Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 608: Chapter 612: Interception

Qi Shi Mansion, although less than a thousand li in circumference, was majestic and mystically beautiful, gathering ancestral qi from all directions and manifesting as a human Pure Land. It was one of the most secret places in the Central States.

Ye Fan waited outside for several days. He occasionally saw people coming and going, but he did not see the Yin-Yang Saintess or Yan Yunluan. On the scroll in his hand, there were eleven people in total. Over the years, powerful individuals from the Central States, the Southern Mountains, and the Western Desert had all subjected Li Heishui to extreme humiliation, trampling his chest bones and breaking his legs.

Ye Fan waited for three days, finally spotting a target who matched one of the men on the scroll. However, he did not act rashly,, to avoid alerting the enemy.

On the fourth day, Pang Bo brought him news: an opportunity was approaching. The disciples in the Qi Shi Mansion were to undertake a so-called trial, and if nothing unexpected happened, the Yin-Yang Saintess, Yan Yunluan, and others would go as well.

“Good. I’ll take this opportunity to catch them all in one net. Since they humiliated Li Heishui so grievously, I will settle things with them,” Ye Fan declared. His demeanor was ethereal as, with a wave of his wide sleeve, he drifted away.

「Five days later」

A group walked out of Qi Shi Mansion. They were led by Yan Yunluan, a Demon Level cultivator in the mansion who possessed formidable strength. However, the last time they had met, he had been disgraced and almost killed by Ye Fan’s Heavenly Tribulation.

“The strange and powerful beast we’re assigned to slay is an old snake that has cultivated for nine hundred years. Although it hasn’t taken a human form, it possesses the strength of the Immortal Platform First Layer Heaven, making the task exceptionally challenging.”

“There are so many of us. If we set up Innate Array Patterns, I don’t believe we can’t deal with it.”

Over five thousand miles away, in a valley shrouded in thick miasma, an old snake had appeared. Beast bones were scattered everywhere, with numerous human bones among them. This strange beast had managed to cultivate some Daoist Practice over nine hundred years. It followed the path of beast kings and hadn’t attempted to transform into a human. Recently, it had been causing chaos in the region, so Qi Shi Mansion had dispatched its disciples to eliminate it.

These people had traveled over forty miles from Qi Shi Mansion. Ahead lay an open plain, somewhat barren, with many large rocks scattered about and sparse vegetation.

“This is Ye Zhetian’s territory. Who would have thought he was that Ye Fan? Unfortunately, we missed the chance to join forces and kill him back then.”

“I predict he won’t live long. Having offended Wang Teng, who is favored by the Upper Heaven, he won’t come to a good end.”

“It’s a real pity I couldn’t kill him personally. Humiliating Li Heishui and those few with him still hasn’t sated my anger.”

As these people passed through the area, they whispered amongst themselves, their hostility and ill will towards Ye Fan palpable. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have gathered together.

Suddenly, a figure descended from the sky. There was no terrifying fluctuation of power, nor any overwhelming Qi Mechanism, yet his arrival made their hearts tremble as he blocked their path.

A youth of sixteen or seventeen, dressed in purple, stood with his hands clasped behind his back, cutting off their advance. A hint of a cold smile played on his lips.

“Who are you? What do you want?” a young man stepped forward and asked in a deep voice.

“To kill all of you!” Ye Fan slowly enunciated each word.

Someone immediately burst out laughing. They had never heard of anyone daring to confront so many prodigies alone. They were all elites from the Five Great Domains, Inheritors of Great Sects.

“Have you eaten a Daoist saint’s gall, or are you high on some elixir? How dare you boast so shamelessly? Aren’t you afraid your big words will be the death of you?”

“You ignorant fool! Did you forget to consult the almanac before leaving home today? Or did you simply wander off in the wrong direction? How dare you try to ambush us?”

Many didn’t take him seriously. Few among their peers dared to be so arrogant. The youth before them, merely sixteen or seventeen, seemed far too immature.

“He is Ye Fan!” Yan Yunluan suddenly exclaimed.

“Exactly! He’s that menace from the Eastern Wastelands!” Even the Yin-Yang Saintess’s expression turned grave.

At these words, the scene instantly quieted. Those who had been speaking all clamped their mouths shut. The killing star from the Eastern Wastelands had arrived, confronting them directly.

Not long ago, they had received considerable benefits from the Yin-Yang Saintess. At her instigation, they had crushed several of Li Heishui’s bones, humiliating him severely, but they still felt uneasy.

Ye Fan sneered. Sacred Blood pulsed through his meridians, and a thick pillar of Golden Blood Qi erupted from his Sky Gathering Parasol, sweeping over everyone.

“I don’t understand,” he asked solemnly. “Some of you don’t even know me. Why did you attack Li Heishui?”

“Ye Fan, you’ve made an enemy of the world! We couldn’t just stand by. We attacked him, so what can you do about it?” an ascetic with a golden hoop constricting his hair and several knife scars on his cold face retorted.

“You’re just a rogue ascetic, devoid of any monastic compassion, harming the innocent. Later, I’ll personally dispatch you to the Buddha to repent,” Ye Fan said, stepping forward.

“Perhaps this humble ascetic should be the one to send *you* to your enlightenment!” The ascetic’s knife scars twitched, his expression turning ferocious.

“One look at you tells me you’re a rogue ascetic. Were you, by any chance, expelled from some Ancient Temple in the Western Desert?” Ye Fan chuckled.

“You’re courting death! This humble ascetic will send you to Hell to meet Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva!” the ascetic roared, his hair disheveled, as if Ye Fan had struck a nerve.

With such a formidable figure stepping forward, the others felt less afraid. They all prepared for battle, each summoning their spiritual treasures for protection.

Yan Yunluan, as their leader, naturally stood at the forefront. His last attempt to use his Heavenly Tribulation to kill Ye Fan had backfired spectacularly. Not only had he failed to break through to his next realm, but he had also been nearly crippled and had almost lost his life. He had recuperated for nearly half a year before making another breakthrough, demonstrating an extraordinary physique and a nearly Demon Level talent in cultivation.

“Ye Zhetian, today, do you dare to fight me openly and honorably?”

“You’re not good enough.” Ye Fan glanced at him. Just three words, yet they caused Yan Yunluan’s expression to contort; he had never been so slighted.

“Everyone, what are we waiting for? This is a rare opportunity! Let’s join forces to kill him and seize the Origin Qi foundation!” the Yin Yang Saintess transmitted via divine sense. Her hair flowed like clouds, and her beauty was stunning, yet her laughter was chillingly cold.

Now that they were cornered, it was impossible for her not to feel fear. But there was no choice; she had to rally everyone to act together. Otherwise, she would surely die.

“I killed your Yin Yang Sect’s previous Saint Son and Saintess. You, a mere Candidate Saintess, still haven’t learned your lesson. Everything that has happened is because of you. Today, I’ll present your old Sect Hierarch with another grand gift: your head.”

“Everyone, together! Kill him!” another person cried out. Ye Fan’s fame was now widespread. Except for Demon Level figures, no one dared to fight him alone.

“Don’t be afraid! We’ll cut off his head! What’s so great about a sacred body? There are enough of us to kill him!” A scholar in white robes stepped forward, his eyes glinting with a sinister light. He took the lead, conjuring a piece of Five-Colored Stone and hurling it at Ye Fan. They had no other choice but to join forces; fighting alone would surely end in disaster.

“HUMPH!”

Ye Fan snorted coldly, leaving an afterimage in his place. His golden fist shattered the entire Five-Colored Stone, and he was upon the scholar in the blink of an eye.

“Not good! Retreat quickly!”

The others shouted, each unleashing their spiritual treasures, attacking Ye Fan to rescue the scholar in white from his predicament. However, it was already too late.

Ye Fan intended to give them a stark warning. Employing his unparalleled movement technique, he arrived in an instant. His golden fist broke through the barrier of divine energy as easily as shattering glass.

PFFT!

Ye Fan’s punch pierced through the scholar’s chest. With a gentle shockwave, the man’s body disintegrated, its pieces scattering in all directions. Ye Fan, in his purple clothes, stood firm, unstained by even a drop of blood.

A large net, Fire Red as a cloud, blazed fiercely as it descended from the sky towards Ye Fan.

A Five-Colored Feather Fan shook lightly, and it was as if mountains collapsed and seas roared, as five-colored divine light engulfed heaven and earth.

A large Big Bell appeared, and with a vigorous shake, it shattered the vacuum, sending myriad Bell Waves surging forth.

…

The very air in this space seemed to boil as everyone attacked Ye Fan simultaneously. They were determined not to give him a single chance, for if they failed, everyone present would die.

However, the battle was not going in their favor. Ye Fan moved unhindered among them, directly confronting their spiritual treasures.

RIIIIP!

The red net, glinting like a field of stars, shattered in the void.

CLANG!

The silver Big Bell collided with the golden fist, unleashing myriad Bell Waves. Ultimately, however, the Treasure Bell itself cracked into more than ten pieces and fell from the sky.

“AH…”

Finally, another person let out a miserable cry, slapped into a bloody pulp by Ye Fan.

“What’s happening? Is that Ye Zhetian? He’s ambushing Yan Yunluan, the Yin Yang Saintess, and the others!” Figures appeared in the distant sky, their faces etched with shock.

This place was just over forty miles from Qi Shi Mansion, and those passing by naturally witnessed the great battle unfolding here.

“That menace from the Eastern Wastelands has come!”

Ever since Ye Fan’s identity had been exposed, everyone had been speculating when he would appear again. No one had expected this day to arrive so quickly.

“The young experts of the Five Great Domains have almost all entered Qi Shi Mansion. Only he had not. Now, he has finally shown himself again. Let’s see who is truly stronger.”

In the blink of an eye, dozens of figures appeared in the distant sky, all observing the battle.

SMACK!

Ye Fan’s golden palm swung out again, obliterating another expert. Fear began to grip the hearts of those, and many started to think of retreating.

Finally, someone could no longer endure the terrifying pressure and tried to flee into the distant sky. Once the first person fled, a second and a third quickly followed.

“Who dares to flee?”

Ye Fan raised the Myriad Wounds Bow. He drew the bowstring taut, until it resembled a full moon, his power surging to its absolute peak, entering the Eight Forbidden Domain.

A streak of golden light shot out, traversing several miles in an instant to catch the fleeing cultivator. PFFT! A spray of blood erupted, and the person exploded into a bloody mist on the spot.

Then, the second arrow flew. Another streak of golden light soared, catching another person. THWACK! With a sickening sound of tearing flesh and shattering bone, that person also met a violent end.

Ye Fan loosed three arrows in succession, each one striking true. The first three cultivators who had tried to escape were all shot dead, their bodies shattering in the void. One could only imagine the terrifying force behind those shots!

“A single arrow to kill a Saint Heir-level expert!”

Far away, all the onlookers were shaken. Such Combat Power was terrifying. Besides those few renowned individuals, who among the younger generation could possibly contend with him?

“Don’t flee! We have to fight him! This place is close to Qi Shi Mansion! The Northern Emperor will get news of this soon and will come to kill him personally!” the Yin Yang Saintess shrieked. If they scattered now, none of them would survive.

“Then let me send you on your way first!” A cold smile touched Ye Fan’s lips as he nocked an arrow and aimed the bow at the Candidate Saintess. Her beautiful face instantly turned deathly pale.

WHOOSH!

The arrow shot out, swift and fierce as a Golden Snake. PFFT! A flower of blood bloomed on the Yin Yang Saintess’s forehead as the arrow pierced straight through.

Her beautiful face, now stained with crimson flecks, held eyes that were rapidly losing their light. She had been killed instantly. Slowly, she collapsed to the ground.

“Don’t kill us! Spare us!”

“This has nothing to do with us! We were just invited! We didn’t attack!”

Except for Yan Yunluan and the stoic ascetic, everyone else began to plead for mercy, their faces contorted with fear. No one was unafraid of death, especially when facing a killer like Ye Fan.