At the Taiyuan Ferry, within the Golden Bull Palace, several Immortal Emperors led by the Eight Scenery Emperor were outlining a series of faults committed by Ning Fan since he took charge of an army.

The Eight Scenery Emperor was one of the vice leaders of this Boundary River Alliance meeting. By nature, he was cautious and belonged to the Peace Faction among the cultivators. In reality, not all of the alliance cultivators advocated for all-out war with the foreign race to the point of mutual destruction. Although the cultivators had come to the Boundary River to guard Eastern Heaven, their ideas on how to defend and the extent to which they should fight the foreign race varied, leading to differences of opinion.

Since ancient times, the Four Heavens cultivators’ attitude toward the foreign races of the Boundary River has been both resentful and awe-filled, hating them like demons while reverencing them like gods, full of contradictions.

Thirty-two million years ago, a great invasion by the Boundary River on Eastern Heaven was the largest scale of any foreign race uprising ever experienced in the history of the Eastern Boundary River.

In the history of the Eastern Boundary River, there has only been such a major upheaval once, but numerous minor disturbances have occurred repeatedly.

Not to mention those small-scale disturbances, just the act of cultivators crossing the Boundary River to other heavenly realms involves huge risks. According to incomplete statistics from the Golden Bull Palace, within nearly a hundred million years, around sixty percent of travelers have encountered foreign race attacks midway.

The fortunate ones could swallow their pride and give the foreign races some benefits, which would satisfy them and make them withdraw.

The unlucky ones, despite paying, could not survive; if they couldn’t beat their enemies or escape with their lives, they could only be devoured by the foreign races.

Over thirty percent of the travelers end their journey in the attackers’ stomachs. Less than seventy percent of travelers successfully cross the river and reach other heavenly realms. Because of such a high crossing mortality rate, Four Heaven cultivators would not cross to other heavenly realms without an important reason. Even the Eternal Old Freaks would not frequently cross rivers, which shows how fearful they are of the foreign races of the Boundary River.

The immensely powerful Eternal Old Freaks rarely encounter danger in the Boundary River, but everyone can have bad luck. What if, halfway through their crossing, they suddenly encounter several Immortal Emperors of the foreign race coming out of the water to hunt? Haha... In such an event, even the Four Heavens Immortal Emperors wouldn’t have absolute confidence in preserving their lives... Luck is also a crucial factor in successfully crossing the river.

Most cultivators spend their entire lives never crossing the Boundary River, content to remain in the heavenly realms they were born in. For such people, as long as the foreign races do not invade the interior of the heavenly realms, they don’t care how travelers are attacked.

Those who use the Boundary River the most frequently are often the superpowers of the Four Heavens, with the Four Oceans Sect being the foremost among them. These superpowers not only operate in one region but also need to move frequently to other heavenly realms. Especially the Four Oceans Sect, which has the responsibility of overseeing the four great heavenly realms, inevitably has to send people across the river to various heavenly realms. For instance, during the Senluo chaos in Eastern Heaven a few years ago, the Four Oceans Sect dispatched numerous personnel to Eastern Heaven, including Ning Fan’s acquaintance Li Xiaoxiao...

Many of these superpowers have made agreements with the foreign races, offering them a large number of young boys and girls, and sacrifices of three animals every year, praying for calm and tranquility in the waters. This act is referred to by the world as river god rituals, an ignorant yet unavoidable measure.

Though the young boys and girls used as sacrifices are pitiful, compared to the vital interests of these superpowers, the lives of a few sacrifices appear insignificant.

However, showing utmost respect to the foreign races and treating them like gods does not guarantee their gratitude. Despite the Four Heavens’ superpowers offering numerous young boys and girls annually, a significant number of foreign races remain insatiably greedy, continuing to ceaselessly attack passing travelers.

Some say that the foreign races are untamed white-eyed wolves, yet no one dares to provoke this fierce wolf.

In the past, when the Purple Dou Immortal Sovereign was around, these foreign races dared not act wantonly. But in the Era of Decline cultivation realm, no one has any means to deal with these foreign races. Coaxing has little significance, and attacking them results only in a futile death. Throughout the river of history, countless furious Eternal Old Freaks have stormed into the river depths, with nearly none ever returning alive from the depths...

This is the prevailing condition of the Boundary River among the Four Heavens.

It is precisely because of this environment that the forceful actions of Ning Fan when he fought Long Que, striking immediately upon meeting, greatly astonished Long Que. Surprised to find such a tough opponent in Eastern Heaven, not all of them were weaklings...

In this environment, people’s attitudes towards the foreign race naturally become distorted. Furthermore, because of this, Ning Fan’s inadvertent provocation leading to five foreign Immortal Emperors emerging for revenge left some Eastern Heaven Immortal Emperors, who maintained a reverent fear of the foreign race, in deep anxiety.

Are the foreign races so easy to provoke! If it were a soft target, anyone could pinch it, but the foreign races are no soft target at all!

The Peace Faction Immortal Emperors merely wished to defend the Boundary River, to guard the Eastern Heaven gateway, and recover a few lost waterway strongholds, that would suffice. Even though the intentions of the foreign races to invade Eastern Heaven were evidently clear, these people still harbored a sliver of hope. The Peace Faction’s original intention in reclaiming the fallen strongholds was merely to display the powerful might of the Boundary River alliance forces, hoping to deter the foreign races and make them retreat when faced with difficulty, to finally come to a ceasefire and reconciliation with the Eastern Heaven cultivators.

As the situation had not progressed to the worst extent, the Peace Faction did not genuinely wish for an all-out death struggle with the foreign races. If the incident where Ning Fan captured Long Que hadn’t enraged the foreign races, undoubtedly, it would have been the best deterrent, making the foreign races realize the strength of the alliance cultivators.

Yet, Ning Fan’s actions unexpectedly brought forth five foreign Immortal Emperors, which, as one can imagine, enraged the Immortal Emperors of the foreign races beneath the Eleven Waterways. Thus, what could have been a good scene turned into a bad one, leading the Peace Faction to pin the blame on Ning Fan, attempting to slightly chastise him to appease the foreign race’s fury.

To defeat the enemy before the battle was originally a merit, yet it resulted in receiving blame instead. Such actions seem absurd, but throughout both cultivation and mortal histories, there is no lack of such unjust cases. The Peace Faction and Ning Fan bore no personal enmity, targeting Ning Fan merely for one reason...

These people, were too cowardly.

"Hmph! The Alliance Hierarch is overly partial! Just because you have some connection with Ning Fan, you have dispatched three Immortal Emperors to save Ning Fan. Is this not a sign of excessive favoritism?"

"Severe punishment, he must be severely punished! This Ning Fan dared to engage in battle with the Immortal Emperors of the Eleven Waters without orders, causing five Immortal Emperors of the foreign race to emerge, ruining the excellent situation we had on the Eleventh Path! This son must be punished, or else I will not comply!"

"This time it was five foreign Immortal Emperors emerging, what about next time? If Ning Fan continues reckless behavior, leading to an all-out war between the foreign races and our Eastern Heaven, who will bear this responsibility! The Alliance Hierarch! Or the vice leaders here! Or the commanding generals!"

"No need to overly punish Ning Fan, after all, Ning Fan is not one to easily deal with... I believe, in private, there is no need to be too harsh on Fellow Daoist Ning, but on the surface, we must uphold the proper procedures, and afterwards, offer some compensation to Fellow Daoist Ning. We must show the foreign races our strength, yet also display our sincerity in seeking peace. Only in this way is there the possibility of reconciling with the foreign races, and the Boundary River can once again enjoy centuries of peace!"

As the words of the Eight Scenery Emperor and others became increasingly fervent, many present, not only Immortal Emperors but also some Immortal Venerables and Immortal Kings stationed at the Taiyuan Ferry, nodded in agreement, finding deep resonance with their views.

Of course, there were also some pro-war cultivators who loudly criticized Emperor Bajing and others for their cowardice. Chief among them was Great Emperor Laijun.

Having lost someone dear to him at the hands of the Boundary River, he wished nothing more than to launch an all-out war against the different races. Upon hearing that Ning Fan had captured Long Qie alive, he was the happiest among the emperors, naturally throwing his full support behind Ning Fan.

Also standing by Ning Fan were Emperor Cang, Emperor Jin Heng, Emperor Niu Heng, and others. Among them, as the alliance hierarch, Emperor Cang had to consider the stances of both the pro-war and pro-peace factions. Many things he couldn’t say directly, thus he could only hint for Laijun and the others to speak.

"Cowards, a bunch of cowards! Even a fool can see that the different races aim to invade the Eastern Heaven again, yet you still hope to negotiate peace with them. It’s like bargaining with a tiger, you’re courting disaster! Ning Fan can capture an enemy Immortal Emperor with his Immortal Venerable cultivation—who among you can do that? A great achievement is called a heinous crime by you, disregarding the greater picture. Do you even care about your reputation?" Emperor Niu Heng cursed without restraint. Ning Fan was his sworn brother, and he naturally disliked others speaking ill of Ning Fan. When he cursed, it was truly ruthless, leaving many Eastern Heaven cultivators, who usually called him brother, blushing in embarrassment.

"Heaven and earth uphold laws of reward and punishment. The alliance should also have clear distinctions in reward and punishment. A merit is a merit; how can it be considered a fault? As for quelling the different races’ anger by punishing Brother Ning... you can think of such a foolish thing, hmph! Have you not heard of cutting flesh to feed the wolves? The wolf won’t retreat, and it will destroy your Great Wall!" Emperor Laijun mocked coldly.

"Hmph! Is the greater picture more important, or personal honor and disgrace more important? As long as the Eastern Heaven is secure, who can’t make a small sacrifice? And what if it’s Ning Fan? Is he better than others? It’s not like he’s being sentenced to death, just receiving a minor punishment and showing submission to the different races—is that so hard?" An Eastern Heaven Immortal Elder retorted angrily, his face flushed.

"Then why doesn’t Daoist Dongling make the sacrifice first?" Emperor Jin Heng said in a deep voice.

Seeing both sides becoming more and more aggressive, Emperor Cang finally intervened to stop the quarrel, concluding that Ning Fan had merit without fault and should be rewarded, not punished.

Upon hearing this, the pro-war faction was elated, while the pro-peace faction looked visibly upset, internally accusing Emperor Cang of favoritism.

First, he sent people to rescue Ning Fan, and then he went to great lengths to shield him—everyone knew Emperor Cang and his master Daoist Wood Pine had a good relationship with Ning Fan...

Hearing that Ning Fan was not guilty, Emperor Yuandan was smiling outwardly yet slightly disappointed internally. He had always harbored hidden hostility toward Ning Fan, not wishing anyone to know. Seeing that Ning Fan would not be punished, Emperor Yuandan suddenly said indifferently, "Merit and fault aside, this old man believes we should be more concerned about the safety of Brother Ning and others. Though the alliance has dispatched Lei Xian and Mechanism Daoist to rescue Brother Ning, being only three Sixth Calamity Immortal Emperors, it’s uncertain if they can truly rescue him. The enemy is five different race Immortal Emperors, and escaping from their pursuit back to Taiyuan Ferry is no easy task. Whether they can return safely is still unknown, truly worrying..."

With these words, the pro-war faction frowned, while the pro-peace faction’s expressions eased somewhat.

The pro-war faction began to worry about the safety of Ning Fan’s group, fearing they might suffer heavy losses under the pursuit of the five different race Immortal Emperors.

The pro-peace faction, however, hoped for heavy casualties among Ning Fan’s people to pacify the anger of the different races—even better if Ning Fan, the main culprit, died, making future negotiations smoother...

"Daoist Yuandan is overthinking. Though the enemy is strong, we are not much weaker. There’s no need to worry about Brother Ning’s strength. The alliance leader has also sent three Immortal Emperors to assist Brother Ning’s retreat. Even under the pursuit of five different race Immortal Emperors, the losses shouldn’t be too severe, right?" Emperor Jin Heng pondered for a moment and said.

"Daoist Jin Heng’s words are mistaken. Since the different race Immortal Emperors dare to avenge, they must be fully prepared. I reckon among the five different race Immortal Emperors, at least one has Seventh Calamity level cultivation and must have prepared defenses against Brother Ning’s methods. Among equals, the different race Immortal Emperors are more powerful than our Eastern Heaven Immortal Emperors. Now that they have both numerical and cultivation advantages, along with the geographical advantage of the Boundary River, and have prepared specifically against Brother Ning’s methods, I fear even if Brother Ning’s group successfully retreats to Taiyuan Ferry, the losses will be heavy, and an Immortal Emperor might even fall because of this! I am neither pro-war nor pro-peace, but I must speak fairly here. The alliance leader should not sacrifice other Immortal Emperors to save Brother Ning for personal reasons..."

The implication was clear!

Today, Emperor Cang might send Lei Xian and Mechanism Daoist to their deaths to cover for Ning Fan’s mistakes.

Next time, Emperor Cang could send others to their deaths—anyone could be sacrificed by Emperor Cang!

Emperor Yuandan’s words were subtle, but once spoken, most Immortal Emperors’ expressions changed, even some in the pro-war faction were moved.

"Cang’s actions are for the greater good, not personal gain! If any Immortal Emperor is injured or killed rescuing Brother Ning, Cang will take full responsibility!" Emperor Cang stood up decisively, speaking with emphasis.

"Hmph! The alliance leader speaks well—why don’t you go to the Eleventh Waterway and rescue Ning Fan yourself?" someone said with a sarcastic tone, but quickly shut up under Emperor Cang’s fierce glare.

Their mouths were shut, but their hearts remained unsatisfied. The personal thoughts of the crowd were beyond Emperor Cang’s control.

Seeing his casual provocation cause such division among the high ranks of the alliance, Emperor Yuandan showed no external sign but felt quite pleased internally, mocking the so-called Boundary River alliance as simply a group of rabble.

He also speculated in his heart: if he could indeed dissolve the Boundary River alliance with just a few words, could he claim credit with those behind the different races when they invade Eastern Heaven again...

When the army is disunited, hesitation ensues.

The struggle for power leads to mutual harm.

Interesting, very interesting indeed...

"It’s a shame, it’s a shame... Lei Xian and Mechanism Daoist are both loyal and brave, otherwise they wouldn’t have gone to the dangerous Eleventh Path to save people. Unfortunately, the different races are too strong, with five Immortal Emperors striking out together. I’m afraid Lei Xian and the others are in grave danger..." Emperor Yuandan appeared sorrowful, sighing repeatedly, with each word further dispersing the unity.

The morale boosted by Ning Fan’s capture of a different race Immortal Emperor was about to be completely undone by the words of Yuandan and the pro-peace faction. Emperor Cang felt deeply disappointed, but suddenly, an urgent report arrived from the Eleventh Waterway.

Everyone’s hearts tightened. Did this mean Ning Fan and his group had already been defeated by the five different race Emperors? Otherwise, why was there a message returned?

How many days have passed? The bad news has already returned... The foreign race is terrifying beyond imagination!

When the intelligence report was handed to Emperor Cang, it hadn’t been opened yet.

Emperor Cang’s heart was extremely heavy; although he knew Ning Fan’s abilities were astonishing, he hadn’t seen the extent of it himself, it was all hearsay.

Maybe, the report will have news of the demise of Fellow Daoist Lei Xian and others...

Or perhaps, it will have news of Ning Fan’s own demise...

Emperor Cang’s heart grew heavier as he read the report, but after just one glance, his complex expression vanished, and his handsome face was filled with shock.

There wasn’t much joy.

Because the contents of the report exceeded his imagination, making him instinctively doubt its authenticity.

Captured five Emperors... including two of the Seven Tribulations... How is this possible! Ning Fan is a person, not a god; he’s an Immortal Venerable, not a Quasi-Saint. How could he possibly achieve this! Is this intelligence possibly fabricated by the foreign race!

"Ah, has the report of defeat already returned from the front lines? The Alliance Hierarch is so shocked; it must be quite serious bad news, perhaps an Immortal Emperor perished. I wonder which Fellow Daoist followed Daoist Hanyun’s footsteps; it truly pains my heart! The foreign race should be exterminated; they really ought to be killed!"

Emperor Yuan Dan feigned sadness and anger, yet inwardly hoped for more Eastern Heaven Immortal Emperors to be killed by the foreign race.

While he repeatedly spoke of exterminating the foreign race, his words subtly eroded the morale of the few cultivators present.

"Another Immortal Emperor Fellow Daoist was killed, huh? How many fell? Why does the Alliance Hierarch remain silent? Could it be he doesn’t dare take this responsibility?" someone angrily asked, though beneath the anger lay an undeniable fear of the foreign race.

"I told you that brat Ning Fan is a troublemaker, didn’t I! I was right! People like him should be severely punished!" The Sect Master He Pai Xian Emperor seemed furious on the surface but was secretly delighted, believing with an Immortal Emperor already dead, the true spirit of Long Que they captured was likely saved by the foreign race. With this, the foreign race’s hatred toward Eastern Heaven should lessen...

Everyone’s gaze locked onto Emperor Cang, eagerly awaiting his response.

Emperor Cang came to his senses, feeling deeply embarrassed. Despite looking like a young man, he wasn’t actually one, having lived for tens of millions of years, yet he was stunned by a report; it was truly out of character.

The report wasn’t false! It even included a portion of the battle footage of Ning Fan’s overwhelming victory against the Dragon-Horse Five Emperors.

What an exhilarating triumph!

Hahaha!

Emperor Cang no longer hid his excitement, bursting into loud laughter.

Everyone was puzzled by Emperor Cang’s laughter.

"Uh, could it be that the Alliance Hierarch has gone mad due to the defeat in front lines?" someone secretly wondered.

Emperor Yuan Dan’s heart sank, sensing something ominous.

"May I ask, Alliance Hierarch, what are the casualties on the eleventh front?" Emperor Yuan Dan cautiously asked.

"Casualties? Hahaha, minor injuries, no deaths, unexpectedly positive! Ning Fan and others didn’t retreat from Wide Ancestry Pass but instead fought against the five foreign race Immortal Emperors right there, and through the joint efforts of Daoist Ning Fan, Daoist Lei Xian, and others, they captured all five foreign race Immortal Emperors without a single escape! Including two Seven Tribulations Immortal Emperors! Now, after this great victory, no one can speak ill of Daoist Ning anymore! If capturing six Emperors is considered a crime, no one in this world would dare claim credit!"

What!

Captured five foreign race Emperors again!

This included two Seven Tribulations Immortal Emperors!

Everyone’s expressions changed drastically; even the Eight Tribulations Immortal Emperors like Bajing, Void, Divine Space, and Tieli couldn’t remain seated and suddenly stood up, their faces trembling with excitement.

Even Old Demon Bai from Bai Yulou, sleeping soundly on the tea table, was suddenly awakened, slammed the table, snatched the report from Emperor Cang, and stared at the jade slip in shock.

Capturing is harder than killing; Ning Fan and others managed to capture five foreign race Immortal Emperors without letting even one escape, including two Seven Tribulations!

Such an unheard-of feat, even the all-seeing Old Demon Bai didn’t think he could accomplish, yet Ning Fan and others did... they were so few, just an Immortal Venerable and three Six Tribulations Immortal Emperors...

Could it be false intelligence!

"The intelligence is real!" With a single sentence, Emperor Cang shattered everyone’s illusions. He gave a slight smile as he took the intelligence from Old Demon Bai’s hand.

The intelligence is real!

Absolutely true!

It’s incredible that Ning Fan and others achieved an unprecedented victory with just the Three Emperors. This... this is too amazing!!

Everyone was stunned by the contents of the intelligence. Except for the people from the Peace Faction, everyone was thrilled, their morale greatly boosted, as if they were in a dream.

"Impossible! Lei Xian and his spiritual partner are strong, but relying solely on the Three Emperors, it’s absolutely impossible to capture five different race Immortal Emperors! It should be impossible even to defeat them! Even self-preservation would be difficult! Lei Xian and his partner simply don’t have that ability! How can the intelligence be proven true with just the alliance leader’s words? This intelligence must have been fabricated by the alliance leader, probably to stabilize the army’s morale!" a voice from the Peace Faction expressed disbelief.

Emperor Cang’s gaze turned slightly cold as he looked at that person, saying in a deep voice, "Without evidence, do not spread rumors, or bear the consequences yourself! If you don’t believe it, see for yourself!"

Emperor Cang shot a spirit gesture at the jade slip containing the intelligence, and suddenly, countless fractured light and shadows flew out of it, transforming into combat scenes displayed before everyone’s eyes.

Undoubtedly, these combat scenes could prove the authenticity of the intelligence.

However... these battle scenes were too shocking; as soon as they began playing, the entire Golden Bull Palace Hall fell into an instant silence, so quiet that a pin drop could be heard!

It was no surprise. Let’s not even talk about those in the Peace Faction who didn’t believe in the authenticity of the intelligence, even those who did believed the unprecedented victory was led by the mighty Lei Xian and his spiritual partner.

At the very least, it was assumed that each of the Three Emperors had achieved their own merits, leading to this great victory.

Yet, the truth of the matter left everyone speechless!

Indeed, Lei Xian and the other two Immortal Emperors contributed to the battle, but they didn’t obtain any results. From beginning to end, they only served to slightly delay the opponent, sharing part of the enemy’s combat strength with Ning Fan, giving him the opportunity to divide and conquer.

In the battle footage, mighty as True Monarch Lei Xian was, he was consistently outmatched by the enemy Immortal Emperors, and people like Jizao appeared even more pathetic...

The three Eastern Heaven Immortal Emperors were utterly powerless against the different race Immortal Emperors. In contrast, Ning Fan, with merely the cultivation of an Immortal Venerable, easily crushed all the Immortal Emperors on the other side; none could stand against him!

The footage showcased two steles comparable to Innate Mid-grade Treasures bearing the sun, moon, and stars!

It featured a cross halo capable of instantly killing Immortal Emperors!

It showed the Eternal True Body, unscathed amidst the torrent of attacks from the Seven Tribulations Immortal Emperor!

Ning Fan’s displayed strength made all present Immortal Emperors’ scalp tingle. Even Old Demon Bai, with his Nine Tribulations cultivation, was stunned by this series of scenes where Immortal Emperors were crushed!

If it were him, perhaps he could also defeat the five opposing Immortal Emperors, but he couldn’t do it by crushing them, and certainly not without injury, as Ning Fan did. There would definitely have been a price to pay; even if the opponents tried to flee, he had no confidence in capturing them alive. Capturing Immortal Emperors alive is no easy feat, far more difficult than killing them! Ning Fan relied on the Ancestral Emperor from the Eastern Heaven’s Heaven Sealing Art to capture them; he couldn’t use this technique himself! For Ning Fan, the Heaven Sealing Art was just one of many unremarkable cards, but for a regular Immortal Emperor, this art is already a peerless divine skill, unattainable...

"Good heavens! Who would have thought such a talented individual could emerge in later generations!" Old Demon Bai was repeatedly amazed, this person who never admitted inferiority was indeed convinced by Ning Fan.

In an era, only one First Demon of Eastern Heaven can exist.

As the First Demon of Eastern Heaven of a different era, Old Demon Bai always underrated Ning Fan. That disdain didn’t even diminish much despite Ning Fan’s defeat of Chonghe.

Old Demon Bai was unaware of Great Emperor Chonghe’s hidden abilities.

He only knew that in his youth, before becoming an Immortal Emperor, he had also defeated Sixth Calamity Immortal Emperors. The feats Ning Fan accomplished seemed achievable to him, maybe even better executed; Ning Fan is insignificant!

However, at this moment, Old Demon Bai profoundly realized that his younger self was in no position to compare with Ning Fan. Even with his current Nine Tribulations cultivation, he might merely be slightly stronger than Ning Fan in terms of strength, while far inferior in methods...

Monster! A mere Immortal Venerable managed to achieve what he himself could not, truly a monster! If someone like him could not become the First Demon of Eastern Heaven of his generation, who else could!

Those idiots who still wish to punish such a hero are truly foolish, not worthy of collaboration!

Emperor Yuan Dan maintained a serene demeanor, yet the slight twitching at the corners of his mouth revealed that internally, he was not calm, not at all exuberant over Ning Fan’s splendid battle achievements.

"Impossible! This is absolutely impossible! How could a mere Eternal Immortal Venerable manage to overpower five Dragon-Horse Immortal Emperors without a fightback, especially given that they even called upon a wisp of the Dragon Ancestral Saint Cloud, yet still lost... Has that brat Ning Fan become this strong already! And he’s still just an Immortal Venerable, just an Immortal Venerable!"

"The River Diagram Mirror was shattered by this kid! That is, that is..."

"Troublemaker! This damn troublemaker! Without the River Diagram Mirror, the plan of the Foreign Clan’s Great Deities will likely have to change slightly, and they will certainly be enraged... this kid must die!"

"Hmph! It seems I need to find an opportunity to secretly eliminate this kid... Now that the Ancient Chaos is dead, I have no more inhibitions, even if I kill this kid, it is of no consequence! Regarding the cross halo of this kid, I already have a way to avoid it. As for his Eternal True Body... that is a variable, but if I can borrow the hand of the Foreign Clan... heh, perhaps there’s a chance to obtain the key to the Tianhuang Stone Gate of the Supreme Pill Sacred Domain from his Yin Yang Locket..."

Emperor Yuan Dan forcibly suppressed the tumult in his heart, secretly plotting a vicious plan...

Even so, he could not help but admit that the power Ning Fan displayed truly made it difficult for him to plot harm, requiring long-term planning. It seems he needs a chance to have a discussion with Maha...

...

The tremors at Taiyuan Crossing were of no concern to Ning Fan. At this moment, he was in the clouds above Wide Ancestry Pass, attempting to refine that trace of cloud light he had seized.

Though it was only a wisp of cloud light, it seemed to contain complex and profound changes of the Profound Sect that even he, at the Second Realm of Tianren, found difficult to comprehend.

This only indicated one thing!

The divine skills contained within this cloud light surpassed the recognition of a Second Realm of Tianren cultivator!

What does this concept imply!

The Third Realm of Tianren possesses vision comparable to an Initial Saint.

A Second Realm of Tianren’s vision surpasses that of most Quasi-Saints of the Decline Era.

For Ning Fan, with his vision, to find this cloud incomprehensible is enough to prove that the divine skill variations contained in this cloud have surpassed the Second Step, reaching the Third Step!

[Dragon Saint Manifestation, Ancestral Cloud Protection]

This was the word spirit spell shouted by Fifth Prince Longchi.

Adding to this that within a single wisp of cloud light there existed the Will of the Saint, Ning Fan was ninety percent certain that the Ancestral Cloud that greatly increased the strength of the Fifth and Seventh Princes of the Dragon-Horse Clan was a Third Step Saint’s Cloud Technique!

Celebratory Cloud is the same as Auspicious Cloud; many cultivators in the Second Step enjoy cultivating some Celebratory Cloud, to incorporate changes in divine skills.

But these are just Second Step Celebratory Cloud Divine Skills, and Ning Fan never had much interest in such a level of Celebratory Cloud Technique.

But if it was a Third Step Celebratory Cloud Technique, it would be a different story...

"If I forcibly swallow this wisp of cloud light and integrate it into my Eternal True Body, I wonder if it can further enhance the defense of my Eternal True Body..."

Ning Fan attempted to obliterate the Will of the Saint within the cloud light. He, who had even swallowed a Dust Tree containing the Will of the Calamity Master, was he afraid of a mere Will of the Saint?

Fear was not the issue; it was just that obliterating the Will of the Saint was quite time-consuming and couldn’t be accomplished in a short period.

Six days later, Ning Fan had still not fully obliterated the Will of the Saint within the cloud light.

Yet the Formation of Wide Ancestry Pass had already been repaired; he had to continue advancing to the next pass, temporarily setting aside the cloud refinement, and resume his journey, leading the team to conquer the next pass.

The warship, carrying Ning Fan and his group, sped along the immeasurable celestial magnetic paths.

True Monarch Lei Xian and others hadn’t left. All three were injured and should have returned to Taiyuan Crossing for healing, but considering Ning Fan had captured five Immortal Emperors of the Foreign Clan, they hesitated. Ning Fan subdued a total of six emperors, and the Eleventh Waterway’s sky had indeed been breached; who knew what danger or revenge awaited Ning Fan at the next pass? They felt it necessary to stay by Ning Fan’s side, continuing to assist him.

For Ning Fan, the battle against the Five Emperors of the Dragon-Horse Clan held a near-zero danger level, lacking any excitement.

But for True Monarch Lei Xian’s men, that battle was undoubtedly a brush with life and death, fraught with dangers and worthy of being remembered as a lifetime’s classic battle. Female friendships can be formed over many trivial things and can break over many incomprehensible reasons.

Men are different.

Male friendships can be born from camaraderie, or from life and death experiences. Camaraderie is light; a life-and-death bond is heavy.

That day’s battle, time and again facing life and death, trusting each other with their lives, was it not a life-and-death bond?

Could one walk away alone when such a bond was in danger?

Because of the peerless divine might Ning Fan exhibited, True Monarch Lei Xian and Mechanism Emperor Jizao had both been won over, deeply impressed, yet worried about Ning Fan facing more revenge from the Foreign Clan’s Immortal Emperors in the future. How could they return to Taiyuan Crossing for healing alone?

True Monarch Lei Xian didn’t leave, so as True Monarch Lei Xian’s puppet, Jade Flower Immortal Fairy naturally wouldn’t leave either. This matter was exposed by the Seventh Prince of the Dragon-Horse Clan that day, and True Monarch Lei Xian simply stopped hiding it, openly admitting to everyone that his spiritual partner was indeed a puppet.

Ning Fan clicked his tongue in admiration; a puppet of Immortal Emperor level, managing to deceive the ears and eyes of the entire Eastern Heaven; in this respect, True Monarch Lei Xian truly had some skills...

This was all idle talk.

Ning Fan actually didn’t care whether True Monarch Lei Xian and his spiritual partner followed or not. During the battle that day, their displayed strength failed to satisfy Ning Fan, so he held little expectation for the two; accompanying or not was inconsequential. Of course, if you follow, Ning Fan acknowledges this friendship.

Although you are indeed weak...

As for Mechanism Emperor Jizao... this person surprisingly managed to navigate freely in the chaotic magnetic forces of the Boundary River through divination tactics. Ning Fan admitted he could not achieve this, so for that reason, he sincerely admired Mechanism Emperor Jizao, even though, similarly, the latter’s fighting prowess was poor, but at least he possessed one skill.

Thus, on the journey to the next pass, besides dealing with ambushing Foreign Clan, Ning Fan seized moments to learn the divination techniques from Mechanism Emperor Jizao, and when free, he revisited the task of obliterating the Saint’s Will within that tough-to-banishing wisp of ancestral cloud.

How could one easily master the art of divination? Naturally, Ning Fan couldn’t expect his divination prowess to skyrocket from just a few days of academic exchange, yet he undoubtedly benefitted greatly.

The saying "Among three, there must be one who can teach me," captures this sentiment.

If others asked Mechanism Emperor Jizao about his divination secrets, he certainly would keep silent, as it was his essential skill for standing tall in the world, not something easily revealed to others.

But Mechanism Emperor Jizao had already been convinced by Ning Fan, both revering and esteeming him. As long as Ning Fan didn’t inquire after his greatest secrets, Jizao would share everything he knew without reservation, truly a person of high character.

Initially, when Ning Fan faced the Boundary River’s chaotic magnetic field, he only saw it as a tangled mess, with no clue.

After Mechanism Emperor Jizao’s explanation, when he looked again at those magnetic forces, he started to see them differently.

Even the sounds of the wind between heaven and earth took on a new meaning for him.

The maze-like waterways of the Boundary River began to show their inherent patterns...

Even looking at the Treasure-searching Compass took on a mysterious nature.

Curious...

It’s as if the Treasure-searching Compass depends on the owner’s divination skills for its ability to search more extensive and varied content...

Previously, Ning Fan had not realized this because his divination proficiency was inadequate, but with Mechanism Emperor Jizao’s guidance, he realized that his current level of divination barely met the minimum requirement to use the Treasure-searching Compass to its fullest capacity...

Tinkering with the Treasure-searching Compass, Ning Fan was surprised to find that as his divination subtly improved, the compass could disregard the magnetic interference of the Boundary River, enabling direction location and item searching...

Previously, this feat was unattainable due to magnetic interference. Ning Fan had thought the claim that it could search "anything from heaven to earth" was just an empty boast, but now he realized the weakness had been in himself, not the Treasure-searching Compass...

With his divination proficiency up to par, Ning Fan casually searched with the Treasure-searching Compass, and his expression suddenly changed.

On the Treasure-searching Compass, countless black dots appeared and pointed straight to the riverbed!

These black dots were none other than the extremely rare Gloomy Wood aged eight hundred million years, from the Era of Decline, and each spot had an ample amount of Gloomy Wood!

The Eight Hundred Million Years Gloomy Wood takes that long to form and is the hardest main material to acquire in the formula for the Immeasurable Pills!

The Immeasurable Pill is the most crucial item for improving an Eternal Cultivator’s cultivation!

A palm-sized piece of Eight Hundred Million Years Gloomy Wood can spark a scramble among Immortal Emperor forces.

Ning Fan found it hard to imagine how much Eight Hundred Million Years Gloomy Wood lay at the riverbed; just the reserves seen in the past few days of the journey were enough for nearly a hundred Shattered Thought Peak cultivators to advance to Eternal Immortal Venerable!

How much Gloomy Wood could the entire Eleventh Waterway contain?

What an astonishing mine this is!

Unfortunately, they’re all in the hands of the different race in the water...

Ning Fan suddenly somewhat understood why the different race had so many Eternal Old Freaks; it’s simply endless killing.

It’s not only because the different race has strong reproductive capabilities, but also because they have an endless supply of Eight Hundred Million Years Yin Chen Wood and Immeasurable Pill main ingredients, allowing them to continuously create strong beings!

"If I could dive deep underwater and loot all that Gloomy Wood, it would be great, but unfortunately..."

Ning Fan sighed.

The surface magnetic force is already extremely strong, and the underwater magnetic force is dozens of times stronger than that of the surface.

Ning Fan couldn’t even determine the direction on the water surface. Entering the water would surely lead to losing direction even further.

However, now that his divination skills had met the standard, the Treasure-searching Compass might be used to determine the direction. Although this process is time-consuming, it’s not entirely impossible to walk on the riverbed...

But he still had a mission at hand.

Plus, the number of Celestial Emperors of the different race under the river was unknown and could even include Quasi-Saints. Ning Fan did not believe that all the different race Celestial Emperors were as weak as the ones he had caught.

Among them, there must be strong individuals that he currently couldn’t rival!

"If only I had that colossal qi and blood like Hei Sheng, even when encountering a Quasi-Saint, it would be difficult for the opponent to kill me. I could come and go freely, safeguarding myself... Unfortunately, I smoothly acquired the Refining God Cauldron and the Melting Refinement Furnace, yet I can’t find the Vital Essence Gourd... Looking over the Eastern Heaven, there’s not a trace of news about it, not even a single record in ancient books. Wanting to cultivate qi and blood like Hei Sheng is nearly impossible..."

Since witnessing Hei Sheng’s extraordinary qi and blood, Ning Fan’s enthusiasm for the Vital Essence Gourd had surpassed even the Refining God Cauldron and the Melting Refinement Furnace.

In the decades waiting for the Dark Clan’s retaliation, he clandestinely gathered most of the gourd magical treasures from the East, but none were the Vital Essence Gourd.

Speaking of gourds...

Ning Fan turned his hand and took out the Innate Purple Gourd.

This item was something he cut out from Qi Shen’s Treasury when he first entered the Eastern Heaven, a fine material for refining innate treasures.

Seeing this Innate Purple Gourd, memories of his past interactions with the Candle Bow flooded back vividly.

He thought of the Candle Bow, thought of the Eye Orb Monster. These two fools should be in Northern Heaven now; with the Eye Orb Monster’s dedication to protecting the world, they’re likely not ignoring the chaotic situation of Northern Heaven’s Boundary River. Someone daring to risk their life charging into Tianhuang’s Giant Gate’s fire path couldn’t possibly ignore the chaos in Northern Heaven...

Thinking of the Eye Orb Monster, Ning Fan rarely cracked a smile, but once his gaze fell back on the Innate Purple Gourd, it turned serious again.

This Innate Purple Gourd made him feel heavy, not because it’s good material for treasure refining. Ning Fan had entirely given up on treasure refining, for he didn’t have time to spend hundreds of thousands or millions of years crafting an innate inferior treasure; it was faster to just steal one!

What weighed on him was the eerie feeling the Innate Purple Gourd gave him.

Seemed to tug at his spiritual bloodline...

But this gourd was definitely not the legendary Divine Spirit Divine Instrument — the Vital Essence Gourd.

You ask how Ning Fan knew this information...

Of course, it’s because he chatted with the gourd. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"I asked you, are you the Vital Essence Gourd?"

"No, no, no... I’m a Purple Artifice Instrument... I’m a Purple Artifice Instrument... I’m a Purple Artifice Instrument..."

"What is a Purple Artifice Instrument? Could it be related to the Vital Essence Gourd?"

"Haha, haha, haha..."

"What are you laughing at... you’re just a gourd... what’s amusing to you?"

"I’m a Purple Artifice Instrument... I’m a Purple Artifice Instrument... I’m a Purple Artifice Instrument..."

"Let me ask one last time, what is a Purple Artifice Instrument..."

"Haha, haha, haha..."

Laughing again...

Ning Fan, much like a lunatic, talked with the Innate Purple Gourd for half an hour without extracting any useful information.

Apart from "Purple Artifice Instrument," it was just laughs and nothing else; the gourd couldn’t say a third thing...

Ning Fan felt profoundly weird.

Having truly decided to embark on the divine path, he distinctly sensed a peculiar connection between the Innate Purple Gourd and his divine qi and blood.

The connection was not deep.

But it indeed existed.

This was not the Vital Essence Gourd.

But maybe, it held certain clues for finding the Vital Essence Gourd...

Purple Artifice Instrument.

Purple Artifice...

Purple Artifice...

The term "Purple Artifice" seemed familiar...

Ning Fan closed his eyes in contemplation, and after a moment, he suddenly shuddered.

The Wind Mist Finger he had comprehended from the Purple Dou Immortal Sovereign back then was prefixed with "Purple Artifice," wasn’t it...

[A finger’s sand, a life’s evanescence... Purple Artifice, Wind Mist]

Purple Artifice, Purple Artifice...

...

While Ning Fan was deep in thought, a large group of Eastern Celestial Cultivators behind him exchanged perplexed glances.

They couldn’t understand what Ning Fan was doing.

Talking to a gourd? If not for knowing Ning Fan was a genius cultivator of normal intelligence, they might have thought Ning Fan was a... lunatic...

"Friend Ning’s hobby is indeed peculiar, conversing with a gourd; could there be some profound Dao in this action? Saints see all things as straw dogs, yet Friend Ning defies convention, befriends all things, and communicates with them. People laugh at my madness, I laugh at their failure to see through! Such a bizarre cultivation method is truly unheard of and admirable!"

"The superior cultivator hears the Dao and diligently practices it; the average cultivator hears the Dao and seems to remember and forget it; the inferior cultivator hears the Dao and laughs loudly, not laughing isn’t enough to be the Dao... these words are exactly right! The true Dao must be different from the norm, beyond the understanding of common people! We are far inferior indeed!"

True Monarch Lei Xian and others were in awe.

When you admire someone to the extreme, even if they are just a lunatic, you would think they are a misunderstood genius...

Like drinking water, warm or cold, only one knows within.

Like discussing the Dao, no need to understand.

In such an atmosphere of excitement after battle, the next barrier seemed within reach, and no one feared the coming battle with the different race...

Because Ning Fan was there!