When Yun Fan activated his devouring ability, he enveloped the Demon King in his power, and the Demon King’s strength poured into Yun Fan’s body.
After absorbing the Demon King’s power, Yun Fan directly broke through to the Saint Emperor realm. However, because most of the Demon King’s strength originated from the Immortal Dao curse, Yun Fan could not absorb much. He could not devour or digest the Immortal Dao curse.
He did not persist further, but undoubtedly, this bit of power was already enough for him. All he needed was to break through to Saint Emperor.
At this moment, the Demon King was on the verge of death. He roared at the two of them, "Even if I die, you think this is the end? No, this is just the beginning. Soon you will know what despair is!"
"Die!"
In his fury, the First Strongest One punched and shattered the Demon King.
He then said to Yun Fan, "My child, you did well. If it weren't for you, I might have died at his hands!"
These were the First Strongest One's true feelings. Although his strength surpassed the Demon King's, he had limited power against the Immortal Dao curse. Once his power was depleted, he would no longer be able to contend with the Demon King. It was precisely because of Yun Fan that the tide of battle was turned.
Yun Fan then said, "Father, this is all I should do. After we deal with him, you can return with me!"
However, the First Strongest One replied, "I cannot return for now. Although the Demon King is dead, if this land is not properly sealed, the Immortal Dao curse will continue to spread outwards!" This was also his greatest concern.
Yun Fan asked, "How long will it take to repair?"
"A hundred years!"
The First Strongest One said, "Child, you go back first! Leave this to your father. From now on, the Great Thousand World will be your stage for growth. The Demon King's death is not the end, but just the beginning. At this time, you must not be soft-hearted. In the Great Thousand World, whoever dares to be disobedient, simply destroy them!" In terms of decisiveness, he was even more resolute than Yun Fan. For instance, Yun Fan himself felt inferior to the First Strongest One's decisiveness ten thousand years ago in the universe and the Great Thousand World.
"Alright!"
Yun Fan nodded. He understood his father's intentions and thus obeyed his father's will.
Afterward, the father and son bid farewell, but it was evident that their brows were deeply furrowed. This was because the Immortal Dao curse was not an end, but a beginning. And the Immortal Dao curse was not like the previous strange, low-martial arts methods. Facing the Immortal Dao curse, they would face immense pressure, and their cultivation realms would reach an unfathomable level.
The tribulation of all races in the heavens was about to begin.
By the time Yun Fan returned to the Battle Heaven Clan, a month had already passed. The three elders were shocked to learn of Yun Fan and the First Strongest One's situation. Therefore, after Yun Fan provided them with the power to resist the Immortal Dao curse, the three elders went to assist the First Strongest One. With their help, what would have taken the First Strongest One a hundred years to seal could now be shortened to twenty years. This was the benefit of collective strength.
After they left, Yun Fan planned to stay with the Battle Heaven Clan for a while before departing. He had also obtained the coordinates of the universe and could return at any time. However, he dared not return now. It was not for any other reason but fear of bringing the Immortal Dao curse back with him. Even the Great Thousand World and the Primordial Immortal Realm could not withstand it. The universe was even more fragile and would likely collapse instantly when resisting the Immortal Dao curse. Therefore, Yun Fan had no plans to return for the time being. If, one day, the Great Thousand World truly shattered, then the universe would be his only retreat.
At this moment, the three women, Yun San, approached. Upon seeing that Yun Fan's cultivation realm had reached Saint Emperor, they were all moved. This rate of progress was simply too fast! Xue Sha was unaware of the specifics, but Zi Xuan and Mu Qingxian knew. The first time they met Qin Chuan, he had only just entered the Saint King realm. In the entire Great Thousand World, though not numerous, these few powerhouses were at the lowest tier. Who would have thought that after such a short period, Yun Fan would have advanced so rapidly to break through to Saint Emperor? In terms of combat power, he was certainly not as strong as Xue Sha, but he was not much weaker than Zi Xuan.
Of course, after breaking through to Saint Emperor, Yun Fan had also experimented with the Immortal Dao curse, and it was indeed as the three elders had said. Although Yun Fan was still unable to do anything about the Immortal Dao curse, he could barely suppress it. For him, this was undoubtedly progress.
Yun Fan then said, "My breakthrough this time was entirely unexpected. My path to advancement has always been aided by luck!" However, the three women disagreed. Such rapid progress was by no means simply luck; it was often accompanied by talent and strength.
Mu Qingxian also said, "My lord, after the Immortal Dao curse was suppressed, I also broke through!" Although she had only reached Saint Emperor, Mu Qingxian's progress was undeniably very rapid. Xue Sha rolled her eyes at her. Only Xue Sha knew how powerful Mu Qingxian was before her rebirth through surrogacy. She was definitely on par with Saint Venerable or even higher. Mu Qingxian's current state was not a breakthrough, but a recovery.
"Is that so? That's wonderful!" Yun Fan said excitedly. It was a joyous occasion for him when those around him could break through.
Yun Fan then said, "Alright, let's get organized. It's time to depart!"
"Where are we going next? Are we going to see the sisters?" Zi Xuan asked. She knew that Yun Fan’s ultimate goal was always to return to his homeland. Therefore, as long as he could return, they would accompany him.
"No!"
Yun Fan explained the current situation and the future crises to the three women. Upon hearing this, the three women were deeply moved. They had not expected things to have escalated to such a grave extent. Therefore, Yun Fan instructed them to return to their respective races and make preparations. The Great Thousand World would face an unprecedented trial in the future. Facing this trial, unity alone would not be enough to resolve it.
Upon understanding the severity of the situation, Zi Xuan immediately departed. Xue Sha, on the other hand, escorted Mu Qingxian back. After all, they had intertwined connections. Yun Fan made arrangements to meet them at the Elf race after he returned from the Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox race. The three women knew that although they were parting temporarily, it would not be for too long.
After bidding farewell to the three women, Yun Fan prepared to leave the Battle Heaven Clan. He instructed the Battle Heaven Clan to remain on standby and to mobilize immediately if his forces were needed, to march with him. He had intended to speak with Jun Wumeng and prevent him from playing any more tricks, but he received news that Jun Wumeng seemed to have disappeared. No one knew where he had gone, but he had left the Battle Heaven Clan. Yun Fan, unconcerned, simply left. A mere Jun Wumeng, even if he escaped, what waves could he stir up? Besides, the other party was his half-brother. As long as he did not continue to commit evil, Yun Fan would not bother.
...
Three months later, Yun Fan arrived at the territory of the Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox race. However, unbeknownst to him, Bai Hu was currently distressed.
"Sister, why have you been so downcast since your return from your worldly trials?" another stunning woman asked Bai Hu with concern. From their interactions during this period, Bai Hu had been acting strangely.
Bai Hu replied, "Sister, I don't want to cultivate the Heavenly Fox Divine Skill!" She knew that once she cultivated this technique, she would never be able to have a man again. This was preposterous. She did not want to lose Yun Fan. This was precisely why she had been so dejected these past few months. The clan had been pressuring her to cultivate this skill, but she had been using various excuses to procrastinate. Now, her true intentions had been seen through by Bai Ling.
Bai Ling said, "Foolish! Only by cultivating this technique can there be hope of breaking through to Saint Venerable in the future! I have already achieved minor success, reaching the peak of Saint Emperor! If you don't cultivate, let alone reach my realm, even recovering to Saint Emperor will be difficult!" Bai Hu was a powerful individual, but her cultivation realm had been stagnant, and she had not even crossed into Saint Emperor. Therefore, within the Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox race, she was becoming a liability, especially since her sister, Bai Ling, was the matriarch of the Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox lineage.
"Sister, I would rather die than cultivate it! Please stop forcing me, okay?"
"Insolence!" Bai Ling angrily asked, "Give me a reason! Why won't you cultivate?"
"Because I want a man!" Bai Hu stated bluntly.
"Silence!" Bai Ling’s face flushed. She couldn't believe Bai Hu would come up with such a shameless excuse.
"It's true!" Bai Hu insisted. "Sister, I have already found a man I like, and I have become his woman. Although his strength is not strong, he conquered me with his charm! In this life, I will follow him forever!" Yes, it was not Yun Fan's strength that had conquered Bai Hu, but his charm. Previously, Bai Hu had only regarded Yun Fan as a tool. But now, she considered him the love of her life.
"What?" Bai Ling was instantly shocked. After her shock, she angrily exclaimed, "You are foolish! Haven't I repeatedly told you not to trust men? Why don't you listen?"
However, Bai Hu replied, "Sister, he is no ordinary man. He is a man who has captivated me!"
Bai Ling asked exasperatedly, "Let me ask you, does he have only you?" She certainly didn't believe it. Even if a man had only one woman initially, he would eventually be tempted by other attractive women. She herself was an example. The man she had fallen in love with back then was also a charming man, and moreover, he was of noble Battle Heaven bloodline. He had also vowed to love her alone for life, but what was the final outcome? After she gave birth to his child, he had secretly indulged in affairs with others. In anger, she returned to the Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox race with her child and vowed to sever all ties with him forever.
But he was even more shameless, leading the Battle Heaven race to the Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox race to demand the child. She refused to hand over the child, but the elders of the clan, for the sake of inter-racial relations, made her give up the child. Counting from then, she had not seen her son for almost twenty thousand years. She had left the Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox race several times to search for him, but the news she received was that he had lost her son. This was even more unbearable for Bai Ling. She cultivated this top-tier technique precisely to find her son after achieving mastery and to kill that heartless man.
"Although he has many women, he is sincere to each of his wives, including me!" This statement completely shattered Bai Ling's worldview. She knew her sister was beyond redemption, believing such nonsense. What puzzled her was that although she had not spent much time with her sister, who was often away, she knew her sister possessed exceptional methods, and ordinary men could not move Bai Hu. Unlike herself in the past, who was swayed by a few sweet words from the First Strongest One, that heartless man. For Bai Hu, even if he offered his heart, she wouldn't fall for him. Why had she fallen this time? Could it be that the man truly had extraordinary qualities?
Bai Ling said, "Sister, you are truly incorrigible. You believe such lies. You wait to be hurt by him!"
Bai Hu replied, "He wouldn't bear to hurt me! I will go find him when the three-year period is up!"
"What?" Bai Ling asked in confusion, "Why three years?"
"Because one of his wives has at most three years to live. During these three years, I will spend my time with him. How could I bear to disturb them!" Upon hearing this, Bai Ling knew her sister was finished, completely beyond hope. At this point, there was only one course of action that could salvage the situation: kill this scoundrel of scoundrels. Yes, a scoundrel. If the First Strongest One was a scoundrel, then this man was even more disgusting, truly a scoundrel among scoundrels.
At this very moment, Bai Hu’s eyes suddenly flashed, "He's here, he's here! I can feel his aura!" In the next moment, Bai Hu turned into a streak of light and rushed out. Bai Ling, however, did not leave, as she planned to act tonight and kill this scoundrel among scoundrels, completely extinguishing her sister’s hopes. Otherwise, her sister would be ruined. All she could do now was to save her if possible.
...
When Bai Hu saw Yun Fan arrive, she leaned her head into his embrace. "What's wrong? The three-year period hasn't ended yet. Did she already..." Bai Hu looked at Yun Fan in shock. Although she was happy to see Yun Fan in less than three years, she felt great pity for Mu Qingxian, a woman facing imminent death.
Yun Fan smiled and said, "It's not like that!"
"Then what is it?"
At this moment, Yun Fan told Bai Hu everything that had happened after she left. Upon hearing this, Bai Hu’s expression became one of disbelief. She had not expected things to be so miraculous and beyond her predictions. Yun Fan had helped Mu Qingxian overcome her ordeal, and now Yun Fan had broken through to the Saint Emperor realm. Every event moved her deeply. She also lamented how hard-won all of this was.
At this point, she and Yun Fan arrived at the Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox race. Then, she impatiently clung to Yun Fan. Things were different now. The previous Yun Fan was indeed no match for her, but now that Yun Fan had broken through to Saint Emperor, he had the capital to be arrogant. Therefore, this time, Yun Fan "dealt with" her terribly. How terribly? So terribly that Bai Ling could hear Bai Hu's screams from tens of miles away.
"Shameless, truly shameless!" Bai Ling was furious. To engage in such indecent acts in broad daylight! If this place did not block out everything from the outside, the entire Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox race would be able to hear the screams of this pair of adulterers. In any case, she felt utterly disgraced. This time, she was even more determined to kill Bai Hu's lover, otherwise, Bai Hu would not change her mind. Men were all bad, they were all the same. Although killing this man would surely make Bai Hu resent her, once Bai Hu came to her senses, she would be grateful to her, as she had done the right thing.
...
That night, Yun Fan was drinking tea and admiring the moon in the courtyard. Originally, Bai Hu was supposed to accompany him, but due to her regained strength, Bai Hu was busy preparing to break through to the Saint Emperor realm. Therefore, he was left alone in the courtyard. His purpose in coming to the Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox race was twofold: first, to see Bai Hu, and second, to find his mother. However, Bai Hu was currently in seclusion, and he was unfamiliar with the place. Therefore, he decided to wait. Once Bai Hu emerged from seclusion, he would ask her to take him to find his mother.
Unexpectedly, at this very moment, a murderous intent suddenly appeared, making Yun Fan feel immense pressure. Yes, even though he was now a Saint Emperor, already at the peak of combat power in the Great Thousand World, he was still shocked by this pressure. Just then, he quickly dodged, but he was still struck by the murderous intent. Yun Fan instantly spat out a mouthful of blood, feeling extremely weak. Yes, you read that right, he was a Saint Emperor. Coupled with his Battle Heaven bloodline, he was considered invincible among those of the same realm. No, he was absolutely invincible. Yet, he was defeated in one move by the opponent. One could imagine how powerful the opponent was. Lying on the ground, he prepared to rise and counterattack, but unexpectedly, he was stomped upon the back. At this moment, Yun Fan felt as if his internal organs were about to shatter.
The gap was so vast. At this moment, he decisively gave up resisting, as he was only at the first stage of Saint Emperor, while the opponent was at least at the third stage. In terms of strength, they were stronger than Xue Sha, second only to his father and the three elders. Such a powerhouse could be described as capable of killing gods and destroying worlds. How could a mere Yun Fan be a match? At this moment, the opponent sensed Yun Fan's Battle Heaven power.
"Battle Heaven Clan?" Bai Ling roared, "Then you must die even more!" In the next moment, she unleashed her power again, delivering another series of blows to Yun Fan. Yun Fan was beaten to half his life. For him, he had never been so humiliated. He was clearly a max-level player, yet he had no room to fight back. "Help, save me!" Yun Fan frantically cried for help, hoping Bai Hu would arrive to save him. He had never been so cowardly. He had no choice! The opponent was too strong. If he continued to call for help now, it would be a sure death. This was undoubtedly the most soul-crushing scene for Yun Fan.
However, Bai Hu did not sense him. Bai Ling said disdainfully, "Don't waste your effort. No one will come to save you!" Just as she was about to kill Yun Fan, she inadvertently saw Yun Fan's appearance. In the next moment, she froze on the spot. He looked so alike! Even after Yun Fan's rebirth, his facial features were still similar to the First Strongest One. At first glance, if Yun Fan hadn't appeared so young, she would have suspected that the scoundrel had returned. Seeing Yun Fan now, her heart could no longer remain calm. Therefore, she immediately asked Yun Fan, "Who is the First Strongest One to you?"
"He is my father!" Yun Fan admitted defeat. In the face of such a peerless expert, it was wise to admit defeat when necessary. Only by admitting defeat could one survive.
Bai Ling was somewhat startled, "Then who is your mother?"
"I don't know, but my father told me that my mother is in the Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox race, so I came to find my mother!" Upon hearing this, Bai Ling was instantly stunned. Her heart was filled with endless regret. She had almost killed her own son in a fit of anger. Therefore, at this moment, she was extremely self-blaming and unforgiving. She immediately said to Yun Fan, "I was just testing your strength just now. It seems your strength has satisfied me!"
"Really?" Yun Fan was puzzled internally. She had almost beaten him to death, yet she claimed it was a test of his strength. However, at this moment, he could only play along. "Senior, you are correct!"
"What senior? I am your mother!" Bai Ling said affectionately. She had never expected to see her son again after tens of thousands of years. At this moment, Bai Ling felt that all of this was a gift from heaven. As long as she could see her son again, it was enough.
"What?" Yun Fan was instantly stunned. Then, after Bai Ling explained the situation, Yun Fan realized how coincidental everything was. "Mom! You hit me pretty hard just now! You were trying to kill me, weren't you!" Yun Fan complained. He was just a tiny bit away from complete annihilation.
Bai Ling's face flushed with embarrassment. "Son, you misunderstand. How could I possibly bear to kill you? I was merely trying to stimulate your martial potential. How could you suspect that Mom wanted to kill you!" Alright! None of that mattered now. The important thing was that he was still alive. So, he said to Bai Ling, "Mom! It's so good to see you again!"
"Mmm!" Bai Ling said with concern, "You must have suffered a lot these past twenty thousand years!"
"It's fine, I'm back now, and everything will be alright!" Yun Fan eagerly asked, "Mom, who is Bai Hu to you?" Upon hearing this, Bai Ling immediately became flustered. Even she had not expected such an absurd situation to occur. Since the situation had become a fait accompli, Bai Ling could only improvise. She said to Yun Fan, "She? She is a child I adopted!"
"Is that so? What a coincidence!" Yun Fan was extremely excited. He had not expected to have a relationship with the child his mother had adopted. It seemed as if everything was destined. Afterward, mother and son reminisced. Yun Fan told Bai Ling everything he had experienced in the past twenty thousand years, and then recounted his experiences in the Great Thousand World.
At this, Bai Ling could not help but praise, "My son has truly become accomplished! I didn't expect you to have taken so many beauties into your fold! You must take good care of them and not become a heartless and unrighteous person!"
"Mm-hmm!" Yun Fan nodded, and then asked Bai Ling, "Mom, what about my father..."
"Don't mention that scoundrel to me. There is no possibility between him and me, and never will be! If we meet again, it will be either his death or mine!"
"Uh..." Yun Fan was instantly stunned. He had not expected his mother to be so biased, to the point of almost drawing swords with his father. It seemed their grievances were great! At least he dared not try to resolve them at the moment.
At this, Bai Ling said to Yun Fan, "From now on, bring all your wives here and never leave!"
"Alright!" Yun Fan agreed. However, at this moment, he brought up the matter of the Immortal Dao curse. Upon hearing this, Bai Ling was instantly shocked. She had not expected her son to be able to resist the Immortal Dao curse. She did not know much about the Immortal Dao curse, only that it was extremely terrifying. At this moment, she realized that the Immortal Dao curse had unknowingly been rampant in the Great Thousand World. Thus, she understood that she had to make plans early. Otherwise, they would suffer great losses.
At this, she asked Yun Fan, "My child, do you say that breaking through to Saint Venerable will definitely attract the Immortal Dao curse?"
"It absolutely will!" Yun Fan said with certainty. "This is even if one has not been afflicted by the Immortal Dao curse. If one is afflicted by the Immortal Dao curse, then let alone Saint Venerable, even Saint Emperor will attract the Immortal Dao curse!" At this moment, Bai Ling was greatly alarmed. She immediately said, "Fortunately, I haven't even broken through to Half-step Saint Venerable, otherwise, I would definitely have attracted the Immortal Dao curse!"
At this, Yun Fan said, "Mom, don't worry too much. If breaking through to Half-step Saint Venerable attracts the Immortal Dao curse, I might be able to resist it. But the Immortal Dao curse that comes with breaking through to Saint Venerable, I cannot resist it for now!"
"That's good!" Bai Ling breathed a sigh of relief. Although she was reluctant to leave her son at this moment, she knew she had something to do. Therefore, she said to Yun Fan, "You rest early. I will come to see you tomorrow!"
"Alright!" Yun Fan nodded. He indeed needed rest, as his mother had beaten him severely just now. After Yun Fan rested, Bai Ling was not idle. She directly went to Bai Hu's secluded cultivation area.
"Sister, why have you come?" Bai Hu looked at Bai Ling in confusion. After all, she was preparing to break through to Saint Emperor! She had not expected Bai Ling to barge in, not only startling her but also disturbing her breakthrough. Then, without a word, Bai Ling, without explanation, directly used the forbidden technique of the Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox lineage to alter her memory.