Chapter 353: Divine King Tai Xu
In the hearts of the people of the Northern Domain, the Jiang Family was like a divine clan, its position unshakable and supreme.
This region contained countless kingdoms, both large and small. Many ancient nations worshipped the Eternal Universe Great Emperor as their deity.
One could imagine how immense the Jiang Family’s influence was in this land—they were almost deified.
Snow blanketed the ground, and the bitter wind howled across the earth. Snowflakes danced in the air, a biting chill permeating everything. The white vapor from one’s breath quickly turned into ice crystals.
In this freezing winter, few people ventured out in the towns, let alone the desolate wilderness.
Ye Fan carried the God-Slaying Whip on his back, advancing alone through the icy plains against the fierce northern wind. He had traveled through dozens of nations, and the Jiang Family’s sacred land was now less than two thousand li away.
On this frozen plain, there were a few small settlements. In such a harsh winter, few people went outside, and only occasionally could one see sled dogs pulling sledges.
Not long after, Ye Fan found a cultivator in one of the settlements, only at the Life Spring realm. After giving him ten jin of Source, the man agreed to deliver a letter.
Ye Fan could not go to the Jiang Family himself. Otherwise, he might face mortal danger, as the matter involved the Nine Secrets. This inheritance was far too important.
He had no way to explain himself, nor could he say he had entered Purple Mountain. Otherwise, even if he came with good intentions to deliver news, he would be detained.
Doing a good deed only to end up in a miserable situation—he had no desire for such an outcome.
“The people of the Jiang Family flow with the blood of gods…”
In an old hunter’s home, the earthen bed was warm. Ye Fan drank aged wine and ate dried venison, chatting with the old hunter. From him, he learned much about the Jiang Family.
In the fireplace, firewood crackled as it burned. The room was cozy. After a few cups of wine, watching the wind howl and snow swirl outside, Ye Fan suddenly felt very relaxed.
In the end, he left behind a piece of Source and strode away, stepping back into the wind and snow.
That day, Ye Fan found five low-realm cultivators and had them each deliver the same letter. Because the matter was of great importance, he feared something might go wrong.
The content of the letter was simple: a rough map of the interior of Purple Mountain, pointing directly to where Jiang Tai Xu was trapped, with his name clearly written.
At the same time, he left behind a trace of the Battle Saint’s imprint, sealed within five pieces of jade. He believed that when the Jiang Family saw this, they would have no choice but to believe.
After doing all this, Ye Fan turned and left without a moment’s delay. He used the Dark Jade Platform several times to traverse the void, crossing through dozens of nations.
However, he did not leave this region. He settled in a city, cultivating in silence while also studying the *Source Heaven Scroll*.
In the following days, the area became extremely tense. The Jiang Family’s experts were all deployed, seemingly searching for something, causing unease among many.
Ye Fan knew the letters had been delivered. The Jiang Family had received the news. With that, he let out a long breath. He had done what he could. Whether they could rescue the Divine King now depended on the Jiang Family’s strength.
A few days later, a shocking rumor spread across the Northern Domain: Divine King Jiang Tai Xu might still be alive!
This news was earth-shattering, shaking the entire land. It spread like wildfire.
Soon, the entire Eastern Wasteland was stirred. All the great sects and Holy Lands learned of it, leaving many major figures stunned.
Divine King Jiang Tai Xu was a legend. Known as the number one in offensive power in the Northern Domain over the past five thousand years, no one could rival him.
In his prime, when he shook the world, he was not very old. In the eyes of many senior figures, he was still a brash youth, yet he had already cultivated the Divine King Physique to its great completion.
Many speculated that, given time, his future would be limitless!
He was not old, yet his fame blazed like the sun. Whenever he acted, it drew the attention of all directions.
It was precisely during his rise, at the peak of his glory, that he suddenly vanished without a trace, never to be seen again, forever disappearing from the world’s sight.
Back then, many speculated that he might be in a death-seclusion, striving for a higher realm.
But as time passed—a thousand years, two thousand years—people finally believed that this astonishing Divine King had truly met with misfortune and was no longer in the world.
The most devastated was the Jiang Family. The emergence of a Divine King Physique was a sign of a clan’s prosperity. No one expected that Jiang Tai Xu, just as he was rising, would meet with disaster.
In those days, the Jiang Family launched a massive investigation. They suspected that certain Holy Lands had orchestrated it, with peerless experts joining forces to assassinate Divine King Jiang Tai Xu.
Over four thousand years ago, the situation was turbulent, nearly sparking a catastrophic war among the Holy Lands. Fortunately, the matter was eventually clarified, and the storm subsided.
Time passed slowly. In the blink of an eye, over four thousand years had gone by. The name Jiang Tai Xu was almost forgotten by the world. No one expected it to resurface.
Everyone was stunned. The Divine King, once so heroic and dazzling, was still alive. Many could hardly believe it.
“A son should be like Jiang Tai Xu!” This was the lament of some long-deceased ancestors from four thousand years ago.
“What happened?”
Over four thousand years ago, Jiang Tai Xu was as graceful as jade, his combat power shaking the world. Wherever he went, he drew attention, a peerless figure of his era.
“Why has he been silent for so long?” This was the question on many minds.
Under normal circumstances, a Divine King could live four to five thousand years. After so many years, the once-youthful Divine King was now approaching five thousand years of age.
One could say he was nearing the end of his life, his life force nearly dry. Why, at this time, did news of his survival emerge?
His prime years had passed like water, the heroic Divine King now entering his twilight years. What great deeds could an old Divine King with little life left accomplish?
The news leaked unexpectedly. The Jiang Family’s high echelons were furious, but they could not trace the source.
Soon after, new news spread: Divine King Jiang Tai Xu was trapped in Purple Mountain. This revelation was even more shocking.
Everything came to light. The mystery of the Divine King’s four-thousand-year disappearance was finally solved, but it sparked even more speculation. How had the news of Jiang Tai Xu being trapped for four thousand years without dying been transmitted?
Had someone already obtained the inheritance of Emperor Wu Shi?
Had the peerless Divine King, nearing five thousand years old without dying, gained something within Purple Mountain? How many more years could he live?
Would the Battle Character Art of the Nine Secrets see the light of day again?
Not only the Eastern Wasteland was shaken, but even the Hundred Schools of Thought in the Central Province were astonished. They had gathered around Purple Mountain, never expecting that a living Divine King might be inside.
When Ye Fan heard these rumors, he frowned. The Jiang Family’s information had been leaked—someone had done it deliberately.
Ten days later, the Jiang Family retrieved their Extreme Imperial Weapon and headed for Purple Mountain.
The Sun God Furnace, also known as the Eternal Universe Furnace, was forged from the sacred Phoenix Blood Red Gold and refined with the supreme immortal fire of the Setting Sun Ridge in the Primordial Forbidden Zone. It could shatter heaven and earth and incinerate all things.
The power of this sacred artifact was unimaginable. Whether it was the Peacock King, who could shatter mountains with a roar, or the Red Dragon Daoist, whose divine might shook the world, if struck by it, they would be reduced to ashes in a single blow.
The Jiang Family was the first to bring out their Extreme Imperial Weapon—the Eternal Universe Furnace—and also urged the Ji Family to retrieve the Void Mirror and Yao Guang to bring out the Dragon-Pattern Cauldron.
This confirmed the news that the Divine King was trapped in Purple Mountain. For a time, the situation became turbulent, and rumors flew everywhere.
The third assault on Purple Mountain was accelerated.
The Jiang Family possessed a partial map of Purple Mountain’s interior, drawing major powers to their doorstep, eager to see it.
In response, the Jiang Family’s high echelons gave only one answer: enter Purple Mountain together and share the map. They wanted to use the strength of the Holy Lands and the Hundred Schools of Thought of the Central Province to rescue Jiang Tai Xu.
Not to mention the inheritance of Emperor Wu Shi, even the Battle Character Art of the Nine Secrets was enough to make the Jiang Family go all out. This unparalleled secret art was of immeasurable value!
Over half a month, the world’s attention converged on Purple Mountain. It became a place where dragons soared and tigers leaped. Many major figures from the Eastern Wasteland and Central Province surrounded Purple Mountain. If they did not act, all was calm; if they did, the world would surely be shocked.
Because this was their last chance. With Extreme Imperial Weapons deployed, if they still could not break through, it meant eternal failure.
The Jiang Family’s territory grew calm. Ye Fan advanced through the wind and snow, finally glimpsing a rough outline in the distance.
He observed from dozens of li away, using the Source Heaven Divine Sense.
It was indeed a sacred land. Outside, the earth was frozen and snow fell heavily, but ahead, clouds and mist rose, lush and green.
Radiant mists ascended, colorful vapors flowed, and a brilliant scene unfolded. Numerous great peaks hung in the sky, never falling. Each mountain was majestic, as if it had existed since the dawn of creation, exuding an ancient aura.
Some peaks were wrapped in colorful mists, picturesque, with thousands of feet of waterfalls cascading down like silver ribbons, as if the Milky Way had fallen from the heavens.
Others were towering and solemn, shrouded in demonic clouds, awe-inspiring.
And this was only the tip of the iceberg. The deepest scenes could not be seen, but it was said there were many temples from the ancient era.
Moreover, it was certain that the Jiang Family possessed an eternal floating divine city, perched atop the clouds. Though it could not compare to the scale of the Northern Domain’s Holy City, it was still astonishing, having endured since the ancient era without decay.
“It’s said that several Holy Lands have floating divine cities. Is there some connection?” Ye Fan pondered.
He could not help but sigh. Such a great power, with such grandeur, could indeed dominate the Eastern Wasteland. Its foundations were unfathomably deep.
“It’s said that the Four Extremes volume of the *Eternal Universe Scripture* is the best in the Eastern Wasteland, just like the Wheel Sea volume of the *Dao Scripture* and the Dao Palace volume of the *Western Emperor Scripture*.”
Ye Fan shook his head. Though he yearned for it, seeing the Jiang Family’s grandeur, he knew it was nearly impossible to obtain.
He recalled his past boasts about taking the heart of the Jade Pool, and felt a pang of embarrassment. If not for Black Emperor leading him to the Jade Pool’s ancient site, he would never have succeeded.
Capturing disciples of the Holy Lands and searching their divine senses was not feasible. He had tried several times with the Ji Family’s disciples, only to have their consciousness shatter directly.
The more he learned, the more he revered these immortal great powers. To challenge them with one’s own strength was nearly impossible, unless one walked the path of a Great Emperor.
“It seems I’ll hardly get to see Little Tingting,” Ye Fan muttered to himself.
With one last look, he turned and left. There was no need to linger here. If one day he achieved great cultivation, he could walk straight in, rather than watching from afar.
Ye Fan traveled across the icy plains, leaving the area, and arrived at a small town a thousand li away. Looking at the narrow streets, he felt a sense of familiarity.
“That is…” He stood stunned.
Ahead, there was a small, shabby tavern. An old man with a wrinkled face, his clothes patched, moved slowly, wiping tables and chairs over and over again.
“Uncle Jiang, why is he here?!” Ye Fan was shocked. Why was this happening? Was Little Tingting here too?