Chapter 536: Gathering of Heroes
The shocking news spread quickly, reaching all regions through domain gates in no time, causing great chaos and stunning many great sects.
Such a massive disaster, a bloodbath that shook the world, with many great figures falling, triggered an earthquake across the Eastern Wasteland.
"Do you know? The ancient kings are about to emerge. Soon, the heavens will change. This world may no longer be ruled solely by the holy lands."
"Don't say that! Whoever harms Big Brother, I'll go settle the score with them!"
The great hall fell into dead silence. Everyone was speechless. Ye Fan was startled, not expecting the little one to be so clever.
Chapter 537: Confrontation of Heroes in the Heavenly Palace
A child's words are the truest. What could a two-year-old little one understand? Perhaps she had truly heard such words before, which was why she spoke them.
The mad old man of Tianxuan, a being comparable to an ancient sage, weighed on everyone's hearts like a great mountain. Who wouldn't be wary? The hall fell into silence.
"What does a little girl know? She's just talking nonsense!" An elder of Wanchu spoke up, unwilling to let others be intimidated, eager to strip Ye Fan of his bones.
But no one echoed him. Better safe than sorry. Everyone knew the old madman had once walked with Ye Fan and was already invincible across the Eastern Wasteland.
Legend said that ancient sages possessed boundless divine power, capable of anything, beyond mortal comprehension—like a deity walking the earth.
Such beings were rare even in ancient times, which is why they were revered as sages, honored by all races, worshipped for ten thousand generations!
"The Sacred Body must die, or the world's anger cannot be appeased!" An elder of Zi Mansion spoke, the second to voice this.
Yet the others still remained silent, deeply wary, fearing the old madman might truly appear.
An ancient sage's gaze could shatter all things; a single drop of their essence blood could kill a great power. In ancient times, they commanded the winds and rains, capable of anything.
Even a single strand of their naturally shed hair was as heavy as an ancient divine mountain, weighing billions of jun, enough to slay thousands of troops.
It could be said that ancient sages were nearly divine—every drop of blood, every inch of flesh, every bone was a supreme divine treasure, their power terrifying beyond imagination!
"Even with a sage's protection, there must be reason. This child is ruthless, killing so many of our peers and friends. How can we let him go? He must be executed!"
Finally, a great power from the Golden Family of the Northern Plains spoke, sitting upright, righteous and stern, calling for Ye Fan's death.
The old Yin Yang Sect leader from the Central Province had little lifespan left, but his power was immense, sending chills through all. Now, his expression was calm, but his words were cold: "A sage understands right and wrong. Slay this child to appease the wronged souls. This does not contradict the sage's way. Why worry? We can all kill him!"
In the hall, white mist surged on the ground, rising past the knees. Behind each jade table sat a mighty lord, like dormant savage dragons, their bodies concealing terrifying blood energy, radiating dreadful fluctuations.
Now, all were stirred, killing intent spreading, and many began to chime in.
"Now that even a Saint Lord has been killed, if he grows up, he'll overturn the entire Eastern Wasteland. If we don't kill him, how can we comfort the grieving souls!"
"He lured the lords into a trap and murdered them. So many dead—if we don't kill him, how can we quell the outrage?"
The fuse was lit. Though the lords themselves didn't speak, the elders beneath them all called for Ye Fan's immediate execution.
"You're all bad people, bullying Big Brother! Crazy Uncle will come to save us!" Little Nannan wrinkled her nose, her childish voice echoing through the hall.
Ye Fan smiled, sweeping his gaze over everyone. "Why were you all at the Ten Thousand Dragon Nest?"
"You led us there!" An elder of Zi Mansion shouted.
"Who forced me to guide you to clear my name?" Ye Fan asked calmly.
"..." Many fell silent, leaving only killing intent.
"And who repeatedly said it was a place of great danger, not to be entered?" Ye Fan was unruffled, as if speaking of something unrelated to him.
"You knew a great calamity would occur—why didn't you explain clearly and stop everyone?" The elder of Wanchu roared.
"Who slandered me as the inheritor of the Ruthless One? I tried to block and stop you, but was criticized and nearly killed. Was I allowed to explain?" Ye Fan's expression was indifferent.
"You think you're in the right? You killed so many lords and want to wash your hands clean? If we don't kill you, heaven won't allow it!" A man from the True Demon Hall rebuked.
The Saint Lord of Wanchu, the deputy leader of the Yin Yang Sect, the younger brother of the Golden Family's master, the master of Misty Peak, and the hall master of True Demon Hall—all were dead.
The Saint Lord of Zi Mansion was left with only a head. The losses among the elders were severe. Too many great figures had died, and they would not let this go.
Ye Fan said nothing, only took out a piece of beautiful jade and fixed it in the void. Within it, images and everyone's words appeared.
"Why we entered the Ten Thousand Dragon Nest, what happened then—it's all recorded clearly."
This was everything Ye Fan had recorded with divine jade. The events of that day played back rapidly, showing clearly how he had been forced into the situation.
This left many speechless. To be honest, they had brought it on themselves—"serves them right" wouldn't be an overstatement!
"No matter what, you killed so many people. You must pay with your life!" An elder of the Yin Yang Sect shouted.
Wanchu, Zi Mansion, the Golden Family, True Demon Hall, Misty Peak, and others echoed him, their voices fierce.
"Pay—pay—pay your *** head!" The big black dog muttered, barely audible, but those present were no ordinary people—many heard him.
"Where did that dog come from? Throw it out!" The Yin Yang Sect elder was nearly exploding with rage.
"Shut your mouth!" The monkey slammed his nearly rotten fierce weapon onto the ground like a great ***, producing a loud "dong."
Now everyone knew the ancient royal clans were about to emerge, and they were wary of him, fearing he might summon several terrifying kings in the future.
"Everyone, I've made multiple copies of this divine jade and scattered them across the world," Ye Fan said casually. "If you think I'm wrong, let these jades circulate and let the world judge."
The crowd's expressions froze. Rumors could be twisted, and if Ye Fan died, the great sects could easily frame him.
But if solid evidence circulated, many great powers would be in deep trouble.
Ye Fan was unafraid. At worst, he would fight to the death, summon the ancient sage, break the seals, and let blood flow like rivers.
"The dead are gone, and the fault is not Ye Fan's. Everyone should consider the human race's situation once the ancient clans emerge," the Western Queen Mother spoke.
Many wanted to argue but couldn't defy the face of the Holy Maiden of Yao Chi. This time, she had gone to great lengths, using the Divine City's stone order to rescue them.
"Dong!"
The heavenly palace trembled. At the hall's entrance, many holy land disciples were sent flying. Three powerful figures strode in, their auras heavy and awe-inspiring.
The Peacock King, with light, ethereal hair, looked like a youth of seventeen or eighteen, delicate and handsome, but his demonic might shook the world—a single roar could shatter mountains.
"Those people deserved to die—they brought it on themselves!" That was his first words, clearly coming to support Ye Fan.
He was a figure at the pinnacle of great powers, like Nangong Zheng, likely to break through to a higher realm.
Beside him, the Azure Dragon King was tall and imposing, looking like a middle-aged man, his blood energy vast as the sea, terrifying.
The third figure was even more fearsome. Worn Daoist robes, as if worn for a thousand years, his bronze skin dry and shriveled, but his spirit vigorous—this was the Red Dragon Daoist.
Over three thousand years old, half a generation above the average Saint Lord, he was on the verge of stepping beyond the great power realm, someone who could walk sideways across the Eastern Wasteland, boldly hunting Saint Lords.
Even the monkey frowned at the sight of him. Last time in the Divine City, he had nearly suffered a great loss at the Red Dragon Daoist's hands.
"If we kill, we kill. If they die, they die. What more do you want?" The Red Dragon Daoist spoke coldly, sweeping his gaze over everyone.
The three peerless demon kings arrived together, bringing a powerful pressure that made everyone deeply wary.
"Red Dragon, it's been fifteen hundred years. You still have that temper. Aren't you meddling too much?" The supreme old leader of the Central Province's Yin Yang Sect spoke.
"Not satisfied? Come and fight!" The Red Dragon Daoist sneered, unbridled. "Bullying a junior like this—aren't you ashamed? I'm protecting the Sacred Body, and that's final!"
"Red Dragon, don't think you're invincible. We might just have to fight." The old Yin Yang leader, his lifespan nearly dry, naturally feared nothing.
At that moment, Yan Ruyu, the descendant of the Green Emperor, appeared at the hall's entrance. Her hair was like dark clouds, adorned with a Nine Phoenix Hairpin, wearing a robe embroidered with mountains and rivers, as holy as a divine lotus, peerlessly beautiful, her beauty unmatched.
But her arrival made many hearts pound, sensing great trouble.
Everyone knew that several great demon kings were protecting her, representing a will of the demon race. Both the Peacock King and the Red Dragon Daoist could easily borrow the extreme sacred weapon from her.
Now, only the sacred weapon left by the Green Emperor could be easily used, without needing to tap into their "foundations." It was the most unstable factor, deeply feared by many great sects.
"Greetings, seniors." Ye Fan stepped forward and bowed deeply.
The Peacock King patted his shoulder, then looked at some sect leaders. "If you want to bully us with numbers, we're not afraid. Not satisfied? Come out and fight!"
The master of the Northern Plains' Golden Family, his golden energy surging, said, "Fight if you want. Are we afraid of you?"
"Exactly. Fight if you must. With so many peers here, do you three want to disrupt the Yao Chi Peach Festival?" A man from Misty Peak echoed.
In the hall, many strong figures stood up, and many lords spoke out, targeting the three demon kings. Killing intent filled the air.
"Yao Chi holds a grand meeting only once every five hundred years. Every time, there's a Saint Lord-level battle. If words fail, let's meet on the life-and-death battle stage!"
Wu Dao, Tu Tian, Jiang Yi, and others among the Thirteen Great Bandits of the Northern Domain stood up, aligning with the Peacock King and the others.
Different factions, with grudges accumulated over years, were now on the verge of exploding, drawing many lords into the conflict.
"Everyone, why must it come to this..." The Western Queen Mother tried to mediate, unwilling to see a bloody battle, though Yao Chi always prepared a battle stage.
"Brother Red Dragon, two thousand years apart, and we're both still alive..." The Crow Daoist spoke, seeming deeply moved.
"You're still alive too. Only you and I remain of our old friends." The Red Dragon Daoist nodded, filled with emotion.
Everyone felt uneasy. This living fossil had clearly sided with them. If it came to a battle stage showdown, this hurdle would be hard to cross.
The Crow Daoist was absolutely a terrifying figure!
"What, not convinced? Let's fight!" The Peacock King swept his gaze over everyone again, sneering coldly.