Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 540: Chapter 545: Where the Holy Spirit Fell

Central Domain, Fire Demon Ridge.

It is said that a Holy Spirit from the Fire Clan was born here, almost comparable to the ancient emperors, suppressing the world and inspiring awe throughout the Ancient Desolation.

Unfortunately, it is said to have been suppressed and killed by the Ancient Heavenly Emperor, its form and spirit entirely extinguished, leaving not a trace of life.

Endless years have passed, and there are still some legends about it. Various signs indicate that it was the Ruthless Great Emperor who killed it.

Back then, the Heaven-devouring Great Emperor bathed the world in blood. Later, despite possessing an unparalleled Heavenly Technique, the human race did not celebrate it, and its achievements were artificially erased.

Those who came later could only sigh, capturing only fragments of clues. The Heavenly Emperor is gone; the past has turned to smoke.

Fire Demon Ridge was boundless, filled with barren mountains and chaotic rocks. It was a land of endless Dead Volcanoes, devoid of life, where gray and monotony coexisted; even the sky was a hazy gray.

Ye Fan and the Da Hei Dog arrived at this place, their divine scan spreading like a sea as they explored the entire region.

However, the Fire Demon Ridge was too vast, boundless and endless. Barren mountains where not a single blade of grass grew stretched as far as the eye could see. This place was a desolate land.

“Years ago, boundless divine flame was contained underground, giving birth to the Fire Spirit. He delved from Dao into demonhood and was ultimately eradicated,” said the Da Hei Dog.

Having seen the Ruthless Great Emperor’s coffin submerged in primal chaos at Crow’s Nest, and now arriving at the site of one of his glorious battles, the Da Hei Dog felt somewhat sentimental. A Stone Man with nine apertures, upon reaching Great Success, could become a Holy Spirit—an invincible existence in heaven and earth. And yet, the Ruthless Great Emperor had eradicated a Fire Clan Holy Spirit, a feat not recorded in worldly chronicles.

Ye Fan also felt a surge of emotion. Standing at this ancient site, he silently observed the endless barren veins, marveling at the combat power of the Ancient Heavenly Emperor.

The underground divine flame seemed to have long since cooled. All volcanoes were dead, no longer erupting. However, slight strange fluctuations remained, and these areas were untainted by snowflakes.

Where is Liu Yiyi? Ye Fan murmured to himself, scanning one volcano after another.

Despite the endless legends surrounding the place, he was in no mood to learn about them. Saving Liu Yiyi was paramount; he feared for her safety.

He didn’t know how many miles he had delved when, in the distance, towering mountains appeared. They were vast and white, with snow filling the air and severe cold rampant.

Clusters of Dead Volcanoes were nestled within snowy veins. It was a very peculiar place in the Central Domain, and ordinary people were unwilling to venture deep into it.

For the place where a Holy Spirit had perished always left people feeling uneasy. Although nothing untoward had ever happened, anyone who came here experienced a strange delusion, as if they had entered an ancient graveyard.

“You have finally come…” A voice, like that of a ghost, echoed in the mountains.

Ye Fan’s expression tightened. Not far away, at the mouth of a volcano, he saw a Light Gate. It emitted a strange power, and its destination was unknown.

“Where is Yiyi?”

“She is not dead yet.” No one appeared, only the voice—cold and emotionless, with a hint of mockery—continued, “She will witness you kneeling on the ground. Please, enter the Holy Gate.”

“You expect us to enter just because you say so?” the Da Hei Dog growled indignantly, baring its teeth. “Who knows where that thing leads!”

“If you wish to save her, do you have another choice?” The voice from the shadows carried a hint of ridicule.

“You, my human pet’s beast pet, are getting too brazen!” the Black Emperor cursed. “If we lose our lives, how can we save anyone? Dream on!”

The person in the shadows was silent for a while, then said, “This gate does not lead to a Desolate Land. It is merely to ascertain if you came here alone.”

Ye Fan said nothing more. This person is merely acting on orders, not the mastermind behind the plot to eliminate me. He had already discerned this much.

Above the volcano’s mouth, the Light Gate sparkled, resembling a golden house, as if endless treasures lay hidden behind it.

As soon as Ye Fan stepped inside, his body trembled. Instantly, Elder Red Dragon, Peacock King, Daoist Crow, and several Grand Elders from Jade Lake manifested.

SWISH!

The group appeared almost simultaneously in the void, completely exposed, no longer sealed within Ye Fan.

“The Wan Luo Gate!” Elder Red Dragon exclaimed in surprise. “This is a gate of life! Once entered, there’s almost nowhere to hide unless a peerless figure employs a self-sealing technique.”

The person in the shadows seemed very surprised, clearly not expecting Ye Fan to have brought such a powerful lineup. If they truly decide to act, even one of these ‘living fossils’ emerging would be a great disaster.

“Only you were supposed to come. Since you chose otherwise, we’ll send that wretched woman on her way!” The voice from the shadows was cruel and emotionless.

Ye Fan fell silent. He hadn’t expected the opponent to possess such a peculiar item as the Wan Luo Gate. He walked forward and said, “I will go with you alone.”

“You creature that can’t bear the sight of light!” the Black Emperor cursed.

“I’ve changed my mind. Let this dog come as well,” the person in the shadows said, their voice turning ruthless.

“Damn it! This Emperor doesn’t want to go!” the Da Hei Dog yelped, leaping high into the air.

“Let’s go. We’ll face it together,” Ye Fan said.

The Da Hei Dog was dismayed. It truly didn’t want to go. Without Elder Red Dragon’s combat power, I’ll most likely be slaughtered if I go!

“This won’t do! Don’t go!” Peacock King tried to stop them. Everyone could see this was a trap targeting Ye Fan’s life; to go would be a pointless sacrifice.

The Grand Elders from Jade Lake also voiced their objections, believing that to go alone was tantamount to suicide. They strongly opposed his decision.

Ye Fan shook his head, silently reassuring them. Without saying more, he strode forward.

“The wind sighs cold at the Yi River; the hero goes forth, never to return!” the Da Hei Dog wailed melodramatically, its cries as pitiful as a slaughtered pig’s. Ye Fan dragged it by its tail into the nearby Domain Gate as it howled, “I truly don’t want to go!”

「Great Snow Mountains」

They found themselves in a realm of vast, snow-covered mountains, with piercing cold winds and swirling snowflakes. Ye Fan and the Da Hei Dog stood atop a peak, surveying the surroundings. Not far away stood a solitary Dead Volcano.

HOWL… HOWL…

The fierce winds roared like thunder, and the sound of wind through the pines echoed in waves. Amidst the white vastness of the mountains, only one kind of tree grew—Ice Pines!

Each tree was so thick that it would take more than ten people to encircle it. They were snow-white from trunk to tip, as mighty as Coiled Dragons, stretching towards the sky.

Heavy, lead-gray clouds pressed down, almost touching the mountain tops, filled with an invisible killing intent. The entire area had been sealed by an unparalleled power.

“This is bad!” The Da Hei Dog’s expression changed instantly.

In that instant, it tried to etch dozens of Array Patterns, but all of them were obliterated in the void, unable to be preserved.

“It’s over! The Great Emperor Wushi’s Killing Array won’t be of any use here!”

The Da Hei Dog stared intently at the solitary Dead Volcano, its eyes filled with fear. It trembled as it said, “This is the place where the Holy Spirit perished! Unless the ancient emperors were revived, no one could lay Array Patterns here.”

Ye Fan’s heart sank. The enemy truly understands me. The Da Hei Dog’s mastery of Dao Glyphs was unparalleled, yet here, it was rendered useless.

“You actually dared to come, you foolhardy thing!” a person laughed heartily. They stepped through the void, closing in step by step, before halting on a distant summit.

Ye Fan stood amidst the wind and snow, motionless, quietly watching him. He activated his Divine Eye to see through the disguise, unveiling his true form—it was the Dayan Saint Heir, Xiang Yifei.

“So, you truly came to die. What a pity! Being a hero in this world isn’t so easy—many who try end up as disgraced cowards!” another person laughed, their voice filled with disdain, as they materialized atop another peak.

Ye Fan’s eyes flickered with an icy light. It’s the Dao Yi Saint Heir, Li Donglai. He can’t hide from my Source Heaven Divine Eye.

“Haha… Sending the sacred body on his way will be a great joy in life! I can’t wait to savor the taste of sacred blood!” A third person appeared, stepping through the snowflakes to hover in the void. Their eyes were wild, filled with cruelty and bloodlust.

Ye Fan saw through his true form, and his heart grew colder. It’s Jin Chixiao, scion of the Golden Family from the Northern Plains!

During the previous blood-soaked night, when Great Emperor Wushi’s Killing Array had slain many powerful figures, these three had come to kill Ye Fan. However, their True Bodies had not entered the array, allowing them to escape unscathed.

From another direction, a cold laugh echoed as a fourth person appeared. Her beautiful eyes were as sharp as knives, seeming to slice into one’s very heart.

The Wanchu Sacred Lady…

Ye Fan recognized the fourth person’s True Body. She was a woman, graceful and striking, with long hair reaching her waist. Though exceedingly beautiful, her face was marred by a look of deep resentment—it was the Wanchu Sacred Lady, Zhao Yanran.

His heart sank further. These individuals are all extraordinary. Now that they’re united, they can wield terrifying power, backed by the Four Great Sacred Lands!

“He’s just rushing to his death. Killing him like this feels anticlimactic. How do you all plan to torture him?” laughed a fifth person, standing on a distant mountain, not approaching.

“Killing the sacred body will still be a significant feat. If we hang his head in the Northern Divine City to feed the wild hawks, it would surely cause an uproar,” a sixth voice sneered, its owner’s True Body remaining unseen.

Ye Fan’s expression grew exceedingly grim. This is dire. So many Saint Heirs have gathered; they clearly intend to give me no chance of survival.

In that instant, he sensed a seventh person, then an eighth… all the way up to a thirteenth!

All of them were vigorous young experts. Though they had not yet revealed themselves, their presence was undeniable—the unique life force fluctuations of the young generation. Each one was powerful beyond measure.

A full thirteen Saint Son Level experts had come to attack him, a force comparable to the night thirteen Sacred Lords besieged the peerless divine king!

“You all truly hold me in high regard…” Ye Fan stood on the snow-covered peak, surveying all directions. His black hair, disheveled, whipped wildly in the wind, and his eyes shot out two beams of cold light.

“So, you did come in the end. Unsurprising. Now, kneel and beg us,” the Dayan Saint Heir, Xiang Yifei, sneered icily.

“Who are you all?” Ye Fan asked.

“It’s better for you to die as an ignorant fool!” the Dao Yi Saint Heir, Li Donglai, laughed mercilessly, his snow-white teeth flashing with a chilly light.

Ye Fan, naturally, wouldn’t reveal that his Divine Eye could see through their True Bodies. At that moment, he felt endless killing intent pressing down on him, an immense pressure.

“Someone is using you, seeking to eliminate me through your hands. After arranging this whole ambush, has the mastermind themself not come?” Ye Fan asked, gazing into the distance.

“Everyone who wishes for your death has come…” From a distant Snow Peak, a voice filled with boundless malice echoed.

Two beams of Divine Radiance shot out from Ye Fan’s eyes, fixating on that spot. That voice… it’s exactly the same as the one from the recording!

“Ye Fan! Ah, Ye Fan! How I long to see you kneeling at my feet, pleading pathetically!” It was hard to imagine the depth of resentment this person held. Their voice was like that of a Fierce Ghost, a low snarl filled with unfathomable malice.

“So what if there are thirteen Saint Son Level experts? Even if another thirteen came, I could still slay them all!” Ye Fan declared, standing proudly, exuding an air of imperial grandeur and absolute dominance.

“What’s he saying? Has he gone mad? He plans to kill all thirteen of us? Hahaha…” Jin Chixiao laughed, a bloodthirsty light flashing in his eyes, which were filled with cruelty.

“Fool, courting death!” many others sneered silently.

Silently, more figures emerged on each Snow Peak. Some possessed an aura as imposing and unscalable as an ancient Divine Mountain, while others felt as deep and unfathomable as a great abyss.

Beside Xiang Yifei, the Wanchu Sacred Lady, Jin Chixiao, Li Donglai, and the others, stood two or three older figures. They must all be Grand Elder level experts.

“If you manage to survive today, it would truly be a miracle!” the malicious voice seethed once more.

“A miracle, you say? Then today, I shall perform one! I will slay every last one of you, prove my Dao, and ascend to godhood!” Ye Fan declared, his voice resolute, his gaze unwaveringly firm. He exuded an aura that could subjugate mountains and rivers, looking down upon them as he proclaimed, “All of you will die!”