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

Chapter 266 White Tiger Divine Mark
This is a bit scary, it's creepy!

If the conjecture is correct, it means that the array spirit is awake and is altering the array structure, teasing this ant.

Thinking about this, Li Yao felt terrible.

It's like you're walking at night, and in the darkness, there's a ferocious tiger beside you, ready to devour anyone it can.

This was completely beyond his control; facing the array spirit, he was clearly powerless to fight back.

This feeling of being unable to control one's own life made Li Yao somewhat uncomfortable.

But he would not surrender easily; after decades of cultivation, he was already prepared for the worst.

Even with the secret book, it doesn't guarantee everything will go smoothly. So, if there's an unforeseen and unavoidable accident, he's not afraid to risk his life.

Of course, this is the worst-case scenario. Although the array spirit altered the array structure to hinder him, it did not kill him. Otherwise, with the power of the Emperor Array, killing him would have been a piece of cake.

Li Yao's thoughts raced, but only a moment had passed before he focused his attention on observing the formation ahead.

A full quarter of an hour passed before he could clearly see the change in the formation. He walked forward several feet, and then... the formation changed again.

Moreover, seeing the road ahead became increasingly difficult, and Li Yao's speed slowed down, with each step forward taking a long time.

As the sun rose and set, time flew by, and the difficulty gradually increased, but Li Yao actually relaxed.

For some reason, he had a feeling that the array spirit wasn't trying to kill him, but rather seemed to be testing his array skills.

The idea was absurd, but it took hold and eventually became a firm belief.

With each step he took forward, the formation became more complex, not dramatically, but gradually ascending, as if testing his limits.

Although puzzled, knowing that his life was not in danger, Li Yao's mind was no longer tense. He began to counter the formation spirit's moves, using this opportunity to quickly digest his understanding of the Hengyu Emperor Formation.

He could clearly feel that his mastery of array formations was improving rapidly, at a speed even more exaggerated than a sudden enlightenment.

In just a hundred feet, he had fully digested the insights and was able to re-enter the realm of creation.

As expected, when he stopped, the changes in the formation ceased, and even the killing intent subsided, for fear of affecting his enlightenment.

"What's going on? It seems like this array spirit is really trying to help me?" Li Yao couldn't understand the array spirit's plan at all, and didn't understand what it meant.

"Do not doubt, give it your all and let me see your mastery of array formations." Just then, a majestic and authoritative voice rang in Li Yao's mind.

The sudden sound startled Li Yao, but he quickly realized that it was the array spirit speaking to him.

"boom!"

Amidst the endless traces of the Dao, a blurry yet majestic figure emerged, standing within the great formation, radiating imperial might—it was none other than the deity of the great formation.

The blurry figure was incredibly majestic, its features obscured, but its imposing aura overwhelmed all things in heaven and earth, reigning supreme over the universe, as if the emperor himself were present, and even the heavens could not match its height!

"What do you mean by this, senior?" Li Yao asked, puzzled.

"You entered the land of immortality without any token, and by right you should be executed. But I will give you a chance. If you can reach the end, I will not only spare your life, but also grant you a great fortune." The deity spoke, his vast divine thoughts surging.

Longma lay limp on the ground, his limbs as soft as mud, unable to straighten his body. His proud head was pressed firmly against the ground, and his whole body was convulsing.

After the deity finished speaking, he disappeared without saying another word.

Li Yao was very curious, but he knew he had no right to bargain. Only by going to the end could he perhaps find out the gods' plans.

Fortunately, he is now certain that the spirit of the formation will not kill him; at least not until he fails.

With this, he felt completely at ease, sat down cross-legged, entered the realm of creation, and began to comprehend the Hengyu Emperor Array.

Although he didn't know the spirit's plans, as long as he wasn't directly killed, it didn't matter. It was just the end. As long as he kept comprehending the Emperor Array, he could keep moving forward.

This was not difficult for him; the realm of creation was just that domineering.

Of course, it also depended on the right timing, location, and people. If it weren't for the Imperial Array, the insights wouldn't have been digested so quickly.

Winter has passed and spring has arrived; time flies like a galloping horse, and in the blink of an eye, two months have gone by.

Within the imperial formation, Li Yao was almost motionless, only moving a step after a long time. Despite his high level of cultivation, sweat was constantly oozing from his pores, making him look as if he had been pulled out of the water.

But over the past two months, he has been moving forward and has not been completely trapped, though the journey has been somewhat difficult.

This is already quite astonishing. Throughout history, very few people have been able to get here without relying on tokens or other valuables, solely on their own abilities.

If we remove powerful figures like the Ruthless Emperor and those who achieved enlightenment through unconventional means like the Yellow Emperor and the Flame Emperor, there probably wouldn't be anyone left.

After all, the owner of that Divine Mark Purple Gold Pagoda was also a quasi-emperor, yet he failed to reach this point.

While this might be because that quasi-emperor wasn't skilled in array formations, no matter how unskilled he was, he was still a quasi-emperor, incomparable to a Great Sage.

If you round it up, Li Yao's current position is no better than that of an early-stage Quasi-Emperor who is proficient in array formations.

In two months, he entered the Creation Realm fifteen times, and his mastery of the Hengyu Emperor Array had already exceeded 50%, not just barely.

Even a peak Great Saint could be killed if half of the Hengyu Emperor Formation was formed.

This is no exaggeration. The Emperor Formation is indeed a powerful weapon, and in some ways, it provides an even greater boost than an Emperor Weapon. After all, even a Saint wielding an Emperor Weapon poses little threat to a peak Great Saint.

It's not that the imperial weapons are weak, but rather that sages cannot unleash much of their power.

But the Emperor Array is different. Once you master it and inscribe it on the array plate, you can fully utilize it. It is equivalent to a forbidden artifact and is a consumable.

This is a myth unseen throughout history. Only someone like Li Yao, a bug in the system, could comprehend the Imperial Formation to this level at the Saint realm.

Logically speaking, one should at least break through to the Quasi-Emperor level to comprehend the Emperor Formation to this extent.

There have been no such examples in the past, but in the future... perhaps only the Heavenly Emperor who walks the Great Dao of the Field will have the opportunity to do so.

……

In truth, the deity within the formation was also incredibly astonished. Such mastery of formations would have already passed His test; He simply wanted to see the limits of Li Yao's potential, which was why He had been continuously increasing the formation's power.

It wouldn't have mattered if we hadn't tested it, but once we did, it shocked Him quite a bit.

The deities within the formation are beings born from the ultimate mysteries of the Great Dao. Similar to the faith body, they can both be considered living beings and naturally possess the seven emotions and six desires.

Otherwise, when those Emperor-level powerhouses arrived here without relying on tokens, He should have suppressed and killed them according to the rules, instead of letting them come and go as they pleased.

The land of immortals was utterly silent, save for the occasional soft footsteps that would soon disappear.

Li Yao walked step by step, and finally, he saw the end of the land of immortality, which was only about three miles away from him.

This place is already within the Immortal Valley, where rosy light bursts forth and countless auspicious wisps of energy emanate. No place in the world can compare to this extraordinary place. If one could stay here to cultivate, even those with mediocre talent could go very far.

Of course, this is not a place to stay for long. Unless the Imperial Array allows it, it would be courting death.

"Whoosh!"

Suddenly, in the medicinal field ahead, an ancient herb flashed by, bringing with it a fragrant aroma that made the bones of those who smelled it melt.

The ancient medicine, enveloped in a misty light, entered their bodies, making Li Yao and Longma feel as if they were ascending to heaven, completely relaxed, with their blood and energy surging, and every cell expressing a yearning emotion.

"Elixir!"

The divine herb departed by flying, a feat not even possessed by semi-divine herbs; only a true divine herb could do so.

Moreover, the Imperial Formation did not harm it, allowing it to leave freely, and it was not chosen as a second medicine except for the White Tiger Divine Medicine.

"Truly astonishing, you... could you have been reborn as a Great Emperor, like the Emperor Venerable?" In the valley, Dao traces appeared, and various Great Dao Laws intertwined, evolving into a blurry human figure.

The eternally unchanging tone of the deity now carried a hint of surprise and delight.

"Senior is a deity within the array; how could my meager array skills possibly be worthy of your attention?" Li Yao suppressed his desire for the White Tiger Divine Medicine and spoke humbly.

"It seems not. But how could you, a mere sage, possess such mastery of array formations?" the deity asked, puzzled.

Throughout his endless life, he had seen many extraordinary talents, but apart from those emperor-level figures, no one could compare to Li Yao.

The sage possessed such an exaggerated mastery of array formations, which was beyond His comprehension. Unless it was a great emperor who had undergone a complete transformation, such as the Emperor Venerable, He could not fathom why it was so.

"Perhaps I have some talent in the art of formations." Li Yao attributed everything to talent.

"Does such talent truly exist?" The deity pondered, offering no rebuttal.

There are some amazing figures in ancient history who were indeed exceptionally talented in certain areas, and there are such figures in the field of formations as well.

For example, the Lingbao Celestial Venerable was a master of array formations, and his masterpiece, the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation, was said to have killed gods and immortals.

Such mastery of formations transcends the realm of humanity and touches upon the realm of immortals. Li Yao is a figure akin to the Celestial Venerable Lingbao.

"Regardless of your talent, since you have come this far, you have fulfilled my request. What do you want?" the god asked.

These words stunned Li Yao. After a moment, he asked, "Senior is testing me simply to see how skilled I am in array formations?"

He was so curious about this question that he couldn't sleep or eat until he found out.

The deities within the formation were already beyond the ordinary; every move they made carried profound meaning. Li Yao couldn't understand them, so he asked them directly.

Judging from the current situation, if the spirit of the formation isn't idle, then it must have something to ask for.

If that's really the case, then Li Yao would be pleasantly surprised. As long as he has something to ask for, he won't kill him. On the contrary, he should really be worried.

The deity didn't keep them in suspense and directly explained why they were the way they were.

Do you know my origins?

"I have a guess that the senior was probably part of a grand formation set up by the ancient Heavenly Court."

"Indeed, the one who created me was the greatest being of the mythical era—the Emperor!" The deity's tone was filled with reverence.

Li Yao did not speak, but waited for the deity to speak again.

The preceding words were an introduction, where the other party introduced themselves. What follows is what they want to ask for.

"The deities within the formation, having endured countless ages, are immortal and indestructible, enjoying an eternal life, but this is also a constraint, preventing me from ever advancing further... If I had not developed sentience, I wouldn't feel anything, but I happen to possess sentience..."

Li Yao understood that all life yearns for progress, to transcend the present, and to pursue a higher realm.

But the gods are different. Although they have developed consciousness, their roots are in the Imperial Array, and the two are too tightly bound together.

The existence of the Emperor's Array makes His strength unparalleled throughout history, but it is also a constraint, preventing Him from ever advancing any further.

This is a cruel thing; you can't escape it, and you're forever trapped in one place.

Li Yao vaguely sensed something, but couldn't be sure, so he remained silent, waiting for the array spirit to continue.

"Over the years, I have tested many outstanding talents. They are all figures who have amazed the history of ancient times, but none of them have been able to reach this point."

Your talent for array formations has given me hope. My befriending you today is in the hope that one day you can lend me a hand and help me transcend this barrier.

The deity expressed his thoughts, which were exactly the same as Li Yao's own guess: the other party wanted to invest in him and valued his future.

"I dare not make any promises about the future, but I assure you that if I can do it one day, I will definitely lend you a helping hand," Li Yao said sincerely.

"That will do," the deity said with delight.

For some reason, He had a feeling that this cultivator in front of him would definitely reach that level in the future. The other party's talent in array formation was too strong. A mere Saint, yet his mastery of array formation was stronger than that of an early-stage Quasi-Emperor who was proficient in array formation. What an exaggerated thing this was!

When He attains enlightenment in the future, He will definitely be a being like the Celestial Venerable Lingbao. With such a figure assisting Him, His chances of transcending the world are very high.

However, since it was only a verbal agreement, it wasn't very reliable. Although the deity was a recluse for millions of years, he was quite worldly-wise, so he spoke up:

"I may have offended you during your earlier probing. This place of immortality is filled with countless treasures; you may choose whatever you like, as long as you do not interfere with its operation."

He now wants to befriend the other party, so he is naturally willing to spend a lot of money. Besides, these things in the land of immortality are of little use to him; they are just external possessions.

These words shocked Li Yao, who stared at the deity in disbelief. He finally understood: the leg hair on a big shot's legs was priceless to a nobody.

The Land of Immortality is a true paradise. Putting aside everything else, the medicinal kings in the herb fields alone are countless, with many being seventy, eighty, or ninety thousand years old. Any one of them would be snapped up in a frenzy if left outside.

The Medicine King represents a pure source, something he desperately needs.

On this trip, he took 30 million catties of pure source from the holy land, and with the ones he had on him, he had a total of 50 million catties of pure source.

However, he has only been on Earth for a little over a year, and he has already used up most of his energy just by creating the Dharma Realm and completing the scriptures. He still has 20 million catties of Pure Source on him.

The Heavenly Book's absorption rate is too exaggerated; if it's used so frequently, the rate at which it consumes resources will be outrageous.

When the Heavenly Book is upgraded, it will be able to deduce immortal techniques and scriptures...

Li Yao simply couldn't believe how outrageous this flow of money was. Even with the size of the Yao Guang Holy Land, it felt like they couldn't supply it even if they emptied their coffers.

He was having a headache over this problem when the gods helped him solve this big trouble.

The medicinal herbs of Wanlong Mountain all grow to about 90,000 years old before withering and dying in the medicinal field.

To put it bluntly, this stuff is no different from weeds to the gods; it's really of no use to Him.

As you can see, when Rong Chengzi came to Kunlun Mountain, he took away divine medicines, but the gods didn't care. These things are rare treasures for cultivators, but the gods don't need them, so naturally they don't care.

Even miracle drugs are like this, let alone these so-called "kings of medicine".

However, he put all that aside for now; what he cared about most was the White Tiger Divine Medicine.

The divine medicine escaped and entered the imperial formation, but that was no longer a problem. He simply asked to see the divine medicine, and the deity directly brought the White Tiger Divine Medicine to him.

The sudden change startled the divine medicine, causing it to struggle incessantly. In an instant, the fragrance of the medicine filled the air, and the light and mist surged, making the place seem like a fairyland.

The dragon horse swallowed hard, but it dared not act rashly in front of the deity; otherwise, it would have already charged forward on all fours.

Li Yao's eyes were also burning with desire as he gazed at the White Tiger Divine Medicine struggling in the air.

This is a small white tiger, only a little over a foot long, lifelike and ethereal. If it weren't for the plant roots under its feet and several green leaves on its head, it would be hard to tell that it is not a white tiger. Otherwise, it would be really hard to tell that this is a divine medicine.

"This is the White Tiger Divine Medicine. If you can make it leave with you willingly, you can take it with you," the deity said nonchalantly.

This attitude was as if a divine medicine held no weight for Him, and He could leave or stay as He pleased.

Even the supreme beings wouldn't be this happy. Even if they had already consumed the divine medicine and fruit, and the divine medicine was no longer useful to them, they wouldn't easily give it up.

Because this is the most precious treasure in the universe, even if the fruit has been consumed, it will not diminish the value of the divine medicine.

After the initial panic, the White Tiger Divine Medicine had recovered. Upon hearing the deity's words, it immediately began to shake its head repeatedly, while simultaneously sending out divine thoughts to indicate that it did not want to leave.

Divine medicines possess a spirit and will only follow those who can protect them. Li Yao, being a saint, cannot make divine medicines follow him.

Li Yao didn't care at all about the White Tiger Divine Medicine's rejection; at this moment, he was completely focused on observing the innate divine patterns of the White Tiger Divine Medicine.

Compared to the allure of the divine medicine, the divine patterns on them were the most attractive to Li Yao.

The deity clearly saw this too, and instead of releasing the White Tiger Divine Medicine, delivered it to Li Yao.

This was an unprecedented experience. Before, he could only observe the divine patterns of the True Dragon Divine Medicine from afar, but now, the White Tiger Divine Medicine was within his reach.

Li Yaotian's eyes were sharp as he probed the origin of the divine medicine and saw the complex divine patterns on it.

The lines and patterns trace the path of the Tao, profound and mysterious, and are the tangible manifestation of the Tao.

Leaving aside the divine medicine and fruit, the divine medicine itself is priceless, and the innate divine patterns on it even moved the Great Emperor.

If one can understand its meaning, one can obtain only a fragment of the precious technique, but this is the limit. Even a great emperor cannot deduce the complete precious technique from this fragment.

In the current universe, only Li Yao has the ability to reverse-engineer a complete magical technique from an extremely incomplete set of innate divine runes.

Soon, Li Yao had fully discerned the innate divine patterns of the White Tiger Divine Medicine.

This wasn't due to his skill, but rather because the divine runes were inscribed in the Heavenly Book.

Divine markings resembling white tigers appeared on the pages of the Heavenly Book, but the Heavenly Book did not advance as a result.

Li Yao was puzzled for a moment, then he knew what was going on.

Advancing in the Heavenly Book requires a vast amount of energy, just as a cultivator needs to accumulate a large amount of magical power to break through a realm.

Without hesitation, Li Yao sat down cross-legged. The jade bottles containing the pure source in the Sendai, Hualong, Siji, Daogong, and Lunhai Secret Realm shattered continuously, and endless life essence began to be absorbed by the Heavenly Book.

He wasn't worried that the gods would see anything, as the Heavenly Book had the effect of concealing heavenly secrets, so even the Great Emperor himself couldn't know it.

To outsiders, it seemed as if Li Yao had gained some enlightenment from observing the divine runes and had begun to comprehend the Dao.

Soon, the entire twenty million catties of pure source were absorbed by the Heavenly Book, and then... nothing more.

The entire 20 million kilograms of pure source material was thrown down, but it didn't even make a ripple. This result made Li Yao's teeth ache with envy.

But he did not stop. The jade bottles containing divine energy in the five secret realms began to shatter, and an even larger torrent of essence continued to pour into the Heavenly Book.

Moreover, he began to use himself as a medium, and the essence of heaven and earth from the outside world began to flow wildly into the Heavenly Book through him.

The essence in the Immortal Valley is as rich as liquid, like a vast ocean, inexhaustible and boundless.

It should be noted that this is the land where immortals are nurtured; even the Immortal Ascension Cauldron was conceived here.

Over millions of years, the essence accumulated here is beyond imagination.

However, his opening was too small, and the amount of heaven and earth essence flowing into the Heavenly Book through him was not very large.

If he could absorb an entire star field with a single breath, like the Supreme One, then the essence needed for the Heavenly Book wouldn't be a big problem.

Little did Li Yao know that the commotion alone had already astonished Longma.

Even the gods were incredibly curious as to how a mere saint could contain such a vast amount of vital energy.

However, the more mysterious and defying the heavens Li Yao is, the happier the gods are. The more mysterious and defying the heavens Li Yao is, the more extraordinary his future achievements will be, and the greater the possibility that what He desires will come true.

Suddenly, Li Yao, who was absorbing essence with his eyes closed, opened them and his expression changed slightly.

He absorbed a massive amount of essence, although it was all absorbed by the Heavenly Book, a small amount still flowed within his body.

Such a vast amount of vital energy made it impossible for him to suppress his cultivation level any longer.

The Nine Heavens of Sainthood have been broken!

However, this place is a land for achieving immortality, with a flawless imperial array that isolates even heaven and earth, making it impossible to sense his existence. Therefore, no heavenly tribulation descended.

"Continue to do what you want to do. With me here, not even this world can disturb you," the deity said domineeringly.

Although He didn't know what Li Yao was doing, the aura of his breakthrough in cultivation level couldn't be hidden from Him.

Upon hearing this, Li Yao nodded gratefully, then closed his eyes again, absorbing the essence and allowing the Heavenly Book to take hold.

At the same time, the jade bottle inside his body was constantly shattering, and pieces of divine source were transformed into boundless essence, which was absorbed by the Heavenly Book.

Such a vast amount of essence was like a stone ox sinking into the sea; the Heavenly Book showed no signs of advancing.

Soon, all eight directions of divine energy were absorbed, draining Li Yao of all his energy.

Li Yao was nearly driven mad. Twenty million catties of pure source, divine source from all directions, plus the continuous supply of heaven and earth essence from the land of immortality, were still not enough to meet the needs of the Heavenly Book's advancement?!
(End of this chapter)