Just as Jiang Taixu was about to make a move, Jiang Liu shook his head, took a step forward, and threw a punch.
"shock……"
The "Shake" technique! The void trembled, a single punch unleashing an aura of annihilation. Shattered, pulverized, reduced to dust…
The enormous and terrifying dragon claw vanished instantly, startling several powerful demons.
Jiang Liu clenched his fist and said in a deep voice, "Everyone, my friend has made it very clear that the Demon Emperor's Heart is no longer in his hands... Don't think we are easy targets. If you really want to fight, we're ready!"
"Where did the Demon Emperor's Heart go?" Yan Ruyu asked, frowning slightly.
"I don't know. He transformed into a rainbow and escaped; I couldn't stop him!"
Just then, the commotion from the recent battle seemed to be sensed by the people in the Holy City, and countless beams of light flew in. Within moments, a crowd had gathered at a distance to watch.
"Jiang Liu?!" Someone called Jiang Liu's name, and then the Holy Son of Yao Guang Holy Land and Yao Xi arrived in a rainbow, followed by a group of people. The Holy Maiden of Yao Chi Holy Land was also there, but Jiang Liu did not recognize the others.
"Brother, it's been a long time!"
Those were the descendants of the Thirteen Great Bandits, and this group of petty bandits also came over.
Several powerful demon clan members remained unfazed, standing firm as mountains, coldly observing Jiang Liu and his group. Yan Ruyu shook her head and transmitted her voice, "Seniors, the Demon Emperor's heart is not with them; I can sense it..."
"Hmph! Let's go..."
An old monster appeared in the Holy City. Several powerful demons did not want to spread the news of the birth of the Demon Emperor's Heart. They sent a telepathic message to Jiang Liu, asking him to keep it a secret, and then took Yan Ruyu away.
Chapter 352 The Heart Thief
The descendants of the thirteen bandits gathered together, glaring angrily at the Holy Son of Yao Guang and his group, having suffered losses at his hands. Tu Fei, meanwhile, glanced at Yao Xi, then at Jiang Liu, before slapping his thigh, his eyes gleaming.
"Tu Fei, didn't you say you wanted to snatch a saintess as your wife? What, are you eyeing the Holy Maiden of Yao Guang?" Li Heishui grinned wickedly.
"Brothers, I've discovered a huge secret..."
"What?"
Having piqued everyone's curiosity, Tu Fei whispered, "Look at Yao Xi, the way she's looking at Brother Gaoshou, it's not normal, it's not normal! Brothers, Brother Gaoshou really managed to seduce the Holy Maiden of Yaoguang Holy Land... Holy crap, the Holy Son of Yaoguang is green with envy!"
These fearless bandits all stared intently at Yao Xi, then nodded in unison, saying, "Something's not right!"
"This master is truly a master; he is a role model for us all!"
With admiration in his eyes, Tu Fei muttered, "This friend is worth having. I want to discuss... no, I want to learn from him. When my grandfather was young, all he wanted was to snatch a saintess. That's been my goal all along, but even if you get the saintess's body, you can't get her heart! Stealing her heart is the real thief!"
Seeing Jiang Liu again, Yao Xi felt a strange joy welling up inside her, her heart pounding. This feeling was something she both strongly resisted and deeply delighted by. A profound contradiction!
“We’ve met that person before!” Yao Guang’s Holy Son smiled brightly, like the sun shining in the sky, but there was a strange look in his smile, as if he had noticed Yao Xi’s abnormality.
But he remained composed and did not ask any questions on the spot. Some people don't try to show off; a casual gesture reveals their extraordinary nature. Without a doubt, the Holy Son of Yaoguang was such a person, outstanding and exceptional, standing out from the crowd like a crane among chickens, transcending the mundane.
Yao Xi, on the other hand, was breathtakingly beautiful, even more ethereal and otherworldly, like a divine moon hanging in the sky, radiant and dazzling, making those around her feel inferior. Every inch of her skin seemed to belong to another world, crystal clear and carrying the aura of a celestial being.
Of all the women present, only the Holy Maiden of Yaochi could rival her, and the two women became the focus of the entire event. Of course, if Yan Ruyu hadn't left, the three would have been evenly matched.
As the demon group departed, many wanted to ask Jiang Liu and his companions what had just happened. However, the Holy Son and Holy Daughter of Yao Guang and Yao Chi Holy Land were already approaching, forcing them to retreat. But the descendants of the Thirteen Great Bandits were not afraid of the Holy Land and strode over with their tails between their legs.
Tu Fei laughed heartily, then shook his head and sighed as he looked at the Holy Son of Yao Guang, saying, "Holy Son of Yao Guang, what can I say about you? What can you do besides radiating light? Look at my expert brothers, that's a true man. You... you can only be this..."
As he spoke, Tu Fei stretched out his right hand and made a turtle gesture!
Yao Xi's expression changed, but she quickly concealed it, her heart trembling slightly. The Holy Son of Yao Guang, however, maintained his smile, quietly watching him without saying a word.
Tu Fei punched a large cotton ball, but he didn't stop there. He continued, "Let me make this clear! You can't become the Holy Lord of Yao Guang Holy Land. Do you know why? Because you can't marry the Holy Maiden. She no longer belongs to you!"
The Holy Son of Yaoguang remained unmoved, but several Yaoguang disciples behind him could not suppress their anger and wanted to tear Tu Fei's sly face to shreds.
"I'm telling the truth, don't take offense. People in our line of work have the sharpest eyes and the most accurate judgment of people!" Tu Fei said seriously, "Fairy Yao Xi does not belong to Yao Guang!"
Yao Xi raised her eyebrows slightly, like a wisp of smoke veiling the bright moon, like flowing light accompanying the moonlight, making her seem like she was in a celestial realm. She parted her red lips slightly and said, "Tu Fei, are you courting death?"
"Alright, alright, I won't say anything more! You know, I know, heaven knows, earth knows... Hahaha, expert brother, we're here to watch you slap the Holy Land in the face, to cheer you on, to support you. Don't worry, if these hypocritical Holy Lands dare to harm you, we will be your solid backing..."
These bandits love nothing more than watching the holy sons and daughters of the Holy Land capsize. If there's a good show to watch, they naturally want to watch it even more excitingly, wishing they could add fuel to the fire.
Looking at Jiang Liu, Yao Guang Shengzi seemed to recall something and said, "You are the one who came to the Northern Region with us. Although your appearance has changed, your aura remains the same!"
"I'll use your Yao Guang's domain gate to traverse the void, don't blame me!" Jiang Liu said calmly. Now his strength was enough to crush the Yao Guang Holy Son, but behind this boy was the inherited power of the Ruthless Great Emperor's lineage, and there must be protectors present, so he should not be underestimated.
"A true warrior achieves great feats without boasting of his accomplishments. That punch you just delivered blocked the Azure Dragon King's attack. You are truly remarkable. It's quite interesting that such a powerful figure as yourself has appeared in this world without anyone noticing!" The Holy Son of Yao Guang drifted away. He could tell that Jiang Liu had no intention of befriending him, so naturally he wouldn't try to curry favor with him.
The Holy Maiden of Yaochi was quite interested in Jiang Liu, but since Yao Xi had left, she had no choice but to leave as well.
“Brother, you…” A few bandits approached, but their expressions didn’t look good when they saw Duan De and the big black dog.
Duan De robbed Wu Zhongtian's ancestral grave, and Hei Huang bit Tu Fei badly. They were enemies, but they endured it all to see Jiang Liu humiliate the Holy Land.
"Duan De, you robbed my great-grandfather's tomb. We'll settle this score later. Be prepared to be hunted down! Damn it, just thinking about it makes me furious..."
Black Emperor grinned and said, "Fatty, so you're a professional excavator. I'm impressed!"
Duan De was naturally unafraid of the few bandits and immediately confronted them head-on.
Chaos erupted.
Jiang Liu felt like he had entered a vegetable market. He shook his head and said, "It's getting late, I'll be going now!"
"For the sake of my fellow experts, I'll spare your life..."
"Woof... Time to activate the Divine Source!"
The sun had already set in the west. Looking at the huge and ancient holy city in front of him, Jiang Liu let out a long breath: Nine-aperture stone man, I'm here; monkey, I'm here; elixir of immortality, I'm here!
The holy city was ablaze with color at night, with starlight falling like wisps of smoke and moonlight cascading down like ripples on water.
"The Holy City can automatically absorb and release the power of all the stars in the heavens!" Jiang Taixu explained.
Jiang Liu wanted to observe the holy city further, and the others had already arrived. Wu Zhongtian said to Jiang Liu, "Brother, tonight, we'll treat you to a welcome feast. How about we go to the Myriad Desires Nunnery? The peerless beauty An Miaoyi has been born. She's the most beautiful woman in the Eastern Wilderness. If you can win her favor, you can not only marry her, but also become the master of the Myriad Desires Nunnery in the future..."
"Oh!" Jiang Liu vaguely remembered this woman, but she was still not as attractive as the Divine Source.
Chapter 353 Reunion with Ye Fan
Stepping into the Immortal Stone Workshop in the Holy City, Jiang Liu tried his skills in an ordinary area. Under the provocation of Tu Fei, Hei Huang, and others, holy sons from holy lands came to gamble one after another, allowing Jiang Liu to accumulate tens of thousands of catties of pure source.
"Brother, that's great! Today we finally see the faces of these Holy Sons who have been humiliated... Holy Son of Yaoguang, how about you make a bet with the brother? You don't seem to have much wealth, you should save it for your wife..." Tu Fei laughed loudly, wanting to see the Holy Son of Yaoguang suffer, but the Holy Son of Yaoguang remained unmoved.
Li Heishui crossed his arms and looked at the group of people in front of him with disdain. He said, "Purple Mansion Saint Son, Dao Yi Saint Son, you are also Saint Sons of the Holy Land. Does losing a mere thousand catties of Source mean your fortunes are gone? Do you want me to lend you some? I'll give you as much Source as you need, with a 30% interest rate!"
These bandits wanted to see the holy sons suffer a setback; even if they gained nothing, they would still add fuel to the fire.
"I admit, your Source Technique is very powerful!" The Holy Son of Yao Guang remained calm and composed, his expression unchanged. He said, "You must have received the inheritance of a Source Master. Throughout history, five Source Masters have emerged from the Eastern Wilderness. Although the Source Master's inheritance is mysterious, it has never been interrupted. I have already invited the successor of a Source Master to come. Judging by the time, they should be arriving soon!"
Jiang Liu was slightly taken aback. In his hands, who else could obtain the true inheritance of the Source Master?
"I'm curious, who can you invite? I'll wait for you for half an hour. If you don't come, I'll go in and select the Divine Source Stone!"
“Alright, if he doesn’t come, I’ll gamble with you!” Yao Guang Holy Son said calmly, full of confidence.
Sure enough, not long after, they sensed a group of people approaching from afar.
Each of them possessed the bearing of a dragon, and none were inferior to the Holy Son of Yao Guang. In the center stood a young man, his entire body clad in golden armor that shone brightly, dazzling and imposing. He exuded heroic spirit, his dragon aura flowing and gleaming, revealing a profound and unfathomable cultivation level.
Someone recognized him as a prince from the Great Xia Dynasty of Zhongzhou.
The woman beside him, dressed in white, was ethereal and pure, with a special charm. She had a shaved head and was a nun; she was his sister.
Beside the prince of Great Xia stood a tall, slender man, appearing to be only twenty-four or twenty-five years old. His light blue robes fluttered in the wind, giving him a gentle and agile air. He possessed a unique charisma that easily drew people in and won their favor. This man was Hua Yunfei, the successor of the Ruthless Great Emperor's Devouring Heaven Demon Art.
Another man in purple robes appeared, his garments fluttering like a god descending to earth. He looked to be only about twenty years old, with eyes as bright as stars. It was Ji Haoyue, whom Jiang Liu had met at the Tai Xuan Sect, the divine body of the Ji family.
As fellow divine beings, Jiang Taixu glanced at him a few times.
Beside Ji Haoyue was a girl in purple, with big eyes and a captivating smile.
Jiang Liu's eyes, however, did not fall on these people, but on a boy. The face was both strange and familiar; it was not the face he remembered, but it was somewhat similar, and it should be what the boy looked like when he was young.
"Old classmate, long time no see!" Jiang Liu said with a slight smile.
"Liu Yunzhi?" Ye Fan narrowed his eyes, quite shocked. When he first arrived at the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land, he had personally thrown Liu Yunzhi, Li Changqing, and Wang Yan into the tiger's den. He originally thought they had all died in the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land, but now they suddenly appeared in front of him. How could he not be surprised?
"Of the four great joys in life, meeting an old friend in a foreign land is worth a drink. Ye Fan, I'll treat you to a drink tonight!" Jiang Liu knew that his body and Ye Fan had an irreconcilable conflict, a blood feud that most people would never forgive. Even if Jiang Liu said they were evenly matched, Ye Fan would never believe him.
"I didn't expect you to be so resilient. You couldn't even be killed in the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land. Well then, I'll throw you into the Primordial Ancient Mine!"
Clearly, Ye Fan was determined to kill Liu Yunzhi.
Jiang Liu shook his head, without a trace of anger, and smiled, "Old classmate, it's fate that we meet again, why fight? The former Liu Yunzhi is dead, my name is now Jiang Liu..."
"Whether it's Liu Yunzhi or Jiang Liu, there's no way to resolve the hatred between us. Why bother with this pretense?" Ye Fan sneered. He had clearly received some kind of powerful inheritance, and his entire body was filled with divine light. Coupled with his Ancient Sacred Body, his aura was overwhelming.
"Alright! So you're the successor of the Source Master invited by the Holy Son of Yaoguang? Today, let's not fight and kill, but compete with Source Techniques, how about it?"
Black Emperor grinned and said, "Jiang Liu, since we're enemies, let him lose his underwear today!"
Duan De chuckled and said, "He's just an Ancient Sacred Body. Without a great opportunity, his path will be severed once he reaches the Four Extremes Secret Realm..."
But he is the protagonist, the chosen one of this world, with great fortune, and he will become an immortal in the future!
Jiang Liu pointed deep into the stone workshop: "The source stones here are too ordinary. Let's go to the Heavenly Stone Garden and gamble big, how about it? Although I don't know which generation of Source Master's inheritance you have obtained, you are really no match for me!"
Jiang Liu was telling the truth. What he received was the true inheritance. No matter how much inheritance Ye Fan received, it wouldn't be as complete as his. More importantly, he had just received the inheritance of the fourth-generation Source Master in the Primordial Ancient Mine.
"I sensed your power. You've inherited the legacy of the fifth-generation Source Master, but do you think that's enough to determine who's superior? Hahahaha, my Source Arts are inherited from the second-generation Source Master, and they're no weaker than yours. Let's settle this with our skills! I'll make you submit completely, and then we'll have a fair fight. Since the Forbidden Land of the Ancient Desolate Land, only one of us can survive... If I can kill you once, I can kill you twice, three times..."
"Ye Fan, you're not fighting alone. You have me, and you have my seventh brother!" the woman in purple said, waving her fist at Jiang Liu.
The bright sunlight shines down, bathing the edges and corners of the stone archway in a holy glow. Walking here gives one a sense of peace, as if one's body and mind have been cleansed.
"The Heavenly Stone Garden, these two will either lose everything or make a fortune!" Many people gasped. The Heavenly Stone Garden has incredibly expensive stones. Even emperors from the Central Plains wouldn't dare to gamble there lightly. Losing even once would be enough to make even powerful figures feel heartbroken.
"Two successors of the Source Master, gambling on stones at the top-tier stone garden—this is going to be interesting!"
"So many years have passed, and now the successor of Master Yuan has reappeared in the world. I wonder if he can still possess even a fraction of Master Yuan's insight... I have high hopes for Jiang Liu. He has made his move several times and has never failed!"
"That's not necessarily true. Look at the Holy Son of Yao Guang, the divine body of the Ji family, and the prince of Da Xia. None of them have the slightest worry; they are clearly full of confidence. And look at Jiang Liu, a demon dog, a fat Taoist priest, an old man with one side buried in the ground, oh... and the descendants of the Thirteen Great Bandits... He lacks presence!"