Chapter 160: Unexpected Mercy and the Potato Sprout Treasure
"Don't argue with him, he'll just double the price again," one Supreme being muttered wearily.
"..."
The Supreme beings of Taichu Ancient Mine were forced to swallow their towering rage. Their opponent showed no Emperor-level fluctuations, yet his mastery over fundamental laws was extraordinarily refined.
Unless they abandoned their chance at immortality, underwent extreme sublimation, and shattered all constraints with absolute power, they had no hope of defeating him.
With the Immortal Path's opening imminent, extreme sublimation would render eons of waiting utterly meaningless. All their sacrifices would crumble to ash.
"We don't possess such quantities," a Supreme being from the restricted zone negotiated with Raven, hoping to reduce his outrageous demands.
"Does this beautiful face of mine look like it cares about that? I only care about results," Raven replied dismissively. "Hand over whatever you have now and write an IOU for the rest."
The Supreme beings of Taichu Ancient Mine had never endured such humiliation in their immortal existence. But circumstances left them powerless, forcing them to grit their teeth and accept these terms. Once the Immortal Path opened and they achieved true immortality, they vowed to return and obliterate this insufferable bird.
Celestial Village
Ye Fan glanced at the Hei Huang with newfound appreciation. "Before today, I thought the Hei Huang was shameless enough. But now I've finally found someone even more shameless than him."
"You dare call me shameless?!" The Hei Huang bared his teeth and lunged, trying to bite Ye Fan.
The others chuckled, shaking their heads in amazement.
"What's this bird's true origin?" Ji Ziyue wondered aloud.
"Perhaps he comes from some force in the deep starry sky that once produced a Great Emperor," Ye Fan speculated.
The starry heavens stretched boundlessly. Throughout history, countless prodigious talents had emerged, and there were surely Emperor-level existences beyond their knowledge.
"Even a force that produced a Great Emperor, hell, even a Great Emperor's own son, wouldn't dare act this arrogantly," Ji Ziyue observed quietly. "To openly blockade both Taichu Ancient Mine and Undying Mountain... such audacity is truly never seen before."
"I've seen it before!" the Hei Huang barked suddenly.
Everyone stared at him in confusion.
"Wasn't Emperor Wu Shi exactly like this?" Hei Huang's expression turned nostalgic. "Back then, Emperor Wu Shi's cultivation was profound beyond measure. He fought across the Ten Heavens and Nine Earths, his divine might inspiring awe throughout ancient and modern times. Who wasn't convinced? Who wasn't afraid?"
"But they don't carry the oppressive presence and fluctuations of Great Emperor-level beings," the Sheng Huangzi countered, his heritage as the Dou Zhan Saint Emperor's son lending weight to his words. "This is very strange, they're clearly not Great Emperors, but still they can wield fundamental laws with such skill."
The residents of Celestial Village continued their speculation. Unfortunately, with too few clues available, they could only observe and hope for further revelations.
Raven's arrogance knew no bounds as he bullied and plundered his way across the landscape.
After thoroughly ransacking Taichu Ancient Mine, he proceeded to several other restricted zones, making equally outrageous demands for divine treasures and precious artifacts.
The self-sealed Supreme beings refused to waste their precious remaining lifespans confronting him. Despite their burning displeasure, they allowed his pillaging to continue, secretly vowing that once the Immortal Path matter concluded, whether they achieved immortality or not, they would ensure this foul-mouthed bird died without a proper burial.
Among Burial Emperor Star's many forbidden lands, only the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land escaped Raven's arrogant plundering.
This was because the Great Empress slumbering within was entangled in too much fate and karma. She was very likely to become the fourth Supreme Guardian. Acting rashly and creating enmity might result in his expulsion from this universe entirely.
Therefore, he only gathered some divine medicines from the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land's periphery. He carefully avoided any disturbance to the slumbering Great Accomplishment Sacred Body and the Great Empress.
After extorting the restricted zones, Raven turned his predatory attention to Burial Emperor Star's Holy Lands and ancient Imperial dynasties. These forces had existed for countless millennia, they must have some unimaginable treasure right?.
The Holy Lands and Imperial dynasties were literally fuming with anger, but no one dared voice their outrage.
Yes, they were powerful beyond many, with several Great Saint-level guardians protecting them.
But if even the restricted zones had swallowed their pride and endured the Raven Extortion parade in silence, what hope did they have? If they resist, it might truly lead to their complete annihilation.
However, there were some possessed backbones of iron.
Jade Lake Holy Land
A withered old man stood defiantly before Raven, clutching a fully awakened ultimate weapon, the Western Emperor Pagoda, in his trembling hands.
"Senior, every divine medicine within Jade Lake was obtained through our successive disciples' bloody sacrifices. If they are taken today, my Jade Lake Holy Land will decline from this point forward." His voice carried the weight of absolute determination.
"This old man already stands at death's threshold, terrified of shaming his ancestors and unable to face them in the afterlife. I cannot watch the children who came here to die today, I cannot bear to watch it."
"So I stand here to block you today. If Senior insists on taking Jade Lake's divine medicines and rare treasures, please step over my corpse first."
"I would rather die here facing you than see my ancestors, the disciples, work rot away in silence."
Raven studied the old man before him, hesitating. 'I am not here to kill anyone, no, I am just here to rob them, not destroy someone by robbing them blind, hell no, who do you think I am some kind of monster?'
'But Damn, this old man has some guts even if he is dying'
"A man will respect another man making his last stand," Raven muttered, then waved his hand, sending wisps of origin essence and temporal power into the old man's failing body.
Before countless watching eyes, the dying elder shed his withered skin and flesh like a moulting serpent, emerging reborn with youthful vigour. His body surged with vitality as vast as an ocean. Within mere breaths, he had returned to his absolute peak condition.
"Listen here, boy, you impressed me, little guy, not gonna lie, after seeing these jackass, I thought there was not a single man with a backbone to face me. But look at you, MAN!! By the Emperor's Beard, You are a Man, a true fucking Man," Raven explained matter-of-factly. "And it would be a misfortune in this world if you were to die here."
The Great Saint looked shocked at this great raven bestowing him with youth and praises, unable to find any word, "Great Raven, Your generosity—"
Raven interrupted him, "Now step aside, I have work to do, and people to rob. Have a nice day"
The Jade Lake Holy Land's Great Saint examined his newly restored youthful form, then looked at Raven with complex emotions.
Part of him still wanted to fight to the death, but the bird made an undeniably compelling point. At the peak of his vitality, how could he simply throw his life away?
Moreover, his opponent had granted him a second life, an effect comparable to consuming an actual Immortal medicine. Even if some of Jade Lake's divine medicines were taken, it was absolutely no loss whatsoever.
"Senior's words are truly reasonable and have deeply convinced this old man," the Great Saint said, bowing respectfully before stepping aside to clear Raven's path.
He allowed the bird to enter Jade Lake's medicinal gardens and plunder those precious herbs.
The other forces that had followed Raven, expecting to witness Jade Lake Holy Land's humiliation, stood slack-jawed in bewilderment.
Where was the arrogance you showed in the restricted zones? Where was the swagger you displayed while trampling Supreme beings?
How did you suddenly change completely, becoming so... unfamiliar?
Not only had he refrained from slapping the old man to death, but he'd actually extended his life and granted him a second chance at existence.
Those forces previously plundered by Raven felt so heartbroken they nearly spat blood. Why hadn't they been more defiant?
Perhaps he would have extended their own elder powerhouses' lives as well!
The events at Jade Lake were witnessed by countless observers. When the ancient Great Saint had brandished his ultimate weapon and blocked the path of Raven, making his last stand, many had expected Jade Lake Holy Land to suffer devastating losses.
Who could have predicted such an unexpected turn?
Not only had they avoided loss, but they'd received an incredible gift, their guardian's return to peak condition.
This news quickly shook all of Burial Emperor Star. For longevity, for immortality, how many cultivators rushed forward using every conceivable method?
Ancient Emperors and Great Emperors had racked their transcendent minds, creating numerous approaches, all to verify the path to eternal life.
Immortal medicines that could extend lifespans and grant second lives became objects of universal pursuit. Raven's displayed ability was equivalent to possessing an actual Immortal medicine.
Every Saint's gaze toward Raven turned feverishly hopeful. They all secretly wished he would come rob them, too.
After plundering Jade Lake Holy Land, Raven didn't continue to other locations. Having ransacked several major restricted zones and Holy Lands, he now possessed more divine medicines and rare treasures than anyone else on the planet.
"I'll extract all these medicines, then mix them with potatoes to make fries," Raven mused excitedly. "The taste will definitely be extraordinary."
Just as he planned to return to the Big Guy for their culinary experiment, a young girl materialised from the void, blocking his path.
"I have divine medicines to offer! Please, Senior, help extend my Master's life!" she pleaded urgently.
"No need," Raven shook his head. "My quota for robbing today is closed, come back tomorrow, now shoo shoo."
"Please Senior, Look, I have so many!" the girl said anxiously, quickly producing various precious medicines from her storage space. They glowed with inner light and rich medicinal fragrances, including several king-grade drugs.
"Really!!, why do you want to get robbed so badly?" Raven repeated, starting to refuse. "I am—, "
Before he could finish, Raven spotted something that made his eyes widen, a potato sprout glowing with precious light. It possessed a unique aura that, if cultivated properly, might be nurtured into an extremely rare plant.
"A treasure! It's an unparalleled treasure!" Raven exclaimed, snatching up the potato sprout.
Perhaps nourished by special terrain or blood, this sprout had already gained rudimentary sentience.
The girl stared in bewilderment. She hadn't expected him to ignore the King medicines in her hand, instead taking what appeared to be an ordinary sprout.
"Well, Seeing your sincerity, I would rob—I mean help you," Raven decided, pocketing both the potato sprout and her other precious medicines. "Say, What's your name?"
"My name is Xia Jiuyou, Senior" the girl replied.
"Let's go, I'm in a hurry."
Xia Jiuyou nodded, barely containing her excitement. She produced a formation disk, activated it, and opened a teleportation channel.
Raven and Valdor followed Xia Jiuyou through the void, finally arriving before a scenic low mountain where a sickly old man sat in a tree's shade, contemplating a chess game.
"This is my Master, Gai Jiuyou," Xia Jiuyou explained. "Please, Senior, help him."
Raven studied Gai Jiuyou, his universe-reading abilities naturally providing complete information about the man's history.
Gai Jiuyou, a peerless genius from nine thousand years past. The strongest human expert of his era, creator of the Immortal Tribulation Song, who had walked his own unique path and possessed cultivation infinitely close to the Great Emperor realm.
His failure to successfully prove his Dao had left him with permanent Great Dao injuries. Combined with his approaching natural lifespan, he perpetually appeared sickly, as though death might claim him at any moment.
When the ancient races had emerged from their slumber, he had led humanity's Saints to Jade Lake, suppressing all races and preserving human interests.
Afterwards, he had repeatedly fought fierce battles against the ancient races' Great Saints, defending humanity's dignity with his very life force.
[End of Chapter]
Ohalo, guys, how are you doing, cough, cough.
Give some Powerstone in this hat, brotha.
And throw some review also, brotha.
IN the name of the Emperor.
Give you feedback brotha
UmU :)
Also Concept art for the Nuceria here in comment