Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 67: Desolate Pagoda and Aurichalcite

Note that we have changed the name of orichalcum to aurichalcite.

The unscrupulous cultivator had his hands clasped behind his back as he frowned and walked to and fro while muttering: “The demon emperor has a fully justified reputation, he actually set up a yang tomb and a ying grave, this area…… is a gap that he purposefully left behind?”

The fat cultivator was bewildered as he stared at the distant active volcano before looking back at the profound black pond, his eyebrows were scrunched together as he said: “If I didn’t guess wrongly, this ying grave isn’t that simple, whoever goes in will perish……”

“Daoist, aren’t you still alive and well?” Ye Fan stood by the side and interrupted.

“Agitating me on purpose?” The unscrupulous cultivator now found Ye Fan an eye sore as he said: “You wastrel, might as well just go down and accompany the demon emperor!”

“Don’t, Daoist don’t vent your anger on me. This really has nothing to do with me.”

“Ai!” The unscrupulous cultivator sat on the ground as he seemed dejected: “Although I found such a heaven-defying secret, I have no way to open the ying grave, thinking about it there will certainly be a sure kill formation down below. Earlier, if I had continued to the depths of the black pond and entered the ying palace, i’m afraid that I would have no longer existed in this world.”

“You mean to say that the most valuable treasure of the eastern badland’s human race, the Desolate Pagoda is actually under the black pond within the ying grave?” Ye Fan sat atop a boulder in the distance, not daring to go too near for fear of being unlucky: “No wonder the five important figures did not manage to find the Desolate Pagoda, it was actually sealed here.”

The unscrupulous cultivator ignored him as he had an expression of thoughtfulness, thereafter he began to scratch the ground, as though he were deducing the different connections between the yang tomb and the ying grave. Finally, he let out a sigh as he had an expression of helplessness: “Losing the most precious treasure but actually finding the ying grave, however I am unable to enter it. This is really making me regretful and distressed!”

“Aren’t there a few important figures there?” Ye Fan pointed at the five peerless experts above the active volcano.

“Even if they were to go in, I’m afraid that they would not be able to leave in one piece. This is a sure-kill formation! The yang tomb was something the demon emperor purposefully left behind with a gap, allowing the demon race’s most valuable treasure as well as his spring of divine energy to pass on to his descendants. This is the place where he really rests, where he will not permit anyone to disturb. Exposing the yang tomb is also for hiding the ying grave! Maybe there are also other uses, one yang and one ying, forming a Tai Chi symbol, simply profound.” Having said this, the unscrupulous cultivator had a disappointed and frustrated expression: “Unless we have the most valuable treasure of the eastern badland’s human race, even if peerless experts could break the sure-kill formation, they would have no way to subdue the ying grave, it would rush into the ground beneath the eastern badlands, like a dragon returning to the ocean, without a trace to follow.”

“The Desolate Pagoda is so miraculous that it can even subdue the demon emperor’s ying grave? Even stronger than peerless experts?” Ye Fan had an expression of astonishment.

“Of course!” The unscrupulous cultivator had a yearning look: “It’s rumoured that the Desolate Pagoda has existed for an endless amount of time, exactly which era it was passed down from is simply unfathomable. There is nothing within this world, human or object that it cannot subdue!”

“Is it really that fearsome?”

The fat cultivator’s thoughts seemed to be wandering far away as he continued: “Since ancient times, whether immortals actually exist has never been confirmed. No one can possibly confirm this. However, every legend regarding immortals within the eastern badlands has something to do with the Desolate Pagoda.”

“What relation would they have with the Desolate Pagoda?” Ye Fan had an expression of astonishment.

“It’s rumoured that within the endless years, the eastern badlands did have an immortal before, it’s been recorded down in ancient text, the few times this happened all these ‘immortals’ were subdued and killed by the Desolate Pagoda!”

“No way, the Desolate Pagoda is that frightening?!” Ye Fan felt shocked, whether immortals existed even now there was no confirmation on this. It could be imagined that if immortals really existed, they would certainly be existences above all cultivators! Strong to that extent yet unable to block the Desolate Pagoda from subduing them, this was simply too astonishing.

“Naturally it’s frightening, otherwise why would so many important figures come here! I think it won’t be too long before the leader of a Sacred Ground personally arrives, the eastern badlands is simply too large and some people will receive the news much later than others. Once they find out, they will definitely form ‘Dao Inscriptions’ and pass through the void to arrive here.

“What background does this Desolate Pagoda have to be so extraordinary and strong?” Ye Fan’s heart was currently racing.

“It’s rumoured that even before the eastern badlands gained spiritual awareness, the Desolate Pagoda was already in existence. No one truly knows where it came from.”

“It’s such a pity, a treasure that you had actually gotten was thrown away by Daoist. Treating the most precious treasure as a useless piece of aurichalcite.” Ye Fan shook his head as he sighed, purposefully showing such an attitude.

Hearing this, the face of the unscrupulous cultivator grew ugly, even more green than the colour of the aurichalcite as he angrily said: “If it weren’t for you I’d already have it in my grasp.”

“Daoist, you can’t say it like that. You were the one who threw it away in the first place. It’s such a pity, that Desolate Pagoda.”

“Who told you that it’s the Desolate Pagoda? Which sentence of mine said that it was the most precious treasure of the eastern badland’s human race?”

Ye Fan was shocked: “Since it isn’t the Desolate Pagoda, why are you getting so frantic? Isn’t it just a useless piece of aurichalcite? I feel that it has nothing to do with the Desolate Pagoda.”

“What do you know? Stupid child, I can’t be bothered with you!” The unscrupulous cultivator had a fire in his belly, he was unwilling to carry on talking about the aurichalcite.

Although Ye Fan seemed barely eleven to twelve years old, he was actually already past twenty and being called a stupid child he was indignant as he softly said: “F***!”

[T/N* : 告非 is a slang for F*** but the first word can be used as tell/report/inform/sue]

“You’re going to inform who?” The unscrupulous cultivator was shocked as he questioned.

“I F*** you!” Ye Fan’s heart did not feel good as he answered in this manner.

“You F*** me? What nonsense are you speaking, I don’t have time to be bothered with you.” Having said this, the unscrupulous cultivator turned and looked into the black pond with a contemplative look.

“Daoist, since you don’t dare to enter deeply into the ying grave, why don’t you talk about the aurichalcite, let me know it’s history since it was me who threw it in……”

“You…… still have the cheek to say it!” Hearing these words, the fat cultivator was incensed as his eyes turned red.

“It seems that it really isn’t ordinary, my guess that it’s only slightly less powerful than the Desolate Pagoda…..” Ye Fan clearly had bad intentions as he purposefully riled the unscrupulous cultivator’s emotions, of course he knew that he could not go too overboard with this.

“Stupid child, actually trying to provoke me. I’ll stifle you to death! I won’t tell you anything.” The fat cultivator turned and ignored him once again.

“Daoist you’re simply too lacking in morals, stealing three spiritual weapons from me and now that I ask you some simple questions, you actually show such an attitude…..”

Seeing Ye Fan being all smug over there, the unscrupulous cultivator really wanted to strangle him: “Even if there were ten, one hundred or even a thousand spiritual weapons, they would not be able to exchange for the aurichalcite that you threw away!”

“Daoist, don’t be so angry. I only conveniently threw it into the black pond, it’s your fault for not telling me that it’s a precious treasure……”

Looking at this young child of barely eleven to twelve years of age whining constantly, incessantly cocky, the unscrupulous cultivator felt even more upset to the point where he wanted to cry but no tears came out. He wanted to cut off his two hands, how could he have been so useless not to keep that aurichalcite earlier?

“God dammit!” He breathed out heavily: “Stop whining and be more honest!”

“Ai!” Ye Fan shook his head as he pretended to sigh, his heart was feeling good. In this short period of time, he had already made the unscrupulous cultivator extremely regretful and successful riled his emotions, it could be said that he had taken his revenge.

Seeing that Ye Fan was no longer talking, the fat cultivator spoke up as though he was regretting: “Who says that the aurichalcite can’t compare to the Desolate Pagoda, endless years ago, the eastern badlands was almost overturned because of this aurichalcite.”

“Something like that actually occurred?” Ye Fan had a curious expression.

“That’s right, back then when the Desolate Pagoda went missing there wasn’t such an uproar. However, this piece of aurichalcite caused turmoil within the entire eastern badlands.”

“The Desolate Pagoda can suppress and kill immortals, it’s might unblockable. It is already considered the most valuable treasure within the eastern badlands, could the aurichalcite be more impressive than it?”

The fat cultivator was dispirited and downcast as he said: “The aurichalcite is something from the central continent, the year it went missing, all the peerless experts from the central province flooded out as they turned the entire eastern badlands, southern mountains, western desert and northern plains inside out. That caused such a huge uproar!”

Hearing this, Ye Fan took a deep breath of cold air.

He knew that the central province was even more vast than the eastern badlands, cultivators who rode on mystical rainbows would find it hard to traverse the entirety of it, if one wanted to travel from one area to the other, they would have to carve ‘Dao Inscriptions’ into mountains, rivers and earth. Forming ‘Heavenly Influences’ and pass through the void to travel.

It’s rumoured that the central province has many places of historical interest, with illustrious heroes, where experts come forth in large numbers, an extremely mysterious and prosperous piece of ancient land.

“Who would have the gall to incense all the peerless experts of the central province to act……”

“Naturally it’s the last demon emperor that united the demonic race of the eastern badlands, creating great trouble for the human race of the eastern badlands!”

“It seems that the demon emperor was really strong, able to stir up chaos in all places, certainly an exceptional person.”

The unscrupulous cultivator seemed to be in a bad mood as he looked at him: “Needless to say, if he weren’t strong, how would he have been able to unite the demonic race of the eastern badlands, achieving a status known as the immortal emperor.”

Ye Fan contemplated a while before asking: “Why are you so sure that the aurichalcite comes from the central province? What exactly is it?”