Chapter 962: Immortal Sword Heavenly Pool

The ancient jade pieces were dull in color, their brilliance long stripped away by the passage of time. They bore blood seepages, said to be formed by the infiltration of corpse blood from prolonged contact with bodies.

Ye Fan held them in his hand, turning them over. Though they lacked a superficial gleam, they were warm and smooth to the touch, imparting a sense of warmth. These were ancient jade tablets, each piece priceless!

Undoubtedly, these were national treasures; the emergence of any single piece would cause a sensation. Densely inscribed oracle bone script covered the jade.

The ancient jade pieces varied in color: some were golden yellow, others blood red, and still others mutton-fat white. Their luster was subdued, as if covered in a layer of dust, bearing mottled marks of time that clearly indicated their antiquity.

There were six pieces in total, obtained by successive Valley Masters of the Myriad Monsters Valley through immense effort. They had been retrieved from ancient hanging coffins, countless of which were opened from Sichuan-Shu to the Wuyi Mountains. The two oldest pieces were personally sought out by the first Valley Master, an ancient demon god.

Ye Fan held the ancient jade tablets up to the sunlight, meticulously studying every character. They resembled birds, beasts, fish, or insects, and were extremely difficult to comprehend; he only managed to grasp their general meaning.

As the Third Valley Master had said, the ancient jade tablets found in the hanging coffins contained an astonishing secret, vaguely pointing to an Earth Immortal.

"Master Chisong possessed a piece of immortal bone with a partial topographical map on it. He came to Shu to search, personally opening tens of thousands of hanging coffins, but failed at the last hurdle, not finding what he sought. We had no immortal bone fragment to guide us, so we were straightforward: we traveled the world, opening one ancient hanging coffin after another, searching for what he desired," the Third Valley Master explained.

These six ancient jade pieces were their ultimate discovery. They vaguely mentioned an Earth Immortal, without specifying where or how to find them, making them utterly mysterious.

"You're trying to find something that even Master Chisong couldn't, based on these?" Ye Fan asked.

"We try our best, regardless of the outcome," the Third Valley Master replied, adding that successive Valley Masters had been persistent and never gave up.

An Earth Immortal, being an immortal, must possess unfathomable supernatural powers. Obtaining anything from them would be easier said than done. Ye Fan etched the topographical map from the immortal bone and showed it to the Third Valley Master, asking if he knew its location.

"I've never seen terrain like this. It must be an area trapped by an ancient formation, not visible in the current world."

"You mentioned that an old Valley Master made an astonishing discovery five hundred years ago. What was it referring to?" Ye Fan inquired.

"He only said he finally knew, then quickly passed away. Before he died, he pointed out a place, but none of us could enter it," the Third Valley Master recounted.

"What place?" Ye Fan asked.

"Master Chisong's place of enlightenment, the Immortal Sword Celestial Lake," the Third Valley Master said with a solemn expression. That old Valley Master possessed immense magical power, was transcendent and extraordinary, and meticulously studied formations, yet he only barely managed to escape with his life from that place.

The old Valley Master only had time to indicate that what Master Chisong had discovered, combined with what successive Valley Masters had diligently searched for, might lead them to the Earth Immortal!

"Is there such a place as Immortal Sword Celestial Lake in Shu Mountain?" Ye Fan asked in surprise, having never heard of it.

The Third Valley Master nodded, explaining that it was a place where Master Chisong practiced sword techniques and sought enlightenment alone after transmitting his dharma. Now, no one could enter it.

Ye Fan considered for a moment. Through his spiritual perception, he could sense that the Third Valley Master was not lying, so he decided to give it a try.

"Take me to see it."

The Third Valley Master revealed everything, wishing to leverage Ye Fan's power, as he had long seen that Ye Fan was no ordinary person, potentially comparable to ancient mighty cultivators. Furthermore, he associated Ye Fan's name with events from two decades ago. Comparing it with old records, he was even more astonished, realizing Ye Fan was one of the people who disappeared on the nine-dragon coffin.

The Immortal Sword Celestial Lake was naturally no ordinary place; it was unknown to the present world, protected by ancient formations. Normally, even birds could not enter or exit.

That very day, Ye Fan and the Third Valley Master left the Myriad Monsters Valley and headed directly towards a vast mountain range within Shu territory.

Mount Emei, with its ranges upon ranges of mountains, was grand and majestic, its scenery breathtaking, embodying countless natural wonders.

The so-called Shu Mountain was a general term for the mountain ranges around Emei. Here, ancient trees reached the sky, clouds veiled bridges, deep valleys were secluded, myriad waterfalls streamed, and water gurgled softly.

"There's too much worldly aura here," Ye Fan remarked, furrowing his brow. He didn't believe there was an Immortal Sword lineage here.

"There's no help for it. This place has become a scenic spot with too many tourists; cultivators have long since retreated," the Third Valley Master explained.

Mount Emei was one of the four great Buddhist mountains in China and the Bodhimanda of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, hence it attracted many tourists.

The Third Valley Master said, "I must say, Buddhism had great foresight. Before the Dharma-ending Age arrived, they began to travel eastward to spread the dharma, utilizing many spiritual mountains in our Central Lands for cultivation, ensuring the continuous preservation of their lineage. Meanwhile, India no longer believed in Buddhism."

"This is the Bodhimanda of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. Let me see if any ancient saints still exist here," Ye Fan said, standing suspended in the air. He swept out with his powerful divine sense but detected nothing.

"The true Buddhist cultivators have retreated from the Golden Summit of Emei and are cultivating in an uninhabited area not far away. That place is guarded by a formation, which ordinary people cannot perceive," the Third Valley Master explained.

He also mentioned the advantages of Buddhism, which accumulated faith through incense offerings and cultivated using these powers of thought, granting them a significant advantage in this Dharma-ending Age.

"Has no one in the Central Lands imitated this?" Ye Fan asked curiously.

"There's no way. There are too many powerful individuals in the Central Lands. A single Taoist sect can splinter into dozens or hundreds of factions, distrusting each other. Even the revered Three Pure Ones are a result of mutual compromise, let alone the demon race and others. No systematic divine hierarchy has been established; they are contradictory and adversarial. Even if there is incense, whom do you worship? Earth God, City God, Mountain God, King Yama, General Guan, Celestial Master, God of Wealth, Door God, Kitchen God, Dragon King... Queen Mother, Old Man in the Sky... Three Pure Ones, Emperor of Heaven and Earth, whom do you worship?" Ye Fan felt a headache, realizing it was indeed true upon closer thought.

The divine positions listed by the Third Valley Master might not necessarily exist, but they were sufficient to illustrate a problem: the Central Lands were too powerful, with each faction revering themselves. Not to mention the demon race and others, even Taoism itself was fragmented and not unified.

It was precisely because there were too many powerful individuals and numerous sects that it allowed for the coexistence of foreign teachings.

Ultimately, cultivators in the Central Lands relied on their own cultivation to transcend, practicing through their own efforts, not depending on external powers of faith. The divine abilities they cultivated were, on the contrary, even more powerful.

"Speaking of accumulating faith and relying on powers of thought for cultivation, Western traditions are even more pronounced, far surpassing Buddhism. If you have the chance to visit the Holy City of Jerusalem or the Vatican, you'll understand. The power of thought there is purer, surging like rivers and seas. It is precisely because of this that, in this Dharma-ending Age, the West can still produce mighty cultivators," the Third Valley Master sighed.

The spiritual essence of heaven and earth had dried up; there was no spiritual energy needed for cultivation. As the population grew, rationally utilizing the vast and pure powers of thought became especially important.

Dozens of miles from the Golden Summit of Emei, Ye Fan discovered a secret Buddhist site. He could see wisps of spiritual power pouring in. He extended his divine sense inward but did not see anyone who had attained Arhatship, and their overall strength was still inferior to the Myriad Monsters Valley.

They did not linger. Turning left and right along the edge of Mount Emei, they finally entered an ancient formation, arriving in a vast uninhabited area.

"This... this is the legendary Shu Mountain!" Ye Fan exclaimed in astonishment.

The peaks before them rose straight up, each like a long sword, standing proudly beneath the sky. Every mountain emanated a sharp, keen aura!

This was the true Shu Mountain. The mountain peaks were like swords, possessing an earth-shattering aura, as if they wanted to pierce through the clouds.

Master Chisong left behind his lineage here, allowing future generations to obtain his methods and establish the path of sword cultivation. This was already destined when seeing these mountains and terrain.

Currently, the sword cultivation lineage left by Master Chisong was very low-key, rarely emerging into the world on ordinary days; their traces were not seen.

Only upon entering this area today did Ye Fan sense the sharp sword qi on over a dozen peaks. The Third Valley Master said that this lineage was no weaker than the Myriad Monsters Valley, and though their heritage was incomplete, no one could underestimate them.

Not wanting to stir up unnecessary trouble, they bypassed the sword cultivators from a distance, then flew over four hundred li, finally nearing their destination.

This was a mountain peak piercing the clouds, so steep that even flying birds could not perch. It soared straight up, like a celestial sword plunged into the earth.

Furthermore, a sharp, murderous aura emanated from it, cutting into one's mind. Skin cracked like jade, bones were on the verge of breaking; cultivators below the Dragon Transformation Realm simply could not approach it.

Ye Fan felt a chill; that such a place still existed in the current world was truly awe-inspiring.

The Third Valley Master's face was pale. He was barely able to stand before the mountain, assailed by bursts of sword qi. His body was on the verge of collapsing, making him extremely uncomfortable.

"This is Immortal Sword Peak. At its summit is a celestial lake, rumored to be where Master Chisong cleansed his sword. You must not force your way in, or a great calamity will befall you!"

Pale-faced, the Third Valley Master earnestly warned him, stating that the old Valley Master from five hundred years ago, who possessed heaven-defying talent, had consumed a divine pill left by an ancient demon god, cultivated for eight hundred years, and entered the Immortal Terrace Realm, yet still died here with regret.

Ye Fan acknowledged this. The sword qi in this place was extremely powerful, clanging loudly, as if tens of thousands of celestial swords were resonating in unison, echoing throughout heaven and earth!

The clanging sword qi still couldn't harm him, but he had to be cautiously vigilant. A great disaster might truly befall him if he attempted to reach the summit.

"Brother Ye, you must be careful!" the Third Valley Master retreated, shouting loudly.

Ye Fan nodded and walked forward step by step, approaching the mountain. Not a blade of grass grew on it; it was smooth as a sword blade. The killing aura had materialized into a tangible substance, striking at one's mind and spirit.

Little Pine anxiously tugged at his clothes, worried for him, and insisted on accompanying him. His little heart pounded wildly, looking as if he was throwing himself to his death.

"It's alright," Ye Fan comforted, stroking the head of the little purple creature.

"Clang!" "Clang!"...

The moment Ye Fan drew near, ten thousand celestial swords resounded in unison, piercing through the clouds. Divine light obscured the sun, severing the void of past and present.

He used the 'Footwork of Flight' technique, transforming into a streak of light, charging through the gaps between the sword gleams, swiftly rushing towards the summit, dodging one sharp sword qi after another.

"This isn't a killing formation; this is his supreme sword intent from back then!" Ye Fan exclaimed in astonishment. How powerful was Master Chisong exactly? Countless ages had passed, yet the sword intent he left behind still remained.

A place for cleansing swords, a place for comprehending swords!

This was a divine land. If one were to reside here long-term and withstand this sword intent, one could indirectly inherit his lineage. This was a priceless legacy.

Master Chisong was benevolent at heart. Although sword qi permeated this place, it had exhausted its killing aura and was not destructive; otherwise, few in the world could approach it.

Ye Fan ascended to the Immortal Sword Celestial Lake. He perceived a profound truth of the sword dao, quickly calming his mind, not resisting, but accommodating this great dao.

Ahead lay a sword lake, clear and translucent, emitting countless strands of sword light, as if a peerless immortal sword was buried within it.

"This is the Immortal Sword Celestial Lake..." Ye Fan murmured to himself. He immediately knew that Master Chisong's true supreme lineage was here.

His gaze sharpened, and he immediately understood why the Valley Master from five hundred years ago had said that—because he too had discovered what Master Chisong left behind.