Chapter 495: Chapter 495: The Powerful Gather at Cloud Mist Mountain
Between Heaven and Earth, clouds and mist billowed. The rolling clouds were like colossal waves, crashing through the Void as they approached.
Atop the great wave of clouds and mist stood a young man who appeared to be only in his early twenties.
He was dressed in a snow-white swordsman’s robe, its sleeves and hem dancing in the wind.
His black hair billowed, and with his sharp brows and starry eyes, the ancient aura emanating from him seemed to have reached a state of perfection.
The man was surrounded by a bevy of beauties, their lively chatter like that of orioles and swallows. Their sheer number was astonishing.
Every single one of them was a being comparable to a peerless Saintess.
Among the many Saintesses, a few possessed exceptionally potent qi and blood. They stood on the young man’s left and right, forming a direct guard.
Ye Tianling saw the man from afar. If he weren’t absolutely certain that he had thoroughly refined Ye Cangqian back then, he would have suspected that Ye Cangqian had been resurrected.
That young man was none other than Ye Cangkun.
In a brand new World, a brand new era, Ye Cangkun had risen to prominence.
With a single glance, Ye Tianling determined that Ye Cangkun was strong. This strength even surpassed that of his former self and Kong Lindao.
"The Jade Pool Sacred Land has become a Divine Land, a blessed place that nurtures incredible talent. It has produced countless geniuses—some awakened from ancient slumber, others newly risen. Yet among them all, Divine Son Ye Cangkun has always remained number one. He is truly a dazzling prodigy!"
"The Jade Pool Sacred Land has been completely different ever since Saint Master Yao Yusu’s death. Just think, back then, many Saint Masters had not yet reached the Saint Realm. Only Saint Master Yao Yusu stepped into the Nine Source Sword Saint Realm, which was enough to prove the power of the Jade Pool Sacred Land. Now that the Holy Land has become a Divine Land, its power is unimaginable."
"Ancient Fairy is very powerful too. She has the Immortal Fox bloodline and received the inheritance of the Celestial Secret Divine Land. What’s more, she possesses the Celestial Secret Divine Son’s one-of-a-kind Killing Dao inheritance. That’s the truly terrifying part!"
"This battle is a continuation of the fight between the Celestial Secret Divine Son and the Celestial Mandate Divine Son. It is a conflict that will go down in history."
"Ye Cangkun is truly powerful. His aura alone is enough to send a chill down your spine and make your heart pound. I’m at the Early Stage of Sword Void Six Transformations, yet I find myself completely unable to harbor any hostility toward him."
"Me too. He’s so strong! Seeing him for myself is a completely different experience. His reputation is well-deserved."
The surrounding Cultivators broke into a flurry of discussion, making the scene quite noisy.
Ye Tianling, however, kept his focus on Ye Cangkun.
With his hands clasped behind his back, Ye Cangkun stood upon the swirling clouds, having now arrived above the barren plains.
Ye Tianling could now see clearly that a full eighty women stood as his Guardian. The formation in which these eighty women stood was very deliberate.
No matter how one calculated it, Ye Cangkun occupied the "double nine" position within the formation, a clear metaphor for the "Supreme of Nine Nines."
From this formation alone, Ye Tianling could see Ye Cangkun’s ambition.
Among the eighty women, the former thirteen Saintesses of the Jade Pool Sacred Land were, to his surprise, present.
In addition, several Elders from the Jade Pool Divine Land had also come.
These Elders were all women, and their beauty was also stunning. But they remained silent, their faces grim and cold, exuding a biting chill.
’These people... the Ancient Qi within them is chilling, their willpower tyrannical and vast... They are all experts awakened from an ancient era.’
After observing them carefully, Ye Tianling’s pupils contracted slightly, and his expression grew even more solemn.
’In this battle, if Ancient Fairy’s side lacks a deep enough foundation, I’m afraid the situation will turn dire.’
Ye Cangkun’s gaze swept across the surroundings, his eyes icy and his face devoid of expression.
His eyes manifested the Power of the Taotie’s Devouring Law, and their depths were so profound that even Ye Tianling was slightly stirred. He stood there silently, yet he was like a great mountain between Heaven and Earth, an intimidating presence.
’He really is strong.’
Ye Tianling made a brief comparison. He was confident he could crush Ye Cangkun, but that was because he himself had reached the level of twenty-seven percent combat power, and his Battle Power had touched upon—or was even about to break—the Nine Forbidden.
’But not everyone could achieve that.’
"I heard that Divine Son Ye Cangkun previously fought and defeated Goddess Yao Meng’Er of the Radiant Divine Land!"
"I heard about that too! Goddess Yao Meng’Er is a monstrous talent, peerless and dazzlingly brilliant, with terrifyingly immense power. To think she was defeated by Divine Son Ye Cangkun!"
"Divine Son Ye Cangkun doesn’t seem as aggressive as Ye Cangqian was. He often holds back a little."
"That’s what’s smart about him. After all, the lesson from the Celestial Secret Divine Son’s time was a painful one."
"If the Celestial Secret Divine Son were still around... one can only imagine how magnificent he would be now."
"In this day and age... to be honest, even if the Celestial Secret Divine Son were still alive, I doubt he could achieve this much, could he?"
"What kind of goddamn bullshit is that? The Celestial Secret Divine Son slew a Divine King while only at the Sword Soul Realm! Was that not enough for you? Go ask these so-called Divine Sons if they could do the same if you threw them into a Small World! They’re just Divine Sons, but the Celestial Secret Divine Son was a Young Venerable!"
"Exactly! The Celestial Secret Divine Son was so domineering and unstoppable back then, running rampant with a Talent that crushed all other geniuses! These new Divine Son and Divine Lady are certainly impressive, but they can’t even break the Nine Forbidden. Don’t even talk about comparing them to the Celestial Secret Divine Son—they’re not in the same league!"
"That’s right! This Divine Son Ye Cangkun is incredibly powerful, but he’s still not qualified to be compared to the Celestial Secret Divine Son! If the Celestial Secret Divine Son were here, he would defeat Ye Cangkun with ease, even with the new World’s ridiculously strict rules!"
...
The topic of the Celestial Secret Divine Son was taboo.
Any Cultivator who dared to speak ill of the Celestial Secret Divine Son’s power would immediately be targeted.
Naturally, this scene did not escape the notice of Ye Cangkun and his entourage.
Ye Cangkun’s pupils contracted slightly, a hint of coldness appearing in his eyes, but he gave no outward sign of his thoughts.
’Celestial Secret Divine Son? He’s not dead, it’s true. But I hope he has the guts to show himself! In today’s battle, Ancient Fairy is just a secondary objective.’
A sharp, cold glint flashed in the depths of Ye Cangkun’s eyes.
"Brother Ye, this sort of thing doesn’t just happen here. Anywhere in the lands of the Human Race, the legend of the Celestial Secret Divine Son is a source of honor. He is the pride of our Human Race."
Chu Shaocheng looked at Ye Tianling, his eyes filled with deep admiration and respect.
At the same time, he felt incredibly honored—even though Ye Tianling now possessed world-shaking power, he still treated a former companion like him as a brother.
"Pride? I never thought about that. I was just trying to survive. Life is full of sorrows. The world has undergone immense changes, and nothing is as it was. Now, it all feels like a memory from a past life."
Ye Tianling lamented.
Que Zhishang didn’t understand the depth of his feelings, but he thought the words sounded profound and full of gravitas.
He firmly committed the phrase to memory.
Chu Shaocheng, along with Kong Daoxi and his three companions, felt a profound empathy—for they, of course, knew Ye Tianling’s identity.
"Immortal Phoenix Divine Son, why don’t you—"
Kong Daoze trailed off, puzzled, not daring to ask his question outright.
