Chapter 707: The Tenth Golden Crow Prince
Heaven Wolf Ancient Mountain had very few plants, and even those that existed were ancient spirit trees. This was an ancient stone mountain that devoured the essence of heaven and earth, gathered the radiance of the divine moon, absorbed the vitality of the celestial sun, and steamed with sacred energy.
Before the mountain villa, several young men with long golden hair draped over their shoulders stood tall and heroic, like golden figures. Their golden pupils shot out solar true fire, blazing and intimidating.
The Golden Crow Clan was naturally a fire body, each member extremely powerful, and few were willing to provoke them.
They dwelled on the Fusang Divine Tree, inhaling the essence of the sun. Each one harbored fire essence within, unmatched in strength. With a single burst of heavenly fire, all things turned to ash.
However, this was, after all, Heaven Wolf Mountain Villa, and they dared not act rudely. They merely stood outside the villa, needing to follow the rules if they wished to enter.
"Has the Sixth Prince arrived?" asked a sect master. Though an elder, he knew well the might of Lu Ya.
"My master has not yet come; he is tied up with important matters and cannot get away. However, my clan's Ninth Prince will personally rush here to offer birthday congratulations to Old Wolf God," replied a golden-haired youth.
"The Golden Crow Clan's ten princes are all endowed with heavenly talent, and among them, Prince Lu Ya is the foremost!" praised another sect master.
In the present age, the Golden Crow Clan was immensely powerful, having reached an unprecedented peak. The ten princes were each more terrifying than the last, with several capable of killing a Saint Lord.
The Great Golden Crow Prince could be set aside, as he had already cultivated for over forty years, but even his brothers were the same.
Although this was an era of declining Dharma, where the rules of heaven and earth had greatly changed and the strong were far fewer and less fearsome than before the primeval age, the Golden Crow Clan was an exception.
They had ushered in an unbelievable golden age. One clan with ten princes, each intimidating the land, causing everyone to retreat wherever they passed.
The old king of the Golden Crow Clan had no shortage of offspring, but only those who reached the Saint Lord rank were qualified to be called princes. This alone explained everything.
In the past, having two or three princes was already formidable, but now ten had appeared at once! The extent of their prosperity was evident.
Ye Fan listened from a distance and was equally astonished after learning all this. He found it unbelievable, too dreamlike.
One clan with ten princes—no wonder even Lu Ya's subordinates drew everyone's attention. Which ancient clan would dare provoke such a force?!
"Is the Sixth Prince really going to act on behalf of Yin Tiande?" a young man asked cautiously.
"The master of the Eight Scenic Palace is endowed with heavenly talent, nearly capable of discussing the Dao with my clan's old king. He is a close friend of Prince Lu Ya, so naturally, he will act," replied a young Golden Crow.
At the mention of Yin Tiande, no one was unimpressed. He was unfathomably deep, and all sects were unwilling to provoke him. Otherwise, given the Golden Crow Clan's domineering nature, how could they have befriended him?
Heaven Wolf Mountain Villa was carved from the mountain rock, possessing a unique charm. Many people came and went, and it was immensely grand, covering a vast area.
"When will the Ninth Prince arrive?" asked a sect master. Many wished to maintain good relations with the powerful Golden Crow Clan.
"My clan's Ninth Prince will likely arrive a bit later; he went to prepare a gift," answered a Golden Crow member.
"You are too courteous. It would be enough for the Ninth Prince to simply come; there was no need for this." A disciple of Old Wolf God came out, speaking with a smile. He was very polite to these people and ordered them to be welcomed inside.
The mountain villa was simple but not crude. The stone palaces were magnificent, and the rock halls were enormous, exuding a majestic aura.
Many people had already arrived, all outstanding experts from various regions. It was not surprising to encounter a sect master or a prodigy of astonishing talent here.
"Eh?!" Suddenly, a young Golden Crow spotted Ye Fan not far away. He furrowed his brow and quickly unfurled a scroll in his hand.
"Very similar—the corners of the eyes and brows are almost the same, but he doesn't look as downcast," a golden-haired youth said in surprise.
"Doesn't he know that the Sixth Prince will pass through Reed Continent and might appear at Heaven Wolf Mountain? And he still dares to come here?!" Another person's golden pupils shot out two beams of golden light.
These few quickly approached Ye Fan, who had been keeping a low profile, sitting in a corner of the courtyard enjoying the view and drinking tea. They fixed their gazes on him.
"Who are you? What's your name?" a young man with golden pupils asked in a deep voice.
Ye Fan glanced at them and said, "I am a guest here. Are you the masters of this place, interrogating a criminal?"
"Hmph!"
A Golden Crow snorted, a layer of golden energy appearing on his face. He immediately pressed forward, his expression unfriendly, staring at Ye Fan intently.
Another slightly older Golden Crow stopped him, preventing him from acting rashly. He asked politely, "Please don't take offense, friend. May I ask who you are..."
"Ye Fan."
Ye Fan placed his teacup on the stone table and lifted his head, his black hair spreading out to reveal his true face. The young Golden Crows were so startled that they stumbled backward.
"It's you! How dare you come here!"
"What audacity! The Sixth Prince is about to pass through this place, and you didn't hide? You dare to show your true form here?!"
Several Golden Crows immediately cried out, drawing many sidelong glances as people looked over in surprise.
Ye Fan slapped out, sending a Golden Crow who was pointing at him flying. Bones shattered, and golden blood splattered, a terrifying sight.
"I was here enjoying my tea, and you came to disturb me. How annoying. Your Sixth Prince passes through here, and I'm supposed to avoid him? Who is the arrogant one here?" Ye Fan asked calmly.
The few Golden Crows had long since taken human form and were quite powerful, but now their expressions were ugly. Without a word, they turned to leave.
They could tell that this man was terrifying, far beyond what they could handle. Even though they carried forbidden artifacts specifically prepared to deal with him, they had no confidence.
"Coming and going as you please? Explain yourselves clearly." Ye Fan stood up and took a step forward. The entire courtyard shook, and a light curtain blocked their path.
"Don't push us too far!" a Golden Crow shouted, but the others quickly pulled him back, telling him to stay quiet.
Ye Fan laughed and said, "I'm pushing you too far? Your clan is used to being domineering, aren't you? You came to interrogate me for no reason, and now you're the ones feeling wronged?"
By now, many people had been alerted and rushed toward this courtyard, watching from a distance. Among them were young talents and sect master-level figures.
"What? He's the one who... killed Yin Tiande's younger brother?!"
"It's him, no mistake. He looks just like the portrait. To dare kill the brother of the Eight Scenic Palace's master—how shocking! What background does he have?!"
Everyone showed strange expressions, all watching. In the past ten years, although the master of the Eight Scenic Palace had not emerged into the world, he had intimidated all directions.
The Golden Crow Clan was unmatched in power, yet this man dared to detain them at will. Clearly, he was not one to suffer in silence and was undoubtedly extraordinary.
People sensed that a fierce struggle might erupt in the future, and Reed Continent might become turbulent because of it.
"Although Prince Lu Ya hasn't arrived, didn't they say the Ninth Prince of the Golden Crow Clan would come to offer birthday congratulations soon? A great battle might unfold shortly."
"This man dares to come here. He doesn't seem like someone who would swallow his pride. A fight is very likely."
Ye Fan stood alone, making it impossible for the several Golden Crows at the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm to move. These individuals had taken human form decades ago and were not weak in cultivation, but they were powerless to resist.
"Friend, even if our words were somewhat offensive, we didn't attack. You shouldn't do this at Old Wolf God's birthday banquet," one Golden Crow said, trying to stay calm.
"Is that so? You came here with a portrait to find me, isn't that just to have your master come and eliminate me? What's the difference?" Ye Fan wore a faint, indifferent smile.
"You dare to act recklessly... The Ninth Prince will arrive soon, and Prince Lu Ya will also pass through. You won't escape!" another Golden Crow shouted.
In response, Ye Fan couldn't be bothered to say more. He stepped forward with one foot, pressing it onto the speaker's face and down to the ground. There was a cracking sound as several bones broke.
"Do you truly want to oppose my Golden Crow Clan and become our great enemy?!" another Golden Crow roared.
"Bang!"
This time, Ye Fan was even more direct. He slapped the Golden Crow's head halfway into his chest cavity, blocking his mouth while his eyes remained exposed outside.
"Whether we are enemies or not is your choice. It has nothing to do with me." Ye Fan sneered, saying indifferently, "Don't try to intimidate me with your Golden Crow Clan. You're nothing special. Even if an ancient emperor's descendant came to bully me, I would still trample them underfoot."
The crowd was shocked, all showing strange expressions as they stared at the scene. They hadn't expected Ye Fan to dare act this way and speak such words.
Now, who didn't know that the Golden Crow Clan's ten princes had reached an unprecedented peak of prosperity, creating a situation unseen in ancient or modern times? Coupled with their elder experts, they were terrifying to the extreme.
Just then, a disciple of Old Wolf God walked over. He was nearly thirty years old, dressed in green robes, with a calm expression. He spoke, "Friend, please show some mercy. Today is my master's birthday; do not cause trouble."
"This is... Old Wolf God's closed-door disciple. It's said his cultivation is astonishing, and his Heaven Wolf Force has reached the pinnacle!"
"Now, the younger generation of Heaven Wolf Mountain relies entirely on him to carry the banner. He may become the heir of the Heaven Wolf lineage!"
Many were startled, not expecting Wolf Tianye to come and personally mediate.
"Fine. I'm not one to enjoy causing trouble. I'll spare their lives then," Ye Fan said. Then he moved quickly, striking each of them with a golden light, producing a series of cracking sounds.
"You... crippled us?"
"You are making an enemy of the entire Golden Crow Clan! From now on, there will be no place for you in this world!"
The few Golden Crows were on the verge of madness. Having their cultivation crippled was worse than death.
"I only cut off ten years of your cultivation, not crippled you. But it seems I was too lenient. You're used to being domineering, and even now you dare to speak like this!" Ye Fan's face darkened.
It all happened too fast. No one had reacted in time, not even Wolf Tianye could stop it, revealing to everyone the terrifying depth of Ye Fan's cultivation.
"Enough, friend. Your actions have gone too far. Let it end here." Wolf Tianye's expression was not pleasant.
"If you utter another word, I will kill you on the spot. Now get out of my sight." Ye Fan spoke calmly.
The young Golden Crows' faces turned pale. They dared not say another word and fled without looking back, like startled birds.
On that day, the cultivators of the Ziwei Ancient Star Domain remembered the name Ye Fan for the first time—not just from a portrait, but from his forceful methods.
"So his name is Ye Fan. He killed Yin Tiande's brother and refused to back down against the domineering Golden Crow Clan, crippling Lu Ya's subordinates on the spot. Truly extraordinary!"
"This man's cultivation is terrifying. Where did he come from? Why haven't we heard of him before?"
At Heaven Wolf Mountain Villa, everyone was discussing him, unaware of his origins.
Half an hour later, outside the Heaven Wolf Ancient Mountain range, a dozen golden beams of light streaked across the sky, approaching rapidly. They were a group of powerful Golden Crows.
"Report! The Ninth Prince of the Golden Crow Clan has arrived to offer birthday congratulations!" a disciple of the Heaven Wolf Clan announced loudly, seeming under pressure, his voice wavering.
Outside Heaven Wolf Mountain Villa, a dozen people stood. Their long golden hair draped over their shoulders, and their golden pupils were intimidating, like a dozen powerful divine beings.
Many people came out to greet them. The Golden Crow Clan was too domineering; even many sect masters sought to build connections. One clan with ten princes—who could stop them in the future?
"Who crippled my clansmen?!" The Ninth Prince of the Golden Crow Clan strode forward, his voice cold but calm.
Some young female cultivators, stunning disciples from various sects, and a few holy maidens all watched and whispered among themselves, their beautiful eyes sparkling.
"Prince Lu Ya has also arrived!" someone exclaimed. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please vote for it at ***.*** with your recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)