Chapter 503: Meeting An Miaoyi
The young master of the Jiang family had returned to his clan, and the mystery of the Peerless Divine King's life or death became a focal point of public discussion. Everyone was speculating, and every major power was paying close attention.
Everything happened so abruptly. After receiving the news, Ye Fan swiftly traversed the void and soon rendezvoused with Black Emperor and the others in the desolate mountains of the north.
"I should also return to the Northern Domain. I need to tell Old Master Tu about Tu Fei's whereabouts, so he won't worry." Li Heishui, upon hearing that Ye Fan was heading to the Northern Domain, was in full agreement.
"Say what you will, but don't go spreading rumors. It has nothing to do with me—not even a single copper coin's worth. He ran off on his own." The big black dog spoke against its conscience.
"Dead dog, how can you say that with a straight face?" Li Heishui was furious. "Don't you ever set foot in the Northern Domain again, or you'll be skinned alive the moment you arrive."
"Do you think this emperor was raised on threats? When I roamed the world, those old geezers' ancestors were still nursing at their mothers' breasts." The big black dog remained stubborn.
"Big brother, is the Northern Domain far?" Little Nannan asked.
"Far indeed—thousands of mountains and rivers. An ordinary person couldn't reach it even after a hundred lifetimes. But if we traverse the void, it only takes a brief moment," Ye Fan replied.
The big black dog began carving array patterns, targeting the Northern Domain. This was another long-distance teleportation, and not a single mistake could be tolerated.
When Ye Fan saw it preparing to set up its chessboard array patterns, his forehead was covered in black lines. The first time, it had sent Pang Bo flying off course; the second time, it had sent Tu Fei to the Northern Plains. It had never been accurate even once!
"I'd rather walk back on my own two legs than rely on your array patterns!" Li Heishui's heart pounded with fear, terrified of being accidentally sent to the Western Desert.
"You people have no vision. This is a corner of an ancient great emperor's array pattern. Ordinary folks simply aren't worthy of experiencing it." The big black dog was very displeased.
"Enjoy it yourself. We'll find our own way." Ye Fan also refused outright. Such array patterns were absolutely not to be touched.
Even Little Nannan backed away in fear, as if fleeing from demons and monsters, distancing herself from the big black dog and clinging to Ye Fan's sleeve.
The three of them's reactions left the big black dog feeling wounded. "The heart of a master—you'll never understand. Such a magnificent array pattern, and no one appreciates it..."
In the end, the big black dog obediently carved another type of array pattern it was well-versed in. The scale was massive, taking several days to complete.
Just as the array patterns were finished, Ye Fan warned, "This time, don't deviate by millions of miles again. If we accidentally fall into the Primordial Ancient Mine, we're finished."
"Rest assured, there's absolutely no chance of falling into the Primordial Forbidden Zone. Our destination is near Purple Mountain in the Northern Domain." The big black dog was utterly certain.
"Swish"
With a flash of light, they vanished from their spot and entered eternal darkness. In this void, they couldn't feel the passage of time—everything was so still.
It felt like a brief instant, or perhaps as long as a century, when light reappeared, and they emerged from the void.
Looking around, everything was desolate. The land was covered in red soil, stretching endlessly without a horizon.
This region was filled with ancient mines, one after another, bottomless as if they were abysses.
"Where have we ended up? Something feels off," Li Heishui said suspiciously.
"Another deviation..." the big black dog muttered softly.
The moment Ye Fan heard that, he wanted to punch it. It had never been accurate even once; the best it had managed was a deviation of a million and a half miles.
"This couldn't be the Primordial Forbidden Zone, could it? I sense that unique aura—it makes my heart tremble." Li Heishui's hair stood on end.
"It really is the Primordial aura!" Ye Fan's expression changed. As a grandmaster of Source Art, he could quickly sense that demonic power.
"This dead dog has tricked us again!" Li Heishui was about to go crazy.
"An accident... just a minor accident." The big black dog coughed dryly, refusing to admit fault.
"It's not inside the Primordial Forbidden Zone," Ye Fan judged, because he saw people flying over, all dressed in purple robes—definitely not ancient creatures.
"Who are you, and why have you trespassed into our Zi Mansion mining area? What do you want?" The group quickly surrounded them.
"It's Ye Fan, and that vicious dog." One of them changed color, recognizing them on the spot.
Ye Fan had been in seclusion for over half a year, but the outside world hadn't forgotten him. Everyone was guessing his whereabouts.
Many had thought he'd been killed by Mortal World and Hell, never expecting to see him here.
"Are you after our Source mines?" One of them spoke coldly.
"Summon the Supreme Elder." Another gave a signal, ordering a disciple to deliver a message.
Ye Fan's expression shifted. This place was extremely desolate, definitely a holy land's ancient mine outside the Primordial Forbidden Zone. If a Supreme Elder from a holy land intercepted them, it would be a perfect spot for murder and disposal.
"Bang!"
Ye Fan acted first, moving at extreme speed like a beam of light, then grabbing the disciple who had just flown off.
"What... do you mean?" The others panicked.
The big black dog acted in perfect sync, tossing out various array-pattern tools to seal off the area, preventing anyone from escaping.
"Kill them all?" Li Heishui made a throat-slitting gesture, revealing killing intent.
"Forget it. Erase their memories, and we'll leave quickly." Ye Fan didn't want to kill indiscriminately. He searched their divine senses, obtained some useful information, and then erased the relevant memories.
"They wanted to summon their Supreme Elder to deal with us. We really should wipe them all out." The big black dog bared its teeth.
"Having a few people go missing for no reason would cause big trouble. After all, this is their ancient mining area." Ye Fan shook his head, then smiled. "They have a batch of precious Source stones about to be shipped out. That's quite a good piece of news."
Hiring the Ancient Assassin Divine Dynasty to deal with holy sons required a massive amount of Source as payment. Ye Fan was just preparing to gather Source, and his eyes lit up.
To be fair, this ancient mining area was heavily guarded. Although it was a remote spot, not the central divine mining area, it was still covered with complex array patterns. But with the big black dog's help, they moved through it as if on flat ground.
In fact, Ye Fan could already traverse most of the area himself, as he had cultivated the Stride Art to a certain level.
"Those Source stones are practically a mountain!"
They sneaked into the heavily guarded area and observed quietly from the shadows. Ahead, countless Source stones were piled up like a small hill.
"It's not these Source stones—it's another batch of rare treasures, not as many!" Ye Fan stared at the Source vault not far away. He could feel a strong Primordial aura.
The big black dog took out a Dark Jade Platform. They couldn't stay long in this place. They had to loot and run, or they'd face deadly disaster.
The reason they managed to sneak in was, first, the accidental void traversal, and second, the big black dog's mastery of Dao patterns, which few could match. It had resolved dangers along the way and successfully broken in.
"This Source vault isn't easy to open. I say we just take the whole thing and traverse the void with it!" The big black dog excitedly suggested.
"Thud!"
With a loud crash and a burst of brilliant light, they carried the Source vault away through the void.
The disciples of Zi Mansion were utterly stunned. They had never seen such audacious bandits—even the Source vault had been taken!
Even the Thirteen Great Bandits had never been so thorough.
"Something terrible! A great bandit has come to loot!"
"Activate all array patterns! Stop them from traversing the void!"
The Zi Mansion mining area fell into chaos. However, this ancient mine was quite remote, far from the Supreme Elder's residence, and experts couldn't arrive in time.
"Damn it! Which vicious great bandit is this? They even took the Source vault! I've never seen such a person!" The Zi Mansion cultivators cursed repeatedly.
But it was too late. Ye Fan and the others were already hundreds of thousands of miles away, far from the holy lands' ancient mining areas.
"Thud," "Bang," "Boom"...
It took Ye Fan and the others a long time to open the Source vault. It was a heavy artifact, but they smashed it to pieces.
Inside the vault were over a dozen Source stones, all carrying a strong Primordial aura—clearly a batch of extremely precious Source stones.
Ye Fan didn't hesitate. He struck directly, and after cracking the stones, seven or eight of them shot brilliant light into the sky.
"Divine Source! They've dug up a divine mine. They might have already guessed it, so they sealed it away. Never thought it would benefit us." Li Heishui was very excited.
After cleaning up, the Divine Source blocks together were worth two million three hundred thousand catties of pure Source—a massive divine treasure.
"Enough to kill another holy son." Ye Fan smiled.
"I dare say that Zi Mansion holy son has already tried to deal with you like this." The big black dog said.
Ye Fan nodded. They had analyzed before that among the holy sons most likely to hire Mortal World, the Zi Mansion holy son ranked high.
"Now, using the holy lands' own Source to hire the Ancient Assassin Divine Dynasty to counter-kill them—that's quite a good idea." Li Heishui laughed heartily.
"Mortal World and Hell have been hidden for so many years. Their strength must be terrifying to the extreme. They even dared to provoke contemporary saints, which means they have unimaginable backing." The big black dog warned.
That very day, Ye Fan and the others traversed the void and entered Divine City. They didn't want to rashly enter the Jiang family, so they planned to have Li Heishui contact the Thirteenth Great Bandit Jiang Yi to find Little Tingting.
"Alright, I'll go find Jiang Huairen and ask his grandfather to come out of retirement." Li Heishui left.
Stepping into Divine City again, everything felt both unfamiliar and familiar. So much had happened here: the Source stone gambling battles, breaking the curse, facing heavenly tribulation...
Unknowingly, over a year had passed, and he had returned. When he appeared with a big black dog and a little girl, it caused an uproar.
"The Sacred Body isn't dead—he's back!"
"Unfortunately, a figure who could rival the ancient great emperors in the future, but fate has been harsh. He severed his own cultivation—such a pity!"
"His cultivation might not be ruined. It could be a smokescreen. There are many rumors outside now."
"Mortal World and Hell issued a kill order, didn't they? It's been over half a year, and he's still alive and well. That's astonishing."
Many people in Divine City recognized him. Ye Fan had been too famous here in the past to avoid attention.
This was his first public appearance after over half a year of seclusion, signaling the Sacred Body's return!
Many people were discussing him. A large crowd gathered around, very enthusiastic, with fiery eyes.
"Brother Ye, are you here for Source stone gambling?"
"Brother Ye, what Source stone gambling? Who would dare compete with you? You must be here for the Jade Pool gathering. It's starting soon."
"Brother Gu Feng, I heard you killed the holy son and holy maiden of a supreme sect in the Central Province. Is that true?" Some still couldn't break the habit of using his alias.
"You defeated Hua Yunfei, the inheritor of the Ruthless One. That really surprised us. Have you severed your cultivation now?"
"No need to guess. Brother Ye is here to visit the Peerless Divine King."
Their enthusiasm was a bit overwhelming for Ye Fan, but he gleaned a lot of useful information.
The Jade Pool gathering was about to begin. He hadn't expected it to be delayed until now. He did want to go and see it.
As night fell, Ye Fan patted Little Nannan's head, entrusted her to the big black dog's care, and disappeared into the darkness.
He activated the Stride Art, moving like a wisp of smoke across the watery night sky, arriving at the Temple of Subtle Desires.
The lake on the ground was clear and bright, emitting a soft glow in the night. Countless stars in the sky sparkled, highlighting a suspended palace of jade and towers, making it seem even more otherworldly.
The sound of strings and flutes drifted gently, with pleasant zither music. The place was peaceful, with laughter and chatter occasionally heard. The Temple of Subtle Desires was bustling, one of the three major romantic venues in Divine City.
Only cultivators with some reputation could enter here; ordinary people couldn't get in.
Ye Fan arrived, his mind not entirely calm. He had come to see An Miaoyi, not only because they had agreed to meet, but also to verify some things.
Was the inheritor of the Ruthless One connected to this woman?
In the past, An Miaoyi had warned him not to go to the Ruthless One's Dao field to seize the sacred artifact. Clearly, she knew what would happen.
Afterward, Ye Fan had fled to the Southern Domain, and soon after, news spread that the younger generation had nearly all perished, almost buried in the Ruthless One's Dao field.
Was she connected to Hua Yunfei? Ye Fan didn't know. He strode into the Temple of Subtle Desires and asked someone to announce his arrival, wanting to see the most beautiful woman in the Eastern Wasteland.
Ye Fan arrived outside An Miaoyi's palace but didn't enter. The maids recognized him, knowing he had a deep relationship with the future abbess.
Outside the palace, Ye Fan heard a man's cold voice: "So it's that Sacred Body. What is he worth? Send him back. As long as I'm here, there's no place for him to sit!"
Soon, a maid came out to invite Ye Fan in. He smiled and strode inside, wanting to see what kind of person had arrived.
The palace was as before, shrouded in hazy moonlight, with mist drifting inside like an immortal palace.
Ye Fan walked into the familiar hall and immediately saw An Miaoyi. She was as peerlessly graceful as ever, like a Guanghan fairy descending to the mortal world.
An Miaoyi stood up, her figure slender and elegant as she approached. Her skin was like ice and jade, her beauty beyond compare, her body as translucent as ivory.
A charming smile adorned her face, her teeth sparkling, her red lips bright, her eyes like autumn waters—a perfect appearance without a single flaw.
"Greetings, Fairy An." Ye Fan smiled.
An Miaoyi invited him to sit. Ye Fan glanced at the other two. One he recognized—Wang Chongxiao, the young king of the Central Province, who was sizing him up.
The other was very young, spirited and vigorous, but quite arrogant. He glanced at Ye Fan and said, "We had an appointment with Fairy An first. What are you doing here? There's no place for you to sit."
An Miaoyi smiled gently, shook her head, poured tea for Ye Fan, and used clever words to smooth things over, as if she didn't want the atmosphere to become too tense.
"Who is he?" Ye Fan asked.
Wang Chongxiao was very cold, but he introduced him at this moment. This person had a significant background—he was the younger brother of the Twin Kings of the Central Province, named Gao Linfeng.
"The Twin Kings of the Central Province? Those two old kings who were slain by the Peerless Divine King?" Ye Fan asked doubtfully.
Upon hearing this, Wang Chongxiao seemed very wary. "Their descendants have appeared again as the Twin Kings."
Gao Linfeng said coldly, "I heard you've become a cripple again. You still dare to walk around? Quite bold. Aren't you afraid of being killed?"
His ancestors had been killed by the Peerless Divine King. Hearing that the Divine King had shown great kindness to Ye Fan, he was very hostile toward him.
"You worry too much." Ye Fan smiled faintly.
Gao Linfeng's face darkened. "Old Wang, throw him out. I don't want to see a cripple here."
"You have quite the big mouth. Are you sure you want to throw me out?" Ye Fan stared at him.
"Tonight, I've invited some friends. A half-cripple like you has no right to sit here." Gao Linfeng spoke coldly.
"Do I have the right to be here? Is that for you to judge?" Ye Fan glanced at him. "Are you trying to provoke me? Want to vent for your two ancestors?"
"Don't force me to kill you!" Gao Linfeng's expression turned sinister.
Wang Chongxiao wanted to say something but ultimately kept silent.
"If your two brothers had spoken to me like that, it might barely be acceptable. But you..." Ye Fan let out a cold laugh.
"Slap!"
He suddenly struck, using the Stride Art, moving as fast as a ghost—impossible to defend!
Ye Fan slapped Gao Linfeng flying, crashing heavily through the palace wall.
"Are your two brothers here? If they are, feel free to invite them for tea. As for you—get as far away as possible!"