“How dare you come to my Jiang Clan to do violence!” Jiang Yichen’s eyes flashed with murderous light as he bellowed.

“Crack!”

Jiang Huairen was absolutely not someone gentle-natured. He swung his great open palm and slammed it down in a five-fingered mountain, planting it squarely on Jiang Yichen’s otherwise rather handsome and fair face.

“And you dare to speak this way to your uncle? Since the moment you laid eyes on me, you haven’t said a single pleasant word — do you actually want to kill me?”

As Jiang Troublemaker spoke, he delivered another great slap and said, “Am I the one with great gall? How can I compare to you — you dare forcibly seize a sacred artifact exclusively belonging to a Great Emperor, as if you’ve forgotten what your own surname is. Is this something someone of your standing should even be touching?”

“You bastard — you’ve been cast out of my Jiang Clan in disgrace, and now you dare lay hands on me here? Just you wait. Someone will soon be ripping the tendons right out of your body!”

Jiang Yichen exploded in fury, his face going iron-dark. In this, one of the Jiang Clan’s most important grounds — on his own island — when had anything like this ever happened? Who had ever dared treat him this way?

“Crack!”

Jiang Huairen’s only response was a fully-wound great slap, landing heavily and square, as he said: “You won’t address me as clan uncle — such utter lack of filial piety. I’d be within my rights to put you down entirely.”

“Clang!”

Not far away, those several elders finally sounded the Heaven-Resonant Bell. Any powerful figure within this region who heard it was obligated to come — it was the warning bell sounded only when something had gone wrong.

“You really did go ahead and sound the Heaven-Resonant Bell…” Jiang Huairen immediately started laughing. He took the divine wood token in his hand and began using it to slap Jiang Yichen with.

“Crack, crack…”

Jiang Huairen’s hand came down with considerable force. In just these few strikes, Jiang Yichen’s mouth had almost been beaten to pieces — his lower jaw was already fractured, hanging down limply.

“Bring out the Cauldron of All Creation’s Primal Breath for me this instant — otherwise today I’ll ruin your mouth for good!”

“You — fine. Just you wait!” Jiang Yichen’s mouth was thick and slurred, yet he was still being stubborn, forcing out these words.

Not far away, those several elders wore awkward expressions. They wanted to step forward and intervene but couldn’t see a way past the divine wood token. They were naturally aware that Jiang Yi was returning.

That was a genuinely fierce figure — bound in solidarity with the other twelve great outlaws, in possession of the Heaven-Swallowing Demon Jar of antiquity, and backed by that terrifying existence known as “the one who refuses to die,” daring enough to stand toe-to-toe with the holy lands.

“Do you want to die? If you don’t hand over the Cauldron of All Creation’s Primal Breath, I’ll finish you off today!” Jiang Huairen came on harder, his gaze turning fierce.

“Crack!”

“Hey Troublemaker — seeing how much fun you’re having, why don’t you let me try my hand a couple of times?” Liu Kou said from the side.

The Great Black Dog also rose up on its hind legs, showing off its brand-new tiger-skin shorts, grinding together two great paws the width of large bowls. “Why not let this Emperor get in a couple of smacks too? I love nothing better than hitting contemptible scum. You think being a rival for a sacred artifact means you’ve got a death wish!”

It had inadvertently spoken the truth buried in its heart — this was its nature and its flaw, to snatch anything of value at first sight. It had never once stopped thinking about the Cauldron of All Creation’s Primal Breath, always harboring hopes of getting it into its own hands.

“Don’t any of you get your hopes up. This is my Jiang Clan’s sacred artifact — give it up entirely!” Jiang Yichen had a backbone made of iron. Even being beaten until blood sprayed from his mouth and nose, he still gritted his teeth.

He was confident Jiang Huairen wouldn’t dare kill him. Even if his arms were broken and his legs were torn off, the Jiang Clan had spiritual medicines to reattach them. He only needed to hold out until the Jiang Clan’s masters arrived, and then he could wipe out those before him. With this conviction, he steeled himself — no matter what, he refused to hand over the Cauldron of All Creation’s Primal Breath.

“You’re still talking tough? You’re still going to grit your teeth? I’ll knock them all out — and then let’s see how you do any gritting!” Jiang Huairen brought his palm down.

“Pfft!”

Jiang Yichen spat out half a mouthful of teeth; even his face had become distorted. The violent pain forced out a muffled grunt from him — yet he still refused to beg for mercy.

“Insolent!” A furious roar came from the sky above.

“You must have eaten the gall of an immortal, to dare cause such chaos within my Jiang Family — whoever you are, you will be reduced to ash today!” A middle-aged man descended. His jet-black hair was extremely thick and long, nearly hanging down to his knees.

His gaze was like a bare blade — as though it could cleave a person’s very soul — incomparably sharp and intimidating.

“Eighth Uncle, hurry and kill them all for me!” Jiang Yichen bellowed, simultaneously spitting out several more teeth.

After the Heaven-Resonant Bell rang, within moments seven or eight dozen people had arrived. The one at the forefront was this long-haired middle-aged man, whose expression was exceptionally stern and cold.

This was not the great bell at the Jiang Family’s most important grounds, after all — it couldn’t stir up everyone, only disturbing those on neighboring divine islands. The ones who had come rushing were naturally all Jiang Yichen’s direct blood relatives.

“Eighth Uncle.” Tingting also called out in her clear, bright voice.

“What is going on here?” The long-haired man pressed forward, questioning Xiao Tingting.

“Yichen brother borrowed my Cauldron of All Creation’s Primal Breath and won’t return it. We came to reclaim it, and he still tried to have people kill us.” Tingting spoke.

The long-haired man’s eyes went cold on the spot. He saw the divine wood token in Jiang Huairen’s hand, and felt this was extremely troublesome.

“Stop this at once!” He commanded sharply, reaching out a large hand to seize them.

Jiang Huairen was unmistakably a person of strong character. Seeing seven or eight dozen people surround them, he took the divine wood token and struck even more vigorously, still muttering away:

“Disrespecting elders — wanting to kill your uncle — family punishment is in order. A clan uncle is as a father — I’ll discipline you!”

“Crack, crack, crack…”

“You—” The long-haired middle-aged man’s expression turned dark as stagnant water. As his large hand reached out, he found Jiang Huairen holding the divine wood token up before himself, shaking it at him.

“Eighth Uncle, kill them! I’ll bear all the consequences!” Jiang Yichen cried out tauntingly.

“Who do you think you are to say you’ll bear the consequences? You want to rebel against the Jiang Clan? Don’t you dare disregard the elder ancestor’s divine wood token?” Jiang Huairen followed with another fierce round of strikes.

“Enough — you are far too insolent!” Another cold snort arrived, and a gray-haired middle-aged man descended. He was tall and imposing, radiating absolute authority.

“Patriarch, hurry and kill them all! This bastard and these wandering outlaws dared come to our Jiang Family’s grounds to cause trouble, trying to seize what is our Jiang Clan’s sacred artifact — they cannot be allowed to leave alive!” Jiang Yichen shouted.

“Hmph!”

The gray-haired middle-aged man’s eyes were icy and deep, fixed upon Ye Fan and the others, murder laid bare — even Jiang Huairen was enveloped in it, feeling a chill.

“Swish!”

He pointed with one hand, a beam of light sweeping out. In an instant it drew Jiang Yichen to his side, and then killing intent spread and locked on to Ye Fan and company.

“Patriarch, act quickly — don’t let a single one escape.” Having been rescued, Jiang Yichen was consumed by fury, glaring at everyone with murderous intensity.

“Young as you are, yet so unbearably domineering — no matter your origins, you should not be taking action within my Jiang Family.” The gray-haired man said, his voice glacially cold.

He disregarded Jiang Huairen with the divine wood token in hand and fixed his eyes on Ye Fan and the others. The formless killing will projected from his body, sweeping forward like a scythe.

“Clang!”

The small golden lake at the center of Ye Fan’s brow took shape as a figure, seated in the void, with the solemn and sacred bearing of an immortal spirit, which swept out toward the attack.

“Boom!”

Heaven and earth erupted. Ye Fan’s divine consciousness surpassed his own actual cultivation realm, and when it collided with the gray-haired man’s killing will, it produced a thunderous great boom — and did not fall to a disadvantage.

“You want to kill us?” Tingting stepped forward, her white robes billowing, like a flawless little immortal, blocking the front.

“Tingting, step aside. This concerns the honor of our clan. If we don’t kill them, this disgrace cannot be washed away.” The gray-haired man said in a deep voice.

“Damn it — I knew it. Jiang Yichen didn’t have the gall all on his own. He wouldn’t have been able to hold onto a sacred artifact of a Great Emperor without backing. It’s obvious there are people behind him supporting him — and you are definitely one of them.” The Great Black Dog bared its teeth.

Ye Fan regarded him calmly. “You ask no questions about the cause of the matter, simply attacking from the start — do you think this is enough to claim the Cauldron of All Creation’s Primal Breath as your own?”

“Don’t try to pin such large accusations on me, junior. You started the trouble first — I’m only responding to that.” The gray-haired man snorted coldly.

“Let me tell you this: the Peerless Divine King will not die. The day will come when he returns. You would do well not to push things to an extreme!” Ye Fan sensed the bone-chilling killing intent directed at him, and his heart gave a sudden lurch.

The chessboard formation pattern appeared. The Great Black Dog bellowed: “Damn it — you want to kill me too? Dream on! If you have the ability, try intercepting this corner of the Great Emperor’s formation pattern!”

The chessboard pattern flickered, glowing and fading, ready to cross the void at any moment.

“Boom!”

In no time at all, murderous energy surged into the sky — like a great horned dragon after another, shattering the firmament. A ferocious and baleful aura stabbed into the heart and soul, killing intent pervading all of heaven and earth, all ten directions trembling.

Everyone was startled. It was a killing formation — only a corner of one, yet it appeared as though it could obliterate the world, its blade-like murderousness scraping at people’s very souls.

“This is a corner of an ancient Great Emperor’s killing formation!”

From a distance, the two golden threads shooting from Jiang Yichen’s grandfather Jiang Rui’s eyes grew even more blindingly bright. The spiritual energy coursing from his entire body went thread-like and silk-like, projecting outward from his surface; his very essence of spirit had taken on a physical form.

Many people cried out in shock, deeply astonished. What was the background of this big dog — it commanded two different Great Emperor formation patterns? That was deeply alarming.

The Wushi Killing Formation!

The Great Black Dog, working in haste, had deployed only a tiny corner of it — completely following a model from memory, laying out a small portion of the remnant diagram it had so carefully and so dearly preserved.

Even so, it was thunder rolling and killing energy rising to the heavens — as though a supreme killer lord had arrived in the present age!

The Great Black Dog was nearly drained, devoid of energy, sprawled exhausted on the chessboard formation pattern, shouting: “Damn it — try blocking us again if you have the ability!”

“Several elder ancestors — think of something. We can’t let them leave.” The gray-haired middle-aged man frowned.

“You want to play formation patterns against me? You’re still too green. Come up with something — break through the number one killing formation under heaven, if you can!” The Great Black Dog had poured in a mouthful of spiritual spring water and finally recovered.

“Can we really cross the void now?” Li Heishui asked.

“At any moment. Two Great Emperor formation patterns deployed simultaneously — who can stop us?” The Great Black Dog was supremely proud.

“Those wretches — you won’t get away. Bring out the ancestor’s killing formation — use it to suppress them!” Jiang Yichen offered a suggestion, yet was fiercely glared at by one of the elders.

“The Divine King has bestowed great kindness upon me — I won’t forget it, and I will repay it in the future.” Ye Fan transmitted his voice, then swept his gaze over certain individuals among them. “However, if you want to harm me, I won’t fail to strike back.”

“Don’t get too smug — you may not be able to leave at all!” Jiang Yichen glared at him with hatred.

“Jiang Yichen — you had best stay quietly within the Jiang Clan. Otherwise, the moment you leave and I catch you, I will absolutely find an outhouse cesspit and suppress you in it for a thousand years!” Ye Fan declared.

“Damn it — that idea, I love it!” the Great Black Dog howled.

Li Heishui and the others also broke out laughing, all mocking him, declaring that the moment Jiang Yichen showed his face outside, they would seize him.

“Just you wait!” Jiang Yichen snarled, staring at them with deadly intensity.

Ye Fan was utterly serious. “What I say is no empty threat. You had best take care of yourself!”

“You — fine. Fine. Fine!” Jiang Yichen and the gray-haired middle-aged man and the rest of them all had expressions that were icily cold.

At this moment, the great battle between Jiang Yi and Jiang Chuan had reached a fever pitch and was about to produce a winner, when from the distant sky an aged voice rang out: “You are of the same root — why has it come to this?”

Many people changed color. The elder ancestor of the Jiang Family had come — a living fossil on the verge of entering nirvana, whose seniority was so high it was staggering!

“Stop, both of you.” The aged voice commanded once more.

Jiang Yi and Jiang Chuan both stopped. They seemed to have great respect for this old person and did not wish to provoke his anger.

“Return the Cauldron of All Creation’s Primal Breath to them. Send them on their way. Tingting, dear girl, come stay by my side from now on.” The living fossil of the Jiang Family issued this command.

In a certain sense, his words carried more weight than those of a Holy Lord — no one dared disobey.

“Elder ancestor, let me take Tingting away for a few days first, and then I’ll send her to your side.” Jiang Yi suddenly spoke up, for he had received his grandson’s transmitted message — they intended to leave this place to treat the Supreme Yin Physique with the divine medicine.

“Very well.” The living fossil did not appear — only his voice came through.

“Let’s go!”

The Great Black Dog was edgy and didn’t want to linger here. The Jiang Family had produced a Great Emperor and surely possessed other peerless formation patterns — it was afraid of what this living fossil might deploy.

“Swish!”

The remnant Great Emperor formation patterns faded away. In a flash of light, they vanished from where they stood. Before departing, a childlike voice filled with worry rang out:

“Doggy, you won’t get us lost again, will you?”

“Don’t worry…” By the time the Great Black Dog’s words came through, no one could say how many tens of thousands of miles away they already were.

Light flashed, and they appeared on a boundless great prairie — the setting sun stained blood-red, wild wolves howling in the distance, a landscape of desolation and remoteness.

“We’re not in the Northern Plains, are we?” The group’s hearts sank with dread. They had long since learned from experience just how unreliable this dog was.

The Great Black Dog’s conscience stirred. “Not quite that unlucky, surely.”

In the end, they confirmed their location — they had arrived at the border zone of the North Domain, just barely short of entering the Northern Plains.

“You wretched dog — you are not allowed to go near the chessboard formation pattern again. Carve a different formation diagram and take us home, or so help me I refuse to go anywhere with you ever again.”

When they finally returned to an oasis within the North Domain, they let out a long breath of relief.

Ye Fan took out several sacred fruits and gave them to Tingting, along with a bottle of spiritual spring water, and lastly placed the Dragon-Patterned Black Gold Sacred Spirit Sword into her hands as a gift.

“Big brother—”

“Go now. The Supreme Yin Physique — from this day forward it will be the source of power that propels you forward, no longer a shackle binding you.” Ye Fan smiled.

In the end, Jiang Yi took Tingting away. The little girl looked back at them with every step, reluctant to part, tears falling as she left.

“Little big sister, take good care of yourself!” Xiao Nannan stood on top of a great blue stone, waving her small hand.

The Yaochi Grand Assembly was about to begin, and the North Domain was stirring with activity once more. No one could say how many people had arrived.

The several great ancient lineage families of the source arts — including the reclusive lineage of the Source King, who had been hidden away for many years — had all been invited out, welcomed by Yaochi’s people into the sacred ground. Clearly those several ancient king stones were of tremendous importance!

Even though Ye Fan was several million miles away, Yaochi’s people had found their way to him, extending an invitation that he must absolutely pay them a visit and enter Yaochi.

Several days later, another piece of news spread: the Cauldron of All Creation’s Primal Breath had been returned to Ye Fan’s hands. When this spread, it caused a tremendous sensation, and many people’s eyes turned red with envy.

“The opportunity has arrived for you, kid.” The Great Black Dog smiled slyly.

“What opportunity?” Ye Fan asked.

“Naturally — enemies beneath all of heaven, and the slaughter of kings throughout.”

“It was definitely Jiang Yichen and his people who spread the news. Let’s go catch him and suppress him in an outhouse cesspit for a thousand years!” Li Heishui said.

“We must catch him!” Liu Kou agreed.

At the same moment, the Slaughter of Saints Alliance surfaced, with various sacred sons emerging from within it — and a massive storm was coming!

“Has the age of enemies beneath all of heaven truly arrived?” Ye Fan felt a powerful wave of pressure — yet his eyes very quickly grew calm once more, and within his heart burned a soaring will to fight!