Chapter 1741: Taishang Ancient Sage

He was secretly anxious. Had this woman really managed to control the saint's remains? A hint of murderous intent flashed deep in his eyes, but after glancing at the young man in white, he hesitated. Now was not the time to act! He remained still, silently following them as they raced across the land of the eleventh layer.

The stone pillar seemed close, but even at Tian Ge's speed, it took half a day of travel to reach it. Up close, Jiang Fan saw the pillar's true appearance. It was hundreds of feet in both length and width, with a diameter as vast as the Heavenly Secret Pavilion. Its top pierced into the tenth layer, and its base reached directly into the Underworld!

What was strange was this: on ground where the dense Yin energy made it difficult for even Human Incarnation cultivators to linger, a towering tree actually grew! It was vibrantly green, exuding rich spiritual energy that nourished the surrounding thousand-foot radius into a lush, grassy meadow. Swarms of butterflies and small insects happily lived in this world centered around the meadow and the great tree, forming a tranquil small world, completely opposite to the Yin-filled world outside.

Jiang Fan looked up, his pupils trembling. Under the ancient towering tree, a man in white sat quietly, leaning against the tree trunk as if asleep. His long black hair gently swayed with the breeze, and a butterfly rested quietly on his shoulder, its wings folded. The dappled tree shadows rustled over him, causing his white robes to gently ripple.

Jiang Fan swallowed hard. Was that the ancient saint of the Central Plains? He tried to look at the man's face but found he couldn't see it clearly; even when he focused his gaze, the features appeared blurred. It was as if invisible rules were preventing him.

The young man in white gently nodded. "So, it's the Grand Ancient Saint. It turns out he was the one who fell." Tian Ge's eyes glowed with anticipation. "You know him?" The young man in white spoke softly, his voice full of nostalgia for the ancient past. "Ten thousand years ago, who didn't know the most brilliantly talented person? His sudden emergence once illuminated all the realms, making all beings believe that the Age of Gods had returned. I never thought that after ten thousand years, I would see him fallen, just like me. Alas, heaven's will is truly merciless."

Tian Ge's eyes became even brighter, unable to contain her excitement. "So, I will possess an invincible body capable of dominating all saint realms through the ages?" The young man in white coughed. "With him, you can indeed be invincible across the Three Realms." Tian Ge eagerly gripped the black crystal. "Senior, please lend me a hand. With my soul power, it's difficult to unleash the full might of the realm artifact. Once it's done, I will personally send your remnant soul back to the Underworld."

The young man in white nodded slightly, raised his hand, and the black crystal fell into his palm. He quietly examined the realm artifact. "As expected of the Dark Asura Clan's Eye of Hell. In its prime, even saints would be affected. With my remnant soul, I can only unleash one-tenth of its power, barely enough to control a sage or the remains of a saint." Tian Ge urged impatiently, "Senior, please act quickly."

The young man in white put down the Eye of Hell, clasped his hands behind his back, and calmly said, "No rush. Before acting, let's first deal with the hidden danger. Fellow Daoist, you've followed us long enough. It's time to show yourself."

"What?" Tian Ge's expression changed, and she asked in surprise, "Someone is following us? Is it the Asura King you mentioned?" The young man in white shook his head. "No, it's someone more powerful than that Asura King."

His gaze shifted, looking towards Jiang Fan's location. With just a glance, Jiang Fan felt his soul tearing apart, and his body grew chillingly cold, as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. His invisibility technique was instantly broken, revealing his presence!

"It's you?" Tian Ge recognized Jiang Fan at once, utterly astonished. Immediately, she recalled Jiang Fan's torment, especially the black rod hitting her head, which had caused her agonizing pain for days and nights. Fury instantly ignited in her eyes. "Kill him! This human deserves to die ten thousand deaths!"

Jiang Fan endured the severe soul-level pain, activating his Flawless Domain to heal his cracking soul. Only then did the pained expression on his face slightly ease.

His eyes were filled with shock and suspicion. The young man in white must have been an Underworld Realm Lord in his lifetime! He was very likely one of the two Underworld Realm Lords who fell during the expedition to the Heavenly Realm ten thousand years ago. A wisp of his remnant soul fell into the Heavenly Realm and was discovered by Tian Ge by chance. One wanted to return to the Underworld, and the other sought boundless power. Therefore, they hit it off immediately and formulated a plan to seize the saint's remains!

"A strange domain," the young man in white murmured, slightly surprised, clearly recognizing its extraordinary nature. Tian Ge urged, "Senior, quickly kill him! Don't let him know my secret!"

Jiang Fan recovered and cast a cold sidelong glance at her. "You think you're so smart! You're being played like a puppet and you don't even realize it!"

Tian Ge chuckled. "What makes you say that?" Jiang Fan said calmly, "You want the saint's remains, but he wants them even more than you do! He's a remnant soul of a Realm Lord; he won't find another suitable body to possess in this world better than the Grand Ancient Saint's remains. Why would he let you have it cheap? Your theft of your clan's precious treasure and escorting him here—all of it was him using you. Now, your usefulness is over. He won't let you live."

Hearing this, Tian Ge's smile grew wider. She shook her head. "Heh heh, you're the one who thinks you're so clever. If you can figure out such a simple truth, why wouldn't I?"

She took out a wisp of blue soul, which turned out to be the young man in white's! This wisp of blue soul was enveloped by the Giant Emperor's curse. With just a thought, Tian Ge could use this wisp of soul to annihilate the young man in white's remnant soul body.

Tian Ge triumphantly waved the wisp of soul at Jiang Fan, confidently saying, "Senior, this person is trying to sow discord. His methods aren't very sophisticated, heh heh."

The young man in white coughed. "He's not exactly sowing discord. Most of what he said is true." Tian Ge's expression stiffened. She instinctively tightened her grip on the wisp of soul. "Senior, what do you mean?"

The young man in white looked over and met Tian Ge's gaze. The next moment, a captivating aura, charming all beings, emanated from him. Tian Ge's suspicious gaze instantly transformed into absolute fascination. She stared unblinkingly at the young man in white, like a maiden awaiting favor.

The young man in white extended his palm. "Give it to me." Without any hesitation, Tian Ge returned the wisp of soul to the young man in white. The latter flicked his finger, dispelling the curse surrounding the soul, then swallowed it, reabsorbing it into his body. Tian Ge also regained consciousness at that moment. Feeling her hand empty, she quickly looked, her eyes trembling violently, and her heart sank.