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

Chapter 144 Ye Fan's Sincerity

"Dong Yaoguang, do you know him?" Ji Ziyue stood gracefully, with skin as smooth as jade, pearly teeth, and eyes full of spiritual energy. She grabbed Ye Fan, somewhat suspicious, and said, "It doesn't make sense. How could a small cultivator like you know someone like Dong Yaoguang?"

"I'm not lying this time. I know Dong Yaoguang. He saved me twice," Ye Fan explained, then headed in the direction Li Yao had disappeared.

"I'll go as well."

Ji Ziyue's big eyes kept darting around. She felt that Ye Fan had too many secrets and secretly decided to dig them out as soon as possible.

Ye Fan thought for a moment and said nothing. Anyway, his meeting with Dong Yaoguang wasn't something that needed to be kept secret. If she wanted to come along, then so be it.

In a secluded valley at the foot of the Tai Xuan Sect's peaks, Li Yao stopped and waited quietly for Ye Fan to arrive.

Before leaving, he used his divine sense to communicate with Ye Fan, saying that he had something to discuss. Ye Fan had no suspicion of him and got up and followed him the moment he stood up.

"It seems my reputation with Ye Hei is pretty good; he still trusts me." Li Yao mentally gave himself a thumbs up for his good reputation.

Ye Fan is definitely a very cautious person. The fact that he followed the other party without hesitation shows that he must have great faith in Li Yao's character.

The two life-saving graces played a significant role in this; otherwise, given Ye Fan's cautious demeanor in the early stages, his first reaction upon encountering a powerful figure like Li Yao would have been to stay far away.

Not long after, two figures arrived together; it was Ye Fan and Ji Jia's Little Moon.

"Your Highness, Holy Son." Ye Fan greeted him politely and bowed respectfully.

"Brother Yaoguang." Ji Ziyue smiled sweetly, a small dimple appearing on her left cheek.

Li Yao nodded to Ji Ziyue, then personally helped Ye Fan up, saying, "You are not a disciple of the Yao Guang Holy Land, so there's no need for this."

"Then how should I address you?" Ye Fan asked.

“Those who cultivate are defined by their level of cultivation. Those of the same level are called fellow Daoists, and those with higher cultivation are called elder Daoist brothers,” Li Yao said.

"Ye Fan greets Brother Yaoguang."

Li Yao nodded, a smile on his face, very gentle, without any terrifying aura, returning to simplicity, blending perfectly with the surrounding scenery.

"Brother Dao said you have something to discuss. Is there anything I can do to help?" Ye Fan asked curiously.

Why would someone like that need to consult with others? Ye Fan couldn't figure it out, so he simply asked directly.

Li Yao did not hide anything and said, "My Dao weapon foundation is insufficient, and I urgently need more immortal gold. I came to you this time to make a deal with you and exchange some of the source roots of the mother qi of all things."

Ye Fan was shocked and looked at Li Yao in disbelief. Besides himself, only Ji Ziyue knew that Li Yao possessed the Origin of the Mother Qi of All Things.

“Little brat, I haven’t told anyone that you have the Source of All Things’ Mother Qi, not even my brother.” Ji Ziyue was also surprised and quickly spoke up.

"I know," Ye Fan said softly.

He certainly didn't suspect Ji Ziyue. During this time, Ji Ziyue had been traveling with him, and even if she were to tell others about this, she would definitely tell the Ji family, not outsiders.

"Dong Yaoguang, you're bullying me a bit," Ji Ziyue said indignantly.

"Ziyue." Ye Fan gently stopped Ji Ziyue, not letting her continue.

"Little brat, I'm helping you." Ji Ziyue puffed out her cheeks, somewhat annoyed that Ye Fan had stopped her, even though she was helping him block out the great demon king Dong Yaoguang.

Li Yao looked at the sulking Ji Ziyue, waved his hand to signal Ye Fan not to be nervous, and laughed: "Bullying people, little moon of the Ji family, don't you dare frame someone."

"Hmph." Ji Ziyue wrinkled her cute nose and said, "You, the strongest young cultivator in two major domains, a great cultivator capable of defeating powerful beings, a figure at the very top of the pyramid, are now trying to snatch the treasure of a Divine Bridge Realm cultivator. This is not bullying."

Li Yao crossed his arms and looked down at Ji Ziyue, saying in a relaxed tone, "Hey, little moon, you're wronging me. I said it was an exchange, not a robbery."

“That is the source of all things’ primordial energy, an unparalleled treasure. Who in this world would trade it? And what could possibly be of equal value to the source of all things’ primordial energy?” Ji Ziyue’s large eyes gleamed with a strange light.

“The source of all things’ primordial energy is indeed precious, but what if I were to exchange it for an ancient cultivation scripture?” Li Yao said calmly, seemingly unconcerned.

But these words caused a huge uproar when they reached Ye Fan and Ji Ziyue's ears. Ancient scriptures are the most fundamental things in cultivation.

Cultivators need ancient scriptures to comprehend the Great Dao and unlock their own divine potential to become stronger.

For cultivators, you may lack rare and precious materials, powerful weapons, and supreme techniques, but you cannot be without a cultivation scripture.

Without a scripture for spiritual practice, even if you possess the other things, they will be of no use at all.

Ultimately, for a cultivator, cultivation level is the most important thing; it is the foundation of everything.

Ye Fan, without a doubt, lacked the cultivation scriptures the most.

"You mean, you want to exchange the Yao Guang Sutra for the Source of All Things Mother Qi, and the Yao Guang Holy Land has agreed?" Ji Ziyue asked in shock.

An ancient scripture is absolutely the bottom line that no family can cross. It is not allowed to be circulated. If it is discovered that an outsider has learned their family's ancient scripture, they will definitely hunt them down without hesitation.

“Brother Dao, you saved my life. If you need the Source of the Mother Qi of All Things, I will give you half. There is no need to exchange your own ancient scriptures for it,” Ye Fan said sincerely.

He wasn't being insincere; if Li Yao asked, he would absolutely hand over half of the Mother Qi Source Root of All Things to him.

Ultimately, although the Source Root of All Things' Mother Qi is precious, in Ye Fan's eyes, it is not worth his own life. As for the other party, who has saved him twice, he doesn't think it's a big deal that the other party is using the Source Root of All Things' Mother Qi to repay the debt of saving his life.

"Little brat." Ji Ziyue was a little anxious. How could she just hand over such a treasure as the Source Root of All Things Mother Qi?

"Ziyue, one cannot be heartless. The debt of being saved is above all else," Ye Fan said very seriously.

"Hahaha..." Li Yao laughed, pointing at Ye Fan and saying, "You're quite thoughtful, kid. But I'm not the kind of person who would take advantage of someone's kindness. Saving your life was entirely voluntary, and I never expected you to repay me in any way."

"I know." Ye Fan nodded and said sincerely, "When you saved me, I didn't have the Source Root of All Things. I was just an insignificant existence. You also didn't know that one day I would obtain such a treasure as the Source Root of All Things."

I have never thought of you as someone who would take advantage of kindness. My words just now came from the bottom of my heart. If you need me, I can offer you half of the source of all things’ primordial energy.

However, my cultivation level is too low. Although I have obtained this treasure, I am unable to control it. I may have to trouble you, brother, to help me.”

Li Yao was somewhat stunned. He was not a heartless person. He was naturally moved by the other party's sincerity. Originally, he only wanted to make a simple transaction, but now he did not want the other party to suffer a loss.

It has to be said that Ye Hei's personal charm is truly outstanding. He can be completely open with people he respects, which explains why he eventually gathered such a large group of friends who were willing to give their lives for him.

In the Dao Palace Secret Realm, even though he knew he was carrying a great treasure and going to the Azure Dragon King's Small World would be a test of the demon race's hearts, he went without hesitation. In the Four Extremes Secret Realm, even though he had barely escaped the tiger's den, he knew that Xiao Nannan had been kidnapped by the Yin Yang Sect. Even though he knew the little girl was extraordinary, he still returned to the tiger's den to negotiate with a group of important figures.

Ye Fan possesses a genuine sincerity. Knowing the danger, he will not back down from doing what he must do, even if it leads to a dead end.

Even though he knew he would die on this journey, he went through darkness and turmoil without hesitation or retreat. Did he not consider that with his cultivation level as a Great Sage at that time, even if the sky collapsed, it wouldn't be his turn to hold it up?

Li Yao smiled with relief and said seriously, "I don't want to take advantage of others. I appreciate your kindness, and I also approve of you as a person. I won't let the people I approve of suffer losses."

"But, Brother Dao, as a Holy Son, if you were to spread your family's scriptures outside, wouldn't the Holy Lord Yao Guang be furious?" Ye Fan hesitated.

"Don't worry, little brat. You haven't been cultivating for long enough, and you do lack experience. With Brother Yaoguang's status in the Yaoguang Holy Land, this is really just a small matter for him." Ji Ziyue's cute dimples reappeared on her face.

"You little moon, you were all puffed up just now, saying I was bullying you, but now you're all all smiles," Li Yao teased.

"Oh dear, I misunderstood. It was Ziyue's fault. How could someone as upright and noble as Brother Yaoguang do such a thing?" Ji Ziyue smiled sweetly, showering him with compliments.

"No wonder your brother dotes on you so much, protecting you like the apple of his eye. If I had a sister as sweet-talking as you, I'm afraid I would treat her the same way as Ji Haoyue," Li Yao said with a smile.

Ye Fan's gaze softened slightly. This little princess of the Ji family, although she talked about seizing the Source Root of All Things, it was just talk. If someone actually tried to take advantage of him, this little girl would jump out and stand up for him. Ji Ziyue's face flushed slightly as she noticed Ye Fan's gaze, which made her feel inexplicably flustered.

Ji Haoyue, you warmonger, you're so eager for war that you've almost gotten your base raided.

Watching Ye Fan and Ji Ziyue's little interaction, Li Yao couldn't help but mentally complain.

"Brother Dao, you should make your move. The source of all things' primordial energy is in my Sea of ​​Bitterness, but I cannot unleash it." Ye Fan turned his gaze from Ji Ziyue to Li Yao.

He was prepared, but Li Yao waved his hand and said, "No rush. Since it's a transaction, I need to let you know my bargaining chips. There's no such thing as getting the goods first and then paying."

"Not the Yao Guang Sutra?" Ye Fan asked, somewhat puzzled.

Li Yao shook his head: "Although it may sound a bit like belittling myself, the Yao Guang Jing was not created by the Great Emperor. In terms of value, it cannot be compared with the source of all things' mother energy. Since I said I wouldn't let you suffer a loss, I naturally won't exchange the Yao Guang Jing with you."

"Could it be that Brother Yaoguang has other ancient scriptures, and even scriptures created by the Great Emperor?" Ji Ziyue was somewhat incredulous.

The ancient scriptures created by the Great Emperor are only possessed by the Ji family, the Jiang family, and Yaochi in the entire Eastern Wilderness. The ancient scriptures of other forces were created by sages. Although they are all ancient scriptures, they are far inferior to the Emperor's scriptures. Even so, they are extremely precious and are the immortal scriptures in everyone's hearts.

"Since I began my cultivation, I've had pretty good luck, and I've obtained several ancient scriptures," Li Yao said casually.

But when these words reached the ears of the two, they couldn't help but be shocked. There really were scriptures created by the Great Emperor, and there was more than one volume.

"Little brat, you've struck gold! You've struck gold! Although the Source of All Things is precious, it takes a long time to achieve great things. But a good cultivation scripture can make your path smoother and allow you to go further in the future," Ji Ziyue said excitedly.

In fact, if passing on the Void Scripture hadn't been more of a harm than a help to Ye Fan, then Ji Ziyue could have passed it on to him.

But if he really did that, Ye Fan would probably die without a burial place. In the original work, it was just a few casual moves that made the Ji family hunt him down from the highest heaven to the deepest hell. If it were the entire scripture, the Ji family's Holy Lord and other powerful figures would personally appear to hunt down Ye Fan.

As a member of an ancient family, Ji Ziyue was well aware of this, so she never intended to pass on the ancient scriptures to Ye Fan.

But she knew that Ye Fan, as a rogue cultivator, was most lacking in cultivation scriptures. Originally, she thought it was the Yao Guang Scripture, but she never expected that Dong Yao Guang would be so generous as to exchange it for the Emperor Scripture.

The Source Root of All Things' Mother Qi is indeed precious, but the value of the Emperor Scripture is in no way inferior. In fact, for Ye Fan at this moment, the value of the Emperor Scripture is actually subtly above that of the Source Root of All Things' Mother Qi.

Putting aside the protagonist's luck, obtaining the ancient scripture is truly not an easy task for ordinary people.

Like Ye Fan in the original novel, only the protagonist gets to obtain the exact scripture he's missing.

Ye Fan was also very happy at this moment, because for him, the cultivation scriptures were really an urgent matter. He only had the Wheel Sea Scroll of the Dao Scripture, and he had not gained anything from the remaining cultivation scriptures so far.

He had no foresight and would not have known that he would later obtain the Western Emperor Scripture Palace Scroll, the Hengyu Scripture (four scrolls), the Taihuang Scripture Dragon Transformation Scroll, and the Taiyin True Scripture and Taiyang True Scripture Immortal Platform Scroll.

Therefore, at present, a cultivation scripture is extremely important to Ye Fan.

"I'll give you a few choices. I have the complete Daoist scripture, the complete Chaotic Ancient Scripture created by the Chaotic Ancient Emperor, the Western Emperor Scripture Dao Palace Scroll, the Hengyu Scripture Four Extremes Scroll, the Chaotic Ancient Scripture Dragon Transformation Scroll, and one of the sacred techniques from them. You can choose either the Daoist scripture or the Chaotic Ancient Scripture, or you can choose the Western Emperor Scripture Dao Palace Scroll, the Hengyu Scripture Four Extremes Scroll, the Chaotic Ancient Scripture Dragon Transformation Scroll, and the sacred technique." Li Yao offered several options.

"boom!"

Like a thunderbolt, the shockwave shook Ye Fan and Ji Ziyue to their core. Two complete volumes of the Imperial Scripture and two incomplete volumes of the Imperial Scripture—how astonishing! What kind of heaven-defying luck would it take to acquire these scriptures?

"This...this..." Ji Ziyue was so shocked that she couldn't speak, and her pretty face lost all control of her expression.

The Ji family has stood in the Eastern Wilderness for hundreds of thousands of years, relying on a Void Scripture to dominate the world. Powerful figures have been born generation after generation, ensuring the Ji family's prosperity for hundreds of thousands of years. This shows just how heaven-defying an Emperor Scripture is. But now, Li Yao says that he has two complete Emperor Scriptures and two incomplete ones.

Such wealth was enough to shock Ji Ziyue, leaving her speechless.

Ye Fan wasn't in much better shape either; his body was trembling slightly. He knew very well that this was the most important decision of his life.

As long as he speaks up, there will be no shortage of ancient scriptures for cultivation in the future. Coincidentally, the ancient scripture he is currently cultivating is the Dao Scripture. As long as he makes a choice, there will be ancient scriptures for cultivation in the Dao Palace, the Four Extremes, the Dragon Transformation, and the Immortal Platform.

However, he hesitated slightly, as the three options also included the Western Emperor Scripture Palace Scroll and the Eternal Universe Scripture Four Extremes Scroll.

Although these two scriptures are only from a secret realm and cannot be compared with complete ancient scriptures, they are exactly what Ye Fan wanted.

He once imagined that if he cultivated the strongest ancient scripture in each secret realm, wouldn't he be able to reach the strongest in each secret realm? Moreover, there was also an offensive divine technique that he currently lacked the most.

Now, he has two choices before him: choose the Taoist scriptures, which are moderate and peaceful, without any risk or future troubles.

Choosing the latter, practicing the strongest scriptures in each secret realm, carries extremely high risks and may lead to a predicament where there are no scriptures to practice in the future, but the rewards could be substantial.

Ji Ziyue held her breath, quietly waiting for Ye Fan to make a decision. Whether he chose the Dao Scripture or the Chaotic Ancient Scripture, both were suitable. Both were Emperor Scriptures, and he could choose either one.

"I choose..." Ye Fan struggled immensely. Reason told him to choose the Dao Scripture and not take risks, but another voice in his heart told him to choose the latter, to cultivate the strongest scripture in each secret realm and become the strongest in each secret realm.

Li Yao didn't urge him, but waited quietly for Ye Fan to make a decision. He also wanted to know if Ye Fan would still follow the old path and cultivate the strongest ancient scripture in every secret realm, given the choice he had.

Li Yao did not want to judge whether Ye Fan's path in the original work was right or wrong, because according to common sense, it was definitely a dead end.

Although the five secret realms cultivate different spiritual treasures within the human body, they are ultimately interconnected. However, cultivating different ancient scriptures in each secret realm can easily lead to a problem: the five secret realms are not unified and cannot be interconnected.

If the five secret realms are not connected, one will lack the strength to advance further when reaching the Saint Realm.

However, crisis and gain go hand in hand. If this path is successful, it will be a great road to heaven. Whether it is the Heavenly Emperor Fist or Ye Fan's ability to defy the heavens and prove the Dao, it is largely related to cultivating the most powerful ancient scriptures in each secret realm.

In short, the advantage of cultivating the most powerful scriptures in each secret realm is that you can reach the pinnacle in each realm.

Moral Celestial Venerable, Western Emperor, Eternal Emperor, Supreme Emperor, Yin Human Emperor, Sun Holy Emperor.

These Celestial Venerables, Ancient Emperors, and Great Emperors only reached the pinnacle in one secret realm, yet they were already half a level stronger than ordinary Great Emperors. If they cultivated the most powerful scriptures in all five secret realms, the combined advantage would naturally be incredibly terrifying.

However, the difficulty of this path is that it is very difficult to unify the five major secret realms. If an ordinary person dares to do this, every single one of them will surely die a miserable death.

However, if one can coordinate the five major secret realms, the benefits are obvious. Just look at Ye Fan in the original work to see why he was able to compete with the contemporary emperor after achieving the Great Perfection of the Sacred Body, while the nine Sacred Bodies could only challenge him.

The only exception, the Martian Holy Body, was able to contend with the Great Emperor only after achieving enlightenment through an unorthodox method.

The difference between Ye Fan and these other holy bodies is that he took a different path. He pushed each secret realm to its limit, allowing him to surpass the previous nine holy bodies in terms of foundation. This is the fundamental reason for his great strength.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Those seemingly insignificant places in the beginning were the foundation upon which the towering staircase to heaven was later built.

Time passed slowly, and Ye Fan was filled with inner turmoil, even breaking out in a cold sweat.

Finally, after a full quarter of an hour, he exhaled a breath of stale air and made up his mind: "I choose the Western Emperor Scripture Palace, the Four Extremes Scroll of the Eternal Universe Scripture, the Dragon Transformation Scroll of the Chaotic Ancient Scripture, and the Sacred Technique."

The idea of ​​finding the strongest scripture for cultivation in each secret realm was like a spell, tempting Ye Fan. After a fierce internal struggle, he still chose to embark on this path.

"You little brat, are you crazy!" Ji Ziyue stared wide-eyed at Ye Fan in disbelief. She never imagined that he would make such a choice.

In reality, even a normal person would choose between the Daoist Scripture and the Chaotic Ancient Scripture, rather than the Western Emperor Scripture, the Eternal Universe Scripture, or the fragments of the Chaotic Ancient Scripture, even if one of them is accompanied by a Great Emperor's Divine Technique.

Ye Fan exhibited a crazy trait: the distinction between genius and madness is often very clear.

"Think it through. The most powerful scriptures cultivated in each secret realm will not be so easy to master when you connect the five secret realms in the future." A heavenly voice rang out from Li Yao's mouth, like a question posed by the heavens.

This action was to repay Ye Fan's sincerity; it seemed like interrogation, but in reality, it was to help him strengthen his resolve.

Ye Fan's eyes shone brightly, radiating divine light, and he said in a deep voice, "I am certain, I am not afraid of any dangers!"

(End of this chapter)