Chapter 1564: When the Manure Pit Was There

## Chapter 1568: The Latrine of Yore

"Is the Great Emperor Wushi still alive?" Ye Fan muttered, his expression solemn. If true, it would overturn many established norms and surely shock the human world.

The Black Emperor was already trembling, so agitated that it felt a mix of hope and fear, filled with worry. Another false hope would be unbearable for it; repeated disappointments were truly disheartening.

"Perhaps there truly are heaven-defying methods," said Ji Zi, who was usually a man of few words, a strange gleam in his eyes.

"Great Emperor, please, I beg you, come out and see me!" the large black dog wailed, its cries shaking the numerous mine tunnels within Purple Mountain, producing a deafening, echoing rumble.

The Saint Prince's golden eyes shot out fiery rays as he scanned the area, trying to understand what was happening. Too many incomprehensible and extremely bizarre things had occurred that day.

"Great Emperor, please come out and see Little Black..." the Black Emperor shouted loudly, beginning to run through the ancient tunnels of Purple Mountain, searching for an answer.

However, no one responded. Its roars echoed like thunder throughout the empty Purple Mountain, with no other sound to be heard.

"Great Emperor, please, Little Black truly wants to see you!" the Black Emperor wept bitterly.

It searched frantically, its paw prints reaching every corner. In the process, it discovered an altar set up by the Eight Divine Generals, which enshrined the supreme divine status of the Undying Emperor.

Strangely, the words "Become Immortal" were inscribed on that divine tablet!

However, it had been shattered by a single palm strike. That palm print was so clear, it remained distinct even after ten thousand ages.

"The Great Emperor did this," the Black Emperor said, "He destroyed it with imperial power back then!"

Ye Fan and Ji Zi were both shocked. What was the purpose of that tablet left by the Undying Emperor? In that distant era, this place was Ancient Sovereign Mountain, the most sacred site revered by all ancient races, where the Undying Emperor was buried. Only later did Great Emperor Wushi take residence here. The world had long forgotten its original name; for the various ancient tribes, it was a place close to the gods, connected to the heavens. It could lead to immortality!

The large black dog lay there, listless, growling continuously, unwilling to get up.

"Do not search anymore." The profound voice came again, echoing throughout Purple Mountain.

The figures of the several individuals trembled. The large black dog suddenly lifted its head, gazing at the magnificent Emperor Bell. The Wushi Bell had now petrified, its entire body turned to rock. Its original appearance was indiscernible; it hung suspended high above Purple Mountain, covering the area like a colossal palace.

"Clang..."

A wave of sound from the bell spread out. It was deafening yet clear and peaceful, devoid of any destructive aura of an imperial artifact. There was no oppressive feeling; instead, it felt like a sudden enlightenment, bringing instantaneous realization.

However, the large black dog seemed to have its spine removed, utterly powerless and slumped in that spot. Like Ye Fan and the others, it had truly discerned the source of the sound, and it was completely despairing.

It was the divine spirit born from the Wushi Bell, not the return of Great Emperor Wushi!

"Woof woof woof ow..." the large black dog let out a heartbreaking howl, its body trembling, its heart filled with immense grief. It spat out several large mouthfuls of blood, staining the rocks on the ground red.

Had the Emperor Bell been startled by the Investiture of the Gods and awakened? Was it controlling everything? Was everything its doing?

As the bell waves continued, a stone wall in front cracked and large pieces of stone fell, revealing a "Dao Wall." Clearly, someone frequently lingered there.

"Wrong!" On that broad Dao Wall, these two large characters were inscribed, exuding a majestic aura. They seemed capable of crushing suns, moons, rivers, and mountains, and shattering the universe, with faint, concealed wisps of imperial energy.

"The Great Emperor carved this!" The Black Emperor's gaze was fixed, and it felt even more powerless.

The bell waves ceased, and everything fell silent. Nothing else happened; the Dao Wall became covered in dust, and the two words on it were obscured by the dust of ages, no longer visible.

With things having come to this, there was no longer any reason to stay.

Ye Fan, Ji Zi, and the Saint Prince acted together, pulling up the Black Emperor and forcibly taking it out of Purple Mountain, thus departing from the sacred land where the supreme Great Emperor of the human race had resided in his later years.

"Awoo..." A series of desolate, mournful howls echoed across the cold earth, like a lone wolf howling at the moon, touching the hearts of those who heard it.

For over half a month, the Northern Region was restless. Such sorrowful, wolf-like wails were often heard, startling people. Some cultivators even traveled there and found a large black dog continuously circling outside Purple Mountain, filled with boundless grief.

"Try to be more open-minded," Ye Fan comforted it, saying, "Perhaps a miracle will happen in the future."

"After all, Great Emperor Wushi is no ordinary person. Whether he is alive or dead cannot be definitively concluded. Perhaps there's still... a tiny bit of hope." At this point, the Saint Prince shook his head, unable to continue.

It must be said that the Black Emperor's ability to adjust was quite strong. After half a month of intense grief, it finally acted uncharacteristically, suppressing all its sorrow, and declared, "I firmly believe the Great Emperor entered the Immortal Realm. If not, I will follow his path, inherit his will, and continue in this generation, fulfilling his wish and seeking a final result on the path to immortality!"

Having a goal provides motivation, and only then does one have vigor in life. The large black dog's spirits improved significantly. Ye Fan believed that with this scoundrel dog's thick skin, it would surely be full of life again in two months once it came to terms with things.

In fact, all three had underestimated it. After just over twenty days, it had recovered. Upon learning that an "Immortal Burial Map" had appeared in the Northern Region, it instantly became full of vigor and vitality!

"A divine map, possibly a product of the mythical era, actually appearing in this generation? What does this mean? It must be an immense immortal destiny! The Ancient Heavenly Venerate was unwilling to give up, so he entrusted his hope to future generations!"

"Several pieces of heaven-reaching ancient jade, when combined, form an immortal path map! This is truly astonishing. It's rumored that only the last corner is missing!"

In recent days, a rumor had emerged in the Northern Region, creating an undercurrent of activity. Many people were searching, hoping to find the hidden scripture grounds of the Ancient Heavenly Venerate.

Seeing the large black dog looking so excited and full of energy, Ye Fan felt a bit speechless. His previous words of comfort should have been fed to cats; there was truly no need to pay much attention to it.

In the past month, the great rift in the Immortal Road had worsened, and the beams of light from several major life restricted zones soared to the sky, their momentum even stronger. Meanwhile, the roars of the Undying Daoist of Saint Cliff had weakened. No one knew the outcome, and no one dared to approach.

"This Emperor has finally found out! That map is almost fully assembled by an outsider powerhouse, and one corner is in the hands of an ancient race powerhouse in the Northern Region. There will be major movements in the next few days!" The Black Emperor's eyes gleamed with excitement, truly as if it had found a second spring.

"You should be crying, not so excited," Ye Fan reminded it.

"Damn it, what are you talking about?" The Black Emperor retorted indignantly.

"Go cry for a bit," the Saint Prince also said, rather unkindly.

"Monkey, don't provoke me!" the large black dog threatened. If they continued to tease it like this, it wouldn't take them along when the immortal burial opened.

In truth, the few of them didn't have that inclination. With the path to immortality about to open, they didn't want to create any side issues and were now quietly observing everything in this world.

Neither imperial artifacts, ancient scriptures, nor immortal treasures were as appealing to them as the unfolding events of the path to immortality.

On this day, the large black dog was incredibly excited and solemnly invited them to explore the Ancient Heavenly Venerate's immortal burial. However, all three shook their heads and refused. This was because people had emerged from both the Primordial Mine and Undying Mountain. They were paying close attention, wanting to see if these were ancient supreme beings or figures of imperial descent!

"Don't you dare regret this!" The large black dog dashed away.

However, it left quickly and returned just as fast. In less than two hours, it reappeared before the trio, muttering curses, its large, square head and ears full of indignation.

"What's wrong? Were you beaten back? Do you want us to intervene and help you?" Ye Fan asked, surprised.

At these words, the Black Emperor's face grew even uglier. Its large black face was contorted with resentment, its fangs bared, revealing a mouthful of sharp white teeth that gleamed chillingly. It looked as if it wanted to bite someone.

The others showed curious expressions. Something had definitely happened. Ye Fan and the Saint Prince both pressed it, wondering if this large dog had caused another huge problem.

After repeated questioning, the large black dog finally drooped its large, square head and grumbled with a frustrated expression, "Damn it, I was the one who buried that treasure!"

The three looked at each other, then couldn't help but burst into laughter. Its own treasure had been stolen by others; no wonder it had that expression.

"It's not what you think..." The large black dog's face turned red from holding back, its eyelids twitching wildly as it stared at Ye Fan, saying, "You buried it with me."

Ye Fan was surprised, his face full of confusion, and he rebuked, "When did we ever bury treasure? You old dog, you didn't hide something good behind my back, did you? Was it that imperial sword you didn't want to return to me that someone got?!"

At these words, the large black dog grew even more indignant, tinged with a hint of shame and fury. Finally, veins pulsed on its forehead, making it look incredibly bizarre.

"What exactly did you lose?" the Saint Prince asked.

"Nothing was lost. We dug up a latrine!" the large black dog said through gritted teeth, pinching its nose as it revealed the truth. It then grew even more depressed and indignant.

This time, all three burst into uproarious laughter, bending over backward. The large black dog had gone out so eagerly earlier, and after all that commotion, it had dug up *that* kind of pit. It was enough to make one's teeth fall out from laughter.

Ye Fan finally remembered something and said, "Is it... Jiang Yichen?!"

"Exactly, it's him!" The large black dog's face was dark and contorted, its jowls wrinkled, filled with extreme hatred. "Damn it, I was the one who aged that jade piece to make it look old, and it actually fooled those outsiders. And then, damn it, I ended up going along to join the fun myself!"

Back then, Jiang Yifei's younger brother, Jiang Yichen, was arrogant and unbridled, acting without scruple. He had tried to kill Ye Fan several times. In the end, Ye Fan and the Black Dog found an opportunity to suppress him, burying him and his uncle separately in latrines and sealing them up.

About two hundred years had passed, and he had long forgotten about it. He never imagined that this "treasure" would be dug up today. This was truly a huge joke.

Especially the large black dog enthusiastically stepping into this "trap" itself; it was enough to make one pound the ground with laughter!

After understanding the full story, even the usually reserved Ji Zi patted the Black Emperor's shoulder, unsure what to say. The Saint Prince, needless to say, laughed loudly and unkindly without end, further agitating the Black Emperor, who wanted to scratch his face until it "bloomed."

Of course, the Black Emperor didn't personally excavate the "burial pit." As soon as it approached the area, it felt somewhat familiar. Later, without much effort, it opened the seal. Upon unearthing a skeletal creature, it instantly remembered everything.

On this day, the powerhouses from outside the domain cursed endlessly, reviling the people of Beidou for creating such things. Even immortal burial maps were aged and faked, pulling off such a scheme was truly immoral to the extreme.

This farce made many people laugh incessantly, becoming a source of amusement during their leisure time.

Soon after, Jiang Yichen, who had been suppressed into a state of confusion and stupor, finally awoke. He roared incessantly, vowing to fight Ye Fan to the death and slaughter his entire family.

Being suppressed in a latrine for two hundred years was an absolute humiliation. Had it not been for a life-saving artifact in his soul, which wasn't discovered during the search back then, he would surely have met a grim fate.

Soon after, his uncle was also dug out. Another latrine saw the light of day, enraging the outside powerhouses and ancient tribesmen so much that they cursed without regard for their image. One was bad enough, but two latrines!

Just before the great battle for the path to immortality, such a hilarious and exasperating incident occurred, leaving everyone speechless and becoming a widespread joke.