Longevity: After Six Thousand Years, The Diary Was Exposed - Chapter 36 - Chapter 36 – The Day of the Duel, the Might of An Emperor!

Night.

The stars were few in the bright moonlit sky.

Ye Xi bid farewell to Ye Qingge and stepped out; it was already dark outside, and a cool breeze was blowing gently.

As he looked around, he saw bonfires dotting the mountains.

In some places, however, it was especially bright—not from bonfires, but from large sects that used enchanted artifacts for illumination instead.

These artifacts shone like a full moon, hanging in the sky and radiating a brilliant light.

Because of a diary entry by the Immortal Emperor, the area around Cangwu Mountain, stretching hundreds of miles, was bustling with people.

It was lively indeed!

“The day after tomorrow is the decisive battle with the An family!”

Ye Xi muttered softly, a bit hesitant, then flew off into the darkness.

In the next moment.

He arrived at the summit of a towering peak and cupped his hands toward the ground, saying, “Shimu! Disciple Ye Xi has come to seek an audience!”

The mountains were silent.

His only reply was the faint chirping of insects and the rustling of branches swayed by the wind.

Ye Xi sighed and called out again, “Shimu…”

But this time, before he could finish, the ground beneath him trembled, splitting open with a crash.

Thick black mist surged from the crack.

Amidst the mist, a pair of piercing eyes settled on Ye Xi, and a voice rang out:

“I’ve told you before, I’m not your Shimu!”

“Are you looking to get yourself killed, boy?”

Hearing this, Ye Xi only chuckled, unfazed. “Shimu, my master often speaks of you…”

“He says you’re the kindest, most understanding person he’s ever met—gentle and pure-hearted, even though you might say harsh words.”

Ye Xi paused, then continued, “He also says you have a tough mouth but a soft heart…”

The faint figure within the black mist wavered slightly.

Her purple eyes softened a little in that moment.

“Alright, enough. Stop talking!”

The Zitong Emperor asked bluntly, “What exactly do you want from me?”

Ye Xi’s face lit up with joy. After a brief moment of thought, he shared some of his plans.

Half an hour later.

As Ye Xi prepared to leave, he took out a small box, handing it to the Zitong Emperor, saying, “Shimu!”

“This is a gift my master prepared specifically for you before he left, and he insisted I give it to you personally!”

The Zitong Emperor fell silent, and the black mist remained still for a long time.

After a while.

She finally accepted the box and opened it, revealing a single red bean seed.

Puzzled, she asked, “Why would he give me a red bean seed for no reason?”

Ye Xi smiled silently, then softly began to recite:

“Red beans grow in the southern land.

In spring, they sprout a few branches.

I hope you gather many;

These tokens bring thoughts of love.”

As Ye Xi’s words fell, two clear tears rolled down the Zitong Emperor’s cheeks.

In a quiet voice, she repeated, “I hope you gather many; these tokens bring thoughts of love.”

“But why did you… back then…”

Ye Xi waited a moment before speaking again. “Shimu, although I don’t know what happened back then…”

“Master must have had his reasons, right? When he returns, he’ll naturally explain everything to you.”

Finishing his words, Ye Xi cupped his hands once more in farewell, and his figure drifted away.

In the blink of an eye, he disappeared into the night.

Inwardly, he thought, For the happiness of Master and his wives, I’ve certainly given my all!

For a long time, the Zitong Emperor gazed at the red bean in her hand, treasuring it. Only after a long while did she huff coldly and say,

“Fine, let’s see how you try to talk your way out of this when the time comes!”

…

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Morning.

As the first light appeared in the eastern sky, three of the An family’s ancestors emerged from their secret chamber.

An Shanyuan led the An family’s most powerful cultivators, standing at attention.

In half an hour, the An family would head into a life-or-death battle.

The outcome of this battle would determine the survival of the entire clan!

An Yujun, dressed in a black robe, calmly swept his gaze over the gathered crowd and said with a smile: “Let’s go. Since my An family dared to propose this battle, let’s not keep our fellow Daoists waiting.”

Above the An family’s territory, figures shot out one after another.

Then, like a swarm of locusts, they flew toward the distant mountains.

This duel was set to take place on a vast plain, hundreds of miles from Cangwu Mountain.

The plain stretched endlessly.

The perfect setting for the audience and for both sides to display their powers!

By this time, the originally empty plain was already packed with people, with various factions gathered.

Yuan Ruoyu, Ye Qingge, and others were among the crowd.

Major powers like Jade Pool Holy Land and Liyue Immortal Dynasty naturally occupied the prime spots at the center. Further back, people could only rely on their abilities to catch a glimpse.

Of course, being closer also came with risks in a battle of this scale.

When a cultivator at the peak stage of Mahayana fights with all their strength, even the shockwaves from the battle aren’t something ordinary cultivators can withstand.

Whoosh!

From afar, the sound of air rending could be heard.

Everyone looked up, their faces filled with even more excitement.

Incredibly thrilled!

The An family had arrived; the duel was about to begin!

Among them, many cultivators looked at the An family with a touch of admiration. In such a situation, they still dared to show up and fight.

Before this, quite a few cultivators had speculated that this so-called duel might just be a delay tactic by the An family.

The aim would be to buy time to relocate the secrets of Cangwu Mountain…

Only now did everyone realize the An family truly intended to take on all the gathered factions with the power of their entire clan!

Such courage commanded respect.

On one side of the vast plain, the An family slowly descended, each with a serious expression.

An Shanyuan took a few steps forward, his voice amplified with spiritual energy:

“Today is the agreed day for the duel. The An family keeps its word and has come to fight!”

He took a breath and continued, “A fair duel, with life and death at stake!”

“And I hope all of you here remember—if my An family manages to win, you will all depart and never bring up this matter again!”

At his words, most on the “alliance” side nodded in agreement.

If such a gathering of powerful cultivators couldn’t defeat the An family, what right would they have to demand access to Cangwu Mountain’s secrets?

“In that case, let’s begin!”

An Shanyuan slowly stepped back, and one of the An family’s ancestors rose into the air.

A surge of overwhelming energy erupted as An Yuheng shouted, “An Yuheng of the An family—who dares to face me?”

Yuan Ruoyu squinted at An Yuheng, her expression grave.

The three ancestors of the An family were once legendary figures in the cultivation world.

Each was a prodigy who led an era.

But in recent years, with the An family’s rise, these three ancestors had mostly remained in seclusion, leading many to forget their renown.

A moment later.

The tall form of Wei Yuan, the Great Elder of Jade Pool Holy Land, also rose into the sky, his aura surging. “Wei Yuan of Jade Pool Holy Land, here to test Daoist An!”

The two figures stood across from each other, separated by dozens of meters, eyes locked in battle.

It was agreed by all that Wei Yuan would be the first to fight.

In that instant, the previously noisy crowd fell into an eerie silence.

An almost terrifying silence.

Everyone present instinctively held their breath, their gazes fixed on the two figures in the sky.

This first duel carried immense significance!

“Who do you think will win?”

“Hard to say!”

“I’m betting on Wei Yuan. After all, he’s the Great Elder of Jade Pool Holy Land, with endless cultivation resources, and he’s incredibly talented!”

“But you can’t be so certain. Each of the three An family ancestors was a legendary figure back in the day!”

“Not to mention, the An family has risen rapidly—they’re not lacking in resources either!”

After a brief moment of silence, a loud rumble erupted as the crowd seemed to explode.

Voices filled the air again, a cacophony of debates and discussions.

Ye Qingge watched the two figures intently, her expression icy, lost in her thoughts.

Yuan Ruoyu was equally serious.

Meanwhile, on a leaf hanging in the sky, Ye Xi was casually sitting and enjoying hot pot, seemingly unconcerned about the duel.

Qiao Xi gave him an exasperated look. “You’re about to join the battle soon, and you’re still focused on feasting?”

Ye Xi replied matter-of-factly, “How can I fight without a full stomach?”

“…”

Qiao Xi was speechless. You’re in the Mahayana realm—if you need to eat to get strength, then everyone else might as well give up.

She glanced at Ye Xi, her gaze complex.

At first, Qiao Xi thought Ye Xi was just some young master of a cultivation family. But then she discovered he was a Mahayana stage powerhouse!

And, after some digging, she confirmed that no known cultivation family had a “Nicholas” surname.

The more she tried to understand him, the more mysterious he seemed, leaving her mind in disarray.

Ye Xi looked up at her and said, “Eat up. Why aren’t you eating? If you wait too long, it’ll be overcooked! It has to be tender!”

At that moment, the two figures facing off on the plain finally moved.

An Yuheng sneered, shaking his head. “Wei Yuan Daoist, be careful!”

Boom!

As he spoke, his aura surged once again!

An incredibly powerful pressure crashed down like a tidal wave.

Everyone was stunned!

The pressure was immense—it was the aura of an Emperor!

An Yuheng of the An family wasn’t at the late Mahayana stage; he was an Emperor in the Tribulation Crossing realm.