and he resolved to collect all of them to uncover their complete meaning.

With his parents gone, Ye Fan had no other desires on Earth. Becoming an immortal and attaining the Dao was his sole objective, and this map to immortality held immense significance for him.

Ye Fan then departed from Changbai Mountain. He did not personally intervene, simply instructing them to seal themselves for five centuries. Afterwards, he vanished beyond the snowy peaks with Guo Zhen and Little Song.

Outside, it was already early spring. Ice and snow were melting, tender buds were emerging from the soil, and a faint scent of damp earth hung in the air.

Ye Fan gifted Guo Zhen some Daoist scriptures, a few source stones, and spirit herbs before they parted ways. Their meeting had been a serendipitous encounter, and he had bestowed upon Guo Zhen a valuable opportunity, but it was understood that they could not always travel together; everyone must forge their own path.

He and Little Song returned to City B. While there, he received a call from Xu Qiong, who had been worried after hearing nothing from him for so long.

Ye Fan treated Xu Qiong and her family to a simple meal. Little Song, however, wisely stayed home, behaving himself and not daring to tag along, fearing the mischievous torment of that "crazy girl," Xu Ye.

After a brief two-day rest, he resumed his journey south, intending to visit Myriad Demon Valley. According to information he had obtained from the Tianlin clan, the mystery surrounding the true and false Pang Bo was connected to that particular lineage.

In truth, he had already broadly surmised the situation, whether he went or not; his current journey was merely for verification.

Myriad Demon Valley lay deep within the Bashan mountains. In ancient times, countless powerful demons established their lineages there, transforming it into a sacred land for the demon race within the human realm.

The Daba Mountains refer to the extensive mountain ranges spanning the borders of Sichuan, Shaanxi, Gansu, and Hubei provinces. Ye Fan intended to enter from the eastern end, through Shennongjia in Hubei.

This was because, ever since the last century, rumors of wildmen in Shennongjia had persisted. Now that he was back, he wished to investigate and ascertain whether these so-called wildmen truly existed.

Ye Fan and Little Song entered Shennongjia, proceeding slowly, avoiding all tourist sites, and venturing into the uninhabited wilderness. Ancient trees had already begun to bud, and springs gurgled softly, creating a profound sense of tranquility.

The primitive region was thick with bushes and dense jungles. He was in no rush to press on, eventually lingering for several days in a valley, immersing himself in the spiritual essence of the mountains, rivers, and natural world.

"Wildman! We've finally found one! Quick, chase! We must get a clear photo!" someone shouted.

Ye Fan observed a group of people giving chase in the distant mountains. Taking Little Song, he lightly leaped, silently surpassing them, and within a few miles, he saw a peculiar figure covered in long hair.

"Immortal, please spare my life! I haven't harmed anyone; I merely got discovered by humans by accident." The "wildman," seeing Ye Fan approaching through the air, was utterly terrified and immediately knelt to beg for mercy.

Ye Fan was momentarily speechless. He finally understood what these "wildmen" truly were: minor demons whose transformations were incomplete. Covered in long hair and running upright, they indeed resembled wildmen.

"In which mountain do you cultivate?"

"I'm a minor demon from Myriad Demon Valley," the small demon replied. "I often play with my companions and occasionally venture east along the Bashan range into Shennongjia."

In truth, it wasn't small at all; standing upright, it was over two meters tall. It was an ape spirit that had achieved sentience and partially transformed, so, strictly speaking, there wasn't much visual difference between it and a "wildman."

Ye Fan instantly smiled. He was just on his way to Myriad Demon Valley and had unexpectedly encountered a minor demon from that very place, saving him considerable trouble. He did not make things difficult for the ape spirit, as its appearance naturally brought to mind the monkey from Beidou.

The broadly defined Daba Mountains extend for a thousand kilometers, bordering several provinces. Minor demons from Myriad Demon Valley sometimes secretly venture out, traveling along the mountain range for recreation.

Ye Fan was left utterly dumbfounded, a mix of amusement and disbelief. The mystery of Shennongjia's wildmen originated from Myriad Demon Valley? Upon learning the truth, he found himself speechless and could only shake his head.

The ape spirit was remarkably swift, leading Ye Fan directly into Sichuan province and deep into the Bashan mountains. Along the cliffs in several uninhabited areas, they observed numerous hanging coffins, each imbued with a sense of profound mystery.

The cliffs rose dramatically, and the coffins, mottled with age, had endured for millennia without decaying—a truly miraculous sight.

"Have you never opened them to look inside?" Ye Fan inquired.

The ape spirit recoiled, saying, "We dare not open them. Everyone says that five hundred years ago, an old valley master, in his quest to find a terrestrial immortal, opened many of these hanging coffins and subsequently died mysteriously. Since then, very few have dared to touch them."

Ye Fan scoffed, "Are we, who cultivate the Dao, still afraid of such things?"

"We dare not! Even our current Third Valley Master has warned us that they are linked to an ancient terrestrial immortal. He instructed us not to disturb them and to immediately report any unusual hanging coffins we might find."

Ye Fan's heart stirred upon hearing this. He was reminded of a passage from the ancient text *Taiping Yulan*: "The abode of terrestrial immortals, with thousands of hanging coffins on the cliff."

Soon after, they penetrated the deepest, least accessible parts of Bashan. After several twists and turns, they suddenly vanished from a mountain range, entering an even vaster region.

Ancient cliffs rose sharply, and colossal old trees reached for the sky. The cries of apes and roars of tigers filled the air, revealing an intensely primitive landscape, as if untouched by humans for millennia.

"Just as I thought," Ye Fan nodded. Myriad Demon Valley was indeed isolated from the human world, encircled by an ancient grand formation and situated within a vast, uninhabited region.

In ancient times, a Demon God cultivated here, and subsequently, many renowned great demons sought refuge, gradually transforming it into a sacred land for the demon race.

The valley was named "Myriad Demons" because it housed not just one type of demon, but creatures of every lineage. Throughout generations, three valley masters were elected, each possessing immense, heaven-reaching magical power.

Myriad Demon Valley was teeming with talent and a vast demon population. In terms of true power and prosperity, it actually surpassed the inheritances of the other three great Demon Gods.

From a considerable distance, Ye Fan spotted a colossal valley, from which demonic energy surged skyward. Bands of black mist encircled it, making it appear as though a peerless demon lord lay dormant within.

"This is truly a sacred place for demon cultivation," he mused. Observing the mountainous terrain, he noted it was a nexus of demonic emergence. According to the Source Heaven Book, an ancient Demon Emperor might have transcended here, thereby shaping this extraordinary geographical layout.

Numerous minor demons scurried and leaped throughout the valley, creating a lively spectacle. Ye Fan quietly mused that given its prosperity, there might indeed be tens of thousands of demons present.

A large black flag, emblazoned with the characters "Myriad Demon Valley," fluttered vigorously within the valley. Each time it unfurled, it seemed to command the forces of nature, emitting thunderous rumbles and exuding an extraordinary presence.

Suddenly, drums and music reverberated throughout Myriad Demon Valley. A group of powerful demons emerged to greet them, their aura overwhelming, as if they could command the heavens and earth, pluck stars, and seize the moon. Demonic energy surged boundlessly from them.

"Esteemed guests have arrived; please forgive our failure to greet you sooner from afar."

At the center stood a monkey with a distinctive thunder-god's mouth, fiery golden eyes, and fur that gleamed with brilliant gold—the living embodiment of a Battle Saint Ape!

Ye Fan froze, nearly exclaiming aloud. The resemblance to the monkey from Beidou was uncanny. The ape spirit beside him quietly whispered that this was their Third Valley Master.

"May I inquire the Third Valley Master's name?"

The Monkey King, with his distinctive thunder-god's mouth and fiery golden eyes, possessed remarkably keen hearing and promptly replied, "Sun Wukong."

Ye Fan was utterly dumbfounded, turning to stone on the spot.