Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 227: Chapter 232 True Demon Domain

The Great Primordial Mine, ever-present in the world, its existence spanning countless ages.

Throughout history, remarkable figures and geniuses have illuminated the annals of time like bright lamps, yet none have ever managed to seal Taichu, or destroy it, which speaks volumes.

It has endured through the ages. While generations of prodigies have grown old, turned to dust, and become part of the past, only it has remained unchanged.

An ancient mine, a living entity, seen by few throughout history.

Upon the crimson earth flowing with pure moonlight, a delicately beautiful child skipped about joyfully. It was extraordinarily lovely and cute, its gentle black locks fluttering and its white wings beating incessantly, resembling a little spirit dancing under the moonlight.

The seven people stood shocked, slowly retreating.

Elsewhere, such a cute, rosy-cheeked child would surely evoke admiration. Here, however, no one felt such emotions; all sensed imminent danger, preparing for battle.

The little boy walked forward, curiously observing them, tilting his head without any sign of danger.

"Perhaps we can strike once and eradicate it!" Flickering Light Saint Heir, usually smiling brightly, revealed murderous intent at this moment.

"Are you confident in defeating it with one blow? Otherwise, it might alert the big one," Old Knife Handle spoke sternly.

The Flickering Light Saint Heir did not answer, silently sensing something. Suddenly, Holy Light erupted from his entire body as he said, "No, something’s strange!"

"Fake, this is fake!" Li Desheng cried out fearfully, his Nether Eye emitting faint specks of light, his face pale as he retreated constantly.

"What did you see?" Yao Xi queried.

"This isn’t its True Body; it’s made of Nether Qi. I saw a gigantic entity, definitely not a child," Li Desheng’s words trembled.

"Strike!" Old Knife Handle shouted, tipping his smoking pipe forward.

The seemingly ordinary smoking pipe expanded immensely. It became like a large funnel descending, and within it, flames sparkled and smoke billowed.

"AARGH..."

A sharp cry rang out, piercingly unpleasant. Then, the rosy-cheeked child suddenly transformed, its garments bursting apart. Instantly, it towered five meters tall. Its skin was as green as a lizard’s and bumpy. Its once white wings turned into bony white structures, sprouting sharp spines. Gray hair danced wildly on its head, messy and over two meters long, its eyes fierce and turning blood-red.

No longer adorable, this monstrous entity exuded a threatening aura. Covered in eerie fur, it was clearly an ominous creature.

"CLANG!"

Its right arm shot up to block. The enormous smoking pipe, ten zhang wide and descending with immense force, was instantly smashed away, scattering Red Wanderer.

Its strength was heaven-defying!

A deep roar echoed as it charged forward with surprising agility, bringing a tempest.

Everyone responded immediately. Having neared the Taichu Forbidden Area, encountering such a creature necessitated an all-out fight, lest all their past efforts be for naught.

Yao Xi, like the bright moon, pure and radiant, with a gentle flick of her delicate hand, unfurled a sheet of clear brilliance. It transformed into a light barrier ahead, halting the monster’s path.

"BANG!"

Yet the unknown creature was overwhelmingly strong. Its dustpan-sized green hand effortlessly shattered the light barrier, breaking through.

Everyone’s expression changed. How powerful Yao Xi was! As the Flickering Light Sacred Lady, she wielded an astonishing mysterious art. Though barely twenty, she was already a powerhouse of the third secret realm, with few rivals among her peers.

Yet she couldn’t withstand the creature’s strike. The light barrier in the sky shattered like crystal, scattering dazzling shards in all directions.

The green hand’s fingernails stretched several feet, curving sharply like celestial hooks, gleaming coldly as they slashed forward.

Chen Huaiyuan launched the Green Lotus Lamp. Its green glow wafted as the lamp ignited, its wick emitting streams of Sword Qi that transformed into silver beams slashing forward.

"CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!"

The sharp Sword Qi struck the green hand, but only scattered Red Wanderer, as if it had struck Daluo Silver Essence. It failed to cut through.

"SNAP!"

The green, sharp nails swung. The Green Lotus Lamp flickered briefly before being shattered, reduced to powder in the creature’s huge hand. Simultaneously, the creature charged forward like a ghost.

"SPLAT!"

Blood splattered. It was impossibly fast; everyone failed to prevent it as it cleaved through Chen Huaiyuan’s chest. Crimson and green entrails spilled out.

Like a beast, it seized the body and stuffed it into its mouth. It devoured half the torso instantly, blood flowing from its lips, accompanied by the CRUNCH! CRUNCH! of breaking bones.

All this happened in the blink of an eye, so swift that people could only turn pale with horror, powerless to stop the tragedy.

This was definitely a demon: immensely powerful, terribly capable, and utterly callous. Life was nothing to it; it treated Chen Huaiyuan as mere poultry.

Now, no one held back. Grudges aside, utmost cooperation was required, or all faced potential demise here.

"BUZZ!"

In Ye Fan’s palm, the inch-high Fire God Furnace enlarged with the wind. It appeared not as if forged from copper essence but like multicolored crystal, extraordinarily beautiful and radiant.

In a moment, the Divine Furnace enlarged, towering over thirty meters. It struck toward the unknown creature, as heavy as a mountain.

The green creature spread its snow-white bone wings and shot upwards, evading the direct collision with the Divine Furnace. It then spun its dustpan-sized hand and smashed fiercely downward.

"CLANG!"

With a flash of green light, it struck the copper cauldron. The deafening sound resembled a tsunami, nearly deafening everyone.

The thirty-meter-high copper cauldron, like a punctured balloon, was knocked flying. Its radiant colors dimmed swiftly, and the vast cauldron body dented deeply.

It was completely misshapen, like an egg with a bite taken out of it, looking incomplete.

Ye Fan’s expression changed. He had previously used the Fighting Saint Technique, which had only managed to leave a Hand Seal on the furnace’s body; now, however, it was significantly dented.

Such force would shatter anything. Only the near-indestructible nature of the Fire God Furnace prevented it from becoming dust.

The over five-meter-tall creature spread its bone wings and swooped down with a gust of wind, attacking Ye Fan like a collapsing Green Mountain.

Ye Fan felt his qi and blood surge; the blood within his body seemed to ignite, blazing fiercely.

The huge airborne creature exuded an oppressive presence, its heat like an ocean.

Ye Fan executed nine steps across the sky. They were extraordinarily strange, altering nine postures and disrupting the flow of space and time, allowing him to narrowly escape a lethal strike.

Otherwise, he would never have withstood it. This unknown creature was too strong. A cultivator like him, in the Dao Palace secret realm, stood no chance. Even someone in the third secret realm, Four Extremes, could not contend with it.

"BOOM!"

The Flickering Light Saint Heir acted. Ten thousand streams of Divine Light poured forth, as if they could shatter mountains and rivers. He resembled a sun, so dazzlingly bright he was impossible to look at directly.

"AARGH!"

The unknown creature roared and retreated a few steps, astonishing everyone.

"The Holy Light Technique is Immune to All Techniques; it may restrain it!" Old Knife Handle shouted.

Indeed, the creature seemed wary and did not immediately attack.

The Flickering Light Saint Heir, glowing fiercely like the Light God, his Holy Light blazing and illuminating the Heavenly Universe brightly, advanced through the void, striking ahead.

"BOOM!"

Though he usually appeared gentle, his actions were terrifyingly extraordinary. Like a Divine Furnace blazing, his fist erupted with myriad zhangs of golden light, enveloping the unknown creature below.

The creature, as fearsome as a demon, roared lowly. While it was wary of the Holy Light, it wasn’t utterly terrified. It stretched out its cyan hand, bony wings flapping, and powerfully retaliated.

Dazzling brilliance shone as the Flickering Light Saint Heir, bathed in Holy Light, clashed his golden hand fiercely three times with that cyan hand.

Divine Light obscured the sky, and the stars and moon dimmed. With the Flickering Light Saint Heir at the center, the world was filled with eternal light.

"So powerful... It’s said that the Flickering Light Saint Heir has a talent bestowed by heaven, capable of vying with a Divine King. Seeing it today, he truly is terrifying," Old Knife Handle displayed shock.

Ye Fan was also astonished. This Flickering Light Saint Heir seemed to have entered the third secret realm—Four Extremes—yet he was incredibly powerful, battling this monster to a standstill.

The Eastern Wastelands’ divine body, when its most powerful Variation is displayed, can contend with powerhouses even a Great Secret Realm above. This is its most fearsome asset. It is said to render its possessor invincible within the same realm and leave even the most exceptional talents in the dust. Hence, such individuals are known as Divine Kings.

But before them, the Flickering Light Saint Heir evidently showcased terrifying divine energy surpassing the third secret realm. Akin to the Taiyang God, he was resplendent, with Holy Light illuminating all directions, indeed comparable to a Divine King.

"BANG! BANG!..."

He fiercely confronted the monster, able to contend with it, causing the demon to roar continuously. Its massive body shook repeatedly, on the verge of falling from mid-air.

The Flickering Light Saint Heir grew braver the longer he fought. With his every move, ten thousand streams of Holy Light radiated. Behind his head, a dazzling disk appeared, shining brilliantly, more lifelike and vivid than a god’s halo.

"He’s practically the second old madman! Maybe one day he’ll suppress a Divine King with a Mortal Body. A true prodigy!" Old Knife Handle murmured.

Yao Xi’s peerless immortal features held a faint smile as she said, "Everyone, let’s join forces and swiftly slay this beast."

The Yaochi Saintess observed the battlefield, her eyes gleaming with a strange light, and said, "Alright, let’s end the battle quickly and leave promptly."

The Flickering Light Saint Heir’s display was so overpowering that no one could remain calm, their thoughts and emotions in turmoil.

Several people attacked together. This unknown creature, with bone wings obscuring the sky, its body swelling and becoming massively bigger—thirty meters tall—stirred up the celestial winds.

At the same time, the sky twisted. It was as if everyone was being bound, all of them fixed in mid-air.

"Heavens, this is the True Demon Domain!" Old Knife Handle cried out in shock, struggling with difficulty, though his movements were extremely slow.

"The Ancient True Demon Domain!" The Yaochi Saintess was also astonished, finding it difficult to move.

Even one as divine as the Flickering Light Saint Heir was affected. Every step he took required Holy Light to surge to the sky, consuming a vast amount of divine energy; otherwise, his movements would be slow.

As for Li Desheng, though a cultivator from the Dao Palace secret realm, he was directly immobilized and couldn’t move even a fraction.

In mid-air, this massive thirty-meter cyan creature was incomparably ferocious. It slowly stretched out a large hand to grab forward.

The Ancient True Demon Domain was extremely terrifying. It even affected the creature itself, slowing it down considerably, but it was still much stronger than everyone else.

If this continued, everyone would certainly face doom, being torn apart one by one!

"Damn it, why pick on me?" Ye Fan cursed his luck. The unknown creature was closest to him and was reaching out to crush him.

However, he remained the calmest of them all because the True Demon Domain didn’t affect him. His Wheel and Sea and Dao Palace emitted a mysterious strange power, dissolving its effects on him.

Ye Fan instantly understood. The True Demon Domain was akin to a Variation of human race cultivators, and his sacred body was exceptionally unique, inherently countering Variations.

Previously, even when the Ji Family’s divine body displayed its Variation, it couldn’t do anything to him. In a sense, that was the strongest Variation in the same realm among the human race.

The True Demon Domain, albeit terrifying, still resided within the scope of Variations and didn’t immobilize him.

Ye Fan darted out like a flash of lightning, instantly astonishing everyone. They found it incredible that he wasn’t affected within the True Demon Domain; it was truly unbelievable.

He directly summoned the Fire God Furnace and swiftly brought it forth. The copper cauldron expanded, reaching a hundred meters tall.

"CLANG!"

The lid of the Fire Furnace flew open, and the furnace itself more than doubled in size. Fire soared skyward, instantly blazing towards the unknown creature.

Beside him, the others were dumbfounded by the sight, utterly surprised.

The True Demon Domain was renowned, far beyond any ordinary Variation; otherwise, they wouldn’t have been bound, their movements sluggish.

Ye Fan’s cultivation base was clearly not as profound as theirs, yet not only could he move, but he could also activate divine energy and bring forth a peculiar Fire Furnace.

Flames shrouded the sky, burning fiercely, engulfing the monster.

At this moment, with the True Demon Domain affecting the space, even the creature’s own actions were restricted. It couldn’t evade and was instantly engulfed by the flames.

Furious, its roar pierced the clouds as it swung its giant claws toward the Fire Furnace. Unfortunately, its speed was a bit slow. With a thought from Ye Fan’s divine scan, the huge Fire Furnace instantly shifted to another position.

Flames surged, encircling the unknown creature, crackling as it burned. However, the fire was unable to incinerate its body, only causing it pain.

"Daoist, use whatever means you have! The True Demon Domain is incredibly unpredictable and horrifying. Once deployed, even the caster can’t retract it at will; it requires time to buffer," Old Knife Handle reminded him.

Ye Fan focused his Heart Spirit. The creature needed to be eliminated now; otherwise, if it recovered, survival would be unlikely.

"BUZZ!"

The Fire God Furnace vibrated fiercely, its dark opening generating a Heaven-devouring force!

He activated the Divine Furnace but couldn’t draw the powerful cyan creature in. If I can’t draw it in, I’ll actively cover it! Therefore, he inverted the Divine Furnace, bringing it down like a cup to cover the creature.

The powerful unknown creature roared repeatedly, but its movements were too slow. It was unable to evade and was instantly covered by the Fire Furnace.

It had truly spun a cocoon around itself. The True Demon Domain now restrained its own caster.

The body of the Fire Furnace spun, its mouth facing upwards.

"CLANK!"

The lid of the Fire Furnace flew in to seal the dark opening with a snug fit, quelling the demon.

At the same time, the True Demon Domain was isolated, and everyone recovered their freedom of movement.

Everyone was amazed. What kind of Fire Furnace was this? It had been battered and dented, yet it was capable of isolating the True Demon Domain.

"Daoist, you’re truly astonishing! Even the True Demon Domain couldn’t trap you. Unbelievable!" Li Desheng marveled.

"To think you accomplished all this, and not solely by relying on a treasure, is truly astonishing!" Old Knife Handle also sighed.

"CLANG! CLANG!..."

Inside the Fire Furnace, the unknown creature unleashed heaven-shaking power, deforming the Fire Furnace walls. They bulged here and protruded there, all covered with palm prints, as if the Fire Furnace would shatter at any moment.

The Flickering Light Saint Heir descended from the heavens, Divine Light soaring. Like an Immortal King, he stood at the mouth of the Fire Furnace, pressing down on the lid. He initiated the Holy Light Technique to refine the creature within the Fire Furnace.

Desperate roars and terrifying screams echoed through the Fire Furnace walls.

The Fire God Furnace twisted and contorted completely. Everyone’s hearts pounded, expecting it to crumble swiftly.

However, as time slowly passed, the Fire Furnace continued to change shape, yet it stubbornly refused to break.

Everyone was somewhat dazed. This battered Fire Furnace was far too sturdy!