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

Chapter 218 The Innate Dao Embryo from Eternal Ages Ago, the Immortal Peach
A tattered net, a leaky boat, and a lonely thatched hut are nestled on the banks of the Peach Blossom Spring, providing shelter for those in distress.

No one could have imagined that Ye Fan, the once-famous and blessed with good fortune, would fall to such a state.

The first trial for humanity is fraught with terrifying danger; even a quasi-emperor is angered. Who can stop him?
Even with the supreme artifact protecting him, it still caused him unimaginable damage. His Dao foundation was completely severed, and the Myriad Things Mother Qi Cauldron was also shattered, plunging him into a sea of ​​suffering and causing him endless pain.

Having lost his cultivation and suffered severe injuries, the bone age of his sacred body truly manifested, making him resemble a sixty-year-old man, his blood and energy withered, heading towards the twilight of his life.

Compared to physical pain, what's even more agonizing is the mental state!
He was strangled by a quasi-emperor, and his unique blood aura was definitely that of a giant among humans.

Where is the other party from?

And why kill him?
Ye Fan didn't think any further, but his heart grew colder. Overnight, his hair turned white and his eyes became leaden gray. Thinking of his family, he realized he couldn't die; he had to continue living in this world.

The place where he was stranded was a harsh environment, with many primeval forests, wild beasts roaming, and some sinkholes and abysses. Upon closer inspection, it was clear that they had been affected by sword energy and divine arrows. There were also many ruins of ancient cities, making for a truly astonishing sight.

In the past, a great battle broke out here! But as time went by, the devastated land was covered with vegetation and came back to life.

A secluded paradise!
Isolated from all the heavens, the land was barren for hundreds of thousands of miles, with scarce life essence and civilization in its infancy!

Some tribes lived in the mountains, while some dynasties were established on the plains. A young man, critically wounded and dying, coughed up blood and was buried by the heavy snow.

It was the dead of winter, and the weather was bitterly cold. Ye Fan, who had lost his golden blood energy, felt the cold for the first time in a long time.

"Young man, why do you look so prematurely aged?"

The first person he saw was an old woman in a straw raincoat, looking very weathered, alone, fishing in the cold river snow.

The old woman sighed, noticing Ye Fan's tattered armor. She guessed he was some fallen prince or refugee from a famine, drawing her attention and making her stare intently.

He was rescued by an old woman who gave him food and drink, and through her introduction, he learned about the details of this world.

This place is a mortal kingdom, belonging to Wuning County of the Great Jin Dynasty. There are few immortals who can fly or escape into the earth. Even though the lonely fisherwomen huddle together for warmth, life is still very difficult. The catch from fishing is meager, and there are also taxes levied by the government.

As the ancients said: "The mountains and seas under the emperor's control are all part of the imperial court."

Within Wuning County, fishermen are subject to monthly taxes levied by special "water tax collectors," with a swiftness even greater than the harshest winter, nearly driving people to the brink of starvation...

Fishing in the cold weather is very difficult. The two men were hungry and exhausted, but the sun was already high in the sky. They stopped on the shore and rested in the boat planks.

Suddenly, two people approached from afar. They were a tax official and a water officer under the prefect. They scrutinized Ye Fan, whose origins were unknown, and regarded him as a 'savage.' They scolded him and were about to seize him, rudely putting him in shackles.

The old woman tried her best to persuade them, but to no avail. The two officials not only arrested the man, but also swept all the charcoal from the thatched hut as punishment for harboring a savage…

After a fierce battle, the two Shuiyu fell into a pool of blood, no longer as arrogant as before!

Looking at the wooden boat that had been smashed and the fishing nets that had been deliberately damaged, the old woman sighed again. Even if the officials hadn't been killed, this winter would still be hard to get through.

“Mother-in-law, can’t we stay here anymore? The taxes in Jin are too heavy, you can’t afford them,” Ye Fan said, his white hair exuding a deep sense of age, still calm even after killing someone.

These days, he weaves straw sandals and sells fish to make a living, hoping to slowly heal his wounds and gradually unleash a wisp of divine power from the sea of ​​suffering.

Unfortunately, time waits for no one!
These peaceful days are coming to an end!
In fact, a great war broke out in the northern part of Jin State, and the flames of war spread endlessly. Many powerful clans fled and hid in no man's land, even if they encountered unexpected wild beasts as a result.

Human rights are more ferocious than tigers and leopards!

Although the old woman was weak, she understood this principle, so she and Ye Fan repaired the boat overnight and sailed down the river.

"Many people leave this place, perhaps not just because of war, but because of the lack of the essence of heaven and earth?" Along the way, Ye Fan felt a wisp of earth vein essence for the first time in a long time. He glanced at the land along the way. Although it was covered with grass and trees, it was still barren. This kind of desolate land was comparable to the Big Dipper in the end times. It would be very difficult to open up the sea of ​​suffering.

They continued their escape, losing track of how far they had traveled. Suddenly, they came upon a peach grove, stretching for hundreds of paces along both banks of a stream. There were no other trees in between, and the flowers and grasses were fresh and beautiful, with fallen petals scattered all over the ground.

Even Ye Fan was surprised, as his withered holy body felt a trace of nourishment.

"This is... a hidden, primordial paradise. Is it truly the legendary Peach Blossom Spring?" He continued sailing forward, rowing along the source of the stream.

At the end of the peach grove is the source of the stream. There is a mountain and a cave there. At first, the cave entrance was very narrow, only allowing one person to pass through. It was dark and oppressive. After walking a few dozen steps, it suddenly became open and bright, and the original darkness was pierced by the light.

Before them lay a flat, expansive land, spanning only a few hundred miles, covered with groves of flowering trees, many of which were peach trees tens of thousands of years old, gnarled and powerful like dragons, their pink petals fluttering and shimmering, filling the air with a sweet fragrance.

You can also see the gurgling spring, the scattered strange rocks, all naturally forming a beautiful scene, accompanied by flowers and trees!
This place is like a paradise on earth, inhabited by a group of remnants of the past, including an elderly man with snow-white hair who sits alone among the flowering trees, enjoying his remaining years.

There were also children with gray hair and drooping hair playing among the ancient trees, lively and adorable.

Fertile fields abound, mulberry groves stretch as far as the eye can see, and everything here appears orderly and harmonious, with men tilling the fields and women weaving.

The fisherman standing nearby was almost petrified, and even Ye Fan felt it was unreal.

“In ancient times, people lived to be over a hundred years old and their movements were still vigorous.” He immediately thought of the “Huangdi Neijing Suwen” chapter. The scene before him was exactly the same as the ancient times described in the ancient book.

When the locals saw the outsiders, they asked them where they came from. Upon learning that the two men had fled to this remote region to escape the war, they all sighed with pity.

“Outsiders, our ancestors also experienced your story.” Someone sighed, saying that they fled here a long time ago and then gradually settled down.

He invited Ye Fan and the old woman to his home, where he hosted a banquet, slaughtering chickens and cooking lambs to entertain them.

At the table, Ye Fan's pupils contracted as he spotted several demonic creatures that had transformed into human form. Looking closer, he saw faint mist swirling, and everything before him changed once more.
A white mist drifts by, the mountains and rivers are beautiful, celestial birds fly about, and auspicious beasts appear.

Everything has changed; this is a different world!

Ye Fan saw some creatures that should have disappeared from this world, including a Great Completion King.

This was a young man, dressed in white, exuding a demonic aura, yet handsome and elegant, walking with a carefree air, possessing an indescribable demeanor and a powerful presence.

"A snow rabbit. There are not only mortals here, but also demons," Ye Fan muttered to himself.

He saw a snow rabbit transform into a young girl, dressed in a five-colored robe, holding a white dragon infant in her arms, her smile as beautiful as a flower. He also saw a human woman, wearing a purple Taoist robe, exuding a divine aura and an aura of harmony between heaven and man, descending upon a luminous spiritual mountain, utterly serene.

Someone greeted him.

The man, who was actually a snow rabbit, asked with a bright smile, "Where do you come from, fellow Daoist?"

“…Immortal Ruins,” Ye Fan replied.

"I've never heard of it, but it must be a rare paradise," the man in white said, raising his wine cup and drinking it all in one gulp, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.

Ye Fan retorted, but how could he not be suspicious that he could still see such creatures in such a place?
Especially that woman.

He couldn't help but look at the human woman sitting at the table; the feeling was exactly the same as the feeling his sister Zixia gave him.

There is also a primordial Dao embryo here!
Incredible!

In the vast universe, there is more than one divine bloodline; he knew he had arrived at an inconceivable place.

"What's wrong, fellow Daoist?" the man in white asked, showing great concern.

"I feel a little dizzy." Ye Fan rubbed his forehead, his face crisscrossed with wrinkles and his hair was white and withered. He looked out of place among these young people, but no one looked down on him.

With a soft chuckle, the snow rabbit girl laughed, and the others were also surprised. Even the young dragon blinked its big eyes and spoke in human language, saying, "What a strange person. He actually has the same destiny as Brother Xue. Unbelievable."

Ye Fan glanced sideways and looked at him.

"Brother, there is no need to doubt us. We have no ill intentions."

The man in white smiled, and a strange phenomenon appeared behind him: an ancient tree, seemingly about to materialize, only one meter tall, rooted in a stream, lush and verdant, bearing two fruits, fragrant and intoxicating, that made one's pores relax.

"The Immortal Peach Tree!"

Ye Fan stood up, his voice trembling slightly. How could he believe it?
This elixir must be deep within the forbidden zone of the Divine Ruins, never having flowed out. He saw it with his own eyes when he passed by the South Heavenly Gate.

That one is definitely real, but what is the origin of this one?
The fragrance of this miraculous medicine is genuine!

“Indeed, fellow Daoist, you also possess a divine seed. This current predicament is merely a temporary hardship; you will surely rise again one day.” Wisps of dragon energy lingered, forming a silver dragon battle armor from the dragon energy within the man surnamed Xue’s body, gleaming brightly. He spoke gently, his words like a spring breeze, getting straight to the point and no longer concealing anything.

Ye Fan sighed softly, said nothing more, and took out the Bodhi Seed that he had always used for cultivating both body and mind.

This celestial artifact was never taken by the Heavenly Court and has always been in his possession. However, now that he has lost all his divine power, even a mountain of treasures would be difficult for him to utilize.

"The Bodhi Immortal Tree Seed!" The woman, now in perfect harmony with humanity, cast her gaze, her eyes flashing with a brilliant purple light, exuding both majesty and transcendence. She said, "Could it be that you were ambushed by a sage? Otherwise, how could you have fallen to such a state? Your foundation of cultivation was almost destroyed..."

She was tall and slender, and her words were direct and unreserved. She spoke them as they came out, and there was a kind of Taoist aura about her, holy and peaceful, shrouded in a hazy light.

Ye Fan opened his mouth, speechless, with a strange feeling that he couldn't help but look at that woman.

He told the truth, bringing up his previous experience, and expressed his belief in his own judgment.

The people in front of him showed no sign of hostility; they were all incredibly peaceful. They seemed to be at peace with the world and might be able to help him achieve a rebirth.

"A quasi-emperor's murderous intent..." Everyone present fell silent.

In their world, the strongest beings are only saints, capable of plunging those who have severed their path into despair. As for those above saints, they are all legendary figures, and to reach that level, one must embark on the ancient path of the starry sky.

"Brother Dao is a hero of his time, and he also possesses the Immortal Peach Elixir. If the great figures deep within the starry sky were to know about this, not to mention saints, even great saints and quasi-emperors would be tempted by him."

Ye Fan sighed, noticing that the ancient peach the other party held had two fruits on it, which were of immeasurable value and much more precious than the Bodhi seed in his hand.

Such an exceptional figure is rare, even among the most brilliant minds. He is astonishing, yet approachable and humble, displaying a demeanor that commands respect.

However, if he wasn't mistaken, the other party's bloodline didn't seem to be very strong.

"It's not about innate talent; perhaps it's about possessing a heaven-defying immortal root, like that Yao Guang Saint Son..." He understood, realizing this possibility. That person swept across the five regions of Beidou, forcing Wang Teng to exile himself multiple times; he was a Dao Child-level existence of the Dark Heavenly Court...

The atmosphere was very harmonious. Ye Fan discussed the Dao with them. His understanding of the Dao and his vision were still intact. He was about to become a saint and had mastered many scriptures. He had a pleasant conversation with the young man in white and they all felt very compatible.

The two are quite similar in some ways, both possessing the elixir of immortality and only one step away from the realm of sainthood.

This discussion was very enlightening for both sides.

Clearly, this was a very pleasant time. People of different races were all peaceful and harmonious, without any disputes, only discussions. Even though one of them was weak and possessed the Bodhi Seed, no one was tempted by it...

Several months passed in the blink of an eye. Ye Fan became friends with several people, including the Dao Embryo Girl, the young prodigy with the Immortal Root of the Peach, and the Snow Rabbit Girl who was like his little follower.

His gains were immense; even his injuries improved, and he drank the divine spring water from this place.

Even the white-robed youth's gift of peaches of immortality to help stabilize his injuries was a life-saving act that moved him deeply.

Ye Fan offered to exchange the Bodhi Seeds for the Phoenix Blood Crimson Gold he had obtained in the past. After refining the Peaches of Immortality, he was reborn from the ashes, and his cultivation level rose to another level, making him ready to step into the Saint Realm at any time.

The young man in white simply shook his head, exuding an indescribable air of superiority. He had already passed the Saint Tribulation and become another supreme being in this world.

"Alas, it's a pity that our time together is limited. Even the most beautiful dreams must eventually end," the snow rabbit girl said from the side, her voice filled with melancholy and even a hint of tears.

"Is it a dream, or a remnant from countless ages ago, or perhaps a cycle of reincarnation being reenacted..." the Dao Embryo Woman said softly, her body swirling with traces of the Great Dao. The old woman in the straw raincoat from before flashed by, and it turned out to be her as well.

These people were all close friends, but in Ye Fan's eyes, they seemed distant, as if they might pass away at any moment.

"You... do you know I don't belong here, or do you mean you don't belong here?" Ye Fan blurted out, not wanting to hide anything. He had already guessed this when he saw the Immortal Peach Tree.

(End of this chapter)