Chapter 437: A Bloody Slaughter
The small tavern was desolate, with no other customers. Zhang Wenchang had grown even more aged, his eyes dim, standing there woodenly like a scarecrow without a heart.
He was steeped in an air of decay, not a trace of light in his eyes, enduring humiliation and a life of dissatisfaction in silent resignation. His world was shrouded in gray.
"Waste of an old man, have you already seen the Sacred Body without telling us?" a young man asked coldly.
"I haven't seen him," Zhang Wenchang replied woodenly, a hint of dejection in his eyes, his whole being filled with gloom.
"If he really is dead, that would be letting him off too easy," another young man said discontentedly, glaring at Zhang Wenchang. "If you dare deceive us, you'll be sorry!"
"Months ago, he fought against the young kings of the Central Province, but he hasn't shown up for three months. Many say he's already dead."
Ji Hui sneered, "He's definitely not dead. He appeared a million and a half li away three months ago, clearly heading for Yan Country. This is the only place he has ties to."
"Great-Grandmother, you always say he's not dead, but why hasn't he shown up?" a young man asked in confusion. He was a direct descendant of Ji Hui.
"This brat is cunning. I think he's already returned but just hasn't revealed himself," Ji Hui said sharply, her eyes fixed on Zhang Wenchang.
"Since he's going to die anyway, why make such a big fuss? There's no need to go to war over a dead man," one of Ji Hui's grandnephews spoke up.
"That little beast burned half my body away. It took me over a year in seclusion to recover. If I don't skin him alive myself, how can I vent this rage?" Ji Hui slammed her dragon-head cane heavily on the ground, then added with a meaningful sneer, "Different civilizations collide to create brilliant sparks. For cultivators, imprinting his experiences would be a supreme enlightenment."
"Ancestor, what are you talking about?" several young members of the Ji Family asked, puzzled.
"You wouldn't understand even if I told you!" Ji Hui's face turned cold, and she said no more.
Not far away, Ye Fan's heart shook, stirring up turbulent waves. The higher-ups of the Ji Family must already know he came from the other end of the stars; otherwise, they wouldn't speak like this.
In the Northern Domain, Ji Haoyue had hinted at something similar, hypothesizing whether the Sacred Body could break the curse if he weren't from this world.
"But if we kill him, that one from the Jiang Family... we can't afford to provoke him," a middle-aged man in his forties said, a look of worry on his face.
"Who said I'm going to kill him?" Ji Hui's face darkened, a cruel smile curling on her lips. "He's already dying anyway. Killing him would be too merciful. I want to slowly peel his skin, pull out his bones, and refine him properly."
"You immortal old hag!" Ye Fan sneered from a distance.
"Even so, it might still provoke that one. We need to think twice," the middle-aged man advised.
"I know what I'm doing. I won't kill him. Even if something goes wrong, it has nothing to do with the family. I'll bear it all myself," Ji Hui said coldly.
The middle-aged man fell silent, because Ji Hui's father was an immensely powerful Supreme Elder, someone even the Saint Lord of the Ji Family had to tread carefully around.
He had already caught the hint: the Sacred Body came from some unknown place, and everything he had experienced was a supreme enlightenment for cultivators. Most of this had likely been leaked by that Supreme Elder.
"That Peerless Divine King of the Jiang Family is probably long gone from this world..." a young man sneered, lacking any reverence.
"Shut up! Don't talk nonsense!" the middle-aged man scolded.
Although he also believed the Divine King was likely dead, the older generation still harbored fears, worried the Divine King might reappear in the world. The stronger one was, the more cautious they became.
"What use is keeping this half-waste old man? The Sacred Body clearly isn't coming," a young man said, shoving Zhang Wenchang aside. "Get lost! Can't you see I'm trying to walk through?"
Zhang Wenchang stumbled, nearly falling to the ground. His temples were gray, crow's feet gathered at the corners of his eyes, and his body was frail. He slammed heavily into a table before steadying himself.
He stood woodenly to the side, saying nothing, utterly dejected, a hint of despair in his eyes as he silently endured everything.
Ji Hui's expression was cold. "The Sacred Body must have arrived long ago. He's skilled in Source Arts and must have changed his appearance. With little time left to live, he'll come to see his old friends."
"But if he won't show up, there's nothing we can do," a young man muttered.
Ji Hui glanced contemptuously at Zhang Wenchang and said to the young men, "Cut off one of his arms, but don't kill him. His experiences are also a supreme enlightenment. If that little beast still doesn't come out soon, cut off one of this waste's legs. Let's see how hard-hearted that brat is and how long he can endure."
Ye Fan had never hated anyone so much. He wanted to tear Ji Hui limb from limb, then nail her to the city gate of Yan Capital for everyone to see.
His heart had grown tough enough, but at this moment, rage still flared within him. "Didn't they say I died three months ago?"
Everyone was utterly shocked. This was explosive news, spreading rapidly. More cultivators rushed over, emptying the streets and alarming everyone in Yan Capital.
Before long, countless cultivators had arrived.
"Is that the Sacred Body? He caused such a stir in the Northern Domain, even alarming the sect masters of the Central Province, but he looks like just a youth!"
"Everyone's been saying that Ye, that young man, died three months ago. How is he appearing again?"
The cultivators of Yan Capital gathered, all buzzing with discussion.
Ye Fan wore a simple green robe, his hair jet-black, his eyes clear and bright. He looked quite refined, hard to connect with the rumors of golden blood surging to the heavens and a physical body rivaling a true dragon.
Inside the small tavern, Zhang Wenchang's dim eyes lit up. He was frantic and shouted at Ye Fan, "Get out of here!"
"Shut up, you old waste!" a young man from the Ji Family scolded, shoving him so hard he tumbled and crashed heavily among the tables and chairs.
Ye Fan's expression instantly turned icy. He stared at the young man and said, "You'll be the first I kill!"
"Such big talk! Since you're here today, little beast, don't think you're leaving!" Ji Hui said in a sinister tone.
"Swish!"
Ye Fan vanished in an instant, appearing before Zhang Wenchang. He quickly stowed him into the Jade Purification Vase, then pointed a finger. With a "puff," he pierced through the forehead of the young man beside him.
He said he would kill this man first, and he did it in one strike!
The young man screamed, his eyes filled with terror as blood and brains oozed from his forehead. He fell stiffly to the ground, dead.
Ye Fan flickered and disappeared, retreating from the small tavern. He stared coldly at the group. His movements were so fast that no one had time to react.
"Grand Void Art!" everyone exclaimed.
The secret technique Ye Fan had just used was none other than the Ji Family's Grand Void Art. He was even more adept at it than the Ji Family themselves—formless, invisible, moving through the void, impossible to guard against!
"Don't let him escape!" Ji Hui's face turned ashen.
She hated Ye Fan to the bone. Over a year ago, Ye Fan had burned a Ji Family Supreme Elder to death and scorched half her body, nearly crippling her. She thought of revenge every moment, completely forgetting how it all started.
"Escape? I never had that intention. I won't leave until I've killed you!" Ye Fan's voice was ice-cold.
Several figures silently appeared in the small tavern—elders of the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm, all powerful. They had been lying in wait here for days specifically to trap Ye Fan.
"You're all Ji Hui's descendants, aren't you? I'll kill you one by one. I want her to watch!" Ye Fan stared at the young men in the tavern.
At the same time, a dazzling imprint surged from his body, vast as an abyss and mighty as the sea, an awe-inspiring presence.
"That's... the Divine King's Imprint!"
"Heavens! Could it be that the Peerless Divine King isn't dead yet?"
Everyone cried out in shock, their faces filled with disbelief.
Ye Fan had done this deliberately to intimidate, to prevent any living fossil-level figures from intervening. In truth, the imprint had long since lost its connection to the Divine King; Ye Fan had strengthened it himself, as he had no idea whether the Divine King was alive or dead.
"Swish!"
Ye Fan vanished again, slipping into the small tavern. A Dragon Transformation elder tried to block him but was far too slow.
"Puff!"
Ye Fan slapped Ji Hui's great-grandson into four pieces, killing him on the spot. Then he flickered back to the street, facing them.
"You..." Ji Hui was furious. This was her direct bloodline, a boy she doted on, and Ye Fan had beaten him to death.
"Didn't you enjoy hunting me down? Today, I'll do the hunting and let you taste that feeling!" Ye Fan said with a mocking smile.
"Let's kill him together!" Ji Hui trembled with rage, her fingers shaking.
But the Dragon Transformation elders hesitated to strike lethally. They rushed forward, intending to capture Ye Fan first.
However, they had gravely underestimated Ye Fan's strength. They couldn't even catch his shadow. With the Old Madman's footwork, he moved at the ultimate speed under heaven.
"Swish!"
Ye Fan entered the tavern again, grabbed a young man, and twisted his neck. "Is he your grandnephew? I think I heard that earlier."
"Let him go!" Ji Hui shrieked.
"Fine, here you go!" Ye Fan nodded.
"Spare me! I had nothing to do with this!" the young man screamed.
"Puff!"
Ye Fan smashed the young man's head into his chest cavity, tossed the body to Ji Hui, and sneered as he moved to the next target.
"Kill him now!" Ji Hui, hair disheveled and wild as a madwoman, swung her dragon-head cane and charged forward.
The Dragon Transformation elders all moved to guard the remaining young men.
"Bang!"
Ye Fan's golden hand shot out, sending a Dragon Transformation elder flying. He then grabbed another young man who was nearly paralyzed with fear.
"Ji Hui, you old hag, catch!"
"Puff!"
The young man's head split open as Ye Fan hurled him toward Ji Hui.
"Little beast..." Ji Hui was frantic. This was also her descendant. Her whole body trembled.
Ye Fan killed one man every ten steps, as if entering an empty realm. He didn't attack Ji Hui directly. He had been inspired by her words—sometimes tormenting someone was far worse than killing them.
"Puff! Puff!"...
One by one, the young men in the tavern fell to Ye Fan's hand. He showed no mercy. He had seen how they treated Zhang Wenchang and had no reason to hold back.
"Old hag, now it's your turn!" Ye Fan's voice was chilling.
The Ji Family's Dragon Transformation elders were humiliated. Ye Fan was slaughtering openly, and they couldn't stop him—a disgrace.
"With us here, drop your arrogance!" they shouted coldly.
"Think being in the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm makes you something special?!" Ye Fan was unmoved, stepping forward.
"Kill him!" Ji Hui, hair wild, was nearly driven mad.
The Dragon Transformation elders shielded her behind them. If she were killed, they would all lose face.
"Boom!"
Suddenly, Ye Fan erupted with a terrifying wave of energy. Divine phenomena like Chaos Azure Lotus and Immortal King Overlooking the Nine Heavens appeared simultaneously, blasting the elders back.
"Kill!"
Ye Fan seized a golden spear and thrust it forward. No one could withstand its edge as he broke the limits of speed.
"Puff!"
He pierced Ji Hui through, unable to be stopped by any defense. His might was unmatched.
"Boom!"
Ye Fan's entire body blazed with golden light, like divine flames burning fiercely. He was like an ancient war god, making everyone tremble.
"You... put her down!" the Dragon Transformation elders rushed forward.
Ji Hui wasn't dead yet. She struggled on the golden spear tip, trying to break free.
Ye Fan strode toward the city gate. Still hundreds of feet away, he hurled the golden spear with all his might. It turned into a streak of golden light, carrying Ji Hui through the air.
"Puff!"
The spear, like a golden lightning bolt, nailed Ji Hui to the city gate tower. It quivered as she was pinned there.