The deep lingering bell tones washed over people’s souls. Inside and outside the Divine City, silence came first — then a clamor that shot to the heavens erupted.
“Did they succeed or fail?”
“What was the result?”
This was the answer everyone was desperately seeking. Wushi the Great Emperor shook the ages — his inheritance held the hearts of every person in its grip.
This was the influence of a single person. Even years after his passing, a single piece of news about him would overshadow everything else, becoming the sole point of focus.
Even cutting out a royal bloodline of the Primordial age — witnessed firsthand by everyone — could not compare with a single piece of news concerning him.
“Was the Purple Mountain opened?”
“Have the secrets of the ancient Great Emperor come to light?”
In this moment, people’s hearts were tense and expectant, all wanting to know the result.
The most anxious were the people of the various holy lands. They feared receiving terrible tidings. In truth, many had already grown uneasy in their hearts.
For only in moments of crisis would the various holy lords use the Divine City’s unique stone seals to take refuge here. If the Purple Mountain had truly been opened and its inheritance obtained, there would be no reason for such urgency.
“Could it be that they have failed again?”
“Surely no holy lord has perished?”
Many disciples of the holy lands were fraught with anxiety, fearing bad news. If a holy lord were to fall, it would be a catastrophe of the highest order.
In this moment, the holy sons and holy daughters were most tense of all. If their own sect’s holy lord were to perish, it would very likely affect their current standing.
Half an hour later, news spread — and the Divine City was shaken.
The various schools and doctrines of the Central State and the holy lands of the Eastern Desolation had joined forces, employing a combined total of five supreme dao weapons — exceeding the four that people had previously speculated.
The Jiang Family’s Eternal Cosmos Furnace, the Ji Family’s Void Mirror, and the Yao Guang’s Dragon-Pattern Cauldron — three supreme dao weapons deployed together — plus two from the Central State. The combination was enough to shake the entire world.
Even in the darkest era of human history, when blood flowed in rivers across the great earth and bones formed mountains — not even then had the number of supreme dao weapons deployed exceeded this count.
Five supreme dao weapons unleashed simultaneously — their combined might was simply unimaginable. People believed it sufficient to pierce through heaven and earth, evaporate the oceans, shatter mountains and rivers. Nothing should have been able to resist.
Yet the result that came back left everyone goggling in disbelief. The Purple Mountain had not been leveled. It still stood.
This time, the five supreme dao weapons had indeed opened the Purple Mountain, and people had been able to enter. But it had also triggered an even greater shockwave from the Wushi Bell.
If not for taking shelter within the supreme dao weapons, everyone would have been reduced to flying ash — not a single person would have survived.
As one holy lord described it: one could almost suspect a Great Emperor was personally controlling the Wushi Bell — otherwise how could it have suppressed five supreme dao weapons?!
“Is this true?”
When this news spread, everyone was left stunned. Five supreme dao weapons combined — and still they were suppressed by the Wushi Bell’s waves. It was staggering beyond words.
“Could it be that this time too has ended in failure — with nothing to show for it?”
Everyone’s heart lurched. If this attempt had failed, opening the inheritance of Wushi the Great Emperor might require who knew how many more years. Perhaps only the birth of a new Great Emperor would make it possible to enter and retrieve the supreme scriptures within.
“It cannot yet be confirmed as a failure…”
The various holy lords had retreated with injuries. But the effort had not yet ended — it was handed over to a group of elders whose life essence was nearly exhausted.
All were Supreme Elders who had withdrawn from active duty, with no more than a few years of life remaining. Yet their power was formidable — some no weaker than holy lords themselves. They drove the supreme dao weapons and entered the Purple Mountain, to make one final effort.
If they succeeded, they would obtain a great fortune from the heavens. If they failed, they were destined to become flying ash.
“Aren’t they afraid of losing the supreme dao weapons inside the Purple Mountain?”
“The holy lands have made thorough arrangements, ensuring the supreme dao weapons can be recalled.”
The arrangements of the various Central State doctrines and the holy lands of the Eastern Desolation were nearly identical: the leading figures had withdrawn, and the task had been passed to elders with exhausted life essence — all of whom had volunteered, of course.
“A result should come very soon…” The people of the holy lands all waited in anticipation. This day was destined to be far from peaceful. They awaited news that would shatter stone and shake the heavens.
The assault on the Purple Mountain was still ongoing. No one had anticipated this outcome. Every great force was clearly determined to gain something — they were unwilling to return empty-handed.
The greatest question on people’s minds was: what force was controlling the Wushi Bell? Could it produce bell waves this terrifying on its own? That seemed somewhat unrealistic — after all, it had suppressed five supreme dao weapons.
The Divine City buzzed with commotion for a long while before gradually settling.
People believed: barring any unexpected developments, the Purple Mountain would yield news today. Whether the third assault on the Purple Mountain succeeded or failed — a definitive answer would be forthcoming.
In the Ji Family stone workshop, most people had not dispersed. After learning what had transpired at the Purple Mountain, they wished to see how the stone-cutting duel would come to its conclusion.
Whimper… whimper…
A heartbroken cry rang out — young-sounding and sorrowful. The Shencan had awakened from its faint. Tears streamed from its large eyes in pairs.
It cried out in its lisping way, searching continuously through the stone garden — wanting to find the young woman sealed within the extraordinary source — weeping without cease in its grief.
“Don’t cry, little one…” The white-robed little nun offered gentle words of comfort.
Ji Ziyue consoled it as well, taking out several divine source beans and bringing them to its mouth, speaking to it softly and gently about what had happened.
The little golden creature ignored the divine source beans. It sobbed as it listened, tears blurring its eyes, murmuring softly — calling the young woman’s name in a gentle voice. That was the language of the Primordial age, which no one could understand.
On the other side, Ye Fan’s grief was no less than the Shencan’s. All that divine source had been snatched away by the monkey — his heart was bleeding.
“Monkey — you and I are not done!”
“Monkey — you owe me an enormous debt!”
“Monkey — you and I have forged an immense karmic bond!”
He was in a state of near-total despondency. Divine source large enough to envelop a human body was a treasure that defied description — without question, its value was astronomical.
At the same time, he felt a thread of puzzlement. Why had his blood accelerated when facing the Battle-Saint Ape? Was it like encountering a divine body — some kind of mysterious resonance?
Or perhaps the Nine Revolutions Heavenly Technique of the Battle-Saint Ape had some inexplicable attraction to a Sacred Body? He even thought of the Dou character secret among the Nine Secrets — could there be some kind of evolutionary connection?
Li Heishui was furious as well, but he also felt an impulse to laugh. “You’ve been the one tricking everyone else all this time — and today a monkey tricked you something awful. That monkey is an absolute scoundrel. Someone really ought to find an iron chain and put it on a leash.”
On the other side, Nangong Qi and the others came walking over. They pointed at Ye Fan, their faces bearing cold smiles.
Ye Fan’s temper was already blazing. “Why are you pointing at me?”
“The monkey you cut out has stolen this old one’s world-shaking divine treasury — the divine maiden, the deadly weapon, that enormous piece of divine source — nothing was left behind. Can you compensate for that?” Nangong Qi demanded.
Li Heishui heard this and flew into a rage. “We cut out a monkey — which means we’ve won the stone-cutting duel. Everything belongs to us. What does any of it have to do with you?!”
“What do you know, dark boy? You did cut out a monkey — but I also cut out a divine maiden, and gained a peerless deadly weapon on top of that. The value is far greater!” Nangong Qi said coldly.
Clamor!
Ye Fan kicked aside the fragments of the immortal tomb and cut out a head-sized piece of divine source — the remnant material left inside the tomb — but even so, it was worth five hundred thousand jin of pure refined source.
This was a blessing amid misfortune. At least the immortal tomb had not been cut open for nothing, and it gave him a small measure of consolation.
“Your ancient insect divine source, your qilin seed, and this piece of divine source — they’re all ours!” Several young disciples of the ancient source arts clans stepped forward and moved to seize them.
Li Heishui’s eyes flew open wide. “Have you no shame?! You want to snatch our rare treasures outright? Never mind the monkey we cut out — even this qilin seed alone is priceless. It’s far more precious than anything you have. Do you really not fear divine retribution?!”
Nangong Qi’s lips curved into a slight cold smile as he walked forward alongside the other three elders. “You did indeed lose — you must hand over all of your rare treasures.”
Ye Fan looked at him calmly. “What I cut is worth more than what you cut.”
“Not even close. This old one cut out a divine treasury — far more precious than what you have, many times over.” Nangong Qi clasped his hands behind his back and shook his head repeatedly.
“Though you cut out a rare peerless treasure, it still falls far short of Grandmaster Nangong!”
The young disciples of the ancient source arts clans all spoke up in support, their faces wearing cold smiles.
“You lost the source arts duel — accept your defeat!”
“Your source arts couldn’t match Grandmaster Nangong’s — are you going to deny it?”
Li Heishui heard this, his rage turning to laughter. “You’re talking with your eyes wide shut and turning black into white. What do you have that can compare with us? We cut out a living royal bloodline of the Primordial age — can you match that?”
“You did cut out a monkey — but we also cut out a divine maiden, plus a peerless deadly weapon. What can you bring to compare with that?” The people of the ancient source arts clans retorted, sneering continuously.
The vast majority of people had not left. Everyone crowded in, speaking all at once, the discussion a babel of voices.
Ye Fan spoke: “Stop glossing over the key point. The Battle-Saint Ape I cut out is alive. Does the divine maiden you cut out have any life?”
A young disciple of the ancient source arts clans sneered: “What value does a Battle-Saint Ape have? It’s nothing more than a dangerous beast. How can it compare with that ancient spear — surely one of the greatest weapons beneath the supreme dao weapons?!”
“Exactly — what use is one monkey? It will only bring disaster. Accept your defeat and hand over the qilin seed!” Another disciple laughed coldly.
Li Heishui’s anger blazed hot: “You truly have no shame — trying to twist things, make black sound like white. You clearly lost, yet you’re arguing nonsense and trying to take our qilin seed. Do you not fear being struck down by divine lightning?!”
“The Battle-Saint Ape is of royal bloodline — its future accomplishments will be comparable to a Great Emperor’s. If it were subdued now, what would it be worth? Think about that,” Ye Fan said coldly. His own temper was nearly reaching its limit — the ancient source arts clans were plainly intent on refusing to honor their bet and were conspiring to seize his rare treasures.
“Who could subdue it? Not even the great masters could manage it. It’s completely useless — nothing more than a dangerous beast, with no value whatsoever.” Nangong Qi declared this personally.
“I respect you as a grandmaster, yet you diminish yourself with words like that. You can actually say something like this?” Ye Fan sneered. “As a source arts grandmaster, can you truly not understand the value of a royal bloodline of the Primordial age?”
Li Heishui addressed the people around them: “Everyone here, judge for yourselves — are they not bullying us beyond all measure?”
At this moment, a cluster of old fellows had not left. Their eyes burned with intense desire for the ancient insect divine source and the qilin seed — every one of them wishing to get their hands on it, to use as a means of extending their lives.
An Miaoyi, Xu Heng, Jin Chixiao, along with the various holy sons and holy daughters — none had departed either, all of them watching.
In truth, many people were distracted, because perhaps in another hour or two the final outcome of the assault on the Purple Mountain would be made known.
“This old one believes the divine treasury that Brother Nangong cut out is the one that is truly priceless.” Li Yishui, the Supreme Elder of the Palace of Illusory Destruction, stepped forward, his expression carrying a hint of mockery as he swept a glance at Ye Fan.