Chapter 174: Beast or Worse Than a Beast
The Holy Maiden of Yao Guang was half demoness, half angel, with unparalleled grace. Though she possessed a thousand charms and seductive allure, she was enveloped in a halo of sacred radiance, giving her an extremely unique temperament.
She had the beauty to make fish sink and geese fall, the looks to overshadow the moon and shame the flowers. Combined with this almost contradictory aura, she appeared capable of captivating all beings, exuding immense seductive charm.
"I choose neither!" Yao Xi's jet-black gem-like eyes shot out two beams of auspicious light, her entire being ethereal beyond compare. Though she had only released a few strands of divine sense, she still displayed formidable power.
A cold smile curled at the corner of Ye Fan's lips. The golden little lake between his brows split off another beam of divine thought, charging straight toward the Holy Maiden of Yao Guang, intent on obliterating those few strands of divine sense.
"Unless your divine consciousness remains forever in the 'Moon Palace,' I will annihilate every strand that emerges!"
The golden beam of light flowed like liquid mercury, seeping into every crevice, sweeping through every inch of space to hunt down the Holy Maiden of Yao Guang's few strands of divine sense.
At the same time, his arm tightened fiercely, suppressing the Holy Maiden of Yao Guang's soft body and neutralizing the powerful fluctuations of divine force.
"Swish"
Yao Xi's divine sense instantly extinguished. She tried to conceal herself, but the auspicious light in her eyes suddenly dimmed.
"You can't escape!" Ye Fan shouted, and then the golden beam blazed intensely, sweeping through in an instant.
The Holy Maiden of Yao Guang let out a startled cry. Several strands of her divine consciousness were sealed and immediately ground to nothing.
"Ye Fan, how dare you treat me like this..." The Holy Maiden of Yao Guang's voice was icy cold. Traces of divine sense fluctuations emanated from between her brows, her telepathic transmission like a winter wind whipping snow, biting and bone-chilling.
"I'll ask you once more: what is your choice?" Ye Fan, holding the Holy Maiden of Yao Guang, crossed a small stone arch bridge and arrived at a pavilion.
"Aren't you afraid the Yao Guang Holy Land will make you perish body and soul?" the Holy Maiden of Yao Guang said sharply.
"All I know is that if I don't control you, I won't escape death. Since you've already treated me like this, what do I have left to preserve? I have no scruples." Ye Fan sat on a stone block in the pavilion and pulled her slender waist tightly against him.
"We could reach some other agreement..." The Holy Maiden of Yao Guang was truly frightened. Normally, everything was under her control, and she remained calm and composed, but now she felt uneasy.
"What agreement? Releasing a tiger back to the mountains leaves a future threat, so you can come back to kill me later?" Ye Fan sneered. "I've already killed a Supreme Elder of the Ji Family and provoked such a massive aristocratic clan. What's one more Yao Guang Holy Land?"
"Are you dead set on eliminating me?" The Holy Maiden of Yao Guang's divine sense fluctuated.
"I won't kill you. Let me control your divine sense, and I think we can get along well." Ye Fan exerted a little force, making her soft, delicate body sit on his lap.
The Holy Maiden of Yao Guang screamed. "Ye Fan, don't go too far! If I let you control my divine sense, won't you be able to do whatever you want?!"
A hint of a smile appeared at the corner of Ye Fan's mouth. "I won't go back on my word. I mean what I say, because I only want to survive. You forced me into all of this."
He reached out his other hand and traced it across the Holy Maiden of Yao Guang's body, immediately drawing another scream.
"Ye Fan... stop!" The Holy Maiden of Yao Guang had already re-injected a strand of divine consciousness into her physical body and could clearly feel everything.
When that palm swept across, goosebumps rose all over her body. She said coldly, "Your conditions are too harsh."
"If they weren't harsh, how could I survive?" Ye Fan raised his hand to lift Yao Xi's chin, a half-smile playing on his lips. "You're as beautiful as flowers and jade, pitiable even to me. If you don't make a decision soon, we might as well enter the bridal chamber. Having you wouldn't be too much of a loss for me."
"You... shameless!"
Yao Xi was furious. As the Holy Maiden of Yao Guang, she was held in the highest esteem in the Southern Domain. Wherever she went, she drew everyone's gaze, and many looked up to her. Yet Ye Fan said it would barely not be a loss for him...
Ye Fan's smile deepened. His fingers brushed across her smooth cheek. "Make your decision quickly."
The Holy Maiden of Yao Guang's skin was as smooth as silk, as warm and crystalline as fine jade, as captivating as a bright pearl, possessing unparalleled charm.
"I can't agree to any of your conditions!" Yao Xi's divine sense fluctuated violently.
Ye Fan laughed. "Good, good, good. I take it you're choosing the second condition. In that case, let's enter the bridal chamber."
The Holy Maiden of Yao Guang screamed. Her jet-black hair danced wildly, like a fallen angel descending to the mortal world. Her eyes were misty, and several strands of divine sense shot out, intending to unleash a secret technique to kill Ye Fan.
At the same time, her body shimmered with multicolored light, like pure white jade, flashing with strange radiance as divine power surged.
Ye Fan materialized several strands of divine thought and charged toward the Holy Maiden of Yao Guang's divine sense to annihilate it, while simultaneously swinging his fist violently at her physical body.
"Bam"
Even with his powerful physique, just like last time, he couldn't shatter Yao Xi's immortal body. His indestructible fist was blocked by the radiance.
"Bam, bam"
His fists, which could shatter spiritual treasures, couldn't kill his opponent. On the surface of the Holy Maiden of Yao Guang's body, a mysterious star chart flickered faintly, blocking his fists.
It was a very strange sight. That star chart shone brilliantly, yet also carried a sense of depth, as if a real star domain were covering Yao Xi's jade-like body.
"What is this?" Ye Fan wondered.
He struck repeatedly, but couldn't break it. The star chart, like a deity's battle robe, hazy and sacred, blocked his fist force.
"Ye Fan, we can actually sit down and talk things over properly," the Holy Maiden of Yao Guang said. Her entire body was shrouded in radiance, with starlight constantly flowing.
Ye Fan ignored her and directly extinguished several strands of her divine sense, leaving only one so she could still transmit sound.
"This is the Holy Maiden Battle Armor of my Yao Guang Holy Land. You can never shatter it."
"Holy Maiden Battle Armor? I don't need to shatter it. I just need to take off another layer of armor." Ye Fan acted directly, tearing off a section of the Holy Maiden of Yao Guang's sleeve.
"You..." The Holy Maiden of Yao Guang was not only angered by his words but also frightened by his actions.
"I think taking off that other layer of armor is much easier than shattering the Holy Maiden Battle Armor." Ye Fan's movements were gentle but resolute.
"Rip"
Another section of sleeve tore open, fluttering like butterflies, falling outside the pavilion.
Ye Fan held the Holy Maiden of Yao Guang with one hand while calmly working with the other, as if preparing to open a treasure box to admire its jewels.
"Rip"
The sleeve slipped off, falling like scattered flowers. A section of her jade-like arm was exposed—dazzlingly white, like a lotus emerging from water, like warm white jade, with soft curves, beautiful and moving.
It was a truly exquisite work of art. This section of jade arm was flawless white, dotted with luster, worthy of being called icy skin and jade bones, captivating the heart and mind.
"Truly perfect," Ye Fan commented, his voice very gentle.
But to the Holy Maiden of Yao Guang's ears, it rang like clashing swords. Her emotions fluctuated violently. This was something she had never dared to imagine.
"Ye Fan, do you know what you're doing?" She tried to keep her tone calm.
"Of course I know. I'm admiring the bare arm of a peerless beauty. Unfortunately, there's no fine wine or dishes. Otherwise, I'd drink a toast."
"You..." Seeing him so self-satisfied, the Holy Maiden of Yao Guang was even more humiliated and angry.
Ye Fan reached out and gently traced his hand over her jade arm, feeling its softness and luster. "A beautiful woman is a feast in herself. No need for fine wine or delicacies. The Holy Maiden of Yao Guang alone is enough."
"You... don't do anything rash!" The Holy Maiden of Yao Guang's expression was tense. Usually, she was alluring and seductive, but now she felt uneasy, without a trace of her enchanting demeanor.
"Don't worry, I never do anything rash." Ye Fan revealed a smile. "I'm a very serious person."
With that, he looked carefully and deliberately, then with a "rip," tore off the other sleeve as well. Her other jade arm also shimmered with a hazy luster, with specks of light flowing.
"Ye Fan!"
"I told you, I'll be very serious. You can rest assured." He paused in his speech. "No wonder they say, 'Rivers and mountains are my desire, and beautiful women are also my desire.' With a celestial body of jade and skin before me, I love the beauty more than the realm."
"You bastard!" The Holy Maiden of Yao Guang was truly about to lose her mind.
At this moment, her arms were bare, sitting on Ye Fan's lap. Her soft, delicate body was in close contact with him, and she could feel his body temperature, filling her with hatred.
Ye Fan wrapped his arm around her slender waist, turning her back to him. His fingers moved gently, shredding her clothes like falling flowers, tracing graceful arcs as they drifted aside.
Her white back was crystalline, with large patches of tender skin flushed with a rosy glow. She was right before his eyes, and a fragrance like orchids and musk drifted over.
The Holy Maiden of Yao Guang, though usually more like a demoness, couldn't handle this situation when truly faced with it. She was extremely humiliated and angry.
"Ye... Fan, you!" The Holy Maiden of Yao Guang's voice trembled.
"Rip"
Another soft sound, and her fragrant garment fell away. The entire back of the Holy Maiden of Yao Guang was exposed. Large swaths of jade-like skin, crystalline and lustrous, were like a perfect work of art.
"You must understand, I am the sole Holy Maiden of the Yao Guang Holy Land. If... you go too far, there will be no turning back..." The Holy Maiden of Yao Guang sat on his lap with her back to him. Her jade-like skin could feel his breathing, the warmth touching her back.
"I will press forward without hesitation. Why would I need to turn back?" With that, Ye Fan smiled. "It reminds me of a saying from my homeland: 'A beast, or worse than a beast?'"
"You're worse than a beast!" the Holy Maiden of Yao Guang scolded, but her voice trembled.
"If I do nothing, I'll be called worse than a beast. If I do something, I'm just called a beast." Ye Fan shook his head and laughed. "Seems like it applies everywhere."
"You..."
"Don't worry. I'm doing all of this very seriously," Ye Fan replied. His eyes were clear, without a trace of intoxication. His fingers caressed her jade-like skin. "I'm following your advice. I absolutely cannot be worse than a beast."
His fingers slid over her skin, which was like solidified fine jade. The warmth and smoothness traveled from his fingertips to his heart, but he remained very clear-headed.
"Whoosh"
Ye Fan tore off the front of her fragrant garment as well and tossed it into the air. His hands slid to the front of the Holy Maiden of Yao Guang's body, warmth in his palms, but his gaze grew even clearer.
Suddenly, killing intent soared to the heavens!
At that moment, the Holy Maiden of Yao Guang stopped being nervous, stopped trembling. She was completely calm, her entire body icy cold, divine light surging from her sea of consciousness.
"I've been waiting for you to come out!" The golden little lake between Ye Fan's brows materialized, becoming a sun that shrouded the area ahead.
"I knew you were putting on an act. Holy Maiden of Yao Guang, you still have no chance!"
Ye Fan's divine sense transformed into a golden heavenly sword, continuously chopping and quickly shattering streams of divine light.
"I thought you'd wait until the very last moment. I didn't expect you to still be unable to let go."
Although the Holy Maiden of Yao Guang's divine sense was blocked, her expression was calm to the point of icy coldness. Her peerlessly beautiful face showed no emotional fluctuation as her powerful divine sense clashed with Ye Fan's, trying to break through that golden blazing sun.
Ye Fan sneered. His hands roamed around her bare upper body, unrestrained and reckless.
"You..."
"I told you, I've always been serious." Ye Fan sneered. "Did you really think I was coveting your beauty?"
"Let go!" The Holy Maiden of Yao Guang's body reacted, her skin turning pink all over, humiliated and furious.
"Of course, I wouldn't mind having some wonderful things happen with you either." Ye Fan's voice was calm, his divine sense burning like flames, enveloping Yao Xi's divine thoughts. "If I can control your divine sense, I'll spare your life. Give up resisting."