Chapter 1216: Fishing

Chapter 1217: Fishing

The sky was clear and pristine, a vast blue expanse like a shimmering gem, casting a gentle glow that uplifted spirits and broadened perspectives. Towering mountains stood majestically, and silver waterfalls cascaded like ribbons. Walking through the primeval ridges, one could hear the cries of apes and the roars of tigers, a scene reminiscent of prehistoric times.

The Human Demon occasionally paused, lost in thought. A million years had passed since he last looked back, and everything from the past—what had vanished, what had faded—was now gone. An old man and a young man wandered aimlessly through the Eastern Wastelands. At the Human Demon's request, Ye Fan took him to observe the sun, moon, rivers, and famous mountains.

"The deceased are gone," the Human Demon sighed softly. "How many heroes and ancient emperors are now buried in the dust?"

Before Ye Fan could offer comfort, the old wild man's resilient and unrefined heart and temperament automatically adjusted. He muttered to himself, "I've never eaten a Combat Saint Ape." Ye Fan felt dizzy and quickly stopped him. This species was too precious; only two remained, and not a single one could be killed, much less eaten.

"Senior, I stole you from the Myriad Dragon Nest back then. What exactly happened?"

"Let's go to the Myriad Dragon Nest," the old wild man said with confidence. "I intended to visit them anyway."

They set out from the Central Territory, passing through many ancient cities. At Ye Fan's earnest request, the Human Demon altered his appearance to avoid alerting anyone.

"Wait, did I see correctly? Is that the Human Saint Body? He's truly audacious, daring to show himself when all the Sages are searching for him!" As soon as they entered inhabited areas, they were spotted and followed. Some cultivators showed surprise; Ye Fan's reputation preceded him, his name known throughout the world.

"No, that's not right. It just looks like him, but it's not Ye Fan. Their appearances are very different."

"What's going on? I just thought it was him, but then he seemed to change into someone else so quickly?" Some observed secretly, feeling a touch of disappointment. However, others did not leave, becoming even more vigilant. Notables from the ancient races learned of their presence and rushed to the scene.

"This person has a calm demeanor, and someone previously confirmed seeing his true appearance. This is very likely Ye Fan's transformed state, not a case of mistaken identity." Many remained unconvinced and earnestly sought confirmation from minor cultivators, believing it was likely Ye Fan's true body, with a secret technique concealing his appearance. This naturally created an undercurrent. Those with ulterior motives quickly spread the news, and some ancient races even reported the information to their Saint-level Ancient Kings.

Moonveil City, one of the ten great ancient cities in the Central Territory, was the closest to the Sky Vortex Ruins. It was grand and magnificent, with the passage of time leaving mottled marks on its city walls. Each bluestone and every section of the city wall bore axe marks and arrow holes, serving as stark proof of the brutal wars fought throughout history.

Ye Fan and the Human Demon walked directly into the city, paying no mind to the hidden observers, a hint of a smile playing on Ye Fan's lips.

"Candied hawthorns! Strange fruits from a ten-thousand-year-old ancient tree, brimming with the essence of heaven and earth. Large and round, and if they're not sweet, they're free!"

"Dragon meat in the heavens, donkey meat on earth! A divine donkey, refined into an essence, an unparalleled tonic for prolonging life, nourishing Yin, and invigorating Yang. Fresh from the pot, wonderfully fragrant!"

Moonveil City was bustling with people and carriages, the cries of vendors echoing continuously, creating a vibrant atmosphere.

"Are these all humans?" The Human Demon stared, astonished, at the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd. The streets were incredibly packed; there were simply too many pedestrians. The pedestrians who overheard him rolled their eyes, thinking he had a mental problem or was deranged. Ye Fan felt a headache coming on. He explained that humanity was now prosperous, with the population of a single region numbering in the hundreds of millions, not to mention the total across the entire world.

"So many!" The Human Demon nodded, then reached out, pulled ten skewers from the candied hawthorn stand, and swallowed them all in one go.

"Hey, old man, you have good teeth! How is it, sweet?" The candied hawthorn vendor was quite pleased.

"It's not from a ten-thousand-year-old ancient tree," the Human Demon shook his head. "At most, it's a mere dozen years old." The candied hawthorn vendor was speechless. Did someone actually believe that, or was this person just trying to pick a fight? Ye Fan quickly threw him a string of copper coins.

"This isn't the meat of a divine donkey; it's from a diseased one." The Human Demon, sitting in an old donkey meat restaurant, took one bite and spat it out. Ye Fan quickly pulled him away. The Human Demon was too blunt, acting as if it were still the Primordial Era. With his unchanged behavior, someone was bound to suffer.

"Is that them?" Not far away, an immaculate figure appeared, accompanied by several masters.

"Yes, Ancestor King," replied the person beside him. "We suspect one of them is the Human Saint Body!"

"Hmm, let me take a look." He opened his divine eyes, and his expression instantly changed. "It is indeed him. Since he's appeared, he won't be allowed to leave." This Ancestor King did not act rashly. He immediately entered a Domain Gate to summon some old acquaintances, knowing Ye Fan's formidable power and that he couldn't be dealt with alone.

It wasn't just the ancient races who received the news and rushed to Moonveil City; Sages from beyond the domain also arrived. From a distance, they briefly caught sight of Ye Fan, a cold smirk playing on their lips. They held no personal grudge against Ye Fan, but "an innocent man is guilty because of his treasure." The Green Copper Cauldron was of immense importance and had to be seized. Therefore, they had no choice but to offend the Human Saint Body; if he dared to refuse, only a brutal annihilation awaited him.

"Youngsters cannot bear loneliness. No matter how profound your mystical arts are or how well you conceal your true appearance, a certain innate characteristic cannot be hidden. Ancient Sages can perceive it." Ye Fan seemed oblivious to this, continuing to walk around with the Human Demon, eventually passing through the entire city. People wouldn't have guessed that he was with the Human Demon. This old wild man's cultivation truly shook ancient and modern times; if he intended to conceal himself, who could see through him?

The Central Territory was vast and sparsely populated. On both sides of the main road, ancient trees soared into the sky, their branches like enormous umbrellas, almost as tall as the distant mountain peaks. From time to time, the roars of exotic beasts could be heard, and savage birds soared across the sky.

Ye Fan and his companion had walked less than a hundred miles when the void was torn open. Three figures appeared, each with profound magical power, their bodies enveloped in divine halos—ancient race Ancestor Kings! One had golden wings on his back, resembling a thunder god. Another had the body of a green ape, tall and robust. The third was enveloped in crackling crimson lightning, like a deity.

"Heaven has shown mercy, allowing us to encounter the Human Saint Body here! Is it bestowing upon us the Immortal Cauldron, granting us the opportunity to comprehend the path to immortality?" The three Ancestor Kings' eyes gleamed with intimidating light, like bolts of lightning striking, fixated on Ye Fan, their joy barely concealed.

"You're celebrating too soon; the Green Copper Cauldron belongs to us." A voice descended from the sky. A man in green robes and a middle-aged man in white robes slowly descended on auspicious clouds. These were ancient Sages from beyond the domain.

"We arrived here first. Do you two intend to interfere?" one Ancestor King coldly shouted.

"I don't care about the Human Saint Body's life or death; you can decide his fate. But the Green Cauldron must be left behind," said one of the ancient Sages from beyond the domain.

"We want the person, and the Cauldron must be left behind!" The three Ancestor Kings retorted, standing their ground.

Neither side backed down, viewing Ye Fan as a meal on a plate and treating him and the Human Demon as prey, unaware that a crisis could erupt at any moment.

"Senior, what do you think of these individuals? There's one from the Sky Dog race, which fulfills your desire for dog meat. And a green ape, which could perhaps make a monkey brain dish. As for these two from beyond the domain, their races are strange; who knows, they might offer a surprise!" Ye Fan spoke brazenly, as if he were picking fish and chickens at a market, completely at ease. This immediately made the ancient Sages' expressions change.

"What are you, daring to lecture us?!" An Ancestor King, his face gloomy, with a pair of golden wings on his back and a hideous Sky Dog head, stepped forward from high in the sky, moving towards Ye Fan and the Human Demon, intending to crush them underfoot. Confident in his many years of being a Saint, and superior to ordinary ancient Sages, he was extremely impolite towards Ye Fan, intending to intimidate him with a high-handed approach.

"Hand over the Cauldron!" The powerful individual from beyond the domain, his green robes fluttering and his black hair reaching his waist, also extended a large hand, grabbing directly at Ye Fan, even more decisively, intending to tear his body apart and seize the Green Copper Cauldron.

Ye Fan sneered repeatedly, saying, "Each of you acts like you're hot stuff, do you think you're ancient emperors? Or do you believe you can rule the world, and thus put on airs of supreme masters in front of me? Be careful, or I'll beat every one of you into a pig's head!"

The Human Demon's powerful aura exploded, surging skyward in an instant. From ancient times to the present, who would dare to trample him? Who would dare to treat him as nothing? In the past, besides ancient imperial weapons, no one could suppress him. As this astonishing wild power spread, the five figures in the sky plummeted like boiled dumplings, unable to withstand the intense impact. The Human Demon stepped forward, wielding his gleaming white bone staff. With a series of thudding sounds, he smashed the figures, breaking their bones and tearing their muscles, leaving them to utter only miserable groans.

The three Ancient Kings and the two ancient Sages from beyond the domain were all terrified. They had never dreamed that a scruffy old man would be more brutal than an ancient savage dragon. When they saw him, bare-chested and wielding his unique bone staff, revealing his true form, they fell into complete despair. They wanted to slap themselves, immediately realizing who this figure was. In recent days, the Primordial Human Demon had shocked the world, making the connection instantaneous!

"You dare to trample us with your feet?" Ye Fan stepped forward, retaliating in kind. His large foot stomped down directly, a furious, brutal trampling. With several roars, their primordial spirits left their bodies, shattering their cranial lids in an attempt to tear open the void and escape. However, what awaited them was a large white bone staff; all were smashed to pieces, utterly annihilated.

According to Ye Fan's plan, he intended to move around, occasionally revealing his true form. Anyone who dared to act against him would be lured out and then counter-killed. Unfortunately, his "fishing" operation could not be carried out. The Human Demon directly told him that time was short and he didn't know when he might transform into a demon, so it was crucial to hurry on their journey.

"Alas!" Ye Fan let out a long sigh and had no choice but to give up. Otherwise, he would have set a killing trap, slaughtering the Ancestor Kings and ancient Sages who harbored the most animosity towards him.

The north wind howled, and the biting cold permeated the air. This was a vast, white ice plain, with majestic snow-capped peaks rising at the ends of the earth. This was a highland in the Northern Territory, perpetually covered in ice and snow that never melted, making it very mysterious and ancient. Seventy to eighty thousand years ago, an ancient holy land called the Nether Palace was located here. It was obliterated by a peerless Divine King of the Jiang Family in the Northern Territory, who wielded the Hengyu Furnace. It is said that this was an era of dark turmoil. Some believed the holy land was supported by the ancient races, which was why it was destroyed by the Jiang Family's Divine King.

As time passed and years faded, the truth slowly became clear: the Nether Palace was undoubtedly a puppet of the ancient races, for beneath these snow mountains lay the Myriad Dragon Nest! The highland originally had ten thousand ice peaks, but they were flattened in a battle seventy or eighty thousand years ago. Only a hundred-mile stretch of snow mountains remained, still majestic and imposing, standing before them. Rolling dragon qi occasionally emanated from the cracks in the snow mountains, imbuing the entire area with an air of majesty and grandeur!

Deep underground, a work of supernatural craftsmanship, it was the most terrifying creation of heaven. Nine massive dragon caves led to deeper chambers, where imperial aura permeated, suffocating all who entered. And at the very deepest point was a Primal Chaos Dragon Nest, said to have been built by true dragons. The Ruthless Emperor had already been interred within it.

At this moment, in a vast ancient cave, Great Saint Qianlun was conversing with his grandson, Lei Zhan.

"Grandfather, you can rest assured," Lei Zhan said sinisterly. "I have laid out a brilliant trap. The Human Saint Body will have no choice but to leap into it. I will make him throw himself in without hesitation, even knowing it's a certain death. He will kneel and lick the soles of my feet."

Upon arriving at the snow mountains, Ye Fan and the Human Demon naturally no longer concealed their true forms, as they had come specifically to smash the Myriad Dragon Nest and vent their anger.