Shrouding the Heavens: Starting by joining the Holy Land of Yao Guang

Chapter 75 Ancient Jade Pool

Under the moonlight, Li Yao had been searching the no-man's-land for several days, but still had not found the ruins of Yaochi.

Under the moonlight, the red earth stretched as far as the eye could see, endless and empty. Not to mention mountains, even large rocks were hard to find.

It was almost midnight, and Li Yao was getting frustrated because he hadn't found anything.

In the past few days, he has been using the blood of the dragon to refine his body during the day and searching at night. He has already searched a large area around the Primordial Ancient Mine, but he hasn't found a single hair of the Yaochi Ancient Land, let alone the Yaochi Ancient Land.

Li Yao was very frustrated, but little did he know that there was someone even more frustrated than him at that moment.

The man in gray traveled north for tens of thousands of miles, searching for Li Yao's whereabouts. However, even after reaching the edge of the Primordial Ancient Mine, he still found no clues.

"Did this kid go to the Light Source Zone, or did he head to the Primordial Ancient Mine?" He was both frustrated and puzzled.

“Even the ancient Celestial Masters had the idea of ​​going to the Primordial Ancient Mine to find rare stones. Could this kid have the same idea?” the gray-robed man guessed.

Many of the celestial-grade stones in the Holy City come from the Primordial Ancient Mine. The Primordial Master determined the mountains and rivers and searched for dragon veins. It can be said that as long as one is not afraid of death, the Primordial Ancient Mine is simply a paradise for them.

"Let's go check the source area first. If he's not there, then let's go check the edge of the Primordial Ancient Mine," the gray-clad man decided.

He now prefers Li Yao to be on the edge of the Primordial Ancient Mine rather than in the Source Region.

At the edge of the Primordial Ancient Mine, people from various holy lands are searching for stones there, so it's not too dangerous. If Li Yao is really there, he can directly attack him.

But if it were in the Origin District, it would be troublesome. There are countless experts there, more than one Supreme Elder, especially since the Yao Guang Holy Land sent additional forces after Jiang Yi's attack on the Origin District. If the gray-robed man dares to make a move there, he won't even know how he died.

……

Li Yao strolled across the reddish-brown earth for a full hour before finally seeing the scenery he had been longing for these past few days.

On the distant horizon, a dozen white figures soared into the sky, like fairies in the moon palace, dancing gracefully in the moonlight.

"A fairy descends from the Jade Pool!" Li Yao exclaimed in surprise. He quickly took a step, his figure vanishing as he chased after her.

Yaochi is an ancient site where, under the moonlit night, there are occasional miraculous sights of flying immortals. No one can explain why; it appears hazy from afar and ethereal up close.

Legend has it that this is an ancient remnant, a reflection from countless years ago, and a replay of ancient tales.

But when Li Yao chased after them, there was nothing but sand and gravel on the empty ground, and he searched for most of the night without finding anything.

Back then, Yaochi established its sect here because the mountains and waters here were full of spiritual beauty, making it a rare fairyland. But now it is desolate, with nothing but red sand to be seen.

The wondrous sight of immortals flying to the Jade Pool has appeared, and this place is undoubtedly the ancient site of the Jade Pool. However, no matter how hard one searches, not a single flaw can be found.

As the morning sun burst forth, its rays burst forth in vibrant red and golden hues, illuminating the reddish-brown earth. Li Yao had been busy all night, but he hadn't found a single piece of pottery, let alone any ruins.

However, Li Yao was not in a hurry, because he knew that he had already found the ancient land of Yaochi, but because of the seal, he had not yet found out where the door was.

"I remember there's a well nearby that leads into the ancient land of Yaochi, and the seal there is the weakest," Li Yao said, stroking his chin as he recalled this.

Next, Li Yao used the Source Technique to observe the earth's veins and search for anything unusual about the underground.

After traveling for half a day, searching and searching, Li Yao finally discovered something unusual at noon.

Ahead, a patch of red sand was shining, the sunlight streaming in, making it look like a giant furnace.

“Hmm, there’s something strange about this underground. The earth veins are different from the surrounding area.” Li Yao slapped his palm, and red sand swirled up, creating a large pit in the ground and revealing some large rocks.

Next, after he cleared the ground, an ancient well appeared below, which was surrounded by ancient jade stones and the wellhead was sealed with a large stone.

The sunlight from the sky is absorbed by this well, making it as hot as a giant furnace.

"The ancient site of Yaochi is indeed extraordinary. Even though it is sealed, it can still automatically absorb the essence of the sun and moon. This well is swallowing the sunlight."

Li Yao lifted the large stone, revealing a dark well opening. It was very deep, and the bottom could not be seen.

"This is it!" Li Yao's face lit up with surprise, and he slipped into the well.

"Boom!"

Li Yao stood at the wellhead, reached out and grabbed, and a huge rock flew over, blocking the wellhead again. The surrounding reddish-brown sand and gravel also spread over, covering the wellhead.

After doing all this, he began to fall.

The ancient well was really deep; it took more than two thousand meters to reach the bottom. There was no water, and the ground was covered in mud.

Upon landing, a putrid smell wafted up, and there were even withered leaves in the mud.

The ancient well is connected to an underground river, but the river has dried up and extends horizontally into the distance. Occasionally, you can see some small puddles with blind fish swimming in them.

The river was pitch black, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. You could only rely on your senses to perceive the surrounding scenery and move forward slowly.

After walking for thirty or forty miles, Li Yao felt the terrain gradually rising, and he was slowly ascending to the ground.

The seal here is extremely weak, with a faint light shining through, but it can't block anything at all, and you can go straight ahead.

After traveling several more miles, the sunlight began to penetrate, and he was very close to the exit.

Finally, after completely emerging from the water, the first thing I saw was a large lake, but it had dried up and the bottom of the lake was cracked. The river channel was connected to a large fissure in the bottom of the lake.

Emerging from the river, a rich spiritual energy immediately enveloped us, refreshing our minds and making us feel as if bathed in a spring breeze.

The bottom of this large lake is dry and barren; if you don't count the large cracks, it's shaped like a frying pan.

Many enormous fish bones lay on the ground, their bodies killed by the drying up of the lake. The size of the fish was astonishing, with some reaching tens of meters in length.

"Such a large fish, yet it didn't become a spirit, probably because of the influence of this place."

Around the lake, towering ancient trees take root on the shore, incredibly vigorous, but unfortunately they have all withered, with only one or two still bearing a dozen or so yellow leaves.

Like the fish in the lake, the ancient tree, which should have become a spirit, withered and died because of the curse.

The surroundings were quiet and somewhat deathly still.

Li Yao stepped out of the dried-up lake and onto the shore. He surveyed his surroundings. In the distance, everything was desolate, with many trees withered and barren, devoid of life, giving off an extremely bleak feeling. However, although the ancient site of Yaochi was very desolate, its spiritual energy was very strong, many times stronger than outside, truly deserving of its reputation as a sacred place for cultivation.

Upon arriving here, the Heavenly Book within my body begins to absorb vital energy.

Because Li Yao broke through to the Dao Palace and opened the Divine Treasury of the Lungs, the Heavenly Book absorbed essence much faster.

According to Li Yao's estimate, at this rate, if he stays here for a day, the Heavenly Book will absorb about ten catties of essence.

It has to be said that this number is outrageous, and this is only the current number. Once his cultivation level increases again, the speed at which the Heavenly Book absorbs essence will only become more outrageous.

"At this rate, when I reach the Sendai Secret Realm in the future, I only need to find a place with abundant spiritual energy and seclude myself for a year or two. The spiritual energy absorbed by the Heavenly Book itself will be enough to deduce an Emperor's Scripture." Li Yao thought to himself as he walked.

After walking for several miles, the sound of flowing water could be heard. After passing through a large forest of dead trees, lush greenery came into view.

Ahead, everywhere is green vegetation, lush and verdant, a lake as clear as a sapphire, and large swathes of plants on the shore teeming with life.

The enormous ancient tree, its branches stretching towards the sky, is almost the size of a small mountain. Thick vines, like ancient dragons, climb everywhere. Various flowers and plants exude a fragrant aroma, refreshing and delightful, a riot of colors that is very pleasing to the eye.

After traveling several dozen miles, we finally came across a few pavilions, but they were half-collapsed. Even though they were covered with Taoist patterns, they could not withstand the erosion of time after so many years.

Finally, Li Yao crossed the mountains and arrived at a place shrouded in mist. The surroundings were quiet, and all the vegetation was withered.

Vast palaces, like celestial palaces, stand either atop mountains or nestled before dried-up waterfalls.

The place was already dilapidated, but one could still vaguely see what a wondrous fairyland it once was. Li Yao wandered around, searching everywhere, hoping to find the Western Emperor's Inscription.

However, he found nothing. Li Yao crossed the barren land, and the fog ahead became even more ethereal.

After passing through several mountain ranges, lush greenery reappeared before our eyes, with waterfalls and springs, misty waters, and palaces standing one after another, all incredibly beautiful, as if we had entered a fairyland.

"This is the central area, and it's not dilapidated at all; everything is just as it always was!"

On the beautiful cliffs, waterfalls cascade down, silver ribbons stretching for thousands of feet, a truly magnificent sight, a vast expanse of white.

There are many palaces and palaces, just like a painting.

The essence here is much richer. If the Heavenly Book can only absorb twelve or thirteen catties of source energy a day in the outer area, it can absorb at least twenty catties of source energy a day here.

"The concentration of vital energy here is even better than that of the Yao Guang Holy Land!" Li Yao concluded after sensing it for a moment.

That's quite normal, because this place was probably created by the Western Emperor. After Yaochi was moved, this place was sealed, which allowed it to be well preserved.

Li Yao continued on his way and soon arrived at an open area. There were endless exotic flowers and plants, as well as palaces. In the center, spiritual energy was abundant and auspicious colors flowed. There was a lake there, hazy and indistinct.

"This is the sacred lake, but unfortunately, it feels a bit off." Li Yao looked at the lake with a sense of regret.

This sacred lake was once very famous; the Jade Pool was named after it. This vast lake contains extremely rich spiritual energy. If it weren't polluted, Li Yao would really have planned to cultivate there for a period of time.

The surrounding area is filled with such dense spiritual energy that it is almost liquid, making it a sacred cultivation ground that cultivators dream of.

In the past, this pool was famous throughout the world, the most famous immortal pool in the Northern Region, filled with spiritual energy, and even a source formed in the pool.

Drinking the water from this pool for a long time can prolong the life of ordinary people, and the effect is even better for cultivators. The purity and ethereal beauty of the women of Yaochi is related to this. It can slowly improve one's physique, and after decades or even centuries, one's body will be flawless and immaculate.

The water of Yaochi is the best source of water for alchemy. Some great sects and holy sites even come here specifically to ask for water when they open furnaces to refine precious divine pills.

But the thought of the rows of corpses below immediately made Li Yao reconsider.

And I don’t know if it’s psychological or what, but it feels a bit eerie and no longer sacred.

Li Yao did not linger; he left the sacred lake and continued deeper into the lake.

This important place is filled with beautiful peaks and many magnificent palaces that have stood to this day, still immortal, containing extremely profound Dao patterns that allow them to endure.

Li Yao entered a magnificent palace. The floor was paved with jade, smooth and lustrous, spotless. Even though many years had passed, the palace had a purifying effect and remained untouched by dust.

Pushing open the door that had remained closed for countless years, the hall resonated, as if stepping into an ancient Jade Pool.

Standing here, I seem to feel the glory of yesteryear, when a group of beautiful fairies stood above this land, shining brightly under the starry sky.

Li Yao strode forward, passing through one palace after another.

The grand and vast palace was empty, devoid of anything, only the desolation left by the passage of time.

After passing through a cluster of palaces, Li Yao arrived at the medicinal field. This mountainous area was full of life, with green plants everywhere, but there were no medicinal herbs and no medicinal fragrance.

He did not linger there, because he had already anticipated that the relocation of Yaochi was orderly, and almost all the precious treasures had been taken away. It was certainly impossible to find treasures here.

After leaving the medicinal herb field, he quickly rushed towards a mountain range.

This place is barren, with sheer cliffs and rocky mountains everywhere. There is no soil, only large rocks.

But this was Li Yao's true destination. As soon as he entered the mountain, he saw a woman carved on the stone wall. It gave people the feeling that the Dao was naturally formed. Although it was a stone carving, it had the wonderful realm of following the natural way and the unity of heaven and man.

These are all Daoist diagrams left behind by the sages of Yaochi in the past, containing their Daoist wisdom.

"It's a pity that, due to the passage of time, hundreds of thousands of years have passed, and these Daoist principles have long since dissipated, making them impossible to comprehend again."

Li Yao continued forward without lingering there. Soon, he arrived at a stone forest.

There are many diagrams here, but they are not cultivation techniques. They are just records of ancient history. There is a scene of an ancient creature confronting the Queen Mother, a scene of welcoming the Demon King, and a scene of the new Queen Mother ascending the throne. They are all single pictures, very simple, and you can't tell anything from them.

Upon arriving at a stone forest, Li Yao finally saw a technique. On a large blue stone shaped like a reclining tiger, there was a half-carved image of a figure standing with a hand seal.

"This should be the library of Yaochi. This move, hmm, is unremarkable and has no value for understanding." Li Yao looked at it for a moment and continued walking forward.

Next, Li Yao would occasionally see some incomplete moves, but these divine arts were mediocre to him and he wasn't particularly interested in them.

He stopped in front of a very long map.

This Daoist painting is very long, with more than a hundred panels. The first thirty or so panels are quite mediocre, but as they go on, they gradually become more refined, one after another, giving people the feeling of turning something rotten into something magical.

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(End of this chapter)