Chapter 150: Roar That Shakes Mountains and Rivers
Ye Fan was greatly startled—he had actually seen Ji Ziyue. Although she was smiling sweetly, her face was pale, and traces of blood stained her red lips as she stood by the pond, trembling slightly. "How did you end up here?" She was just like before—though severely injured, she still managed to smile, her lips curving and dimples faintly showing. "Were you also chased by the Peacock King?" Ye Fan quickly walked forward.
"I really did run into you..." She smiled faintly, but blood suddenly trickled from her mouth, her face growing even paler. Her usually lively big eyes now seemed listless, and she swayed before collapsing into the pond.
The severity of Ji Ziyue's injuries startled Ye Fan. Her pulse was extremely weak, her heartbeat nearly stopped, and all five of her internal organs were cracked. It was a miracle she had survived at all.
Ye Fan channeled his divine power, evaporating the moisture from her soaked clothes, then vanished from the small village in a few steps, arriving at a cliff. He took out the Jade Purification Vase and poured some Divine Spring into her mouth. It instantly transformed into a surge of life essence, rushing into her body.
The Divine Spring taken from the Nine Sacred Mountains possessed incredible healing effects, almost capable of reviving the dead and regenerating flesh. It was extraordinary—he could sense Ji Ziyue's injuries stabilizing immediately.
At this moment, her eyes were tightly shut, her body trembling as she murmured faintly in her sleep. Ye Fan listened carefully but couldn't make out the words.
"Don't kill my brother..." she cried out in her coma.
Half an hour later, Ji Ziyue's long eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes, trying to sit up but failing.
"Your injuries are severe. Though they're stable now, you shouldn't move recklessly." Ye Fan helped her up, letting her lean against a soft vine on the cliff.
"How terrifying..." Ji Ziyue seemed still shaken.
"Are you talking about the Peacock King?" Ye Fan immediately thought of that great demon cultivator.
"Yes, him." Ji Ziyue nodded. "Little brat, why did you slip away without a word? I chased you for three thousand li, but returned empty-handed."
"If I hadn't left, your brother would have dissected me and studied me thoroughly."
Ji Ziyue chuckled lightly. "It's not as bad as you say. Don't worry, as long as I'm around, you'll be safe at our Ji Family. No one will trouble you." Hearing this, Ye Fan's heart stirred. He felt Ji Ziyue was quite extraordinary, highly valued by the Ji Family. "The Peacock King is really too powerful..." Ji Ziyue showed a worried expression. "I wonder if my brother Haoyue can escape this calamity."
"Did the Peacock King attack you too? How did you escape? It seems nearly impossible to survive."
The Peacock King's power was unimaginable. The several eminent elders protecting the Ji siblings couldn't resist him at all—they were like scarecrows before him, utterly helpless.
"He's truly terrifying, with boundless magical power..." Even now, Ji Ziyue was still afraid. They had tried to open a Domain Gate to teleport through the void, but the Peacock King pointed a finger, shattering the void and throwing everyone out. Some were instantly annihilated in body and spirit. If Ji Ziyue hadn't carried a secret treasure, she wouldn't have survived. At the critical moment, strong experts dispatched by the Ji Family found them; otherwise, no one would have lived.
Even so, no one could stop the Peacock King. He was unstoppable, his advance unchallenged. With a single roar, he shattered many people into blood mist, displaying awe-inspiring divine might. "This is... too unbelievable!" Ye Fan was deeply shocked. Such a powerful figure was truly terrifying, his strength unfathomable. "An existence comparable to ancient great powers—how immense their magical power must be, impossible to fully describe..."
That group of strong experts only delayed him for a few moments before being torn apart, but it bought time for Ji Haoyue and Ji Ziyue to escape far away.
Hearing this, Ye Fan was even more certain that Ji Ziyue held a special status. Even in that dire moment, the Ji Family strong ones fought to the death to create an escape chance for her, unwilling to abandon her. "The Peacock King was one with heaven and earth, his roar shaking mountains and rivers, like thunderous waves crashing against the shore. A mountain peak was shattered by his voice!" Ye Fan felt his heart pound. Such power was beyond imagination. "My brother's divine body naturally possesses extraordinary might, but it was completely suppressed. Before him, he was no better than an ordinary person." An existence comparable to ancient great powers—their supreme might was truly inconceivable.
Ye Fan had witnessed Ji Haoyue's strength firsthand—slaying great demons like plucking flowers, charging and dominating unstoppably. Yet, powerful as he was, before the Peacock King, he was insignificant. "One with heaven and earth, controlling everything, almost able to pluck stars and seize the moon..." Even now, Ji Ziyue was still tense, her delicate fists clenched tightly. "How did you escape?" Ye Fan asked.
"I fled separately from my brother. He went after my brother..." Ji Ziyue was worried. Such a great power was impossible to contend with. Even if Ji Haoyue, with his divine body and having cultivated three secret realms, truly faced him, there would be no suspense.
"No bad news has come yet. Your brother probably isn't so easy to kill." Saying this, Ye Fan looked suspicious. "Why didn't you return to the Ji Family instead of coming here?"
"The Peacock King didn't bother with me, but others chased me..." Along the way, Ji Ziyue had been relentlessly pursued and severely wounded.
In a hurry, she used a Domain Gate from a small sect to teleport through the void and arrived here. She couldn't inscribe Dao patterns, so she couldn't determine the destination.
"What a coincidence..." Ye Fan muttered.
"It's not a coincidence." Ji Ziyue shot him a glance. "I left a mark on you. After appearing in this area, I slowly tracked you here." "What? You tampered with me?"
"I meant no harm. Why are you so nervous? That day, I saw you acting strangely and knew you were about to leave, so I prepared and left a mark. But you ran too fast, and I couldn't catch up. The distance was too great to sense it."
Ye Fan carefully examined himself internally but found nothing unusual. "What did you do?"
"Take your time finding it..." Ji Ziyue chuckled lightly, but soon showed worry again. "Brother Haoyue probably can't escape this calamity."
Suddenly, Ye Fan's expression stiffened. Not far away in the sky, a portal appeared, and several cultivators rushed out. "Ah, it's the ones chasing me!" Ji Ziyue cried out softly. "They opened a Domain Gate and followed us through the void."
"Chi!"
A terrifying lightning bolt struck down. Those people were very decisive—spotting their target, they immediately unleashed their divine abilities, attacking from above.
Ye Fan helped Ji Ziyue dodge aside. The silver lightning pierced through the cliff, sending rocks flying in all directions.
"Boom!" In the sky, an ancient pagoda rapidly enlarged, pressing down toward them.
Ye Fan's face changed instantly. Those who used pagodas, bells, or cauldrons were usually no ordinary people—most were extremely powerful. The pagoda in the sky was only five stories tall, but it felt as heavy as a mountain, crushing the breath out of them and exuding a heart-stopping aura.
Ye Fan grabbed Ji Ziyue and quickly left the cliff, rushing into the distance. These people were too strong; fighting them head-on would lead to disaster.
The footwork the Old Madman had passed on to Ye Fan was a supreme secret art with incredible power. It was extremely fast, and before long, they were ten li away.
He didn't stop, continuing to flee until they were a hundred li away, then let out a long breath. "Those people are quite extraordinary..."
"They're all very strong; otherwise, I wouldn't have fled." Ji Ziyue's little tiger teeth gleamed as she gently ground them.
"They don't seem like demon clan members." Ye Fan looked puzzled.
Ji Ziyue bit her red lip. "Someone wants to take this chance to get rid of me and my brother Haoyue." "Could it be that Ji Biyue again?"
"No, this is much bigger trouble than she caused. Someone definitely doesn't want our family to have a divine body grow up. Even if brother Haoyue escapes the Peacock King's grasp, he's still in danger. Some human strongmen might secretly act, killing him during this chaos and blaming it on the demon clan."
Though young, Ji Ziyue thought deeply, foreseeing possible bad outcomes. "They should be targeting Ji Haoyue. Why come after you? Are you also a divine body?"
"How could I be a divine body..." Ji Ziyue didn't say much, pondering for a moment, then glanced at Ye Fan and teased, "Little brat, you have so many secrets. What is that green copper piece of yours? Why can your physical body block a divine body's attacks? How did you learn the Old Madman's footwork? Why were you in such a hurry to leave Tai Xuan?"
This little girl was sharp and mischievous, clearly trying to change the subject and probe Ye Fan's secrets instead.
Suddenly, a golden light streaked across the sky, tearing out dozens of powerful electric arcs like writhing golden snakes. "It's a Lightning Bird." Ji Ziyue frowned, then suddenly shouted, "No, it's a Crowned Lightning Bird—a very powerful exotic bird. Let's avoid it and not enter its territory."
The distant Lightning Bird was entirely golden, as if cast from gold, its electric arcs blazing. Its head was slightly raised like a crown, looking very extraordinary.
This was a powerful exotic bird, incomparable to ordinary Lightning Birds, with terrifying attack power. Most cultivators would give it a wide berth. "Luckily, it didn't notice us." Ji Ziyue breathed a sigh of relief. "There might be a Crowned Lightning Bird's nest ahead. Maybe we can use it to block your pursuers." "Right, that makes sense." Ji Ziyue's big eyes curved into crescent moons.
The two moved forward and indeed found a nest deep in the mountains, built on a towering ancient tree. Four golden, gleaming eggs, each as big as a human head, were wrapped in golden electric arcs. "This kind of exotic bird is very rare and can continuously evolve—truly precious. I wish I could take an egg and hatch it as a pet." Ji Ziyue said regretfully.
She didn't dare do so. Together with Ye Fan, they left enough traces in the mountains, then soared into the sky.
Soon after, those powerful cultivators indeed reached the mountain depths, finding many "clues" and searching the area thoroughly, thinking Ji Ziyue was hiding nearby. After a long time, they arrived before a towering ancient tree.
"A nest... not good!" One of them cried out in alarm. "This seems to be a Crowned Lightning Bird's nest. We must never provoke such an exotic bird. If it mistakes us for egg thieves, it will fight to the death." Inside the huge nest were four eggs, their shells gleaming like gold, dazzlingly bright. "Quick, leave! These powerful exotic birds hold grudges. If we're trapped here, the consequences will be dire!"
But they had been wandering here for a long time, and the Crowned Lightning Bird had already returned from its outing. It let out a piercing cry, leaving a long golden afterimage in the sky as it dove down.
Ye Fan and Ji Ziyue watched from a distant mountain, seeing lightning surge in the mountain depths. They didn't linger and quickly fled far away.
The next day, among a range of beautiful peaks, Ye Fan saw a sixteen or seventeen-year-old youth. He was somewhat thin, appearing delicate, with a clear, handsome face and eyes as pure as lake water. His soft black hair gently floated, giving him an airy grace.
This youth was like a clear spring in the deep mountains, bringing a fresh, natural feeling.
Seeing such a youth in these remote mountains naturally surprised Ye Fan. He smiled and asked, "Little brother, could you tell me what region this is?"
The youth stood quietly ahead, his soft black hair gently drifting, his eyes clear and pure. He replied, "The Qixia Mountain Range, within the borders of the Jin Kingdom." "Little brother, you have a refined appearance and a lively, natural air. You must be a cultivator, right?" Ye Fan asked with a smile. "Yes," the youth nodded.
Behind him, Ji Ziyue's face turned pale as snow, her voice trembling. "Little brat... come back!"
Ye Fan turned back, seeing her terrified expression and eyes full of fear. He immediately sensed something wrong and lightly retreated.
"What's wrong? Who is he?"
"He is... the Peacock King!" Ji Ziyue's voice quivered, her usual lively cheerfulness gone, replaced by sheer terror. "What?!" Ye Fan was greatly shocked. This youth was the Peacock King? It was utterly jarring and astonishing. "Peacock King, you are a great power, standing at the pinnacle, overlooking the world. Don't harm the innocent. Let him go—he has nothing to do with this." Ji Ziyue stepped forward, pleading for Ye Fan's release.
The great demon cultivator Peacock King had dominated the Southern Domain. Eight hundred years ago, he was already unstoppable. Even the former Saint Lord of Yaoguang couldn't do anything to him. Few knew exactly how long he had lived.
According to outside speculation, after he took human form, the most conservative estimate put him at over two thousand years old. If compared to the other side of the starry sky, that would be someone from the Qin and Han dynasties.
Yet, this youth before them looked no more than sixteen or seventeen, his eyes as clear as water, without a trace of world-weariness. It was hard to connect him to the Peacock King.
Ji Ziyue had once described his supreme might—one with heaven and earth, roaring to shake mountains and rivers, his voice like thunderous waves shattering a mountain peak.
In Ye Fan's imagination, the Peacock King must have been as imposing as a mountain, with a wild and domineering aura. But he never expected him to be so refined, like a clear spring in the deep mountains, a snow lotus on an icy peak, a gentle breeze in a pure land.
Thinking back to how he had addressed the Peacock King as "little brother" and even thought of patting his shoulder, Ye Fan felt a chill run down his spine. This was a being with boundless magical power, comparable to ancient great powers!
Recently, many readers have suggested that the chapter after midnight should not be updated and instead be released during the day. Taking everyone's advice, starting today, I'll try to do that. Please bear with me.