“What does it have to do with me that you couldn’t get the green copper? It means your strength was lacking and someone else got there first.” Ye Fan stared at him: “You should be thanking me, Daoist — yet in the end, this is how you treat me.”

“You really are stubborn, boy. I was the first to charge toward the Demon Emperor’s yin tomb. There wasn’t even a shadow of the thing — how could anyone possibly have gotten there first? Even now you’re still trying to fool me. I genuinely want to slap you dead.” At this point, a look of astonishment crossed his face: “To have reached the Divine Bridge realm in such a short time is truly unbelievable — not much worse than I was at your age.” The fat Daoist circled around him twice: “Could it be because of the green copper?”

“Can’t you sense for yourself whether I have any green copper on me?” Ye Fan replied with calm composure.

“You wretched little brat — you threw the jade pendant I gave you into some remote mountain forest, which meant I couldn’t find you no matter how hard I searched. Only today did I finally track you down.” The unscrupulous Daoist stared into his eyes: “Just where is that green copper block?”

Ye Fan immediately recalled that broken jade pendant — chipped at the corner, covered in cracks, no better than a stone. It seemed tossing it had been exactly the right call; the man had clearly intended to use it to track him.

“Daoist, since fate has brought us together again, there is nothing I need to hide from you. I’ll tell you the truth.” Ye Fan put on a look of great solemnity: “On that day, the green copper was indeed thrown away by me — but not into the deep pool.”

“I already knew it wasn’t under the deep pool!”

“I went to look for it afterward, but found that a wild and deranged old man had picked it up. He was laughing and weeping at the same time, completely unhinged — utterly impossible to catch…” Ye Fan went ahead and described the appearance of the mad old man.

The fat Daoist immediately drew a sharp breath, muttering to himself: “A year ago, someone in the Yan Territory claimed to have seen an old man like that. Rumors say he might be…” At that point, he stopped himself and said no more. Then he fixed his gaze on Ye Fan: “You are truly unscrupulous, boy — I opened my heart to you back then, and this is how you repay me.”

“Speak with a conscience, Daoist — you snatched three spirit-linked weapons from me that day. Who exactly is the unscrupulous one?”

The unscrupulous Daoist stared at him, and suddenly his eyes went hollow — like bottomless abysses, pitch-black, devoid of any light. His voice dropped low: “Was it truly taken by a wild and deranged old man? What exactly did he look like?”

Ye Fan felt a wave of drowsiness wash over him. The other man was clearly attempting to force his way into his mind-sea. But he was not afraid — by now his spiritual sense had taken on a tangible form as a golden lake, equal to anyone’s. Rather than resist, he simply allowed the image of the mad old man to surface in his mind-sea and answered: “Yes, he picked it up — a mad old man I could not catch.”

When the unscrupulous Daoist found the image of the mad old man, his body shook violently. His hollow eyes instantly regained their light, and he stared forward with an expression of utter disbelief: “So it really was that person…”

Beside him, the enchanting woman with the red mole at her brow smiled softly: “Just who is this person, to leave Daoist Duan looking so shaken?”

“Did you of the demon clans not hear about what happened a year ago?” Duan De said in a low, grave voice: “A person who should not still exist in this world showed a glimpse of their presence in the Yan Territory.”

“I heard some of it, but I’m not sure it was real. After so many years, who could still recognize him?”

Duan De shook his head: “There is no mistake. That person was an unrivaled master in their time. A number of their portraits have survived in the world, and I was fortunate enough to have seen one.”

“Hiss!”

The ravishing woman with the red mole at her brow drew a sharp breath: “They were already a peerless master of their era — and now six thousand years have passed, yet they still walk the earth. Do you think they are close to ascending to immortality?”

The unscrupulous Daoist shook his head: “Unlikely. Someone has seen them in a state of confusion and derangement, their mind clearly shattered. In such a condition, how could they possibly achieve immortality?”

“Are there truly immortals in this world?” Ye Fan asked from the side.

“Whether immortals exist or not, no one can say for certain — but a peerless master living several thousand years is no problem.” The demon woman flashed him a charming smile, then pinched his cheek: “Work hard. Perhaps someday you too can achieve such a thing.”

“You… won’t harm me?”

This beguilingly enchanting demoness parted her moist, red lips and blew a soft breath at him — deeply enticing. She laughed playfully: “Rest easy. You are in no danger of losing your life.”

The unscrupulous Daoist’s eyes went hollow again. Still not willing to let the matter rest, he continued to stare into Ye Fan’s eyes: “How did he come to discover the green copper…”

Ye Fan cooperated fully. Using his powerful spiritual energy — which had taken on a tangible form — he constructed within his mind-sea a vivid scene: the mad old man picking up the green copper, then laughing and weeping, before finally drifting away into the distance.

Upon witnessing this scene, the unscrupulous Daoist’s entire face went slack, as though all the strength had been drained from his body. He tilted his head back and let out a long sigh toward the sky: “A supreme treasure renowned throughout the Central State… that day I held it in my palm, and yet I cast it aside as worthless and failed to recognize it. It slipped through my fingers. I could weep…”

Hearing these words, Ye Fan said with profound lack of tact: “Pay closer attention next time.”

The unscrupulous Daoist Duan De’s face was a picture of unwillingness and regret: “Now that it has fallen into that man’s hands, I have no chance of asking for it back. That this mad old man is still alive… it is beyond belief.”

“I wonder if the Demon Emperor’s blood essence is ready?” He raised his head and looked toward the most bewitchingly captivating demoness among the group.

“Please be at ease, Daoist — we promised you a single drop of the Demon Emperor’s blood essence, and we will absolutely keep our word.” The woman’s smile was immensely sensual and alluring. She clapped her jade hands lightly.

From deep within the peach grove, a beautiful young woman with bare arms draped in five-colored gauze came walking slowly forward, carrying a jade tray in her hands, upon which lay a covering of embroidered silk.

The woman with the red mole at her brow reached out to receive it with graceful ease, and with a flick of her luminous wrist, lifted the embroidered cloth — instantly revealing a crystalline shimmer as a fist-sized crystal emerged, blazing with radiance upon the jade tray.

At the center of the crystal was a single drop of vivid red blood, shimmering with a golden luminescence, sealed within — circulating with surging, inexhaustible vitality, a vast and overwhelming aura of life pulsing faintly from it.

The unscrupulous Daoist shed all trace of despondency in an instant, his spirit surging to life: “The Demon Emperor’s blood essence!”

“Indeed — this is the sacred blood of the great Emperor that you sought, Daoist. Although you did not bring us the forbidden weapon we requested, the young man you have delivered is truly worthy of being called a treasured body, so it is just barely a fair exchange.”

Within the fist-sized crystal, that single drop of blood seemed to contain boundless power. When the unscrupulous Daoist Duan De took it in his hand, it erupted with dazzling crimson light that stained his entire palm red — golden threads flashing within it.

Ye Fan’s heart surged and would not quiet. That drop of the Demon Emperor’s blood essence had almost certainly come from the Demon Emperor’s heart — which instantly brought Pang Bo to his mind.

That heart which had flown out from the Demon Emperor’s burial mound — just its normal beating alone had been more than powerful figures at or beyond the Other Shore realm could withstand. On that day, the Headmaster of the Spiritual Ruins Cave Heaven and the Elder Patriarch and others had been completely unable to approach it, watching helplessly as it soared into the sky and ultimately fell into the hands of the demon race.

Could it be that these women before him held the Demon Emperor’s heart — and that they were somehow connected to the flawless woman who had appeared before the Demon Emperor’s burial mound? If so, then did that not mean Pang Bo was somewhere nearby? A sudden surge of excitement rose within Ye Fan.

“Take care of yourself, boy.” The unscrupulous Daoist Duan De clapped him on the shoulder with a look of earnest sincerity.

“Fat man — you’ve really gone and left me here, haven’t you?”

Duan De wore a faint smile: “Don’t curse me now. In the future you might find yourself so content you won’t want to leave, and you’ll be thanking me.”

“What do you mean?”

Duan De spoke with a meaningful look: “This is good fortune that others can only dream of. Count your blessings, boy. If I were a few years younger, you might not even have gotten the chance.”

The woman with the red mole at her brow smiled brightly, her eyes shimmering with light as she cast a sidelong glance at Duan De: “If the Daoist wishes to stay, we would be most glad to host him well.”

“Spare me — these old bones of mine could never bear it. Until we meet again.” With that, Duan De turned and walked away without so much as a backward glance.

Ye Fan called after him: “I know where the mad old man is…”

But Duan De paid him absolutely no heed, vanishing swiftly and completely abandoning him here.

“You unscrupulous Daoist — just you wait…”

“This little woman’s surname is Qin and my given name is Yao. Little brother, there is no need to be afraid — we will not harm you.” The woman with the red mole at her brow pinched his cheek gently and smiled: “You need not worry.”

Qin Yao? Surely not a demoness transformed from some exotic bird — Ye Fan’s mind was churning with misgivings.

“May I ask — is the heart that flew out from the Demon Emperor’s burial mound in your possession?”

Qin Yao’s body was like warm jade; the light gauze on her body drifted softly, her entrancing, exquisite form half-visible, her curves tantalizingly blurred. Her smile was sweet: “You certainly know quite a lot. Indeed — the Great Emperor’s heart is in our hands.”

A tremor ran through Ye Fan’s heart: “Then does that mean there is an extraordinarily beautiful, near-perfect woman presiding here?”

A look of surprise crossed Qin Yao’s face: “You even know of this? She is a descendant of the Great Emperor, of the loftiest status. How did you come to know?”

Ye Fan’s heart surged with excitement: “And is there also a young man of about my own age somewhere in this place?”

Qin Yao looked startled. Her thick jet-black hair swayed gently, setting off her jade-like skin to appear even more luminously white and delicate. Flower petals drifted all around — crystalline and glittering — and sweet fragrance filled the air, yet she was lovelier than the flowers themselves. She smiled softly: “You really do know quite a lot.” She offered no further details.

“I want to see that young man who is close to my age!”

“I’m sorry — he is in seclusion and cannot meet with you.” Qin Yao was alluring and sensual, but her smile never wavered as she declined without hesitation.

“Then I want to see the Demon Emperor’s descendant.” Unable to meet Pang Bo, Ye Fan settled for the next best thing, hoping to see the flawless woman.

Qin Yao’s voice carried a natural resonance, thoroughly pleasant: “Of course you may see her — indeed, it was always the plan to bring you to her.”

“It was always the plan to bring me to her? Why?”

“For you, it is a good thing. If you are chosen, you will be elevated to a position of great honor. You, this little man, really do have extraordinary fortune.”

All the surrounding women broke into light laughter. They were alluringly graceful — born with a bewitching quality — their faces as beautiful as flowers, their skin as smooth as congealed fat, their necks slender, their arms as pale and lovely as jade, their skin luminous and glowing. Their white jade legs were long and straight, their transparent gauze completely unable to conceal them, their slender waists barely able to be encircled in one hand. They laughed until they trembled like branches in the wind.

Ye Fan was led into the depths of the peach grove. This was the back mountain of the Profound Origin Sect — particularly secluded and tranquil, a sacred aura of purity diffusing through the air. Ahead, beautiful women stood on guard.

After passing through a gorge and arriving before a range of jade-green hills, points of holy light rippled outward. Every tree and blade of grass gleamed as though carved from jade, radiating a strange and wondrous luminescence — this place was clearly unlike anything ordinary.

Just ahead, on the summit of a radiant hill — mist swirling, rays of rosy light spilling through — a pavilion floated high above. In that pavilion stood a woman of flawless perfection. She stood motionless, her eyes clear as still water, half-veiled in drifting mist, looking downward.

Her skin was ice and bone as pure as jade, without the slightest blemish. Her immortal form was gracefully upright — as though the most perfect masterpiece Heaven itself had ever fashioned. Her white robes outshone snow; her black hair drifted softly. She was like an immortal maiden of the Moon Palace descended into the mortal world.