Chapter 1520: A Gathering of Heroes
Although countless rumors spread in the outside world, they were ultimately just hearsay. There was no evidence in the world. As time flowed and years passed, it was no longer possible to verify them.
"Brother Huaizun, we outsiders may not know, but you, as a prince of the highest bloodline of the Golden Crow lineage, should know the truth. Are you truly descendants of the Emperor Venerable?"
As soon as these words were spoken, not only the dozen or so people present were startled, but even the various heroes in the distance were shocked. Streams of gazes swept over, and the entire region quieted down considerably.
Crown Prince Huaizun shook his head. The golden feathered robe on his body shimmered with brilliant luster, as if forged from metal, clanging with metallic sounds. He naturally would not admit to it.
"The Emperor Venerable's race is unknown to anyone, but it is definitely not of the same lineage as my Golden Crow clan." He directly denied it.
There were endless rumors in the world, all saying that the Emperor Venerable was born carrying the will of heaven and earth, absorbing a small half of the essence of the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands. He was incredibly powerful from the moment he was born.
In fact, among the various legends, a larger proportion believed the Emperor Venerable was of the human race, because he had always been in human form before attaining the Dao.
Moreover, his various manifestations also had many connections to the human race. However, his innate strength was a point of doubt, hence the various secret tales.
"Prince Huaizun is naturally right to deny being a descendant of the Emperor Venerable. But the world's legends about the Golden Crow clan being descendants of the Heavenly Emperor are not necessarily false." Shi Zhongxuan was tall and straight, with an imposing heroic aura, very divine and martial. Coupled with his pair of stone arms, he possessed a unique temperament.
"Why?" someone asked.
"It is true that the Emperor Venerable is the Heavenly Emperor. When people in the world mention the Heavenly Emperor, they think of him. But the Ruthless Person was also called the Heavenly Emperor, and everyone knows that. There is essentially one reason: they were simply too powerful, peerless through the ages. In fact, did the origin of the Heavenly Emperor truly begin with the Emperor Venerable? I think not." Shi Zhongxuan shook his head.
Ancient history was shrouded in a layer of mist. The Mythical Era was extremely ancient. In that period, there were supreme Heavenly Venerables, invincible Chaos Bodies, and various strongest original ancestral veins.
Someone once proposed an almost absurd hypothesis, believing that before that, there was also an ancient celestial dynasty, possibly originating from the Desolate Tower.
This theory was not accepted by the mainstream of the world, but many ancient remnant clans believed it to be true.
Why did the Emperor Venerable choose this name? It was because he took the key characters from the titles of the Heavenly Emperor and the Nine Heavenly Venerables, combining them together to manifest his supreme status.
"I wonder if this junior's words are correct?" Shi Zhongxuan asked.
"This kind of legend is even harder to accept. It is too ancient. No one in the world can be sure if the matters concerning that celestial dynasty are true. Moreover, even if it did exist, it has nothing to do with my Golden Crow clan." Crown Prince Huaizun shook his head.
He frankly stated that the Golden Crow clan was not at all descendants of any Heavenly Emperor. All kinds of legends were mistaken and had nothing to do with them.
"Does the Golden Crow clan truly have a Quasi-Emperor?" Jiang Yifei spoke, his smile peaceful, making people feel like a spring breeze.
As soon as these words were spoken, the scene instantly became deathly still. No one spoke, because the implications were too great. No one expected the transcendent and aloof clan leader of the Jiang family to be so direct.
Whether it was Fenghuang, Princess Yueling, or Shi Zhongxuan, they all looked at Crown Prince Huaizun of the Golden Crow clan.
In the distance, everyone's hearts trembled. It was silent as a graveyard. Whether those who were talking or those drinking tea, all seemed frozen, staring in this direction.
Crown Prince Huaizun's eyes turned cold, his pupils contracting as he stared at Jiang Yifei. "Are you all so interested in my clan, wanting to discuss everything from its origins to the present?"
"Brother Huaizun, do not misunderstand. We have no ill intentions. We are merely curious and wish to understand a little." Someone immediately tried to smooth things over, not wanting the atmosphere to become too tense.
"It is merely admiration for the Quasi-Emperor, nothing else." Jiang Yifei said calmly, pouring himself a drink.
Princess Yueling was radiantly beautiful, causing even the sun to lose its luster. A hint of apology was written on her fair, delicate face. "If Prince Huaizun is unwilling to speak, then forget it. We are merely driven by curiosity. After all, a Quasi-Emperor is rarely seen and is something to be admired."
Crown Prince Huaizun nodded. Unexpectedly, he spoke directly, stating that their clan indeed had an emperor-level figure, which was not false, and even revealed their origin.
"What? It is not Prince Tianzhou who became a Quasi-Emperor, but the old Quasi-Emperor from the past who has not yet died?" someone in the distance exclaimed, unable to hide their shock.
"Who is Tianzhou? And what is this about an old Quasi-Emperor?" The area immediately became noisy, with many people confused.
These races came from the myriad heavens and domains. Some clans were adjacent to the ancient Fire Mulberry Star Domain and were very familiar with that clan.
"Even if he doesn't say it, we know. Speaking frankly just gives the impression of honesty." Someone sneered.
"Daoist friend, please explain clearly." Many people pressed urgently.
Meanwhile, in front of the pavilion, Jiang Yifei, Fenghuang, Shi Zhongxuan, Princess Yueling, and the others seated around the stone table were all staring intently at Crown Prince Huaizun, asking him to elaborate.
"In the past, the Golden Crow clan was extremely powerful. The Fire Mulberry Star reached its glorious peak. The clan produced ten princes, and even the weakest among them had reached the Saint realm." In the distance, someone who knew the inside story whispered, revealing the truth.
Furthermore, it was said that those ten princes were still in their rising period.
"Ten sons from one family, not all having reached their peak, yet the weakest are Saints. How powerful is that?!" Everyone exclaimed.
"The entire Fire Mulberry Star was inhabited by Golden Crows, with very few other races. It's understandable that there were more Saints. But for one family to produce ten sons this powerful is still rare. However, it's also understandable, because their father was a Quasi-Emperor."
In the distance, Ye Fan had been very calm, but upon hearing these words, his heart skipped a beat. He thought of a bloody incident on the other shore of the starry sky.
"Later, for some unknown reason, the ten sons of the Golden Crow clan went out together on an expedition to an ancient star domain. But unfortunately, no matter how great their divine abilities, they failed there. Almost all of them fell. Only one prince returned alive, named Tianzhou."
Ye Fan sighed inwardly. It was indeed that bloody incident. The ten sons of the Golden Crow clan had ravaged ancient China and were shot down one by one by Da Yi. Only one escaped, named Tianzhou.
Later, the clan's Quasi-Emperor was enraged and personally visited ancient China. Regrettably, the outstanding talent Da Yi, despite his heaven-reaching cultivation at the peak of the Great Sage realm, and even on the verge of taking that breakthrough step, ultimately met his end, his blood staining the vast land.
Unfortunately, in that era, although ancient China had a few Quasi-Emperors, they had all left. No one could stand up for Da Yi and save his life. Thus, a generation's prodigy died young.
The people present naturally did not know about this bloody incident, and the Golden Crow clan naturally would not elaborate on it. Almost no one here knew of Da Yi's fame.
Crown Prince Huaizun spoke calmly. "Tianzhou is my grandfather. He has not yet taken that step. As for the Great Emperor spoken of in the world, he is my great-grandfather."
The crowd was in an uproar. Some knew this, but most had never heard of it. Now that he had personally confirmed it, everyone changed color, their hearts filled with dread.
Many had thought Tianzhou had broken through to that realm. They never expected that the so-called Quasi-Emperor was still the old emperor. How old was he? He was still alive in this world. This was truly shocking.
Only Ye Fan sneered inwardly. Tianzhou becoming a Quasi-Emperor? What a joke! He had been chased by Da Yi until he fled for his life, almost scared out of his wits. If not for his nine elder brothers fighting with all their might, how could he have had the chance to escape?
"When will the Golden Crow clan's sovereign grace us with his presence?" Shi Zhongxuan asked. There really was a Quasi-Emperor, and an invincible senior figure at that, which made people wary.
"My great-grandfather has encountered some problems and will not come here for a short time," Tianzhou said. But this was enough. Since the matter had been discussed to this point, even if the clan's old Quasi-Emperor did not appear, no one would dare to provoke the Golden Crow clan. Seeking trouble would be pure suicide, and they would inevitably be dealt with in the future.
Everyone couldn't help but think of the Human Sacred Body. He had killed so many Golden Crow experts. Could he escape this calamity in the future? Even if he possessed an Imperial Artifact, he couldn't guard against it every moment.
Without a doubt, a huge storm was bound to come in the future!
"Miss Fenghuang is peerlessly stunning, a rare genius of the world. As a child, you could create techniques suited to yourself. Now you have deciphered the riddle of the ancestral stele. Could you enlighten us a little?" someone asked, very curious about the Wind clan's stone stele and wanting to know what was recorded on it.
"Just a scripture. All of you come from the myriad heavens and domains. Which of you does not possess techniques that seize the wonders of heaven and earth?" Fenghuang said lightly.
Everyone knew that ancient scriptures were great secrets. Clans never revealed them to others. It was impossible to ask.
However, Fenghuang did reveal some information, saying it was a dragon stele, inscribed with human-headed, snake-bodied characters, left behind by an ancient Heavenly Venerable.
In the distance, Ye Fan frowned. Human-headed, snake-bodied characters... dragon stele... He thought of Fu Xi from ancient China. Could it be that, like Laozi, he had formed the Reincarnation Seal and reappeared in the world?
Was the prophecy of the Numinous Treasure Heavenly Venerable finally about to come true?!
"Princess Feng is indeed a heaven-gifted talent. The riddles that past sages could not solve have been deciphered by you. To witness the birth of an immortal scripture is truly a great fortune," Shi Zhongxuan said.
"Princess Feng of the Wind clan is a remarkable woman of this age. Naturally, few can compare." Many people flattered.
The group discussed the past and present, speaking of various traditions. Before long, a graceful woman walked over from the distance. She was peerlessly elegant, with long, water-blue hair fluttering in the wind. Her bright eyes were beautiful, like a spirit. But amidst her otherworldly aura, there was also a kind of supreme pressure.
"This is the Celestial Maiden of the Fire Qilin Cave, returned from the outer domains. Her cultivation is now unfathomable!"
"A true youngest daughter of an ancient emperor. Appearing in this great era, she carries endless expectations. Naturally, she is an outstanding one among her siblings."
Everyone discussed, all filled with reverence.
"The heroes of our generation have gathered, almost all present. This is truly gratifying." Shi Zhongxuan stood up and smiled at Huo Qizi.
"That's not quite right. A few very formidable people have left and are no longer in the Big Dipper." Huo Qizi smiled. With a single shift of her gaze, the world lost its color. Her peerless beauty was in no way inferior to Princess Yueling's.
Shi Zhongxuan slapped his forehead. "I almost forgot. I once heard that the Big Dipper produced heavenly prodigies, worthy of the name Burial Emperor Star. In the past, there were Yao Guang, the Central Emperor, and I also heard of heroes like the Holy Prince and Huang Xudao. Unfortunately, I cannot meet them today."
Huo Qizi chuckled lightly. "There's another formidable one you've forgotten. He has already returned, in the Eastern Wasteland, and is very likely here as well."
Hearing this, everyone showed strange expressions and immediately thought of who it was. When discussing the younger generation, how could they possibly avoid that one? His weight was enough to tilt the heavens!
"That's true. He is very strong." Shi Zhongxuan said indifferently, his expression completely different from before.
"Why hasn't the Human Sacred Body, Ye Fan, come?" The various clans in the distance all began to discuss.
Upon hearing this name, Crown Prince Huaizun's expression changed drastically, but he eventually calmed down and sat there quietly.
Princess Yueling's heart also stirred. Her gaze flickered. Back then, in the Immortal Pool of the Qinling Mountains, her clan had used the Jiuli Divine Diagram to almost kill Ye Fan.
Fenghuang also showed a strange expression. Many things had happened in the past. Looking back, it was like a dream. The words she had spoken back then were too extreme. Now, it was so difficult to even produce a Quasi-Emperor!
The place was noisy. Mentioning Ye Fan naturally caused the heroes to discuss him heatedly, because his reputation was simply too great.
At that moment, an ancient war chariot slowly drove over. It was dilapidated, engraved with the marks of time, clearly an antique.