Chapter 114: Ten Great Disciples
"Han Yishui, what do you mean by this?" Elder Wu Qingfeng's face was as dark as water.
"I believe I have made myself very clear." Han Yishui was as white as snow, with fair skin. His eyes were very narrow, his lips very thin, giving him a sinister and cunning look. He picked up the teacup on the stone table, took a light sip, and said, "Elder Wu, why must you be like this?"
Elder Wu Qingfeng took several large steps forward and said in a deep voice, "Han Yishui, don't go too far!"
"Is what I said not the truth? He is nothing but a mere mortal, yet he dares to come to my Spirit Ruins Cave Heaven to demand spiritual artifacts. Those are the relics left behind by my sect's disciple, Pang Bo. They have nothing to do with him." From start to finish, Han Yishui remained calm and composed, sipping his fragrant tea. He cast a cold glance at Ye Fan and said, "Leave. This is no place for you."
"Smack!"
Elder Wu Qingfeng could no longer hold back. With one slap, he shattered the stone table and roared, "Han Yishui, you bully people too much! Since you refuse to be reasonable, then let us settle this with strength!"
Two other elders were seated nearby. One of them quickly tried to mediate, saying, "Elder Han, let it go. They are just a few broken bronze artifacts. There is nothing worth studying. Just return them to that child."
The other elder, however, sided with Han Yishui, saying, "That is not right. Although the bronze artifacts are damaged, they clearly once contained a deity as a terrifying weapon. Even if they are broken, if we study them carefully, we can still gain something."
Han Yishui's face darkened as he looked at Ye Fan and said, "Do you really want these things?"
"They are my belongings. Why shouldn't I want them?" Ye Fan was fearless. He was also a cultivator at the Divine Bridge realm and was not intimidated by Han Yishui's terrifying expression.
"Hahaha..." Han Yishui suddenly burst into laughter. "Good! You have guts. You remind me of myself when I was young. Forget it. I won't make things difficult for you. Boy, go fetch all those items and give him some jewels as well."
The young attendant nearby acknowledged and quickly disappeared into the depths of the valley.
At this moment, Han Yishui wore a smile on his face. He cupped his hands toward Wu Qingfeng and apologized, "You should know my temper. Whenever I see a spiritual treasure, I always want to study it thoroughly. Since I can't find anything useful, I'll return it to him. We have known each other for decades; there's no need to fall out over this."
Elder Wu Qingfeng's expression softened. He sat down on a nearby stone pier. An attendant brought a new stone table and set out tea again, and the earlier unpleasantness was swept away.
Before long, an attendant brought over the Great Thunderclap Bronze Plaque, the Ancient Bronze Lamp, the Relic Prayer Beads, and the Golden Vajra Pestle. In addition, there were some clothes and a few pearls and jade treasures.
"Thank you, Elder Han." Ye Fan cupped his hands in thanks.
"I will take my leave now. I will visit another day." Elder Wu Qingfeng stood up and led Ye Fan out of the valley. The other two elders also took their leave.
A young man of about twenty-seven or twenty-eight walked into the pavilion and said, "Master, didn't you say those broken bronze artifacts were extraordinary and had an unusual origin? Why did you give them to that mortal?"
"Do you want me to fight Wu Qingfeng to the death?" Elder Han glanced at him, took a sip of tea, and said calmly, "You said it yourself—he is nothing but a mortal."
"Master, do you mean..." The young man's eyes suddenly flashed with two sharp beams of light. "I understand. I will have Li Yun and Li Lin handle this. No traces will be left, and Elder Wu Qingfeng will never know."
Han Yishui said nothing, his expression utterly indifferent. He continued drinking his tea, admiring the exotic flowers and rare plants outside the pavilion.
The young man bowed respectfully, then turned and strode away. But before long, he hurried back, bringing Li Yun and Li Lin with him.
"Master, that mortal is problematic."
Seeing Li Yun's swollen face and Li Lin's pale complexion, Han Yishui immediately sensed something was wrong. "Did you fight someone?"
Li Lin and Li Yun's faces flushed red with shame. They briefly recounted what had happened not long ago.
After hearing the story, Han Yishui shot to his feet, grinding his teeth. "It was him who killed my grandson!"
"He was the one who killed him," the three beside him all exclaimed in shock. "I have gathered some information. The only thing I can't figure out is how Yu'er was with several Life Spring realm cultivators. That boy is a mere mortal and shouldn't have the strength to kill them." Han Yishui slammed his hand down, shattering the stone table with a crack. His face was as dark as water. "Now I understand. It was him. It must have been him!"
The twenty-seven or twenty-eight-year-old young man shouted, "I will avenge Feiyu!"
Li Yun and Li Lin were utterly shocked. They had never imagined that Han Feiyu and the four Life Spring realm cultivators who died a year ago were killed by Ye Fan.
"Kill him! We must kill him!" Han Yishui's face was grim and ferocious, almost terrifying.
"This kid hides his true strength well." Li Yun felt a chill run down his spine. Li Lin was also deeply shaken, her face pale with lingering fear.
Han Yishui paced back and forth a few times, then stopped and said to the young man, "Go and invite your senior apprentice brother. Call the others as well. Don't worry about anything. As soon as that brat leaves Spirit Ruins Cave Heaven, kill him immediately!"
"Killing him doesn't require disturbing my senior apprentice brother. I can take a few people and finish him off."
Elder Han gave him a cold look. "That boy killed Life Spring realm cultivators a year ago. You haven't broken through to the Divine Bridge realm yet. Without your senior apprentice brother to oversee things, I won't rest easy."
"Is he really that terrifying?"
"I wish he were just a mortal, but in truth, this boy is far from simple. If not for his age, I would even suspect he had already broken into the Divine Bridge realm."
Hearing this, the three beside him all drew in cold breaths.
Han Yishui's expression was uncertain. Finally, he lifted his head abruptly and said, "Go and invite your second senior apprentice sister as well. Don't let her continue her seclusion."
"What?!" The twenty-seven or twenty-eight-year-old young man was shocked. "My senior apprentice brother and second senior apprentice sister are both Divine Bridge realm experts. One is enough. Why do we need two?"
"Have her go with your senior apprentice brother. With two Divine Bridge realm experts overseeing things, I can rest easy. Not only that, but this time, all ten of you disciples will go together!" Han Yishui's face was covered in dark clouds, his expression terrifying. "Never underestimate your opponent. Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit. If you want to kill, kill thoroughly. Never give him a chance to escape!"
"All ten of us disciples are going?" The young man was truly stunned.
Han Yishui glanced at him, and the young man quickly bowed and hurried off to summon his senior apprentice brother and sister.
"You two go along and learn something." Han Yishui glanced at Li Yun and Li Lin a few times and said indifferently.
The two nodded timidly in agreement.
Before long, a man of about fifty and a woman of about forty, leading eight cultivators in their thirties, arrived outside the pavilion. They bowed to Han Yishui and said in unison, "Greetings, Master!"
"You already know what to do. I don't want him to survive!" Elder Han's voice was filled with murderous intent.
At Elder Wu Qingfeng's residence, the old man advised, "Child, don't leave yet. In a few days, I will personally escort you away. I'm a bit uneasy."
"You don't need to worry about me. Nothing will happen."
"I hope nothing does, but..." Elder Wu Qingfeng shook his head, hesitating as if to say more, but ultimately said nothing.
In the end, Ye Fan left a letter for the old man and departed gracefully. He walked out of the mountains on foot, casting one last look behind him, and decided to leave the Yan Kingdom far behind.
"Jade Pool Holy Land, Primordial Ancient Mine, Jiang Family..." Ye Fan's mind had already drifted to that distant land.
Suddenly, twelve beams of divine rainbow shot through the air, appearing before him in an instant, blocking his path.
"Li Lin, Li Yun, you've found helpers to deal with me?" Ye Fan calmly looked at the people in the sky.
"The two of them don't have that much face." The man of about fifty in the center stared at him.
Ye Fan seemed to suddenly remember something. Two beams of divine light shot from his eyes. "Han Yishui sent you!"
"You're not stupid." The woman of about forty beside him sneered. "Do you have any last words? Say them quickly, and we'll send you on your way."
"For a few bronze artifacts, he sent people to kill me. Truly vicious and ruthless." Ye Fan's expression instantly turned cold.
"It's not just about those bronze artifacts. The matter of you killing Han Feiyu must also be settled."
"I wanted to leave the Yan lands peacefully, but it seems I'm destined to stir up a storm."
"Hahaha..." Many in the sky burst into laughter. "Who do you think you are? You're at death's door and still talking in your sleep. How ridiculous."
"I really don't know why Master had us all come. Ten experts surrounding and killing such a brat... tsk."
"Senior apprentice brother or second senior apprentice sister could kill him with a single finger. There's no need for such a fuss. Master is really making a mountain out of a molehill."
"Two Divine Bridge realm experts, plus eight Life Spring realm cultivators—ten great experts hunting me down. You really think highly of me."
At this point, Ye Fan looked at Li Yun and Li Lin not far away and said, "I've left out the two of you."
"Enough talk. Kill him quickly. Who will finish him off?"
Among Han Yishui's ten great disciples, several looked down on Ye Fan with contempt, not even considering taking action themselves.
"Sixth junior apprentice brother, take a few people and kill him so we can go back early."
"Li Lin, Li Yun, you two go up and help as well."
The two Divine Bridge realm cultivators, a man and a woman, gave these orders, feeling no need to act personally.
Just then, Ye Fan spoke. "You should all come at once." With that, he slowly rose into the air.
"He's not simple. Master was right. Everyone, be careful," one of them warned.
The two Divine Bridge realm cultivators still didn't take it seriously. They ordered the others forward, showing no intention of acting.
Ye Fan scanned the crowd and sighed. "I really don't want to kill..."
"Arrogant nonsense!"
"At death's door and still spouting wild words. You don't know how to write the word 'death'!"
Ye Fan smiled faintly and shook his head. "You should go back. Tell Han Yishui that if he wants to kill me so badly, he should come himself. Why send his ten great disciples to their deaths?"
"You..." Even the two Divine Bridge realm cultivators were enraged. Powerful energy fluctuations emanated from their bodies as they slowly advanced, ready to sacrifice their weapons and personally kill Ye Fan.
"It seems no matter what I say, you won't retreat. In that case, I'll send you all on your way." Ye Fan's smile remained, but his entire demeanor changed drastically.
"Attack together and kill him!" The two Divine Bridge realm cultivators sensed something was wrong and loudly ordered everyone to strike at once.
"Too late. None of you can leave!" At that moment, Ye Fan's divine power surged. Golden divine flames blazed around him, making him shine like a golden sun. Thunderous roars and the sound of ocean waves erupted.
Ye Fan was like a deity clad in golden battle armor. His black hair danced wildly, lightning crackled around him, and endless divine radiance engulfed him.
"Boom!"
Ye Fan's physical body emitted a powerful energy fluctuation. Without sacrificing any weapon, he charged bare-handed at the two Divine Bridge realm cultivators. Such a terrifying momentum shocked everyone, and they all struck with all their might.
The two Divine Bridge realm cultivators were horrified. The man sacrificed a blood-red demon blade, its entire body dripping with crimson. It tore through the air, erupting with endless blood light like a surging river of blood, slashing toward Ye Fan.
Ye Fan charged forward bare-handed. His entire body sparkled with crystalline light, radiating precious brilliance. His flesh seemed forged from divine iron, moving at an inconceivable speed. With a "clang," he caught the blood-red demon blade with one hand, gripping it firmly, then exerted force with both hands.
"Crack!"
Blood light scattered across the sky. He snapped the weapon of the Divine Bridge cultivator in two. Golden light flooded his body as he charged forward in an instant. With a single punch, it was as if golden waves surged through the sky.
"Bang!"
He was too fast. His physical body was unimaginably powerful. The golden fist shattered the Divine Bridge realm man into pieces, blood splattering everywhere.
"Senior apprentice brother!" Everyone cried out in shock, feeling a chill run through their bodies. It all happened in the blink of an eye. No one could stop it. Ye Fan's powerful body radiated divine brilliance, his terrifying golden fist unstoppable. He possessed unparalleled speed and strength.
"Chi!"
The Divine Bridge realm woman sacrificed a pair of silver dragon scissors. Like two silver flood dragons merging together, they flew toward Ye Fan to cut him apart.
At this moment, Ye Fan was surrounded by a golden ocean. Golden light flickered in his pupils as his divine power surged. He didn't dodge. Instead, he swung his golden fist to meet the attack.
"Boom!"
It was as if a golden river was raging. As he threw his punch, it rolled forward. The golden fist directly struck the silver dragon scissors. A terrible sound rang out, and the scissors shattered into more than a dozen pieces, falling from the sky.
"Bang!"
At the same time, Ye Fan turned into a streak of golden light and shot forward. His golden fist completely shattered the woman, sending blood and rain scattering in all directions.
Absolute shock. Unparalleled combat power. Ye Fan was like a golden war god, killing two Divine Bridge realm cultivators with his bare hands.
All of this happened in an instant, leaving no time for anyone to react. Only then did the weapons sacrificed by the others arrive, but Ye Fan was already standing in another part of the sky, golden divine light blazing around him like flames.
He had consumed two types of sacred medicine and undergone two transformations of his body. His flesh was flawless and crystalline, comparable to divine weapons and treasures, incredibly powerful. This time, he wanted to test just how strong his physical body was. The result—he could destroy spiritual treasures with his bare hands—left him very satisfied.
Everyone was stunned. Two Divine Bridge realm cultivators killed with bare hands by Ye Fan. They had no will to fight left. Terrified out of their wits, they all fled, trying to escape.
Ye Fan sacrificed a purple bronze mirror. Purple mist swirled. In an instant, the mirror's surface shone brilliantly, rivaling the sun in the sky. The purple divine radiance swept across all directions.
"Chi, chi, chi..."
Wisps of smoke rose, and bodies fell from the sky.
"Ah..."
Screams rang out one after another. No one could escape. The gap between the Life Spring realm and the Divine Bridge realm was like a chasm. The difference in strength was like heaven and earth. Even the two Divine Bridge realm experts had been shattered by Ye Fan's golden fist. How could the others withstand the attack of the purple bronze mirror?
Including Li Lin and Li Yun, all twelve cultivators were wiped out, not one escaping.
"A cultivator who has surpassed the Other Shore realm truly forged an extraordinary Purple Bronze Eight Trigrams Mirror..." Ye Fan muttered to himself as he put away the purple bronze mirror. The golden divine fire on his body quickly disappeared. His golden fist and crystalline skin returned to normal colors, and his powerful aura completely faded.
He once again became a handsome young man, like the boy next door, with a harmless look.
"Han Yishui, sending your ten great disciples was no small force. Anyone else would have died without a doubt. Unfortunately, you met me." Ye Fan muttered to himself. "Since you want to kill me, I have nothing left to hold back."
Without any delay, Ye Fan rushed back toward Spirit Ruins Cave Heaven. He quickly arrived at the mountain gate and strode straight in. The disciples guarding the gate recognized him and didn't stop him.
"I don't seek trouble, but that doesn't mean I fear it. I wanted to leave the Yan lands peacefully, but since you, Han Yishui, want to kill me, I'll come to you today."
At that moment, Han Yishui was restless, feeling that something had happened. He waited a long time, but his disciples didn't return. He grew increasingly anxious. Just then, he sensed something was wrong. An unusual aura seemed to have appeared in the valley. He suddenly looked up and saw before the pavilion, a boy of about fourteen had appeared, showing a bright, white-toothed smile.
"You..." Han Yishui stumbled back several steps. He knew something was terribly wrong. This boy before him was far from simple—more troublesome than he had imagined.
"Where are they?" Han Yishui asked, unwilling to give up.
"You mean your ten great disciples? I sent them on their way."
"You..." Veins bulged on Han Yishui's forehead.
Ye Fan showed a brilliant smile. "I'll send you on your way to join them."
At that moment, Ye Fan's entire demeanor changed again. It was as if a golden ocean enveloped his body, accompanied by countless bolts of lightning. Dazzling divine light and terrifying energy fluctuations surged forth.