Chapter 695: Great Demon 58
Tan You wasn’t a fool. "The ’Yuan’ in his name means source, or origin."
In truth, Tan You still couldn’t figure it out. ’If all these Golden Ring Snake Emperors are still alive, how were the ancestral memories even passed down? It’s a massive plot hole.’ In the end, she could only rationalize it with the idea that if something exists, it must be logical.
"Little Zhao," Jin Zhen’s eyes crinkled in a wide grin. "You’re so clever, and your guess isn’t wrong. We just never expected the Crown to choose you in the end, especially since our eldest brother is still around."
Tan You wasn’t the least bit flustered. "It’s an honor to have been chosen."
"Of course. You certainly have your merits," Jin Jue conceded with a nod. "Your study of the Array Dao is excellent. We should discuss it more when we have time."
Tan You understood. ’This must be the ancestor whose Array Dao I studied so diligently back when I was just a little snake egg.’
"Of course. Please, I look forward to your guidance, Fourth Uncle," Tan You said, bowing to Jin Jue. Before this, she had been completely clueless about the Arrays of the Cultivation World, relying solely on her knowledge of Magic Arrays from the Western Fantasy World to get by.
But after her complete ancestral reversion at the Ninth Rank and after reviewing the memories passed down from her ancestors, Tan You finally had a thorough understanding of the Cultivation World’s Array Dao system. In a way, he could be considered her teacher.
The corner of Jin Jue’s lips quirked up. "Happy to. That God Trapping Array of yours is truly impressive—very unique. Now that you’re an Immortal Monarch, as long as your Immortal Yuan can keep up, you should have no opponents below the level of a fifth-rank Immortal Monarch."
Tan You blinked. "Let’s be modest, Fourth Uncle."
Jin Jue laughed. "Alright, modest it is. We can discuss it together when we’re free."
Jin Yao pouted. Seeing the two of them chatting so happily, he couldn’t help but feel a bit put out. "Little Zhao, you’re so fickle! The moment you see your fourth uncle, you forget all about your dear ’little uncle.’ And after I’ve doted on you for so many years, too."
Tan You knew Jin Yao was a drama queen, so she just humored him with a casual reply. "I have some new ideas about the Array Dao, and it’s a perfect chance to discuss them with Fourth Uncle. You’re not an expert in Arrays, Little Uncle."
Jin Yao was indignant. "So what if I’m not an expert in Arrays?"
Jin Zhen slung an arm around Jin Yao’s shoulders. "Let Little Zhao and Old Four have their discussion. Why don’t you tell me about how the clan is doing?"
Jin Yao’s eyes went wide. "What could possibly be happening? There are only a handful of us Golden Ring Snakes in the entire clan! It’s better this way—fewer of us means more peace and quiet. Nothing ever happens."
Jin Yuan spoke up. "I plan to take Little Zhao to the Immortal-Demon Battlefield to give her some proper combat instruction."
Jin Yao agreed instantly. "Great idea! I’ll go too."
He had no intention of coddling her just because she was a girl. ’Back when I first became an Immortal Monarch,’ he thought, ’wasn’t I also hauled off to the Immortal-Demon Battlefield for combat training? Only through firsthand battle can one grow quickly.’
Tan You had no objections. An opportunity for hands-on practice with her elders watching over her was rare. Even though she had once been the Saintess of the Dark Divine Hall, her current path was entirely different.
An Undead Mage manipulated the Undead to fight and almost never had to engage in close combat. But now she was a Golden Ring Snake Emperor, and her formidable physical body was a part of her strength. For years, however, Tan You had relied almost entirely on her inherited memories for learning, with no one to guide her personally.
Seeing Tan You agree so readily, Jin Yuan and the others all smiled. They respected strength and appreciated juniors who were eager to improve. Although she was a young woman, her thirst for battle was no less than any man’s. It was a restlessness that seemed etched into her very bones.
When Bai Ze heard Tan You was heading to the Immortal-Demon Battlefield, he insisted on going with her without a moment’s hesitation. Cang Long, the Nine-tailed Fox, the Red Flame Tiger, and the others who had come to watch her tribulation weren’t about to be outdone.
This was especially true for the Great Demons from the old Demon Market. Every one of them was now an Immortal Monarch with a cultivation level higher than Tan You’s. After finally being reunited with her, how could they bear to be separated so soon?
Tan You was, of course, happy that their old friendships hadn’t faded, and she looked forward to fighting alongside her companions again. As a result, the elders of the Peacock and other clans could only watch as the newest members of their families slipped right through their fingers.
Yet every last one of them was resolute, determined to follow Tan You to the Immortal-Demon Battlefield. What could their elders do? They could only accept it. It wasn’t as if they could forcibly drag them back.
Thus, Tan You spent less than half a day in her clan’s territory after her tribulation before heading to the Immortal-Demon Battlefield with her kinsmen and friends. As she remained out of the public eye, her fame as a genius gradually faded from the memories of the people of the Ninth Heaven.
However, some people still remembered Tan You—Jing Yue of the Buddha Sect, for example, as well as the former masterminds of the Tianyuan Sect.
"She went to the Immortal-Demon Battlefield?" Jing Yue opened his eyes, his expression surprised.
"Yes," replied the Buddhist cultivator, bowing his head. "She has just advanced to Immortal Monarch and has already condensed an Emperor’s Soul. This is unprecedented in the Ninth Heaven."
"All of the Golden Ring Snake elders returned for the ceremony and took her away immediately after her tribulation. Many from the Demon Clan who were also in attendance left with them. The word is they’ve all gone to the Immortal-Demon Battlefield."
Jing Yue forcefully crushed the Buddha Beads in his hand, yet he was careful not to let any hint of his agitation show. "I understand. You are dismissed."
As soon as the other man was gone, Jing Yue’s face twisted into a vicious snarl. "The Immortal-Demon Battlefield... I do hope you make it back alive."
At this thought, Jing Yue could no longer sit still. With a slight flicker between his brows, a second Jing Yue materialized in the quiet chamber. This was his soul-splitting Secret Technique, after all, a process he had long since mastered.
And so, one of him remained in the quiet chamber to continue cultivating, while Jing Yue’s true self secretly departed from the Buddha Sect, also headed for the Immortal-Demon Battlefield.
Back then, he had secretly descended to the Cultivation World, where he had been utterly humiliated and had even lost half of his Divine Soul. Jing Yue had never told a soul about this, so naturally, the Buddha Sect knew nothing of it.
In the years since, some of the Cultivators and members of the Demon Clan who had witnessed his humiliation had also ascended. However, they were too busy just trying to find their footing in the Ninth Heaven. Plus, with the Buddha Sect’s immense power and Jing Yue’s prestigious reputation, no one dared to publicize his past disgrace.
As a result, for all these years, no one had any idea about the disgusting things Jing Yue had done in secret.
But Jing Yue himself was full of resentment. His venture into the lower realm had ended in utter failure, a source of great humiliation. The more illustrious Tan You became, the more his resentment festered. He had long wanted to kill Tan You, but at the time, he had lost half his Divine Soul and needed to focus on healing it.
Moreover, the Golden Ring Snake clan was notoriously protective of their own. After arriving in the Ninth Heaven, Tan You had remained in seclusion, giving Jing Yue no opportunity to make a move. That was why he had been forced to wait for so long.
But Jing Yue had never, ever imagined that Tan You would actually manage to condense an Emperor’s Soul. A fledgling Immortal Monarch had somehow condensed an Emperor’s Soul! And he, Jing Yue, was already an eighth-rank Immortal Monarch, yet to this day, he hadn’t even touched the faintest shadow of the laws.
This huge disparity had driven Jing Yue into a paranoid obsession. He had only one thought left in his mind: ’That Golden Ring Snake must die!’
Tan You, however, had no idea that someone was already coming for her. She was busy catching up with her old companions, talking about anything and everything. After all, they hadn’t seen each other in a millennium.