Chapter 248: Raising a Hand and Throwing a Mountain
Facing a disciple of an ancient aristocratic clan, Ye Fan showed no reverence whatsoever. With his hands behind his back, he openly slapped the other party's face right then and there.
"You... have some nerve!" The Ji Family disciple's face immediately darkened. "This is a gathering of young cultivators from Quzhou. Why are you causing trouble and killing people here for no reason?"
"How is it without reason? Didn't you see him trying to kill me? Unfortunately for him, the result disappointed him—it wasn't what he expected."
The Ji Family disciple put on a righteous expression, positioning himself on the high ground of morality, unwilling to give anyone a handle to criticize. He questioned, "I saw everything that happened. Although he said he would kill you, he didn't actually harm you. Why did you take his life?"
"According to your logic, as long as he didn't injure me, even if he attacked me and tried to kill me, it's not his fault?" Ye Fan's expression remained calm.
"He was no match for you and couldn't take your life. Regardless, you shouldn't have killed him!" The Ji Family disciple maintained his righteous demeanor.
Ye Fan sneered. "What a joke. Do I have to wait until my life is hanging by a thread, until it becomes a fait accompli, before I can counterattack and kill him? By then, I'd probably already be dead."
There were many people on the Broken Mountain, gathered from Quzhou's numerous young cultivators. Figures filled every space. No one expected someone to dare confront a younger generation member of the Ji Family.
"Situ Feng merely spoke improperly, and you killed a genius from southern Quzhou. That's going too far."
"Although he declared he would kill you, he was no match for you. How could you deliver a killing blow?"
"What kind of cultivator are you? Why did you strike and kill someone? Do you think Quzhou has no one?"
Nearby, several cultivators echoed the Ji Family disciple. The other party came from an ancient aristocratic clan, worthy of verbal support just to build a connection.
Additionally, there were some blind followers, though they were a minority. Most people watched quietly. They couldn't afford to offend the Ji Family, and even less could they help a cultivator of unknown origin.
Ye Fan suddenly laughed, which infuriated the few who had spoken, especially the Ji Family disciple.
"Situ Feng declared he would kill you, but you were the one who annihilated him. And you still dare to laugh?!"
Ye Fan rubbed his chin. "You all said it yourselves—he declared he would slap me to death, and he was the one who made the first lethal move against me. You... still have something to say?"
The blind followers were immediately struck dumb. Upon reflection, they were left speechless, mouths agape. Even those who had supported the Ji Family disciple found it hard to speak.
The Ji Family disciple said coldly, "Regardless, you shouldn't have killed him. Remember, one should be lenient when possible."
"Is that so?" Ye Fan smiled. "How about this: I'll try to see if I can slap you to death. Of course, even though I say that, I probably won't kill you. Afterwards, we'll let bygones be bygones and drink together, how about that? According to your logic, I don't think you'd kill me, right?"
Hearing Ye Fan's mockery, the Ji Family disciple's face darkened like water. He rebuked, "I think you came here to cause trouble. Who exactly are you?"
Ye Fan's body was shrouded in mist, obscuring his true features. He leisurely stepped forward. "When reasoning fails, you start pinning labels on me?"
"You definitely came here specifically to cause trouble!"
"You've already made your judgment. What can I say? Everything is futile." Ye Fan chuckled.
Ancient aristocratic clans had existed in the world for over a hundred thousand years, flourishing without decline, profound and unfathomable, transcendent above all. Every sect held them in awe.
Wherever a Ji Family disciple went, they were surrounded like stars around the moon. No one dared to slight them. Today, Ji Yunfeng had been repeatedly contradicted by Ye Fan, making his face as dark as water and stirring murderous intent within him.
"This gathering is jointly organized by my Ji Family and the Yaoguang Holy Land, inviting the outstanding youth of Quzhou. Who are you to dare act insolently here?"
"Why didn't I see anyone else being asked to announce their names? Why am I the only one being targeted?" Ye Fan crossed his arms. "Coming here, I'm immediately labeled as insolent? The ancient aristocratic clan sure has an imposing manner."
"Boom"
A powerful killing intent surged like waves in a great lake, rolling in all directions. Divine radiance burst from the Ji Family disciple's body, swirling around him like true dragons coiling.
"You came with ulterior motives today. I'll take you down first!"
"Well said. If you want to kill me, just say so. No need to find these excuses. I'll exchange a few moves with you." Ye Fan stepped forward.
Everyone around changed color. Someone daring to provoke a disciple of an ancient aristocratic clan was definitely someone with a background. All were shocked, watching the scene intently.
"An ancient aristocratic clan cannot be insulted. You brought this on yourself. I'll capture and kill you!" Ji Yunfeng's face was gloomy.
When Ji Family disciples traveled abroad, disciples of other sects would go out of their way to curry favor. They had never suffered such treatment. He could no longer hold back.
"Arrogant and domineering for what reason?" Ye Fan shook his head. "The ancient aristocratic clan sure has a grand presence!"
The Ji Family would pursue him relentlessly. Even fleeing to the Northern Domain wouldn't bring peace; he couldn't avoid it. Today, he came to kill openly and slap the ancient aristocratic clan's face. Naturally, he wouldn't back down now.
"Brother Ji need not act personally. Let me capture him." A young cultivator from Quzhou stepped forward.
"I'll handle it myself." Ji Yunfeng shook his head.
"Why use a butcher's knife to kill a chicken? I'm sufficient." This cultivator took out a blood-colored box. "Please, Brother Ji, cover me."
"Hum"
This cultivator struck directly. The blood-colored jade box opened a crack, and a river of blood surged out, its stench assailing the nose as it flooded toward Ye Fan.
"The Nether Blood Demon Box! That thing? How has it reappeared in the world? Wasn't it a demon artifact left by a Demon King?!"
"This thing can corrupt one's golden body. Even a precious physique can't withstand it and will turn into foul blood. Back then, a human Great Power fell because of it."
"It has reappeared in the world? Wasn't it destroyed when that human Great Power died? Has another Demon King appeared and re-refined it?"
The onlookers were all shaken, watching nervously.
The blood river surged forward, crimson mist covering the sky. Everywhere above and below was blood-colored. A bone-chilling cold reached into people's souls. A bad premonition arose, and Ye Fan felt as if facing a great enemy.
"Boom"
His physical body radiated divine light for ten thousand zhang, as if clad in an immortal robe, illuminating all directions, shining brilliantly. He was divinely martial, hard to look at directly.
"Bang"
Ye Fan's hands formed a gesture like embracing the moon. A mountain appeared in his arms, with green pines standing tall and silver waterfalls cascading down. It was majestic and heavy, with the force to crush heaven and earth.
Mountain-Embracing Seal!
Ye Fan directly unleashed the Mountain-Embracing Seal using the Battle Saint Art. Facing danger, he displayed this earth-shattering seal technique, its wild power flooding the heavens.
The great mountain was so real it made people suffocate. Even from far away, it gave a feeling of Mount Tai pressing down, making bodies weak and unsteady. Many stumbled and fell to the ground.
"Hum"
The great mountain rapidly expanded, like an ancient demon mountain descending upon the world, instantly suppressing everything.
The pressure was too great to bear. Those standing too close had blood oozing from their ears and noses, suffering a terrifying impact.
"Boom"
The blood river in the sky was instantly shaken apart. The great mountain was like the heavens themselves, vast and irresistible, with ten thousand jun of divine might, nearly capable of crushing a real mountain peak.
How could a flesh-and-blood body in the Dao Palace Secret Realm withstand this?
The cultivator from Quzhou changed expression, silently chanting incantations. The Nether Blood Demon Box enlarged and shot into the sky, meeting the mountain.
Blood waves rose nine layers high, each higher than the last, rolling toward the mountain and Ye Fan. At the same time, crimson blood mist, like blades and sword beams, swept toward Ye Fan.
Ye Fan gave a soft shout, pushing the Mountain-Embracing Seal to its limit. Then he hurled it forward. This was a terrifying scene—a flesh-and-blood body throwing a great mountain. Such momentum frightened people to the point their hearts and guts nearly split.
The force was too terrifying, pressing down as if the void itself was collapsing, rumbling loudly. The great mountain violently crashed into the blood box.
"Boom"
Blood light covered the sky. Storms raged wildly. The sky instantly became chaotic, like a chaotic zone, blurry and indistinct. Everywhere was surging energy and dazzling light.
"Crack"
The thrown mountain collapsed, and the blood box also shattered, both destroyed in midair, emitting a chilling aura.
"Rumble"
In the high heavens was a shocking scene. The Nether Blood Demon Box broke apart, extremely terrifying, destroying all obstacles.
Demon blood filled the sky. The shattered mountain collapsed. Wild storms swept the heavens, sending many people flying, even from just the residual waves.
"This is too terrifying!"
"How could a Nether Blood Demon Box refined by a generation of Demon Clan Great Power be shattered? Who is this person?"
"The Mountain-Embracing Seal is a Northern Domain ultimate art. Several great sects and holy lands have it recorded, but it shouldn't be enough to shatter a Demon King's treasure box."
"You're wrong. The Nether Blood Demon Box was destroyed by a human Great Power. This is just a remnant piece of material. Imagine how terrifying the real box was."
Even so, everyone was horrified. Such energy fluctuations were too threatening for cultivators in the Dao Palace Secret Realm, especially those below the third level of Dao Palace, who could hardly resist.
Yet the youth in the sky had thrown a mountain, smashing the demon box to pieces. It made people's hair stand on end!
"Who is he? Raising a hand and throwing a mountain..."
How powerful must he be? It was like he had the strength to pull up mountains and dominate the world, unstoppable!
In the sky, blood mist steamed. The Nether Blood, which could corrupt golden bodies and destroy precious physiques, couldn't harm Ye Fan at all. He refined it all.
His powerful physique was faintly visible in the mist, his flesh blooming with crystalline divine radiance. Everyone was dumbfounded.
"How can this be? My Nether Blood Treasure Box... destroyed..." The cultivator was utterly dejected. He had wanted to show off before the Ji Family disciple to enter the ancient aristocratic clan, but instead, his treasured artifact was brutally shattered.
"Is this... damn it... is he even human? Throwing a mountain?!" His lips trembled, whether from anger or fear.
"This is the Mountain-Embracing Seal, the ultimate art of a certain great sect from the past. After that sect fell, it spread out, and many sects obtained the secret technique." Ji Yunfeng's expression was grave.
Ye Fan gave a cold snort, diving down to kill the cultivator.
"Brother Ji, save me!" The cultivator's face changed color instantly. Even the treasure refined from a remnant piece of the Nether Blood Demon Box was destroyed. He was no match for Ye Fan.
"Don't worry. With me here, he can't touch you!" Ji Yunfeng was quite arrogant.
"What are you? If I want to kill someone, can you stop me?!" Ye Fan charged forward, divine light blazing from his brow.
"Not good!" Ji Yunfeng, as an extraordinary figure of the Ji Family's younger generation, instinctively sensed danger and rapidly retreated. This was "innate instinctive perception"—only a few cultivators possessed such spiritual awareness.
Ye Fan's powerful divine sense materialized, irresistible. A golden divine sword shot from his brow, directly cleaving the owner of the Nether Blood Demon Box in two, his corpse hanging in the void.
"You... who exactly are you?!" Ji Yunfeng roared.
He had just declared in front of everyone that he would protect that cultivator, yet Ye Fan charged over and killed him in one exchange. This was like a resounding slap to his face.
"I'll tell you. After today, the entire Northern Domain will know."
Ye Fan struck, immediately using the Mountain-Embracing Seal!
The great mountain spanned the sky, its momentum heavy and condensed, majestic and vast. It pressed down with fierce force, making the heavens tremble.
"Heaven-Severing Finger!" Ji Yunfeng shouted. His right hand extended, fingers like dragon shears, transparent as jade, severing toward the sky to meet the Mountain-Embracing Seal.