Shrouded Sky

Chapter 147 - Piercing The Heavens

Beyond Supreme Mystery lies the misty Watercloud Lake, a place where winds and clouds converge, a gathering spot for giants like Nangong Zheng and the Peacock Monarch.

Beneath Watercloud Lake, a Bronze Immortal Palace emerged, drawing countless cultivators as if it were a divine lamp in the darkness. People rushed toward it like moths to flame, its allure irresistible.

Powerful figures sought a path to immortality, while ordinary cultivators merely wanted a glimpse of the palace’s true form. Within the State of Wei, chaos stirred like a rising storm.

Ye Fan had no intention of returning after he left. In order to escape, he had thrown out the Bronze Immortal Palace, setting off a massive upheaval.

Now, he found himself in a dilemma. He wanted to cross the void but simply couldn’t, he had no method at all. “Difficult... so difficult. Is there really no way?” he frowned, feeling utterly helpless.

The appearance of the Bronze Immortal Palace didn’t just shake the Southern Region, it attracted even those from the faraway Northern Region. Great powers like the Jiang Clan and other ancient Sacred Grounds sent people to investigate.

Ye Fan considered, “Once this event ends, those from the Northern Region will surely return. Could I leverage their power?” He began wandering the region, gathering intelligence, hoping to discover which sects the Northern Region's great clans had ties with.

By this point, Ye Fan was over thirty thousand miles away from Supreme Mystery, far enough that he wasn’t worried. He didn’t flee farther but instead obtained useful information from local cultivators.

As it turned out, the great sects of the Northern Region indeed controlled minor factions in the Southern Region as pawns, primarily to assist their disciples during travels. Just as Ye Fan began preparing, earth-shaking news broke across the Southern Region.

The powerful demon cultivator, Peacock Monarch, had emerged, not to go to the bronze palace, but to confront the Ji Clan directly. With a single slap, he shattered their name plaque and blasted open their grand gates. This was a monumental event.

The Ji Clan, descended from the Desolate Era, had stood unshaken through time. Their heritage was unimaginably deep, and few dared provoke them. To break their name plaque and fling open their gates, this was no minor insult but a serious affront.

Within the same day, news spread like wildfire across the Southern Region. The Eastern Wilderness and Southern Region were already unstable due to the palace’s emergence. Now, tensions soared even higher.

Who was the Peacock Monarch? A Supreme Giant of the demon race who once dominated the Southern Region eight hundred years ago. Long thought dead, his sudden return shook all. His direct challenge to the Ji Clan stunned everyone. What was his goal?

A being of such stature wielded unimaginable influence. Every move was scrutinized, interpreted as a message that could shift entire power balances. Was this the beginning of war between demons and humans? Speculations ran rampant, and the Southern Region fell into uneasy silence.

The Ji Clan, one of humanity’s strongest forces since the Desolate Era, could destroy entire nations. What was the Peacock Monarch planning? To provoke them so directly would have unimaginable consequences.

Soon, clairvoyants revealed the hidden truth: all of this was for the sake of Yan Ruyu, descendant of the Demon Emperor.

Months ago, the Ji Clan had surrounded and attacked the demon race in the State of Wei, hoping to seize the Demon Emperor’s sacred weapon. Many greater demons perished, but Yan Ruyu escaped.

Though she was a descendant of a demon emperor, the long passage of time had eroded her family’s glory. She sought refuge among strong demon cultivators but was turned away. Some, upon learning she possessed the Demon Emperor's sacred weapon, even tried to seize it for themselves. Her tragic fate reflected the coldness of the world.

When Yan Ruyu sought out the Peacock Monarch, he was in seclusion. Upon hearing her story, he broke his 800-year retreat and swore to seek justice for her.

Destroying the Ji Clan’s plaque and gate was already a seismic act. Events of that magnitude hadn’t occurred in thousands of years.

The Peacock Monarch didn’t invade the Ji Clan’s stronghold, he knew its depths were unfathomable. Even for a mighty demon, entering would be too risky. Still, the Ji Clan was furious and issued a death order, dispatching their elders to hunt him down. Though renowned, the Peacock Monarch could not be allowed to insult them with impunity.

Everyone knew that the Sacred Grounds and Ancient Desolate Clans possessed unfathomable reserves. Even in their weakest moments, great masters would emerge to turn the tide. Now, at the height of its power, the Ji Clan was determined to retaliate.

“This is monumental! The Peacock Monarch wants to make a statement!”

“The Ji Clan has countless experts, he can’t fight them all. He’ll surely disappear again.”

“But this is the Peacock Monarch we’re talking about, a Supreme Giant. Who will come out on top is still uncertain.”

Ye Fan felt a chill in his heart. The Peacock Monarch’s power was evident, but the Ji Clan’s depth remained a mystery. From what the cultivators were saying, one could get a sense of both.

A day later, another shockwave hit the Southern Region: the Peacock Monarch reappeared in the State of Wei and killed a Ji Clan elder on the spot, right in Supreme Mystery.

This was nothing short of an earthquake. News of it made everyone gasp, this wasn’t just about insulting the Ji Clan anymore.

A Ji Clan elder, what kind of existence was that? A true heavyweight. Their death shook the world. Yet the Peacock Monarch struck them down in public, a move no one could have foreseen.

“Peacock Monarch is too powerful, he shattered the elder into pieces…”

“No one truly knows how deep a Desolate Era clan’s power runs, yet he still killed one of their top elders… terrifying.”

“Not surprising, he was already unmatched 800 years ago.”

“Yes, he is known as a Supreme Giant, that title isn’t given lightly. It means unrivaled power.”

The Peacock Monarch’s reappearance shook the Southern Region. Tales of his past exploits resurfaced.

People dusted off ancient records, he had already slain great figures before. Eight hundred years ago, he killed two renowned masters from the Radiant Light Sacred Ground.

Back then, it caused a huge uproar. Radiant Light Sacred Ground hunted him for fifty years but failed.

Throughout that era, he fought countless battles, establishing dominance across the Eastern Wilderness and the Southern Region. His most famous clash? A duel with the Radiant Light Sacred Lord. They fought for three days and nights, it ended in a draw, but the feat was enough to make him legendary. Afterward, he vanished, his name revered ever since.

Now, with the elder slain, the Ji Clan was in a frenzy. Several top figures changed their plans, abandoning the bronze palace to hunt the Peacock Monarch instead. The Ji Clan's Patriarch personally emerged from seclusion to slay him.

While the Peacock Monarch might withstand even the supreme elders, he could not face the full wrath of such a vast clan. He struck and fled, was this the end?

People thought he would disappear again, but no, new rumors spread. He struck once more, killing several Ji Clan protectors of Ji Haoyue, attempting to eliminate the God-King Physique himself.

This was worse than anything before. The God-King Physique was the Ji Clan’s hope, possibly their guardian deity for millennia. Killing him was like tearing out their lifeblood.

Even the strongest forces dared not attempt this. Such a move would provoke the Ji Clan into madness. Yet the Peacock Monarch showed no hesitation, he aimed to destroy their future and kill the future God King of the Eastern Wilderness!

He had crossed the Ji Clan’s ultimate line. The clan unleashed all their forces, scouring the land to save Ji Haoyue. The Southern Region erupted in chaos.

“Ji Haoyue is incredible, he’s truly the future God King. He escaped using a secret technique…”

“But all his guardians are dead, the last one was just slain. He’s running alone, with the Peacock Monarch chasing him relentlessly.”

The Ji Clan, despite their power, couldn’t control every corner of the land. They couldn’t locate Haoyue immediately and had to track his guardians’ corpses instead.

“It’s over. The Southern Region will explode if anything happens to him!”

“Who dares provoke the Ji Clan like this? The Peacock Monarch is terrifying!”

How long had the Peacock Monarch lived? How powerful was he? No one could say. Some speculated his life was nearing its end, perhaps that’s why he now feared nothing.

Ye Fan, however, felt none of this concerned him. He paid little attention.

He had arrived at a small mountain village. Chickens and dogs called out, vegetable gardens flourished, and fishponds lay scattered. As he walked through it, a weak, dying voice suddenly reached him, “Little rascal...”