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

Chapter 78 Primordial Ancient Mine
"When", "when"...

A deafening roar erupted, and Li Yao felt as if a giant hand was violently slamming against the divine furnace, causing him to sense a terrifying power even inside.

"What is this? How can it have such power?"

He was filled with doubt and apprehension, but dared not take any risks. He could only hide inside, ignoring the deafening clanging outside.

The divine furnace, forged from divine purple gold, was extremely flimsy and swayed precariously in the gale. Fortunately, it was, after all, a sacred artifact exclusively for the Great Emperor, and it actually managed to withstand the black whirlwind.

Li Yao felt fortunate. If the furnace had truly failed, even if it had only cracked slightly, he would have been reduced to ashes today.

"That gray-clad man is clearly from the Ruthless lineage. As a Dragon Transformation Elder, he couldn't even withstand the strangulation of the black whirlwind when he used the Primordial Holy Light Technique. This black whirlwind is truly terrifying." Li Yao felt somewhat horrified.

This is only on the edge, yet we've already encountered such a being. It's unimaginable how dangerous the Primordial Ancient Mine must be.

I don't know how much time passed, but the wind outside stopped, and the world became calm, with no more unusual sounds.

Li Yao flew out of the Divine Mark Purple Gold Furnace and landed on the ground.

Before his eyes, the scenery had changed drastically. He didn't know where he had been blown by the black wind. There were scattered rocks and red sand everywhere.

Li Yao looked around and felt a chill in his heart. The area was vast and silent, a blood-red plain dotted with a few large rocks.

This is a vast, blood-red plain, not a typical landscape of the northern regions.

"I've most likely entered the Primordial Ancient Mine, but I probably haven't entered the central region." Li Yao gazed at the distant horizon.

This is the only good news so far. If he really did end up in the center of the ancient mine, then he would most likely be in real danger.

Li Yao used his Origin Technique to observe the terrain of this place and discovered that it possessed a majestic aura, resembling a real dragon lying across the land, which was awe-inspiring.

"Let's find a way out. This is not a place to stay for long." With a sigh, Li Yao selected a spot with the weakest qi, guessing that it might be the exit.

Although he wasn't actually standing in front of the Primordial Ancient Mine, he still dared not fly. There were various legends about the Primordial Ancient Mine, saying that no birds could cross it, and anyone who tried to leap into the air would be destroyed, body and soul.

He didn't even dare to use his divine power, and like a mortal, he walked step by step into the distance.

After walking for more than ten miles, a huge ravine lay across the road ahead, stretching for several miles.

Li Yao stopped and used his Origin Technique to observe the area again, and a chill ran down his spine.

This canyon contains a terrifying aura, with a murderous intent that is astounding. Just standing on its edge makes one's body tremble with cold, and if one is not careful, one will turn into blood.

This enormous ravine, long and rugged, upon closer inspection, resembles a crouching dragon, so lifelike that it is almost indistinguishable from the real thing.

It's as if a dragon once slept here, its weight crushing the earth and creating this great rift valley.

Li Yao knew this must be a very ominous place. He retreated more than a hundred feet before choosing to go around it from the side.

When Li Yao arrived at the dragon's head, he saw a very small lake, only a dozen feet in circumference, which was bright red and its water was like blood, making people's hearts tremble.

Instantly, a chill ran through him, and he quickly retreated.

"This is the Fire Dragon Tomb and the Bloodbath of the Dragon. It's such a perilous place. No wonder it feels so dangerous."

Such mountains and landforms seem to have been carefully carved out, and do not appear to be a product of nature at all.

But the truth is, this is something that was formed naturally by heaven and earth, possessing the ability to gather evil energy, making it extremely dangerous.

Just then, as the sun was setting and the evening glow was spreading, Li Yao's expression changed drastically, and he quickly continued to move away from the place.

The "Fire Dragon Tomb" and "Dragon's Bloodshed" are most terrifying during the alternation of day and night. Even though he was more than a mile away at the moment, he still felt unsafe.

After running several miles, just as the setting sun brushed past the horizon and was about to sink, a chilling muffled sound rang out. The great crack trembled, and the water of the blood lake rose, bursting out of the ground and surging into the air.

Li Yao was terrified, but dared not fly. He could only run as fast as he could. Luckily, he had trained his body beforehand, otherwise he would not have been able to outrun the blood lake and would have been swept in.

He didn't stop until he was more than ten miles away, and then stared in horror at the surging lake of blood behind him.

“That’s an extremely inauspicious terrain—a true dragon coughing up blood!” Li Yao said solemnly.

He had read in an ancient book that tens of thousands of years ago, someone had discovered such terrain in the northern region. At that time, no one knew how many people died, many of whom were important figures of that era.

Finally, a Source Master emerged and deciphered the mountain and terrain, but at a great cost, he nearly died, and less than half a year later, the Source Master mysteriously disappeared.

This type of landform should be recorded in the Book of Origin.

"Sigh, the Origin Scripture I possess now may be comparable to the Origin Heaven Book, but it cannot compare in some of the hidden records," Li Yao sighed.

As the most powerful celestial book in the Origin Arts lineage, the Origin Heavenly Book not only records Origin Arts but also many unique landforms.

Every Source Master, or successor, records the strange objects and unusual landforms they have seen throughout their lives in this book, much like a tomb raiding notebook left to him by a naive grandfather.

This is an annotation of countless people's lives, and has nothing to do with Origin Techniques. Although Li Yao has been upgrading the Origin Scripture, it does not contain any records of these terrain features.

"If I had the Source Book, I should have known what it was the moment I saw it, instead of only realizing it was a perilous place where a true dragon coughed up blood when I saw the Blood Lake."

Fortunately, he happened to have seen some descriptions of this kind of terrain in an ancient book. When he saw the dragon spitting blood, he ran away as fast as he could, otherwise he would have died there today.

“Ancient books record that both the ‘Fire Dragon Tomb’ and the ‘Dragon’s Blood’ contain divine resources, at least two of them. It’s a pity I’m not fortunate enough to enjoy them,” Li Yao sighed inwardly.

The Divine Source is a treasure among treasures, extremely rare even for Li Yao. However, with his current abilities, he has no way to deal with the Fire Dragon Tomb and Dragon Bloodshed.

Moreover, after this incident, Li Yao truly realized how dangerous the forbidden zone was; it was no longer just cold words, but something that could easily take a person's life.

Li Yao completely abandoned his idea of ​​the Phoenix Blood Crimson Gold in Fallen Sun Ridge; it was too dangerous. In the forbidden zone, every step was fraught with danger, and this was no joke.

Right now, all he can do is focus on getting out of here alive; that would be the greatest success.

As darkness fell, Li Yao continued his slow progress. Despite his considerable strength, he dared not move too fast, constantly keeping his eyes on all sides and carefully observing the terrain, lest he stumble into a deadly place.

Because the mountainous terrain such as "Fire Dragon Tomb" and "Dragon Bloodshed" is by no means unique, there must be other ominous places as well.

To ensure safety, he walked and stopped frequently, using his source techniques to deduce the terrain, always choosing the weakest point in terms of energy flow.

However, the further they walked, the more disoriented they became. It seemed like a maze, with the surroundings quiet and the atmosphere somewhat eerie.

Red sand and gravel covered the ground; a light step on it produced a "crunching" sound that carried far in the quiet and empty night.

Li Yao tensed up, walking slowly and carefully, afraid of disturbing anything. The more he learned about this ancient mine, the more he realized just how powerful it was.

Finally, after walking for half an hour, he realized that he had completely lost his sense of direction, as if he had wandered into a maze.

The sky grew darker and darker, and a thick fog began to swirl around, initially like a thin veil, but eventually grew so thick that it was almost impossible to see one's hand in front of one's face.

"No, this isn't normal terrain. I'm lost. This is ghost fog!" Li Yao realized something was wrong.

He looked up, but saw no stars or moon; everything was gloomy, as if a black cloth covered the sky. Looking out over the surrounding fields, he saw no earth, only rising and falling mist. He felt as if he were inside a box.

Humans can cultivate source techniques to stabilize mountains and rivers and lock in divine sources. Conversely, evil sources can also seal the heavens and earth and trap people to death.

The rising ghostly mist is an ominous sign; he has very likely entered a demonic land and will be sealed here.

The most dangerous technique is the Yuan Ruo Lock, a deadly trap!

Li Yao immediately activated the Origin Scripture, using the Heavenly Human Sensing and the Origin Heaven Divine Eye to look at the ghostly mist, trying to find a way out.

But this made his heart leap into his throat. In the mist, he saw a figure looking at him with eyes that shimmered with an eerie light.

The figure noticed Li Yao had seen him and vanished in a flash, swift as a ghost, disappearing into the thick fog in the blink of an eye, leaving no trace, not even a clear look at its face. Li Yao's face turned deathly pale, cold sweat pouring down his back. A living being, a living creature in the Primordial Ancient Mine!
This was utterly terrifying, making Li Yao's heart pound wildly. At this moment, the figure was no less frightening than an ordinary person encountering a ghost.

"No, it might not be a powerful creature, otherwise there's no reason for it to leave; it would have just killed me." Coming to his senses, Li Yao realized something was wrong.

If the powerful figures sealed in the Primordial Ancient Mine were truly saints, there would be no reason for them to leave upon seeing him.

"That creature didn't attack me, which means it's not very strong. It probably just wants to trap me with the ghost mist. As long as I can get rid of the ghost mist, I can definitely leave."

As his fear subsided and reason returned, Li Yao roughly guessed the creature's identity. It was probably similar to a guardian, responsible for protecting the person sealed within the divine source, and likely just a low-level being.

The danger he faces now is not the creature itself, but rather this ghostly mist. Once he breaks through this terrain, he will be safe and sound.

Having found a way out of the predicament, Li Yao took out 108 large flags and carefully engraved source patterns on them. He wanted to change the terrain of this place so that the ghost mist would collapse on its own.

This is a method to stabilize the earth's veins and lock the divine source. He wanted to use offense as defense and forcefully break through a path.

An hour later, Li Yao finished carving 108 flags. He then planted one flag in the ground and used his finger as a knife to carve a star map around the flagpole. He then embedded several dozen kilograms of Yuan in the center.

Instantly, the star map lit up, and the ghostly mist dissipated considerably, with an immediate and noticeable effect.

Li Yao made arrangements quickly, not daring to delay for fear of accidents. Before long, he had planted more than a dozen large flags, which fluttered in the mist.

The area became much clearer immediately; the fog was dissipated, and the scenery was no longer blurry.

A "click!" sound rang out.

Not far away, a radiant light shone, and the starry sky above a large flag was exceptionally bright, standing out prominently in the night.

Li Yao turned his head and immediately saw the creature from before. This time, he saw its appearance: a humanoid creature covered in hair with a pair of horns on its head.

Just as Li Yao had expected, the creature was not particularly powerful. Even now, it did not attempt to charge forward, but instead flew towards a large flag.

It moved with incredible speed, its figure appearing hazy and indistinct in the ghostly mist, and quickly snapped a large flag in two.

"Click"

Soon, the second banner was broken and fell to the ground, and only a shadow covered in animal fur was seen flashing by and disappearing.

Li Yao wanted to stop it, but this place was the Primordial Ancient Mine, and he dared not make a big fuss for fear of alarming the truly supreme figures.

Normally, the powerful creatures are all asleep, leaving only the weakest one to guard the source. If this one is injured, it might alert an even more terrifying one, one that would be absolutely impossible to deal with.

However, this does not mean that he has no other options.

In half an hour, Li Yao inserted all the large flags into the same spot, engraving a large star map, which was embedded with more than a thousand catties of energy.

His original idea was to dispel the ghostly mist for a long time, but since every time he inserted one, the creature broke one, he might as well go all out at once and activate all 100 flagpoles together.

Divine power surged, the patterns on the banner shimmered, and in an instant, a radiant light shot into the sky, tearing through the black mist, and the light of countless stars poured down.

The place trembled violently, more than a hundred large flags burst into flames, and the thousand catties of source energy on the ground transformed into endless essence, cracking the earth.

The carved star map corresponded to the constellations in the sky, drawing upon the power of the stars, causing the ground to shake violently.

The ghostly mist was instantly banished, and Li Yao seized the opportunity, his figure shooting out like a cannonball.

A low growl came from behind, as if something was awakening.

Li Yao felt a jolt of fear, but he didn't dare turn back and ran frantically forward.

Before long, he burst out of the ghostly mist, the mist churning behind him, and the area was sealed off once again.

Li Yao still dared not stop until he was close to the Fire Dragon Tomb. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief. That place was too strange. Looking into the distance, the clouds and mist surged, covering everything and making it impossible to see any light.

Outside, the moonlight was bright, the stars filled the sky, and the night was as still as water.

"This is the forbidden zone of life. Once you're inside, it all depends on how strong your birth chart is." Li Yao felt this trip was incredibly exciting.

Having only been at the Primordial Ancient Mine for a day, he encountered two perilous situations, each time risking his life if he wasn't careful.

Li Yao did not linger at the Fire Dragon Tomb. Although it was not the time of day-night transition, it was still dangerous to stay in front of the Fire Dragon Tomb and the "Dragon's Bloodshed".

He chose a different route, taking a detour of dozens of miles to avoid the foggy area and conceal his presence, fearing that he might invite disaster.

The bright moon hangs high, its pure white light bathing the red earth like wisps of smoke.

The scene was so peaceful and serene; it didn't resemble a terrifying forbidden zone at all, but rather a quiet, moonlit place perfect for a stroll.

But Li Yao dared not let his guard down in the slightest. His previous two encounters had made him realize that there were too many dangers in the forbidden zone of life, and he had to be vigilant at all times.

However, as Li Yao moved forward, he felt uneasy again. According to the direction, he was heading outward, but for some reason, he always felt that he was getting closer and closer to the Primordial Ancient Mine.

"It seems like some inexplicable force is causing me to have this illusion," Li Yao said, somewhat doubtful.

The Primordial Ancient Mine is a very mysterious place. Very few people have ever been able to set foot here. No one can say for sure what kind of power this place contains.

Even though the path calculated from the source was fine at first, it seemed to go wrong as we went along.

This doesn't mean that Yuan Jing's calculations were wrong; Li Yao is more inclined to believe that he was being misled.

"Damn it, what am I going to do now?!" He didn't want to go any further. At this point, he couldn't even tell whether the path he was on was the exit or if he was getting closer to the ancient mine.

But we can't just stop here. This is the Primordial Ancient Mine, a forbidden zone for life, not a tourist attraction. You can't just stop whenever you want.

After walking for about an hour, Li Yao finally gave up hope. He was now certain that he was indeed approaching the Primordial Ancient Mine.

Suppression, fear, sorrow, grief... waves surged from the front, an emotion that made one lose control.

Li Yao activated his divine vision and looked into the distance. He saw endless starlight falling like water at the far end of the earth.

The starlight converged into a river, a vast expanse of white, flowing into the ends of the earth, from which the mysterious fluctuations emanated.

It must be the Primordial Ancient Mine! He made the judgment instantly, his heart pounding. It was probably no more than a hundred miles away.

Since ancient times, no holy lord of the Eastern Wilderness or emperor of the Central Plains has ever returned alive once they have entered!
The Primordial Ancient Mine, one of the seven forbidden zones of life in the Eastern Wilderness, is infamous throughout the world, and many terrible things have happened there since ancient times.

Li Yao turned and left without the slightest hesitation, not even wanting to look at her again.

After running fifty miles in one breath, he stopped to take a deep breath, but his face immediately turned extremely pale.

At the edge of heaven and earth, starlight, like water, a vast expanse of white, falls to the ground and converges in one place.

Without a doubt, that was the Primordial Ancient Mine, and it was still only eighty or ninety miles away from him!
Anxiety, fear, anger, grief, and other emotions surged from afar, almost affecting his soul, just as they had not long ago.

Li Yao is now certain that this is the "field energy" formed by the divine source, which distorts space and interferes with time.

This situation is the most terrifying. It is not intentional, but rather arises naturally from the divine source, almost equivalent to changing the "rules" and "order" of this world.

Currently, his situation is relatively good; he hasn't ventured into dangerous territory. Otherwise, if he were to trigger unknown laws of nature, he might die without even having time to react.

"The Primordial Ancient Mine contains divine energy, some of which has already become sentient. The interaction of the source energy naturally generates and can evolve into a killing formation on its own."

Even this is just the most basic level, merely superficial; there must be deeper evolutions involved.

Because this is the Primordial Ancient Mine!
PS: Chapter 2, 10,000 words! Requesting monthly votes and recommendation votes!
(End of this chapter)