# Chapter 367: An Era of Prosperity and Sorrow
"You have the Beginningless Scripture?!" Ye Fan, Pang Bo, and Tu Fei all stared at the big black dog.
It immediately felt a bit creeped out, stepping back a few paces, and said, "Why are your eyes like wolves, all glowing green?"
The various Holy Lands of the Eastern Wasteland and the Hundred Schools of Thought of the Central Province had racked their brains, nearly losing all their hair, trying to open Purple Mountain and obtain the inheritance of Emperor Wu Shi. For the big black dog to suddenly blurt out such a statement, anyone would be startled.
"This dead dog is just blowing smoke. If he had the Beginningless Scripture, pigs could fly," Tu Fei said.
The big black dog cursed a few times, then brazenly declared, "Who am I, the Emperor? What can stump me? In this world, as long as there's a Primordial Saint Body Dao Fetus, I'd risk my old life to produce a copy of the Beginningless Scripture."
"You say you can produce it just like that?" Tu Fei sneered.
Ye Fan, however, had a change in expression. He stared at the big black dog with somewhat eager eyes. Others didn't know, but he knew—this dead dog had definitely escaped from Purple Mountain.
"Damn it, kid, don't stare at me like that." The big black dog seemed to recall the earlier incident with the Western Emperor Scripture and looked displeased. "If you want the Beginningless Scripture, it's simple. Produce a Primordial Saint Body Dao Fetus and send it into Purple Mountain. I guarantee you'll get what you want."
"I'd like to produce a Primordial Saint Body Dao Fetus, but who can open the Mountains and Rivers Diagram..."
They had successively used the Vajra Ring, the Divine Lotus, the Devouring Demon Jar, and the golden bell to bombard it, but they simply couldn't break through the diagram.
Even the great enemy of the former old Saint Lord of the Zi Mansion couldn't breach it. They knew they had no way at all, so they stopped wasting their strength.
"Purple Cloud Fairy Maiden, if you don't come out, I'll take this painting to the Heavenly Demon Palace for auction."
The big black dog shamelessly blustered, "For the prosperity of the human race, you'd better come out quickly. The Primordial Saint Body Dao Fetus really needs to be born."
"If you don't come out, I'll throw you into the Primordial Ancient Mine or Immortal Mountain. No matter how powerful the Mountains and Rivers Diagram is, it won't protect you."
"I think it's more appropriate to paste this diagram right in front of the Miaoyu Convent."
They took turns provoking, threatening, and intimidating.
"You four bastards!" The voice of the Holy Maiden of Zi Mansion came from within the scroll painting. Faced with all kinds of dirty tricks, she seemed somewhat annoyed, but her voice remained relatively calm.
"You can perceive everything outside. That makes things easier. From now on, I'll treat you as an ordinary scroll and hang it in my bedroom."
The group came up with all sorts of dirty tricks, but the Holy Maiden of Zi Mansion gave no further response.
Carrying the Mountains and Rivers Diagram around was truly a hot potato. What was sealed inside was a Primordial Dao Fetus, capable of wielding the Great Dao. If she suddenly attacked, even if they didn't die, they'd be severely injured.
"Let's seal it up first!"
With the help of the big black dog, a master of Dao patterns, the Mountains and Rivers Diagram was thoroughly sealed. Then, Ye Fan stored the scroll inside the Vajra Ring and suppressed it with the nine mysterious ancient characters from the Dao Scripture.
"Little Leaf, aren't you sealing up a bit too many people? They're all figures with great backgrounds," Tu Fei clicked his tongue.
The group counted the sealed individuals in the snow and looked at each other in astonishment. It was truly a luxurious lineup. If they formed a mining squad, it would absolutely drop jaws.
First, sealed in the Li Fire Divine Furnace were the cream of the Eastern Wasteland: Holy Son Yao Guang, Golden Wing Little Peng King, and Yao Xi—absolutely heavenly prodigies who could look down on the younger generation.
Second, Xu Yuan was the most beloved youngest son of Xu Tianxiong, the third great bandit, and Jiang Yichen was the apple of a Great Power's eye in the Jiang Family. Both had astonishing backgrounds.
Furthermore, Li Rui, the alternate Holy Son of Yaoguang, and over a dozen female disciples of Zi Mansion were also figures of no small importance.
And now, they had even suppressed a Primordial Dao Fetus. The group had personally experienced the power of the Holy Maiden of Zi Mansion earlier. She was one with the Dao, inherently undefeatable, with almost no rival among her peers.
Tu Fei sighed. The Eastern Wasteland had entered an extremely vigorous period. There were too many outstanding talents among the younger generation. In the past, having two would have been remarkable.
But now, not only was there a Divine King Physique, but also a Primordial Dao Body, along with heaven-defying geniuses like Holy Son Yao Guang and Golden Wing Little Peng King.
"Such figures appearing one per era would be enough. Otherwise, it can only be tragedy."
The Divine King Physique of the Eastern Wasteland, as the name implied, was absolutely the king among peers. No matter how brilliant and talented you were, being born in the same era as him was also a sorrow. The future of the Eastern Wasteland was destined to be his domain.
The Primordial Dao Body, across the boundless earth, was almost insurmountable. Once they became a Saint Lord-rank figure, they would be one with the Dao. No matter how vast your magical power, you would be suppressed.
Holy Son Yao Guang and Golden Wing Little Peng King were even more heaven-defying in bearing. Some speculated that they could walk the path of an Emperor, already possessing some of the demeanor of a young Emperor.
In past ages, any one of these figures would have stood at the pinnacle of an era. Yet now, they had all appeared together.
"Primordial Dao Body, Sacred Body, Divine Body, Young Emperor... these are all figures who dominate their generation. They have never met in the same era to contend before."
Now, so many were born in the same era. It seemed prosperous, but it was also a tragedy. In the future, there would inevitably be great battles to determine victory and defeat, after all, only one could become an Emperor.
The big black dog scoffed, "What's so special about this? It's not that these physiques can't appear in the same era. You just haven't seen it or heard of it."
"When did that happen? How come we don't know?"
"There's plenty you don't know."
"Dead dog, don't be cryptic. Tell us what era it was."
The big black dog said, "Think back to over a hundred thousand years ago. In that era, stars shone brightly. Whether it was the Divine King Physique or the Heavenly Demon Body, all appeared. It could be called the rise of all kings, surpassing ancient and modern times."
"How could such an era exist..." Tu Fei didn't believe it.
"Naturally, it did. You just haven't experienced it. In that era, almost all the physiques recorded in ancient texts appeared."
"With all kinds of ancient king bodies appearing, along with some heaven-defying geniuses, wouldn't it have turned the world upside down? The entire land wouldn't have been at peace, right?"
The big black dog's thoughts drifted far away. He sighed, "The rise of all kings, stars shining brightly, geniuses emerging in succession—that's how the strength of one person stands out."
"If these people appeared alone, each would dominate an era. Being born in the same generation is too cruel."
"Yes, that's the cruel yet glorious era. Walking a bloody path, even stepping over the corpses of kings, to become a Supreme Being," the big black dog seemed to have some emotion as well.
"You're exaggerating so much. What earth-shattering figure appeared in that era? I think they must have left a name in ancient history."
"Emperor Wu Shi!" Black Emperor only said these four words.
Everyone drew in a cold breath. No wonder. Only such a figure could stand out.
How powerful was Emperor Wu Shi? No one could say for sure. Before becoming an Emperor, he had already withstood an Extreme Weapon from the Central Province with his bare hands, and the one wielding it was almost already an Emperor.
That was absolutely resisting the might of a Great Emperor!
"No wonder Emperor Wu Shi looked down on ancient and modern times. The era he was born in had too many astonishingly talented figures!"
"No matter how brilliant and radiant others were, they were destined to only be green leaves, only setting off the invincibility of the sole Emperor Wu Shi."
"I feel that the current era is about the same. The Central Province, the Western Desert, and the Southern Ridge must also have world-shaking geniuses. Maybe it's another era of Emperor Wu Shi!"
"One person's glory, the sorrow of all the geniuses of an era. The brilliance of the stars only sets off the sun and moon as even more dazzling."
The group was quite emotional. They left this icy plain and flew into the distance.
In the following days, they looked for opportunities to target isolated Holy Sons and Holy Maidens.
Unfortunately, although those people were searching for Ye Fan's whereabouts, they weren't acting alone. There was almost no chance.
In the days that followed, they moved through deep mountains and ancient mines, searching for dragon veins and digging for Divine Source. Ye Fan was very eager. He needed a large amount of Source to break the curse. He hoped to rush into the Four Extremes Secret Realm as soon as possible.
Now that his Source Art was accomplished, he wanted to find a great dragon vein. Unfortunately, after traversing endless territories, he hadn't even seen a large mining area.
The Northern Domain produced Source—everyone in the world knew that. Over the endless years, major forces had swarmed in. Almost all Source-producing areas had been claimed and divided up.
Of course, there were definitely still peerless dragon veins on the earth, but most were very hidden—encountered by chance, not sought.
After seven or eight days, Ye Fan only found one mining area, extracting some variant Source worth no more than four thousand catties of pure Source.
Crawling out of the mine shaft, the group was covered in dust and very disheveled.
"This won't do. Hurry up and train those suppressed people to go mining."
"Golden Wing Little Peng King as captain of the first mining squad, Holy Son Yao Guang as captain of the second squad, Yao Xi and the Holy Maiden of Zi Mansion..." The group was making the best of a bad situation. They knew these people couldn't be released, but they still made up arrangements.
"I'm still a bit uneasy. Little Leaf, can that broken furnace of yours really seal Holy Son Yao Guang and Golden Wing Little Peng King? If they break out, it will be a huge disaster."
"And the Primordial Dao Body. If she escapes later, we'll definitely be in big trouble."
"For now, it's fine. They can't escape."
Just then, the big black dog swallowed two large pieces of variant Source in one gulp.
"Damn it... We worked so hard, and this dead dog swallowed half the Source in one mouthful!" Tu Fei was furious.
"I, the Emperor, have never mined before. Two thousand catties of Source is hardly enough to compensate me for breaking my precedent!"
A thousand catties of Source was already an astonishing number for ordinary people, but for a Primordial Saint Body who needed millions of catties, it was far too little.
Whenever Ye Fan thought of this astronomical figure, he felt a headache and helplessness. Apart from the Holy Lands, only the Ten Thousand Dragon Nest and Purple Mountain had peerless Divine Source blocks. Unfortunately, he couldn't enter these places. Forcing his way in would only mean death.
"If only there were a peerless expert. We could go to the Primordial Forbidden Zone to dig at the Fire Dragon Grave and Red Moon Cave."
"I think, Little Leaf, you should go to Divine City. After all, there are ready-made stone materials there. With your current Source Art, you might be able to cut out tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of catties of Source in one day," Tu Fei suggested.
Not long ago, Ye Fan's shocking gamble in Divine City could be described as a whirlwind. He quickly obtained a large amount of Source.
But because of this, he became a focal figure. Since leaving, he hadn't returned, afraid of unexpected incidents.
Ye Fan nodded, "It seems I need to take another risk. Black Emperor, carve me a top-tier Dark Jade Platform for emergencies."
Pang Bo said, "I'll accompany you into Divine City. With the demon clan forces I can mobilize, we can ensure safety."
"I want to go too!"
Tu Fei sneered, "What are you going for? If you show up, the whole city will be beating dogs!"
"Woof!"
"Damn it, dead dog, who's hitting who!"
"Ooh woo..."
The big black dog howled at the moon, extremely excited. It had finally obtained the Demon Emperor Ancient Scripture from Pang Bo, and Ye Fan had also given it the Green Jade Dark Turtle he brought out from the temple in the Primordial Forbidden Zone.
"Don't worry. This time, I, the Emperor, will stir up trouble outside, turn all those chasing you into human pets, and draw everyone's attention, making them think you're frantically looting Source."
In the end, Ye Fan and Pang Bo set off on the road to Divine City, about to enter the place of gathering storms once again.
Snow fell heavily. The earth was a vast expanse of white. The Northern Domain had entered the coldest season of the year.
When they were not too far from Divine City, Ye Fan and Pang Bo both sensed something was wrong. Someone was following them, almost evading their spiritual perception.
"It's him!"
In the end, Ye Fan discovered the tracker. A little golden spirit, sneaky and furtive, was quietly trailing him in the snow.
"Is that the Divine Silkworm you cut out from the strange stone?" Pang Bo was surprised.
"That's right, it's this little guy. Last time, if I hadn't crossed the void to escape, I definitely wouldn't have shaken him off." Ye Fan couldn't help but smile.
But the little golden spirit behind him was extremely angry. It stretched out a small claw and silently pointed at him in accusation. Its big eyes were wide open, seeming very wronged.
"Haha, how interesting. Strange stones are truly incredible. You never know what they can contain. This time, I have to see with my own eyes what else you can cut out." Pang Bo couldn't help but laugh either.
Ye Fan pretended to chase, which scared the little golden spirit into crashing into a snowdrift. It angrily spat out a mouthful of snow and scampered away in a flash.
"It's not the thief that steals that you fear, but the thief that covets. It seems that if I cut out a world-shaking treasure, I'll have to guard against this little guy."
As they approached Divine City, the white snow disappeared, and endless greenery appeared. In such a bitter cold season, being in a place of lush green was especially comfortable. Bathing in the spring breeze, they felt completely relaxed.
In the harsh winter, a hundred flowers competed in beauty, purple and red. The fragrance of flowers mixed with the scent of earth greeted them. Spiritual springs gurgled, ancient trees were lush, vines intertwined and overlapped. Walking through it was indeed a very pleasant thing.
In the end, Ye Fan and Pang Bo separated and entered Divine City one after another, pretending not to know each other. This way, they could make a big fuss.
As soon as they entered Divine City, they each received astonishing news. The various Holy Lands of the Eastern Wasteland and the Hundred Schools of Thought of the Central Province were about to attack Purple Mountain.
At the latest, it wouldn't exceed ten days. At the earliest, it might be in the next two days. An earth-shattering event was about to happen!
Reliable news spread that the Central Province and the Eastern Wasteland would use at least four Extreme Weapons!
Without a doubt, there would be a huge storm. Purple Mountain would shake the world. The inheritance of Emperor Wu Shi had seized everyone's hearts and minds.
Many believed that regardless of whether they obtained Wu Shi's inheritance, astonishing things would appear. What kind of power could block Extreme Dao Sacred Weapons?
It might very well involve the life and death of a Great Emperor, their whereabouts in their later years, and what they did before their death.
Perhaps the greatest secret of the ancient Great Emperors would be revealed!
Moreover, the mystery of Divine King Jiang Taixu's life and death would also be uncovered. Perhaps it would just be a pile of bones, or perhaps a living legend would walk out!