Shrouded Sky

Chapter 217 - Departing Fire God Furnace

The Departing Fire Sect’s Supreme Elder roared, his silver hair disheveled, frantically controlling the Departing Fire God Furnace to drag Ye Fan back inside. The crystalline furnace blazed with sky-piercing flames, its mouth a black hole, voraciously swallowing everything around.

Boom. Nearby, a green peak trembled, its summit collapsing. A twenty-meter section broke off, sucked into the furnace like dust. Crack. The mountain continued to crumble, larger rocks and earth rushing into the terrifying furnace.

The scene was chilling, the Departing Fire God Furnace’s power was unimaginable, capable of uprooting mountains and evaporating seas, a force that devoured the heavens. Though Ye Fan had broken free, the furnace’s pull dragged him downward, threatening to engulf him in its blazing maw.

Multicolored light swirled as the furnace lid flew back, aiming to crush Ye Fan and seal him inside. Clang. His sharp gaze flashed, and his golden hand seal struck, sending the five-colored lid flying.

“Devour!” The Departing Fire elder, desperate, spat three mouthfuls of essence blood onto the furnace, linking his spirit to it, urging the weapon with all his might. Rumble. Rocks rolled, ancient trees uprooted, all sucked into the furnace’s black hole. Another twenty meters of the broken mountain vanished, turned to ash inside.

The furnace refined all, its mouth an abyss like a gateway to hell, endless and dark. Whoosh. Ye Fan was pulled down but didn’t fall in. His feet slammed onto the furnace’s rim, like a five-thousand-kilo hammer, the resounding iron clang piercing stone, shaking Sunset Clouds’ eighteen peaks. Many screamed, clutching bleeding ears, falling from the sky.

Ye Fan’s feet left deep imprints on the rim, as if he could stomp the heavens, making the furnace tremble violently. The Departing Fire elder bled from his nose and mouth, his body cracking faintly. Pop. Profound Moon Grotto-Heaven’s Supreme Master, anxious, couldn’t harm Ye Fan with his magic scroll from afar, risking being swallowed if too close.

Rooted to the furnace’s rim, Ye Fan stood unshaken against its devouring force. Clang. His hands spun like windmills, striking the furnace, unleashing booming echoes. The Departing Fire elder, linked to the furnace, trembled, requiring immense godpower to sustain it.

The massive furnace shook, on the verge of toppling, flames soaring. Ye Fan’s golden hands, more terrifying than most treasures, left clear imprints, ringing the furnace. Pfft. The elder, his godpower nearly depleted, coughed blood, swaying, about to fall.

Ye Fan’s divine strength was relentless, growing stronger. Clang. He slapped the furnace, sending the hundred-meter giant flying. Though unbreakable, it was forced away. His unmatched prowess, unstoppable momentum, and invincible War Paragon Art overwhelmed the furnace.

Turning, his youthful form radiated sharpness, stepping through the void toward the Departing Fire elder. Distant disciples froze, too terrified to breathe.

“Hah!” Profound Moon’s Supreme Master shouted, unfurling his magic scroll, which spread across the sky like a river blocking Ye Fan’s path. Ye Fan countered, hands weaving seals rapidly, conjuring illusions like a Thousand-armed War Buddha or a Multi-armed Asura.

A phoenix cry shook the heavens. A fire phoenix soared, burning the sky, its radiant feathers sweeping across. Like a thousand cavalry or ancient chariots thundering, it shook the void.

Profound Moon’s leader gasped. “This phoenix is stronger than the furnace!” Departing Fire disciples were stunned, unable to fathom Ye Fan conjuring such a phoenix.

The Nine Secrets, supreme killing arts, transformed endlessly. Trapped in the furnace’s flames, Ye Fan had gained insight, forming the Fire Phoenix Seal. Boom. The phoenix, with sky-covering flames, clashed with the scroll, sparks flying.

The phoenix battled the scroll, radiating terror. Ye Fan crossed the sky, appearing before the Departing Fire elder. No one could save him now. Ye Fan’s killing intent surged, his golden palm striking. Crack. Dozens of weapons shattered into dust. His palm crushed the elder’s body, his head splitting, white brain matter splattering.

Pfft. A backhand sweep turned everything to ash, leaving nothing. “Demon! This kid is a demon!” Departing Fire disciples, pale, couldn’t accept their strongest elder, wielding the God Furnace, reduced to ash.

Trapped by Ye Fan’s seal, they couldn’t flee, faces ashen. Profound Moon’s leader’s heart sank, the furnace couldn’t stop this priest. Today, doom loomed over his head.

The scroll rattled, a world within, pressing toward Ye Fan with purple rays and misty threads, a vortex aiming to swallow him. But it paled against the furnace, unable to trap him.

Boom. Ye Fan’s arms struck the sky, his War Paragon Art ever-changing, shaking the heavens. Crack. He tore the scroll apart with his hands.

Profound Moon’s leader screamed, helpless. Ye Fan appeared instantly, his golden hand covering the sky, crushing him. Sealing the heavens, Ye Fan unleashed his peak strength, endless killing arts erupting.

Without suspense, his golden fist pierced through, shattering Profound Moon’s leader, who died unresigned, reduced to ash, erased forever. The leader’s predecessor unleashed countless weapons and divine figures, all futile.

A realm apart, a heaven’s divide, Ye Fan, a mortal, slew immortals, victorious across realms. Standing in the void, hair dancing, eyes clear, robes pristine, he’d slain two titans without a drop of blood on him.

“Spare… me,” Departing Fire’s Prime Descendant Du Chengkun stammered.

Ye Fan turned, pointing a finger. Pfft. A blood flower bloomed on Du’s forehead, and he fell dead. Profound Moon’s disciple Li Youran retreated, terrified. Pfft. Another finger, another blood flower, and Li fell.

Ye Fan said nothing, his divine sense sweeping all directions. In the brutal Northern Region, some had to die. Departing Fire and Profound Moon, though sects in name, committed heinous acts, plundering and killing, their hands stained with the blood of innocents.

Probing their minds, Ye Fan’s fingers flicked, beams shooting out, blood flowers blooming. Grass stained red, he drifted past, leaving corpses. When he stopped, Sunset Clouds was lifeless, over seventy dead, mercilessly slain.

Sighing, he walked the stone steps, departing. Killing wasn’t pleasant; no one wanted bloodied hands or a ruthless heart, but he had no choice. Some deserved death, mercy would only enable evil. Ye Fan wasn’t evil, nor a bleeding heart. With countless villains in the world, he’d only act when necessary and within his power.

Buzz. The Departing Fire God Furnace rose from the thirteenth peak, shrinking to an inch, appearing in Ye Fan’s palm, crystalline and hot. Clang. The five-colored lid, sealed tightly, made it a radiant, exquisite whole.

Faint engravings on the furnace, perhaps eroded by time, showed a vague sun and divine birds, barely discernible. “Is this truly a replica of the Sun God Furnace?” Ye Fan’s golden fingers squeezed, unable to damage it.

This battle taught him the gap between realms. A single realm above challenged his mortal-versus-immortal strength; two realms would be perilous. Yet he saw his potential, the Nine Secrets’ extraordinary power. With higher realms, he’d fear nothing.

Leaving Sunset Clouds, Ye Fan, disguised as Departing Fire’s elder, stormed Falling Glow Sect, unleashing the furnace. Flames engulfed a peak, turning it to a sea of fire.

Retrieving the furnace, he hit Seven Stars Pavilion, burning two peaks, then left.

Drifting to Profound Moon Grotto-Heaven, he reached Grand Emperor Beginningless’ former abode. Barren cliffs stood, grassless and desolate. At the most remote spot, a broken stone mountain held an ancient cave, time and space flowing like water and music, as if the Dao itself emanated.

Standing with hands behind his back, Ye Fan gazed at three nearly faded ancient inscriptions on the cliff: “The Dao is vast and unknowable, the heart free and unbound, all things layered yet without fault.”

In the silent wasteland, time felt endless. The Imperial Jade in Ye Fan’s palm glowed warmly, soft light spilling through his fingers.