Chapter 516: Heading to the Jade Pool
"I suppressed you once before and eventually let you go. You really don't learn your lesson, thinking you can get away with it just because you have some backing."
"Don't overthink it, Nephew. We just want to catch up with you," Li Heishui said with a laugh.
Jiang Yichen felt stifled inside and said, "If you let me go, my grandfather will give you enough Source. Even a Saint Lord-rank weapon wouldn't be a problem."
"Your Jiang Clan produced some Saints in ancient times, but burying them in your ancestral tombs is such a waste," Black Emperor said, opening his lion's mouth wide. "I won't ask for Eternal Universe Great Emperor's corpse, but giving me one Saint's remains shouldn't be too much, right?"
Jiang Yichen's expression stiffened. If a dog had such demands, how much harsher would those demons' conditions be? Of course, he didn't realize this dog was the greediest of them all.
Jiang Huairen shot a sidelong glance at the Big Black Dog. The ancient Saints of the Jiang Clan were also his ancestors, so he naturally wouldn't let the dog run wild.
Ye Fan thought for a moment and stepped forward, asking, "Who exactly is the Divine Physique of your Jiang Clan?"
"Two Divine King Physiques appearing in the Eastern Wasteland at once—that hasn't happened in many years. Who is the Jiang Clan's Divine King Physique? Male or female?" Wu Zhongtian also wanted to know the answer.
"Could it be that Jiang Yifei? I've always felt his strength is unfathomable," Liu Kou said.
"I don't know who it is either," Jiang Yichen replied.
"Still being stubborn even now? Slap him hard until he's obedient. If anything goes wrong, I, as his uncle, will take responsibility," Jiang Huairen said.
"You... don't!" Jiang Yichen shouted.
"Smack," "Smack"...
Li Heishui and Liu Kou were not softhearted people. Dealing with this Jiang Clan heir who once tried to kill them, they showed no mercy, slapping him until the sounds rang out.
Jiang Yichen's eyes were dark and venomous, filled with endless murderous intent, but for now, he could only endure and not talk back. "He's very mysterious. I only know he's from the main family line."
"Nonsense!" Jiang Huairen rewarded him with a heavy slap. "The Divine King bloodline flows through our branch. How could it have gone to the main family line? Are you trying to deceive me even with this?"
"I'm not lying. It's true. There are rumors in the clan that the Divine Physique was adopted from outside, not a true member of the Jiang Clan," Jiang Yichen cried out, not wanting to be slapped again.
"What? They adopted a Divine Physique from outside!" The group was shocked, pondering this for a long while.
In the end, whether Jiang Yichen begged or cursed, it was useless. They decided to suppress him.
"If we suppress him for a thousand years, this kid's bones would turn to dust. Let's just do five hundred years," Black Emperor said, his big paws scratching around as he swiped away all sorts of treasures.
"You can't do this to me..." Jiang Yichen felt like dying. He never expected they would actually suppress him in a latrine pit.
"Damn it, stop screaming. Your uncle has already gone ahead to retire. Now it's your turn," Li Heishui said, kicking him.
"Plop!"
Jiang Yichen fell into the latrine pit, covered in filth. He immediately screamed in agony. Though there were no injuries, it was heart-wrenching, and the veins on his forehead bulged.
"You're truly a hothouse flower. Back in the day, your ancestor—Eternal Universe Great Emperor—dared to forge the Sacred Furnace in the Primordial Forbidden Zone, annihilating a supreme existence comparable to a Great Emperor. Falling into a latrine pit is nothing. If you fell into the Primordial Ancient Mine, you'd probably die of fright," Black Emperor scolded, standing upright—clearly speaking without feeling the pain himself.
"Try it yourself!" Jiang Yichen was nearly driven mad, almost vomiting as he cursed loudly.
"Stop wasting words with him. Suppress him now!" Liu Kou said.
Ye Fan carved a stone tablet and threw it into the latrine pit. "Cultivate well here. If you survive five hundred years, you'll achieve true enlightenment."
"I'll haunt you even as a ghost..." Jiang Yichen shouted, but the stone tablet slammed him down, sealing him at the bottom of the pit.
"Will this kid die from anger? Can he last five hundred years? There's no spiritual energy here."
"Why think that far? This bastard deserves to be suppressed in a latrine."
"How about we make a treasure map, split it into several parts, and toss them out? Maybe in a hundred years or so, someone will find this place."
"That's too vicious..."
They discussed as they walked away. Alas, Jiang Yichen began his long ordeal, with no idea when he would see the light of day again.
Traveling far, Ye Fan wanted to muddy the waters. In a dilapidated ancient town, he found the ancient marks of the Mortal World, left Divine Source, and hired them to kill someone.
Half a month later, news spread that Jin Chixiao, the first heir of the Northern Plains Golden Clan, had been assassinated and severely wounded.
"This kid's cultivation is terrifying. Even the Mortal World's Seed King failed?" Li Heishui and the others were shocked.
"With the golden blood of an Ancient King flowing in his veins, how could he be ordinary? His strength is absolutely terrifying!" the Big Black Dog said.
Ye Fan nodded. That night of bloody battle, Jin Chixiao had manifested a deity from his Dao Palace, no weaker than any Holy Son. One could imagine how powerful his true body was.
Now, they were in a green oasis spanning eight thousand li, full of life. Primordial mountain ranges stood like coiled dragons and snakes, peaceful and serene.
"Legend has it that Old Immortal lives in this oasis. No one dares to cause trouble here," Wu Zhongtian said.
Old Immortal was a legend, the number one Great Bandit of the Northern Domain. No one knew his true face, nor how old he was. Even the Holy Lands feared him.
"Big Brother, what is a hermit?" Little Nannan asked.
"We're about to become hermits," Ye Fan said with a smile, patting her head. He had set up a deadly killing formation, turning a night into a river of blood and wiping out so many experts. He couldn't afford to move around anymore.
"How many years will you be in seclusion?" Li Heishui asked him.
"Probably until I reach the Saint Lord rank," Ye Fan replied with a smile.
"A Sacred Body reaching the Saint Lord rank..." The group gasped.
If that happened, even the Saint Lords wouldn't dare to act against him. Even knowing he possessed the Primordial Qi Cauldron, they would keep their distance.
A Sacred Body at the Great Power level could sweep through all Saint Lords. No one would dare to court trouble. At that level, few would have the nerve to suppress him.
"Nannan is a hermit now. Doggy, you have to be a hermit too. No more biting people," Little Nannan said, gently patting the Big Black Dog.
Now, they arrived in a beautiful mountain range. Green peaks, emerald valleys, bubbling spiritual springs, and towering ancient trees made it perfect for seclusion.
"Aren't you going to the Jade Pool Gathering? Everyone who should be there is almost assembled. It's about to start."
"Yeah, missing it would be a real pity," Liu Kou and the others said.
"If I go, some Saint Lord might secretly make a move against me. I killed so many people—experts from supreme sects, five Half-Step Great Powers, two Holy Sons..." Ye Fan said with a smile, revealing a mouthful of snow-white teeth.
The others laughed. If Ye Fan attended the Jade Pool Gathering, it would definitely trigger a chain of battles. He might even take down another Holy Son or two.
"Too bad we won't get to eat the Queen Mother's Flat Peaches..." the Big Black Dog lamented.
Ye Fan planned to go into seclusion here. Li Heishui and the others prepared to take their leave, heading with their elders to the Jade Pool Gathering. Experts from all over the world would be there, and they wanted to broaden their horizons.
That day, a graceful figure visited, appearing in the mountain range. White robes fluttered, untouched by dust, like a Guanghan Fairy descending, free from worldly desires.
They hadn't expected the Holy Maiden of Yao Chi to arrive, having found this place to personally invite Ye Fan.
"Rest assured. Once you enter the Jade Pool, no one will dare to harm you. Our Yao Chi will protect you completely," the Holy Maiden of Yao Chi said, her voice as melodious as heavenly music.
Except for Ye Fan, no one could see her true face, shrouded in mist, ethereal and otherworldly.
"Are there Flat Peaches to eat?" the Big Black Dog asked, sticking out his tongue.
"The fruits in the Flat Peach Garden are all ripe. Everyone attending the gathering will get to enjoy them," the Holy Maiden of Yao Chi said with a smile.
"I'm not talking about those spiritual peaches. I mean that real ancient Flat Peach tree. Shouldn't it have borne fruit by now?" the Big Black Dog said, his eyes burning with desire.
The Holy Maiden of Yao Chi was inwardly surprised but didn't show it. She looked at Ye Fan and said, "Brother Ye, you absolutely must come to the Jade Pool."
She sincerely invited him. The Ancient Source Art Aristocratic Clan and the hidden Source King lineage had all been invited to the Jade Pool. The Stone King left by the Queen Mother of the West and the strange stones left by the Origin Heavenly Master could no longer be sealed. They needed to be dealt with.
"This Jade Pool Gathering won't be peaceful, Little Leaf. Be careful," Li Heishui warned.
On the day they arrived, wind and thunder roared within the Jade Pool sacred land. A peerless expert was chasing a golden light.
"Battle Saint Ape!" Ye Fan was stunned.
"That monkey went to steal immortal peaches from the Flat Peach Garden..." someone shouted.
"This really isn't peaceful. Could there be something unusual in the Stone King? Even the Battle Saint Ape has come," Ye Fan muttered to himself.
The Jade Pool Gathering was truly grand. Before it even began, many extraordinary people had already settled into this pure land. Experts from all over the world had gathered.
Holy Son Yao Guang, the Divine King Physique, Jin Chixiao, the Twin Kings, the Feather Transformation King, the Holy Maiden of Zi Mansion, the Holy Maiden of Yao Chi, and Ye Fan became the focus of discussion.
Undoubtedly, these were the most powerful young experts of the current generation. Gathered together, they were bound to spark some brilliant clashes.
Additionally, the competition in Source Art would be a major highlight. The oldest Source Art aristocratic clans had all arrived, and conflicts were inevitable. Everyone was looking forward to it.