Chapter 290: Suppressed for One Year
“Boundless… his mother’s Heavenly Venerable! Whose dog is this…” Duan De grimaced, howling in pain as he frantically shook his arm.
But he simply couldn’t shake off Black Emperor. The big black dog opened its gaping maw, big enough to swallow a millstone whole, and bit down with all its might.
“Ah!” “Ah!” “Ah!”…
“Woof!” “Woof!” “Woof!”…
Both Duan De and the big black dog were yelling—one from piercing pain, the other from the effort of biting. One wanted to break free, the other refused to let go.
Black Emperor’s true body was enormous. The massive head it had thrust out from the cauldron was ferocious, savagely biting Duan De, nearly swallowing half his body.
“Clang!”
The big black dog’s massive paws suddenly pinned down the broken bowl on Duan De’s head. Abruptly abandoning the unscrupulous Taoist’s arm, it clamped its jaws around the bowl and pulled back with all its strength.
It was never one to suffer a loss. Even though it had deliberately given away the beast-hide ancient scroll, it felt it shouldn’t let the other party off cheaply. Seeing treasure, it took a liking to it and wanted to snatch Duan De’s divine object for itself.
“Unscrupulous… Heavenly Venerable, this is infuriating!” He was always the one robbing others of their treasures. Today, not only was he bitten by a dog, but he was also being robbed by one. Duan De’s nose was practically twisted with anger.
The broken bowl trembled slightly, immediately releasing a terrifying killing force. Black Emperor was startled, and a golden bell rushed out from its divine sense, jingling as it shook.
At the same time, Ye Fan acted to help, urging his own cauldron to strike at the virtue-lacking Taoist.
But that broken bowl still sent chills down one’s spine, containing unimaginable and terrifying power, though it hadn’t fully unleashed it.
The big black dog’s heart skipped a beat. A crack split open on its forehead, and its third vertical eye opened, shooting a black light that pierced toward Duan De’s sea of consciousness.
Ye Fan also sensed the danger. Without a word, a golden sword an inch long shot out from the golden lake between his brows, slashing at Duan De’s forehead bone.
Both the big black dog’s golden bell and Ye Fan’s cauldron were blocked by the broken bowl; physical attacks had little effect.
But the soul attack was too sudden. Duan De cried out, struck on the spot, and staggered backward.
“Woof!” “Woof!” “Woof!”…
The dog’s bark shook the heavens. The big black dog suddenly rushed out of the cauldron, pounced onto the bowl, protected itself with the golden bell, clung to the broken bowl with claws that wouldn’t let go, and at the same time, its powerful soul surged like a tidal wave.
“Not good, fall back!” Ye Fan shouted in a low voice. This bowl was no ordinary thing; it gave a terrifying feeling. He feared the big black dog might come to harm.
Just before retreating, Black Emperor bit half of Duan De’s body, tearing his Taoist robe to shreds, then turned into a black light and shot back into Ye Fan’s cauldron.
The unscrupulous Taoist was bitten badly. His Taoist robe was tattered, making him look like a beggar. His body was covered in dog bite marks—he couldn’t have been more miserable.
“Boundless Heavenly Venerable, dammit, this Taoist was bitten by a dog!”
“Boundless Beginningless, dammit, this Emperor bit a bull-nosed Taoist!” Black Emperor retorted sharply.
“Where did this dog demon come from?” The unscrupulous Taoist looked disgusted. Staring at the dog bite marks all over his body, he felt like eating black dog meat on the spot. This was the first time he had suffered such a loss.
“Whose bull-nosed Taoist wasn’t tied up?” The big black dog also looked displeased, howling loudly.
The virtue-lacking Taoist’s nose nearly twisted in anger. “This Taoist wants to say the same—whose dog wasn’t tied up?!”
“This Emperor hasn’t finished yet—whose bull-nosed Taoist ran out?!” The big black dog bared its teeth.
Everyone present was dumbfounded. These two fellows were truly a piece of work, leaving people at a loss for words.
Ye Fan, however, wanted to laugh out loud. This damn fatty never suffered a loss; he had robbed Ye Fan of many things. Later, he was thrown into the Demon Emperor’s Yin Tomb by the various Sacred Lords, yet he still bounced out alive and well. It was rare to see him get the short end of the stick today.
“Forget it, this Emperor can’t be bothered to stoop to your level.” Having gained enough advantage, Black Emperor finally put on an air of indifference.
The unscrupulous Taoist pointed at Black Emperor, about to say something, but Ye Fan interrupted him.
“Taoist, what do you mean by this?” Ye Fan deliberately put on a stern face, looking at Duan De with ill intent. “Although we have some friendship, scheming against an old acquaintance like this—can you justify it?”
“Boundless Heavenly Venerable, this Taoist was afraid that Brother Ye might suffer a loss. With so many people eyeing you covetously, I was merely keeping the ancient scroll safe for you. When the time comes, will you be shortchanged?”
“Fatty, such greed will bring you retribution.” Ye Fan didn’t say much more. His face showed displeasure, but inwardly he was laughing heartily.
Duan De could move freely within the force field formed by the Chaos Stone; the field couldn’t hold him. That pitch-black, shabby broken bowl emitted faint ripples that neutralized the confinement.
Black Emperor transmitted a message to Ye Fan. “There must be something extraordinary inside that broken bowl. It looks sealed. He doesn’t want to expose it. Truly unimaginable.”
Ye Fan nodded in agreement. He didn’t want to truly fall out and fight with this damn fatty. This guy was deeply hidden; who knew how many trump cards he had.
The others were also shocked, unable to guess what kind of rare treasure Duan De possessed, but it was certainly astonishing.
“Swish”
With a flash of light, Duan De withdrew from the Chaos Stone’s force field, landed on the ground, and tucked the ancient scroll into his bosom.
Everyone stared at him, especially the Holy Sons and Holy Maidens suspended in midair. They were all extremely unwilling. It wasn’t that their cultivation was weak, but they lacked rare treasures and were bound here with no way out.
“Is Taoist Duan thinking of leaving?” Yan Ruyu moved gracefully, looking at him with a faint smile.
Facing the Demon Clan Princess wielding an Extreme Imperial Weapon, Duan De was on high alert, his expression shifting unpredictably.
“Dong!”
On the Chaos Stone, the Li Fire Divine Furnace trembled. The three people sealed inside refused to sit idly and await death, exerting all their strength to break free. Holy Son Yao Guang, Golden Wing Little Peng King, and Yao Xi were no ordinary mortals.
Ye Fan secretly transmitted a message. “Black Emperor, can you help me seal this furnace? Even if we leave the Chaos Stone, ensure they can’t break out.”
“That’s difficult…” Black Emperor frowned. “This broken furnace, though sturdy, is a bit strange. I’m afraid it’s impossible to engrave Dao patterns on it.”
“Think carefully. See if there’s a way.” Ye Fan felt pressed for time; he probably didn’t have the chance to refine these three.
“Engraving Dao patterns requires a large amount of precious materials. In such a short time, where would we find them? There’s no way.” Black Emperor shook his head.
“Materials…” Suddenly, Ye Fan had an idea. He thought of the secret method in the *Dao Scripture*—just a few strokes, with limited content. But he had studied it seriously. He had once used that forbidden technique—using an artifact to seal oneself, achieving “eternity.”
“The nine mysterious ancient characters require no other precious materials. Just engraving them on the artifact can achieve sealing!”
Ye Fan acted quickly. This time, of course, it wasn’t to seal himself, but to seal the three great experts.
“Black Emperor, help me guard!” His expression was solemn. Unable to refine the three experts here, he planned to completely seal them.
“Rumble”
Suddenly, violent tremors came from outside the hall. Someone was forcibly pulling out the banners Ye Fan had set up, about to break in. All the Holy Sons and Holy Maidens showed joy, believing their people had arrived.
“Not good…” Ye Fan calmed himself, his mind empty and serene, as he carved marks onto the Li Fire Divine Furnace.
His expression was extremely serious. Using his mind as a brush, he carved an unrecognizable ancient character onto the furnace lid, stroke by stroke, utterly focused, briefly forgetting everything outside.
“Swish”
With a flash of light, the first mark was completed. He pressed it into the furnace lid, but he didn’t dare relax. He didn’t know if this strange furnace would erase such imprints, given its freakish self-recovery ability.
“No sign of disappearing. It seems it can be preserved.” He felt a surge of joy.
“You… can carve such things?!” The big black dog had just witnessed the character and was extremely shocked.
“Is there something special about it?” Ye Fan asked.
“These are ‘characters’ only understood by Great Emperors, the ‘veins and patterns’ of heaven and earth. As for the specifics, outsiders find it hard to comprehend.” Black Emperor stared at Ye Fan. “How many characters do you know? You must teach me when the time comes.”
Ye Fan’s heart skipped a beat, but he didn’t say much. He quickly calmed his emotions, steadied his mind, and began carving again.
“Swish”
Light flickered. The second ancient character, the third ancient character… He carved seven characters in a row. The furnace lid suddenly became hazy, firmly sealing the furnace.
But the others didn’t notice all this. Everyone was focused on Duan De, since he had obtained the ancient scroll.
“Boom”
Outside the Great Emperor’s bedchamber, many people were attacking. Hundreds of banners were pulled out one by one. With a final violent tremor, over a dozen people walked in.
These people looked to be between their thirties and forties, but their true ages were unknown. They all moved with ease, their expressions calm, clearly extraordinary in bearing.
Among them, one wore a multicolored feather robe. He was naturally proud and extremely extraordinary, with sword-like brows slanting into his temples. His eyes swept over the people in the hall, finally fixing two sharp beams of light on Ji Haoyue.
“Kong Teng, what do you intend to do?” someone beside him demanded.
Everyone in the hall was greatly shocked. Who was Kong Teng? He was Peacock King’s true disciple, inheriting Peacock King’s supreme mystical arts, with unfathomable strength.
In the past, it was he who had chased Ji Haoyue in the Southern Domain until he had no way to heaven and no door to earth, nearly dying outside.
“Don’t worry, I won’t make a move here. After all, you have many people, while our Demon Clan has only a few here.” Kong Teng replied coldly.
Everyone drew in a cold breath. None of the dozen or so middle-aged men were pushovers. They were all extraordinary figures from various Holy Lands, half a generation to a full generation older than the young people present.
“Swish,” “Swish”
With continuous flashes of light, Ye Fan finally carved the last two characters into the furnace lid, completely sealing the Li Fire Divine Furnace. He let out a long breath.
“Taoist Duan…” Kong Teng swept his gaze over the Chaos Stone a few times, then fixed his eyes on Duan De.
The dozen or so people who entered with him all had impressive backgrounds, their status no less than his. They were all prodigies from the previous generation of various Holy Lands, and they too stared at Duan De.
“Everything can be discussed…” Duan De gave a forced smile, taking out the ancient scroll.
“Senior Brother, please make a move and rescue the Holy Son and Holy Maiden!” A disciple of Yaoguang stepped forward, respectfully bowing to a middle-aged man.
This man appeared to be about thirty-seven or thirty-eight, tall and slender, with thick eyebrows and large eyes. He was heroic and awe-inspiring, making people involuntarily revere him, like an Immortal King.
Many present changed color, instantly recognizing who this was. This was Yaoguang’s Chu Lingkong, who had almost been chosen as Holy Son back in the day.
“Is that so? Someone has captured both my Yaoguang’s Holy Maiden and Holy Son at once?!” Chu Lingkong’s eyes were as deep as the ocean, looking toward the midair.
Ye Fan remained calm, sitting cross-legged on the Chaos Stone, still forming hand seals to stoke the fire, refining the three prodigies in the furnace. He spoke calmly, “I intend to suppress them for one year. When the time is up, I will release them back to their Holy Lands.”
Everyone’s expression changed. A small cultivator in the Dao Palace Secret Realm dared to suppress the Holy Lands’ successors. If this spread, it would surely shock the world.
He actually dared to say such words. Not a single person from the various Holy Lands was not astonished.
This was a monster. They had heard his name more or less before, but the prodigies of the Holy Lands hadn’t paid him any mind. Today, they would be forced to remember that name.