Chapter 107 Climbing the Sacred Mountain
The nine sacred mountains were extremely lofty. The ancient trees that grew upon them soared to the heavens, and strange stones rose high into the air. The area deserved being described as majestic and glorious.
At the foot of a mountain, Ye Fan looked at Jiang Hanchong and said, “I only have one condition. Let the six of them go.” He pointed towards Liu Yiyi, Zhang Ziling, Lin Jia, and the others.
Liu Yiyi and Zhang Ziling had worried expressions, hinting at Ye Fan to hurry and flee, but they were unable to say the words out loud since they were surrounded by knights.
Zhou Yi, Lin Jia, and w.a.n.g Ziwen hadn’t expected for Ye Fan to actually first think of sending them off in such a situation. Li Xiaoman’s expression was also dazed as she looked at Ye Fan from not far away.
“They’re now unable to help at all, so keeping them here is of no use. You just wanted to use them to probe the skeletons, so there’s no need to sacrifice the lives of the innocent.”
“Although you are loyal, you don’t have the qualifications to bargain with us,” Jiang Hanchong indifferently looked at those few people and didn’t say anymore, clearly deciding to not them go.
Zhou Yi, Li Xiaoman, and the others’ expressions all changed. They naturally could guess what the Jiang Family’s Elder was thinking. In the end, he would definitely kill them in order to silence them, not letting them live to leave.
Ye Fan picked up a stone around ten kilograms off from the ground. He weighed it in his hand a couple times before throwing it with all his strength towards the mountains. It was hard to imagine just how much power he had used. That stone gracefully flew through the air, arriving from the bottom of the mountain to the top, smas.h.i.+ng into the skeletons.
“What are you doing?!” The Ji Family’s Elder Ji Yunfeng became infuriated and a sinister killing intent soared from him.
“Didn’t you want to probe out those skeletons? I’ve helped you test it out, and now you don’t need live humans to go.”
The Flickering Light Sacred Land’s Elder Xu Daoling’s expression immediately became gloomy. “Who let you act so rashly?”
Jiang Hanchong also revealed his killing intent. Light sparkled around the embroidered case. Saying the case was made of wood wasn’t wrong, but it wasn’t wrong to say it was made of jade. Although it didn’t appear overly beautiful, it overflowed with an ancient air. And while no powerful fluctuations came from it, it gave people an extremely dangerous feeling.
Ye Fan felt an illusion, as if the case was a whole other heaven and earth, as if it contained all living things and all great lands.
BOOM!
At this moment, the sacred mountains started to violently tremble as if some colossal existence had become infuriated. Countless boulders tumbled down, and many ancient trees were smashed apart by them.
“Those skeletons are coming down the mountain!” many of the knights shouted in alarm. All they could see in front of them were the densely packed countless skeletons climbing towards them. Although their speed was not very great, the sea of whiteness caused people’s scalps to go numb.
“This is all your fault!” Jiang Hanchong was infuriated as he glared at Ye Fan, not concealing his killing intent the slightest bit.
“If you sent people up it would be the same result!”
“Hurry up and make a decision whether we should continue to go up and pick the divine medicine.” The Flickering Light Sacred Land’s Elder Xu Daoling’s face was very unsightly now.
The Ji Family’s Elder Ji Yunfeng’s expression was solemn as he said, “There’s no longer any need to keep hiding our methods now. We’ll each take out our forbidden items and forcefully make a path forward. We have to get up a sacred mountain and gather the divine medicine.”
The Jiang Family’s Elder’s complexion was ashen, resolutely glaring at Ye Fan, he tightly gripped his embroidered case as he said, “This forbidden item can allow my divine energy source-spring to well up nine times and momentarily restore my cultivation base, giving me nine opportunities to attack.”
Hearing this, Ye Fan was immediately alarmed. He secretly sighed with relief. Since this old man would be able to use divine abilities, then if he had risked his life just now and attacked, he would have definitely died.
A strange fist-sized stone appeared within the Jiang Family’s Elder’s hands. It was completely black with many densely packed lines carved into it, and seemed to possess a natural Dao charm.
“One of my Ji Family’s Grand Elders personally refined this forbidden item. He left countless Dao Glyphs upon it, allowing it to condense Heavenly Power for a short time and let me attack nine times.”
Ye Fan s.h.i.+vered. These Ancient Desolation n.o.ble Families truly had profound methods, to even be able to refine such a forbidden item that could temporarily let them recover their divine energy within the Ancient Desolation Forbidden Land.
The Flickering Light Sacred Land’s Elder was holding a hand-sized jade leaf which shone with green light. It also was covered with profound and complicated Dao Glyphs that seemed very natural, almost like it was a real tree leaf.
“For the purpose of coming to the forbidden land and plucking the divine medicine, one of my Flickering Light Sacred Land’s Grand Elders personally refined this item that can let me attack three times.”
Jiang Hanchong didn’t believe that at all, coldly laughing, “The Flickering Light Sacred Land is not weaker than our Ancient Desolation n.o.ble Families. If it was for entering the area forbidden to life, they would definitely not dare to be so negligent and refine such an incomplete forbidden item.”
The Ji Family’s Elder also had an ice-cold expression. “Elder brother Xu, at this point there’s no need to hide anything.”
“Although I can only attack three times, this forbidden item contains a seal containing my Flickering Light Sacred Land’s Grand Elder’s divine energy that can also be used twice.”
Jiang Hanchong and Ji Yunfeng immediately sucked in a cold breath of air when they heard this. This dark green leaf could definitely be considered a precious treasure.
The three Elders drew together and shortly discussed their plans.
Ye Fan had understood by listening beside them that these so-called forbidden items were precious treasures their sect had refined for them in order to enter the Ancient Desolation Forbidden Land. These Sacred Lands and Ancient Desolation n.o.ble Families were truly too powerful. They had deep information and profound methods. He couldn’t help asking, “Why didn’t you prepare a couple more forbidden items?”
“What does a mortal like you know!” Jiang Hanchong’s face wasn’t pleasant. At this point, he already had an urge to kill since Ye Fan had just indiscriminately activated all of the mountains skeletons to climb down after them.
Xu Daoling glanced at him and said, “To refine such a forbidden item requires unimaginably difficult materials. With such materials, it would be entirely possible to refine a mighty absolute peak ‘Great Vessel.’”
“There’s no more time to waste. We have to advance immediately!” The Ji Family’s Elder Ji Yunfeng urged them onwards.
Ye Fan was forced to the very front with the three Elders closely following behind him. Behind them were the various cultivators, and Li Xiaoman and the others.
The sacred mountain’s vegetation was thriving and possessed fantastic rock formations, allowing it to be called a beautiful land. But no one would pay attention to these things in such a critical life and death moment.
Reaching midway up the mountain, the peak still seemed very far. But even here they felt a demonic air and all the ferocious beasts began to roar.
“I…I’m turning old!” one of the knights shouted in alarm.
In just a second, many of their appearances aged as if they had gone through a decade of time. Many of the middle-aged men now had graying hair.
“If we continue forward, we’ll die!” several people shouted while s.h.i.+vering.
“Stop panicking!” Jiang Hanchong turned back and shouted. “If we succeed, each of you will obtain an enormous reward.”
At this moment, Ye Fan’s appearance still hadn’t changed at all, and the three Elders also didn’t seem to have any abnormalities. The forbidden items in their hands released a strange air that protected them. Behind them, Zhou Yi, Liu Yiyi, w.a.n.g Ziwen, Li Xiaoman and the others also didn’t change.
“Why aren’t they aging?” Jiang Hanchong was startled.
Ye Fan immediately thought of many things. Back when they had ended up at the peak of the sacred mountain, no frightening changes had occurred. Only when they exited the forbidden lands did most of them turn old.
“Could it be because of the nine dragons pulling the coffin?”
Below, Zhou Yi, w.a.n.g Ziwen, and the others were all quietly discussing it.
It’s most likely because of the nine huge dragon corpses and that ancient bronze coffin. Maybe as we pa.s.sed through the star fields, a bit of their air was stained within us.
“Even the evil demon within the abyss was unable to do anything to the bronze coffin. Back then, didn’t we personally see some huge creature bound by iron chains angrily roaring with anger…?”
The youngest knight within their group could no longer bear having his youth fade, and he shouted in terror, “Elders, we can’t keep going!”
“Useless thing, what need to we have for you?!” Jiang Hanchong single-handedly thrust his lance and stabbed through the youth’s body. Blood spurted out as he flew back dozens of meters, landing heavily on the ground.
The others no longer said anything, afraid to be treated the same.
Pa.s.sing through the vegetation, they silently snuck to the top of the mountain. At this moment, the white skeletons on top of the mountains were right in front of them.
“Elders, hurry up and use your forbidden items. Otherwise, we won’t be able to protect ourselves!” At this moment, the others had once more aged a couple times, and even some of the ferocious beasts seemed to have weakened.
The mountaintop was covered with endless white skeletons. All of them had now climbed up, causing people’s scalps to turn numb. An evil air blew across the mountain, and many people screamed in terror.
The thing that everyone feared most happened. Many of the knights’ bodies were starting to wither, and many people seemed to age over twenty years, turning them into a group of white and decrepit old men.
“I’ll go first!” Ji Yunfeng took out his strange black rock. Holding it in his palm, rays of black light spread out.
BOOM!
An extremely powerful and terrifying fluctuation came from within Ji Yunfeng’s body, like a boundless ocean surging out in all directions. This was his true power.
Ye Fan trembled. The Ji Family’s Elder was too powerful. He was like a duckweed in the face of the vast ocean. The two of them were simply incomparable.
“Is this his true power?”
Under normal circ.u.mstances, Ye Fan’s death would have been without doubt. The two of them were separated by heaven and earth, their strengths were too far apart and the other party just needed one random attack to turn him into ashes.
A Sky Gathering Parasol rushed out of Ji Yunfeng’s body and swelled open, releasing bursts of gales that shook the forests and stones into ash. The many skeletons were also instantly crushed into powder.
“Hurry up!” Ji Yunfeng charged to the very front, his Sky Gathering Parasol violently vibrating, forming a land a hundred meters long with all the skeletons broken by the astral wind.
Light flashed and the Sky Gathering Parasol returned. Ji Yunfeng’s body trembled, and his divine energy source-spring once more dried up. A new crack line appeared on the strange black stone in his hand, indicating that he had already lost one opportunity and only had eight more chances to act.
“Faster!” Jiang Hanchong and Xu Daoling both shouted. Time was too precious now, and they had to grab the opportunity to quickly climb up.
Suddenly, an indignant shout came from the rear. Li Xiaoman, Zhou Yi, w.a.n.g Ziwen, Lin Jia took advantage of their guards being occupied to quickly rush down the mountain. The several old and decrepit knights were no longer agile enough and couldn’t block them.
“Ye Fan!” Liu Yiyi and Zhang Ziling shouted his name, turning back up the mountain.
“Hurry and run, don’t bother with me!” Ye Fan saw their hesitation so he bellowed for them to run. Zhang Ziling clenched his teeth and forced himself to turn around, pulling Liu Yiyi’s hand and running down the mountain.
The decrepit old knights threw their lances at them, narrowly missing piercing through them. Their lances brushed past and punched into the ground, quivering angrily.
“I’ll go chase after them!” Some of the knights were about to urge their ferocious beasts down the mountain.
Jiang Hanchong shouted, “Don’t bother with them! Quickly climb up the mountain. This usage of our divine energy source-spring is not a chance we can waste.” Two cold rays of light shot from his eyes as he glared at Ye Fan. “You be more obedient. If you dare to try to escape, I’ll immediately turn you into ash.”
At this moment, Li Xiaoman was at the very front, followed by Zhou Yi, w.a.n.g Ziwen, and Lin Jia. The four of them disappeared in the blink of an eye, and then Zhang Ziling and Liu Yiyi also fled into the mountains, their figures disappearing.
They had managed to take advantage of this hard-to-come-by opportunity. The rest of the knights were simply unable to pursue the six of them at such a critical juncture, so they managed to flee off the mountain.
The Ji Family’s Elder Ji Yunfeng coldly smiled. “Surviving isn’t that easy. As soon as most people walk out of the area forbidden to life, they all normally die of old age and disappear into ash.”
The skeletons had once more climbed over, and this time it was Jiang Hanchong’s turn to take action. He placed the embroidered case within his hand, and a frightening air immediately exploded out from him. His energy fluctuations were extremely formidable, similar to the pressure of millions of great mountains pressing down, making people’s hearts leap in fear.
Ye Fan felt cold from head to toe. These supreme existences were just like G.o.ds high in the clouds. He couldn’t even estimate how powerful they were.
In this manner, Jiang Hanchong, Ji Yunfeng, and Xu Daoling took turns to clear the path, finally arriving less than two hundred meters away from the peak of the mountain.
Just at this moment, miserable screams came from the rear as people continuously collapsed. By approaching this close to the mountain peak, most of the knights had all their vitality fade away, and many of them died from the aging.
“c.r.a.p, even we can’t keep going!” Jiang Hanchong, Ji Yunfeng, and Xu Daoling might be holding forbidden items, but even their appearances had aged quite a bit, their bodies now old and stooped.
“If we continue like this, we’ll definitely die. There’s no way we’ll make it to the mountain peak.”
“Retreat, we should all retreat!” Xu Daoling shouted. The knights all fell back. The original plan could no longer be executed. The people they had brought with them were simply no longer of any use.
Jiang Hanchong coldly stared at Ye Fan. With his hand holding the embroidered case, his whole body radiated a divine light and a vast ocean’s worth of strength surged from him, binding Ye Fan in just an instant. He then took out a sealed jade bottle. Breaking the seal, a black light immediately sunk into Ye Fan’s body.
“A Puppet Brand?” asked Ji Yunfeng.
“Nice, I can relax a bit. When this brat goes up to get the divine medicine, if he were to destroy it or recklessly consume it himself, this would all have been useless.” Jiang Hanchong patted Ye Fan, saying, “Get up there!”
He then turned and looked at the other two. “Now we’ll all work together and send him to the summit. We have to get the divine medicine.”
“Ok,” Xu Daoling a.s.sented.
Ji Yunfeng said, “All together we can still attack nine more times to deal with the dangers that come ahead. We should be able to wipe out all the skeletons within the next hundred meters and send him to the mountaintop.”
The closer they got the summit, the more powerful the evil air become. Despite wiping clear all the skeletons, the three Elders still continued to quickly age. Even Ye Fan was unable to completely withstand it, turning from a youngster to a young man.
At this moment, hundreds of ancient words were shaking and reverberating within Ye Fan’s heart. The black light that had sunk into his heart was shattered and completely expelled. The Puppet Brand was of no use at all against him.
Ye Fan was sweating coldly. That Jiang Family Elder was too sinister, trying to turn him into a puppet. If he had succeeded, Ye Fan would have had no way to resist. Now, he acted as if he were controlled, listening and obeying their words and striding up the mountain.
“Take this with you!” Xu Daoling threw a pure jade bottle at him, saying, “This bottle can contain even a large mountain due to a s.p.a.ce that has formed within it. After plucking the sacred medicine, use this to suck in some of the divine spring water.”
They were still dozens of meters from the summit. The three Elders had completely wiped out the skeletons and now stopped advancing, afraid of moving forward from this place. At such a place, they could die from any random danger. They had long since aged to a point that they couldn’t be recognized as their old selves.
Ye Fan felt his own life draining away. At the time he reached the summit, he had already turned white-haired and was reduced to an old shadow of himself.
“That is…” At this moment, his expression stiffened. Tranquilly standing on top of the sacred mountain was a magnificent and peerless woman. At this moment, she suddenly turned around and looked at him.