Ye Fan had no desire to get too entangled with these people. With Guan Cheng and the second-in-command of the Thirteen Riders of the Celestial Desolation present, this group’s hostility toward him was plainly evident.
He gave a nod, urged his mount onward, and departed. At this moment, there was no need to lock horns with them — they would meet sooner or later on the battlefield.
“What incredible arrogance, to leave so calmly. Who does he think he is?” A young man watched him depart, then muttered with cold and sinister displeasure.
Ye Fan’s hearing was extraordinarily sharp — he had long since cultivated both the Heavenly Eye and the Wind-Following Ear. He wheeled around abruptly, and from his eyes shot two brilliant streaks of golden light.
The man’s heart immediately lurched. His expression changed at once. He was about to shout loudly to ease his own pressure, for he felt as if a great mountain had pressed down upon him.
Crack!
Yet in that very instant, he felt a stifling sensation in his chest and a sweetness at his throat. He opened his mouth and spat out a large mouthful of fresh blood. His complexion went pale, and he nearly toppled from his mount, his body swaying unsteadily.
Everyone was shaken. All changed color.
Every one of this group had extraordinary backgrounds. Yet someone dared to use his aura to intimidate them like this and make one of them vomit blood right here on the street — and the passersby along the street all showed expressions of astonishment.
A clamor broke out. This group was about to surge forward. Their mounts snarled and roared, and their battle energy surged magnificently.
The man with the golden crown and bound hair raised one hand and stopped them. A streak of cold lightning flashed through his eyes. “Do not be rash,” he said.
The others, upon seeing this, all restrained themselves. They sat straight upon their exotic beasts, following his lead in all things — because this man’s background was anything but ordinary.
And quite a few people on the main street also knew the background of the man with the golden crown and bound hair. He was Yan Chifeng — the great-great-grandson of the retired grand commander — and his gifts in the way of cultivation were extraordinary. The old grand commander, though he had withdrawn from affairs, still wielded immense influence after all these years, causing every faction to hold him in awe. Naturally, they looked upon his beloved great-great-grandson with great favor.
Ye Fan gave them one cold, detached glance, then turned and left without another look.
“We can’t let him leave like this — so easily, with such composure.” Guan Cheng said, in a voice cold and dark. He and Yan Chifeng were old acquaintances.
Yan Chifeng’s physique was powerfully built. He sat atop a large and towering savage beast, a golden crown gleaming brilliantly upon his head, clad in grim and solemn armor, a crimson-gold divine war whip slung across his back. He said nothing.
The second-in-command of the Thirteen Riders of the Celestial Desolation’s gaze was sinister and sharp. “We cannot let him build up an invincible air of absolute supremacy,” he said.
One person among the group shouted sharply. The several divine war hounds nearby immediately reared up onto their hind legs, roaring fiercely as they surged forward, charging toward Ye Fan.
“Brother Guan, more than twenty years ago, how stunning you were — and yet you were defeated by that man. Today you have been suppressed again by this one. Watch how we vent your anger for you.”
Apart from their mounts, this group of more than a dozen also had several war beasts in their entourage. Now all of them broke into a charge, stampeding forward. Among the war beasts of this group, the Nine-Headed Demon Qilin-Tigers were the kings — their roars like thunderclaps, they surged toward Ye Fan and Long Ma, blood energy suffusing the air in a terrifying wave.
The entire group laughed coldly. Even if they themselves were constrained by the city rules and could not make a move, they could still make Ye Fan look like a fool — left disheveled and in an awkward mess. After all, it was simply beast chaos, nothing more.
On the street, people all changed color. No one dared to block the animals, and they scattered and dodged in all directions, fearful of bringing disaster upon themselves.
These more than a dozen people all sat upon their savage beasts and watched in cold amusement, waiting to enjoy the spectacle of Ye Fan’s embarrassment.
Ye Fan abruptly wheeled his mount around. He drew out a massive great bow half the height of a man, and without hesitation — with unwavering resolve and not a moment’s pause — he drew the bow and loosed a white bone arrow.
Crack!
A streak of white light tore through the air. Then blood-light burst forth. The foremost charging beast was pierced through the center of its brow. It let out a whimper and crashed into a pool of blood.
“Rooaaarrr…”
The wilderness beasts surged forward. The Nine-Headed Demon Qilin-Tigers, though not yet fully grown, already possessed the bearing of beast kings. Their roars shook the mountains and rivers, and half the city trembled with the sound.
These were a terrifying category of beast — war pets that Yan Chifeng had gone deep into the cosmos to subdue from the depths of the starry sky. So long as they grew to full maturity, they would be an incomparably powerful asset.
Ye Fan was still as a stone, without so much as a blink. One arrow followed the next in rapid succession, loosed one after another. White light blazed forth. His breath surged vast and boundless as the ocean.
He moved too fast. No one could intervene. Like lightning, swift and fierce, he fired one white bone arrow after another — each fashioned from the bones and spurs of sacred beasts.
Crack. Crack…
Bloody and brutal and savage — more than a dozen bone arrows were loosed. Divine might rolled like a torrent, splitting the long sky. Six exotic beasts, all nine of the Nine-Headed Demon Qilin-Tigers — every last one of them was pierced through and nailed to the ground. Blood ran in rivulets, glistening!
Only a few of the weaker war beasts that had lagged at the rear and not yet reached the front lines escaped the catastrophe. Tucking their tails, they let out pitiful cries as they scurried back.
The main street fell into utter silence — still to the extreme. No one had expected Ye Fan to act with such decisiveness and ruthlessness, killing the wilderness beasts right there on the street with thunder and lightning and not a shred of hesitation or mercy.
The owners of the war beasts and all the others drew sharp breaths. Their expressions grew ugly. They had assumed that Ye Fan would merely shout the animals back and make a bit of a fuss — they had never imagined he would be this cold-blooded, carrying on without the slightest care for appearances, and gunning down every single one without restraint.
“You… how ruthless. You spilled blood inside the city, violated the city rules, and have committed a capital offense!” one person cried out.
Yan Chifeng’s expression darkened like stagnant water. The Nine-Headed Demon Qilin-Tigers were his prized pets. Obtaining them had cost him tremendous effort — braving the cosmos and doing battle with fully-grown wilderness beasts, a venture fraught with extraordinary danger.
And now they had all been shot dead, as if someone had slapped him across the face in public.
The main street was very quiet. Passersby all retreated to a safe distance. Everyone knew that the great-great-grandson of the old grand commander was not someone to be trifled with, and now that he had been publicly challenged and humiliated in front of everyone’s eyes like this, it would almost certainly not end well.
“What is going on?!” Soldiers from the city came charging over, shouting loudly.
Ye Fan’s expression was impassive. He said not a single word. The group behind him, every one of them, had eyes blazing with killing light, as if they were about to surge forward.
Yan Chifeng’s expression shifted between different shades before finally settling back into calm. “Nothing,” he answered evenly. “My war pets were startled and nearly hurt someone, so they were cut down in the street.”
The more than a dozen soldiers all breathed sighs of relief. They had genuinely feared Yan Chifeng would refuse to let the matter go and blow it up into something larger — and if that happened, the trouble would be considerable.
“The old grand commander’s descendant truly has a remarkable bearing.” One of the military commanders clasped his fists in salute, then departed without intervening further.
Ye Fan wheeled his mount around and set off toward the Emerald-Wave Immortal Grove.
What had happened along the long street naturally spread far and wide. Many people clicked their tongues in amazement. At this moment, with the atmosphere so overcast and the tension so high, that such a thing had also occurred was truly something.
“Those going to attend this small gathering — something is likely to happen there.”
“Yan Chifeng will most likely take the opportunity to set foot upon the ancient road of the starry sky because of this. He has been lying low for so many years — it is time for him to move.”
Within the city were mountains of beauty and blue waters — a rare sight. Towering peaks stood majestically. Extraordinary ancient trees rose one after another. A stream murmured and babbled along. Birds sang in hushed, secluded tones — a place truly set apart from the world.
Ye Fan dismounted at the mountain gate, presented his invitation, and walked straight inside. Passing through a grove of ancient trees, he came before an expanse of land blanketed in green grass and blooming with exotic flowers.
Along the cliff face, green pines stood erect and proud. Clear spring water gushed and surged, cascading downward to form small waterfalls of five colors, with rosy mist and haze coiling about them.
Before the meadow, some people sat cross-legged. In front of each of them, a jade table had been set out, bearing spirit fruits and fine wine — each shimmering with a crystalline translucent luster in jade-ware.
Ahead, a lively and spirited young girl was playing a zither. She had a touch of playful mischief about her. Her slender jade fingers moved nimbly, plucking out a melody that was extremely pleasing to the ear.
Seeming to sense that quite a few cultivators had now arrived, she began to play in earnest, drawing the strings with focused care. Thread upon thread of immortal music flowed, sweeping past the hundred blooming flowers — causing them to burst open all at once — sweeping past the clear spring, where steam rose and curled upward — and drifting up into the high sky, drawing all manner of birds to come and dance about her.
Many cultivators were stunned. There was no fluctuation of Dao power — only a clear and pure zither-sound — yet this kind of scene had come into being.
Ye Fan was taken aback, then fell into a long silence. He thought of a certain person — ethereally pure as an immortal, transcending the common world, a zither melody capable of washing away the dust of the mortal world.
It was a pity that he could never see that person again. He had sent that person on their final journey with his own hands, ending their life.
“I am nothing but a wretched fish. All these years, time and time again, I have leapt with all my strength, and every time I have thought I had escaped that river…” — those words still rang in his ears. Even if they had been enemies, it was something impossible to forget.
“I am not playing well at all. You are all too kind. Oh — Milady is here.” The lively young girl rose to her feet. Twisting a strand of her own hair around her finger with a playful gesture, she stood to one side, full of life and spirit.
“Lady Ling’er is too modest. Your zither melody has made a hundred flowers bloom and ten thousand birds come to pay court, with mist and rosy clouds rising from the earth — such a spectacle appearing all at once, with how many people able to compare?”
“A wondrous melody that moves heaven and earth — how many times in this world can one hope to hear it?”
Everyone spoke their true and heartfelt admiration.
The young girl smiled shyly and said, “What does my zither playing amount to? It is Milady’s that has truly attained the Dao. When she plays one piece through to its end, she can cause decayed bones to bloom with life once more…”
A woman walked over and interrupted her words, saying, “Ling’er is being mischievous again. Honored guests, please pay no heed to her.”
Without question, this was the Banished Immortal Lady Qing Shi. Her figure was graceful and willowy. The immortal mist coiling about her dissipated, revealing her immortal countenance — bright eyes and white teeth, pure and elegant, surpassing the worldly. Her smile was warm and kind.
Her jet-black hair shone with a luster that could serve as a mirror. Her eyebrows curved like crescent moons. Her skin was snow-white and delicate. Her eyes held within them the spirit of poetry, carrying a sensibility that had seen through the ways of the mortal world.
“I once heard that more than twenty years ago, the Banished Immortal Lady’s flute melody drifted long across the universe, and in an instant caused four Saints to dissolve into the Dao. That truly is something to make immortals tremble and spirits weep.” An elder present spoke.
Upon hearing this, everyone present felt a chill.
The Banished Immortal Lady Qing Shi was a peerless beauty. Yet even being more outstanding than other beautiful women would not normally cause the heart to quicken with such force — after all, the cultivators present had reached this level, and in their vast experiences had seen many beautiful women. But she possessed a particular quality. The longer one looked at her, the more transcendent she appeared. Her beauty was one that was in accord with the essence of the Dao — it radiated an aura that felt kind and close, and that brought stillness to the spirit. One could not help but instinctively develop a fondness for her.
Her figure was tall and graceful. Her immortal countenance was radiant. Her lotus arms were flawless. Her chest was full. Her slender waist was delicate and rounded. Her jade legs were long and straight. Her steps were light and unencumbered — as if she were skimming the surface of water — her white robes billowing and fluttering, ethereal and transcendent.
“Those are all rumors — there is no need to take them for the truth,” Qing Shi said. Her smile was amiable. She invited everyone present to take their seats, acknowledging both old acquaintances and those newly arrived whom she had never met before, making sure not to neglect a single person.
At this point, Yan Chifeng, Guan Cheng, the second-in-command of the Thirteen Riders of the Celestial Desolation, and the others also arrived. They were seated far from Ye Fan, regarding him coldly.
The Banished Immortal Lady had invited a great many people. The overall atmosphere was joyful and lively. Among the guests were prominent figures from the city — such as the grand commander and the heads of several great families — as well as newly risen powerful fighters.
Shortly afterward, the leader of the Thirteen Riders of the Celestial Desolation, Gu Ling, also arrived — but not together with Yan Chifeng and the others. This surprised Ye Fan.
As for Tuoba Yu, Bitter Head Monk, Feather Immortal, Ou Ye the Demon, Mu Guanghan, and others — they too had been invited and had arrived some time earlier, seated among the flowers and grass.
“Hey — we came because of you, alright? Since we’re asking a favor of someone, we have to give something good first.” A lively and spirited divine thought was secretly transmitted over.
Ye Fan was astonished. He had not expected that the Banished Immortal Lady’s little handmaiden would act like this — with such an immediately familiar manner — as if she were about to tell him something.
“I heard you practically wiped out the Thirteen Riders of the Celestial Desolation. I would advise it is better not to kill them all off — especially those two at the front.”
“Why?” Ye Fan asked.
“They are the thirteen personal attendants of a great Demon God deep within the ancient road of the starry sky — they have only just set out upon the road. If the great Demon God finds out that you’ve killed them all off, even without making a personal move, he could issue a single command and your road ahead will run red with blood.”
“Who is this great Demon God, and how formidable is he?” Ye Fan’s heart stirred.
The little handmaiden seemed to find this quite a headache. She muttered something, then pressed her slender and snow-white little hand against her luminous forehead and wrinkled her brows, saying, “Heavens above — you know nothing at all. What star domain are you from? Has not even a single ‘senior’ ever offered you any guidance? The great Demon God is a young man named Gu Huang. He has rendered countless heroes on the road ahead helpless. He may well be capable of going undefeated across the entire ancient road. Speaking seriously — aside from a very small number of exceptions, no one can cross blades with him.”
“And by the way — the trial participants who came with you, such as Bitter Head Monk, Feather Immortal, Tuoba Yu, Mu Guanghan, and the others — not a single one of them is simple. Every one of them has ties to people further along the road.” The little handmaiden said with a troubled expression.
“Actually — this time, Qing Shi has returned primarily for the Source of the Dao.” It was at that very moment that the Banished Immortal Lady herself spoke.
Everyone was taken aback. No one had expected her to raise this openly in front of everyone. Given her keen and perceptive mind, she should not have been so direct.