The Fate of Eternal Life

Chapter 133 Ruthless Schemer
Outside the Undying Mountain, Ye Fan and his companions escaped and were reunited with old friends. Overwhelmed with emotion, they couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Brother Ning, it's true what they say, life is full of unexpected encounters!" Xia Yiming also walked over. Compared to before, the impetuousness on his body was gone, replaced by a calm and dignified demeanor.

Clearly, the upheavals in the Great Xia Dynasty had helped him mature considerably.

The Emperor Taihuang was ambushed by the Immortal Emperor and fell in the Immortal Abode of Zhongzhou. Although it was a pity, people had many complaints about the Emperor Taihuang.

Even in his twilight years, an emperor should be invincible. Yet, he fell victim to the machinations of another, the immortal emperor from the early primordial era. This caused the world to question the emperor's invincible reputation.

Xia Yiming had naturally heard about it. After wiping out the remnants of the Eight Divine Generals, he did not leave but stayed on the ancient star of the Big Dipper to restore the prestige of the Great Xia.

"Brother Xia, your charm remains as undiminished as ever," Ning Qingyi greeted with a smile.

The Holy Maiden of the Purple Mansion also came over. She was ethereal and otherworldly, with a stunningly beautiful face that was somewhat veiled. Her brow shone with a purple glow, which was a mark of the Dao.

"Greetings, Little Celestial Venerable..."

The Phoenix, the peerless pearl of the Wind Clan, also arrived. She was stunningly beautiful, her black hair shimmering with a crystalline brilliance, like a fairy from a celestial palace who had mistakenly fallen to the mortal world.

The holy leaders of all the major religions also arrived, expressing their gratitude repeatedly. The three months they spent fleeing in the Undying Mountain had taught them a great deal, allowed them to let go of many things, and also strengthened their resolve in many areas.

"I knew you wouldn't get stuck, you finally came out!" Black Emperor said casually. Compared to before, his demonic body had grown several sizes larger, even stronger than a tiger.

"I have something to tell you, let's go," Ning Qingyi said.

After chatting and laughing for a while, seeing that Ning Qingyi wanted to catch up with Ye Fan and the others, they tactfully left first. Trapped in the Undying Mountain, they were unaware that Ning Qingyi possessed a celestial treasure.

Xia Yiming and Feng Huang also left.

However, when these people returned to their church or clan territory and learned of the desolate tower, they were all incredulous.

The Holy Maiden of the Purple Mansion stayed behind. When Ning Qing saw Ye Fan's awkward gaze and the Black Emperor's ill-intentioned expression, she seemed to understand something.

The group left and arrived in another area of ​​towering mountains.

Ye Fan and the others sensed something was amiss, and their excitement waned, replaced by a host of questions, until they entered a valley.

"My possession of the Desolate Tower has been exposed." Ning Qingyi directly revealed the latest big news.

Ye Fan gasped. The Black Emperor and the Purple Mansion Saintess didn't react at first, but their expressions changed after carefully considering the words.

"Brother Ning, are you talking about the immortal artifact, the Desolate Tower?" The Holy Maiden of the Purple Mansion asked with bright eyes, her face revealing undisguised surprise.

"Wang!"

The Black Emperor roared even louder, its eyes blazing like torches, filled with excitement and terrifying savagery, as it slammed its massive, several-foot-long claws forward.

"Woof! I knew it, I knew you had some big secret, but I never expected it to be this."

Ning Qingyi naturally wouldn't let him succeed. She slapped his dog's head directly with a palm strike. The heavy blow caused rocks to tumble, the ground to crack, vegetation to break, and the earth to shake.

Ye Fan's expression was grave, and he asked with some worry, "How could this be?"

"I happened to run into Yuan Gu and the Heavenly Emperor's son, so I killed him, which resulted in the ancestral king of the Primordial Lake being summoned." Ning Qingyi spoke calmly, as if he had casually killed a passerby, and sighed, "If it weren't for the fact that the opponent possessed a replica of an ancient imperial weapon, the Desolate Tower..."

"What?! You killed Yuan Gu!" Ye Fan was even more shocked to hear this news than when he learned that the Desolate Tower had been exposed.

In the past, Yuan Gu had hunted him down, so he naturally knew how terrifying this enemy was.

"Good, good riddance! That guy, relying on his high cultivation level, chased after us. Now he's finally getting his comeuppance!" Black Emperor shook his head and got up from the ground. Then he said shamelessly, "Ning boy, Heavenly Venerable Ning, let me see what the Desolate Tower looks like."

"Little Nannan wants to see too!" Little Nannan chimed in. Being a child at heart, she became interested as well when she saw how curious the dog was.

"That immortal artifact has a secret; it only temporarily sheltered me, not what you think." Ning Qing shook his head. Even so, he still used the "soldier" secret technique to outline a trace of the desolate tower's aura, briefly reappearing before Xiao Nannan's eyes.

The phantom of the desolate tower was not large, and the nine-tiered bronze tower body was indistinct, yet it gave people the feeling that it was more than ten thousand feet tall.

"The Desolate Tower..." Black Emperor couldn't help but walk around it several times, drooling on the ground.

Even the Holy Maiden of the Purple Mansion couldn't help but look over, and the image was deeply imprinted in her heart.

The little girl looked confused and mumbled, "Why does it look like something?"

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed. Black Emperor leaned closer and said, "Little girl, have you seen her somewhere before?"

The little girl stared wide-eyed at her pure, innocent eyes and said, "I don't remember, it seemed to be a big house."

Ning Qingyi was startled, realizing that the other party was most likely referring to the Bronze Immortal Palace, one of the immortal artifacts passed down from the chaotic ancient times.

Ye Fan sighed and said, "I'm sorry to have troubled you with Yuan Gu's matter."

“You can kill someone like him in the future, just don’t blame me for overstepping my bounds.” Ning Qingyi didn’t care at all, then said with a solemn expression, “I came to find you this time because the Desolate Tower has been exposed, and I am preparing to leave Beidou for the time being.”

"Leave Beidou!" Ye Fan exclaimed, somewhat excitedly, "You mean the time has finally come to return to Earth?"

Ning Qingyi shook her head: "I don't plan to go back to Earth. Instead, I'm going to the Ziwei Star Region. I came here specifically to inform you. There are a few other people who, if they wish to go back, can come along with me."

"What? You're going to Ziwei?" Ye Fan exclaimed in surprise.

"I have no more attachments on Earth. I have lived this life to become an immortal. There is an opportunity for me to achieve enlightenment on Ziwei Star," Ning Qingyi said earnestly.

Upon hearing the word "concern," Ye Fan shuddered and couldn't help but look at Zixia to the side.

On Earth, he had close relatives still alive, though he didn't know how they were doing. On the ancient star of the Big Dipper, he had made many friends and even developed feelings for several women.

The Holy Maiden of the Purple Mansion also looked at him, but did not speak, only a faint sense of melancholy in her eyes.

Ning Qing glanced at the two of them, then looked at the somewhat anxious Black Emperor, and couldn't help but feel surprised, thinking that perhaps the innate holy body Dao embryo of this life was going to be born ahead of schedule.

But soon, Ye Fan made a decision. He said firmly, "I want to go back. I haven't been back for ten years. If I don't go back now, I'm afraid it will be too late."

Black Emperor immediately became anxious and was about to say something when Ning Qing waved her hand: "With parents alive, one should not travel far. You should go back. But Ye Fan, I believe you will come back."

“Nowadays, except for a few places, most of the ancient primordial stars are no longer suitable for human cultivation. If you want to become a saint, or even walk the path of God, you will return sooner or later.” Ye Fan was shocked and did not speak, but clenched his fists, his golden blood slightly boiling, showing his unease.

Hei Huang breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Ning is right. You're not one to stand still. If you stay on the ancient star for too long, your enemies might surpass you."

“If you’re talking about the Crown Prince, I bet he’ll break through to the Dao-Slaying Realm within ten years,” Ning Qingyi stated his assessment.

Ye Fan, Hei Huang, and the others were shocked, feeling immense pressure.

“This little brat is really going to amount to something! Damn it, I should have…” Black Emperor showed a hint of regret.

Ye Fan exclaimed, "Truly worthy of being the offspring of an ancient god."

The Holy Maiden of the Purple Mansion also showed a solemn expression. In the past, when Ye Fan was being chased by Yuan Gu, she was by his side and had fought with the Heavenly Emperor's son several times, knowing that he was an extremely terrifying opponent.

"Alright, since you're planning to go back, don't think too much about it. Come with me first, I have something to discuss with you," Ning Qingyi said seriously.

He walked to one side of the valley. Seeing this, Ye Fan entrusted the little girl to the Purple Mansion Saintess and quickly followed.

As for the Black Emperor, his enormous eyes darted around before he walked toward the Purple Mansion Saintess, clearly plotting something.

Ning Qing stopped and said, "Before you go back, there's a problem that needs to be solved, otherwise you and the others might die on the way."

Ye Fan looked nervous. He knew that Ning Qingyi never joked. Since she said he was in danger, she wouldn't make a baseless statement.

"What is it?" Ye Fan asked solemnly.

Ning Qingyi calmly uttered two words: "Ancestor Crocodile".

"It's him, that peerless demon from Mars!" Ye Fan was immediately jolted, a bad premonition rising in his heart: "Could it be that that great demon has attacked Earth?"

“If he dares to attack Earth and act recklessly, I’m not worried.” Ning Qingyi explained, “Earth has the Hangu Pass, a natural barrier, and is protected by an unparalleled array. There are also supreme beings protecting it in the dark. If Crocodile Ancestor were to start a massacre, he wouldn’t live long.”

"Hangu Pass, what does that mean?" Ye Fan caught the key phrase.

“It’s not the one you’re thinking of,” Ning Qingyi explained. “The Hangu Pass in mythology is the first formidable pass on Earth’s way to the stars. Lao Tzu, Shakyamuni, and ancient Qi cultivators all set off from here to reach the stars.”

"Hangu Pass..." Ye Fan murmured these three words, feeling a sense of the bizarre and fantastical.

“The Crocodile Ancestor must still be on Mars, and the Five-Colored Altar on Earth has been destroyed. You will likely be teleported to Mars, and then…” Ning Qing didn’t finish her sentence, she just looked at him.

"We'll deliver to your door then, right?" Ye Fan's expression turned serious. "What is Crocodile Ancestor's cultivation level?"

Ning Qingyi said, "It is said that he was a Great Sage at his peak, but after being sealed by Shakyamuni for so many years, he is probably only as powerful as a Sage King or even a Sage."

“The sages of old…” Ye Fan sighed, then asked, “Do you have any solutions?”

"I'll find you a protector!" Ning Qingyi said.

Ye Fan was stunned. What did this mean? Was this an attempt to abduct a saint?

His expression shifted, and he suddenly realized something: "You mean, look for the Ji family and the Jiang family?"

Ye Fan would never forget that Ning Qingyi had once mentioned to Ji Zi that the corpses of Emperor Hengyu and Emperor Xukong were very likely to have formed a reincarnation seal and become spiritually connected on Earth.

Ning Qingyi was stunned and speechless: "Although the Ji family and the Jiang family have a strong foundation to protect the world, they will not act rashly at this time, nor will they use imperial weapons. Moreover, Crocodile Ancestor was once a Great Sage, and I'm afraid only someone who is also a Great Sage can deal with him. The risk is too great."

"You're right." Ye Fan sighed, a thought flashing through his mind: "Could you perhaps introduce me to a Great Sage who is all alone?"

Ning Qing smiled and said, "Although it's not perfect, it's not far off."

"At the end of the Primordial Era, there was a peerless master of the Great Saint Realm among the human race, known as the Demon of Man by all races. He cultivated both Yin and Yang, becoming a god by day and a demon by night. He wreaked havoc in all directions at the end of the Primordial Era, but eventually clashed with the Myriad Dragon Nest and disappeared without a trace."

“Recently, I received news that Wanlong Nest did not kill the human demon, but coveted the Emperor Scripture on his body. It simply sealed him away. Now, the Chaos Dragon Nest has been occupied by the future human emperor, leaving him lost deep within Wanlong Nest.”

Ning Qingyi's eyes shone brightly: "Infiltrate the Ten Thousand Dragons' Nest, bring out the Human Demon, and when you return to Mars, just sacrifice this old man. I guarantee Crocodile Ancestor won't live past three chapters!"

Ye Fan was stunned and somewhat helpless: "You're not joking, are you? Putting aside how to infiltrate the core territory of the ancient royal family, if I actually succeed, aren't you afraid that he will mistakenly kill me?"

"Don't worry, my plans have never failed." Ning Qingyi said seriously, "So, are you in or not? Besides the human demon, the burial site of that human emperor in the Myriad Dragon Nest also contains the True Dragon Immortal Elixir and another Immortal Treasure Map. If the plan goes well..."

Immortality elixir!

Ye Fan's expression shifted. If it weren't for the effects of the Nine Wonders Immortal Fruit in the past, his path of cultivation would have been cut off. And now, another divine herb is about to appear before him...

"Are you really confident?!" Ye Fan asked.

"Don't worry, I can't say for sure, but there's a 80% chance. Even if things don't work out, I can always use the Desolate Tower to carve out a way out," Ning Qingyi said.

"Alright! Let's do it!" Ye Fan said through gritted teeth.

"That's good. Let's pack up and get going." Ning Qingyi said, then slapped his forehead and said, "By the way, I'd like to exchange a secret technique with you. I heard that the Origin Heaven Book contains a secret method for enlightening dragon veins and nurturing the terrain?"

"Are you talking about the Nourishing Meridians and Transforming Dragon Technique?" Ye Fan asked.

"What are its effects?" Ning Qingyi asked.

Ye Fan explained, "This is considered the signature skill of the Source Celestial Master. When mastered, it can change the feng shui pattern of heaven and earth and nurture the innate terrain."

Ning Qingyi said, "That's right, this is it. I'll use this method to exchange with you."

A golden light emanated from his fingertips and flew towards Ye Fan. Once the latter understood what the secret technique was, he was overjoyed and immediately transferred the entire Origin Heaven Book to him.

Ning Qingyi was taken aback, but she did not refuse and silently made a note of it.

Ye Fan was engrossed in the new Nine Secrets, thoroughly enjoying himself, when he suddenly remembered something: "By the way, you haven't said which human emperor it is yet?"

"Ruthless person."

(End of this chapter)