Ch. 61 - The Perfect Woman

The Qilin was a creature of legend, ranked alongside the dragon, long known only through stories and writings. Like the mythical dragon, true Qilin had never appeared in the world; only impure-blooded descendants lived on, often mistaken for dragons, such as the flood dragon. The same was true for Qilin, no true body had ever manifested in the world. What remained were bloodlines passed down from the desolate era, only resembling Qilin, known instead as Qilin Beasts.

Even with diluted divine blood, these archaic beasts were still extremely powerful, with strength comparable to great demons. For someone to arrive in a chariot drawn by nine Qilin Beasts, such a display was shockingly grand, commanding awe and reverence.

“Zzz zzz zzz, ”

Dozens of divine rainbows flew ahead to clear the path. Behind them thundered the nine Qilin-like ancient beasts, stopping before the Demon Emperor’s tomb. The jade carriage they pulled gleamed with crystal clarity, radiating auspicious light and divine mist. It was far from ordinary.

A Radiant Light Sacred Ground elder whispered, “The Ji Clan once had a great figure who used nine flood dragons to pull his chariot. In comparison, whoever rides with nine Qilin Beasts must be someone truly extraordinary.”

A Ji Clan expert atop a war chariot smiled bitterly. “That person with the nine flood dragons was a clan uncle of our family head. This current person… even if not the master of some ancient clan, must be close.”

Everyone from Radiant Light and the Ji Clan became alert. No one dared approach recklessly. This mysterious figure overwhelmed them with presence. Even the women from Jade Pool Sacred Ground discussed quietly among themselves, unable to guess who this supreme figure might be.

After the Qilin Beasts stopped, there was no movement from the jade carriage. Its occupant did not emerge, simply waiting silently. Meanwhile, the massive godship forged from sacred jade hung in the sky nearby, keeping its distance, clearly wary of the carriage.

This was only the beginning, many more factions were still on the way. By dawn, thousands of cultivators would surely gather here. Once the news spread completely, this place would erupt. The Demon Emperor’s tomb would become the center of attention across the entire Eastern Wilderness.

“The tomb of a Demon Emperor emerging… it’s too significant. Once the distant Sacred Grounds hear of it, they’ll definitely lay down Dao Runes, channel Heavenly Momentum, and open Ancient Paths to quickly teleport to the State of Yan,” people whispered.

The tomb radiated god-light into the sky. More and more people gathered, even those who knew they had no chance at the treasures. They still came, just to witness this Wilderness-shaking event.

Ye Fan didn’t look back as he left. There was nothing left here for him. Too much time had passed with no sign of Pang Bo. He could no longer wait.

“Pang Bo… please don’t let anything happen to you…”

He sprinted over mountains and through valleys, moving at great speed. Soon he had left the ancient ruins behind. He kept going, but even by dawn, he found nothing.

Above this ancient land, divine rainbows occasionally streaked by, all headed in the same direction: the Demon Emperor’s tomb.

“Where did he go? Could I be going the wrong way?” Ye Fan chased and searched, but found no signs. Still, he didn’t give up and pressed onward. Around midday, he sensed a strange pulse.

“It’s… the Imperial Demon Heart! It’s beating! I’ve found the right direction!” Ye Fan followed the sensation quickly, but half an hour later, he was shocked to find himself back where he started, like he had never left.

Ahead stood five towering mountains, straight and steep, like five massive fingers reaching toward the sky.

“What’s going on…” Ye Fan was confused, but assumed he’d just gotten turned around. He paused, reoriented himself, and set out again, confident he wouldn’t loop back. Yet, half an hour later, he stood in the same place, dumbfounded.

“Why is this happening?” Returning once more to the starting point, he realized something was very wrong. Though the tomb was only a few hundred miles away, this place remained part of the ancient land, it was clearly under some mysterious influence.

Initially, he hadn’t paid attention to the surrounding terrain. Now, carefully observing, Ye Fan was stunned. The five mountains looked exactly like a giant god hand standing upright, five fingers sculpted from the land itself.

“Could someone have carved Dao Runes into this landscape… creating some mysterious force that distorts perception?” he muttered, forming a theory. He closed his eyes and followed only his intuition, letting his heart attune to the powerful pulse of the Emperor’s heart. After some time, a surge of spiritual energy rushed toward him.

Opening his eyes, Ye Fan found himself in a world of birdsong and flower fragrance, an idyllic, sacred realm, as beautiful as a divine paradise. The scenery was poetic and breathtaking.

There, deep within this tranquil land, more precisely, behind a few elegant peaks, he could clearly feel the thumping of the Imperial Demon Heart. Each beat made his own heart ache, almost unbearably.

Mist floated through the air, and pavilions and palaces faintly appeared amidst the mountains. Ye Fan hurried forward. Suddenly, he saw a graceful figure standing atop a cliff. Mist swirled around her. She wore white robes, pure as snow, fluttering in the wind. She looked like a celestial maiden about to fly away.

She was an extraordinarily beautiful woman, like an orchid in a quiet valley, ethereal and serene. Her beauty harmonized perfectly with the natural splendor around her, as if she were part of the world’s spiritual essence.

Ye Fan had never believed in perfection, but this woman gave him a flawless impression, not just in appearance but in her otherworldly aura. She was so untainted by the mortal world that everything else seemed dull in comparison.

She looked to be only eighteen or nineteen. Her black hair fluttered gently. Her long lashes trembled slightly. Her eyes were veiled in mist. Her lips were like rose petals, teeth gleaming with clarity. Her neck was slender, skin like jade. Her features were delicate, her body faintly graceful, truly immaculate, nearly divine.

Ye Fan, normally a confident and resolute man, wasn’t easily swayed. Though briefly dazed, he quickly regained composure and strode forward.

At that moment, the woman on the cliff looked at him and smiled lightly. It was like a blooming immortal flower, so dazzling that even the sun above seemed to dim.

While awed by her beauty, Ye Fan felt a strange unease. This woman was too perfect, dreamlike, flawless to the point of being unnatural, even demonic.

“Stop here. Any further, and you’ll lose your life.” Her voice sounded like heavenly music, yet carried a chill that pierced his heart. Ye Fan knew she wasn’t joking.

“Zzz zzz zzz, ”

Sounds of air being torn apart rang out. The missing greater demons flew from the mountains, appearing beside the woman. The winged blonde girl, the old flood dragon, the muscular man with scaled arms, and the horned giant, all looked pale, their energy weakened. They approached the flawless woman humbly and stood respectfully before her. Then they turned to Ye Fan, eyes full of killing intent.

“Let him… leave!”

Just then, a voice came from within the misty mountains behind the cliff, it was Pang Bo’s! He sounded in pain as he gritted out the words.

“Kill him and be done with it!” the old flood dragon growled, stepping forward.

BOOM!

Suddenly, an overwhelming wave of demonic energy erupted like a tidal sea. A figure appeared in the sky, Pang Bo. His long black hair whipped wildly in the wind. His presence was vast and oppressive, like ten thousand mountains pressing down.

His face and forehead were covered in demonic script. Even his bare chest and arms were inscribed with dense dragon and phoenix runes. Ancient characters wrapped his entire body. Green aura swirled around him. His eyes shot out green beams dozens of meters long.

“I said, let him go!” His expression was ice-cold, staring at the old flood dragon.

The greater demons all turned to look at the flawless young woman on the cliff, awaiting her decision. She smiled softly and said, “Don’t harm him. Send him away.”

“Pang Bo!” Ye Fan shouted, staring at the towering, demonic figure above. He called his name again and again.

But Pang Bo, both familiar and unfamiliar now, looked down silently, said nothing, and then vanished with a swish, disappearing into the sky. The immense demonic pressure faded like a receding tide.

Next, Ye Fan felt his body lighten. The golden-winged, beautiful blonde girl flew toward him gracefully. A beam of light wrapped around him, and in a flash, they soared into the sky.

Ye Fan kept shouting, “Pang Bo! Pang Bo!!”

But strong air currents filled his mouth, muffling his voice. The blonde girl flew rapidly, and only his hoarse cries remained, carried off into the wind.

SWISH,

Soon, the girl landed with Ye Fan and gently set him down. She looked at him deeply and said, “Take care of yourself. Leave here quickly.” Then, turning into golden light, she soared away.

Ye Fan looked to the sky and roared, “Give me back Pang Bo!” But no one answered. The golden light vanished in a blink.

He stood only a few miles from the Demon Emperor’s tomb. From here, he could clearly see the brilliant light. An ancient temple floated in the air, surrounded by countless cultivators. Ye Fan had been sent back to the primordial ruins.

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