Chapter 295: Red Dragon Old Daoist
Purple Mountain stood majestic and grand, like a pillar propping up the heavens, rising on the endless red earth, displaying its imposing posture in full.
The old Daoist stood in the void, his back to Purple Mountain, facing the distance, and said, "You all come out too. Do I have to send each one of you off one by one?"
His eyes were a light gold, his body surface like copper skin, solid and powerful. His ancient Daoist robe fluttered, lacking the air of an immortal, instead resembling an undying, unparalleled demon king, sending chills down one's spine.
"Chi!"
Two golden threads shot from his eyes, and in the distant sky, five figures were forced into view, all looking disheveled. Clearly, the old Daoist had no intention of harming them, or else these people would have been in danger.
Among them were four old men, their ages so great that their teeth had almost all fallen out, and they were gaunt to the bone, practically skin and bones. Their heads were nearly bald, with only a few strands of hair left.
Ye Fan's heart tightened. He recognized these old men. He had seen them in the small world opened by the ancient sages—they were old subordinates of the Azure Dragon King, their lifespans nearly exhausted. He hadn't expected them to come here too.
There was also a middle-aged man in his thirties, tall and straight, with sword-like brows, sharp eyes, and a chiseled face full of heroic spirit. He was none other than Kong Teng, the senior disciple of the Peacock King.
"May I ask which senior you are?"
Several old demons, their lives nearing their end, held status and strength comparable to the supreme elders of the Holy Lands. Despite their great age, they were extremely uneasy and restless before the old Daoist.
The pressure the old Daoist gave off was immense. He didn't seem like a person at all, but rather a terrifying bottomless abyss. He spoke calmly, "The past has long since faded from memory."
"All of you, leave." The old Daoist said no more. With a sweep of his sleeve, gray mist surged into the sky, covering the heavens. With a rumble, everyone was swept away, vanishing at the horizon.
Among them, only Kong Teng was not sent flying. Chaotic light shimmered around him as he quickly fled into the distance.
"Chaotic Divine Light..." The old Daoist was somewhat surprised. He reached out a large hand and grabbed toward the void.
"Buzz"
The sky trembled, and Kong Teng, who had already fled far away, was instantly restrained and pulled back. His face changed color as he shouted, "Old Daoist, what do you mean?"
He had not only inherited the Peacock King's mystical arts but also shared some of his pride. Without fear, he struck back in resistance.
"Thud!"
Kong Teng flipped his hand, and a pitch-black seal appeared, shooting out ten thousand auspicious rays, striking toward the nearby old Daoist.
"Chaotic Stone!"
Ye Fan's heart leaped. Wasn't this the black stone from the Great Emperor's bedchamber? He hadn't expected it to fall into the hands of the Peacock King and his disciple.
As soon as this black seal appeared, the pressure in the area skyrocketed, suffocating. It rapidly grew larger, filling the sky, an endless black mass, creating an incredible force field that locked down the void.
"Boom"
Auspicious light cascaded down like the Milky Way hanging upside down, pressing down so heavily it was hard to breathe. Even a powerful cultivator caught in it would likely be crushed to dust.
But the old Daoist was unaffected, completely unafraid. He muttered to himself, "This is a strand of innate killing intent refined from Chaotic Stone."
"Ding"
He lightly tapped with his finger, and the black seal was instantly frozen, rapidly shrinking. He grabbed it, and it appeared in his palm in an instant.
"Bang"
The black stone seal shattered, turning into a mass of chaotic energy that swirled around the old Daoist's fingers.
Suddenly, a long roar sounded. Within the chaotic energy, a strand of fierce killing intent emerged. A five-colored peacock appeared, emitting blazing light, trying to shatter that palm.
"Younger brother, it's you!" The old Daoist showed a strange expression. His fingers shimmered with light, stabilizing the five-colored peacock.
"You are... Big Brother Red Dragon." The five-colored peacock was a strand of the Peacock King's divine will, residing in the chaotic energy to help his disciple when necessary.
In the distance, Ye Fan's heart shook. This old Daoist was the Peacock King's sworn elder brother—indeed, a figure of great origin.
"It's me. I've emerged again, and I didn't expect to run into you as soon as I came to the Northern Domain." The old Daoist nodded, releasing his grip on the chaotic energy and the five-colored peacock.
Beside them, Kong Teng was stunned. His master's elder brother—what kind of figure was that?
"Big Brother Red Dragon, where did you go? Why did you suddenly disappear fifteen hundred years ago? I thought you had fallen." The Peacock King asked.
Ye Fan was shocked. What kind of person was this? He had vanished for fifteen hundred years!
According to legend, the Peacock King had been cultivating for over two thousand years. This old Daoist probably had nearly three thousand years of Dao practice.
"It's a long story. I was trapped at Sacred Cliff and almost died there. Trapped for fifteen hundred years." The old Daoist sighed.
"Sacred Cliff? The legendary cliff stained black-red by the blood of a Great Accomplishment Primordial Saint Body?" The five-colored peacock showed surprise.
"I didn't find the blood of a Great Accomplishment Primordial Saint Body. Instead, I accidentally stumbled into an array inscribed by a Great Emperor and was nearly refined to death."
"Hahaha... I think Big Brother Red Dragon's skills are even deeper now. Surviving a great calamity brings great fortune." The black peacock laughed heartily.
"Fifteen hundred years of sitting in stillness finally brought some enlightenment. I'm a bit stronger than before." The old Daoist smiled and nodded.
"I always thought that anyone who could silently kill us brothers hasn't been born yet. How could Big Brother Red Dragon possibly fall?" The Peacock King laughed.
"Brother, you have great fortune. From that strand of innate killing intent you restrained, it seems you've obtained a natural Chaotic Treasure Seal. Holding it, the various Saint Lords will likely be worried."
"I just got it recently. I was planning to intercept and kill the Saint Lord of Yaoguang. Big Brother, come with me now. This time, I intend to destroy him!"
Indeed, the Chaotic Stone had been taken by the Peacock King. What had shattered earlier was merely a strand of Chaotic essence, not the main body of the treasure seal.
"Do we need to leave immediately?" The old Daoist very much wanted to return to the Stone Stockade, because the stone materials there had startled him, possibly containing what he needed.
"Yes, right away." The Peacock King's divine will transformed into a graceful sixteen- or seventeen-year-old youth. "I had the demon cultivators come here to lure the Saint Lord of Yaoguang, who is in this area, and prepare to ambush him on the way. He should have received the news by now. We'd better move quickly."
"Good, I'll go with you." After saying this, the Red Dragon old Daoist swept his gaze around, lightly shook his sleeve, and dozens of figures, including Ye Fan, were revealed.
Most were local minor cultivators who had come to investigate the commotion. Now they were trembling in fear. Those who dared to kill a Saint Lord were few under heaven.
"You'd better leave quickly. This is not a place for you to meddle." The Red Dragon old Daoist glanced at them indifferently.
"Big Brother Red Dragon, we haven't seen each other for fifteen hundred years. Let's talk on the way!"
Light flashed, and the Red Dragon Daoist and the Peacock King vanished in an instant. Kong Teng also departed swiftly.
"So those who can rival Saint Lords are this terrifying, sending chills down one's spine..." Ye Fan muttered to himself.
Every time he saw someone of this level act, he gained new understanding. The more he learned, the more he realized how fearsome the various Saint Lords were.
The Big Black Dog appeared on the horizon, running over like a streak of black light, cursing, "Let's get out of here fast. This ruthless man makes this emperor feel immense danger."
They quickly returned to the Stone Stockade. By then, Wang Shu and the others had also returned. Time was tight. To leave quickly, Ye Fan discussed with the group and took them into the Jade Purification Vase.
Then, he summoned his cauldron and stood in the sky, taking in all the stones with a rumble, even pulling up the foundations.
The stone materials the Red Dragon Daoist had his eye on were definitely extraordinary. If not for this old Daoist, who knew how many years it would have taken to uncover the secrets of these stone artifacts.
Including the stone roller, stone mortar, foundation stones, and a large pile of other stones, everything went into the cauldron. The area suddenly became much barer.
At the same time, Black Emperor finished carving the Dao patterns. They directly crossed the void, putting distance between themselves and this place.
Half a month later, Ye Fan appeared in Quzhou and found Tu Fei, asking him to help settle these people.
As soon as they met, Tu Fei rushed over excitedly, saying, "Where's that furnace? Take it out and let me see it."
Ever since he learned that the Golden Wing Little Peng King, the Holy Son Yao Guang, and Yao Xi had been suppressed, he couldn't wait to find Ye Fan and see for himself.
Ye Fan, unable to shake him off, took out the furnace and let him examine it closely.
"Haha..." Tu Fei laughed loudly, holding it in his hand, shaking it back and forth, and transmitting his voice into the furnace, "Holy Son Yao Guang, Yao Xi, how are you? I've been thinking of you."
"Bang"
The Li Fire Divine Furnace shook violently, bulging out from a hit, rattling Tu Fei's ears.
"Can this broken furnace hold them?" He slapped it hard, shaking the people inside as well.
Ye Fan took it back and said, "It can suppress them for a year or two, no problem. Hurry up and find me a place to settle the people of the Stone Stockade."
In the end, Tu Fei led him to a place called Haozhou. This oasis, spanning several thousand li in radius, was a fairly large territory belonging to his grandfather.
Settling a few dozen households was no issue at all. They could find a scenic spot with mountains and water, much better than the original Stone Stockade.
"I say, you don't have to move stones when you move house, do you?" Tu Fei was dumbfounded.
Because a huge pile of stones, like a small mountain, looked completely ordinary, with nothing special about them.
The people of the Stone Stockade were very satisfied with this scenic place. Since they had purchased plenty of supplies in advance, they lacked nothing and only needed to build houses.
The villagers worked with enthusiasm, building new homes with great energy.
Ye Fan went straight into seclusion. Ten thousand catties of Source was enough for him to enter the third level of the Dao Palace.
For an entire month, he remained in an ethereal state, his body undergoing wondrous changes.
The *Western Emperor Scripture* was incredibly profound. Ye Fan silently circulated it, experiencing all sorts of wonders. During this month, he heard the chanting of the "Past Self" from within.
Inside the Dao Palace, it was as if Zen chants and ancient sacrificial sounds pierced through time, drifting in from afar. Though living in the present, there was an "I" living in the past. Some believed that was the "Past Self" chanting scriptures for the present life.
Of course, many didn't accept this view. The top figures believed it was the "Dao Self"—one's own Dao-nature capturing the traces of the Dao and resonating with the world's great Dao.
Whether called the "Past Self" or the "Dao Self," for this month, it stirred heaven and earth, nourishing the life master, making the present "I" immortal.
During this month, within Ye Fan's Dao Palace, the five energies coiled like dragons, swirling and dancing. He listened to the sound of the great Dao, his body shining, continuously transforming.
After the thirtieth day, the heart method recorded in the *Western Emperor Scripture* stopped circulating. Heavenly essence crazily rushed down, completely flooding Ye Fan's secluded place.
This lasted for three full days. With a "boom," rocks flew into the air. Ye Fan stood up tall, two dragon-shaped divine beams shooting from his eyes.
His black hair hung loose as he stood upright, his body filled with immense power. He felt as if one punch could kill a dragon, with inexhaustible strength within him!