Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 266: Chapter 271: The Secret of ’All

This was a small silver world, only a hundred zhang in size, a sealed-off Divine Thought Space.

Pang Bo stood in the center, his upper body bare. His bronzed skin rippled with a sense of power. This was the manifestation of his divine sense, almost indistinguishable from his true self. The Black Emperor was similar; its divine sense had formed into a large dog, as robust as a bull, even its bobbed tail identical to its real one. Only Ye Fan was a sphere of light, resembling a golden sun; his mastery of divine sense was far inferior to these two old demons.

"Damn it, kid, you’ve dragged me into a terrible mess!" The big black dog bared its teeth. "This is clearly a ruthless character. Before he lost his physical body, he was likely a titan among the demon clan."

Don’t tell me his divine sense now rivals that of the major Sacred Lords. Ye Fan, too, felt a pit in his stomach.

He must have been a sovereign in the past. Even though his Divine Thought Realm has fallen, he’s still almost impossible to deal with. The big black dog regretted boarding this "pirate ship."

"Complaining won’t do any good," Ye Fan said gravely. "We need to quickly figure out a way to eliminate him, or we’ll both die here."

"We’re probably the ones who’ll be eliminated," the Black Emperor lamented. "Though he’s not what he once was, he’s still strong enough to refine us."

"You two think you can kill me? Truly courting death!" Pang Bo sneered.

"All demon clans are one family; why be so murderous?" The big black dog took a few steps forward. "We’re both of the demon clan. Everything can be discussed."

"Then let’s discuss how you’d like to die," Pang Bo said, his gaze terrifying. He stood in the center, hands clasped behind his back.

"Fighting to the death is what barbarians do," the big black dog said shamelessly, conveniently forgetting it had wanted to eliminate Pang Bo just moments before. "There’s no irreconcilable feud between us. We can absolutely sit down and talk things over."

"Do you think you can still get out of here alive?" A cold sneer touched the corner of Pang Bo’s lips.

"Actually, this is all a misunderstanding. I came to spar with you. I heard you possess an ancient scripture from one of the demon race’s Great Emperors, and I happen to have a volume of the Black Emperor Scripture. How about we exchange pointers?"

"What Black Emperor Scripture? Never heard of it. Once I refine you, everything you have will be mine," Pang Bo said, his expression cold.

"Damn it! You really think this emperor is easy to bully? Today, I’ll smash you to bits!" the Black Emperor cursed.

"This small silver world is the most fitting place to bury your divine senses. I will carefully temper the physical bodies you leave behind." Silver radiance shone all around as a Divine Moon, soft and holy, appeared in Pang Bo’s hand.

The big black dog was not to be outdone. It opened its mouth and spat out a black trident that glimmered with an ominous light, suffused with killing intent, as it cleaved forward.

CLANG!

The Divine Moon in Pang Bo’s hand flew out and hovered in mid-air. It drew the trident towards it, snapping it with a sharp crack.

"Kid, don’t just stand there stunned! Make your move!" the Black Emperor roared. The black trident reassembled and slashed out once more.

"How come you all have weapons?" Ye Fan gritted his teeth. He transformed into a golden sun and charged forward, a golden sword materializing within the light.

BOOM!

He unleashed all his divine sense power, fiercely shattering the Divine Moon on the spot. The golden sword then slashed towards Pang Bo’s head.

CLANG!

Pang Bo lightly flicked his fingers, snapping the golden sword and recalling the Divine Moon Power.

SWISH!

The golden divine sense recoiled, reforming into a small sun.

"Kid, you’re too fierce! Attack without holding back!" the big black dog advised. "In this Divine Thought Space, you can transform into anything you desire, undergoing countless changes."

With the big black dog’s guidance, Ye Fan quickly adapted. He instantly transformed into a humanoid form, wielding a massive Great Wilderness Halberd that he pointed diagonally towards the heavens. "Release the real Pang Bo!" he shouted. This halberd was black as ink, gleaming with a metallic luster; he had formed it in the likeness of the Golden-Winged Little Peng King’s Great Wilderness Halberd.

"You’re struggling in vain!" Pang Bo stood majestically, his black hair dancing wildly. With a flash of light, a Demon Sword, brilliant and dazzling, appeared in his hand.

"Kill!" Ye Fan charged forward with the Great Wilderness Halberd. He had no path of retreat; it was either kill or be killed.

CLANG!

The Great Wilderness Halberd sliced through the air, emitting a dazzling radiance as it clashed with the brilliant Demon Sword. Ye Fan’s divine sense body immediately dimmed.

"This emperor is here!" The big black dog reared up, trident in hand. It closed in, bringing the trident down in a vertical chop while its gaping maw snapped forward.

BANG!

Pang Bo’s eyes glinted coldly. The Demon Sword in his hand trembled, instantly crushing the Great Wilderness Halberd. Then, with a single slash, it severed the trident. "You’re no match for me!"

WHOOSH!

The Demon Sword swept through the air like the wailing of ghosts and the howling of gods, its murderous aura surging in endless waves as it slashed horizontally at Ye Fan and the Black Emperor.

CLANG!

In that instant, Ye Fan’s right arm, along with the fragments of the Great Wilderness Halberd, transformed into a large red-blood seal. Nine dragons coiled around it, causing the Divine Sense Void to tremble.

CLANG!

The red-blood seal descended, crashing down upon the Demon Sword and crushing it.

Simultaneously, the big black dog transformed into a True Dragon. Like a black Great Wall of China forged from steel, it charged through, its powerful draconic body crushing with immense force.

"Still no match!" Pang Bo transformed into a Celestial Roc, its entire body radiating golden light. With its sharp roc talons, it seized the True Dragon and tore fiercely, ripping it apart with a BANG!

The big black dog let out a piteous scream as its divine sense scattered. It reformed into its dog shape a short distance away.

SLASH!

The Celestial Roc dominated the sky. Its golden wings swept across, slicing Ye Fan in two and shattering him into fragments of divine sense.

FWOOSH!

The Black Emperor and Ye Fan fought back desperately. They transformed into overwhelming torrents of fire that burned fiercely. Black flames and golden flames engulfed the Celestial Roc.

"Finally can’t hold on? A desperate struggle before death? You can’t hurt me!" Pang Bo transformed into a Fiery Fire Golden Lotus, bathing in the flames. He began to absorb their divine sense power, aiming to strengthen himself.

Ye Fan and the Black Emperor reverted to their original forms, retreating step by step, their expressions grim. This old demon’s divine sense was powerful, several times stronger than theirs. Even if they joined forces, it seemed impossible to slay him.

HISS!

Pang Bo manifested his true body. As he stood there, his eyes suddenly shot out two silver beams that danced like True Dragons, pouncing forward. "Demon Emperor Nine Slashes—Destruction!"

These words, like a Heavenly Sound of death, vibrated through the small silver world. Ye Fan and the big black dog both paled and hastily dodged. Demon Emperor Nine Slashes—Destruction! This technique had once extinguished the Black Flame within the Fire God Furnace; its might was beyond imagination.

RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE!

The hundred-zhang silver world was destabilized by the impact, on the verge of tearing apart.

Ye Fan narrowly dodged, the silver beams grazing past him. This was because Pang Bo was primarily targeting the Black Emperor, intending to eliminate it first.

"AHHH!" The big black dog let out a piteous cry as it was struck by the silver beams. A portion of its divine sense was annihilated, its form losing a tenth of its substance and dimming considerably.

"Perish!" Pang Bo roared. The silver beams in his eyes intensified, like True Dragons soaring towards the heavens, then shooting towards the big black dog. If this supreme Divine Radiance truly struck, the big black dog would face almost certain doom.

Ye Fan hurriedly intervened, attacking from the side. However, Pang Bo remained unmoved; a mere shift of his gaze was enough to force Ye Fan back.

"This emperor will fight you to the death!" the big black dog roared in fury. Demon Emperor Nine Slashes—Destruction! It was an unmatched power, a supreme divine art created by the Demon Emperor. If this strike landed, death was certain. This realization prompted its wrathful resistance, ready to fight to mutual destruction.

BOOM!

The silver beams, like dragons, pierced through the big black dog’s chest and engulfed it. Its form rapidly dimmed as the attack sought to annihilate it completely, reducing it to ashes.

Ye Fan felt a chill run down his spine. The Demon Emperor Nine Slashes were too terrifying. Even someone as strong as the Black Emperor couldn’t possibly withstand it; the utter extinction of form and spirit was imminent.

He roared and transformed into a golden sun, charging forward. Simultaneously, he activated two of the secret arts from the Nine Secret Arts. Now that his body was formed of divine sense, he didn’t know if he could even utilize the Nine Secret Arts. But seeing his opponent unleash such a divine art, he cast all caution to the wind and tried.

The Fighting Saint Technique was successfully executed!

This sent a jolt through his heart and greatly encouraged him. The Holy Technique descended like a mountain, causing Pang Bo to stagger and nearly disintegrate. However, Pang Bo was not distracted by this. The silver radiance in his eyes intensified further, resolute in his determination to refine the Black Emperor.

"AHHH!" The Black Emperor screamed as its divine sense began to disintegrate. It was on the verge of complete annihilation, of vanishing from this world forever.

Ye Fan was both shocked and furious. He madly unleashed the Fighting Saint Technique, his divine sense boiling like a volcano.

BANG!

Pang Bo’s mountain-like form dispersed in an instant, yet immediately reformed. Those eyes never vanished, and endless silver beams remained locked onto the Black Emperor.

BOOM!

The big black dog cried out and suddenly collapsed, its form shattering.

"Black Emperor!" Ye Fan shouted.

DONG!

A bell tolled leisurely. A Golden Grand Clock emerged, suspended in the small silver world.

"A physical weapon!" Pang Bo exclaimed in shock and quickly retreated.

"Damn it, felt good hitting this emperor, didn’t it?" The Black Emperor reformed, its body now half its previous size, its radiance dim. It had suffered grievous injuries, nearly being annihilated. Its divine sense would likely take several months to recover.

"Could it be that you too were once a sovereign and sealed your weapon within your Sea of Consciousness? You must have also encountered some mishap," Pang Bo stated, standing not far away, his expression icy.

"You nearly turned this emperor to ashes, yet in doing so, you also unsealed my treasure! I don’t know whether I should thank you or kill you!" the big black dog gritted its teeth. It had almost been turned to ashes, and its anger surged. The great bell above its head emitted golden ripples, suspended there and vibrating continuously.

"You think you’re the only one whose Sea of Consciousness can conceal a sealed weapon?" Pang Bo sneered coldly.

KENG!

A green lotus appeared in Pang Bo’s hands. It was jade-green like an emerald, sparkling and emitting terrifying fluctuations.

"Your true form is a lotus!" the big black dog said icily.

"Correct. I am the nineteenth-generation descendant of the Demon Emperor!" Pang Bo replied with extreme coldness.

The big black dog sent a divine sense transmission to Ye Fan: "Later, I’ll use the Golden Bell to tear open this Divine Thought Space, and we’ll rush out together. He has that green lotus, which counters the advantage of my Golden Divine Bell. We’re not his match."

So the Golden Grand Clock suspended above its head was actually a bell. This surprised Ye Fan. However, he disagreed with the Black Emperor’s plan, transmitting back: "You just need to hold off his weapon—the green lotus. I have a way to kill him!"

"Damn it, you’re insane! He possesses Ancient Demon Clan Scriptures and has mastered the Demon Emperor Nine Slashes. We don’t even know how many of the slashes he has cultivated, but we can’t even withstand the ’Destruction’ slash alone!"

"What if my divine sense were ten times stronger? Would that be enough?" Ye Fan shot back.

"Of course, it would be! But how is that possible?!"

"Nothing is impossible. I possess the inheritance of the Nine Secret Arts!"

"Damn you, kid! You... you actually obtained such a mysterious art! Why didn’t you use it sooner?" The Black Emperor was utterly shocked, then began to curse.

"How was I supposed to know it could be used by a body of divine sense..." Ye Fan began to channel the Nine Secret Arts.

The supreme secret technique obtained from Zhuo Peak of the Taixuan Sect needed to be triggered. Previously, it might take several hundred attempts for one success. Now that he had learned the Fighting Saint Technique, the probability had increased considerably. But even so, it still took over a hundred attempts for one success. Once successfully activated, everything—be it speed or combat power—would be enhanced tenfold. This was, without a doubt, an unparalleled secret art that would make all the Sacred Lands green with envy!

DONG!

When the Golden Bell enlarged, it was indistinguishable from a divine bell; one could even call it a great bell as their shapes were nearly identical. Its leisurely tolls were deafening, nearly shattering the Divine Thought Space.

"Even with this kind of weapon, you will both still die!" Pang Bo, holding the green lotus, swept it lightly. The vibrating great bell instantly fell silent.

"His weapon is that terrifying..." Ye Fan was greatly astonished.

"What did you expect? He’s a descendant of the Demon Emperor, with the blood of a Great Emperor flowing in his veins. A weapon refined from his true body, the green lotus, is naturally incomparably powerful!" the Black Emperor urged, telling him to act quickly before the situation changed.

DONG!

The bell tolled leisurely. The big black dog protected itself with the Golden Divine Bell. The great bell swayed, sending out golden ripples in all directions, attempting to break through the silver world.

"Your efforts are futile!" Pang Bo’s expression was cold. The green lotus in his hand was a vibrant, dewy green. With a forceful sweep, the void calmed, and all the golden ripples were extinguished into silence.

HISS!

Meanwhile, the silver radiance in his eyes flared. The Demon Emperor Nine Slashes—Destruction! was unleashed once more, and a chilling aura enveloped them.

"I refuse to believe you can destroy my Divine Bell!" the big black dog roared. The Golden Grand Clock hung suspended in the air, protecting both it and Ye Fan within. It tolled leisurely and rotated continuously.

DONG! DONG! DONG!

Silver beams struck the Golden Divine Bell, causing it to ring out repeatedly and tremble constantly, but ultimately, it was not destroyed.

"A weapon refined by a sovereign is indeed indestructible. If my Divine Thought Realm hadn’t declined, my Demon Emperor Nine Slashes could actually destroy this bell!" Pang Bo stated coldly.

"Stop bragging! There’s no one in this world who can break this emperor’s weapon!" the big black dog declared with immense arrogance.

Pang Bo sneered. "You think you can stop me just because you have a weapon that’s part bell, part great bell?!" He gave a soft cry, then advanced holding the green lotus. He swept it forcefully; an emerald light shone, and the divine lotus struck the great bell.

DONG!

A violent shock! The Golden Grand Clock was nearly sent flying. The divine lotus swayed; it appeared delicate, yet it was indomitable and capable of breaking through anything.

DONG! DONG! DONG!

As the divine lotus repeatedly struck the great bell, the force of the impacts grew stronger. The Golden Divine Bell was on the verge of being knocked away.

"Kid, can you do it or not?!" the Black Emperor asked anxiously.

"It’s done!" Ye Fan had made over a hundred attempts and finally triggered the Nine Secret Arts.

The big black dog actively cooperated. The Golden Grand Clock vibrated fiercely, attempting to break through this space while simultaneously clinging to the divine lotus.

BOOM!

Ye Fan’s Divine Thought Power surged forth like a tsunami, amplified tenfold—an unimaginable divine might!

Pang Bo cried out. The divine lotus trembled but couldn’t break free from the great bell. Silver radiance exploded from his eyes as he once again unleashed Demon Emperor Nine Slashes—Destruction!

However, even though this was a supreme divine art created by a Great Emperor, possessing world-shaking, ghost-terrifying might, it still couldn’t block Ye Fan’s attack at this moment. In the face of absolute power, even the most profound divine arts were useless. Brute force could shatter all techniques, defeating even the most wondrous methods of the Great Dao!

Ye Fan’s divine sense had already reached the stage where it could take form. After a tenfold enhancement, it could almost compare to the divine sense of a sovereign. His golden divine sense surged like a vast ocean.

RUMBLE! RUMBLE!

The silver radiance was dispersed. Pang Bo was sent flying, his form shattering.

"Ah! This is the ’All’ character secret of the Nine Secret Arts!" he cried out in shock. He quickly reformed his body and fought back with desperate resolve.

BOOM!

Ye Fan unleashed the Fighting Saint Technique, coordinating it with this mysterious art for a twofold attack. At this moment, he wielded a Green Gold Battle Halberd, with a golden Treasure Tower above his head, descending like a god of battle.

BOOM!

He truly resembled a god, with tenfold combat power and tenfold divine sense. Such an assault was terrifying to behold.

Pang Bo was shattered once more, yet he still did not perish. He reformed again, silver radiance bursting from his eyes like True Dragons.

This time, Ye Fan pushed the Nine Secret Arts to their limit. He transformed into an ancient, unadorned cauldron that descended from the sky to suppress Pang Bo!

BOOM!

A torrential force surged. The cauldron formed by his body pressed down, suppressing Pang Bo beneath it.