Chapter 685: The legendary "Sky-Seizing Elder"

On the edge of the Profound Sky Continent, a place of perpetual tranquility.

“Are all these things you speak of… true?”

Within the mysterious space floating in the air, a profound silence reigned, as if everything had been completely frozen. Beneath an enormous sun and moon totem, a tall figure stood motionless. Dressed in white robes, he exuded no aura whatsoever. The bright and dark light emanating from the totem cast shadows upon his unremarkable face, which appeared to be that of a man in his late thirties or early forties. Yet, his eyes held a depth that ordinary people could not comprehend.

Before him, Ye Guying, the Ninth Elder of the Sun and Moon Divine Hall, stood with his body bowed forward and his head deeply lowered. He meticulously suppressed his aura, even his breathing, to an extreme degree. In all the world, only one person could elicit such a humble posture from him: the Hall Master of the Sun and Moon Divine Hall, Ye Xinghan's birth father, one of the Four Overlords of the Profound Sky Continent alongside the Saint Emperor, the Sea God, and the Sword Master—Ye Miexie, known as the "Heavenly Monarch"!

Facing the white-robed man's question, Ye Guying instinctively leaned even further forward and replied respectfully, “Reporting to the Heavenly Monarch, not a single word of what I just said was false! Forming a world of one’s own, shattering space, overwhelming aura, conjuring fire that turns a man into nothingness… if I had merely heard about these mythical profound abilities, I would never have believed them. But I witnessed all of them with my own eyes! The Young Master, Juanyun, and Xiaoran were also present; there is absolutely no falsehood. Even if I had a thousand times more courage, I would never dare to deceive the Heavenly Monarch with such a matter.”

Ye Miexie, his back to Ye Guying, slightly raised his head, gazing at the colossal sun and moon totem that soared into the clouds, radiating eternal brilliance. “Guying has always been calm, cautious, and meticulously observant. Since you witnessed it firsthand and spoke of it yourself, I naturally have no doubts. I simply didn't expect such an existence to be hidden in this world.”

“Had I not witnessed it myself, I wouldn’t have believed it either.” Scenes from before the Frozen Cloud Asgard flashed through Ye Guying’s mind, and an uncontrollable awe appeared on his face. “Six years ago, Yun Che was indeed a cripple, that much is true. Yet three years ago, while only in the Earth Profound Realm, he single-handedly defeated ten of the Phoenix Divine Sect’s strongest young generation, all of whom were in the King Profound Realm. Now, only three years later, he can effortlessly slay two Mid-level Tyrant Emperors of my Sun and Moon Divine Hall! When I first learned of this, I was filled with shock and bewilderment. But after seeing that terrifying senior, I finally understood… Only with guidance from such an extraordinary master could a freak like Yun Che, who completely defies common sense, possibly emerge.”

Ye Miexie’s expression remained unruffled. He slightly turned his head and calmly asked, “And did you manage to ascertain that person’s name?”

“Yes!” Ye Guying slowly nodded. “I risked incurring his wrath and asked for his name. He showed no reservation and directly told me his name was ‘Dutian’…”

As the name “Dutian” left his lips, Ye Guying distinctly felt a sudden ripple of profound energy emanate from Ye Miexie. Ye Miexie’s half-closed eyes instantly snapped open, and he abruptly turned around. “What did you say? Dutian!? Are you certain it’s Dutian!?”

Ye Miexie’s reaction startled Ye Guying greatly. In a thousand years, he had never seen the Heavenly Monarch, who looked down upon the world, display such a drastic response. He quickly said, “Those were his own words. Given his realm, since he told me, he would certainly disdain using a false name.”

Ye Miexie’s eyes flickered with an unusual turbulence, and his aura remained subtly agitated. “Did he mention how old he is?”

“No,” Ye Guying replied. “However, he once inadvertently mentioned the words ‘ten thousand years ago’… Given his terrifying realm, it’s possible he has truly lived for more than ten thousand years. Heavenly Monarch, have you perhaps heard of the name ‘Dutian’ before?”

Ye Miexie looked directly at Ye Guying. From the turmoil in Guying’s soul, he could confirm that not a single word Ye Guying spoke was false. After a long pause, he turned away, his voice slow and distant. “In an extremely distant era, at least ten thousand years ago—for at that time, the Sun and Moon Divine Hall did not even exist, and my Divine Hall’s founding ancestor, Ye Qihun, had only just turned a hundred years old and had merely entered the Sovereign Profound Realm—in that era, whether ordinary mortals or profound practitioners, no one was unaware of a certain name…”

“Dutian Old Man!”

“Dutian… Old Man? Ten thousand years ago…” Ye Guying abruptly looked up, his voice filled with surprise. “Could it be…”

“In the current understanding of profound practitioners, the Sovereign Profound Realm is the peak of human achievement, and the Divine Profound Realm is a realm that exists only in legend, one that is eternally impossible to reach. However, in the memories passed down through generations of our ancestors, the name ‘Divine Profound Realm’ did not appear after the Phoenix God manifested five thousand years ago, but was already circulating ten thousand years ago. Because at that time, ‘Dutian Old Man’ was rumored to have transcended the Sovereign Profound Realm, with half a foot stepped into the Divine Profound Realm!”

“Divine Profound… Realm!” Ye Guying murmured softly.

“In that era, Dutian Old Man’s cultivation had reached its pinnacle, attaining a state of profound mastery. In the world, let alone someone who could contend with him, there wasn’t even a person who could pose the slightest threat to him; it was even more impossible for anyone to kill him.”

“What then became of this Dutian Old Man? Since no one could kill him, did he eventually die when his lifespan ran out, or… or…” A startling guess began to form with increasing clarity in Ye Guying’s mind… Yun Che’s master called himself “Dutian” and possessed earth-shattering divine abilities. The person the Heavenly Monarch spoke of was called “Dutian Old Man,” the former had lived for at least ten thousand years, the latter was renowned across the world ten thousand years ago…

“Dutian” was the “Dutian Old Man” from ten thousand years ago!?

“No!” Ye Miexie slightly shook his head. “One day, he suddenly vanished without a trace. No one ever saw him again, nor did anyone know where he went; it was as if he had completely disappeared from the Profound Sky Continent. Soon after, a legend spread across the Profound Sky Continent: Dutian Old Man, having achieved enlightenment one morning, formally stepped from the half-step Divine Profound into the true Divine Profound Realm, becoming the first Profound God in the history of the Profound Sky Continent. He gained supreme divine power, glimpsed the ultimate laws, and thus shattered space, ascending to a higher profound cultivation world.”

“Since then, Dutian Old Man never reappeared, nor did a second ‘Dutian Old Man’ emerge. The only being to reach half-step Divine Profound, the Phoenix God, was not human. Ten thousand years is enough time for any miracle to be forgotten; people from the era of ‘Dutian Old Man’ have long since turned to dust, and Dutian Old Man himself was completely forgotten. The legend that the Sovereign Profound Realm is the limit of human achievement also became increasingly ingrained. Had it not been for our ancestors’ memories passed down through generations, never lost, no one in this world, including myself, would know the name ‘Dutian Old Man’.”

Ye Miexie’s expression gradually turned grave. For someone who believed himself to be invincible in the world, suddenly learning that a higher-level existence had been hidden all along was naturally unsettling. He murmured, “If it were merely the name ‘Dutian,’ it could be a coincidence. But a lifespan of over ten thousand years and inconceivable power—that is far from a simple coincidence… That Dutian is very likely the ‘Dutian Old Man’ from our ancestors’ memories!”

Although he had already considered this possibility, Ye Guying’s eyelids still twitched violently. Someone who was already invincible in the world ten thousand years ago, with one foot in the divine path, and possibly even fully ascended to it… after another ten thousand years, it was utterly unfathomable just how terrifying he must have become!

No wonder the flames he conjured with a mere flick of his finger could turn a mighty Emperor into nothingness.

“Based on your description, there’s over a seventy percent chance this conjecture is true,” Ye Miexie said, his brows furrowed. “I never imagined that Dutian Old Man from ten thousand years ago didn’t ascend to a higher world, but remained on the Profound Sky Continent! Perhaps one day he achieved profound enlightenment and decided to conceal his whereabouts, withdrawing from worldly affairs… and has remained alive in this world until today. And if he truly reached that legendary realm, then a lifespan of over ten thousand years is certainly not impossible!”

“There’s no mistake, that was absolutely a realm far beyond the Sovereign Profound Realm!” Ye Guying, usually composed and cautious, and rarely speaking in absolutes, said with utter certainty. “I have cultivated for over a thousand years and am only a step away from the late Sovereign Profound Realm, believing myself capable of looking down upon all of Profound Sky. Yet, in the presence of that person’s aura, I felt as small as a child, my whole body trembling uncontrollably, unable to even maintain composure. This could not happen unless it was suppression from an absolute difference in realms!”

“The Sacred Grounds of Absolute Monarchs, combining the power of a dozen Emperor Lords, spent a vast amount of time and effort to construct a spatial profound array capable of escaping the Primordial Profound Ark, sealing it into a bracelet… yet it could only be used once! But that person, he physically entered the Primordial Profound Ark after it had already departed and brought Yun Che back completely unharmed! This is clearly the power of shattering space, something only a legendary god possesses!”

What he had seen and heard with his own eyes and ears, combined with the name “Dutian Old Man” spoken by Ye Miexie himself, sent chills down Ye Guying’s spine the more he thought about it. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead… They had brazenly provoked such a figure, and to have returned alive was nothing short of their ancestors burning incense for eight lifetimes.

Ye Miexie remained deep in thought for a long time, then calmly said, “Later, inform the entire Hall that no one, including those associated with him, is to provoke Yun Che until I lift this order.”

“Understood!” Ye Guying bowed his head in obedience. At this point, even if he were given triple the courage, he would never dare to step into the Frozen Cloud Asgard again. After a moment’s hesitation, he cautiously added, “Heavenly Monarch, is it necessary for us to try and mend our relationship with Yun Che? After all, the Young Master and Yun Che have formed a very deep enmity. And with Dutian Old Man behind Yun Che, if this animosity isn’t resolved, I fear…”

Ye Miexie turned his face slightly, his eyes like cold swords. “Are you afraid?”

Ye Guying gave a bitter smile. “Reporting to the Heavenly Monarch, I have been fortunate enough in this life to be a member of the Divine Hall, standing at the apex of the current era. At one thousand three hundred years old, I have never known what ‘fear’ is. But that Dutian Old Man, he truly made me afraid.”

He was already referring to Yun Che’s “master” as “Dutian Old Man,” clearly indicating that he had almost completely accepted the identity subconsciously.