# Chapter 831: A Grave
"...Chi..."
The assassin divine dynasty's man transformed into a shadowy afterimage, a blood sword leading the way, breaking through the taboos of time and space. Killing intent filled the surroundings. Still unwilling to give up, he launched a thunderous strike.
*Clang!*
Sparks flew everywhere, like a meteor shower dancing. Ye Fan used the Stride Art to evade in that instant, then pointed out a finger of light to test this man. The blood sword remained unmoved, only clanging in response.
Fierce killing intent and overwhelming murderous aura surged like a herd of ancient ferocious beasts on a rampage, sweeping across the desolate land and rushing forward with unparalleled ferocity. Another assassin king had also arrived.
Their strike failed to achieve results, yet they did not leave. Instead, they intended to use their absolute king-level power to suppress and kill Ye Fan. At this level of strength, killing a sect master was as easy as cutting grass.
"I was waiting for you to come!" Ye Fan was truly enraged. He had expended great effort to deal with the ancient royal clan, only to be treated like this in the end.
He did not use the heavenly tribulation, not wanting to waste it now, but he was also unwilling to let these two go, even if they were terrifying kings who had severed the Dao at the third immortal stage!
*Boom!*
In the distance, the Monkey made his move. He swung a large iron staff, pitted and uneven, not at all smooth—this was an ancient ferocious weapon from the past. He transformed into a golden light and charged over, smashing toward one of the assassin kings.
He had already severed the Dao at the third immortal stage. Although he had only just stepped into this realm, he was after all the son of an ancient emperor. His strength rivaled that of kings who had cultivated for many years.
One of them immediately abandoned Ye Fan and met the Monkey head-on, trying to buy time so the other could kill Ye Fan. They thought there would be no accidents, because a king at the third immortal stage killing a sect master was as simple as picking flowers.
Ye Fan had nothing to hide. He immediately sacrificed that sacred shell. He would never let these two go!
*Boom!*
Like a flood sweeping the heavens, a surge of blood energy pierced through the clouds. A vast and mighty pressure spread out. From afar, it looked like a golden great furnace, instantly covering this place.
"Sacred might!"
"An irresistible sacred might!"
"Run!"
This assassin king was immediately terrified. He shouted to the other man and turned to flee. They never engaged in direct confrontation with those stronger than themselves, relying instead on assassination.
"Neither of you will escape today!" Ye Fan roared. A great shout sent out a golden ripple, surging outward like a vast ocean.
*Pfft!*
That assassin king immediately coughed up a mouthful of blood, nearly falling from the high sky. Although it wasn't a sage's law, it was still a sonic boom at that level—he naturally couldn't withstand it.
"That's right, not a single one will escape!" The Monkey swung his great staff, chasing after the other assassin king.
*Whoosh!*
Both assassin kings vanished into the void, disappearing from their original positions. But Ye Fan sneered coldly. Stepping with the Stride Art, he pursued them. Such secret techniques were useless against him, as he had long since read the Heavenly Court's ancient scrolls.
*Boom!*
At this moment, he didn't use any laws. He simply threw a punch. Golden blood energy boiled like a divine sea, surging forward.
*Ah!*
The void collapsed. One man coughed up blood again and stumbled out, not daring to look back as he continued fleeing. His blood sword was broken, and one arm was bent beyond recognition.
"You really did obtain the Heavenly Court's inheritance!" the assassin king growled.
"Om!"
Ye Fan shouted, uttering the Buddhist Six-Character True Mantra. His physical body resonated, trembling slightly, and immediately a golden wave surged forth, shattering the void ahead.
"Ah..."
The assassin king screamed. The divine laws he had unleashed couldn't harm that sacred shell, and he himself suffered another heavy blow.
Ye Fan's eyes gleamed with cold, sharp light. He activated the Stride Art, his body turning into a beam of light as he arrived before the man. Reaching out a large hand, he grabbed him.
In terms of speed, no king at present could compare to him. There was absolutely no hope of escape. Ye Fan dragged him back like he was carrying a little chick.
In the distance, the Monkey was startled and uncertain. Although his fiery golden eyes were sharp and he hadn't been shaken off by that assassin king, he was quickly losing sight of him, unable to fully break through the Underworld's invisibility technique.
*Boom!*
Ye Fan arrived. A single punch blasted through, shaking that gaunt figure out of the void. He immediately struck with the Heaven-Overturning Seal, smashing down.
"Ah..."
With a great cry, this man also had his bones broken and tendons snapped. The Monkey's pitch-black great staff came crashing down, smashing half his body to pieces.
Ye Fan dragged them like dead dogs, throwing the two assassins together. Both were severely injured and on the verge of death, their bodies convulsing.
"We risked life and limb to enter Purple Mountain, exhausted ourselves to suppress the Divine Spirit Valley, and even the Origin Heaven Grandmaster lost his life. Where were you then? We barely bought a period of peace, and you can't sit still, wanting to kill me? I'll skin you alive!"
Ye Fan nearly crushed one man's head under his foot. Rage surged in his heart. He had paid so much, yet these two bastards came to assassinate him at this critical moment. His emotions couldn't calm down.
"These two aren't quite right. They've severed the Dao at the third immortal stage, but they're not that strong. Something seems off," the Monkey said, quite perceptive.
"They're half-origin spirits," Duan De said as he walked over. He was very skilled, feeling around on both men, then gave them a vicious kick. "Still assassin kings, and they don't even have a decent treasure."
"The important figures of the assassin divine dynasties are very cautious. They always leave themselves an escape route. Both king bodies are shells left by predecessors, not true bodies. They only inhabit them with half-origin spirits."
"No wonder. I was wondering why they were so weak, completely inconsistent with king-level strength," the Monkey said.
Ye Fan reached out a large hand, trying to seize their origin spirits. But both men's heads exploded on the spot, turning to ash in an instant.
"Not only are they ruthless to their enemies, but they're also ruthless to themselves. Half their origin spirits destroyed just like that," Li Heishui sighed.
"Underworld, Mortal World—if you don't erase yourselves, I will erase you!" Ye Fan looked into the distance, his voice firm and resolute.
The two ancient assassin divine dynasties had pursued Pang Bo, Dongfang Ye, Wu Zhongtian, and others. Some died, some were injured, some disappeared. The hatred was already irreconcilable.
"What now? Do we establish a grand sect, or first find the secret grounds of the two divine dynasties?" Li Heishui asked.
They all agreed that for now, they should use their respective connections to gather various clues about the two divine dynasties and understand them thoroughly. After all, they were ancient, undying inheritances.
"I once built a mining sect on a whim. Now it's been moved to an oasis. We can gather there." Ye Fan gave a detailed address.
The Monkey was used to going it alone, but he also said he would soon arrive at the mining sect to contribute. Duan De even patted his chest, vowing to find the graveyards of the ancient assassin divine dynasties and dig them up completely.
Li Heishui could consult the Thirteen Great Bandits. Ji Ziyue and her brother went without saying—the Ji Family likely had top-secret information. Dongfang Ye could ask his clan elders.
When the Big Black Dog woke up, his drunkenness had vanished. Baring his teeth, he yelled and asked who had knocked him out. Everyone pointed at Duan De.
"Damn it, are you guys trying to ruin me? Daoist, I'm out!" Duan De vanished with a whoosh, the first to disappear over the horizon.
"Woof, woof, woof!" The Big Black Dog chased him for over a hundred li, then returned after feeling the big lump on the back of his head. He declared that one day he would keep Fatty Duan as a human pet.
In the end, they each set off. Li Tian and Yan Yixi were unfamiliar with this world, completely in the dark, so they could only follow Ye Fan.
"Time to return the treasure."
Ye Fan said. The matters in the Northern Domain were settled. The ancient sages were lying low. His journey was complete. The Devouring Demon Jar had been returned to its respective owners back at the Jade Pool. The sacred shell also had to be returned.
Arriving once again at the Green Flood Dragon King's small world, Ye Fan and his group received the highest level of courtesy. Many ancient demons came out to welcome them.
Ye Fan naturally didn't put on airs. He observed all proper formalities, then met with the Red Dragon Daoist. He also thanked the Flood Dragon King's son, Qing Yi, and returned the sacred shell.
This was an invincible human-shaped weapon. Although the demon clan was generous, they weren't generous enough to casually give away a sacred shell.
Moreover, with the world's undercurrents surging and dark turmoil possibly arriving at any time, the demon clan greatly needed this sacred shell. Using it to activate the Demon Emperor's weapon would surely double its power.
"Do you still need Yan Ruyu to return? If necessary, I can summon her back from the Western Desert immediately," the Red Dragon Daoist said.
"No need. Not for a long time," Ye Fan sighed. He told him about the various events of this journey. "I hope the Green Emperor never needs to emerge. May that day never come."
Having said this, Ye Fan stood up under the gleaming divine radiance of the Red Dragon Daoist's eyes, walked out of the great hall, and headed outside.
He wanted to see an old acquaintance. Last time he came, he was full of worry, mainly to borrow the sacred shell. He hadn't stayed even a moment longer. Now, everything had finally calmed down.
"Who are you going to see?" Li Tian asked with a sly grin.
"A demoness," Black Emperor said with a curl of his lip. He hadn't forgotten that demoness named Qin Yao. Back then, the palace had collapsed, burying him alive.
A cold wind blew. Ye Fan felt chilled to the bone. He climbed that mountain. The pine trees rustled, but the pavilion was gone. There was no sign of life.
Deep in the pine forest, there was only a lonely grave. The mound wasn't large. A stone tablet stood, clearly engraved with the name Qin Yao.
Ye Fan felt cold from head to toe. Coming here again, his old acquaintance had already withered and passed away, separated by the boundary between life and death.
"How could this be..."
He was momentarily stunned, then deeply grieved. After more than ten years of distant travel, upon his return, he only found her grave. He stood dumbfounded before the tomb.
"What, a trace of guilt, or a trace of sorrow? In years past, you could have seen her a few more times, but you never came back. In the end, you crossed the star domain alone." A young girl in a golden feathered robe appeared, speaking coldly.
Ye Fan recognized her. Her name was Jin Yan, a demoness of this small world. She had been quite annoying back then, but hearing her words now, he couldn't muster any anger. There was only silence.
The pine trees rustled. This place was desolate, lonely, with only this solitary grave, stirring one's emotions.
Light footsteps came. Three demon clan men appeared: Bai Feng, Jin Yu, and Ku Zhu. They had once been Qin Yao's suitors.
"How did she leave? When did she pass away?" Ye Fan asked after a long silence.
"She died less than two hundred days ago," Bai Feng replied.
"What?" Ye Fan was stunned. That was around the time of his return.
"After learning of your return, she was very happy. But soon she fell silent and began to cultivate frantically," Ku Zhu said in a hoarse voice.
"Why? What exactly happened?" Ye Fan looked at him.
"Because you and we are like people from two different worlds. Your cultivation was too high. She desperately tried to catch up, but something went wrong," Ku Zhu said in a low voice.
"Ridiculous, isn't it?" Jin Yan wiped away tears, placing several bunches of pure white flowers before the lonely grave. "To you, she might have just been a passerby in your life, nothing significant. But to her, it was completely different..."
The wind grew stronger. The pine trees moaned, as if sobbing. The lonely grave stirred feelings of sorrow. Ye Fan stood there, dazed.
"If you had never appeared, she would have lived well. Perhaps she would have already become a Dao companion with one of them, like Ku Zhu."
The calm words came on the wind, like a blade cutting through Ye Fan's heart, making him even more silent. He couldn't say anything, only feeling a bitter ache.
"Don't be sad, don't be lost. There's no need. Years from now, you might remember her, even occasionally feel some bitterness. But what of it? She was just a somewhat profound scenery in your life. But scenery is ultimately scenery. It will never be the deepest imprint in your heart..."
In the past, Jin Yan had been very annoying. But now, she spoke words that Ye Fan couldn't refute, couldn't argue against. Every sentence drew blood, exposing wounds, making them bleed profusely.
Alright, this chapter was revised again and again, so Qin Yao got half this fate. I don't know if everyone will think this half-fate is too much. Well, regardless, I still wrote it this way. Finally, I ask for monthly votes.