Chapter 1369: Wind and Cloud Rise

The Great Demonic God had returned. Although not particularly tall and somewhat slender, his majestic presence, as if he could survey heaven and earth and devour mountains and rivers, made people involuntarily tremble.

His figure was blurred, clad in heavy armor. He sat there alone, while all the cultivators around him stood up; no one dared to sit with him. That area was very quiet.

This was an awe-inspiring power, forged through countless killings—a path to supremacy built with blood and bones! People still vividly remembered the battle ten years ago when he single-handedly destroyed an ancient life star; not a single person escaped, and all living beings in that life-source land were reduced to withered bones.

Immense slaughter and a sea of blood permeating his being—this was his path. Otherwise, he wouldn't be known as the Great Demonic God. He acted on his own will, making everyone on the ancient path wary of him.

“I truly hope our Lord suppresses him and makes him a battle slave,” said the Qilin Saint Envoy, clenching his fists. “I still remember the scene when he raised his hand to kill my elder brother, with blood and bone fragments flying everywhere.” His eyes were bloodshot, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

“Our Lord will eventually fight him; it won’t be too far off,” the Vermillion Bird Saint Envoy nodded. “There will certainly be a deification battle on the ancient path to contend for the future position of the First Supreme.”

The others also had cold expressions and secretly clenched their fists. If they hadn't known the Great Demonic God's absolute terror so well, they would most likely have rushed forward to engage him in battle.

Many of their acquaintances and friends had been suppressed and killed by the Great Demonic God, or perhaps more accurately, eradicated—destroyed with a mere lift of his hand, like pulling up weeds.

Along his path, the Great Demonic God had killed countless astonishing masters; he probably didn't even know how many enemies lay dead at his feet, and he never cared.

The Azure Poetry Immortal, who had remained silent, calmly glanced at them and secretly reminded, “Speak less. When strength reaches a certain level, even if you are transmitting thoughts with divine sense, it might be intercepted.”

Indeed, the Great Demonic God, seated on the other side, cast a cold glance in their direction. Although his figure was blurry, his eyes were incredibly intimidating.

Within that not-so-tall body, there was power that could make the star rivers of all heavens tremble. Just one glance made the Qilin Saint Envoy and the others feel as if they had fallen into an ice cellar.

Their bones felt cold, their hair stood on end, and their bodies felt as if a layer of ice had formed on them.

Everyone was surprised and looked their way. Was the Great Demonic God about to unleash a massacre the moment he appeared? This… well, it certainly matched his nature.

The Azure Poetry Immortal slightly bowed, dispelling the supreme killing aura. She smiled in the Great Demonic God's direction and said, “Brother Gu Huang, long time no see. How have you been?”

Her voice, like a heavenly melody, contained a peaceful holy power. Dao patterns bloomed in the void like translucent petals, effectively diminishing that self-centered killing intent.

The Great Demonic God cast a cold glance and nodded slightly. Although they were competitors, this was not an occasion for a bloody battle, so he did not act.

The Qilin Saint Envoy, Vermillion Bird Saint Envoy, and others remained silent, their faces grim. Despite their indignation, they had to admit the immense disparity in power; without the Azure Poetry Immortal present, they would be in danger.

After a brief silence, the Nebula Pavilion regained its lively atmosphere. The area around the Great Demonic God remained empty, and people at other tables resumed their conversations.

People kept their distance from him out of respect and fear, but they weren't entirely scared away. With the possibility of Dharma Protectors frequenting the Nebula Pavilion, people weren't overly worried.

Currently, the Yellow Springs spanned across the cosmos. The Emperor's Corpse might collapse the void and fall out of that secret realm, stirring everyone's hearts.

Ultimately, the return of the young supremes from the depths of the ancient path was entirely due to the imminent appearance of the Emperor's Tomb; everything was related to this event.

These individuals possessed vast supernatural powers. They had even managed to inquire about some decisions made by the Dharma Protectors, and were discussing here that the giants would take action in the coming days.

At that time, not only the Human Race Dharma Protectors, but also peak-level Great Sages from the Sacred Spirit lineage and others would take action. To see the Emperor's Corpse, the supreme powerhouses might choose to temporarily cooperate.

The Dharma Protectors of the Human Race's ancient path had long ago made a deduction: this was absolutely not something one or two people could meddle with casually. A truly complete Emperor's Corpse had never been seen by anyone; heaven knew what would happen once it appeared in the world.

Ye Fan secretly mused that with the strong ones taking action, the power he could leverage would greatly increase. At that time, he should be able to rescue Pang Bo.

His only worry was that someone might have anticipated his arrival and set a trap for him. After all, many people now knew that Pang Bo had a deep relationship with him, and had challenged the Hegemon for his sake, holding him here for many days.

As the 'ding-dong' sound of a zither rang out, starlight sprinkled from upstairs, and auspicious clouds swirled outside the window, as if they were in the Ninth Heaven. A group of exquisite young women appeared, their bodies translucent and delicate, wearing feathered robes that flowed with a five-colored glow, gracefully dancing.

This was a feature of the Nebula Pavilion; they often invited female cultivators, some even famous figures on the ancient path, to perform light songs and dances, making the place feel like a celestial realm.

Streaks of starlight, an ethereal jade pavilion, and ethereal colorful mists steamed. A group of women in cloud robes danced lightly and gracefully, like celestial beings crossing the waves, utterly transcendent.

“The Sacred Body from the Burial Emperor Star has arrived,” a magnetic female voice interwove with the singing, amidst the 'ding-dong' zither music. “I wonder if the Great Demonic God will go to meet the challenge?”

People looked back to see the Great Demonic God, steady as Mount Tai, as if he hadn't heard anything, quietly drinking alone and making no response.

“I once heard that Emperor Tian wanted to take the Sacred Body as his subordinate, but unexpectedly, the people he sent were all killed,” the voice continued. “Is there going to be another clash now? Has Emperor Tian arrived?”

Amidst the 'ding-dong' zither music, this woman's pleasant voice reached everyone's ears, making many people pause in surprise, as they had not known such a thing had happened.

“Such a thing happened? Will Emperor Tian come?” The eyes of the various powerful figures flashed with fervent light, anticipating a great clash.

“To want to subdue the Sacred Body and make him his own—Emperor Tian truly dares to dream. Does he want to make a big move?” someone whispered. “Once Ye Fan advances to the Saint King realm, it will be hard to predict who is stronger or weaker.” The battle not long ago had made everyone aware of his boundless potential.

On this side, the Qilin Saint Envoy sneered continuously. He truly hoped Ye Fan would come and be suppressed by Emperor Tian, so everyone could see this come true.

“Has Emperor Tian arrived yet?” someone asked.

However, on this side, none of the Vermillion Bird Saint Envoy and others spoke. They all remained coldly silent, saying nothing.

“Oh, the zither music has stopped. Where is that woman from just now?” Everyone realized that the woman, clad in clouds and starlight, who had been sitting amidst the starlight playing the zither, had departed without anyone noticing.

Soon, someone realized something and said, “Could it be that the Goddess of the Starry Ancient Path has also arrived? I heard she is proficient in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Could that woman have been sent by her?”

Everyone's hearts stirred. There would certainly be a conflict in the Star Ruins. Both elder supreme powerhouses and young prodigies had appeared here one after another, making the situation very complex.

Perhaps there would be various duels and vendettas.

“Azure Poetry Immortal, has Emperor Tian returned yet?” Someone directly asked the banished immortal, wanting to get a clear answer.

“He should be coming,” the Azure Poetry Immortal replied.

A commotion immediately arose in the Nebula Pavilion. The Great Demonic God, Azure Poetry Immortal, Emperor Tian, the Sacred Body from the Burial Emperor Star, the Goddess, and others—some had arrived, while others were destined to appear. If a clash occurred, it would be a fierce battle between dragons and tigers.

“If the Sacred Body from the Burial Emperor Star advances to the Saint King realm, will Emperor Tian still have an advantage?” In the shadows, someone sharply uttered this sentence, clearly intending to incite conflict, believing the muddier the waters, the better.

The Qilin Saint Envoy, Vermillion Bird Saint Envoy, and others said nothing, but the proud expression on their faces said it all: they firmly believed Emperor Tian was invincible, possessed the source of Dao, and had received the heavens' approval.

“What is this Emperor Tian? Is he coming back?” Suddenly, footsteps echoed from the staircase as two figures came up, speaking in a very disrespectful tone.

One was a burly, red-haired man with a rugged appearance, whose eyes were like brass bells as he ascended the stairs. Behind him was a thin, not very tall old man with snowy white hair and a bright red complexion, looking hale and hearty.

The former was the Dragon Horse, but who was the old man behind him? Ye Fan felt puzzled.

The Qilin Saint Envoy's eyes flashed with cold light. The newcomers dared to be so disrespectful, humiliating Emperor Tian—this had not happened for many years. Even if others didn't submit to the Sacred Body, they only spoke about it privately, yet this person dared to speak so brazenly in public.

“Who are you?!” His killing intent was undisguised.

The Azure Poetry Immortal stopped him immediately, whispering, “The person behind him is Daoist Hundred Tribulations; he is not someone to provoke.”

Many people recognized the old man. He was a famous powerhouse on the ancient path, known as Daoist Hundred Tribulations, a divine donkey who had attained enlightenment. He had long since reached the Great Sage realm and was one of the most troublesome rogue cultivators.

Ye Fan's heart skipped a beat. Could this be that evil donkey spirit mentioned by Zhao Gongyi, the welcoming envoy of Human Race's Fiftieth City? How did he end up with the Dragon Horse? Did they really acknowledge a familial relationship?

“Oh, who wants to bully my great-nephew? Can't he even say a word?” the white-haired old man spoke.

The Qilin Saint Envoy, Vermillion Bird Saint Envoy, and others immediately lost their temper, saying nothing. To be honest, they were not just ordinarily afraid of this divine donkey; this was a notorious old scoundrel who never found anything wrong with bullying the weak and was capable of doing anything.

What was surprising was that the red-haired man had a dark face, seemed ungrateful, and was unwilling to be associated with Daoist Hundred Tribulations.

“Great-nephew, don't run around,” Daoist Hundred Tribulations said. “I'm going to discuss with the Human Race Dharma Protectors and the Sacred Spirits. Wait for me here; when the Emperor's Tomb is opened, I'll grant you good fortune.”

Daoist Hundred Tribulations' figure flashed, disappearing before a secret chamber in the Nebula Pavilion.

Everyone was in an uproar. The Dharma Protectors and Great Sage-level existences were indeed here, discussing the major event of opening the Emperor's Tomb.

Ye Fan sent a telepathic message to the Dragon Horse to understand the situation. It was furious, having been targeted by Daoist Hundred Tribulations as soon as it entered the city, who then forced it to acknowledge him as an ancestor.

“Damn it, he’s forcing me to acknowledge a donkey as an ancestor!” the Dragon Horse fumed. “We’re not even of the same species, yet he says my blood is pure. Bloody hell, is donkey blood flowing in my veins? I think he’s doing this on purpose! Now, I can’t even escape.”

Ye Fan almost burst out laughing. He comforted the Dragon Horse, saying that after all, Daoist Hundred Tribulations was a Great Sage, and acknowledging this protective relative would allow him to roam freely on the ancient path in the future.

The Dragon Horse’s response was an exasperated silence.

“You have a tough mission,” Ye Fan communicated. “Since you’ve established a connection with Daoist Hundred Tribulations, be my inside informant. See what the Great Sages plan to do.”

“I’m a spy now, and I have to face a ‘Donkey Uncle’ all day long!?” The Dragon Horse was utterly unwilling.

“The situation is very complex,” Ye Fan continued. “People from the Netherworld have arrived, and Sacred Spirits have also appeared, who will act together with the Human Race Dharma Protectors. The Great Demonic God, Emperor Tian, the Goddess, the Azure Poetry Immortal, and others have also arrived one after another. Perhaps someone might target me regarding rescuing Pang Bo. I need to change my plan.”

Ye Fan secretly sent a telepathic message, instructing it to inform him immediately if there was any news. Then he got up and left.

Moments later, outside the Ruined City, he conjured a divine light platform, tore through the cosmos, and appeared on the ancient continent where Pang Bo was trapped.

“Pang Bo, when can you undergo the Saint King tribulation?”

“Ye Zi, what happened?” Pang Bo asked. “Is there some unexpected turn of events? Are you planning for us to undergo the tribulation together to break out of this place?”

“Perhaps someone will target us, so be prepared,” Ye Fan conveyed telepathically, telling him that Great Sage-level beings were about to take action and the Emperor’s Corpse might soon emerge.