Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 273: Chapter 278: Purple Copper Warship

Yunze State, as its name suggests, has a spring every hundred paces, a river every ten miles, and is filled with large marshes and misty waters.

Ye Fan and his companions left the Ancient Small World and came to the outside world, once again experiencing the oases and marshes of this land.

"Someone is tracking us!" Black Emperor’s spiritual perception was sharp, detecting that someone was following.

Suddenly, the clouds in the sky were scattered, and demonic aura surged, as if a massive creature was rapidly approaching.

"WOOOO..." A long, mournful horn blast tore through the sky, its sound deep and far-reaching.

A purple shadow streaked across like a violet cloud, rushing swiftly. It was heavy and massive, like a small mountain.

When it pierced through the cloud layer, it could be seen clearly: a gigantic warship, its Pure Purple Copper Essence gleaming with a metallic luster, appearing heavy and solid.

"It’s the Purple Copper Warship of the demon clan!" Tu Fei’s face sank, feeling that things were ominous, as this warship was only deployed for annihilation.

"Three ships, a full three ships!" Tu Fei was shocked again.

A total of three Purple Copper Warships scattered the clouds, transforming into three streaks of purple light as they rushed forward at extreme speed, a heavy sense of oppression bearing down.

"What level of personage can command such a warship?" Ye Fan asked, as it was clearly aimed at them.

"It’s hard to say. Any member of the demon clan with a significant enough background could possess one," Tu Fei replied.

"No need to guess. So, it’s them..." Ye Fan gazed towards the sky.

On the first Purple Copper Warship stood a white-robed man, looking quite ethereal; he was Bai Feng, a young demon clan powerhouse.

"He brought quite a few helpers."

There were many demon clan members on the warship, evidently no weaklings among them. Their demonic auras soared to the sky, and they numbered seventy to eighty in all.

"WOOO..." The second Copper Ship also rushed forward. The figure standing at its prow came into view: a person in a fluttering golden Daoist robe. It was Golden Feathers, and he too had brought many helpers.

"WOOO..." On the third Purple Copper Warship, Ku Zhu’s green robe fluttered. He stood motionless, with a large group of experts arrayed on the deck behind him.

The three geniuses from the demon clan’s small world—Bai Feng, Golden Feathers, and Ku Zhu—had jointly pursued them, clearly targeting Ye Fan.

"What do you mean by this?" Tu Fei yelled. His grandfather was the seventh great bandit, and his status was exceptional; he was unafraid of these demon clan members.

"We mean no harm to Brother Tu Fei; we only have some things to say to Junior Brother Ye," Bai Feng transmitted his voice.

Ye Fan remained composed and asked, "What do you want to say?"

"When you left, a secret treasure of our demon clan went missing. Therefore, we must capture you and bring you back," Bai Feng replied.

"In that case, am I not also a suspect?" Tu Fei asked.

"It has nothing to do with Brother Tu Fei. We only sensed the aura of the secret treasure on him," Golden Feathers said, standing on the prow, his Daoist robe shimmering.

"What a joke! You claim to have lost some secret treasure, but you’re clearly just after the Origin Qi I possess," Ye Fan sneered.

Ku Zhu, clad in a green robe, calmly spoke, "Indeed, the aura of a demon clan secret treasure is upon you. We will ensure you are treated fairly. We will take you back and let the elders handle the matter impartially."

Ye Fan’s heart clenched. He thought of those few old demons whose lifespans were nearly exhausted. He said solemnly, "You can’t even name this supposed secret treasure, yet you have the audacity to slander me?"

"The Daluo Star Disc is on you; today we must take you back," Bai Feng yelled.

"You were too reckless in our demon clan’s Pure Land. You destroyed the palace Princess Yan had temporarily given you, shattered Fairy Qin Yao’s Grotto-Heaven, and stole a secret treasure before leaving. We have no choice but to capture you," Golden Feathers spoke chillingly.

"Enough talk! Seize him!" Ku Zhu shouted.

The three warships emitted beams of colored light, weaving into an inescapable net that descended upon Ye Fan.

"It’s clearly murder and robbery you’re after! You covet his Origin Qi foundation, yet you speak so righteously. Aren’t the three of you ashamed?" Tu Fei demanded.

The great net woven from Spiritual Qi descended. Ye Fan transformed into an illusory image, slipping through by a hair’s breadth, evading capture.

"Might as well seize these three warships," Black Emperor muttered. He held several large banners engraved with profound Dao Glyphs, which had once trapped the old demons in the Immortal Hall.

"Hurry and go!" Ye Fan transmitted his voice. "It’s highly probable that those old demons with dwindling lifespans are instructing them to attack."

He had sensed the implications in Ku Zhu’s words earlier—wanting to take him back for the elders to handle impartially. This was definitely not a good sign.

WHOOSH! The big black dog, showing no loyalty whatsoever, hopped onto the Jade Boat and bolted into the distance, not even glancing back. It feared there might be old demons on the warships.

"Tu Loudmouth, you better escape too."

"What about you?"

"They can’t catch me," Ye Fan said, then dashed off in another direction.

Tu Fei dared not linger. He used all his might to escape, disappearing in the blink of an eye. Though his grandfather was the seventh great bandit, he wasn’t powerful enough to intimidate the entire northern region. If an old demon happened to emerge and silence him here, it would be too late for regrets.

Clearly, Bai Feng, Golden Feathers, and Ku Zhu had no intention of clashing with Tu Fei, nor did they plan to pursue the big black dog. They all headed in one direction, locked onto Ye Fan.

"Ye Fan, you can’t escape! Even if your footwork is miraculous, comparable to the Celestial Roc Extreme Speed, you still can’t shake off the Purple Copper Warship!" Bai Feng’s killing intent flared, no longer concealed.

Golden Feathers and Ku Zhu also ordered their men to press the pursuit with the warships. The three behemoths relentlessly gave chase, piercing through clouds and mist, sticking close to Ye Fan.

Ye Fan’s current speed was unparalleled within the Dao Palace secret realm, yet he still couldn’t shake off the Purple Copper Warship. The distance between them refused to widen.

"You’ve really mobilized quite the force for murder and robbery, haven’t you? Such a grand display," Ye Fan mocked.

"You should remember, we are not trying to seize your Origin Qi foundation. It’s because you first stole our secret treasure that we are forced to apprehend you," Bai Feng retorted.

"Why be so hypocritical? There’s no one else here. Aren’t you tired of speaking with such a mask on?" Ye Fan sneered.

Golden Feathers said chillingly, "If that’s how you want to interpret it, we have nothing more to say. Today, we are determined to apprehend you."

"The three of you, remember this. You want to kill me and seize my treasure today; someday, I shall repay this debt," Ye Fan said coldly.

"What future is there for you to speak of? Your cultivation will forever be stuck at the Dao Palace secret realm. Besides, do you really think you can escape today?" Ku Zhu said calmly.

Ye Fan said no more. He summoned his cauldron, which grew to a meter in height and hovered above his head. Strands of primal chaos flowed down from it, protecting his body.

Throughout this escape, he hadn’t sensed the presence of those old demons, which made him breathe a sigh of relief. Things were not as bad as he had imagined.

Bai Feng, Golden Feathers, and Ku Zhu saw the Origin Qi foundation with their own eyes, and their expressions instantly became excited. They were indeed here for this very cauldron.

"You stole our clan’s secret treasure; you are doomed to die. Your cauldron... we’ll preserve it for you," Bai Feng said.

"You truly are a hypocrite! Even now, you still speak so sanctimoniously!" Ye Fan jeered.

In contrast, Golden Feathers was more direct, his killing intent fully revealed. He said grimly, "I have nothing more to say to a dead man. Hand over your cauldron!"

He opened his mouth and spat out a golden beam, which slashed forward like a golden lightning bolt tearing through the sky at extreme speed.

SWISH! Ye Fan dodged to the side. The golden light struck empty air. He didn’t want to clash head-on; after all, his opponent was at the Fifth Layer Heaven of the Dao Palace, a full three Realms higher than him.

Calmly, he began to activate the nine secret arts. Of course, he wasn’t planning to engage his opponent in a direct battle; he intended to increase his speed tenfold.

"The Golden Winged Celestial Roc King is too arrogant, insisting on battling you at the same cultivation level. How laughable," Ku Zhu transmitted calmly. "We won’t be like that. He’s just a wasted body; we’ll just obliterate him directly!"

"That only proves you can never compare to the Golden Winged Celestial Roc King. All you’re capable of is shamelessly ganging up to hunt me down," Ye Fan retorted.

As Ye Fan spoke, he successfully triggered the ’All’ Secret among the nine secret arts. His speed instantly increased tenfold. And just at that moment, an idea struck him.

The three Purple Copper Warships were advancing side by side, very close to each other. If one were to be overturned, the other two would likely suffer as well. Acting on a sudden impulse, he charged back. The Fire God Furnace appeared in his hands, its lid flying open as Black Flames billowed and burned.

His speed was already terrifying; even flying spiritual treasures like the Purple Copper Warships had difficulty keeping up with him. Now, with a tenfold increase, it reached a level that would shock any cultivator in the Dao Palace secret realm.

Bai Feng, Golden Feathers, Ku Zhu, and everyone else on the three warships attacked simultaneously, trying to crush him. But Ye Fan was too fast. He evaded all their attacks and unleashed the Fire God Furnace, sending a torrent of Black Flames surging downwards.

The people on the ships could retreat, but the three warships could not change direction instantly. The middle one was engulfed by the flames.

The flames from Sunfall Ridge were scorching; even spiritual treasures could not withstand them. So far, only the Demon Emperor Nine Slashes of Destruction could extinguish them.

BOOM! The middle Purple Copper Warship shattered instantly. When such a large spiritual treasure suffered a destructive attack, the resulting energy explosion was terrifying enough to make one’s heart pound.

Dazzling light and tsunami-like energy waves swept out in all directions, engulfing the Heavenly Universe.

BANG! BANG! The other two warships, which had been travelling parallel to it, were severely damaged. Though they didn’t explode, the violent energy tore large holes through their hulls.

These two Purple Copper Warships nearly disintegrated. They plummeted from the sky, clearly unable to fly any longer—they were almost completely destroyed.

Ye Fan hadn’t anticipated such terrifying consequences. It had merely been a reckless gamble, yet all three Purple Copper Warships had been taken out.

Most importantly, of the sixty or seventy demon clan cultivators on the middle warship, nearly all were blasted to pieces. Only Bai Feng managed to escape, but he was severely wounded and coughed up blood unceasingly.

Some cultivators on the other two warships were also killed or injured. Ku Zhu’s arm was broken, and he could no longer maintain his calm composure.

Among the three powerful leaders, only Golden Feathers was unharmed. He led the remaining ninety-odd cultivators in a charge towards Ye Fan.

Bai Feng gritted his teeth and shouted, "Surround him! Don’t let him escape!"

Ku Zhu’s face was ashen. Just moments ago, he had spoken of easily obliterating the Desolate Ancient Wasted Body, only to lose an arm in the blink of an eye.

The destruction of three precious warships drove the demon clan cultivators into a furious rage. They roared as they charged forward.

Ye Fan protected himself with Origin Qi and quickly broke through their encirclement. He had no intention of stopping to fight head-on, as the Black Flames in his Fire God Furnace were exhausted.

"HAHAHA..." Ye Fan laughed. "You wanted to kill me, yet you ended up losing three warships and getting your own bones broken. How ridiculous!"

The three powerful figures had led so many in pursuit, yet a single attack from their quarry had destroyed three warships. This left them with incredibly ugly expressions.

Bai Feng, Golden Feathers, and Ku Zhu remained silent, their faces livid as they continued the chase. But Ye Fan was too fast; without warships, it was impossible to catch him.

"Ye Fan, do you dare to fight?"

"How dare you say such a thing? That’s like me asking if you dare to kill yourselves by ramming your heads into a mother hen!" Ye Fan’s words were truly outrageous, infuriating the three pursuers so much they wished they could tear him limb from limb. But unfortunately for them, they simply couldn’t catch up.

Ye Fan knew he couldn’t stop. Yunze State was extremely dangerous, and this place wasn’t very far from the Green Flood Dragon King’s small world. If an old demon suddenly appeared, his fate would be sealed.

He couldn’t afford any delays; he had to escape Yunze State in the shortest possible time.

"Thank you, three geniuses, for escorting me a thousand li. All journeys must end, so please turn back. Don’t forget, next time bring some larger warships. I do love watching the radiant splendor of fireworks."

The faces of Bai Feng, Golden Feathers, and Ku Zhu were as dark as water, but they could only watch helplessly as Ye Fan vanished before their eyes.

「Six days later.」

Ye Fan arrived within the borders of Li State. True to its name, which suggested beauty, the scenery here was picturesque and vastly different from the desolate landscapes found elsewhere in the northern region.

Li State was not very far from the sacred city of the northern region. Flying at top speed, one could reach it in about half a month.

This oasis spanned five to six thousand li. Its central city was named Li City, a place of remarkable beauty renowned throughout the entire northern region. The city was filled with numerous gardens and wondrous sights, so beautiful they were beyond description.

Ye Fan had just entered Li City when his heart suddenly stirred—he saw a familiar figure: Ji Ziyue.