The azure sky was washed clean, the heavens a deep blue like a gemstone, scattering crystalline brilliance, opening the mind and delighting the spirit.
Great mountains towered majestically, silver waterfalls like ribbons of silk. Walking through the wild ridges, apes cried and tigers roared, a scene of prehistoric splendor.
The Man-Demon paused from time to time, sinking into deep contemplation—looking back, a million years had passed, and all that was gone, all that had vanished, all that had passed away, none of it remained.
The old man and young man walked through the Eastern Wastes, aimlessly, at the Man-Demon’s request. Ye Fan took him to view the sun and moon, mountains and rivers, famous peaks and great rivers.
“The dead are gone forever, how many talented figures and ancient emperors now lie buried in dust.” The Man-Demon sighed softly.
Before Ye Fan could offer comfort, the wild old man’s tough, rough heart and temperament had already self-adjusted, murmuring to himself, “Never tasted Fighting War Sage Ape meat before.”
Ye Fan was stunned, quickly telling him to stop—this species was far too precious; only two remained now, not one could be killed, let alone eaten.
“Senior, back then I stole you away from the Myriad Dragon Nest—what exactly happened back then?”
“Come, let’s go to the Myriad Dragon Nest. I’ve been meaning to pay them a visit anyway.” The old wild man said with great confidence.
They set out from the Central Prefecture, passing through numerous ancient cities. At Ye Fan’s request, the Man-Demon changed his appearance, to avoid alerting anyone prematurely.
“Eh, am I seeing things wrong? That’s the Human Race’s Sacred Body—he’s really bold beyond measure, all the sages searching for him, and he still dares to come out!”
The moment they entered a populated region, they were spotted by watchful eyes—some cultivators showed looks of astonishment. A person’s reputation, like a tree’s shadow, precedes them—Ye Fan had indeed become famous throughout the world.
“No, that’s not right, it just resembles him, that’s not really Ye Fan, the appearance is quite different.”
“What’s going on, I thought it was him a moment ago, how did it suddenly change to someone else?”
Some people observed secretly, feeling a bit disappointed, while others didn’t retreat, instead paying even closer attention. Elders of the Ancient Clans, learning of this, rushed over quickly.
“This person’s aura is composed and steady, and someone previously confirmed seeing his true appearance—this is very likely Ye Fan in disguise, not a mistaken identity.”
Many people wouldn’t give up, earnestly seeking confirmation from minor cultivators, believing it was ten-to-one likely Ye Fan’s true self, having used a secret method to conceal his appearance.
This naturally became an undercurrent—those with ulterior motives quickly spread the news, and some among the Ancient Clans even reported it to sage-level Ancient Kings.
Youyue City was one of the ten great ancient cities of the Central Prefecture, closest to the Tianxuan ruins, magnificent and grand, the years leaving mottled marks on its city walls.
Block after block of bluestone, wall after wall, covered with axe marks and arrow holes—the finest proof of the cruel warfare of ancient times.
Ye Fan and the Man-Demon walked along, entering the city directly, unconcerned by the secret watchers, a hint of mockery at the corners of their mouths.
“Candied hawthorn skewers, exotic fruit borne from a ten-thousand-year ancient tree, containing the essence of heaven and earth, big and round—not sweet, money back!”
“Dragon meat above, donkey meat below—a spirit-transformed donkey, the world’s greatest tonic, can extend life, nourish yin and strengthen yang, fresh out of the pot, fragrant!”
…
Within the ancient city of Youyue, people came and went, carriages and horses bustling, vendors’ cries rising one after another, extremely lively.
“These are all people?” The Man-Demon stared at the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd, quite astonished—the streets were extremely crowded, far too many pedestrians.
Passers-by who heard this all rolled their eyes, thinking he had something wrong with his mind, mentally unwell.
Ye Fan felt his head ache, telling him that the Human Race now flourished, with population numbers in a single region measured in the hundreds of millions, let alone the total across the entire world.
“So many!” The Man-Demon nodded, then reached out a hand, pulling ten skewers off the candied hawthorn vendor’s rack, swallowing them all in one bite.
“Heh, old man’s got good teeth. So, sweet, right?” The candied hawthorn vendor was quite pleased.
“Not from a ten-thousand-year ancient tree, at most a decade or so old.” The Man-Demon shook his head.
The candied hawthorn vendor was speechless—someone actually believed that, was he trying to find fault? Ye Fan quickly tossed him a string of copper coins.
“This isn’t spirit-transformed donkey meat, it’s a plague-stricken donkey.” The Man-Demon sat in a famous old donkey meat restaurant, having just taken one bite before spitting it out.
Ye Fan quickly pulled him away—the Man-Demon was too straightforward, still thinking this was the Primordial era, his manner of doing things unchanged, sure to cause trouble for someone.
“Is that them?” Not far away, a figure appeared, pristine and untainted, accompanied by several powerful experts.
“Yes, Ancestor King, we suspect one of them is the Human Race’s Sacred Body!” Someone beside him responded.
“Hmm, let me take a look.” He opened his Heavenly Eye, then instantly his expression changed, saying, “It really is him. Since he’s shown himself, he won’t be leaving.”
This Ancestor King didn’t act rashly, instead immediately entering a domain gate to invite some old friends—he knew Ye Fan’s formidable strength, not something one person could handle alone.
Not only the Ancient Clans received the news and rushed to Youyue Ancient City—even sages from beyond the domain arrived, parting ways hastily in the distance, cold smiles crossing their lips.
They held no grudge against Ye Fan, but as the saying goes, an ordinary man is innocent, but carrying a treasure is his crime—the Green Bronze Cauldron mattered too much; they had to seize it, and so, apologies to the Human Race’s Sacred Body—if he dared not hand it over, only ruthless elimination remained.
“A young man can’t endure solitude—no matter how divine your technique, concealing your true appearance, there’s an origin-level trait that cannot be hidden, visible to ancient sages.”
Ye Fan seemed oblivious to all this, accompanying the Man-Demon on their travels, eventually passing straight through the city.
No one would have guessed he and the Man-Demon had joined forces—this old wild man’s cultivation truly shook past and present; deliberately hiding it, who could see through it?
The Central Prefecture, vast and sparsely populated, towering ancient trees lining both sides of the great road, branches like heaven-supporting umbrellas, nearly reaching the height of distant peaks.
From time to time, the cries of strange beasts could be heard, wild birds soaring across the sky.
Ye Fan and his companion hadn’t traveled even a hundred miles before the void was torn open, three figures appearing, each possessing profound magical power, their bodies wreathed in divine halos—all Ancestor Kings of the Ancient Clans!
One had golden wings growing from his back, like the Thunder God. Another had a body like an azure ape, tall and sturdy. The third was wrapped in crackling blood lightning, resembling a deity.
“Heaven takes pity on us, letting us meet the Human Race’s Sacred Body here—is this bestowing upon us the immortal cauldron, granting us the opportunity to comprehend and attain immortality?”
The three Ancestor Kings’ eyes shone with intimidating light, like bolts of lightning striking down, staring at Ye Fan, unable to conceal their joy.
“You’re celebrating too early—the Green Bronze Cauldron belongs to us.” A voice came from above, a blue-robed man and a middle-aged man in white descended slowly upon auspicious clouds—these were ancient sages from beyond the domain.
“We arrived here first—do you two wish to interfere?” One Ancestor King shouted coldly.
“I don’t care whether the Human Race’s Sacred Body lives or dies—his fate is yours to decide, but the Green Cauldron must be left behind.” One sage from beyond the domain said.
“We want the person, and we’re keeping the cauldron too!” The three Ancestor Kings retorted sharply.
Both sides refused to yield, viewing Ye Fan as food on a plate, treating him and the Man-Demon as prey, unaware that crisis could erupt at any moment.
“Senior, what do you think of these people—there’s one from the Heavenly Dog Clan, satisfying your wish to eat dog meat, and an azure ape, barely qualifying to make a dish of monkey brain, and then these two from beyond the domain, strange species—might hold some pleasant surprises!”
Ye Fan spoke without restraint, as if picking fish and chickens at a market, remarkably composed, causing the several ancient sages’ expressions to change instantly.
“What do you think you are, daring to point fingers at us!” One Ancestor King said, his face darkening, golden wings growing from his back, his head bearing a Heavenly Dog’s visage, extremely ferocious, stepping forward from high above, advancing toward Ye Fan and the Man-Demon, wanting to trample them underfoot.
Relying on his many years of sagehood, surpassing ordinary ancient sages, he was quite disrespectful toward Ye Fan, also wanting to intimidate him first with a display of dominance.
“Hand over the cauldron!” The powerhouse from beyond the domain, blue robes fluttering, black hair reaching to his waist, also extended a large hand, grabbing directly at Ye Fan, even more direct, wanting to tear his body apart and seize the Green Bronze Cauldron immediately.
Ye Fan sneered repeatedly, saying, “Every one of you acting all high and mighty in front of me—think you’re ancient emperors? Or think you can rule the world, putting on airs of unparalleled superiority before me? Watch out, or I’ll beat every one of you into pig heads!”
Boom!
The Man-Demon’s formidable aura erupted, instantly soaring to the heavens—since ancient times, who dared step their foot on him? Who dared treat him as nothing? Back then, aside from ancient imperial weapons, no one could suppress him.
As this astonishing wild power spread out, the five figures in the sky came crashing down like dumplings being boiled, utterly unable to withstand it, struck by the overwhelming impact.
The Man-Demon strode forward carrying his crystalline white bone staff, and amid thudding sounds, smashed all of them until their bones broke and tendons snapped, able only to let out miserable groans one after another.
The three Ancient Kings and the two sages from beyond the domain were all terrified—never in their dreams had they imagined a shabby old man could be more ferocious than a Primordial savage dragon.
Upon seeing him bare-chested, wielding his distinctive bone staff, revealing his true face, they fell into utter despair, wanting to slap their own mouths, instantly guessing who this master was.
These recent days, the Primordial Man-Demon had shaken the world—it was instantly associable!
“Dare to step your feet on us?” Ye Fan stepped forward, giving them a taste of their own medicine, his large foot stamping directly down, a burst of brutal trampling.
Amid several furious roars, their primordial spirits burst free, smashing through their heavenly crowns trying to tear through the void and flee, only to be met with a white bone staff, all shattered, thoroughly killed.
According to Ye Fan’s plan, he had intended to travel around a bit more, occasionally revealing his true form, luring out anyone who dared threaten him, one by one, to strike back.
Unfortunately, his fishing plan couldn’t be carried out—the Man-Demon told him directly that time was short; he didn’t know when he might transform into his demon state again, and it was best to set off quickly.
“Sigh!”
Ye Fan let out a long sigh, having no choice but to give up—otherwise he would have set a great slaughter, thoroughly massacring the Ancestor Kings and ancient sages most hostile to him.
The north wind howled, the cold biting to the bone—this was a vast expanse of white ice fields, at the edge of heaven and earth stood towering, majestic snow peaks.
This was a highland in the Northern Region, perpetually covered in ice and snow year-round, never melting, mysterious and ancient.
Seventy or eighty thousand years ago, an ancient sacred ground named the Nether Palace had once stood here, swept away by a peerless divine king of the Jiang Family of the Northern Region, wielding the Constant Universe Furnace.
It was said that was a dark, chaotic era; some said this sacred ground had been supported by the Ancient Clans, hence being destroyed by the Jiang Family’s divine king.
As time passed, the truth gradually came to light—the Nether Palace had indeed been a puppet of the Ancient Clans, because beneath this snowy mountain lay the Myriad Dragon Nest!
Originally, the highland had ten thousand ice peaks, swept flat in that battle seven or eight years ago, leaving only over a hundred miles of snowy mountains, still standing majestically, towering ahead.
Surging dragon energy occasionally leaked from cracks in the snowy mountains, filling the entire region with a majestic, overwhelming aura!
Deep underground, an ingenious work of nature—this was heaven’s most terrifying creation, nine massive dragon caverns connecting to even greater depths, where an imperial aura pervaded, suffocating.
And in that ultimate place, there stood an even more chaotic Dragon Nest, legend saying it was built by a true dragon, where Ruthless now lay sealed within a coffin.
At this moment, within a vast ancient cave, Great Sage Qianlun was discussing something with his grandson Leizhan.
“Grandfather, rest assured. I’ve laid out a marvelous scheme—that Human Race’s Sacred Body won’t be able to resist jumping in. I’ll make him know he faces certain death, yet still walk in without hesitation—he’ll kneel down and lick the soles of my feet.” Leizhan said sinisterly.
Ye Fan and the Man-Demon had reached the snowy mountains, and naturally no longer concealed their true appearances, since they had come specifically to smash the Myriad Dragon Nest, to vent their fury.