“Ancient beings have truly emerged, and they actually want to enter Yaochi…” Everyone couldn’t help but be alarmed.

“What is his purpose in coming? Was there no explanation?” someone asked.

“Unknown. He only said he must enter and meet the Queen Mother of the West before he could speak.” The beautiful woman of Yaochi answered.

“Everyone, let us not turn against one another with lethal intent. Now that ancient beings have emerged into the world, who knows what calamities may follow.” The Queen Mother of the West looked at the crowd and said.

No one spoke. Each person felt a heaviness in their heart — the future was uncertain. They thought of those ancient kings who had once commanded the winds and rains, walking unhindered across the land, comparable to the sages of the primordial era.

Were such existences about to emerge once more? If they returned to the world of men, this land would likely change its ruler.

Perhaps only the handful of immortal legacies that wielded the supreme holy weapons of the Extreme Path would have any footing at all.

The crowd exchanged brief words, then proceeded toward the Heavenly Palace — no further confrontations could be had now.

Along the way, the members of the Yin-Yang Sect burned with fury, wishing they could flay Ye Fan alive. His defiance of the old sect master moments ago had enraged every single one of them.

“What are you looking at? Never seen such a handsome uncle before?” The Great Black Dog bared its teeth.

Though the Yin-Yang Sect members were furious, they had no way to argue with a dog. If they stooped to bickering with it, they would surely become a laughingstock.

The great leaders of every faction returned to the Heavenly Palace. Ye Fan sat at the lowest seat, while the younger generation could only stand at the entrance of the hall, waiting and watching.

Before long, a powerful being flew in, following behind several disciples of Yaochi, treading upon cloud mist as it stepped into the hall.

“It truly is an ancient being!”

Many people cried out in alarm. Most of them were seeing an ancient entity for the first time and couldn’t hide their astonishment.

This humanoid ancient being stood over two meters tall, powerfully built, its entire body densely covered in fine silver scales that shimmered with flowing radiance — and so did its face. It bore a pair of wide silver wings on its back, like two gleaming celestial blades.

It was strong and vigorous, with silver hair cascading like a waterfall. Between its brows grew a jade horn, curved like a coiling dragon, over a foot long and crystal clear.

Furthermore, on each of its broad shoulders sat a small head — one a wolf’s head, the other a crocodile’s — both covered in fine silver scales.

“Magetidar…” The ancient being entered the hall, stood tall with its head raised, and uttered these words.

“What is it saying?” The crowd looked at each other in bewilderment.

“Have you all forgotten even the common tongue of the ancient era? It seems time has passed so long that the human race has forgotten too many things.” The ancient being spoke in the human tongue.

“Even the human race spoke this language during the ancient era?” Many people were surprised.

“Humans were among the beings of the ancient era. To survive, they naturally had to use this divine tongue as well.” The ancient being said.

“The divine tongue…” Some people fell into a daze, recalling that a few ancient texts did contain scattered mentions of it.

“This is the language of the ancient gods, shared by all races. Without it, how could they communicate when every race had its own tongue?” The ancient being said indifferently.

There had indeed been humans during the ancient era — only very few of them, and the era was so distant that many of those old matters could no longer be recalled, forever lost to the past.

“My name is Gu Daoya. I have come only to deliver a letter.” He spoke coldly, extending a rolled-up beast-skin scroll toward one of Yaochi’s Grand Elder.

“What letter?” The Queen Mother of the West took it and furrowed her brow. The characters written upon it, resembling phoenixes and dragons, were completely illegible.

She passed it to the other great leaders, but every single one of them stared blankly. This was ancient script from the primordial age — not one person could recognize it.

“The human race has forgotten its past, even abandoning the divine script. Have you stopped cultivating the Sacred Power of the Supreme Yang and the Sacred Power of the Supreme Yin?” The ancient being called Gu Daoya expressed his bewilderment.

“Over a million years have passed. No one in the world can still read these ancient characters. We ask that you recite it for us.” One of Yaochi’s Grand Elders spoke.

“The human race possesses two world-shaking ancient scriptures, evolved and elucidated through divine script — have they both been lost? You truly have forgotten everything.” Gu Daoya remarked with a taunt.

No one disputed him. In truth, the human race had flourished greatly in the era after the ancient age, when the ancient emperors emerged one after another, each creating their own supreme ancient scriptures.

Gu Daoya wasted no time. He unrolled the beast-skin scroll and recited it aloud before everyone, leaving the entire crowd unsettled.

Ancient beings were truly about to emerge!

However, the timeframe was broad — between one year and five thousand years, all sleeping kings would certainly return to the land!

Somewhat comforting to the crowd was that the ancient beings were not seeking war with the human race. The letter stated clearly: just as in the ancient era, all races would coexist.

Of course, many secrets had been passed down from the ancient era. Though it was said all races would coexist, racial wars still erupted constantly — this was utterly unavoidable.

“What a pity — this is not an age when a Great Emperor walks among us. If a Great Emperor were alive today, even if the ancient beings emerged, they would have to bow their heads.”

Many people harbored this thought, silently lamenting. They knew that from this point forward, friction would be inevitable — perhaps even great wars with rivers of blood.

At the entrance of the hall, the young generation all showed expressions of alarm. In the future, there would likely be carnage and bloodshed. Born into such an age, they might one day come to do battle with ancient entities.

One could foresee that in such a grand era, an incomparably great existence would surely be born — one who would climb to the absolute pinnacle, treading upon the bones of ten thousand races. But that one might not belong to the human race.

Or perhaps a human comparable to the ancient Great Emperors would arise!

The last part of the beast-skin scroll mentioned one thing: the human race had occupied too vast a territory. As ancient beings emerged into the world, they required portions of that land.

“How much territory do you want?”

“Within ten thousand li of where each ancient king slumbers — all of it shall be ours.” Gu Daoya stated.

The crowd pondered. No one knew how many ancient races there might be. If it was only a few dozen locations, that amounted to nothing at all.

After all, this land was immensely vast. Sometimes, not a single person could be found within a million li.

Upon careful reflection, most places were negotiable — all except for the Primordial Forbidden Zone: within ten thousand li, it was the source-ore region of every sacred ground, the place in all the world that yielded the most source. If they withdrew and ceded this land, the sacred grounds would be devastated — their hearts would bleed.

“Do you come from the Ancient Primordial Mine?” The Queen Mother of the West asked.

The ancient being shuddered at those words and said, “I merely deliver a letter on behalf of the king of the Primordial Forbidden Zone. This has nothing to do with the supreme existences within the ancient mine.”

Everyone was taken aback. Even ancient beings feared the ancient mine — this was all the more terrifying.

The Monkey had once said that only the ancient emperor of the primordial age and the masters of several great royal clans could enter the ancient mine. All others were unworthy of taking even half a step inside.

“I heard Yaochi was holding a grand assembly of the human race. My clan’s king sent me here to deliver this letter…” Gu Daoya said — this letter was addressed to all the powerful members of the human race.

He was somewhat arrogant, carrying the bloodline of an ancient royal clan. Though not particularly pure, it still gave him the superiority of one born to a higher station.

Yet when he inadvertently noticed the Monkey, he was greatly startled. The jade horn between his brows pulsed with flowing light, as if it had sensed something.

“You are… the Battle Sage Ape?!” Gu Daoya was shocked, having perceived a familiar aura.

The Monkey remained quite composed, sitting cross-legged without any reaction.

“When the old Sage Emperor passed away in sitting meditation, he left behind one son and one younger brother. You are… the Sage Emperor’s son?!” Gu Daoya nearly fell to his knees.

The Battle Sage Emperor — the last ancient emperor of the primordial era, unrivaled in heaven and earth, revered by all races, a god that every living being worshipped.

The Monkey’s identity, when stated in full, was astonishing: he was the sole descendant of the old Battle Sage Emperor, the true and rightful Sage Emperor’s Son.

Gu Daoya thought for a moment, then immediately prostrated himself. “I pay my respects to the Sage Emperor’s Son!”

“My father passed away in sitting meditation over a million years ago. There is no ancient emperor anymore. I am now but a royal clansman.” The Monkey waved his hand dismissively.

“The old Sage Emperor was peerless throughout all ages, his merits rivaling those of creation itself. Though he passed away long ago, no one has forgotten him.” Gu Daoya was exceptionally respectful toward the Monkey.

In the great hall, the others were all astonished. They had not expected the Monkey’s background to be so significant, and felt all the more wary of him.

The Monkey thought for a moment, then pointed toward the members of the Yin-Yang Sect. “Be careful of them — and those ones too.” As he said so, he pointed toward the people of the Wanchu Sacred Ground and others.

Those people were momentarily stunned, then all grew furious. This monkey was utterly unscrupulous — openly stirring up hostility like this was completely contemptible.

“Stay close to them.” The Monkey then pointed toward Ye Fan and the others.

Gu Daoya had only come to deliver the letter and did not linger long. He departed, yet the crowd remained deeply unsettled.

Within the next five thousand years, the ancient races would all emerge into the world — the land would know no peace.

Though some wished to settle accounts with Ye Fan, with Crimson Dragon Daoren and the Peacock King standing so firmly at his side, no one dared provoke further trouble.

Furthermore, the Queen Mother of the West had made it clear that Yaochi also stood behind Ye Fan — the massacre at the Ten Thousand Dragon Lair could not be placed entirely on his shoulders.

A great storm passed just like that. However, what would happen once Ye Fan walked out of Yaochi was another matter entirely.

People already knew that this Peach Banquet had been called mainly because Yaochi wished to request assistance from the assembled great ones to seal several Stone Kings.

At the same time, during the Stone Appreciation Assembly, each sect could display rare stones — and sell them there as well.

“Senior Crimson Dragon, I have a ripe Ren Yuan Fruit to present to you.” Walking through the Rare Stone Heavenly Vault of Yaochi, Ye Fan said with a smile.

“What?!” Crimson Dragon Daoren was startled. A single Ren Yuan Fruit could extend one’s lifespan by several decades to a hundred years — it was a peerless rarity.

“It’s certainly riper than anything you’ve had before.” Ye Fan smiled.

He walked straight to the stone pile of Wanchu Sacred Ground, dropped ten thousand jin of pure source, and took away one piece of stone.

The expressions of the Wanchu people immediately changed, yet they could not stop him — for within the Heavenly Vault, all stones had already been priced and put up for sale. Anyone who left the source could take the stone themselves.

“A Ren Yuan Fruit!”

“Heavens, a Ren Yuan Fruit has been cut out!”

The crowd cried out. A fragrant aroma drifted outward, and all the elder figures crowded around, their eyes blazing with eagerness.

“A ripe Ren Yuan Fruit, nearly transformed into a Di Ming Fruit — this is a priceless immortal treasure! It can extend one’s lifespan by a hundred years!”

Everyone was stunned — except for the people of Wanchu Sacred Ground, whose faces turned green. They had sold a Ren Yuan Fruit for ten thousand jin of pure source; one of their Grand Elders nearly smashed his own head against a wall.

Only then did people recall Ye Fan’s other identity — the inheritor of the Source Celestial Master’s legacy, and by rights, the most welcome guest for those whose lifespan was running short.

Many people cast complicated glances his way, silently sighing with endless envy at the Crimson Dragon old Daoist’s windfall.

Ye Fan approached the Yin-Yang Sect’s stone pile, searched for a long while, then shook his head and sighed, dropped thirty thousand jin of source, and picked up what appeared to be a “worthless stone.”

He split it open before everyone. Light blazed for ten thousand zhang, and a piece of divine source the size of a person’s face rolled out, hovering in the void, illuminating the entire Heavenly Vault with dazzling brilliance.

“What a pity — it’s not any kind of immortal treasure, so I can’t use it as a gift for Senior Peacock King.” Ye Fan sighed.

Beside him, the crowd went mad. A divine source block of that size was worth a million jin of pure source — and yet he spoke of it like this. He truly deserved to be struck by lightning.

Many people muttered curses under their breath.

Then, something even more maddening happened: he casually tossed that enormous block of divine source to the Great Black Dog, who caught it with both paws and grinned from ear to ear, mouth stretched back to the roots of its ears.

“Damn it — what a waste of heaven’s gifts! He threw it to a dog?!”

The Yin-Yang Sect members were spitting blood in fury, yet could do nothing. Their supreme old sect master happened to be searching for treasures in the Heavenly Vault and witnessed this very moment. Veins pulsed on his forehead — but in the end, he too held himself back.

“We had a source technique grandmaster inspect it — said it was a worthless stone. How could such a massive divine source be inside?!” The Yin-Yang people were beside themselves with frustration.

“Little Ye Fan, you can’t play favorites, you know.” Li Heishui, Jiang Huairen, and the others came crowding over with gleaming eyes.

“Let me look around some more.” Ye Fan strolled about, unconcerned.

“A primordial medicinal herb — already extinct today — worth three hundred thousand jin of pure source!” Another cry of alarm rang out before long, and people stared fixedly at Ye Fan and his companions.

In the distance, Ouyang Ye and several people from the ancient families of source arts expressed their resentment and heaved long sighs.

“That young man is still far from becoming a Source Earth Master — yet right now he commands the Source Celestial Master’s ‘Immortal Sealing Art.’ His ability to read source is many times more accurate than ours.”

“Is that the sacred art that forms part of the Six Seals of Immortal Sealing?”

“Indeed!”

The ancient source-arts families burned with longing, yet could do nothing. Trying to seize the Source Celestial Book now was pure suicide.

“Another divine source!” Many people cried out.

In the stone pile of Zifu Sacred Ground, Ye Fan cut out the second divine source of the day — worth five hundred thousand jin — and gave it to Li Heishui.

Many people were nearly driven mad. To casually pick divine source like taking a stroll in the courtyard — it was inconceivable, infuriating.

“No wonder a Source Celestial Master can make the sacred grounds’ faces turn green. No one has any recourse against such ability. If there’s anything of divine quality, it simply cannot escape that discerning eye.” Someone sighed, wishing they could grab Ye Fan and have him help pick a stone.

Unfortunately, those who could actually call on him to act were truly few. The sacred grounds had no hope whatsoever.

And what was even more outrageous was that Ye Fan kept wandering from one sacred ground’s stone pile to another, cutting out treasures that made them grind their teeth — yet they could do nothing.

“An immortal blossom!” The crowd cried out.

Near midday, Ye Fan cut out a flower from the ancient era, said to grant its user eternal youth — beauty that would not fade until death.

For male cultivators it held little appeal, but for many women, this was undeniably an immortal treasure.

It immediately caused a great stir. Many people crowded forward — even the various sacred women were no exception.

“Twin immortal blossoms — there are two of them!” Many people cried out in amazement.

Ye Fan thought for a moment, then looked around. Of all the women in the Heavenly Vault, only two were familiar to him and had treated him with goodwill. He smiled and sent them as gifts.

One blossom went to the demon race princess Yan Ruyu, the other to the Yaochi Sacred Woman. Both were overjoyed — no woman could resist beauty.

Once such immortal blossoms were cut free, they had to be consumed immediately and could not be preserved for long. Ye Fan had no wish to let them go to waste.

Amid the universal envy of the onlookers, the immortal blossoms found their rightful owners. Every female cultivator present shot looks that could kill.

Yao Xi, the Wanchu Sacred Woman, and others desperately wanted to approach and ask for a single petal — but in the end, they could only restrain themselves.

Several days later, Yaochi carefully escorted several Stone Kings out, requesting assistance from those of unusual ability.

Among them, one stone was most peculiar — radiant in five colors, dazzling to behold, with a powerful surge of life force pulsing from within.

Ye Fan activated his divine eyes and examined it carefully, and was greatly startled: sealed within was an egg, snow-white and crystal clear, mysterious beyond measure.

“This Stone King grows more and more restless. Several times it nearly tore through the void and fled. If not for the Immortal Tear Tower suppressing Yaochi, it would have vanished long ago.” The Queen Mother of the West sighed.

“Boom!”

When some of the unusual figures attempted to seal it, the Stone King shot out a column of light that soared to the heavens, scattering ten thousand strands of auspicious radiance.

“This is…”

The Monkey’s expression changed dramatically. The egg housed within the Stone King — snow-white and crystal clear — had shone through the stone itself, projecting its true image.

On the snow-white shell, thousands of divine rays of light shone forth, and various patterns emerged: the imprint of a racial inheritance.

“Heavens — the Undying Celestial Emperor truly existed. He is not just a legend!” The Monkey finally confirmed something and was so startled he nearly leaped to his feet.

He was overwhelmed with agitation, staring at the Stone King, wanting to touch it yet pulling back — even his fingertips trembled.