Chapter 489: Divine Dynasty’s Probe
The ancient city of Zi Tian Du had weathered the Primordial Era, survived the Great Dark Calamity, and stood for ages as one of the ten great cities of the Central Eastern Wasteland. This region was dotted with numerous major powers.
Ye Fan and his group did not linger long. They truly set out for the Ziwei Sect to seek a "reconciliation," and along the way, the Big Black Dog was incredibly excited.
When they asked people for the specific location of the Ziwei Sect, many showed strange expressions. What did these "divine beings" intend to do?
"Naturally, we wish to visit the Ziwei Ancient Land. Do you think we’d attack it or something?" the Big Black Dog howled loudly.
Everyone’s expression shifted. These fellows had stirred up boundless waves in recent days, accompanied by a Sage. Could they really be planning to storm the Ziwei Sect?
The Central Domain had always been home to many famous mountains and great rivers, a land of outstanding talent, gathering ancient purple qi, condensing the dragon veins of ten thousand pulses, and nurturing the spiritual roots of heaven and earth.
In the mountain range ten thousand li from Zi Tian Du, purple qi surged, mist and smoke swirled, ancient trees remained evergreen—a celestial vein like a paradise, truly extraordinary.
Ye Fan and his companions traveled forward, arriving at this immortal mountain range. Behind them, figures flickered in hiding; some cultivators had received word and followed.
Over the past few days, their group had stirred the Central Domain. Countless eyes were watching. Ye Fan’s sword strike slaying the Yin Yang Holy Son had shaken the younger generation.
The Old Madman’s act of slapping a Great Power to death with his bare hands was like a furious sea storm, crashing waves that tugged at many people’s nerves.
The news that a supreme sect from the Central Province had suffered disgrace in the Eastern Wasteland had already been sent back, yet the Yin Yang Sect still dared not make any move—they were truly cowed.
"Doggy, don’t run around. Stay with Big Brother and the others," Little Nannan said quietly and obediently, sitting on Black Emperor’s back. Seeing him overly excited and running too fast, she reminded him softly.
"Don’t worry, no one dares to ambush us," the Big Black Dog said carelessly, dashing across cliffs and peaks in search of extraordinary spiritual herbs.
This was a celestial land: ancient pines stood proudly among the rocks, immortal cranes circled, waterfalls cascaded down, and dense spiritual energy swirled.
"Clang!"
Suddenly, an icy, bone-piercing killing intent erupted. Sword light split mountains, a single sword pierced the sky, dazzling and blinding like a comet streaking across the heavens, striking with deadly precision.
A supremely sharp sword strike!
The Big Black Dog was both startled and enraged. He never imagined that even traveling with the Old Madman, someone would dare to assassinate them—and with such ferocity, aiming for a one-hit kill.
"Woof!"
At that moment, Black Emperor did not dodge the world-shaking sword, for it was too late. Instead, he opened his massive maw and roared with all his might.
A tremendous blast of air shot from his mouth, like a volcanic eruption, collapsing the surrounding void entirely.
"Boom!"
It was as if thousands of troops and horses were galloping, the sound waves like a true dragon’s roar, terrifyingly powerful, toppling the cliff ahead.
Yet that sword light was supremely sharp, descending from beyond the heavens, aimed directly at Little Nannan on his back, seeking to kill her.
The Big Black Dog was furious. He had a body of bronze and iron, so taking a sword strike was nothing, but the little girl was tender and delicate—how could she endure such a blow?
His brow split open, and a third vertical eye emerged, shooting a terrifying black beam. At the same time, he leaped up, shielding himself before the divine sword.
"Clang!"
The beam from Black Emperor’s vertical eye struck the killing sword, sending sparks flying, slowing its speed. Yet the sword still slashed toward Little Nannan.
In the distance, Ye Fan heard the Big Black Dog’s roar and changed expression. He activated the Celestial Pivot footwork, rushing out at lightning speed. At the same time, the All Secret was triggered, boosting his speed tenfold.
Like a beam of light, he flashed past a dozen peaks in the blink of an eye, arriving just in time to see the killing sword descending on Little Nannan.
Ye Fan’s eyes nearly split with rage. The people of Mortal World had appeared again, striking ruthlessly even knowing the Old Madman was traveling with them!
He saw Little Nannan’s panicked expression, her face pale, at a loss, the sword’s tip aimed at her brow. Fury and alarm surged in his heart.
"Boom!"
Leveraging the power of the All Secret, the golden lake in his brow boiled over. His powerful divine thoughts condensed into a small golden cauldron that shot forth to rescue Little Nannan from her plight.
"Clang!"
The golden cauldron struck the killing sword, shaking it violently. Meanwhile, the light from the Big Black Dog’s brow intensified, striking it as well.
"Pfft"
The killing sword was blocked, but it still slid forward a short distance, cutting a bloody gash across the Big Black Dog’s head. It failed to harm Little Nannan.
But at that moment, a supreme killing intent descended. A wave like an ocean surged toward Ye Fan, threatening to shatter him!
A peerless expert lurked in the shadows, waiting for his arrival, unleashing a strike that dominated heaven and earth, aiming to annihilate his body and soul, erasing him forever.
The people of the Ancient Assassin Divine Dynasty—Mortal World—were audacious beyond measure, unafraid even of beings comparable to ancient Sages, lying in wait here to assassinate!
"Bang!"
Just then, the Old Madman, standing over a dozen great mountains away, exhaled lightly. He remained unmoving, but the breath transformed into a white beam that shot over.
Heaven and earth seemed to freeze, time appeared to stop, everything stood still—only that white breath moved, surging through.
"Pop!"
The killing sword turned to dust. A black-clad figure fell from the shadows, his body and soul annihilated on the spot.
At the same time, a withered corpse tumbled out of the void, cracking beside Ye Fan. Struck by the white breath, it turned to powder with a "puff."
"A corpse of an ancient Great Power, possessed by a primordial spirit puppet, controlling all of this!" the Big Black Dog said, shaken.
"The Ancient Assassin Divine Dynasty—Mortal World!" Ye Fan’s eyes were icy. They wanted to wipe him out completely, daring to strike even under such circumstances.
If not for the Old Madman, standing over twenty li away, exhaling a stream of primal qi to destroy that ancient Great Power’s corpse, he would have been in grave danger.
"Big Brother… are you hurt?" Little Nannan asked first, despite being frightened.
Moments ago, the killing sword had aimed at her brow, seeking to slay her. The little girl’s face was pale, tears brimming in her big eyes, utterly panicked.
After all, she was just a child over two years old, having never experienced such a thing. An ordinary toddler would have been wailing loudly by now.
"Nannan, don’t be afraid. I’m fine." Ye Fan stepped forward, comforting her gently, softly stroking her head and tapping her delicate nose.
At that moment, Li Heishui also rushed up, shouting, "Has Mortal World eaten the Heart of the Immortal Spirit? They dare to kill cultivators traveling with a Sage?!"
"In ancient times, the Ancient Assassin Divine Dynasty ruled the world. At a single thought, blood flowed like rivers across the land. They even dared to kill ancient Sages, so of course they’re unafraid," the Big Black Dog said, his heart still pounding, sighing softly.
"But don’t they realize what era this is? There are no more Sages in the world. Do they still have such figures sitting in their Divine Dynasty?" Li Heishui asked.
"They’re testing," Ye Fan murmured to himself.
"Right, testing the might of a Sage," the Big Black Dog nodded. "Normally, they send disciples whose strength matches the target’s, mainly for training. They rarely dispatch such terrifying figures."
Driving an ancient Great Power’s corpse to attack—if it were just to kill Ye Fan, it was far too extravagant. The group guessed it was meant to probe the Old Madman.
"The Ancient Assassin Divine Dynasty—aren’t they afraid of Sages?" Ye Fan frowned deeply, a hint of worry creeping into everyone’s hearts.
The Old Madman walked over step by step, still as before, silent and wordless, as if nothing in the world could stir his emotions.
Behind them, some cultivators who had followed witnessed the scene and were deeply shaken, murmuring among themselves.
"The Ancient Assassin Divine Dynasty is truly terrifying—they dare to kill even those under a Sage’s protection!"
"Perhaps the times are changing. The Heavenly Court was destroyed, but Mortal World and Hell survived intact. They’ve developed in secret until now, who knows how powerful they’ve become. This might be a signal of their return."
…
Ye Fan’s eyes were cold. The Ancient Assassin Divine Dynasty—Mortal World—posed a tremendous threat to him. They even tried to kill Little Nannan—this was unforgivable!
"Do you know where their ancient hall is?" Ye Fan asked the Big Black Dog.
"No one knows. It’s a hall built from the skulls of kings, a tower of death!" The Big Black Dog shuddered involuntarily as he spoke.
"If we knew where it was, we’d ask the Sage beside us to wipe them out," Li Heishui gritted his teeth.
"Difficult. In the past, Sages united and still couldn’t eradicate Mortal World and Hell. It probably won’t work now either," the Big Black Dog shook his head.
"This is a very bad sign. The Ancient Assassin Divine Dynasty coming to kill me at this juncture might spur many to hire them!" Ye Fan thought of this serious problem.
The trip to Sacred Cliff had to happen as soon as possible. He needed to obtain the complete inheritance of the Heavenly Court, wield the supreme assassin’s scepter, to protect himself and fight back.
The Ziwei Sect was nestled deep in the celestial vein mountains. From afar, stars filled the sky, with a large purple star at the center, guarded by Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise on four sides.
Though the sun was still high and the sky not yet dark, such stars appeared, seeming eerie and mysterious.
"They’ve stirred the constellations—these are projections of the stars!" the Big Black Dog said.
"The Ziwei Sect really does seem special," Ye Fan murmured, staring intently.
Ahead, the mountain range stretched endlessly, with the ancestral roots of ten thousand veins converging here. Purple qi swirled, spiritual energy permeated the air, and on the ancient peaks, countless spiritual herbs and towering trees were steeped in vitality.
"They are a supreme sect with an ancient heritage. Some say they’re connected to the outer domains," Li Heishui said.
"What? There’s such a claim?" Ye Fan was surprised.
The Big Black Dog looked puzzled, pondered deeply, then seemed to recall something. "Maybe there’s some truth to it. An ancient Great Emperor once mentioned this lineage while gazing at the stars."
The Ziwei Sect’s mountain gate was grand and imposing, built from a single meteorite. It had existed since ancient times, enduring nearly two hundred thousand years.
"You are…"
The gatekeepers recognized Ye Fan and his group and immediately changed color. In recent days, news of a Sage’s emergence had shaken the Eastern Wasteland; no one was unaware.
Now, seeing this group arrive at their doorstep, no one could remain calm.
The Ziwei Sect was vast and boundless, composed of countless purple peaks. Immortal mist drifted, exotic flowers bloomed, medicinal herbs carpeted the ground, and fragrance filled the air.
This was a pure land, far from the clamor of the mortal world—an ideal place for cultivators to practice.
When the Ziwei Sect Leader received the report, he shot to his feet. Standing atop a towering peak, he gazed toward the mountain gate and instantly changed color.
A being comparable to an ancient Sage had arrived—was this a visit to settle scores? If so, even the mighty Ziwei Sect could not bear it.
"This…" The Supreme Elders of the Ziwei Sect all changed color; not one could remain composed.
"Junior Ye Fan has come to pay respects to the mountain!" Ye Fan addressed the gatekeepers.
These people were utterly dumbfounded. Leading a being comparable to an ancient Sage to "pay respects" to the mountain—this was pure torment! Even the Holy Lands would be trembling and racking their brains.