Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 557: Chapter 361 Capturing Qi Huoshui

One flower, one world; one blade of grass, one heaven!

Amidst the endless crystalline petals, over three thousand divine flowers were the most splendid. Commandery Princess Qi, possessing beauty that could topple nations and cities, stood at the center, smiling subtly as she plucked a flower. Her hair was ebony black, her skin snowy white, her eyes lively and enchanting—mesmerizingly beautiful. Three thousand small worlds spun like individual wheels revolving around her. She stood proudly like a female Immortal King, looking down upon all beings.

SWISH!

With One Thought Flower Blooming, a world-flower blossomed, transforming into a small world that engulfed Ye Fan, attempting to enclose him within. At this moment, Ye Fan distinctly saw strands of Chaos Fog Silk swirling, truly as if a new heaven and earth were being created—an evolution toward the perfection of a small world. A flower blooming into a world was stunningly magnificent yet terrifyingly fearsome, making one tremble. And this was just one of three thousand!

At this critical juncture, Ye Fan’s expression was solemn. He unveiled his unparalleled sacred body and fought back seriously, not daring to be careless in the slightest. Such an unrivaled Holy Technique was world-shockingly fierce, making even him feel threatened.

BANG!

Ye Fan moved, becoming a streak of fleeting light, weaving through the veiled golden glow. His palm radiated clear brilliance, smiting down like a Heavenly Stele.

One stele to suppress the world!

BOOM!

Heaven-rending divine energy shook the surroundings. Flowers bloomed resplendently, the world’s splendor reaching its zenith at this moment. Chaos Fog Silk rushed forth, each strand capable of annihilating a barbarian dragon.

CLANG! CLANG!

Ye Fan tore at the sky barehanded, colliding relentlessly with the divine flower world and the Chaos Fog Silk, bursting forth with dazzling brilliance. This was precisely because it was a sacred body; anyone else would have found it difficult to bear. Such a confrontation with the power of a small world could obliterate any divine soldier’s blade, yet Ye Fan endured it all.

Commandery Princess Qi smiled radiantly, and for a moment, all the petals seemed to lose their beauty. Her dark hair swayed lightly, and her jade arms extended gracefully, striking continuously. She was ethereal yet natural, as beautiful as an Immortal, her dress fluttering, imbued with the charm of the Dao.

POPPING! POPPING!

At this instant, hundreds, even thousands, of divine flowers simultaneously bloomed, evolving into small worlds. Such explosive power erupted that even Ye Fan’s scalp tingled.

Unrivaled Holy Techniques are truly shocking! In his heart, he couldn’t help but marvel. The legacy of the Ruthless Heavenly Emperor crowns all of ancient and modern times. The secret arts left in the world are limited, yet each one poses such trouble for me. First, there was Hua Yunfei, and now Commandery Princess Qi. He keenly perceived that while “Three Thousand Small Worlds” and “One Thought Flower Blooming, Supreme Rule Over the World” differed, they shared a similar Dao charm.

Could it be that the Ruthless Great Emperor truly transformed into the Southern Mountains Heavenly Emperor, leaving several Holy Techniques in the Southern Mountains? If so, the Ancient Heavenly Emperor indeed astounded. His or her life was full of legendary flair, reigning as emperor over the Five Great Domains. Precisely how many lifetimes did they live? Ye Fan didn’t believe in fate or karma, yet now, constantly encountering all things related to the Ruthless Great Emperor left him somewhat doubtful.

POPPING! POPPING!

Divine flowers bloomed again and again. Hundreds and thousands of small worlds encircled Ye Fan, and the heavens quivered in unison. A World Divine Sound actually pierced through, striking Ye Fan and causing him to tremble violently.

Ye Fan exclaimed in shock, Is this… the Outer Domain Divine Sound!? He felt it sounded like voices from other worlds, seemingly flying in from Outer Heaven. One world after another suppressed him; the heavens arrived in unison, an Immortal King descending to the mortal realm, intending to annihilate him.

Now, for a rare moment, he grew still, as if standing in a void-like, tranquil heavenly realm. He let the wild geese fly south, let time pass, let the heavens grow desolate and ancient. He formed hand seals, striking in all directions with an unchanging rhythm. He immersed himself in a state of Dao, evolving his own Dao using the Fighting Saint Technique. He was tranquil and serene; external things could not stir his fundamental heart. He felt he was the only one in this heaven and earth.

PUFF! PUFF!

With each palm strike, he smashed a world into fragments, transforming them into shattered divine flowers that danced across the sky. These were not the initially evolved small worlds; these were small heavenly realms nearing perfection. Though not large, they possessed a trace of heaven-opening power and were dreadful beyond measure. If Ye Fan hadn’t ascended to this state, breaking through would have been truly difficult, unless he showcased all kinds of ultimate techniques to their utmost limit and battled desperately.

However, now was different; he was beyond self and object, having attained Enlightenment amidst life-and-death duels. Ye Fan did not act intentionally; he simply made moves instinctively, constantly deducing a Great Dao, his heart following his body’s movements, striking unknowingly.

The observers were astounded. No one knew better than them how frightening those nearly perfected small worlds were, capable of suppressing most of those present.

BANG!

Only after Ye Fan shattered the thousandth small world did he return to reality. His divine sense emerged in the real world, no longer immersed in his solitary state of Dao. Crystalline Flower Rain danced in the air. Commandery Princess Qi stood alone at the center, her bright black hair fluttering, her eyes containing divine charm. Her alabaster-smooth cheeks and bright red cherry lips, combined and surrounded by divine flowers, made her look as if she were standing in the immortal world.

“You do have some tricks; you surprised me!” Though she smiled, lovelier than any flower, her expression had become extremely solemn. She knew she had met a formidable foe.

Ye Fan also hadn’t expected this. He had initially thought this calamity-level spitfire was merely arrogant; he hadn’t anticipated such truly extreme strength that made even all the Saint Heirs submit meekly. More importantly, this calamity was only at the second transformation of Dragon Transformation, yet she demonstrated such combat power. One had to know, he felt no pressure even when fighting those at the sixth transformation of Dragon Transformation!

“If you lose, you really have to become my Dragon Horse!” Commandery Princess Qi’s smile was like a flower, exceedingly confident.

“And if you lose, will you become my spiritual beast?” Ye Fan shrewdly seized the flaw. This calamity had never said what would happen if she lost.

BOOM!

Commandery Princess Qi, like an ethereal being, unleashed One Thought Flower Blooming. At this moment, all Immortal Flowers blossomed. Brilliance and Eternity became the unfading splendor in heaven and earth. Three thousand divine flowers bloomed simultaneously. Chaos Qi rose, and the atmosphere of creating new heavens and splitting the earth was intensely vigorous. Unlike before, this was the genuine derivation of small worlds, each seeping a few strands of Chaos. Combined, they were terrifying enough.

Qi Huoshui’s clothes fluttered. Her jade arms were pure and crystalline, her tiny waist slender, and her pair of jade legs long and straight. She danced with the heavenly wind, divine radiance blossoming around her. At this moment, she truly stood in the center of heaven and earth like a female Immortal King. With a single thought, she caused the heavens to quake, moving at her command. Three thousand small worlds revolved; this was an incredibly frightening attacking Holy Technique, somewhat taxing even for Ye Fan’s powerful sacred body. He contended fiercely.

He set aside his disdain. Qi Shi Mansion gathered heroic figures from across the Five Great Domains; all kinds of formidable individuals existed. Defeating those people before signified nothing; they were far from the most outstanding. Now, facing just Commandery Princess Qi was like this. It was conceivable how many hidden talents lay within Qi Shi Mansion. He clearly knew that Heaven-defying Level prodigies certainly existed within. Precisely how powerful their combat power was, was unfathomable.

Ye Fan fought with all his might, battling Commandery Princess Qi. Encircled by three thousand small worlds, he became the sole point of attack in heaven and earth.

BANG! BANG!

He had stepped out of his previous Enlightenment Realm but retained those sensations. He fluidly employed the evolution of the Fighting Saint Technique, resisting these small worlds.

SLASH!

However, what was most terrifying was that amidst these three thousand small worlds, the surrounding Chaos transformed into a sword that occasionally hacked down! This was not illusory but a real Chaos Sword. Even a physique as mighty as Ye Fan’s dared not rashly confront its edge; each time, he struck only the sword’s flat.

“Such a freak!” Ye Fan cursed inwardly. The opponent’s Holy Technique was too powerful. Three thousand small worlds were one thing, but it also spawned a Chaos Sword imbued with World Power. If it weren’t for him, anyone else would have been defeated long ago. Even so, he felt immense pressure. People said beauty and strength were inversely proportional, but this calamity was an exception.

CLANG! CLANG!

Ye Fan’s Divine Fist was invincible, demonstrating the ultimate force as it clashed directly with the small worlds and the Chaos Sword, causing the power of the heavens to continuously disperse and tremble. The only thing that comforted him was that the Fighting Saint Technique was unrivaled in the world. As long as he could achieve Enlightenment, he could evolve it endlessly, developing even stronger Killing Techniques.

The Dou Character Technique is boundless, but everything depends on the Caster’s own insights, and it can be continuously improved. Even if two people simultaneously learn the Dou Character Technique, their final results will be completely different. This Holy Technique’s ultimate power lies entirely in their own comprehension. It is a door connected to different worlds behind it. This is the Supreme Sacred Technique that explores the origins of Fighting, and only the strongest can reach and touch the ultimate realm, requiring a lifelong effort to refine and comprehend.

CRACK! CRACK!

Ye Fan evolved the Fighting Saint Technique, feeling increasingly in tune. He completely utilized everything he had comprehended in his state of Dao to continuously shatter the small worlds. Meanwhile, he had clashed with the Chaos Sword countless times. Although he had not touched the blade, his ability to do so was still astonishing, shocking many people in Qi Shi Mansion.

Ye Fan and Commandery Princess Qi had been fighting since noon, all the way until the sun was about to set, battling fiercely for two thousand rounds—it could be called a grueling battle.

By now, many people’s expressions had changed. When entering Qi Shi Mansion, all knew Commandery Princess Qi was beautiful, a calamity-level woman capable of captivating all living beings. However, no one knew she was so powerful, having mastered a Holy Technique of the Southern Mountains Heavenly Emperor, which surprised everyone. Moreover, people were quite curious about Ye Fan. He truly deserved the title of the most extraordinary Lord in this desolate land’s history to have fought such an unparalleled Heavenly Maiden to a standstill.

“Interesting…” a tall man muttered, his hands behind his back, staring at the two in the arena. Beside him, others were astonished, unaware of when he had arrived, and involuntarily stepped backward. People had recognized him as a prodigy. After Qi Shi Mansion had closed its doors to new disciples, he had arrived last, injuring the Dragon Transformation Ninth Transformation guardian with one blow, and was selected exceptionally by Qi Shi Mansion.

“So powerful!” In the distance, a little child who looked no older than eight or nine, plump and fair, with a topknot sticking straight up, stood quietly to one side, murmuring to himself. This was a young prodigy, only nine years old, who had eliminated many others to successfully enter Qi Shi Mansion, his future achievements limitless!

On another side, a man remained silent, his hair disheveled, partly concealing his face. He appeared mysterious and cold, causing everyone to step back, automatically creating a vacuum around him. Everyone had a lasting impression of him; he was a Heaven-defying Level prodigy who had arrived on the second day after Qi Shi Mansion opened. He had killed a King Body with a single palm strike, amazing several sovereigns in the mansion who came to see him personally.

Elsewhere, there was a barbarian dressed in Beast Skin, carrying a Wolf-toothed Stick, grinning harmlessly, yet he was unsettling. This one had arrived after Qi Shi Mansion closed, using his savage Holy Power to shatter a sovereign’s palm, shocking everyone speechless.

The prodigies in Qi Shi Mansion were not limited to these few. Others, like arrogant figures who had entered the mansion after undergoing tribulations, were also present. Some of these prodigies had also come to watch the battle, surprising many.

“It should end now!”

As the battle reached two thousand five hundred rounds, the evening glow dyed the sky red. Qi Huoshui uttered softly, deciding to end the fight. Endless Flower Rain sprinkled down, each petal flowing with radiance. Qi Huoshui was crystal clear, stretching her body like an Immortal, perfect to the extreme. The three thousand small worlds transformed back into radiant divine flowers, swirling around her. She was flawless, a mark blooming at her brow, dazzlingly radiant, as she held the Chaos Sword,.

At this moment, Ye Fan’s heart tensed. He was shocked at Qi Huoshui’s rapidly rising aura and stunned by the fearsome nature of this Holy Technique. Within it, he glimpsed a trace of the Ruthless Heavenly Emperor’s past presence, wondering if with a single thought, three thousand real Great Worlds would obey His command? And remember, this was just one of His unrivaled Holy Techniques—who knew what earth-shaking ultimate skills the other Secret Scriptures might contain!

“Kill!”

Qi Huoshui, a woman enchanting enough to captivate all living beings, spat out this single word. It held a peculiar charm, yet her killing intent was sharp and terrifyingly palpable.

BOOM!

Three thousand divine flowers bloomed, merging into one, evolving into a unique, singular small world. At the same time, the mark on her brow shot out, entering it. The Flower World opened—formless, thoughtless, shapeless, divine. Ye Fan, caught unawares, was instantly drawn inside.

In this small world, the heavens and earth were silent. The Flower Rain was frozen, everything suspended in midair. Only he and Qi Huoshui stood facing each other. Unquestionably, Qi Huoshui was the ruler of this world. With a single thought, she could control everything, mastering life, death, and Reincarnation.

“This is a real and perfect small world under my control. Here, I am a god. If you lose, you’ll have to be my Dragon Horse.” Qi Huoshui laughed, exceptionally beautiful and lovely, holding the Chaos Sword, peerlessly stunning.

“If you lose then, will you become my spiritual beast?” Ye Fan eyed her askance.

At just this sentence, Qi Huoshui’s face instantly darkened. She raised her sword to strike, and the imprisoned small world immediately came alive, all its divine energy at her command.

Ye Fan also moved, elevating his combat power to the ultimate realm, unable to hold back. He realized that every encounter related to the Ruthless One would always pose an immense threat to him.

BOOM!

Ye Fan evolved the Fighting Saint Technique, assaulting this small, intending to destroy it outright. Simultaneously, he unleashed his Movement Art, swift as a fleeting flash of light, attacking Qi Huoshui. This was a world-shocking battle, but regrettably, those outside couldn’t witness it; it was an independent small world,.

“Stasis of the heavens!” Qi Huoshui commanded lightly, aiming to freeze everything in this world, bringing time and space to a halt.

However, Ye Fan secretly initiated all his Variations. Although they didn’t manifest physically, their effects were invisibly evident; she was unable to bind him.

SLASH!

The Chaos Sword slashed forth—this was the most fearsome attack within the small world. Each time, Ye Fan struck its flat, avoiding the blade.

“Heavenly Dao suppression!” Qi Huoshui commanded again.

“You can’t suppress me!” Ye Fan shouted, his body moving as he displayed all his ultimate techniques to assault the small world.

BOOM!

The All Secret was triggered, and his combat power heightened tenfold. He finally broke open this small world’s cage! Simultaneously, he deployed his Movement Art and evolved the Fighting Saint Technique. Emitting divine radiance like a deity, he charged forward.

BANG! BANG!

Ye Fan continuously collided with the Chaos Sword, striking it head-on, finally knocking it flying. The small world began a massive collapse. He rampaged like Immortal Light, slaughtering in all directions.

BOOM!

Outside, everyone was astonished. The small world burst open, and two figures rushed out, one after the other.

SWOOSH!

But then, they merged into one. Ye Fan had captured Qi Huoshui, one hand around her slender waist, the other resting against her swan-like, snowy, beautiful neck.