Chapter 627: A Year and a Half in a Flash
Ye Fan let out a long roar, pursuing relentlessly. With the Stride Art, his speed was incredibly fast, and in the blink of an eye, he was upon them, striking fiercely.
"Boom"
The battle continued. Hua Yunfei spat blood once more, and Li Xiaoman's Lotus War Armor was shattered, falling in a bloody rain as it turned to powder.
Ye Fan's expression was cold, saying little as he gave chase. They crossed countless great mountains along the way, and the fierce battle continued well into the dead of night.
The bright moon hung clear. Beneath the Qinling Mountains lay many ancient tombs, and in the dead of night, one could often see old corpses crawling out of ancient graves, breathing in the essence under the moonlight.
A pursuit spanning ten thousand li, with divine power fluctuations spreading constantly. Mountain peaks often collapsed as the three fought while moving, destroying endless ranges.
Hua Yunfei was disheveled, severely wounded, with many bones broken throughout his body. Li Xiaoman was in a similar state, her five organs split, her entire body stained red with blood.
On the other side, Ye Fan was not much better off. He had suffered extremely severe injuries, paying a heavy price in this great battle.
Hua Yunfei had already used three Dark Jade Platforms to traverse the void, but Ye Fan also had array platforms on him, chasing relentlessly all the way, making it impossible to shake him off.
At this moment, Hua Yunfei finally showed a hint of impatience. If this attrition continued, his very source would dry up, and his life would likely reach its end.
Aside from the Nine Secrets, Ye Fan had no other Great Emperor-level secret arts, as those were recorded in the forbidden chapters of various ancient scriptures, which he could not obtain.
However, he possessed several of the most powerful foundational heart methods. At this moment, the Dao Scripture, Western Emperor Scripture, Eternal Universe Scripture, and Supreme Emperor Scripture all operated simultaneously, each great secret realm glowing with light.
From Ye Fan's Wheel Sea, Dao Palace, Four Extremes, and Dragon Transformation—the four secret realms—came the sound of scripture chanting, as if four ancient emperors had awakened, causing the heavens, stars, and universe to tremble violently!
"Boom"
For some unknown reason, his various divine phenomena merged in an instant. Though they were blurry and impossible to see clearly, a terrifying force surged forth.
Even Ye Fan himself could not withstand it, nearly being shattered within. If not for the protection of the Golden Taiji Circle, he might have become the first person to be destroyed by his own divine phenomena.
Ye Fan transformed into a golden rainbow and charged forward. This was a perfect opportunity. He struck at Hua Yunfei, and no matter how that powerful enemy resisted, he could not stop him.
"Pfft"
Hua Yunfei spat out a mouthful of blood, nearly shattered by the mysterious divine phenomena. Then Ye Fan unleashed killing moves continuously, driving the mysterious phenomena forward, taking exactly seven steps.
"Boom"
Half of Hua Yunfei's body exploded, turning into a pulp of flesh, with bone fragments flying everywhere. The scene was bloody. He let out a great cry and retreated thousands of zhang.
Ye Fan attacked Li Xiaoman, who was right in front of him. However, the divine phenomena disappeared at that moment. He activated the Taiji Circle, evolving the primordial great dao, tearing open a corner of her three hundred and sixty-five golden vortexes.
"Boom," "Boom"...
Ye Fan struck repeatedly with heavy blows, attacking Li Xiaoman's front. Finally, he broke through her defenses. After exactly eighty-one strikes, the last golden vortex was shattered.
The Golden Taiji Circle pressed close. Ye Fan struck out with a palm, causing mountains to crack and the earth to split. Li Xiaoman fought back with all her strength, but ultimately let out a miserable cry as half her body was severed.
"Pfft"
She flew backward, her body severed from the chest down, falling from the sky. Ye Fan's palm strike had cut her in two, inflicting unimaginable damage. Her eyes blazed with golden light.
At this moment, the situation was completely different. The battle had shifted dramatically, with Ye Fan gaining absolute dominance.
"Boom"
After seizing the initiative, Ye Fan ignored his own injuries and struck with heavy blows. Each strike was like a tsunami reaching the heavens, shaking all the mountains.
"Boom"
Hua Yunfei flew backward like a scarecrow. Having lost half his body, his combat power was far from what it had been, and he dared not continue using the Phoenix Rebirth Art.
Li Xiaoman was not much better off. When Ye Fan threw a punch, she could barely withstand it. Her three hundred and sixty-five golden vortexes dimmed, unable to block him.
If not for the protection of a King-level divine weapon, the two would have been in mortal danger, unlikely to escape this calamity. Even so, they suffered repeated heavy blows, crashing through several mountain peaks and falling into the dust.
Ye Fan used every means at his disposal. A giant golden foot stomped down from the sky, nearly crushing the two beneath it, flattening several mountain peaks into level ground.
Covered in dust, the two rolled away. Hua Yunfei finally found another opportunity and offered up a Dark Jade Platform, saying, "Let's go!"
They traversed the void and disappeared into the mountain range. Ye Fan, cold and merciless, pursued relentlessly behind them, using a Dark Jade Platform to follow.
Another tranquil mountain range, with a bright moon hanging high, pure and peaceful. Another chase and battle ensued, but something seemed off.
Suddenly, a strange aura emerged. Ye Fan shuddered, shooting up into the sky, and looked back warily.
At the same time, Hua Yunfei and Li Xiaoman also changed color, retreating as they sensed the dangerous presence.
In the distance, an ancient mountain split open. A purple figure, no more than a foot tall, drove a bronze chariot as it rushed out. From another direction, an old monk, skin and bones, as if cast in gold, also flew over.
Ye Fan turned and fled immediately. He had encountered these two terrifying beings before. Last time, he had snatched their Dragon Marrow, and they had chased him, nearly causing disaster.
Hua Yunfei and Li Xiaoman also fled far away, seemingly recognizing these two terrifying creatures. Their Great Dao Vase rose and fell, carrying them as they began to traverse the void without leaving a trace.
"Boom"
The old monk let out a great roar, summoning the phantom of Amitabha as he chased Ye Fan at maximum speed.
On the other side, the purple figure drove the bronze chariot, chasing Hua Yunfei and Li Xiaoman. Like light or lightning, they vanished in the blink of an eye.
There was no denying that this Golden Body old monk was extremely terrifying. The phantom of Amitabha he summoned could destroy anything, with nothing able to stop it.
Ye Fan didn't know how many mountain ranges he had crossed, traveling tens of thousands of li with the Stride Art, before finally shaking off that terrifying old monk.
He found an ancient cave and quietly healed his injuries. The Nirvana Scripture operated continuously, his entire body submerged in golden blood energy, making the entire cave sacred and peaceful.
This time, his injuries were extremely severe. For anyone else, survival would have been impossible. But his physique was powerful, and he slowly recovered, with no great calamity befalling him.
Daylight came, and Ye Fan opened his eyes. His terrible wounds had healed for the most part. He stood up and walked out of the ancient cave step by step.
In the early morning, a thin mist hung over the mountain ridges. As the morning sun scattered down, it turned into colorful fog, connecting with the green grass and ancient trees, creating a scene of tranquility.
On ancient vines, among green leaves, dewdrops rolled. Reflecting the morning sun, they shimmered in a riot of colors, like pearls rolling about.
In the peaceful morning, Ye Fan stood on the mountain ground, frowning slightly. After a great battle, he had failed to kill Hua Yunfei and Li Xiaoman, which left him deeply regretful.
"In ten years, how many in the world will be able to control them?"
These were absolutely unprecedented great enemies. He felt they could be compared to figures like the Central Emperor and Wang Teng. If things continued developing this way, the Ruthless Person would surely reappear in the world.
"But no matter how strong they become, they are still bound by the Eight Prohibitions. As long as my realm keeps up, I can suppress them!"
Ye Fan muttered to himself, filled with powerful confidence and a sense of pressure. The Ruthless Great Emperor had a deep karmic connection with him, and her inheritor's cultivation speed was too fast, forcing him to keep pace.
"I must keep breaking through. A Great Accomplishment Saint Body can challenge a Great Emperor. At the same realm, I absolutely fear no one."
Ye Fan believed that even if those two devoured the sources of all kings and walked the path of the ancient great emperors, as long as his realm kept pace and didn't fall behind, he could suppress them!
Currently, he was three small realms behind Hua Yunfei. He had to catch up and not let the gap widen further, or the future would be very dangerous.
But what unsettled him most was: whose power had Li Xiaoman borrowed? He had thought about it all night, searching his mind thoroughly, but found no clue.
"What exactly is wrong..." Whenever Ye Fan thought of those golden vortexes, he felt uncomfortable, but couldn't explain why.
That divine power was not cultivated from within but came from an external source, like wielding a King-level divine weapon or an Imperial weapon, completely unrestricted by the Eight Prohibitions.
This battle also brought Ye Fan immense gains. He had found his own "Dao," which was extremely important!
Ancient great emperors never walked the paths of their predecessors. In the end, they all created their own Dao. Only in this way could they transcend. The ancient scriptures of the past were only used as references.
Time passed quickly, and a year and a half slipped by unnoticed. Ye Fan had presented rare and exotic marrow and successfully entered the main peak of the Qin Sect. He had been searching for the Nine Secrets all along, but still had no leads.
There was no denying that entering the main peak was quite dangerous. Over the past year, several people had died, their causes unknown, with no results from investigations.
Ye Fan, however, suspected it was mostly Hua Yunfei's doing. He must have known that Ye Fan had come for the Nine Secrets. Unable to pinpoint which person he was, he struck indiscriminately.
The Qin Sect's Sect Leader was alarmed and dispatched the powerful Bitter Fall King along with several other great powers to find the true culprit.
By now, Ye Fan had learned that Hua Yunfei had entered the Qin Sect's main peak several years ago but had left a year and a half earlier. Around the same time, Li Xiaoman had also disappeared and not returned.
In the great battle in the Qinling Mountains, Ye Fan had not seen the other party use the Nine Secrets, but he couldn't be sure they hadn't gained anything.
Over the past year and a half, Ye Fan's strength had advanced by leaps and bounds. Feeling the pressure, he had to train hard. He had now reached the Eighth Transformation of the Dragon Transformation realm, an astonishing rate of progress.
During this time, he also had to resist another deadly threat: the God-Subduing Art. He had personally seen two people who had ascended the main peak with him become devout disciples of the Qin Sect.
If not for his exceptionally powerful divine sense, he would likely have been in danger too. Even so, he had only managed to stay safe by not listening too much to the Supreme Sect Leader's sermons.
"This is a group of old monsters. Over a dozen of them chant scriptures every day. Even if a Bodhisattva came, after a long time, they would be converted."
Ye Fan frowned. If he didn't listen to the great Dao, he would never come into contact with the Nine Secrets, putting him in a dilemma. Through observation, he found that the sick old man indeed never went up the main peak, fearing conversion.
Moreover, the scholar from the Eastern Vein seemed to have discovered Princess Moon Spirit. He kept running up to the main peak for no reason, but he himself hadn't joined in.
This surprised Ye Fan greatly. Among those who ascended the main peak with him, there was only one woman. Although her appearance was passable, she was worlds apart from the second most beautiful woman in the Central Province.
She could only be considered average in looks. Calling her a peerless beauty who outshone the world was utterly unreliable—the gap was too great.
"She must have a secret treasure on her, one that can even fool my divine eyes..." Ye Fan muttered to himself.
After that, he began to pay more attention to that woman. He noticed that she often went to a bare stone mountain and sat there for most of the day.
This stone mountain faced the main peak and was not very far away. It was barren, with no grass or vines, clean and dry, with nothing on it.
On a moonlit night, Ye Fan climbed this stone mountain. Moonlight fell like thin smoke. He meditated quietly, but after sitting for most of the night, he gained nothing and sensed no abnormality.
He shook his head, stood up, and flew toward the main peak. This time, he returned via the back mountain, as the stone mountain was in that direction.
Moonlight was like water, bright and gentle. On the stone wall of the back mountain, there were a few carvings—all weapons, such as cauldrons, bells, pagodas, spears, and swords.
He had seen them before and thought they were the idle carvings of some disciple, as they were crude and lacked aesthetic appeal, and seemed to have been made in the last few decades.
However, at this moment, as the moonlight fell like white mist, these weapon imprints looked different. A trace of ancient, weathered aura emanated from them.
"This is..." Ye Fan was greatly shocked.
These imprints had clearly existed for a very long time. The fact that they had managed to fool his divine eyes until now was truly unbelievable.
The more he stared, the more profound they seemed. Those crude marks now looked like divine phoenixes spreading their wings, about to break through the heavens!