Legend of Zixia

Chapter 257 Encountering a Dog on the Mountainside
The northern regions are vast and boundless, and desolation is their eternal theme.

Here, blooming flowers are a rare sight, and the sounds of birdsong and the fragrance of blossoms are scarce; the world is utterly silent. Occasionally, an oasis appears, but it is as small and sparse as a sesame seed, quickly swallowed by the red Gobi Desert and sandstorms. The vast expanse of yellow sand is barren, with not a blade of grass growing; only the howling wind whips up clouds of dust, seemingly whispering tales of the desolation of this land.

Zixia walked alone through this boundless wasteland, traversing scorched red earth after scorched land. Her clothes were stained with dust, yet it did not diminish her power. Relying on the fragmentary map obtained by the Jiang family when they rescued the God King, she traveled north, traversing the edge of ancient forbidden lands, and finally found the legendary mountain—

A towering, purple mountain stood before them, its entire body sculpted like blood-red jade, yet radiating an ancient and mysterious purple glow, as if forged from the molten essence of countless stars. It stood alone at the edge of the earth, shaped like an angry sword piercing the sky, tearing even the clouds into shreds.

Beyond that, on the horizon, nine mountain ranges stretch out majestically, like nine slumbering dragons, their spines undulating, exuding an aura of ancient vicissitudes and deathly stillness. They lock the heavens and the earth, forming an insurmountable dragon vein array, guarding the forbidden mountain in the center.

Without a doubt, he arrived at Purple Mountain, the "Ancient Emperor Mountain" mentioned by the ancient creatures, a burial ground for countless ancient supreme beings, and also the place where the Great Emperor Wushi ascended to heaven.

Throughout history, who can compare to Wushi? He single-handedly suppressed an entire era, subdued all the heavens, made all races bow down, and forced the forbidden zones of life to close their doors. His very existence is a deterrent, so powerful that it silences the passage of time and makes spacetime submit.

Zixia's journey was precisely for the "Beginningless Sutra" hidden deep within Purple Mountain.

Her Supreme Three Blades had reached a state of perfection. She had already grasped the basics of the first two blades—Universe and Destiny—but the third blade, "Severing Time," remained elusive. The laws of time were too obscure; even with her innate Dao embryo and extraordinary comprehension, she could only hover outside the threshold, unable to touch the origin.

Throughout history, no one has been able to match the power of the Great Emperor Wushi. He could intimidate the nine heavens and ten earths, and make many forbidden zones of life behave themselves.

Zixia came here for the "Beginningless Scripture". She has been unable to grasp the essence of time, and the laws of time are still too obscure. Even with her innate Dao embryo, she is only hovering at the threshold of the laws of time. At the same time, her painting also needs the laws of time. Only with the laws of space, time and destiny can her painting become a true world.

More importantly, the Divine Mark Purple Gold Scroll in her hands had begun to nurture the Dao of Space and Destiny, but she was still unable to fully comprehend it. Only by completing the "Law of Time" could the scroll truly transform into a vessel that could contain all Dao—a carrier of the Dao that formed its own world.

“Space is already etched, destiny is in flux… only time is missing.” Zixia looked up at Purple Mountain, her eyes shining like torches. “I want to use the Dao traces left by Wushi to comprehend the true meaning of that slash that cut through time.”

She descended slowly from the void, her toes lightly touching the scorched earth, walking step by step closer. This majestic, purple mountain inspired profound awe.

Too many secrets are buried here.

The supreme deity in the hearts of all ancient races—the Undying Emperor—once perished here, his remains buried deep within the mountain's belly; the legendary human emperor—Wu Shi—also slew all his enemies here before ascending to heaven, leaving behind an eternal mystery. This mountain, originally named "Ancient Emperor Mountain," is one of the most mysterious forbidden lands throughout the ages.

Even the Heavenly Emperor's son came from here. He was taken away by the Source Master ten thousand years ago as a world-shaking stone, and later Ye Fan cut out a divine egg from the Jade Pool.

This was Zixia's first time visiting this place, and she couldn't hide her awe and curiosity. She activated her Origin Technique, her eyes glowing with a pale golden light as she meticulously examined every inch of the land and every crack. The Origin Heaven Path emphasizes discerning the pulse of heaven and earth and observing the spirit of all things; she wanted to see—what exactly was so peculiar about this Purple Mountain?

At the same time, the Divine Mark Purple Gold Scroll in her hand slowly unfurled, its purple light soaring into the sky and illuminating the eight directions. On the scroll, Dao patterns flowed, and it began to actively inscribe the scene before her: every blade of grass, every tree, every rock, and every ravine of the entire Purple Mountain was copied into the painting, and even the nine mountain ranges lying horizontally like dragons gradually emerged, lifelike.

"This place is where the Undying Emperor was buried, and where the Great Emperor Wushi chose it as his ascension site..." Zixia murmured, her eyes deep, "What kind of secrets does this place hold that have made two unparalleled figures so connected with this mountain?"

She walked around the mountain, measuring all directions, gazing at the nine dragon veins that locked the heavens and suppressed the earth in the distance, trying to decipher the true meaning of their layout. While deducing the secrets of heaven, she used the scroll to complete the entire picture of Purple Mountain—she not only wanted to enter the mountain, but also to bring the "form" and "momentum" of the entire forbidden area under her complete control.

Just as she circled around to the northern foot of Zishan Mountain, at the foot of a cliff—

A fierce wind whipped up sand, black mist churned, and the world suddenly fell silent for a moment. Suddenly, a person and an "object" collided head-on, coming right into each other's way.

It was an enormous black dog, jet black all over, its fur glossy yet disheveled, as if it hadn't been groomed in a long time. Its size rivaled that of a bull, its limbs thick and its muscles bulging, causing the ground to tremble slightly with its gait. It had a square head, large ears, and a pair of cunning, shrewd eyes that gleamed with a sharp, gleaming light, revealing its gleaming white teeth. Most striking was its tail—half bald, as if it had been burned off.

"You dog!"

"A pet!"

Before the words were even finished, the black dog suddenly glared, then grinned, stood up on its hind legs, clasped its front paws together, bowed slightly in a very professional manner, and even wagged its tail deliberately, looking like a cunning old fox: "Oh my—fairy! What a coincidence, to meet you here!"

Its eyes darted around, gleaming with a sharp light. It appeared respectful, but in reality, it was constantly scrutinizing the situation, already calculating in its mind:
"This girl's aura is restrained, with purple energy rising three thousand feet eastward, and the scroll in her hand flowing with Daoist charm... She's not simple. Could she have already stepped into that realm? If she takes Ye Fan by force, her innate holy body and Dao embryo will be secured! But what is she doing here?"

But before it could continue its pretense, Zixia stepped forward, making no attempt to hide her true intentions:

“Perfect! You’re familiar with this place, take me inside.”

She raised her hand and pointed deep into the Purple Mountain, her tone leaving no room for doubt, yet carrying a convincing power: "I will bring the 'Beginningless Sutra' back to the world."

The Black Emperor was taken aback, and its previously playful expression vanished instantly. It narrowed its eyes, stared at her intently for three breaths, and then slowly said, "The Beginningless Scripture is not something anyone can touch... It cannot be read by anyone without a congenital holy body and Dao embryo."

But Zixia didn't hesitate, nor did she explain. She simply looked directly into the Black Emperor's eyes and uttered two words with unwavering resolve and conviction—

"Trust me!"

The voice wasn't loud, yet it cut through the fog like a knife, startling even the usually slick black dog. It stared at her for a moment, its tail drooping slightly, and finally stopped chuckling.

Just then, Zixia raised her hand and pointed—

On the edge of a dragon vein, amidst a pile of boulders, a low, inconspicuous cave entrance is hidden beneath withered vines, barely large enough for one person to crawl into. The entrance is dark and deep, with a faint, eerie wind blowing through it, much like a den dug by a wild beast.

"Shall we go through this dog hole?" Zixia pointed to an inconspicuous dog hole next to a dragon vein. Black Emperor had obviously been caught by Zixia as soon as he came out of Purple Mountain. She then made a hand seal and said, "That's right, it's the Gate of Life, with auspicious omens."

"No! I've already taken this path! The gate of life is damaged, the vital energy is reversed, entering again will be a dead end!" The black dog shook its head.

Black Emperor paced back and forth, his tail thrashing restlessly, muttering to himself, "For the Emperor's legacy... I'll fight to the death!"

As if it had made up its mind, it suddenly turned around and stared intently at Zixia: "You better not lie to me!"

(End of this chapter)