Chapter 204: Mysterious Bloodline
The Supreme Elder of the Jade Pool gently scolded Tu Fei, telling him to shut his mouth and stop speaking nonsense. Although Tu Fei muttered under his breath, he actually complied. Many people had already noticed that he was yielding to the Jade Pool, seemingly unwilling to provoke a conflict.
The Holy Son Yao Guang smiled faintly, like a ray of sunlight, warm and brilliant, giving off an otherworldly feeling. One always felt he was lofty and transcendent, as if he were not an ordinary mortal.
Indeed, he stood by the lake, his demeanor as refined as jade, his robes fluttering, resembling an immortal in the mortal world. Even among the crowd, one could instantly spot his uniqueness.
As for Yao Xi, aside from being equally noble, she represented the pinnacle of beauty. Like a woman born from a dream, with skin like ice and bones like jade, every frown and smile exuded boundless charm, shining like a rare treasure.
Her beauty caused many present to lose their composure. Even Tu Fei couldn't help but mutter, "Alas and woe—the most painful thing in life is being one step too late..."
The several bandits around him all rolled their eyes. Not one of these people was a pushover; all were descendants of the Thirteen Great Bandits.
At this moment, the Holy Maiden of Yao Chi appeared, surrounded by immortal energy. With every step, lotuses bloomed beneath her feet, and where her jade feet landed, petals danced, each one crystalline, emitting waves of fragrance.
She personally escorted the Holy Son and Holy Maiden of Yaoguang into the lakeside pavilion. Clearly, they were old acquaintances, and she wanted to prevent them from clashing with others here, resolving this awkward situation.
Ye Fan let out a long breath. He didn't want to meet the Holy Son and Holy Maiden of Yaoguang. Now that he had just "set sail" and obtained the Source Heaven Scroll, his top priority was to urgently improve his cultivation. For now, he couldn't contend with them.
He crouched down and carefully examined the nine pieces of stone, silently pondering. There was definitely something inside these stones, and it might be very extraordinary.
By the lakeshore, many people were gathered, carefully feeling and inspecting the stones. Everyone was discussing, their opinions differing.
Suddenly, Ye Fan's heart jolted. The largest piece of stone made him feel uneasy; whatever was inside was definitely unusual.
He tapped left and right, examining the patterns. This was a massive "red-within-white" stone—mainly reddish-brown with white speckles—considered waste by experts.
This large stone weighed at least two thousand jin. If there was something inside, it would be quite substantial. Ye Fan wanted to split it open with a single knife stroke, but this was Jade Pool's stone, and he couldn't act rashly.
"Today is an opportunity. If I point out the stone's peculiarities, I might be invited by the Jade Pool Fairy Maiden. Unfortunately, my 'Heaven-Shifting Earth-Transforming Art' is not yet complete, and the Holy Maiden of Yaoguang is here, so I can't step forward."
Ye Fan sighed. After carefully examining the eight stones, he grasped the smallest one, only the size of a palm. Staring at its stone patterns, his mind seemed to sink into it.
Suddenly, he felt his vision turn blood-red. This smallest stone was also eerie, very strange, and definitely contained something special. "This source stone business is indeed not just about gambling on source. Like the people in the Holy City, they gamble on even more precious things."
Ye Fan withdrew from the crowd, pulling Er Lengzi and Wang Shu to a distance, and asked them, "What did you sense?"
"Blood. In one stone, there seems to be blood—very terrifying blood. It makes my heart palpitate. When I get close, it feels like my heart is about to jump out," Wang Shu described.
Er Lengzi also shuddered, saying, "That largest stone—I can't say what's inside, but there's a wild power that makes one tremble."
Ye Fan rubbed his chin, sizing them up. These two indeed had abnormal bloodlines, able to sense things like this, comparable to himself after learning the Source Heaven Scroll. "Have you ever had this feeling before?"
"Never!" Both shook their heads together.
Ye Fan felt they might only be sensitive to extraordinary source stones. What bloodline did these two have? When Fifth Elder Zhang mentioned it, he was evasive, clearly hiding something. He needed to ask more carefully when they returned.
"The Jade Pool Holy Land might have dug up something good," Tu Fei said to those beside him on the other side.
"These nine stones have a demonic nature. They must have been brought from near the Primordial Ancient Mine. Their audacity is impressive—the most low-key, yet daring to act so boldly."
"You don't understand. The Jade Pool is very extraordinary. When it comes to understanding source, I think they surpass all the Holy Lands. I've heard that long ago, a Source Heaven Master had dealings with them and passed on many source arts."
"I've heard something too. That Source Heaven Master made all the Holy Lands look foolish and had a close relationship with the Holy Maiden of Jade Pool."
"I suspect they're looking for someone with that legendary bloodline."
The people beside Tu Fei all had fierce auras, being descendants of the Thirteen Great Bandits. They knew much and spoke in low voices.
"Is that bloodline real? That's unlikely. That's a life-threatening thing. In the Northern Domain, since ancient times, only five Source Heaven Masters have appeared. According to records, none of them obtained that bloodline."
"That's hard to say. They all disappeared in their later years. Who knows where they went? Perhaps when their days were numbered, they did obtain that bloodline."
Ye Fan's divine sense was exceptionally strong, rarely matched. He had been paying attention to Tu Fei and his group, faintly catching these words, and was immediately startled.
"No, I need to leave here immediately to avoid being discovered by Tu Fei." Most importantly, he had learned from those people's words that Er Lengzi and Wang Shu were likely of that bloodline, and he absolutely couldn't let anyone notice.
The bloodline of the children the Source Heaven Master brought back in his later years gave rise to a chilling speculation.
"Countless ages ago, a target finally appeared. How much effort did the great Holy Lands expend, chasing and blocking, yet they still couldn't obtain that bloodline? Was the Source Heaven Master really that powerful?" Tu Fei's group continued discussing in low voices.
"The Source Heaven Master was naturally terrifying, unmatched in source arts. From ancient times to now, only five have existed. They often ventured into deep mountains and underground, walking in desolate places. Only they could possibly obtain something."
"I think that after the Holy Maiden of Jade Pool leaves Pingyan City, she'll take the nine stones elsewhere. She won't return to Jade Pool for a while. Perhaps for some reason, they urgently need that bloodline."
The more Ye Fan listened, the more uneasy he felt. He turned to look at Wang Shu and Er Lengzi, scrutinizing them carefully, but saw nothing special. "Let's go. We're leaving here."
"But didn't the Holy Maiden of Jade Pool say that if we have special sensations, we'd be invited to stay at Jade Pool for a while?" Wang Shu and Er Lengzi were both reluctant to leave.
"It might not be a good thing. We must leave quickly." Ye Fan felt they needed to avoid Tu Fei, avoid Yao Xi, and prevent Wang Shu and Er Lengzi from being discovered. For all these reasons, they had to leave.
Since the Holy Maiden of Jade Pool was going elsewhere, there would still be opportunities. Once he learned the Heaven-Shifting Earth-Transforming Art, he could deliver himself to them. By then, even if he met Yao Xi and the Holy Son Yao Guang at Jade Pool, he wouldn't worry, as he would be completely free.
"It seems Yao Xi really will travel with the Holy Maiden of Jade Pool."
"Crack"
Ye Fan heard the sound of bones shifting. His features were returning to normal, his cheekbones moving back into place. He could delay no longer. He took the two and quickly left the Jade Pool Immortal Stone Workshop.
"Get stronger. When I return, I must enter the Dao Palace Secret Realm!" He made up his mind. Now, the only thing blocking his progress was a lack of vast amounts of vital energy. This time, he had cut out Fire Red Source and Ancient Insect Source, enough to support his entry into the Dao Palace Secret Realm. "As long as the Jade Pool heart method recorded in the last few pages of the Source Heaven Scroll is suitable for my cultivation, nothing can stop my breakthrough." He even felt he could rapidly improve his cultivation. The first stage of the Dao Palace couldn't stop him, and he should be able to gather the needed source in Pingyan City.
Suddenly, Ye Fan sensed someone following him. Before he even left the city, he was being tailed. "Courting death!" He turned and saw people from the Green Cloud Sect following, several of them sneering coldly.
Ye Fan didn't fly. Instead, he walked out of Pingyan City, heading into increasingly desolate areas. Though surrounded by greenery, reddish-brown rocky ground was also visible.
Finally, they reached an uninhabited area. Those behind had no more scruples and all caught up, each sneering coldly.
The young man in purple robes had personally followed. The Ancient Insect Source was rare, tempting even him as he strolled leisurely.
One must know that even in the Northern Domain, a source-rich area, a sect of modest scale would consider a thousand jin of source quite good.
The Green Cloud Sect was exactly such a small sect. The Fire Red Source and Ancient Insect Source were enough to make him kill to silence witnesses.
"Mud monkeys, not running anymore?" someone beside him taunted.
"Keep up the tough talk. Say something bold. We're all ears," another mocked.
In the distance, the sound of breaking air came. Blue robes fluttering, Liu Cheng'en appeared, having also followed.
"What are you trying to do?" Ye Fan revealed a cold smile.
"Country bumpkin, still not knowing when you're dead. Truly, ignorance is bliss!" Seven or eight people laughed maliciously as they closed in.
"Liu Cheng'en, are you here to repay the source?" Ye Fan's lips curled slightly.
"You dare to accept my source?!" Liu Cheng'en snapped open his folding fan, shaking his head and sighing, "I really wanted to spare your life, but you leave me no choice."
"Are you special?" Ye Fan held up the IOU and sneered, "You wrote this note yourself. Don't tell me you're treating it like a pig's hoof print?"
"Mud monkey, you're still being stubborn even at death's door." Liu Cheng'en showed a contemptuous expression, ordering those men, "Don't kill him all at once. Torture him slowly."
"I don't have time to waste on you!" Ye Fan's face darkened. He soared into the air and swept his right leg.
The men who had just charged forward all screamed. Though they were cultivators, their physiques couldn't compare to Ye Fan's. They immediately had broken bones and severed tendons.
"You're not a source miner—you're a cultivator. At this age, how could you..." Liu Cheng'en's pupils contracted sharply. Ye Fan looked no more than fifteen, but his strength was chilling. He was about to fly into the air and flee.
Ye Fan's palm was like a precious seal as he pressed forward. For the first time, he executed the second of the Nine Secrets. A terrifying battle intent spread out.
"Bang!" One move, just one move, and Liu Cheng'en was blasted into ash!
Though there was still some distance between them, this was the terrible result. This offensive killing technique was unmatched in the world.
Behind, Liu Cheng'en's brother, the purple-robed man, flickered like a shadow, already ten li away in an instant.
But no matter how fast he was, he couldn't outpace Ye Fan's footwork. Ye Fan seemed to carve a path through the void, shrinking distances. With a dozen steps, he caught up instantly.
"You're also a cultivator at the Other Shore realm. Don't you even have the courage to fight?" Ye Fan sneered, then extended the note in his hand, saying, "Didn't you want to reclaim this IOU for your brother? The one I tore up earlier was fake. Here, take this."
The purple-robed man, Liu Chengwang, was decisive. His divine power surged, light dazzling, as he simultaneously sacrificed four weapons to strike at Ye Fan.
Ye Fan still used the Battle Saint Art, but his hand gestures had completely changed. The most fundamental essence could evolve into thousands of moves and techniques. Like a phoenix spreading its wings, his arms shimmered like rippling water, producing divine feathers.
With a sweep of his arms, he truly resembled a phoenix, stirring the winds of heaven. Five-colored divine radiance shot into the sky. A pair of colorful wings materialized, striking forward.
A rustling sound came. The four weapons refined by the Other Shore realm cultivator all turned to dust, falling to the ground like ashes.
"What secret art is this?" The purple-robed man, Liu Chengwang, was greatly alarmed, his heart shaken. He believed that even a Dao Palace realm cultivator would find it hard to unleash such terrifying power.
Yes, he felt ice-cold all over. The unmatched battle intent and fierce offensive aura made him tremble uncontrollably. He could no longer stand and felt an urge to kneel.
"This is the highest Daoist secret art. You're not worthy to know it. One day, it will shake the Eastern Wasteland, make all the Holy Lands tremble, and be spoken of by the Holy Sons and Holy Maiden."
Ye Fan's heart was far from calm. The second of the Nine Secrets exceeded his expectations, with unparalleled power. It was truly the ultimate in offensive secrets!
"You... spare me. I'll do anything." The purple-robed man's heart and courage were frozen. He was suppressed by a powerful battle intent, trembling, losing his former coldness and composure.
The phoenix wings born from Ye Fan's arms still hadn't dissipated. Five-colored divine radiance flowed, the crystalline feathers dazzling, their energy fluctuations shaking the soul.
"Thud"
The purple-robed man couldn't bear the battle intent any longer. His legs gave way, and he collapsed to his knees, prostrating himself as if drained, trembling, "How is this possible... We're both at the Other Shore realm. Why is this happening? This secret art is unheard of..." He was almost delirious, his face pressed to the ground, unable to lift his head.
"The Nine Secrets, the Nine Secrets. If I could master them all, what power would I have?" Ye Fan muttered to himself, but he knew the Nine Secrets were scattered across the world, nearly lost. Obtaining them all would be extremely difficult.
"I'll give you a chance. Use all your divine power to attack." Ye Fan withdrew the phoenix wings, and the oppressive pressure like Mount Tai dissipated.
"Kill!" Liu Chengwang knew his opponent wouldn't spare him. His ferocity surged, and he lunged in a desperate attack, burning his physical body, intending to self-destruct his Wheel Sea to severely wound the handsome youth before him.
Ye Fan did this for only one purpose: to further understand the power of this secret art. He turned slightly and swung his left leg.
At that moment, supreme pressure descended. Around his left leg, an azure dragon materialized, scales gleaming, powerful and robust. The dragon's body coiled realistically, and its tail lashed out.
Liu Chengwang was terrified, his whole body trembling. He immediately went limp. Just the terrifying pressure alone rendered him unable to move.
"Bang"
The azure dragon's tail struck him. This blow directly turned the Other Shore realm cultivator into ash. Not even bone fragments or blood mist remained—he was completely pulverized.
Ye Fan returned to the Stone Stockade. Before going into seclusion to break through, he first found Fifth Elder Zhang to ask about Wang Shu and Er Lengzi's bloodline issue.
"Their blood has a demonic nature," Fifth Elder Zhang finally answered after a long silence.
"What's going on?" Ye Fan was shocked.
"Since you're going to learn the Source Heaven Scroll, I might as well tell you this secret." Fifth Elder Zhang sighed. "It starts with the origin of their ancestors."
[Note: Some readers, including Hai Yuntian and others, have co-written a sequel to the Eternal World called Eternal War. Interested readers can check it out.]