Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 285 - Suppressed For A Year

Boundless… Motherfucking... Lord! Whose damn dog is this…” Duan De grimaced in pain, howling, shaking his arm violently.

But he couldn’t break free from the Black Emperor. The huge black dog, with a maw large enough to swallow a millstone, was biting down with all its strength.

“Ahhh!”

“Arf! Arf! Arf!”

Both Duan De and the big black dog were shouting. One from heart-wrenching pain, the other from fierce determination. One wanted to escape, the other refused to let go.

The Black Emperor’s true body was enormous. The giant head that emerged from the cauldron was ferocious, gnawing at Duan De so hard it nearly swallowed half his body.

Clang!

The black dog slammed both massive paws onto the broken bowl on Duan De’s head. Suddenly, it released Duan De’s arm and instead bit down on the bowl, yanking it back with all its strength.

This dog was never one to suffer losses. Even though it had willingly handed over the beast-skin scroll earlier, it wasn’t about to let the other party walk away unscathed. Spotting a treasure, it tried to snatch Duan De’s divine artifact.

“Boundless… Heavenly Lord, this is infuriating!” Normally he robbed others. Today not only had a dog bitten him, but it was trying to steal his treasure. Duan De was nearly beside himself with rage.

The broken bowl trembled, releasing a terrifying destructive power. The Black Emperor was shocked, and in its sea of consciousness, a golden bell appeared, ringing with jingling sounds.

At the same time, Ye Fan struck as well, urging his cauldron against the shameless Daoist.

Yet this broken bowl was terrifying. It carried unimaginable might, though it hadn’t truly been unleashed.

The black dog’s heart skipped a beat. Its forehead split open, revealing a vertical third eye. From it shot a dark beam that pierced toward Duan De’s sea of consciousness.

Ye Fan also sensed the danger. Without hesitation, the golden lake between his brows released a tiny golden sword, slashing at Duan De’s brow bone.

The dog’s golden bell and Ye Fan’s cauldron were both blocked by the broken bowl, the artifact neutralized physical strikes with ease.

But the sudden soul attacks caught Duan De off guard. He screamed, staggered, and nearly fell.

“Arf! Arf! Arf!”

The black dog leapt out of the cauldron, pouncing onto the bowl. Shielded by the golden bell, it clung tightly to the artifact, unleashing torrents of spiritual force.

“Not good, retreat!” Ye Fan barked. That bowl was no ordinary item, it gave off a chilling aura. He feared the Black Emperor would get hurt.

Before withdrawing, the dog bit half of Duan De’s body, shredding his Daoist robe, before vanishing back into Ye Fan’s cauldron as a streak of darkness.

The shameless Daoist was miserable, his robe torn into rags, like a beggar, his body covered in bite marks. Pathetic beyond words.

“Boundless Heavenly Lord, damn it! A dog bit me!”

“Boundless Eternal, damn it! This emperor bit a bull-nose!” the black dog snapped back.

“Where did this demon dog come from?” The Daoist was livid, staring at his wounds. He wanted nothing more than to roast dog meat on the spot. He had never been humiliated like this.

“Which family forgot to tie up their bull-nose?” the black dog retorted with equal fury, barking loudly.

The Daoist nearly blew a vein. “I was about to say the same, whose dog is running loose?!”

“This emperor hadn’t finished yet! Whose bull-nose strayed out here?!” The black dog bared its fangs.

The onlookers were dumbfounded. These two were beyond outrageous, no one knew what to say.

Ye Fan wanted to laugh. That fat bastard had robbed him plenty of times and even survived being buried alive in the Demon Emperor’s tomb by the hands of the Sacred Lords. Finally, today, he was getting his comeuppance.

“Forget it, I won’t stoop to your level.” Having profited enough, the black dog finally put on a lofty air, as if it didn’t care.

The Daoist pointed at the dog, about to curse again, when Ye Fan cut him off.

“Daoist, what’s the meaning of this?” Ye Fan deliberately hardened his expression, glaring at Duan De. “We may have some history, but to scheme against an old acquaintance like this, isn’t that going too far?”

“Boundless Heavenly Lord, I was only trying to keep you safe, Brother Ye. With so many eyes watching, I thought to safeguard the scroll for you. Would I ever deny you your share later?”

“Fatty, your greed will be your downfall,” Ye Fan said coldly. Outwardly displeased, inwardly laughing.

Duan De could freely enter and leave the domain created by the Chaos Stone, the field couldn’t restrain him. The dark broken bowl radiated faint ripples, negating its binding power.

The black dog whispered to Ye Fan, “That bowl hides something extraordinary, likely sealed within. He doesn’t want to expose it. It’s unimaginable.”

Ye Fan nodded. He didn’t want to truly fall out with this fat scoundrel. The man was far too unpredictable, his hidden cards unknown.

Others too were shocked, speculating on the Daoist’s treasure. Whatever it was, it was incredible.

Flash.

Duan De slipped out of the Chaos Stone’s domain, landing on the ground, storing the scroll away.

Everyone’s eyes locked on him, especially the immobilized saints and saintesses hanging in mid-air. Their faces were full of unwillingness. Their cultivation wasn’t weak, but without exotic artifacts, they were powerless against the bindings here.

“Daoist Duan, leaving so soon?” Yan Ruyu asked, stepping forward with an ambiguous smile.

Facing the princess of the demon race, armed with a Paragon Artifact, Duan De’s face darkened, she was a grave threat.

Boom!

On the Chaos Stone, the Departing Fire God Furnace rattled violently. The three trapped inside, Yao Xi, Radiant Light Saint, and the Young Goldwing Leviathan Monarch, fought with all their might. None of them were ordinary.

Ye Fan secretly transmitted, “Black Emperor, can you seal this furnace for me, so even if I leave the Chaos Stone they can’t escape?”

“This will be difficult…” the dog frowned. “The furnace is sturdy but strange. I doubt I can engrave runes on it.”

“Think harder. We’re running out of time,” Ye Fan urged.

“Dao Runes require vast amount of rare materials. Where would we get them now? Impossible,” the dog shook its head.

“Materials…” Suddenly Ye Fan’s mind sparked. He recalled a secret method from the Dao Scripture. The text was sparse, but he had studied it deeply. It described a forbidden technique, using artifacts to engrave oneself, achieving ‘eternity.’

“Nine mysterious ancient characters. No rare materials required. Just engrave them on the artifact to achieve suppression!”

Ye Fan acted swiftly. This time, not engraving himself, but sealing away the three geniuses.

“Black Emperor, guard me!” His expression grew solemn. If he couldn’t refine them now, he’d suppress them instead.

Rumble!

Suddenly, the palace quaked. Someone was uprooting Ye Fan’s formation flags outside, preparing to break in. The captive saints and saintesses brightened, surely their reinforcements had come.

“Not good…” Ye Fan forced calm, focusing entirely, his spirit forming a brush to inscribe upon the furnace lid.

His face was grave, his mind still, forgetting all else, tracing each stroke with precision.

Flash!

Light burst out as the first character was completed, branded onto the lid. He held his breath, unsure if the furnace’s abnormal regenerative power would erase it.

“It’s holding. It hasn’t vanished.” Joy surged within him.

“You… you can engrave such characters?!” The black dog was shaken, he had seen it clearly.

“What’s so special about them?” Ye Fan asked.

“Those are characters only a Grand Emperor could know. They are the ‘Runes of Heaven and Earth.’ Outsiders can hardly comprehend it.” The dog stared at Ye Fan. “How many have you mastered? You must teach me someday.”

Ye Fan’s heart jolted, but he said nothing. He steadied himself and kept engraving.

Flash!

One by one, the second, the third… until seven were carved. The lid grew hazy, sealing the furnace tight.

But others didn’t notice. All eyes were still on Duan De, who had taken the scroll.

Boom!

Outside, the last formation flag was pulled up with a deafening quake. A dozen figures stepped into the palace.

They appeared thirty to forty years old, but their true age unknown. Each moved calmly, radiating presence, their bearing extraordinary.

One man, clad in five-colored feathers, exuded innate pride. His sword brows and piercing eyes scanned the hall, before locking on Ji Haoyue.

“Kong Teng, what are you doing?” someone demanded.

Gasps echoed through the crowd. Kong Teng! The first disciple of the Peacock Monarch, inheritor of his supreme art, his strength immeasurable.

Years ago, he had nearly slain Ji Haoyue, driving him to the brink of death.

“Relax. I won’t strike here. After all, you have numbers. My Demon Race is few.” His reply was cool.

Everyone sucked in cold air. These dozen middle-aged figures were no ordinary men. Each a genius from the sacred lands, stronger than the current young generation.

Flash, flash!

Ye Fan finished the last two characters, branding them onto the lid. The Departing Fire God Furnace was sealed tight. He exhaled deeply.

“Daoist Duan…” Kong Teng swept his gaze over the Chaos Stone, then fixed on Duan De.

The others with him were equally fearsome, every one of them of terrifying heritage, no weaker than Kong Teng. All stared at Duan De.

“Everything can be negotiated…” Duan De forced a smile, holding out the ancient scroll.

“Senior brother, please rescue our saint and saintess!” A disciple of Radiant Light bowed deeply to one tall, sharp-featured man.

He looked to be thirty-seven or thirty-eight, with a towering figure, thick brows, and heroic aura, like an immortal king.

Many in the hall paled instantly, recognizing him. Chu Lingkong of Radiant Light. Back then, he had nearly been named Saint.

“Is that so? Someone captured both our saint and saintess at once?!” Chu Lingkong’s eyes were deep as the ocean, fixed on the air above.

Ye Fan sat calmly atop the Chaos Stone, still urging the refining seal, his voice steady: “I intend to suppress them for one year. When the time is up, I will release them back to their sacred lands.”

Gasps filled the hall.

A mere Dao Palace cultivator dared declare he would suppress the heirs of sacred lands. If word spread, it would shake the world.

For him to say such a thing, every representative of the holy lands was stunned.

This was no ordinary youth. A monster.

Though some had heard his name before, none of the sacred lands had paid him serious attention. But from today onward, they would never forget it.