Not long after Qin Tian left, cries of battle rang out from the horizon. Reinforcements from the Yaoguang Holy Land had arrived.
The hundred thousand li surrounding the Primordial Ancient Mine had been divided among the holy lands of the Eastern Wasteland. The Yaoguang Holy Land had several Source Areas here, each guarded by experts.
Now that something had gone wrong at this site, a Great Power immediately came to investigate what had happened.
What he found, however, shocked him pale.
The few lingering traces of aura felt so supreme, resonating with the scripture he cultivated. The Immortal Platform between his brows, in particular, stirred with unprecedented vigor.
The Great Power was beside himself with excitement. "There's no mistake. That aura is almost gone, but it's still so magnificent, as though it could devour everything in the world. It absolutely belongs to the more important half of that Emperor Weapon."
The Great Power hurriedly crushed a jade pendant and transmitted a message. "Awaken the ancestor. Tell him the founding ancestor's weapon has appeared!"
The Devouring Heaven Demon Lid was more important than the Devouring Heaven Demon Jar.
Once they recovered the Devouring Heaven Demon Lid, they could use the Ruthless Lineage's secret art to awaken the Emperor Weapon Spirit and summon back the other half of the Emperor Weapon.
That was one reason they did not mind the Devouring Heaven Demon Jar being in Tu Tian's hands.
Of course, another, more important reason was that they simply could not take it. After all, it was still half an Extreme Dao Emperor Weapon.
If they wanted to seize that half of the Devouring Heaven Demon Jar by force,
they would have to deploy an Extreme Dao Emperor Weapon.
Once battle began, the extreme Dao divine might would be impossible to conceal. Never mind exposing the existence of the Ruthless Lineage-
the other extreme Dao factions would never allow the Yaoguang Holy Land to possess a second Emperor Weapon.
They would inevitably intervene. The Void Mirror and the Solar Divine Furnace would hang high above the Eastern Wasteland to preserve the so-called balance.
Otherwise, with two Emperor Weapons in one faction-one abroad and one guarding home-who could compete with them? Who could stand against a Great Power wandering outside with an Extreme Dao Emperor Weapon in hand?
That was blatant cheating!
The disturbance soon passed, forcibly suppressed by the Yaoguang Holy Land. Outsiders assumed it was merely another raid by the Great Bandits, unaware that an Extreme Dao Emperor Weapon had unleashed its divine might here.
Before long, a warship flew over, radiant with auspicious colors. It tore through the sky and arrived at astonishing speed.
A great banner fluttered atop the warship, which had been refined from multicolored jade. Two enormous characters were written upon it: "Yaoguang."
A Grand Elder had come in person. He was very old, and his cultivation reached the heavens, enough to rival a holy lord and place him at the pinnacle of the Eastern Wasteland.
Yet after disembarking from the colorful ship, even such a man bowed respectfully and invited the person behind him to descend.
It was an enormous block of divine source. Its dazzling brilliance illuminated everything nearby, bathing it all in golden splendor. Even the grains of sand looked sacred, shimmering with flowing colors and translucent light.
The block of divine source stood a full two meters tall. Sealed within it was a supreme expert, radiating vast quantities of vital essence.
A three-foot beam of divine light shot from the divine source and swept across the surroundings. The figure within trembled, and a voice filled with astonished delight rang out. "Indeed... there's no mistake... it's that half of the Emperor Weapon."
He shattered the divine source outright and stepped out, an overwhelmingly powerful aura surging forth.
He was an aged Daoist wearing a Daoist robe. An air of decay clung to him, as though he had little time left to live.
Yet his strength was incomparably formidable. The slightest uncontrolled surge of divine power made even the Great Power beside him tremble with fear.
He was stronger than a Great Power-a king who had completed Severing the Dao.
He unleashed a mysterious divine ability, tracing the lingering vestiges of what had happened. The Ruthless Great Emperor had created countless arts. She had also explored the realm of time, even devoting a long stretch of years to its study.
Scenes from the past appeared before their eyes, one after another.
They saw the Great Bandits attack, and the Yaoguang cultivators fight them.
They also saw an extreme Dao aura descend from the horizon, boundless and supreme. Once the extreme Dao appeared, who could contend with it?
It effortlessly crushed everyone present into dust.
Finally, a fat Daoist appeared before them, smiling brilliantly and showing snow-white teeth as he took all the source from the mine.
Though the Emperor Weapon's aura was so powerful that it blurred parts of the past, he still obtained the information he needed.
For what he needed was precisely the aura of the Extreme Dao Emperor Weapon.
"There's no mistaking this aura!" The Dao-Severing King was beside himself with excitement. "It must be the founding ancestor's divine weapon!"
The Grand Elder beside him ventured, "Could it have been that fellow surnamed Xu, wielding the Devouring Heaven Demon Jar to unleash an extreme Dao strike?"
"No. Others might be unable to distinguish the Devouring Heaven Demon Lid from the Devouring Heaven Demon Jar."
"But that was the divine weapon we worshipped day and night. How could we fail to recognize it? There is a difference between the Devouring Heaven Demon Jar and the Devouring Heaven Demon Lid."
"The Demon Jar lacks an embodiment; the Demon Lid possesses a spirit. Of their two auras, one has a spirit, and the other does not."
The Dao-Severing King was thrilled beyond measure. "This is the founding ancestor's will, guiding us to recover the supreme Emperor Weapon."
"Go. Mobilize everyone."
"Bring back our lineage's supreme Emperor Weapon."
"Yes, honored ancestor!"
As soon as those words fell, both men vanished.
Before long, everyone in the Yaoguang Holy Land had been mobilized, from disciples to elders and even its subordinate factions. Wanted notices were posted even in mortal kingdoms.
The operation was dozens of times larger than the search for Qin Tian. This time, they truly meant business.
The entire Eastern Wasteland was turned upside down.
They were searching for a man named Duan De.
They even announced that anyone who captured Duan De alive could become the next Yaoguang Holy Son.
With a search on such a scale, all available information about Duan De soon reached the Yaoguang Holy Land.
Then... they became even more certain that the Devouring Heaven Demon Lid was in Duan De's hands.
They also grew even angrier.
For they had learned Duan De's profession.
The bastard was a grave robber. He had even visited the Yaoguang Holy Land to rob tombs and survey its feng shui.
A moment's thought made the chain of events clear. The bastard must have dug up one of their ancestors' graves to obtain the Devouring Heaven Demon Lid.
The entire Ruthless Lineage was furious, their rage set ablaze.
Damn it, someone had dug up their ancestors' graves! How could they tolerate that?!
Duan De, meanwhile, had no idea that a great calamity was about to descend upon him.
He was still enthusiastically excavating grand tombs, turning his grief and indignation into archaeological drive.
Only after seeing this did Qin Tian finally relax.
His plan had indeed been right.
The entire Yaoguang Holy Land had been mobilized, unleashing an unprecedented level of power.
Under such circumstances, even with an Extreme Dao Emperor Weapon in hand, he would probably be killed.
A life-threatening mess like this had to be shouldered by his alias.
After all, a master always had to wipe his disciple's backside!
His master had never written a proclamation to the gods of their sect, instructing him on what he should and should not do.
Nor had he told him not to mention his name if he caused trouble outside.
Although their formal master-disciple relationship had not even been established,
deep in Qin Tian's heart, he already regarded Daoist Duan De as his master.
"So, Master, go in peace." Qin Tian was utterly devout. "Immeasurable Heavenly Venerable!"
Besides, this was hardly such a terrible mess.
Qin Tian firmly believed his master was invincible. He was the Tribulation Transcendence Heavenly Venerable, the Underworld Emperor, an existence walking the path of the Mortal World Immortal.
The mere Yaoguang Holy Land? A splash of water, nothing more!
What could they possibly do to him?!
At humanity's peak, looking down upon the world-with Duan De here, the heavens endured!
Could the mere Yaoguang Holy Land actually kill his master, Duan De? I don't believe it!
If you've got the guts, show me you can do it first!
Before you continue