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

Chapter 109 Half a Year in a Hurry
The Qinling Mountains cover an area of ​​no less than a million li, making them vast and boundless, but relatively speaking, they are only a corner of the western part of Central China.

This is a mysterious ancient land, difficult for outsiders to understand. It has many legends and has been home to many powerful figures throughout history, though few know of them.

Some say that in the past, an ancient sage was invincible and traveled throughout the five regions without encountering a worthy opponent. However, when he arrived in the Qinling Mountains, he was beaten to the ground by an old shepherd.

Even in recent times, a similar thing happened 20,000 years ago: eight powerful figures came to the Qinling Mountains to search for ancient sites, only to be thrown into a lake by a fisherman.

This is an ancient land with its own unique heritage, which is mysterious to outsiders and shrouded in a layer of mist.

The Qinling Mountains stretch for millions of miles, with mountains everywhere and many ancient tombs underground. Someone once unearthed the tombs of twelve ancient emperors in just six months.

This region is extraordinary. In ancient times, after the emperors of some dynasties died, they would always try to bury themselves in the Qinling Mountains, which is puzzling.

Some say this is a place where immortals ascend to heaven, and according to local legend, they have seen people ascend to heaven on clouds.

Some even say that this is an incomprehensible place, with many underground cemeteries where people are practicing cultivation in order to attain enlightenment, unknown to the outside world.

There are too many secrets about the Qinling Mountains. Some even say that the Qing Emperor, who amazed people throughout history, was born in the Qinling Mountains before going to the Eastern Wilderness.

There is a local legend that there is a pool in the Qinling Mountains where a lotus flower gained sentience 30,000 years ago. Soon after, it attained enlightenment and took human form. It grew step by step and eventually became the legendary Azure Emperor.

This place was Li Yao's destination. He had come to Zhongzhou specifically for the Qinling Mountains.

Standing in the sky, Li Yao looked down at the Qinling Mountains. It was impossible for him to see the whole thing because it was so vast. However, what he could see was all extraordinary.

Beneath the Qinling Mountains, which span a million miles, lies an immense ancestral vein. With the divine eye of the Origin Heaven, one can see countless dragon veins intertwined, some real and some false, their entanglement making them indistinguishable.

It was only because Li Yao was here that, relying on the power of the Origin Scripture, he was able to roughly distinguish some true dragons. If it were someone else, they would probably be blinded by the sight and wouldn't gain anything.

“The Qinling Mountains are rich in dragon veins, and this place can help my cultivation level increase rapidly.” Li Yao concluded, his eyes gleaming with divine light.

Moreover, besides the dragon marrow, there is another treasure here that he must obtain.

Li Yao slipped into the Qinling Mountains to search for the true dragon vein and a declining small sect.

Compared to other famous mountains and rivers, the dragon veins in the Qinling Mountains are among the best, even in the entire Central Plains.

In just three days, Li Yao had made considerable gains, finding three true dragons and obtaining seven drops of low-grade dragon marrow.

Although it wasn't much, it was still a gain, even if it was just low-grade dragon marrow, it would greatly help improve one's cultivation.

Time flies, and half a month has passed. In this half month, the harvest of dragon marrow has been small, with only eleven drops of low-grade dragon marrow.

But after searching all the way, he finally found another destination—Qin Gate.

There are no ancient cities here that gather the ancestral dragon energy, but only a few low hills that lack spiritual beauty and scenic charm.

On the low mountain, there was a sect that had long since declined, with only about a hundred disciples.

Li Yao did not go in, but watched from afar. The dilapidated little sect occupied four low hills and had no more than twenty people in total, which could be described as pitifully small.

These people had varying levels of cultivation; the weakest were only at the Sea of ​​Wheels Secret Realm, while the strongest possessed the strength of the First Heaven of the Immortal Platform Realm.

Qin Gate is not large, with only a little over a hundred people in total. It has four branches: east, west, south, and north, which are also known as the outer gate.

He was currently in what should be the eastern branch of the network; continuing forward would lead to the main gate of the central area.

The main gate is located in the center of this mountainous area, only twenty or thirty li away from the branches to the east, west, north, and south.

Scattered throughout this area are some mountain villages inhabited by ordinary people who live next to Qinmen. Some mischievous children often run up the low hills to play, and no one cares.

It can be said that this small, declining sect with only a hundred or so members really had no strict rules and seemed very loose, not at all like a hidden secret sect.

Li Yao was very cautious and did not act rashly. He had been observing for the past few days and finally figured out the situation in the four branches of the east, west, south and north. Without exception, each branch had experts at the first level of the Immortal Ascension Realm and one or two disciples at the Dragon Transformation Realm.

Most of these people came for the Nine Secrets. The Qin Clan's higher-ups were well aware of this, but instead of driving them away, the Qin Clan used this as an incentive to attract geniuses to the clan and then used the Divine Transformation Technique to convert them, thereby strengthening the Qin Clan's foundation.

Many people have actually been staying here for a long time, just to obtain the Nine Secrets. Some of the smart ones probably guessed that there was something fishy going on in the inner sect, but since they couldn't find the Nine Secrets in the outer sect, they had no choice but to risk going to the inner sect.

Moreover, entering the inner sect isn't something you can just do on a whim; there are conditions. The Qin Sect's higher-ups know what these people are thinking and will naturally take advantage of it.

You can enter the inner sect, but you need to bring good items, such as dragon marrow or some materials for forging artifacts.

Li Yao knew the location, so unlike the others who had to slowly explore, he quietly approached the central peak to see the strength of the main sect.

If he has the strength to handle it, then he should sneak into the back mountain, obtain the "Soldier" secret, and then leave. If his strength exceeds his ability to handle it, then he should retreat first and make plans when he becomes stronger.

The main gate is located on what is called the main peak, but it is actually only a little over a thousand meters high, two or three hundred meters higher than the surrounding low mountains. It has no majestic presence or misty beauty, and is quite ordinary and common.

Soon after, Li Yao's heart skipped a beat. He discovered a powerful being sitting cross-legged in front of the mountain gate, motionless.

“There’s a powerful figure sitting cross-legged at the mountain gate, so there must be many more strong people behind him. And then there’s that King Biluo. Judging from the timeline, he should have been converted by now.” He was surprised. There was a cluster of buildings on this low mountain, so there must be even more powerful figures there.

Li Yao did not approach any further. Such a person possessed extraordinary spiritual senses and could be detected if one was not careful. If it weren't for the fact that his Yuan Shen Nian had been baptized by the lightning tribulation, making his divine sense extremely powerful, and that he also possessed the Yuan Tian Divine Technique, he would have been discovered long ago.

He quietly left the main gate, and then directly withdrew from the Qin Gate, intending to temporarily abandon the Bingzi Secret Technique, because his strength could not guarantee his safety.

Although he now possesses a trump card—the legendary holy weapon whose power is enough to destroy the heavens and the earth—he is limited in the amount of power he can unleash with his current cultivation level.

One powerful being is fine, but if there are several powerful beings, things could easily go wrong; it's too risky.

As for alternative methods, such as joining the Qin family, Li Yao considered it, but ultimately felt it was inappropriate.

First of all, it's impossible for him to directly join the inner sect. If he wants to take this path, he must first join the outer sect and then stay there for a long time, waiting for an opportunity to enter the inner sect.

This method takes too long, and once you enter the inner sect, you have to be careful to use the Divine Technique at all times, which will also deplete your mental energy.

The Divine Transformation Technique is a mysterious and powerful secret art that can convert a person with ulterior motives into a devout protector of the sect. It is truly unpredictable.

It is important to understand that this is not about controlling one's consciousness, but rather about working from the very source of one's heart. Everything is done naturally and through normal processes, and it is by no means about seizing control of one's mind.

Therefore, although the Qin Clan was small, with only a little over a hundred people, it was unfathomable, which aroused a sense of awe in Li Yao.

Staying in this environment will definitely affect his cultivation. Rather than that, he should focus on his cultivation and increase his strength.

Anyway, he knows where the "Soldier" secret is, and that back mountain isn't going anywhere. He can just wait until he has enough strength to retrieve it.

"Right now, let's find a way to improve our strength first. We can use this time to search for dragon marrow and improve our cultivation. With stronger strength, we can also unleash more power from the sacred weapon." Li Yao made up his mind.

As the night wind blew, the low hills were shrouded in a hazy glow under the twinkling stars, the trees rustled, and the roars of wild beasts echoed from the depths of the mountains.

The crescent moon hung low, its light limited, casting a dim glow over the woods. Li Yao walked alone, observing the mountain range at midnight, searching for the dragon's marrow.

At night, the woods are quiet, clear springs gurgle, night birds chirp softly, and the fragrance of grass and trees wafts through the air.

Li Yao's efficiency was astonishing. On a mountain peak more than 50,000 miles from the Qin Clan, he discovered another true dragon, containing six drops of dragon marrow—a mid-grade dragon vein. Now, he possessed a total of nineteen drops of mid-grade dragon marrow and twenty-four drops of low-grade dragon marrow. This amount of dragon marrow was enough for him to cultivate for a considerable period of time.

However, Li Yao did not go into seclusion. Instead, he continued to cultivate while searching for dragon marrow, and then entered the creation realm on time to comprehend the profound mysteries of the Great Dao.

The Qinling Mountains are vast and immense, where awe-inspiring dragon energy gathers. As a result, there is a great deal of dragon marrow here. Li Yaoyuan's techniques are amazing, and he often reaps rewards, which is more than enough to satisfy his daily cultivation needs.

Time flies, and half a year has passed in the blink of an eye. Li Yao has been traveling alone in the Qinling Mountains, searching for dragon marrow to improve his cultivation.

On this day, Li Yao emerged from a divine mountain, a place of extraordinary beauty and wonder. In his hand was a jade bottle containing fourteen drops of divine liquid, each drop the size of a pearl, radiating astonishing energy.

"Roar……"

At this moment, a deafening roar shook the heavens and scattered the white clouds in the sky. Behind Li Yao, two terrifying creatures rushed out one after another.

Dragon marrow is a true treasure of nature, often guarded by powerful creatures, making its search a dangerous endeavor.

In the past six months, he has been lucky and has found more than a dozen real dragons, but this is only the second time he has encountered a terrifying creature.

The two ancient creatures resembled a combination of a human and a tiger, possessing characteristics of both. Their bodies were covered in scales, each one looking as if it had been cast from molten iron.

Their strength was incredibly terrifying; they were all at the half-step Great Power level, and their physiques had even reached the Emperor level.

This is not surprising, because both of these creatures were transformed from powerful beings after their deaths. They were important figures in life, so it is normal for them to have such physiques.

Such combat power would require considerable effort even for a beginner-level Great Power to defeat.

Li Yao's strength has increased significantly in the past six months, and he is now at the seventh stage of the Dragon Transformation, a remarkable achievement. However, he still has some trouble facing two beings who are half-step into the Great Power realm.

"Damn it, we used up all the Five-Colored Cloud Flames to deal with the Yin Corpse that guarded the Dragon Marrow last time. Otherwise, we could have burned these two beasts to death."

Li Yao's figure vanished in an instant, his speed reaching its limit, showing no intention of fighting the two monsters.

His combat prowess is astonishing, and he has already come a long way in the Eight Forbidden Domains. However, when facing two ancient creatures capable of fighting against early-stage powerful beings, there is definitely still a significant gap in their raw strength.

Of course, he could also annihilate them if he used his legendary holy weapon, but the Qinling Mountains are fraught with danger, and there are even kings among them. If he used his legendary holy weapon, many powerful people would definitely notice, and then he would be in real danger.

For the sake of the bigger picture, Li Yao should be more cautious. In any case, with his speed, shaking off these two monsters would be a piece of cake.

Li Yao used the Traveling Word Secret Technique, and in less than a quarter of an hour, he arrived tens of thousands of miles away. The two monsters had already been left behind in about fifty breaths.

Another quarter of an hour passed before Li Yao finally stopped. In total, he had traveled at least 70,000 to 80,000 li in those two quarters of an hour, a distance that was almost equivalent to using the Xuan Yu Platform once.

Li Yao landed on a mountain peak, then raised his hand and looked at the jade bottle in his hand. When his gaze fell on the fourteen drops of divine liquid, he couldn't help but feel a little surprised.

"A mid-grade dragon marrow, only fourteen drops. If it were put at an auction, it could fetch at least three million catties of source material."

Qinling Mountains, what a wonderful place! Li Yao felt that, apart from the Northern Region, this place was practically his second paradise. As long as one's Origin Technique was high enough, this place would be an inexhaustible treasure for an Origin Master.

Li Yao withdrew his gaze, raised his hand and took out another jade bottle, which also contained dragon marrow that emitted a fragrant aroma.

Li Yao combined the dragon marrow from the two jade bottles into a single jade bottle, counted the contents, and felt a surge of satisfaction.

"Twenty-one drops of mid-grade dragon marrow and thirty-seven drops of low-grade dragon marrow. In the past six months, not only has my amount not decreased due to cultivation, but it has actually increased."

This is absolutely unimaginable. Dragon marrow is such a rare treasure that even the four great dynasties of Zhongzhou have very few of them. Even princes would probably only have a limited supply every month and would not be able to draw it at will.

As for Li Yao, he achieved freedom of the Dragon Marrow entirely on his own, something even the Holy Son of Yao Guang did not possess.

It can be said that the Dragon Marrow played a crucial role in Li Yao's ability to advance his cultivation to the seventh transformation of the Dragon Transformation in such a short time.

"Indeed, everything depends on oneself. Only by having one's own abilities can one continuously obtain good things," Li Yao said with some emotion.

Calculating the time, he has been in Zhongzhou for almost a year. His cultivation has progressed from the second stage of the Dragon Transformation to the peak of the seventh stage, and he will soon reach the eighth stage. His progress is nothing short of astonishing.

"According to my initial estimate, Ye Fan and the others should be arriving in Beidou soon. It seems we can't wait any longer. After obtaining the Military Secret, it's time to return to the Eastern Wilderness."

The arrival of Ye Fan and his group meant that the Eastern Wilderness was about to be stirred up, and all sorts of opportunities and good fortune would begin to appear. Some of these things were so good that even he was envious and would definitely not be allowed to miss them.

"I'll go into seclusion for now. After I break through to the eighth transformation of the Dragon Transformation, I'll sneak into the back mountain of the Qin Sect's main peak to obtain the 'Soldier' ​​Secret."

Li Yao carved out a cave halfway up the mountain, then sat cross-legged, holding dragon marrow in his mouth, and began to cultivate.

It had been a month and a half since he last broke through to the seventh transformation. During this time, although he was searching for dragon marrow, he had not slackened his cultivation at all. His cultivation had already reached its peak, and he only needed to consolidate and accumulate before he could break through.

The Dragon Transformation Secret Realm is a cultivation site for the Great Dragon of the Spine, which has nine heavens. He has now reached the seventh heaven, which means he has entered the later stage of this secret realm.

As he began to refine the dragon marrow with his mouth, a series of dragon roars resounded, and a golden dragon flew out from his spine, its vast dragon energy sweeping across the land. It was so lifelike that it truly seemed as if a real dragon had descended from the celestial realm to the mortal world.

True dragons are the most perfect beings. Other races may be stronger in certain aspects, but when it comes to perfection, none can compare.

In ancient times like the Immortal Era and the Chaotic Era, the True Dragon might not have been the strongest, but this race was absolutely the most perfect. They became Immortal Kings upon reaching adulthood, a feat that no other race could achieve.

The term "transformation into a dragon" is derived from the perfection of a true dragon. In this secret realm, if one can fully unleash their potential, the rewards will be immense.

Li Yao expended a great deal of energy in this secret realm; the dragon marrow he used was probably worth nearly 20 million catties of source material.

With such tremendous effort, his gains were also incredibly gratifying. It is no exaggeration to say that his cultivation in the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm was absolutely no weaker than that of the Supreme Emperor of the same period.

Cultivation doesn't lie. You get what you put in. If you think you're no less than anyone else without putting in any effort, that's just empty talk and gives off a superficial vibe.

Several days later, Li Yao emerged from seclusion, triggering his eighth transformation into a dragon and the Heavenly Tribulation.

Now, such minor tribulations are commonplace for him. He stands alone in the sea of ​​lightning, absorbing the lightning to refine his body. He also summons the Two-Colored Immortal Furnace and imprints the laws of heaven and earth on it in the sea of ​​lightning.

Li Yao made no defense in the sea of ​​lightning, letting the lightning strike his body, and simply circulated his Star Radiance Battle Body to temper his body.

With the help of the heavenly tribulation, his physique was rapidly becoming stronger. Originally, during the fifth transformation of the dragon, his physique was already comparable to that of a beginner-level great power.

Now, after undergoing three more tribulations, his physical strength has grown incredibly, and he is now approaching the late stage of a powerful being.

After the lightning tribulation lasted for several hours, his physique finally overcame the hurdle and officially entered the late stage of the Great Power realm, which is the level of the seventh heaven.

If neither side uses divine power, Li Yao could easily defeat most powerful beings. However, such a scenario is rare. Unless it's a special place where divine power cannot be used, who would choose not to use it?

"The Divine Forbidden Domain—only by entering this domain can we break through the limitations of combat power once again," Li Yao thought to himself.

He has traveled a long way in the Eight Forbidden Domains since he began his cultivation, but he feels that he has not reached the end. The Eight Forbidden Domains alone seem to be endless.

However, he genuinely felt that he had become stronger; it wasn't an illusion, but a real and tangible improvement.

"It seems that one really needs to master all five secret realms to enter the Divine Forbidden Realm," Li Yao concluded.

(End of this chapter)