“To have formed such a great karmic bond with the Ruthless One…” Ye Fan’s head was spinning. This Emperor was too terrifying — there was no one who did not feel a deep sense of dread before him.
The Ruthless Emperor had strode proudly through the ancient wilderness, and in his twilight years created the Imperishable Heavenly Arts. Through this technique, he manifested a divine embryo, using his shed old body as a sacrifice to forge an extreme-path sacred weapon.
“The Ancient Heaven-Swallowing Demon Jar possesses boundless power. It is said that if it were ever revived, it would be as though the Heaven-Swallowing Emperor had returned to the world!”
Of all the Ruthless One’s deeds throughout his life, what the world found most terrifying was naturally his first lifetime — he advanced by treading upon the bones of countless kings, his Heaven-Swallowing demonic might unrivaled under the heavens!
In his later years, he created the Imperishable Heavenly Arts, yet not a single person knew just how fearsome its power truly was — for by then, he already reigned supreme over all existence, with no foe in the world capable of withstanding even a single strike from him.
“From ancient times to the present, if one speaks of the most mysterious of the ancient scriptures, it must be the Imperishable Heavenly Arts. No one knows what its true immortal might is like!”
Even so, people speculated that it must surpass all things past and present. After all, it was a cultivation technique created by a peerless Emperor only in his twilight years — it would certainly transcend all the ancient scriptures that came before it.
“Through this, he lived yet another lifetime, abandoning the title of Heaven-Swallowing Emperor. His intention was to use the Imperishable Heavenly Arts to refine a second extreme-path weapon!”
Many hearts were shaken. He intended to forge two sacred weapons — something ordinary people would not even dare to dream of.
“When he was the Heaven-Swallowing Emperor, he traveled throughout the Eastern Wastelands, the Central Continent, and beyond, yet never found any immortal materials. In the end, he sacrificed his own supreme imperial body.”
“He manifested a divine embryo, severing his past. Only then did he finally find that heaven-defying sacred object known as the Primordial Qi Root of All Creation!”
“The Ruthless Emperor was certainly intent on forging an unparalleled sacred weapon. Because he had not yet made his move for so long, he must have set the Primordial Qi aside, waiting for the right moment.”
Everyone in the Heavenly Palace fixed their gaze upon Ye Fan — eyes that could almost kill. A peerless, all-shaking Emperor had sought out this sacred object, and it had actually fallen into his hands.
The hall erupted into a cacophony. Whether it was the younger generation gathered at the entrance or the powerful lords who were entitled to be seated inside, not one of them was without envy and burning covetousness.
“So it was left behind by an ancient Emperor. Otherwise, how could a minor cultivator have obtained it?”
“To think it is actually an immortal treasure of the Ruthless One — no wonder. How else could a sacred object exclusive to an Emperor be found by an ordinary person?”
The Primordial Qi Root of All Creation was the only one of its kind between heaven and earth. There could never be a second one. Only the Ruthless One could have seized it in defiance of the heavens.
Everyone speculated that he must have intended to forge the ultimate sacred weapon, but had unfortunately never been able to carry it through.
“This is an enormous karmic entanglement. To have received such an extraordinary stroke of fortune…” Nangong Zheng shook his head.
Ye Fan’s heart was uneasy. He had never imagined that by seizing the Ruthless One’s sacred object, the karmic bond between himself and this Emperor would be so substantial — he had even once nearly grasped the Emperor’s immortality medicine.
“But he has been dead for so many years now…” He quickly put it out of his mind.
No matter how unrivaled the Ruthless One had been across all ages — comparable to a god — what did it matter? In the end, he had been swallowed by the dust of history, vanishing into the endless ages long ago.
“Though what you say is true, the Ruthless Emperor is far too extraordinary. In the workings of fate, there will most likely be karmic repercussions.” Nangong Zheng spoke up.
Ye Fan was unconcerned, but many of the older figures were deep in serious contemplation. It was clear they held the ancient Emperors in extreme wariness — even though these Emperors had died long ago.
“The Constant Universe Emperor, in order to sever his karmic ties, traveled far to the Central Continent and never returned, even in death.”
“The Void Emperor, in order to sever his karmic ties, had himself buried in the boundless void after his death, his bones never to emerge in the world.”
Someone brought up these examples, which immediately made Ye Fan’s head ache. And yet he was not afraid of such things — his only true concern was the possibility that the Ruthless One had not yet died.
“Rest assured, he must have died long ago. If he had not died, how would the great Emperors of your human race in later generations have been able to emerge?” the Monkey transmitted his voice.
The Battle Saint Ape, who had been unrivaled in the Primordial Era, had spoken of certain Emperor secrets in the past. Unfortunately, the Monkey had been far too young at the time and had not paid careful attention, remembering only fragments.
“No one can live for that long. He has indeed died long ago.” The Queen Mother of the West spoke.
“If any Emperor still lived in this world, the extreme-path sacred weapons would sense it. Those supreme Emperors who were comparable to gods — in the end, they have all perished.” The patriarch of the Jiang Clan said.
The others all nodded. This was a secret known to many extraordinary individuals: if an Emperor were to appear, the sacred weapons would be the first to sense it.
“To think I never expected this young friend to be so remarkable — having actually walked out of the Ancient Bronze Immortal Hall alive, and having obtained such a once-in-an-age sacred object.” One of the powerful lords spoke, his eyes flickering with an indeterminate light.
Everyone stared at Ye Fan — whether the older figures or the younger generation at the entrance of the great hall, their expressions were far from friendly.
Were it not for the fact that this was the Jade Pool, and that the Old Madman — a living sage of this age — had ties with him, there would likely have been someone who could not hold back and would have already made a move to seize what he carried.
Without a doubt, if Ye Fan were to walk out of the Jade Pool, the blood-soaked night that had occurred before would most likely be repeated. There would certainly be those who moved against him in the shadows.
“Brother Ye truly possesses great fortune — having obtained a sacred object of the Ruthless Emperor and inherited a portion of his immortal treasury.” Dayan Sage Heir Xiang Yifei spoke.
Ye Fan’s heart lurched. Those words sounded innocuous at first hearing, but upon careful consideration, their intent was deserving of the severest punishment.
Words like “legacy” and “inheritor” of the Ruthless One were far too sensitive — they would provoke tremendous upheaval, and could bring about lethal calamity at any moment.
The Ruthless One was unlike other Emperors. In his first lifetime, he had been called the Heaven-Swallowing Emperor, and the entire land had trembled before him. No one wished for his cultivation techniques to appear in the world a second time.
“Brother Ye, how enviable. I wonder, what other immortal treasures did you obtain?” The Daoist Unity Sage Heir also asked in an idle, offhand manner.
Ye Fan’s heart sank. The words of these two, while impossible to fault on the surface, were nonetheless deserving of the harshest punishment — a way of killing without shedding blood.
“I am certain there must be other divine objects as well?” A disciple from a top-tier great sect chimed in.
“Indeed, Brother Ye Fan need not keep things to himself. Tell us, and let us share in your joy.” Yet another person spoke up.
At the entrance of the great hall, many among the younger generation were discussing the matter, speculating about what other great fortunes he might have obtained.
“Is that so — more great fortunes?” An elder within the Heavenly Palace wore an expression that shifted between light and shadow.
“We nearly forgot — the Ruthless One once entered closed cultivation there. He must have left something behind.” A Supreme Elder from Wanchu said in a solemn voice.
In that moment, a chill settled over the great hall. Every gaze converged upon Ye Fan, and many wore faint, cold smiles laden with meaning.
“Are your words pointed at something?” Ye Fan sat behind the jade table and spoke calmly. “I obtained only the Primordial Qi Root of All Creation. Nothing else.”
“The Ruthless Emperor used the Primordial Qi Root of All Creation to seal the exterior of the bronze hall. He clearly regarded that place as a site for his death-seclusion. In such a secretive place as that, how could there truly be nothing else?”
“In the Ruthless Emperor’s closed-cultivation sanctuary, surely the two ancient scriptures would be indispensable!” Someone transmitted their voice in secret, pushing the matter a step further.
“Indeed — the Heaven-Swallowing Demon Arts and the Imperishable Heavenly Arts must be within the Ancient Bronze Immortal Hall, part of his immortal treasury!”
“Brother Ye even obtained the Primordial Qi Root of All Creation, and passed through and out of the tomb of a peerless expert without dying — he must have received the acknowledgment of the Ruthless Emperor’s legacy!”
“The Heaven-Swallowing Demon Arts may be about to re-emerge in the world!”
Several voices transmitted in succession from the shadows — none could be identified as to their source. They advanced step by step, killing without drawing blood. Their intent could not have been more obvious: they were pointing directly at Ye Fan as having obtained the Ruthless One’s legacy.
“We can confirm it — those transmitting their voices are all from among the people gathered at the entrance of the great hall,” the Monkey said.
They were all of the younger generation. Nothing unusual could be detected from their surface appearances, as everyone appeared to be engaged in ordinary discussion, with no one directly confronting the matter.
Ye Fan scanned each of them in turn: Dayan Sage Heir Xiang Yifei, Yao Xi, the Daoist Unity Sage Heir, the Wanchu Sacred Lady, Yao Guang’s Sage Heir, Jin Chixiao…
“The Ruthless One’s inheritor has long since appeared in the world. Is there anyone who does not know that Hua Yunfei has cultivated the Heaven-Swallowing Demon Arts? To scheme against me this way — your intentions are truly venomous to the core.” Ye Fan’s voice was very quiet. He did not argue loudly.
“Is that so? At present, no one knows what cultivation technique you have actually been practicing. You have made extraordinary advances in recent years, all in great secrecy — is it not the Heaven-Swallowing Demon Arts?”
Once those words spread, another thread of killing intent thickened within the great hall. Some people had been waiting all along, lacking only a pretext to make their move.
“If I were cultivating the Heaven-Swallowing Demon Arts, would Senior Jiang Taixu not have been able to detect it? Are you questioning the spiritual perception of a peerless Divine King?”
“If I cultivated the Heaven-Swallowing Demon Arts, would the Old Madman — my elder brother — allow me to live on, or travel alongside me? Are you doubting the judgment of a sage?”
“If I cultivated the Heaven-Swallowing Demon Arts, after striking down the Sage Heirs and Sacred Ladies who came to attack me, would I have refrained from absorbing them — and instead reduced them to dust? Would I have allowed some of you to remain alive until this very moment?!”
Ye Fan countered with question after question, his gaze locked on the younger generation. Then he rose to his feet and advanced upon them with overwhelming force.
“Do you wish to kill me? One will not suffice — you are all welcome to come at me together. There is no need for such underhanded tactics. I still have seven opportunities to strike with full force, and I will gladly receive each and every one of you!”
“Taking everything into account, I believe it is impossible that Ye Fan has obtained the Ruthless One’s legacy. There is no reasonable basis for suspicion.” The Queen Mother of the West spoke up.
“There is one matter I do not understand. I dare to ask the patriarch of the Jiang Clan — when Ye Fan saved the peerless Divine King, which immortality medicine did he use to do so?” Someone transmitted from the shadows.
“This…” The Jiang Clan patriarch was placed in a difficult position.
“Perhaps none of you are aware — it was a dragon fruit borne by the True Dragon immortality medicine!” the voice from the shadows declared loudly.
“What?!” Everyone erupted into an uproar.
Had this been said at any earlier time, even knowing it was a True Dragon immortality medicine would have meant little. The great Emperors had all died long ago, and their sacred medicines had long since returned to the great wilderness.
But Ye Fan had entered the Ruthless One’s death-seclusion sanctuary and brought out his Primordial Qi Root of All Creation — now people could not help but let their imaginations run wild.
“Has he truly obtained the Ruthless One’s legacy?!” Many of the powerful lords rose to their feet, killing intent fully exposed. Every single person in the great hall locked their gaze upon Ye Fan.
The Heavenly Palace turned bitterly cold, like an ice cellar. Bone-piercing killing intent spread through the air — someone wished to seize this opportunity to act, to cut Ye Fan down.
The situation was at an extreme crisis point — on the verge of erupting at any moment!
“This is going too far!” The Monkey’s fury ignited instantly. He leaped to his feet, and in his hands appeared a battle spear on the verge of rotting away — yet from it surged a peerless killing intent.
This was the peerless deadly weapon that had slain Primordial Kings. It had emerged alongside divine source, having been inserted into the body of a young girl resting within the source — an utterly savage and unrivaled instrument of slaughter.
The Monkey brandished the deadly weapon. This outburst forced those who had been about to make their move to hold back — though cold smiles had begun spreading across their faces.
Ye Fan’s heart lurched. Was the great havoc of the Peach Banquet — the uproar that would overturn the Heavenly Palace — truly about to be reenacted?
“Audacious! This is the sacred ground of the Jade Pool — how dare you act violently here?” A Supreme Elder of Wanchu shouted. They despised the Monkey to the core. He had previously rebuked and overpowered them openly at the lakeside, and they had been nursing a resentful grievance ever since.
“Ignorant fools, daring to shelter the inheritor of the Ruthless One and draw a weapon here — you will not escape your own doom!” A Supreme Elder of the Zifu Sacred Ground was equally full of resentment, and now spoke in an icy voice.
“A blade is already at our throats, and yet you accuse me of violence? Today I will beat every last one of you to death!” The Monkey didn’t care about any of it and was on the verge of striking. He was absolutely not someone who would sit and suffer abuse.
“Seize them!” Someone roared, and powerful lords stepped forward.
The Monkey smiled coldly and strode forward. The peerless deadly weapon in his hand looked as though it might crumble to pieces, yet the killing intent it radiated made many powerful lords’ hearts tremble with fear.
Ye Fan shielded himself with golden blood energy, guarding against the pressure of the deadly weapon, and came to the Monkey’s side, grabbing hold of him to prevent him from striking.
“Every word I have spoken is true. I did not obtain the Heaven-Swallowing ancient scripture.”
“Then how do you explain the True Dragon immortality medicine?” Many people shouted loudly, pressing forward.
“The True Dragon immortality medicine is in the Northern Region. Is there anything suspicious about me having picked a dragon fruit from it?” Ye Fan said calmly.
“What — the True Dragon immortality medicine is in the Northern Region, and you were able to approach and pick from it?”
“Impossible. Where is it?”
Everyone was unable to remain seated. The immortality medicine personally planted by the Ruthless One — an immortal treasure of the highest order — was right there in the Northern Region, and even a cultivator at the Four Extremes Secret Realm could pick from it. Who could fail to be moved?
“The immortal divine medicine is the supreme sacred object between heaven and earth. There are only a handful of such trees in existence. This is equivalent to an immortal treasury — how could I casually reveal its location?” Ye Fan gave a cold laugh.
“If you want to prove your innocence, you have no choice but to take us to see it. Otherwise, given that the matter concerns the Ruthless One’s legacy, no one can save you!” One of the powerful lords spoke.
“We will not seize your immortality medicine. Take us to see it, and that will prove your innocence!” A number of others voiced the same sentiment, their voices carrying a note of urgency.
“Black Ye is about to get vicious,” Li Heishui muttered in the shadows outside the great hall, a shiver running through him. “Has he not stirred up too big a commotion this time? Is he actually trying to wipe out a group of Supreme Elders and patriarchs?”
“He actually dares to act — is he trying to use the Ten-Thousand Dragon Lair?” The Great Black Dog was deeply unsettled, a chill running up its spine.
Ye Fan stood in the center of the great hall, composed and unhurried, slowly pacing back and forth. He shook his head and said: “What guarantee could anyone give that would be believable? The moment the divine immortality medicine appears, blood will flow like rivers as countless people fight over it.”
“Do you have any other option? If you don’t reveal the True Dragon immortality medicine to prove yourself, you will be cut down right here in this hall!” someone said in a frosty voice. The killing intent was like a blade scraping bone.
Someone else poured oil on the fire in secret, saying: “What a joke — it’s obvious he obtained the immortality medicine from within the Ancient Bronze Immortal Hall, yet he’s trying to pin it on the Northern Region. He must be the Ruthless One’s inheritor. No further proof is needed — he can simply be executed!”
The crowd pressed in from all sides. The divine immortality medicine was a matter of the utmost gravity, and many people wished to see it, each harboring their own calculations.
There were also those whose hearts were set on killing him — all they lacked was a pretext. Among them were the Supreme Elders of Wanchu and Zifu, who never stopped thinking about settling scores and reclaiming their dignity.
“In truth, everything is very simple. All you need to do is take us to personally witness the True Dragon immortality medicine, and your innocence will prove itself,” one of the powerful lords said in a measured tone.
The eyes of many extraordinary individuals flickered with an indeterminate light. The divine immortality medicine was too captivating to anyone’s mind — no one could remain at ease.
“By then, the True Dragon divine medicine would most likely change hands,” Ye Fan said, shaking his head.
“Little Ye has made up his mind to act…” Li Heishui clicked his tongue, his heart beating rapidly. Having spent so long together, he understood the other person far too well.
“This kid is trying to set a trap and get the powerful beings killed. He obviously intends to use the peerless Ten-Thousand Dragon Lair…” Even the Great Black Dog felt wave after wave of unease.