Ye Qiu was utterly bewildered.
He could tell that this old man had great confidence in him.
“I do not even have confidence in myself. Why is he so certain?”
Ye Qiu found it strange and asked, “Why are you so convinced that I can get you out?”
The old man replied, “Before the Eternal Blue Sky Great Emperor left, he said that if he did not return, one day in the future, a human would come here. At that time, that human would have a way to help me leave.”
Ye Qiu said, “Am I the first human to enter?”
“Yes.” The old man nodded.
Ye Qiu continued, “Even if I am the first human to enter, how do you know that the one the Eternal Blue Sky Great Emperor spoke of is me?”
The old man said, “It must be you, because you cultivate the Nine Turns Divine Dragon Art.”
A flash of killing intent appeared in Ye Qiu’s eyes.
Since entering the world of cultivation, he had encountered many experts, including Saint-level powerhouses, but almost none could recognise his technique at a glance.
“You recognised my technique?” Ye Qiu’s gaze darkened slightly.
“I did.” The old man said, “To be honest, I once followed the Eternal Blue Sky Great Emperor and saw countless peerless experts.”
“Among them, one person left a very deep impression on me.”
“That was a scruffy old fellow. He fought the Eternal Blue Sky Great Emperor for a full day and night. Guess what the outcome was?”
“He lost.” Ye Qiu said.
“No, he did not lose.” The old man replied, “That scruffy old fellow fought to a draw with the Eternal Blue Sky Great Emperor. They ended in a tie.”
What?
Ye Qiu was stunned, dumbfounded. He thought to himself, who could be so formidable as to contend with a Great Emperor without defeat?
“Could that scruffy old fellow also have been a Great Emperor?” Ye Qiu asked.
“No, he was not an Emperor, for throughout eternity, each era has only one Great Emperor.”
The old man said, “After the Eternal Blue Sky Great Emperor became Emperor, he dominated the world. No one could exchange more than ten moves with him. Yet that scruffy old fellow battled him outside the domain for a day and night without falling. Even I was shocked.”
“Later, the Eternal Blue Sky Great Emperor and that scruffy old fellow talked happily, like old friends.”
“I remember that the scruffy old fellow once took out a secret manual and handed it to the Eternal Blue Sky Great Emperor to read. I clearly recall that on the cover of that manual were written the words ‘Nine Turns Divine Dragon Art’.”
“When the Eternal Blue Sky Great Emperor opened it, I glanced at a few pages from the side. He said that if anyone could cultivate this technique to its pinnacle, they could sweep through all eternity.”
“At the time, the Eternal Blue Sky Great Emperor also said it was a pity he could not cultivate it, because he was already an Emperor, and the Nine Turns Divine Dragon Art required someone with no prior cultivation and a special bloodline to practise it.”
“By the way, that scruffy old fellow seemed to share the same surname as Young Master Ye.”
Same surname Ye?
The first person Ye Qiu thought of was the Ye family ancestor.
Could it really be the ancestor?
Ye Qiu immediately took out the secret manual of the Nine Turns Divine Dragon Art and asked, “Take a look. Is this the manual?”
“Yes, yes, yes, that’s it.” The old man exclaimed in astonishment, “Young Master Ye, how do you have this manual?”
“That should not be!”
“I remember that after the Eternal Blue Sky Great Emperor read it, he returned the manual to the scruffy old fellow. By rights, it should be in that scruffy old fellow’s hands… Could that scruffy old fellow be Young Master Ye’s ancestor?”
“Pah, pah, pah!”
The old man slapped his own mouth again and said, “My mouth is cheap. Young Master Ye, please do not take offence.”
“That scruffy old fellow… no, that senior… could he be Young Master Ye’s forebear?”
Ye Qiu did not speak. At this moment, he was already certain that the scruffy old fellow who fought the Eternal Blue Sky Great Emperor was none other than the Ye family ancestor.
For the Nine Turns Divine Dragon Art had come to him through the ancestor’s inheritance.
A storm surged in Ye Qiu’s heart.
“The Eternal Blue Sky Great Emperor met the ancestor?”
“Moreover, the ancestor could fight an Emperor-level powerhouse to a draw without defeat?”
“If the ancestor was not an Emperor, then what was his cultivation level?”
Ye Qiu asked, “Where did that scruffy old fellow go in the end?”
“He died.” The old man said, “When that scruffy old fellow fought the Eternal Blue Sky Great Emperor, his vitality was already depleted. Afterwards, he discussed the Dao with the Eternal Blue Sky Great Emperor for seven days and seven nights, then passed away in meditation.”
“Before passing, that scruffy old fellow seemed to entrust the Eternal Blue Sky Great Emperor with some task.”
“I was quite far away at the time, so I did not hear clearly.”
“I only remember the Eternal Blue Sky Great Emperor saying to him that perhaps returning would mean no need to die.”
“The scruffy old fellow said that returning would still mean death. Since death awaited either way, he would rather die in this world.”
“The Eternal Blue Sky Great Emperor said that if the chance arose, he would go to that place and see.”
Ye Qiu asked, “What place were they speaking of?”
“I do not know.” The old man said, “Later, unable to contain my curiosity, I also asked the Eternal Blue Sky Great Emperor where that place was.”
“Who knew that not only did he refuse to tell me, he scolded me harshly.”
“His expression was extremely grave at the time. Having followed him for so long, I knew him well. It was clear that the Eternal Blue Sky Great Emperor seemed to fear that place greatly.”
“Moreover, when he and the scruffy old fellow mentioned that place, both looked very serious. Later, they even joined forces to carve a formation array, concealing the secrets of heaven, as if afraid others might overhear.”
Ye Qiu’s brows furrowed tightly.
If what the artefact spirit said was true, what place could make both the ancestor and the Eternal Blue Sky Great Emperor feel fear?
“Could it be the mortal world?”
“No, with the ancestor’s cultivation, he would not fear the mortal world.”
“Then where could it be?”
“Could it be… the Undying Mountain?”
Ye Qiu’s heart jolted, for the last place the Eternal Blue Sky Great Emperor disappeared was precisely the Undying Mountain.
“I have entered the Undying Mountain. Apart from obtaining supreme opportunities, nothing else felt particularly special.”
“Or is there some secret in the Undying Mountain that I do not know?”
Ye Qiu vaguely felt that the Undying Mountain very likely hid an enormous secret, one that even an Emperor-level powerhouse would fear.
“It seems that when the Undying Mountain appears again, I must find a way to enter and investigate.”
“And the ancestor, his identity also seems somewhat extraordinary.”
While Ye Qiu pondered these matters, the old man said, “Young Master Ye, you cultivate the Nine Turns Divine Dragon Art and are human. You must be the person the Eternal Blue Sky Great Emperor spoke of. You certainly have a way to get me out.”
Ye Qiu asked, “How did the Eternal Blue Sky Great Emperor know that a human would come here in the future?”
“Perhaps an Emperor-level powerhouse can glimpse past, present, and future.” The old man said, “Young Master Ye, please accept me as your grandson. I…”
Ye Qiu raised his hand, interrupting the old man, “If I can get you out, what benefit can you give me?”
