Chapter 116: Bewitching Fairies
Taiji refers to the state before heaven and earth were divided, when primordial qi was mixed as one—this is both the Grand Beginning and the Grand Unity. "The Dao is the universal principle connecting heaven, earth, and all beings—that which is called Taiji."
These are records from ancient texts. Taiji is the evolution of the Dao, the beginning of heaven and earth, from nothing to existence, the transformation and generation of all things—this is Taiji.
One of ancient China's most mysterious classic scriptures—the *I Ching*—had long contained expositions on Taiji, recording: "In the I there is Taiji, which generates the Two Principles..."
In the mountainous terrain outside the capital, before a small lake as clear as a sapphire, Ye Fan alternated between stillness and motion, motion and stillness. Sometimes he stood as upright as a green pine, sometimes he flowed like gentle water, slowly stretching his body, using his tangible physical shell to embody the intangible rhythm of the Dao.
Ye Fan was not a deity; he could not possibly create a body-tempering technique all at once. He could only grope forward slowly. When his body was fierce, it was like crashing thunder; when relaxed, it was like a gentle breeze. Movement and stillness together carried some natural charm.
After a month passed, he realized the difficulty. Sometimes having ideas alone was not enough—whether they could be realized was the key.
At the present stage, tempering the physical shell could only be supplementary. As a mere cultivator at the Divine Bridge realm, he could not quickly create a shocking and extraordinary body technique. Everything had to be explored slowly.
For now, the true focus should still be on cultivating the Wheel Sea, Dao Palace, and other secret realms. These supreme Dao secret methods had been passed down through endless years, tempered and baptized by time—they were truly mature and complete cultivation systems.
"I cultivate the Wheel Sea, Dao Palace, and other secret realms internally, while training a powerful body technique externally. The two complement each other, granting me both divine abilities and primal combat power." Ye Fan was full of anticipation, hoping to become stronger. "I believe the crystallized wisdom of ancient China's sages and great powers will surely collide with this world's supreme Dao to produce dazzling sparks."
Ye Fan had been in the Wei Kingdom for nearly two months now. Aside from cultivation, he had been pondering how to traverse the void, but he had no good method. He had not yet broken through the Wheel Sea secret realm, and his understanding of dao patterns was limited. He could not condense heavenly momentum to open a domain gate and traverse the void. After much thought, he could only rely on those major powers.
Within the Wei capital, traffic was heavy, bustling with extraordinary activity. Ye Fan inadvertently spotted a familiar figure—wearing a Daoist robe and a purple-gold crown, but with none of the demeanor of a monk. He was potbellied, with a ruddy complexion—it was the unscrupulous Daoist, Duan De.
"This damn fatty has a tough life. The Demon Emperor's tomb was a mountain of bones and a river of blood. He was forced into the yin tomb by five major figures, yet he didn't die..." Ye Fan felt the fat Daoist was far from simple, not nearly as kind as he appeared on the surface. He should be a ruthless character. Ye Fan did not dare approach.
Now, his divine sense was extremely powerful. His spiritual energy had condensed into a small golden lake, taking tangible form, gathered at his brow. Following from a distance, he didn't worry about being discovered. The unscrupulous Daoist climbed into a tavern, eating large chunks of meat and drinking from large bowls without any restraint, showing none of a monk's discipline.
Half an hour later, he left the Wei capital, reeking of alcohol, staggering as he headed into the mountains.
"After the damn fatty has eaten and drunk his fill, he heads straight into the deep mountains—what exactly is he up to?" Ye Fan was puzzled, following far behind. At the same time, he was somewhat alarmed. Even with his highly condensed divine sense, Duan De still gave him an unfathomable feeling.
The unscrupulous Daoist moved quickly, crossing mountains and ridges at a speed not much slower than flying. Before long, he arrived at a mountain gate. Ye Fan knew this was a small sect within the Wei Kingdom, even inferior to the Spirit Ruins Cave Heaven.
Duan De twisted and turned, going deep inside. Ye Fan did not dare follow, waiting quietly outside. A quarter of an hour later, the fat Daoist slipped out with a ruddy face, then swaggered away.
Soon, shouts and clamor came from within the sect. Ye Fan vaguely heard that the sect seemed to have lost something valuable.
"This damn Daoist has no conscience." Ye Fan quickly fled. Cultivators from the sect rushed out in all directions. If he were cornered, he wouldn't be able to explain himself.
"Where do you think you're going!" An old man actually spotted him. "Damn fatty, I curse your ancestors! You did this on purpose, didn't you? Deliberately making me take the blame." Ye Fan's heart was uneasy. In the blink of an eye, he vanished into the deep mountains.
Half an hour later, he caught the unscrupulous Daoist's trail again. He suspected Duan De might have already noticed someone following him.
However, the unscrupulous Daoist didn't look back even once, as if completely unaware. Burping from the alcohol, he muttered to himself, "A gathering of cultivators in the Wei Kingdom—worth a look. I wonder if I'll see some heavenly materials and earthly treasures."
"So this damn fatty was planning to attend some gathering."
After flying over five hundred li, Duan De descended into the mountains. Ahead, clouds and mist churned. The peaks were green, the valleys emerald. Many cultivators rode rainbows into the valley before them.
This was a sect. At the mountain gate was a green stone engraved with the words "Xuan Yuan." No one stopped them; they could enter freely. Many cultivators were arriving from all directions.
Inside, the peaks were beautiful, with halls, pavilions, flying waterfalls, and flowing springs—a very peaceful pure land. Quite a few cultivators had already gathered.
Ye Fan had been tailing Duan De the whole time. He realized this fellow was truly an unusual person taking an unusual path. Twisting and turning, taking advantage of people's inattention, he arrived at the sect's rear mountain.
Ahead, peach blossoms bloomed, a sea of pink covering the mountains and fields. It was like a pink gauze draped over the terrain, with the fragrance of flowers filling the air.
Duan De stopped ahead, lying on a thousand-year-old peach tree, eyes staring straight, drool nearly flowing—a completely disgraceful sight.
Seeing him in such a state from afar, Ye Fan secretly despised him, wondering what heavenly material or earthly treasure the damn fatty had discovered.
"Who's there?!" Just then, a woman's sharp cry rang out.
Ye Fan looked again and found Duan De had vanished in the blink of an eye, his trail gone. Sensing something was wrong, he immediately fled far away. But the surrounding peach blossom forest suddenly began to spin. Pink petals filled the sky, falling like crystalline flower rain. He couldn't retreat, couldn't find his way back. Ye Fan charged left and right, but found he couldn't escape. Instead, he entered the depths of the rear mountain, arriving at the spot where Duan De had been.
Only then did he realize what Duan De had seen. Ahead, petals fell in profusion, flower rain drifting down. In the peach blossom grove was a clear small lake. On its banks were ancient peach trees a thousand years old, hung with brightly colored dresses.
Peach blossoms danced, turning the entire small lake pink. Crystalline flower rain shrouded the area. Fragrant scents wafted over. It was incredibly beautiful, like a fairyland.
Of course, that wasn't the most important thing. What shocked Ye Fan most was that a dozen or so beautiful maidens were bathing in the lake. Their hair was black as waterfalls, their arms like mist and snow. Their crystalline jade bodies shimmered with bewitching luster, drawing the eye even more than the sky-filling flower rain.
"Damn fatty, I curse your ancestors!" Ye Fan groaned inwardly. He knew the unscrupulous Daoist had probably already detected him and had deliberately led him here to take the blame. He couldn't even escape. The peach blossom forest was covered in falling petals, all shimmering with rosy light. Dao patterns were clearly inscribed here, gathering the strange power of the mountains and rivers, forming a self-contained world that cut off all escape routes.
Bell-like laughter came from the peach blossom forest. Several women, draped in light gauze, emerged like lotus blossoms from water, graceful and elegant. Their jade arms were bare, their legs long and slender, the light gauze unable to conceal their creamy white skin—utterly captivating. Around them, flower rain danced. Their bodies were lithe and graceful, their gauzy clothes unable to cover them. Their skin was crystalline and lustrous, possessing an irresistible allure.
Ye Fan hadn't managed to escape. He thought these women would attack him, but they showed no killing intent. Instead, they approached with delicate steps. Any normal man seeing such a sight would have his blood boiling.
But Ye Fan's heart was on alert. These were definitely not normal women. Otherwise, how could they be so bold, baring their backs and shoulders without care, smiling coquettishly as they came? "Duan De! You shameless Daoist, get out here!" he shouted into the surroundings.
Light laughter came in response. Several women came forward openly, their skin like jade, dotted with water droplets, especially crystalline. Their clothes barely covered their exquisite bodies as they approached.
"Young man, you have quite the nerve, sneaking into our sect's restricted area to spy on us bathing..." Among them, a gracefully standing young woman gathered her dripping black hair, a faint smile on her face as she looked at Ye Fan, giving a feeling of spring breeze.
"It's all a misunderstanding. I was set up by a damn fatty. He framed me, making me take the blame. He was the one peeping just now—I had nothing to do with it." Ye Fan mentally cursed the unscrupulous Daoist's female relatives for eighteen generations. This damn fatty was too wicked.
All the women in the clear, transparent lake had come ashore, each covered only by a single white gauze. Their bewitching, tempting bodies were faintly visible, impossible to fully conceal, incredibly alluring.
Their breasts were high and firm, their arms like jade, their slender waists a handspan around. Their pure, flawless legs were straight and long. They moved their jade feet lightly, a scene of enchanting beauty. Flower rain danced around them. Such bold women were definitely not ordinary.
The leading woman, about twenty years old, had moist red lips and jade-like teeth. Her smile was extremely charming. Her black hair cascaded over her snow-white chest. Her voice was magnetic, very pleasant to the ear. "Whether you were set up or not isn't important. Since you've already come here, consider it a stroke of fate."
"I don't need any fate. Let me go, fairies. It really has nothing to do with me..."
The leading woman had a red mole at the center of her forehead, adding a unique, alluring quality to her. Her jade body was slender. She approached gracefully, extending a delicate finger toward Ye Fan.
Ye Fan tried to dodge, but found her movements faster than his—he couldn't avoid it. His heart sank. This was definitely a powerful figure. This group of seemingly charming, seductive women likely had a significant background.
That delicate jade hand pinched his cheek. "I can feel the extraordinary nature of this physical shell. Blood energy surges like a great river in flood—this is no ordinary body..."
Ye Fan's heart was on guard, but he smiled. "Fairies, any normal man would have his blood boiling right now. It's not that my constitution is special. Could you stand a bit farther away? Otherwise, you'll shorten my lifespan."
This woman's body emitted a faint fragrance. She smiled seductively. "Don't be afraid. We won't kill you."
"Are you fairies satisfied with this precious body?" Just then, the unscrupulous Daoist Duan De's voice came from the peach blossom forest. He emerged with a ruddy face. "Shameless Daoist, you set me up!" Ye Fan glared at Duan De.
"Kid, you have the nerve to say I set you up..." Duan De's expression darkened, and his emotions fluctuated as he spoke. "Three years ago, in front of the Demon Emperor's tomb, you screwed me over badly. I barely escaped with my life, all thanks to you, you little bastard."
"Your grandfather! Three years ago, you stole three of my spirit weapons, and now you say I screwed you over? You deserve to be struck by lightning!"
"What are three spirit weapons compared to that? Where is that piece of scrap copper? I fought my way in and out of the Demon Emperor's yin tomb nine times, nearly dying there, and didn't even see a hair of that green copper block. Kid, you screwed me over..." The fat Daoist grew more agitated, looking like he wanted to skin Ye Fan alive.
"Daoist Duan, I am very satisfied with this precious body." Just then, the twenty-year-old woman beside him laughed lightly, stunningly beautiful, radiating an irresistible charm.
"Since you're satisfied, then give me a drop of the Demon Emperor's remnant essence blood." The fat Daoist's eyes gleamed with a strange light. "I trust you demon clan keep your word and won't go back on it."
Ye Fan was greatly shocked. This group of women were actually a bunch of demon spirits (yaojing). And from the Demon Emperor's essence blood, he thought of that Demon Emperor's heart. He groaned weakly, then glared at the fat Daoist. "Damn fatty, you dare set me up?"
The unscrupulous Daoist glanced at him, annoyed. "Kid, don't mention the word 'set up' to me. Three years ago, you nearly cost me my life. Today, I'm just costing you your body."
"You've got some nerve!" Ye Fan really wanted to leave the imprint of his shoe sole on that fat face.