“Have you heard of a youth called Ye Fan? They say he suppressed the Golden-Winged Little Peng King, the most supreme powerhouse among the younger generation of the demon clan.”
“I have indeed heard such news — but is it true? From what I understand, this youth is only a little cultivator of fifteen or sixteen years of age. How could he possibly suppress the Heavenly Peng clan’s sovereign, whose power rivals that of the Divine King Physique?”
“Your information is already out of date. The news has already spread like wildfire throughout the Northern Region. This is absolutely real — people from the Five Elements Palace witnessed it with their own eyes.”
…
These voices came from inside a teahouse, and news of this kind was spreading and proliferating at a rapid pace, reaching the greater part of the Northern Region.
Not far away, inside a stone-gambling house, a group of cultivators of considerable strength were also discussing the same subject.
“It’s absolutely insane. Turns out it wasn’t just the Golden-Winged Little Peng King who was suppressed — the Sacred Son and Sacred Daughter of Shaking Light were also both taken away at the same time. This nearly tears a hole in the sky.”
“Is that even possible? Are you certain this news is true? The prestigious Shaking Light Sacred Ground — the two foremost representatives of their younger generation, both suppressed by one person? This is far too fantastical.”
“There can be no mistake whatsoever. The people of the Illusory Destruction Palace experienced the entire scene firsthand — several of their disciples were even slain by that little cultivator named Ye Fan. They saw it with their own eyes.”
“This is truly astounding. What is this Ye Fan’s background? He suppressed even the Sacred Son of Shaking Light — and one must know that every major sect has spread word that the Sacred Son of Shaking Light has no rival of his generation. How could he have been taken away just like that? It is simply inconceivable.”
“What is this Ye Fan’s origin? Does he truly possess the ability to reach through the heavens and into the earth? Taking down three exceptional prodigies in a single stroke — truly a world-shaking feat!”
The people in the stone-gambling house buzzed with discussion, many finding it difficult to believe, feeling as though it were all a fantasy.
The Sacred Son of Shaking Light commanded the highest esteem among the human clan’s younger generation. Many veteran figures were already no match for him, and other sacred grounds viewed him with considerable wariness, believing that this future Sacred Master of Shaking Light would achieve inconceivable accomplishments.
Yet he had been flipped over and suppressed by someone — how could that not shake the world?
The Golden-Winged Little Peng King and the Sacred Son of Shaking Light nearly represented the two future supreme sovereigns of the demon clan and the human clan. And now, both had been suppressed by the same person.
“Who exactly is this Ye Fan? What is his background? Which sect does he come from? Why does he possess the means to suppress three exceptional talents with a casual reverse of his hand?”
“The Ji Family once placed a bounty on him. Some time ago, his portrait appeared in several cities — I even glanced at it twice. From what I recall, he was said to be somewhere between the Wheel Sea and Dao Palace Secret Realm. I never imagined he would end up stirring up a storm of this magnitude.”
…
As the news spread, the details of Ye Fan’s story were slowly unearthed piece by piece. Though still incomplete, many cultivators throughout the Northern Region had come to have a general understanding of him.
“Damn, this young fellow is a ruthless one. He was beaten into the sixth layer of the Fire Domain and still didn’t die. More than half a year later, he emerged and pulled off something that shook the entire Southern Region — directly burning the Ji Family’s Supreme Elder to death.”
“He was a little cultivator with no foundation whatsoever, yet he was able to traverse the void from the Southern Region of the Eastern Desolate all the way to the Northern Region. Truly impossible to imagine how he managed it. One assumes he stowed away through some sacred ground — astonishing indeed.”
From teahouses to taverns, from one city to another, from one oasis to the next, the news spread swiftly. After more than half a month, numerous major sects had come to know of the event.
And everything pertaining to Ye Fan gradually became clear and known — it was only at this point that people were astonished to discover he possessed an ancient desolate physique.
“With a physique like that, he has still achieved such remarkable results. This is astonishing. Could it be that the ancient Sacred Physique is about to reclaim its former supreme glory?”
“Impossible. He has not broken through the Dao Palace Secret Realm and has not broken the curse. Unless the day comes when he truly enters the Four Extremes Secret Realm — perhaps there will be a turning point then.”
“A trifling little cultivator of the Dao Palace Secret Realm, suppressing three exceptional talents — and he possesses the Mysterious Yellow Source Root. This is truly jaw-dropping. Is heaven foretelling it? Has the hope of the ancient Sacred Physique appeared?”
…
The news that Ye Fan possessed a cauldron forged from the Primordial Qi of All Creation struck the nerves of many and sent numerous people seeking him out.
The major sacred grounds especially held even stronger desire for sacred objects — for not every sacred ground had produced a Great Emperor or possessed an extreme-path weapon.
From ancient times to the present, Great Emperors had been few in number. But that did not mean only a Great Emperor’s founding could establish a sacred ground. Sacred grounds not founded by Great Emperors were equally formidable, for their accumulations were extraordinarily thick and deep.
Some had modeled themselves after nature, tracing and etching the marks of the Great Dao. Some had obtained nameless inheritances, possessing unfathomably deep foundations. And some had produced generation after generation of sages and worthies, and through long accumulation had created unparalleled scriptures.
Not a single sacred ground failed to live up to its name — all were extremely powerful, surpassing even people’s imaginations. The one thing they lacked was an extreme-path weapon.
After all, the Great Emperors had long since ceased to exist, and the only extreme-path weapons they left behind were the most supremely powerful things remaining. Sacred grounds that had never produced a Great Emperor naturally desired sacred objects even more fervently.
“Latest news: Shaking Light Sacred Ground and the Ji Family have offered a sky-high bounty. Anyone able to provide a relevant clue may claim three squares of source!”
“What a grand gesture. Being able to provide a clue as to Ye Fan’s location earns ten thousand jin of source. Wealth stirs the hearts of people — the Northern Region is bound to boil over.”
“But that is not the most jaw-dropping news. A greater bounty follows: if one can definitively confirm where the Ye-surnamed youth is located, thirty squares of source may be claimed.”
“Thirty squares of source — a full one hundred thousand jin of source. This is an astronomical price!”
Once this news spread, the Northern Region was shaken, and many people mobilized, seeking to find Ye Fan’s whereabouts.
It was plain that this price was not the value placed on Ye Fan himself, but rather reflected the existence of the Primordial Qi Source Root of All Creation.
Naturally, many people were smiling coldly. Sacred objects are priceless — even a million jin of source is not nearly sufficient. Any major power with genuine foundation, upon obtaining one, would never exchange it.
Many cultivators mobilized — many knowing full well that even if they obtained the sacred object, they could not protect it. Better to go to another sacred ground and name their price; it would certainly surpass what the Ji Family and Shaking Light had offered.
In the Southern Region of the Eastern Desolate, at Taixuan Zhuo Peak, the vegetation had withered and a scene of complete desolation stretched out.
Ever since Ye Fan had departed from here after burning the Ji Family’s Supreme Elder to death, Taixuan Zhuo Peak had suffered great pressure, to the point where even the Head of Taixuan had been compelled to appear in person and order the other disciples to return to the main peaks.
Zhuo Peak, which had only just begun to show signs of flourishing, had become desolate once again.
Now, weeds grew rampant here, withered trees stood like sentinels, and yellow leaves drifted on the wind. Of the entire Zhuo Peak, only one person remained: Li Ruoyu, sitting quietly in meditation amid the ruins.
“You really did bring out quite a disciple — one that leaves even the sacred grounds unable to find peace,” said the Head of Taixuan, descending onto Zhuo Peak. He had received news from the Northern Region.
“He is not my disciple. But if I could have such a student, it would be worth it. Even with Zhuo Peak in decline, with a person like him, it will surely flourish and prosper in the future.” Li Ruoyu answered.
“You see things with equanimity. But Taixuan faces considerably greater pressure now.” The Head of Taixuan clasped his hands behind his back and looked up toward the clouds. “Everyone hopes to have a disciple whose name moves all under heaven — even in death one could smile with contentment. But there must be a degree to everything; otherwise, it will become a great disaster in the future.”
Also within Taixuan, at Cong Peak where Star Peak was situated, a blue-robed young man of jade-like bearing and celestial refinement lightly plucked the strings of a zither, playing a beautiful piece of music. All around him, many flower buds bloomed along with the music, and hundreds of birds were drawn by the melody, flying over to pay homage and dancing gracefully.
When the song ended, he raised his head and looked at a beautiful young woman in white as snow seated across from him. “Little Man junior sister, what kind of place is your hometown exactly? I would like to hear about it — and also about that Ye Fan.”
In the Northern Region, within a courtyard of the Ji Family, Ji Ziyue ground her glittering little tiger teeth, fumed for a moment, and then muttered quietly to herself: “So that little Daoist was him all along.”
Then she wrinkled her delicate nose, hugged Ji Haoyue’s arm, and said: “Thank goodness I didn’t throw Brother into the furnace.”
“Sooner or later, I will capture him!” Ji Haoyue’s body was wreathed in divine lunar radiance, dragon qi spiraling around him — the aura of the Divine King had already begun to emerge.
The Northern Region Holy City — a grand and magnificent great city of immeasurable extent. From as far back as records can be found, this city had never been relocated, and none knew how many ages it had existed.
“The First Ancient City of the Northern Region,” “The First Divine City of the Northern Region” — both were its names. Legend held that in that remote past, it had been suspended in the sky.
Here resided Mighty Ones of the Northern Plains and imperial clan members from the Central Prefecture who made this place their permanent home. Even now, some of the most supremely distinguished figures within the city had come to know Ye Fan’s name.
One Mighty One of the Northern Plains was laughing wildly toward the sky within the Holy City, causing quite a stir among many.
“Old Peng King, no matter how arrogant you are — every time you see me, your chin is practically angled up to the heavens. You have a supremely talented descendant, but even so, you cannot go around boasting that eighteen of my direct grandsons cannot defeat your one descendant. How did that turn out? Your boast blew up quite spectacularly, didn’t it? Walking the path of a Great Emperor, yet still being flipped over and suppressed by someone — hahaha…”
“What a pity. The Old Peng King is currently scouring the entire world for his descendant. Otherwise, we could once again enjoy the sight of your legendary great battle.” An elder of the Central Prefecture imperial clan chuckled to himself.
If one were to ask who was most consumed with fury at this moment, the Old Peng King was not necessarily at the forefront — it was the people of Shaking Light Sacred Ground who suffered the most.
The prestigious sacred ground’s two future exemplary figures had simply been scooped up and carried away inside a furnace, with not a single one left behind.
The Sacred Son of Shaking Light harbored the ambitions of a Great Emperor, and his name resounded throughout all the sacred grounds. His performance had earned universal recognition. But now he had been picked up by someone with a broken furnace and taken away.
This was truly a source of utter humiliation!
Ye Fan’s words had long since spread throughout all the major sects — that he would pay visits to Shaking Light and the Ji Family in the future. This left all the sacred grounds equally without face. It was a declaration of war issued by a trifling little cultivator against immortal legacies.
For more than half a month, turbulent winds and surging clouds had kept the Northern Region from settling. Yet not a single person had been able to find Ye Fan.
At this moment, he harbored no sense of crisis whatsoever. He had transformed himself in appearance into a dashing young man, and frequented stone-gambling houses at his leisure, perfectly at ease.
“Golden-Winged Little Peng King, Sacred Son of Shaking Light, Yao Xi — all of you quiet down in there. If you push me too far, I’ll toss all three of you into a Primordial Ancient Mine for ten thousand years!” Ye Fan held the Divine Furnace and threatened the three inside.
But the Golden-Winged Little Peng King possessed exceptional willpower — and how could the Sacred Son of Shaking Light and Yao Xi possibly submit? Confined within the bronze furnace, they assaulted it daily, seeking to shatter the seal.
“I still have use for all of you right now — don’t force me to resort to extreme measures. Be careful, or I’ll suppress this furnace in a cesspool for ten thousand years!”
The moment Ye Fan said this, even the otherwise composed Sacred Son of Shaking Light nearly lost his composure and resorted to cursing. Yao Xi was so incensed her beautiful face drained of color.
But the effect was unmistakable. Even the supremely proud Golden-Winged Little Peng King found he had no temper left to show.