# Chapter 1568: The Latrine Pit from Back Then
"Is Emperor Wu Shi still alive?" Ye Fan muttered to himself, his expression grave. If true, it would overturn many established principles of the past and surely shock the mortal world.
Black Emperor was already trembling, excited to the point of alternating between hope and fear, filled with worry. If this turned out to be another false hope, it would be unbearable. Having hope shattered time and again was truly disheartening.
"Perhaps there really are heaven-defying methods," said Ji Zi, who had always been taciturn, a strange light gleaming in his eyes.
"Great Emperor, I beg you, come out and see me!" the big black dog howled, its cries shaking the many mine tunnels inside Purple Mountain with rumbling echoes, the sound piercing and deafening.
The Holy Prince's golden eyes shot out beams of fire as he scanned the area, trying to discern the truth. Too many things had happened today, all of them incomprehensible and extremely bizarre.
"Great Emperor, please come out and see Little Black..." Black Emperor shouted loudly, beginning to run through the ancient tunnels of Purple Mountain, searching for the truth.
However, no one answered it. The vast, empty Purple Mountain was filled only with its howling, echoing like thunderclaps, with no other sound.
"Great Emperor, I beg you, Little Black really wants to see you!" Black Emperor wept bitterly.
It seemed to have gone mad, searching everywhere, its footprints reaching every corner. In the process, it discovered an altar set up by the Eight Divine Generals, enshrining the supreme divine throne of the Immortal Emperor.
It was extremely bizarre. On that divine throne were written two characters: "Become Immortal"!
But someone had shattered it with a palm strike. The handprint was so clear, still visible even after countless ages.
"It was the Great Emperor who did it, destroyed with imperial-level power back then!" Black Emperor said.
Ye Fan and Ji Zi were both shocked. That was the memorial tablet left by the Immortal Emperor. What was he trying to do? In that distant era, this was Ancient Emperor Mountain, the most sacred place where all the ten thousand ancient clans paid homage, where the Immortal Emperor was buried. Later, Emperor Wu Shi took it over, and the world had long forgotten its original name. For the ancient tribes, it was a place approaching the divine, connected to the heavens. It could lead to immortality!
The big black dog was completely drained, lying prostrate there, continuously growling, refusing to get up.
"Don't search anymore." That Dao sound came again, echoing through Purple Mountain.
Everyone's body trembled. The big black dog suddenly raised its head, gazing into the distance at the massive imperial bell. Now the Primordial Bell had turned to stone, its entire body made of rock, its original form unrecognizable. It hung high in the air of Purple Mountain, covering the area like a giant hall.
"Dang..."
A wave of bell sound spread, deafening yet clear and peaceful. There was no killing aura of an imperial weapon, no sense of oppression. Instead, it was like having one's head sprinkled with pure wisdom, bringing sudden enlightenment.
However, the big black dog seemed to have had its spine pulled out, its body limp as it collapsed there. Like Ye Fan and the others, it truly understood where the sound came from, and it was utterly despairing.
It was the divine spirit born from the Primordial Bell, not Emperor Wu Shi returning!
"Woo woo woo... aoo..." The big black dog howled heart-wrenchingly, its whole body trembling, its heart in great pain. It spat out several big mouthfuls of blood, staining the rocks on the ground red.
Had the imperial bell been awakened by the God-Sealing List? Was it the one controlling everything? Was everything its doing?
As the bell waves continued, a stone wall ahead cracked and split, large pieces of stone skin falling with a rustling sound, revealing a "Dao wall." Clearly, someone had often stopped here.
"Wrong!" On that expansive Dao wall, two large characters were carved. Their momentum was vast, seeming capable of crushing sun, moon, mountains, and rivers, splitting the universe. There were traces of imperial aura contained within, faintly visible.
"It was carved by the Great Emperor!" Black Emperor's gaze could no longer look away, and it became even more powerless.
The bell waves stopped. Everything fell silent, and nothing remained. The Dao wall was covered in dust, the two characters hidden by the dust of ages, no longer visible.
At this point, there was no meaning in staying any longer.
Ye Fan, Ji Zi, and the Holy Prince together reached out, pulling up Black Emperor and forcibly bringing it out of Purple Mountain, leaving the Dao land where the human race's supreme emperor had spent his final years.
"Aoo..." On this cold and desolate land came a mournful howl, like a lone wolf howling at the moon, moving all who heard it.
For a full half month, the Northern Domain was not peaceful. This desolate, wolf-like cry was often heard, startling people. Some cultivators went to investigate and found a big black dog constantly pacing outside Purple Mountain, carrying boundless sorrow.
"Try to be more open-minded," Ye Fan comforted. "Perhaps divine miracles will happen in the future."
"Emperor Wu Shi was no ordinary person after all. Whether he lives or dies may not be so easily determined. Perhaps there is still... a little hope." At this point, the Holy Prince shook his head and couldn't continue.
It had to be said that Black Emperor's ability to adjust was still strong. After grieving deeply for half a month, it finally broke its pattern, gathering all its sorrow and saying, "I firmly believe the Great Emperor broke into the Immortal Domain. If not, I will follow his path, inherit his will, walk this path in this era, complete his wish, and seek a final result on the immortal road!"
Only with a goal is there motivation; only then can one live with vigor. The big black dog's spirits improved greatly. Ye Fan believed that with this damn dog's thick nerves, once it figured things out, it would be full of life again in two months.
In fact, the three of them underestimated it. Only a little over twenty days passed before it recovered. When it learned that an immortal burial map had appeared in the Northern Domain, it immediately became vigorous and spirited!
"A divine map, possibly a product of the mythological era, appearing in this age. What does this mean? It must be a great immortal opportunity. The ancient Heavenly Venerable was unwilling to let go and placed his hope in later generations!"
"Several pieces of ancient jade put together form an immortal Dao map. This is truly astonishing. It is said that only the last corner is missing!"
...
Recently, a rumor appeared in the Northern Domain. Undercurrents surged as many people searched, hoping to see the ancient Heavenly Venerable's scripture repository.
Seeing the big black dog looking so excited and energetic, Ye Fan was a bit speechless. His earlier words of comfort could have been fed to the cats; he really didn't need to bother with it.
Over the past month, the great cracks on the immortal road had intensified. Beams of light shot up from several forbidden zones of life, their momentum even stronger. The roar of the Undying Daoist from Sacred Cliff had weakened. No one knew what the outcome was, and no one dared to approach.
"This emperor has finally found out. That map is almost complete in the hands of a powerful outsider. One corner remains in the possession of a powerful ancient clan member in the Northern Domain. Within the next few days, there will be a major move!" Black Emperor's eyes gleamed with sharp light, as if it had found a second spring.
"You should go cry, not be this excited," Ye Fan reminded.
"Damn it, how are you talking?" Black Emperor was indignant.
"Go cry for a while," the Holy Prince also said unkindly.
"Monkey, don't provoke me!" the big black dog threatened. If they kept teasing it like this, it wouldn't take them along when the immortal burial opened.
In fact, the few of them really didn't have that intention. The immortal road was about to open; they didn't want to cause any more trouble. For now, they were quietly observing everything in this world.
Whether it was imperial weapons, ancient scriptures, or immortal treasures, none of them attracted them as much as the commotion of the immortal road.
That day, the big black dog was extremely excited. It solemnly invited them to explore the ancient Heavenly Venerable's immortal burial together, but all three shook their heads and refused. Because people had come out of the Primordial Ancient Mine and Immortal Mountain. They were watching to see if they were ancient supremes or imperial prince-level figures!
"Don't you regret it!" The big black dog ran off wildly.
However, it left quickly and returned just as fast. In less than two hours, it was cursing and swearing as it reappeared before the three, its square head and big ears full of indignation.
"What's wrong? Got beaten back and need us to go support you?" Ye Fan asked in surprise.
Hearing this, Black Emperor's expression grew even uglier. Its big black face was full of resentment, teeth bared, revealing a mouthful of sharp white teeth that gleamed coldly, as if it wanted to bite someone.
Everyone showed strange expressions. Something must have happened. Ye Fan and the Holy Prince pressed for answers, asking if this big dog had caused another disaster.
After much pressing, the big black dog drooped its square head and said with a face full of bad luck, "Damn it, this treasure was buried by me!"
The three looked at each other, then couldn't help but burst out laughing. Someone had stolen its own treasure—no wonder it had that expression.
"It's not what you think..." The big black dog's big face was almost congested with blood, its eyelids twitching wildly as it stared at Ye Fan. "You buried it with me."
Ye Fan was startled, full of confusion, and scolded, "When did we ever bury treasure? Dead dog, you didn't hide something good behind my back, did you? Was it that imperial sword you didn't want to return to me that someone got their hands on?!"
Hearing this, the big black dog became even more indignant, with a hint of shame and anger. Finally, veins bulged on its forehead, looking as strange as could be.
"What exactly was lost?" the Holy Prince asked.
"Nothing was lost. We dug up a latrine pit!" The big black dog ground its teeth, pinching its nose as it said this truth. Then it became even more depressed, fuming with indignation.
This time, all three burst into laughter, doubling over. The big black dog had gone out early in the morning, excited, and after all that fuss, it had dug up such a pit. It was really a tooth-loosening joke.
Ye Fan finally remembered something and said, "Is it... Jiang Yichen?!"
"That's right, it's him!" The big black dog's face darkened, teeth bared, its face full of wrinkles, hating to the extreme. "Damn it, I even aged that jade piece myself, and it fooled the outsiders. But then, damn it, I ended up going to join in the fun myself!"
Back then, Jiang Yifei's younger brother Jiang Yichen had been arrogant and overbearing, acting without restraint. He had tried to kill Ye Fan several times. Finally, Ye Fan and the black dog found an opportunity to suppress him, burying him and his uncle in latrine pits and sealing them up.
About two hundred years had passed. He had long forgotten about it. He never expected that this "treasure" would be dug up today. What a joke this was!
Especially since the big black dog itself had eagerly gone to step on the landmine. This was truly enough to make people pound the ground with laughter!
After understanding the whole story, even Ji Zi, an honest man, patted Black Emperor on the shoulder, not knowing what to say. The Holy Prince needed no mention; he laughed endlessly, very unkindly, making Black Emperor even more upset, wanting to scratch his face into a blooming flower with its big claws.
Of course, Black Emperor hadn't personally dug the "burial cave." Because as soon as it approached that area, it looked a bit familiar. Later, without much effort, it opened the seal. When a skin-and-bones creature was unearthed, it suddenly remembered everything.
That day, the powerful outsiders cursed endlessly, cursing the people of the Big Dipper for making such things. Even the immortal burial treasure map was aged and faked, creating such a farce. It was truly wicked to the point of smoking.
This farce made many people laugh endlessly, becoming fodder for idle conversation.
Not long after, Jiang Yichen, who had been suppressed into confusion and daze, finally woke up. He roared incessantly, swearing to have a decisive battle with Ye Fan and kill his entire family.
Being suppressed for two hundred years in a latrine pit was truly a great humiliation. If not for the life-preserving artifact in his soul that hadn't been found back then, he would surely have been in grave danger.
Soon after, his uncle was also dug up. Another latrine pit saw the light of day, causing the powerful outsiders and ancient clan members to curse without regard for dignity. One was bad enough, but there were actually two latrine pits!
Just before the great battle of the immortal road, such a ridiculous event happening left the whole world speechless, becoming a laughingstock.