Chapter 118: Gentle Land

"The fact that you didn't get the green bronze has nothing to do with me. It just shows your lack of strength and that someone else got there first." Ye Fan stared at him and said, "Daoist Priest, instead of thanking me, you're treating me like this."

"Kid, you've got a tough mouth. I was the first to rush into the Demon Emperor's tomb. I didn't even see a shadow. How could anyone have gotten there before me? You're still trying to fool me. I really want to slap you dead."

As he spoke, he looked surprised and said, "It's incredible that you've reached the Divine Bridge realm in such a short time." The plump Daoist circled him twice and asked, "Could it be because of the green bronze block?"

"Can't you sense whether I have the green bronze on me?" Ye Fan asked calmly and confidently.

"You scoundrel! You threw the precious jade I gave you into the remote mountains, making it impossible for me to find you until today!" The immoral Daoist stared into Ye Fan's eyes and asked, "Where exactly is the green bronze block?"

Ye Fan immediately thought of that broken jade pendant. It was chipped, cracked, and looked like a worthless stone. It seemed he had been right to throw it away, as this guy must have intended to use it to track him.

"Since we've met again, Daoist Priest, it proves we're fated. I have nothing to hide, so I'll tell you the truth." Ye Fan said with a serious expression, "Indeed, I threw away the green bronze block that day, but not into a deep pool." "I naturally knew it wasn't at the bottom of the deep pool."

"Later, when I went to look for it, I found a deranged old man had picked up the green bronze block. He was crying and laughing, acting completely mad, and I couldn't catch him..." Ye Fan described the old madman's appearance directly.

The plump Daoist gasped, muttering, "A year ago, someone in Yan territory saw an old man just like that. The rumor is he might be..." He stopped speaking there, then stared at Ye Fan and said, "You little brat are very unprincipled. To think I confided in you that day."

"Daoist Priest, you should speak with a conscience. You robbed me of two spiritual weapons that day. Who's truly unprincipled?"

The immoral Daoist stared at him, his eyes suddenly becoming hollow, like an endless abyss, dark and devoid of light. He spoke in a low voice, "Was it truly taken by a deranged old man? What did he look like?"

Ye Fan felt drowsy, as if the other party was trying to forcibly penetrate his mental sea. But he wasn't afraid. His spiritual consciousness had now transformed into a small golden lake, no weaker than anyone else's. He didn't counterattack but instead conjured the image of the old madman in his mind and replied, "Yes, a mad old man picked it up, and I couldn't catch him."

After the immoral Daoist perceived the old madman's image, his body trembled violently, and his hollow eyes instantly regained their brilliance. He looked incredibly surprised and said, "It really is that person..."

The alluring woman with a red mole on her forehead nearby chuckled softly, "Who exactly is it that could shock Daoist Duan like this?"

"Haven't you heard about what happened a year ago, you demons?" Duan De said gravely, "Someone who shouldn't exist in this world briefly appeared in Yan territory." "We've heard some rumors, but I doubt it's true. So many years have passed, who could still recognize him?"

Duan De shook his head and said, "There's no mistake. That person was a peerless master back then. Many portraits of him still exist in the world, and I was fortunate enough to have seen one." He let out a soft gasp.

The beautiful woman with a red mole between her eyebrows gasped and said, "He was a peerless master in ancient times, and now, after six thousand years, he's still alive? Do you think he's about to become an immortal?"

The immoral Daoist shook his head and said, "Unlikely. Some have seen him disoriented, mad, and with mental problems. How could someone like that become an immortal?"

"Are there really immortals in this world?" Ye Fan asked from the side.

"Whether they exist or not, no one can say for sure, but it's not a problem for a peerless master to live for several millennia." The demoness smiled charmingly at him, then pinched his cheek and said, "Work hard, and maybe someday you can achieve it too." "You... won't harm me, will you?"

The captivating demoness, with her soft, rosy complexion, breathed a seductive sigh towards him, giggling charmingly, "Don't worry, your life isn't in danger."

The immoral Daoist's eyes became hollow again. Still unwilling to give up, he continued to stare into Ye Fan's eyes, saying,

"How did he discover the green bronze..."

Ye Fan was very cooperative, using his powerful mental energy, which could even manifest forms, to construct the scene in his mind: the old madman picking up the green bronze, then crying and laughing, and finally drifting away.

Upon seeing this image, the immoral Daoist's face was filled with despondency, as if all strength had been drained from him. He sighed deeply to the sky and lamented, "A treasure renowned throughout Zhongzhou! That day, it was in my palm, yet I discarded it like an old shoe, failing to recognize it and letting it slip through my fingers. I hate it!"

Hearing this, Ye Fan uncharitably said, "Be more careful next time." The immoral Daoist Duan De, full of unwillingness and regret, said, "Now that it's in that person's hands, I have no chance of getting it back. It's truly astonishing that the old madman is still alive." "I wonder if the Demon Emperor's essence blood is ready?" He looked up at the leading,

highly alluring demoness.

"Daoist Priest, please rest assured. We promised you a drop of the Demon Emperor's essence blood, and we will absolutely keep our word." The woman smiled very seductively and charmingly, then gently clapped her hands. From deeper within the peach blossom forest, a beautiful woman with bare arms, dressed in a five-colored gauze robe, slowly approached, holding a jade plate covered with a silk cloth.

The woman with the red mole between her eyebrows lightly took the plate. With a graceful lift of her wrist, she removed the silk cloth, instantly revealing a crystal clear glow. A fist-sized crystal appeared, sparkling brightly on the jade plate.

At the center of the crystal was a drop of vivid red blood, shimmering with a golden luster. Sealed within, it exuded an incredibly vibrant life force, and a faint, majestic aura of life pulsed from it.

The immoral Daoist immediately shed his dejected look, his spirit instantly revived. "The Demon Emperor's essence blood!" he exclaimed.

"Indeed, this is the Demon Emperor's sacred blood you requested, Daoist Priest. Although you didn't bring us the forbidden artifact we mentioned, this young man you brought is truly a rare body, and an exchange using him is barely acceptable."

The drop of blood within the fist-sized crystal seemed to condense endless power. When the immoral Daoist Duan De held it, it actually emitted a brilliant crimson glow, illuminating his palm with a vibrant red and shimmering with threads of gold.

Ye Fan's heart churned with tumultuous waves, unable to calm down. This drop of Demon Emperor's essence blood most likely came from the Demon Emperor's heart. He immediately thought of Pang Bo.

That heart, which flew out of the Demon Emperor's tomb, merely by its normal beating, was unbearable for cultivators at or beyond the Nirvanic stage. On that day, the sect master and supreme elders of Lingxu Holy Land couldn't even get close, watching helplessly as it soared into the sky and eventually fell into the hands of the demon race.

Could it be that these women before him possessed the Demon Emperor's heart? And were they connected to the perfect woman at the Demon Emperor's tomb? If so, wasn't Pang Bo nearby? A wave of excitement surged through Ye Fan's heart.

"Young man, take care of yourself." The immoral Daoist Duan De patted his shoulder and said earnestly. "You fat old man, did you really sell me out here?" Duan De had a faint smile on his face and said, "Don't curse me now. You might be so happy here in the future that you won't want to leave, and you'll even thank me." "What do you really mean?"

Duan De spoke meaningfully, "This is a blessing others would desperately wish for. Be content, young man. If I were a few years younger, you might not have had this opportunity."

The woman with the red mole between her eyebrows smiled sweetly, her eyes shimmering, and glanced at Duan De, saying, "Daoist Priest, if you wish to stay, we will entertain you well."

"No thanks, my old bones can't handle it. We'll meet again." With that, Duan De left without looking back. Ye Fan shouted after him, "I know where the old madman is..."

But Duan De completely ignored him, quickly vanishing, leaving Ye Fan abandoned there. "You unscrupulous Daoist, just you wait..."

"My name is Qin Yao, young brother. Don't be afraid, we won't harm you." The woman with the red mole between her eyebrows gently pinched his cheek and smiled, "You have no need to worry."

"Could Qin Yao be a demoness transformed from a strange bird?" Ye Fan muttered to himself. "I'd like to ask, is the heart that flew out of the Demon Emperor's tomb in your possession?"

Qin Yao's skin was like warm jade, light gauze fluttering around her, revealing glimpses of her graceful, ethereal form with soft, hazy curves. She smiled sweetly and said, "You certainly know a lot. Yes, the Great Emperor's heart is indeed in our hands."

Ye Fan's heart instantly trembled. "So, is there a very beautiful, almost perfect woman residing here?" Qin Yao looked surprised. "You even know that? She is a descendant of the Great Emperor, of incredibly high status. How did you come to know this?" Ye Fan's heart pounded with excitement. "Then, is there also a young man here who is roughly my age?"

Qin Yao looked a little surprised, her raven-black hair fluttering lightly, making her jade-like skin appear even fairer and more delicate. Around them, flower petals drifted like crystalline rain, fragrant and sparkling, but she herself was more captivating than any flower. She chuckled, "You certainly know a lot." She didn't elaborate further.

"I want to meet the young man my age." "I'm sorry, he's in secluded cultivation and probably won't be able to meet you." Although Qin Yao was alluring and seductive, always smiling, she refused.

"I want to meet the Demon Emperor's descendant." Unable to meet Pang Bo, Ye Fan settled for the next best thing, wanting to see the perfect woman. Qin Yao's voice was magnetic and very pleasant. "Of course you can meet her. We were going to take you to her anyway."

"You were going to take me to her anyway? Why?" Ye Fan felt something was off. "It's a good thing for you. If you're chosen, you'll be elevated to a high position. You're a very lucky young man indeed."

All the women around them chuckled. They were enchanting and graceful, naturally possessing a seductive allure. Their faces were like flowers, skin like congealed cream, slender necks delicate, and rosy arms like jade, gleaming and lustrous. Their snowy-white legs were long and straight, barely concealed by transparent gauze, and their waists were so slender they could be encircled by one hand. Their laughter made them sway like trembling branches.

Ye Fan was led deeper into the peach blossom forest, which was the back mountain of the Xuanyuan Sect. It was exceedingly tranquil and quiet, with wafts of a sacred aura permeating the air. Ahead, several beautiful women stood guard.

As they passed through a valley and arrived before a range of emerald-jade-like mountains, an infinite, sacred aura immediately became palpable. All the vegetation shone like jade carvings, glittering and exuding an unusual radiance, making this place truly unique.

Just ahead, on a radiant, shimmering mountain, mist swirled and streaks of light dotted the air. A pavilion was suspended high above, and within it stood a flawless woman. Her eyes were like water, shrouded in mist, as she gazed downwards.

She had skin like ice and bones like jade, utterly without blemish. Her ethereal body was tall and graceful, like heaven's most perfect masterpiece. Dressed in white as pure as snow, with her black hair gently swaying, she resembled the Chang'e fairy descending to the mortal world.