The hall fell into silence.

The eight priests fully understood the significance of this poem.

Immediately, they put their magic wands aside.

Swish, swish, swish...

All eight bowed and saluted with clasped hands!

The Xu family descendants were all stunned on the spot.

...

Even Chen Daotian, who was as close as a sworn brother to Fang Yu, couldn't help but be moved by this bold aura and wanted to submit and kneel.

At that moment, Chen Daotian had no doubt about his identity as the Dragon Emperor!

Xu Daoyun, the clan leader of the Xu family, was utterly dumbstruck.

The eight Great Priests were equally shocked and incredulous.

"This poem..."

"Is that poem... The poem that the ancestors once engraved on the stele inside the Cold Pond..."

"How is this possible?"

The ancestors of the Xu family once said, if one day someone recited this poem to the Xu tribe, they must be treated with due respect, for this person is fated with the Cold Pond Forbidden Land. Should they obtain the treasures within the Cold Pond, then without a doubt, this person is the Dragon Emperor.

This was the ancestral instruction passed down orally by the Xu family's clan leaders from generation to generation.

Remembered by heart by the clan leaders and priests, handed down through the ages.

Unexpectedly, that day had truly come.

Clan Leader Xu Daoyun was so excited that his lips trembled, and so were the eight priests.

However...

The Xu family descendants in front of the Cold Pond Forbidden Land looked over in bewilderment, not knowing what had happened. They also didn't dare to approach!

After all, the confrontation they had just witnessed was overwhelmingly powerful; for an ordinary Cultivator, stepping forward would be courting death!

"Priest Lord! Please slay this man on behalf of our Xu tribal clan!"

"Clan Leader, no more hesitation! Seize this opportunity and kill him!"

"Kill him!"

"Kill him!"

The voices rose wave upon wave, irrational anger already causing them to lose themselves.

But to Clan Leader Xu Daoyun, these shouts now sounded like a scorching sarcasm.

"Silence!"

Clan Leader Xu Daoyun shouted.

The entire place abruptly fell quiet, eerily so.

Everyone was confused.

Shouldn't they support the fury and unanimous hatred expressed by their clansmen? Why then rebuke them?

Just when they were bewildered—

Clan Leader Xu Daoyun looked at Fang Yu excitedly and muttered, "Are you... really..."

Like the eight priests, he dared not confirm it.

Seeing their half-belief and half-doubt, Fang Yu slowly turned around and said, "Follow me!"

Then—

Under the astonished and puzzled gaze of everyone, their priests and clan leader followed Fang Yu inside, disappearing into the First Layer Restriction.

"What's going on?"

"Why did they stop fighting? What's happened to our clan leader?"

"Just now, the clan leader and priests seemed a bit agitated and even afraid!"

"No way... Who exactly is this Fang Yu to make the clan leader change his attitude so abruptly?!"

Speculations buzzed around the whole place.

...

In front of the Second Layer Restriction.

Fang Yu turned around, facing the nine of them.

"Roll up your sleeves."

"Hmm?"

Clan Leader Xu Daoyun whispered, "Do as he says!"

The eight priests rolled up their sleeves, revealing a strange symbol on their wrists – a crucial small Array that allowed them to draw power from the Cold Pond.

Fang Yu smiled slightly and with a single slap of his hand commanded, "Activate!"

The symbol on the eight people's wrists suddenly lit up.

It was the kind of simultaneous illumination that even had a strange attracting force, converging in Fang Yu's direction.

"Back then, I left eight small Arrays on the wrists of your ancestors, little did I know, the combination of these eight figures would be the access permit to the Ninth Layer Restriction!"

All nine were simultaneously taken aback.

Winds of Qi swept over his wrists.

Following that, they converged in front of Fang Yu, forming a strange circle of light that vanished.

Calmness returned once more.

Fang Yu stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze falling upon them, and he spoke in a deep voice, "Thus, seeing this Emperor, do you not kneel?!"

...

Thump!

Thump! Thump...

Almost at the same moment, all nine people kneeled on the ground, moved and devout.

"Greetings to the Dragon Emperor!"

"Greetings to the Dragon Emperor!"

"Greetings to the Dragon Emperor!"

The arrays on their wrists were passed down from their ancestors, and besides them, the only other person in the world who knew this secret was the Dragon Emperor.

If they had merely thought Fang Yu was the Dragon Emperor's Envoy before, they were now certain that the young man before them was indeed the Dragon Emperor himself!

All nine individuals prostrated themselves on the ground.

Fang Yu's gaze was indifferent as he glanced over them.

"It's been over a thousand years... That you could stay here, generation after generation, without ever leaving, has indeed fulfilled the Xu family's promise. I assured you... When I return to my peak, I shall restore the Xu family's former glory."

Upon hearing this,

Clan Leader Xu Daoyun and the other eight, filled with excitement, suddenly felt that a lifetime of guarding had been worthwhile.

Tears welled up in their eyes!

"Thank you, Dragon Emperor!"

Seeing their devout and excited demeanor,

Chen Daotian let out a long sigh... But he had not expected that Brother Yu's past life had such profound connections to the Xu family. Thinking about the immense disparity in status between the two brothers, he felt dejected and wished he, too, could have such a powerful figure in this life. Alas, it was not to be.

"Wait here for a moment, I need to retrieve something that belongs to me..."

"Yes!"

Fang Yu turned slowly and walked towards the heart of the Cold Pond Forbidden Land.

With the endorsement of the eight great symbols, the restrictions flowed over Fang Yu's body like water from a waterfall, offering no obstruction whatsoever.

...

Inside the Cold Pond Forbidden Land.

Tranquility and depth beyond measure!

Fang Yu, following the vague memories in his mind, moved swiftly forward.

"The nine restrictions should be the strongest defenses of the Cold Pond... Now, with the pass, the way is clear."

After navigating through the winding path, he finally arrived at a circular Cold Pond.

Vapors rose, surrounded by an enveloping coldness.

In the middle of the Cold Pond, a silver longsword stood erect, shimmering brightly.

Occasionally, the glint of sunlight would cause the sword to emit a dazzling brilliance.

Fang Yu broke into a smile, saying, "Finally, the wait is over for you..."

This was one of the objectives for Fang Yu's journey, the Water Cold Sword!

It was also the ultimate Yin weapon sought by Ye Wenjun!

Fang Yu lightly tapped his toe and stepped onto the Cold Pond.

Drip-drip.

Drip-drip-drip…

Ripples danced across the water.

Fang Yu's form was swift like the wind. He arrived at the center, lightly leaped into the air, inverted his body, and with a large grasp, he seized the sword hilt!

An ice-cold chill, bone-piercing in its coldness, transmitted from the hilt of the sword.

"Water Cold Sword, you're still as ice and heartless as ever! Give me some credit, after all, I once was your master!"

Swoosh!

With a lift of his wrist.

The Water Cold Sword burst from the surface of the water.

Instantly, the Cold Pond erupted with fountain-like sprays of water.

Boom!

Boom-boom!

Entire skies of Ultimate Yin Qi formed icy waters, surging with overwhelming coldness, assaulting Fang Yu.

"Rain Slash, the slanted sun illuminates!"

Sword Light and icy water reflected each other's brilliance!

Bang-bang-bang-bang!

All the water in the pond was blown away by a dense array of sword shadows!

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