Chapter 597: Nine Thousand Years Ago, the Middle Emperor Reappears

**Chapter 601: The Middle Emperor Reappears After Nine Thousand Years**

Wang Teng, known as the Northern Emperor by the young prodigies of the Five Great Domains, was someone almost no one dared to challenge. Everyone avoided him when they saw him.

Now, the monster from the Eastern Barrens had arrived and nearly killed his younger brother, astonishing many.

In the current era, many believed that among the younger generation, only the one who could slap a King Physique to death was capable of competing with Wang Teng, and this individual was called the Middle Emperor.

The Northern Emperor once assumed the alias Wolf God, traversing between the Northern Plains and the Eastern Barrens. By the age of fifteen, he was already unrivaled among his peers, and after another decade of accumulation and refinement, it was impossible to predict what heights he had reached.

Furthermore, everyone knew he was blessed with immense cosmic fortune, having even obtained the Nine Secrets. Heaven knew what other ancient arts he possessed.

Since entering the Qishi Mansion, no one dared to challenge him. He had mostly remained in secluded cultivation, rarely appearing. Even when he did emerge, it was only to visit the cultivation chambers of the powerful experts behind the mansion.

As for the Middle Emperor, some said he wasn't even from this world, though no one elaborated on the specifics. Strictly speaking, in this era, only Wang Teng was truly unrivaled among the younger generation.

"Big brother, you must avenge me," Wang Chong pleaded, shaking his elder brother's arm. Only at moments like this did he resemble a child, devoid of his usual fierceness.

"He stole my war chariot, injured me, and even disrespected you! You *must* kill him!" Wang Chong clung to his brother's arm, refusing to let go.

This was an ancient cave within the Qishi Mansion, a place no one dared to enter on normal days. It was Wang Teng's cultivation retreat, regarded as forbidden territory by the other Holy Sons.

Inside the cave, there were dozens of spiritual herbs, all over ten thousand years old. In the center, a Medicinal King emitted a captivating fragrance, its translucent body glowing with brilliance.

Anyone who entered would be greatly surprised, as this Medicinal King was one of the six that emerged from the Immortal Burial Ground, now surprisingly planted here.

Everything in the cave was simple and ancient, devoid of any luxury. Beside the Medicinal King was a profound jade bed, where Wang Teng sat cross-legged and motionless.

He was majestic and heroic, with flowing black hair, a chiseled face, sword-like eyebrows extending to his temples, and eyes containing the rise and fall of countless stars, unfathomable, like an ancient emperor reborn.

"Big brother, why aren't you saying anything? Help me get revenge!" Wang Chong began to whine.

"If you continue like this, you'll die outside sooner or later. Even I, your brother, won't be able to protect you," Wang Teng stated calmly.

"Big brother, how can you say that? Mother said you need to take good care of me when we're away from home," Wang Chong said, hugging his arm and wrinkling his nose in displeasure.

"You need to rein yourself in," Wang Teng said, extending a finger and tapping the boy's forehead. "I will suppress you for a year. Unless your temperament is refined, you are not to leave seclusion!"

As he pointed, the ancient cave shimmered with light. True Dragons, Divine Phoenixes, White Tigers, and Black Tortoises appeared alongside him, continuously harmonizing, radiating sanctity and peace, as if deities had descended.

"Ah, no!" Wang Chong cried out, trying to escape, but he was unable to move, frozen in place.

He was incredibly frustrated. "Big brother, he's a Holy Physique! He's worth you personally killing him."

"So-called physiques are nothing. In my eyes, there are only the living and the dead. Unless one achieves great perfection, they are no different from the common populace," Wang Teng said with an indifferent expression.

"You are the greatest person under heaven, but I, your brother, am not! If he's not killed, it will become a demon in my heart, preventing me from cultivating in peace," Wang Chong protested.

"Go into seclusion and reflect for a year!" Wang Teng pointed, and Wang Chong, who was in the Fourth Transformation of Dragon Transformation, was flung backward into a stone chamber with no resistance, yelling as the stone door fell, sealing him inside.

"Wuguli, Jinwuduo, come in."

"Greetings, Master!" From outside the cave, two tall beings entered. One was ten feet tall, shimmering with silver light, covered in scales, and possessed four arms, exuding a sense of power. Silver hair cascaded over his shoulders, and a vertical eye was visible on his forehead.

The other was two meters tall, glimmering with golden light, and had a pair of golden divine wings. Every inch of his body was covered in golden scales, and a pair of deer antlers grew from his golden hair.

"Go and bring me the head of that young man named Ye Fan," Wang Teng said calmly.

"Is that... the Holy Physique? The one everyone is talking about, who, once grown, could suppress ancient kings?" one of the beings asked, surprised.

"Why bother with others' physiques? The strong should be confident and recognize only 'I' am supreme. If one cannot achieve Dao, what good is it, even if they are an immortal reincarnation? It's merely the difference between the dead and the living."

"Master's teachings are wise."

Wang Teng said, "He cultivates some ancient arts and forbidden secret techniques, capable of fighting against figures at the level of Holy Land Grand Elders. Both of you go together to ensure there are no mishaps."

"With such strength, one of us would be enough to kill several of him."

"A lion uses its full strength even to hunt a rabbit. I want no accidents. Go, bring back his head," Wang Teng said coolly.

"Understood!"

The two beings dared not say more, retreating from the cave and discussing in low voices.

"Master's Heaven-defying Cultivation Art is nearing completion. When it is, even the Middle Emperor won't be his match."

"The Middle Emperor isn't even from this world. In a sense, Master is already the greatest under heaven."

The Qishi Mansion was home to numerous beautiful peaks. Each disciple had their own spiritual cultivation ground, and they generally did not disturb each other.

"Those are... Primordial creatures!"

Someone spotted the two beings and gasped in alarm from a distance, their expression changing.

"I've long heard that Wang Teng is unfathomable, having once ventured deep into the forbidden lands of the Eastern Barrens to take Primordial creatures as his servants. It's actually true!"

Many people, hearing the news, watched from a distance on the beautiful peaks. They were all deeply moved and dared not approach.

A golden and a silver streak of light soared into the sky, disappearing into the horizon. It took a long time for the onlookers to regain their senses, their reverence for Wang Teng's cave increasing even further.

"The Dao that can be told is not the eternal Dao; The name that can be named is not the eternal name. The Nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth; The Named is the mother of the ten thousand things..."

Recently, someone had carved a passage before the Qishi Mansion's main gate, causing a real sensation. Many people stood before the stone wall, contemplating the words, and even powerful experts within the mansion had come to observe it.

These phrases were not specific cultivation methods but rather expounded on the essence of the Dao. Though they contained no secret techniques, they prompted deep reflection.

This event caused a widespread sensation and spread to the outside world. Many expressed their astonishment and came to visit, believing that there truly were extraordinary individuals within the Qishi Mansion whose discussions and words were worth pondering.

Upon learning of this, Ye Fan rushed there immediately. Activating his divine eye, he quickly spotted Pang Bo in the crowd, his heart filled with immense excitement.

He secretly sent a telepathic message, and then the two departed separately, heading to a secluded spot to meet among a cluster of peaks.

They hadn't seen each other for over two years since parting ways in the Eastern Barrens. In such a vast world, where traveling across a region could take over a decade or even two, a reunion was incredibly rare.

"That Black Emperor teleported me to a godforsaken place, dropping me into an extinct volcano..." Pang Bo recounted his experiences, cursing the big black dog repeatedly, full of resentment.

Falling into a volcano was bad enough, but it was also a forbidden land, inscribed with endless array patterns, and Pang Bo was almost refined to death there.

"Was it an ancient cave full of treasure?"

"Not a speck! It refined eighty catties of my flesh and blood right off me. Don't let me see that dog again, or I swear I'll eat it!"

Pang Bo had been trapped there for nearly two years. His only gain was being forced to cultivate day and night, constantly resisting the array patterns, or he would have been turned to dust.

"Reaching the Fourth Transformation of Dragon Transformation in two and a half years is a huge gain," Ye Fan said with a smile.

"That damned dog! After I got out, I had to fly for another half a year just to get from that uninhabited region to a civilized area..."

The two recounted their respective experiences. Pang Bo naturally knew of Ye Fan's recent troubles and handed him the God-Slaying Whip, saying, "This treasure is very peculiar. It can block vital energy. With it, you won't have to fear the divinations of the Divine Seer's disciples."

"It has such a wondrous use?" Ye Fan was surprised and, without hesitation, slung the God-Slaying Whip over his back again.

He thought for a moment, then took out all the treasures he had on him. First, he gave Pang Bo the wooden plank cut from the Ancient Enlightenment Tree, along with several stone nails.

"Cultivating while sitting on this will yield twice the results with half the effort. This is the divine coffin that the Undying Heavenly Emperor built to preserve his immortality."

"Is this that ancient Saint?" Pang Bo was astonished. After seeing Ye Fan's collection of treasures, he was particularly surprised by the divine source block that sealed an old man.

"What exactly is in the Qishi Mansion?"

"There might truly be a path leading outside this domain. I've been investigating recently. Perhaps we can go home from there."

Ye Fan gave Pang Bo the Nine Divine Weapons, saying, "You don't have a suitable weapon. Keep these safe; use them to save your life, but absolutely do not let that unscrupulous Daoist know about them."

"I don't need these. Your situation isn't good right now, and these nine weapons will be of great use to you," Pang Bo refused.

"These are what I prepared for you. The Nine Divine Weapons are a perfect match for your Nine Slashes of the Demon Emperor. Don't worry, I still have suitable weapons for myself."

Ye Fan was indeed worried about Pang Bo's safety. The last time Liu Yiyi was captured, had he not meticulously planned and used the tribulation to trap and kill everyone at the crucial moment, they would have certainly died.

He vaguely felt that a "familiar person" was likely behind it. Although many died that day, the true culprit was never found.

Ye Fan told Pang Bo all of this. They pondered for a long time, concluding that precautions were necessary, as that "familiar person" could be quite dangerous.

Although he had given away the Nine Divine Weapons, Ye Fan's cauldron had already interwoven with laws and was capable of great use. Furthermore, he possessed a gourd, taken from the Purple Mansion Holy Son, whose stopper alone could emit chaotic light, very likely making it a King-level weapon.

The two discussed many things. Now that Ye Fan was using the God-Slaying Whip to block vital energy, he no longer had to worry about being found.

From Pang Bo, he learned a lot about the Qishi Mansion, including the possibility of a path leading outside this domain, which excited him the most.

Additionally, he learned detailed information about some powerful experts.

Some believed that besides Wang Teng and the Middle Emperor, a Southern Demon and a mysterious powerful expert from Mount Sumeru should also be included among the top figures. Unfortunately, those two were rarely seen, so not many people agreed.

"Ye Zi, let's just focus on cultivating diligently for now. We've only cultivated for a few years, there's a big gap compared to others. Some people are just too formidable. Do you know who that Middle Emperor is?"

"Who?" Ye Fan asked, puzzled.

"He's not even from this era. His name is Xiang Yufei."

"Somewhat familiar..." Suddenly, Ye Fan's eyes widened, and he instantly remembered.

When he had plundered Duan De, he had obtained an Immortality Lock from him. It was made from the leftover materials used by a Buddha to forge a demon-subduing pestle, later crafted into a life-protecting divine lock by several Arhats. Its last owner was Xiang Yufei.

Nine thousand years ago, an unrivaled genius named Xiang Yufei appeared on the land of Central Plains. He became a Human Emperor-level figure before the age of nineteen, sweeping all before him, possessing the demeanor of an ancient Great Emperor.

Unfortunately, heaven was jealous of his talent, and he died young, just after turning twenty. Even the Immortality Lock could not prolong his life.

Legend had it that in his final moments, Xiang Yufei interred himself in an ice coffin, slumbering on a snowy peak, hoping to escape death and be revived in the future.

Nine thousand years had passed, and Duan De had even stolen the Immortality Lock from him. How could he have revived?

"Are you sure the Middle Emperor is Xiang Yufei?"

"To be precise, it's twenty-year-old Xiang Yufei. More than nine thousand years have passed, yet time hasn't left a single trace on him!"

"How is that possible?!" Ye Fan was startled. Not long ago, he had been lamenting the jealousy of heaven towards such talent, feeling pity for that person, but now he had reappeared in the world.

"The Middle Emperor is indeed Xiang Yufei from nine thousand years ago, there's no mistake!" Pang Bo stated with absolute certainty, revealing some secrets. Everything had been done by the Qishi Mansion.

Although the Qishi Mansion had been closed for ten thousand years, they hadn't ignored everything during that period; they had done quite a lot.

"Why would they do that?" Ye Fan asked, puzzled.

"Because at that time, the Demon Emperor had only been dead for a thousand years. Even with the demeanor of a Great Emperor, Xiang Yufei couldn't achieve Dao and become an Emperor during that specific period; he needed to avoid it."