Chapter 356: The Divine Might of the Primordial Saint Body
Several years had passed, and Jiang Yichen had transformed from a sixteen or seventeen-year-old youth into a young man in his twenties. Dressed in green robes, he carried an air of arrogance.
Beneath him sat a cyan-colored strange beast, resembling a lion-tiger hybrid. Its long, clean cyan fur shimmered like jade, crystal clear, and atop its head grew a single jade horn that radiated a Five-Colored Divine Radiance.
This five-colored beast walked through the air, not truly stepping on the snowy ground, hovering a foot above the surface, majestic and extraordinary.
Ye Fan remained expressionless, stowing away the Divine Source he had intended to give to Little Tingting, concealing it within his body. The beast on the street was too unusual—it possessed a spirit-linked jade horn capable of sensing divine objects.
Back then, it was precisely because this beast had sensed the supreme treasure on him that it had sparked Jiang Yichen's greed and murderous intent, nearly costing Ye Fan his life.
"I'll have some drinks here." Jiang Yichen dismounted from his steed, forcefully pushed open the door, and strode in with a burst of cold air.
"We wanted to choose this place too, but they said they were closed for business," one of the men behind him remarked, glancing at Little Tingting.
"Closed for business in the middle of the day? If you don't want to do business, why open a shop!" Jiang Yichen said coldly. In just a few years, he had already developed a formidable presence.
"That's true, but they insisted on saying so. It's a tavern run by the grandfather of a little genius from the clan," another person said with a laugh, clearly trying to stir up trouble.
Only then did Jiang Yichen look around the room, sweeping his gaze over Old Man Jiang and Ye Fan before fixing his eyes on Little Tingting. "So it's you."
"Hello, Brother Yichen," Little Tingting called out, her tender face tilted upward, her voice crisp and clear.
"Hmph."
Jiang Yichen responded with a faint, indifferent grunt, paying her little heed. He sat down at a table, flipped through the menu, and began ordering dishes directly.
"Brother Yichen, we're closed for business today," Little Tingting explained, her small face raised.
Even though they were both descendants of the same lineage of the Divine King Jiang Taixu, Jiang Yichen showed no warmth toward Little Tingting. He was cold and almost dismissive.
Ye Fan observed this and sighed inwardly. This man was indeed cold-natured by nature.
Years ago, when searching for Old Man Jiang and his granddaughter in a small town in the Southern Domain, Jiang Yifei and Jiang Caixuan had been exceptionally polite and sincere in their invitation.
But back then, Jiang Yichen had already displayed a disdainful attitude, looking down on everything and showing no regard for the grandfather and granddaughter.
It was easy to imagine that after entering the Jiang family, he had never shown them any kindness or warmth over the years—it had always been this way.
Jiang Yichen ordered over a dozen dishes, then set down the menu and said, "Alright, I've ordered. Go make it quickly."
"We're not open for business today," Little Tingting said softly.
"If you're not open, why run a shop?" Jiang Yichen glanced at her, then turned to Old Man Jiang. "Why aren't you moving yet?"
Ye Fan wanted to slap him. This man was not distantly related to Old Man Jiang by blood—he should have called him "Grandfather"—yet he was ordering him around like a servant.
Tingting knew well that she couldn't afford to provoke Jiang Yichen. His status in the Jiang family was very high, and few among the younger generation dared to oppose him.
The Jiang family was divided into two major branches: one was the family's Saint Lord lineage, at its peak, and the other was the descendants of the Divine King Jiang Taixu, all of whom were powerful.
Jiang Yichen was a descendant of Jiang Taixu and had a formidable grandfather. At the same time, he was very close to the Saint Lord lineage. Among the younger generation, aside from a few like Jiang Yifei, no one could control him.
"Brother Yichen..." Little Tingting said softly, looking up at him.
"Don't call me brother," Jiang Yichen interrupted her coldly, then said to Old Man Jiang, "What are you standing there for?"
Family bonds, blood ties—none of it mattered in Jiang Yichen's eyes. All he had was contempt and disdain.
"If you open a shop, you do business. Hurry up," someone chimed in.
"Yeah, go serve the food. We're giving you money," another person teased.
But the others didn't dare go too far. Their status wasn't as high as Jiang Yichen's, and if something went wrong, they would be the ones punished by the family.
"Alright, please wait a moment. I'll go cook right away." Old Man Jiang pulled Little Tingting aside, not letting her say more. He was afraid his granddaughter would suffer.
Suddenly, a long howl came from outside the town. Jiang Yichen and the others all stood up and rushed out immediately.
"Tingting, Old Man, let me take you away," Ye Fan said, his heart unsettled after witnessing everything.
"That won't work. Leaving the Jiang family without permission is a grave crime. We'd be hunted down across the world," Little Tingting shook her head. "Actually, it's not so bad. Besides Jiang Yichen, Brother Yifei and Sister Caixuan are very good to me."
The child was cheerful and optimistic, remembering only those who treated her well, ignoring the unpleasantness and gossip.
Ye Fan thought for a moment, then nodded without insisting further. He had many ways to solve the grandfather and granddaughter's problems. If all else failed, he could directly inform the Ninth Great Bandit, Jiang Yi—Jiang Zhe's younger brother and Old Man Jiang's uncle.
"I think Old Man Jiang isn't suited to live here. Didn't the Divine King Jiang Taixu's lineage build you a mansion in a large city?"
"Grandfather says he's not used to it and feels less free there," Little Tingting replied.
Ye Fan smiled. "Old Man Jiang is just getting older and afraid of loneliness. That's easy to fix. Invite some elderly people of the same age to live there, and he'll get used to it."
After Ye Fan's persuasion, Old Man Jiang nodded. Indeed, as Ye Fan said, when people grow old, they often feel lonely and don't want to live alone in a large, deep courtyard.
That same day, Little Tingting took Old Man Jiang to a neighboring city, offering free lodging and meals to some lonely elderly people, who naturally agreed.
Ye Fan didn't show himself; everything was done by Little Tingting. He didn't want to attract attention, which would bring trouble to the grandfather and granddaughter.
"Big Brother, when will you come see Tingting again?" Little Tingting's eyes were red, reluctant to part.
"It won't be long. I'll visit you often." Ye Fan smiled and patted her head.
He sealed the Divine Source and handed it to Little Tingting, then turned and strode away without heading to the mansion.
"Big Brother, take care..." Little Tingting waved her small hand, her eyes red.
"Tingting, cultivate well. I'll find you an Earthly Life Fruit." Ye Fan blinked and vanished from sight.
In truth, he hadn't left. He continued walking through this region.
He sighed inwardly. Jiang Yichen was indeed quite calculating—he had even stationed people to watch outside Old Man Jiang's mansion.
When the mansion was built years ago, these people had already appeared there, waiting like a trap for him to show up.
Jiang Yichen knew about his relationship with the grandfather and granddaughter, knew he was a Primordial Saint Body, and instead of searching for him in the outside world, he had quietly set up this chess move.
Although Old Man Jiang hadn't lived there before, the mansion was well-known. Anyone who asked the outer disciples of the Jiang family would learn of it.
"This Jiang Yichen really can't forget me. He was sure I'd come here one day. It's just that, by a twist of fate, I met Old Man Jiang and the others ahead of time."
Ye Fan sneered, carrying the God-Slaying Whip on his back as he walked into a frozen plain. He had already learned that Jiang Yifei had a palace outside.
Heavy snow fell like goose feathers, turning the world white. Ye Fan stood silently on the frozen plain for seven days, not approaching the palace, just waiting on the only path.
On the ninth day, over a dozen riders appeared in the distance, all on strange beasts, breaking through the heavy snow and roaring through the air.
The leader was Jiang Yichen, all of them experts. The weakest was at the fourth heaven of the Dao Palace Secret Realm, with several at the Four Extremes Secret Realm.
Ye Fan revealed his true form, not hiding his face, carrying the God-Slaying Whip on his back, standing silently in the wind and snow, staring at them.
Although several years had passed and Ye Fan's appearance had changed slightly, Jiang Yichen recognized him at a glance.
"It's you!" His expression changed instantly.
"That's right, it's me!" Ye Fan had deliberately decided to strike here for Little Tingting and Old Man Jiang, waiting a full nine days.
"I understand now. The person I saw in that small tavern the other day was you! If not for the unexpected change that day, we wouldn't be facing each other only now, heh!"
He was ruthless and sharp-witted, making the connection immediately.
"You there, attack! Kill him and seize the Primordial Qi Cauldron for me!"
Instantly, seven figures charged forward, surrounding Ye Fan. One was at the fourth heaven of the Dao Palace, three at the fifth heaven, and the remaining three at the first heaven of the Four Extremes Secret Realm.
Ye Fan said nothing. Today, he was here specifically for this ambush. With his hands behind his back, he stood calmly, his composure at odds with his somewhat youthful face.
"Kill!"
The seven struck simultaneously, unleashing seven types of magical artifacts—divine lamps, ancient cauldrons—their radiance flickering, covering the sky with terrifying power.
"Ha!"
Ye Fan let out a great roar, shaking the entire plain. The distant snowy mountains instantly triggered a massive avalanche, roaring like a flood, thundering down.
For over a hundred thousand years, a Primordial Saint Body at the fifth heaven of the Dao Palace had been nearly unseen. Today, it appeared. A single roar, like a thunderclap, shook heaven and earth. He stood like an eternal divine furnace, his blood energy surging, rolling through the high sky.
"Pfft"
The cultivator at the fourth heaven of the Dao Palace exploded instantly. The three at the fifth heaven were blasted from midair by the terrifying sound waves, crashing to the ground, their faces pale.
Ye Fan transformed into a golden light and charged forward, his speed terrifying. His golden fists were unstoppable, shattering all the magical artifacts blocking his path.
"Pfft," "Pfft," "Pfft..."
The three at the fifth heaven of the Dao Palace were shattered by his three punches, turning into a mist of blood, their forms and spirits annihilated, vanishing from the world.
Ye Fan soared upward, charging at the three cultivators at the first heaven of the Four Extremes. He didn't draw the God-Slaying Whip, relying solely on his physical strength to attack them.
"Bang," "Bang," "Bang..."
A series of collision sounds rang out. Ye Fan's golden fists possessed an unstoppable force—nothing could withstand them!
"Crack," "Crack..."
All the magical artifacts of the three at the first heaven of the Four Extremes turned to dust, and their bodies shattered, crumbling in the sky.
"You—" Jiang Yichen and the remaining three were stunned, hardly believing their eyes.
"A Primordial Saint Body at the fifth heaven of the Dao Palace—only a Holy Land could nurture one!"
"For over a hundred thousand years, a Primordial Saint Body could hardly reach this realm on its own!"
Ye Fan remained calm, carrying the God-Slaying Whip on his back as he strode forward. His solitary steps made the entire frozen plain tremble.
The pressure of the Primordial Saint Body was enough to make hearts and guts split, an incomparably vast power surging forth!
"You three are at the second heaven of the Four Extremes. Attack together and kill him!" Jiang Yichen shouted.
As the three moved, Jiang Yichen mounted his strange beast, transformed into a cyan light, and shot toward the horizon, abandoning the others to flee alone.
He was cold-natured, sensing that these three were no match for Ye Fan either. He fled directly, decisive and resolute.
"Hum"
The void trembled, the very sky pressed down and shuddered. A great cauldron surged out from Ye Fan's Dao Palace, cascading down ten thousand strands of Mysterious Yellow Qi, expanding to eighteen meters in height.
It shot out instantly, catching up to Jiang Yichen in the blink of an eye. With a rumble, it descended, suppressing him onto the frozen plain.
The three cultivators at the second heaven of the Four Extremes all changed color. They fled without fighting, scattering in three directions.
"Boom!"
Ye Fan hurled the Vajra Ring. This weapon, interwoven with the Dao and principles, possessed earth-shattering power. It instantly sank the frozen plain ahead, melting the snow and shattering the crimson earth into a scene of devastation.
The cultivator fleeing in that direction didn't even grunt. He was crushed to pieces by the Vajra Ring, leaving no blood mist behind, utterly annihilated.
"Ah—"