Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 308 - Sweeping Through The Four Pillars

Although everyone knew Ye Fan was only a Dao Palace Realm cultivator, and it was said to be nearly impossible for him to enter the Four Pillars Realm, at this moment, everyone reacted at once. Swiftly, in unison, whether Xu Yuan or the others, they all had light flicker between their brows, summoning treasures to shield their seas of consciousness.

By now, the cultivators of the Northern Region were well aware of Ye Fan’s unmatched divine sense. Among his peers, few could compare. Anyone encountering him first guarded their spiritual awareness.

The Primeval Desolate Sacred Physique, though it had not yet displayed the supreme glory of the Desolate Era and could not shake the world, had gained some fame among the younger generation, and his spiritual might was feared.

At Xu Yuan’s side, a Four Pillars Realm cultivator mocked: “What arrogance, as if the Four Pillars mean nothing to you. Too bad you’ll never step into this realm in your life.”

Ye Fan’s expression remained calm. He ignored the man, instead speaking directly to Xu Yuan:

“I don’t wish to clash with you, but if you force me, then today this mountain will be drenched in blood and corpses!”

“What are you, to speak to my young master like that? Kneel and wait for judgment!” Chen De barked coldly.

“Kneel! Offer the cauldron!”

“Kneel at once! A mere Dao Palace cultivator dares to spout madness? Kneel and accept punishment!”

Xu Yuan dabbed his lips with a silken cloth and spoke softly: “I’ve given you a chance. Whether you grasp it is up to you. Kneel here, present the cauldron, and I’ll let you leave.”

“A man bows only to gold beneath his own banner. Xu Yuan, you’re clearly forcing this, you never intended to back down!” Tu Fei snapped.

Xu Yuan smiled faintly, tossing the silk to the ground.

“How could that be? I said already, hand over the cauldron, kneel, apologize, and all will be forgiven.”

Boom!

The ancient cauldron floated above Ye Fan’s head, strands of primal energy cascading down to shield him. Holding the God-Striking Whip, he stood tall in the center.

“Fool! Before Four Pillars cultivators, you dare to resist? Even kneeling won’t save you now!” Chen De struck first.

He stepped forward, manifesting a massive earthy-yellow hand of energy that blotted out the sky, grasping straight for Ye Fan. His target: the Motherly Energy Cauldron.

“You think you are the Leviathan Prince?!” Ye Fan sneered, utterly fearless. With the cauldron above him, his left hand clenched into a golden fist and punched skyward.

Puff! The giant energy hand shattered beneath his strike. Power surged, tearing the air, sweeping boulders into the sky.

Chen De’s heart skipped. That punch, Ye Fan had resisted the grasp of a Four Pillars cultivator with raw flesh. How terrifying was his body?

Everyone was stunned. Ye Fan’s physique was monstrous, capable of clashing against a Four Pillars cultivator head-on barehanded.

“No matter. His flesh is strong, but who would contest brute strength with him? Just kill him from afar,” another Four Pillars cultivator said.

Chen De sneered: “Dao Palace against Four Pillars? Laughable. Today I’ll beat you to your knees, make you hand over the cauldron!”

But Ye Fan showed no fear. Even at Dao Palace Third Stage, he could suppress cultivators of Fourth Stage. Facing Fifth Stage, he was wary, but not powerless.

Now, having refined 50,000 Kg of source and ascended to Dao Palace Fourth Stage, his godpower surged like a roaring sea. Defeating Fifth Stage cultivators was no longer in doubt. Against a Four Pillars first stage opponent, he felt absolute confidence. The Sacred Physique grew immensely stronger with every breakthrough. With the Nine Secrets at hand, he was sure of victory.

The sky flared as Chen De summoned a storm of blood-red lightning, a vast electric net crashing down.

Yet the cauldron above Ye Fan glowed, its primordial yellow light blocking all. The lightning couldn’t touch him.

“Is this all the Four Pillars amount to? This is your pride?” Ye Fan taunted.

Chen De’s face darkened. If he couldn’t subdue a Dao Palace cultivator, how could he show his face?

He spat out a golden net, vast as the heavens, dropping toward Ye Fan.

“Ha!” Ye Fan’s shout rang out. A divine glow burst from his mouth, forming a radiant scroll inscribed with Dao Runes.

“That’s… the Ji Clan’s Supreme Voidforce?!” many cried out in shock.

Indeed, it was innate primal essence, forged with void, unleashed through the War Paragon Art.

Buzz!

The void shook. The glowing Dao map slammed into the golden net.

Crack!

The seemingly soft yet resilient treasure was pierced, the Supreme Voidforce unstoppable. The net dimmed, collapsing into tatters like a broken fishing net.

Chen De’s face turned ugly. To suffer a setback against a Dao Palace cultivator, shameful.

Dong!

A silver bell manifested, booming as it shook the heavens. The entire mountain quaked, brilliant light shooting skyward.

But Ye Fan was calm, unfazed by its crushing presence.

The bell vibrated violently, silver ripples slicing down like blades.

Clang!

“Does a firefly dare to rival the bright moon?!” Chen De roared, brimming with confidence. With a Four Pillars treasure, killing a Dao Palace cultivator should’ve been easy.

The silver bell shone, crashing downward, drowning Ye Fan in its brilliance.

Ye Fan didn’t dodge. He charged upward, the cauldron above his head, the God-Striking Whip in hand. Though plain in appearance, when swung, it collapsed the void, heavy as a mountain.

Clang!

The whip struck, and the bell thundered. The shockwave deafened all onlookers. Chen De staggered. His divine sense shook, as if struck directly.

Clang!

Ye Fan whipped again, smashing the silver bell. Cracks spread across its surface.

Chen De reeled, his spirit lanced with pain, the whip struck not only matter but divine sense.

Clang!

The third blow shattered the bell completely. Shards blazed like a meteor shower across the night sky.

“Aahh!” Chen De screamed, clutching his brow, tumbling from the air. The whip had crushed his divine sense, leaving him broken.

Ye Fan’s speed was unmatched. Using the mad hermit’s footwork, he surged forward. The whip lashed once more.

Crack!

Chen De’s skull burst apart, blood and brain matter spraying. His spirit annihilated, his corpse plummeted.

Below, the crowd froze, statues of disbelief. A Dao Palace cultivator had slain a Four Pillars cultivator.

“Impossible! The Sacred Physique is unmatched in its realm, but he hasn’t even manifested a Celestial Phenomenon. How could he kill across realms?!”

Xu Yuan’s followers blanched. They could not accept it.

Only Tu Fei understood: if Chen De hadn’t channeled his soul into his treasure, he might have survived. But against the God-Striking Whip, a weapon that destroys divine sense, he was doomed.

“This… could it be the legendary God-Striking Whip of the Shang and Zhou dynasties…” Ye Fan murmured. The ancient wooden whip weighed heavily not only in his hand, but in his heart.

“Where did those ancients go…” he wondered.

But quickly, he refocused. With cauldron above and whip in hand, he strode toward Xu Yuan.

“I told you, if you forced me, this mountain would drown in blood!”

Three more Four Pillars cultivators stepped forward together, the mountain quaking. One said coldly: “Even if you kneel now and hand over the cauldron, you won’t live.”

“You too, take his head. I want no mistakes,” Xu Yuan ordered from his soft chair, waving forth a fourth Four Pillars cultivator.

Four Four Pillars cultivators stood before Ye Fan, unleashing their strongest treasures. Under the night sky, dazzling radiance lit the world.

Their godpower shook the heavens, their treasures awe-inspiring. The pressure alone forced Ye Fan back.

Xu Yuan smirked. “So this is all. How did you kill Chen De so easily then?” He relaxed, confident. Four Four Pillars joined, Ye Fan couldn’t win.

“Spare his life,” Xu Yuan said. “His body holds secrets. I want them.”

The four nodded, surrounding Ye Fan, killing intent thick.

“You’ve forced me!” Ye Fan’s voice was icy. Even against great bandit heirs, he cared nothing.

Xu Yuan sipped his wine, a maiden handing him silk. He dabbed his lips.

“I gave you a chance. You wasted it.”

“You effeminate wretch, you wanted me to kneel and hand over the cauldron? Let’s see who kneels today!”

The cauldron shone above Ye Fan, primal yellow light streaming down to shield him. Whip in hand, he faced the four.

The four unleashed their treasures: a golden cauldron, a purple lightning hammer, a silver Eight Trigrams mirror, a crimson bronze lamp. Each extraordinary, all bearing down on Ye Fan.

The void shuddered, spiritual energy sucked dry, flooding into the weapons to crush him. Radiance blazed, mountains trembled, cliffs shook, boulders thundered down.

Ye Fan gathered all his essence. Activating the “All” Secret of the Nine Secrets, he swung the whip in all directions.

Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!

The four treasures shattered instantly. The whip, bane of divine sense, lashed through them. The four masters screamed, blood bursting from their brows.

Puff! Puff!

Two exploded outright, body and soul annihilated. The other two staggered, but Ye Fan ignored them. He surged forward, whip raised, straight at Xu Yuan.

“No—!” Xu Yuan never imagined this outcome. It defied reason.

Clang!

A golden divine tower appeared before him, a treasure personally forged by Xu Tianxiong, the third Warlord, given to his beloved grandson. Its brilliance enveloped Xu Yuan, shielding him.

But Xu Yuan was only Dao Palace Fifth Stage. How could he withstand Ye Fan now? His godpower was boundless, crashing like rivers and seas.

Clang!

The whip smashed the tower aside. Xu Yuan’s face went pale, his spirit splitting with pain. He screamed.

Ye Fan seized his collar. At Dao Palace Fourth Stage, he had full confidence to crush Fifth Stage cultivators.

“You wanted me kneeling at your feet? Looks like it’s you who should be kneeling!”