Shrouded Sky

Chapter 113 - Visiting Desolate Spirit

“Han Yishui, what do you mean by this?” Elder Wu Qingfeng’s face was dark as water.

“I believe I’ve already made myself quite clear,” Han Yishui replied. His skin was pale like snow, his eyes narrow, and his lips thin, his whole appearance gave off a sinister vibe. He raised the teacup on the stone table, took a sip, and said, “Elder Wu, there’s no need for you to be like this.”

Elder Wu Qingfeng stepped forward with several strides and said in a deep voice, “Han Yishui, don’t go too far!”

“Am I not just stating the facts? He’s just a mere mortal. How dare he come to our Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven demanding spiritual artifacts? Those were relics left behind by my disciple Pang Bo. They have nothing to do with him.” Han Yishui’s tone was calm from beginning to end. After sipping his tea, he coldly glanced at Ye Fan. “Leave. This is not a place for you.”

Crack!

Elder Wu Qingfeng finally lost his temper and slammed the stone table into pieces with a palm strike. “Han Yishui, this is outrageous! If you won’t be reasonable, then let’s settle this by strength!”

Two other elders sitting nearby tried to mediate. One said, “Elder Han, let it go. It’s just a few broken bronze artifacts. There’s nothing worth studying, just return them to the child.”

The other elder sided with Han Yishui. “That’s not right. Though broken, those bronze items clearly once housed god-spirits. Even damaged, they still hold research value.”

Han Yishui’s face darkened as he looked at Ye Fan. “Do you really want those things?”

“They’re mine. Why wouldn’t I?” Ye Fan stood unafraid. As a cultivator of the Celestial Bridge Realm, he wasn’t intimidated by Han Yishui’s menacing aura.

“Haha!” Han Yishui suddenly laughed. “Very bold. You remind me of myself when I was young. Fine, I won’t make things difficult. Tong’er, bring him all those items. Also, give him some jewels.”

The nearby servant acknowledged the order and quickly disappeared into the depths of the valley.

Han Yishui now wore a smile, turning to Elder Wu Qingfeng with an apologetic gesture. “You know my temperament. Whenever I see spiritual treasures, I can’t help but study them. But you’re right. I won’t get much out of them, so I’ll return them. We’ve known each other for decades, no need to quarrel.”

Wu Qingfeng’s face relaxed. He sat down again as a servant replaced the broken table and set out fresh tea. The earlier tension was gone.

Soon, the servant returned with the Grand Thunderclap Temple plaque, the ancient bronze lamp, the prayer beads, the Vajra Scepter, some clothing, and even some pearls and jade as gifts.

“Thank you, Elder Han,” Ye Fan said with a bow.

“I’ll take my leave then. I’ll come visit another day,” said Elder Wu Qingfeng, rising and walking away with Ye Fan. The other two elders also stood to depart.

Just then, a young man of about twenty-seven or twenty-eight entered the pavilion. “Master, didn’t you say those broken bronze items were extraordinary and had a mysterious origin? Why give them back to that mortal?”

“Do you want me to fight with Elder Wu Qingfeng?” Han Yishui glanced at him and took a sip of tea. “Besides, as you said, he’s just a mortal.”

“You mean…” The young man’s eyes lit up with understanding. “I get it. I’ll have Li Yun and Li Lin take care of it. There won’t be any trace left. Elder Wu Qingfeng won’t know a thing.”

Han Yishui said nothing. He simply sipped his tea and admired the exotic flowers and plants outside the pavilion.

The young man bowed and quickly left, returning shortly with Li Yun and Li Lin.

“Master, that mortal… something’s not right.”

Han Yishui immediately noticed Li Yun’s swollen face and Li Lin’s pale expression. “You two fought someone?”

Ashamed, they briefly recounted the earlier events.

Han Yishui shot to his feet. “He killed my grandson?!”

“Yes… it was him,” said one of the disciples, all of whom were shocked.

“I’ve already gathered some details. What I couldn’t figure out was, Han Feiyu had several Life Spring Realm cultivators with him. That kid was supposedly a mortal, how could he have killed them?”

Crash! Han Yishui slammed the table to pieces. His face was cold and murderous. “Now I understand, it was him. It had to be him!”

“I’ll avenge Feiyu!” the young man shouted.

Li Yun and Li Lin were stunned. They never imagined Ye Fan had killed Han Feiyu and four others a year ago.

“He must die!” Han Yishui said viciously, his face twisted with rage.

“This guy hid his strength so well…” Li Yun felt a chill down his spine. Li Lin was just as shaken, her face pale.

Han Yishui paced back and forth, then stopped. “Bring your senior brother here. Call the others too. The moment that kid leaves Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven, I want him dead!”

“You want me to bring my senior brother just to kill him? I can do it with a few others,” said the young man.

Han Yishui glared at him. “That boy killed Life Spring Realm cultivators a year ago. You haven’t even reached Celestial Bridge. I won’t be at ease without your senior brother.”

“Is he really that dangerous?”

“I’d like to believe he’s just a mortal, but I suspect he’s already entered the Celestial Bridge Realm.”

Everyone around sucked in a breath.

Han Yishui made up his mind. “Bring your second senior sister too. Get her out of seclusion.”

“What?!” the young man was shocked. “Both my senior brother and second senior sister? They’re both Celestial Bridge experts, one is enough!”

“Have them both go. With two Celestial Bridge experts leading ten disciples, I’ll be at ease. Never underestimate an enemy. A lion uses full force even to hunt a rabbit. Kill him completely. No mercy.”

“All ten of us?” The young man was stunned.

Han Yishui nodded coldly. The young man quickly bowed and left to gather the others.

“You two go as well, see what a real battle looks like,” Han Yishui said to Li Yun and Li Lin, who nervously agreed.

Soon after, a man in his fifties and a woman in her forties arrived, leading eight disciples in their thirties. All bowed outside the pavilion.

“Master!”

“You all know what to do. I don’t want him coming back alive,” Han Yishui said coldly.

Back at Elder Wu Qingfeng’s residence, the old man said, “Child, don’t leave just yet. I’ll personally see you off in a few days. I’m worried.”

“There’s no need, Elder. Nothing will happen.”

“I hope not…” Elder Wu Qingfeng trailed off, clearly uneasy.

Ye Fan left a letter for the elder and departed. He walked out of the mountain range, took one last look back, and decided to leave Yan for good.

“Jade Pool Sacred Ground, the Primordial Mine, the Jiang Clan…” Ye Fan’s thoughts had already drifted toward that distant land.

Suddenly, twelve beams of godlight streaked across the sky, blocking his path.

“Li Lin, Li Yun… did you find help to deal with me?” Ye Fan calmly looked at the figures above.

“They couldn’t pull this off alone,” said the middle-aged man in the center.

Ye Fan’s eyes gleamed. “Han Yishui sent you.”

“Not bad,” sneered the woman beside him. “Any last words? Speak now, we’ll send you on your way.”

“All this over a few bronze items. So ruthless,” Ye Fan’s face turned cold.

“It’s not just the bronze artifacts. You killed Han Feiyu. That’s also your debt.”

“I wanted to leave the State of Yan quietly. But it seems fate won’t allow peace.”

“Hahaha!” Many in the air laughed. “You think you’re somebody? You’re about to die and still spouting nonsense. What a joke.”

“I don’t know why Master made us all come. Killing someone like you…”

“Senior brother or sister could crush you with a finger. This is overkill.”

“Two Celestial Bridge cultivators and eight Life Spring ones, ten top disciples to hunt me. I’m honored.”

Ye Fan glanced at Li Yun and Li Lin. “Oh, and you two make twelve.”

“Stop talking, kill him already. Who’ll do it?”

Some looked at Ye Fan with disdain.

“Sixth junior brother, go take care of him.”

“Li Lin, Li Yun, go help out too.”

The two Celestial Bridge experts stood aloof, not seeing the need to act.

Then Ye Fan spoke. “Why not all of you come at once?” With that, he slowly rose into the air.

“He’s not simple,” one disciple warned. “Be careful.”

Still, the Celestial Bridge experts gave no orders to act themselves.

Ye Fan scanned the group and sighed. “I really don’t want to kill anyone.”

“Arrogant fool!”

“You’re about to die and still boast. Do you not know what death is?”

With a faint smile, Ye Fan shook his head. “Go back. Tell Han Yishui that if he wants me dead, he should come himself. Why send you all to die?”

“You!” Even the Celestial Bridge experts grew angry, releasing powerful auras and preparing to strike.

“So, you won’t retreat. Fine, I’ll send you all on your way.” Ye Fan’s expression stayed calm, but his aura transformed.

“Attack together!” shouted the Celestial Bridge experts, sensing danger.

“Too late, you’re not leaving.” Ye Fan’s godpower exploded. Golden godfire blazed from his body. He looked like a bright sun with thunder and waves roaring around him.

He resembled a god in golden armor, black hair flying, lightning crackling. Divine radiance engulfed him.

Boom!

Ye Fan’s body unleashed a terrifying energy. Without weapons, he charged directly at the two Celestial Bridge cultivators. The sheer power shocked everyone into action.

The male expert summoned a blood-colored demon blade, dripping red light. It slashed the sky like a blood river.

Ye Fan dashed in, his body glowing crystal clear. His fist shone like divine metal. Clang! He caught the demon blade barehanded, then applied force.

Snap! The blood blade shattered.

Gold light engulfed him. He surged forward. Boom! A golden wave rolled through the sky as Ye Fan’s punch exploded.

Crash! The Celestial Bridge expert was obliterated, his body exploding in a shower of blood.

“Senior brother!” gasped the others, freezing in shock. In mere moments, Ye Fan had revealed overwhelming speed and power.

Whoosh! The female Celestial Bridge expert summoned a silver dragon-blade shaped like twin dragons.

Ye Fan didn’t dodge, he punched directly.

Boom! Like a golden river, his punch smashed the weapon into fragments.

Crash! He became a streak of gold, punched through her, and shattered her body. Blood rained down.

He was like a golden war god. With bare hands, he killed two Celestial Bridge experts.

It happened in an instant. The others only just released their weapons, but Ye Fan was already standing high above, cloaked in golden flames.

Having consumed two sacred medicines, his body had been reforged, flawless, glowing. His flesh rivaled divine weapons. He had wanted to test his body’s limits, and now he was satisfied.

The others were terrified. Two Celestial Bridge cultivators had died. No one had any will to fight. They turned and fled.

Ye Fan summoned the Purple Copper Mirror. Purple mist swirled, its light dazzling like a sun, radiating divine brilliance in all directions.

Ssshh!

One body after another fell from the sky, smoke rising.

Boom!

Screams echoed. Not a single person escaped. The gap between Celestial Bridge and Life Spring was too vast. If even Celestial Bridge experts were crushed by Ye Fan’s fists, how could the rest survive?

Li Yun, Li Lin, all twelve were annihilated.

“The Purple Copper Eight Trigrams Mirror, refined by an Other Shore expert, is truly extraordinary,” Ye Fan muttered. He put the mirror away. The golden godfire faded. His fists and skin returned to normal. His overwhelming aura was fully retracted.

He looked once again like a clean, handsome teenager, just a friendly neighborhood boy.

“Han Yishui, sending your ten top disciples, quite powerful. Anyone else would be dead. But unfortunately, they met me,” Ye Fan murmured. “You want to kill me? Then I won’t hold back anymore.”

Without delay, he flew straight toward Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven. Arriving at the gate, he walked in. The guards recognized him and didn’t stop him.

“Not seeking trouble doesn’t mean I’m afraid of trouble. I wanted to leave the State of Yan in peace, but since you want me dead, Han Yishui, I’ll come to you.”

At that moment, Han Yishui was uneasy. He’d waited a long time with no word from his disciples and grew increasingly agitated.

Suddenly, he sensed something. A unique aura appeared in the valley. He looked up.

At the pavilion, a boy of about fourteen now stood, smiling brightly with gleaming white teeth.

“You, ” Han Yishui staggered back several steps. He knew things had gone terribly wrong. This boy was far more dangerous than he’d imagined.

“Looking for them?” Ye Fan said.

“You mean… my ten disciples?” Han Yishui asked.

“I sent them on their way,” Ye Fan answered.

“You, !” Blue veins bulged on Han Yishui’s forehead.

Ye Fan flashed a radiant smile. “Now I’ll send you to join them.”

In that moment, Ye Fan’s aura changed again, golden waves enveloped him, lightning streaked around him, godpower erupted, and terrifying energy filled the air.