Chapter 124: Bronze Immortal Hall

The old men were expressionless, striding through the void like several towering mountains bearing down, making it impossible to breathe.

After fighting their way out of the encirclement, the four old demon women were already exhausted and covered in wounds. The seven old men opposite them were no weaker. If the battle continued, there would be no suspense. "No need to kill them, just capture them..." the purple-clad girl chuckled, transmitting a message from the side. Her hair danced lightly, her purple robes fluttered, making her seem like a sprite.

The old demon women sighed secretly. They knew there was no chance of winning; continuing to fight would only lead to death and change nothing. All of them had experienced great trials and were not rigid. Dying in battle here would be meaningless, so they ultimately chose to break through.

All four used self-destructive tactics, fighting fiercely and preferring death over surrender. Blood splattered as they burned their life force, finally breaking free, but they left Ye Fan behind.

The seven old men were about to pursue them, but the purple-clad girl stopped them. She wrinkled her delicate nose and said, "Forget it. I don't want to see bloodshed. We didn't come here to fight. Let others deal with them."

Saying this, she personally stepped forward. She walked around Ye Fan, scrutinizing him from head to toe, then asked, "Who are you? As a human cultivator, why are you with those great demons?"

Ye Fan was very calm and stepped forward to express his gratitude. He said, "Thank you for saving me. I am merely a rogue cultivator who accidentally stumbled into the demon clan's grotto-heaven and was unfortunately captured. Luckily, you intervened."

"Liar!" The purple-clad girl gathered her hair, smiled sweetly, and glanced at him sideways. She said, "You are clearly an accomplice of those demons, and you dare to lie to me like this. If you don't tell the truth, I have many ways to deal with you."

"Alas, it's a long story. I had no choice, it happened like this..." Ye Fan babbled on with nonsense. He couldn't possibly reveal the Demon Emperor's Heart; if he did, the people present might immediately cut open his Sea of Misery and seize the Sacred Heart.

The purple-clad girl stepped forward and pinched one of Ye Fan's cheeks. She smiled mischievously and said, "Little brother, you're so naughty. If you don't tell the truth, don't blame your elder sister for being impolite."

This girl looked no older than seventeen or eighteen, while Ye Fan's actual age had already exceeded twenty. This address left him speechless.

"Why are you quiet now?" A small dimple appeared on the girl's left cheek, and a clever glint flashed in her eyes. Pinching Ye Fan's face, she said, "I'm actually very kind. Even if you don't tell the truth, I won't kill you. At most, I'll carve a little turtle on your left cheek and a little toad on your right cheek."

"I have nothing to hide..." Ye Fan stalled for time while thinking of a way to escape. He had to leave quickly. He had too many secrets in his Sea of Misery; if he fell into the hands of the Ji family, they would likely be exposed.

In the distant sky, golden lotuses blossomed, and auspicious multicolored light shone in myriad rays. A graceful immortal figure transformed into a streak of light and arrived; it was Yan Ruyu. Upon seeing this scene, she waved her hand, and golden lotuses bloomed in the area, instantly annihilating the seven old men, body and soul.

However, the purple-clad girl did not perish. Although blood spilled from her mouth and she flew backward, her entire body shimmered with a crystal-clear glow, resisting the golden lotuses.

Yan Ruyu attacked again. Golden lotuses grew in the Sea of Misery, and various auspicious phenomena appeared. Waves of fragrance wafted from the sky, and blazing golden light submerged the area below.

Yan Ruyu looked back and transmitted a message to Ye Fan: "I'm being pursued. If you come with me, you'll face near-certain death. You'll have to rely on yourself." With that, she flew into the distance, disappearing at the edge of the sky. Although she was a descendant of a Great Demon Emperor, ten thousand years had passed, and things were no longer as they once were. Her lineage had long declined. If she could escape now, she could only seek refuge with a powerful demon expert.

"Cough..." Below, in the great shattered canyon, specks of light shimmered. The purple-clad girl, incredibly, was not dead. She struggled out, muttering, "That flawless demoness is too terrifying..."

Her face was covered in dust, and she continuously coughed up blood. Only her large eyes still seemed lively. Her body swayed as she struggled to stand amidst the rubble.

Ye Fan deeply knew Yan Ruyu's power. Even the older generation of experts from the Ji family could hardly withstand one of her golden lotus attacks. Yet this girl actually endured it without dying, which greatly astonished him.

In the distance, a divine sense fluctuation emanated, startling Ye Fan. This must be a super expert, likely the cultivator pursuing Yan Ruyu, searching the distant mountains. He quickly hid in the canyon below. The purple-clad girl was startled and said, "What are you doing?" Ye Fan, from a distance, acted decisively, summoning his cauldron to press down on the girl.

The purple-clad girl struggled desperately, but she was severely wounded, barely able to stand, swaying precariously. Surviving the golden lotus phenomenon in the Sea of Misery was already a miracle, and she couldn't possibly block the descending cauldron. "You... stop that!" The purple-clad girl was both angry and alarmed.

The ancient cauldron, magnified to five meters high, descended with an immense weight, suppressing the purple-clad girl beneath it, rendering her unable to move.

Ye Fan quickly stepped forward, continuously striking out, sending forth streams of divine light. He not only sealed the purple-clad girl's Sea of Misery but also bound her to prevent any unexpected incidents. "What do you want to do?" The purple-clad girl blinked her large eyes, not flustered, and tilted her head to look at him.

"I need you to escort me out." Ye Fan knew that when the demon experts protected him during the breakthrough, they must have been seen by the Ji family members. If he were discovered, it would be difficult to escape. This girl's identity was unusual; holding her might make her a protective charm.

Suddenly, Ye Fan heard the sound of flowing water from below the great canyon. His divine sense was incredibly powerful; the golden lake in his glabella emitted a golden light, shooting into the dark fissure. "There's an underground river..." Ye Fan turned, picked up the girl, and jumped into the dark fissure.

"Hey, hey, hey, I'm afraid of the dark, don't jump! I can guarantee that the Ji family won't attack you, hurry up and go back!" The purple-clad girl was a bit flustered; if she were kidnapped like this, there was no telling what might happen. "I'm used to having everything in my own hands. I don't want to place my hope in others' hands," Ye Fan calmly replied. "You don't need to serve as my protective charm just yet."

It must be said that Ye Fan's divine sense was extremely powerful, reaching an astonishing level. The golden lake in his glabella shone like a vertical eye, radiating brilliance. The dark fissure appeared as bright as day in his eyes, and everything could be perceived.

They fell a full four or five hundred meters before reaching the underground river. The water flowed rapidly, bitingly cold, and its destination was unknown.

"Plop."

Ye Fan, holding the girl, directly jumped in. They drifted with the current, rushing into the distance.

"You're insane!" the purple-clad girl cried out, her glistening large eyes wide open, her long eyelashes blinking continuously. She said, "Underground rivers are the most dangerous. You might not see daylight for days, or even months, and there's no telling where they lead. They could connect to ominous places, or even flow into areas filled with evil auras." "It's safer than falling into the hands of your Ji family," Ye Fan replied indifferently.

The purple-clad girl smiled charmingly, a small dimple appearing, looking very captivating. She tempted him with a sweet voice, "Little brother, you should trust me. Once we're out, I can guarantee your safety. You know, I even let those old demon women go." "Who are you to the Ji family? What's your relationship with Ji Haoyue?" Ye Fan asked, unmoved. "He's my seventh brother. If you let me go, there will be many benefits. I can have him teach you how to achieve the 'Bright Moon Rising from the Sea' phenomenon," the purple-clad girl said, her eyes shimmering as she tried to coax him. Ye Fan gasped.

Ye Fan drew a sharp breath. The girl he had captured had an extraordinary identity; she was actually the sister of the Divine Body, Ji Haoyue. He muttered to himself, "It seems I'll have to be ruthless to this flower..." "You... don't do anything rash!" The purple-clad girl jumped in fright. "You are an important figure of the Ji family. If the Ji family finds out you were kidnapped by me, I will surely be silenced, so I can only apologize to you."

The purple-clad girl struggled frantically and said, "If you want to live, you absolutely cannot kill me. Don't you know that some special disciples of our Ji family have marks implanted on them? If they die, no matter how far away, the news will be transmitted directly to the Ji family." "Marks... you're a special disciple of the Ji family?" Ye Fan vaguely recalled hearing of such things.

"Don't do anything rash, or you'll kill me and won't be able to live yourself." The purple-clad girl was truly afraid Ye Fan would kill her on the spot. She said, "I even withstood the flawless demoness's golden lotus phenomenon without being instantly slain, which proves everything."

Ye Fan felt that this girl was quite unusual, but he leaned more towards the idea that she possessed some rare treasures. He then smiled, mimicking her earlier tone, and said, "I'm actually very kind. Even if you don't tell the truth, I won't kill you. At most, I'll carve a little turtle on your left cheek and a little toad on your right cheek." "You... what do you want me to say?" The purple-clad girl was both angry and astonished, her glistening large eyes wide open.

"Hand over all the treasures on your person."

"What?!" The purple-clad girl's small mouth gaped wide, her eyelashes fluttering, her face filled with disbelief. She said, "You... robbing me?!" "That's right, I'm robbing you. Hand over everything you have."

A full month passed before Ye Fan and the purple-clad girl finally exited the underground river. They were swept into a massive lake. They felt immense water pressure; a normal person would have been crushed to bits.

It was pitch black underwater, impossible to see with the naked eye. However, this had no effect on Ye Fan; the golden lake in his glabella radiated light, and his powerful divine sense could scan in all directions, perceiving everything. "What is this place?" He was astonished. At the bottom of this water body, amidst broken walls and ruined foundations, there were many palace ruins. Ye Fan walked cautiously through the water.

At this moment, the purple-clad girl was enveloped by his divine power, hidden within a light barrier. She could barely make out objects within two or three meters and exclaimed in surprise, "Heavens, could these be ruins from before the ancient era?"

Ye Fan walked forward when suddenly his heart trembled. Ahead, there was a gigantic bronze palace, incredibly grand, almost as large as a small city, with a majestic aura. It hadn't collapsed and was relatively well-preserved, with green rust mottling its surface, appearing ancient and grand, giving off a profoundly desolate feeling. He found it hard to imagine where he had been swept to!

"Ah..." Just then, the purple-clad girl in the light barrier suddenly cried out in alarm. If she could move, she would have fled ages ago.

Ye Fan was initially drawn to the bronze palace, which resembled a small city, and hadn't noticed the surroundings. Only then did he discover dozens of corpses. As he moved, the water shifted, and the corpses floated up from the ruins, appearing behind him.

Their faces were indistinguishable, sealed by a layer of waxy grease, their entire bodies encased like cocoons, appearing quite sinister. "Aren't they just a few corpses? What's so scary? Which lake hasn't had people drown in it?" Ye Fan thought. "These... these are wax corpses from before the ancient era!" The purple-clad girl shrieked, her face extremely pale. She exclaimed, "Normally, it's hard to even see one, but here there are dozens, and seemingly more! Heavens, what is this place?!"

Ye Fan's heart grew solemn, and he proceeded cautiously towards the bronze palace ahead. When they got closer, upon seeing the bronze palace, which was as vast and magnificent as a small city, the purple-clad girl instantly turned pale and said, "The Bronze Immortal Palace... How is this possible? It actually exists in the world!" "Is something wrong?" Seeing her expression, Ye Fan felt even more uneasy. "Let's go, we need to get out of here quickly, or we'll all die!" The purple-clad girl, who hadn't been afraid when kidnapped by Ye Fan, now had a terrified look on her face. Ye Fan's heart sank, and he asked, "What is this place?"