Chapter 711: Broken Wood Cliff
Under the bright moon, the great river flowed gently, its surface shimmering with rippling light.
Countless flower petals danced through the air, each one crystalline under the moonlight, releasing wisps of fragrance that entered the nostrils, causing every pore on the body to relax.
The Divine Moon Chariot passed across the sky, surrounded by a rain of flowers, gleaming with radiant light. Beneath this bright moon, it resembled a Guanghan Palace in the heavens—ethereal and magnificent.
Yi Qingwu, a woman like the Luo River Goddess, was the undisputed number one beauty of the Ziwei Ancient Star Domain. Some women who prided themselves on their peerless grace felt utterly inferior before her.
With jade-like skin and immortal bones, every time she traveled, she inevitably caused a sensation. All who saw her were astonished, suspecting she was a reincarnation of a Heavenly Maiden from the Nine Heavens. She stirred hearts and minds, even causing living fossils to feel their hearts race.
For this woman, there were no lavish descriptions, nor paintings circulated in the world, yet her grace outshone all in the mortal realm. Like a divine moon hanging in the sky, she was adored and longed for. Among the younger generation, many men were infatuated with her, leading to numerous duels and stirring up many storms of controversy.
"She comes from Guanghan Palace. How many have gone to propose marriage only to be politely refused? For many disciples of divine dynasties, she is something to be admired from afar but never attained." Yan Yixi sighed softly.
Guanghan Palace—this ancient inheritance made Ye Fan's heart skip a beat, filled with immense surprise. He asked, "Then how did she become Yin Tiande's future Dao companion?"
"Brother Ye, your understanding of that great enemy is too shallow. You don't know just how terrifying he truly is. Yin Tiande is enough to shake the entire world." Yan Yixi replied.
"So powerful..."
"Of course, when you face him directly, you'll find it even more chilling." Yan Yixi warned seriously.
Ye Fan stroked his chin. Someone who had inherited Laozi's legacy and mastered the One Qi Transforms into Three Purities technique was undoubtedly a peerless expert, seemingly extremely fearsome.
Yan Yixi continued, "Only Yin Tiande, with his arrogant cultivation, single-handedly stormed the Immortal Palace that no one had passed through in fifty thousand years. He conquered all one hundred and eight life-and-death heavenly barriers, startling the Supreme Elder of Guanghan Palace into emerging from seclusion, ultimately agreeing to his marriage proposal."
Under the moonlight, the divine chariot flew away, surrounded by falling flower petals, carrying endless pure fragrance, leaving behind a trail of mysterious flowing light.
"What a pity. Such heavenly beauty, the number one beauty of this era, is about to become Yin Tiande's Dao companion." Yan Yixi lamented.
He opened a folding fan, on which were painted beauties, each with features that could sink fish and fall geese, faces that could eclipse the moon and shame flowers—all national beauties, the most beautiful women of the current age.
Among them, one woman was the most unique. Only a hazy, slender figure was depicted, shrouded in mist, impossible to discern her true form or divine charm.
"This is Yi Qingwu. Although I have seen her, I cannot capture her likeness. She has become my heart demon. If I cannot paint her, I cannot attain the Dao."
Hearing this, Ye Fan laughed and said, "You lecher, just admit you're coveting Yin Tiande's Dao companion. Why so mournful and plaintive?"
"Alas, do not judge my flawless Dao heart with your mortal eyes. The sea of people is boundless, and a kindred spirit is hard to find." Yan Yixi replied.
"Caw, caw, caw..." A crow flew by, cawing incessantly in the night sky.
"Your kindred spirit has arrived." Ye Fan laughed heartily.
However, Yan Yixi's expression changed, and he said gravely, "The eldest disciple of Heavenly Demon Grandmother has come!"
"Heavenly Demon Grandmother?" Ye Fan's heart jolted, sensitive to those four words.
"Indeed, an extremely fearsome demon lord, a Heavenly Demon Body known as Heavenly Demon Grandmother. The world fears her, and nowadays almost no one dares to provoke her."
Heavenly Demon Grandmother had four disciples, all of whom had been famous for over a thousand years. Each possessed boundless magical power. Though they had not established a sect, they made all major teachings wary.
An ancient bronze chariot carrying an old corpse flew across the sky, absorbing moonlight. A flock of crows pulled the chariot, exuding an aura of ill omen.
"This is the eldest disciple of Heavenly Demon Grandmother—the Corpse Demon. Legend has it that he is the shed body of an ancient unparalleled expert that gained sentience and cultivated."
Heavenly Demon Grandmother possessed the ultimate physique among the demon race. Few in the world dared to provoke her, and even her four disciples were figures everyone avoided.
Before long, the two saw several powerful figures flying past, some with demonic aura overwhelming the sky, others with magical power vast as the sea—all were Sect Leader-rank figures.
Undoubtedly, they had all come for a page of the Divine Spirit Ancient Scripture, all wanting to see for themselves and try their luck at glimpsing the secrets of heaven.
Broken Wood Cliff was a dangerous shoal that the Falling Star River had to pass through, filled with dense reefs, turbulent currents, and narrow channels.
Of course, this meant nothing to cultivators. Its peculiarity lay in a wooden cliff here, formed when an ancient heaven-reaching giant tree was split apart.
"Such a wooden cliff—how thick must that ancient tree have been!" Ye Fan exclaimed in astonishment.
The river flowed swiftly. A black cliff wall, several hundred zhang long and several thousand meters high, stood there. If not examined closely, it was indistinguishable from a rock wall.
"Legend has it that this was a Tree King that endured countless tribulations but could never transform into human form. Eventually, it was struck dead here. It is said to be connected to the Falling Star River, containing a true dragon egg that will be born after ten thousand tribulations. During this process, no one can attain the Dao nearby."
At this moment, near Broken Wood Cliff, figures flickered in the shadows. Countless experts lay hidden, all staring fixedly at the steep cliff.
"The Human King Hall and the Ancient Longevity Temple have truly come. Are they really going to exchange ancient scriptures here?" Yan Yixi was startled.
On the black cliff stood an old man with silver hair as white as snow, his spirit vigorous. Bathed in moonlight, he resembled an old immortal—the Vice Hall Master of Human King Hall, a living fossil who had lived for over three thousand years, full of vitality.
"That is the Three Deficiencies Daoist!" Yan Yixi said solemnly, pointing him out for Ye Fan.
A young Daoist walked through the moonlight. His moon-white Daoist robe fluttered, embroidered with a Yin-Yang Eight Trigram diagram that occasionally reflected light like a mirror.
His skin was fair, and he appeared quite handsome, with an ethereal bearing. His temperament surpassed his age, like a highly accomplished cultivator who had practiced for ages.
His Dao name was Three Deficiencies, his cultivation reaching the depths of creation. At his age, he could already represent the Ancient Longevity Temple, carrying the Divine Spirit Ancient Scripture, a supreme sacred relic.
The Vice Hall Master of Human King Hall and the Three Deficiencies Daoist stood facing each other on the cliff, greeting each other as equals—a testament to the Three Deficiencies Daoist's fearsome power.
"Alas, the news has leaked after all. Which link went wrong? Who is leaking information?" The living fossil of Human King Hall frowned.
The two did not flee. Instead, they carefully took out wooden boxes, both ancient in style, carved with dragons and phoenixes, holding them in their palms to proceed with the exchange.
The surroundings were very quiet, with only the sound of the Falling Star River rushing, no other noise. On Broken Wood Cliff, under the bright moonlight, the two peerless experts held their wooden boxes and simultaneously extended them forward.
Countless eyes watched from the shadows, all holding their breath, patiently waiting for that moment to see if there was an opportunity.
"Boom"
Suddenly, a massive black hand reached out from the void, covering the entire Broken Wood Cliff, attempting to seize both the Three Deficiencies Daoist and the living fossil of Human King Hall together.
Who was this, daring to strike at two peerless experts simultaneously? Everyone's eyes widened.
"Bang"
The Three Deficiencies Daoist and the old man from Human King Hall each struck out with a palm, simultaneously withdrawing their wooden boxes and shouting loudly.
Silently, a massive black crack appeared in the void, and another purple hand reached down, grabbing for the Divine Spirit Ancient Scripture.
"Caw, caw, caw..." Crows cawed as a bronze chariot pulled by them carried an old corpse into view, but when they struck, four figures emerged.
All four disciples of Heavenly Demon Grandmother had come, hidden inside the chariot, attacking together and joining the fray.
"If Heavenly Demon Grandmother herself had come, that might be something. But you, though comparable to sect masters, are still not enough!" A cold voice rang out. A white hand descended from the sky, grabbing toward Broken Wood Cliff, sending the four figures in the bronze chariot flying.
"Powerful figures gather. Those making a move must at least be living fossil-level!" Yan Yixi whispered.
The black wooden cliff became a chaotic battlefield. The void continuously split open. First, hands reached out, then true forms descended.
"That person is Wu Daoque!" Someone exclaimed in shock.
They recognized one of the figures as the most fearsome rogue cultivator of Lu Continent. He had once traveled eight thousand li in a single night, annihilating two major teachings from top to bottom.
"The Celestial Fox Superior—hadn't he already passed away? How is he appearing again?!"
Another person was recognized—a nine-tailed celestial fox who had supposedly passed away over a thousand years ago, a peerless ancient demon lord of the demon race, with unfathomable strength.
The world spread that the Ancient Daoist Temple of the Nether Ridge and the most ancient inheritance, Human King Hall, each held half a page of an ancient scripture, written by a divine spirit, containing the secret of immortality. Thus, today, the most fearsome cultivators had all gathered.
"Bang"
The black wooden cliff, under the clash of so many unparalleled experts, shattered into pieces. Wood chips flew everywhere. This was an ancient Tree King that had existed since antiquity, countless times harder than rock, unbreakable even by great powers, yet now it was destroyed.
A purple hand snatched a wooden box that had flown into the sky, cracking it open on the spot—but it was empty!
"Fooled!"
Another wooden box was also seized and opened, only to find it empty as well, containing nothing.
At that moment, the Three Deficiencies Daoist and the old man from Human King Hall both faded away—they were merely manifestations of primordial qi, not their true bodies.
"Damn it, the news was false. They didn't come here to exchange!"
"Chase!"
Many experts soared into the sky, disappearing into the night. Once the legendary peerless experts left, figures flickered everywhere in the surroundings, and more people revealed themselves.
"That mysterious Ye Surname expert has also come! After killing the Golden Crow Clan's Ninth Prince and Lu Ya's incarnation, he still dares to come to a place like this!" Someone recognized him, and many turned to look toward the Falling Star River.
"How strange. Not a single person from the Golden Crow Clan came today. Did they get wind of something, knowing there's no Divine Spirit Ancient Scripture here?" Ye Fan wondered.
"Rumor has it that the Golden Crow Clan recently discovered a shocking secret related to their clan's peak prosperity. They're probably too busy to come."
"What secret could be more important than the Divine Spirit Ancient Scripture?" Ye Fan was puzzled.
"Legend has it that it's the true Immortal Fusang Divine Tree. They're currently verifying the truth of the news." Yan Yixi said softly.
Suddenly, his expression changed. At that moment, a young man in a five-colored divine garment descended, grinning slyly. "Senior Brother, long time no see. How have you been?"
Yan Yixi's face immediately darkened. "Our master has been gone for many years. You and I have each tempered our hearts in the mortal world, following different paths of the Dao. We have no further connection."
"I heard that Yi Qingwu has become your heart demon. As your junior brother, I want to help you out. How about we join forces today and capture that number one beauty?" The young man in the five-colored divine garment had a sinister look.
"I cultivate the Emotionless Dao, while you cultivate the Human Desire Heavenly Art. You've already degenerated into a human demon. Our paths are different, so we cannot work together!" Yan Yixi sternly refused.
"Haha, emotionlessness and human desire are but a single thought apart. You're so boring!" The man in the five-colored divine garment turned to Ye Fan. "Brother Ye, I've long admired you from afar. Finally meeting you today, how about we join forces to capture Yi Qingwu and drive that bastard Yin Tiande crazy!"
Ye Fan was about to refuse, but at that moment, flower petals danced in the sky, a rain of flowers fell, and a divine chariot flew in from the distant sky, descending.
"Are you Ye Fan?" A maidservant flew out and asked.
"Haha, the number one beauty Yi Qingwu wants to make a move on you. Brother Ye, let's join forces and take her down!" The man in the five-colored divine garment laughed loudly.
Helping a friend's book with an advertisement: "Star Tyranny." The demon star Chen Xiao, under the protection of the God-Sealing treasure, the God-Slaying Whip, has his soul traversed to a magic apprentice... (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on *** (***.***) with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)