Chapter 273: A Toad Lusting After a Swan
"You must not get distracted—the old demon hasn't been destroyed yet!" Black Emperor warned.
The power of the All Secret among the Nine Secrets manifested, causing Ye Fan's divine thoughts to surge like an ocean. He transformed into a three-legged, two-eared round cauldron, as if merging with heaven and earth, bearing the imprint of the Great Dao.
"You can't maintain this state forever. Seal him into my Golden Divine Bell, and I guarantee he'll be eternally imprisoned!" the big black dog suggested.
Ye Fan joined forces with Black Emperor to seal the severely wounded old demon inside the divine bell, suppressing him within.
"One divine bell alone isn't quite enough. Add another weapon refined by a Great Power to suppress him... only then can we securely seal him."
Ye Fan returned to his true form, grabbed the divine lotus in his hand, and let his divine thoughts surge out like a golden river, repeatedly washing over this seemingly delicate weapon, completely erasing the original owner's imprint.
"This is a divine lotus refined by a Great Power, the true body of a descendant of the Demon Emperor. It's a rare weapon." Black Emperor's eyes gleamed.
"Do you dare take it out and use it? You'd be hunted down by the entire Demon Clan across the world!" Ye Fan warned, lest the big black dog give in to greed.
"Swish"
Ye Fan held the azure lotus and gently swept it, striking the golden bell. The divine bell trembled, emitting a lingering, melodious tone.
Only then did Ye Fan let out a long breath and say, "Alright, two weapons are enough to suppress him. After we rescue Pang Bo, we'll decide how to deal with him."
"Pang Bo, where are you?"
"Over here..." From the depths of his consciousness, Pang Bo's voice came.
After searching for a moment, a glowing cage appeared ahead, entirely forged from divine thought power. Pang Bo's original divine sense was bound by silver chains.
"Ye Fan..." Pang Bo laughed, tears streaming down his face.
Ye Fan felt a pang of bitterness in his heart. For these past few years, Pang Bo had been imprisoned, living a life without light.
"All of this is over. I'm getting you out!" Ye Fan struck out, severing the cage and tearing apart the silver divine thought chains.
Half an hour later, Ye Fan and Black Emperor rushed out of this physical body, and Pang Bo regained control of his body.
The place was filled with towering ancient trees, though not too dense. Several pavilions stood, with flowing water and hanging old vines, all natural and lively.
"These past few years have been utterly dark and chaotic. Most of the time, I was forced to cultivate. My only joy was cursing that old demon..."
Pang Bo was an optimistic person, rarely given to melancholy, and quickly adjusted.
From their conversation, Ye Fan learned that the old demon had initially coexisted with Pang Bo, unable to do much to him. But upon arriving here and discovering the Immortal Palace, everything changed.
Especially with the help of two Great Powers, Azure Dragon King and Peacock King, the old demon, whose lifespan was nearly exhausted, gained a new chance at life.
Half a year ago, the old demon took control of the body, and his divine sense power grew stronger and stronger.
"We come from the other end of the starry sky. That secret was learned by the old demon."
Ye Fan was startled. "What..."
"That's exactly why I survived," Pang Bo sighed.
The old demon placed great importance on the other end of the starry sky, especially matters concerning ancient China.
For Pang Bo, these past few years had been both a torment and a trial.
Initially, coexisting with the old demon and being oppressed by a Great Power, his cultivation progress was astonishing. Later, when the old demon took control, his progress could only be described as terrifying.
After all, he was a figure at the level of a Demon Clan Great Power. With a powerful physical body, he resumed his cultivation path at a breakneck pace.
"Damn it, now I don't even know if I'm human or demon. That old bastard has wrecked my body beyond recognition."
"Jingle, jingle"
The big black dog came running over with its bald tail held high, as strong as a bull, with a small golden bell hanging from its neck, producing a pleasant sound.
Ye Fan stared at the bell, wanting to laugh. He rubbed his chin, pondering—this big dog seemed to have a significant background.
"This dog is huge!" Pang Bo exclaimed.
Seeing both of them staring at it, the big black dog bared its teeth and said, "What are you looking at? Seeing how majestic and strong I, the Emperor, am, are you jealous?"
"This big dog is several times bigger than that Tibetan mastiff you used to keep."
"Damn it, I'm not his pet. I'm planning to take him as a human pet instead." The big black dog's face darkened.
Ye Fan's forehead broke out in black lines. "Go cool off somewhere!"
"Kid, you're burning the bridge after crossing the river." The big black dog was very displeased. The battle with the old demon had cost it dearly, and it would take months of recovery to get back on its feet.
"This isn't a place to talk. Let's leave quickly." Ye Fan stood up.
"I can't go with you," Pang Bo shook his head.
"Are you worried?" Ye Fan asked.
"If I leave, the Demon Clan will hunt you down across the world. Your situation will be very bad," Pang Bo explained.
For now, his life was safe, and he could leave on his own later, but it wasn't suitable to go now.
"I know everything about the old demon. They won't find any flaws. From now on, I'll be a member of the Demon Clan," Pang Bo insisted on staying.
Ye Fan sent the big black dog away and began a private discussion with him.
After a long time, laughter from both of them echoed through the forest.
"This is good too. One of us in the Human Clan, one in the Demon Clan, we can support each other in the future."
"In a few months, I can move around openly and help you take down one or two Holy Sons."
"Sooner or later, we'll find a way back."
Not far away, the big black dog curled its lip. "Damn it, these two kids are no good. They'll definitely be troublemakers in the future."
Pang Bo indeed couldn't leave, or it would cause chaos here. But from now on, he was free, possessing the Demon Emperor's ancient scripture, and the future was wide open for him.
"Have you finished scheming? If you don't leave soon, you might alert others," the big black dog urged impatiently.
"Leave the azure lotus behind." Ye Fan took the weapon and handed it to Pang Bo. With a flash of green light, it disappeared into his body.
The big black dog reluctantly said, "A rare treasure, and it pains my heart!"
Ye Fan said, "Let's work together to dissolve the old demon, or there will be big trouble later."
"No need to turn him to ashes. Suppressing him is enough," the big black dog stopped him.
In the end, the three of them acted together to suppress the old demon in the Golden Divine Bell.
In truth, even without sealing, the old demon couldn't cause much trouble. The "Spirit Wound" from the Demon Emperor's Nine Slashes had struck himself, leaving him severely injured.
Ye Fan and Black Emperor withdrew from the Immortal Palace, smoothly passed through the meteorite forest, and erased all traces and aura.
The big black dog had a mysterious origin, capable of breaking even the Dao patterns laid down by Great Powers, so leaving without leaving clues was easy.
The Star Stone, Divine Blood Earth, and others were almost spent, and the half-square of Source was nearly depleted—a truly extravagant waste.
In the dead of night, all was silent.
On the mountaintop, ancient pines stood tall and lush, with spring water murmuring through the forest.
Ye Fan silently returned to his room. That night, he slept deeply, having resolved a worry in his heart, and his entire body relaxed.
At dawn, the great fireball rose slowly, and morning light streamed in through the window. After washing up, Ye Fan was full of energy and began considering his departure.
The big black dog walked in listlessly, looking exhausted, muttering curses. It had spent the whole night without obtaining the Demon Emperor's ancient scripture.
After breakfast, Ye Fan went to find Tu Fei to discuss leaving soon for the Yao Chi Gathering.
"I say, Little Leaf, why the rush?" Tu Fei was reluctant to leave, having grown close to a female demon and not wanting to go.
"Do you want to miss the Yao Chi Gathering? Holy Sons and Holy Maidens from all Holy Lands will be there, and Golden Wing Little Peng King and other Demon Clan figures will also appear. It's not to be missed."
"What's the hurry? We'll go with Princess Yan when the time comes. There's still time—Yao Chi postponed the gathering for some reason," Tu Fei said, unwilling to leave.
Ye Fan felt a bit uneasy. The old demon he had suppressed last night was definitely a clansman of Yan Ruyu, but he had no choice. To save Pang Bo, this was the only way.
"Black Emperor, don't burn that old demon to ashes. When I'm strong enough in the future, I'll decide how to deal with him," Ye Fan transmitted secretly.
"Damn it, I'd like to, but this damned old demon has fused with my divine bell!" Black Emperor cursed.
"Little Leaf, want to visit the Demon City?" Tu Fei spoke up.
"If you're going on a date with a demon, I'd just be in the way," Ye Fan said with a smile, shaking his head.
"It seems you're determined to leave. How about this: in two days, we'll leave together. I need to find Li Heishui, Liu Kou, and Jiang Huairen."
"Alright, I'll wait two more days." Ye Fan didn't want to leave abruptly and arouse suspicion from the Demon Clan.
Before leaving, he took Black Emperor's advice and decided to gather some materials in Demon City for carving Dao patterns, which might come in handy.
Demon City was ancient and weathered, standing for eight hundred years. Though not large, it had many old shops.
Ye Fan collected many precious materials, but the prices were steep. Tu Fei walked ahead with a female demon, acting intimately without any pretense.
"Hey, you two, take it easy, will you? Don't treat us like air," Black Emperor spoke up.
The female demon chuckled. "What a temperamental dog. You can already speak, so why haven't you transformed?"
Ye Fan noticed that some Demon Clan members looked at him with strange eyes. He felt he really needed to leave.
Before long, Qin Yao appeared, walking gracefully, her limbs soft like a celestial willow swaying in the wind.
"Why are you in Demon City again? Many eyes are on you," Qin Yao gave Ye Fan a sidelong glance, her eyes shimmering with a hint of allure.
"Sister Qin Yao..." A young demon girl smiled sweetly, her features charming, wearing a golden feathered robe as she walked over lightly.
"Don't walk with Sister Qin Yao!" Ye Fan heard this warning. The girl was secretly transmitting to him, a cold glint in her eyes.
But when facing Qin Yao, she smiled sweetly, showing no such hostility.
Ye Fan smiled and transmitted back, asking, "Why?"
"Have you heard the saying about a toad lusting after a swan?" the girl transmitted disdainfully, holding her head high.
Ye Fan was baffled, not knowing how he had offended this girl. He transmitted, "Little girl, you're meddling too much!"
The demon girl said coldly, "If you truly care for Sister Qin Yao, stay away from her and don't get too close. You're a naturally crippled body, forever stuck at the Dao Palace Secret Realm, never becoming a true strong one. You're not worthy of Sister Qin Yao."
Ye Fan was speechless. He rubbed his chin and said, "What exactly are you after?"
"Brother Golden Feather, Brother Bitter Bamboo, Brother White Phoenix—they're all geniuses at the fifth level of Dao Palace. They're worthy of Sister Qin Yao. In the Southern Domain, it was one thing, but in the Northern Domain, are you still dreaming of a toad eating a swan? Stop dreaming!" the demon girl said mercilessly.
"So you're sticking up for those three toads. But little girl, you're overstepping your bounds!" Ye Fan said sternly.
They weren't speaking aloud, only transmitting, so no one else knew.
"For your whole life, you'll be stuck at the Dao Palace Secret Realm. Even if you're invincible at the same level, to geniuses above the Four Extremes Secret Realm, a crippled body like yours is useless. So stop clinging to Sister Qin Yao. If you truly care for her, leave and don't drag her down."