Chapter 505: Peerless Divine King, Life or Death
Starlight flowed like water as Ye Fan strolled through the Divine City. He did not linger long at the Miaoyu Nunnery, for many eyes were watching him.
Now, every move he made could stir the nerves of certain people. He returned directly to his residence.
"Why hasn't anyone come to assassinate us?" The big black dog, wearing a pair of floral shorts, paced back and forth on its hind legs, its large paws dangling behind its back, looking bored.
"Do you actually hope someone will come knocking?" Ye Fan glanced at it.
"I've even laid down a corner of an ancient great emperor's formation, and no one's come to court death—it's a real waste of my effort," the big black dog said unkindly.
On the other side, Little Nannan slept soundly, a faint ripple of multicolored light flowing from her brow, enveloping her small bed.
"Ooowoo..." At dawn, as the sun rose, the big black dog woke and let out a habitual howl, drawing curses from many on this ancient street.
"Doggy, why do you wake everyone up like this every day?" Little Nannan rubbed her big eyes, sat up groggily, and then obediently washed up on her own.
That day, Ye Fan and his group wandered aimlessly around the Divine City, waiting for Li Heishui to return so they could head to the Jiang Family.
Wherever this group went, they drew crowds—not only because Ye Fan was famous in the Divine City, but also because the big black dog was utterly detestable.
Little Nannan sat on the big black dog's back, a stick of sugar-coated hawthorns in her left hand and a mountain-delicacy roll in her right, constantly sampling snacks. The little one was quite content.
"Big Brother, are the stone gambling houses fun?" the little girl asked innocently.
Ye Fan was simply taking Little Nannan to broaden her horizons. They toured the entire food street, visited the Treasure and Jewelry Studio, and then made a round of the major stone gambling houses, causing an uproar.
Everyone thought he had come to gamble on stones, but Ye Fan waved his hand dismissively, indicating he had no such intention, much to the relief of the various stone houses.
"Is this the dog?"
At dusk, an old man's voice rang out with authority, his expression extremely hostile as he glared fiercely at the big black dog, nearly ready to kill.
"Old sir, please don't be angry. Tu Fei will be fine." Li Heishui tried to soothe him beside him.
Tu Tian, the Seventh Great Bandit of the Northern Domain, had arrived to demand an explanation. As soon as he appeared, the people on the street scattered in an instant.
The Thirteen Great Bandits were renowned throughout the Northern Domain, known to all. This one in particular wielded the Devouring Demon Jar, and if pushed too far, he would even dare to collect a Sacred Lord.
"Who are you, old man? You're fiercer than a street-clearing tiger, scaring everyone away." The big black dog bared its teeth and rolled its eyes, then suddenly remembering something, said, "Could you be the old geezer who snatched the Devouring Demon Jar just ahead of me?"
"Where did you send my grandson?" Tu Tian asked darkly.
"Li Heishui, you dare sell me out?" The big black dog fumed.
"You did the deed yourself—how could I keep it hidden?" Li Heishui replied.
Nearby were three other young men, all familiar to Ye Fan: Jiang Huairen, Liu Kou, and Wu Zhongtian, close friends of Li Heishui and Wu Zhongtian, and descendants of the Great Bandits.
"It has nothing to do with me. Tu Fei wanted to go to the Northern Plains himself. I remember his coordinates. Want me to send you there?" The big black dog put on a serious face.
"Grandpa Tu, don't listen to its nonsense. It says it'll send you to the Northern Plains, but it might just teleport you to the Southern Ridge instead." Li Heishui quickly warned.
"Tell me the coordinates!" Tu Tian had no good expression. His grandson had been lost by a dog, leaving him almost speechless.
The big black dog behaved itself, not daring to be stubborn, and spat out a set of coordinates so distant it made one dizzy. Even Tu Tian was silent for a long time after hearing them.
"Relying on him to come back on his own won't happen in less than twenty years. He's almost at the Arctic Divine Sea!" Tu Tian flicked his sleeve and turned to leave.
"I heard this dog is quite despicable?" Jiang Huairen, Liu Kou, and Wu Zhongtian surrounded it with ill intent, ready to teach it a lesson.
"You're not allowed to bully Doggy." Little Nannan defended Black Emperor.
"Woof!" The big black dog struck first, biting wildly dozens of times. Its body was like bronze and iron, and the three men screamed in pain, unable to harm it without using lethal force.
It took a long time for the street to calm down. The three men were covered in dog bite marks, finally experiencing the ferocity of the vicious dog Li Heishui had described.
Eventually, they found a tavern and drank heartily until late at night before returning to Ye Fan's residence. These men planned to travel with them.
The Thirteenth Great Bandit, Jiang Yi, had already gone ahead to the Jiang Family. This time, Jiang Huairen would need to lead the way to enter the ancient Jiang Family.
The next day, the group crossed the void, heading for the most ancient inheritance stronghold in the Northern Domain.
Eternal Universe Great Emperor had left a profound mark on human history, one of the most powerful figures of all time.
The Jiang Family's territory was like a sacred pure land. Outside, the land was barren for hundreds of thousands of miles, but here it was lush and verdant.
Radiant clouds rose, and colorful mists drifted. Great mountains hung in the sky, never sinking.
Each mountain exuded an awe-inspiring presence, as if they had existed since the creation of the world, emitting an ancient and weathered aura.
Some mountains had silver waterfalls cascading three thousand zhang, like the Milky Way hanging upside down. Others were shrouded in demonic clouds, towering and oppressive.
These were but a glimpse. The deepest sights could not be seen, said to contain endless ancient buildings and relics from before the ages.
"Who goes there?" Even from a great distance, many strong figures rushed out, shouting loudly.
Jiang Huairen said nothing, pulling out a divine wood token and shaking it. The men's expressions immediately softened, and soon an old man flew out.
"So it's Nephew Huairen. Since you're here, don't leave. Return to your roots and stop wandering. The clan's ancestors are also persuading your grandfather." The old man was very warm.
Jiang Huairen smiled in response but made no commitment. They followed the old man as he flew inside.
"Today, we're riding on Jiang the Villain's coattails, entering an ancient aristocratic clan for the first time," Liu Kou muttered.
As they flew in, they naturally drew many sidelong glances, especially from the younger generation, who looked at Ye Fan with strange expressions.
The Jiang Family's grounds were vast, with endless mountains and countless floating divine islands. Ye Fan and the others advanced dozens of li to a floating island.
This island was a restricted area, off-limits to outsiders, because an ancestor-level figure of the Jiang Family was in seclusion here. Recently, Jiang Yi had also been staying here, receiving counsel.
"Where is Little Tingting? I want to see her," Ye Fan said.
The Jiang Family elder's expression changed. He had already guessed Ye Fan's identity but hadn't pointed it out. Now, he looked troubled.
"What, I can't see her?" Ye Fan's relationship with the Peerless Divine King was known to all. The Jiang Family had no reason to stop him.
"The little princess has just returned. Matters concerning the Divine King's life and death are sensitive, so she cannot see outsiders casually. Please be patient for a few days," the old man said.
Ye Fan and his group were settled on a quiet little island. They waited a full seven days without seeing Little Tingting.
However, they finally met Old Man Jiang. Though the old man was unaccustomed to living here, his spirits had greatly improved. With a strong uncle like Jiang Yi, no one dared to slight him anymore.
His daily meals were supplemented with spiritual medicines. Though a mortal, over the past year, he had grown younger, with signs of his white hair turning black.
"Tingting has returned. I've only seen her twice before she was taken away to go into seclusion," the old man said happily upon seeing Ye Fan, as if meeting his closest kin.
"Old Uncle, you've become young again," Ye Fan teased.
"I'm just an old bag of bones. What youth is there?"
Ye Fan stayed with the old man for a few days but still couldn't see Little Tingting. Even Jiang Huairen and the others grew impatient. Finally, they found Jiang Yi in seclusion.
"Not allowed to see? Why? I'll take you there!" Jiang Yi was furious upon learning this.
Old Man Jiang was his own nephew, and Little Tingting was especially dear to him. The only reason he had returned to the Jiang Family was for these two.
When the famous Great Bandit of the Northern Domain demanded to see Little Tingting, the Jiang Family dared not refuse, for she was his close kin, and there was no reason to deny him.
Tingting's training ground was beautiful and quiet. Flowering trees lined the area, streams babbled, and water fell from the edge of the divine island, shrouded in colorful mist.
"Grandfather..." Tingting ran out lightly, her feet barely touching the ground. She wore a pure white dress, her hair flowing like a little sprite.
Now over nine years old, she looked like an oversized porcelain doll, exquisitely carved, with eyes like water and an ethereal aura.
"Big Brother..." When she saw Ye Fan, Tingting was overjoyed and ran over quickly.
"Is this for real? This little girl is already a cultivator in the Dao Palace Secret Realm! How many years has she been training?" Li Heishui was utterly speechless.
"She's on par with Xia Jiuyou," Liu Kou said, sucking in a cold breath.
"She's my niece!" Jiang Huairen said proudly.
"Auntie," Tingting called out sweetly, and Jiang Huairen was pleased.
"You all chat. I'll be off." Jiang Yi affectionately patted Tingting's head and vanished in an instant.
"Big Brother, you finally came to see Tingting," Tingting said happily.
Ye Fan thought of the past—the small restaurant in the Southern Domain where he first met the grandfather and granddaughter. Little Tingting wore patched old clothes but was very sensible.
"Tingting has grown up," he said with a smile, patting her head.
Tingting had a sweet tongue, greeting Wu Zhongtian and the others one by one, calling each "Big Brother."
"She's my niece," Jiang Huairen said again.
"Damn it, why do you keep saying that? Trying to take advantage of us? Beat him!" Li Heishui and the others caught on and ganged up on Jiang Huairen.
Old Man Jiang watched with a smile, seeming to enjoy the atmosphere. In his old age, he liked being with the younger generation, and this was his mindset.
"Sister, hold me, hold me." Little Nannan reached out her small hands toward Tingting. She was just over two years old, cute and delicate, only reaching Tingting's waist, very endearing.
"What an adorable little one," Tingting said, picking her up. The little girl giggled, a strange light flowing from her brow.
"Yin-Yang Constitution," the big black dog muttered, circling Tingting, its large copper-bell eyes darting around, thinking who knows what.
After a lively time together, Ye Fan and Tingting stepped aside to a pavilion, where he asked about the Divine King's condition.
Tingting's face immediately showed worry. She had followed the Peerless Divine King for over half a year, learning countless divine arts, training almost every day.
"Your body..." Ye Fan was surprised.
Tingting's physical condition was clearly much better than before, which made him even more uneasy. It must have been the Divine King's doing.
"The Divine King bathes me every day with the Divine King Regeneration Art," Tingting said, tears in her eyes. "I couldn't stop him."
"This..." Ye Fan was stunned. The Divine King was already at the end of his strength, yet he was still using his divine king essence to cleanse her. How dire must his own condition be?
"Where is the Divine King? I have an Immortal Pill that can save him," Ye Fan said urgently.
"The ancestor sent me back and then went on a long journey. The clan's strongest all went out but couldn't catch up to him. No one knows where he went," Tingting shook her head, tears rolling down her eyes, full of self-blame.
"Don't cry. This has nothing to do with Tingting." Ye Fan quickly comforted her.
"Tingting is very sad."
Over the past half year, the Peerless Divine King had taken Tingting across the great wilderness, visiting many ancient sites, as if he were reminiscing about something.
"It seems the Divine King is heartbroken..." Ye Fan sighed. The Peerless Divine King could not forget the death of Caiyun Fairy.
"They say the ancestor might have cut away his own divine king essence," Tingting said softly, starting to cry again.
"Don't cry, sister, don't cry," Little Nannan climbed onto the stone stool to wipe Tingting's tears.
The big black dog's ears were sharp. Hearing all this, it perked up and said, "Cutting away his own divine king essence? What boldness!"
"Shut up, you dead dog!" Ye Fan scolded.
"I'm saying this person is extraordinary, to have such courage. He now faces only two outcomes: either he will perish body and soul within three years, or he will be reborn in this world within three years, living a second life, his cultivation soaring upward."
"Is that true?" Ye Fan was startled.
"Of course it's true. Now, even using an Immortal Pill would be useless. It all depends on him. This is a true self-severing. Perhaps he can cut out his second life."
The Peerless Divine King had shed all his divine blood to help Ye Fan sever his dao fruit, exhausting his divine power to the point of depletion. Then, selflessly helping Tingting, he bathed her daily with divine light, cutting away his own divine king essence.
Thinking of this, Ye Fan's heart ached with guilt. He truly wished to save the Divine King, hoping he could live a second life and overcome this death tribulation.
"Is there really hope?" Tingting asked, tears on her face.
"That depends on him. He's come this far. If he can let go of the past, he can surely live a second life," the big black dog said.
Ye Fan was somewhat worried. The Divine King had come to this point precisely because he couldn't let go of Caiyun Fairy. Could he truly move past the past?
"Little sister, don't cry." Little Nannan stood on the stone stool, carefully wiping Tingting's tears.
It was a long time before they calmed down. Tingting seemed to remember something and said, "Big Brother, your Primordial Qi Cauldron..."
"What about it?" Ye Fan asked.
"Soon after I returned, Brother Jiang Yichen borrowed it, and he hasn't returned it," Tingting said, a little aggrieved.
Ye Fan snorted coldly. Was the Jiang Family trying to keep his Primordial Qi Cauldron?
Jiang Huairen immediately lost his temper, shouting, "Damn it! He dares to swindle my niece's treasure? That Jiang Yichen is used to throwing his weight around, but this time he's asking for death!" (To be continued. For the rest of the story, please visit the website. More chapters available. Support the author, support legitimate reading!)