Chapter 969: Ancient Star Exhaustion Reasons

From Duke Rongcheng of Shu to Master Rongcheng during the Western Zhou Dynasty, and further back to Rongcheng, a chieftain of an ancient tribe, his true identity was gradually unveiled through clues found in various ancient texts. He was, in fact, an immortal revered by ancient peoples.

Ye Fan and his companions circled the coffin, repeatedly examining the terrain for any hidden array patterns or mystic marks, fearful of any oversight. This was an ancestral-level cultivator, inspiring profound awe.

The three found it difficult to calm their minds. The revelation of the yellow-mud coffin's occupant's identity significantly increased their apprehension, as they realized a Terrestrial Immortal possessed such an extraordinary background.

Inside the dragon's mouth, it was very dry; the ceased waterfall had left no traces of water. The cave walls were smooth and devoid of any mystic marks. After careful confirmation, they prepared to open the coffin, lifting its yellow-mud lid.

However, after retreating a sufficient distance, he attempted to use his daoist techniques to remotely move the coffin lid, only to find it completely ineffective; the lid remained perfectly still.

Ye Fan, holding the green copper block, approached step by step. At this critical juncture, the green cauldron fragment was their most powerful talisman, capable of preserving his life should anything unforeseen happen.

"Boom!" As he lifted a corner of the yellow-mud coffin, the entire dragon cave instantly blazed with brilliant light. Patterns emerged on all the walls, emanating an overwhelming power that shone so intensely it made it impossible to open one's eyes.

In that instant, the entire Dragon Mountain was enveloped in immortal light, emanating an astonishing aura. The mountain itself appeared greenish, shining brilliantly, as if on the verge of resurrection.

Ye Fan swiftly released his grip and retreated dozens of steps. With a resonant "clank," the yellow-mud coffin lid sealed perfectly back onto the mud coffin. All the brilliant light receded, disappearing, and a profound tranquility settled once more.

Old Crane and the Third Valley Master trembled uncontrollably and collapsed onto the ground. The immense power they had just experienced sent shivers down their spines and made their minds quake, utterly unable to withstand it.

"There was no murderous intent, only a powerful aura," they mused. After a long silence, the three exchanged glances.

Had there been even a trace of murderous intent at the moment the coffin opened, the Grand Valley Master and the other two would not have survived. Such an aura was far beyond their capacity to bear.

"In a trance, I saw vast sections of oracle bone script densely covering the cave walls," the Grand Valley Master said. "It seemed to record an extremely important ancient secret."

"Alright, let's try again," Ye Fan said, cautiously stepping forward.

Although the coffin was constructed from yellow mud, it weighed over ten thousand jun. Had Ye Fan not possessed inherent divine strength as a Human Sacred Body, he would have been utterly incapable of lifting it.

Even then, he struggled. The moment he lifted a corner of the coffin lid, brilliant light filled the air once more. The cave walls shimmered, permeated by a colorful, ethereal immortal energy.

Inside the ancient cave, various patterns emerged. They were all abstruse and difficult-to-understand ancient characters, covering every corner and radiating boundless light.

Ye Fan was drenched in sweat. This mere yellow-mud coffin lid was incredibly heavy; he painstakingly moved it to the side and placed it on the ground.

Behind him, the Grand Valley Master and the monkey trembled uncontrollably. They sat on the ground, overwhelmed by an irresistible urge to prostrate themselves in worship—an instinct stemming from their very beings.

The Terrestrial Immortal's coffin lid was open!

Ye Fan peered inside, seeing a swirling mass of chaotic mist, profoundly mysterious, inviting a deeper investigation.

However, he dared not lightly touch the chaos, as unleashing its fury could potentially devastate the Ninety-Nine Dragon Mountains, causing one's soul to shudder.

"There isn't a shred of murderous intent, only the aura of the Terrestrial Immortal," Ye Fan noted, his body incredibly stiff. Had he not been clutching the green copper block, he doubted he could have remained standing safely.

"Thud!" On the other side, the monkey finally lost control of his body and prostrated himself. Old Crane, similarly unable to control his physical form, trembled and knelt, kowtowing before the yellow-mud coffin.

This was the lingering power of the immortal revered by ancient peoples. Even after countless ages, once the coffin was opened, a mere wisp of its aura proved unbearable for onlookers.

"On the cave wall... there are words... concerning the mystery of the Ninety-Nine Dragon Mountains..." the Grand Valley Master stammered, trembling under immense pressure.

The inscriptions on the cave wall did not refer to the small cluster of dragon mountains present there, but to the true Ninety-Nine Ancient Dragon Mountains. They had never imagined that Terrestrial Immortal Rongcheng would disclose such a profound secret in this place.

"Millions of years ago..." Ye Fan felt a shiver run down his spine upon reading those words. How incredibly long ago was that? Were humans even present on Earth at that time?

Suddenly, the yellow-mud coffin trembled, and the chaos within surged as if an ocean was about to burst forth. Startled, Ye Fan quickly retreated, grabbing Old Crane and the Third Valley Master, preparing to escape.

It settled. The coffin stabilized again, revealing a profound, chaotic sea within. The rough yellow-mud walls shimmered with unusual colors, displaying ancient symbols that slowly absorbed all the chaotic energy.

Ye Fan stood at a distance, quietly observing everything. The two beside him trembled both physically and mentally; it was not due to a weak will but rather the immense disparity in power.

Finally, the chaos within the coffin vanished, completely absorbed by the rough yellow-mud walls, leaving it entirely empty.

"It's empty! Where's the Terrestrial Immortal's body?" Old Crane exclaimed in surprise. They had come specifically for the Terrestrial Immortal; how could his body be absent?

The coffin's interior also bore inscriptions, line by line, identical to those on the cave walls and clearly carved by the same individual. They shimmered with an unusual, highly mysterious light.

"Did the Terrestrial Immortal ascend, leaving nothing behind? That's not right," the Third Valley Master interjected, a puzzled expression on his face. "Where is that immortal tree? It's nowhere to be seen, and it's supposed to endure forever; it couldn't have just vanished."

Ye Fan stated, "Let's not concern ourselves with those matters for now. We came for the Terrestrial Immortal's secret, and he has already left the crucial information inscribed right here. We need to examine it meticulously."

"The Ninety-Nine Dragon Mountains, nurturing the hope of immortality..." They continuously pondered the ancient characters, all created by primeval peoples, so archaic and abstruse as to be difficult to decipher.

Fortunately, they were extraordinary individuals who had previously studied oracle bone script, allowing them to grasp the general meaning with careful consideration. However, they were stunned after reading just a portion of it.

Millions of years ago, the Ninety-Nine Dragon Mountains were already in use. The sheer antiquity was astonishing, yet it remained unknown who had initiated this.

Delving deeper into the text, an even more chilling revelation emerged: the Ninety-Nine Dragon Mountains indeed harbored the hope of immortality, yet Rongcheng did not explicitly state what it entailed.

It implied that those who reached such a cultivation level would already understand what "it" was, rendering explicit mention unnecessary. The inscription was intended for peers, not for minor cultivators like themselves.

"Nurtured by one ancient life-bearing planet after another, a catastrophe..."

As they read this, a profound chill permeated their very bones. The origin of the Ninety-Nine Dragon Mountains was horrifyingly ancient and did not begin on Earth.

According to the inscription, this was a world-shattering secret, so preposterous it was almost impossible to believe.

The Ninety-Nine Dragon Mountains originated from an unknown star system, and over an unknown span of countless ages, they transferred from one ancient life-bearing planet to another.

Wherever they passed, the heavens and earth withered, spiritual energy dried up, and vegetation perished. Primates degenerated, all things declined, and rapid decay ensued. In the most severe cases, an ancient planet's very vitality could completely vanish.

Ye Fan and the others exchanged troubled glances. The current state of Earth seemed to mirror these described changes: spiritual energy was scarce, the Great Dao felt distant and difficult to cultivate, and the planet's ley lines were drying up.

Could all of this be caused by the Ninety-Nine Dragon Mountains?

They held their breath, studying meticulously. This might involve the greatest secret Earth had ever known, and they were privileged enough to uncover it, touching upon a profound hidden truth.

The Ninety-Nine Dragon Mountains absorbed the essence of heaven and earth, devouring the spiritual vitality of ancient life-bearing planets. They once descended upon Mars, an event so severe it nearly caused the entire ancient planet to wither and die.

Later, due to a major upheaval and excessively fierce warfare, Mars ultimately succumbed, transforming into a dead planet.

For reasons unknown, the Ninety-Nine Dragon Mountains' final destination was Earth. The entity they nurtured had matured and was subsequently taken away.

The consequence was that, in that unknown ancient era—perhaps the Primordial Age or even more distant—many primates on Earth declined, and all those with cultivation left.

Over the subsequent long ages, the Ninety-Nine Dragon Mountains began to reverse-flow spiritual energy. Earth, which had not entirely withered, consequently became spiritually abundant once more, entering a peak period.

At some unknown point in time, the "hope of immortality"—the entity nurtured by the Dragon Mountains—was destroyed in another star system. Then, approximately 200,000 years ago, someone traversed across space to return it to its birthplace.

Upon reading this, the group exchanged glances. Was the Earth's current desiccation caused by this entity? Had another cycle truly begun?

They continued to read carefully.

This entity, being damaged, could not immediately recover even when placed back in its birthplace. It took twenty millennia to show signs of revitalization, and at that point, Earth's most powerful cultivators finally sensed it, foreseeing a major impending crisis.

Someone intervened, using great power to separate the Ninety-Nine Dragon Mountains, hoping to prevent the deterioration of heaven and earth. But it was too late; only by removing the entity could the situation be managed.

However, the birthplace of that entity was exceedingly perilous; the interwoven patterns there were incredibly defiant of natural laws. In the past, even some supreme figures from other ancient planets who entered died in vain.

To enter its birthplace, an ancient map was needed. Following the marked path would ensure no danger, allowing for the easy retrieval of the entity.

Furthermore, this ancient map was lost on Earth. In the past, a powerful divine dynasty from another ancient planet inadvertently lost it here while escorting the entity back for repair.

Unfortunately, the map fragments were scattered far and wide. Because whoever possessed them could enter and obtain the hope of immortality, people fought over them, preventing their reunification for a period.

The ancient peoples living on Earth realized this approach was unsustainable. They swiftly ceased their conflicts and selflessly produced the map fragments, preparing to unite them.

However, at that moment, an unforeseen event occurred: powerful beings from other star systems arrived and began to contend for the fragments.

Later, even ancient saints died in vain, utterly unqualified to contend and avoiding the matter like a plague. In ancient times, only a few Great Sages and one or two Quasi-Emperors on this ancient planet possessed the capability to pursue it.

Rongcheng was one such individual, a Quasi-Emperor whose strength in that era was absolute, unparalleled throughout history, and he was actively involved in the pursuit.

Originally a chieftain of an ancient tribe, he witnessed the world's profound transformations over ages. He pursued the map until the Spring and Autumn period, and despite his heaven-piercing abilities, he managed to acquire only two fragments.

Legend claimed there were originally nine fragments, but one was unfortunately shattered into dust, extinguishing the last shred of hope for the great divine beings, who then successively began to leave Earth.

"Is this why there were no great divine beings after the era of the Hundred Schools of Thought?" Ye Fan mused to himself. "That prosperous period was actually initiated by the opportunity for immortality."

They continued to read further.

Rongcheng, a chieftain during the ancient tribal era, witnessed seas dry up and mountains turn into plains. Having endured countless ages, all his disciples had passed away, leaving only him.

During this long process, he had encountered Shennong and observed the Yellow Emperor. Knowing that such extraordinary individuals existed on this ancient planet, he recognized his own path to enlightenment was likely futile. He had originally planned to depart, but a lingering reluctance remained, especially since he had acquired two map fragments.

Ultimately, he chose to enter the place where the hope of immortality was nurtured, intending to take a life-or-death gamble.

However, the record concluded at this point, with no further text.

Even the usually composed Grand Valley Master was deeply distressed, desperate to see the final outcome. Yet, despite the dense inscriptions on the cave wall, they abruptly ceased at that point.

"And it's all completely recorded inside the yellow-mud coffin," Ye Fan revealed. The rough inner walls of the mud coffin were densely covered with inscriptions, detailing the subsequent events.