# Chapter 239: Black Emperor
The black dog was as strong as a bull, with a square head and large ears, its canine teeth as white as daggers, extremely sharp. It stuck out a bright red tongue and spoke very forcefully, calling itself Black Emperor.
Ye Fan stared at it but couldn't figure it out. This big black dog had no demonic aura, nor any fluctuations of divine power, yet its body was like copper and iron—impossible to injure.
"Let's go back to the Stone Stockade and eat roast whole lamb." Old Man Zhang pulled his walking stick and called out. In this Northern Domain red earth region, beef and mutton were the most common meats; finding mountain delicacies and seafood was extremely difficult.
Ye Fan pondered—was this big black dog really the creature that had followed him out of Purple Mountain? But it looked completely different from what he had imagined.
"Have any people or livestock gone missing in the surrounding villages?" Ye Fan asked.
Wang Shu shook his head. "Ever since Qingxia was broken, all the bandits within five hundred li have vanished without a trace. There are no more bandit troubles. This area is very peaceful."
"What do you mean? Do you think I, the Emperor, would stir up trouble here?" The big black dog was indeed very intelligent, immediately understanding his meaning.
Ye Fan ignored it. This big black dog had an extraordinary origin, and it wasn't wise to conflict with it.
The evening feast was lively. Men, women, old, and young sat together in the open air. Flames danced, and the roasted meat sizzled as oil dripped into the fire, releasing fragrant aromas.
The big black dog wolfed down its food, staying far from the bonfire. Ye Fan asked Old Man Zhang, "Elder, do you know its origin?"
"No. To tell the truth, when I first saw it, it really gave me a big scare..." Old Man Zhang spoke slowly.
It would be strange if an ordinary mortal wasn't frightened upon seeing a big black dog speak human language. But the big black dog had never hurt anyone and was very friendly toward Old Man Zhang.
"I found it near Purple Mountain. At the time, it was wandering around, and Lei Bo immediately recognized it as the dark shadow that had once stolen our roasted lamb."
"Does it stay in the Stone Stockade every day?" Ye Fan continued asking.
"Every morning, it runs to Purple Mountain for a stroll. The rest of the time, it mostly devours the essence of the sun and absorbs the radiance of the moon."
Ye Fan nodded inwardly. This big black dog was indeed connected to Purple Mountain. He could now almost confirm it was the creature that had followed him out.
"It really hasn't eaten any other livestock or done any evil?!" Ye Fan still didn't trust this big black dog. The ancient races had left too deep an impression on him.
In this world, he had more contact with unknown creatures than any of the Holy Lords.
Because in thousands of years, no one might see even one, yet he had ventured deep into Purple Mountain and awakened several creatures, encountering them up close.
As for the Primordial Forbidden Zone, everyone knew of it, but who dared enter? Unless it was an Imperial Lord whose lifespan was nearly exhausted—they would enter but never leave. Their escape this time was truly a blessing from heaven.
"It really has no evil deeds. I once felt its bones—it's just a domestic dog that has become a spirit, not some other race." Old Man Zhang answered with certainty.
"Wang Shu, what do you think of it?"
"I can't say. It doesn't feel like a big dog. Its personality is no different from a human's." Wang Shu shook his head.
"This tailless dog is too fierce..." Lei Bo muttered quietly nearby, afraid the big black dog would hear.
The first time they met, he was knocked down, suffering worse than Ye Fan—torn and bitten. He had been bullied by it on ordinary days too.
"This tailless dog holds grudges. I just chased it once, but it's really quite strange. It taught me and Wang Shu some special cultivation methods." Lei Bo explained.
"It taught you cultivation methods?" Ye Fan was surprised.
"It always calls itself Black Emperor. If we make even a small mistake, it swings its dog paw." Lei Bo complained.
Ye Fan almost spat out his wine. This big black dog was truly bizarre.
"What method did it teach you? Let me see." Ye Fan motioned for Wang Shu to circulate his mystic method and placed his hand on him.
It was a very strange mystic method, specifically targeting Lei Bo and Wang Shu's special physiques, drawing out the mysterious energy within their forehead bones to temper every inch of their flesh and blood.
"This tailless dog really has some skill." Ye Fan was somewhat surprised and nodded. "Learn from it. It won't do you any harm."
"Brother Ye, never call it a tailless dog. Lei Bo gets bitten by it often for that reason." Wang Shu reminded him in a low voice. "It's coming over. You must call it Black Emperor."
Black Emperor? This big dog really had no shame. Did it truly think it was an ancient sage emperor?
The big black dog had eaten two whole sheep. Its head was held high, its black fur long and smooth as silk, shiny and glossy, its eyes like copper bells. The only disharmonious feature was its bare, hairless tail.
"Black Emperor, are you full?" Old Man Zhang patted the soft blanket beside him. The big black dog crouched down and lay comfortably next to him.
Such a fierce dog ignored everyone else but was relatively docile toward Old Man Zhang.
"Brat, why are you always hostile toward me?" Black Emperor glanced arrogantly at Ye Fan.
Ye Fan wanted to slap it. This was truly a case of the vicious dog biting back—it had pounced on him the first time they met, and now it still had this attitude.
"What heart method did you teach Lei Bo and Wang Shu?" Ye Fan asked.
"Naturally, it's the unparalleled ancient scripture I, the Emperor, created." The big black dog looked extremely proud.
"Scripture? What's its name?" Ye Fan asked while clinking glasses with the people around him.
"It's called the 'Black Emperor Scripture,' an unparalleled secret method that surpasses all ages."
"Black Emperor? You crowned yourself that, didn't you! Search through all the ancient records of the Eastern Wasteland—where is that name found? The ancient great emperors shook the ages, and there are only a few of them."
The big black dog growled low. "I, the Emperor, disdain to leave my name in ancient history."
"Talk about getting carried away. Even if your tail is bald, how long have you lived? Three hundred years? A thousand? Or fifteen hundred?"
The big black dog hated most when people mentioned its bald tail. It stood up with a start, its gaze unfriendly, its bloody mouth wide open, ready to pounce.
Old Man Zhang quickly comforted it, rubbing its glossy fur with his rough old hand. "Black Emperor, don't be angry."
"Brat, watch your mouth!" The big black dog threatened, then lay down sullenly. "I, the Emperor, have traversed past and present. I've lived so long I can't even remember."
Ye Fan sneered. "I've heard of Eternal Universe Great Emperor, heard of Emperor Void, heard of Western Empress, but I've never heard of Black Emperor. Can you stand alongside them?"
The big black dog wanted to retort, but the names of those three great emperors still held supreme divine might even after endless ages. It bared its teeth but ultimately dared not blaspheme.
The moonlight was soft, the bonfire danced. The young women and men of the Stone Stockade were singing and dancing lightly, celebrating joyfully.
Ye Fan gnawed on a lamb leg and drank over ten cups of wine. "There are only a few ancient scriptures in the Eastern Wasteland. I happen to know one. How about we compare notes?"
"You want to spar with me?" The big black dog tilted its head to look at him, revealing its snow-white teeth.
"Don't be so ferocious, dog. Let's have a literary contest. Each of us recites a passage of ancient scripture and see which is superior."
The big black dog sneered. "You're far from tricking me into revealing my unparalleled scripture."
Ye Fan smiled and shook his head. "I just want to compare. How about this—since you're so defensive, I'll recite a passage first."
"There are only a few ancient scriptures in the Eastern Wasteland. Which one do you know?" The big black dog clearly didn't believe him.
"Attain utmost emptiness, maintain steadfast stillness..." Ye Fan recited a passage with a serious expression.
This text was indeed part of an ancient scripture, though incomplete—it was the Ji Family's Void Ancient Scripture. Aside from the Grand Void Art, he had only obtained a few sections of the heart method.
This was the unparalleled ancient scripture created by the ancient Emperor Void, who observed all things and captured the eternal, unchanging laws.
"So you do know something. You're not just trying to trick me out of my unparalleled secret canon." The big black dog's eyes flashed with light. "Listen well. I'll recite a passage of my Black Emperor Scripture for you."
"Good, I'm all ears." Ye Fan's heart was calm as he listened carefully.
"Devour the sun and moon, illuminate the divine..." The big black dog recited a passage. It was indeed profound and obscure, difficult to understand.
But the more Ye Fan listened, the more something felt wrong. This wasn't something humans could cultivate—it was a demon saint method.
"Wait. This scripture—I can't cultivate it. This kind of comparison is meaningless." Ye Fan stopped it.
"The ancient scripture I, the Emperor, created naturally suits my cultivation. It wasn't created for you." The big black dog looked at him disdainfully.
"My ancient scripture is famous throughout the ages. Only a few in the Eastern Wasteland can stand alongside it. Even a demon saint could use it for reference. But your so-called Black Emperor Scripture is far inferior." Ye Fan shook his head.
"Stop boasting, brat. You want to get something for nothing, to get other ancient scriptures from me? Nothing comes that cheap." The big black dog looked at him as if seeing through his scheme.
"It's getting something for nothing from a black dog..." Lei Bo muttered quietly nearby.
"Woof..." The big black dog's bark made Lei Bo immediately shut up.
"My scripture astonishes past and present. It was created by Eternal Universe Great Emperor. I disdain to obtain your scripture." Ye Fan shook his head and sighed. "At the end of the immortal path, who stands as the peak? Upon seeing Eternal Universe, the Dao becomes empty."
"Nonsense! Your scripture is clearly the Ji Family's Void Ancient Scripture, created by Emperor Void. How did you drag Eternal Universe into it?" The big black dog seemed agitated. "Besides, how can it be 'Upon seeing Eternal Universe, the Dao becomes empty'? I admit Eternal Universe Great Emperor is one of the strongest in history, but that saying isn't about him."
"Then who is it about?" Ye Fan smiled.
"Naturally, it's about a world-shaking, unparalleled figure, one of the several great emperors..." The big black dog suddenly stopped talking.
Through a series of probes, Ye Fan finally gained something. This big black dog wasn't an ancient creature. It cultivated demon saint heart methods and was close to Emperor Wu Shi.
"Brat, you're far from playing mind games with me, the Emperor. Wanting ancient scriptures? Not a chance." The big black dog calmed down. "I, the Emperor, do know the whereabouts of several ancient scriptures. Want to know?"
Ye Fan was speechless. This big dog was clearly toying with his nerves.
"What would an old black dog like you know? The strongest ancient scriptures are in the great holy lands."
The big black dog showed a disdainful expression. "I, the Emperor, know where Eternal Universe Great Emperor attained enlightenment. I also know on which steep cliff the Western Empress carved the first draft of the 'Western Emperor Scripture.'"