Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 248: Chapter 253: Turmoil

The curtain fell on the grand battle, with eight True Disciples from the Ji Family and Flickering Light Sacred Land slain. This was bound to stir a great tumult!

Ye Fan landed on the broken mountain, and the young cultivators of Quzhou retreated one after another. This boy, with his hair flying, seemed quiet, yet the crowd branded him as a young great evil person.

Many were whispering, wondering how this boy could survive once this matter spread across the Northern Region. The Ji Family and Flickering Light Sacred Land held eternal legacies. They were transcendent entities in the Eastern Wastelands. Provoking them meant having nowhere to hide in the world.

"Everyone, it’s best to disperse now," Ye Fan said with a smile.

"Let’s go. The gathering of young cultivators in Quzhou can’t proceed, but witnessing such a grand battle wasn’t a wasted trip."

"Shh, keep your voice down. If the Ji Family hears this, it won’t bode well for you."

"What does it matter? The Ji Family’s influence isn’t necessarily that great in the Northern Region. Why should I fear saying a few words?"

Many people discussed this among themselves and then flew away to distant places, departing from there.

Though Quzhou wasn’t large, there were quite a few young experts. Naturally, many eyed Ye Fan’s cauldron enviously; it was definitely a holy divine relic. Many wanted to snatch it but dared not act recklessly. The cauldron forged from Origin Qi hung above Ye Fan’s head. Streams of primal chaos draped down, protecting him and rendering the cauldron almost invincible.

Ye Fan was unconcerned and walked forward without anyone obstructing his path. He went directly to a Jade Boat, which was used by the Ji Family and Flickering Light disciples and was a spiritual treasure specially designed for flying. It measured several dozen meters and could shrink or enlarge. It was capable of carrying dozens of people forward. It needed no divine energy to operate, only some Source for rapid flight, making it much faster than ordinary cultivators. Such spiritual treasures couldn’t be crafted by ordinary people. They required intricate, profound Dao Glyphs and were likely refined by elder sovereigns, making them rare Magic Artifacts indeed.

Ye Fan waved his great sleeves, and the Jade Boat appeared in his hand, reduced to palm size. It shimmered with myriad colors, its jade flawless and exceedingly exquisite.

"Why are you all following me? Do you intend to declare to others that you killed the True Disciples of the Sacred Land together with me?" Ye Fan jested.

WHOOSH. As soon as he said this, many people stepped back. This was no laughing matter; if they were implicated in this affair, they would be in for a world of trouble.

"I understand now. You want to gain fame through this. Rest assured, I’ll surely tell everyone you helped me slay the descendants of the Ancient Nobilities," Ye Fan said, his smile bright.

Many turned pale. If such blame were laid upon them, it would spell immense trouble. This compelled many to soar into the sky and depart.

The cauldron, forged from the Origin Qi foundation, was an unparalleled rarity, and they knew it was unattainable for them. Of course, some arrogant individuals did not depart, still eyeing the cauldron above Ye Fan’s head. This was an exceedingly scarce treasure coveted even by Sacred Lands, let alone them.

Ye Fan said nothing. Employing the old madman’s footwork, he left behind an afterimage and darted into the depths of the mountain range.

On the broken mountain, figures continuously leaped up and chased after him. Indeed, treasures tempted the heart, enough to make some throw their lives away like moths to a flame.

BOOM! Suddenly, Ye Fan turned back. The Great Cauldron descended like a mountain, crushing the few at the forefront into ash, which then dispersed into the air.

"Holy divine relics do tempt the heart, but before you act, perhaps you should consider your own strength. Don’t throw your lives away for nothing," Ye Fan stated coldly.

Having said this, he vanished into the mountains in a few leaps and bounds, utilizing the old madman’s footwork to its utmost potential.

「A short time later」

Ye Fan altered his appearance, donned Purple Clothes, becoming a graceful youth, and led a large black dog out of the mountain range.

"Kid, you actually have a Mystic Yellow Cauldron! Let me see it!"

Along the way, the large black dog’s eyes glowed green, and it was practically drooling.

"I’ve told you a hundred times, you saw wrong!" Ye Fan was somewhat exasperated. This damned dog was too persistent, constantly eying his treasures.

"Just let me take one look!" the Black Emperor persisted.

Reluctantly, Ye Fan summoned the cauldron and let it look its fill. The large black dog tried to pounce on it several times.

Ye Fan sternly warned, "Don’t you dare drool! This cauldron will absolutely not be yours. If you try to snatch it, don’t blame me for being impolite."

The large black dog was itching with impatience, but it knew that a Mystic Yellow Cauldron was not easily snatched. A wrong move, and it might get itself crushed half to death.

"Black Emperor, you said that broken mountain was some ruthless character’s Dao Field. Why didn’t I notice anything special about it?" Ye Fan asked, quickly changing the subject after storing the cauldron.

"Back in the day, that figure was so overwhelmingly powerful it was suffocating. The Dao Field he left behind would naturally not be easy to discern."

"Can’t we unearth it with our current abilities?" Ye Fan asked.

The large black dog immediately showed a wary expression, snarling, "Kid, I’m warning you, don’t get any funny ideas! The treasures here have nothing to do with you, not even a single coin! They’re mine!"

Suddenly, a warship flew over. It was radiant with auspicious colors as it sliced through the sky, rushing into the depths of the Yunduan Mountain Range at extreme speed. On the warship, which was refined from Colored Jade, hung a large flag emblazoned with a massive character: "Ji." It billowed in the wind.

Ye Fan frowned. He hadn’t expected the Ji Family to act so swiftly; less than half an hour had passed, yet their experts had already arrived.

Before long, people began to emerge from the mountains, searching in all directions. Many cultivators who hadn’t managed to leave in time were intercepted and brought back by the Ji Family members.

Ye Fan, unhurried, had already put dozens of li between himself and that place. Nevertheless, he was intercepted by people pursuing in his direction. He certainly didn’t want to go back; if he revealed any clues, it would undoubtedly lead to disaster.

"Stop!" a Ji Family expert shouted.

This made Ye Fan frown. This was an expert at the Fourth Layer Heaven of the Dao Palace realm. The undulations of divine energy were indeed frightening; he felt threatened.

The Black Emperor curled its lip and said, "This Emperor could bite him to death in one go!"

"Are you sure?"

"I meant, in the past..." it admitted, a little lacking in confidence.

"We must deal with him, or our tracks will be exposed. Black Emperor, I’ll have to rely on you in a moment," Ye Fan said.

"He’s not my enemy. If you want me to act, fine, give me the seed engraved with ’Baldy’, or give me the Mystic Turtle."

"Is this really the time to be extorting me? Help or don’t, it’s up to you. If I escape, I can change my appearance and disappear into the vast sea of people; they’ll never find me in this lifetime. But you’re different. Your features are obvious, even your tail is bald..."

"If you mention that again, I’ll get angry!" The large black dog’s face fell.

The Ji Family expert landed on the ground. He looked to be about twenty-three or twenty-four years old, yet he was already an expert at the Fourth Layer Heaven of the Dao Palace realm. With a gloomy face, he said, "Follow me back to the mountain range. We have some questions for you."

Ye Fan took a few steps forward and said, "Can’t we talk here?"

"Cut the crap! Let’s go, now!" the Ji Family expert ordered.

His mood was terrible. A youth they had pursued had instead turned the tables, boldly killing a Ji Family descendant. If word of this spread, the Ji Family would be deeply embarrassed. One could imagine that the news would soon sweep across the Northern Region; it would be impossible to suppress.

"If you don’t want to die, turn around immediately and head back to the Yunduan Mountain Range!" the Ji Family expert roared.

"Alright," Ye Fan nodded.

Suddenly, the large black dog shot out like a black bolt of lightning, pouncing on the Ji Family expert.

A successful ambush!

The Ji Family cultivator had been wary of Ye Fan but had paid no attention whatsoever to a black dog. In an instant, this sly, vicious dog knocked him to the ground. By then, it was too late to resist. The Black Emperor possessed Copper Tendons and Iron Bones; he couldn’t harm it.

BOOM! Fearing an accident, Ye Fan summoned the Origin Qi Cauldron and brought it down. The Ji Family expert let out a loud cry before being crushed to death on the spot.

「Two days later」

Ye Fan met Tu Fei at a Gambling Stone Workshop in Chaoyang City, Quzhou.

"Little Brother Ye, you’ve really played it too big this time! I did say to stir up some commotion and then come to this Gambling Stone Workshop, and I’d show up. But you went and slaughtered eight True Disciples from the Sacred Lands and Ancient Nobilities as if you were slicing melons! You’ve brought the fire right to my doorstep! It made my heart pound with fear."

"Is it that serious?"

"How could it not be serious? Many experts from the Ji Family have arrived; even the divine body has shown his face. Ji Haoyue was originally supposed to attend the Yaochi Grand Gathering with his sister, but because of this incident, he came here and has entered Chaoyang City. It looks like I can’t stay in this hideout any longer."

Ye Fan frowned. Ji Haoyue possessed a divine body. Once his Variation was unleashed, he could slay powerful figures of the Fourth Secret Realm, making him undefeated among his generation. Ye Fan was definitely not his match right now.

At the same time, an idea struck him, and he asked, "Has the Jade Lake Stone Appreciation Conference started yet?"

"Not yet, but it will soon. We’ll go together when it does," Tu Fei replied.

"By the way, you said Ji Haoyue came to the Northern Region with his sister to attend the Yaochi Grand Gathering. Is his sister named Ji Ziyue or Ji Biyue?" Ye Fan inquired.

"Little Brother Ye, we in this line of work need to have some integrity! You already have Fairy Yao Xi. Are you planning to extend your greedy clutches toward the Ji Family’s bright pearl as well?"

"Tu Big-mouth, stop spouting nonsense. I was just asking."

"I don’t know which ’moon’ it is. In any case, we’re going to Jade Lake, so we’ll find out with our own eyes then." Saying this, Tu Fei grumbled, "You’ve really caused me huge trouble. I heard the Flickering Light Saint Heir is also rushing here. I really can’t stay in this place any longer."

Flickering Light Saint Heir... Ye Fan was startled. This person was definitely a heaven-sent prodigy, capable of contending with a divine king. His cultivation base was unfathomable, and he was virtually unmatched among the young generation of the Eastern Wastelands!

He knew that the other party was undoubtedly after the Origin Qi Cauldron. The Flickering Light Saint Heir was astonishingly talented and ambitious, aiming to become a Great Emperor. Having failed to obtain the Phoenix Blood Red Gold, he had certainly set his sights on the Profound Yellow Root.

Tu Big-mouth glanced at the Black Emperor and couldn’t resist saying, "Where did you find this black dog? Its tail is all bald; it clearly looks like it’s been around for a while. This thing is highly nutritious! Why be so polite with me? But this is good. Tonight, I’ll find a good chef, and we’ll have stewed black dog meat."

Ye Fan knew. This is bad!

Sure enough, the large black dog shot forward in a flash and bit Tu Fei’s right hand, growling, "Kid, I think *you’re* the one who’s highly nutritious!"

"Damn it, how can this mutt talk?!" Tu Fei was terrified, then immediately shrieked in pain, "Ouch! That hurts like hell!"

"Black Emperor, let go!" Ye Fan hurriedly interjected.

"Has this damned dog become a spirit or something? But its tail is all bald..." Tu Fei couldn’t stop his blabbering even as he screamed.

"Tu Big-mouth, you’d better say less, unless you don’t want your hand anymore!" Ye Fan quickly intervened, simultaneously trying to pry the large black dog’s mouth open. He truly feared the Black Emperor would get vicious and bite it off.

"I... #@%￥...!" Tu Fei screamed in pain, cursing, "Damn it, you damned dog, let go! Since you’ve already gained sentience, don’t you know who I am?!"

"I don’t care who you are! Dare to profane this Emperor, and I’ll swallow you whole!" The large black dog, its face dark, stubbornly refused to let go.

Tu Fei circulated his divine energy, violently shaking his right hand, but he couldn’t break free. He could only scream, "Damn it! This is the first time I’ve been bitten by a dog in my entire life!"

"Tu Big-mouth, you’d better shut up! Forget you; I reckon this dog would dare to bite your grandfather twice if it saw him," Ye Fan advised, simultaneously threatening the large black dog to make it release its grip.

"What’s the origin of this bald-tailed dog?!" Tu Fei, still oblivious to the danger, continued his blabbering amidst his screams.

Ye Fan secretly sent a voice transmission, threatening the large black dog, telling it that only Tu Fei knew the hidden refuge of a Demon Clan sovereign, and if it wanted the ancient scriptures, it had better let go quickly.

Yet the black dog was stubbornly determined and refused to release its bite, causing Tu Fei to howl incessantly.

Finally, after Tu Big-mouth had exhausted all pleasantries and painfully pulled out over a hundred kilos of Source, the large black dog released its bite. It then swallowed all the Sources in one gulp.

"Damn it, I’m not done with it!" Tu Fei, now free, was about to summon his treasures and fight to the death.𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

However, the large black dog struck first, slyly, and bit his ankle.

"I...@#￥R$#... Damn it! It bit me again!" Tu Big-mouth was so angry he was practically steaming. He ended up handing over another hundred kilos of Source before he was released, screaming.

This time, Ye Fan hastily stopped him, saying, "Don’t cause more trouble. Wait until you get yourself some Treasure Clothes before you try to settle scores with it. Otherwise, even if you were an entire secret boundary higher, it would still bite you."

"What are you looking at? Haven’t you ever seen such a heroic and mighty Sacred Emperor?" The large black dog shot Tu Fei a sideways glance.

"Damn it! I’ve never suffered such a loss in my entire life!" Tu Big-mouth grumbled indignantly, glaring fiercely at the large black dog.

"Don’t look at this Emperor like that. I won’t take you as a human pet. Taking someone like you out for a stroll would damage this Emperor’s reputation," the large black dog said, holding its head high and no longer looking at him.

"Little Ye, don’t stop me! Damn it, I’ll skin it alive!" Tu Big-mouth was fuming, smoke practically billowing from his orifices. Tu Fei was truly provoked. Being so wretchedly bitten by a large black dog filled him with unbearable frustration.

Ye Fan was also rather speechless. This damned dog certainly needs a lesson, he thought, then sent a voice transmission to Tu Fei, "Don’t be rash. We’ll find a time to deal with it together."

After a long period of persuasion, Tu Fei finally calmed down and asked, "Why were you looking for me? Are you planning to head to Jade Lake early?"

"The Yaochi Grand Gathering is certainly not to be missed, but that’s not why I sought you out. I wanted to ask you about the whereabouts of the Fourth Great Bandit, the Green Flood Dragon King’s hidden residence."

"Why are you asking about the Green Flood Dragon King’s dwelling? Is something the matter?"

"The Peacock King and the descendants of the Demon Clan’s Great Emperor should be there. I wish to visit some old friends," Ye Fan replied. He couldn’t possibly mention Pang Bo.

The large black dog’s ears immediately perked up. It had completely quieted down now, listening intently without making a sound.

"You’re not going after Yan Ruyu, are you?" Tu Big-mouth’s imagination ran wild again.

"Do you know where it is or not?" Ye Fan pressed.

"Of course, I know. Speaking of which, a demon lass once asked me about you," Tu Fei said with a sly chuckle.

"Who was it?"

"I forgot to ask her name. Anyway, she was very bewitching and charming."

"Hurry up and take us to the Green Flood Dragon King’s hidden residence!" the large black dog interjected.

Tu Big-mouth’s face darkened, and he ignored the dog. He said to Ye Fan, "We must leave Chaoyang City immediately. You’ve stirred up such huge trouble that all sorts of Oxhead and Horseface have arrived. Especially that bastard, the Flickering Light Saint Heir, has also appeared here. It makes my heart pound a bit." Here, he laughed again and said, "Don’t you want to know what’s happening in the outside world? Come on, let’s go to another oasis and see what kind of massive storm you’ve truly stirred up."