Chapter 514: Side story — Fang Bubai (New Year's Greetings)

Great Yan Dynasty
Qinghe City
Fang Family
The eldest young master of the Fang family is a well-known good-for-nothing in Qinghe City.
But this genius was once a spirited and ambitious prodigy.
Fang Bubai was very frustrated. He, the dignified eldest young master of the Fang family, the former number one genius of Qinghe City, had actually fallen to this state.
“Foolish boy, did you drop the silver technique on the left or the gold technique on the right?”
Fang Bubai let out a long sigh. He pinched his cheek; this wasn't an illusion.
Just now, a white-bearded, otherworldly-looking old man appeared before him. The old man had no lower body, and his face wore a smug smile that made one want to punch him. He held a book in each of his other hands, resembling some cheap, mass-produced items sold at street stalls.
“Who are you? Why are you here?”
Fang Bubai asked cautiously, after all, this old geezer clearly wasn't a good person.
Faced with these two deadly questions, the old man stroked his long white beard and said, "Young man, that's a good question!"
"My name is Xuan Tian Miao Qing Dao Yuan Tian Zun. I was framed by villains in the past and had no choice but to entrust a wisp of my divine consciousness to a ring, which you fortunately obtained."
Fang Bubai touched the ring on his hand.
The old man continued, "Fortunately, you, young fellow, have profound blessings and a devout heart, continuously channeling energy into me day and night for ten years, which allowed me to awaken."
"Therefore, I have decided to repay you!"
"I know you are excited, but please don't be."
Fang Bubai's fingers cracked as he pounced on him.
"It's all because of you, old man, that I've been humiliated for ten years!"
The old man sighed; people in this world are still too enthusiastic. His damned charm is still so captivating.
......
Half a month later, Fang Bubai finally understood the old man's identity: he was an ancient and powerful figure.
That day, Fang Bubai lunged forward, only to miss and nearly fall off the cliff. He was eventually rescued by the old man, and the two reluctantly reconciled. Fang Bubai then naturally accepted the old man's instruction in cultivation.
In just half a month, Fang Bubai's cultivation level increased dramatically, making him realize that the old man was a powerful and influential figure.
During this time, he also taught a lesson to the biggest wan ku, a spoiled brat of Qinghe City, finally shedding his reputation as a good-for-nothing!
On the way, Fang Bubai was shrouded in a black robe. His destination was the auction house. The resources he had accumulated over the years had been exhausted in just half a month, and to continue cultivating, he had to exchange for more resources.
"?"
Fang Bubai noticed that on the way to the auction house, there was someone dressed just like him. Had he encountered an expert?
However, that person's back looked somewhat familiar.
Fang Bubai ultimately didn't investigate further.
More than half a month later, Fang Bubai's cultivation successfully broke through to the seventh level of the Spirit Gathering Realm, a speed that was beyond his comprehension.
The Qinghe City Grand Competition was about to begin, and Fang Bubai was determined to wash away his reputation as a good-for-nothing on this day.
Fang Bubai encountered his defeated opponent again—Mu Chen!
"Strange, this guy seems a bit off."
Fang Bubai frowned. Not long ago, he could easily defeat this defeated opponent, so why did he sense an extremely dangerous aura emanating from him in such a short time?
He was clearly the one who had the old man's guidance and was defying fate!
Mu Chen seemed to sense Fang Bubai's gaze and shielded the Xia family members in front of him.
Facing Mu Chen, who seemed utterly suspicious, Fang Bubai became wary.
The hunting tournament began, and Fang Bubai quickly accumulated a considerable number of points.
"There seems to be some commotion over there. Mu Chen actually attracted so many people?"
Adhering to the principle of watching the show and picking up the scraps, Fang Bubai stealthily approached under the old man's cover.
"Mu Chen! Hand over the opportunity!"
"Opportunity? What opportunity? I just picked up a fruit and ate it."
"A fruit? Could it be the legendary spiritual fruit that can cleanse the marrow and transform the body?"
Hidden in the shadows, Fang Bubai was envious. Mu Chen had actually obtained a spiritual fruit; what incredible luck!
The next moment, Fang Bubai saw Mu Chen dispatch all the assassins in a few swift moves, leaving Fang Bubai dumbfounded.
"Teacher...is this right?"
Fang Bubai posed a probing question to the old man.
The old man said, "This world is never short of lucky people. Perhaps he's had some kind of fortuitous encounter."
"Little Bubai, you'd better pray you don't run into him head-on in the competition."
The old man sensed...that guy was no ordinary person. Such ruthless methods were definitely not something a young boy should possess.
Not long after, Fang Bubai was surprised that the old man's words actually came true. The Demon Beast Mountain Range erupted, and he really did run into Mu Chen again. He had originally wanted to follow behind and take advantage of the situation, but Mu Chen seemed to have discovered his whereabouts, forcing him to reveal himself.
Fortunately, Mu Chen didn't hold a grudge about the previous incident. He even offered to cooperate with Fang Bubai and volunteered the most dangerous task... to lure away the demonic beasts. This left Fang Bubai uncertain. Weighing the opportunity the old man had mentioned, he ultimately decided to cooperate with Mu Chen.
Thus, the former number one and number two "useless" men of Qinghe City embarked on their first collaboration!
Mu Chen lured away the demonic beasts, while Fang Bubai was responsible for infiltrating and stealing the treasures of heaven and earth. The two hit it off immediately.
Mu Chen successfully lured away the demonic beasts, and Fang Bubai successfully retrieved the treasures. Facing the impending rampage of the beast tide, Fang Bubai warned, "The beast tide here is going berserk! Run!"
Without hesitation, the two ran for their lives. Along the way, Fang Bubai struggled against the raging demonic beasts, but Mu Chen intervened several times, allowing him to escape death.
Of course, even without Mu Chen's intervention, there was still the old man.
...
The two successfully escaped the beast tide. This experience forged a life-or-death bond between them, wiping away past grudges.
Back in Qinghe City, Fang Bubai frequently sparred with Mu Chen, honing his martial arts skills. Over time, he had to admit his teacher's judgment was correct; he was indeed far from being Mu Chen's match. However, he believed that one day he would surpass Mu Chen.
Finally, Mu Chen chose to leave Qinghe City for the Xuan Yuan Holy Land.
Fang Bubai knew that he too would leave the small town of Qinghe City for a wider world.
Four years passed in the blink of an eye. In these four years, Fang Bubai, starting from the small town of Qinghe City, fought against powerful families, seized treasures, battled prodigies, and was hunted down.
Life was indeed vibrant and colorful; he never slacked off... His teacher had said that his natural talent was poor, and if he wanted to compare himself to the top geniuses of those races, he would have to put in a thousand times, ten thousand times the effort.
As a master of secret realms, how could he let go of the opportunity presented by the recent emergence of a royal-level secret realm in the Great Yan Dynasty?
After successively slaying several geniuses, he directly confronted the Purple-Clad Marquis, ranked second on the Great Yan Dynasty's genius list. Unexpectedly, the Purple-Clad Marquis was even more adept at concealing his true strength than the others. Realizing he had been tricked, Fang Bubai quickly devised a countermeasure.
Time to retreat!
Just as he was about to make a tactical retreat, a magnificent carriage appeared in the sky, and everyone turned to look in that direction.
The Xuan Yuan Holy Land!
"It's Brother Mu!"
Fang Bubai's expression turned from astonishment to overwhelming joy.
Mu Chen suppressed the Purple-Clad Marquis with a single finger, and with a few casual words, he enraged the Marquis into unconsciousness.
Fang Bubai hadn't expected that after their parting, Brother Mu would actually become a disciple of the Holy Land. The two were overjoyed to see each other again, chatting happily. This time, they easily cleared the secret realm dungeon, encountering no obstacles. Everyone looked at him with fear.
Become stronger! He must become stronger, the strongest, until everyone looked at him with such fear!
No longer relying on anyone!
Fang Bubai made a vow in his heart. When Brother Mu returned to the Xuan Yuan Holy Land, Fang Bubai did not choose to join. He carried a great secret, and the Xuan Yuan Holy Land was too dangerous for him.
With this opportunity, the old man successfully awakened. Fang Bubai repeatedly weathered crises, accumulated resources, obtained ancient relics, and finally mastered the legendary Nine Gods and Nine Demons Undying Embryo, becoming invincible among the geniuses of the Eastern Wilderness. He decided to travel to the Central Continent, but before heading there, one person still came to mind.
On his way to the Xuan Yuan Holy Land, Fang Bubai met Mu Chen, entrusting him with the opportunity to enter the Tongxuan Realm.
“Brother Mu, I’m going to the Central Continent to witness this golden age of martial arts!”
That day, Fang Bubai was full of confidence.
Mu Chen was also happy for Fang Bubai.
What would their next meeting be like? Perhaps it would be a huge surprise; he would become a towering figure.
However, Fang Bubai never imagined that this departure would be their last meeting.
He traveled to the Central Continent, venturing into secret realms and battling various powerful clans. He was also hunted by these clans to the outer reaches of the heavens for a thousand years, too afraid to return. He broke through to the Saint realm... battled the starry sky, and at the forefront of the great era, he used the power of heaven and earth to break through to the Saint King realm. Returning to the Tianxuan Domain, he learned that everything had changed beyond recognition.
The Xuan Yuan Holy Land forcibly attacked and destroyed the forbidden zone. One of the surviving disciples of the Xuan Yuan Holy Land, Mu Chen, left the Xuan Yuan Holy Land and founded the Zhenyu Sect. Ultimately, due to the curse of the forbidden zone and a lack of resources, he never broke through to the Void Realm.
Fang Bubai could only endure his grief, rebuilding the Zhenyu Sect. As a retainer of the sect, he left behind the clan's sacred artifact and returned to the Central Continent, slaughtering countless enemies.
The curtain rose on the great era, and the Emperor's Road opened. Fang Bubai did not linger on the Tianxuan Continent. He chose to go to the Emperor's Road to compete with the most powerful geniuses in the world throughout history.
Throughout his journey of leveling up and defeating monsters, he was never invincible. On the contrary, he was constantly hunted down, from the beginning to the depths of the Emperor's Path. Through trials and tribulations, those who pursued him either perished on the Emperor's Path or were wiped out. Fang Bubai not only survived but was also accepted as a disciple by the Great Emperor of the era, becoming one of the quasi-emperors who suppressed the starry sky.
During the Dark Turmoil, he witnessed the Divine Emperor repeatedly saving all living beings, ultimately dying from exhaustion. He also watched as his teachers and friends were killed by supreme beings while resisting the Dark Turmoil. The ancient supreme beings of the Heavenly Profound Domain emerged, vying for the Emperor's position, only to be killed by powerful beings from various races. Seeing the Dark Turmoil about to return, the Mysterious Heavenly Pure Dao Source Heavenly Venerable willingly became the last god, allowing Fang Bubai's Nine Gods and Nine Demon Embryos to advance further, taking a crucial step to protect all living beings.
Fang Bubai became an Emperor. An Emperor is lonely, and the Dark Turmoil began to subside because of his attainment of the Dao. But for the sake of becoming an Emperor... he lost too much.
The starry sky was calm. Fang Bubai had traversed many places, and none dared disobey him. He had become a being feared by all living beings.
Thirty thousand years passed in a flash. He was too powerful. Everyone he knew either sealed themselves away or died at the end of their lifespan.
He was invincible, suppressing the entire universe, yet forever alone. Occasionally, he would recall his past in Qinghe City.
That time when he wasn't lonely.
Suddenly, an aura rose from the Emperor Star. All living beings bowed in reverence. Fang Bubai sensed a familiar aura… an aura he would never forget.
"Brother Mu… could it be you?"
The Great Emperor raised his hand, tearing through space. The universe was vast and inescapable. He discovered a terrifying forbidden zone hidden in the shadows. His mission told him that this forbidden zone must be suppressed at all costs.
After spending over twenty thousand years, he successfully suppressed the forbidden zone, quelling future troubles.
All traces of his former acquaintances had long since vanished.
He had no time to spare. Fighting over ten desperate Supreme Beings, with powerful enemies lurking in the shadows, he needed to stabilize his injuries; otherwise, the consequences would be dire.
Fang Bubai sought out the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion Master and explained his purpose. The Master, without hesitation, used his life's energy to divine a sliver of hope before his death.
Twenty thousand years later, the Demon Lord would emerge, and with him, an Emperor would be born.
Fang Bubai began his preparations. He started refining the Elixir of Immortality, a elixir left to him by the Divine Emperor, who had chosen not to refine it himself, but instead left it to Fang Bubai.
Perhaps the Divine Emperor had lived too long, or perhaps he simply didn't have the time.
Indeed, the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion's prophecy was correct. Twenty thousand years later, a genius known as the Killing Demon Lord rose to power in the Age of Dharma Decline, slaughtering his way to the Emperor's Path. No race in the starry sky dared to raise their heads, and on the day of the Emperor's fall, he defied the heavens and attained the Dao.
But all of this was a scheme, a scheme meticulously planned by Fang Bubai over twenty thousand years. He successfully used the Demon Lord to restrain many supreme beings who coveted him, refined the elixir of immortality, lived a second life, and once again suppressed the world.
Another ten thousand years passed. Time flies like an arrow; even a powerful emperor cannot reverse it. Perhaps only the legendary 'immortals' can run parallel to time.
Fang Bubai began to understand why so many meritorious emperors who had protected all living beings in their early days would choose to escape into forbidden zones on the verge of death, clinging to life.
The path to immortality, the ultimate goal of martial arts, was truly a pipe dream!
Fang Bubai observed the every move of the prodigies on the Emperor's Path. A young man named Ye Chen entered his field of vision. Nothing in the world could escape his eyes. Fang Bubai sensed a faint familiarity with this young man named Ye Chen.
For some reason, he felt that the figure of the Demon Lord overlapped with that of the young man. Could he be the reincarnation of the Demon Lord?
He also sensed a familiar aura on the young man—the aura of the Sword God of Luodi Mountain. Did he have connections with Luodi Mountain?
Finally, he sensed the aura of the Heavenly Emperor Pingtian on the young man. He naturally knew about that history from the battle in the forbidden zone.
"Brother Mu... could it be you?"
Fang Bubai sighed softly. Death and the dissipation of one's cultivation were inevitable, even for emperors.
In the end, he still didn't acknowledge the master and went to find the Ye family's imperial son.
Ye Chen.
Fifteen thousand years had passed, and everything had changed. The familiar shock the young man felt upon seeing him, though subtle, couldn't escape his senses. After all... he was far more powerful than he had been fifty thousand years ago.
He actually sensed wariness from the young man... How laughable, utterly laughable!
Fang Bubai suddenly felt a deep sorrow, sorrow for himself, and sorrow for him.
The method of immortality was not worth mentioning. Meeting today without acknowledging each other meant there was no longer a way to achieve immortality!
Fang Bubai left, choosing another path:
To forcefully break through this world!
Thus,
The Emperor of Ten Thousand Saints fell!
......
Dear readers, Happy New Year! May all your wishes come true!
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