The Backer Sect's founding patriarch, Backer Ancestor, had attainments in the art of keeping one's head down that were on the level of a Great Emperor.
He had passed down that fine tradition of lying low.
Back when Backer Ancestor founded the sect, he was obstructed by a local Wildlands Province powerhouse, an expert at the Approaching Dao Realm.
At the time, Backer Ancestor appeared to possess only Celestial Realm cultivation.
Yet when the two truly came to blows, that Approaching Dao Realm cultivator was killed in an instant!
Afterward, the Approaching Dao Realm lineage came to seek revenge. Their Saint-level ancestor descended with heaven and earth beneath his feet, yet before he could utter a word, the low-key Backer Ancestor crushed him into dust!
Compared to their ancestor, they were still far too green.
Now that Backer Ancestor had passed away, it was time for them to bring this craft to its pinnacle.
"Bufan, from today onward, your master will teach you how to cultivate."
"Master, my meridians are very difficult to open."
"Your master will open them for you."
Saintly might erupted around Hua Yunfei. Golden light shone in his eyes, and he seemed like a Saint walking the world, sacred and majestic.
Above the heavens, golden light from the Great Dao descended, spilling over Ye Bufan's body.
The manifestations of the four ancient divine beasts—the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Black Tortoise, and Vermilion Bird—appeared around Hua Yunfei.
Before long, the roars of tens of thousands of divine beasts rang out, and terrifying phenomena crowded heaven and earth!
In this day and age, cultivation was difficult. Great Emperors did not emerge, Saints remained unseen, and the Ancient Sacred Body was even harder to cultivate.
But difficult did not mean impossible!
As long as one was strong enough, one could carve out a path for the Ancient Sacred Body!
Nether Ghost Palace.
One of the three great superpowers of Wildlands Province, an existence on par with the Backer Sect and the Dao Yi Immortal Sect.
It was also one of the Nine Great Immortal Sects of the Eastern Region!
Nether Ghost Palace was located on a floating island above a poisonous swamp stretching hundreds of miles.
Black qi surged across the island, and the entire sect's buildings were shrouded in mist.
"The Backer Sect has already set out!"
Deep within Nether Ghost Palace, a group of powerful figures had gathered.
The man at the head of them wore black chainmail. His expression was stern and solemn, his gaze fiercely aggressive as he stared at everyone and slowly spoke.
The lord of Nether Ghost Palace, Nether Ghost Master!
Everyone gathered here was part of Nether Ghost Palace's upper echelon.
However, one person was rather unusual. He stood a full three meters tall, concealed beneath a black robe that hid his appearance.
"Jie jie jie..."
A strange laugh came from beneath the black robe, its voice piercing and eerie.
The Nether Ghost Palace elders were all notorious villains in their own right, yet even their scalps tingled at this moment.
He spoke, saying, "By now, they should be on their way to my Blood Demon Clan. Jie jie jie, they truly do not know the height of heaven or the depth of earth."
He simply did not think much of the Backer Sect. How strong could a force with only an Approaching Dao Realm expert holding the fort possibly be?
Though the Blood Demon Clan had long lost its former glory, it still had more than one Approaching Dao Realm expert.
Could the Backer Sect compare?
The Blood Demon hidden beneath the black robe spoke again. "Leave Yun Tian Zhenren at the Blood Demon Clan to me. Nether Ghost Palace will be responsible for attacking the Backer Sect. Once the deed is done, we split the Backer Sect's foundation fifty-fifty!"
"Agreed!"
Nether Ghost Master nodded readily. A trace of a smile squeezed onto his rigid face as he said, "A pleasant partnership. Let us take down the Backer Sect with ease and share a bowl of fine stew!"
After glancing at Nether Ghost Master's smile, which looked even worse than crying, the black-robed Blood Demon let out a jiejie laugh and left.
"Heh, a mere Blood Demon Clan wants a share of the fine stew?"
Nether Ghost Master sneered. Cold light flickered in his eyes, and an eerie, terrifying aura radiated from his body.
A white-haired elder rose and cupped his fists. "Palace Lord, word has arrived from the Sun Moon Divine Church. They have already set out."
"Very good!"
Nether Ghost Master said, "Once we devour the Backer Sect this time, the entire Wildlands Province will belong to Nether Ghost Palace! The Dao Yi Immortal Sect will sooner or later be swallowed by us as well!"
Hid Just a Teeny-Tiny Bit
Golden light descended over Daoyuan Peak, while heavenly melodies of the Great Dao filled the entire Backer Sect.
Many disciples looked toward Daoyuan Peak.
It was the sect's most mysterious peak, and also the place where the Sect Leader and the five First Seats fought most often.
Daoyuan Peak had always been a mysterious place in the hearts of countless disciples.
Though it was one of the Backer Sect's seven peaks, its presence was faint. Many disciples had only heard Daoyuan Zhenren's name, never seen him in person.
This was because ninety-nine formations had been set up outside Daoyuan Peak, combining dozens of great formation traits such as defense, attack, concealment, and more.
Without Hua Yunfei's permission, no one could climb the mountain on their own.
This unusual arrangement made Daoyuan Peak and the legendary Daoyuan Zhenren even more mysterious.
Only the true disciples of each peak had seen Hua Yunfei a few times.
The saintly rosy golden light continued for an entire day. By evening, the disturbance caused by Daoyuan Peak gradually subsided.
"Master, I've broken through to the ninth level of the Vein Opening Realm!"
Ye Bufan was so excited that he nearly jumped up.
Hua Yunfei had actually allowed him to rise from an ordinary mortal directly to the ninth level of the Vein Opening Realm!
What kind of divine power was that!
Moreover, he possessed the Ancient Sacred Body. His meridians were like divine iron and nearly impossible to break through, yet in Hua Yunfei's hands, it had been effortless.
This was something none of the peak masters of the Dao Yi Immortal Sect could accomplish.
"Not bad. Now this is what a Sacred Body should look like." Hua Yunfei nodded in satisfaction.
At this moment, faint golden light radiated from Ye Bufan's body. Whenever he circulated spiritual qi, golden blood qi gathered around him. Every gesture he made carried the bearing of a peerless prodigy.
In the current Backer Sect, apart from Hua Yunfei himself, Ye Bufan was likely the most talented.
Ye Bufan knelt, tears glimmering in his eyes. "Master, this disciple..."
Hua Yunfei deliberately put on a stern face. "Get up. I am your master; this is the least I should do. There is no need to thank me."
"No. This grace of remaking me must be etched into this disciple's heart. If one day Master faces danger and requires this disciple to sacrifice himself for the Dao, this disciple will not hesitate," Ye Bufan said earnestly, respectfully kowtowing in the manner of a disciple.
"What could possibly happen to me?"
Ye Bufan's words amused Hua Yunfei. "In today's world, let alone the Eastern Region, even Central Province or the entire Big Dipper Star, there exists no one capable of taking my life."
Ye Bufan's heart still had not calmed, and he wanted to say more, but Hua Yunfei cut him off directly.
"Alright, alright. I know you are a good child who repays kindness. Your master promises you that if there is ever a need for you in the future, I certainly will not stand on ceremony."
"Thank you, Master."
Ye Bufan bowed once more before finally rising.
Hua Yunfei took out a golden book. "This is a gift from your master. Do not look down on it."
"'Heavenly Emperor Scripture.'"
When Ye Bufan received it and saw the title before his eyes, he was utterly shocked.
Heavenly Emperor!
What kind of figure was that!
An existence at the pinnacle among Great Emperors!
Not just anyone could be called a Heavenly Emperor!
Since ancient times, only a handful of Heavenly Emperors had left their names behind.
Ye Bufan opened the first page of the Heavenly Emperor Scripture, and the contents left him frozen in shock.
"Ancient Sacred Body becomes Emperor! Invincible among Emperors, thus named Heavenly Emperor. This is a cultivation method compiled after an Ancient Sacred Body became Emperor, leaving behind an Emperor's Road for future Sacred Bodies to attain Emperorship!"
His heart surged violently as he opened the section concerning the Vein Opening Realm and stared at it in a trance.
Standing atop the mountain peak, he had already entered a state of complete self-forgetfulness.
As time slowly passed, the golden blood around Ye Bufan grew increasingly dense, seeming to condense into a golden dragon that soared through the nine heavens.
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