Chapter 165: The Storm (Part 1)
The sky above was a vast expanse of azure, deep and distant. Ye Fan could discern nothing, unable to make any deductions.
Within the Sea of Suffering, a single Azure Lotus stood alone, its vitality flourishing, as if giving birth to a living world. Around it, chaotic mist swirled, mysterious and hazy.
At this moment, Ye Fan calmed down, his heart becoming empty and ethereal as he observed carefully. It had just broken through the water, bearing only three emerald leaves, possessing a natural Dao-nature, as if interpreting the beginning of heaven and earth: Dao gives birth to One, One gives birth to Two, Two gives birth to Three, Three gives birth to the myriad things. "There is a thing formed in chaos, born before heaven and earth, the ancestor of all things, like the image before the Emperor." Ye Fan recalled these words from an ancient text. This Azure Lotus merged with the Wheel and Sea, possessing a strange divine charm, like an unfathomable Dao abyss, serene and quiet, as if it could endure forever without perishing. Ye Fan crossed the Sea of Suffering, ascended to the Other Shore, and the Wheel and Sea began its initial evolution—profound and mysterious, difficult to describe. The cauldron, less than an inch tall, floated and sank beneath the sky and above the Azure Lotus, growing increasingly majestic.
Ye Fan's heart stirred. He was now a cultivator at the Other Shore realm, his strength having increased significantly. He attempted to summon the cauldron.
"Swish!"
The cauldron appeared outside his body, silent and still, hovering before him. He still felt the pressure of a great mountain, but this time he could move it.
"Boom!"
The cauldron had no radiant light; it flew directly to a nearby spot. When it touched a boulder over ten meters tall, dust filled the air as the boulder silently disintegrated.
With a light tremor, even the stone forest was the same. The surrounding large rocks all turned to powder, becoming dust. The cauldron's power was evident!
However, Ye Fan's body also trembled. This cauldron had not yet manifested Dao patterns, yet it was already like a bottomless pit. Even with his powerful physique, a third of his strength was drained.
That meant he could only use it three times for now. The cauldron was immensely powerful but could not be wielded with ease, leaving him both pleased and frowning.
Ye Fan activated it again, enlarging the cauldron to a meter in height—the limit he could control. Any larger, and he wouldn't be able to bear it.
The cauldron hung in the sky, like a bottomless abyss, seemingly able to swallow the heavens. Ahead, a stone forest with boulders like reclining oxen or green bamboo shoots was all drawn in, vanishing into the cauldron.
Ye Fan retrieved the cauldron and looked inside. It was filled with rocks. With a light shake, everything inside turned to powder. He slowly tipped it over, and the dust drifted away, leaving the interior spotless and clean.
Though his divine power was nearly drained, he was very satisfied. This cauldron pleased him greatly; its might was truly formidable. Without waves or divine radiance, the cauldron silently vanished, returning to his Wheel and Sea.
Now that the cauldron was forged and he had reached the Other Shore realm, his confidence grew. Having cultivated here for several months, he was eager to know what was happening outside.
"I wonder if the Ji family has left..." After recovering his divine power, Ye Fan stepped out.
Outside the Fire Domain, the ground was cracked, the scorched earth vast and boundless, a barren land. Over half a year had passed, and the Ji family disciples had long since departed. "That's fine. They think I've turned to ashes. I'll give them a surprise when the time comes!"
Ye Fan returned to the Fire Domain, intending to draw the Five-Colored Cloud Flame from the seventh layer to temper his cauldron, making it more condensed.
The Five-Colored Cloud Flame was even hotter than the Purple Qi. As he approached, before even entering, waves of searing heat washed over him, making Ye Fan's heart tighten. This was even with the Bodhi Seed in hand; without it, he probably couldn't get close. "Can I control such powerful flames?" He had no confidence.
He carefully drew a wisp of the Five-Colored Mist, and immediately heard a sizzling sound as a clump of his divine power was burned clean away.
Ye Fan sucked in a cold breath. This flame was too strong; it could burn even great figures to death. The human-shaped ashes on the ground proved this. He had no good way to safely draw it into his Wheel and Sea to temper the cauldron.
For the next few days, he kept trying, wanting to proceed cautiously without acting rashly.
Suddenly, he heard some strange sounds coming from the outer regions. If not for his powerful divine sense, he wouldn't have detected them. "Has someone come?" Ye Fan concealed himself and moved outward.
In the fourth layer of the Fire Domain, black netherfire flickered. A middle-aged man sat motionless on a large rock. Above his head floated a half-human-tall ancient tower, rising and falling.
The dark, gleaming flames continuously gathered toward the tower, causing it to emit a clanging sound as it slowly deformed. "Why is he refining his weapon outside his body? He doesn't seem to value it much, so why come to the Fire Domain?" Ye Fan was puzzled.
Just then, his expression changed. That tower was not unfamiliar—he had seen it before!
A five-story ancient tower, silver-white all over, with some luster but signs of age, giving it an ancient feel. "The hemp-clothed middle-aged man!"
Ye Fan immediately thought of the group that had pursued him and Ji Ziyue. Among them was a middle-aged cultivator in hemp clothes, holding a five-story silver tower, who had nearly killed him.
Now, this man in black robes sat quietly, but the silver tower above his head was constantly deforming. He wanted to melt it down and reforge it. "A five-story tower is a powerful weapon, yet he wants to dissolve it..."
When a strand of Mysterious Yellow Qi surged out from within the tower, Ye Fan was even more certain. It was definitely the hemp-clothed man. Though he hadn't seen his face that day, this tower was unmistakable. "He's afraid the Ji family will find clues and wants to erase the last traces!" Ye Fan wanted to uncover this person's origins. Hidden enemies made him uneasy. "It seems he doesn't care much about this weapon. Maybe, as Ji Ziyue said, this person is just a controlled puppet."
Ye Fan observed carefully and indeed found the man somewhat rigid, sitting there like a piece of wood. "I'll capture him and get to the bottom of this!"
He thought it over. This man was powerful, definitely surpassing him in realm—at least a Dao Palace cultivator. "I need to be absolutely sure. If I fail to kill him and expose myself, it'll be a disaster." Ye Fan silently returned to the sixth layer, summoned his cauldron, and had it absorb a large amount of Purple Flame like a whale drinking. Then he quickly sat down to recover his divine power. Half an hour later, he returned to the fourth layer's netherfire region and waited quietly.
Two hours later, the black-robed man completely melted the silver tower, reshaping it slowly into a silver bell. At the critical moment, just as the bell was about to take form, Ye Fan finally struck.
At this time, the black-robed man was highly focused, his mind entirely on the silver bell for the final tempering.
The cauldron, silent and soundless, moved in. With a fierce shake, a vast amount of Purple Flame poured down like a torrent, burning fiercely! This temperature could incinerate even great figures, let alone cultivators of other realms.
But unexpectedly, the man was extremely cautious. He had carved Dao patterns around himself, which blazed with light to block the Purple Flame.
Even treasures of eminent elders couldn't withstand the Purple Flame, shattering inch by inch. Though Dao patterns were present, they couldn't stop it. Their only effect was to buy the man time as he moved like a ghost, dodging sideways.
"Chi!"
Ye Fan was prepared. The Golden Book had been waiting and was summoned just as the man moved.
"Puff!"
Blood flashed. The black-robed man was severely wounded! His body stiffened instantly. At the same time, the purple flames descended. Though he was swift, he was grazed. Half his body caught fire, and his left side turned to ashes in an instant.
"Hum!"
The sky trembled lightly. The cauldron grew to a meter tall, as if possessing heaven-swallowing power, absorbing the half-destroyed middle-aged man and sealing him inside.
Only then did Ye Fan breathe a sigh of relief. He took out the Jade Purification Vase, drank a mouthful of Divine Spring, instantly recovering his divine power. Then he looked into the cauldron.
The black-robed man, half his body destroyed, trembled repeatedly as he struggled to sit up. Looking up, he saw Ye Fan and showed a shocked expression, saying, "It's you... you're still alive!"
Ye Fan's heart stirred. The man's startled cry suggested he knew Ye Fan well, not just from the pursuit. He smiled and said, "What exactly is your background?"
"I never expected your life to be so tough..." The black-robed man sighed, then suddenly raised his head. A beam of light shot from his brow, trying to escape the cauldron, but failed, unable to break free. "Indeed, just a walking corpse, controlled by someone else." Ye Fan extended his divine sense to restrain him.
But the black-robed man was decisive. The beam of light burst like fireworks, shattering on its own, leaving behind specks of radiance that dissipated within the cauldron.
Ye Fan's expression changed, but he couldn't stop it in time. He searched the area carefully. The black-robed man's body was empty—nothing remained except the silver bell, which had been completely burned by the Purple Flame.
He threw the half-destroyed corpse into the netherfire, where it instantly turned to ashes. He muttered to himself, "Who could it be? Seems like an acquaintance."
Ye Fan cleaned up the traces, retreated into the fifth layer's Golden Flame, and hid. He waited quietly, observing to see if anyone would show up.
Three days later, a tall, elderly man appeared. He examined the pile of ashes for a moment and muttered, "Died here..." "Who is this old man? I've never seen him before." Ye Fan was suspicious.
"Swish!" A flash of light, and the old man rushed out of the Fire Domain, quickly disappearing into the distance.
Three days later, Ye Fan entered the seventh layer of the Fire Domain. Even with the Bodhi Seed protecting him, he felt waves of burning pain. The temperature of the Five-Colored Cloud Flame was unimaginable.
The divine power cultivated by cultivators could be ignited directly, impossible to resist. This five-colored flame seemed demonic, capable of devouring anything.
Though Ye Fan successfully entered, he didn't know how to draw the flame into his body. The Five-Colored Cloud Flame was too terrifying.
Three days later, shouts of men and roars of beasts sounded, as if thousands of troops were galloping. The earth trembled, and countless strange beasts charged toward the Fire Domain.
Among them, some powerful savage beasts roared, their sounds carrying for dozens of miles. Ye Fan's divine sense was sharp, and he was immediately alerted. He quickly observed and then showed a surprised expression. "The Ji family has come!"
Outside the Fire Domain, there were over a hundred savage beasts, each extraordinary and divine, galloping through the air with a thunderous rumble, shaking both earth and sky. All the riders wore black iron armor, exuding a murderous aura. A large banner flapped in the wind, bearing the character "Ji."
Ye Fan saw Ji Hui, Ji Biyue, and several eminent elders. There was also a chariot pulled by nine divine qiu, hovering outside the Fire Domain.
The divine qiu roared, each as large as an elephant, with scale armor gleaming, exuding a powerful oppressive force. The chariot sparkled with crystalline light, emitting auspicious radiance. Clearly, an important Ji family figure had arrived. "Could this be for me? It shouldn't be—half a year has passed... What are they here for?" Ye Fan was puzzled.
An old man stepped out of the chariot. Ji Hui quickly approached, respectfully helping him down.
"Your grandfather's!"
Ye Fan dared not spy further and retreated deeper into the Fire Domain. (To be continued. If you want to know what happens next, please visit the website for more chapters. Support the author and support legitimate reading.)