Chapter 512: 赴瑶池

"I suppressed you once before and eventually let you go. Have you truly learned nothing, thinking that with an all-powerful expert as your grandfather and a strong family, you can act without restraint?" Ye Fan said with a smile on his face.

On the blood-red altar, Jiang Yichen's face was pale. This time, he was genuinely terrified. Having fallen into the hands of these "demons," he even contemplated suicide.

"What... what do you want?" His voice trembled. He had, at one point, believed they intended to offer him as a living sacrifice; otherwise, why would he be bound to such a bloody altar?

"Nephew, look at you, you can barely speak properly. Don't worry, with your uncle here, no one will kill you," Jiang Hairen said with a bright smile.

"Little Uncle, I was wrong, please let me go," Jiang Yichen pleaded, fear in his heart, gritting his teeth and bowing his head in submission.

"What? I didn't quite catch that," Jiang Hairen said loudly, digging into his ear.

"Little Uncle, please let me go," Jiang Yichen repeated, his face slightly flushed. The other person was of similar age, and the address made him feel utterly disgusted.

"Good nephew, so you don't want to kill your uncle this time, and you're not calling him a bastard anymore?" Jiang Hairen asked with a smile.

"We're all Jiang Hairen's brothers, so shouldn't you address us nicely too, nephew?" Liu Kou asked.

A glint of ferocity appeared in Jiang Yichen's eyes, but he quickly concealed it. "Gentlemen, just tell me what you want," he said.

"Don't overthink it, nephew. We just want to catch up," Li Heishui said with a smile.

Jiang Yichen felt stifled. "If you release me, my grandfather will give you enough source stones; even Saint Lord-level artifacts are not a problem," he offered.

"In ancient times, your Jiang family produced some Saints. Burying them in your ancestral tombs is such a waste," the Black Emperor declared, its mouth agape. "I don't want Great Emperor Hengyu's body, but a Saint's bones should be fine, right?"

Jiang Yichen's expression stiffened. A mere dog was making such a demand; surely the devils' conditions would be even more stringent. Of course, he didn't realize this dog was the most avaricious of them all.

Jiang Hairen shot a sidelong glance at the large black dog. The ancient Saints of the Jiang family were undoubtedly its ancestors too, so he naturally wouldn't let it do as it pleased.

Ye Fan thought for a moment, then stepped forward and asked, "Who exactly is the Divine Physique of your Jiang family?"

"Exactly! Two Divine King Physiques appearing simultaneously in the Eastern Wasteland—that hasn't happened in many years. Who exactly is this person, male or female?" Wu Zhongtian also wanted to know the answer.

"Could it be that Jiang Yifei? I've always felt his strength is unfathomable," Liu Kou said.

"I don't know who he is either," Jiang Yichen replied.

"Still stubborn now, eh? Slap him hard until he submits. If there's any trouble, I, your uncle, will take responsibility," Jiang Hairen declared.

"You... no!" Jiang Yichen cried out.

*Smack! Smack!* Li Heishui and Liu Kou were not soft-hearted. Dealing with the Jiang family descendant who had once caused them trouble, they naturally showed no mercy, slapping him loudly.

Jiang Yichen's eyes were gloomy, filled with endless murderous intent, but for now, he could only endure, not daring to challenge them. "He is very mysterious; I only know he is from the clan head's lineage," he said.

"Nonsense!" Jiang Hairen slapped him again. "The Divine King's blood flows in our lineage, how could it have gone to the clan head's line? Are you trying to deceive me even about this?"

"I'm not lying, it's true! There's a rumor in the family that the Divine Physique was adopted by the clan head from outside and is not a member of our Jiang clan," Jiang Yichen cried out, trying to avoid more slaps.

"What? They adopted a Divine Physique?" Everyone was greatly surprised, pondering the revelation for a long while.

Ultimately, neither Jiang Yichen's pleas nor his curses were of any use; the group decided to suppress him.

"If we suppress him for a thousand years, there won't be a speck of bone left of this kid. Let's suppress him for five hundred years," the Black Emperor said, its large paws scurrying about, sweeping away all sorts of treasures.

"You can't do this to me..." Jiang Yichen felt like dying. He hadn't expected them to actually suppress him in a latrine pit.

"Damn it, stop wailing! Your elder uncle already retired before you; it's just your turn now," Li Heishui said, kicking him.

*Plop!* Jiang Yichen fell into the latrine pit, covered in filth, and immediately let out a miserable shriek. There was no grandeur to his fall, yet it was heart-wrenching, veins throbbing on his forehead.

"You truly are a hothouse flower! Your ancestor, Great Emperor Hengyu, dared to go to the Primordial Forbidden Zone to forge the Saint's Furnace and extinguished a supreme existence comparable to a Great Emperor. You merely fell into a latrine pit; what's that compared to it? If you were to fall into the Primordial Ancient Mine, you'd probably just die of fright," the Black Emperor lectured, standing upright, clearly speaking without feeling the pain itself.

"You come in and try it!" Jiang Yichen was nearly driven mad with rage, almost throwing up his stomach, and began to curse wildly.

"Don't bother talking to him, suppress him quickly!" Liu Kou said.

Ye Fan carved a stone tablet and threw it into the latrine pit. "Cultivate well here. If you can emerge alive in five hundred years, you will achieve true enlightenment," he said.

"Even as a ghost, I won't let you go..." Jiang Yichen shrieked, but the stone tablet crashed down, sealing him at the bottom of the latrine pit.

"This kid won't die of anger, will he? Can he really survive five hundred years? There's no spiritual energy here.""Why think so far ahead? This scoundrel deserves to be suppressed in a latrine pit.""Or, we could make a treasure map, divide it into several pieces, and scatter them. Maybe someone will find their way here in a hundred or eighty years.""That's too cruel..."

The group conversed as they departed. Alas for Jiang Yichen, who began a long, arduous period of suffering, unaware of when he would see the light of day again.

Traveling far, Ye Fan sought to stir up trouble. In a dilapidated ancient town, he found ancient traces of the "Human World" organization, left behind divine sources, and requested their services to assassinate someone.

Half a month later, news spread that Jin Chixiao, the first successor of the Northern Plains' Golden Family, had been assassinated and seriously wounded.

"That kid's cultivation is terrifying! Even the 'Seed King' of the Human World organization failed?" Li Heishui and the others were astonished.

"With the golden blood of an Archaic King flowing in his veins, how could he be ordinary? His strength is absolutely terrifying!" the big black dog declared.

Ye Fan nodded. During that bloody battle, Jin Chixiao manifested a deity from his Dao Palace, certainly no weaker than the other Holy Sons. One could imagine the power of his true form.

At this moment, they were in an oasis about eight thousand li in circumference, teeming with life. Pristine mountain ranges, like intertwining dragons and snakes, stood everywhere, creating a very peaceful atmosphere.

"Legend has it that the Old Undying lives in this oasis. Absolutely no one dares to cause trouble here," Wu Zhongtian said.

The Old Undying was a legend, the greatest bandit in the Northern Region. No one knew his true appearance, let alone his exact age, and all the Holy Lands feared him.

"Big brother, what's a hermit?" little Nannan asked.

"We're about to become hermits," Ye Fan said, smiling as he patted her head. Having set up a peerless killing formation that caused rivers of blood overnight and annihilated so many masters, it was impossible for him to move about freely anymore.

"How many years do you plan to hide?" Li Heishui asked him.

"Probably until I reach the Saint Lord level," Ye Fan said with a smile.

"The Holy Physique reaching the Saint Lord level..." The others gasped.

If that happened, even the various Saint Lords wouldn't dare to lay a hand on him. Even knowing he possessed the Mother Qi Cauldron of All Things, they would surely keep their distance.

A Great Power-level Holy Physique could absolutely sweep through all Saint Lords. No one would dare to incur his wrath. At that realm, there would truly be very few people who dared to openly confront him.

"Nannan is a hermit, and you, doggy, should also be a hermit. Don't bite people anymore," little Nannan gently patted the big black dog.

At this moment, they arrived in a beautiful mountain range, with verdant peaks and valleys, gurgling spiritual springs, and ancient trees reaching to the sky, perfect for reclusive living.

"Aren't you attending the Jade Lake Grand Gathering? Everyone who should be there is almost assembled; it's about to begin.""Yes, it would truly be a pity not to go," Liu Kou and the others said.

"If I go, most likely some Saint Lords will make a move against me. I've killed so many people, all masters from supreme sects, five Half-Great Powers, two Holy Sons..." Ye Fan said with a smile, showing a mouth full of glistening white teeth.

Everyone laughed. If Ye Fan were to attend the Jade Lake Grand Gathering, it would undoubtedly spark continuous battles, and he might even kill one or two more Holy Sons.

"What a pity, we won't get to eat the Queen Mother of the West's Divine Peaches..." the big black dog lamented.

As Ye Fan planned to live in seclusion here, Li Heishui and the others prepared to depart. They would accompany their elders to the Jade Lake Grand Gathering, where masters from all over the world would gather, and they wished to broaden their horizons.

That day, a graceful figure arrived, appearing in the mountain range. Her white robes fluttered, unstained by dust, like a celestial maiden from the Moon Palace, untouched by mortal affairs.

They had not expected the Saintess of Jade Lake to arrive, having found this place, and personally come to invite Ye Fan to emerge from seclusion.

"You can rest assured, no one will dare to harm you once you enter Jade Lake. Our Jade Lake will certainly protect you thoroughly," the Saintess of Jade Lake said, her voice as beautiful as celestial music.

Apart from Ye Fan, no one else could see her true face; she was enveloped in a misty aura, transcendent and ethereal, appearing truly like an immortal.

"Are there Divine Peaches to eat?" the big black dog asked, sticking out its large tongue.

"The fruits in the Divine Peach Orchard are all ripe, and all participants of the gathering will enjoy them," the Saintess of Jade Lake replied with a smile.

"I'm not talking about those spiritual peaches; I'm talking about the true ancient Divine Peach tree. It should have borne fruit by now, shouldn't it?" the big black dog asked, its eyes burning with fervor.

The Saintess of Jade Lake was inwardly surprised, but showed nothing. She looked at Ye Fan and said, "Ye Fan, you absolutely must make a trip to Jade Lake, no matter what."

Her invitation was sincere. Ancient Source Art families and the reclusive lineage of Source Kings had all been invited to Jade Lake. The Stone King left by the Queen Mother of the West and the wondrous stone left by the Source Heaven Master could no longer be contained, requiring peerless Source Art to seal them.

"How did you find this place?"

"Please forgive me, Brother Ye. At the time, I was afraid you wouldn't keep the appointment, so I left a trace of an imprint in the previous invitation to be able to find you," the Saintess of Jade Lake apologized.

"Let's go, Little Ye. There won't be any problems this time. We'll attend the Jade Lake Grand Gathering together," Li Heishui said.

Finally, Ye Fan embarked on the road to Jade Lake, traveling with them, personally accompanied by the Saintess of Jade Lake.

The Jade Lake Pure Land was wreathed in mist, its scenery beautiful, like an immortal realm.

Now, masters from all corners of the world had rushed there and already assembled, making it a truly grand gathering.

Not to mention the renowned supreme figures, the younger generation also boasted a formidable lineup: the Shaking Light Holy Son, the Ji Family's Divine King Physique, the Purple Maiden Saintess... almost all the Holy Sons and Saintesses of the Eastern Wasteland's younger generation were present.

Furthermore, there were other young prodigies like Wang Chongxiao from Central Province, Ye Huiling, the Twin Kings, and the Feathered King, truly a gathering of heroes.

"The Holy Physique has arrived..." Ye Fan's appearance immediately caused a sensation.

"After annihilating numerous powerful cultivators and killing two Holy Sons overnight, he still dares to attend the Jade Lake Grand Gathering!" Many people were surprised.

Recently, Ye Fan had stirred up immense commotion and was undoubtedly the focus of everyone's conversations. His appearance naturally caused a stir.

"The Saintess of Jade Lake personally went to welcome him and bring him here; he certainly puts on quite an air," a young man from an ancient Source Art family remarked sardonically.

"This Jade Lake Grand Gathering won't be peaceful this time, Little Ye. You need to be extra careful," Li Heishui warned.

On the very day they arrived, roars of wind and thunder echoed through the Jade Lake immortal land, as a supreme master pursued a golden light.

"The Fighting Saint Ape!" Ye Fan was stunned.

"That monkey ran off to the Divine Peach Orchard to steal peaches..." someone shouted.

"This time, it's truly not peaceful. Is there something unusual within the Stone King that even the Fighting Saint Ape has come?" Ye Fan muttered to himself.

The Jade Lake Grand Gathering was indeed magnificent. Even before it officially began, many extraordinary individuals had already settled in this pure land, with masters from all corners of the world converging.

The Shaking Light Holy Son, the Divine King Physique, Jin Chixiao, the Twin Kings, the Feathered King, the Purple Maiden Saintess, the Jade Lake Saintess, and Ye Fan became the focal points of people's discussions.

Without a doubt, these were the most powerful young masters of their time, gathered in one place, most likely to create some sparks.

Furthermore, the astonishing competition of Source Arts would surely be a major highlight. With the oldest Source Art families present, there would inevitably be contention, and everyone was looking forward to it.