Ch. 66 - Yang Tomb & Yin Grave

Ye Fan didn’t know much about Dao Runes. He had only heard Elder Wu Qingfeng briefly mention them. Truly powerful weapons, he’d said, had Dao Runes etched within them, these Runes were the soul and essence of the weapon.

But Dao Runes weren’t limited to weapons. That was just one application. They could be inscribed into mountains and the earth’s veins to form all kinds of “forces”, gathering mysterious powers that turned those places into strange, mystical domains.

The deeper, more profound Dao Runes possessed unimaginable power. Once inscribed, they could alter the nature and structure of things, manipulating life and death. Some divine Dao Runes could even affect the flow of time within a given area, allowing time itself to be seized in a single thought.

Other intricate Dao Runes could only be etched into rare materials. If aligned with perfect precision and supplied with enough godpower, they could connect heaven and earth, even traverse space, letting one appear in a distant place in an instant.

There were also highly complex Runes that could summon Heavenly Might, with transformations and powers beyond imagination.

Of course, many of the most powerful Dao Runes weren’t public knowledge. They were secrets held only by sacred lands and ancient noble families, kept hidden from outsiders. What little was known came only from fragmented legends.

In truth, Dao Runes were vast and profound, covering many domains. It’s said that they were impressions left by the ancients, beings of great power who carved their insights into nature onto the world. These impressions were passed down through time to become today’s Dao Runes.

Ordinary cultivators couldn’t touch this domain. Only those with enough strength could begin to study them. After all, these Runes were echoes of ancient understanding, and the more powerful the cultivator, the more fascinated they became by exploring the Dao Runes passed down through the ages.

The prpfound green copper had no Dao Runes on its surface. But along its broken edge, countless Runes were densely inscribed, complex, arcane, utterly indecipherable. They were mysterious and intricate, yet carried a sense of harmony with nature that stirred something deep inside just by looking.

“It almost seems like it was naturally formed…” Ye Fan muttered. Elder Wu Qingfeng had once said that some grand treasures had innate Dao Runes, not crafted by hand. These were rare, irreplicable, and often the true source of a treasure’s power.

“Could this be an innate Dao Rune?” Ye Fan wasn’t sure. His understanding was too shallow. All he had was suspicion.

Suddenly, Ye Fan sensed something strange. The path ahead was blocked by misty, ghostly fog. He couldn’t see the way forward.

At the same time, a thunderous roar of azure dragons echoed in the air. A great figure from the Ji family, an ancient clan, drove a golden war chariot across the sky, exuding a chilling killing aura that swept through the surrounding mountains.

“Seal the ruins! No one is allowed to leave!” Nine flood dragons pulled the war chariot as it blocked the path ahead. The Ji Clan elder began etching endless Dao Runes into the mountain veins, cutting off the exit.

Elsewhere, a jade carriage pulled by nine qilin beasts rode the clouds, radiating divine power, and blocked off the eastern path. Simultaneously, similar shouts rang out from other directions. All the great figures had sealed the ruins, no one could escape.

Ye Fan’s heart sank. He sensed danger and immediately stopped using the Dao Scripture’s mystical techniques. His golden Bitter Sea quieted and vanished.

Chaos erupted throughout the ruins. The gathered cultivators didn’t know what was happening. Some thought the powerful elders were about to start a massacre.

“What’s going on?”

“Why won’t they let us leave?”

Many rogue cultivators were deeply unsettled. Only disciples of major sects managed to keep calm.

“The Eastern Wilderness’s supreme treasure still hasn’t appeared. The big players are getting nervous!”

“Yeah, they’re afraid someone got the treasure and ran.”

“If even they can’t find it, how could anyone else?”

…

There was much speculation. Once it became clear the lockdown was about the treasure, most cultivators calmed down. They hadn’t expected to obtain such a treasure anyway.

The five great figures carved Dao Runes into the terrain to seal off the area. Then they returned to the shattered ruins of the Demon Emperor’s tomb to resume their search.

“Why hasn’t the Eastern Wilderness’s supreme treasure made any appearance? After the tomb collapsed, there should’ve been some earth-shattering sign.”

The great elders spoke aloud, not bothering to hide their thoughts.

“Where is the Desolate Tower? Why hasn’t it appeared?”

“It’s been missing for tens of thousands of years. The Desolate Tower should’ve resurfaced by now. Why is there still no trace?”

Far away, many cultivators felt a chill. The great figures clearly wouldn’t give up. If the treasure wasn’t found, it was unclear how long the lockdown would last.

Ye Fan was shocked, this was the first time he learned that the Eastern Wilderness’s treasure was called the Desolate Tower. Even just the name evoked awe.

Many disciples of great sects began discussing its history.

“It’s said that the Desolate Tower has existed for countless ages. No one even knows what era it comes from.”

“Legend has it that it appeared at the same time as life in the Eastern Wilderness. When this vast land first birthed living things, the Tower already existed.”

“What does it even look like?” Many cultivators weren’t sure.

“As the name suggests, it’s a tower. The nine-tiered Desolate Tower possesses unfathomable might. Eternal and indestructible, it can suppress all powerful beings under heaven!”

“Is it really that terrifying?”

“No matter how mighty you are, or how you dominate the Eastern Wilderness, you still can’t withstand the suppression of the Desolate Tower. That’s why it’s the supreme treasure of the Eastern Wilderness.”

“Countless peerless beings have died under it through the ages. No one has ever escaped its suppression.”

With the exits sealed, Ye Fan had no choice but to return deeper into the ruins. Hearing the cultivators’ discussions, he became fascinated. The Desolate Tower was beyond comprehension, it stirred his desire.

Just then, the shameless Daoist Duan De came rushing up to Ye Fan at incredible speed. He looked like he was on fire, totally ignited with excitement. He arrived in a blink, his face flushed. “Where’s that piece of scrap copper?!”

“Threw it in a pond.”

“What?!” Duan De’s face froze, then turned frantic. He grabbed Ye Fan’s shoulders and shook him hard. “Which pond? Take me there!”

Ye Fan suddenly had a realization, could the green copper actually be something important? At first, he thought it might be connected to the Eastern Wilderness’s treasure. But now that he knew the Desolate Tower was a nine-tiered tower, he ruled that out. The copper shard clearly had nothing to do with it.

“This place is massive, forests and mountains everywhere. I got lost ages ago. I can’t even remember where I walked.”

“No! You must remember!” The Daoist’s face turned terrifying, his eyes bloodshot. He clung to Ye Fan, refusing to let go.

“It’s just a chunk of scrap. You studied it for a full quarter hour and still tossed it. Why are you so desperate now? Does that thing really have some origin?”

“You wouldn’t understand. Just take me!” Duan De wasn’t smiling now, he was deadly serious. He grabbed Ye Fan and pulled him along.

Ye Fan now understood, this green copper had to be something major. Extremely important.

“Amitabha, dammit! Why was I such an idiot?! I had it and threw it away…” Duan De’s face turned ashen. He was filled with regret, a stark contrast to the grinning rogue he had been earlier.

Ye Fan could tell the Daoist was on edge, maybe even ready to kill. He didn’t want to provoke him, so he cooperated.

“My young friend, try to remember. If we find that copper, I’ll give you anything you want!” Duan De was grim. “Just remember, anything!”

“What is it, really?”

“Don’t ask! Ask again and I’ll lose my mind!” Duan De slapped his own hand hard. “How could I be so blind? A lifetime of treasure hunting, and I toss it away like junk!”

“We split up over there,” he said, pointing to a mountain. “Then you ran off…”

“Yes, this is it.” Ye Fan slowly descended the slope. The shameless Daoist followed silently, letting him take his time.

As Ye Fan walked, he quietly considered how to shake this fat Daoist off. They crossed three mountains. As they climbed the fourth, Ye Fan smiled. “It’s here.”

When the Daoist looked in the direction he pointed, his face turned sour. A dark, still pond lay there, silent as stone, radiating a bone-chilling cold.

“Don’t tell me… you threw it in there!” His eyes glowed strangely. Ye Fan suddenly felt something was off, as if the Daoist were peering into his very mind.

Panicking, Ye Fan focused all his energy and conjured a mental image: standing by the black pond and tossing the copper into it.

The Daoist’s eyes returned to normal. He clenched his teeth. “You ungrateful brat, I ought to throw you in!”

“It’s just scrap metal, right?” Ye Fan played it cool.

Splash!

The Daoist dove headfirst into the pond. At first, god-light flickered beneath the water. But soon, it dimmed and disappeared. The black pond returned to its eerie stillness.

Ye Fan waited for a full half-hour. Still no sign. He muttered, “Did that shady bastard finally get what he deserves?”

After another 15 minutes, the water stirred, and the fat Daoist emerged, encased in thick black ice, like a walking sculpture.

Bang!

The dark ice gleamed. Light flickered inside it. After several dozen seconds, the Daoist shattered the ice with god-light. Purple-faced and shivering, he gasped.

“Amitabha! Damn the Heavens, it’s freezing cold!” He shook uncontrollably, his body glowing as he expelled black mist. Nearby plants froze solid and crumbled to dust.

Far off, Ye Fan gasped. He had chosen this pond because it looked deep, but hadn’t realized it was so terrifying. The shattered ice had frozen everything within a ten-meter radius. Even rocks had cracked. Despite the distance, he felt the biting cold.

“Did you find anything?”

“I dove thousands of meters down. Saw a broken stone tablet halfway. It had the words Nether Pool on it. I couldn’t reach the bottom, who knows how deep it is!”

“Why’d you throw it away in the first place? Regret it now, huh?”

“Don’t say another word!”

The Daoist looked so furious Ye Fan nearly burst out laughing. But he put on a worried face and asked, “So it was treasure?”

The Daoist’s face darkened. “We speak different languages.”

Ye Fan walked away, plucked some wild fruit, and began munching contentedly.

The Daoist saw him snacking without a care and lost it. “You absolute wastrel! You threw that thing into a death pond, I ought to kill you!”

“Daoist, you threw it first. Why blame me now? Didn’t you treat it like trash?”

“I… I’m filled with regret!” Duan De slapped himself again and dove back into the pond.

This time, over an hour passed before he resurfaced, again completely frozen, radiating black ice and bitter cold.

Ye Fan wisely stayed far away. The Daoist took another full quarter-hour to break free of the ice. He was black and purple, with dark mist streaming from every pore. The mountain slope had become an icy Wilderness, plants withered, and rocks cracked everywhere.

It took a long time before the Daoist finally thawed. He sat on the ground, dejected. “I hate this so much…”

Ye Fan felt immense satisfaction seeing the shameless Daoist so miserable.

Suddenly, the Daoist jumped up like he had been struck by lightning. He stared toward the distant volcano, then at the black icy pond before him. Shocked, he exclaimed, “I understand now! The Demon Emperor has two tombs, one Yang, one Yin!”

Ye Fan was startled. “What are you talking about?”

The Daoist ignored him. He started drawing diagrams in the dirt, marking the volcano and black pond, then sketching the surrounding terrain to scale.

“Amitabha… dammit! It’s true! One Yang, one Yin, balanced together in harmony. The source of power, the heart, was buried in the Yang Tomb. The true corpse lies in the Yin Grave!” Duan De’s face shifted between anger and awe.

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