Covering the sky: Starting from the Golden Crow of the Holy Cliff

Chapter 156 Emerging from the Immortal Transformation Pool
The Ziwei Heavenly Palace complex hangs high in the nine heavens, swallowing clouds and mist, with starlight falling upon it. Its highest point even extends into the depths of the universe, carving out a pure land in the vastness, majestic and magnificent.

Some messengers who came to the Heavenly Court to pay homage discovered that a new Tushita Palace had been built in the clouds, and that the sound of exploding furnaces could be heard frequently.

"Oh!"

Inside the palace, a young man deftly extinguished the fire in the furnace, and found a dark, gooey object in the ashes. His face was somewhat dark.

"How could this be? I clearly did everything according to the Taiji Dandao analysis." The Taoist sighed softly. He was dressed in a plain white robe and looked very young. His skin was fair, and his fingers were especially long and slender. They were out of place with the three-zhang-tall Taiji Bagua furnace next to him, creating a strong sense of contrast.

At the beginning, every time he opened the furnace, auspicious clouds would soar into the sky. The preciousness of the pills was such that they could bring the dead back to life and heal the wounded. Relatives and friends would come to him to ask for pills. Now, he could not even stabilize the shape of the pills. It was as if he had retraced his path of alchemy. From being full of confidence to doubting life, this process took him three months.

From heaven to hell, it's all the same!

Especially this time, in order to find out the situation, he invited the clan's sage, hoping to get some "cheat codes," but he still failed, which was puzzling.

"I never imagined that this Dao-Breaking Pill would be so difficult to refine. Even my father couldn't succeed..." Yao Chen shook his head and dispersed the Vermilion Bird Flame in his hand.

"Chen'er, don't overthink it. It's not your fault."

The gray-haired old man beside him had deep eyes and spoke calmly. Although his voice was not loud, it was clearly audible.

He paced around the Eight Trigrams Alchemy Furnace repeatedly, circling it nine times before stopping. He stroked his long beard and said, "This furnace is rather strange. It has no grade or rank, but according to what you said, Chen'er, it initially contained a Nine-Turn Spirit Pill, which allowed you to cleanse your marrow and bones. Its medicinal effects are comparable to a demigod's medicinal fruit." (Chapter 739 of Covering the Sky, Yin Tiande Wants to Refine the Nine-Turn Spirit Pill)
"After that, you used the clan's furnaces and cauldrons to refine pills, and you achieved success in many things, but the Eight Trigrams Furnace was the only exception. Moreover, your pill refining skills declined drastically afterward... If I'm not mistaken, this furnace is not an inanimate object, but rather contains a deity that controls everything and has devoured part of your divine sense. With your essence, energy, and spirit insufficient, how can you refine pills?"

"A deity? When I left Xuandu Cave, the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Lord of the Heavenly Court said that this furnace was a rare object and did not have a spirit." Yao Chen said, his white robe adorned with six golden patterns, representing his status as a sixth-grade alchemist.

If one can successfully refine the Breakthrough Pill, a pill that even a Dao-slaying King would covet, then one is a seventh-grade alchemist.

The art of alchemy, from the sea of ​​suffering to the immortal realm, is divided into five grades. After reaching the eighth grade, alchemists can be called medicine saints, transcending the mortal realm.

Seeing that the younger generation did not believe him and mentioned an outsider, the old man's face immediately darkened, and he said in a deep voice, "That Heavenly Demon Phoenix is ​​ignorant and cannot be compared with our supreme families. In the entire Ziwei Star Region, only that ancient Heavenly Serpent with the blood of the Transformation Serpent has any talent."

"Ancestor, how do I summon the spirit of the alchemy furnace and make it acknowledge me?" Yao Chen asked. He had long coveted this alchemy furnace in the Taiqing Sacred Realm, wanting to subdue it and refine it into countless pills, filling its furnace with elixirs and miraculous medicines.

Unexpectedly, he was instead controlled by the alchemy furnace, finding himself in a dilemma.

The old sage of the Jiang family coughed twice, stood with his hands behind his back, and said in a superior manner, "I am not good at alchemy, but some people may know about it."

"Who?"

"Yifei".

"Him?" Yao Chen questioned. He was of extremely high seniority, the direct descendant of Jiang Yifei, and was known as the Little Ancestor within the Hengyu Clan. The entire God King lineage was his junior. He had met Jiang Yifei many times.

If we're talking about defeating enemies, Xiao Jiang is quite skilled; he can even stop a child from crying. But when it comes to alchemy, his opponent is definitely a novice, with little experience.

“He has the Sun God Furnace, which is a type of furnace. Perhaps it can directly suppress the spirit of the Eight Trigrams Furnace.”

"?"

Yao Chen remained silent, unaware of what was going on.

The gray-haired old man gave his reasons: "This furnace has extremely high requirements for the primordial spirit. If you were to do it yourself, it might take you decades or even centuries to cultivate the medicinal soul and refine this furnace with your divine sense. However, how can our Hengyu clan be tested by a furnace?"

Yao Chen was stunned. Only at this moment did he realize that his ancestor wanted to use 'force' to extinguish the furnace.

If the soft approach doesn't work, try the hard one!
"Is this okay?"

“There was once a man who encountered a sacred weapon. He spent his entire life making offerings to it before he finally gained the recognition of the weapon's spirit, which was then passed down to his descendants.”

"For example, the beings of Lan Chen are like... like that Holy Body who, in his youth, pursued his wife, Lin, relentlessly, but died without illness. Yet, after arriving in Beidou and becoming prominent, he enjoys the blessings of having multiple wives. Why is that? Even a virtuous person has times of exhaustion, and there are also times of transformation like a dragon or a snake."

"No matter how clever your schemes are, they are no match for brute force. My clan has the strength to lend a hand, so why do you need to seek the approval of that alchemy furnace? If it doesn't recognize you, are you just going to keep using it forever?"

The old sage's earnest teachings were captivating, opening a door to a new world for Yao Chen.

"I see..." Yao Chen nodded repeatedly, as if the clouds had parted and the sun was shining through, deeply agreeing.

He had been unable to produce the elixir for days and was already seething with anger. Now that he knew the reason, he naturally wouldn't let the Taiji Bagua Furnace go easily.

Even his own father never tested him.

After the old man left, Yao Chen looked at the colorful clouds in the sky and inexplicably thought of something else, muttering to himself, "I didn't expect that Ye Fan was rejected by his Daoist partner back then? There's such a thing."

"His second partner also took the initiative to break up with him." Dan Tong, who was carefully serving him, took the opportunity to speak, but his hands did not stop. He quickly laid out the paper and offered the pen and ink.

"Such a strange thing? Yichen, you tell me."

Yao Chen became interested and wrote a letter asking Jiang Yifei for help while inquiring about the past of the Holy Body.

Jiang Yichen knew his chance had come. It was worth all the effort he had put in to get this position as a medicine boy. He was willing to humble himself and said, "Young Ancestor, our clan made many mistakes because of that evil ancestor who committed a great crime. Many of Ye Fan's friends have been imprisoned in our clan's old prison..."

During their conversation at the Tushita Palace, a letter was led by a member of the Hengyu Clan and sent to the Five-Colored Altar at top speed.

"Stop ahead, no flying allowed?" The White Feather Fire God Raven stationed there flapped its wings, behind it was a distant void shrouded in thin mist, a hazy and ethereal world of flames, terrifying beyond measure.

The Hengyu Clan members landed and looked at the Tianshi Palace guarding the Three Star Passage, a sense of awe rising in their hearts.

The Lord of the Heavenly Eclipse Palace here is a renowned Fire Crow Saint who wields the True Yin Fire and is one of the most powerful figures in the Heavenly Court.

'White feathers and red eyes—this is a top-tier fire crow, transformed through the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame; it should not be underestimated.'

He quickly made his judgment, bowed respectfully to the person in front of him, and said to the crow general of the Pure Lotus lineage, "By order of my clan's Daoist Yaochen, I am to contact Lan Chen."

The white-feathered raven general's expression remained indifferent until he confirmed the blood seal of Yao Chen and the solar furnace emblem of the Hengyu clan. Only then did his expression soften slightly. With a wave of his hand, the two hundred raven soldiers behind him released their guards and allowed the man to enter.

Dao Zi is a title bestowed by the Heavenly Court upon those who have inherited ancient Daoist arts. Those who receive this title will possess the Immortal Gourd Mark and hold a unique status.

It can be said that Daozi represents both strength and glory, signifying the approval of the Lord of the Immortal Ruins.

Even Yan Ming's own kind, the Raven General who embarked on the path of evolution through the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame, still needs to be treated with some respect.

The deputy general explained, "By order of the clan leader, Ziwei has been under martial law for the past few months. We hope that fellow Daoists of the Hengyu Clan will not take offense. It's not just you; the Dao Clan and the Golden Clan are under the same rule."

"You gentlemen have diligently guarded the affairs of the king, ensuring the stability of this region. We can only express our admiration." The half-step great power of the Hengyu clan smiled, cupped his hands, apologized briefly, and then quickly departed.

Once he had fully stepped into the five-colored altar, the three raven generals beside him began to whisper among themselves.

"I heard that the Great Void Sage is about to be conferred the title of Heavenly King, and his son is also extraordinary. He is only a few years old, but he is already able to defeat powerful beings."

"The squabbles of the younger generation are none of our business. Besides, our clan's three Flame Dao Children are no weaker than anyone else..."

No sooner had the words been spoken than another figure appeared from afar, moving with incredible speed. This time, the crows' attitude was completely different; they called out from a great distance.

"Sun Child!" "Greetings, everyone."

Ye Tong nodded, indicating that he had important matters to attend to and needed to go to Lan Chen immediately to report.

Bai Yuya dared not delay and immediately led Ye Tong onto the fiery passage, traversing thousands of kilometers in a matter of breaths to arrive at a majestic temple.

Within the Heavenly Eclipse Palace, ghostly figures flickered amidst the Taiyin True Fire, with skeletons appearing and disappearing. There was no holiness, only a chilling, eerie atmosphere.

"The Immortal Transformation Pool, the Dragon's Lair in Central China... We've finally found it!"

The old palace master, who had been in seclusion, awoke abruptly, looked up, and his eyes shot out two beams of light like lightning. He stared at the jade slip that Zhang Xiaofan had carved, and immediately understood everything.

He had long, gray hair, deep eyes, and an ordinary appearance, yet possessed a natural and unpretentious charm. He was one of the oldest beings among the Fire Crows, having lived on the Sacred Cliff long before Yan Ming was born. When he received his ordination, he embarked on the path of evolution through the Taiyin True Fire, breaking through to the Sacred Realm. He was also the deputy clan leader of the Fire Crow lineage.

"Follow me, Daoist, you can go directly to the Immortal Ruins," said the Heavenly Eclipse Daoist, who then activated the most core teleportation altar to send Ye Tong to Earth.

After finishing everything, the old man's brow glowed, and with one step, the Taiyin True Fire surged to the heavens, and a pair of Yin Crow wings sprouted from his ribs.

He was drawing the array platform, intending to descend directly upon the Central Plains of the Big Dipper...

At this time, the Qinling Mountains, stretching for millions of miles, were already ablaze with auspicious colors, and a path to immortality appeared. Some people ascended to heaven in broad daylight, shaking the world.

"This is... someone has found the Heavenly Path to the Immortal Transformation Pool!" someone exclaimed, sensing the space tremor.

In fact, in recent years, the Qinling Mountains have been teeming with people, not only humans, but also ancient races and Ziwei beings, all in an effort to find the Immortal Transformation Pool, which appears only once every ten thousand years.

However, to everyone's disappointment, no matter how hard people searched, the legendary ancient dragon's lair and the Immortal Transformation Pool remained nowhere to be found.

I never expected to witness someone seizing the opportunity to become an immortal and becoming the first to ascend the path to immortality. It is truly enviable.

"Quickly go and invite the Ancestor to unleash the Supreme Imperial Artifact!"

The people of the Divine Continent Dynasty shouted, but before he could return, a silver light pierced through the past and present, flowing with dreamlike colors, and the Primordial Chain spread across the sky.

"boom!"

The ancient scroll, weathered and worn, swept across the sky. The Nine Li Map cut off the path ahead, while the silver scroll fluttered past, covering the sky and the earth, rushing straight through.

"A once-in-a-millennium event, I never expected to encounter the opening of the Immortal Pool." The Great Sage of the Nine Li Dynasty had his hair disheveled. After refining the Medicine King, the decaying aura on his body was somewhat suppressed, but he still looked old and had a great need for longevity-extending items. Naturally, he would not let go of this immortal opportunity.

"Boom!"

In the northern direction, a celestial mace bursts forth with countless golden rays, its ancient imperial might surging. The one wielding the weapon is locking onto the void, stepping into the azure sky, and taking control of a region.

The terrifying terrain, capable of slaughtering saints and causing the disciples of the Source Celestial Master to live in constant fear, could be broken with a flick of the finger in front of the Great Sage.

The two Great Sages launched a powerful attack, directly wiping out everything. The final stretch of the path to immortality was terrifying, as difficult as ascending to heaven, and was known as the "Crossing the Heavenly Barrier." However, it was shattered by the ancient imperial weapon, and the two major forces forcefully broke through.

"These people... they actually got in like this."

In the mysterious realm of the Immortal Transformation Pool, amidst the vast mist, a man in black shifted his gaze, his feet shimmering with intricate and profound primordial patterns that merged with the pulse of the earth, concealing his own existence.

He barely managed to find the only true path, but the disturbance was too great, and there were too many cultivators in the Qinling Mountains, so it was impossible to hide it.

There is no other way now but to wait for the arrival of the Heavenly Court's leaders.

"That young man from Sacred Cliff is quite good; he has some talent. Without him, we wouldn't have been able to set foot here," said one of the Golden Clan's Ancestral Kings, a smile on his face that seemed to be a compliment, but it made Zhang Xiaofan frown and disappear into the depths of the earth's veins.

The animosity between the two factions has a long history, perhaps because the leaders of the Golden Clan felt slighted.

Or perhaps the Sacred Cliff relocated, successively capturing Ziwei and Lanchen, but failing to share the spoils with them...

Over the years, the Golden Clan has not fared well in the Big Dipper. Every attempt to expand their influence has been thwarted by powerful figures in the human race. However, the Holy Cliff has not clearly sided with them, leading to considerable discontent among many members of the Golden Clan.

Although he didn't know all of these things, Zhang Xiaofan had encountered quite a few in the Heavenly Eclipse Palace, so he naturally knew that now was not the time to go out.

"As long as we wait for Master and the Nine Phoenix King to descend..."

Suddenly, the ancient king of the Golden Clan pointed his finger, shattering the void, and a figure fell out in a sorry state, with nowhere to escape.

"You are a disciple of the Heavenly Eclipse Saint, and you are of the same blood as my clan. Why do you dare not meet me?" An ancient king beside him questioned, his tone strange, harboring hostility towards the Heavenly Court. He even wanted to take action and capture the man, but was stopped by those around him. However, the pressure of the Saintly Dao was real and unavoidable.

Zhang Xiaofan felt as if he were carrying a mountain of demons on his back. Sweat quickly streamed down his face, but he just tried his best to endure it, staring at the ground without saying a word.

"As expected of someone from Holy Cliff, even a mere cultivator dares to defy our dignity."

The ancient king of the Golden Clan had a gloomy face and exuded an overwhelming aura of terror. Even a junior from the Holy Cliff dared to refuse his question, and he was a human at that, which made him lose face.

Today, Beidou openly claims to be a place where all races coexist, but within the ancient races, there are also different levels and ranks.

In the entire world, only the Fire God Raven carries the legacy of the Holy Spirit and can speak with them on equal terms. Others, even the Hengyu Clan, are not qualified, as they lack a Great Saint-level being and are not on the same level.

Humans are even more pathetic and are not even worth their attention.

The Jiuli Divine Dynasty was an exception, having emerged with the potential of a Great Sage, but it couldn't stand alone and couldn't compare to the ancient royal family...

“I will not speak unless..., for the weight of the matter is too great.”

A talisman rose from Zhang Xiaofan's body, and a terrifying power emanated from him, relieving all the suppression.

"The Taiyin Ancient Talisman, your master is quite willing to part with it."

The ancient king said coldly, the chain of order surging, going all out to break the talisman and bring the person to his side.

"boom!"

On the other side, the ancient cave at the foot of the mountain spewed forth its essence, and a dragon's roar resounded through the thirty-three heavens, as if it were coming from the wilderness.

The Golden King descended, but his massive hand missed its target, only to be evaded by the Ancient Dragon's Lair. This being possessed sentience and could move swiftly through the Qinling Mountains, making it difficult to strike easily.

"The immortal treasure is mine!" The Great Sage of Jiuli unfurled the Supreme Dao Immortal Diagram, victory assured!
At the critical moment, the dragon vein trembled, and a monstrous divine light burst forth from the ancient dragon's lair, shocking the world. Many people collapsed to the ground.

"boom!"

The Nine Li Diagram flew out horizontally, the Great Sage's pupils contracted, he staggered backward, his face deathly pale.

"How could this be..." He gripped the Supreme Emperor Weapon tightly, his heart sinking.

A terrifying dragon aura roared out of the dragon's lair, possessing the power of a quasi-emperor, overwhelming everything, even ancient imperial weapons could not withstand it and were about to fall.

(End of this chapter)