Checking in for 100,000 Years

"This is not a Heart Demon."

Ye Yun's gaze flickered slightly as he spoke in a calm tone.

"Master, then what is it?"

Dragon Qing turned around and asked respectfully.

Ye Yun looked at the man in the green battle armor and said gently, "This is an Ancient Hero."

"An Ancient Hero?"

Dragon Qing was slightly stunned. He had never heard of 'Ancient Heroes' before.

Ye Yun explained with a smile, "These Ancient Relics are from the Tai Xuan Door, 120,000 years ago. At that time, while the sect was expanding its territory and at the height of its ambition, its entire membership was obliterated. Many of the powerful warriors who died were powerhouses of the Destiny Realm and the Life and Death Realm. Their wills didn't dissipate after death but remained attached to the sect's relics."

"This underwater area is an extremely yin-cold place, with a Mysterious Yin Spirit Vein beneath it. The wills of these powerhouses have continuously absorbed the yin energy from the Mysterious Yin Spirit Vein, gradually growing stronger. They not only began to manifest various illusions but also started to influence your Clan Members."

Oh... Dragon Qing nodded, seeming to somewhat understand.

Ye Yun continued, "This man was likely the most powerful within the Supreme Sect, so his willpower is the most intense. To survive in this world as an Ancient Hero, he used some Secret Technique to implant the Mysterious Yin Demon Seed into the bodies of your Clan Members, absorbing the abundant blood energy of the Five-Colored Dragon Carp."

"But that alone was not enough. In the end, he absorbed the will of all the powerhouses of the Supreme Sect and transformed into the semi-corporeal form he has now..."

"Master, is this Ancient Hero a ghost or a demon then?" Dragon Qing scratched his head and asked.

"Neither a ghost nor a demon; it's a special state formed by the will of the strong. This was not common even in the Ancient Era..." Ye Yun explained with a smile.

Only then did Dragon Qing finally understand.

He turned his gaze to the sky, where the sound of rumbling was continuous.

A massive black figure and countless sword lights were clashing repeatedly. The fight between the two powerhouses was extremely intense.

After absorbing the Mysterious Yin Demon Seed, the middle-aged man's strength had skyrocketed to the Eighth Layer of the Nirvana Realm, steadily suppressing the great demon in terms of power.

This caused Dragon Qing some concern. After all, this great demon that had descended from the sky was here to help them.

"Master, should I go and lend the great demon a hand?" Dragon Qing clasped his fists, asking Ye Yun for permission to fight.

"No need!" Ye Yun smiled faintly and directly refused.

Although the Big Black Cat was injured, it was fighting with increasing ferocity and showed no signs of impending defeat. Moreover, in a battle of this level, the strand of Divine Power stored within the Big Black Cat was rapidly dissolving, continuously enhancing its strength.

From a distance, the Big Black Horse watched the battle intently. Suddenly, it blurted out with a grin, revealing its large white teeth, "Hehe, the Little Cat is about to break through!"

Not long after it spoke, the blood-covered Big Black Cat suddenly trembled, and its Super Divine Dragon Breath abruptly surged. At this moment, it actually managed to break through to the Eighth Layer of the Nirvana Realm.

I broke through? The Big Black Cat abruptly retreated hundreds of meters in mid-air, raised its huge cat paws, and shouted excitedly.

It never imagined that after being stuck at the Seventh Level of Nirvanic Realm for so many years, it would suddenly break through in the middle of a battle. This is just like a cat version of Su Wanyi!

The Big Black Cat was extremely excited. Suddenly turning its head, it discovered another tail had grown. This astonishing discovery left it dumbfounded.

It suddenly recalled what the Master had said and hurriedly sensed the mysterious power within its body, only to find that more than half of it had disappeared. The Big Black Cat instantly understood.

This battle had benefited it greatly: a large part of the mysterious power had been digested, its realm had advanced, and most importantly, it had grown another tail. It was a Nine-tailed Spirit Cat. Each additional tail signified a rapid surge in its power.

"Haha, I have an extra tail!" The Big Black Cat was suddenly so excited it got a bit carried away, vigorously wiggling its round, chubby rear and swishing its four tails back and forth.

"Nine-tailed Spirit Cat, I didn't expect you would also break through." The middle-aged man looked at the great demon before him, a grave expression in his eyes. After all, in life, he was an unparalleled powerhouse; this Ancient Hero form was merely condensed from his remnant consciousness using his surviving will. His current consciousness had inherited few memories. But he still recognized the great demon before him as the Nine-tailed Spirit Cat.

"Not injured enough yet?" The Big Black Cat licked a wound on its paw, its mouth filling with blood. It lifted its gaze to the man in green battle armor opposite it, its two enormous cat eyes once again glowing green.

The injuries it sustained this time were far less severe than those inflicted by the Howling Sky Silver Wolf. Therefore, the Big Black Cat worried that the anticipated reward might be in jeopardy. With this thought in mind, it charged ferociously towards the man, attacking with desperate recklessness.

In the Big Black Cat's mind, it either had to kill the man completely, without needing Uncle Ma to intervene, or it had to sustain more severe injuries to earn its master's reward. For the sake of the reward, the Big Black Cat was truly giving its all.

Ye Yun observed the Big Black Cat's performance and nodded slightly. After all, it was a pet he had adopted along the way. If it wasn't even willing to risk its life, what use would such a pet be to him? Fortunately, the Big Black Cat didn't disappoint him. Not only was it extremely desperate in battle, but it was also quite amusing in its usual demeanor. It and the Big Black Horse made a good pair.

Ye Yun then shifted his gaze in another direction.

「Deep underground, tens of thousands of meters below.」

A silver coffin floated quietly within the Mysterious Yin Spirit Vein, slowly absorbing the Spiritual Energy from it. On the coffin, faint traces of lingering blood qi could be seen. That blood qi was precisely from Gongsun Li's flesh and blood. The pile of flesh and blood that disappeared from Gongsun Li's secret chamber had been stealthily absorbed by the being inside this coffin.

Ye Yun smiled faintly. The being inside the coffin is almost ready to emerge. I just don't know if it will have the courage to do so. In contrast, this Ancient Hero on the surface, who had been one of that being's pawns, was now out of control and no longer obeyed its commands.

Interesting... Ye Yun mused, his hands behind his back, watching the battle above with keen interest.

One was an Ancient Hero, the other a ten-thousand-year-old Corpse Demon. Both these entities had their own foundations; it would be difficult for either to control the other. Especially this Ancient Hero, a Life-Death Realm Powerhouse from 120,000 years ago, was at least one Major Realm stronger than the Corpse Demon's previous incarnation.

So, Ye Yun was waiting with anticipation to see how the upcoming drama would unfold.

RUMBLE!

The intense battle was nearing its end. The Big Black Cat, employing a reckless, all-out fighting style, was covered in injuries, while the man's body had become almost completely ethereal. It seemed he had lost the ability to fight on.

Just then—

BOOM!

The entire Ancient Relic suddenly trembled, as if some colossal entity underground had abruptly turned over.