The Grand Elder of Yaochi rebuked Tu Fei sharply, ordering him to be silent and say no more nonsense. Though Tu Fei grumbled under his breath, he did comply—and many people had already noticed that he deferred to Yaochi, seemingly unwilling to provoke any conflict with them.

The Saintly Son of Yao Guang smiled faintly, like a shaft of sunlight—warm, radiant, and otherworldly, giving the impression that he transcended the ordinary world. It was impossible not to feel that he existed at some elevated remove—not quite of the mortal realm.

Standing by the lakeside, his bearing was refined as jade, his robes stirring gently—like an immortal made manifest. Even amid the crowd, one’s eyes were drawn to him at once.

As for Yao Xi, she embodied the same lofty purity—and beyond that, represented beauty at its absolute zenith. Like a woman born from within a dream: ice-white skin and jade bones, her every glance and smile a world of its own, radiant as a rare and precious jewel.

Her beauty caused many in the crowd to lose composure. Even Tu Fei couldn’t help muttering to himself: “Alas and woe—nothing in life is more painful than arriving one step too late…”

The several marauders beside him all rolled their eyes. Not a single one of them was any sort of decent person—all descended from the Thirteen Great Outlaws.

Then the Yaochi Saintess appeared. Immortal mist circled her as she moved, each step seeming to call lotus blossoms into being beneath her jade feet, petals swirling in flight—crystalline, carrying a faint and delicate fragrance.

She personally guided the Saintly Son and Saintess of Yao Guang into the lakeside pavilion—it was evident they were old acquaintances—unwilling to see them standing out here in confrontation with others, and so resolving the awkward situation.

Ye Fan exhaled slowly. He had no desire to meet the Saintly Son and Saintess of Yao Guang face to face. Right now, everything was only just beginning for him. Having obtained the Source Heaven Scripture, the most urgent task was to push his cultivation forward with all haste. He was not yet in a position to contend with them.

He crouched down and carefully examined the nine source stones, turning them over silently in his mind. There was absolutely something inside these stones, and it might be something extraordinarily out of the ordinary.

Along the lakeshore, a crowd had gathered, many people running their hands over the stones and inspecting them carefully, their conversation a mixture of differing opinions.

Suddenly, Ye Fan’s heart lurched. The largest of the source stones unsettled him—whatever lay inside it was almost certainly extraordinary.

He tapped and struck it from all sides, examining the grain patterns. This was a massive piece of “red with white”—predominantly reddish-brown, dotted with patches of white, the sort of stone that experts regarded as waste. At two thousand pounds, whatever might be inside would be considerable in scale. Ye Fan very much wanted to cleave it open for a look—but these were Yaochi’s stones, and he could not act on his own.

Today is an opportunity. If I could identify what is unusual about these stones, Yaochi’s celestial maidens might very well extend me an invitation. A pity the Heaven-Altering Earth-Shifting Art is still incomplete—and the Saintess of Yao Guang is right here. I can’t show my face.

Ye Fan sighed quietly. He had examined eight of the source stones. Now he gripped the smallest—no bigger than a palm—and fixed his gaze on the stone’s markings. His spirit seemed to sink into them.

Without warning, his vision flooded crimson. Even this smallest stone had a peculiarity to it—something deeply unusual, hiding something very particular within.

Source stones truly are not merely about gambling for source. In the Sacred City, what they gamble for is something of far greater worth.

Ye Fan withdrew from the crowd and pulled Er Lengzi and Wang Shu aside to a distance. “What did you feel?” he asked.

“Blood. Inside one of the stones, there seems to be blood—terrifying blood that made my heart quail. Standing near it, my heart felt like it would leap out of my chest.” That was Wang Shu’s description.

Er Lengzi too still looked shaken. “The largest stone—I can’t explain what’s inside it. There was a wild and fierce energy, something that made a person tremble.”

Ye Fan rubbed his chin and studied them both. Their bloodlines were truly out of the ordinary—to have such sensitivity, it was on par with the perceptions he had developed after studying the Source Heaven Scripture.

“Have either of you ever felt this way before?”

“Never!” Both shook their heads at once.

Ye Fan’s sense was that they perhaps only had this kind of sensitivity to source stones of extraordinary nature. What bloodlines did these two carry? Elder Zhang had been evasive when he’d mentioned it—clearly there was more to the story, and he would need to ask more carefully when they returned.

“Yaochi Sacred Ground may well have unearthed something remarkable.” Tu Fei spoke to those nearby.

“These nine source stones carry a dark quality. They almost certainly came from somewhere near the Primordial Ancient Mine—they have quite the nerve, those Yaochi women. Always keeping the lowest of profiles, and yet they dare do this.”

“You just don’t understand. Yaochi is far from simple. When it comes to knowledge of source, I believe they surpass every other sacred ground. Apparently, long ago, a Source Heaven Master had dealings with them and passed on a great deal of source arts.”

“I’ve heard something of this as well. That Source Heaven Master left all the major sacred grounds humiliated, and had a close and deep relationship with Yaochi’s Saintess.”

“My suspicion is that they are searching for someone who carries that legendary bloodline.”

The several figures around Tu Fei all had impressively formidable bearing—descendants of the Thirteen Great Outlaws, each well-informed, all exchanging quiet words.

“Is such a bloodline real? That seems hard to believe. A thing like that would cost a person their life. In all of the Northern Reaches throughout history, only five Source Heaven Masters have ever appeared—and according to the records, not one of them ever obtained such a bloodline.”

“That’s not necessarily true. They all vanished in their later years—no one knows where they went. It’s possible that in those final days, when their lives were running short, one or two of them did obtain such a bloodline. Who can say?”

Ye Fan’s spiritual sense was extraordinarily powerful, rarely matched. He had been watching Tu Fei and his group from the corner of his attention all along, and he caught fragments of this exchange—his heart immediately jolted.

I need to leave immediately. Avoid being noticed by Tu Fei. But more urgently than that: from what he had just overheard, he now understood that Er Lengzi and Wang Shu were very likely the ones with that bloodline—and under no circumstances could he allow anyone to discover it.

A Source Heaven Master, in his twilight years, taking in these abandoned infants. The nature of their bloodlines had sparked in Ye Fan a deeply unsettling suspicion.

“Countless ages ago, such a subject emerged—a rarity that appeared only once. The major sacred grounds expended enormous effort, surrounding and pursuing from every direction, and still failed to obtain that bloodline. Could the Source Heaven Master truly have been that powerful?”

Tu Fei’s group continued their low exchange.

“Source Heaven Masters are naturally fearsome—their mastery of source arts is unmatched. Throughout all of history there have been only five. They spent their lives deep in mountains and beneath the earth, walking where no human foot had trodden. Only those who walked such paths could ever have come across something like this.”

“My sense is that after the Yaochi Saintess leaves Pingyan City, she’ll carry the nine source stones with her to other locations—she won’t be returning to Yaochi anytime soon. Perhaps there is some urgent reason she needs that bloodline.”

The more Ye Fan heard, the more uneasy he became. He turned to look at Wang Shu and Er Lengzi, studying them carefully—but saw nothing outwardly unusual.

“Let’s go. We need to leave.”

“Why do we have to leave? Didn’t the Yaochi Saintess say that anyone with a special sensitivity would be invited to go stay in Yaochi?” Both Wang Shu and Er Lengzi were reluctant.

“This may not necessarily be a good thing. We need to go now.” From every angle—avoiding Tu Fei, avoiding Yao Xi, keeping Wang Shu and Er Lengzi from being noticed—there was no reason not to leave.

Besides, since the Yaochi Saintess was still heading to other places, there would be opportunities again. As long as he mastered the Heaven-Altering Earth-Shifting Art, he could present himself to her on his own terms. By then, even if he crossed paths with Yao Xi and the Saintly Son at Yaochi, he would have nothing to fear—he would be completely free.

It does seem as though Yao Xi intends to travel together with the Yaochi Saintess.

Crack!

Ye Fan heard the sound of his bones shifting back into place. His face was returning to its original appearance—his cheekbones and other features settling back. He could delay no longer. He brought the two of them and left the Yaochi Celestial Stone Parlor quickly.

Grow stronger. When I return, I will enter the Dao Palace Secret Realm! He had made up his mind. Right now, the only thing standing between him and advancement was one thing: a lack of sufficient life essence.

This time, he had cut out a red source and an Ancient Insect Source—enough to sustain his entry into the Dao Palace Secret Realm.

As long as the Yaochi cultivation method recorded in the last few pages of the Source Heaven Scripture is suited to my practice, nothing will stop my breakthrough!

He even felt he could advance his cultivation rapidly. The first sub-realm of the Dao Palace would pose no obstacle at all—and in Pingyan City he should be able to gather the source he needed.

Suddenly, Ye Fan became aware of someone following him. Before they had even left the city, he had picked up a tail.

Reckless. He glanced back and saw that people from the Azure Mist Sect had followed, several of them with cold smiles fixed in place.

Ye Fan did not take to the air. Instead he walked out of Pingyan City on foot. The landscape grew increasingly desolate with each step—still within the oasis, but reddish-brown rock showed through with increasing frequency.

Finally, in a place with no one around, those trailing behind cast off all restraint and closed in at once, every face wearing a contemptuous smile.

The violet-robed young man had even come in person. The Ancient Insect Source alone had moved him—he paced forward slowly and deliberately. An Ancient Insect Source was rare even by Northern Reaches standards, where source was abundant. A sect of modest size like the Azure Mist Sect would be doing well to possess a thousand pounds of pure source. The red source and the Ancient Insect Source together were worth killing and silencing over.

“Mine-monkey, done running?” one of them jeered.

“Go ahead and act tough—we’re listening,” another taunted.

From far off came the sound of air parting: blue robes swept past, and Liu Cheng’en appeared. He had given chase as well.

“What exactly are you planning?” A cold smile played at Ye Fan’s lips.

“The ignorant truly are fearless. Even now, you still don’t know what’s coming.” Seven or eight people pressed in with malicious grins, moving to surround him.

“Liu Cheng’en—have you come to return the source?” The corner of Ye Fan’s mouth curved.

“You dare collect source from me?!” Liu Cheng’en snapped his folding fan open with a sharp crack, shook his head, and let out a long sigh. “It seems there’s no way to spare your lives after all.”

“Do you think you’re someone special?” Ye Fan held up the promissory note between his fingers and said coolly: “That promissory note—in your own hand—surely you didn’t write it with a pig’s trotter?”

“Mine-monkey, you’re still playing tough when death is at your door.” Liu Cheng’en’s expression was one of contempt. He issued his order to those around him: “Don’t kill them outright. Make it slow.”

“I don’t have time to waste on you.” Ye Fan’s expression went cold. He rose into the air and swept his right leg outward in a wide arc.

Every one of those who had just rushed forward cried out in agony. Though they were cultivators, their physical bodies were no match for Ye Fan’s—bones snapped and tendons broke on the spot.

“You’re not a mine worker—you’re a cultivator. At your age, how could you possibly…” Liu Cheng’en’s pupils contracted violently. Ye Fan looked to be no more than fifteen years old, yet the force he exerted sent a chill through Liu Cheng’en’s heart.

He was about to launch himself into the air and flee.

Ye Fan’s palm descended like a great seal pressing forward. For the first time, he unleashed the second of the Nine Secrets—and a terrifying fighting spirit surged outward like a flood.

Boom!

A single strike. One strike only—and it reduced Liu Cheng’en to ash.

There was still a considerable distance between them, yet this was the result. This offensive art, this killing technique—it could truly be said to have no equal under the heavens.

Behind him, Liu Cheng’en’s elder brother—the violet-robed young man—flickered like light and shadow, blinking out again and again, already fleeing more than a mile away.

But no matter how fast he ran, he could not outpace Ye Fan’s movement technique. Ye Fan was like someone opening a path through empty space, compressing distance with every step—a dozen strides covered the gap, and he was upon him in an instant.

“You are also a cultivator who has reached the Other Shore. Don’t you even have the courage to fight?” Ye Fan’s cold smile lingered. He extended the promissory note toward him. “Wasn’t it this note you wanted back for your brother? The one torn up earlier was a fake. Here—I’m giving it to you now.”

The violet-robed young man, Liu Chengwang, showed decisiveness. Spiritual power surged throughout his entire being, blazing with radiance. Four weapons were conjured at once and hurled at Ye Fan.

Ye Fan again used the Fighting Life Art—but his hand position had completely changed. From the most fundamental principle of that art, ten thousand techniques could unfold. Like a phoenix spreading its wings, both his arms shimmered with wave-like light, and from them rose divine feathers.

His arms stretched wide, genuinely like a phoenix in flight—sweeping the heavenly wind, five-colored divine light soaring skyward, a pair of luminous wings manifesting in truth and striking forward.

A rustling sound came. All four weapons the Other Shore cultivator had spent his spiritual power to refine—shattered instantly, crumbling like dust to the ground.

“What kind of secret art is this?!” The violet-robed young man, Liu Chengwang, was overcome with shock. Within his heart, the impact was devastating. He was convinced that not even a cultivator within the Dao Palace Secret Realm could unleash power this terrifying.

Yes—he felt ice spread through his entire body. That unmatched fighting spirit, that piercing offensive aura—it made him tremble uncontrollably. He could barely stand, and felt the impulse to drop to his knees.

“This is the supreme secret art of the Dao. You are unworthy of knowing its name. But someday it will shake the Eastern Wasteland, make the major sacred grounds tremble, and be spoken of by Saintly Sons and Saintesses alike.”

Ye Fan’s heart was not calm. The second of the Nine Secrets had surpassed his expectations. Its power was without equal—this was truly the pinnacle of offensive secret arts.

“Please… spare me. I’ll do anything.” The violet-robed young man was utterly terrified in body and soul. Suppressed by that overwhelming fighting spirit, he shook without being able to stop. All his former cold arrogance had completely vanished.

The phoenix wings that had unfurled along Ye Fan’s arms had still not dissipated. Five-colored divine light circled and flowed; every feather was crystalline and razor-edged—blinding to look at. The energy radiating from them shook the very soul.

Thud!

The violet-robed young man could endure no more. His legs gave out and he sank to the ground, kneeling—hollow as a man whose life had been drained from him. He trembled as he spoke: “How is this possible… we’re both at the Other Shore. Why is it like this? This is too terrifying. A secret art like this—I’ve never heard of it in my life…” He was nearly raving, his face pressed to the earth, unable even to raise his head.

“The Nine Secrets—Nine Secrets—if one could master all of them, what kind of power would that be?” Ye Fan murmured to himself. But he knew: the Nine Secrets were scattered across the world, nearly lost. To obtain all of them would be a task of immeasurable difficulty.

“I’ll give you one chance. Use every drop of your spiritual power and come at me.” Ye Fan withdrew his hands. The pair of divine phoenix wings vanished, and the crushing pressure that had weighed like a mountain on Liu Chengwang dissipated.

“Kill!” Liu Chengwang knew there would be no mercy. In that instant, his ferocity surged. He threw himself forward in a death charge—flesh and blood burning, intending to detonate his Wheel Sea and inflict grievous damage upon the young man standing before him.

Ye Fan had only one purpose in granting this. He wanted to probe the full extent of this secret art’s power. He turned slightly and swept his left leg out.

In that moment, a supreme pressure descended. Along his left leg, a pale azure dragon materialized—its scales gleaming brilliantly, its body vigorous and powerful, its coils winding in truth, its tail sweeping outward.

Liu Chengwang was gripped by terror. Every part of him trembled. The pressure alone froze him in place, unable to move.

Boom!

The azure dragon’s tail struck him. That single blow reduced the Other Shore cultivator to ash—not a fragment of bone remained, not even a mist of blood. He was beaten entirely to dust.

Ye Fan returned to the stone village. Before entering seclusion to break through, he first sought out Elder Zhang, wishing to ask him about the bloodline of Wang Shu and Er Lengzi.

“Their blood carries a dark quality.” Elder Zhang said these words only after a long silence.

“What exactly is this about?” Ye Fan was astonished.

“Since you are learning the Source Heaven Scripture, there’s no harm in telling you this secret.” Elder Zhang let out a long sigh. “It begins with the story of their ancestors’ origins.”