Chapter 925: I Fish in the Yunlun Mountain Range, Granting You Joy

At the Crossroad, in the City of the Departed Buddha.

Ba Zun'an's voice resonated across the Five Domains. Even within the City of the Departed Buddha, despite its restrictive rules, the power of a Saint Emperor shattered the limitations, carrying his message to the ears of every villain across this blood-soaked land.

Along the blood-scented Crossroad, the sounds of countless people reveling filled the air.

Most of these individuals had been driven to this lawless place out of desperation. They naturally welcomed the prospect of turmoil on the continent, and the Five Domains being plunged into a storm of blood and chaos.

If this could make Ai Cangsheng avert his gaze and lose interest in the City of the Departed Buddha, everyone would have a glimmer of hope to break free from its restrictions and return to the Sacred God Continent. What's not to celebrate?

East Street.

Inside the dark underground gladiatorial arena, villains were locked in heated combat.

Outside the corridor, a slender woman walked past at a brisk pace.

Her delicate features were subtly enhanced with light makeup, and her eyes, glistening like water, shimmered with allure. Clad only in a strapless, light gauze, her bare shoulders hinted at her hidden charms.

Wherever she passed, a waft of fragrance lingered, and every expression revealed the unique charm of a mature woman.

In this male-dominated arena, such a beautiful woman, even just passing by outside the corridor, couldn't help but draw numerous sideways glances.

“Aunt Xiang?”

“Why is she here? She rarely comes to the East Street arena, does she? Something must have happened to bring her here. She’s probably... still looking for Brother Shen Yi!”

“I heard the voice of the Eighth Sword Immortal just came from outside. I don’t know how it reached the Crossroad—it’s quite miraculous... I’ve heard people on the Sacred God Continent are still imitating the Eighth Sword Immortal, but this imitation is far too similar, isn't it?”

The arena buzzed with discussions.

With such a stunning beauty passing by, the gladiators inside the arena lost all desire to fight, stopping to gaze at her.

Some even whistled, their eyes filled with lust.

“Are you crazy!”

As soon as the whistle sounded, someone immediately reacted, pressing their hand firmly over the whistler's mouth. “This is Brother Shen Yi’s woman! This is Aunt Xiang! You dare to whistle? Are you tired of living?”

“Shen Yi, Aunt Xiang... who are they?” A newcomer, who had recently joined the Crossroad and the East Street arena, wondered.

“Have you heard of ‘Slaying Through the Mortal World to Battle Ghost Pass’? Have you heard of ‘Ghost Gate Pass, Where God Is Called God’? These two are not only the boss of East Street and his woman, but also the male and female protagonists of those two great legends!”

“Hiss…” The newcomer gasped, immediately understanding, and exclaimed in surprise, “Two of the Ten Venerates? The man who snatched his beloved from the Gates of Hell and defied Death itself?”

“Indeed, what did you think?”

“I was wrong, I was wrong...”

The alluring woman, known as Aunt Xiang, didn't bother with the many men in the arena.

Under normal circumstances, she might have paused, using a scent filled with deadly killing intent to silence these gossiping fellows for good.

But the current moment was too critical.

She walked through the corridor to the innermost room of the East Street arena, pushing the door open without knocking.

“Who is it!” an angry voice rumbled from the dim room, deep as muffled thunder and resounding loudly.

“Me.” Aunt Xiang raised a sleeve, and a pink fragrance danced out from her light gauze.

In an instant, the room brightened.

Amidst various training equipment, a shirtless, muscular bald man inhaled deeply, then put down the equipment and turned around in surprise, asking, “Xiang’er?”

Aunt Xiang smiled charmingly, and with a graceful turn, she stepped into the man’s embrace.

Her slender, jade-like fingers slid across his chest, trailing down to his sculpted abs. She flicked away beads of sweat, caressing his familiar form, and chuckled playfully, “What? Am I not even allowed in your room anymore?”

The burly man’s face was resolute, his features as sharply defined as if carved by a knife and axe. Though usually stern, at this moment, his eyes softened with tenderness as if encountering spring water. He gazed only at the woman in his arms and said, “I was afraid of outsiders coming in... but for you, there are no restrictions.”

“How would an outsider dare to enter your room so rudely? You are the Master of East Street, Brother Shen Yi of ‘Ghost Gate Pass, Where God Is Called God’!” Aunt Xiang said with emphasis, then subtly rolled her eyes, full of alluring charm.

The burly man, Shen Yi, chuckled immediately, “This is all for you...”

“Let’s not talk about that.”

After only a few pleasantries, Aunt Xiang cut to the chase, her pretty face filled with solemnity. “Your elder brother’s voice...” She lifted her gaze slightly.

Aunt Xiang was already quite tall.

But Shen Yi, who stood over two meters tall—a head and a half taller than her—heard her words and gently nodded, saying, “Yes, I heard it too.”

Aunt Xiang asked with some concern, “Is he making a move and needs our cooperation? But you haven’t been in contact for so many years... Do you think this voice could be false? After all, here at the Crossroad, we’ve always been cut off from what’s happening outside...”

Shen Yi scratched his head and replied, “I wouldn’t mistake elder brother’s voice. He’s simply notifying me that I might need to make my move sooner.”

“You simpleton!” Aunt Xiang playfully chided him, masking her inner unease, and whispered, “You haven’t seen each other for so many years. Actually... if, and I mean *if*... if we could just stay here... Look, the dangers outside can’t get in, and we don’t actively go out. Wouldn't that be a wonderful choice?” Her words were hesitant, revealing both hope and inquiry.

Shen Yi smiled faintly, gently stroking the woman’s hair in his arms, and shook his head. “Impossible. Ai Cangsheng has been watching me. He won’t let me continue to grow unchecked. Once I show any signs of achieving sainthood, he will personally intervene and thoroughly eliminate the threat.”

At the Crossroad, one could speak freely of Saint names, because Demi-Saints could not enter this space unless they paid a heavy price.

Furthermore, Demi-Saints who paid a heavy price to enter the Crossroad would be suppressed even more severely by its rules; their strength might not even match that of an ordinary Grand Void practitioner.

Therefore, Demi-Saints would not easily descend upon the Crossroad of the City of the Departed Buddha.

Aunt Xiang remained silent for a long time, then looked up and advised, “You don’t have to become a Saint! We’ve made it through all these years, haven’t we?”

Shen Yi chuckled ruefully, “You know I’ve suppressed myself for over twenty years now. Even the rules of the Crossroad can barely restrain me... A genius, even if they wish for an ordinary life, is destined not to live one. I will, after all, have to return to the Sacred God Continent.”

Aunt Xiang pouted, then her lips curved downwards, and she said worriedly, “Outside, it’s very dangerous...”

“Yes, but for you, I’m not even afraid of Death itself. Why would I fear a mere Ai Cangsheng? Or Bei Huai? Or the Five Great Saint Emperor Families?” Shen Yi embraced her, then turned and placed her on the bed, gesturing to his sweat-soaked body. He raised an eyebrow and said, “I’ll go wash up first; I’ll be right back.”

“...” Aunt Xiang clutched her gauze dress tighter, her hands gripping the bedsheets, and looked at the man’s retreating back, feigning bravery but feeling timid inside. “I... I came to talk about serious matters!”

“This is the serious matter.” Shen Yi entered the bathroom, casually closed the door, and then his voice came through the door:

“I’ve already grasped the guidance of the Resentful One, and I also have clues about the mysterious entrance to the ‘Inverted Buddha Pagoda’—the key to suppressing divine power. Perhaps it won’t be long before I can enter.”

“At that time, if I become a Saint inside, Ai Cangsheng won’t be able to detect it.”

“Once I become a Saint, I’ll take you out of the Crossroad. In this world, no one can stop us, not even a Saint Emperor. I mean it.”

Inverted Buddha Pagoda, Resentful Buddha... Aunt Xiang didn't listen to her man's grand pronouncements after that; her thoughts simply drifted.

The first part of what Shen Yi said was the true purpose of their coming to the Crossroad: to find the Inverted Buddha Pagoda, a place where one could become a Saint without being discovered by the rules of the Sacred God Continent.

But decades had passed, and there was still no success.

To outsiders, the Crossroad was a place of slaughter.

For them, after all these years, they had adapted. And once adapted, it felt like a secluded paradise.

Aunt Xiang wondered how wonderful it would be if they could remain in this peaceful place, living out their days without ever having to venture outside.

“What a pity...”

Aunt Xiang sighed softly, knowing it wasn't possible.

Although she was still some distance from becoming a Saint, Shen Yi was among the first batch of powerhouses from the previous generation.

Given Shen Yi’s talent, if it weren’t for his efforts to save his own life among the Ten Venerates, he could even stand shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Kui Leihan, Ba Zun'an, Dao Qiongcang, and Bei Huai—among the very highest echelons.

Furthermore, for her sake, at the end of the Ten Venerates’ era, he even seized another great Venerate seat by himself, solely to eternally link his name with hers.

“This simpleton...”

Aunt Xiang thought, and couldn't help but lightly chide him aloud, though her face was filled with happiness.

Just then, the bathroom door was pushed open. The man scratched his head and leaned his upper body out, chuckling, “Sorry, I’m used to closing doors automatically. You also got my sweat on you just now, so...”

His gaze swept up and down, and he raised an eyebrow, saying, “Want to shower together?”

Ba Zun'an’s voice, echoing through the Five Domains, shook the world.

The commotion didn't just disturb Canyue Immortal City, the Buried Sword Tomb, and the Crossroad of the City of the Departed Buddha.

Places like Half-Moon Residence in the Southern Domain, Great Desert Ridge in the Western Domain, and Fragrant Homeland in the Northern Domain—one of the Seven Forbidden Lands—all stirred simultaneously after hearing the sound.

However, it was very covert.

Unless one was an insider of the respective secret organizations, it was almost impossible to notice anything unusual.

Four Mausoleums Mountain in the Central Domain, where the Sacred Palace was located, also experienced turmoil.

Because the storm’s epicenter mentioned in Ba Zun'an’s words was precisely one of the trial grounds closely monitored by the Sacred Palace this time—East Heaven Royal City!

The Royal City trials concerned the subsequent Sacred Palace trials, and even more so, the future of the Sacred Palace.

During normal times, the Sacred Palace would not respond to any movements on the Sacred God Continent, as this was the task of the Sacred God Temple.

The Sacred Palace always maintained a transcendent status; their sole goal was to cultivate Saints.

But now, it was different.

The situation in the Yunlun Mountains endangered the future of the Sacred Palace. The “Sainthood Foundation” or whatever it was wasn’t important; it might even be a “false lead” spread by a “false Ba Zun'an.”

The Sacred Palace only knew that they had to send more personnel to the Yunlun Mountains in the East Heaven Realm to protect the future talents of the Sacred Palace.

As for whether they would, by some fluke, be drawn into the storm’s epicenter along the way, or even accidentally obtain that “Sainthood Foundation,” those were mere coincidences.

The Sacred Palace, however, didn’t deal in coincidences.

Guizhe Sacred Mountain.

Dao Qiongcang, presiding over the Sacred God Temple Headquarters, received various urgent reports from major branches across the Five Domains in a short period.

Tens of thousands!

The major dark forces previously hidden beneath the surface, after the “Voice Across Five Domains,” emerged like mushrooms after rain.

The overt forces, even less disguised, merely found a pretext and rushed towards East Heaven Royal City, the storm’s epicenter.

—Utter chaos!

Dao Qiongcang knew his Saintly Will Incarnation had failed to stop the Dragon Pearl’s final disaster in the Yunlun Mountains, which might bring him “calamity.”

But he truly hadn’t realized that this “calamity” could be such a headache!

“Ba Zun'an, oh Ba Zun'an...”

He waved away his attendants, telling them to handle the headache-inducing reports. Dao Qiongcang gazed into the distance from the Sacred Mountain, his eyes filled with admiration.

“I originally thought that by suppressing the news of your emergence from the White Cavern, it wouldn’t cause much upheaval on the continent.”

“I never expected that your resurgence would deliver such a head-on blow.”

Dao Qiongcang held a compass in his left hand, his right hand extended as if touching the web of rules throughout the vast world.

He didn’t feel discouraged. It seemed that even such a world-shaking event, which drove everyone mad, failed to stir the slightest ripple in his calm, ancient-well-like state of mind.

After gazing at the sea of clouds on the Sacred Mountain for a long time, Dao Qiongcang’s lips curved upwards, and he murmured to himself:

“Interesting.”

“This game of chess is getting bigger and more interesting.”

Near the Yunlun Mountains in the East Heaven Realm.

Ba Zun'an, whose single sentence had driven countless Spirit Refiners worldwide into a frenzy, had now exited Void Island. With the Storyteller’s support, he was hiding within the spatial rifts.

“Brother, have you gone mad?”

“Why waste so much energy shouting that yourself? Couldn’t the Master of the Black Vein have done it? What if you harm your body by shouting?”

The Storyteller supported the limp and boneless Ba Zun'an, feeling that with just a push...

He didn’t even need to push.

He just needed to release Ba Zun'an and let the spatial storm rage.

The Head of the Saint Slaves would die before his eyes; the Eighth Sword Immortal would perish in an unknown place.

“Cough, cough, cough...”

Ba Zun'an coughed violently, then wiped away a trickle of blood from the corner of his lips before saying, “Who among mortals knows the Black Dragon, and who doesn’t know Ba Zun'an?”

“If I didn’t use my name, would you expect the world to be full of fools who would be drawn in by a random remark from some unknown figure?” Ba Zun'an scoffed.

The Storyteller's lips parted slightly, but he couldn't utter a single word of rebuttal.

Indeed.

In the Five Domains of the Sacred God Continent today, was there any news more sensational and explosive than the Eighth Sword Immortal’s resurrection?

After that one sentence from his brother, the Five Domains and Four Seas would all be shaken to their core.

How could his influence be comparable to that of the Demon Emperor Black Dragon, whose name would be immediately forgotten after being spoken?

Thinking of the Demon Emperor Black Dragon, the Storyteller grew concerned. “Although the plan to enter Void Island was nearly perfect this time, why did you let the Demon Emperor... the Master of the Black Vein execute this task? It has a rebellious streak; aren’t you afraid of something going wrong?”

“No accidents,” Ba Zun'an said, clearing his throat and spitting blood. The sensation of the spatial storm was not pleasant; he was currently relying entirely on the Storyteller to move through the spatial rifts.

The Storyteller pouted, “There were clearly the Three Ancestors of the White Vein available. Jinzhao... didn’t that ancestor still have a Jinzhao lineage on the Sacred God Continent, passed down to Xu Xiaoshou’s generation? They’re our own people; why not use him?”

“Precisely because they are our own people, we couldn’t use them first. After all, manifesting a fragment of a spirit comes at too great a cost,” Ba Zun'an explained. This was something not even mentioned in the battle plan, and only now, after the fact, could the Storyteller ask about it.

A Saint Emperor’s spirit fragment... Thinking of the Demon Emperor Black Dragon’s power, the Storyteller grew concerned. “Brother, do you think there’s a possibility that its spirit fragment emerged but wasn’t completely annihilated?”

Ba Zun'an scoffed, “That flashy Daoist isn’t a fool. He fears the power of a Saint Emperor’s spirit fragment more than I do. I just needed to get that Black Dragon out. Even if he fought to the death and summoned the power of a Saint Emperor, he’d still have to help me eliminate the menace. This is an open conspiracy; he has no choice.”

The Storyteller was speechless, feeling that his own mind was somewhat inadequate in such high-stakes, intellectual clashes.

What kind of mindset could allow someone to so thoroughly trust their opponent to help them eliminate someone who seemed more like an ally than an adversary?

After a long silence, the Storyteller decided he wasn't suited to ponder such matters.

In his view, the battle plan had too many critical stages that required the opponent’s cooperation.

Dao Qiongcang, rumored to be unfathomable, was clearly their opponent, yet how could his brother dare to play such a game!

Yet that single “Voice Across Five Domains,” which even the Storyteller’s external incarnation had heard, confirmed that the battle plan had completely succeeded.

“I no longer understand this world...” the Storyteller mused silently.

Before entering Void Island, he had doubted whether the Nine Seats of the Saint Slaves had the power to stir the tides of the era.

Now, there was no doubt left.

“Brother is truly amazing!” he praised, his eyes sparkling.

“It’s just the advantage of making the first move,” Ba Zun'an said, waving his hand weakly. “Once we’re out, it will be our turn to face the grand scheme of the Sacred God Temple.”

“What scheme?” the Storyteller asked.

“Do you take me for a god, able to see the future?” Ba Zun'an scoffed.

The spatial rift finally came to an end.

Light appeared, and the Storyteller helped Ba Zun'an step out, returning to the land of the Sacred God Continent.

He tilted his head back.

The Yunlun Mountains, East Heaven Royal City, and Void Island were all in the distance!

“The final move?” the Storyteller asked, looking at Ba Zun'an.

In “Voice Across Five Domains,” Ba Zun'an had promised to bestow upon the world the Demonic Sword, Master of Ten Thousand Weapons, the Saint Origin Crystal—the root of sainthood—and endless treasures.

However, currently, only the Demonic Sword had been delivered.

The Dragon Pearl’s power had finally dissipated, and Rao Yaoyao’s Red-Clad Army was menacingly watching outside the Void Island rift.

If treasures were to truly spew out from that rift again, they would simply fall into the enemies’ hands.

And with the plan completed, why would Ba Zun'an continue to fund the Sacred God Temple out of his own pocket?

He stood on the unnoticed land, gazing for a long time at the distant Void Island rift, as if, across endless space, he could see the anxious figures in front of the rift.

“What are you looking at? I’m right here...”

Ba Zun'an chuckled softly, shook his head, tapped the space with two fingers, and turned to leave.

“Crack!”

A faint crack blossomed in the space.

Then, this spatial rift spread skyward, like a butterfly effect, instantly sweeping across the entire void.

“Crack, crack, crack...”

The Yunlun Mountains, East Heaven Royal City, and even the surrounding hundred thousand li of land—the sky shattered like a mirror, glistening with faint light in the darkness, as if thousands of demonic eyes were opening on the horizon!

Under the terrified gazes of countless Spirit Refiners, accompanied by endless whooshing sounds, countless supreme treasures, imbued with Saint Emperor power, streaked past like a meteor shower.

The Seventy-Two Dragon Essence Array, formed by the Red-Clad, was instantly shattered.

The supreme treasure-meteors smashed into the faces of the Spirit Refiners, who were akin to pilgrims.

At this moment, the land erupted!

“Holy cow, there really are treasures! Ba Zun'an didn’t deceive us; he really gave us these things for free!”

“Quick, grab them! This is an opportunity for sainthood; this is the era of Saints!”

“First come, first served!”

“Kill!!!”

Rao Yaoyao gazed at this natural disaster... no, this was a man-made catastrophe. Her hand, clutching the Profound Azure Divine Sword, trembled; she was completely powerless to stop it.

The power of a Demi-Saint was still acceptable.

This batch of treasures was more numerous than the previous two waves combined, and they were imbued with Saint Emperor power. What could she use to stop them?

Dao Qiongcang had already left; what could she use to stop them!

Her vision lost focus as Rao Yaoyao tried to find the initial point where the spatial rift had appeared.

After a long while, she traced the signs and found it.

But looking from afar, the place was empty; there wasn't even a trace of anyone having passed by.

At the same time, an ethereal song resonated in the ears of all the treasure-hunting Spirit Refiners.

Everyone paused their treasure-grabbing for a moment, listening intently, for it sounded like a divine murmur, full of temptation.

Rao Yaoyao frowned and listened as well. She could no longer fathom Ba Zun'an’s intentions, fearing it was another one of his schemes.

But this time, what reached everyone was no longer a damaging sound, but a mocking chant, as if ridiculing all living beings.

“I passed through the White Cavern, conversing with darkness...”

“I sojourned on Void Island, befriending Saint Emperors...”

“I fished in the Yunlun Mountains, granting you celebration...”

The voice paused, then became more modulated, more ethereal, and more unrestrained.

“I came from the west, meandering downstream to the east.”

“By day, I observe the commonfolk; by night, I share a bed with ghosts.”

“Mayflies guess my will; the cool breeze extinguishes candles.”

“Drunk on the waters of the mortal world, I awaken to dance with immortals.”