Chapter 363: The Era of Prosperity and Sorrow

“You have the Unrivaled Emperor Scripture?!” Ye Fan, Pang Bo, and Tu Fei all stared at the large black dog.

The dog immediately felt uneasy, backing away a few steps. “Why are your eyes as green as wolves’?” it asked.

The various Holy Lands of the Eastern Wilderness and the Hundred Sects of Zhongzhou had tried every conceivable method to open Purple Mountain and obtain the Great Emperor Wu Shi’s legacy, practically losing their hair in the process. Yet, the black dog had suddenly blurted out such a statement, astonishing everyone present.

“This dead dog just brags. If he had the Unrivaled Emperor Scripture, sows would fly,” Tu Fei scoffed.

The black dog cursed, then shamelessly declared, “Who do you think this Emperor is? What could possibly stump me? In this world, if there’s a Congenital Holy Body Dao Embryo, I’d risk my old life to get an Unrivaled Emperor Scripture!”

“You just say you’ll get it, and you will?” Tu Fei sneered.

Ye Fan, however, looked intently at the black dog, his eyes gleaming with eagerness. Others didn't know, but he did: this dead dog had definitely escaped from Purple Mountain.

“Damn it, kid, stop staring at this Emperor like that.” The black dog seemed to recall the incident with the Western Emperor Scripture, looking displeased. “Getting the Unrivaled Emperor Scripture is simple: give birth to a Congenital Holy Body Dao Embryo and send it into Purple Mountain. You’re guaranteed to get what you want.”

“I’d like to give birth to a Congenital Holy Body Dao Embryo, but who can open this Mountains and Rivers Scroll?”

They had successively used the Vajra Brace, the Divine Lotus, the Heaven-Devouring Demonic Jar, and the golden bell to bombard it, but they couldn't open the scroll at all.

Even the great enemy of the Purple Mansion’s old Holy Lord from back then couldn't break through it. Knowing there was no hope, they stopped wasting energy.

“Purple Cloud Fairy, if you don’t come out, I’ll take this painting to the Heavenly Demon Palace for auction,” the black dog shamelessly yelled. “For the great revival of humanity, you should come out quickly. The Congenital Holy Body Dao Embryo truly needs to appear.”

“If you don’t come out, we’ll throw you into the Primordial Mine or Undying Mountain. No matter how powerful the Mountains and Rivers Scroll is, it won’t protect you.”

“I think it’s more suitable to just paste this scroll on the gate of the Wonderful Desire Nunnery.”

They tried various forms of provocation, threats, and intimidation.

“You four bastards!” the Purple Mansion Saintess’s voice came from within the scroll. Facing their various dirty tricks, she seemed slightly annoyed, but her voice remained calm.

“You can sense everything outside, that makes things easy. From now on, I’ll treat you as an ordinary scroll and hang you in my bedroom.”

The group continued to employ all sorts of mischievous tactics, but the Purple Mansion Saintess gave no further response.

Carrying the Mountains and Rivers Scroll was truly a hot potato. Inside was sealed a Congenital Dao Embryo, capable of wielding the Great Dao. If she were to launch a sneak attack, they would at least be severely wounded, if not killed.

“Let’s seal it up first!”

With the help of the black dog, a master of Dao patterns, the Mountains and Rivers Scroll was completely sealed. Afterwards, Ye Fan placed the scroll inside the Vajra Brace and suppressed it with the nine mysterious ancient characters from the Dao Scripture.

“Little Ye Zi, haven’t you sealed a few too many people? They’re all very significant figures,” Tu Fei remarked, astonished.

The group counted the suppressed individuals in the snow, exchanging glances. It truly was a luxurious lineup. If they formed a mining team, it would certainly drop jaws everywhere.

First, within the Lihuo Divine Furnace were sealed the Eastern Wilderness’s elites: the Shaking Light Saint Son, the Golden-Winged Little Peng King, and Yao Xi, who were absolutely peerless prodigies of the younger generation.

Secondly, Xu Yuan was the most favored youngest grandson of the Third Bandit King Xu Tianxiong, and Jiang Yichen was the apple of a great power’s eye in the Jiang family; both had astonishing backgrounds.

Furthermore, Li Rui, the Shaking Light’s alternate Saint Son, and over a dozen female disciples of the Purple Mansion also possessed extraordinary identities.

And now, they had even suppressed the Congenital Dao Embryo. They had all personally experienced the Purple Mansion Saintess’s power; her body and Dao were united, making her innately invincible, with virtually no rival among her peers.

Tu Fei sighed, noting that the Eastern Wilderness had entered a period of extreme prosperity, with too many young talents. In the past, having two such individuals would have been extraordinary.

But now, there were not only two Divine King Bodies but also a Congenital Dao Body, and Heaven-blessed geniuses like the Shaking Light Saint Son and the Golden-Winged Little Peng King.

“Such figures, only one appearing in an era would be enough. Otherwise, it can only be a tragedy.”

The Divine King Body of the Eastern Wilderness, as the name implied, was absolutely the king among their peers. No matter how astonishingly talented or brilliant you were, coexisting with him in the same era was a tragedy. The future of the Eastern Wilderness was destined to be his domain.

The Congenital Dao Embryo, on the vast land, was almost insurmountable. Once she became a Holy Lord-level figure, her body and Dao would merge, and no matter how boundless your magic power, you would be suppressed.

The Shaking Light Saint Son and the Golden-Winged Little Peng King possessed Heaven-defying talent. Some speculated that they could walk the path of a Great Emperor, already showing glimpses of a young Great Emperor’s demeanor.

In past eras, any one of these individuals would have been sufficient to stand at the peak of an era, but now they had all appeared together.

“Congenital Dao Embryo, Holy Body, Divine Body, Young Emperors… all figures destined to be supreme in their respective generations, yet they’ve never met in the same era to contend for supremacy.”

Now, with so many people born in the same era, it seemed prosperous, but it was also a tragedy. Future battles were inevitable to determine a victor, as only one Great Emperor could emerge.

The black dog scoffed, “What’s this? Who said these body types can’t appear in the same era? You just haven’t seen it or heard of it.”

“When was this? Why don’t we know?”

“There’s a lot you don’t know.”

“Dead dog, stop being so secretive. Quickly tell us which era you’re talking about.”

The black dog said, “Recalling over a hundred thousand years ago, in that era, stars shone brightly. Both Divine King Bodies and Heavenly Demon Bodies emerged, truly a time when kings rose together, surpassing all past and present.”

“How could such an era possibly exist?” Tu Fei couldn’t believe it.

“Of course it existed. You just haven’t experienced it. In that era, almost all body types recorded in ancient texts had appeared.”

“With all sorts of ancient king bodies emerging, plus some Heaven-blessed geniuses, wouldn’t that cause utter chaos and leave the entire land in turmoil?”

The black dog’s thoughts drifted, and it sighed, “Only with kings rising together, stars shining brightly, and geniuses appearing in droves, can the true power of one individual be revealed.”

“If these people had appeared individually, they would have each reigned supreme in their respective eras. To be born together in one life, this is too cruel.”

“Yes, this is a cruel yet glorious era. They tread a path of blood, perhaps even stepping on the corpses of kings to become supreme,” the black dog seemed to concur.

“You’re exaggerating so much. What earth-shattering figure appeared in that era? I imagine they must be immortalized in ancient history.”

“Great Emperor Wu Shi!” the Black Emperor simply stated these four words.

Everyone gasped. No wonder. Only such a figure could have stood out.

No one could truly say how powerful Great Emperor Wu Shi was. Even before he became an emperor, he had single-handedly resisted an ultimate-class weapon from Zhongzhou, while its wielder had nearly achieved emperorship.

That was absolutely confronting the might of a Great Emperor!

“No wonder Great Emperor Wu Shi looked down upon past and present. The era he was born into produced too many astonishingly brilliant figures!”

“Even if others were brilliant, they were destined to be mere green leaves, only serving to highlight the unparalleled might of Great Emperor Wu Shi.”

“I somehow feel that the current era is quite similar. Zhongzhou, Western Desert, and Southern Ridge will certainly have world-shaking geniuses. Perhaps it’s another Wu Shi era!”

“The glory of one person, the tragedy of all geniuses of an era. The brilliance of many stars only makes the sun and moon shine even brighter.”

With a sense of profound emotion, the group left the icy plain and flew into the distance.

In the following days, they sought opportunities to target isolated Saint Sons and Saintesses.

Unfortunately, although those individuals were pursuing Ye Fan’s whereabouts, they were not acting alone, making it almost impossible to find an opening.

In the subsequent days, they roamed deep mountains and ancient mines, solely to search for dragon veins and dig for divine sources. Ye Fan was desperate, needing vast amounts of sources to break his curse, hoping to quickly advance into the Four Extremities Secret Realm.

Now that his Source Arts had matured, he wished to find a major dragon vein, but after traversing countless regions, he hadn't even seen a large mining area.

It was common knowledge that the Northern Region produced sources. For countless years, major powers had flocked here, and nearly all source-producing areas were occupied and divided.

Of course, there were certainly still unparalleled dragon veins on the land, but most were likely very secretive, encountered only by chance.

After seven or eight days, Ye Fan only found one mining area, extracting some exotic sources worth no more than four thousand catties of pure source.

Emerging from the mine shaft, the group was covered in dust and looked quite disheveled.

“This won’t do. Let’s quickly train the people we suppressed and make them mine.”

“Golden-Winged Little Peng King as captain of the first mining team, Shaking Light Saint Son as captain of the second team, Yao Xi and Purple Mansion Saintess…” The group found some humor in their predicament, devising arrangements despite knowing these individuals couldn’t be released.

“I’m still a bit worried. Little Ye Zi, can your broken furnace really hold the Shaking Light Saint Son and the Golden-Winged Little Peng King? If they break out, it’ll be a colossal disaster.”

“And the Congenital Dao Embryo, if she ever gets out, we’re definitely in for big trouble.”

“No problem for now, they can’t escape.”

Just then, the black dog swallowed two large chunks of exotic sources.

“I @#¥&… We worked so hard, and this dead dog swallowed half our sources in one gulp!” Tu Fei raged.

“This Emperor has never mined before. Two thousand catties of source are not enough to compensate me for making an exception!”

A thousand catties of source was an astonishing amount for ordinary people, but for the Desolate Holy Body, which required tens of millions of catties, it was far too little.

Whenever Ye Fan thought of this astronomical figure, he felt a headache and helplessness. Besides the Holy Lands, only the Myriad Dragon Nest and Purple Mountain contained unparalleled divine source blocks. Unfortunately, he couldn't enter these places; forcing his way in would only lead to death.

“If only we had an unparalleled expert, we could go to the Primordial Restricted Zone to dig the Fire Dragon Tomb and Crimson Moon Cave.”

“I think, Little Ye Zi, you should still go to Divine City. After all, there are ready-made stone materials there. With your current Source Arts, you might be able to cut tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of catties of source in a single day,” Tu Fei suggested.

Not long ago, Ye Fan had made a sensational gamble in Divine City, which could be described as sweeping everything before him, quickly obtaining a large amount of source.

However, this also made him a focal point. He hadn't returned since leaving, fearing unexpected events.

Ye Fan nodded and said, “It seems I need to take a risk again. Black Emperor, engrave a top-tier Mysterious Jade Platform for me, just in case.”

Pang Bo said, “I’ll go with you into Divine City. I can mobilize the demon race’s power to ensure your safety.”

“This Emperor wants to go too!”

Tu Fei scoffed, “Why do you want to join the fun? If you show up, the whole city will be trying to beat a dog!”

“Woof!”

“Damn it, dead dog, who’s hitting whom?!”

“Awoo…”

The black dog howled at the moon, incredibly excited. It had finally obtained the Demon Emperor’s Ancient Scripture from Pang Bo, and Ye Fan had also given it the Green Jade Xuan Turtle brought from the Primordial Restricted Zone’s temple.

“Don’t worry, this time, this Emperor will turn the outside world upside down, turning all those who are chasing you into human pets, drawing everyone’s attention and making them think you’re madly plundering sources.”

Ultimately, Ye Fan and Pang Bo set out on the road to Divine City, ready to re-enter the place of gathering winds and clouds.

Snow fell heavily, covering the land in white. The Northern Region had entered its coldest season of the year.

When they were not far from Divine City, Ye Fan and Pang Bo both sensed something amiss. Someone was following them from behind, almost evading their spiritual perception.

“It’s it!”

Eventually, Ye Fan discovered the tracker: a sneaky little golden sprite secretly trailing him in the snow.

“Is that the divine silkworm you cut from the strange stone?” Pang Bo asked, surprised.

“That’s right, it’s this little guy. Last time, if I hadn’t crossed through space to leave, I definitely wouldn’t have shaken it off,” Ye Fan couldn't help but smile.

However, the golden sprite behind him was incredibly indignant, silently pointing a tiny claw at him in accusation, its large eyes wide and seemingly full of grievance.

“Haha… How interesting. Strange stones are truly incredible, anything can be nurtured from them. This time, I must see with my own eyes what else you can cut out,” Pang Bo couldn't help but laugh.

Ye Fan pretended to give chase, which scared the golden sprite into crashing into a snowdrift. It angrily spat out a mouthful of snow, then darted away and vanished.

“It’s not just thieves you fear, but also those who constantly eye your possessions. It seems if I cut out any world-shaking treasures, I’ll have to guard against this little guy.”

Approaching Divine City, the vast white snow disappeared, replaced by endless greenery. In such a bitter cold season, being in a verdant place felt especially comfortable, bathing in a spring breeze, refreshing the entire body.

In the depths of winter, myriad flowers bloomed competitively, a riot of colors, their fragrance mixing with the earthy scent wafting towards them. Spirit springs gurgled, ancient trees flourished, and vines entwined. Traveling through it was indeed a very pleasant experience.

Finally, Ye Fan and Pang Bo separated, entering Divine City one after another, pretending not to know each other. This would allow them to act with greater flexibility.

Upon entering Divine City, they both received astonishing news: the Holy Lands of the Eastern Wilderness and the Hundred Sects of Zhongzhou were about to attack Purple Mountain.

At the very latest, it wouldn’t be more than ten days, and at the earliest, perhaps within the next two days, a world-shaking event was about to occur!

The confirmed news spread that Zhongzhou and the Eastern Wilderness would deploy at least four ultimate-class weapons!

Undoubtedly, a massive storm was brewing. Purple Mountain would surely shake the world, and the legacy of Great Emperor Wu Shi captivated everyone’s attention.

Many believed that regardless of whether the Unrivaled Emperor’s legacy could be obtained, astonishing things would emerge. What power could possibly obstruct ultimate-class saint weapons?

It was very likely to involve the life and death of the Great Emperor, his whereabouts in his later years, and what he did before his demise.

Perhaps the greatest secret of an ancient Great Emperor would be revealed!

Furthermore, the mystery of Divine King Jiang Taixu’s life and death would also be unveiled. Perhaps he was merely a pile of dry bones, or perhaps a living legend would walk out!