Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 518: Chapter 523: Peach Blossom Festival

“You… at such a young age, you dare to speak to us like this! I will discipline you on behalf of your elders!”

An elder waved his large sleeve and lunged forward, aiming straight for the monkey’s face, as if to knock out his teeth and humiliate him.

The elder’s cultivation base exceeded the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm. At his level, a direct hit would crack even divine iron, let alone flesh and blood.

“BANG!”

The monkey was fearless. He casually swatted with his palm, and Fighting Saint Light erupted like a rainbow, bathing his entire body in golden radiance.

“POP!”

The elder’s large sleeve instantly shredded like a tattered fishing net, torn to pieces by streams of golden Essence Qi, the remnants fluttering like butterflies.

“Who are you?” He quickly retreated, sensing something was gravely wrong as a pressure like a mountain bore down on him.

The monkey was too fast. The Fighting Saint Light flickered and vanished as he strode forward. His large golden hand descended, draining all the enormous Qi from the sky.

“BANG!”

The elder’s arm bent grotesquely, snapped by a single slap from the monkey. Cold sweat instantly broke out on his forehead.

“Old and pretentious, yet you want to slap my face!”

The monkey had a fiery temper. As a member of the Fighting Saint Clan, fearing neither heaven nor earth, he slapped down with his palm.

“BOOM!”

He sent the elder flying with one slap, then brought his hand down again, directly planting the elder into the ground like a stake.

“You think you can discipline me? Even if an ancient Saint resurrected, he wouldn’t have the qualification!” The monkey’s temper flared.

His origins were indeed astonishing, truly giving him the confidence to say such words. His father was a Fighting Saint Emperor from Ancient Times, who looked down upon the world, unrivaled through all ages.

In the past, even such a mighty father had not spoken to him this way. Naturally, he was indignant that an elder from the Purple Mansion would make such arrogant boasts.

Does he really think he’s an ancient emperor reborn, daring to discipline this master? The old man must be tired of living! Li Heishui muttered.

“Junior, you…” The elder, buried in the ground, was furious and struggled violently.

“SLAP!”

The monkey, without a word, stepped forward and delivered another heavy slap, sneering, “You dare to chastise me on behalf of my father?”

“Stop!” Several other elders stepped forward simultaneously, all reaching out to grab the monkey.

The monkey’s Golden Eyes shot cold lightning. Ignoring them completely, his large hands swung about, delivering dozens of slaps. The elder planted in the ground spat mouthfuls of blood, an utterly miserable sight.

“BUZZ!”

The void trembled. All the elders were furious. Their large hands seemed to cover the sky, intending to suppress him as they all closed in.

“BANG! BANG!…”

The monkey was as fast as lightning, exchanging a palm strike with each one. Fighting Saint Light burst forth, illuminating the surrounding lake brilliantly.

Everyone staggered backward together, their arms limp. Even by combining their efforts, they couldn’t fend off the monkey; all of them suffered injuries!

“Who exactly are you?” They realized this was surely a terrifying existence, most likely several degrees more formidable than a Peacock King.

They knew they were not just any Grand Elders; all were already half-step sovereigns, yet they couldn’t resist him at all. If this person wanted to kill them, it probably wouldn’t take much effort.

“I don’t want to kill anyone in Jade Lake. All of you, scram!” The monkey’s Golden Eyes flashed open, his voice strong and domineering.

Surrounding them, all the Saint Heirs, sacred ladies, and inheritors of Great Sects gaped. Who is this? He dares to rebuff even half-step sovereigns like that!

“Terrifying! He can suppress half-step sovereigns with a mere wave of his hand!”

“When did such a godlike figure appear? He’s no less powerful than a top-tier Peacock King, and he doesn’t look very old either!”

At this moment, not just Xiang Yifei, but even the Flickering Light Saint Heir showed an unusual expression, gazing at the Fighting Saint Ape, seemingly lost in thought.

As for the others, all were deeply moved and uneasy. The monkey appeared to be of similar age to them, yet possessed such horrifying combat power!

“You…” The several elders trembled with rage.

“What about me? Aren’t you going to disappear quickly? If you dare speak in the tone of my elders again, I’ll smash every one of you to bits with one strike of my staff!” The monkey swept his gaze over them.

A young man, seemingly no more than twenty years old, unruly and arrogant, looking down on elder half-step sovereigns—such a scene hadn’t occurred for who knows how many years.

“Alright, alright, alright!” The several elders turned and left, casting fierce glances before departing.

“Still daring to harbor murderous intent?” The monkey, unlike ordinary people, possessed extremely keen spiritual perception. Without a word, he swung his large palm again.

“SLAP! SLAP!…”

The elders tried to resist but ended up being slapped away. Multiple bones in their bodies shattered, and they soared hundreds of meters through the air like scarecrows.

Several of them nearly fell into a lake. They landed miserably, coughing up large mouthfuls of blood, their faces pale, all showing expressions of utter horror.

“Brother Ape, that was mighty and powerful!” Jiang Huairen grinned widely, almost bursting into laughter.

The others in the surroundings were all extremely respectful. Facing such a strong figure, none dared to approach.

“The Fighting Saint Clan…” In the distance, by a lakeside, a young girl in Purple Clothes softly said, unheard by anyone. She seemed to embody the spiritual grace of heaven and earth, with Purple Mist swirling around her.

“An Innate Dao Embryo!” Li Heishui exclaimed softly.

“Sister-in-law! The mother for a second Wushuang!” Liu Kou stated even more directly.

Nearby, everyone was silent. All had heard rumors of the Innate Holy Body Daoist Embryo, but they hadn’t expected that a few were indeed entertaining such ideas. Everyone’s gaze towards Ye Fan turned peculiar.

The Sacred Lady of the Purple Mansion, as ethereal as a fairy, turned to leave, seemingly not wishing to encounter them. She glided away, her garments fluttering, transcending the secular world.

“Who might this brother be…?” Xiang Yifei, the Saint Heir of Dayan, spoke. He felt uneasy, not having expected Ye Fan to have such a powerful individual by his side.

The Dao Yi Saint Heir was also observing, eager to know who the monkey was. He exchanged a glance with the Dayan Saint Heir, then stepped forward to make discreet inquiries.

The monkey wasn’t keen on interacting with them, leaving the crowd that had gathered feeling somewhat snubbed and awkward. They dispersed disappointedly.

Ye Fan sensed a cold killing intent flash briefly. His divine scan was incredibly powerful, sharply detecting its source.

“The Wanchu Sacred Lady!”

In the distance, a woman departed with a graceful sway, her retreating figure charming, captivating, and beautiful.

Beside her was Yao Xi, resembling a fairy from a painting, with bright eyes, white teeth, and black hair reaching her waist, lively and ethereal.

Now I understand why the Great Emperor Wushuang was everyone’s enemy, Ye Fan lamented to himself. Killing one would entangle many. He was never defeated, so he always had to keep killing…

All around, people were shocked. He now had the reputation of being a Saint Heir killer. Could it be he was thinking of starting a massacre again?

「Five days later」

The Yaochi Grand Gathering began. The Pure Land was bustling as Heroic Lords from all directions came to visit. Powerful figures from all over the world gathered, and various unusual individuals and Hermits emerged.

The Yaochi Grand Gathering, also known as the Peach Blossom Assembly, was held approximately every five hundred years. Cultivators as numerous as clouds came to participate.

However, this time was somewhat different from the past, as it involved some strange black stones for the various heroes to observe.

“It’s truly like a gathering of Daoist saints!” Ye Fan exclaimed.

This was a scene of suspended crystal palaces and jade towers, surrounded by lotus ponds and blossoming flora, with clouds and mist swirling beneath one’s feet, as if one were in the Heavenly Realm.

Constantly, people arrived riding on clouds, all prominent figures, truly like Daoist saints attending a grand meeting.

“The Imperial Uncle Guhua from the Central States has arrived.”

“The Lord of the North Pole Divine Palace is here.”

“The Du’e Divine Monk from the Western Desert is visiting.”

“The War King from the Southern Mountains War God Divine Hall is here.”

…

One after another, great figures appeared. Various divine carriages radiated brilliant glows, rolling across the sky like the chariots of gods.

At a glance, one could see flood dragons pulling carriages and descendants of Phoenixes soaring. Every strange and powerful beast was extraordinarily strong, each one remarkable.

“See that? The bald one has layers of Divine Rings enveloping the back of his head. His cultivation base is terrifying!” Liu Kou pointed out.

“Keep your voice down! That’s a Divine Monk from the Western Desert. His cultivation base is truly terrifying; he’s likely already an Arhat or even some kind of Venerable.”

“Isn’t the North Pole Divine Palace an ancient Sacred Land on the Northern Extremity Ice Field? They came from so far away; their Palace Lord himself is here. Jade Lake truly has great prestige.”

“The Southern Mountains War God Divine Hall supposedly holds the secret to becoming a deity. Even their War King has come.”

Not only Li Heishui and his companions, but everyone else was also discussing. Great figures kept appearing from all corners of the world, along with many enigmatic individuals.

Here, celestial music played in harmony, and various Lightning Birds and Auspicious Beasts were present.

Above the white clouds, there were clusters of palaces, with strange flowers blossoming and spiritual grass carpeting the ground. Immortal mist swirled, yet it barely reached one’s knees. Many Immortal Cranes and Simurghs danced about, while Longevity Apes served peaches and poured wine.

It feels like I’ve entered the Heaven Temple from mythology… Ye Fan marveled.

“Brother Ye…” A clear laugh came from not far away. A man in golden armor strode forward; it was Jin Chixiao, the heir of the Northern Plains Golden Family.

“Haha, Brother Jin!” Ye Fan greeted him. Though inwardly, he was sneering. During that bloody night, this person had incarnated a god from his Dao Palace into the Wushuang Killing Array, an incarnation I destroyed.

Behind Jin Chixiao, a golden ancient war chariot rumbled loudly, engraved with ancient markings. Nine flood dragons pulled it, stopping in the distance. The Clan Master of the Northern Plains Golden Clan had arrived.

Jin Chixiao had accompanied his Clan Master. He was very cordial upon seeing Ye Fan, unaware that Ye Fan had already cultivated the Divine Eye and could clearly sense his killing intent.

“We’ll drink and have a good time later!” Jin Chixiao laughed heartily, then went to join his Clan Master.

If I hadn’t cultivated the Divine Eye, it would truly be hard to tell sincerity from deception… Ye Fan watched his retreating figure, shaking his head.

“The peerless sovereign of the human race, Non Gongzheng, has arrived!” someone shouted loudly.

This announcement shocked everyone. Even some great figures stood up from within the crystal palaces and jade towers to look outside.

Clouds churned, and flower petals danced, each one translucent. An avenue paved with crystalline flower petals shot straight from the horizon, and a sweet fragrance filled the air.

The legendary sovereign of the human race—Non Gongzheng. He trained in the Longevity Technique, made his home among plants and trees, satisfied his hunger with exotic blooms, and was never apart from spiritual medicines.

Non Gongzheng has appeared again… No one was left unastounded.

There had long been rumors that he had passed away five hundred years ago, yet no one expected that he had reappeared in the world a few years ago.

Following that, rumors spread that he, along with a group of living fossils from the Eastern Wastelands, had entered the Bronze Immortal Palace, never to return. Yet, today, he had appeared again.

No wonder the elder generations call him the undying Non Gongzheng!

Everyone wanted to know whether he had truly entered the Bronze Immortal Palace and what kind of encounters he had experienced there.

“I was fortunate enough to escape from the Bronze Immortal Palace,” Non Gongzheng sighed.

When he said this, everyone was even more shocked. He had indeed entered that terrifying bronze palace, known to be a tomb for unparalleled masters, yet he had come out alive!

Numerous great figures welcomed him, like stars surrounding the moon, escorting him into the Heaven Temple. All of them wanted to know what had happened.

He also escaped… Ye Fan thought, amazed. I wonder if he ventured deeper than Ji Ziyue and I did.

“The killing intent of the ‘immortal’ character permeates past and present; within the profound, there is heaven and earth, the blood of ancient Great Emperors…” Non Gongzheng’s words drifted out.

Ye Fan’s heart was shaken. He definitely reached deep within the Bronze Immortal Palace and saw the ‘immortal’ character carved from the Immortal Holy Blood. Could it be that he even penetrated the mysteries behind the Mysterious Gate?