Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 498: Chapter 503: Meeting An Miaoyi

The return of the Jiang Family’s little princess and the mystery surrounding the life and death of the peerless divine king became the focal point of public discussion. Everyone was speculating, and every major power was paying close attention.

Everything happened so abruptly. Upon receiving the news, Ye Fan swiftly traversed the void and soon rendezvoused with Black Emperor and the others in the northern barren mountains.

“I should also return to the northern region. I must inform Old Man Tu of Tu Fei’s whereabouts to prevent him from worrying,” Li Heishui eagerly agreed upon hearing that Ye Fan was heading to the northern region.

“‘Say what you will, but don’t spread baseless rumors. It has nothing to do with me; he got lost on his own,’ the big black dog said shamelessly.

“‘Dead dog, do you have the nerve to say that?’ Li Heishui was furious. ‘Don’t you dare set foot in the northern region again, or you’ll be skinned alive if you go there.ʼ”

“‘Do you think this Emperor is easily frightened? When I roamed the world, the ancestors of those old codgers were still sucking milk somewhere,’ the big black dog replied stubbornly.

“‘Big Brother, is the northern region far away?’ the pitiful little girl asked.

“‘Yes, it’s very far. A mortal could walk for a hundred lifetimes and still not reach it. But if we traverse the void, it takes just a brief moment,’ Ye Fan replied.

The big black dog began carving Array Patterns, aiming for the northern region. This was, again, an ultra-long-distance teleportation, and no mistake could be afforded.

Seeing it about to fiddle with Chessboard Array Patterns, Ye Fan broke into a cold sweat. The first time, it had sent Pang Bo astray; the second time, it had mistakenly sent Tu Fei to the Northern Plains. It had never been accurate once!

“I’d rather walk back on my own two legs than rely on your Array Patterns!” Li Heishui shuddered with fear, terrified of being accidentally sent to the Western Desert.

“‘You all just don’t understand. This is a fragment of an Array Pattern from an ancient Great Emperor. Ordinary people simply aren’t fortunate enough to use it,’ the big black dog said, very displeased.

“‘You can enjoy it yourself. We’ll find our own way to travel,’ Ye Fan also firmly refused. This kind of Array Pattern was definitely not to be trifled with.

Even the pitiful little girl cautiously backed away, as if avoiding demons and monsters, distancing herself from the big black dog and clinging to the edge of Ye Fan’s garment.

The trio’s reaction greatly hurt the big black dog. “‘You’ll never understand the heart of a master; such a grand Array Pattern goes unappreciated,’ it lamented.

In the end, the big black dog obediently delineated another Array Pattern it was skilled in, vast in scale and taking days to complete.

As the Array Pattern was completed, Ye Fan reminded, “‘This time, make sure there isn’t another deviation by millions of miles. If we accidentally fall into the Great Primordial Mine, we’re done for.ʼ”

“‘Rest assured, there’s no way we’ll fall near the Taichu Forbidden Area. The destination is near Purple Mountain in the northern region,’ the big black dog stated with complete confidence.

SWOOSH! A flash of light, and the group vanished from their spot, entering an eternal darkness. In this void, they couldn’t sense the flow of time; everything was so tranquil.

It felt like a fleeting instant, yet as long as a century passing. Light reappeared, and they emerged from the void.

Looking around, a desolate scene unfolded: endless red land stretching far beyond sight.

This region’s earth was filled with ancient mines, one after another, bottomless like abyssal pits.

“Where have we ended up? Why does something feel off?” Li Heishui asked suspiciously.

“‘How could there be another error…’ the big black dog mumbled softly.

Hearing these words, Ye Fan felt the urge to punch it—it had never been accurate before; its best attempt was still off by 1.5 million miles.

“Could this be the Taichu Forbidden Area? Why do I sense that peculiar aura that chills the heart?” Li Heishui’s hair stood on end.

“It really is the aura of Taichu!” Ye Fan’s expression changed. As a Grandmaster of Source Technique, he naturally and quickly sensed that demonic power.

“This dead dog has tricked us again!” Li Heishui was about to lose his mind.

“‘It’s just… a small accident,’ the big black dog coughed, refusing to admit fault.

“We aren’t in the Taichu Forbidden Area,” Ye Fan made this judgment because he saw people flying over, all clad in purple clothes, definitely not ancient creatures.

“‘Who are you? Why have you trespassed into our Purple Mansion Mine? What is your intent?’ one of them questioned as these people quickly surrounded them.

“‘It’s Ye Fan and that vile dog!’ one of them exclaimed, his expression changing as he instantly recognized them.

Although Ye Fan had been silent for over half a year, the outside world hadn’t forgotten him; everyone was still speculating about his whereabouts.

Many had once believed he had been eliminated by the Mortal World or Hell, yet here he was again.

“‘Are you plotting against our Source Mine?’ one person questioned coldly.

“‘Summon the Grand Elders!’ another signaled, ordering a disciple to deliver the message.

Ye Fan’s expression changed. This desolate place was surely an ancient mine of a Sacred Land, just outside Taichu. If intercepted by the Sacred Land’s Grand Elders, it truly was a perfect place for murder and ensuring silence.

BANG!

Ye Fan acted first, his speed unmatched, streaking like a light as he grabbed the disciple who had just started to fly off.

“‘What… do you mean?’ the other few stammered, instantly flustered.

The big black dog cooperatively tossed out all its Array Pattern instruments, sealing off the region; no one managed to escape.

“‘Shall we kill them all?’ Li Heishui asked, making a throat-cutting gesture and radiating killing intent.

“‘Forget it. Erase their memories, and let’s leave quickly,’ Ye Fan said. He didn’t wish to kill the innocent. He scanned their divine sense, obtained some useful information, and then erased the related memories.

“‘Trying to have their Grand Elders deal with us; we really should wipe them all out,’ the big black dog bared its teeth.

“‘A few people disappearing inexplicably would cause big trouble. After all, this is their Ancient Mine Area,’ Ye Fan said, shaking his head. Then he smiled. ‘They’re about to transport a batch of precious Sources. That’s quite useful news.ʼ”

Hiring the Ancient Assassin Divine Dynasty to deal with a Saint Heir required a massive amount of Sources as payment. Ye Fan was just looking to gather Sources; his eyes lit up at this moment.

It had to be said, this Ancient Mine Area was heavily guarded. Although it was a remote place, not the most central Divine Mine Area, vast and complex Array Patterns were still inscribed. However, with the big black dog’s help, the group moved unhindered.

In fact, Ye Fan himself could now navigate through more than half of the region, as he had truly refined the Walking Rune Secret to a significant Realm.

“Those Sources are practically a mountain!”

They quietly infiltrated a restricted area, observing silently from the shadows. Ahead, an endless pile of Sources formed a small mountain.

“‘Not these Sources. It’s another batch, exceedingly rare, and not so many!’ Ye Fan said, focusing on the Source Library not far away, sensing the strong Taichu aura.

The big black dog pulled out a mysterious jade platform. They couldn’t linger long; they needed to flee after the heist, or else they’d face catastrophic disaster.

This time, they had managed to slip in, partly due to accidentally emerging here from their void travel, and partly because the big black dog’s mastery of Dao Glyphs was nearly unmatched, allowing it to skillfully navigate crises and successfully infiltrate.

“‘This Source Library is hard to break into. I say we just take the whole thing! Let’s carry it with us as we traverse the void!’ the big black dog suggested excitedly.

BOOM!

With a loud noise, a great light burst forth as they enveloped the Source Library and traversed the void with it.

The disciples of Purple Mansion were utterly dumbstruck—never had they seen such brazen bandits, taking the entire Source Library!

Even the Thirteen Great Bandits hadn’t been this thorough.

“Not good, bandits are looting us!”

“Activate all Array Patterns! Stop them from traversing the void!”

The Purple Mansion Mine Area was in chaos. However, this ancient mine was quite remote, far from the Grand Elders’ residences, so experts couldn’t arrive immediately.

“‘Damn it, which vicious bandits are these, taking even the Source Library?! I’ve never seen such people!’ the Purple Mansion cultivators cursed repeatedly.

But it was all too late. Ye Fan and his companions were already over a hundred thousand miles away, far from the Sacred Lands’ Ancient Mine Area.

THUD! PANG! BOOM!

It took Ye Fan and their group a long time to finally open the Source Library. It was a Heavy Artifact, but now it was reduced to dust.

Inside the Source Library, more than ten pieces of Sources were piled up, all infused with a potent Taichu aura. It was unmistakably an exceedingly precious batch of Sources.

Ye Fan didn’t hesitate, striking directly. After more than ten pieces of Sources were shattered, seven or eight of them emitted a radiant glow that shot towards the sky.

“‘Divine Sources! They’ve unearthed a Divine Mine! They probably guessed it, so they sealed it away, not expecting it to benefit us instead,’ Li Heishui said, very excited.

Once cleared, these Divine Source Blocks combined were worth as much as 2.3 million jin of Pure Source, amounting to a great trove of divine treasures.

“‘We can kill another Saint Heir now,’ Ye Fan laughed.

“‘I’m sure that Saint Heir of Purple Mansion has already plotted to deal with you in such a way,’ the big black dog said.

Ye Fan nodded. They had previously analyzed that among the Saint Heirs, the one most likely to hire the Mortal World to act was the Saint Heir of Purple Mansion.

“‘Now, using the Sources of various Sacred Lands to hire the Ancient Assassin Divine Dynasty to counter-assassinate them—that’s really a good idea!’ Li Heishui laughed heartily.

“‘The Mortal World and Hell have been lying low for so many years; their power must be terrifying to the extreme. They even dared to provoke contemporary Saints, which proves they have unimaginably fearsome support,’ the big black dog reminded.

On that very day, Ye Fan and his group traversed the void and entered the divine city. They didn’t want to rush into the Jiang Family, planning instead to have Li Heishui contact the thirteenth greatest bandit, Jiang Hi, and through him, find Little Tingting.

“‘Okay, I’ll go find Jiang Bad Guy and ask his grandfather to come out of seclusion,’ Li Heishui said before leaving.

Stepping into the divine city again, everything felt strange yet familiar. Too many events had happened here: stone gambling battles, breaking curses, confronting Heavenly Tribulation…

Unknowingly, more than a year had passed, and he had returned. When he appeared with a big black dog and a little girl, it immediately caused a sensation.

“The sacred body isn’t dead! He’s back!”

“Alas, a figure who could have competed with the Great Emperors of ancient times, yet faced a fate full of setbacks and crippled his own cultivation base. What a pity!”

“His cultivation base might not be crippled. It’s possibly just smoke and mirrors. There are many legends about him circulating outside nowadays.”

“Didn’t the Mortal World and Hell issue a Killing Order? It’s been over half a year, yet he’s still alive and well. That’s truly astonishing.”

Many people in the divine city recognized him. Ye Fan had been too famous here in the past; it was impossible not to attract attention.

This was also the first time he had shown his face to the world after more than half a year of silence, heralding the return of the sacred body!

Many people were discussing him, and a large crowd gathered around, very enthusiastic, their eyes incredibly fervent.

“Junior brother Ye, are you here for stone gambling?”

“Brother Ye, what’s there for him to gamble on now? Who would dare compete with him? He must be here to attend the Yaochi Grand Gathering, which is about to begin.”

“Brother Gu Feng, I heard you killed the Saint Heir and sacred lady of the Central States’ supreme Great Sect. Is that true?” Some people still couldn’t break the habit of calling him by his alias.

“You even defeated Hua Yunfei, the Ruthless One’s Inheritor! That truly surprised us. Have you really crippled your cultivation base now?”

“It goes without saying, Junior brother Ye is here to visit the peerless divine king.”

…

The enthusiasm of these people was a bit overwhelming for Ye Fan, but he gained a lot of useful information from them.

The Yaochi Grand Gathering was actually about to begin. He hadn’t expected it to be delayed until now; he indeed wanted to witness it for himself.

Night fell. Ye Fan patted the pitiful little girl’s head, entrusted her to the big black dog’s care, and then disappeared into the darkness.

He used the Walking Rune Secret, like a wisp of smoke, gliding through the liquid night sky, and arrived at Miao Yu Temple.

The lakes on the ground were clear, emitting a soft light in the dark night. Millions of stars twinkled in the sky, making the floating palatial structures seem even more transcendental.

Melodious silk and bamboo music and pleasant sounds of the zither filled the air. The place was harmonious, with cheers and laughter often emanating. Miao Yu Temple was very popular, one of the three major Wind and Moon Lands in the divine city.

Any cultivator able to enter and leave this place had a certain degree of fame; ordinary people could not enter.

Ye Fan came to this place, his mood not particularly calm. He was visiting An Miaoyi, which was something he felt he should do, but he also wanted to verify some things.

Could there be a connection between the Ruthless One’s Inheritor and this woman?

In the past, An Miaoyi had warned him not to go to the Ruthless One’s Dao Field to seize the holy divine relics; evidently, she knew what was going to happen.

Afterward, Ye Fan traveled far to the southern region. Not long after, news spread that almost the entire younger generation had perished, nearly all of them buried in the Ruthless One’s Dao Field.

Could she have some connection with Hua Yunfei? Ye Fan didn’t know. He strode into Miao Yu Temple and asked someone to announce him, wishing to see this most beautiful woman of the Eastern Wastelands.

Ye Fan arrived outside An Miaoyi’s palace but didn’t enter. The Maids there recognized him, knowing he had a deep connection with the future Nunnery Master.

Outside the palace, Ye Fan heard a man’s cold voice. “So it’s that sacred body. What’s he worth? Tell him to go back. As long as I’m here, there’s no place for him!”

Not long after, a Maid came out and invited Ye Fan inside. He smiled and strode in, wanting to see what kind of person had arrived.

The palace remained the same, shrouded in hazy Moonlight, with mist wafting within, like an immortal palace.

Ye Fan strode into the familiar palace and immediately saw An Miaoyi. She was as stunningly graceful as before, like the cold fairy descended to the mortal realm.

An Miaoyi stood up and gracefully approached. She had icy skin and jade-like bones and was incomparably beautiful, her skin like ivory, crystal clear and white.

Her face held a charming smile. Her pearly teeth sparkled, her red lips were vivid, and her eyes were like autumn waters—a perfect, flawless beauty.

“Greetings, Fairy An,” Ye Fan smiled.

An Miaoyi invited him to sit. Ye Fan glanced at the other two people. He recognized one of them: Wang Chongxiao, the young King from the Central States, who was currently observing him.

The other man was very young, full of heroic spirit but exceedingly arrogant. He glanced at Ye Fan and said, “We have a prior arrangement with Fairy An. What are you doing here? There’s no seat for you.”

An Miaoyi chuckled and shook her head. She poured tea for Ye Fan and then gracefully mediated the conversation, seemingly not wanting the atmosphere to become too tense.

“He is…?” Ye Fan inquired.

Wang Chongxiao, though typically cold, began the introduction. “This is Gao Linfeng, younger brother of the Central States’ Twin Kings. His background is quite formidable.”

“The Central States’ Twin Kings? Those two old Kings destroyed by the peerless divine king?” Ye Fan asked, puzzled.

Hearing this, Wang Chongxiao seemed apprehensive and said, “Another pair of Twin Kings has appeared among their descendants.”

Gao Linfeng said coldly, “I heard you’ve become a waste body again. You still dare to roam around? Your courage is quite something. Aren’t you afraid of being killed?”

His ancestors had been slain by the peerless divine king. Hearing that the divine king had shown Ye Fan great favor, he was naturally hostile towards him.

“You worry too much,” Ye Fan smiled faintly.

Gao Linfeng’s expression immediately turned sullen. “Elder Wang,” he said, “please show him out. I don’t want to see a waste like him here.”

“You’re quite arrogant. Are you sure you want me shown out?” Ye Fan asked, his gaze fixed on him.

“Tonight, I’ve invited some friends. A half-cripple like you has no qualification to sit here,” Gao Linfeng spoke coldly.

“Whether I’m qualified to be here or not isn’t for you to judge,” Ye Fan said, glancing at him. “Are you trying to provoke me? Hoping to vent your anger on behalf of your two ancestors?”

“Don’t force me to kill you!” Gao Linfeng’s expression became sinister.

Wang Chongxiao wanted to say something, but ultimately remained silent.

“If your two brothers were here and spoke to me like this, it might barely be acceptable. But just you…” Ye Fan sneered.

SLAP!

He suddenly attacked, employing the Walking Rune Secret. He moved as swift as a phantom, completely unstoppable!

Ye Fan sent Gao Linfeng flying with a slap, causing him to crash heavily into the palace wall and make it collapse.

“Have your two brothers arrived? If they have, you might as well invite them for tea with me. As for you, get as far away from me as possible!”

(To be continued.)