Entering Purple Mountain

Fifth Master Zhang and Jiang Yun were now deeply connected, so naturally he did not want anything to happen to Jiang Yun and tried to persuade him otherwise.

The First Ancestor was the last Source Heavenly Master, Ancestor Zhang Lin. Transformed into a red-haired creature, he should still be inside Purple Mountain, guarding that Yaochi Holy Maiden.

"Fifth Master, my mind is made up. I've already found a way into Purple Mountain, and I hope you can offer me some help." Jiang Yun's expression was resolute.

"Then... come with me. Our ancestors left behind a set of items."

Fifth Master Zhang understood at this point that he could not stop Jiang Yun, so he could only give him another layer of protection.

Many things were piled up in the newly built courtyard. The people of Stone Stronghold had only just moved in and had yet to sort everything out.

Fifth Master Zhang found a large, well-preserved wooden chest among them. It was an ancient relic from a distant era, filled with the aura of time.

He opened it to reveal a complete set of Source-seeking artifacts: a Stone Garment, Stone Helm, Stone Pendant, Stone Blade, and Star Compass.

"I thought I would never have cause to open it in my lifetime. Who knew it would still come in handy?"

Fifth Master Zhang took out the stone artifacts one by one. His clouded eyes rested on them as he explained their uses to Jiang Yun.

The Stone Garment was a Source-seeking outfit made from old skin once used to wrap Divine Source. It possessed a spirituality that ordinary cultivators could hardly detect.

Wearing the Stone Garment and Stone Helm could conceal every trace of one's aura. Perhaps they were not especially sturdy, but they could isolate a cultivator from the outside world.

All Source seekers hoped to possess a Stone Garment like this. Digging for Source underground day after day, they would inevitably encounter unpleasant things. Such a Divine Source garment could ward off evil and avoid certain unclean entities.

The Stone Pendant, Stone Blade, and Star Compass had all been refined by a Source Heavenly Master and possessed their own wondrous uses.

Jiang Yun thought that perhaps the Unethical Daoist might also need a set of equipment like this.

He listened very carefully. In matters like this, he would never be arrogant.

He also asked Fifth Master Zhang which direction his ancestor from a thousand years ago had used to enter Purple Mountain before leaving with the items.

He separately sought out the two youths, Wang Shu and Lei Bo, and handed them the stone artifacts previously cut from the stones in Stone Stronghold, telling them to keep them in their rooms.

The stone materials containing the aura of Primordial Beginning could stimulate the bloodline of the Silver-Blood Royal Clan.

Another ten days passed. Jiang Yun had now been in the Northern Region for a month.

He had used up four drops of divine liquid essence, traded two Divine Source Beans for some spiritual herbs in several nearby oasis cities, and added the spiritual treasures and materials obtained from wiping out four sects.

Only then did he refine a batch of Four-Revolution Golden Cores. Refining Five-Turn Golden Cores required a Little Medicine King as a supplementary ingredient. He had underestimated just how valuable Medicine Kings were; they were difficult to buy on the market.

The Four-Revolution Golden Core corresponded to the realm of a Dao-Slaying King. It could extend one's lifespan by five hundred years, ten times the effect of a Human Origin Fruit.

And that was merely a secondary effect. Its greatest use was aiding cultivation and helping one comprehend Dao techniques and divine abilities.

The Divine King had been trapped in Purple Mountain for four thousand years, so his realm should already have reached the peak of Saint. Fully refining this Golden Core would not be enough to let him advance further, but it would suffice to replenish his losses and extend his lifespan.

With all preparations complete, Jiang Yun told Xia Weier that he would be entering seclusion for a while, then quietly slipped away.

Xia Weier did not suspect much. Seclusion was commonplace for cultivators. People like him, who tirelessly went around doing bad things without sleep or rest, were truly rare.

Jiang Yun arrived at Purple Mountain once again.

Purple Mountain had nine entrances. Jiang Yun carefully investigated all nine ancient mine tunnels before confirming which direction Zhang Jiye had entered from a thousand years ago.

He was truly afraid of entering through the wrong place. Failing to find the person he sought would be far too awkward.

The dragon vein to the due east merged with the power of the earth. The mountains rose high and majestic, like a pale dragon curled up before him, stretching across the land with an immense aura manifesting from it.

It also carried faint hints of purple, similar in color to Purple Mountain at the center.

Jiang Yun had noticed this ancient mine tunnel before. That ancestor from a thousand years ago had entered from here.

The inside of the dragon vein had already been hollowed out. Following it would lead underground into Purple Mountain.

As for digging directly into Purple Mountain from outside, he did not dare try that.

Jiang Yun wore the Divine Source Stone Garment and Stone Helm, held the Stone Blade in his hand, hung the Stone Pendant before his chest, and carried the Star Compass on his back.

He proceeded through the pitch-black ancient mine tunnel. In this tunnel excavated more than a hundred thousand years ago, thick dust covered the ground, while traces of blades and axes could occasionally be seen on the walls.

They silently spoke of the vicissitudes of time. The place was exceedingly still, with almost no sound at all.

With a thought, Jiang Yun concealed all his aura and moved soundlessly through the ancient mine tunnel like a ghost.

This was a wondrous ability the Source Pearl had gained after evolving. He used part of Source Space to envelop his body and cover every inch of his skin.

It fused perfectly with Jiang Yun's body. If anyone probed him with divine sense, they would only sink into a patch of nothingness, preventing others from peering into his secrets.

Otherwise, his physique advanced every so often. If anyone discovered that, it would be far too shocking.

After walking dozens of miles in this manner, Jiang Yun killed every demonic bat he encountered along the way.

As he slowly advanced, stone-carved murals began appearing on the tunnel walls, recounting an event from more than a hundred thousand years ago. No one knew who had left them behind.

In the first few carvings, a piece of Divine Source stood upright. A creature with a single horn growing from its brow, six arms below its shoulders, and wings covering its back knelt devoutly beside the Divine Source from beginning to end.

Mountains of corpses and seas of blood surrounded it, many of them cultivators. Their blood gathered into rivers that wound into the distance, making the place resemble a grim hell.

Ancient cultivators had disturbed the primordial creatures sleeping within Purple Mountain. In the primordial era, they regarded humans as food and slaves.

But the era of the primordial races had changed.

A human expert enveloped in a halo descended from the heavens in the mural, and everything changed.

The human expert carved into the stone was surrounded by auspicious radiance. Only a single character, "Emperor," was inscribed above his head.

The majesty of an ancient Great Emperor had been etched into a trace of soul through simple marks by the person who left the carving, revealing that Great Emperor's supreme might.

Jiang Yun believed this Great Emperor was likely the Wushi Great Emperor. He had discovered Purple Mountain's extraordinary nature.

The Great Emperor summoned his weapon: a great bell as tall as heaven and earth. It crashed down, covering the Divine Source.

The Divine Source cracked, and the creature within finally emerged, though the carving only depicted her extending a slender hand.

The woman within the Divine Source was very likely the Undying Heavenly Empress. But the Undying Heavenly Empress alone was not worthy of making the Wushi Great Emperor summon the Wushi Bell.

The later carvings were gone, concealing the person who had truly fought the Wushi Great Emperor.

Jiang Yun guessed that, at first, the Wushi Great Emperor and the Undying Heavenly Emperor had no connection.

But then the primordial creatures of Purple Mountain emerged and wreaked havoc upon the world, and the Wushi Great Emperor crushed them.

It was during that journey into Purple Mountain that Wushi discovered the secret that the Undying Heavenly Emperor might still be alive. The two ultimately faced each other for hundreds of thousands of years, until Ye Fan became an immortal in the mortal world and entered the Strange World, finally killing him completely.

After studying the carvings and taking in the bearing of the Great Emperor, Jiang Yun continued onward.