Ye Fan stood within the darkness, silently watching everything in the courtyard. The towering silhouette with gray hair to the ground was as powerfully built as an iron mountain, yet moved without the faintest sound, like a ghost — its motions lightning-fast.
Going straight for my room — its purpose is very clear…
In the outer courtyard, shouts and the sounds of slaughter shook the heavens. Anguished cries rang out without cease, and many figures shot upward into the sky, only to be cut down without mercy, blood spraying in all directions.
Ye Fan’s heart clenched. The attackers were far too formidable. He held his breath and concealed himself in the shadows, observing silently.
Footsteps approached — Yao Pool’s female disciples rushed into this courtyard. The door beside it opened with a creak; Li De Sheng, his face drained white, burst forward like a man grasping at a lifeline.
“Bang!”
Ye Fan’s room was smashed apart outright — window lattices shattered, roof beams snapped, tiles flew in all directions. A gray figure stood amid the swirling dust, like a demonic wall looming there.
“What manner of creature are you?” A Yao Pool female disciple demanded in a low voice.
“Immortal sister, it is not human — it is a monster that escaped from the Primordial Forbidden Zone. Run while you can!” Li De Sheng, on the verge of tears, scrambled and rolled his way out.
The towering creature’s gray hair fell to the ground, veiling its face completely. Threads and wisps of moonlight filtered through the strands, sinking into those pitch-dark hollow eyes — in the night, appearing all the more dreadful.
The Yao Pool disciples backed away. This creature was far too dangerous, giving off a feeling of utter helplessness. They wanted to flee, yet found themselves locked on — sensing that any sudden movement would invite a thunderous strike.
A low, muffled roar rose from it, chilling one from the crown of one’s head to the soles of one’s feet — as though dropping instantly into an ice cellar. The gray-haired creature closed the distance in a single stride.
“Clang! Clang!”
Immortal light flashed — six weapons were shattered by its bare hands, leaving a ground strewn with broken bronze and twisted metal.
“Pfft!”
At the same moment, it released a dense gray mist, and charged straight through. The six Yao Pool disciples didn’t even manage a scream before they were reduced to a bloody heap of fragments, blood soaking the earth, shreds of clothing scattered everywhere.
Ye Fan’s heart hammered with dread. The gray-haired creature was overwhelmingly powerful — in a single exchange, it had ended six living lives.
A sharp shout rang out, and a man and a woman descended — an elder from Yao Guang and an elder from Yao Pool — both attacking the gray-haired creature together.
“Roarrr—!”
A low, rumbling howl, heavy as thunder, sent everyone’s blood surging turbulently. In its hand, at some unknown moment, had appeared a massive blood sword — two meters long, a chi or more in width, scarlet to the point of lurid beauty, as though immortal blood flowed within it.
“Pfft!”
Its might was without equal, its killing intent a surging tide. Clutching the blood sword, it charged forward, gray hair billowing wildly, the air filled with cascading gray like countless waterfalls in flight.
There was no way to resist it. The blood sword in its hand shattered the Yao Guang elder’s weapon, then split his body open, and it drove straight through — heedless of the blood that splashed and flew.
Such force was entirely impossible to match. The two-meter blood sword swept through in a wide arc, and the Yao Pool elder fared no better — she was cleaved apart alive.
Simple and direct. Brutal and effective. Savage and merciless.
Ye Fan reduced his vital signs to their absolute minimum, his bodily functions nearly at a standstill. The gray-haired creature was unassailable — a living demon king. He had no choice but to hide as thoroughly as he could.
A column of blood light hundreds of meters long swept across the sky, and the creature melted into the darkness, flying toward the main street.
Is this truly a creature from the Primordial Forbidden Zone?
Ye Fan dashed forward swiftly, pulling Li De Sheng — who was cowering inside a decorative rock arrangement some tens of meters away in another courtyard — out by the collar.
“Don’t kill me — I’m tough and stringy, not worth eating!” Li De Sheng clutched his head, trembling all over.
“It’s me.” Ye Fan slapped him, jolting him back to his senses. “You were born with Yin Underworld Eyes. Was that truly a creature from the Primordial Forbidden Zone?”
“It certainly was — didn’t you see what it looked like?” Seeing that it was Ye Fan, Li De Sheng calmed somewhat, though his eyes still held lingering terror.
“Did you look with your Yin Underworld Eyes?” Ye Fan shook him by the shoulders.
“How could I have? I barely escaped with my life — was I supposed to stop and stare? How could it be fake?” Li De Sheng’s eyes darted around frantically. “Daoren, let’s leave quickly.”
“It was less than ten meters from you just now and didn’t strike. You have nothing to worry about.” At this, Ye Fan said in a low voice, “Stay hidden and watch — find out whether the attacking creatures are truly from the Primordial Forbidden Zone, or whether someone is impersonating them.”
He said this and vanished into the night. The gray-haired creature had come straight for his room — this place was no longer safe. Yao Guang and Yao Pool’s founding elders were not present, so there was no one here who could stop it.
Ye Fan found it difficult to believe these were truly creatures from the Primordial Forbidden Zone. Something felt doubtful. He kept feeling that the other party might have come for his phoenix blood scarlet gold.
He could not stay here. Even Yao Pool’s people could not protect him. Ye Fan wanted to use the chaos to slip away — no one would be blocking the way at this moment; perhaps he could make his escape.
He found a spot, let his bones crack and pop in sequence, burned his gray Daoist robe to ash inside the Li Fire Divine Furnace, and transformed himself into a young man dressed in purple.
The Great Transformation Art had reached a preliminary state of completion. It could not only alter his appearance, but could make his very bearing and spirit entirely different.
Something’s wrong… He paused.
If this was not an unnamed creature from the Primordial Forbidden Zone but someone who had come for the phoenix blood scarlet gold — they would have anticipated every possibility, and might very well be waiting outside.
Fleeing rashly now would most likely draw the eyes hiding in the darkness. This was not the right moment to run. He concealed himself and waited.
In the outer courtyard, the sounds of slaughter shook the sky. A creature covered in white fur charged through midair, clutching a pitch-black iron sword of enormous size, hacking down with each swing and sending a great spray of blood. Bold and unstoppable — even the elders of the Four Extremes realm could not hold it back. The terrifying creature killed without blinking, charging through all opposition with unstoppable force.
Could I have been wrong? Were these truly creatures from the Primordial Forbidden Zone? But then why did the gray-haired creature slip directly toward my lodgings?
Ye Fan thought carefully, then reached into his garments and produced a mysterious green jade turtle. Apart from this, he could think of no other reason why an unknown creature would have come straight for him.
“Kill—!”
“The Supreme Elder has returned!”
Someone shouted, and the fear left the crowd.
At the same time, other major powers within Source City sent reinforcements — from four directions came shouts of battle, with many figures rushing this way.
Ye Fan changed form once more into a Daoist and rushed forward, hauling Li De Sheng out again. “Look carefully for me,” he commanded. “That white-furred creature that fled — is it truly a creature from the Primordial Forbidden Zone, or not?”
Li De Sheng shivered uncontrollably, flicking his eyes toward the sky. The white-furred silhouette was on the verge of disappearing, its speed so tremendous that even Ye Fan was shocked — even Yao Guang’s Supreme Elder had been unable to catch up.
“Is it a creature from the Primordial Forbidden Zone?”
“This… it has a mysterious mist around its body. I cannot confirm it.” Li De Sheng’s voice quavered.
Ye Fan gave him a shove, then without the slightest hesitation bolted into the darkness, transforming once more into an unfamiliar young man. Taking advantage of the chaos as reinforcements from Source City’s major powers poured in, he slipped out of that cluster of courtyards.
Even if the gray creature was watching from the shadows, he no longer needed to worry. Everything was in chaos now, with many people coming and going — he was not the only one.
A sacred object coveted by the Ancient Great Emperors — it truly gives one no peace.
Ye Fan felt that these were likely not creatures from the Primordial Forbidden Zone, but someone in disguise, come to start a massacre over his phoenix blood scarlet gold.
He could not remain here. Even Yao Pool’s people could not protect him.
Old Blade-Hilt? Yao Guang Holy Son? Or…
He thought back. The gray creature had wielded a blood sword over two meters long and a chi-plus wide, cleaving both a Yao Guang elder and a Yao Pool elder apart with a single stroke each. Such force was enough to chill the heart.
Old Blade-Hilt hid his true depths — his actual power was impossible to gauge.
Yao Guang Holy Son had reached the third realm. With his heavenly talent, his combat power rivaled a Divine King of the same tier — within the Four Extremes realm, he had almost no opponents.
As for splitting one self into two — that was no problem at all. Aside from Ye Fan, cultivators who entered the peak of the Dao Palace realm could manifest five divine forms.
That night, the whole of Source City was in turmoil. Yao Guang had lost twenty-seven people — four of them third-realm elders. Yao Pool had lost eighteen, including two Four Extremes realm elders.
Forty-five cultivators cut down in total, every single one killed by a single sword strike. None could withstand the might of the blood sword; none could resist the force of the iron sword. Two creatures had charged through, leaving both great holy lands with devastating losses.
When daylight came, the news shook the entire region, spreading to every mining zone. Both Yao Guang and Yao Pool had several Supreme Elders rushing to the scene.
To dare raise a bloody blade against a holy land — this was news that shook people to their core. Numerous powers across the Northern Domain were set in motion by it.
Yao Guang lost this many people… That most likely means Old Blade-Hilt was the one who struck. Ye Fan’s heart chilled.
After daybreak, he made his way to the southern city district. Five squat green-tiled rooms stood in shabby ruin, abandoned and silent.
Could it truly have been that old villain? Ye Fan rubbed his chin out of habit.
He settled into Source City, quietly monitoring the situation as it unfolded. Both great holy lands had large contingents of powerful cultivators arriving.
This region was roiling with undercurrents — deeply unsettled.
Three days later, Ye Fan left Source City behind. He had no wish to stay any longer. Putting distance between himself and the center of conflict was the wiser course.
He had other means to enter Yao Pool. The guise of a Daoist was now completely off-limits — carrying phoenix blood scarlet gold, a sacred object exclusively belonging to the Ancient Great Emperors, was enough to shake the world. Showing that openly would mean death the moment it came to light.
Half a month later, Ye Fan traversed a vast expanse of barren red earth, left behind the boundless mining zones, made his way toward a green oasis, and returned to the stone fortress beside Purple Mountain.
No sooner had he drawn close than a huge black shadow hurled itself at him. Ye Fan’s speed was extraordinary — unrivaled in the Dao Palace realm — and yet he still could not dodge in time.
He was knocked flat, and a pair of large, sharp black paws came pressing down — extraordinarily thick and powerful.
Ye Fan swatted out a palm, deflecting the black paws, then flipped himself upright and sat astride the black shadow.
It was actually a large dog — far larger than the typical yellow village dog, about the size of an ox, jet black all over, broad-headed with big ears, and bigger in frame even than a tiger.
“Boom!”
The great black dog was enormously powerful and remarkably agile. With a violent shake, it sent Ye Fan flying off in surprise.
The great black dog was now drooling at him with great exaggeration, licking its tongue repeatedly — which left him at a loss for words. In a fit of exasperated amusement, he slapped a palm at it.
“Whoosh!”
He had not expected the big dog to be so swift — like a bolt of black lightning, it dodged aside, then opened its gaping maw and lunged to bite him.
“Boom!”
Ye Fan landed a slap on its head. The dog staggered but was completely unharmed, and instead tore off a large strip of his clothing in its jaws.
He was thoroughly astonished. Had this dog become a demon? And yet even a demon-dog shouldn’t be able to withstand him.
“Some wild dog — I refuse to believe I can’t flatten you!” Ye Fan advanced, his fingers turning golden, pressing forward, unknowingly channeling a trace of the Battle Saint Technique.
“Who are you calling a wild dog…” The great black dog suddenly spoke in human speech.
This time it was Ye Fan who stumbled. He was startled — this dog could actually talk. It truly had become a demon.
“A demon dog…”
“Of all the things that come out of a human mouth — can’t you find something decent to say?” The great black dog lunged again with a rush, its fangs gleaming like rows of white blades, going for a killing bite at Ye Fan.
“Little Brother Ye, you’ve come back!” Wang Shu emerged from the stone fortress just in time to see him, breaking into a delighted smile.
“There’s a wild demon dog here — don’t come any closer. It’s rather strange. Wait until I’ve dealt with it, and tonight we’ll have black dog hot pot!”
“Who’s eating whom is yet to be decided!” The great black dog roared, lunging again.
“Little Brother Ye, don’t strike! That’s one Master Zhang the Fifth keeps — it can’t be eaten!” Wang Shu shouted, and at the same time called to the great black dog: “Dark Sovereign, don’t bite people! That’s our stone fortress’s benefactor!”
The people of the stone fortress were roused, and many came running out.
“Little Brother Ye is back!”
“Dark Sovereign, stop biting.”
“He was brought back by Master Zhang the Fifth. He’s called Dark Sovereign, and he’s already gained spiritual awareness.”
…
A great crowd gathered warmly around him. Upon hearing that the big black dog had been brought back by Master Zhang the Fifth, Ye Fan was quite surprised — and there was certainly no possibility of harming it now.
The big black dog, however, was relentless — teeth bared, it went for him again and again, tearing off more than half his clothing.
“Good grief — you’re even more brazen than a mangy cur!”
Ye Fan landed several slaps on it, each one feeling like striking a wall of copper and iron — clanging resoundingly — and making no impact at all without employing the Battle Saint Technique.
The big black dog bared its teeth and snarled, though in truth it never went for his body — it only shredded his clothes.
“Good heavens, it really is a mangy cur. No wonder it’s this ferocious.” Ye Fan was mildly speechless.
The big black dog’s thick, powerful tail was indeed half-bald — the fur had almost entirely fallen out.
“Little Brother Ye, you’re back! That mangy cur didn’t bite you anywhere, did it?” Er Lengzi Lei Bo came bounding from a distance, running with extraordinary speed — his cultivation had advanced another level. But when he got closer and spotted the big black dog in the crowd, his face immediately went pale. “Wrong name — I meant Dark Sovereign.”
“Hold on — what’s the story with this mangy cur?” Ye Fan drew Wang Shu and Lei Bo over to one side.
Before either could speak, the big black dog bared its teeth first. “Call me a mangy cur one more time, and this Sovereign will destroy you.”
“You really are shameless, demon dog.” Ye Fan glanced at Wang Shu and Lei Bo. “Please tell me the stone fortress hasn’t been taken over by this demon dog. Never mind — you don’t need to be afraid. I can burn it to ash for you, and we can all eat dog meat.”
“Nothing of the sort — Dark Sovereign is actually very good. With it here, the stone fortress will have no safety problems from now on.”
“Little Brother Ye, don’t get the wrong idea — Dark Sovereign is genuinely a fine dog.”
…
Everyone chimed in with explanations at once.
Ye Fan quickly pieced together the story: this dog was the very black shadow that had snatched the whole roasted sheep at the bonfire feast. It had appeared a few more times after that, and eventually taken up permanent residence at Master Zhang the Fifth’s home.
What’s more, the big black dog had not simply eaten for free — it had carried back several pieces of source stone in its mouth.
Ye Fan suddenly felt a chill. Could this big black dog be the creature that had followed him out of Purple Mountain?
“Dark Sovereign — stop hurting people. Little Brother Ye is a good person…” Master Zhang the Fifth, having heard the news, came out of the stone fortress leaning on his cane.
The big black dog — larger than a fierce tiger, stronger than a great bull — wagged its tail and came to stand beside Master Zhang the Fifth.
Is this truly the creature that walked out of Purple Mountain?! Ye Fan’s mind was unsettled with doubt.
He went forward and asked Master Zhang the Fifth, “Fifth Elder, this mangy-tailed dog…”
“Boy, are you tired of living? Who are you calling a mangy-tailed dog?” The big black dog bared its fangs, its copper-bell eyes wide and blazing.
“You claim to be… Dark Sovereign?” Ye Fan asked.
“Correct. You may address this Sovereign as such!” The big black dog carried an air of great imperious dignity.
“Dark Sovereign my foot. You actually think you’re some ancient holy emperor? Ye Fan swept it with a glance. “Out of respect for the elders of the stone fortress, I won’t call you mangy-tailed dog anymore. I’ll just call you Black Great Wolf.”
The big black dog exploded with rage. “Why should this Sovereign not be compared to the ancient holy emperors of antiquity? Right now I cannot restrain my desire to destroy you!”