Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 623: Chapter 627: A Hasty Year and a Half

Ye Fan let out a long roar, relentlessly pursuing. With the Walking Rune Secret, his speed was incredible; he reached their rear in the blink of an eye and launched a fierce attack.

BANG!

The battle continued. Hua Yunfei spat blood once again, and Li Xiaoman’s Lotus Battle Robe was shattered, falling, stained with blood, and turning to dust.

Ye Fan’s expression was indifferent. He said little and continued the pursuit. Who knows how many mountains they crossed along the way? They were still fiercely fighting well into the middle of the night.

The bright moon shone. Many Ancient Tombs lay beneath Qinling. It was common to see old corpses climbing out of these tombs during the latter part of the night, absorbing the moonlight essence.

During the thousand-mile-long great chase, waves of divine energy occasionally erupted, often causing mountain peaks to collapse. The three fought as they moved, destroying countless mountains.

Hua Yunfei’s hair was disheveled, and he was severely injured, with many broken bones. Li Xiaoman was in a similar state, with ruptured internal organs, her body soaked in blood.

Ye Fan was not much better off either. He had suffered extremely severe injuries, paying a great price in this fierce battle.

Hua Yunfei had already used three mysterious jade platforms, leveraging them to traverse space. However, Ye Fan also possessed Array Platforms and pursued relentlessly, making it hard for Hua Yunfei to escape.

At this point, Hua Yunfei finally showed signs of impatience. If this continued, his Original Source would dry up, likely leading to the end of his life.

Apart from the Nine Secret Arts, Ye Fan did not possess any other Great Emperor-level secret techniques. Those were all recorded in the Forbidden Chapters of various ancient scriptures, which he could not possibly obtain.

However, he had several of the most powerful Original Heart Methods. At this moment, the Dao Scripture, West Emperor Scripture, Hengyu Universe Scripture, and Grand Emperor Scripture were operating simultaneously, with all his Great Secret Realms glowing.

Ye Fan’s Wheel and Sea, Dao Palace, Four Extremes, and Dragon Transformation—his four Great Secret Realms—all emitted the sound of scripture chanting, as if four ancient emperors were awakening, causing a great upheaval in the Star Universe!

BOOM!

For some unknown reason, Ye Fan’s various Variations suddenly merged into one. Although the merged form was blurry and indistinct, an overwhelming power burst forth.

Even Ye Fan himself couldn’t bear it and was almost crushed from within. If not for the protection of the Golden Tai Chi Circle, he might have been the first person to be destroyed by his own Variation.

Ye Fan transformed into a streak of golden light and dashed forward. This was a perfect opportunity to attack Hua Yunfei. No matter how Hua Yunfei resisted, he was unable to stop him.

PFFT!

Hua Yunfei spat out a mouthful of blood, nearly shattered by the mysterious Variation. Ye Fan then launched a continuous barrage of killing moves, driving the mysterious Variation forward as he took seven full steps.

BANG!

Half of Hua Yunfei’s body exploded, turning into a bloody pulp with bone fragments splattering everywhere—a gruesome scene. He screamed and retreated a thousand feet.

Ye Fan moved to strike the nearby Li Xiaoman, but the Variation vanished at that exact moment. He operated his Taiji Circle, evolving the Innate Dao and tearing open a corner of its three hundred sixty-five golden vortices.

BANG! BANG!

Ye Fan repeatedly delivered heavy blows, striking at Li Xiaoman. He finally broke through her defenses, shattering the last golden vortex after eighty-one strikes.

The Golden Tai Chi Circle closed in. Ye Fan pressed out with one palm, unleashing power that could cause mountains to crumble and the ground to crack. Li Xiaoman resisted desperately but finally let out a tragic cry as her body was broken in half.

With a sickening sound, she was sent flying backward, her body severed from the chest down by Ye Fan’s palm. She plummeted from the sky, having suffered unimaginable injuries, her eyes shining with an intense golden light.

The situation was now drastically different. The tide of battle had shifted significantly, and Ye Fan held the absolute advantage.

BOOM!

Having seized the advantage, Ye Fan ignored his own injuries and continuously unleashed heavy blows. Each strike was like a tidal wave, causing the mountains to tremble.

BANG!

Hua Yunfei was sent flying again like a scarecrow. After losing half his body, his combat power was a pale shadow of its former self, and he dared not continue using the Phoenix Tribulation Rebirth Technique.

Li Xiaoman wasn’t much better off. She was unable to withstand Ye Fan’s punch; her three hundred sixty-five golden vortices dimmed, failing to block the attack.

Were it not for the protection afforded by a King’s Divine Weapon, the lives of these two would have been in grave peril; they would have struggled to survive this calamity. Even so, they suffered repeated heavy blows, crashing into mountains several times and collapsing into the dust.

Ye Fan utilized all his techniques. A large golden foot descended from the sky, nearly crushing the two of them and leveling several mountain peaks in the process.

Covered in dust, the two rolled away. Hua Yunfei finally found another chance and summoned a mysterious jade platform, shouting, “Let’s go!”

They traversed space and disappeared from the mountain range. Ye Fan, cold and implacable, pursued them closely, also using a mysterious jade platform.

「In another quiet mountain range, under the bright, serene moon, another chase and battle unfolded, yet something seemed amiss.」

Suddenly, a strange aura emerged. Ye Fan shivered involuntarily, soaring into the sky and alertly glancing back.

At the same time, Hua Yunfei and Li Xiaoman’s expressions changed. They, too, retreated, sensing the dangerous aura.

In the distance, an ancient mountain cracked open. A tiny purple figure, only a foot tall, rushed out, riding a bronze chariot. From another direction, an old monk, mere skin and bones yet seemingly cast from gold, also flew over.

Ye Fan turned and fled immediately. He had previously encountered these two terrifying beings. The last time, he had stolen their Dragon Marrow and was hunted down, almost meeting a disastrous end.

Hua Yunfei and Li Xiaoman also fled into the distance, apparently recognizing these two terrifying entities. Their Dao Treasure Bottles floated around them, allowing them to traverse space without a trace.

BOOM!

The old monk roared, summoning a phantom of Amitabha, and pursued Ye Fan at extreme speed.

On the other side, the tiny purple figure drove the bronze chariot, chasing after Hua Yunfei and Li Xiaoman, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

It had to be said that this Golden Body old monk was extremely terrifying. The summoned phantom of Amitabha was indestructible; nothing could stop it.

Ye Fan had no idea how many mountain ranges he flew over, traversing tens of thousands of miles using the Walking Rune Secret, before he finally managed to shake off the terrifying old monk.

He found an Ancient Cave and began to quietly heal. The Nirvana Scripture operated continuously, his entire body submerged in golden Blood Qi. The whole cave was filled with a divine, serene atmosphere.

This time, he was gravely injured. If it had been anyone else, they likely wouldn’t have survived. However, his physique was exceptionally strong, and he slowly recovered without any major calamity befalling him.

When daylight broke, Ye Fan opened his eyes. The dreadful scars had mostly healed. He rose to his feet and walked step by step out of the Ancient Cave.

In the morning, a thin layer of mist lay over the mountain ridges. As the morning glow touched it, the mist transformed into a colorful fog that mingled with the green grass and Ancient Wood, creating a peaceful and serene scene.

On an Ancient Vine, among the green leaves, dewdrops rolled like pearls, reflecting the morning sun and displaying a panoply of colors.

In the tranquil morning, Ye Fan stood amidst the mountains, frowning slightly. He regretted that he hadn’t been able to capture Hua Yunfei and Li Xiaoman after the long battle.

Ten years from now, how many people in the world will be able to control them?

These are undoubtedly unprecedentedly formidable enemies. He reckoned they could eventually rival the Central Emperor and Wang Teng. If they continue to develop like this, that ruthless individual will definitely reappear in the world.

However, no matter how powerful they become, they will be constrained by the Eight Forbidden. As long as my realm keeps up, I can overwhelm them! Ye Fan murmured to himself, feeling a strong sense of self-confidence, but also immense pressure. His karmic connection with the Ruthless Great Emperor was deep, and that emperor’s inheritors were cultivating too quickly, forcing him to keep up.

Continuous breakthroughs are the only way. A Great Success Sacred Body can challenge Great Emperors, and at the same realm, I fear no one.

Ye Fan believed that even if those two swallowed the Source of various Kings and trod the path of the Ancient Great Emperors, as long as his own realm kept pace and he didn’t fall behind, he could suppress them!

Currently, he was three minor cultivation realms behind Hua Yunfei and had to catch up. Otherwise, the future would be very dangerous.

What troubles me the most is, whose power has Li Xiaoman borrowed? He pondered this all night, searching his memories, yet found no clues.

Where did it go wrong… Whenever Ye Fan thought of those golden vortices, he felt a sense of unease, though he couldn’t pinpoint why.

That divine energy wasn’t cultivated by her; it came from an external source, much like wielding a King’s Divine Weapon or an Emperor’s Weapon. It’s essentially uninhibited by the Eight Forbidden.

This battle had also brought great gains to Ye Fan: he had found his own “Dao,” which was extremely important!

The Ancient Great Emperors never trod the paths of their predecessors. They ultimately created their own Dao; only thus could they transcend. The ancient scriptures served merely as references for them.

「A year and a half slipped by unnoticed.」

Ye Fan had offered Rare Treasures and Exotic Marrow and had successfully entered the Qin Sect’s main peak. He was constantly searching for the Nine Secret Arts, yet still had no leads.

Entering the main peak proved to be very dangerous. Several people had perished over the past year, their deaths mysterious, with the causes still unknown.

It’s most likely Hua Yunfei’s doing. He must know I came for the Nine Secret Arts. Since he can’t figure out which person is me, he’s attacking them one by one, Ye Fan surmised.

The Qin Sect’s Head Elder was alarmed and dispatched the powerful Biluo King, along with several other sovereigns, to find the real culprit.

Ye Fan now knew that Hua Yunfei had entered the Qin Sect’s main peak some years ago but had left a year and a half prior. Around the same time, Li Xiaoman had also vanished and had not returned.

During the battle in the Qinling Mountains, Ye Fan hadn’t seen his opponents use any of the Nine Secret Arts, but he couldn’t be certain they hadn’t obtained any.

In the past year and a half, Ye Fan’s strength had surged dramatically. Feeling the pressure, he had been forced to cultivate diligently and had now reached the eighth transformation of the Dragon Transformation realm. His progress was astonishing.

During this time, he also had to resist another fatal threat: the God Crossing Technique. He had personally witnessed two contemporaries, who had ascended the main peak with him, become devout disciples of the Qin Sect.

If not for his exceptionally strong Divine Sense Power, he too would likely have been in danger. Even so, he had only remained unaffected because he deliberately avoided listening too much to the Supreme Sect Leader’s teachings on the Dao.

These are a bunch of old monsters, a dozen or so of them chanting scriptures daily. Even a Bodhisattva, if they stayed here long enough, would eventually be enlightened by them. Ye Fan frowned. Without listening to the Dao teachings, it was impossible to gain access to the Nine Secret Arts. This left him in a predicament. Through observation, he discovered that the ailing old man he knew had indeed avoided the main peak, presumably fearing this ‘Enlightenment’.

Moreover, the scholar from the Eastern Sect branch seemed to have discovered the Moon Spirit Princess. He frequently visited the main peak but had not formally joined the Qin Sect.

This greatly surprised Ye Fan. Among those who had ascended the main peak with him, there was only one woman. Although her appearance was passable, it was a far cry from the famed second beauty of the Central States—the difference was like night and day. She could only be considered to have average looks. To claim she was an unparalleled beauty, reigning supreme over the world, was utterly preposterous; the gap was far too vast.

She must possess a secret treasure, one that can even fool my Divine Eye… Ye Fan murmured.

Subsequently, he began to pay more attention to this woman. He noticed that she frequently visited a barren stone mountain and would sit there for the better part of the day. This stone mountain was opposite the main peak and not very far from it. It was completely barren, without a blade of grass or a single climbing vine. It was clean, dry, and seemed devoid of any distinguishing features.

One moonlit night, Ye Fan ascended this stone mountain. The Moonlight was like a thin mist. He focused his senses quietly, but after sitting motionless for half the night, he detected nothing unusual.

He shook his head, stood up, and flew towards the main peak. This time, he returned via the rear of the mountain, as the stone mountain was located in that direction.

The Moonlight was like water, gentle and soft. On the stone walls at the rear of the mountain, there were a few wall carvings. They mostly depicted Weapons: cauldrons, bells, pagodas, spears, swords, and the like.

I’ve seen these before. Probably carved by some disciple out of boredom. They’re too crude, lacking any aesthetic appeal, and likely carved within the last few decades, he had thought.

However, at this moment, as the white, mist-like Moonlight fell upon them, these weapon imprints appeared different. A faint aura of ancient vicissitude began to exude from them.

This is… Ye Fan was stunned.

These imprints have clearly existed for a very long time! To think they previously managed to escape even my Divine Eye… it’s truly incredible.

The more he stared, the more mystical they seemed. The crude marks now looked like majestic Divine Phoenixes, poised as if about to break free and soar through the heavens!