No matter what was said, Ye Fan absolutely refused to reveal where the immortality medicine was located. His words were fierce and resolute, as though he simply did not trust certain people within the great hall at all.

Some within the Heavenly Palace smiled coldly, pressing him more tightly. The killing intent was like a sharp blade hovering over his skull — bone-piercingly cold. The situation was at an extreme crisis, on the verge of erupting at any moment.

At that moment, the Monkey had already raised the peerless deadly weapon in his hand. He was about to bring great chaos to the Heavenly Palace — the nearly-rotted deadly weapon erupting with ferocious might.

Many people had locked onto Ye Fan, and if a great battle broke out, they would certainly surge toward him in the very first moment to seize the Cauldron of the Primordial Qi of All Creation.

This was a perfect opportunity. Even with his ties to a living sage, if he were judged to be the Ruthless One’s inheritor, he would not escape death — the sacred grounds would not allow him to live in this world.

At this point, everything had come together naturally, with only the final step of taking action remaining!

“There is no need to be so agitated, everyone. I believe Ye Fan has no connection to the Ruthless Emperor. He has merely obtained the essence of primordial chaos through a fortunate coincidence.” The Queen Mother of the West spoke up and stepped forward to defend him.

Immediately, one of the overlords refuted her, insisting that Ye Fan must have obtained the Ruthless One’s legacy — otherwise, such a coincidence would be impossible.

“He entered and exited the bronze hall unharmed. Both the Primordial Qi and the True Dragon immortality medicine have been obtained by him. Every indication points to the fact that he possesses the Heaven-Swallowing Demon Scripture!”

The four words “Ruthless Emperor” stirred all ages. The ancient scriptures he left behind were of the greatest consequence, and many people smiled coldly, pressing Ye Fan relentlessly to give a clear account of himself.

Ye Fan refused to the death to reveal the whereabouts of the True Dragon medicine. His mouth remained sealed so tightly that a cold light flashed in many people’s eyes, and the atmosphere grew increasingly tense.

“If you want their immortality medicine, first get past me!” the Monkey raised the deadly weapon aloft, golden light blazing from his eyes.

“It sounds as though everything he says is an excuse. The divine medicine of the Heaven-Swallowing Emperor cannot possibly be in the Northern Region — killing this inheritor is absolutely the right thing to do!”

Many people pressed forward, on the verge of making their move. Every face wore a cruel cold smile. The killing intent was like blades cutting through spring wind, sending the temperature within the great hall plummeting.

“Little Ye is keeping himself so calm…” Li Heishui murmured in the shadows outside the hall doors, giving a cold, quiet laugh.

“Don’t let the fire get out of control. If certain people actually make their move, it will become a real mess,” the Great Black Dog said with some worry.

They understood that Ye Fan was building momentum — making the performance seem utterly genuine. Otherwise, how could they possibly draw in the big fish? These old ones were as cunning as ghosts.

The few Supreme Elders of Wanchu and Zifu were on the verge of making their move. Finally, at this moment, some of the patriarchs spoke up to mediate — but they too demanded to see the True Dragon medicine.

The Monkey nearly brought the roof down. He had almost swung his battle spear like a club. The confrontation had essentially reached the level of open warfare.

Only then did Ye Fan relent, yielding with apparent reluctance, and agreed to take everyone to see the immortality medicine — though he put forward a great many conditions.

“That’s more like it. Only this can confirm whether what you have said is true. Otherwise…heh heh!” A Supreme Elder of Wanchu jeered.

He understood clearly that no matter what, the immortality medicine would inevitably change hands and would no longer belong to Ye Fan. Once they learned where it grew, everyone would rush to seize it.

“Young man, you still have a long road ahead. There is much you need to learn.” A Supreme Elder of the Zifu Sacred Ground walked over and patted him on the shoulder.

“Indeed. I am just a young and ignorant person who understands nothing. In the future I will certainly learn much from all the senior figures.” Ye Fan lowered his posture.

“Get lost!” the Monkey roared furiously and made as if to swing the deadly weapon. He could not stand the sight of these several Supreme Elders at all.

Ye Fan held him back and would not let him act. Turning the situation hostile now would bring great losses, and all their efforts would be wasted.

Nearby, a number of powerful lords revealed killing intent, yet did not make a move — for they had already learned that this was the Battle Saint Ape, and feared stirring up the other Primordial Royal Clans.

“First I must make clear that the place we are going to is no benign land. Anyone who wishes to go must accept that life and death will be their own responsibility…”

Ye Fan could only be described as dragging his feet — he was endlessly long-winded, going on and on without stopping. It made some veterans want nothing more than to slap him twice.

Seeing him block and stall in every possible way, simply refusing to name the location, everyone had long since lost patience. This only made them more certain that the True Dragon medicine truly existed — all of them wished to go as soon as possible.

In the eyes of many, a cultivator at the Four Extremes Secret Realm had been able to pick from it. They, as overlords of their respective territories, how could they be inferior to him?

“People truly are strange — the more they are blocked, the more eager they become, the more certain they are that there is no danger…” Li Heishui was almost at a loss for words.

“Alas, in many things, one must do the opposite to get results!” the Great Black Dog muttered as well.

“Everyone need not be so impatient. We are currently in the midst of the Jade Pool Grand Assembly — at the very least, should we not wait until after the assembly to go?” Ye Fan was still stalling.

“Hmph, for all we know, you’ll slip away before the Jade Pool Grand Assembly is even over!” someone said in an icy tone.

“You are overthinking it. I simply feel that going right now is somewhat inappropriate — after all, the Jade Pool Grand Assembly is still underway.” Ye Fan argued in all seriousness.

“There are array-pattern masters here. As long as it is somewhere in the Northern Region, opening a spatial gate will take no more than an instant. It will not consume much time at all.”

“This Peach Banquet Grand Assembly was held precisely to observe the divine stones and other wonders. If we can now also witness the immortality medicine, would that not make it even more splendid? It would undoubtedly be an exceedingly successful assembly.”

Everyone spoke up at once, and the bottom line was simply this: they had to see the True Dragon immortality medicine immediately.

“And yet, I still feel that…” Ye Fan continued to hem and haw, making excuse after excuse, still unwilling to set out.

“Why do you have so many reasons?!” Many people had simply run out of patience with him. They had never seen someone so capable of stalling — they wanted nothing more than to stuff his mouth shut.

“Young man, you are asking for death!” Finally, someone could hold back no longer, convinced he was obstructing them and had no intention of taking everyone there at all.

“Boom!”

A massive hand struck forward, emanating an earthy yellow radiance, intending to smash Ye Fan to death on the spot.

“Bang!”

The Monkey struck out. His golden fist, like a great hammer, smashed outward and collided with that enormous hand.

“Spit!”

That person vomited a great mouthful of blood. His entire body cracked open in numerous places. That massive hand was reduced to a pulp right then and there, its shape utterly destroyed. His physical body was sent flying over a hundred zhang, slamming into the wall.

Everyone’s expressions changed. A half-step Great Capability had nearly been killed outright by the Monkey. Not one person was not stunned by the terrifying power of the Battle Saint Ape Clan.

“Dare to be disrespectful again and I will obliterate your body and soul alike.” The Monkey shook the great club in his hand.

“This is far too outrageous! So what if the Primordial Royal Clan is about to emerge — do you think we will simply allow a mere monkey to act so arrogantly?”

“He dares to make a move in the sacred grounds of the Jade Pool Heavenly Palace. Let us join forces and eliminate him!”

Someone transmitted these words in secret, voice laden with killing intent, pressing forward step by step, attempting to incite everyone to unite and annihilate the Monkey and those with him.

Ye Fan reckoned the timing was just about right — he could not let it go any further. To carry on would truly be going too far. He stepped forward, wearing an expression of reluctant resignation, and agreed to set out immediately.

Of course, he reiterated once more: the path ahead was dangerous, and everyone must look after their own lives. He would bear no responsibility for any deaths.

“No need for you to worry about that!” Many had long since been fed up with him. Were it not for the Monkey standing at his side, they would certainly have stopped up his mouth long ago.

“Look after yourself instead. If you have ties to the Ruthless One, not even a living sage’s protection can save you — we will obliterate your body and soul!” Someone exposed their killing intent fully.

Ye Fan laughed coldly inwardly, yet revealed nothing on his face — he responded with an expression of helplessness.

A tree bearing an immortality medicine was about to be revealed to the world — a tree personally planted by the Ruthless One over two hundred thousand years ago. A relic of one who had been comparable to a god!

Every cultivator was gripped with nervous excitement. When the spatial gate was opened, the group filed through one by one, none wishing to fall behind.

Ye Fan was inwardly surprised. There were indeed many extraordinary hidden masters in this world. After hearing news of the immortality medicine, some of them remained unmoved, seated within the Heavenly Palace without emerging.

However, the vast majority had been tempted. They crossed the void together.

“If you have deceived all these great lords, you understand what kind of fate awaits you…” Someone transmitted a warning in secret.

A flash of light, and the space ahead turned brilliant white. A surge of cold air rushed toward them.

Before them stretched a vast and expansive icy plain. The elevation was great, and the land remained blanketed in ice and snow throughout all four seasons — a boundless expanse of white.

“This place is…” Everyone was greatly startled. Many of them recognized exactly where this was.

The members of the Jiang Clan bore strange expressions and behaved most abnormally — for this place had ties to them.

Seventy or eighty thousand years ago, this land had been a boundless range of ice mountains, towering into the clouds — majestic, grand, and unbroken in all directions.

But at that time, a great upheaval had occurred. All the sacred grounds had nearly been drawn into the war. A peerless Divine King of the Jiang Clan, wielding an extreme-path sacred weapon, had swept the entire landscape flat in one strike!

That battle had shaken the heavens and the earth. An ancient sacred ground upon that icy plain was erased from existence from that point on — everything reduced to flying ash beneath the Constant Universe Sacred Furnace.

It was precisely that battle which elevated the world’s terror of an Emperor’s sacred weapon to an entirely new height. It was proven capable of destroying an entire powerful sacred ground!

“The ruins of the ancient sacred ground — the Netherworld God Palace!”

“Why would the immortality medicine be here?”

The people were perplexed, and turned their gazes to Ye Fan in unison, waiting for him to provide a reasonable explanation.

Penetrating over a thousand li into the icy plain, a stretch of snowy mountains came into view — spanning roughly a hundred li in all directions. This was the only surviving mountain range, and upon it stood the super great sect known as the Ice and Snow Palace.

“Brother Ape, how are relations among the various Primordial Royal Clans?” Ye Fan asked in a low, private voice.

“Reasonably good,” the Monkey replied.

Ye Fan relaxed considerably and said: “In a moment, we may startle an ancient king of the Primordials. If we cannot escape in time, you will need to put your mind to work…”

He communicated privately with the Monkey along the way, covering every possible angle.

Of course, this was far from a sure guarantee. Disturbing the slumber of a Primordial Royal Clan would be a catastrophic transgression. An ancient being roused to anger might not spare even those close to it.

Even so, Ye Fan had confidence in his heart this time — because the Black Emperor possessed a fragment of the Void Emperor’s array patterns, used specifically for opening spatial gates.

“Black Emperor…” Along the way, he was also in constant communication with the Great Black Dog, making preparations to traverse the void at a moment’s notice.

They did not ascend to the Ice and Snow Palace. Instead, they went directly around to the rear of the mountain and made for the place where the dragon vein lay in silent repose.

“Everyone, this place is very dangerous. There is no need for us to take such a risk…” Ye Fan said.

“Stop wasting time and lead the way!” A Supreme Elder of Wanchu nearly stripped away all pretense, his composure growing harder to maintain as they drew closer and closer to the immortality medicine.

By this time, none of the overlords were at ease either. Every single one of them was desperate to seize that legendary immortal treasure.

“You old undying — if you die down there, it has not the slightest thing to do with me!” Ye Fan said coldly.

“You…” That Supreme Elder had not expected Ye Fan to dare speak back to him so boldly.

Ye Fan repeatedly emphasized that this place was dangerous and that any mishap would have nothing to do with him. The more he said this, the more determined everyone became to press forward, and the more they believed there was truly an immortality medicine waiting for them.

“Right here!”

Ye Fan led the group into the great snowy mountains and arrived at a place frequented by snow apes. He then cleaved open the ice and snow, locating the passage into the underground palace.

“Dragon qi…” The crowd cried out.

From within the underground palace, streams upon streams of dragon qi surged upward — noble beyond measure, auspicious energy streaming like rainbows and taking the form of dragons.

“Truly a peerless sacred land — the most fitting place in all the world for True Dragon divine medicine to grow!”

Many people’s faces lit up with excitement. By now, nearly everyone was convinced that the immortality medicine planted by the Ruthless Emperor was indeed growing here.

“Everyone, surely you now believe me?” Ye Fan said, his tone sounding rather reluctant.

“Young man, you should have been this sensible from the start…” A Supreme Elder of the Zifu Sacred Ground walked over and patted him on the shoulder, wearing a look of mockery.

“The True Dragon divine medicine — heh heh!” A few Supreme Elders of Wanchu were the first to approach, ahead of the various patriarchs, giving Ye Fan a light, dismissive glance. Their faces were full of ridicule.

“Young man, well done!” One among them also stepped forward, laughing heartily and clapping him on the shoulder.