In the Northern Region, the temperature difference between day and night was extreme. The moonlight was cold and clear, and the chill cut deep into one’s bones.

On the horizon, several white figures drifted ethereally, flickering in and out of sight like celestial immortals ascending into the sky.

Ye Fan took one step and vanished, leaving behind more than a dozen afterimages across the vast open land as he gave chase. But no matter how far he pursued, he caught nothing. He stood motionless in the darkness, gazing up at the boundless starry sky.

“What were those things?” he wondered, his heart filled with doubt as the white figures disappeared entirely into the vast night sky, never to be seen again.

“Yaochi flying immortals,” the Great Black Dog answered.

“Flying immortals?” Ye Fan was puzzled.

Immortals — to cultivators, they were phantom and unreal. Though legends of their existence always circulated, there was no concrete evidence to support them. Even the accounts recorded in ancient texts could not withstand scrutiny.

“It’s hard to say clearly,” the Great Black Dog shook its head.

Yaochi was an ancient relic site. On moonlit nights, the strange spectacle of flying immortals occasionally appeared, and no one could explain what it truly was. Viewed from afar, the sight was hazy; approached closely, it vanished into nothing.

Legend had it that these were remnant echoes of the primordial age — reflections of countless years past, replays of ancient events from long ago.

“They couldn’t possibly be immortals…” Ye Fan did not believe it.

“I never said they were immortals.” The Dark Emperor’s copper-bell eyes blazed with a deep green luminescence. In the darkness of night, he was no different from a wolf.

The vast open land held nothing but sand and stone. In the second half of the night, everything was profoundly still. Ye Fan and the Dark Emperor searched for nearly the entire night and found nothing.

Long ago, Yaochi had established its sect here because the land’s mountains and waters were imbued with spiritual essence — a rare sacred ground. But now the place was completely desolate. Beyond red sand, nothing else remained.

The mystical spectacle of Yaochi’s flying immortals had appeared, confirming beyond doubt that this was indeed Yaochi’s former homeland. Yet no matter how thoroughly they searched, they could find not a single crack of an opening.

Dawn broke with brilliant light — vivid crimson and golden radiance — casting a warm glow over the reddish-brown earth. Ye Fan and the Dark Emperor had toiled through the night. To say nothing of ruins, they hadn’t even found a single pottery shard.

“You really are unreliable. You told me there was a copy of the Scripture of the Western Emperor here, yet we can’t even find the door.”

“Do you know what ‘great things come to those who wait’ means? That is the Scripture of the Western Emperor — allegedly created by the legendary Western Queen Mother herself. How could something like that be obtained so easily?” The Great Black Dog made excuses.

“Before we came, you made it sound easy. You said it was carved into a sheer cliff face and that we’d find it the moment we arrived. So what happened?”

The Great Black Dog’s face fell. Sulking, it wandered off to one side and squinted in contemplation. A long time passed before it spoke: “This place is sealed. This Emperor’s body has a minor ailment at the moment and may not be able to break it open. We’ll have to think of another way.”

It leapt to its feet with a sudden dash. “Go to the outer edge of Yaochi — the seal there is weakest. There may be a way to slip inside.”

They walked a full half-day, searching and probing, even digging many large pits in the sandy ground, before the Great Black Dog finally settled on a location. “Search here.”

The midday sun was ferocious. The sunlight beat straight down, and man and shadow nearly merged into one. The Dark Emperor paced back and forth, then suddenly leaped into the air. “Found it!”

Hearing this, Ye Fan rushed over.

Ahead, a stretch of red sand glittered brilliantly. The scorching sunlight seemed to pour and flow toward that spot, like the inside of a giant furnace.

“Is something strange buried down there? Can we enter Yaochi from here?”

“I recall there being an ancient well at the edge of the Yaochi sacred ground. This should be it — we can most likely get in through here.” The Great Black Dog answered.

“Old Black, are you actually reliable? Don’t go bluffing me again.” Ye Fan had some doubts about him.

The Great Black Dog bared its teeth and snarled threateningly: “Call me the Dark Emperor!”

Ye Fan struck out with his palm. Red sand swirled into the air, a large pit appeared in the ground, and some large stones were exposed.

“That’s right, it’s here. Time is merciless — even this ancient well has been buried under drifting sand.” The Great Black Dog crouched down and examined it carefully.

When they cleared away the surface, an ancient well appeared below — constructed of old jade stones, its mouth sealed shut by a large boulder.

The sunlight from above was being absorbed into this well, which was why the area blazed like the inside of a giant furnace.

“Yaochi’s former homeland truly is extraordinary. Even though it’s been sealed, it can still automatically absorb the essence of the sun and moon. This well is drinking in sunlight.”

When Ye Fan lifted the boulder aside, a dark, gaping mouth appeared. The well went very deep — impossibly deep, with no bottom in sight.

“Are you certain… this well leads to Yaochi?” Ye Fan looked at it suspiciously.

“It should, more or less.” The Great Black Dog spoke in an uncertain tone.

“What do you mean ‘more or less’? Do you actually have any confidence? Have you gone through here before? This well is incredibly deep — who knows where it leads.”

“We have no other option, do we? We’ll have to feel our way through slowly.” The Great Black Dog picked up a stone in its mouth and dropped it into the ancient well. After a long time, there was still no sound of impact.

“This is a bottomless pit,” Ye Fan said, startled.

“I remember now — this place must lead into Yaochi. Someone has entered from here before. Young one, you go down first and scout the path.”

“Why don’t you go scout it?”

“This Emperor has run into a small problem in cultivation and cannot fly. It’ll have to be you who goes down.”

“You’re supposed to be guiding us, yet you’re asking me to scout the path?” Ye Fan shot it a glare.

“Hey, there’s light down there.” The Great Black Dog suddenly poked its head into the well.

Ye Fan was startled and peered downward, but could see nothing. At that exact moment, he felt that enormous dog head ram into him, sending him tumbling over the edge.

“You stub-tailed dog, you’re truly treacherous and rotten…” Fortunately, he had always been on guard against this Great Black Dog. He grabbed a fistful of its sideburn fur and dragged it down with him.

“One person going down is enough — there’s no need for both of us to come in.”

“Exactly, I also think just you going down is more than enough — why don’t I just toss you in?” Ye Fan was about to let go and fly back up.

“I can’t fly! Young one, if you dare let go, I won’t let this matter rest!” The Great Black Dog bit down on Ye Fan.

“Damn it, bitten by a dog again!” Ye Fan did not fly back up. He grabbed the Great Black Dog and they fell together, intending to feel out the path ahead.

The ancient well was truly deep. They descended over two thousand meters before hitting the bottom. There was no water — only mud on the ground, with the stone the Great Black Dog had thrown in buried deep within it.

Landing on solid ground, a putrid smell hit them. There were even withered leaves in the mud.

The ancient well connected to an underground river, though the water had long since dried up. The dry channel extended sideways into the distance. Occasionally one could spot small puddles, and inside them some blind fish swimming about.

“This dried-up riverbed absolutely leads into Yaochi. Even if there’s a seal, this is where it’s weakest.” Green light flashed in the Great Black Dog’s eyes.

The river channel was pitch dark — so dark one could not see a hand held out. They could only rely on their spiritual sense to perceive the surroundings. Ye Fan picked his way forward unsteadily through the uneven ground, the Dark Emperor walking beside him.

“To be able to find a passage like this, could you have burrowed your way out of here before?” Ye Fan swallowed the words “dog hole,” fearing the Great Black Dog would erupt in fury.

“Damn it, young one, are you insulting me?” The Great Black Dog was extraordinarily sharp, as sly as any person, and instantly caught the underlying meaning.

Fearing another bite, Ye Fan quickly diverted its attention. “No, no — you’re imagining things. How did you discover this route?”

“In the past, the ancient well was filled with water, making it nearly impossible to find this passage. However, someone did enter from here once — but that had nothing to do with me. I only heard about it.”

They walked on and on. After going thirty or forty li, Ye Fan noticed the terrain was gradually rising — they were slowly ascending back toward the surface.

In this area, the seal was extremely weak. A faint light flickered within it, but it could block nothing whatsoever, and the path ahead was clear and unobstructed.

A few more li, and daylight filtered down from above. They were very close to the exit.

“This place truly can lead into Yaochi’s former land…” the Great Black Dog muttered to itself.

“So you really had no idea!” Ye Fan very much wanted to hit it a few times, but feared being bitten again.

What lay before them was a large lake — but one long since dried up. The lakebed had cracked apart, and this river channel connected with a great fissure in the lakebed.

Emerging from the channel, a dense rush of spiritual energy immediately swept over them, clearing the mind and refreshing the spirit, as if basking in a spring breeze.

The bottom of this great lake was parched and dry. Setting aside the large fissures, its shape was roughly like a flat-bottomed wok.

Many enormous fish skeletons lay strewn across the ground. The lake had dried up, killing them, and their size was astounding — several were over ten meters long, some approaching twenty meters.

“Fish this large must have been close to attaining sentience.”

Around the lake’s perimeter, towering ancient trees had taken root along the shore, vigorous and mighty — though unfortunately all had dried up and died. Only one or two still bore a dozen or so yellowed leaves.

“These trees are so thick around — they must have been growing for thousands, even tens of thousands of years.” Ye Fan was shocked.

Ancient trees like these should have long since attained a form of spiritual awareness, yet here they had withered and died. It was genuinely strange.

“Something is wrong with this place!” The Great Black Dog’s copper-bell eyes radiated a deep glow. “Whether it’s the enormous fish over ten meters long in the lake, or the ancient trees along the shore that would take a dozen people linking arms to encircle — none of them were apparently able to attain sentience.”

“What do you sense?” Ye Fan asked.

“I sense nothing — it’s just an intuition. Perhaps this is why Yaochi chose to abandon this place.” The Dark Emperor swept its gaze across the lakeshore.

All around was quiet and still. There was a faint air of desolation.

Ye Fan climbed out of the dried lakebed and stepped up onto the shore, surveying the four directions. In the distance, everything was withered and bleak — trees upon trees dead and bare, stripped of life, giving the scene an unbearably forlorn and desolate feeling.

“You said this would be a world of fragrant flowers and singing birds. Why is it this barren and desolate?”

“Something has happened here…” The Dark Emperor walked forward.

Though Yaochi’s former homeland was desolate, its spiritual energy was dense — many times more concentrated than outside. Truly worthy of being called a sacred cultivation ground.

Walking several li, the sound of flowing water reached their ears. Passing through a vast forest of dead trees, verdant green burst into sight.

Ahead, green plants spread in every direction, lush and abundant. A lake gleamed as clear as a sapphire, and along its banks, broad swaths of vegetation teemed with vitality.

Enormous ancient trees stretched their branches toward the sky, each roughly the size of a small hill. Thick vines coiled everywhere like great grey dragons, crawling and clinging to everything. All manner of flowering plants breathed out fragrance, refreshing to the heart, their blooms of purple and crimson a pleasure to the eyes.

Ye Fan felt it strange — how could the contrast be so extreme? Separated by only a short distance, one side was dead and silent while the other overflowed with such vibrant life.

The Great Black Dog ran forward, passing through this verdant area. Less than a thousand meters onward, the land again became withered and still.

“Strange indeed — it can’t all be because of water sources.”

They pressed on and discovered that ninety percent of the territory was dead and lifeless, with only scattered pockets of vitality.

The mountain ranges were the same — most were bare and rocky, not a blade of grass growing, while only a few peaks remained beautifully green, their summits lush and valleys verdant.

After traveling several more tens of li, they finally spotted several pavilions — though all were half-collapsed. Even with protective Dao patterns inscribed upon them, they could not withstand the erosion of so many years.

“Almost there — we’re approaching Yaochi’s inner sanctum.” The Dark Emperor’s stub tail rose high into the air as it ran forward.

Crossing ridge after ridge of mountains, they finally arrived at a place shrouded in immortal mist, all around tranquil and still, every tree and plant completely withered.

Vast palace halls rose before them like a celestial court — some stood atop mountain peaks, others were seated before dried-up waterfalls…

If life were ever restored to this place, it would surely become paradise.

“All the Yaochi palace halls that once floated in the sky have been moved away — not a single one remains…” The Great Black Dog swept its gaze in every direction.

“Did Yaochi have an ancient city that never fell?” Ye Fan asked.

“Naturally, there was one.” The Great Black Dog’s eyes flickered with a searching light, as if looking for something. “We need to cross a few more mountain ridges ahead before we reach the central domain.”

They pressed on swiftly, crossing this withered landscape. The mist ahead grew even more ethereal.

Crossing ridge after ridge, verdant green appeared before their eyes once more. Waterfalls cascaded and springs flowed, mist hung in the air, and palace halls rose one after another in breathtaking splendor — it was as if they had entered an immortal realm.

“The central domain hasn’t become a dead zone — what a relief!” The Great Black Dog charged forward.

“Where did the Western Queen Mother carve the scripture text? On which sheer cliff face?” Ye Fan pressed, growing impatient. Even he found it difficult to remain calm in a sacred place like this.

“What’s the rush? Let’s first go somewhere good!”

Along the beautiful cliffs, one great waterfall after another cascaded down — silver curtains stretching a thousand meters in length, utterly magnificent, white mist spreading in every direction.

Palace halls rose in dense rows, like a painting come to life.

“Where exactly do you want to go?” Ye Fan asked.

“Naturally, to Yaochi’s sacred lake — it’s what gave Yaochi its name!”

Not far away was an open expanse. Around it grew countless rare and exotic flowers and plants, and palace halls stood nearby. At the center of the area, spiritual energy gathered in dense swirls, auspicious light flowing and shimmering — and there, hazy and indistinct, lay a lake.

“This should be it…” The Great Black Dog rushed forward.

Here, the spiritual energy was even denser than elsewhere — many times greater. Standing in this place, without even circulating one’s cultivation technique, one could automatically absorb the primal essence of heaven and earth.

Splash!

The Great Black Dog plunged into the immortal lake.

“Dark Emperor, is there some treasure in that lake? Why are you in such a hurry?”

The Great Black Dog gave no answer and swam toward the center of the lake, moving like a streak of black light, then suddenly dove under the surface.

“Awooo—!” The Great Black Dog sank below the water for several minutes, then let out a wolf’s howl and shot back to the surface, as if it had been terrified by something.

“What did you see?” Ye Fan’s heart lurched.

“Nothing, nothing — it just feels wonderful. This is Yaochi’s immortal lake. Bathing here has remarkable effects: it can unblock the meridians, invigorate the channels, and accelerate cultivation. Young one, come in too.”

“Nonsense. Look at how frightened you were just now — something is clearly wrong in there. You’re trying to drag me down into the water to suffer with you, aren’t you?” Ye Fan stood on the bank, arms folded, watching it.

“Young one, you are so naturally suspicious. Would this Emperor ever be so underhanded?” The Great Black Dog said.

“When have you ever been upright? Hurry up and get out. Go find the Scripture of the Western Emperor for me.” Ye Fan urged.

“This lake has remarkable water. In the past, only Yaochi’s celestial maidens could enjoy it — this was where those unrivaled beauties bathed. Outsiders couldn’t even see it, let alone enter. Don’t you want to come in and experience it for yourself?”

Suddenly, Ye Fan’s heart lurched. In the water, he spotted several human silhouettes drifting below the surface — pale white and chilling, raising goosebumps.

“You stub-tailed dog, you truly are treacherous and rotten!”

The Great Black Dog seemed to sense something. It shot upward with a tremendous leap, clearing the water’s surface, and cried out: “Why are they following me up? Why are they still moving?!”

Damn this cursed dog — it really had been trying to drag him into the water to suffer alongside it, Ye Fan cursed inwardly.

The Great Black Dog scrambled and bolted, skimming across the water’s surface, its stub tail raised straight up, racing madly toward the bank.

Below the lake’s surface, several blurred figures — black hair streaming loose, dressed in white garments — glided past, making Ye Fan’s heart pound with dread. What on earth were those things?