Chapter 1685: Sage's Tombstone

Tianjian glanced at Zhenyan, a smirk playing on his lips. "Why should I tell you?" he thought mockingly. Yet, the words that were about to come out of his mouth suddenly changed to: "My name is..."

Tianjian reacted sharply, stopping himself just in time. He said gravely, "Your domain can control people's speech? It's fortunate you're only at the Second Heavenly Decay stage; otherwise, I really would have fallen into your trap today."

He broke out in a cold sweat.

Zhenyan's domain alone wasn't frightening; in fact, it could be said to be harmless. But when combined with the Primordial Sky-Imprisoning Gourd, it was simply lethal.

Failing to elicit his name, Venerable Zhenyan didn't lose heart. Unhurriedly, she took out the Jade Paper Heavenly Tome from her robes. Holding the jade tome in both hands, she silently recited an incantation. Layers of invisible energy waves surged from within the Jade Paper Heavenly Tome, swirling around her. The swirling energy made her yellow dress flutter up and down, and her dark hair gently swayed. Her eyes grew even brighter, and a faint ripple of law seemed to flicker within them.

Her red lips slightly parted, and her ethereal voice gained a hint of intangibility: "Speak your true name!"

The almost commanding words radiated outwards. Tianjian was once again enveloped by the domain. He scoffed inwardly and simply kept his mouth shut. To his surprise, a command, seemingly imbued with heavenly might, forced his mouth to open uncontrollably. "Dong... Fang..."

After uttering two words, his expression changed drastically. Fortunately, Tianqin, who was beside him, reacted incredibly quickly. She slapped him across the mouth, forcibly stopping his words. "Brother, let's go! This woman is dangerous!" Tianqin said urgently. Tianjian was also startled and quickly teleported away.

Venerable Zhenyan frowned deeply. It had still failed! She had already used the power of the realm artifact, the Jade Paper Heavenly Tome, reaching a level where her words held the power of law. They were now on guard, making it very difficult to extract his name again.

Watching them leave, Venerable Zhenyan looked at Jiang Fan with an apologetic expression. Unexpectedly, after a moment of contemplation, Jiang Fan activated the orange gourd and tried, "Dongfang Tianjian!"

*Whoosh—* An orange chain immediately shot out, coiling around Tianjian, who had retreated among the ancient giants!

Jiang Fan's eyes lit up with joy. Sure enough! Dongfang was the surname of the Dark Asura royal family! As for Tianjian, Tianqin, and Tiange, they were clearly their given names. Combined, it was his true name.

Tianjian's face drastically changed. With a gesture of his palm, a bone blade radiating sinister energy slashed down fiercely. The chain remained unmoving. Tianjian panicked and quickly said, "Wait, don't kill me! I'll return your Misty Veil Powder..."

Jiang Fan's eyes gleamed with cold light. How could he believe a single word Tianjian said? He was merely stalling for time, waiting for the two Five-Star Giant Kings of the Fifth Army to arrive.

"Retrieve!"

"Nooo..."

With a whoosh, amidst Tianjian's terrified screams, he was dragged into the gourd like a wisp of smoke.

"Brother!" Tianqin shrieked, teleporting over to try and snatch the gourd away. But White Tiger swatted her with a paw, knocking her out of her teleportation. Several gruesome wounds split open on the Four-Crowned Asura King's body, and blood scattered through the air.

Jiang Fan held the gourd, not feeling a shred of happiness. The Misty Veil Powder was on Tianjian's person and had been drawn into the gourd along with him.

Gazing at the Third Army surging forth to kill them, and sensing the two terrifying Five-Star Giant King presences behind him, listening to the countless desperate roars of the humans, demon beasts, and asuras, Jiang Fan looked up at the silent sky.

The gloomy sky had, at some unknown point, unleashed a torrential downpour. It drenched his clothes and extinguished the hope in his heart. Rain streamed down his face, trickling off his chin.

"Heh... heheh..." His shoulders shook as he laughed bitterly, "My Central Lands didn't perish because of the ancient dark creatures!!!"

Venerable Zhenyan detected immense resentment and grief in his voice. If their enemies had only been the ancient dark creatures, the Central Lands would have won long ago! First, unknown individuals allowed giants to arrive on the battlefield early via provincial-level teleportation arrays. Then, they were ambushed by Tianjian of the Dark Asura clan. This extinguished the last flicker of hope for the Central Lands, plunging it back into darkness. Despite so many sacrifices, in the end, it was the same fate. Those martyrs who rushed into the catastrophe like moths to a flame—had they all died in vain?

She looked at Jiang Fan, who was laughing bitterly up at the sky in the rain, feeling an unspeakable sadness in her heart. She had personally watched this man venture alone into the Black Sun Royal Court, risking his life to uncover the giants' secrets, and return from the brink of death. She had also witnessed him desperately save a Star Abyss Grand Venerable, disregarding his own life, simply to give the Central Lands one more glimmer of hope for victory. And she had seen with her own eyes how, with merely his Nascent Soul body, he fought four Giant Kings alone, battling to create a sliver of hope. Now, he had returned from the Ancient Wilderness Hunt, having given his all and bringing with him the glory of first place. Yet, reality had only ever offered this man repeated cruelty.

"Jiang Fan." Venerable Zhenyan's eyes were slightly red as she gently took his hand. "You've done enough. It's just... the fate of our Central Lands has run out."

Jiang Fan's bitter smile deepened. He took out the nine-colored crystal. The nine-colored lightning on it illuminated his face with shimmering light. He gazed around at the struggling, precarious lives all around him. Looking at his homeland on the verge of falling, his heart was filled with inexpressible sorrow.

Finally, he looked at the beautiful woman beside him. "Will you die with me, a man with little emotion?"

Zhenyan, tears in her eyes, nodded softly. "Yes. I'll accompany you." She squeezed Jiang Fan's hand tightly.

Two figures, in the pouring rain, at the end of their path, leaned quietly against each other.

Jiang Fan clenched the nine-colored crystal. Since the Central Lands couldn't be saved, he would take as many giants as he could with him to hell.

*Rumble—* Suddenly, the roar of mountains shifting shook the very heavens and earth. An ancient and desolate aura swept in all directions.

On the horizon, six ancient stone tablets, towering into the clouds, slowly approached. Carved on the stone tablets were names that shook the past and illuminated the present.

"Tomb of the Central Lands' Medicine Venerable, Sage Guxin!""Tomb of the Central Lands' Confucian Venerable, Sage Wenchen!""Tomb of the Central Lands' Battle Venerable, Sage Wuji!"

Jiang Fan turned his head to look, his eyes filled with surprise and doubt.

From the Jade Paper Heavenly Tome in Venerable Zhenyan's hands, the Lustful Sage emerged, looking at the ancient stone tablets with a complex gaze. "So, these old friends also perished in the battle a thousand years ago." He meant that these were all Sages who had died in that ancient war.

"But who is that?" the Lustful Sage continued. "Is he mad, dragging the tombstones of six Sages with a mortal body? The lingering laws of the Sages will kill him."

Jiang Fan looked over at the sound of his words, greatly surprised. Only then did he notice that the six massive tombstones were moving because an old man on the ground was carrying them forward on his back. It was an old man in grey sackcloth, accompanied by a snow-white rabbit the size of a calf, trotting faithfully beside him.

It was none other than the Emotionless Elder of Guixu Province, a Grand Venerable at the Fifth Heavenly Decay stage.