Chapter 2139: Chapter 2176: Soul Imprint
"We have no secrets in front of the Master! What does the Master wish to ask?" Ye Li said very sincerely, "We will tell the Master everything."
Ding Fan nodded and asked, "What is your... realm?"
Upon hearing Ding Fan’s question, Ye Li immediately responded without even thinking, "The five of us are at the Fifth Level Peak in the Divine Realm. Unfortunately, this alien world almost lacks the kinds of spiritual materials we need to advance, otherwise, we would have broken through to the Sixth Level of the Divine Realm by now."
"The Sixth Level of the Divine Realm!"
Ding Fan and Mu Gaosou were shocked. The Sixth Level in the Divine Realm would be a formidable force in the Northern Desolation of the Divine Realm, where there are no experts above the Seventh Level, and the strongest is at the Sixth Level. But who could imagine that in this alien world, there are five experts who could ascend to the Sixth Level at any moment?
"What about the Meng Family? What’s their situation?"
Mu Gaosou asked Ye Li, unable to contain his curiosity, and Ding Fan added, "Aren’t the Meng Family members living with you?"
"Oh, they live in the northern mountains, only a dozen miles away from us."
Ye Ren pointed westward, thinking for a moment, and explained, "The Meng Family’s leader and the three elders have also reached the Fifth Level Peak in the Divine Realm, but similarly, due to the lack of spiritual materials, they cannot break through."
"Four Fifth Level experts in the Divine Realm?"
Mu Gaosou marveled slightly; these two families have nine Fifth Level experts in the Divine Realm. In the Northern Desolation, they could easily sweep through many families and forces. Once they break through, they could probably resist those Fifth Grade forces.
Ding Fan was speechless as he digested the information, casually ate a few pieces of meat, and asked the most important question, "Patriarch Ye, do you think we can still leave this alien world? We came here from the Tianmu Sea of the Northern Desolation. Can we return there?"
"If you can come in, you can go out," Ye Li nodded and said, "You must have activated a teleportation array when you came in, and there must be an array nearby. I will send someone to look for it later. Don’t worry; you can leave at any time."
"Mm-hmm."
Ding Fan and Mu Gaosou immediately relaxed, their tense hearts completely at ease. The two of them peacefully enjoyed the delicious food. Ding Fan and several elders drank a bowl each, and he recalled Ye Li’s words, puzzled, and asked Ye Li, "Send someone to find the teleportation array? Haven’t you gone out for thousands of years?"
"Yes, we have never gone out!"
Ye Li’s eyes showed a pained expression as he spoke to them, "Our ancestors left instructions that without the master’s directive, we cannot leave. Plus, the teleportation array here was set by the ancestors. Unless we reach the Sixth Level in the Divine Realm, no one from our two families can leave. Yet, in this small world, there’s precisely a lack of the few spiritual materials needed to advance. Therefore, over the thousands of years, no one in our two families has ever left."
"Of course, even if we break through to the Sixth Level of the Divine Realm, we still wouldn’t dare to leave!"
Ye Li continued, his face looking grim. He sighed and told the two, "Our enemies are too powerful. Once our people appear outside, and this news reaches the enemy, our two families will be destroyed immediately."
Ding Fan frowned and asked Ye Li, puzzled, "Patriarch Ye, since you haven’t been out, how do you know your enemies are still there? What if they’ve been killed? What if their clan has been exterminated?"
"Killed? Exterminated? That’s impossible."
Ye Li shook his head and said, "Master, you may not know how powerful our enemies are. They stand at the pinnacle of the Central Continent and are among the strongest families in the Divine Realm. It’s only been a few thousand years; how could these powerful families perish? Moreover... our enemies aren’t just one family but six families out of the top ten in the Central Continent."
"This..."
Ding Fan rubbed his chin. It’s said that the Central Plains is the largest continent in the Divine Realm, dozens of times bigger than the Northern Desolation. The Central Plains is where the strongest martial artists in the Divine Realm are, any powerful family could easily sweep through the Northern Desolation.
The Ye and Meng families’ enemies are six of the top ten families in the Central Continent? As their master, is Ding Fan to lead them back to their ancestral land, to restore their past glory?
In other words... is Ding Fan helping these two families to contend against six of the top ten families in the Central Continent?
Thinking of this, Ding Fan frowned, his mouth twitching slightly. He couldn’t even reach the Central Plains now, let alone oppose the six major families. Any errand boy from the six families could easily kill him. What does he have to fight the six families?
Ye Li, seeing Ding Fan’s eyes, guessed his thoughts. Ye Li’s eyes showed a hint of a smile as he said to Ding Fan, "Master, don’t put too much pressure on yourself. You’re still young; we have enough patience to wait for your rise, for the master was foretold by the ancestor, so one day you will rise, and we will do our utmost to help you."
"Do our utmost to help you!"
These four words made Mu Gaosou’s eyes shrink abruptly. Looking at Ding Fan, his eyes were full of jealousy. This alien world shouldn’t be too big, but even if it’s small, it’s still an alien world.
The most important thing is, this small world is so rich, with countless Heaven and Earth Spiritual Materials. Ye Xiaoxi, so young, is already a Third Level expert in the Divine Realm, undoubtedly consuming Heaven and Earth Spiritual Materials like meals as a child to reach such a realm.
Now everything belongs to Ding Fan? How many resources does Ding Fan have? How much Black Obsidian can it exchange for? He couldn’t imagine and felt extremely excited inside.
Ding Fan was also a bit excited. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva and said to Ye Li, "Thank you, Patriarch Ye. Ding Fan’s power is weak, and I’m afraid I can’t live up to your expectations."
"That’s no big deal!"
Ye Li said very assuredly to Ye Fan, "The Master is the ancestor’s choice. Even if you can’t bring our two families back to the ancestral lands, we won’t blame you. As long as the master does his best and remembers our two clans, it is already enough."
"Yes! I will never forget you all."
When Ye Li said this, Ding Fan felt somewhat relieved, as the current situation was of no harm to him. As for the future, that could be discussed later. If he could help the people of the two clans, Ye Fan would certainly assist them. Ding Fan was always someone who repaid kindness and would not forget them.
"Goo~"
Mu Gaosou swallowed several times nervously and asked Ye Li, "Patriarch Ye, do you have materials here to advance to the Fourth Level Realm of the Divine Realm?"
Ye Li glanced casually at Mu Gaosou and said to him nonchalantly, "Yes, I have materials that can increase hundreds of times."
Mu Gaosou suddenly became excited, looking at Ding Fan, clearly wishing for Ding Fan to obtain some materials for him. He wanted to immediately advance to the Fourth Level Realm of the Divine Realm.
Ding Fan directly ignored Mu Gaosou’s gaze. When he encountered a crisis back then, Mu Gaosou had left Ding Fan alone in the woods and ran away. Ding Fan still remembered this, thinking that asking him to help Mu Gaosou would be dreaming! At this moment, Ding Fan was even considering having Mu Gaosou leave Skull Island once they got out.
Ye Li’s gaze swept over Ding Fan casually, seemingly guessing something, and he smiled at the slightly disappointed Mu Gaosou, saying, "You’ve tried to reach the Fourth Level Realm of the Divine Realm numerous times, haven’t you? Your body’s vital energy has been damaged. Even if given endless materials, you will never reach the Fourth Level Realm of the Divine Realm."
"Hmm?" Mu Gaosou’s expression changed, his eyes flashing with shock, and he cupped his hands towards Ye Li, saying, "I humbly ask Patriarch Ye for guidance!"
"There’s no need for guidance. If I help you, you can advance to the Fourth Level Realm of the Divine Realm within three days." Ye Li smiled lightly and said to Mu Gaosou.
"Boom...!"
Mu Gaosou felt like he was struck by lightning. His body trembled violently, almost kneeling. He stood up and bowed, saying to Ye Li, "Please help me, Patriarch Ye. Ye Family’s kindness will not be forgotten; I will reward you greatly in the future."
"Pleading won’t work."
Ye Li waved his hand and looked back at an elder of the Ye Family, saying, "Second Grand Elder, take him out first. I have a few words to say to the master."
An elder gestured for him to go out, leaving Mu Gaosou anxious and uneasy, while looking at Ye Fan, who ignored him. Mu Gaosou had no choice but to follow.
"Master!"
After a while, when Mu Gaosou had left, Ye Li turned to Ding Fan and said, "Is Mu Gaosou the master’s subordinate or elder? Can I help him?"
"No! There’s no need!"
Ding Fan turned around and said to Ye Li, "He’s just an ingrate. I almost got killed by wild beasts in the forest, yet he escaped alone. What’s the use of keeping someone like him?"
Seeing Ding Fan’s dissatisfaction with Mu Gaosou, Ye Li pondered for a while, then said to Ding Fan, "How about this? I can plant a soul beacon in Mu Gaosou, making him completely obedient to you, then help him advance to the Fourth Level Realm of the Divine Realm. The master always has to go out, and having a Fourth Level expert beside you can offer some protection for your safety, given that we’re not able to leave yet."
"Soul beacon?" Ding Fan’s eye twitched slightly and said, "That doesn’t seem right..."
Planting a soul beacon on Mu Gaosou was akin to making him a slave, like the Tigertooth Ape. If he was an alien race, he could accept it; however, Mu Gaosou was a human, causing Ding Fan some internal resistance.
Ye Li laughed, said nothing, and called for Mu Gaosou. When Mu Gaosou entered, Ye Li said to him, "Mu Gaosou, I can help you break through the shackles of the Third Level Peak of the Divine Realm and even provide endless resources for you to advance your realm. If you break through, we can help you reach the Sixth Level Realm Peak of the Divine Realm."
"Hmm?"
Mu Gaosou felt happiness arriving so suddenly that he wanted to kneel, but Ye Li sneered and said, "Don’t be in a hurry to thank me—there are conditions."
Mu Gaosou nodded repeatedly, saying, "Please instruct me, Patriarch Ye."
"I want to plant a soul beacon in you," he pointed at Ding Fan, "You will serve my master as a slave for a hundred years. After a hundred years, you will be free. I won’t force you; the choice is in your own hands."
"Soul beacon?"
Mu Gaosou exclaimed in shock, instinctively fearful, knowing that if a soul beacon was planted in him, his life and death would be entirely controlled by Ding Fan. Many Divine Realm experts would rather die than have a soul beacon planted.
"Alright!"
But Mu Gaosou only hesitated for a brief moment before making up his mind. He didn’t have much life to spare, and if he didn’t break through to the Fourth Level Realm of the Divine Realm, he would die of old age.
Advancing to the elementary stage of the Fourth Level Realm of the Divine Realm could grant him six hundred more years of life, reaching the middle stage would offer one thousand two hundred years, and achieving peak would give him nearly one thousand eight hundred years. Being Ding Fan’s slave for a hundred years was no big deal.
Moreover, the former Royal Family Ye Family and Meng Ai were now both considered Ding Fan’s subordinates, a fact he did not find shameful.
"Hmm?"
