Humans are shrouded in mystery, using the World Tree to connect all the heavens and myriad realms.

Chapter 89, Ruthless Emperor's Weapon, Devouring Heaven Demon Canopy! [Bonus Chapter for Monthly Tickets!]

Duan De jumped up from among the pine branches, patted the dirt off his Taoist robe, and cupped his hands towards Su Ye in mid-air.

"This humble traveler passed by this mountain and found the feng shui of this place to be excellent, so I lingered here briefly. I have absolutely no intention of offending the Holy Son!"

His voice was loud and clear, full of energy, and his face was beaming with a smile as if he had seen a long-lost friend.

Su Ye didn't speak.

His deep purple pupils calmly gazed at Duan De.

This unscrupulous Taoist priest, who was known as one of the three scourges alongside Ye Fan and the Black Emperor in the original novel "Covering the Sky," now looked completely harmless with a beaming smile.

But Su Ye knew very well what was going on.

This person's first incarnation was Cao Yusheng during the chaotic ancient era, who was sworn brothers with the Desolate Emperor Shi Hao.

His second incarnation was the Heavenly Venerable of Tribulation Transcending the Tribulations in the mythological era, one of the Nine Heavenly Venerables.

The third incarnation is the Underworld Emperor, the true master of the netherworld.

The chubby Taoist priest in front of me, who seems to be laughing and joking, is actually one of the most unfathomable figures in the entire world of Shrouding the Heavens.

Duan De felt extremely uncomfortable under Su Ye's gaze.

Those two gazes were unusually calm, as if they were looking at a random cultivator they had just met, rather than someone they had known for a long time.

Duan De's heart skipped a beat.

Could this person know me? That shouldn't be the case; I've kept a low profile all these years.

"Your Highness?"

Duan De chuckled tentatively, "Shall I leave now?"

Deep in the void.

The Sage Yuheng sat cross-legged, his plain white palace robes appearing and disappearing amidst the clouds and mist.

Her gaze pierced through the layers of emptiness and landed on Duan De.

Those clear, cold eyes narrowed slightly.

This fat Taoist priest—

Not right.

The Sage of Jade Balance frowned slightly.

With her saintly insight, Duan De's cultivation level of the first level of the fourth realm was completely transparent to her, without any concealment.

But she couldn't see through him.

To be precise, she could see Duan De's cultivation level, physical constitution, and blood and qi, but she couldn't see through the inexplicable and mysterious foundation within him.

That foundation is neither cultivation level, nor magic treasure, nor physical constitution or bloodline.

It's like a kind of vicissitude that has settled deep in the soul after countless reincarnations.

The Sage Yuheng withdrew his gaze.

She wouldn't easily intervene as long as this person didn't threaten Su Ye's safety.

The mountains suddenly fell silent.

Su Ye slowly descended from mid-air and landed on a half-person-high blue stone by the river.

His gaze shifted from Duan De to the crystal-clear stream at his feet.

Deep within the Sea of ​​Bitterness, the leaves of the World Tree trembled violently.

The golden light of the aura had reached its peak.

Duan De was stunned for a moment.

He originally thought that this holy son of Yaochi would stop and question him, a "passerby," but to his surprise, the other party completely ignored him.

Duan De's eyes darted around, and he immediately realized something was wrong.

This person is not just passing by.

He came here specifically for this place.

Duan De's smile finally faded a bit, and a thoughtful look flashed in his small eyes.

This river bend in the Yunduan Mountains was a treasure land that he calculated based on his years of "archaeological" experience and feng shui dragon-finding techniques. Logically speaking, no one else should know its location.

Su Ye raised his right hand.

Fingers slightly spread.

A wisp of pale purple divine power surged from his palm, transforming into a semi-transparent purple hand that reached into the depths of the riverbed.

Duan De's eyelids twitched again.

The bronze compass in his hand suddenly emitted a sharp buzzing sound.

The pointer spun wildly, finally pointing dead to the direction where Su Ye reached out his hand from deep within the riverbed.

Duan De's smile finally crumbled.

"Holy Son, wait!"

Duan De said urgently.

The purple hand did not stop.

The pebbles and sand on the riverbed were scattered and splashed by the divine power, the mud and sand surged, and the clear river water instantly became turbid.

A layer of hard, black rock was exposed at the bottom of the riverbed.

The mighty hand can be clenched with all five fingers.

The black rock exploded.

Amidst the flying rubble, a simple, unadorned black tile was vividly revealed from the depths of the earth.

The tile was only the size of a palm.

It is jet black, with dark red patterns engraved on its surface, and a faint dark light flowing between the patterns.

The moment the tile appeared, the surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth suddenly stagnated.

All the spiritual energy was retreating, as if it were hiding from something terrifying.

A chilling, bone-piercing aura emanated from the roof tiles.

It's not yin energy.

It signifies the purest and most extreme form of devouring.

It was as if the tile itself was a black hole that could never be filled, sucking everything around it into it.

Su Ye looked down at the black tile in his palm, his pupils slightly contracting.

The dark red patterns on the surface of the tile were now more clearly visible.

Those patterns weren't painted on; they were natural marks of the Dao.

Deep within the Dao trace flowed an imperial might that made even the void tremble. Although it was broken and incomplete, and only fragments of the original artifact's power remained, the essence of that aura was unmistakable.

Ultimate Imperial Weapon.

This is a component of the Supreme Imperial Weapon.

The lid of the Devouring Demon Jar.

Su Ye slowly closed his five fingers and gripped the black tile tightly.

The icy touch from my palm turned scalding hot at that moment.

The significance of this half-finished imperial weapon is far too heavy.

Ruthless Great Emperor, one of the most brilliant and talented emperors in the world of Shrouding the Heavens, attained the Dao and became an emperor with a mortal body, created the Devouring Heaven Demon Art, and refined the Devouring Heaven Demon Jar, dominating an era.

The black tile trembled again in his palm.

It was as if a ferocious beast that had been asleep for eons had been awakened from its dream.

The bronze compass in Duan De's hand cracked open with a snap.

The crack ran from the edge of the compass all the way to the center, as if it had been torn apart from the inside by something.

Duan De no longer cared about the compass.

He scrambled over, his once ruddy, chubby face now a deep liver color.

His small eyes were fixed on the black tile in Su Ye's hand, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

"This is----"

Duan De's voice trembled.

As the most professional tomb raiding expert in the entire world of Shrouding the Heavens, Duan De's ability to identify ancient artifacts far surpasses that of other cultivators of the same level.

The dark red patterns on this black tile, the chilling aura that seemed to devour everything—

He had seen it recorded in ancient books.

The Devouring Demon Jar!

The ultimate imperial weapon of the Ruthless Great Emperor!

Even if it's just half a piece, it's still a genuine Imperial Weapon component!

It's something that could drive the entire holy land of the Eastern Wilderness crazy if it were taken out!

Duan De's heart was bleeding.

He spent three whole days searching in the Cloud-Broken Mountains.

The feng shui compass was burned on all six sides, and two of the dragon-seeking rulers were shattered. It was only with great difficulty that they were able to deduce that there was a great treasure buried in this river bend.

Just when it was about to be within reach, a holy son of the Jade Pool fell from the sky and snatched the treasure away in the blink of an eye.

Duan De's lips trembled slightly.

The lid of the Devouring Demon Jar!

These seven words popped into his mind.

Su Ye looked down at the black tile in her hand.

It feels cool to the touch.

The icy sensation seeped into the meridians of the palm, surging all the way to the sea of ​​suffering.

Strangely, there was a very faint trace of intimacy hidden within that coldness.

Su Ye raised her head and glanced at Duan De.

"Does Master Duan recognize this item?"

Duan De almost bit off his tongue.

Do you recognize it?

Of course he recognizes it!

What treasure could be more valuable than an ultimate imperial weapon?

The smile on Duan De's face vanished completely.

That once ruddy, chubby face was now as white as a sheet of paper.

He stared intently at the Devouring Demon Cover in Su Ye's hand, his small eyes practically spitting fire.

"Your Highness—"

Duan De swallowed hard, his voice bitter: "I have been searching this place for three whole days, and this is—"

"This thing—"

His gaze was glued to the magic lid, unable to look away.

Su Ye's expression remained unchanged; he simply put the demonic canopy into his sleeve.

Duan De opened his mouth, then closed it again.

He carefully observed Su Ye's expression.

That composure, that certainty, that calmness that suggests everything is under control.

A ridiculous idea suddenly popped into Duan De's mind.

Is this guy doing this on purpose?

impossible.

No matter what, he was a cultivator at the first level of the fourth realm, and had no grudge against Su Ye.

but--

Duan De's gaze fell again on the black tile that was faintly visible on Su Ye's sleeve.

Devouring Heaven Demon Cover.

Ultimate Imperial Weapon!

It just slipped away right before my eyes!

Duan De felt as if his heart was bleeding.

"Holy Son, how about this?"

Duan De took a deep breath and put on a smile again: "This humble Taoist has a supreme immortal scripture that I wish to exchange with the Holy Son, in exchange for only that roof tile."

Su Ye glanced at him.

The Supreme Immortal Scripture?

Is it the "Transcending Tribulation Heavenly Skill"?

He said calmly, "I won't change it."

Two words: crisp and clean.

Duan De's smile froze for a moment, then returned to normal.

"Fine."

Duan De sighed, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, and said, "This humble Taoist has no affinity with it, so I will not disturb the Holy Son today. Farewell!"

He turned and left after saying that.

His steps were neither hurried nor slow, and his back view revealed no flaws.

It's not that he doesn't want to leave.

He sensed a gaze falling on his back from the void.

His gaze was neither sharp nor filled with murderous intent.

But that faint, yet palpable, holy aura was like frost from the heavens, sending chills down Duan De's spine.

The sage who protects the Dao at Yaochi.

A fine layer of cold sweat seeped from Duan De's forehead.

Without pausing, he transformed into a streak of gray light and vanished into the depths of the ancient pine forest without looking back.

After flying hundreds of miles, Duan Decai finally stopped on an unnamed low mountain.

He plopped down on the ground, panting heavily.

"My Devouring Demon Canopy—"

Duan De let out a wail and slapped his thigh.

The smiling facade on his face completely crumbled at that moment.

Those small eyes were filled with undisguised heartache.

"The lid of the Devouring Demon Jar!"

"The ultimate imperial weapon of the Ruthless Great Emperor!"

"Even if it's only half a piece, it's still an ultimate imperial weapon!"

Duan De beat his chest and stamped his feet, his entire body of fat trembling.

He rambled on and on for a while, then fell silent for a long time afterward.

"The Holy Son of Yaochi —"

A complex, eerie light flashed in Duan De's small eyes.

"This person clearly knew where Mo Gai was before he came; he was definitely not just passing by."

"But how did he know?"

"interesting."

A smile suddenly appeared on Duan De's lips.

The previous frustration and heartache seemed to have been wiped away, replaced by the excitement of a hunter discovering new prey.

"This Holy Son of Yaochi has quite a few secrets."

He started humming again.

"My dear, the Northern Region is vast."

"The Devouring Demon Jar doesn't just have a lid; it also has a body—I'll find it eventually—"

The river water has regained its clarity.

The turbid silt slowly settled, and the reflection of the lush pine trees on both banks was mirrored on the river surface.

Su Ye stood on the blue stone by the river, pinching the pitch-black Devouring Demon Cover between his two fingers.

Simple, profound, and understated.

It looks like a worthless piece of broken tile.

But the dark red patterns on that tile were slowly flowing, like little living snakes.

Dark light seeped from the depths of the patterns, flowing up Su Ye's fingertips to his wrist.

The figure of the Sage Yuheng emerged from the void.

The plain white palace dress was without a single wrinkle, and the cinnabar mole between her brows gleamed with a warm luster in the hazy sunlight.

Her gaze fell on the Devouring Demon Cap in Su Ye's hand, and a hint of undisguised shock appeared deep in her eyes.

Half of the ultimate imperial weapon of the Ruthless Great Emperor.

An indescribable joy welled up in the heart of the Sage Yuheng.

She has lived for thousands of years, witnessing the rise and fall of countless geniuses, and the prosperity and decline of countless holy lands.

Very few things could stir the heart of this saintly woman.

But at this moment, she was indeed a little excited.

"The lid of the Devouring Demon Jar."

The Jade Balance Sage's tone was more solemn than usual.

"Half of the Ruthless Great Emperor's ultimate imperial weapon is already in your hands."

She looked at Su Ye, her gaze complex.

How could my own holy son find an imperial weapon just by walking around?

It's one thing to be able to accurately select stones containing hidden treasures within the Holy City's stone workshops, but to be able to unearth half a supreme imperial weapon while casually wandering through the desolate mountains and wilderness—

While the Sage Yuheng was overjoyed, he also felt a mix of inexplicable emotions.

But she didn't ask why.

There was something about Su Ye that she couldn't understand, and this wasn't the first time.

Back in the Holy City, Su Ye was able to sense the fluctuations of fortune within the stone by relying on the extraordinary Daoist aura of his innate Dao embryo. So it's not too surprising that he has made a discovery here in the Cloud Broken Mountains.

"The Green Gold Pagoda of Immortal Tears from the Jade Pool, Devouring Demon Gaijia".

A smile appeared on the lips of the Jade Balance Sage, his tone carrying a rare hint of pride.

"Two imperial weapons—looking across the Big Dipper, no other holy land possesses such a foundation."

Su Ye nodded slightly.

"Who knows, we might be able to find the body of the Devouring Demon Jar someday."

He knew that the other half of the imperial weapon was in the hands of Tu Tian, ​​the seventh great bandit of the Northern Region.

Three hundred years ago, he found the body of the Devouring Demon Jar by a dried-up ancient riverbed.

The Sage Yuheng gently shook his head.

"Obtaining half an imperial weapon by chance is already an incredible stroke of luck; there's no need to rush."

Su Ye nodded in agreement and immediately sat cross-legged in the air.

He activated the weapon-refining divine technique recorded in the Daoist scriptures and began to refine the Devouring Demon Canopy in his hand, aiming to imprint his own life mark on this remnant of the supreme imperial weapon.

He didn't know how long he had been refining it, but when the divine technique was fully activated, he raised his hand and sank the demonic canopy into his own sea of ​​suffering.

The moment the Devouring Demon Canopy entered the Sea of ​​Bitterness.

boom!

An extremely cold, devouring intent erupted from the demonic canopy, transforming into countless black tentacles that swept outwards in all directions.

The purple divine power receded like a tide.

The golden book containing the Daoist scriptures trembled slightly.

The Primordial Divine Mark Tower hummed, and the innate divine marks on its nine-story structure lit up simultaneously, with the purple-gold light colliding head-on with the black light.

At the same time, the long-dormant Demon Emperor's Sacred Heart suddenly throbbed.

The emerald green imperial light transformed into a ring of light, firmly suppressing the black light emanating from the demonic canopy into a corner of the sea of ​​suffering.

The four treasures formed a delicate balance in the sea of ​​suffering.

Four distinct forces collided and balanced each other in the sea of ​​suffering, while the purple divine power surged ceaselessly in the cracks.

The World Tree sapling swayed gently at that moment.

A golden leaf hangs down from the branch, its tip probing into the center where four forces intersect.

The golden power of fortune transformed into countless fine threads, slowly weaving the three forces together.

The violent fluctuations caused by the collision gradually stabilized under the influence of the gold threads.

The four treasures no longer repel each other; instead, they form a wondrous resonance.

The leaves of the World Tree trembled slightly.

Above the Devouring Demon Canopy, a vast and terrifying power of destiny was extracted by the World Tree.

The aura was a deep black color, so dense it was almost tangible.

The black energy was absorbed by the roots of the World Tree, and a thin black line appeared on the golden leaves.

The pattern was winding and twisting, like some kind of ancient Taoist mark.

It stands alongside the black and white patterns that appeared on the World Tree after it absorbed the strange fire.

The World Tree's branches grew an inch higher at a speed visible to the naked eye.

One inch.

It seems insignificant.

But Su Ye could clearly sense that the World Tree's aura had become significantly stronger in that instant.

That perceptive power that transcends countless realms became even clearer.

The previously blurry patterns on the leaves became much more solid at this moment.

Su Ye opened her eyes.

Deep within the deep purple pupils, a faint glimmer of black light flashed and disappeared.

The Devouring Demon Canopy floated quietly in the Sea of ​​Bitterness.

It is simple and unadorned, and as black as ink.

Su Ye withdrew his inner gaze and looked up at the Jade Balance Saint.

The Sage Yuheng nodded slightly.

"Even without a matching canister, the power of an ultimate imperial weapon is still terrifying, even with just a lid."

"Only when you find the body of the Devouring Demon Jar and the lid is combined with the body can it truly be called an ultimate imperial weapon."

Su Ye nodded.

He certainly knew that.

The full power of the Devouring Demon Jar has been demonstrated many times in the original work, making it worthy of being called one of the strongest imperial weapons in the Big Dipper.

The Jade Balance Sage lightly flicked his sleeves.

The space in front of her distorted slightly, and a faint ripple spread from her fingertips.

"Now that this matter is settled, where do you plan to go next?"

Su Ye looked north.

North of the Cloud-Broken Mountains lies the endless Northern Wilderness; continuing northwards leads to the direction of Purple Mountain.

That direction is where Purple Mountain is located, and it's also the place Ye Fan will go next in the original timeline.

Hidden within Purple Mountain is the legacy of the Great Emperor Wushi, the Book of Origin, and countless dangers and opportunities.

More importantly, it also contains one of the Nine Secrets, the Secret of Fighting!

"The Daoist temple of the Great Emperor Wushi, Purple Mountain."

Su Ye said.

The Jade Balance Sage frowned slightly.

That mountain was once the ancient imperial mountain of the Immortal Emperor, and now it is the Daoist temple of the Great Emperor Wushi. Many ancient royal families lurk within it, making it a place of great danger and unpredictability.

She was silent for a moment, then nodded slightly.

The void closed up again, and the figure of the Jade Balance Sage disappeared into the depths of the clouds.

Su Ye stood still, taking one last look down at the clear stream at her feet.

The river flowed as usual.

No one could tell that just moments before, half a component of an ultimate imperial weapon had been lying dormant beneath the riverbed of this ordinary river.

Su Ye's lips curled up slightly.

He channeled his divine power, transforming it into a purple rainbow, and his figure soared into the sky.

>