Shrouding the Heavens

In the ancient times, countless cultivators had sorrow in their hearts, in the later years of these strong practitioners, they were still uncertain till their deaths.

Ye Fan could not find an exit, he could only decide on a direction before moving forward. Not long after, he discovered another set of skeletal remains lying on the ground, its lower jaw was lowered, as though it were filled with desolation before its death. There were also bloody words written on the ground as Ye Fan crouched down to decipher them. “Becoming an immortal…… Difficult! Difficult! Difficult!” These words were filled with a sense of bitterness, as though this person was filled with helplessness in his death.

“There are still some words here!” The purple cltohed lady looked towards the area below the arms of the skeleton.

Ye Fan gently pushed aside the arm as it immediately turned to dust, there were a few barely discernible words written: Celestial Rotating Jade, Yang Yizhen.

“Heavens!” The purple clothed lady was shocked, her cute red lips were wide open as she exclaimed: “Yang Yizhen of the Celestial Rotating Jade Sacred Ground, that is a peerless expert who has been recorded within the ancient annals of the Eastern Badlands. Fifteen thousand years ago, his name resounded throughout the Eastern Badlands, there were few who could match him, so he actually died here…….”

Hearing these words, Ye Fan was stunned, the Celestial Rotating Jade Sacred Ground was no more, only the crazed old man remained.

This immense palace actually held the remains of several peerless experts, they had flown in like moths to a fire, seeking the chance to become immortal but failing and dying in this place.

The third set of skeletal remains caused the young lady to scream, she was extremely excited, although the bloody words were blurry, it was still possible to discern them, the corpse was a famous person within the Ji Family.

“It’s an ancestor of our Ji Family from over nine thousand years ago, he was not only recorded within the annals of our Ji Family, even the annals of the Eastern Badlands have his name, who knew…….”

Ye Fan continued to move forward, he had seen over thirty corpses, a number of them had left their names and they were all peerless experts recorded within history.

Within the empty bronze palace, it was vast without end, there was simply no way to find an exit, the water from the lake did not flow into the palace, this was a space that was sealed off.

“Becoming an immortal is so difficult……” Ye Fan was moved, since ancient times there were several peerless experts within the Eastern Badlands who had stood at the pinnacle but had failed to attain it.

“How did these people die here? If we were to die here, even our remains would turn to dust.” The young lady was depressed, she would never have imagined that such a day would come to her.

“We can’t continue to stay here like this……” Ye Fan silently contemplated but could not come up with any ideas, so many talents had perished here, how could he escape from the confines of this place?”

Suddenly, the bronze palace began to tremble as an immense pressure like that of the universe began to descend, making one feel stifled

It was misty within the bronze palace, primordial chaos was swirling, thick and dense as it drowned towards the two, filled with desolation that simply could not be fended against.

This was an energy from the source, akin to the energies during the creation of the universe, creating countless worlds and starry filled skies, the primordial chaos explosively moved forward, impossible to deflect. If the two were drowned within, they would definitely die.

“I don’t want to die…….” The young lady moaned, reciting the names of the few famous people from the ancient past.

Ye Fan was thoroughly stunned, he did not have any methods to defend against the primordial chaos energy, in this moment several figures flashed through his mind, as though he had lived an entire life in a single moment.

Suddenly, Ye Fan’s Wheel and Sea began to gently tremble, the silent aurichalcite began to sway as the primordial chaos energy suddenly halted.

Thereafter, he felt the spring of life within his body become empty, the ancient aurichalcite actually flew out of the wheel and sea as it floated before him, it was without any lustre or energy, simple and unadorned.

“What is that?” The young lady was wide-eyed as she stared at it, her eyelashes were fluttering, clearly filled with curiousity.

Towering waves surged within Ye Fan’s mind, the aurichalcite had actually flown out on its own, this was something unprecedented, it gently trembled before him instantly causing the surroundings to become peaceful.

The aurchalcite flashed before burying itself within Ye Fan’s spring of life, his emotions simply could not remain calm. The young lady was extremely shocked as she continually questioned, however, he did not reply.

The bronze palace was desolate and silent, Ye Fan and the purple clothed lady were stunned to realise that they were no longer at their original positions, two doors had actually appeared in front of them.

There were over ten sets of skeletal remains on the ground, they were shining brightly with a brilliant lustre, they were wholly intact, clearly showing that they were far from ordinary.

Ye Fan walked forward as he gently knocked, the skeletal remains gave off metallic clanging noises as though they were made from metal, they were clearly far from ordinary and even the passing of time had not caused them to disintegrate. The skeletal repains had bloody words written next to them, one set of them caused Ye Fan to feel stunned.

“I have the heart of an immortal but have been confined in this place, when can I see the light of day again, viewing the countless mountains and clouds.”

This was a form of lamentation, a feeling of helplessness and hopelessness. When one reached such a realm, they were surely existences which had shaken the ancient past, however, they had still failed to attain immortality, these words were filled with indignation and aggrievement.

“This person……” The young lady seemed to blank out for a moment before muttering: “It was rumoured that this person had attained immortality, who knew that he actually died here.”

A person who was recognised as having attained immortality had actually fallen here, this made one question whether immortals actually existed.

Ye Fan began to carefully scrutinise the ten odd sets of skeletons, his heart was filled with questions, were there really immortals who had appeared within the Eastern Badlands?

Walking past the ten odd skeletal remains and coming before the two doors, Ye Fan felt his heart tremble. The two doors came together to form a Tai Chi symbol, the left door was that of the black Yin fish while the right door was that of the white Yang fish, both were irregularly bent like a crescent moon.

“This…… two merges to become one, forming Tai Chi!” Ye Fan was stunned.

Daoists, Chinese medical practitioners, traditional culture, from the Confucian temple to Lou Guan Tai*, Three Reeds Palace…… The Tai Chi symbol was deemed as the number one image within ancient china, as mysterious as the cauldron.

[T/L*: Most ideal site for practicing Taoism]

Above the door with the black Yin fish were ancient words that had been carved, their presence was imposing and could cause a mesmerised person to be sent flying.

“Death*!” This word could be said to be an extremely bad omen, like that of a demonic curse. Carved there, there actually seemed to be a bloody scent coming from it.

T/L:*Might be a typo, based on the context later on. Original world was net/bind.

Above the door that had the white Yang fish, in vigorous strokes of calligraphy, a single word was also carved here: “Life!” The strokes were majestic, filled with a auspicious and peaceful aura, in direct contrast to that of the door with the Yin fish.

At this moment, there was nothing behind them, it was simply a misty blankness without any light. The options between life and death was before them, Ye Fan and the young lady were nervous, they had only two paths before them.

“There isn’t any reason to hesitate, we should definitely choose the door of ‘life’, who would choose death.” Ji Ziyue scrunched her nose as her large eyes formed crescent moons: “Please have the presence of mind not to choose the door of death, I’m still hoping to become an immortal…….”

Ye Fan continued to be indifferent as he silently contemplated before muttering: “Tai Chi has two sides to it, Yin and Yang diametrically opposed, Yang giving life while Yin referring to death.”

However, he did not make such a decision because the path was inconsistent with that of Tai Chi, he looked at the two doors of Yin and Yang as he muttered: “Yang gives birth to Yin, Yin gives birth to Yang, Yin and Yang coexist, life and death are intermingled.”

He had read several ancient texts, surreal and impossible to tell whether they were real or fake, Yin and Yang coexisted and there were many different sayings. He finally pointed to the door of death before proclaiming: “This is the real road to life!” Ji Zi Yue’s tiny mouth was in an ‘O’shape as she exclaimed: “What nonsense are you talking about?”

“The door of life may seem auspicious but there will never be an exit there. As for the door of death, at one’s darkest hour will there be a ray of hope, we will definitely be able to find a way out from any impossible situation.”

“You’re certain?” Ji Zi Yue blinked with her large eyes as she stared at him: “You better be completely sure, otherwise, you will be causing both our deaths. You will be punished by karma if that happens.”

Ye Fan was still slightly hesitant within his heart, he was making his judgement completely based on his interpretation of the Tai Chi symbol, however, this was the other side of the stars and not ancient China, his deduction could possibly be totally wrong. Ji Ziyue scrunched her nose: “Little brother, do you have any confidence in what you’re saying?”

“Dong” Ye Fan knocked her jade-like forehead: “Call me brother, don’t be disrespectful.”

Ji Ziyue’s eyes were teary, grinding her pearly white teeth as she fumed: “If you knock my head again, don’t blame me for being discourteous, I am a future immortal.”

Finally, Ye Fan chose the door of death as he took big strides forward.

“Boom!”

Suddenly, the sound of the howling sea could be heard as black lights shot forth from the door with the Yin fish, white lights shot from the door with the Yang fish, stopping right at them.

The contrast of black and white, the difference between life and death, the intermingling of Yin and Yang, all this filled the area, causing rumbling noises, like the angry howls of a vast body of water or the thunderous explosions of heavenly thunder.

Since the formation of Tai Chi, life and death were diametrically opposed, Yin and Yang collided, this collision was extremely terrifying, it could create all living things and also cause desolation.

Suddenly, the aurichalcite trembled as it rushed forward once again, stopping before the Yin and Yang doors. Although it was simple and unadorned, it seemed weighty like a giant mountain as it instantly caused the two Yin and Yang energies to disperse.

“What exactly is that thing?” Ji Zi Yue’s mouth was wide open, she was extremely shocked as her eyes flashed with curiousity.

Ye Fan did not reply, as everything became calm once again, the aurichalcite flew back into his body as he began to take big strides forward.

From the Yin fish door came a bloodthirsty aura like that of an asura hammering the earth. In this moment, Ye Fan and the young lady were able to see corpses piled high like mountains before them, countless numbers of skeletons numbering over a million, they were like a boat within a stormy sea, about to topple at any moment.

Ye Fan was resolute as he continued to push the Yin fish door which represented the door of death.

At the back, there was no longer any thick killing intent, only a bloody rain and foul smelling wind, there was merely a desolate path before them that extended into the unknown.

“Tap” “Tap” “Tap….”

The echoes of footsteps could be heard, like an ancient path which no one had traversed in tens of thousands of years, eerily silent.

“Where does this ancient path lead to? Could the end of it be the secret to becoming an immortal?” Ji Zi Yue’s large eyes were in the form of crescent moons.

A full hour passed before Ye Fan finally reached the end, just in front of them, primordial chaos thrived, Yin and Yang energies intermingled, this was a spacious palace that was also made of bronze, there were a number of dazzling skeletal remains on the ground.

A huge ‘Immortal’ word was carved in the bronze wall up ahead, there was an indescribable feel to it, it was actually written in fresh blood before being imprinted into the bronze, the traces of blood seemed fresh and had not dried, dazzling red lights could be seen glistening from it.

“This is simply too strange! An ‘Immortal’ should be holy and pristine, why was it written with blood?”

This blood was also clearly exceptional, it was unknown how many tens of thousands of years had passed, the flesh and blood of countless experts had turned to dust and only the skeletal remains of a few peerless experts could be seen. However, the blood used to write the ‘Immortal’ word was actually still fresh, dazzling and vibrant as though it were still flowing, this was simply unfathomable. “It couldn’t possibly be the blood of an Immortal, right?!”