Chapter 829: A Grave

"Whoosh!" The assassin from the Divine Assassin Dynasty transformed into a blurry shadow, a blood-red sword leading the way. Breaking through the taboos of time and space, killing intent permeated the surroundings. Still unwilling to give up, he launched a thunderous strike.

Clang! Sparks flew everywhere, like a dancing meteor shower. The moment Ye Fan dodged using the 'Line' secret technique, he extended a ray of light from his finger to test the attacker. The blood-red sword remained motionless, only clanging repeatedly.

Frigid killing intent and a towering murderous aura, like a pack of primeval beasts stampeding, swept fiercely across the desolate land, rushing swiftly. Another Assassin King had also arrived.

Their initial strike was ineffective, but they did not leave. Instead, they intended to suppress and kill Ye Fan with their absolute kingly power. They were so powerful that killing a Sect Master was as easy as cutting grass.

"I was waiting for you to come!" Ye Fan was truly enraged. He had exhausted himself dealing with the Primeval Royal Clan, only to be treated like this in the end.

He did not use the Heavenly Tribulation, not wanting to expend it now. However, he also didn't want to let these two go, even if they were terrifying Kings who had reached the Immortal Three Realm's Dao Severing stage!

Boom! In the distance, the Monkey had made his move. He swung a large iron staff, pitted and not very smooth—a primeval fiendish weapon from ancient times. He transformed into a golden light, charging over and striking one of the Assassin Kings.

He had already reached the Immortal Three Realm's Dao Severing stage. Though he had only just entered, he was the son of an ancient emperor, and his strength rivaled that of Kings who had cultivated for many years.

One of them immediately abandoned Ye Fan, met the Monkey, and blocked him, wanting to stall for time. He intended for the other to kill Ye Fan, assuming there would be no accident, because for a King in the Immortal Three Realm, killing a Sect Master was as simple as picking a flower.

Ye Fan had nothing to hide. At that moment, he summoned the Saint's Shell. He would absolutely not let these two go!

Boom! Like a raging flood, a surge of vital energy pierced through the sky. An immense pressure permeated the air, stretching far into the distance. It was like a massive golden furnace, instantly engulfing the area.

Saintly might! Irresistible saintly might!

"Run!" This Assassin King was instantly terrified, shouting to the other, and turned to flee. They never directly confronted those superior to themselves; their strength lay in assassination.

"Today, not one of you will escape!" Ye Fan roared, his powerful cry unleashing a golden ripple which surged out like a vast ocean.

Pfft! That Assassin King immediately coughed up a large mouthful of blood, almost falling from high altitude. Though it wasn't a Saint's law, it was a sonic boom of that caliber, and he naturally couldn't withstand it.

"That's right, none of you will get away!" The Monkey swung his great staff, pursuing the other Assassin King.

Whoosh! Both Assassin Kings concealed themselves within the void, disappearing from their spots. But Ye Fan sneered continuously. He used the 'Line' secret technique to pursue them, as such secret techniques were useless against him; he had already read the ancient scrolls of the Heavenly Court.

Boom! At this moment, he didn't use any laws. He simply unleashed a punch. His golden vital energy, like a divine sea, surged forward.

The void shattered. One person coughed up a large mouthful of blood and fell out again. He continued to flee without looking back, his blood-red sword broken and one arm bent grotesquely.

"You really did obtain the Heavenly Court's legacy!" the Assassin King growled.

"Om!" Ye Fan roared, and the Buddhist Six-Syllable Mantra escaped his lips. His physical body vibrated slightly in resonance. Immediately, a golden wave surged out, causing the void in front to collapse.

"Ah...!" The Assassin King shrieked. The divine laws he unleashed could not harm the Saint's Shell, and he himself was severely wounded again.

Ye Fan's eyes gleamed with cold light. The 'Line' secret technique unfolded, and his body transformed into a beam of light, appearing before the attacker. He extended a large hand and seized him.

In terms of speed, no King present could compare to him; there was simply no hope of escape. Ye Fan grabbed him like one would grab a chick, pulling him back.

In the distance, the Monkey was filled with doubt and surprise. Although he had his Fiery Golden Eyes and was not shaken off by that Assassin King, he was quickly losing sight of him. He couldn't fully break through the infernal stealth technique.

Boom! Ye Fan arrived. He struck with a single punch, knocking the emaciated figure out of the void. He then immediately unleashed a Sky-Overturning Seal, which slammed down.

"Ah...!" With a loud cry, this person also suffered broken bones and torn tendons. Then the Monkey's dark staff also slammed down, smashing half of his body.

Ye Fan dragged these two assassins together like dead dogs. Both were severely wounded and on the verge of death, their bodies convulsing.

"We risked our lives countless times entering Mount Zi and put all our effort into suppressing the Divine Spirit Valley. Even Ancestor Yuantian sacrificed his life. Where were you then? Just when a period of peace had been secured, you couldn't sit still, wanting to stifle me. I'll skin you alive!"

Ye Fan almost stomped one of their heads flat with his foot, his heart raging with fury. He had sacrificed so much, yet these two chose this critical moment to assassinate him, making it impossible for his emotions to be calm. "These two aren't right. They've reached Immortal Three's Dao Severing, but they're not that strong. Something seems off," the Monkey remarked, quite perceptive.

"They're half-primordial spirits," Duan De said, walking over. Very skillfully, he rummaged through their bodies for a while. He then angrily kicked them twice, saying, "And they call themselves Assassin Kings? They don't even have a single decent treasure!"

Important figures in the Divine Assassin Dynasty are very cautious. They always leave themselves a path of retreat. Both kingly bodies were shells left behind by predecessors, not their true forms, but merely inhabited by half of their primordial spirit.

"No wonder, I thought they were too weak, completely inconsistent with a King's true strength," the Monkey said. Ye Fan extended a large hand, intending to extract their primordial spirits, but both their heads instantly exploded, turning to dust.

"They're not only ruthless to their enemies but also to themselves. Half of their primordial spirit was destroyed just like that," Li Heishui sighed.

"Hell and World of Mortals, if you don't remove yourselves, I will erase you!" Ye Fan looked into the distance, his voice resonant and powerful. Those pursued by the two ancient Divine Assassin Dynasties—Pang Bo, Dongfang Ye, Wu Zhongtian, and others—were either dead, injured, or missing. The hatred was long past resolution.

"What now? Should we establish a grand sect, or first search for the secret locations of the two Divine Dynasties?" Li Heishui asked. They all agreed that they should first use their respective connections to find clues about the two Divine Dynasties and understand them thoroughly, as they were ancient and immortal legacies.

"Once, on a whim, I established a Mine Sect, and it has now been moved to an oasis. We can gather there," Ye Fan said, detailing an address. The Monkey, accustomed to acting alone, also stated that he would arrive at the Mine Sect soon to contribute. Duan De even thumped his chest, declaring that he would definitely find the burial grounds of the ancient Divine Assassin Dynasties and dig them inside out. Li Heishui could consult the Thirteen Great Bandits. Ji Ziyue and her elder brother were even more obvious choices, as the Ji family likely possessed top-secret information. Dongfang Man could ask his clan elders. After the big black dog woke up, its drunkenness disappeared. It bared its fangs and barked noisily, asking who had clubbed it. Everyone unanimously pointed at Duan De.

"Damn it, aren't you guys despicable? This Taoist Lord is escaping!" Duan De vanished with a whoosh, the first to disappear over the horizon.

"Woof, woof, woof!" The big black dog chased for hundreds of miles but returned empty-handed, feeling the large bump on the back of its head. It vowed that it would definitely make Fatty Duan its pet in the future.

Finally, they each set off on their separate paths. Li Tian and Yan Yixi, unfamiliar with this world and completely clueless, could only follow Ye Fan.

"It's time to return the treasures," Ye Fan said. The matters in the Northern Region were concluded. The primeval saints were in seclusion, their cultivation complete. The Heaven Swallowing Demonic Pot had been returned to its respective owner when they were in the Jade Lake, and the Saint's Shell also had to be returned. Arriving once again in the Azure Dragon King's small world, Ye Fan and his companions received exceptionally high courtesy, with many ancient demons coming out to greet them. Ye Fan, naturally, didn't act arrogant and performed all the necessary courtesies. He then met the elderly Red Dragon Daoist, thanked Qingyi, the son of the Dragon King, and returned the Saint's Shell. This was an invincible humanoid weapon. Although the demon race was generous, they weren't so generous as to casually give away a Saint's Shell. Moreover, the world was currently rife with undercurrents, and a dark turmoil could erupt at any time. The demon race desperately needed this Saint's Shell to activate the Demonic Emperor's weapon, which would surely double its power.

"Do you still need Ruyu to come back? If so, I can immediately summon her from the Western Desert," the Red Dragon Daoist offered.

"No need, not for a long time," Ye Fan sighed. He then recounted the details of his journey, saying, "I hope the Azure Emperor never needs to emerge, and that day never comes." After saying this, Ye Fan stood up under the radiant gaze of the elderly Red Dragon Daoist, walked out of the grand hall, and headed outside. He was going to see an old acquaintance. Last time he came, he was worried and primarily there to borrow the Saint's Shell, so he didn't stay for more than a few moments. Now, everything had finally settled down.

"Who are you going to see?" Li Tian asked with a chuckle.

"A demoness," the Black Emperor scoffed. It hadn't forgotten the demoness named Qin Yao; when the palace collapsed, it had been buried alive because of her. A cold wind blew, and Ye Fan felt chilled to the bone. He ascended the mountain peak; the pine trees rustled, but the pavilions were gone, and there was no sign of life. Deep within the pine forest, there was only a solitary grave mound, not large, with a stone tablet clearly inscribed with the name Qin Yao. Ye Fan felt a chill from head to toe. Returning to this place, his old acquaintance had already passed away, separated forever.

"How could this be...?" He was stunned for a moment, then overwhelmed with sadness. After traveling for over a decade, he returned only to see her grave. He stood dazed before the grave. "What, a hint of guilt, or a hint of sadness? You could have seen her many times back then, but you never returned. In the end, you crossed the starfield alone and left," a girl wearing a golden feather robe appeared, saying coldly. Ye Fan recognized her; her name was Jin Yan, a demoness from this small world. She had been quite annoying back then, but now, hearing her words, he couldn't feel an ounce of anger, only silence. The pine trees rustled. The place was desolate and solitary, with only this lonely grave, evoking sorrow. Faint footsteps approached, and three demon men appeared: Bai Feng, Jin Yu, and Kuzhu, who had once been Qin Yao's suitors.

"How did she leave, and when did she pass away?" Ye Fan asked after a long silence.

"It's been less than two hundred days since she died," Bai Feng replied.

"What?" Ye Fan was startled. This was around the same time he had returned.

"After learning of your return, she was very happy. But she soon fell silent and began to cultivate desperately," Kuzhu said in a hoarse voice.

"Why? What exactly happened?" Ye Fan asked, looking at him.

"Because you seemed like someone from a different world than us. Her cultivation was too high, and she desperately wanted to catch up, but something went wrong," Kuzhu said in a low voice.

"It's ridiculous, isn't it?" Jin Yan wiped away tears, placing a few bouquets of white flowers before the solitary grave. She said, "To you, she might have just been a fleeting passerby in your life, nothing significant. But to her, it was completely different."

The wind grew stronger, and the pine trees rustled mournfully, as if sobbing. The lonely grave mound was saddening, and Ye Fan stood there, stunned.

"If you had never appeared, she would have lived very well. Perhaps she would have already become a Dao-companion with one of the Elder Brothers, like Kuzhu." The calm words drifted on the wind, like a knife cutting into Ye Fan's heart. He became even more silent, unable to say anything, only feeling a bitter ache.

"There's no need to be sad, no need to be lost, because it's unnecessary. Years from now, perhaps you'll remember her, and even occasionally feel a touch of bitterness. But what does that matter? She was merely a somewhat profound landscape in your life, but a landscape is ultimately just a landscape; she will never be the most important imprint deep within your heart."

In the past, Jin Yan had been very annoying. But now she spoke words that Ye Fan could neither refute nor even attempt to refute. Every word cut deep, tearing open wounds, making them bleed profusely.