# Chapter 1471: Glimpses of the Ruthless One
Ye Fan was startled. Someone was actually demanding his Primordial Qi Cauldron from him, and with such an excuse—it was truly astonishing.
The leader was an old man with gray hair, tall and slender, wearing a Daoist robe embroidered with a purple-edged silkworm silk Eight Trigrams diagram, a wooden hairpin stuck in his gray topknot. His face was somewhat wrinkled, his eyes a lead-gray color, his expression stern, giving off a hard, unbending feeling.
Behind him was a group of people—old women, middle-aged men, young girls, and children. Men and women, old and young, all were cultivators. Such a large crowd approaching carried considerable momentum.
This area of halls was magnificent and imposing, resplendent and golden. Those who could enter and exit here all had extraordinary status. For them to dare come here and demand an accounting clearly showed they had some confidence.
"Ye-named Sacred Body, return our clan's precious cauldron! It does not belong to you!" a young girl shouted crisply. She had a flower-like face and moon-like beauty, but at this moment her hostility was palpable.
"Correct, that is our clan's immortal object. You cannot claim it as your own," another man chimed in.
A large crowd stood behind the old man, all with stern expressions, showing not a trace of goodwill. They looked like they were demanding payment from a villain, their faces bearing indifference and ruthlessness.
Ji Ziyue found it both ridiculous and amusing. She knew better than anyone how the Primordial Qi Cauldron had been obtained. This group's extortion technique was far too clumsy—wasn't this just robbery?
She had a very good temper, but now the corners of her mouth lifted as she smiled and said, "You keep insisting this cauldron is yours. On what basis? Do you even know its origins?"
"How could we not know? It was left behind by our ancestor, the Ruthless Great Emperor," the leading old man said, his lead-gray pupils flashing with cold light.
Ye Fan's expression changed. He put away the slight smile he had and showed a serious face. He thought of some legends—could these really be that group of people?
The Dragon Horse was not so good-tempered; it was quite violent. It truly hated this kind of person—extorting others without any restraint. It very much wanted to slap them all into mud. It bellowed, "You want to snatch the Primordial Qi Cauldron? Why don't you say the Primordial Bell, the Desolate Tower, and everything else belongs to your family?!"
Pang Bo and Ji Haoyue also stepped forward, ready for battle. By instinct, they felt that someone was looking for trouble. These people meant no good, and there would likely be a bloody battle.
"Who are these people? They actually want to contend for the Primordial Mother Qi Root? Isn't this demand a bit too much?"
"In this day and age, all sorts of strange things happen. Even if this cauldron is a supreme treasure, unparalleled in the world, there's no need to use such an excuse to fight for it, right?"
Among the jade towers and pavilions, there were many cultivators. Seeing this scene, they all felt somewhat astonished and murmured among themselves. They did not recognize this group.
However, Ye Fan was frowning. He did not immediately dismiss these people, because he recalled some past events.
Back when he was roaming the Northern Domain, he had gone to the Ruthless One's Dao field, seen the secret land where the Black Emperor was trapped, and also visited the place where the Devouring Demon Jar had emerged.
Both the Black Emperor and Duan De had once spoken of some secrets—the Ruthless One's lineage indeed had descendants. This was a solid fact.
In ancient times, when the Ruthless One passed away, her Devouring Demon Jar was left to these descendants. But unfortunately, no matter how great a heritage, there comes a time of decline. The Ruthless One's lineage was trapped in several Dao fields in the Northern Domain until their final decline, fading into obscurity, disappearing completely.
It was originally a great heritage, but due to various reasons, it met a cruel end.
Some said that the Ruthless One's killing intent was too fierce in her time, harming the harmony of heaven, and this ultimately affected her descendants, who were cursed by the heavens above, causing this lineage to decline rapidly.
Others said that the Ruthless Great Emperor was astonishingly talented, having killed a Great Accomplishment Sacred Spirit of flesh and blood, and even delved into the seven Forbidden Zones, slaying the supreme existences within, forming great enmity. While she lived, naturally the entire world submitted, all beings fell silent, no one dared to challenge her, and the whole world prostrated at her feet—she could be called the sole sovereign of the ages.
But once she departed, the result was different. Whether it was the Sacred Spirits that transformed into flesh and blood under heaven's protection, or the supremes in the Forbidden Zones, they all emerged to take revenge, destroying her Dao fields and killing her descendants.
Thus, even though the Ruthless One's lineage had heavenly arts and the Devouring Jar, they ultimately fell, erased from the world. This led to Duan De later going to pay respects, searching among various ruins, and eventually digging up the Devouring Jar lid.
Ye Fan stared at these people, looking at the leading old man, trying to discern something from them—such as whether they had cultivated the Devouring Demon Art—but he found nothing.
"Are you descendants of the Ruthless Great Emperor's lineage?"
"Since you know, hand over the Primordial Qi Cauldron," several young men and women replied, their faces cold.
"Is this true?" The crowd was in an uproar. Everything they had seen today was too unbelievable. The Ruthless One shook the past, present, and future—were these her descendants?
"Impossible!" Pang Bo shook his head forcefully. Having walked into the stars, he had heard many rumors about the Great Emperors. How could the Ruthless One have descendants?
"You are lying. The Female Emperor never married in her life," Ji Ziyue said, her big eyes blinking, her expression turning cold. As a woman, she naturally admired and respected the peerless Ruthless One, and she hated people who spouted nonsense just to seize treasures.
The Ruthless One, looking down on all ages, was one of the few people after Emperor Venerable to be honored as a Heavenly Emperor. The Southern Ridge Heavenly Emperor shook the world, and now there was much evidence pointing directly to the Ruthless One.
Of course, this was just a title of respect during a certain period, not her true imperial title.
In any great era, any great turmoil, anyone who fought bloody battles across the world with their own strength, shocking the ages, and creating unprecedented achievements, would inevitably be honored as a Heavenly Emperor for a time.
"The Ruthless One walked proudly through the world, naturally looking down on any man, never marrying in her life," Ye Fan shook his head, explaining to the crowd.
The Ruthless One was lonely and miserable. In her childhood, she depended on her elder brother, but soon her only relative was taken away by the Feather Transformation Divine Dynasty, leaving her alone. She had been a little beggar, wandering everywhere, until she was raised by people from a certain mountain village.
After she attained the Dao, looking back, there was only bitterness, little joy. Her descendants were not of her bloodline; they were the young men and women of that village, to whom she left her legacy.
The crowd was stunned, lost in thought for a moment, with many emotions.
And all of this was the historical truth pieced together by Duan De and the Black Emperor. As for how accurate it was, Ye Fan couldn't say whether it was right or wrong. The Ruthless One's life was shrouded in mist, and later generations found it hard to truly see through.
"The Ruthless One was a mortal physique. In her time, she was considered too ordinary, without much cultivation talent. The Feather Transformation Divine Dynasty didn't think much of her at all. Who would have thought... it was precisely because of this that there was an extraordinary Female Emperor shaking the world."
"Human Sacred Body, are you returning it or not?" Behind the gray-haired old man, several young people shouted, their expressions cold and cruel, as if they were creditors demanding what was theirs, already growing impatient.
"So you're saying you are the descendants of that village? Didn't this lineage disappear? Even the Devouring Demon Jar was buried in the yellow earth. What evidence do you have?" Ye Fan asked calmly. He could be certain that these people had not cultivated the Devouring Demon Art—they lacked that aura.
"Anyone can jump out and claim to be the son of Emperor Wu Shi, the offspring of the Green Emperor, the grandson of Emperor Venerable. Does that mean they can inherit everything from them?" Pang Bo sneered coldly.
The crowd burst into laughter.
"Exactly! If someone stands up and says they're Emperor Venerable's grandson, can they rule over us all, and have the entire universe honor them as the supreme god?"
Many people muttered to themselves, while others directly shouted out loud, full of contempt.
"As her descendants, naturally we have some evidence. Look here," the gray-haired old man said, unrolling a scroll painting. On it was depicted a Devouring Jar, releasing immortal imperial might, strands of black light seeping out, piercing enough to make people unable to open their eyes.
The crowd drew in a breath of cold air. This was just a scroll painting, yet the graceful, human-shaped jar was so lifelike, as if it had life and was about to walk out.
This was a wisp of imperial might!
"Isn't a scroll painting left by our ancestor enough?" the gray-eyed old man said.
On the scroll painting was also a woman, her cloud-like hair piled high, solemn and dignified, beautiful to the extreme. The Devouring Jar was held in her palm, strands of black light bursting forth.
This was shocking. It truly seemed to have been painted by an emperor!
In ancient times, when ancestors were about to pass away, they would leave behind portraits for their descendants to admire. The demon jar indicated that this was from the hand of a Great Emperor, clearly the Ruthless One.
"Is this what the Ruthless One looked like? It is said that later generations could never glimpse her true appearance from the stone carvings of ruins." The crowd was dazed, their hearts shaken, all looking up, their eyes fixed unblinkingly on the painting.
"This was left by our ancestor. Is this enough as evidence?" the leading old man said, his gray pupils shining with brilliance.
Ye Fan said, "If you are descendants of the Ruthless One, why didn't you go to the Eastern Wasteland to seek the Devouring Jar instead of coveting my Primordial Qi Cauldron?"
"We will naturally make a trip to the Big Dipper," someone replied.
Ye Fan paid no attention. He stepped forward, avoiding the strands of black light from the demon jar, and stared only at the woman in the painting for a long time, his heavenly eye constantly flowing with golden light.
"This is not the Ruthless Great Emperor. This woman does not have that kind of bearing. Her appearance and spirit are not alike. I have seen her hazy figure in the thunder tribulation. This was painted by a later generation, added beside the jar!"
Ye Fan solemnly revealed this truth, staring sternly at them.
"Ridiculous! How could this be added by later generations? The demon jar has the imprint of imperial might. How could it be fake? If it wasn't left by our ancestor, who could obtain it?" the old man sneered coldly.
Pang Bo stepped forward and said, "How laughable! Even if you were descendants of the Ruthless Great Emperor, you would have no reason to demand it. Since ancient times, how many rare treasures have there been? If one person obtains something, does that mean it can never change hands?"
"Most detestable of all, you impersonate the descendants of the Ruthless Great Emperor. How despicable!" Ji Ziyue also scolded lightly.
As for the Dragon Horse, at this moment it seemed possessed by Duan De, the Black Emperor, and Tu Fei. Spittle flew everywhere, Dao symbols flew out of its mouth one after another as it loudly rebuked and cursed. Its voice and spittle actually transformed into Dao principles, clanging loudly. In short, it was a spitter.
Ye Fan's eyes shone with light as he stared at this ancient scroll. His Source Heaven Eye was extraordinary, extremely special, flowing with a strand of law to restore the truth.
This scroll painting suddenly changed. The woman disappeared, leaving only the Devouring Demon Jar, and within the jar, faintly visible, appeared a character: Seal!
Ye Fan immediately shouted, "What descendants? This is clearly a sealing imprint painted by the Ruthless Great Emperor to seal a demon. You are most likely ancient demons from a certain domain, now re-emerging!"
Everyone was greatly startled. On the scroll painting, within the jar, there was indeed a "Seal" character. Strands of imperial might emanated, though nearly worn away, it was very real.
"You have defiled our clan's ancestor's portrait, destroyed her Dharma body image. Unforgivable, deserving of death! Today, there must be an accounting!" the old man shouted sternly.
Ye Fan's eyes blazed as he stared at this group and shouted, "No matter how well you conceal yourselves, under my Source Heaven Eye, you cannot hide. The blood within your bodies has a terrifying fluctuation, clearly not of the human race's bloodline. How could you possibly be the Ruthless One's people? Most likely, you are an enemy clan sealed by the Ruthless One, now emerging. You seek revenge against the Ruthless One and want to destroy everything she left behind."
The crowd was in an uproar, a clamor rising, everything in chaos.
"Human Sacred Body, you steal fame and deceive the world. You are a butcher who has secretly harmed many fellow Daoists. Today, I will expose you as the greatest demon in this world!" At this moment, another group of people arrived, led by another old man, his voice harsh and severe.
Everyone was stunned. What was happening?
Ji Haoyue and the others were jolted awake. This was clearly targeting them. Now that the Human Sacred Body's reputation was so resounding, what kind of powerful alliance would dare to do this? After all, this was the final checkpoint of the human race, not an ordinary place.
Yesterday there was an error, deleting a passage about Ye Fan's psychological activity, because the Black Emperor had once obtained the coordinates of the Ziwei Ancient Star Domain. The Big Black Dog's claws were still quite capable. To be continued...