Chapter 388: Jiang Taixu Revives

Chapters Two and Three are here, combined and published together without separation.

Several old fiends had lived for four millennia without decay, a truly rare sight in the world. Naturally, they knew many secrets unknown to ordinary people. However, one of them actually uttered the words 'whipping staff,' which truly astonished Ye Fan. Could he have encountered the Qi Refiners from ancient times? On the other side of the starry sky, ancient legends spoke of a 'whipping staff.' When Ye Fan found the wooden staff, he felt it was similar and thus named it accordingly.

“What is a whipping staff?” another old fiend asked, puzzled, turning to his companion.

The others held their breath, listening intently. The scene just now had been too bizarre; a young cultivator like Ye Fan actually knocked an old fiend head over heels. It was truly astonishing.

“Two millennia ago, I saw a person outside Immortal Mountain who carried a wooden staff almost identical to this weapon.” This old fiend had encountered a peculiar cultivator near Immortal Mountain, fought a great battle, suffered a heavy defeat, and fled in disarray, deeply remembering this weapon.

“That wooden staff wounded you?” another old fiend asked, surprised.

Not far away, the old fiend who had just been struck by the staff shot two terrifying beams of light from his eyes, fixing them on Ye Fan, who was within the Great Emperor's formation.

“Three rotting corpses, do you dare to fight again?” Ye Fan taunted, wielding the staff. He had no other choice; if the Great Emperor's formation was breached, he would not escape. Thus, he completely unleashed his full power.

Crimson divine sense surged forth like a galactic river. Another old fiend attacked, his terrifying spiritual power, like countless crashing waves, ripped through the void. Their physical bodies had decayed, but their spiritual power had ascended to an unbelievable degree, enough to make anyone who witnessed it tremble with fear. However, Ye Fan was not afraid. “No matter how heaven-defying your spiritual power is, I will strike it down with a single, courageous, and unparalleled blow.”

With a 'thwack,' the boundless sea of divine sense, which had surged like a tide, was instantly cleaved open as the whipping staff swung down, as if held in check by a sea-calming pearl, no longer raging so wildly.

With a 'boom,' Ye Fan was sent flying backward, jolted by that immense force, landing hundreds of feet away, just as before. Meanwhile, that old fiend let out a shriek, stumbled backward, and nearly fell to the ground, almost exactly like the previous old fiend.

“Indeed, it’s an artifact specifically designed to strike spiritual power!” The old fiends’ eyes burned with fervor. “This is a secret treasure!”

Secret treasures are not conventional weapons; rather, they are implements with special uses. Perhaps their might isn't immense, but they possess extremely unique functions. The eyes of many Saint Lords also grew fervent. If this weapon were thoroughly studied and its inherent Dao patterns copied onto other weapons, it would have endless wondrous uses.

“Even with a wondrous treasure, what good is it?” an old fiend stepped forward. “Before absolute power, all external forces are illusory.” An exquisite pagoda shot out from between his brows. Although his body was corrupted, this pagoda emitted sacred light, as if crafted from multi-colored glazed glass, sending forth streaks of five-colored light that were captivating.

With a 'thump,' the pagoda vibrated, transforming into a seven-colored rainbow that rushed into the Great Emperor's formation, pressing down on Ye Fan. The old fiend's divine sense was imbued within it; as long as the pagoda remained intact, he wouldn't fear the whipping staff.

“Again!” Ye Fan swung the wooden staff, striking the seven-colored pagoda with an earth-shattering clang, sending it flying like a meteor streaking across the sky.

“Zombie! You're out of your league, no match for me at all!” Ye Fan declared brazenly, deliberately trying to provoke them. This time, his position was strategically chosen. The old fiend’s divine sense could only just reach this spot, blocked by the formation, preventing him from using his full power.

“Insolent junior!” The old fiend's words were chilling. He quickly conjured the seven-colored glazed pagoda again, rapidly enlarging it as it descended towards Ye Fan, attempting to capture him.

Ye Fan’s fingers turned a faint gold, his physical strength boundless. He swung the whipping staff as if it could shatter the firmament. With a 'clang,' this time Ye Fan struck with tremendous force, nearly sending the pagoda flying towards the Dragon Transformation Pond, almost out of the old fiend’s control. The old fiend felt an urge to spit blood. Even with the whipping staff, Ye Fan shouldn’t have been a threat to them, as the three of them were incredibly powerful. But this little bastard’s position was too cunning; it allowed them to just barely reach him but prevented them from exerting any real force to strike him effectively.

“Zombie, can you even do this?” Ye Fan taunted, holding the staff, his expression one of disdain, brazenly mocking the old fiend. “If not, then all three of you come at once!”

With a 'boom,' the three old fiends, having lived for so many years, had long since disregarded the rules of the mortal world. They acted as they pleased, heedless of others’ thoughts. A seven-colored glazed pagoda, a soul-summoning banner, and a white bone staff transformed into streaks of light and rushed over, intent on killing Ye Fan. They weren't trying to join forces to kill Ye Fan; rather, each of them wanted to slay him individually, so they all attacked independently, uncaring of what others thought.

Clang! Clang! ... In front of the Dragon Transformation Pond, it sounded as if iron was being forged, with repeated loud clangs. Ye Fan's fingers had turned completely golden, and the force of his strikes was unparalleled. In the distance, everyone's expressions changed. They looked at Ye Fan, feeling strange; this young man’s physical strength was too immense. Even the older generation felt their hearts pound, sensing that if they were to engage him in close combat, they might not gain an advantage. This staff was perfectly suited for Ye Fan; it couldn't be controlled by divine sense, only wielded physically. It was as if it had been custom-made for him at this stage, and when he swung it, it almost tore open the void.

The whipping staff trembled slightly. Ye Fan quietly activated the 'All' character secret from the Nine Secrets, boosting his physical strength tenfold. He suddenly exerted force, striking the three heavy artifacts towards the Dragon Transformation Pond. In that instant, he didn't know how many times he had swung it, making people's eardrums numb. Finally, he sent the seven-colored glazed pagoda flying, out of the old fiend's control.

Clang! Jiang Yun acted, using his broken war-halberd to pin down the pagoda and quickly seal it, preventing it from escaping. The distance was too great, and blocked by the Great Emperor's formation, that old fiend was willing but powerless; he simply couldn't retrieve it. Everyone was greatly astonished, even the three old fiends could hardly believe it. How could Ye Fan suddenly unleash such immense physical strength?

“Zombies, you’re no good!” Ye Fan chuckled, wagging a finger. He knew that even with the whipping staff in hand, he couldn't severely injure the three fiends who had lived for over four millennia. He was merely buying time.

“Junior, let's see how long your arrogance lasts.” The three old fiends stopped wasting words and focused on deciphering the Great Emperor's formation, preparing to storm in and kill everyone. No matter how Ye Fan provoked them, they ignored him. Eventually, Jiang Yun stepped forward, wielding the whipping staff to confront the three old fiends, but still couldn't overcome them. Everyone was horrified. Even with a weapon that countered the three rotting corpses, against absolute power, it was impossible to defy fate or turn the tide. These figures were contemporaries of Jiang Taixu, having lived for over four thousand years. They hadn't merely idled away their time; they were of the generation of the Saint Lords' ancestors.

Time flowed by. An hour later, the Great Emperor's formation was mostly deciphered. In less than half an hour, it would surely be completely erased.

“Killing the Old King is imminent!” The thirteen Saint Lords roared, putting pressure on the Jiang family. At this moment, in the Dragon Transformation Pond, a dozen elders channeled streams of their life force into the Old King’s body, helping him dissolve the Dragon Pearl Fruit to defy fate and change his destiny. Golden light radiated from his body, and his withered flesh gained some luster, yet he remained silent and still, without a single sound.

“Jiang Taixu, you are sure to die!”

“I will devour his body to avenge four millennia of hatred!”

The three old fiends turned savage, their eyes radiating increasingly terrifying light as they obliterated one innate pattern after another.

“What do we do?” The Jiang family members were utterly despairing. If the three fiends attacked, no one could stop them.

“Brother Taixu... Brother Taixu...” Suddenly, a ghostly voice rang out, echoing throughout the entire city. Everyone heard it. The voice was ethereal, seemingly coming from all directions—east, west, south, north—rapidly approaching the Dragon Transformation Pond. Everyone’s expressions changed; its speed was so astonishing.

“Who is that?” To call Jiang Taixu 'Brother' implied an incredibly terrifying age; it had to be an unparalleled figure who had lived for over four millennia.

Flash! A light flickered, and an old woman with a wrinkled face appeared in the field. Her body was hunched, her white hair sparse, and she walked with a staff like a phantom. She was, frankly, incredibly old and decrepit, yet she wore a five-colored feather robe, ill-fitting for her age. Most astonishingly, there was a blood-soaked hole in her chest, bleeding profusely, almost completely pierced through.

“Brother Taixu... Four thousand years, and I finally see you again,” the old woman said, tears streaming down her face. “I have grown old; my youth is gone. I truly didn’t want you to see me like this.”

“Fairy Caiyun?” The three old fiends exclaimed in shock, as if seeing a ghost. It seemed they hadn’t expected anyone from their generation to still be alive.

“You three want to take my Brother Taixu’s life? You’ll have to step over my corpse first!” The old woman’s white hair flew wildly as she pointed her staff forward. An incomparably terrifying pressure erupted, manifesting hundreds of thousands of interwoven patterns.

“This is...”

“The Order of Heaven and Earth!” The thirteen Saint Lords were shocked.

The force exerted by the old woman wasn't particularly terrifying, but it revealed something profound: the fighting style of someone who had lived for over four millennia without decay was completely different. They wielded the Great Dao, unleashing the order of heaven and earth, not mere brute force. This was an embodiment of their comprehension of the Dao, making it a truly terrifying combat style. The three old fiends dared not be careless. This was a life-or-death adversary from their own generation. Their opponent possessed both physical strength and mighty spiritual power, making her more formidable than them.

“Fairy Caiyun, why bother?” an old fiend low-growled, seemingly wary of the old woman. “You couldn’t marry him back then, and now, four thousand years later, you still can’t let him go?”

“So it’s her,” the Jiang family members and the thirteen Saint Lords were all shocked, guessing the identity of the old woman. She was Jiang Taixu’s confidante from long ago, a Saintess of the Myriad Beginning Holy Land. Saintesses could not marry outside their sect. Fairy Caiyun had no way to be with Jiang Taixu. The Old King had once broken into the Myriad Beginning Holy Land, intending to take her away, but Fairy Caiyun, mindful of her master’s grace, ultimately did not leave. Yet she never married a Saint Son throughout her life, living in solitude with an ancient lamp in a secluded cave, never again stepping into the mortal world. People had not expected her to still be alive. What truly shocked people was: who had injured her? Her heart had been almost completely pierced through, bleeding profusely.

Buzz! It was a confrontation of the Order of Heaven and Earth, a clash of tangible principles. Fairy Caiyun's body bled as she battled the three old fiends. Many Saint Lords kept their distance. If struck by the power of this order, the consequences would be unpredictable and utterly terrifying.

“Senior, come in quickly!” Jiang Yun sent a voice transmission, instructing her on how to enter the Great Emperor's formation. Although the old woman was powerful, she absolutely could not contend with three old fiends alone. Such a formidable reinforcement had appeared. If she were to quickly die a tragic death here, it would be utterly wasteful.

Flash! A light flickered. Fairy Caiyun dodged the three old fiends, entered the formation, and arrived before the Dragon Transformation Pond. She trembled as she fell into the pond, embracing Jiang Taixu.

“Brother Taixu... you must live... you must!” Tears streamed down her face. Seeing Jiang Taixu’s skeletal appearance, she couldn’t help but weep uncontrollably. She channeled streams of her life essence into Jiang Taixu's body; the light, like silk ribbons, illuminated the entire Dragon Transformation Pond.

“Senior Caiyun, you don’t need to do this!” the elders nearby said, deeply moved, attempting to dissuade her. “Old Ancestor Wang has medicine within him that can revive him. You don’t need to exhaust your life span!”

“My life force is extinguished; I cannot live on. You need not say more,” Fairy Caiyun said. Streams of life essence continuously surged from the top of her head, merging into Jiang Taixu’s body. She caressed Jiang Taixu’s face with her hand, tears falling, and said, “Four thousand years since we parted. In the past, you were as handsome as jade, full of heroic spirit. Now, you’ve grown old like this.” Tears constantly rolled from Fairy Caiyun’s cloudy eyes. She said, “In those years, you traversed the world; who dared to stand in your way? Now, in your twilight years, so many wish to kill you.”

“Brother Taixu... don’t die...” she murmured, almost begging, as if transported back four thousand years.

“Please don’t deplete your life essence any further. If Old Ancestor Wang were aware, he would surely refuse,” Jiang Yun pleaded again.

“I am already failing. Quickly, let Taixu recover and come back,” Fairy Caiyun said, shaking her head.

“Senior, what exactly happened? Who injured you to this extent?” Jiang Yun asked, sensing the extreme gravity of the situation. For such a being to be severely wounded implied the existence of even more terrifying figures hidden in the shadows.

“A very terrifying person... only Taixu’s revival can deal with him...” Fairy Caiyun had crossed the void using a City Stone Token from the Myriad Beginning Holy Land’s collection; only in this way could she enter the currently sealed ancient city. She had come specifically to save the Old King, engaging in a battle above an underground palace with a terrifying figure, and was wounded to this extent.

“What? There’s such a person in the shadows?” Even Jiang Yun felt a surge of despair. “He must be controlling the Great Emperor’s Saint Weapon, clashing with the Hengyu Saint Furnace!”

Boom! The Great Emperor's formation was broken open. The three old fiends laughed heartily, their words chillingly cold.

“We’ll send all of you on your way!”

“Fairy Caiyun, you and Jiang Taixu can rekindle your romance in the underworld!”

The old woman gently placed Jiang Taixu into the Dragon Transformation Pond, walked onto the bank, took one last look back at Jiang Taixu, and then charged towards the three old fiends. At that moment, only she could briefly hold back figures of their generation. No one else could possibly stop them, and Ye Fan had already handed the whipping staff to her.

Buzz! This was a life-or-death struggle. The Order of Heaven and Earth interwoven, clashing back and forth between the two sides. They hadn't truly closed in, yet the danger was even greater.

Thwack! Four or five blood holes successively appeared on Fairy Caiyun's body. They were wounds inflicted by the power of the heavenly laws. Even as powerful as she was, she couldn't resist three immortal fiends from her own generation.

Boom! At the same time, the thirteen Saint Lords advanced with large strides; they were equally terrifying. Everyone present was utterly despairing. How could they defy fate now?

Thump! Fairy Caiyun stood in front, blocking all thirteen Saint Lords at once. However, these mighty figures, though not as ancient as she, were nonetheless the peak powerhouses of the current era, equally terrifying. With so many people standing together, they could block and kill anything; the old woman was instantly sent flying, her body nearly in tatters. Bones creaked. Streaks of patterns burst from Fairy Caiyun’s body, and her hunched form straightened considerably. She merged her body with the Order of Heaven and Earth, burning her life force to drive the Great Dao and obstruct these people. However, even as powerful as she was, she could not withstand three old fiends in addition to thirteen Saint Lords.

“Brother Taixu, today we die together...” The old woman smiled sadly.

“All of you, die!” The thirteen Saint Lords stepped forward, exuding unparalleled terrifying might.

“Old Ancestor Wang, I, Jiang Yi, have come to save you!” A loud roar echoed as an unparalleled terrifying pressure swept down from above the crumbling underground palace, making everyone tremble with fear. A colossal demonic jar descended from the sky, devouring heaven and earth, intent on drawing everything into itself.

“The ancient Heaven Devouring Demonic Jar?” Everyone was shocked, feeling their souls suppressed, almost on the verge of shattering.

Boom! The colossal jar descended, and the three old fiends and thirteen Saint Lords all involuntarily scattered, retreating rapidly. It was a half-complete ultimate weapon. This was no ordinary weapon; if struck by it, they would surely be annihilated.

The Ninth Great Bandit Jiang Yi had arrived! He had borrowed the Heaven Devouring Demonic Jar from Tu Tian to break through the city’s seal and force his way in to rescue the Old Ancestor.

“No one can revive a damaged Great Emperor’s Saint Weapon, unless an ancient sage uses it. Otherwise, it simply cannot unleash the might of the Hengyu Saint Furnace,” the three old fiends sneered repeatedly. Only a powerful expert could wield a Great Emperor's Saint Weapon to revive it and manifest its ultimate power; otherwise, in the hands of an ordinary person, it would be no different from a dead object. If it were a damaged ultimate weapon, it would require an ancient sage to activate it to revive its ultimate power; the requirements were even more stringent.

“It can’t manifest its ultimate power, but it’s enough for self-preservation!” Jiang Yi roared, holding the Saint Weapon as he arrived before the Dragon Transformation Pond. “Old Ancestor, I’ve come to save you!” The ancient Heaven Devouring Demonic Jar rapidly expanded, covering the area and sealing the Dragon Transformation Pond below. Although the ancient Great Emperor’s Saint Weapon hadn’t fully revived, it was still incredibly terrifying; even slight fluctuations made the thirteen Saint Lords feel a thrill of dread.

The arrival of the Ninth Great Bandit Jiang Yi was beyond everyone’s expectations. At this critical moment, he appeared with a half-complete ultimate weapon, resolving the immediate crisis. However, everyone knew that without Fairy Caiyun, even an Immortal King's arrival would have been useless. It was she who had held back the terrifying figures, thus saving everyone. But now, her own life was at stake; she clearly wouldn't survive. Her body was pierced in multiple places by the power of the Order of Heaven and Earth, all her internal organs gone, her life force extinguished.

“Brother Taixu... do you know? I’ve come to see you... Four thousand years later... we’ve reunited...” She trembled as she entered the Dragon Transformation Pond, picked up Jiang Taixu, and gently caressed his cheek. “I truly wanted to tell you I wished to walk with you under the setting sun... but there’s no time left... you’ll be immortal... and you won’t hear my voice anymore.” Fairy Caiyun’s cloudy eyes grew increasingly dim.

No one present could bear to interrupt; they watched them in silence. With a soft cry, endless light surged from her body, entering Jiang Taixu’s.

“Brother Taixu... In the past, you searched for Earth Origin Black to replenish my lifespan... wanting me to live with you for four millennia... to grow old together in this mortal world. I waited for you... but now... I cannot personally witness your revival.” The old woman channeled all of her vital essence into Jiang Taixu’s body. Her physical form instantly withered, her eyes completely dimming. She murmured, “I wish I could go back four thousand five hundred years... if time could rewind... Brother Taixu... I would have followed you... instead of staying in the Holy Land...”

The old woman’s life force was completely depleted, without a shred of strength left. Her ashen lips trembled, but she could no longer speak. Beside them, the younger and middle generations of the Jiang family wept silently, almost unable to bear witnessing this scene.

“I... don’t want...” The old woman’s lips trembled, wanting to say something, but she could no longer speak. Many people knelt down to listen closely. Ye Fan asked in a trembling voice, “What do you want to say, old one?”

Jiang Yun channeled life essence into her, allowing the old woman to speak. She said, “After I die... cover my body with a white cloth... tell Taixu... not to unveil me... I don’t want him to see me... like this. I want him to remember me... always as I was four thousand years ago.”

“Senior...” All those present were cultivators, their wills firm, yet at this moment, they found it unbearable, feeling an urge to shed tears.

“Senior Caiyun...” Many couldn't help but choke up.

“Brother Taixu... in the end... I cannot journey with you...” After the old woman finished speaking, the last spark of light in her eyes vanished. Her head silently dropped, resting against Jiang Taixu’s side.

“Senior Caiyun...” Many cried out, their vision completely blurred by tears.

“The Old King... in his eyes... there's a glistening drop. He sensed all of this.” Everyone present realized, both sadly and with a sense of awe, that a crystal-clear tear gently rolled down from the corner of Jiang Taixu’s withered eye.

“Old Ancestor, his subconscious heard all of this...”

“Senior Caiyun, do not regret. The Old Ancestor’s sleeping subconscious knows all of this...”

Many cried out in sorrow.

Everyone acted together, helping Jiang Taixu refine the medicine. The time taken was far shorter than anyone had imagined; in just half a day, the Old King began to slowly revive. Another quarter of an hour passed. He suddenly opened his eyes, two brilliant rays of light shooting forth. Yet, he remained motionless for a long time, quietly gazing at the old woman beside him. Then, the Old King, Jiang Taixu, suddenly stood up. Cupping the old woman's body in his hands, he stood in the Dragon Transformation Pond and let out a mournful roar to the sky: “Caiyun...”

This roar shook heaven and earth, resonated through the city, soared into the clouds, and startled everyone.