The purple-robed young man on the mountain peak — black hair flying, sweeping his gaze across the world, impassioned and stirring — had the soaring, unrestrained bearing of one who stood alone against the heavens.
Yet the moment Ye Fan thought about the fact that it was that dead fatty impersonating him, it made his skin crawl — otherwise, he might have actually felt a twinge of admiration.
The purple-robed young man stood with his hands clasped behind his back, more relaxed than ever, his brow and eyes brimming with spirit. “And as for you Sacred Sons and Sacred Daughters — to my eyes you’re nothing but hothouse flowers. Once I enter the Four Extremes secret realm, I will seek out each of you one by one and make you kneel at my feet.”
Everyone was stunned. The cultivators of the various Sacred Grounds were so furious they could hardly contain themselves.
The younger generation erupted in commotion. This ruined Archaic Body was being too outrageous for anyone to endure — pointing at the Eastern Wasteland, challenging all under heaven, looking down on everyone, exalting himself above all.
“You’ve gone too far!” someone cried out.
On the mountain peak, purple robes flowing, that young man looked up at the sky, more impassioned than ever. “My fate is mine to command — not heaven’s. One day, every inch of this land will prostrate itself at my feet!”
“This dead fatty has really gotten into character — he actually thinks he’s the Archaic Sacred Body…” Tu Fei was nearly speechless. The Crooked Path Daoist was actually trying to be rousing and dramatic — a picture of magnificence.
“You are far too arrogant!” Many people could not tolerate these words.
The purple-robed young man’s eyes blazed; he grew even more exhilarated, and proclaimed: “When my Archaic Sacred Body reaches full completion, I will bloom while all others wither — I will sweep across the Eastern Wasteland!”
His starlit eyes shone brilliantly. He stood alone, facing the gathered heroes — the look of one who dared make enemies of the whole world. But the moment you thought about him being Duan De, even the great black dog wanted to vomit blood.
“Too shameless. Too crooked. This Emperor has never seen anyone like this!”
“Hell — enjoying himself with someone else’s name, while stirring up disaster for you,” Tu Fei sighed to Ye Fan.
“You are arrogant to the heavens!” someone from a Sacred Ground bellowed.
“Arrogant? I’ve merely stated some facts,” Duan De, wearing Ye Fan’s face, swept his gaze across all directions, his smile dazzling, his snow-white teeth gleaming in the sunlight. “Listen well, all you Sacred Grounds — you hunt me today; I will repay you in kind in the future!”
“What right does your ruined body have to say these things? You will never break past the Dao Palace secret realm in this lifetime!”
“Curses are made to be broken. Miracles are made to be created. Who can obstruct my destiny?” Duan De’s spirit soared and his bearing was magnificent, his eyes clear and bright. “One day, I will reign over all under heaven — and I will grace every Sacred Ground with my presence!”
“I can’t take it anymore — someone get up there and chop him down!” Among the younger generation, someone was going mad — they simply couldn’t hold it in.
“Keep your ancient scriptures safe — I’ll be borrowing them for a look in the future!”
“Polish your weapons of the extreme path bright — I’ll be taking them to play with one of these days!”
“Guard your great emperors’ tombs well — I’ll personally be opening them in the future!”
Duan De rattled off three declarations in a row, all of them shouted out in an extremely impassioned manner — as if he’d pierced a hole through the sky — and the expression on every Sacred Ground cultivator’s face turned absolutely terrible.
The scene ignited into a complete frenzy. The purple-robed young man had committed every manner of sacrilege with those words, and the shock and fury they produced were beyond description.
Tu Fei cursed: “This bastard has gone way over the top. Let’s see how he gets himself out of this one.”
The Black Emperor said to Ye Fan: “He’s blurted out everything you wanted to say — just way too early. This dead fatty is building you a mountain of enemies. Stomping him today — not even slightly unfair to him!”
Ye Fan sighed. “Out of everything he said, only the last line was his own heart talking. That dead fatty can’t help himself — he’s got his eye on those great emperors’ tomb sites.”
“The more wildly that fatty carries on now, the harder he’s going to fall in a moment. What I’m looking forward to most right now is watching the expression on that dead fatty’s face change,” Tu Fei laughed slyly.
“Ignorant brat — you’ve said so much. Can you die in peace now?” one of the elders said, his voice heavy and composed.
“You pack of pig-heads — you think you can trap this Sacred Body?” Duan De was merciless; he’d thrown everyone into that insult.
“Foolish child — and you think that just because you’ve carved Dao markings, you’re infallible and can traverse the void at will?” An old man stared at him with utter contempt, smiling coldly.
Duan De shook his head, insufferably arrogant. “You bunch of old fossils — do you think that with some treasure you can lock down this place and stop me from traversing the void? How naive!”
“Kill him!” Even the elder-generation figures couldn’t take any more of him — someone was about to charge forward.
Duan De turned with incomparable showmanship, presenting his back to the crowd, pacing leisurely, his hands clasped behind him. “If I chose to leave — who under heaven could stop me?”
“The void has been locked down. Let’s see how you plan to walk away,” a deep and ancient voice said, very calm.
“The Dao markings I control are remnant markings left behind by a great emperor of antiquity. Who among you has the power to lock those down?” Duan De taunted.
“What?!”
“Don’t see me out — when you escort someone a thousand li, there must still be a parting. From now on, the seas are wide and the fish swim free, the sky is high and the birds may soar — I’ll be on my way.” Duan De gave a backward wave of his hand, and then murmured: “The road I walk — you will never understand.”
Many had landed on the mountain peak and were now so filled with murderous intent that their very eyes could have killed. Every one of them had the urge to sink their teeth into him.
“Life is truly as lonely as falling snow.” He was a vision in purple — poised, otherworldly, the very picture of theatrical panache. “This Sacred One departs!”
Yet he didn’t move. He was still standing right there.
“Go!” Duan De called sharply.
Still nothing. Yellow leaves fluttered down before him — but he had not left.
“Traverse the void!” Duan De could no longer keep calm.
An autumn breeze swept past; fallen leaves drifted like butterflies. He stood there, not a hair out of place.
“Hell — cross through space!” Duan De was frantic; he was on the verge of tears.
But the scenery before him never changed. He was still standing there. That completely unnerved him — the consequences of this were severe beyond measure!
He stamped his foot hard — but the Profound Jade Platform showed no reaction whatsoever. He could not traverse the void!
Duan De’s body went rigid all at once, as if five thunderbolts had struck him from above. The world seemed to spin.
“What the hell is happening?!” His mouth had gone dry, as if fire were licking at his backside.
This was a true crisis. Being trapped here — he didn’t even need to think to know what that would mean.
He had been so full of spirit a moment ago — holding the world in contempt, gesturing across the landscape, sweeping through the Sacred Grounds with his words — but now, if he couldn’t leave… just thinking about it made his hair stand on end.
“Even if that pack of old relics has some treasure, there’s no way it can lock down Dao markings like these.” In that instant, cold sweat broke out across his entire body, and every last bit of his panache and elegance vanished into thin air. His calves began to cramp.
When he confirmed once more that he could not traverse the void, darkness swam before Duan De’s eyes, and he staggered — nearly pitching headlong onto the ground.
At this moment, Duan De was like a man who had stepped off a ten-thousand-zhang tower into empty air — like a boat whose cable had snapped in the middle of the Yangtze River. His scalp went numb; his limbs locked up.
“Hell!” He cursed in a low voice.
In that instant, Duan De’s face turned completely green. He wanted to cry, but had no tears. He wanted very badly to have a stern word with the ancestors of the heavens themselves.
“Why haven’t you traversed the void yet?” The mountain peak was now packed with people — standing no more than thirty feet from him, surrounded so tightly not a drop of water could get through.
Duan De turned around. He produced a smile that looked worse than crying. “Everyone… I…”
“You what? Where did all your arrogance go?” someone taunted.
“I… I feel like crying, damn it all — the heavens are toying with me!” Duan De’s face was a shade of green more hideous than someone who’d eaten a dead toad.
“Ha ha ha… HA HA HA…” From far up in the sky, Tu Fei roared with laughter, drawing sidelong glances from all around.
Ye Fan also had the urge to pound the ground, laughing freely and happily. Seeing the Crooked Path Daoist in such desperate misery — he was overjoyed beyond measure.
“I’ve waited so long for this — I’ve finally gotten to see the expression on that dead fatty’s face! HA HA HA…” Tu Fei roared with laughter, transmitting to Ye Fan.
The Black Emperor was also cackling dryly, its great mouth split nearly to its earlobes — looking no matter how you cut it like someone rotten and scheming.
“You going to run now?”
The crowd had surrounded Duan De on the mountaintop, all of them wearing expressions of gleeful mockery. He had been far too arrogant a moment ago; now, watching him on the verge of tears and with absolutely nowhere to turn, everyone felt immensely satisfied.
“I am so aggravated!” Duan De’s face was the color of a wilted vegetable leaf, his two eyes darting back and forth, desperately searching for an escape.
“Where did all your momentum go? Keep being theatrical!”
Duan De swallowed his bitterness and could say nothing. He’d been far too conspicuous a moment ago — spoken a truckload of harsh words — and now he was just standing there, dry-eyed, with no recourse whatsoever.
“Scared speechless now, are you? How come you’re not talking tough anymore?” someone sneered.
“Hell — which one of you said that? Step out, and I’ll fight you one on one. Anyone who doesn’t accept this — come at me, and this Sacred Body will slap them dead with a single palm!” Duan De started mouthing off again.
Even if they killed him, he dared not expose his true identity. For now, all he could do was keep wearing Ye Fan’s name and continue his “theatrical performance.” If he managed to escape, revert to his true form — he could still go on living comfortably.
“Going arrogant again!”
“You pathetic failures in the Dao Palace secret realm — come one on one with me, and I’d knock every single one of you out one by one with a single finger,” Duan De raved brazenly.
“Your grandmother!” Many people had the urge to shout exactly that.
“Is there anyone in the Dao Palace secret realm who dares do battle with this Sacred One? One on one — this Sacred One will crush you!”
He made no mention of the Four Extremes Sacred Sons and Sacred Daughters, and didn’t look toward the elder-generation figures watching from the distance. He directed his challenge at a group of Dao Palace secret realm cultivators, hoping to seize on the chaos and find an opening to escape.
Whoosh!
A group of people rushed forward — all Dao Palace secret realm cultivators — and began to dogpile on Duan De. A sky full of magical treasures rained down, sending him scrambling and fleeing in a sorry state.
“This Sacred One battles alone against all the heroes of the world — my name will surely be recorded in the ancient annals of the Eastern Wasteland…” Duan De suppressed his cultivation to the Dao Palace secret realm and darted east and west among the same-level cultivators, never shutting his mouth.
From a distance, Tu Fei chuckled slyly: “You’re famous today, all right.”
Ye Fan rubbed his temples. He really didn’t know if any of this had been worth it. That bastard Duan De was wearing his name and pulling off antics this theatrical — it was going to be a massive problem.
“Never mind that scoundrel for now — let’s go get that wooden Daoist,” Ye Fan said, flying off toward the distance.
It had to be said — the wooden, plain-faced Daoist had nerves of truly extraordinary steel.
When Ye Fan and Tu Fei arrived, they found him on a nearby peak, still haggling with representatives from Yao Guang and the Ji Family. He had absolutely no intention of running — dead set on getting ten thousand catties of Source from each Sacred Ground before budging an inch.
Tu Fei said with feeling: “What a talent. In a situation like this, he’s still as cool as a cucumber, standing here continuing to squeeze Source out of them. I really want to crack Crooked Path Daoist’s chest open and see what’s inside.”
“Daoist, your information was accurate, but look at the situation right now — we have no time to go back and fetch you Source. We’ll make sure you get a sky-high payment afterward — and we’ve already given you quite a bit!” Yao Guang’s people were exasperated and barely masking their contempt for the old Daoist. Right now, claiming the Myriad Things Mother Qi was paramount, and capturing the purple-robed young man was most urgent.
“Daoist, you’ve already collected ten thousand catties of Source from the Ji Family. Adding Yao Guang’s and the other major factions’ rewards, you must be carrying at least fifty thousand catties on you already.” The Ji Family’s people spoke up.
Hearing this, Tu Fei transmitted to Ye Fan: “How about we wait a bit longer, let him squeeze out more Source, and make our move after?”
“No — this wooden Daoist and that dead fatty are cut from the same cloth. They’re one entity, equally cunning. Clearly he’s about to make a break for it — this is his last round of swindling.” Ye Fan made the judgment and locked his eyes on the wooden Daoist, readying himself to act.
In the end, both the Ji Family and Yao Guang’s people surged toward the mountain summit, leaving the wooden Daoist behind.
“Daoist — if you don’t get that Source out of them now, do you really think they’ll pay you afterward?” Ye Fan stepped over to him.
“This poor Daoist is thinking the same thing — but what can one do against a Sacred Ground?” The wooden Daoist replied.
Hiss, hiss, hiss…
Radiances of every color flashed — Star Rock, Divine Blood Earth, and other materials inscribed with Dao markings flew out simultaneously, sealing the entire mountain peak.
“Who are you?!” The wooden Daoist was greatly startled.
There were quite a few people around, and he had not expected anyone to make a direct move against him in full public view.
Dao markings spread dense across the mountain peak. Violet lightning was drawn down from the heavens, stirring earth and sky — a thunder-crack so terrifying that the stone and earth beneath it were scorched black.
“Specifically designed to counter me…” the wooden Daoist changed color instantly.
“You shameless son of a —Heavenly Venerable — so it was you!” Duan De’s divine deity nearly went crooked with rage.
On the mountain peak, Ye Fan and Tu Fei had already brought out the Profound Jade Platform, ready at any moment to seize the Source and flee — while the great black dog controlled the Dao markings and hammered down blow after blow.
Duan De couldn’t recognize Ye Fan or Tu Fei — but he absolutely recognized that big dog.
Boom!
Violet lightning and thunder shook the heavens, unstoppable and terrifying, slamming down onto Duan De’s body.