Chapter 551: The Terrifying Old Man

But at this moment, these murky old eyes stare dead—without blinking—at Ye Wuque!

In that gaze, there is no trace of the elder's senescence or muddiness, only a near‑mad excitement, an uncontainable greed, and a… the scorching, frantic determination a hunter feels when spotting a precious prey trapped!

The old man grinned, exposing sparse yellowed teeth, laughing so broadly his mouth could not close; every wrinkle on his face seemed to dance, hideously terrifying.

Ye Wuque's expression remained calm and indifferent, as if before him stood not a bizarre old monster but merely a stone.

But his heart involuntarily trembled slightly.

Millions of years?

This seemingly decrepit old man actually said… he has been bitterly guarding here for millions of years?!

All for the Fate Master's inheritance?!

It seems he discovered this opportunity long ago, yet he could not obtain it… or rather… he lacked the qualification!

Probably because he could not pass the Fate Master's skeletal trial, could not approach, could not acquire the inheritance.

Thus, he resorted to the most foolish, most patience‑requiring method… waiting!

Waiting for a truly qualified, sufficiently dazzling being to appear, help him extract the inheritance, then he will strike… seize!

What deep scheming! What terrifying patience! To pursue a single opportunity, willing to sit here in withered hibernation for millions of years?!

What kind of obsession, or rather… what kind of fanaticism and greed!

The Grey-robed Old Man does not seem eager to act; he appears to have suppressed himself for too long, with too many words to pour out.

He looks at Ye Wuque with a smiling squint, as if gazing upon a priceless treasure already his, his voice hoarse and slow, bearing an unsettling patience:

"Young one… do you know?"

He licks his cracked lips, a recollective hue spreading in his eyes.

"Millions of years ago… when I was still in my prime, traveling here, I happened to sense the obscure yet noble Fate fluctuation deep within this Destiny Star… do you know how excited I was then? How thrilled? My heart nearly leapt out of my chest…"

The tone of his voice becomes fervent: "That aura… that is Treading Fate Imperial Qilin! It is the Supreme among the Ten Great Emperor Fiends who wield Fate! Its inheritance, especially for those of us who contemplate Fate and yearn for Transcendent, is an unparalleled treasure! Capable of altering Fate, defying Heaven to change destiny!"

But immediately his voice deepens, laden with intense resentment and grievance: "However… when I was full of hope and first tried to approach that skeleton… I could not even step a Thousand Zhang! That terrifying Imperial Beast Pressure and Fate Rejection nearly crushed my soul! I know I was not dazzling enough, did not pass that damned skeletal trial! I lack that qualification!"

"Later…" the old man's voice turns cold, "I was unwilling to accept! I trained like a madman, seeking all sorts of secret arts and treasures to boost strength and potential… spending countless effort and time. When I thought I had reborn and returned… the result was exactly the same! I still could not approach! That trial seemed like a Heavenly Moat, forever barring a mediocre talent like me!"

He suddenly lifts his head, his murky eyes fixed on Ye Wuque, burning with twisted flame: "But! I know! I lack the qualification, yet in the Zhutian Wanjie, among endless beings, there will always be a truly dazzling monster with that qualification! For example… you!"

He extends a finger, pointing at Ye Wuque, the finger trembling slightly from excitement: "Thus, I have made my decision! I will wait here! Concealing my aura, restraining vitality, like a stone, merging with this Ancient Star and this Star Domain! Millions of years… endless solitude, endless waiting, watching wave after wave of beings arrive at this star, then depart disappointed, or never discover its secret… Do you know what that feels like?!"

His voice suddenly rises, becoming sharp and mad: "But I have endured! Because I believe that one day, a fated person like you will appear! Who will help me… open this treasure vault door that has been sealed for ten thousand ages!"

The old man, so excited he nearly trembles, his voice bearing a pathological satisfaction and ecstasy: "Millions of years of bitter guarding! Millions of years of anticipation! Today… finally… finally it will be fulfilled! You… you have made my millions of years of effort and torment not in vain! Tell me… do I… need to thank you properly, my little treasure?"

He steps forward, slowly yet exuding an invisible pressure, approaching Ye Wuque.

In those murky eyes, now only naked, unabashed greed and murderous intent remain.

Ye Wuque, with a calm expression, watches his approach and says lightly: "Are you so sure you can easily manipulate me?"

Hearing Ye Wuque's calm, almost provocative retort, the Grey-robed Old Man startles, then as if hearing the world's funniest joke, throws his head back and laughs loudly!

"Ha—… Ha—ha… Ha—ha—ha—ha—ha!!!"

He laughs, bending forward and backward, his whole body trembling, tears nearly spilling from those murky old eyes, as if Ye Wuque had uttered an utterly absurd statement.

After laughing for a while, he barely stops, wiping nonexistent tears with his withered finger, his gaze at Ye Wuque like that of a child who does not understand, filled with mockery and pity:

"Heh… Young one, confidence is good. But blind confidence is foolish."

His smile gradually recedes, replaced by a cat‑and‑mouse cruelty and playfulness.

"However, considering the great help you gave me, I can let you… die a little clearer, and… a little more comfortably."

Having said that, his hunched body suddenly lunges!

"Boom—!!!"

A terrifying pressure, dormant for countless ten‑thousands of years like a sleeping primeval beast suddenly awakened, erupts without reservation from his seemingly withered, diminutive body!

The strength, weight, and magnitude of this pressure far surpasses that of Lord Yan and his two companions by an incalculable factor!

The pressure climbs wildly!

Early Immortal… Immortal Mid Stage… Immortal Realm Late Stage… Immortal Realm Peak… then, without hindrance, it bursts through an invisible barrier!

A more profound, more colossal, terrifying wave, seemingly intertwined more tightly with the laws of Heaven and Earth, thunders down!

Marquis Immortal!

This unremarkable, millennia‑guarding Grey-robed Old Man is in fact an old monster who has reached the Marquis Immortal realm!

Such power, not to mention in the early segment of the Origin Ancient Road, but also in many places across the Zhutian Wanjie, is enough to found a sect, dominate a region, and become a towering figure revered by countless beings!

He is truly a terrifying Dark Being who, after ages of sedimentation, has honed his cultivation to an extreme height!

Sensing this aura that could make ordinary Immortals tremble and kneel, Ye Wuque's face, rather than showing the fear, solemnity, or despair the Grey-robed Old Man expected, slowly reveals an increasingly intense, increasingly clear hue of excitement and exhilaration!

That gaze, like parched land meeting sweet rain, like a lonely unrivaled swordsman finally finding a worthy opponent to draw his blade!

"Marquis Immortal… not bad, not bad."

Ye Wuque murmurs softly, a hint of satisfied sigh in his voice, "It seems, before killing that Xuanyuan Zixi… I must first slaughter this old monster that has been hidden for millions of years… as a warm‑up."

Having been used to pushing sideways all the time, occasionally fighting a truly weighty, ancient old thing that has lived an unknown span, testing my current limits, confirming the newly gained inheritance insight… would indeed be quite nice.

The Grey-robed Old Man sees that Ye Wuque not only is unafraid but also shows such excitement, and he too is slightly startled, a flash of bewilderment and incomprehension crossing his murky eyes.

This reaction… is completely different from what he expected!

But immediately, he shakes his head, the cat‑and‑mouse cruel smile returning to his face, only now a hint of cold disdain beneath it.

"Heh… quite a… spirited little fellow."

"I hope later… your bones can be as hard as your mouth."

As the words fade, the Grey-robed Old Man's hunched silhouette seems to merge with the surrounding Void, a latent yet even more deadly murderous intent, like countless fine poison needles, silently locking onto every inch of space around Ye Wuque.

Inside the Cave, the atmosphere instantly drops to freezing point.