Chapter 123: Bronze Immortal Hall
The several old men were expressionless, stepping through the void, pressing down like several great mountains, suffocating those present.
The four old women of the demon clan, having fought their way out of the encirclement, were already exhausted and covered in wounds. The seven old men opposite were no weaker than them; if this battle continued, there was no suspense whatsoever. "No need to kill them, just capture them..." The purple-clad girl giggled, transmitting her voice from the side, her hair lightly dancing, her purple robes fluttering, like a spirit.
The few old women of the demon clan sighed inwardly. They knew there was not a shred of hope for victory. Fighting on would only lead to death, unable to change anything. Having experienced great storms, they were not rigid; dying here would be meaningless. In the end, they chose to break out.
All four used methods of mutual destruction, extremely fierce, preferring death to surrender. Blood splattered, burning their life force, and they finally broke through, but left Ye Fan behind.
The seven old men were about to pursue, but the purple-clad girl stopped them. She wrinkled her delicate nose and said, "Forget it, I don't want to see bloodshed. We didn't come here to fight. Let others deal with him."
With that, she stepped forward personally, circled around Ye Fan, and looked him up and down, saying, "Who are you? As a human cultivator, why are you with those great demons?"
Ye Fan remained calm, stepped forward to express his gratitude, and said, "Thank you for saving me. I am but a wandering cultivator who mistakenly entered the demon clan's cave heaven and was unfortunately captured. I am fortunate you intervened."
"Liar!" The purple-clad girl gathered her hair, smiled sweetly, and glanced sideways at him, saying, "You are clearly in league with those demons, yet you dare deceive me like this. If you don't tell the truth, I have plenty of ways to deal with you."
"Alas, it's a long story. I had no choice either. It happened like this..." Ye Fan spouted nonsense. He could not reveal the Demon Emperor's heart; otherwise, these people present would likely cut open his bitter sea and seize the sacred heart on the spot.
The purple-clad girl stepped forward, pinched Ye Fan's cheek, and smiled mischievously, "Little brother, you're quite naughty. If you don't tell the truth, don't blame big sister for being unkind."
This girl was only about seventeen or eighteen, while Ye Fan's actual age was already over twenty. This form of address left him speechless.
"Why aren't you talking?" The dimple on the girl's left cheek appeared, and a clever light flashed in her eyes. She pinched Ye Fan's face and said, "I'm actually very kind. Even if you don't tell the truth, I won't kill you. At most, I'll carve a little turtle on your left cheek and a little toad on your right cheek."
"I have nothing to hide..." Ye Fan stalled for time while thinking of a way to escape. He had to get away quickly; there were too many secrets in his bitter sea. If he fell into the hands of the Ji family, they would likely be exposed.
In the distant sky, golden lotuses bloomed, radiant rays of auspicious light shone, and a graceful immortal figure turned into a streak of light and rushed over. It was Yan Ruyu. Seeing the scene before her, she directly waved her hand. Golden lotuses blossomed on the field, and the seven old men were instantly annihilated in body and spirit.
However, the purple-clad girl did not fall. Though blood trickled from the corner of her mouth and she flew backward, her entire body shimmered with crystalline light, resisting the golden lotuses.
Yan Ruyu struck again. "Planting Golden Lotuses in the Bitter Sea," a phenomenon unfolded. Fragrant scents filled the sky, and blazing golden light submerged the area below.
Yan Ruyu looked back and transmitted a message to Ye Fan, "I am being pursued. If you travel with me, you will face nine deaths and one life. You can only rely on yourself." With that, she rushed into the distance and disappeared at the edge of the sky. Though she was a descendant of the Demon Emperor, ten thousand years had passed, and times had changed. Their lineage had long declined. If she could escape now, she would have to seek refuge with a great power of the demon clan.
"Cough..." Below, in the shattered grand canyon, specks of light flickered. The purple-clad girl was not dead. She struggled out and muttered, "That flawless demoness is too terrifying..."
Her face was covered in dust, and she kept coughing up blood. Only her large eyes remained lively. Her body swayed as she stood up with difficulty among the rubble.
Ye Fan deeply understood Yan Ruyu's strength. Even the older generation experts of the Ji family could not withstand a single strike of her golden lotuses, yet this girl had endured it and not died. This surprised him greatly.
In the distance, fluctuations of divine sense came. Ye Fan was startled. This must be a powerful expert, likely a cultivator pursuing Yan Ruyu, searching the distant mountains. He quickly hid in the canyon below. The purple-clad girl was startled and said, "What are you doing?" Ye Fan struck from afar, summoning his cauldron and pressing it down toward the girl.
The purple-clad girl struggled with all her might, but she was severely injured. Even standing was a problem. Surviving the "Planting Golden Lotuses in the Bitter Sea" phenomenon was already a miracle. She could not block the descending cauldron. "You... stop!" The purple-clad girl was both angry and frightened.
The ancient cauldron, enlarged to five meters high, pressed down with immense weight, pinning the purple-clad girl beneath it, unable to move.
Ye Fan quickly stepped forward, continuously striking. Streams of divine radiance shot out, sealing not only the girl's bitter sea but also her physical body to prevent any accidents. "What do you want to do?" The purple-clad girl blinked her large eyes, not panicking, and tilted her head to look at him.
"Trouble you to escort me out," Ye Fan said. He knew that when the demon clan experts protected him during the breakout, they had surely been seen by the Ji family. If discovered, it would be hard to escape. This girl's identity was unusual. Holding her might serve as a protective talisman.
Suddenly, Ye Fan heard the sound of flowing water from deep within the grand canyon. His divine sense was extremely powerful. The golden small lake in his brow emitted a beam of golden light, shooting into the dark great crack. "There's an underground river below..." Ye Fan turned, lifted the girl, and jumped into the dark great crack.
"Hey, hey, hey, I'm afraid of the dark. Don't jump! I can guarantee that the Ji family won't harm you. Let's go back up!" The purple-clad girl was a bit flustered. Being kidnapped like this could lead to unforeseen trouble. "I'm used to controlling everything in my own hands. I don't want to place my hopes in others," Ye Fan replied calmly. "I don't need this protective talisman to work just yet."
It must be said that Ye Fan's divine sense was extremely powerful, reaching an astonishing level. The golden small tide in his brow was like a vertical eye, shining brilliantly. The dark great crack was as bright as day in his perception; everything could be sensed.
After falling for four to five hundred meters, they finally neared the underground river. The current was swift, icy cold, and its destination unknown.
"Plop"
Ye Fan lifted the girl and jumped directly in, drifting with the current toward the distance.
"You're crazy!" The purple-clad girl screamed, her watery large eyes wide open, her long eyelashes fluttering continuously. "Underground rivers are the most dangerous. We might not see the light of day for days or even months. Who knows where it will lead? It could connect to the sea or enter a region of evil spirits." "It's still safer than falling into the hands of your Ji family," Ye Fan replied indifferently.
The purple-clad girl smiled sweetly, her dimples appearing, very charming. She tempted him with a sweet voice, "Little brother, you should trust me. Once we get out, I can guarantee your safety. Remember, I even let those old demon women go." "Who are you in the Ji family? What is your relationship with Ji Haoyue?" Ye Fan was unmoved and asked this instead. "He is my seventh brother. If you let me go, there will be many benefits. I can have him teach you how to cultivate the 'Sea Rising, Bright Moon' phenomenon." The purple-clad girl's eyes sparkled as she coaxed him.
Ye Fan gasped. The girl he had captured was no ordinary person—she was the sister of the Divine King Physique Ji Haoyue. He muttered to himself, "It seems I'll have to destroy a beautiful flower..."
"You... don't do anything rash!" The purple-clad girl was frightened. "You are an important figure in the Ji family. If the Ji family learns that I kidnapped you, I will surely be silenced. So I have no choice but to be sorry."
The purple-clad girl struggled and said, "If you want to live, you absolutely cannot kill me. Don't you know? Some special members of our Ji family are marked with a seal. Once they die, no matter how far away, the news will faithfully reach the Ji family." "A seal... Are you a special member of the Ji family?" Ye Fan had vaguely heard of such a thing.
"Don't do anything rash. If you harm me, you won't survive either." The purple-clad girl was truly afraid Ye Fan would kill her on the spot. "I even withstood the flawless demoness's golden lotus phenomenon and wasn't killed on the spot. That should prove everything."
Ye Fan felt this girl was unusual, but he was more inclined to believe she had a heavy treasure on her. He laughed and, mimicking her earlier tone, said, "I'm actually very kind. Even if you don't tell the truth, I won't kill you. At most, I'll carve a little turtle on your left cheek and a little toad on your right cheek." "You... what do you want me to say?" The purple-clad girl was both angry and frightened, her watery large eyes wide open.
"Hand over all the treasures on you."
"What?!" The purple-clad girl's small mouth formed an O, her eyelashes trembling, her face full of disbelief. "You... are robbing me?!" "That's right, I'm robbing you. Hand over everything you have."
A full month passed before Ye Fan and the purple-clad girl escaped the underground river. They were swept into a huge lake and felt immense water pressure. An ordinary person would have been crushed to pieces.
Underwater was pitch black, invisible to the naked eye, but it didn't affect Ye Fan. The golden small lake in his brow radiated light, and his powerful divine sense could sweep in all directions, perceiving everything. "What is this place?" He was shocked. At the bottom of the water, broken walls and ruins revealed many palace remains. Ye Fan walked cautiously in the water.
At this moment, the purple-clad girl was enveloped by his divine power, hidden in a light curtain, barely able to see two to three meters ahead. She exclaimed, "Heavens, could this be a relic from the ancient times?"
Ye Fan walked forward. Suddenly, his heart shook. Ahead stood a massive bronze hall, magnificent and grand, almost comparable to a small city. It had not collapsed and was relatively well-preserved. Green rust mottled its surface, giving it an ancient and imposing feel, evoking a sense of desolation. He could hardly imagine where he had been swept to!
"Ah..." At that moment, the purple-clad girl in the light curtain suddenly screamed. If she could move, she would have fled long ago.
Initially, Ye Fan was attracted by the bronze hall, the size of a small city, and hadn't noticed his surroundings. Only now did he see dozens of corpses. As he moved, the water currents stirred, and the corpses floated up from the ruins, appearing behind him.
Their faces were unrecognizable, sealed in a layer of waxy grease, their entire bodies cocooned, looking eerie. "Aren't they just a few corpses? What's so scary? Every lake has drowned people." "These... are ancient wax corpses!" The purple-clad girl screamed, her face pale. "Usually, even one is rare to see. Here, dozens appear, and there seem to be more. Heavens, what is this place?!"
Ye Fan's heart tightened. He cautiously approached the bronze hall. When they drew near, the purple-clad girl saw the massive, city-like bronze hall and turned deathly pale. "Bronze Immortal Hall... How is this possible? It actually exists in the world!" "What's wrong?" Ye Fan saw her expression and felt even more uneasy. "Quick, let's leave this place immediately, or we'll all die!" The purple-clad girl hadn't been afraid when Ye Fan kidnapped her, but now she was terrified. Ye Fan's heart chilled as he asked, "What is this place?"
Emotions building, an explosion is imminent. Dear readers, do not be impatient. To be continued.