Chapter 698

No matter how complex something is, once you understand it, it's really just that simple.

After comprehending the forbidden pattern laws here, Ding Huan took a month to break the first forbidden pattern.

Then he broke the second forbidden pattern in a day, the third in an hour, the fourth in only ten breaths…

When Ding Huan removed all the forbidden patterns locking the Void Spirit Veins, he saw seven top-grade Starlight Spirit Veins and forty-two upper-grade Starlight Spirit Veins.

The dense Starlight Spirit energy that rushed toward him, even though he wasn't cultivating, made him feel his cultivation level rise slightly.

Truly excellent stuff.

Ding Huan didn't notify Emperor Hou Hen at all—he directly took all forty-nine Starlight Spirit Veins.

As long as he hadn't removed the forbidden patterns on Emperor Hou Hen's body, Emperor Hou Hen wouldn't know how many Starlight Spirit Veins he had taken.

After Ding Huan took the forty-nine Starlight Spirit Veins, a Seven-Realm Flower appeared before him.

As Emperor Hou Hen had said, this Seven-Realm Flower already had five flower-stars swirling with Dao patterns, each carrying a different Great Dao aura.

This is incredible—he actually cultivated five flower-stars on the Seven-Realm Flower.

He dug up the Seven-Realm Flower, sealed it with forbidden patterns, and sent it into the Five Elements World.

Ding Huan had no intention of using this Seven-Realm Flower; though he didn't know its exact effects, he knew it was definitely tied to his own Great Dao, otherwise it wouldn't have been so difficult to cultivate.

If it was tied to his own Great Dao, he couldn't use it.

Even if he wanted to use it, he'd use a Seven-Realm Flower he cultivated himself, not someone else's.

After taking the Seven-Realm Flower, Ding Huan waved his hand—the empty space where the forty-nine Starlight Spirit Veins had been collapsed completely.

Only now did Ding Huan begin to unlock the forbidden patterns on Emperor Hou Hen.

Breaking the forbidden patterns on Emperor Hou Hen's body was more complex than breaking those locking the Starlight Spirit Veins.

After all, the forbidden patterns on Emperor Hou Hen's body also pierced his soul—careless handling could split his spirit.

Fortunately, without the spiritual source of the Starlight Spirit Veins to empower them, though more complex, they didn't take long to dismantle.

Ding Huan took less than half an hour total to completely remove all forbidden patterns from Emperor Hou Hen's body.

When Ding Huan shattered the final forbidden pattern locking the soul, Emperor Hou Hen was still dazed.

Why did he feel his body was different?

He instinctively tried to perform a Zhou Tian, when Ding Huan's voice came to his ear: "Old Hou, what are you still pretending to be dead for? Get up."

"I said I don't go by Hou… what did you say?"

Emperor Hou Hen suddenly stood up, and his entire body trembled.

The shackles that had bound him for countless aeons were truly gone—he felt an ultimate sense of lightness and freedom all over.

He instinctively performed a Zhou Tian—effortlessly, with not the slightest obstruction.

Freedom—that was what he had craved every moment since being locked away.

Now it had finally returned.

"Ding Huan, little brother, you really did remove all these forbidden patterns?" Emperor Hou Hen's hands trembled with excitement.

He was, after all, a Divine Emperor—but he simply couldn't control this surge of emotion.

Deep inside, he had never believed Ding Huan could actually remove the forbidden patterns on his body; he had tried to convince himself that Ding Huan could do it.

But even if Ding Huan could do it, it would take a thousand or a hundred years—how could it be done in less than a year?

"Thank you, thank you, little brother Ding…" After performing another Zhou Tian, Emperor Hou Hen finally believed Ding Huan had truly helped him.

"Old Hou, my greatest strength is integrity—once I made a deal with you, I naturally had to remove your forbidden patterns."

"Though I took some risks, nearly getting myself killed, I think it was worth it…"

Emperor Hou Hen suddenly remembered something, turned, and stepped forward—when he saw the ruined Void Slot, he froze, then realized: Ding Huan had destroyed the space where the Starlight Spirit Veins had been.

With it destroyed, he had no way of knowing how many Ding Huan had taken.

"Little brother Ding, could you let me see the Seven-Realm Flower? And how many Starlight Spirit Veins were here in total?"

Ding Huan sighed: "I moved too fast, accidentally destroyed the Seven-Realm Flower—and there were two Starlight Spirit Veins here, but I took them all."

Mid-sentence, Ding Huan seemed to remember something and shouted: "Old Hou, we had an agreement—you're not thinking of reneging, are you?"

"Don't call me Old Hou—I'm Shi Hen…"

"Got it, Old Hou."

Emperor Hou Hen's earlier joy dimmed—he was certain Ding Huan had taken every single Spirit Vein, and the Seven-Realm Flower was definitely not destroyed.

If the Seven-Realm Flower placed here could be destroyed so easily, then Shi Luo was too incompetent.

He was even more certain that there couldn't have been only two Starlight Spirit Veins here.

But he was even more convinced now that he must stick with Ding Huan—breaking the forbidden patterns binding him in under a year? Ding Huan's talent was terrifying.

And the Great Dao Ding Huan cultivates? Absolutely supreme.

"Little brother Ding, are you alright?" Ji Luo, seeing Emperor Hou Hen stand up, hurried over anxiously.

"I'm fine. We can leave now." Ding Huan grinned and walked out.

Only then did Ji Luo notice Emperor Hou Hen behind Ding Huan and exclaimed: "Wait, your face looks much more normal—and your eyes weren't on your forehead before…"

Emperor Hou Hen grumbled: "Try being pulled by forbidden patterns for a million years—you might not even be as good off as me."

While removing Emperor Hou Hen's forbidden patterns, Ding Huan had already learned that Emperor Hou Hen wasn't born with eyes on his forehead—they had been stretched there by the forbidden patterns.

"Old Hou, I'm leaving with Old Ji. What about you?" Ding Huan looked at Emperor Hou Hen.

Emperor Hou Hen smiled awkwardly: "My cultivation has dropped severely—I'm barely at the Union Soul stage now. Could I stay here and cultivate for a while before leaving?"

"No. There's no Spirit energy here. Cultivating here is worse than leaving now. If you want to cultivate here, I don't have any Spirit Veins to spare."

Ding Huan said bluntly.

He knew perfectly well what Emperor Hou Hen was thinking—he just wanted Ding Huan to hand over Starlight Spirit Veins to set up a Spirit Gathering Divine Array here.

How could he not know Emperor Hou Hen's little scheme—just wanting him to produce the Star Sky Divine Vein to set up a Gathering Spirit Divine Array here for cultivation?

Emperor Hou Hen rubbed his hands together: "Brother Ding, we're friends now, right?"

"Not bad. I think you're a decent sort."

Ding Huan actually agreed with Emperor Hou Hen's words—not just anyone could casually let him cart off forty-nine Star Spirit Veins, and among them was a Seven Realms Flower.

Emperor Hou Hen said in a serious tone: "Although I haven't gone out yet, I'm certain the world outside is absolutely a hundred times more dangerous than you imagine. How about we team up—what do you think?"

The world outside is a hundred times more dangerous than he imagined?

Ding Huan looked at Emperor Hou Hen in surprise, thinking, why don't I feel that way?

Those Divine Kings outside are very easy to talk to, the Divine Race's Divine Kings have decent tempers too, and speak nicely—where exactly is the danger?

Emperor Hou Hen saw the slightly contemptuous look in Ding Huan's eyes and could only explain: "When you came in, your cultivation hadn't even reached Divine King. The level you've been exposed to is far too low.

Do you know the Eight Great Saints? Know the Four Great Dao Sovereigns and the Three Loose Saints? Let me tell you, every one of these people eats people without spitting out the bones. You haven't encountered them yet because your cultivation isn't enough…"

Ding Huan was led by Emperor Hou Hen's words into a bout of self-doubt—could it be he really hadn't come across those fellows?

Why had he never heard of a single person Emperor Hou Hen mentioned?

Seeing Emperor Hou Hen so earnest and confident, it didn't seem like he was trying to trick him.

Besides, Emperor Hou Hen still had that much integrity, right? He wouldn't make up a bunch of powerful beings that didn't exist just to fool him.

"No matter how talented you are, your cultivation isn't enough. In front of these people, they only need one finger to crush you.

But you don't need to worry. I, ol… Hou Hen, am also one of the Twelve Divine Emperors. I can speak for us. Let's team up—I'll help you now, and you'll help me in the future."

Ding Huan was finally swayed by Emperor Hou Hen's words: "Fine, Old Hou, just follow me from now on. I'll cover you."

Emperor Hou Hen opened his mouth, thinking, what do you mean you'll cover me? Right now I'm the one covering you; in the future you'll be the one covering me…

The words on his lips, he sighed—let it be. Ding Huan was about to advance into the God Merging Realm; he himself probably couldn't cover Ding Huan anymore.

Ding Huan pointed at Ji Luo and said: "Let me introduce him. Old Ji is Ji Luo, a Saint back in the day. Only later, during the fight over the Three Thousand Great Daos, his physical body was destroyed, and his cultivation plummeted…"

Emperor Hou Hen already knew Old Ji had the Three Thousand Great Daos; there was no need to hide it.

"You're a Saint too?" Emperor Hou Hen stared blankly at Ji Luo.

How come he didn't remember Ji Luo being a Saint?

"What? Only you're allowed to be a Saint, and I'm not?" Ji Luo, hearing Emperor Hou Hen question his glorious past, immediately took offense.

Emperor Hou Hen thought, I'm not a Saint either.

That absolutely could not be said out loud.

Ding Huan had limitless potential, and Ji Luo had once been a Saint—he absolutely could not not be a Saint.

Fortunately, neither Ding Huan nor Ji Luo knew that his position as one of the Twelve Divine Emperors was real; if he silently let them assume he had once been a Saint, they wouldn't doubt it.

Ding Huan then said to Ji Luo: "Old Ji, this is Emperor Hou Hen, one of the Twelve Divine Emperors, also a Saint back in the day. You're both Saints—you can get to know each other."

Ji Luo hurriedly sent a voice transmission to Ding Huan: "Brother, I'm a Quasi-Saint, not a Saint. Don't let this Old Hou in on it."

Ding Huan swept a contemptuous glance at Ji Luo, thinking, that's not what you said when you first met me—you said Saint back then.

Hearing Ding Huan's introduction, Emperor Hou Hen's old face reddened for once.

He didn't have a Saint's position; he was still a hundred and eighty thousand miles from being a Saint.

But he absolutely could not admit it.

"Ha ha, my name is Shi Hen. From now on, we're all friends. It's just that this place is the Void God Ravine—getting in is easy, getting out is hard." Emperor Hou Hen awkwardly changed the subject.

(Fellow Daoist, good night!)

(End of chapter)