Chapter 728: Under the Spotlight of Ten Thousand Eyes
On the sea, golden feathers filled the sky, each one stained with blood. The shattered corpses sank into the sea, the water's surface dyed red.
This was a blood-soaked scene. After the battle, it was very quiet here. Even the sea beasts in the ocean dared not come up to feast on these delicacies containing the bloodline of the Heavenly Demon.
Because a person stood on the sea surface. Many sea spirits had witnessed everything that had just happened, and they were terrified to the extreme of this youth whose whole body was covered in blood, even his hair strands dripping with blood.
Ye Fan stood alone in the void, looking down at the black ocean, gazing into the distant sky. His eyes were very deep, his thick black hair loose, and he was extremely calm.
Soon after, he shot up into the sky and disappeared into the black ocean in the blink of an eye, vanishing without a trace.
Afterward, this place became a feast for the sea spirits. The blood and broken corpses of the Golden Crow Clan became a great tonic for them, and many sea monsters swarmed in.
Some human experts and some land-dwelling demon clans also heard the news and rushed over to investigate.
Because not long ago, this place had been filled with howling yin winds, weeping ghosts and crying spirits, gloomy clouds and bleak skies. The slaughter had sent bones flying through the air and blood dyeing the heavens, like the twilight of the gods. No one had dared to approach.
That day, the North Sea was shaken. All the experts of the Golden Crow Bloodline who had gone to sea to hunt down the descendants of the Human Saint Emperor were all slain, buried in the great sea.
Not a single one survived!
The sea area here was dyed red with blood, becoming a feast for sea monsters. The Golden Crow Clan experts who had gone out to sea were completely annihilated!
When this news came out, it stirred the entire black ocean. All cultivators, whether human or demon, were shocked.
Over a hundred experts, including living fossils like Xuan Yi who could dominate the world, Golden Crow Clan elders, terrifying Great Powers, and even five of the clan's Crown Princes. Not one survived; all were slain on this black ocean. And the most critical point was that this was the work of a single person.
When this truth spread, the clamorous North Sea fell into dead silence for a time. One person, alone, fighting over a hundred experts, killing them all, dyeing the sea red—just thinking about it was frightening.
Through the descriptions of some sea spirits, people reconstructed the course of that battle and also learned the appearance of that person, shocking countless people in the North Sea.
"It's him, the one who fell into the North Sea Eye four years ago!"
"How is this possible? That is the prison of an ancient sage. Anyone suppressed there has never been able to escape. How did he reappear in the world?"
This was a huge uproar. Ye Fan had appeared again, alone against over a hundred Golden Crow Clan experts, annihilating them all in one battle, sending chills down people's spines.
This news spread throughout the North Sea. Every cultivator who appeared here was shocked, speechless and stunned.
A person who should not have appeared in the world had returned alive. This was a miracle, a living legend, startling all directions.
"It really is him. Not long ago, someone saw an unusual movement at the North Sea Eye, a golden lightning bolt rushing out. I never expected it was him breaking free."
"Even ancient sages couldn't come out alive; they all became bones, sitting in meditation and dying in the sea eye. How is he so heaven-defying?"
"Alone, protecting the descendants of the Human Saint Emperor, and in a fit of rage, killing over a hundred Golden Crow Clan experts in succession. This level of cultivation is too terrifying!"
In the North Sea, while people were shocked, there were also various discussions.
Some clapped and cheered, believing Ye Fan's actions were righteous. The Sun Ancient Emperor had been sitting in meditation for endless ages, and his last bit of bloodline should not be extinguished.
Of course, there were also many who were hostile to Ye Fan. Those close to the Golden Crow Clan naturally cursed him viciously.
The battle in the North Sea shocked the world. As the cultivators in the sea returned, it spread to the land.
When the Golden Crow Clan first heard it, they simply didn't believe it. But when the ironclad facts and the shocking evidence like blood appeared, they went mad.
This was an unbearable weight. With so many experts dead, even for a clan as powerful as the Golden Crow, it was a heavy blow.
The blow to reputation, prestige, and spirit was even greater than the loss of combat power. This was a shame of being kicked down from the Ninth Heaven into hell.
In the North Sea, a graceful youth, drawing his bow and shooting the sun, killed five Golden Crow Crown Princes in a single day. This beautiful tale spread throughout the world.
This was a supreme honor, a battle record of one person dominating the world. Under the spotlight of ten thousand eyes, gathering the gaze of everyone in the world, he was shrouded in a divine halo.
In the current age, who dared to provoke the Golden Crow Clan? After all, they still had a living King in their clan, with profound cultivation that intimidated the world!
Yet someone dared to do so. The young expert surnamed Ye, drawing his bow to shoot Golden Crows, killing five Crown Princes alone in a day—what kind of feat was this?
Every Golden Crow Crown Prince was a brilliant talent of their generation, each said to be stronger than the last, all capable of killing Sect Masters. Yet he had killed them all alone!
Treading forward on the bones of the Golden Crow Clan's inheritors, endless blood paved a path of the strong. Beneath the flowers and halos lay blood and bones.
"The young man surnamed Ye is undefeatable. Among the current younger generation, aside from Yin Tiande, Yi Qingwu, Lu Ya, Sanque Daoren, the Taiyin Divine Son, and others, who can contend with him?"
"Don't even mention the younger generation. Among the older generation, how many can fight him to the death?"
"I think the only ones who can suppress him are legendary figures who have stepped into the Third Level of the Immortal Platform. But how many such cultivators can be found in the world?"
Ye Fan was far away in the North Sea, not yet returned to land, yet he had sparked a heated discussion. Everyone was talking about him.
Yi Qingwu, who had stunned the world these past four years and was hailed as a Divine Maiden, with many willing to worship at her feet, was now the embodiment of beauty and holiness.
When she learned of all this, she was very surprised. She never expected that Ye Fan had truly escaped the sea eye and reappeared in the world, and that one battle had shaken Ziwei!
When Li Tian heard the news, he was first dumbfounded, then laughed heartily, extremely pleased.
Yan Yixi was also very surprised. This news was too impactful, truly shocking.
Lu Ya, his hair bristling with rage, charged out with his Crow Wing Flowing Gold Halberd, carrying the nine ancestral Dharma forms of the Golden Crow on his back. He roared to the heavens, his hatred driving him mad.
When the Taiyin Divine Son received the news, he only sneered repeatedly, looking toward the sea. His whole body was submerged in black mist, with only a pair of terrifying eyes visible.
Sanque Daoren stood on the Nether Ridge, in front of the Ancient Long Life Temple, taking nine steps in a row, holding half a page of a Divine Spirit Ancient Scripture, frowning as he studied it.
...
The Human King Hall, Guanghan Palace, Ziwei Divine Dynasty, Long Life Temple, and all the other major powers were all paying attention. The whole world was stirred!
While the world was discussing Ye Fan, he was still in the North Sea, not yet returned. One could imagine what earth-shattering waves would arise when he appeared!
On a fragrant, bird-song-filled island, the last bit of bloodline of the Human Saint Emperor, the five-year-old child, stood in a pine forest, talking to a little squirrel on a tree.
"I miss my father, I miss my mother, I miss my brother, I miss my sister. But they're all gone. Do you miss your family?"
How could the little squirrel understand his words? It hugged a pine cone and scampered away with a rustle.
The sole remaining descendant of the Human Emperor, this tender child, walked to another spot and spoke to a little bird on a tree. "How far is forever? Father said, forever silently watch over me. When is the future? Sister said, the future will come, and she will come to see me."
As he spoke, the tender child's big eyes reddened. He lowered his head and said, "I know, they won't appear. Like Uncle Jiang, they all came to protect me..."
The little bird on the tree also flew away. This pitiful child walked deeper into the pine forest. When he saw an injured butterfly resting on a wildflower, he whispered, "Why are you hurt too? I miss Uncle Jiang..."
Ye Fan stood outside the pine forest, quietly watching all this. He was not in a hurry to leave the North Sea. Instead, he took the child to various islands to relax, wanting him to adjust sooner.
These days, the child had been very lost and silent. He only spoke when no one was around, talking to those small animals, and each time he returned with red eyes.
"Your parents, your sister, they want you to be happy. Your Uncle Jiang wants you to grow up safely, and then shine with the brilliance befitting a descendant of the Human Saint Emperor."
"But... I miss them." The child lowered his head, speaking to Ye Fan for the first time.
Ye Fan said nothing. He could not deprive a young child of his emotions. Missing someone was missing them; it couldn't be avoided. He couldn't forcibly sever a painful memory like an adult could. This was the purest, most untainted feeling of a child.
"I know what to do. I'll get better slowly. I won't cry anymore." Tongtong said, his big eyes red.
Six days later, the child took the initiative to speak to Ye Fan, asking him to teach him cultivation. Although he would still talk to small animals with red eyes in private, he no longer shed tears.
Ye Fan examined his body. The child had suffered severe injuries, almost crushed to pieces by the Golden Crow Clan, but he had stubbornly survived. Old injuries remained.
Inside his body, it was like a sun, incomparably brilliant, shining on every bit of his flesh and bones. At night, light would flow out.
"Sun Body!" Ye Fan could now be certain. This was definitely that mysterious physique spoken of in legends.
A body containing a divine sun was extremely rare. There had only been a few in history, and they often died young for various reasons. Legend said that only the Sun Saint Emperor from before the ancient times had survived, looking down on past and present.
Although Tongtong contained a divine sun within, he had been severely wounded by the Golden Crow Clan. His condition was now very bad. Ye Fan took out a few drops of True Dragon Divine Medicine liquid and spent a month helping him recuperate, finally stabilizing his vitality.
"Sun Body, the first choice is naturally the Sun Ancient Scripture. Unfortunately, what I obtained were only the last two volumes, not the Wheel Sea volume for starting the foundation."
Ye Fan regretted it. For a physique like Tongtong's, only the Sun True Scripture for foundation building was the most perfect choice.
He thought carefully, then carved the nine ancient characters given by the Sun Ancient Emperor, stroke by stroke, into Tongtong's brow, penetrating into his Immortal Platform, just as the old man in blue had passed them to him.
These were the foundation, the essence of the Sun Ancient Scripture. Ye Fan wanted to imprint them in his sea of consciousness, letting the nine characters accompany him for life, allowing him to comprehend them from childhood.
With this child's physique, perhaps one day he would use them to understand something that others could not obtain.
However, after Ye Fan carved the nine ancient characters into Tongtong's Immortal Platform, a mysterious change suddenly occurred. The child's body became like a divine sun in the sky, radiating boundless light.
The little guy fainted directly. Ye Fan quickly helped him, using supreme Dao power to suppress it, finally making the light fade.
"What's wrong? Where do you feel uncomfortable? What happened?" When he woke up, Ye Fan asked with concern, afraid that something was wrong.
"I don't feel uncomfortable." The little guy blinked his big eyes. "It's just that a golden little person suddenly appeared in my body. He taught me how to open up some Wheel Sea."
"What?!" Ye Fan was greatly shocked. He finally understood why the Golden Crow Clan had made such a big move and refused to let this child go. He might really have the Sun Ancient Scripture on him!
From that day on, every time the child fell into a deep sleep, there would be half an hour that was very special. His whole body would blaze with golden light, like a sun rising and falling.
When he woke up the next day, Tongtong would clearly remember that a golden little person had taught him something, how to cultivate.
Ye Fan carefully inquired and found it was an ancient and unfathomably profound mental method. He could almost confirm it was the Sun Ancient Scripture!
"This little guy has quite a few secrets hidden in his body..." Ye Fan probed many times but found no foreign object. The golden little person seemed to come from deep within his primordial spirit.
"Let's go. It's time for us to return to the land." Half a month later, Ye Fan decided to take this child and leave the North Sea.
"Why go back? There are all bad people there." Tongtong's big eyes were very clear, and he said it with utmost seriousness.
Ye Fan patted his head. "There are still more good people in this world. I'll take you to meet some good people, and by the way, see if we can snatch an ancient saint weapon from the bad guys. When that happens, if one bad guy comes, we'll kill one; if two come, we'll get rid of both."
The North Sea was pitch-black and deep. Compared to other oceans, its water color was very special, as if dyed with ink.
It was vast and boundless, without end, many times larger than the land. A person could spend their entire life and still find it hard to cross to the other side.
Fortunately, there were many ancient islands in the sea, with ancient teleportation arrays carved by sages of old, turning natural barriers into thoroughfares.
In such an endless sea area, countless powerful beings had been born in the waters, including many ancient exotic species and many shocking great demons.
Some even suspected that there were beings in the sea comparable to ancient sages, because it was simply too vast. No one could explore its end, so naturally, no one knew how terrifying the experts there were.
Since ancient times, countless human cultivators had gone to sea, seeking immortal realms, seeking ancient sages, seeking the footprints of Great Emperors.
Although the North Sea did not have the endless legends of immortal islands like Penglai in the East Sea, which was the preferred final resting place for ancient human sages in their later years, it still had many ancient cave dwellings and inheritances.
Ye Fan led little Tongtong forward through the North Sea when he suddenly saw auspicious energy surging ahead, and faintly, the sound of celestial music could be heard.
His expression moved. He walked on the waves, moving forward, disappearing with each step, his speed very fast.
From afar, he saw an immortal island, with five-colored light shooting into the sky, auspicious clouds swirling around, a scene of peace. Someone was opening an ancient cave dwelling, welcoming guests.
Arriving here, he could see streaks of flowing light. Powerful cultivators were riding magical artifacts, landing one after another on the ancient island ahead.
Among them were human experts and demon clan heroes, all sorts, male and female. Their common trait was that they were all very powerful.
Ye Fan saw a flood dragon patrolling the sea, a powerful great demon. He went forward and asked, "What's happening up ahead?"
"The North Sea Black Tortoise Senior's three thousand six hundredth birthday is approaching. He has invited all his old friends, opening his cave dwelling to feast the guests."
After answering, the flood dragon continued patrolling the sea, clearly a commander guarding this island, riding the wind and waves, shouting orders to the various little demons.
Ye Fan was truly surprised. He muttered, "Three thousand six hundred years... He really lives up to his own race."
Ye Fan took Tongtong's hand and stepped onto the island. The island had cinnabar cliffs and strange rocks, ancient herbs wafting fragrance, and auspicious signs everywhere.
"The Lord of the Human King Hall sends a congratulatory gift. The Vice Lord has arrived."
"The North Sea Black Dragon King has arrived."
"The Dao Protector of the Long Life Temple has arrived!"
"Guanghan Palace..."
As soon as he arrived on this ancient island, Ye Fan heard these voices. He was surprised in his heart. The Black Tortoise Senior truly had great divine powers, with so many major powers coming to celebrate his birthday.
"State your name! Those who enter the island must be sect masters or direct-line inheritors. Children are not allowed to enter the island." A great demon shouted.
Beside him, an old demon quickly stepped forward and pulled the great demon away, saying in a low voice, "Do you want to die? Don't you know who he is?"
"Who is he?"
"Today, he is likely to attract even more attention than Senior Black Tortoise!"