Atop the hills, the vegetation was lush and thick; green mist coiled upward, the whole scene aglow with flowing radiance, as though carved from finest jade. Mist billowed and swirled, the aura of an immortal realm drifting all around.
Three years had passed, and this mysterious woman had grown even more transcendently ethereal, pristinely beautiful as an immortal — untouched by the mundane world, as though she might ride the wind away at any moment, ascending into the celestial palaces of the highest heavens.
She stood in the pavilion, her white robes drifting, her black hair swaying softly. Her eyes were clear as still water, half-veiled in misty haze — giving her a dreamlike, otherworldly quality. Looking down, the moment she caught sight of Ye Fan, a trace of surprise crossed her face.
“It’s you…”
Qin Yao and the other sensually enchanting women moved with soft, graceful steps, their smiles beguiling, as they all bowed with the utmost deference to the woman atop the hill.
Ye Fan had to admit that this woman was truly of flawless beauty — not a single imperfection could be found in her. Among all the women he had ever known, only the Holy Maiden of the Heaven-Jade Constellation, whom he had seen in the Ancient Forbidden Land, could rival her.
“It is I — we meet again.”
Upon hearing this, Qin Yao and the others all showed surprise. They had not expected the two to already know one another, and could not help glancing at Ye Fan several times before looking back up at the mysterious woman on the hilltop.
“Your Highness, this young man was brought here by Daoist Duan. Just as he claimed — he possesses a treasured body, and is a rare and exceptional sacred vessel.” Qin Yao reported to the flawless woman.
Ye Fan was inwardly startled. Judging by such a form of address, this flawless woman was indeed a descendant of the Demon Emperor. At the same time, the term sacred vessel struck him as rather peculiar: “What exactly do you mean by that?”
Qin Yao’s figure was slender, her curves tantalizingly blurred, the red mole at her brow glowing with tiny points of light, her gaze shimmering and her smile sweet: “Don’t worry — once you are selected, you will receive tremendous benefits.”
The flawless woman in the pavilion — fresh as a snow-clad flowering tree — her jade body graceful, her skin luminous, her face of peerless beauty, her voice as melodious as heavenly music: “Why does it have to be him…”
“I never imagined we would meet again under these circumstances. Please, immortal maiden, tell me — where is Pang Bo? What has become of him? Please allow me to see him.”
Below the hill, more than a dozen demon women all showed surprise, unable to understand how Ye Fan could know Pang Bo — and why he was now explicitly asking to see him.
“I’m afraid that is not possible.” The voice of the flawless woman in the pavilion was very soft and gentle.
“Why?”
“He is in seclusion. He cannot emerge for two years.”
A sense of foreboding rose in Ye Fan’s heart, and he called out loudly: “What I am truly worried about is his safety. Please tell me — is he still the same Pang Bo he used to be?”
The woman in the pavilion was like a celestial deity descended from the ninth heaven — her hair drifting, her robes billowing — so beautiful that fish would sink and geese would fall, that the moon would hide and flowers would feel shame. She said nothing. Her expression remained calm and composed. She gave a single nod — and then a slow shake of her head.
“What do you mean by that?” Ye Fan felt uneasy.
Beside him, the demoness Qin Yao — red mole on her brow, scarlet lips, teeth fine as jade, delicate brows lightly arched — smiled with a sensual warmth: “There is no need for you to worry. Certain matters are not convenient for Her Highness to answer directly. But please be assured — even demons have their principles. We never harm the innocent without cause. In time, you will certainly see your friend.”
“My instincts tell me what you are saying is not entirely true…” Ye Fan looked steadily at Qin Yao: “Please tell me — what exactly has happened to Pang Bo?”
“At this point no one can say for certain — everything will only become clear after he emerges from seclusion.” At this, Qin Yao turned and bowed respectfully to the flawless woman: “Your Highness, this physical body is truly extraordinarily powerful — worthy of being called a treasured body, and very suitable to serve as a sacred vessel.”
Atop the hill, crystalline flower petals drifted and swirled; fragrance rose in waves. The flawless woman, bathed in the shimmer of glittering flower rain, furrowed her delicate brows ever so slightly: “Why does it have to be him…”
“Is he not suitable?” Qin Yao asked, puzzled.
“His blood and energy are vigorous, his vitality immense — he can indeed temporarily serve as a sacred vessel. But if the one in seclusion senses it, there will likely be unrest of the spirit, and complications may arise once again.”
To serve as a sacred vessel — for what? Ye Fan could not understand, his heart full of doubt.
The woman who stood in the pavilion, her features as exquisite as a painting, cast a glance toward Ye Fan: “Take him away first.”
Several demonesses, each one capable of making a man’s heart quiver and tremble, approached with gentle smiles and led Ye Fan away from the valley. Qin Yao did not leave with them. Her red lips parted slightly: “Your Highness, do you think you are perhaps overthinking this?”
“There are things you do not know of. If something goes wrong, the consequences will be severe.”
“Setting aside all other considerations — how does Your Highness view this treasured body?” Qin Yao asked.
“Naturally more than strong enough — it is the finest available at this time.” Atop the hill, crystalline petals drifted; the white-robed woman, her form like a jade tree, her eyes clear as autumn water, spoke softly: “The one in seclusion once said — this young man named Ye Fan, and Pang Bo as well, both consumed sacred medicines long ago. If a demon sovereign were to claim their physical shells, it is highly possible they could achieve a divine emperor’s body in the flesh in the future.”
From a great distance, Ye Fan felt a tremor run through him. Though separated by a vast span, his spiritual sense was extraordinarily powerful — and he heard every word.
“These two are both…” Qin Yao showed a look of shock: “No wonder that profoundly mysterious Daoist Duan said this young man was exceptionally gifted, his physical body strong beyond all imagination. So there was this reason as well.” Her expression then shifted to one of delight: “Is this not all the better then? The one in seclusion has already claimed one physical shell — this one here can serve perfectly well as the sacred vessel.”
Already led out to beyond the gorge, Ye Fan felt a deep tremor of emotion. He had a feeling that Pang Bo’s situation was dire — his fate now uncertain.
Atop the hill, the flawless woman shook her head softly: “The one in seclusion does not even know himself whether he will manage to preserve his own life. It is very difficult to say in the future who will save whom.”
“This…”
“And this young man named Ye Fan — his body is far from ordinary. If he were used as a sacred vessel, it would be very difficult to predict what might happen. The one in seclusion once said that he appears to be, from before the Ancient Age, a…”
That was the last of what Ye Fan heard. He was led away from that place, and soon entered a valley. Within it, peach groves stretched in every direction — many of them ancient trees of ten thousand years’ growth. A jade-green deep pool lay at the center of the peach grove, and several thatched cottages had been built beside it, simple and natural — harmonious with their surroundings. This was to be Ye Fan’s temporary residence.
Not until the fifth day did the flawless, peerless woman appear again. Her true name, it turned out, was Yan Ruyu — a face of flawless beauty, the very embodiment of ultimate loveliness. Had anyone else taken this as their name, Ye Fan would doubtless have found it laughable. But this woman — her spirit clear as autumn water, her bones like jade — had stepped straight out of poetry and painted landscapes, seeming nothing like a creature of the mortal realm. She was entirely deserving of the name.
Qin Yao followed at her side. There were also two elderly women — they drifted light as air to the edge of the jade pool and, within the thatched cottage, carefully and meticulously examined Ye Fan’s body. Both revealed looks of surprise.
“He can serve as a sacred vessel,” one of the elderly women said.
After the three of them withdrew, Qin Yao remained. All around, peach blossoms were in full bloom — a sea of pink — yet she was lovelier than any of the flowers, swaying with graceful charm. She smiled softly: “I’m sure you have many questions in your heart. Rest easy — we will not harm you. On the contrary, your great opportunity has arrived.”
Ye Fan asked in a low voice: “What exactly are you planning to do?”
“You have seen the Demon Emperor’s heart — what did it feel like?”
“Absolutely terrifying.” This was the truth. Even powerful figures at or beyond the Other Shore realm had been unable to approach that beating heart — its pulse alone was enough to make them cough up blood. It was difficult to imagine what kind of dreadful divine power it contained.
“Good that you know.” Qin Yao flashed him a charming sidelong glance and broke into a bell-like laugh. She pinched his cheek and said: “Your tremendous fortune is about to arrive. If you achieve great things in the future, you must not forget me.”
“What is this all about?”
“To use your physical body as a sacred vessel — to warm and nurture the Great Emperor’s heart, keeping it vital and alive — while it simultaneously nourishes your flesh. Tell me, is this not tremendous fortune?”
“This…” Ye Fan was utterly shocked. He had never in a thousand imaginings expected that they would use his body as a vessel to house and nurture the Demon Emperor’s heart.
“You need not worry about anything. The Great Emperor’s sacred heart has already been sealed — otherwise your body could not withstand it. For your body, it can only be beneficial, never harmful.” At this, Qin Yao exhaled a breath like delicate orchid fragrance beside his ear and smiled sweetly: “If you truly manage to nurture this sacred heart, our princess will pledge herself to you in the future — this is the dream of countless men throughout the entire Eastern Wasteland.”
“I refuse to be some so-called sacred vessel!” Ye Fan did not want to accept an arrangement forced upon him by others.
“Fortune that countless people could only dream of, and yet you…” Qin Yao lightly tapped a finger to his forehead: “That sacred heart is enough to let you be reborn from the flesh once more. If it were not so difficult to find a person with your particular constitution, do you think fortune like this would fall upon you? In the future, Her Highness will use this sacred heart to cultivate a supreme demon art, and will pledge herself to you as your wife. With a peerless beauty like her at your side — what more could you possibly want?”
To nurture the Demon Emperor’s sacred heart within his own body, and take that flawless, peerless woman as his wife — to Ye Fan it felt as though he were dreaming.
“To have a peerless beauty at my side — I would wish for nothing more. But as for that heart — I must respectfully decline. Please find someone else.”
“You certainly have the nerve to say that. Who do you think Her Highness is? Pledging herself to you for no reason whatsoever — what a pleasant fantasy.” Qin Yao gave him a look, then grasped his cheek between her slender jade fingers: “Fortune comes knocking and you still push it away — I truly don’t know what to say to you.”
Whether Ye Fan accepted or refused mattered little — he had no power to change what was coming. Three days later, the flawless woman Yan Ruyu, Qin Yao, and more than a dozen elderly women appeared in the peach garden and bound him before the thatched cottage.
A divine iron pillar as thick as a water vat — covered in carvings of various beasts, ancient and richly layered with meaning — rose up from the jade-green deep pool, glimmering with points of light, and was planted upright in the peach grove. Ye Fan was bound to it.
Yan Ruyu — eighteen or nineteen years of age, of transcendent beauty — her features exquisite, her face of peerless brilliance, her jade body with its tantalizingly blurred curves, gave off a feeling of utter flawlessness, as though she were the most perfect work of art Heaven had ever created. She stood there, gazing at Ye Fan in silence.
“Yan Ruyu — my future wife — can you please…” Ye Fan had barely begun to speak when he could say no more — his mouth and tongue were sealed directly by Yan Ruyu herself.
In the peach garden, the jade pool surged with towering waves. Nine golden carp, each several meters long, towed a crystal coffin up through the surface — instantly flooding the space with an overwhelming surge of vitality, as though a vast ocean were rolling and swelling.
The crystal coffin was two meters long and one meter wide, pellucid and translucent. In the sunlight it streamed with seven-colored divine radiance, wholly extraordinary. Inside lay a fist-sized heart — vivid crimson, dazzlingly bright, like a gem of scarlet jade, splendid and wondrous beyond description. The surging vitality originated entirely from within it.
The Demon Emperor’s Sacred Heart!
Sealed within, wreathed in crimson mist and luminous haze, it made all who looked upon it feel a tremor through their hearts — staining the crystal coffin a blazing red, light pulsing endlessly from it, dazzlingly brilliant.
Ye Fan wanted to shout, but could not make a sound. He wanted to struggle free, but could not move — bound to the divine iron pillar, powerless to prevent any of this.