Chapter 462: The Heavenly Emperor's Confusion [Part 2]

Chapter 462: The Heavenly Emperor's Confusion [Part 2]



Yan Bei Han was currently in a difficult situation.

Sun Xiaoyang did not allow Yan Bei Han to use her spiritual energy to travel, only allowing her to walk with her two legs in the most primitive way. Moreover, he specifically chose a difficult mountain path with many obstacles.

For this, he even sealed Yan Bei Han's cultivation.

This made Yan Bei Han extremely miserable, almost to the point of tears.

Especially when she thought about how that shameless person was using her resources and definitely sharing them with his wife, she wondered how happy and carefree he must be now.

Yan Bei Han's heart became even more complicated, and the sour feeling kept rising to the top, making her a little tipsy.

She felt like a lapdog, the kind that puts on a high and cold attitude while secretly licking the master's boots, fearing that the male god might have some hidden troubles in his heart, adding to her psychological burden. She deliberately used an indifferent attitude to send out a large amount of supplies, implying that it was just a trivial matter, and then she casually gave it to him, pretending to be relaxed and unconcerned, waving her hand and leaving without taking anything with her.

Then the male god took her things and went to enjoy them with his wife...

While she was climbing the mountain with shackles on.

Yan Bei Han once again felt the urge to bang her head against the wall.

What was this all about...

She trudged along with a look of despair on her face, as if she wanted to cry but couldn't.

Her delicate little face was already flushed.

Hong Yi also wanted to have her cultivation sealed to accompany Yan Bei Han on her journey, but Sun Xiaoyang scolded her: "Who are you going to seal to take care of her?" So, she could only watch as Yan Bei Han struggled.

After running wildly for over a hundred miles on the mountain path, they were finally allowed to rest.

Yan Bei Han felt like her two legs were about to give out.

In the end, she endured it all because of the envy, jealousy, and hatred she felt towards Fang Che and Ye Meng in her heart.

Finally, she could rest, and she sat down without caring about her image, starting to rub her thighs.

Hong Yi sighed and complained while applying medicine to soothe her muscles: "The Chief is really too ruthless. Our little Han is just a girl..."

Then she tried to comfort Yan Bei Han: "Little Han, you have to understand. As a martial artist, in the future, when you wander the rivers and lakes, there will be many times when your spiritual energy is exhausted and your cultivation is completely gone. At that time, you will have to rely on pure physical strength. The Chief is doing this for your own good."

Yan Bei Han groaned, her pretty face full of helplessness: "Hong Yi... You've said everything, good and bad. I... I still..."

Hong Yi smiled and asked while massaging her to relax her muscles and promote blood circulation: "Little Han, you really value this Night Demon, don't you?"

Yan Bei Han: "Hmm?"

"Those resources, to win over a King-ranked Night Demon..." Hong Yi felt a bit heartbroken: "It's too much. It's beyond the budget."

"Chen Yin has sent him things. He has high hopes for him."

Yan Bei Han calmly said: "Moreover, Grandpa values this Night Demon very much. So, in my future team, I've reserved an extremely important position for the Night Demon."

Hong Yi sighed and said: "It's still too much."

Sun Xiaoyang, standing silently to the side with his hands behind his back, said lightly: "It's not too much!"

Hong Yi was astonished. Chief, how can you say it's not too much without knowing the situation? So, she said: "Chief, you don't know how much Miss Yan Bei Han gave..."

"It's still not too much."

Sun Xiaoyang interrupted her and said lightly: "In a few years, if the Night Demon continues to improve, he might even catch up to me!"

Sun Xiaoyang actually had such a high evaluation of the Night Demon!

Hong Yi was stunned.

Yan Bei Han, sitting beside her, suddenly had a brilliant light shining from her eyes, bright and dazzling like the stars in the sky.

Sun Xiaoyang looked at Hong Yi: "Do you still think it's too much?"

Hong Yi hurriedly said in fear: "No, it's not too much. Even if it's a lot, it's worth it."

Sun Xiaoyang looked at the stars in the sky and said lightly: "That kid... He's a talented person. I'm really looking forward to the day he grows up!"

Hong Yi completely stopped talking.

Not only did she not feel that Yan Bei Han gave away too much, but she also deeply admired Yan Bei Han's insight.

Hong Yi was speechless.

So many years have passed, and in the entire Only Righteous Sect, who has the Chief ever praised?

Yan Bei Han pouted and said coquettishly: "Grandpa Sun, you can't say such things to others."

Sun Xiaoyang remained silent.

This little girl, what does she think of me? I just saw that you discovered the Night Demon and valued him, so I just wanted to remind you.

Don't think that I'm trying to promote that kid to everyone I meet.

"Winning over the Night Demon, recruiting the Night Demon, that's just secondary."

Sun Xiaoyang said lightly: "The important thing is how to control him. The Night Demon is not an easy person to control. Moreover, he can't go to the headquarters now, he can only stay in the lower levels, which makes it very difficult to manipulate."

Yan Bei Han frowned and asked: "Why can't the Night Demon go to the headquarters?"

"Because only by fighting step by step from the bottom, can a top-notch expert appear. If he stays at the headquarters, it won't work."

Sun Xiaoyang said: "For example, in our Only Righteous Sect, your grandpa Yan Nan, Bi Changhong, Chen Yin, Feng Du, and even our Sect Leader, they are all top-notch experts. They all started from the bottom of the rivers and lakes and fought their way up, achieving their great accomplishments."

"Then there's me, as well as Kuang Ren Ji, Bai Zhan Dao, Sun Wutian, Ying Mo, and others... We all climbed up from the bottom of the rivers and lakes."

A mocking smile appeared on his face as he taunted, "But from these people and their sons, from the second generation onwards, all the way to the present day, how many top-notch martial artists have emerged from their descendants?"

"Perhaps you might feel that your current cultivation is already quite impressive, even reaching the pinnacle. But let me tell you, without reaching the peak, you'll forever be mere ants!"

"If it weren't for these old folks in the Only Righteous Sect, it would only take Xue Fuxiao to single-handedly destroy the entire sect! He could slaughter them all without leaving a single person alive!"

"What kind of conspiracies and traps could possibly hinder me?"

Sun Xiaoyang snorted, "What kind of trap could possibly hold me back?"

"Those brats from the Only Righteous Sect, I've had my eyes on them for a long time. All the descendants of your grandfather's generation are inside, and they're all a bunch of useless good-for-nothings! With so many valuable resources, even if you threw them at a dog, you could cultivate a top-notch expert. But with them, they can't even make a splash. How can they still have the face to enjoy their food and drink? One day, they'll anger me, and I won't need the Guardians. I'll single-handedly wipe out these brats from the Only Righteous Sect!"

As Sun Xiaoyang spoke, his killing intent surged.

His eyes flashed with murderous intent, and his killing aura boiled over.

Yan Bei Han didn't dare speak at this critical moment; he could only listen with his mouth shut.

Although Yan Bei Han felt that Sun Xiaoyang's words were somewhat biased, it was indeed a fact. The Only Righteous Sect had produced numerous top-notch experts below the peak, an abundance of them.

However, the headquarters had indeed not produced a single true peak expert.

The few that had emerged in recent years were all from subordinate sects, having fought their way up from the rivers and lakes.

This was the truth!

After a while, Sun Xiaoyang's murderous aura finally dissipated.

It was clear that he was extremely dissatisfied with the younger generation of the Only Righteous Sect.

The main reason was... not a single one of them could spar with him in gunplay! How could he improve without worthy opponents?

Seeing Sun Xiaoyang's anger subsiding, Yan Bei Han timidly asked, "Then, Granduncle Duan, how should I deal with the Night Demon?"

"That's for you to figure out."

Sun Xiaoyang had already given her a hint, and he wasn't going to babysit her.

After saying all this, his frustration grew as he spoke, and he was starting to get impatient.

"Are you well-rested? Follow me and keep running!" Sun Xiaoyang said irritably.

"Er... Okay."

As they ran, Yan Bei Han was fully focused on this matter, her mind so concentrated that she didn't even feel tired.

"Where's our next destination?"

"Granduncle Duan, should we pay a visit to the One Heart Sect?"

"To investigate the Night Demon?"

"Yes."

"Alright."

"And after the One Heart Sect?"

"After the One Heart Sect, I plan to return."

"I want to go back and start taking care of my own matters. Moreover, the Yin-Yang Realm spirit medicines in Granduncle Duan's ring need to be processed, and we can't afford to delay for too long."

For the first time, Sun Xiaoyang looked at her with appreciation and said, "Then go ahead and do it!"

Yan Bei Han asked, "Granduncle Duan, what's your opinion of Feng Yun?"

Sun Xiaoyang paused for a moment before replying, "Feng Yun is a good kid... It's a pity that he's overly scheming. Among your group, there are a few who have the chance to contend for the pinnacle of martial arts. Feng Yun is one of them. But you can only say that they have a chance; it's not a guarantee! In Feng Yun's case, if he doesn't undergo some necessary life-and-death tempering, it will be difficult for him to reach the pinnacle in martial arts."

The three of them continued their conversation as they disappeared into the darkness.

"Granduncle Duan, why did you kill those people from the Heavenly Palace and the Underworld?"

"Because I didn't like the look of them!"

"Then you..."

"..."

Their voices gradually faded.

...

That night.

The various secluded sects were also in turmoil.

One could even say that they had experienced an earth-shattering upheaval.

The rulers of the Heavenly Palace and the Underworld, both of the same rank, gathered in the Heavenly Palace. While waiting for the disciples to return from their trials, they also discussed matters.

Although they were both rulers, the Lord of the Underworld was clearly seated in a subordinate position.

The difference in status was evident.

In front of the Lord of the Underworld was a pitch-black token, resembling a wing. In the hands of the Lord of the Heavenly Palace was a similar token, but it was white, like the other wing.

"How could this be?" The Lord of the Heavenly Palace examined the token in his hand, flipping it over and over.

The Lord of the Underworld was also astonished.

Originally, the two tokens were like a dazzling starry sky, as if countless winds were raging within the vast universe. The scenery changed every second, a myriad of transformations.

But now, they were just two tokens, one black and one white.

The once dazzling starry sky, with its brilliant stars and the magnificent spectacle of black and white clouds intertwining, had disappeared without a trace.

"Mine has changed too. It suddenly changed!"

The Lord of the Underworld frowned, "The swirling clouds within are the ancient heavenly destiny passed down from ancient times. How could they have vanished?"

"Yes, it was only through the convergence of winds and clouds, taking advantage of the nine-star alignment, that we were able to open the Yin-Yang Realm. But now..."

The Lord of the Heavenly Palace stared at the thin clouds within, his eyes wide, "What are we going to do now?

In the Yin-Yang Netherworld, is it to be discarded from now on?"

"Could it be that we need to start accumulating all over again?"

"There's no other way. The treasures passed down from our ancestors have always been like this. Even after so many times, there hasn't been any change at all..."

"The most pressing issue now is... Can the Yin-Yang Netherworld trial still happen?"

The two Sovereigns exchanged glances.

They both saw three words in each other's eyes: "No more."

Unable to hold back a sigh, they both slumped into their chairs, their eyes vacant, and their minds empty.

No matter what, they couldn't understand why the treasures passed down from generation to generation, had come to this in their hands, and were now gone. The Yin-Yang Netherworld trial, said to be a trial, but the heavenly materials and earthly treasures within it had, over so many years, had almost become the private collection of the Heavenly Palace and the Netherworld.

The Heavenly Palace and the Netherworld were powerful for a significant reason, and that was because of the output from the Yin-yang Netherworld.

The original internal strife and division within the Netherworld had been due to this very thing.

The value of it was unimaginable.

"Exactly what happened?"

The two Sovereigns were utterly baffled.

"It might be because of the trial. In the afternoon, Ziwei sent a message saying Xue Fuxiao and Sun Xiaoyang have already arrived." The Heavenly Sovereign said.

"That can't be. Even if they were here, how could it be related to the Yin-yang Netherworld? They didn't go in!"

"There must be another reason! Or perhaps, it's something the disciples who went in for the trial have done."

"Or it's that."

"They are already on their way back. Just wait a bit longer."

Right then, they both received a message.

With a bang, they both slapped the table and stood up.

"Sun Xiaoyang, how dare he!"

The message was consistent.

"Returning from the journey, they encountered the Bone Shattering Dream Gun wielded by Sun Xiaoyang. Taiyangxingjun, Chu jiangwang, and others were killed."

Such news was utterly unbearable for the two Sovereigns.

The Earthly Sovereign immediately prepared to leave.

"The reason hasn't been clarified. Wait a bit longer, and Ziwei will return. We might as well hear what Ziwei has to say." The Heavenly Sovereign waved his hand, leaving the Earthly sovereign.

But the two of them didn't seem as calm as before.

Their faces no longer smiled, their brows tightly knit, and their hearts heavy with worry, as if a chill permeated the air.

"Sun Xiaoyang!"

The Heavenly Sovereign's eyes flickered coldly, taking a deep breath, he said, "Earthly Sovereign, are you interested in pulling off a big job?"

"Taking out Sun Xiaoyang?" The Earthly Sovereign's mood was not the best, his face somber.

"Indeed. This fellow has been too arrogant."

The Heavenly Sovereign said lightly, "If we personally take action, and mobilize several senior elders to set up a kill setup, how about taking out Sun Xiaoyang?"

"Not interested."

The Earthly Sovereign shook his head indifferently, showing no interest in the suggestion.

He turned to look at the Heavenly Sovereign, "When Sun Xiaoyang rushed to the peak of martial arts, that battle made him truly famous. Did you participate?"

The Heavenly Sovereign shook his head, "No."

"I did."

The Earthly Sovereign closed his eyes. After closing them, his gaze lost its vitality, and his already eerie face became even more devoid of any human warmth.

His voice, like that of a desolate ghost, echoed through the hollow ghostly realm, "That battle... I and eighteen juniors participated in the ambush, along with two elders leading the group. When Sun Xiaoyang flowed downstream, we had set up the ambush. Along with him, there were a total of three hundred and seventy-five experts from other sects, simultaneously leaping from both banks."

"Simultaneously, hundreds of experts from the allied martial arts factions surged from the depths of the water, and over a hundred experts were hidden underwater."

"The Earthly Sovereign's eyelids trembled, 'Sun Xiaoyang, holding the Bone Shattering_Dream Gun, stood at the prow of the boat, flowing downstream without_accelerating, merely relying_on the speed of the current to advance."

"Nearly a thousand people surged at him from all directions, both above and below the water. At that moment, they all felt it was magnificent, but a chill pierced my heart, so I deliberately delayed a bit, changing the first batch to the second."

"Then, I saw Sun Xiaoyang, without a word, leap up with his gun, making the boat soar into the sky, a streak of black light bursting from his gun."

"When I rushed over, my longsword intercepted Sun Xiaoyang's gun, and what I saw was the four directions of the sky and water filled with flying blood. The first batch of seventy-five people, regardless of their cultivation levels, had their foreheads pierced by the gun, blood holes drilled through their heads."

"Many of them, until their last breath, didn't even react. Their eyes remained wide open in shock, and they fell into the water. The water that day, crimson red!"

"Those people, at that time, were on par with me. My eighteen juniors died from that one gun thrust! When I blocked Sun Xiaoyang's gun, it wasn't because I was strong, but... Sun Xiaoyang was coiling back, gathering momentum; the second thrust followed... and my block left half my body numb, flying out at an angle, just in time to see the second batch of over a hundred people's hearts and throats pierced by flying blood."

"When my body fell into the water, I saw these corpses falling in sync. The water splashed! At that moment, my heart turned cold."

"Sun Xiaoyang, propelling the boat, stabbed through the water amidst the floating corpses,, bodies, to the surface, continuously spewing up blood_bubbles."

As if fresh blood was boiling in murky water."

"Every time I saw Duan Xiaoyang's gun fall, my body trembled. Finally, a bullet came towards me. I couldn't block it, so I grabbed the corpse of an elder from Qingming Palace and held it in front of my chest."

"The bullet pierced through the corpse, and I desperately tried to dodge, but it still tore a hole through my shoulder. I opened my eyes and surfaced, only to see over eight hundred corpses. Some were floating, while others were half-submerged. They were all once influential figures in the martial world."

"Duan Xiaoyang drifted downstream, and when he looked back, I had just surfaced. By then, he was already several hundred zhang away. He said, 'There's still someone alive.' But at that time, he was flowing with the current, slaughtering the martial world, and couldn't turn back. So, I managed to escape with my life."

"After that, I returned to the Underworld and devoted myself to cultivation. For thousands of years, I didn't set foot in the mortal world. Others said I was pure and detached, but I knew... Heavenly Emperor!"

Finally, the Earthly Venerate opened his eyes and looked at the Heavenly Emperor, "That's because I was scared!"

The Heavenly Emperor remained silent.

Putting himself in the Earthly Venerate's shoes, he imagined the experiences of the Earthly Venerate, and now he felt a chill down his spine.

"For many years, countless times in the middle of the night, I dreamt of that battle. I returned to that fight in my dreams, and each time, I felt like a frightened child, trembling as I watched the bloody storm right before my eyes. Row by row of fresh blood sprayed in front of me."

"So, I won't participate in the siege against Duan Xiaoyang."

The Earthly Venerate smiled calmly, "My master, the previous Earthly Venerate, passed down his position to me early because during that battle, he intervened at the end and injured his origin. He had no choice but to retire and recuperate. Heavenly Emperor, in terms of status, you and I are on par, but in terms of seniority, you are of the same generation as my master. Listen to my advice."

"What is it?"

"Don't participate in the siege against Duan Xiaoyang!"

Fear flashed in the Earthly Venerate's eyes, "Duan Xiaoyang... He's not afraid of sieges. With his gun skills, the more people besieging him, the greater the power."

"In this world, there's only one person who can arrange a siege against Duan Xiaoyang, but even then, they can only arrange the siege and not kill him. That's all." The Earthly Venerate explained.

When the Heavenly Emperor asked this question, he already had a guess.

"Dongfang Sansan!"

The Earthly Venerate took a breath, "Only Dongfang Sansan can utilize the grand momentum to suppress Duan Xiaoyang's burst, thus achieving the siege. But he couldn't kill him. So, after those few times, Dongfang Sansan also gave up on the idea of besieging and killing Duan Xiaoyang."

"To truly kill Duan Xiaoyang... There's only one way. To duel him with one's own strength! Until you crush and kill him!"

"Any other situation is impossible!"

"So, the siege you mentioned is just a joke."

After saying this, the Earthly Venerate closed his mouth.

The Heavenly Emperor also fell silent.

He thought about the Earthly Venerate's words and couldn't help but be captivated as he imagined the scene of that battle.

No one knew how much time had passed.

Someone came to report.

Ziwei Dadi had returned.

"Let him in quickly."

Ziwei Dadi entered, his expression grim, "Old Boss, Earthly Venerate, this time, we've lost an Elder."

"Oh? Tell me everything."

Ziwei Dadi began to recount the events from the beginning. As he spoke, the two rulers remained silent.

Ziwei Dadi neither exaggerated nor spoke with emotion; he simply narrated all the events.

He left it to the two rulers to judge the situation.

Soon after, Taiyang Xingjun and others were called in to share their experiences.

Finally, Jiang Bi Huang and Jiang Bi Xiao were summoned to be questioned, and they described the situation in the Yin-Yang Realm.

Hearing about a scene completely different from previous terms, the two rulers frowned deeply.

They could sense that the difference in the Yin-Yang Realm this time was related to the trial within it.

But what was the problem? They were still clueless.

"Why is it so different from the countless previous terms? Ten years! The deadline became ten years... The clear division of yin and yang that was visible upon entering now requires nine years to witness..."

"Even the demonic beasts are different... Could it be two different worlds? Separate worlds?"

"Wolves weighing several hundred thousand jin? Tigers weighing several hundred thousand jin? Pythons weighing several million jin?"

Both the Earthly Venerate and the Heavenly Emperor were stunned.

Where had such things ever existed before?

Uncertain, the Heavenly Emperor instructed, "Call in those who participated in the Yin-Yang Realm trials in previous terms and are still in the palace."

Before long, everyone arrived.

They shared their experiences and compared them.

Then, they realized that Jiang Bi Huang's latest term was completely different from the usual.

Moreover, the difference was too great, too far.

Compared to previous terms, it was like a different world! Previously, it was low difficulty, but this time, it was like entering the Honghuang Century.

After questioning those who entered... the two rulers began to understand something.

They started asking those who entered, especially focusing on the participants from the Guardian and the Only Righteous Sect.

They felt that this was the key.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end