The Jade Pool was magnificent and beautiful in equal measure — sacred mountains towering in grandeur, spiritual peaks ethereal and otherworldly, as though one had stepped into an immortal realm, causing all who entered to lose themselves in wonder and intoxication.
Divine springs trickled from stone cliffs, spirit herbs grew along the canyon walls, auspicious beasts lay resting amidst the mountains. The place was rich with immortal energy and breathtaking scenery, resplendent in its beauty.
This land had been a long-renowned sacred earth of the Eastern Wastelands, and naturally was also suffused with an abundance of dragon energy — at least ten thousand streams of it, along with coiling immortal mist that condensed and took shape into great dragons.
Ye Fan’s quarters were elegant and tranquil. The refined lodgings sat nestled within a grove of purple bamboo, with a clear and radiant small lake just outside the residence — serene and peaceful.
The purple bamboo gleamed like jade, each stalk crystalline and luminous. Spirit medicines grew scattered across the forest floor, not in great density, but one could occasionally glimpse several plants here and there — on closer inspection, all were hundreds of years old in terms of medicinal age, with some even exceeding a thousand years.
The moment the Great Black Dog arrived at this place, it began wandering about in every direction, eyes darting left and right. It claimed to be taking Xiao Nannan on a tour of the scenery, but only the heavens knew what it truly had in mind.
“That wretched dog — one look and you can tell it’s up to no good. Odds are it’s headed straight for the Flat Peach Garden.” Li Heishui said.
From the moment the Great Black Dog entered the Jade Pool, it had been endlessly chattering, constantly hinting around and asking people where the Flat Peach Garden was located. When no one was watching, it nearly started drooling.
The Jade Pool’s Flat Peach Garden was renowned throughout the world — the most celebrated spirit root in the entire Eastern Wastelands. Even a single bite of ordinary peach flesh could extend a mortal’s lifespan by many years, while for cultivators the benefits were also considerable.
“It’s not an immortal medicine of undying life — can it really hold that great an appeal for that dog?” Jiang Huairen was skeptical.
“Didn’t you hear the wretched dog muttering to itself? It’s looking for the most ancient flat peach tree of all — not the spirit peaches in the immortal garden. I have a feeling the real thing is at least the equivalent of a ten-thousand-year peerless spirit medicine.”
“I remember now — my grandfather once mentioned that the Jade Pool has an ancient tree, said to be the most precious thing short of an undying immortal medicine.” Wu Zhongtian said.
“What? Something that approaches the level of an undying immortal medicine — what kind of spirit root is that?” Liu Kou was stunned.
“Supposedly, it was brought out from the Divine Ruins…”
The Divine Ruins — one of the Seven Great Life-Forbidden Zones of the Eastern Wastelands, ranked alongside the Immortal Mountain and the Primordial Ancient Mine. It lay in the western regions of the Eastern Wastelands, utterly mysterious and inscrutable.
Legend had it that this was a relic left behind by divine beings. Some records even claimed that it contained the still-standing Southern Heavenly Gate, with its towering celestial palace, vast and boundless, with no end in sight.
That place was a Life-Forbidden Zone, universally known for being easy to enter but impossible to leave. No one had ever been able to fully explore its secrets. Through countless ages spanning hundreds of thousands of years, the world had changed beyond recognition — yet the Divine Ruins had remained absolutely unchanged.
Throughout heaven and earth, the undying immortal medicines were only a handful in number, and all possessed the ability to choose their own dwelling places. They could soar through the sky and vanish into the earth, and had long since entered the Life-Forbidden Zones.
Rumor had it that the undying flat peach tree had taken root in the Divine Ruins — standing no more than a meter in height, and capable of bearing only two or three peach divine medicines in ten thousand years.
“Over a hundred thousand years ago, a saint of the Jade Pool once entered the Divine Ruins and survived by the narrowest of margins, managing to emerge alive. She did not bring back the undying flat peach tree itself, but she carried out a single peach divine medicine.”
Why had the Jade Pool earned its name? The world knew the reason — the Jade Pool possessed a pool of springs, renowned throughout the realm, and even holy lands from every direction would come seeking its waters for their medicine refining. It truly deserved to be called a divine pool among divine pools.
In the pre-Desolate Ancient era especially, this pool was at the height of its miraculous power, and the water it produced approached the level of the sacred springs of life, capable of resurrecting the dead and restoring flesh to bare bone.
Upon her return, that ancient saint buried the seed of the peach divine medicine in the earth, watering it every day with the Jade Pool’s divine spring water. Through her tireless efforts, she ultimately succeeded in causing it to take root and sprout.
Never before had any undying immortal medicine been able to spawn a second specimen — all were one of a kind. The Jade Pool, by nourishing the seed with its divine spring water, had created an absolute miracle.
However, the rarest treasures of heaven and earth were truly without equal in this world, and ultimately, two could not coexist at the same level. Beyond the very first fruits it ever bore — which could be said to match roughly half of a true peach divine medicine in potency — none of the fruits it produced afterward could be compared to the original on the same terms.
It could be called the foremost spirit medicine in all the world, yet it could not be called an undying immortal medicine, for this variety of flat peach was only capable of extending the life of a powerful cultivator by over a thousand years.
“Over a thousand years — that is still worthy of being called a divine medicine!” Jiang Huairen exclaimed in admiration.
Wu Zhongtian shook his head and continued, “That was in the pre-Desolate Ancient era. Today, it certainly no longer has that effect.”
“Why not?” Liu Kou asked.
In the pre-Desolate Ancient era, the waters of the Jade Pool were close in nature to the sacred springs of life. Watered by them each and every day, that flat peach tree had naturally flourished and thrived, and the fruits it bore also carried the properties of a divine medicine.
Yet eighty to ninety thousand years ago, the spiritual potency of the pool had diminished significantly, already far inferior to what it once had been, and the nourishment it provided the tree had lost much of its former efficacy.
Then tens of thousands of years ago, the Jade Pool had, for some unknown reason, abandoned its original site and relocated to its present location. Though by extraordinary means they had managed to transplant even the roots of the immortal pool along with them, it had nonetheless suffered great damage in the process.
Wu Zhongtian’s grandfather Wu Dao was broadly learned and steeped in ancient knowledge, privy to many secrets. His estimate was that the divine spring’s potency was now far below what it once was, and the fruits borne by the ancient flat peach tree planted beside it could today extend one’s lifespan by no more than five hundred years at most.
Ye Fan thought of the original site of the Jade Pool. He had once infiltrated it alongside the Black Emperor in order to obtain the Western Emperor Sutra. He had seen the abandoned immortal pool there — its lake bed strewn everywhere with corpses — and to this day he still could not fathom what had transpired there.
“That wretched dog — how does it know all of this? No need to say more. It’s clearly there for that first-ranked spirit medicine in all the world. Let’s just pray it doesn’t stir up trouble, or we’ll all be the ones who can’t get away with it.” Everyone was speechless, and silently offered up prayers that it would restrain itself.
Half an hour later, the Great Black Dog returned with Xiao Nannan on its back, utterly dejected, without an ounce of spirit. Seeing it in such a state, everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief.
“Where did you go?” Ye Fan asked.
“Sightseeing, watching beauties bathe.” The Great Black Dog answered in an irritable tone.
“Wretched dog, did you actually go spying on the Jade Pool immortal maidens bathing? Next time share the experience — take us along too.” Liu Kou’s eyes lit up.
“Damn it, do you think your emperor is as shameless as you?!” The Great Black Dog grew even more sullen.
“Doggy went to steal peaches but got caught and chased away.” Xiao Nannan said in her clear, crisp voice.
“We knew you were up to no good — stop stirring up trouble!” Everyone scolded it together.
“Damn it, that blasted monkey. If it hadn’t gotten there first and spooked everyone into being on guard, the Jade Pool people would never have been able to stop your emperor!” The Great Black Dog fumed furiously.
“What kind of bandit logic is that? You go out to steal flat peaches and then have the nerve to claim you were in the right — and how did the Battle Sage Ape even get dragged into this…”
“In the primordial ages, the undying flat peach tree was held by the Battle Sage Ape bloodline of the ancient kings. That blasted monkey can’t shake its thieving nature and has set its sights on it again.” The Great Black Dog cursed, then continued, “That dead monkey doesn’t dare go to the Divine Ruins to seek the real undying flat peach tree, yet it comes here to join in the excitement and steal business from your emperor.”
Ye Fan and the others had been at the Jade Pool for several days now, yet the grand assembly had still not formally commenced. It seemed there were still important figures who had yet to arrive.
Except for a few specially restricted areas, they were largely free to move as they pleased, wandering and sightseeing throughout this ancient land.
“Elder brother, there’s a monkey over there.” Xiao Nannan tugged at Ye Fan’s sleeve.
“Where is there a monkey? Your emperor despises monkeys most of all — now and always!” The Great Black Dog cried.
Ye Fan cast his gaze in that direction and saw a young man standing not far away — his body gleaming golden, powerfully built, absolutely brimming with strength, his eyes blazing like twin torches, sharp and brilliant.
“The Battle Sage Ape…” Ye Fan’s heart leapt. Using his divine eyes, he could perceive the true form beneath — a body covered entirely in golden fur, with fiery golden eyes. The creature had disguised its appearance and slipped inside.
This was a truly formidable figure. As a member of the ancient royal bloodlines, though not yet fully grown into his power, he already faintly possessed the might to suppress a great power. What was his purpose in coming here?
To Ye Fan’s astonishment, a senior elder of the Jade Pool politely and respectfully escorted the monkey out. It was clear that the elder had also recognized the creature’s identity, yet rather than encircling and killing it, they simply led it away.
“You recognized me?” The monkey spoke. He had transformed into human form now, and his voice sounded young. He was not speaking in the primordial language but rather in the common human tongue.
Ye Fan nodded, quietly observing him. The Battle Sage Ape was someone he had cut free from a strange stone — the two of them shared a profound connection of cause and effect.
“Aren’t you afraid the human clans will surround and kill you?”
“The world has changed. The primordial races are stirring back to life. If they come to kill me, in the future there will surely be ancient kings who annihilate their holy lands in retaliation — and they know this.” The monkey was utterly calm.
“Then why have you come here?” By now, Jiang Huairen and the others had also figured it out — this was the very Battle Sage Ape that had once made a tremendous uproar in the sacred city. Everyone was astonished.
“I want to obtain the ancient flat peach tree from the Jade Pool to save someone.” The monkey was forthright, his gaze blazing with intensity. “I know you carry a Qilin seed upon your person. If you give it to me, I will owe you a great debt of gratitude in the future.”
A stirring rose in Ye Fan’s heart. This monkey was no ordinary being — his physique was exceptional, and upon circulating his heavenly arts, even Ye Fan’s sacred blood was set to boiling. He did not know what connection of cause and effect lay between them, but he had no desire to make an enemy of him, and hoped instead to form a friendship.
Before long, the two of them struck up a conversation, and the atmosphere was fairly amicable. Ye Fan tactfully indicated that the Qilin seed was no longer available, but that he had other divine objects that might serve as a substitute.
“I have already spoken with the people of the Jade Pool. If I can nourish a Stone King with the blood of an ancient king for one month, they have agreed to give me a peach divine medicine.” The monkey said.
Liu Kou and the others clicked their tongues in disbelief. The immortal maidens of the Jade Pool were truly expert negotiators. Nourishing a Stone King with the blood of an ancient king for an entire month — this was a price of truly world-shaking magnitude.
In this era, where else could one find such a pure-blooded member of the ancient royal clans? Every inch of such a being was a priceless treasure, with their essence blood being most precious of all.
“I need your Source Arts to help channel the royal blood into the Stone King.” The monkey spoke.
“That’s no problem at all — it isn’t particularly difficult.” Ye Fan nodded.
“The Jade Pool truly knows how to conduct business. I always imagined it as a gathering of white-robed immortal maidens, but it turns out they are just as flesh-and-blood as anyone else.” Jiang Huairen muttered.
“Mind what you say. Relatively speaking, they are detached from worldly disputes, more so than any other sect.” Wu Zhongtian rebuked him, refusing to let him continue.
“Very well — let us go meet with the Jade Pool’s people right now.” The monkey nodded.
With the inheritor of the Source Heaven Master’s lineage and the Battle Sage Ape arriving together, the Jade Pool received them with the utmost courtesy. Several senior elders came out personally to greet them, and the Jade Pool Saintess also accompanied them by the side.
“This stone is quite extraordinary — unlike the other Stone Kings in every way. We do not wish to seal it away. Rather, we hope to nurture life into being from within it.” One of the senior elders said.
Long ago, a distant ancestor saint of the Jade Pool had left behind this stone, filled with hope and expectation, and it had been passed down through the generations ever since.
The Jade Pool Saintess was graceful and elegant as she led the way forward — as transcendent and ethereal as a banished immortal, radiating boundless divine charm. Such beauty brought a serene and peaceful tranquility to the heart.
Several senior elders of the Jade Pool accompanied them, guiding the group to the Jade Pool’s most sacred ground — the immortal pool itself, the origin of the Jade Pool’s very name.
Ahead, the water’s surface was veiled in misty vapor. All around, the fragrance of flowers mingled with birdsong, as though one had stepped into a world of myth and legend. Auspicious birds and rare beasts resembling three-legged golden crows, fire phoenixes, and Qilins roamed the vicinity.
“The ancient flat peach tree has indeed borne fruit again!” The Great Black Dog muttered excitedly.
Beside the immortal pool stood an ancient tree — gnarled and vigorous as a coiling dragon. It stood several tens of meters tall, its branches stretching toward the vault of heaven, its roots sunk deep beside the immortal pool. Lush and verdant, it bore a few fruits upon its branches, richly fragrant and captivating, their scent so potent that it caused every pore in one’s body to relax and open — one glance was enough to tell these were peerless divine medicines.
The undying flat peach tree within the Divine Ruins stood no taller than a meter. Although this tree was so towering and immense, having grown for over a hundred thousand years, it still could not be compared to the original.
Beneath the ancient flat peach tree sat a piece of lustrous and crystalline stone, adorned with nine apertures and eight openings, endlessly absorbing and exhaling the essence of the sun and moon. It appeared extraordinarily divine and mysterious.
“Damn, to think there would be such a stone here!” The Great Black Dog was thunderstruck, and could not stop itself from crying out.
Beside the ancient flat peach tree at the immortal pool, several other figures were also gazing at it. One of them Ye Fan recognized — it was Ouyang Ye, who was infinitely close to breaking through to the level of a Source Earth Master. It was this very old figure who had recognized him back in the sacred city, bringing a killing catastrophe down upon him.
Ouyang Ye also looked over. The expression in his eyes flickered and shifted uncertainly, and no one could tell what he was thinking. The corner of his mouth curled into a faint, meaningful smile.
Ye Fan had a deep distaste for the people of the ancient Source Arts lineages and paid him no heed.
“Hmph!”
The Battle Sage Ape let out a cold snort. Moving directly, he thrust out one great golden hand and reached forward, saying, “So you actually harbor murderous intent toward my friend — are you looking to die?!”