Previously, tensions had been at a breaking point, with the Ancient Royal Clans ready to raise their armies and drench the Southern Ridge Barbarian Tribe in blood. Yet now, a tremendous reversal had occurred — Zhang Lin had achieved victory in a single battle, suppressing the Northern Domain, and the grand convocation of ten thousand clans followed in its wake, defying everyone’s expectations.

Half a month later, confirmed news spread: this gathering was no idle talk. It would truly be held, and the arrangements had already been finalized.

All under heaven was shaken!

The Ancient Clans were far too mysterious to the Human Clan, each one incomparably powerful. That they would now sit face to face to discuss the future was truly a matter of monumental importance.

“That son of a dog, Duan De — let’s see where you run to this time.” Ye Fan was certain that a grand gathering like this would not escape the notice of that unscrupulous Daoist.

Still, he wasn’t overly worried about the fat old Duan not returning his physical body. After all, the Heaven-Devouring Demon Jar was still in Ye Fan’s hands — the dead fatty had most likely done this out of fear that Ye Fan wouldn’t return it.

The convocation of ten thousand clans would be an event of extraordinary grandeur. The choice of location and timing would necessarily be of the utmost significance.

The stakes were immense. The Ancient Clans were incomparably powerful — if they were truly to wipe out the Human Clan’s strongest in one fell swoop, there would be nowhere to even weep.

In the end, after deliberation among the clans and at the Human Clan’s insistence, the gathering’s location was set at Yaochi. It was a prudent arrangement.

Yaochi had the Immortal Tear Green-Gold Pagoda — that is, the Western Emperor Pagoda — standing guard, leaving no room for treachery and keeping every clan in line.

The Ancient Clans, wishing to demonstrate their sincerity, agreed to this demand. Since the location did not extend beyond the borders of the Northern Domain, they had no fear of a true battle even if one were to break out.

The Human Clan, seeing them agree so readily, were all somewhat taken aback. They couldn’t help but think of the Blood Phoenix Mountain, the Divine Silkworm Ridge, and the Fire Kirin Cave — those places where Ancient Emperors had once emerged. Surely they didn’t all possess Ancient Emperor Weapons?

During these days, Ye Fan had been nourishing the Sacred Body with spiritual medicines, consuming enormous quantities each day, all purchased from the auction house of the Northern Domain’s Divine City.

Now, he lacked nothing in the way of Source. His Source Arts had reached a level where, while he couldn’t quite turn stone to gold, he came close — and after leveling the Northern Plains Wang Family and bathing the Divine Spirit Valley in blood, he had collected no small amount of divine Source.

This aging physical shell, after more than half a month of nourishment, shimmered with a crystalline radiance. He then employed the Heaven and Earth Overturning Technique to reshape it into his own likeness, reforging the body entirely.

Throughout these days, he had been both resting the physical shell and contemplating the Dao. The ancient scripture he had obtained from the Divine Spirit Valley was truly extraordinary — it held unique insights, and within it was described a method to strengthen the Divine Soul, containing wondrous passages of inconceivable profundity.

A fist-sized golden figure sat cross-legged upon the Immortal Platform, radiating brilliant golden light throughout its form, cultivating the Ancient Clan’s Divine Spirit Condensing Method — growing ever more solid and indestructible.

Ray after ray of divine light shot outward, converging together to form nine rings of divine radiance that manifested upon the Immortal Platform, encircling Ye Fan.

Enlightened and reshaped by this ancient scripture, he had firmly planted his footing at the ninth minor step of the second level of the Immortal Platform, advancing toward Grand Perfection!

Ye Fan’s “Divine Soul” dwelled within the Sacred Shell, using the vigorous golden blood energy to refine itself — and the results were extraordinarily potent.

Hummm!

The void trembled. Ye Fan’s Divine Soul stepped forth from between his brows, no larger than a fist, yet growing ever more solid. Nine rings of divine radiance floated behind its head, transforming into undying radiant light. Faintly, one could perceive the Great Dao resonating in harmony, rumbling and rolling forth.

Flash!

In the end, a brilliant radiance flickered, and the golden figure stepped back to sit cross-legged within the Immortal Platform once more. At that same moment, the Sacred Shell opened its eyes.

“The convocation of ten thousand clans is still some time away. Let me go see some old acquaintances first.”

During these days, Ye Fan had been vaguely uneasy. So much time had passed without any news of Pang Bo — he had no idea where he was, or whether he was even still alive.

Two days later, Ye Fan crossed over to the Southern Domain, entered the Tai Xuan Sect, and made his way step by step to Clumsy Peak.

The peak remained as it always had been — just as in the past. No magnificent waterfalls, no picturesque scenery, no fragrant flowers or singing birds. There were only a few stone halls on the verge of collapse, and vast stretches of tall, wild grass.

Others noticed nothing. But atop the lonely peak amid the tangle of weeds, an old man opened his eyes and gazed downward.

Ye Fan was startled. Elder Li Ruoyu’s cultivation was unfathomable — Ye Fan had come riding the Sacred Body Shell with the Movement Technique of Written Characters active, yet had still been discovered.

“Why have you come in a different body?” Li Ruoyu asked. His gaze blazed like a torch, piercing straight through to the very source.

Ye Fan was astonished. Every time he met this old man, the elder’s realm had risen by a massive leap — at a pace that was terrifyingly swift.

Years ago, Li Ruoyu had sat quietly on Clumsy Peak for hundreds of years without a trace of advancement. Then, in the end, he had soared to the heavens in a single bound — a prime example of a great talent that matures late. From that moment on, his progress had been unstoppable.

“My respects, Senior.” Ye Fan bowed deeply in salutation. Back then, the elder had shown him great kindness — granting him the Written Characters Technique, and when all the Sacred Grounds were hunting him and no one in the entire world dared associate with him, the elder had still sought to take him as a disciple.

Li Ruoyu nodded with a gratified expression. Seeing Ye Fan’s Divine Soul sitting high upon the ninth minor step of the second level of the Immortal Platform, he was very pleased.

“Ye Fan!” From within a crumbling hall, a man stepped out. He was deeply moved, and grabbed Ye Fan’s hand with both of his own.

Although Ye Fan had entered the Sacred Shell, he had reshaped its appearance to his own likeness before coming here — Zhang Wenchang recognized him at a glance.

“It’s me.”

“I heard you had set foot upon the Ancient Starry Sky Road and departed alongside the Nine Dragons Pulling the Coffin. After twelve years, you’ve come back — what exactly happened? Did you truly return from the other end of the starry sky?” Zhang Wenchang asked with great agitation. He missed his wife and children and could not forget the past.

“No.” Ye Fan shook his head and sat down to recount to both Li Ruoyu and Zhang Wenchang everything that had transpired over these past dozen or so years.

Afterward, he asked about the matter of the mysterious person who had attacked Clumsy Peak. He wanted a clear understanding of it — he needed to know exactly what enemies he had made.

“The one who attacked was no ordinary figure,” Elder Li Ruoyu said.

Ye Fan was immediately alarmed. He could sense that the elder had long since severed his Dao — he was without question a king-level being. Yet even he offered such an assessment, which was no small thing.

“The main attack was led by an incomplete Nine-Aperture Stone Man. Several others did not make a move — they watched the battle from an extremely distant location.”

“What? How is that possible?!” Ye Fan was dumbstruck. When had he ever provoked such a heaven-born, earth-nurtured being? How could this have come about?

Zhang Wenchang’s current cultivation was no more than the Four Extremes Secret Realm, yet Elder Li Ruoyu was very satisfied with him, saying that there would come a day when the dragon would soar.

Ye Fan sighed with feeling. In this world, perhaps only this old man would be willing to teach such a disciple. Anyone else would have long since abandoned him.

He had a faint premonition that this old man would achieve great things in the future. Every time they met, it was a qualitative leap — the pace of his cultivation was terrifying.

“Senior, I have an ancient scripture that I cannot decipher. I would like to give it to you.”

Ye Fan took out a scroll of text. It had been given to him by the Third Most Beautiful Woman of the Central Continent, Princess Rain Butterfly, who had said it was written by an Ancient Great Emperor in his twilight years.

Unlike other methods, the scripture spoke of flowers, birds, fish, and insects — of detachment from the world’s strife. That manner of mind was something almost no person could achieve. Moreover, it contained no secret arts, no techniques of the Dao — Ye Fan had studied it for a great length of time without being able to grasp its method.

He believed this ancient scripture was not suited for him, and had long been seeking an opportunity to give it to Li Ruoyu, for he felt it bore too close a resemblance to the elder’s own natural Great Dao.

And indeed, when the old man received the scroll and read through it carefully, for the first time an expression of solemn gravity appeared on his face. He sighed and said: “This truly was written by an Ancient Great Emperor.”

“I hope it may help Senior attain enlightenment of the Dao.” Ye Fan was certain he had given the scripture to the right person.

“Rather than calling it an ancient scripture, it is more fitting to call it a personal journal. I believe this was not left behind by the Supreme Emperor — it was written by the Great Emperor Hengyu in his twilight years, after he had cast aside all techniques.” Li Ruoyu spoke.

Ye Fan was astonished. The old man was truly unfathomable — even this he could deduce.

“When the day comes that you are about to achieve Sainthood, come here again and retrieve this ancient scripture. Though it contains no specific techniques, careful study will yield great benefit — it can carry you through the barrier.” The old man said solemnly.

“Wenchang — I await the day of your great ascent.” Ye Fan rose to his feet, then bowed farewell to Li Ruoyu.

Not long after, he made his way to the Ji Family estate. Naturally, he was brought in through a secret passage, arriving at the ancient cave where Ji Haoyue was in seclusion — a lively place, as it turned out.

Yan Yixi, Li Tian, Li Heishui, and others were all there, every one of them stirred with excitement.

“Little Ye Fan, you did it — the Wushi Bell rang for three consecutive months! That’s truly monstrous.” Li Heishui said.

“Tell us exactly how you destroyed the Divine Spirit Valley.” Li Tian said.

“Elder Brother Ye, was it really you cursing out the Son of Heaven and Yuangu a while back?” Dongfang Man asked.

Their hearts were filled with questions. Everything that had happened recently had shaken them deeply, and they couldn’t make sense of it.

Ye Fan recounted the events in full. Among them, the way Zhang Lin had met his end left them all unable to suppress their sighs.

“Zhang Lin was a hero whose spirit towered over the world — he fell in death. But I think Yang Yi may be suffering deeply. It’s so bittersweet and tragic — why must reality always be so helpless?” Ji Ziyue murmured.

In the end, they all headed north together, for the convocation of ten thousand clans was about to begin. Word had it that figures such as Huang Xu Dao, Huo Qizi, the Divine Silkworm Daoist, the Son of Heaven, Yuangu, and others would all appear.

To say nothing, of course, of the true paramount figures of the various Ancient Clans — some were sure to make an appearance as well. When that moment came, it would truly be a convergence of dragons and serpents.

However, they traveled separately rather than together — this was at Ye Fan’s insistence. The main reason was that Duan De, that bastard, had dragged a whole heap of trouble onto Ye Fan’s head, and one never knew when someone might jump out seeking to settle accounts.

The Human Clan’s Holy Body had been far too prominent of late!

There was still half a month before the convocation of ten thousand clans was to open, yet countless cultivators had already set out ahead of time, pouring into this stretch of land.

The Northern Domain — vast stretches of barren wasteland, often spanning tens of thousands of li at a time, where no grass grew and the land was mostly desolate and inhospitable.

Although Yaochi lay within the Northern Domain, it was an exception to this. The region it occupied was fragrant with flowers and pleasant with birdsong, its scenery like something from a painting — with the serene stillness of bamboo groves, the natural charm of water-town stone arch bridges, and the spectacular grandeur of a three-thousand-foot cascade.

Years ago, during the Peach Blossom Banquet, Ye Fan had already visited this place and was no stranger to it. He had not expected that this convocation of ten thousand clans would also be held here.

He did not go in immediately, but kept watch outside Yaochi, waiting steadily for the appearance of the fat old Duan. After a full seven or eight days, his target finally showed himself.

Ye Fan’s teeth itched with hatred. He caught sight of another version of himself — clad in purple robes, brimming with dashing vitality. But upon closer inspection, the eyes were far too shifty, and the person looked altogether like someone not to be trusted.

“That absolute scoundrel!”

The other him swaggered forward without the slightest attempt at concealment, hands clasped behind his back, gazing down upon all under heaven with contempt.

“You dead fatty!”

Ye Fan charged over at once, letting out a roaring yell that gave Duan De such a fright he nearly jumped out of his skin. Then Duan De broke into a sly, grinning smile and said: “Why so ferocious? If you want to vent your anger, this Dao Lord will let you — go ahead and hit me to your heart’s content.”

“Your grandfather! That’s my body — throw that husk of yours out and let me give it a good kick!”