Chapter 175

Yang Zhu sweeps through his peers, no one can match him, even a great power can be easily slain, and he also possesses the Heaven‑Swallowing Magic Pot—who wouldn't be afraid? "The Indestructible Heavenly Skill is the ancient emperor's scripture of our lineage; how can you take it away? Isn't that a bit improper…"

The Holy Child of Yaoguang draws a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down; even though he is very passive, he still does not want to give it up easily.

The Indestructible Heavenly Skill is a complete emperor's scripture; it can fully serve as the foundation of an immortal holy land—its value is unimaginable!

Boom! In the next instant, Yang Zhu swings his arm, and the power of the Great Dao erupts, terrifying beyond compare, like sweeping away fallen leaves, hurling the Holy Child of Yaoguang upward a hundred zhang.

Blood spattered; more than half of the Holy Child of Yaoguang's body was shattered into bloody mud, leaving only a half‑broken torso, crimson blood seeping out and soaking his garments.

Crack crack crack…

Sharp cracks rang nonstop in his ears; his bones were completely shattered, bone fragments mingling with viscera debris, all spilling out—a truly miserable sight.

"Back when the Ruthless Emperor attained emperorship, to repay his village he passed down his cultivation method, which eventually gave rise to what is called the Ruthless Lineage."

Yang Zhu stepped forward to the half‑dead Holy Child of Yaoguang, hands behind his back, his expression unchanging.

"Who would have thought that later you would stray from your original intent, begin to raise heirs by rearing gu insects, and moreover the Heaven‑Swallowing Magic Pot is too yin and evil, shunned by the world, so you dare not show your true face."

This is an ancient secret; aside from the Ruthless Lineage, others know hardly anything about it, and even the existence of the Ruthless Lineage is unknown to most.

"So there is this hidden story—who would have thought a holy land would actually be infiltrated and controlled?"

Gai Jiuyou's murky pupils twitched slightly; he had earlier sensed something odd about the Yaoguang Holy Land, but he never imagined the situation would be so dire.

As for the Ruthless Lineage, he himself had never learned of it—after all, it is too ancient to trace.

"The Ruthless Lineage nowadays has become a mishmash—do you even still want to call yourself that?"

Yang Zhu looked down at the Holy Child of Yaoguang, limp as mud on the ground; the latter was momentarily speechless, unable to think of any rebuttal.

"I deliberately spared your life—don't be ungrateful. Since you refuse to hand over the Indestructible Heavenly Skill, I'll just take it myself."

He extended a hand, his five fingers slightly closing, and drew out a cluster of dark‑glowing light from the Holy Child of Yaoguang's mind.

After a brief scan confirming it was the complete Indestructible Heavenly Skill, Yang Zhu secured the light cluster and then turned and left.

As for the Holy Child of Yaoguang, he cultivates a supreme holy art; his recovery ability is extraordinary, even allowing nirvanic rebirth, so there's nothing to worry about.

"I never expected him to be the heir of the Ruthless Lineage."

The Holy Maiden of Yaochi's eyes flickered; she had previously thought highly of the Holy Child of Yaoguang, finding him extremely mild and courteous, never imagining…

"There are many more such matters, but due to certain reasons I'm not comfortable speaking of them."

After this interlude, several people continued searching for the traces of the Pool of Immortal Ascension.

Half a month later, the Pool of Immortal Ascension was successfully found.

It lay in the heart of the Qinling Mountains, where ancient trees towered, old vines coiled as thick as a person's thigh, having grown for at least tens of thousands of years, exuding a primordial aura.

Here few people tread; all kinds of rare treasures grow everywhere, their medicinal ages not low, and even qilin and divine beasts roam, auspicious colors abounding.

Standing in the void and looking down, countless ancient dragon veins criss‑cross, magnificent in scope, innumerable—there are hundreds or even thousands of them.

Yang Zhu probed the qi points, using the Hun Dun Chi for support, combined with deducing the Dao patterns, and quickly locked onto the location of the Pool of Immortal Ascension.

Thereafter, joining forces with Gai Jiuyou, the group avoided many dangers and arrived beside the Pool of Immortal Ascension.

The Pool of Immortal Ascension lies atop a huge mountain; though not very expansive, it gives the feeling of having entered another world.

The lake water is clear and bright, like a pool of jade nectar, flowing with seven‑colored auspiciousness; mist and vapor rise, intertwining, a expanse of crystal‑clear brilliance. Standing by the shore, one cannot help but feel as if one has entered a fairyland, as if not of the mortal realm.

At the mountain's foot—that is, the base of the peak—there is an ancient cave; it is said that obtaining either the Pool of Immortal Ascension or this cave offers hope of proving the Dao.

Everyone knows that the Qinling ancient cave moves; after staying in one place for a while it shifts, never lingering long, which is why it has remained undiscovered throughout the ages.

Fortunately, the Pool of Immortal Ascension and the Dragon Cave now appear together in one spot, saving much trouble.

"The Pool of Immortal Ascension… I have searched for a full hundred years, and today I finally behold it!"

Gai Jiuyou's expression was excited; the rumors said one could obtain a heaven‑defying opportunity for immortality, and at last he had found it.

"It is said that, over the past hundred thousand years, the only emperor who successfully proved the Dao was the Green Emperor, who was formed from a single primordial green lotus, and his birthplace lies at the bottom of the Pool of Immortal Ascension."

The Green Emperor, the sole emperor who proved the Dao in the last hundred thousand years, is enough to show his divine might and invincible bearing.

As the last emperor to prove the Dao, his legendary deeds have always attracted attention; seeking even a hint of his qi from them is sure to bring great benefit.

"How much do you know about the Green Emperor?"

The Holy Maiden of Yaochi gazed at the Hun Dun Chi; the misty, steaming lake surface seemed to have a spiritual essence flowing within, extremely wondrous.

"The Green Emperor is an extraordinary figure; to prove the Dao after heaven and earth have changed shows his methods and talent far surpass those of his contemporaries."

Among the many emperors, the Green Emperor absolutely stands alone, holding a position of great importance.

In fact Yang Zhu admires him greatly; while other ancient emperors or sovereigns think only of breaking into the immortal realm, he instead wishes to derive one himself.

With such breadth of mind and ambition, even if he ultimately fails, he remains worthy of admiration.

Eee‑yah‑yah!

Divine light surged, and a little immortal phoenix darted out, curiously hovering by the poolside, its eyes shining with spirit, quite excited and stirred.

"Little Darling, can you sense what's inside?"

Yang Zhu pointed toward the Dragon Cave below and asked.

The little guy followed his gaze, and after a moment its fur stood on end; it hid behind Yang Zhu in fear, as if it had seen something terrifying.

"Is there danger inside?" the Holy Maiden of Yaochi frowned.

"Pretty much, there's a stone about to become a spirit."

Yang Zhu could sense that within the Dragon Cave there was a terrifying aura—a holy spirit that had lain dormant for hundreds of thousands of years, its cultivation immensely fearsome.

Perhaps because of the Stone Emperor, Yang Zhu feels little fondness for such beings; his face is utterly cold.

"Who is so audacious as to dare intrude here!"

Suddenly, a loud shout rang out.

From the deepest part of the Dragon Cave, it seemed as if a supreme existence had been roused from slumber, emitting a terrifying wave like a vast ocean.

An ancient chariot burst forth, only a foot tall, pulled by a violet‑hued little qilin, with a azure little dragon circling and a crimson‑blood divine phoenix circling around the chariot.

Moreover, seven or eight crystal‑clear little figures, more than half a foot tall, marched ahead of the chariot to clear the way; each was carved from jade, lucid and exquisite, truly extraordinary.

(End of chapter)