Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 243: Chapter 248 Raising a Hand to Hurl a Mountain

Facing the disciples of the Ancient Nobilities, Ye Fan showed no awe, standing with his hands behind his back, openly shaming his opponent.

"You... have guts!" The Ji Family disciple’s face immediately darkened. "This is the grand assembly of young cultivators from Quzhou. Why are you causing trouble and killing people here without reason?"

"Why would it be without reason? Didn’t you see him trying to kill me? Unfortunately for him, the outcome was not as he expected."

The Ji Family disciple adopted a stern expression, positioning himself on the moral high ground to avoid criticism, and questioned, "I saw everything that just happened. Although he said he would kill you, he hadn’t actually harmed you. Why did you take his life?"

"According to your logic, as long as he hasn’t harmed me, even if he attacked with the intent to kill, it’s not his fault?" Ye Fan replied indifferently.

"He wasn’t your opponent and couldn’t have taken your life. No matter what, you shouldn’t have killed him!" The Ji Family disciple maintained his righteous facade.

Ye Fan sneered. "What a joke. Am I supposed to wait until my life is genuinely in danger, until it’s an undeniable fact, before I can retaliate and kill him? By then, I’m afraid I’d already be dead."

Many people were gathered on the broken mountain, a congregation of numerous young cultivators from Quzhou. Silhouettes were everywhere, and no one had expected someone to dare confront the younger generation of the Ji Family.

"Situ Feng merely spoke inappropriately, yet you killed a genius from southern Quzhou. That was truly excessive!"

"Although he declared he would kill you, he was clearly no match for you. How could you bring yourself to deliver a killing blow?"

"Where do you hail from, cultivator? Why are you committing murder here? Do you think Quzhou is devoid of capable people?"

Nearby, several cultivators chimed in to support the Ji Family disciple. Given his background as a member of an Ancient Nobility, they saw an opportunity to curry favor by speaking up for him.

Additionally, there were a few blind followers, though they were in the minority. Most people watched quietly, as they could neither afford to provoke the Ji Family nor were they willing to aid a cultivator of unknown origin.

Ye Fan suddenly laughed, which infuriated those who had spoken, especially the Ji Family disciple.

"Situ Feng may have boasted he’d kill you, but you’re the one who reduced him to ash! How can you still laugh?!"

Ye Fan stroked his chin. "You all said it yourselves: he boasted he’d slap me to death, and he was the one who attacked me with lethal intent first. Do you still have anything to say?"

Those who had been blindly following were suddenly speechless. Upon careful reflection, they couldn’t utter a word. Even those who had spoken up to assist the Ji Family disciple found themselves at a loss for words.

The Ji Family disciple said coldly, "No matter what, you shouldn’t have killed him. Remember, where it’s possible to forgive, one should forgive."

"Is that so?" Ye Fan chuckled. "How about this: I’ll try and see if a single slap from me can kill you. Of course, even though I say that, it probably won’t kill you. Afterward, we can just brush it off as if nothing happened and then share a drink and conversation, shall we? According to your logic, I imagine you wouldn’t mind, and you certainly wouldn’t try to kill me, right?"

Hearing Ye Fan’s mockery, the Ji Family disciple’s face turned as dark as water. He scolded, "I see you’re here to disrupt the assembly! Who exactly are you?"

Ye Fan’s body was shrouded in mist, obscuring his true appearance. He leisurely stepped forward and said, "Reasoning has failed, so now you’re resorting to slapping labels on me?"

"You are indeed here to cause disruption!"

"You’ve already passed judgment on me. What more can I say? Anything I offer would be futile." Ye Fan smiled.

The Ancient Nobilities had endured for hundreds of thousands of years, flourishing without decline. They were ancient, unfathomable, and revered by all sects.

Wherever a Ji Family disciple went, they were surrounded and esteemed like the moon amidst stars; no one dared to slight them. Today, Ji Yunfeng had been repeatedly rebuffed by Ye Fan, causing his face to darken like water as murderous intent surged within his heart.

"This assembly was initiated by my Ji Family and the Flickering Light Sacred Land, inviting the outstanding young talents of Quzhou. Who are you to dare act so wantonly here!"

"Why don’t I see anyone else being asked to announce their names? Why target only me?" Ye Fan crossed his arms. "So, I’m labeled as ’wanton’ the moment I arrive? The Ancient Nobilities are truly imperious!"

BOOM!

A mighty killing intent surged like a great lake’s turbulent waves, sweeping in all directions. Divine Radiance erupted from the Ji Family disciple’s body, swirling around him like a coiling True Dragon.

"You came here today with ulterior motives! I’ll apprehend you first!"

"Such eloquent words. If you want to kill me, just say so directly. Why bother with these excuses? I’ll gladly exchange a few blows with you." Ye Fan stepped forward.

The expressions of everyone around changed. To dare provoke a disciple of the Ancient Nobilities—such a person surely had a significant background. Everyone was astonished and watched the unfolding scene intently.

"The Ancient Nobilities brook no insult! Today, you brought this upon yourself. Watch as I capture and kill you!" Ji Yunfeng declared, his face cold.

When Ji Family disciples traveled, disciples from other sects would go out of their way to befriend them. He had never been subjected to such disrespect, and his patience had long run dry. He could no longer bear it.

"All this arrogance, for what?" Ye Fan shook his head. "The Ancient Nobilities certainly project a powerful aura!"

The Ji Family had pursued him relentlessly. He found no peace even after escaping to the northern region and couldn’t evade them. Today, he had come to unleash a slaughter, to deliver a resounding slap in the face of the Ancient Nobilities; naturally, he wouldn’t retreat now.

"Young Master Ji, why should you trouble yourself? Allow me to capture him," a young cultivator from Quzhou stepped forward.

"I’ll do it myself." Ji Yunfeng shook his head.

"Why use an ox cleaver to kill a chicken? I am more than sufficient." This cultivator produced a Blood Box. "Please, Young Master Ji, watch over me."

BUZZ!

This cultivator attacked directly. The Blood Box he wielded, a jade artifact the color of blood, developed a crack from which a Blood River surged, its putrid stench assaulting the nostrils as it rushed toward Ye Fan.

"The Nether Blood Demon Box! It’s actually that thing! How has it resurfaced? Isn’t that a Demon Artifact left by a Demon King?!"

"This thing can taint a Golden Body! Even a Sacred Body cannot block it and will be transformed into corrupted blood. Ages ago, a sovereign of the human race fell because of it."

"It’s reappearing in the world! Wasn’t it destroyed by a human race sovereign in their dying moments? Could it be that another Demon King has appeared and re-forged it?"

All the spectators were astonished, their attention fixed on the scene with bated breath.

The Blood River surged forward, red mist blanketing heaven and earth. Blood seemed to be everywhere, and a bone-chilling coldness pierced deep into one’s soul. A sense of foreboding arose as Ye Fan steeled himself, as if facing a formidable enemy.

BOOM!

His physical body blazed with myriad shafts of Divine Light, as if he were clad in an Immortal Robe. It illuminated all directions, dazzling and majestic, so brilliant that people could hardly look at him directly.

BANG!

Ye Fan moved his hands as if to embrace the moon. A mountain materialized within his grasp, complete with ancient, erect pines and cascading silver waterfalls. It was majestic and immense, radiating a force capable of crushing the heavens and the earth.

Mountain Embracing Seal!

Ye Fan unleashed the Mountain Embracing Seal using the Fighting Saint Technique. Faced with danger, he displayed an earth-shattering Seal Technique, its power overwhelming.

The Great Mountain seemed incredibly real, its presence suffocating. Even from a distance, it gave onlookers the sensation of Mt. Tai bearing down on them, making their bodies feel sore and weak, almost unable to stand. Many staggered and collapsed to the ground.

BUZZ!

The Great Mountain rapidly expanded, like an ancient Demon Mountain descending upon the world, instantly suppressing everything in its path.

The pressure was immense, almost unbearable. Many who stood too close began to bleed from their ears and noses, struck by the terrifying impact.

BOOM!

The Blood River in the sky was instantly shattered. The Great Mountain, like the heavens themselves, was magnificent and irresistible, possessing an overwhelming divine might capable of crushing even real mountains.

How could the physical body of a Dao Palace secret realm cultivator withstand this?

The cultivator from Quzhou’s expression changed. Muttering spells, he caused the Nether Blood Demon Box to expand and soar upwards, meeting the Great Mountain head-on.

Nine Layers of blood waves, each more powerful than the last, rolled towards the Great Mountain and Ye Fan. Simultaneously, the scarlet blood mist, sharp as blades and akin to sword aura, charged at Ye Fan.

With a light shout, Ye Fan pushed the Mountain Embracing Seal to its zenith, then hurled it outwards. It was a terrifying sight: a being of flesh and blood tossing a great mountain, the sheer momentum of which was frightening enough to make one’s heart pound and spirit quail.

The force was too terrifying; the very void seemed to collapse under its pressure, rumbling ominously as the Great Mountain violently collided with the Blood Box.

BOOM!

Blood-red light filled the sky, and a storm raged. The air plunged into chaos, resembling a Chaos Zone—an indistinct blur where wild energy surged and light overflowed.

CRACK!

The hurled mountain projection crumbled, and the Blood Box fractured, shattering simultaneously in mid-air and releasing a terrifyingly chilling aura.

RUMBLE...

High above, a shocking scene unfolded: the Nether Blood Demon Box had ruptured! It was an extremely terrifying event, as the artifact destroyed everything in its path.

Demon Blood flooded the sky, fragments of the shattered mountain projection rained down, and violent turbulence swept across the area. Many were thrown back by the mere aftershocks.

"This is too horrifying!"

"How could the Nether Blood Demon Box, an artifact refined by a great sovereign of the demon clan from a past generation, be cracked? Who is this person?!"

"The Mountain Embracing Seal is an ultimate technique of the northern region, recorded by several Great Sects and Sacred Lands, but it shouldn’t be able to break the precious box of a Demon King from a past generation!"

"You are wrong. The Nether Blood Demon Box was actually destroyed by sovereigns of the human race. This is just a fragment, a leftover piece. Imagine the terror of the true Blood Box!"

Nonetheless, everyone remained shocked. Such energy fluctuations posed a tremendous threat to cultivators of the Dao Palace secret realm, especially those below the Third Rank of Dao Palace; it was incredibly hard to resist.

Yet, the youth in the sky had hurled a mountain projection and smashed the demon box, a feat that made one’s hair stand on end!

"Who is he, to hurl a mountain with a mere lift of his hand...?"

What incredible power! Truly, strength to uproot mountains and an aura that eclipses the world—utterly unstoppable!

In the sky, the blood mist churned. This Nether Blood, capable of tainting a Golden Body and destroying a Sacred Body, unexpectedly failed to harm Ye Fan, as he refined it all.

His powerful physique, faintly visible through the mist, his muscles gleaming with crystalline Divine Radiance, left everyone dumbfounded.

How can this be? My Nether Blood Treasure Box was destroyed... That cultivator was lost in despair. He had wanted to show off in front of the Ji Family disciple and thereby gain entry into an Ancient Nobility, only to have the precious treasure he relied upon so heavily shattered in such a wildly domineering fashion.

"What... Is he even human?! Tossing a mountain?!" His lips trembled, whether from anger or fear, he couldn’t tell.

"This is the Mountain Embracing Seal," Ji Yunfeng said, his face solemn. "It was once the defining ultimate technique of a historical Great Sect. After that sect’s downfall, the technique circulated, and many other sects obtained this mysterious art."

Ye Fan let out a cold snort and lunged downwards, intent on killing the cultivator.

"Young Master Ji, save me!" The cultivator’s face paled instantly. The precious treasure, forged from a mere fragment of the Nether Blood Treasure Box, had been shattered; he was definitely no match for Ye Fan.

"Don’t worry. With me here, he can’t harm you!" Ji Yunfeng declared with extreme arrogance.

"Who do you think you are?" Ye Fan shot back as he closed in. "If I want to kill someone, can you stop me?" A brilliant Divine Light blazed from between his eyebrows.

Not good! Ji Yunfeng, truly a remarkable figure among the Ji Family’s younger generation, instinctively sensed the danger and rapidly retreated. This was Innate Primordial Consciousness, a spiritual perception possessed by only a minority of cultivators.

Ye Fan’s formidable divine sense manifested, unrivaled. A golden divine sword shot forth from between his eyebrows, directly slaying the master of the Nether Blood Demon Box, his corpse left hanging in the void.

"Who... Who in the world are you?!" Ji Yunfeng roared.

Just moments before, he had declared in front of everyone that he would protect that cultivator. Yet, Ye Fan had charged forward and killed him in a single exchange, delivering a resounding slap to Ji Yunfeng’s face.

"You will all find out. After today, everyone in the northern region will know."

Ye Fan struck, immediately unleashing the Mountain Embracing Seal once more!

A Great Mountain spanned the sky, its aura dense, towering and majestic, forcefully pressing down and making the very heavens tremble.

"Heaven-Cutting Finger!" Ji Yunfeng cried out, extending his right hand. His fingers, like Dragon Scissors and as transparent as jade, reached towards the sky, aiming to intercept the Mountain Embracing Seal.