Chapter 967: Zhenyuanzi

The three soared through the air, arriving at a large fissure in the cliffs of Dragon Mountain. Thousands of hanging coffins, all ancient artifacts, had been preserved there for at least a millennium.

They tried opening some of them, finding bone artifacts, jade artifacts, and wooden artifacts, but not a single metal magical implement. This was true without exception.

“It’s just as the records state. Earth Immortals avoid metal; a body buried with metal cannot achieve immortal liberation.”

They carefully examined the coffins, concluding these were likely the disciples and followers of the Earth Immortal, buried alongside him. The three dared not approach the jade coffin immediately, fearing deadly traps, as this was the legendary burial ground of an Earth Immortal.

A faint, ethereal fragrance, subtly yet persistently, seeped into their bones, making them feel as if they were floating. They forcefully resisted its allure, not daring to absorb it.

Old Crane and the Third Valley Master meticulously inspected the many coffins, while Ye Fan observed the terrain using his Origin Arts. To avoid any mishaps, they proceeded with extreme caution.

“This must belong to a single lineage. Look at how orderly the coffins are arranged, all venerating Dragon Mountain, and the ancient jade coffin at its deepest point.”

The large fissure in Dragon Mountain’s cliff face contained over two thousand densely packed hanging coffins, all meticulously placed. Every one of them held the remains of a cultivator.

Each coffin was carved and hollowed out from enormous logs, many shaped like boats, which also aligned with records, symbolizing passage through the bitter sea of human life to achieve immortal liberation.

“There are Dao-Slayers here!” Old Crane exclaimed in horror.

The remains in some ancient coffins were perfectly preserved, their formidable corpses uncorrupted even in death, lifelike and maintaining their appearance from before death. All of them were Dao-Slayers.

“Regardless of anything else, this sect must have been incredibly powerful in its time. Even in ancient eras, when spiritual energy was abundant, having several Dao-Slaying kings as disciples was extraordinary.”

Finally, they delved deep into the fissure, reaching the "throat" of Dragon Mountain, where they could observe up close.

The ancient jade coffin was covered in dust, dull and lusterless, yet it appeared all the more mysterious.

A crystalline branch, vibrant green and seemingly dripping with vitality, lay across it. About as thick as a child's arm and over a meter long, it resembled a translucent piece of sculpted green agate, emitting a subtle glow.

It rested on the ancient jade coffin, exuding an irresistible, pure fragrance. White dew emerged from its broken end, adding to its profound mystery.

The Immortal God Tree!

At such close proximity, Ye Fan was now certain this was indeed an Immortal Tree, possessing divine powers of resurrection, incredibly rare in the world.

An Earth Immortal! Could it truly be an Earth Immortal? To have something like this as a burial accompaniment was extraordinary.

Throughout history, immortal medicine has been incredibly difficult for mortals to find, typically falling into the hands of Saints at the very least. Each ancient Great Emperor, however, possessed one.

Every immortal medicine is unique; only a handful have existed throughout history, and they can be counted.

According to Ye Fan's knowledge, it was fortunate for a living ancient planet to have even one.

The reason the Big Dipper starfield had several was because ancient Great Emperors brought them there. From primordial times onwards, Ancient Sovereigns and Human Emperors continuously journeyed to that place.

Consequently, other ancient planets gradually lost their immortal medicines. The presence of an Immortal Tree here therefore strongly indicated the Earth Immortal's extraordinary status.

None of the three dared to act rashly. They circled the ancient coffin, wondering what might happen if they opened it, given that a legendary Earth Immortal rested within.

“I’ve heard that even after death, the corpses of ancient sages are difficult to approach; the aura they emanate can shock even powerful cultivators to death,” Old Crane said, frowning with concern.

Ye Fan nodded. When they discovered the Immortal Heavenly Sovereign's coffin back then, it caused a tremendous disturbance. Chaotic energy surged on the ten-thousand-foot jade platform, and even with only a human skin remaining, forbidden artifacts and Ultimate Weapons were needed for protection.

“This Earth Immortal’s coffin appears very calm, without any oppressive aura. I wonder what will happen if we open it?”

Here, even the Origin Heaven Eye struggled to see through it. The ancient coffin was profoundly mysterious, carved by ancient powerhouses. Neither ants nor spirits could approach or disturb it.

“Stand close to me,” Ye Fan said, preparing to act.

He protected himself with the Myriad Manifestation Mother Qi Cauldron, tossing the curious little pine directly inside. At the same time, he gripped a piece of old bronze in his hand, which he had painstakingly retrieved from the Bitter Sea some time ago.

“Bang!” As Ye Fan slightly moved the coffin, a fiery streak of light burst from the depths of the cliff fissure, its cold brilliance illuminating the nine provinces with dazzling intensity!

Ye Fan quickly drew the other two into the cauldron, then rapidly retreated using the 'Movement' character secret, but still couldn't completely evade the attack. The cauldron above his head vibrated violently with a clang, sending him flying sideways instantly.

He was propelled over eighty zhang away from the Dragon Mountain's "mouth." His golden blood roared like thunder within him, taking a long time to calm down. He then released the other two. “What was that? It didn't seem like an attack from the coffin,” Old Crane said, having caught a quick glimpse of the dazzling light.

“This dragon formation has been cultivated. The ancient jade coffin is placed in the deepest part, the 'throat' of the dragon, which is where a dragon's inverse scale grows. That was a divine killing light, spontaneously generated by the mountain's topography,” Ye Fan explained.

The Earth Immortal's methods were indeed extraordinary; the mountain formation he created was awe-inspiring. Was he truly attempting to replicate the essence of the ancient ninety-nine Dragon Mountains?

“There's no way to get close to the coffin...” the Third Valley Master lamented. It would be a great pity to have come all this way and gain nothing.

“The tomb's occupant has no malicious intent and hasn't laid down vicious traps. We should be able to approach and take a look, as long as we avoid the killing light from the Dragon Mountain's inverse scale,” Ye Fan stated.

He observed carefully, then re-entered the fissure and once again used his Origin Arts to guide the dragon energy, temporarily shifting the inverse scale's orientation. He then approached the jade coffin again.

He first grasped the Immortal Tree branch, holding it in his hand. But in that instant, his entire body turned ice-cold, almost freezing him. It was incredibly chilling.

This precious tree, seemingly vibrant green and like a heart of emerald jade, emitted an extreme, bone-piercing cold that ordinary people could not endure. Ye Fan quickly activated his Lunar Sacred Power to absorb and neutralize the cold. He then set the branch aside, his expression one of disbelief.

“What's wrong?” Old Crane asked.

“Did the Earth Immortal transcend himself, or did an outsider help him, leaving behind this Immortal Tree branch?” Ye Fan mused to himself.

At this moment, he finally understood why a segment of the Immortal God Tree branch had been left behind: it was meant to purify the death qi from these corpses, absorbing it completely to help them achieve ghost immortal status.

The death qi from the thousands of hanging coffins, including the mysterious corpse within the jade coffin, had all been absorbed by the divine tree branch; the latter was its primary target.

“So the divine tree branch can't be used as medicine?” the Third Valley Master asked, full of regret.

“It's like Netherworld Grass,” Ye Fan explained. “While it has prolonging effects, it also contains corrosive medicinal properties and too much corpse qi.”

They finally understood why the people from the Daoist Ancestral Court hadn't taken this divine tree branch. Ordinary individuals simply couldn't handle it and wouldn't dare refine it into medicine.

Ye Fan moved again. Using his Origin Arts to cut off the dragon energy, he slowly moved the jade coffin, holding the green coin. A bit nervous, he peered inside.

It was empty!

What happened? There was nothing inside, leaving the three of them dumbfounded and utterly perplexed. Had the items in the coffin been taken by the Daoists from Dragon Tiger Mountain?

After a closer look, their expressions shifted. There were traces of Dao transformation, and it was incredibly thorough. Nothing remained but a faint human-shaped imprint on the bottom of the coffin.

An Earth Immortal's Dao Transformation?!

Although they already knew that so-called Earth Immortals were largely deified and not true immortals, they couldn't help but feel disappointed that there wasn't even a single trace left.

“How could this be?” the Third Valley Master murmured in great disappointment, unable to accept the fact.

Ye Fan said nothing, silently sealing the coffin lid and placing the Immortal God Tree branch back on top, restoring everything to its original state.

“There are ninety-nine Dragon Mountains in total, and this is only the first. Isn't it strange that the Earth Immortal would directly bury himself in the first one?” Old Crane wondered.

“Let's continue and take a look.”

Ye Fan also had his doubts, so he led the way forward. They entered the depths of the second winding and intertwined Dragon Mountain, and their expressions instantly froze.

They found another large fissure with dozens of ancient hanging coffins. Though far fewer than the first location, it was still astounding. Most importantly, there was a commonality: deep within the dragon's cave, there was also a jade coffin.

“Another jade coffin, also dusty and dull... Just how many Earth Immortals are there?”

Furthermore, atop this ancient jade coffin lay a segment of the crystalline, vibrant Immortal Tree branch, resting horizontally on the lid and emitting a clear fragrance that reached them from a distance.

Ye Fan and the others were filled with doubt. They cautiously entered the dragon's mouth, remotely deflecting the dragon's inverse scale killing light, and carefully opened the ancient jade coffin. The result was the same: the person inside had also undergone Dao transformation long ago.

It was impossible to fathom this person's cultivation level in life, only that it must have been utterly terrifying. The traces of Dao left behind were extraordinarily astonishing and unfathomable.

This segment of the Immortal God Tree branch had also absorbed a vast amount of death qi, and no one dared use it for refining medicine. Everything about this discovery mirrored the first jade coffin.

Ye Fan and the others exchanged glances without a word, then proceeded deeper into the dragon formation. Entering the third Dragon Mountain, they found, as expected, a third mysterious ancient jade coffin, also accompanied by an Immortal Tree branch.

Subsequently, they passed through five more mountains, each presenting the same scenario: powerful tomb occupants who had all undergone Dao transformation, leaving nothing but a segment of the Immortal Tree branch.

“This is truly strange. Just how many Earth Immortals are there?” Even Old Crane was filled with uncertainty.

They ascended into the air, reaching the clouds, and gazed upon the majestic Dragon Mountains, their expressions suddenly freezing.

The first nine Dragon Mountains presented a magnificent spectacle. The ninth one, in particular, towered significantly above the others, exhuding auspicious energy, and bore the carved characters "Earth Immortal" on its body.

From the tenth Dragon Mountain onwards, all the mountain ranges were broken and incomplete, a baffling sight. Ninety of the Dragon Mountains had collapsed.

“What happened here?”

“I understand,” Ye Fan nodded, muttering softly to himself. “The ninety-nine Dragon Mountains represent an ultimate extreme. No one in the world could withstand it, and no one could be buried in such a place. Even imitating the ninety-nine dragon veins wouldn't work, especially since this site projects the grand force of the dragon!”

Even an Earth Immortal could only endure the power of nine ancient Dragon Mountains. The occupant himself must have profoundly realized this, which is why he was buried on the ninth and highest Dragon Mountain.

Heaven and Earth disallowed it, causing ninety of the Dragon Mountains to collapse on their own, leaving only nine for the Earth Immortal. He could only bear a blessing of that magnitude.

This was truly chilling and incredible. Was it the power manifested by Heaven that destroyed the ninety Dragon Mountains, or was this inherent to the topographical pattern, unable to endure long in the world?

After landing, Ye Fan and the others did not rush forward. They carefully and thoroughly observed each Dragon Mountain and jade coffin. Finally, arriving at the eighth Dragon Mountain, they gained a general understanding.

At the eighth Dragon Mountain, besides the jade coffin and the divine tree branch, they found a pristine white jade stele inscribed with characters. The general meaning was that disciples were buried here to accompany him.

“Truly worthy of being an Earth Immortal! His disciples are all dead, yet he still lives. And several of those eight jade coffins surely contain figures of Saint-level power,” the Third Valley Master marvelled.

Ye Fan and the others were shaken. Saint-level disciples were all dead, yet this individual was still alive, having moved their coffins to accompany him. Just how long had he lived?!

Finally, they arrived at the last intact Dragon Mountain. Purple qi steamed there, almost submerging the mountain itself. In front of the mountain stood an ancient stele with inscriptions.

The three carefully examined it, deciphering its general meaning. This person had once entered Shu, where he was revered as the foremost immortal. To have such a formidable background, it was no wonder Chisongzi pursued him into the Shu region.

“Could it be that legendary ancient immortal?” Ye Fan vaguely guessed someone, but when he saw the last sentence on the ancient stele, he instantly turned to stone.

“Buried here with the Ginseng Fruit Immortal God Tree!”

“How is that possible? Could there truly be an Earth Immortal like Zhenyuanzi? Impossible!” Ye Fan was utterly shocked, his face full of bewilderment.