Volume 1 Volume 7 Chapter 54

Volume 7 Chapter 54: See Demon Ancestor Again

When Xu Qingfan appeared, whether it was the three kylin, Little Black, or Niu Wenxing, they all paused for a moment.

Xu Qingfan was still Xu Qingfan, looking no different from before he entered the "Jiazi Cave," yet he gave them a different feeling.

Xu Qingfan’s gaze was still deep, but at that moment, it felt even deeper, as if it held the vastness of a universe. His presence remained ethereal and mysterious, yet each of his movements seemed to resonate with the rhythm of the world. A smile or a glance seemed to pull at the threads of the Heavenly Way. Standing quietly, he felt as if he was one with the universe, and the universe was one with him.

Since their arrival, the four beasts and one person felt a strange sensation. This world belonged to Xu Qingfan, and he was the master of it. Their every action, both before and after, existed within Xu Qingfan’s heart.

The two kylin’s gazes became sharp. In this world, there was no one stronger than them, but that did not mean there were no threats to them. The Soul Splitting Stage masters were the highest level that humans could achieve, and such powerful humans were undoubtedly on the list of those who could threaten them.

They understood that Xu Qingfan meant no harm to them, but they couldn’t help but feel amazed at how much he had grown.

"Thank you for your patience." Xu Qingfan, leaving Jiazi Cave, seemed unaware of his own changes, his expression and tone as usual. "I wonder how long I spent in Jiazi Cave this time?"

"Seventy-seven days."

Niu Wenxing quickly returned to normal, smiling as he replied.

A hint of surprise crossed Xu Qingfan’s face as he said, "Has it really been that long? I almost delayed an important matter. I’ve only completed half of my purpose for coming to the Shenzhou Continent."

Talking to himself, Xu Qingfan looked up and politely said to the two kylin, "Dear Mythical Beasts, I had hoped to talk with you both for a while longer, but I have many things to do, so I must leave for now."

Little Gold could understand Xu Qingfan’s words, but ran to his side, biting the corner of Xu Qingfan’s clothes to keep him from leaving.

Xu Qingfan smiled gently, patted Little Gold on the head, and said, "Little Gold, you are a Mythical Beast, and you must always hold the dignity that a Mythical Beast should have. You cannot act spoiled like those human kids, do you understand?"

"Kid, from now on, we only owe you one favor."

The voice of "Ominous" echoed in Xu Qingfan’s heart.

Xu Qingfan was slightly taken aback and asked, "Isn’t it also a favor for me to tell you about the imprisonment of the four Great Mythical Beasts?"

"Hmph, you are using us to deal with that human named Zhang Xusheng, so it doesn’t count as a favor."

"Ominous" said dissatisfiedly.

Xu Qingfan laughed heartily and again cupped his hands, saying, "Since that’s the case, then the two Mythical Beasts only owe me one favor. However, until the world is at peace, I advise you both not to fight each other anymore. After all, I saved you both twice because of your internal conflicts, otherwise, with your strength, who would dare to provoke you?"

Hearing Xu Qingfan’s words, "Ominous" and "Auspicious" exchanged a glance, then both let out a cold huff and turned their heads away.

Xu Qingfan knew that the hatred between "Ominous" and "Auspicious" had existed since the beginning of time and continued to this day. How could he resolve it? The fact that the two Mythical Beasts did not fight in front of him was already a great improvement.

So Xu Qingfan did not insist any further; he simply pulled Little Gold aside and, along with Little Black and Niu Wenxing, bowed respectfully to the two Kylin before turning to leave.

"Let me think. Bai Yu will need to use the ‘Divine Plate of Inheritance’ in the future, and a few of his disciples’ spirit pets will need it too. I also need to find a way to reignite the conflict between the Kylin and the Shura Clan. It seems that one favor is not enough. Hmm, I still have a young Mythical Beast called ‘Quitting Snake’ imprisoned, which cannot be tamed. I already have many materials from it, but it is useless to me. Perhaps I should return it to the two Kylin. Preserving a lineage of Mythical Beasts would be a favor to them too, right?"

As Xu Qingfan was leaving, he quietly glanced back.

…

Even among mortals, Niu Wenxing was in very poor health. The path through the cave was dark and rugged. To take care of him, Xu Qingfan took much longer to leave the black giant mountain than when he entered.

Beneath their feet, a cloud of auspicious mist rose, carrying him and Niu Wenxing toward the bustling Middle-earth.

Although the cloud was very fast, it was also very steady. With a protective barrier set around them by Xu Qingfan, there were no wild winds to disturb them.

All of this was to protect Niu Wenxing, who was very precious and could not have any mishap.

Niu Wenxing was already used to flying on the clouds and did not show any surprise. It seemed that Feng Qingtian had done this kind of thing with him more than once before.

At first, Xu Qingfan thought he would need to be busy on the road finding food for Niu Wenxing, but he was surprised to see Niu Wenxing take out a small bottle from his pocket and pour out one or two pills to take. Xu Qingfan looked closely and saw it was the "Tianxu Pill," which not only improves the user’s health but also keeps them from feeling hungry for several days. It is said to have been created long ago by a master alchemist for some mortals who had helped him.

"Although the ‘Tianxu Pill’ is not high in quality, it is made very rarely. If I had not read books about this, I wouldn’t even know it existed. Feng Qingtian’s group should not have a Medicine Pill Master, so how did they get these ‘Tianxu Pills’? It seems Feng Qingtian is truly investing a lot to win over Niu Wenxing."

Seeing this, Xu Qingfan thought to himself.

After ten days, Xu Qingfan arrived in the bustling Middle-earth.

But what puzzled Niu Wenxing was that Xu Qingfan did not turn east to return to his main camp; instead, he flew towards the Western Desert.

"Senior, aren’t you supposed to return to your main camp? Why are you going to the Western Desert?"

Finally, Niu Wenxing couldn’t help but ask curiously.

"I’m going to meet an elder, ask for something, and also catch someone to be a master for my apprentice."

Hearing Xu Qingfan’s second half of the sentence, Niu Wenxing felt both amused and helpless. This Xu Qingfan is really quite bossy, wanting to capture someone to be a master for his disciple.

However, when Xu Qingfan spoke the first half of the sentence, the brief look of respect that flashed across his face did not escape Niu Wenxing’s eyes.

Who could this person be that makes Xu Qingfan feel such respect? From Xu Qingfan’s tone while talking to the two kylins, he must be one of the most powerful cultivators in the world!

"May I ask who the senior wishes to meet? What is it that you seek?"

Niu Wenxing asked cautiously.

Xu Qingfan smiled slightly, turned to Niu Wenxing, and asked in return, "Mr. Niu has been beside Junior Brother Feng for so many years; you must understand a lot about the current cultivation world, right?"

"I know a little bit."

"Then, in your opinion, who is the strongest among humans?"

Xu Qingfan asked.

Niu Wenxing paused for a moment. He had always been focused on the power and situation of the world, but he had not paid much attention to the ranking of cultivators. The wise have their own modesty; in their eyes, while top experts can control the situation, it is still the wisdom in their minds that changes the course of events.

After hesitating for a moment, Niu Wenxing replied, "It’s hard to say. The top masters in the world are undoubtedly Immortal Zizhen, Mr. Liu, and Zhang Xusheng from the Human Alliance, along with the ancestors of the Zhong family and the rarely seen ‘Xuan.’ In terms of deep skill and understanding of the Heavenly Way, Immortal Zizhen should be first. When it comes to a wide variety of strategies and magical tools, Mr. Liu shines. In terms of extensive knowledge, exceptional intellect, and mysterious powers, Zhang Xusheng surpasses his peers. I don’t know much about ‘Xuan,’ but it is said that the ‘Eight Gate Sword Formation’ he practices is the best in the world. The ancestor of the Zhong family has countless powerful corpses under his command, with many being as strong as he is. He excels in group battles, ensuring the strength of the Zhong family by himself, so he should not be underestimated."

Xu Qingfan smiled slightly but shook his head, saying, "You shouldn’t limit your view to the present."

"Are you referring to the masters from ancient times to the present? The founders of the six major Holy Lands are indeed rare figures in the world. Although they are all just at the peak of the Soul Splitting Stage, with none reaching the legendary Soul Changing Stage, each one appearing now would be greater than Immortal Zizhen and others. However, if we must speak of the greatest person from ancient times to now, it should be the Demon Ancestor. While others have founded a sect, he created a path. He once faced tens of thousands of cultivators alone, a feat no one else has achieved."

As he spoke, Niu Wenxing seemed to realize something, shaking slightly in disbelief as he looked at Xu Qingfan.

Seeing Niu Wenxing’s astonishment, Xu Qingfan smiled slightly and replied, "That’s right. The next person I want to meet is indeed the greatest person from ancient times to now, the Demon Ancestor."

"Is he…is he still alive?"

Even with Niu Wenxing’s intelligence, his face was filled with disbelief at that moment.

Xu Qingfan sighed and said, "Not only is he alive, but if he chooses to emerge from hiding, he would still be the top person in the world, even though his strength is only half of what it used to be."

"So… what the senior asked from the Demon Ancestor was…?"

"Do you know what caused the Demon Ancestor’s defeat back then?"

"The Holy Spirit Sword?!"

"Yes, the Holy Spirit Sword. If I’m not mistaken, that divine sword is still in the hands of the Demon Ancestor."

Xu Qingfan’s gaze drifted far away as he spoke softly, unsure if he was talking to Niu Wenxing or to himself.