Chapter 357: Reunion
The cold ice plain stretched endlessly, a vast expanse of white, bitingly cold and desolate.
Ye Fan's smile was very bright, like a ray of warm sunlight amidst the heavy snow.
But in Jiang Yichen's eyes, it was terrifyingly dreadful. Fear gripped his heart; even in the freezing snow and ice, sweat broke out all over his body.
The other party wanted to eliminate him. In this desolate ice plain, no one could save him, no matter how extraordinary his identity.
"Buzz"
The void trembled violently as Jiang Yichen sacrificed a Heavenly Net Umbrella. When opened, it resembled a dome of heaven, pressing down toward Ye Fan.
Ye Fan remained calm and composed, walking forward step by step, as if he hadn't seen the black demonic umbrella, directly closing in on Jiang Yichen.
"Crack"
The moment the black Heavenly Net Umbrella was about to land on him, Ye Fan swung his golden hand, striking toward the sky. The dark clouds scattered, and the demonic umbrella shattered into pieces.
Jiang Yichen's expression changed. The Primordial Saint Body was this powerful? With a mere wave of his hand, his magical artifact was reduced to nothing. How could he possibly contend?
In the past, a simple command from him had nearly killed Ye Fan. Now, the other party was giving him the same pressure, making him experience this terrible torment.
It was even more unbearable than being crushed into meat paste. At this moment, he was enduring a torture of extreme fear.
"Clang," "Clang," "Clang"...
Ten thousand swords sang in unison. Countless sword beams illuminated the entire ice plain, dazzling and blinding. Each beam was over ten meters long and as thick as a water vat.
The blazing divine radiance nearly pierced through the void, surging toward Ye Fan and engulfing him.
Unfortunately, it was still useless. Ye Fan didn't even bother to block. The Primordial Saint Body emitted golden light, shining like a divine sun in this vast white world of ice and snow, brilliant and dazzling.
"Pop," "Pop," "Pop"...
The countless sword beams shattered inch by inch before Ye Fan, unable to approach within three feet of him.
His black hair danced lightly, his eyes clear and bright, with an ethereal aura. Shrouded in golden light, he walked like a deity traversing the mortal world.
"You..."
Seeing this, Jiang Yichen grew even more terrified. His enemy walked through the snow, calm and unhurried, unstoppable—this was an indescribable torment for him.
He hurled a Purple Gold Gourd, which shot purple energy into the sky, dyeing the snow and ice purple. It rapidly expanded, pressing down like a great mountain.
This Purple Gold Gourd was extraordinary, personally refined by his grandfather. It was immensely powerful. Ye Fan saw through its workings but remained composed, reaching out with a golden hand to strike.
"Boom"
The Purple Gold Gourd, as massive as a mountain, made the entire ice plain tremble, but Ye Fan grabbed it with one hand. With a brush of his golden palm, purple-gold light flickered.
Jiang Yichen let out a miserable scream. The divine sense he had left in the gourd was wiped away, and the treasure changed owners.
The Purple Gold Gourd shrank to three inches tall, appearing in Ye Fan's palm, crystal clear with flowing purple light.
"Three questions: First, does anyone in the Jiang Family want to harm Little Tingting? Second, can your grandfather contend with the Jiang Family Saint Lord? Third, what is the true foundation of the Jiang Family sealed by the Eternal Universe Furnace?"
Ye Fan revealed a mouthful of white teeth and posed three questions.
Jiang Yichen was drenched in sweat. He knew Ye Fan was doing this deliberately, making him experience the fear of death's threat.
In just a few years, the other party had fully grown. He was no longer the impoverished youth who fled for his life when a few knights were sent after him.
Now, the Primordial Saint Body had cultivated to the fifth heaven of the Dao Palace Secret Realm. Standing in the wind and snow, bathed in golden light, like an Immortal King descending to the mortal world, he could look down on him!
Jiang Yichen's face changed color, and he remained silent. He knew that if the other party wanted to kill him, no response would save him from death.
Ye Fan stepped forward step by step, as if merging with heaven and earth, carrying a natural and terrifying rhythm.
With each step, the ground trembled. Jiang Yichen was oppressed to the point of suffocation, and finally, he spat out a large mouthful of blood.
At that moment, he collapsed, completely drained of strength, and fell limply to the ground.
"Haha..." Ye Fan laughed loudly.
Jiang Yichen's face turned ashen. He felt a humiliation worse than death. The youth he had despised just a few years ago now held his life and death in his hands.
"Swish"
With a flash of light, Ye Fan used Jiang Yichen's own Purple Gold Gourd to seal him inside, completely imprisoning him.
He didn't want to completely break with the Jiang Family. This person's grandfather was a formidable figure, capable of contending with the Saint Lord. For now, it was best not to take things to the extreme.
He feared that those great figures might use special methods to trace the matter, so he spared his life for now, letting everything depend on future developments.
Ye Fan retrieved his cauldron. Inside was still a strange beast, with a five-colored jade horn on its head, capable of sensing the presence of spiritual treasures.
This kind of beast was nearly extinct, extremely rare. He didn't kill it, as it would be very useful in the future. In the end, he also sealed it inside the Purple Gold Gourd.
The several middle-aged cultivators at the Four Extremes Secret Realm and the young ones at the Dao Palace Secret Realm left nothing behind. Both their magical artifacts and the strange beast were erased.
After handling everything, Ye Fan sacrificed a Dark Jade Platform and directly teleported through the void, leaving the area. This place was not safe to stay.
The Northern Domain was boundless, with a hundred thousand miles of ice and a million miles of snow. After repeatedly crossing the void, Ye Fan returned to Hao Province, the location of the stone stockade rebuilt by Zhang Wuye and the others.
The land was covered in silver, the same here—white snow everywhere. The breath exhaled quickly turned into ice crystals.
"Haha... Little Leaf, you're finally back! I've heard all about your exploits in the Divine City—what a shocking gamble!" Tu Fei appeared first.
He was in the stone stockade, having received news from Li Heishui in the Holy City. He knew Ye Fan had left over a month ago and had been waiting.
"Haha..." Ye Fan also laughed, feeling especially close.
"Come, come, come! No need to say more. Today, we drink until we're drunk!" Tu Fei laughed.
"Where's Black Emperor?" Ye Fan asked. He had been able to gamble peacefully in the Holy City mainly because Tu Fei, impersonating him along with Black Emperor, had been looting everywhere, which had been a huge help.
"That dead dog has been gone for days, looting sources everywhere. Who knows how many people he's bitten? The female disciples of the Holy Lands turn pale at the mention of a dog."
"This guy..." Ye Fan didn't know what to say.
"Come on, while that dead dog isn't back, let's have a black dog meat hotpot. It's freezing cold, and dog meat is the most fragrant. With a few cups of old wine, it's like the life of an immortal."
The room was steaming hot, the stove burning brightly. Soon, the enticing aroma of meat wafted out. Ye Fan, Tu Fei, and Zhang Wuye sat cross-legged on the heated kang, constantly clinking glasses, eating until they were sweating profusely.
Soon, Wang Shu and Er Lengzi also arrived, joining in the old wine and dog meat, creating a lively atmosphere.
They kept raising their glasses, talking about the events of these days. Ye Fan held nothing back, and the others listened with constant exclamations.
"Brother Ye, when will you take us to see the Holy City?" Wang Shu and Er Lengzi were envious.
Tu Fei said, "The Divine City is spring-like all year round, far better than the bitter cold outside. I want to go there for the winter too."
Suddenly, everyone felt the atmosphere change. A piercing killing intent rushed in.
"What meat are you eating?" The big black dog had returned at some point.
"Donkey meat!" Tu Fei said confidently.
"It really is donkey meat, with some lamb slices too," Er Lengzi quietly explained.
The big black dog's face darkened, baring its teeth and showing a murderous glare.
"I'll go get some firewood. The fire isn't burning well," Zhang Wuye was the first to try to slip away.
"I'll go slice some lamb," Wang Shu also wanted to run.
"It really is donkey meat. If you don't believe me, try it," Tu Fei said, feeling guilty.
"Woof!"
The big black dog jumped onto the heated kang, and the room fell into chaos, with barking and cursing mixed together.
It took a full half hour before everything was sorted out. This time, real donkey meat was used, and four yellow sheep were specially roasted for the big black dog, finally calming it down.
"This emperor went through wind and rain, endured hardships to cover for you. Do you think it was easy? And you treat me like this!"
Hearing this, Tu Fei curled his lips and said, "Dead dog, you have the nerve to say that. In name, you were covering for Ye Fan, but in reality, you were looting sources for yourself. You're nothing but a robber, shouting everywhere about taking human pets. I'm the one who cleans up your mess every time."
"Woof!"
One man and one dog nearly started fighting again.
"How many human pets have you taken?" Ye Fan asked the big black dog.
"I caught seven or eight from a few Holy Lands. Those people were too fragile and all broke down. Their mental fortitude was terrible," the big black dog said disdainfully, shaking its head.
"I..." Ye Fan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. This dead dog was too much. Even the most thick-skinned person would break down if caught by a big black dog to be a human pet.
"This dead dog has done a bunch of embarrassing things..." Tu Fei added and elaborated.
"Woof!"
In the end, Ye Fan pulled out a fist-sized piece of Divine Source and tossed it to the big black dog. Its eyes immediately went wide, and it almost drooled.
The Divine Source sealing the golden little spirit had three pieces left, each fist-sized. One was given to Little Tingting, the second to the big black dog.
Then, Ye Fan gave the last piece to Tu Fei. Divine Source was extremely rare, with all sorts of miraculous uses, and all Holy Lands desperately desired it.
"Woof"
The big black dog was very greedy. After putting away its own piece, it started trying to snatch Tu Fei's.
"Dead dog, dare you bite me..."
The man-dog battle erupted again, nearly flipping the table on the kang and the roof. It took a lot of effort for Ye Fan to separate them, though he got bitten twice himself.
"I captured a spirit beast." Ye Fan released Jiang Yichen's mount.
"This emperor wants it!" The big black dog pounced again, drooling.
"Can you ride it?" Ye Fan had intended to give it to Tu Fei, but the dog perked up.
"Treasure-hunting spirit beasts aren't for riding; they're for finding treasures."
"This is the mount of an important Jiang Family disciple. It can't be shown in public," Ye Fan warned.
"Then I'll keep it for now. Since I don't have a human pet, I'll take a beast pet."
Ye Fan realized that good things shouldn't be shown in front of the greedy big black dog, or it would definitely try to snatch them.
Then, Tu Fei mentioned something. Recently, a mysterious young powerhouse had risen, hunting down disciples of the Holy Lands, drawing the attention of all the Holy Sons.
"This emperor knows who it is. I saw him two days ago," the big black dog said.
"You saw him? Who is it?" Ye Fan was surprised.
"He's a bastard just like you. Didn't show his true face, sneaking up on people from behind. Luckily, this emperor's nose is good, and I remember his scent."
"Dead dog, spill it!"
"Give me another piece of Divine Source, and this emperor will tell you."
"Dead dog, you're too greedy." Ye Fan reached out to grab it.
"Fifth heaven of the Dao Palace!" Tu Fei, despite being mentally prepared, was still shocked to see it firsthand. "It feels like a savage dragon has awakened. Your blood energy is so vigorous it makes one's heart race."
"Fine, I'll tell you. It's that half-demon—Pang Bo."
"What? Pang Bo? He's out?!" Ye Fan was overjoyed.
Since coming to this world, the two had been together for less than a year before separating. Now, they were finally going to reunite.
"Where is he?" Ye Fan asked.
At this moment, the big black dog was staring at his golden hand, drooling. "Once the Saint Body enters the Four Extremes Secret Realm, his blood will be like a spiritual medicine. In the future..."
"Dead dog, you dare have designs on me!" Ye Fan slapped it. "Spit it out! Where is Pang Bo?"
"I saw him the day before yesterday. He was chasing the substitute Holy Son of Yaoguang," the big black dog said.
Tu Fei praised, "Such a fierce man. I need to get to know him."
Ye Fan's heart stirred. Pang Bo had finally cultivated successfully and emerged. He believed they would meet soon. He knew Pang Bo was acting on his behalf.
"Fifth Uncle, this time I'll cut some stone artifacts to save people..." Ye Fan said to Zhang Wuye. He hoped to find something in the divine treasury left by the Origin Heavenly Master.
He treated the old man with great respect. He had reached this point thanks to the old man's family's Source Heaven Scroll; otherwise, his cultivation would have struggled to advance.
He didn't give Zhang Wuye Divine Source, as the old man had no use for it, but he gave him many types of exotic sources, enough to make the entire stone stockade wealthy for generations.
"Go ahead and cut. I want to see what's in there too," Zhang Wuye nodded.
"Still cutting? Don't cut out another poisonous fruit," the big black dog interjected.
"You dead dog, you have the nerve to bring up last time. Do you know what that was? You bit off over a hundred thousand jin of source in one go. That was a Human Origin Fruit."
"Woof!" The big black dog jumped up, full of shock, its mouth agape.
"You wasteful beast!" Tu Fei scolded upon learning this.
The big black dog was dumbfounded. "You mean that fruit that poisoned me half to death, made me foam at the mouth, and had me convulsing for half a month—was a Human Origin Fruit that can extend the lifespan of even Saint Lord-rank figures?"
"That's the fruit," Ye Fan said.
Hearing the affirmative answer, the big black dog didn't say another word. It turned and ran, charging toward the pile of stone materials in the snow.
"Chase him! Damn it, this dead dog is too extreme. He wants to steal again!"
Ye Fan's forehead veins bulged as he quickly chased after him. Tu Fei and the others followed.
"Woof! People should be honest. With so many divine treasures, you should at least give me half," the big black dog said.
"This pile is all yours," Ye Fan pointed at a mountain-like pile of stones.
"This emperor only wants this pile of stone tools, nothing else," the big black dog said, its bald tail erect, eyes burning as it stared at the stone rollers and millstones.
"Go cool off somewhere."
"People should be honest!"
"You dead dog are never honest." Ye Fan pushed it aside.
The pile of stone tools looked ordinary, with nothing special about them. It was hard to imagine they were left behind by an Origin Heavenly Master.
"I hope I can cut out something extraordinary," Ye Fan muttered to himself.
He didn't act hastily. Having recently cultivated the Source Heaven Divine Sense, he felt he should now be able to observe something.
"This is the divine treasury of an Origin Heavenly Master. It must be far more precious than the priceless strange stones in the Holy Lands' stone workshops!" He was full of anticipation.