Chapter 805: The Scripture Scroll
Previously, tensions were at a breaking point, with the ancient royal clans preparing to raise an army and bloodbath the Southern Ridge barbarian tribes. Yet now, such a great reversal had occurred—**a single battle achieved victory, suppressing the Northern Domain, and a grand assembly of all clans followed**, catching everyone completely off guard.
Half a month later, confirmed news spread: this assembly was no empty talk. It would truly be held, and the date had already been set.
The entire world was in an uproar!
To the human race, the ancient clans of all kinds were utterly mysterious, each one incomparably powerful. That they would now sit face to face to discuss the future was an earth-shattering event.
"That damned Duan De, let's see where you can run this time." Ye Fan believed that such a grand gathering would surely not lack the unscrupulous Taoist.
However, he wasn't too worried that Fatty Duan wouldn't return his physical body, because the Devouring Demon Jar was still in the other's hands. He figured the damn fatty was afraid he wouldn't return it, which was why he acted this way.
The grand assembly of ten thousand clans was an absolutely solemn affair. The choice of location and timing would inevitably be a matter of great deliberation.
This was a matter of utmost importance. The ancient clans were immensely powerful; if they truly wiped out the human race's strongholds in one fell swoop, there would be no place to cry about it.
In the end, after negotiations among the various clans and at the request of the human race, the assembly location was chosen at the Jade Pool. This was a prudent arrangement.
The Jade Pool was guarded by the Immortal Tear Green Gold Pagoda, also known as the Western Emperor Pagoda, ensuring no unexpected incidents would occur and keeping all clans in line.
To demonstrate their sincerity, the ancient clans agreed to this request. Since it was still within the Northern Domain, they had no fear if a real battle broke out.
The human race was somewhat surprised by their ready agreement and couldn't help but think of places like the Blood Phoenix Mountain, the Divine Silkworm Ridge, and the Fire Qilin Cave—places where emperors had once emerged. Could they all possess ancient imperial weapons?
In recent days, Ye Fan had been nourishing this sacred body with spiritual medicines, consuming vast amounts daily. All the resources were purchased from the auction houses in the Northern Domain's Divine City.
Now, he lacked no source stones. Having reached this level in source art, he was nearly capable of turning stone to gold. Moreover, after leveling the Northern Plains Wang Clan and bloodbathing the Divine Spirit Valley, he had collected a great deal of divine source.
This aged physical body, after more than half a month of nourishment, now shimmered with crystalline radiance. Using the Heaven-Shifting Earth-Transforming technique, he reshaped it into his own appearance, remolding this body.
During these days, while quietly nurturing his physical shell, he also cultivated the Dao. The ancient scripture obtained from the Divine Spirit Valley was indeed extraordinary, with unique insights. It described how to strengthen the primordial spirit, possessing incredible and wondrous effects.
A golden figure, the size of a fist, sat cross-legged on the sage's immortal platform, its entire body radiating brilliant golden light. Cultivating the ancient clan's divine spirit condensation method, it grew increasingly solid and indestructible.
One after another, beams of divine light shot forth, converging to form nine divine rings that appeared on the immortal platform, encircling Ye Fan.
Inspired by this ancient scripture, he reshaped himself and firmly stood on the ninth small step of the second level of the immortal platform, moving toward great perfection!
Ye Fan's "spirit" resided within the sacred shell, using its abundant golden blood energy to refine the spirit, achieving extremely powerful effects.
"Hum—"
The void trembled as Ye Fan's spirit stepped out from between his brows. Though only the size of a fist, it had grown even more solid. Nine divine rings appeared behind his head, transforming into undying Dao light. Faintly, the Dao resonated in harmony, rumbling with motion.
"Swish—"
Finally, with a flash of light, the golden figure stepped back and sat cross-legged within the immortal platform. At the same time, the sacred shell opened its eyes.
"The grand assembly of ten thousand clans is still some time away. Let me go see some old acquaintances first."
In recent days, Ye Fan had felt a vague unease. So much time had passed, yet he had heard no news of Pang Bo—where he was, or whether he still lived.
Two days later, he crossed over to the Southern Domain, entered the Grand Mystery Sect, and step by step arrived at Clumsy Peak.
This peak remained as it always had—no magnificent waterfalls, no picturesque scenery, no fragrant flowers or birdsong. Only a few stone halls on the verge of collapse and vast stretches of overgrown weeds.
Others noticed nothing, but on this desolate, weed-covered solitary peak, an old man opened his eyes and looked downward.
Ye Fan was startled. Old man Li Ruoyu's strength was unfathomable. He had come riding the sage's sacred shell, employing the Stride Art, yet he had still been detected.
"Why have you changed your physical body?" Li Ruoyu asked, his gaze like a torch, seeing straight to the essence.
Ye Fan was astonished. Every time he met this old man, his cultivation realm had leaped forward by a huge margin, progressing at a terrifying speed.
Back then, Li Ruoyu had sat in meditation on Clumsy Peak for centuries without a trace of progress, until finally soaring to the heavens. He was a late bloomer, and after that, his momentum became unstoppable.
"Greetings, senior." Ye Fan performed a great bow. In the past, the old man had shown him great kindness, granting him the All Secret. When he was being hunted by all the holy lands and no one in the world dared to associate with him, the old man had still wanted to accept him as a disciple.
Li Ruoyu nodded with satisfaction, seeing Ye Fan's primordial spirit seated firmly on the ninth small step of the second level of the immortal platform. He was very pleased.
"Ye Fan!" A man emerged from a dilapidated hall, extremely excited, and grabbed his hand.
Although he had taken over the sacred shell, before coming here, Ye Fan had reshaped it into his own appearance. Zhang Wenchang recognized him at a glance.
"It's me."
"I heard you set foot on the Stellar Ancient Path, leaving with the Nine Dragons Coffin. Twelve years later, you returned. What really happened? Did you truly go back to the other end of the starry sky?" Zhang Wenchang asked excitedly, missing his wife and children, unable to forget the past.
"No." Ye Fan shook his head. He sat down with Li Ruoyu and Zhang Wenchang to recount in detail the experiences of the past dozen-plus years.
Then, he asked about the mysterious attacker who had struck Clumsy Peak, wanting to understand clearly who the enemy was. He needed to have a firm grasp of the situation.
"The one who came was no ordinary being," Old Man Li Ruoyu said.
Ye Fan was immediately alarmed. He could sense that the old man had long since severed the Dao and was definitely a king-level figure. Yet he still gave such an evaluation—this was no small matter.
"The main attacker was a flawed nine-orifice stone man. The others did not make a move, merely observing from an extremely distant location."
"What? How is this possible?!" Ye Fan was stunned. When had he ever provoked such a heaven-born, earth-nurtured creature? How could this be?
Zhang Wenchang's cultivation was currently only at the Four Extremes Secret Realm, but Old Man Li Ruoyu was very satisfied, saying that the day of the dragon's ascent would surely come.
Ye Fan sighed. In this world, perhaps only this old man was willing to teach this disciple. Anyone else would have long since abandoned him.
He had a vague feeling that this old man would achieve great things in the future. Every meeting was a qualitative leap, his cultivation speed terrifying.
"Senior, this is an ancient scripture I obtained. I cannot decipher it, and I wish to give it to you."
Ye Fan took out a scroll of scripture, a gift from the third most beautiful woman in the Central Province, Princess Rain Butterfly. She had said it was written by a great emperor in his later years.
Unlike other methods, it spoke of flowers, birds, fish, and insects, of being at peace with the world. That state of mind was almost impossible for any mortal to achieve. Moreover, it contained no secret techniques or Dao methods. Ye Fan had studied it for a long time without grasping its essence.
He believed this ancient scripture was not suited for him and had been looking for an opportunity to give it to Li Ruoyu, feeling it was too similar to his natural Dao.
Indeed, when the old man took the scroll and carefully studied it, he showed a solemn expression for the first time. He sighed, "It is indeed written by a great emperor of antiquity."
"I hope it can assist senior in comprehending the Dao." Ye Fan was certain he had given the scripture to the right person.
"Rather than calling it an ancient scripture, it is more like a handwritten journal. I think it was either left behind by the Grand Emperor or written by the Eternal Universe Great Emperor in his later years, after setting aside all methods," Li Ruoyu said.
Ye Fan was amazed. The old man was truly unfathomable, able to deduce even this.
"When you are on the verge of becoming a sage one day, come here and retrieve this ancient scripture. Though it contains no specific techniques, careful study will greatly benefit you and help you pass that threshold," the old man said solemnly.
"Wenchang, I await the day you soar to the heavens." Ye Fan rose, then took his leave of Li Ruoyu.
Soon after, he arrived at the Ji Family. Naturally, he was secretly guided inside, coming to the ancient cave where Ji Haoyue was in seclusion. It was quite lively here.
Yan Yixi, Li Tian, Li Heishui, and others were all there, all very excited.
"Little Leaf, you succeeded! The Primordial Bell rang for three consecutive months—that's just too monstrous," Li Heishui said.
"How exactly did you annihilate the Divine Spirit Valley? Tell us quickly," Li Tian said.
"Brother Ye, was it really you cursing out the Celestial Prince and Yuangu a while back?" Dongfang Ye asked.
Their hearts were full of questions. The recent events were shocking, and they couldn't understand them.
Ye Fan carefully recounted the process. The tragic ending of the ** left them all sighing in lament.
"** was a hero whose spirit shook the world, ending in death. But I think Yang Yi might be in pain—so beautiful yet so sorrowful. Why is reality always so helpless?" Ji Ziyue murmured.
In the end, they all headed north, because the grand assembly of ten thousand clans was about to begin. Rumors said that Huang Xudao, Huo Qizi, Divine Silkworm Daoist, the Celestial Prince, Yuangu, and others would all appear.
Not to mention the true giants of the ancient clans—some would surely show up. Then, it would truly be a convergence of winds and clouds.
However, they separated and did not travel together. This was at Ye Fan's strong insistence, mainly because that bastard Duan De had caused him a heap of trouble. At any moment, someone might jump out to settle accounts.
The human sacred body had been far too prominent lately!
The grand assembly of ten thousand clans was still half a month away, but countless cultivators had already arrived early, entering this region.
In the Northern Domain, stretches of red earth spanned tens of thousands of miles, barren and lifeless, mostly desolate wasteland.
Though the Jade Pool was located in the Northern Domain, it was an exception. Its region was filled with fragrant flowers and birdsong, with beautiful scenery—the quiet serenity of bamboo groves, the natural charm of small stone arch bridges over water, and the spectacular sight of waterfalls cascading three thousand feet.
Back when the Flat Peach Festival was held, Ye Fan had already been here, so he was no stranger. He hadn't expected the grand assembly of ten thousand clans to be held here again.
He did not enter but waited outside the Jade Pool, biding his time for Fatty Duan to appear. After waiting a full seven or eight days, his target finally showed up.
Ye Fan ground his teeth in hatred. He saw another version of himself—clad in purple robes, heroic and spirited. But upon closer inspection, the eyes were far too shifty, not quite like a good person.
"This bastard!"
The other self swaggered over, without any intention of concealing himself. He walked with his hands behind his back, looking down on the world.
"Damn fatty!"
Ye Fan charged over the moment he saw him, letting out a roar that made Duan De flinch. Then, the latter grinned and said, "Why so fierce? If you want to let off steam, I, your Taoist master, will grit my teeth and let you beat me to your heart's content."
"***, that's my body! Throw out your own hide so I can kick it to my heart's content!"