Chapter 123: 【The Love Between Man and Dog Remains Unfinished】

"Outstanding people and spiritual land"—in a universe like the Shrouded Heavens universe, where powerful cultivators fly across the sky, this phrase is an objective fact.

Why does the Big Dipper Emperor Star produce so many heaven-gifted geniuses? Aside from the fact that over the vast ages, Emperors and Heavenly Venerables moved their own Dao lineages here for the sake of the Immortal Road, turning Big Dipper into the center of the universe, there is another reason.

There is an even more important point: the five regions of Big Dipper were transformed from a Chaos Body.

The five regions of Big Dipper are the largest five-colored altar in the universe. In the past, after the Immeasurable Yuanshi Yuanshi Tianzun slew the Chaos Body, he evolved its corpse into the Big Dipper star, with its five great secret realms becoming the five regions: Eastern Wasteland, Northern Plains, Western Desert, Central Plains, and Southern Ridge.

This was a major backup plan. Once the Immortal Road opens, this five-colored altar will be activated, operating the greatest teleportation array in the world to strike at the void between the two realms and reach the other side.

It is a pity that despite the Immeasurable Yuanshi Yuanshi Tianzun's myriad schemes, he himself ended up with nothing, his traces lost to the ages. However, the Big Dipper star he evolved has consecutively birthed several brilliant Emperors, and there is no lack of Huang Tiandi-level existences.

And one by one, these Emperors have fed back into their home star, eventually turning Big Dipper into a top-tier life source in the universe.

It can be said that the probability of Big Dipper birthing special physiques is far greater than that of other life planets.

Yet, compared to the Primordial Ancient Star, Big Dipper still falls a bit short; after all, Earth has nurtured several genuine Heavenly Emperors in a row.

This makes Lin Xian have to suspect that a certain Red-Haired Ancestor, the first existence in history to transcend the Dao-Sacrificing Realm, also hailed from Earth; otherwise, this monstrously great fortune cannot be explained.

"Earth, the Primordial Ancient Star—sooner or later, I must return. There is still a karmic connection waiting for me there."

Lin Xian whispered softly, the System's notification sound echoing in his ears.

【Side Quest: Take first place in the Luotian Dajiao】

【Main Quest: Defeat the Old Heavenly Master on Mount Longhu】

The quest in the Under One Person world is complete, but the quest in the Shrouded Heavens universe is not yet finished. On the Primordial Ancient Star, there is likewise an Old Heavenly Master waiting for him.

"Master, it's time to eat!"

Just as Lin Xian was deep in thought, Ye Fan's call suddenly rang out. He returned carrying two large chunks of Zishan stone and threw them onto the ground, instantly causing a tremor. They stood in the courtyard like two artificial mountains.

"Your appetite is getting bigger and bigger." Lin Xian clicked his tongue. The two small mountains before him were only a portion of their daily consumption of earth; they would have to go dig for another hour to have enough for one day's cultivation.

"As my cultivation base grows, I need more and more Zishan stone." Ye Fan couldn't help but worry: "If this goes on, won't we dig Zishan empty?"

"Digging it empty won't happen. That is an Emperor's Daoist site; even a trace of its power is enough for us to eat for a hundred thousand years." Lin Xian shook his head: "It's just that the energy Zishan stone provides is too little. Even eating it for a day is probably not as effective as a Four Extremities Realm expert breathing for half an hour."

"Rely on the mountain to eat from the mountain. At most, we can eat until the Palace Realm, Fifth Level. After that, we'll have to think of other ways; we must open up new sources and reduce expenditure."

"How much Source is left in the five sects' treasuries?"

"I'll go ask Tingting." Ye Fan scratched his head. He was focused on bitter cultivation and had no time to manage these things; Jiang Tingting was in charge of it all.

"Qingxia, Seven Stars, Profound Moon, Falling Glow, Departing Fire—a total of 6,600 catties, plus two blocks of Source."

"After pacifying the roving bandits, the Source handed over by the several sects, added together, is nearly 7,000 catties."

Little Tingting held a golden abacus in her hand, adopting the posture she used for calculating accounts at her grandfather's restaurant, and muttered: "Big Brother used over 1,000 catties to break through to the Palace Realm, Second Level, the dog took 1,000 catties, Master used over 3,000 catties, plus the daily needs of the sacred site... we have about 600 catties of Source left."

"Spending money like water, indeed." Ye Fan sighed. Not long ago, they were poor people worried about a few dozen catties of Source. Pacifying the roving bandits in this area had only yielded a hundred catties or so.

Now, thousands of catties had been used up in a flash, and it still wasn't enough.

"It seems we need to use some Source Heaven Master methods to earn a few hundred thousand catties of Source." Lin Xian whispered. During these days, they had been contemplating the divine charm in the Wu Shi ruins of the Profound Moon Cave, which had already compensated for their lack of temperament.

Exercising the method of changing the heavens and the earth, he had more confidence and wasn't afraid of winning too much Source and being hunted down out of jealousy.

"Are we leaving now?" Ye Fan was somewhat excited. Although he had used Source Heaven Master methods these days to dig out some Source underground, it was at most a few dozen catties, nowhere near enough to fill the bottomless pit of the Desolate Ancient Sacred Body.

Too many people had been to this land, and the precious Source had all been dug away and sent to those large cities. To go further, he had to gamble on Source.

"No rush. Let's stabilize for a moment."

Lin Xian smiled slightly: "The Source Heaven Master was able to leave behind the Silver Blood Twin Emperors for his descendants; there must still be some foundation. Let's go cut some of the stone materials in the village."

"Right, how could I forget this!" Ye Fan woke up as if from a dream. How could a dignified Source Heaven Master not leave behind some precious stone materials? Seeking Source and breaking stones—this was the Source Heaven Master's specialty.

A moment later, the adult men in the village were all busy, piling the stones into a small mountain, not even leaving the foundations, fearing they might miss something.

Zhang Wuye was busy, picking out the stone rollers, stone piers, and stone mills from the pile of rubble, totaling over fifty stone implements.

The big black dog also received the news and stood by, "eyeing like a tiger," fearing it would miss out on any benefits.

And then, there really was a surprise. Ye Fan cut a grain of Divine Source from a stone. Its life essence was astonishing; although very small, it was worth 25,000 catties of Source!

Ye Fan was overjoyed. Just this one grain of Divine Source was enough for him to break through to the Palace Realm, Third Level, with even some to spare.

"Woof woof woof..." The big black dog wanted to snatch it, but was suppressed by the two of them working together.

Immediately after, Lin Xian cut a fleshy fruit from the center of a millstone. It was pinkish, looking a bit like a peach.

"What is this thing? Let this Emperor taste it." The big black dog came up again, licking its face, opening its bloody mouth, ready to bite down.

Fortunately, Lin Xian was quick-handed and sharp-eyed, hurriedly taking the fruit away and cursing: "This is a Human Origin Fruit! If you had bitten down just now, at least 100,000 catties of Source would have been gone!"

"What Human Origin Fruit!" The Master Master Hei Huang's eyes turned green: "This kind of fruit is a fake dragon pearl formed by the earth. If it falls into the hands of a master alchemist, it can refine a divine pill that can extend life by fifty to a hundred years."

"What 100,000 catties of Source!" Ye Fan was young and didn't care about lifespan; he cared more about Source. Hearing the number 100,000, he turned completely red. This wasn't a fruit; it was his hope for the Palace Realm, Fourth Level.

Man and dog launched a battle for the Human Origin Fruit. The Desolate Ancient Sacred Body suppressed the black dog, and the two fought to the end of the village, nearly grinding the stone materials to dust.

"Dead dog, what did you eat to grow up? Even the Battle Sacred Art can't move you!" Ye Fan cursed.

"Damn it, so it was the Nine Secrets! No wonder it hurt so much, it nearly killed this Emperor!" The big black dog shrieked, definitely not pretending.

Seeing this, Lin Xian shook his head and used Source Heaven Master methods to find a jade box, temporarily sealing the Human Origin Fruit to prevent the essence from leaking.

"Should we keep cutting?" Zhang Wuye asked.

"No, let's save them for now." Lin Xian shook his head. These treasures left by the Source Heaven Master for his descendants might not be buyable outside even with Source.

Divine objects like the Human Origin Fruit that can extend life—who knows how many aging Sacred Lords and Kings would go crazy for it and fight over it.

Selling one or two pieces now because of a lack of Source is fine, but selling them all would be called squandering.

Moreover, neither Ye Fan nor Lin Xian had become true Source Heaven Masters. Once a divine object is cut open, if the medicinal effect cannot be completely preserved, it is better to hide it for a later day than to waste it.

In the following month, Ye Fan used the Divine Source to break through to the Palace Realm, Third Level, his combat power gaining an explosive increase; his physical body alone was enough to be invincible.

Ye Fan still felt it wasn't enough, because the Palace secret realm focuses most on Dao power. He needed the Palace chapter created by the Queen Mother of the West to perfect himself, so he harassed the Master Master Hei Huang every day.

In the stone village, one could often see man and dog fighting and biting each other, dog hair falling all over the ground. At first, some wanted to intervene, but then they realized that either Ye Fan was looking for trouble with the Master Master Hei Huang, or the Master Master Hei Huang was looking for trouble with Ye Fan. Although the two fought to hone their combat skills, they didn't harm each other's lives, so they didn't interfere much.

As time went on, man and dog became a unique and beautiful landscape of the stone village.

Lin Xian shook his head, sighing: "The love between man and dog remains unfinished; this is a grievance from a past life. Tingting, don't learn from them."

"Mm-hmm." Jiang Tingting nodded obediently, then asked: "Are we going to the Shengcheng next?"

"The Shengcheng is tens of thousands of miles away, too far from here." Lin Xian shook his head: "Let's go to the nearby Pingyan City first. The sacred sites and aristocratic families all have branches in the major cities. Let's go test the waters first."

Several young people in the stone village also wanted to follow and watch the excitement, and Lin Xian agreed. For one, the Qingxia Sect had already become the hegemon of the area, with no forces threatening them; for another, bringing more people could better cover their identities.

The group dressed as Qingxia disciples, and with a few genuine Qingxia Sect disciples, led by Lin Xian, the Qingxia Ancestor, they swaggered toward the city.

"Old Immortal Qingxia, boundless magic power, vast supernatural abilities, the dharma carriage arrives in Pingyan..."

Although the slogan was crude, it could awe three thousand miles of mountains and rivers, because the Qingxia Sect had truly wiped out the four sects and become the hegemon of this region.

Other forces were extremely wary of the suddenly appearing Qingxia Ancestor, believing he was very likely a Four Extremities expert.

Just as Lin Xian stepped into Pingyan City, local Qingxia disciples came to greet him, named Liu Chengen and Liu Chengwang.

"Qingxia disciples? How come I haven't seen them in the main peak reorganization?" Lin Xian was dazed for a moment, then looked back at one of the Five Elders of Qingxia beside him and asked: "Are they remnants?"

The Qingxia Elder smiled obsequiously: "Ancestor, they are indeed people from that unfilial Sect Master's lineage."

"Then take them down." Lin Xian sighed. The Qingxia Ancestor was compassionate and couldn't bear to see anyone die before his eyes.

A group of Qingxia disciples rushed up like wolves and tigers, intending to seize Liu Chengen and Liu Chengwang.

Liu Chengen was instantly panicked and shouted: "I came to pay respects to the Ancestor, what are you doing?"

"The unfilial Sect Master nearly caused the Qingxia Sect to be wiped out; your lineage are sinners!" The Qingxia Elder scolded. New hatred and old grudges erupted at this moment. It was the Qingxia Sect Master who had locked him in the dungeon because he didn't agree to become a roving bandit.

If Lin Xian hadn't changed Qingxia's fate, he would have died of old age in that dungeon. Publicly or privately, he was at odds with the Sect Master's lineage.

Saying this, the Qingxia Elder announced the expulsion of the two from the Qingxia registry and had them taken back to be thrown into the dungeon!

"I don't accept this! I have bled for Qingxia, I have been injured for Qingxia!" Liu Chengen shouted: "I want to see the Ancestor, I want to see the Ancestor..."

The purple-clothed man Liu Chengwang was more decisive than his younger brother Liu Chengen. Seeing the situation was bad, he roared and lunged at Jiang Tingting, preparing to take a hostage.

However, Ye Fan was battle-hardened and practiced the incomplete Xing Zi Mi, his speed extremely fast. He sneered: "Even ancient creatures run faster than you; put away these little tricks."

Saying this, he shot divine light from his fingertips, which turned into a rope and instantly bound Liu Chengwang.

The Qingxia Elder was shocked and hurriedly stepped forward to suppress the Liu brothers. Given Liu Chengwang's ferocity, his custody was the strictest.

Gambling on Source was a small matter. What was difficult for others was like cutting melons and vegetables for the two Source Heaven Masters; they saw through it in a few glances and swept through the major gambling dens.

What truly surprised the group was that the Yaochi Saintess had arrived in Pingyan City, causing a stir. It was claimed to be a tour, but many guessed it wasn't that simple.

"The Yaochi Saintess is famous throughout the Eastern Wasteland, and her status is extraordinary. I'm afraid her arrival will attract quite a few young talents."

"I just saw a kid from the Jiang family, and a junior from the Yaoguang Sacred Site who thinks he's dashing and romantic; I've seen them both in the Shengcheng."

"Quite a few people have indeed come, and a few little bandits have run over too. Could those bastards be thinking of robbing the Yaochi Saintess? If they really did that, it would be very interesting."

"Yaochi is indeed extraordinary. Whether in our era or the present, people of the same generation cannot resist their immortal charm."

Several old men discussed as if no one else was around, their cultivation bases unfathomable. The Yaochi Saintess was just the beginning; immediately after, the descendants of the Thirteen Great Bandits, the Yaoguang Saint Son and Saintess, and a crowd of others arrived one after another.

"The Northern Region is going to be lively." Ye Fan could see that this was just a precursor; subsequently, more sacred sites, aristocratic families, and even powerful experts would surely come.

"Are people from the Great Xia Dynasty coming too?" Lin Xian was thoughtful. He remembered that a princess of the Great Xia Dynasty had become a nun, and it seemed he could ask her for advice on how to use the power of faith.

The Qingxia Sect's stall had grown, covering three thousand miles of mountains and rivers. The originally thin power of faith began to manifest; if it wasn't utilized, it would be a waste.

"Ancestor! The Yaochi Saintess is looking over here." Suddenly, Er Lengzi said. He was dressed as a Daoist boy, looking red-lipped and white-toothed, without the slightest majesty of the Silver Blood Royal Clan, but rather a bit timid.

On a pavilion not far away, several beautiful and ethereal women accompanied her. The leading woman was like moonlight shrouding her body, like an immortal flower blooming; the whole person was hazy and unclear, but gave people a feeling of flawlessness.

Her graceful jade body, slender and varied, was shrouded in brilliant light, as if standing in the Guanghan Palace, holy and distant, making people feel they could never approach.

Like an existence of a nine-heaven fairy, not only was Er Lengzi shy, but the accompanying Qingxia Sect members also lowered their heads, feeling inferior, fearing they would profane the fairy.

Compared to the sacred site of Yaochi, the small Qingxia Sect was like mud-legged peasants meeting a goddess.

Of course, there were exceptions. Jiang Tingting blinked her eyes and praised from the bottom of her heart: "Big Sister is so beautiful."

A certain big black dog clicked its tongue twice and muttered: "How many years has it been? Yaochi is still the same."

Ye Fan was extremely curious and grabbed the Master Master Hei Huang, asking: "You've seen the Yaochi Saintess before?"

"That is... humph, I won't tell you. Exchange it for Divine Source." The Master Master Hei Huang bared its fangs and brandished its claws, at odds with Ye Fan, both hating the sight of each other.

"Immeasurable... that Tribulation-Crossing Yuanshi Yuanshi Tianzun!" Lin Xian, who had evolved into an old immortal, flicked his horsetail whisk, truly possessing an immortal air, and performed a Daoist salute, stepping forward to ask: "Does the Saintess have something to seek from this poor Daoist?"

"Nothing." The Yaochi Saintess was shrouded in rosy mist, her true face unclear, giving people a hazy feeling, but the more this was so, the more people hoped to catch a glimpse of her immortal face.

"I just feel that the Daoist is somewhat familiar, as if I have seen you somewhere." The Yaochi Saintess said indifferently. Her voice was calm, pleasant as heavenly music, like a warm breeze blowing into one's heart, plucking at one's heartstrings, possessing a strange magic.

Nearby cultivators showed strange expressions, recognizing the figure of Lin Xian after his transformation, and couldn't help but be astonished. Could the legendary Qingxia Ancestor really possess some great supernatural powers?

"Does the Saintess feel only I am familiar, or does she feel others are familiar too?" Lin Xian said leisurely, pointing to Ye Fan: "My disciple here also feels familiar."

An odd look appeared in the Yaochi Saintess's eyes, and she nodded slowly. It really did feel somewhat familiar. What was going on today?

Lin Xian smiled secretly. With the Source Heaven Book plus the Yaochi Scripture introduction, and a Desolate Ancient Sacred Body, it would be strange if you Yaochi people weren't familiar!

The old lover of the Fifth Generation Source Heaven Master, that Yaochi Saintess, had revealed no shortage of Yaochi scriptures to the Fifth Generation Source Heaven Master.

The Great Accomplishment Sacred Body was the husband of the Queen Mother of the West, and the Emperor's son of your Yaochi was an Innate Sacred Body Dao Fetus.

"The Saintess may not know, but our two lineages have a karmic connection in our ancestry." Lin Xian laughed loudly, pointing to the Master Master Hei Huang: "If you don't believe me, look at this dog. Doesn't it also have a connection with Yaochi?"

"You mud monkeys, what are you joining in the fun for? How could you have a connection with the fairy!"

Someone mocked: "The fairy looks highly upon you, and you actually dare to take a dog... Holy crap, the dog is biting people!"

Before the Yaochi Saintess could speak, a crowd of sycophants couldn't stand it, barking louder than the Master Master Hei Huang.

Then the Master Master Hei Huang was enraged, roaring, biting anyone it saw, its mania not diminished in the slightest.

"Woof! Woof! Woof!" The Master Master Hei Huang cursed: "You kid, you look down on dogs; this Emperor will bite you to death today..."

"A dog that can speak human language..." The Yaochi Saintess was slightly stunned, thinking the Master Master Hei Huang was an ancient creature or the true form of a powerful demon clan expert. She tried to use the unique Heavenly Secret technique of Yaochi to deduce, and then she froze. This dog really did have a connection with Yaochi.

What was going on today? Whether man or dog, all had a connection with Yaochi.

"May I ask the Daoist, who are your ancestors?" The Yaochi Saintess walked out of the pavilion, immortal energy surrounding her, lotus flowers blooming with every step, petals dancing where her jade feet landed, each piece crystalline, emitting bursts of fragrance.

"Easy to say, easy to say." Lin Xian smiled slightly, flicked his horsetail whisk, and said leisurely: "The ancestors of this poor Daoist's lineage once wanted to marry a Yaochi Saintess..."

Before the words were finished, countless curses rang out in the city: "Old shameless, truly shameless!"

"A Yaochi fairy is someone your lineage can marry?!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 124 =====