“That is…” Ji Ziyue followed Ye Fan’s gaze and quickly also noticed the anomaly. “It looks like a passage!”
Ye Fan moved forward step by step, with Ji Ziyue following behind. All manner of wondrous resonances came once more, and both felt their minds invaded — growing somewhat bewildered.
The green bronze fragment within Ye Fan’s Wheel Sea seemed to resist intensely, trembling gently, dissolving the danger. Their minds cleared, and they were able to continue forward.
Right beside the “Immortal” character, beneath a veil of chaotic mist, there was actually a breach — the bronze wall had been forcibly punched through. A path, rough and uneven, had been hewn by someone’s hand. Where it led was unknown.
“Heavens — who possessed such overwhelming combat power, to punch through a bronze hall and carve out such a path?” Ji Ziyue exclaimed in astonishment.
The legendary Ancient Bronze Immortal Hall was said to be indestructible — a prison of heaven and earth that could not be broken. Countless powerful cultivators from the Eastern Desolation had fallen trapped within it; not one had ever emerged alive. All had perished, imprisoned within.
It was said that the most successful exploration of the past had only managed to send out a single corpse — though even that account lacked concrete evidence.
And yet, this legend now seemed to have been shattered.
The faint briny smell of lake water wafted toward them. Ye Fan and Ji Ziyue moved quickly forward, and after half an hour, following that rough and uneven bronze passage, they finally emerged — arriving at the very top of the Ancient Bronze Immortal Hall.
“Heavens — someone punched through the Ancient Bronze Immortal Hall and escaped from within. What kind of supremely powerful figure could this be?!” Ji Ziyue’s beautiful eyes were filled with shock.
Ye Fan’s heart was equally shaken. That they were able to survive was entirely owing to the green bronze fragment — yet someone had been so terrifying as to punch through the bronze hall by their own power alone, creating this very exit!
“This person chose not to enter the Gate of All Wonders. It seems they shared our same reasoning — stepping back from the edge of the abyss.” Ji Ziyue’s large eyes shimmered with strange light. “It’s utterly unbelievable. They shattered the legendary Ancient Bronze Immortal Hall. If this were known, it would certainly shake the entire Eastern Desolation!”
Based on those rough and uneven marks, it could be inferred that countless ages had already passed.
Someone had escaped from this very place thousands — perhaps tens of thousands — of years ago, yet had not made it known throughout the Eastern Desolation. Why had they concealed it?
If that person was still alive, what level of cultivation had they reached? After carefully pondering the matter, both Ye Fan and Ji Ziyue felt a chilling sense of awe, giving rise to all manner of thoughts.
Ye Fan spread a curtain of light, enveloping Ji Ziyue within it, and stood atop the bronze hall — which was as vast as a city. All around, lake water flowed and rippled, with a faint undulation transmitting through it. This time, however, it did not tear at them and drag them down into the bronze hall. Though the green bronze fragment within Ye Fan’s Wheel Sea made no sound, it radiated a strange and formidable power, so that the terrifying fluctuations no longer affected them.
Having escaped from the bronze hall against all odds, both felt a sense of unreality.
Not long before, within the Gate of All Wonders, all manner of wondrous visions had appeared. Though they carried temptation and concealed bone-chilling killing intent, those strange fluctuations were genuinely profound principles of cultivation — truths of the highest order. Both quietly reflected on them, then committed everything to memory. This was their one and only gain.
Going by instinct, Ye Fan felt that what they had glimpsed was not inferior to the Dao Sutra — it was a pity they had only received scattered fragments. Ji Ziyue compared it against the ancient scriptures of the Ji Family and likewise felt it could stand shoulder to shoulder with them.
What lay beyond the Gate of All Wonders — they did not know, and had no desire to find out. To have escaped alive was already a heaven-sent fortune.
Ye Fan observed carefully. Above them, the lake water was covered by a dark, cloud-like mist — though it was somewhat thin here. The bronze hall below had been punched through, and the effect had caused the cloud-mist above to become considerably thinner as well.
“Perhaps we can escape from here…”
He lifted Ji Ziyue and shot upward through the water. Just as he surged into mid-air, he was struck once more by the same crushing pressure as before. High above, a massive shadow — like some living, colossal creature — drifted past.
This time, however, he did not retreat. Instead, steeling himself against the pressure, he continued upward. A golden radiance radiated from his entire body, spreading far through the water.
The higher he rose, the greater the pressure became. Ye Fan gradually began to feel as though his body might be torn to pieces. He brought out his cauldron, letting it open the way ahead.
Although this area was the thinnest point, Ye Fan still felt he was nearly at his limit. Just then, Ji Ziyue let out a startled cry: “It’s the Profound Yellow dual energies!”
Above them, vast and dense as mountains, heavy as layered clouds — a great expanse of shadow loomed in two colors: profound black and earthen yellow, dim and indistinct. It seemed as though a single wisp of that mist could crush an entire mountain range, so oppressive it made one feel like suffocating.
Ye Fan had not even truly touched it. Without having made direct contact, he was already nearly unable to endure — pressed down by that overwhelming might until he could barely breathe.
When stars fall into disorder, Yin and Yang are overturned, and the Profound Yellow surges forth — ordinary people believe the Profound Yellow to be the primal Chaos energy. But true cultivators would never think so. They hold that “Profound” is the essence of heaven, and “Yellow” is the marrow of the earth — together they form the quintessence of heaven and earth, and thus heaven and earth are represented by these two colors.
“Heavens — it’s the genuine Profound Yellow dual energies, and there’s so much of it!” Ji Ziyue was tremendously shocked. Then her eyes filled with little sparkling stars. “This is the supreme sacred material for forging spiritual instruments!”
She was wrapped within the curtain of light Ye Fan had spread, and felt very little of the pressure. Ye Fan, on the other hand, was already drenched in sweat, clearly on the verge of collapse. “What are you shouting about?!”
“I’m saying this is the most precious vital energy in all of heaven and earth — a sacred material for forging spiritual instruments! Countless powerful cultivators have searched their entire lives and could not obtain even a single wisp. And yet there is so much of it here!” Ji Ziyue was tremendously excited, her cheeks flushed, shaking Ye Fan by the shoulders again and again. “Hurry and collect it! Temper your spiritual instrument with it, and in the future you’ll certainly be able to condense ‘Dao’ and ‘Principle’ into it, transforming it into a supreme weapon of the ultimate Dao!”
“Easy for you to say when you’re not the one bearing the weight…” Ye Fan swayed, on the verge of collapse, unable to advance another step.
“That which has no name is the beginning of heaven and earth — this is the Dao. That which has a name is the mother of all things — this is heaven and earth. The Profound Yellow is the quintessence of heaven and earth, the mother-energy of all things, and the supreme sacred material for tempering all tangible matter. It is unimaginably rare!” Ji Ziyue was intensely excited, a rosy flush spreading across her face, making her look exceptionally sweet. She trembled with excitement. “On ordinary days, even the most supreme cultivators search everywhere and come away empty-handed. Yet here there is so much of it! We must collect some — we absolutely must!”
Upon hearing this, Ye Fan was indeed moved. If his cauldron were tempered with the Profound Yellow… he felt his heartbeat quicken.
But the reality of his strength was what it was. He truly could not collect it — he simply could not get close enough.
Ji Ziyue shook Ye Fan’s shoulders. “Hurry and lift my seal! I have a way to collect it.”
Ye Fan naturally would not undo her restraints. Doing so would be courting disaster — this violet-robed girl’s power was difficult to gauge, and he had no desire to find himself at a disadvantage.
“Don’t worry — I won’t make a move against you.” Ji Ziyue hugged one of his arms, grinding her sparkling little canine teeth together. “This is an enormous stroke of fortune! If we miss it, we’ll be struck down by thunder from heaven.”
From the very beginning of heaven and earth, a quintessence overflowed — this was the Profound Yellow. Its quantity was pitifully scarce, already nearly exhausted. It was the most treasured of supreme cultivators, and the priceless jewel of spiritual instrument refinement.
Ye Fan knew something of this, but far less than the violet-robed girl. Seeing her in such a state, he too could not remain calm, and began to think of how he might obtain the Profound Yellow.
But according to legend, even a single wisp of the Profound Yellow was enough to crush an entire mountain range. As things stood, he was utterly incapable of collecting it — going up there would almost certainly mean being instantly pulverized into a blood mist.
“Rumble, rumble…”
Above, in the area that was the thinnest compared to everywhere else, a rumbling sound now arose. A brilliant radiance flowed in from the distance.
“Profound” is the essence of heaven; “Yellow” is the marrow of the earth. When fused together, they do not typically radiate dazzling light. Yet at this moment, one particular stream of Profound Yellow energy shone with extraordinary brilliance — many times more resplendent than all the other heavy, unadorned streams of Profound Yellow surrounding it.
“Heavens — it’s the Root of the Profound Yellow! The concentrated essence!” Ji Ziyue was excited beyond all measure. Her small face flushed red, and then, filled with indignation, she seized Ye Fan. “Quickly undo my seal! That is the mother-energy quintessence spoken of in legend — the purest distillation of the Profound Yellow! It appears once in a thousand ages, perhaps ten thousand! If we fail to obtain it, heaven and man alike will be outraged!”
Just then, Ye Fan’s Wheel Sea trembled. The green bronze fragment flew out and plunged into the Profound Yellow, latching onto that brilliant stream of pure quintessence, pulling it downward.
Ji Ziyue, shocked and excited at once, cried out: “Give me some of it!” — thinking it was Ye Fan who had acted to collect it.
In truth, the green bronze fragment moved entirely beyond his control. Ye Fan hastily brought out his cauldron to intercept the green bronze fragment and absorb the Profound Yellow quintessence.
“Crack!”
A splintering sound rang out. The small cauldron could not bear the weight of ten thousand measures of pressure — it shattered, blending together with the Profound Yellow quintessence.
The green bronze fragment had only absorbed a portion of the Profound Yellow quintessence — barely a taste — before stopping. The remaining quintessence swirled around on the outside, and the shattered cauldron also adhered to the surface of the green bronze.
Ye Fan didn’t know whether to be elated or devastated. The green bronze was too mysterious — it had effortlessly captured the Profound Yellow quintessence. Yet the cauldron he had painstakingly tempered was now shattered, leaving him with a feeling of mingled emotions.
“This is a good thing! The shattered cauldron has fused with the Profound Yellow — you can reforge it, and you’ll obtain the weapon you’ve always dreamed of. And when the time comes — don’t forget to give me a wisp of the Profound Yellow quintessence. You can’t possibly use this much anyway!” Ji Ziyue waved her small fists, eyes sparkling with little stars, nearly biting Ye Fan’s ear as she urgently reminded him.
With the green bronze fragment flying toward him, Ye Fan felt a surge of dread. A single wisp of the Profound Yellow could crush an entire mountain range — the quintessence of the Profound Yellow must be even heavier still. If it entered the Wheel Sea, he feared he would be instantly pulverized.
Yet there was no way to evade it. In a flash the green bronze arrived, and in the blink of an eye it sank to the bottom of the spring at the sea’s floor — and everything grew calm and still. Nothing bad happened. His heart settled.
At this moment, above them, a great rumbling sounded. With the Profound Yellow quintessence now collected, the clouds and mist parted, and this entire area cleared — an opening had appeared.
This was a rare opportunity. Ye Fan lifted the violet-robed girl and shot upward like a bolt of lightning, escaping the lake bottom in an instant.
“So much Profound Yellow energy, and we can’t take any of it — I can hardly bear it…” Ji Ziyue called out with bitter reluctance, practically like a little miser.
“Splash!”
Waves churned and crested as Ye Fan burst through the surface of the water, finally drawing a long breath of relief.
This was a vast lake — emerald waves stretching as far as the eye could see, the surface shimmering a clear jade green, like a natural gemstone embedded upon the boundless earth, wreathed in immortal mist.
Ye Fan flew for a quarter of an hour before reaching a bank. Before them lay a lush expanse of green — endless ancient trees growing along the shore, dense and full of life.
“We’ve finally escaped…” Both of them had come back from the brink.
On the bank, ancient trees soared toward the sky, vivid and green. Ye Fan let his mind and spirit fully relax.
Ji Ziyue’s large eyes swept lightly around, her gaze shimmering with rippling light. She wrinkled her nose, and then her sparkling little canine teeth and adorable little dimple appeared simultaneously. “Hey, hey, hey — we’ve been through hardship together. You could say we’ve bonded through life and death. Shouldn’t you let me go now? The time has come to share in the good fortune — quickly give me some of the Profound Yellow quintessence.”
She spoke as though she were already family, full of life and a hint of playfulness. She walked over lightly, head tilted with a shallow smile, one slender, delicate jade hand extended and waving gently before Ye Fan’s eyes.
“Right — we should indeed share in hardship and good fortune together.” The corners of Ye Fan’s lips curved with a trace of a smile. He patted the spot beside him, gesturing for her to sit. “Write out your Ji Family’s ancient scripture for me.”
“What?!” Ji Ziyue stared at him with her large, limpid eyes. “That’s outright banditry!”
“That’s right — today I’m going to rob you.” Ye Fan smiled brilliantly. “And I’m going to rob you of everything — hand over your treasures, hand over the ancient scripture…”