Chapter 169: Shock

Traversing the void is extremely perilous; any mishap would result in complete annihilation. Had Ye Fan not been well-prepared, he truly would not have escaped this time. He hid inside the cauldron, and at the moment the void fractured, a wave of dread washed over him.

That power of desolation, sweeping like autumn winds through fallen leaves and burying vibrant flowers beneath ice and snow, represented an unstoppable "grand force" against all life.

Space was annihilated, a force the physical body could not resist, destroying everything and eradicating infinite vitality, as if pushing the world back to its primordial origin.

Amidst this annihilating torrent, the Mother Qi of All Things circulated, and the cauldron remained completely undisturbed. Like a life raft, it carried Ye Fan, smashing through a sheer cliff before coming to a halt.

When the smoke and dust finally cleared and the world became clear again, Ye Fan emerged from the cauldron. Before him lay a scene of utter devastation: a whole mountain range had been obliterated, reduced to scorched earth, devoid of all life, with nothing remaining.

"They're truly ruthless, willing to destroy the domain gate just to see me annihilated in the void..." Ye Fan then threw his head back and laughed, the frustration of the past six months instantly vanishing.

Hunted by Ji Quan, with nowhere to run or hide, he had been cowering in the fire domain, not daring to show his face. Now, with a single strike, all his accumulated resentment was resolved.

Burning a prominent figure alive, and turning over a dozen renowned experts into ashes—he himself could hardly believe it, feeling as though it were all a dream.

"Even if the Ji family truly finds me and I can't escape death, it was worth it." At this, Ye Fan calmed down and declared, "I will not die; I must find a way to escape this region."

He dared not delay, transforming into a fleeting phantom, his presence vanishing in an instant. The commotion he had caused was too significant; it would undoubtedly attract attention. It was best to leave immediately.

Ye Fan found it difficult to leave the Southern Domain, as there was currently no way to cross over to the Northern Domain. He decided to do the opposite and head towards the southernmost reaches instead.

The Southern Domain itself was vast and boundless, home to countless nations. The region where major powers like the Ji family, Taixuan, Yaoguang, and Xiaoyao resided was merely a small corner of it.

Further to the south, it was rumored, lay another one or two Sacred Lands. Though still within the Southern Domain, they were so distant that reaching them by flight alone would take approximately half a year. This hinted at the immense scale of the Southern Domain, let alone the entire Eastern Wasteland.

Without domain gates for communication or the ability to traverse the void, the various regions of the Southern Domain would be unable to connect, remaining isolated and preventing large-scale gatherings.

Soon, Ye Fan learned that he was already sixty thousand li away from the Xiaoyao Gate. Having traversed such an immense distance in just a few moments through the void left him astonished.

What surprised him most, however, was that he had arrived in the territory of the Yaoguang Sacred Land, only a thousand li away. "Perhaps I can hide here and won't need to go anywhere else," Ye Fan mused.

The death of Ji Changkong sent shockwaves through the region, astounding everyone! In less than a year, three Supreme Elders of the Ji family had perished, a catastrophe comparable to raging seas and violent storms.

This was not a dark age from ancient history, nor was it marked by terrifying major upheavals, yet the continuous deaths of prominent figures from the Ji family were truly astounding.

The Peacock King and Daoist Crow were one thing; for over a thousand years, a mere stomp of their feet could cause tremors throughout the Southern Domain.

But who was this mere youth, Ye Fan, to have accomplished such an earth-shattering feat, slaying a Supreme Elder of the Ji family? It seemed utterly unbelievable!

Every cultivator in the region was filled with apprehension. This was a monumental event, and the Ji family's fury was sure to engulf the entire world.

"Ji Changkong was burned alive by a youth who had only cultivated the Wheel Sea Realm." "A Supreme Elder of the Ji family was reduced to ashes, body and soul, by a fourteen or fifteen-year-old cultivator, yet he brought down a major figure." "It's incredibly hard to believe that Ji Changkong, who had dominated the Southern Domain for years, was consumed by fire, his bones shattered and spirit annihilated, turning to dust, all by a youth named Ye Fan." "This is simply a tall tale: a prominent Ji family figure burned alive into charcoal, his lifelong prestige reduced to dust."

Everyone was discussing it, the news spreading throughout the region. While many found it unbelievable, most were simply shocked.

The True Fire of Five Elements could incinerate anything; once caught within its elemental range, no power could resist it. Many cultivators felt a chilling dread.

Ji Changkong's demise beneath those multicolored cloud flames could only be attributed to fate; even a great figure found it impossible to resist such fire, reducing him to elemental ash.

Ye Fan's unique attributes were no longer a secret; the news spread with this incident, promising him endless trouble. Not only the Ji family, but even the Sacred Lands would now seek him out.

Of course, this wasn't the worst outcome. Far more dire was the exposure of the Mother Qi Source Root of All Things, a sacred treasure coveted by countless cultivators.

At present, he was merely at the Other Shore realm; he could not traverse the land and dominate the Southern Domain like the Peacock King. Possessing such a cauldron was, in fact, a great misfortune for him.

Although he had incinerated a Supreme Elder of the Ji family, shocking the Southern Domain, once people learned the details, they realized it was not his inherent power but his reliance on the True Fire of Five Elements.

Since Ye Fan possessed a sacred treasure and his cultivation was not particularly profound, many naturally harbored covetous thoughts. Numerous individuals began preparing to act, seeking his whereabouts.

"Kill!"

This was a definitive kill order issued by the Ji family, and such extensive mobilization for a minor cultivator was unprecedented in thousands of years.

Other factions could only search for Ye Fan in secret. No one dared to provoke the Ji family at this critical juncture; anyone who intervened would surely face a horrific end. The entire region was in a state of great turmoil, with waves of unrest.

Instead of heading south, Ye Fan hid in a mountain range approximately a thousand li from the Yaoguang Sacred Land. He believed the Ji family would never search for him there, as it was practically on the Sacred Land's doorstep, but he was gravely mistaken.

The Ji family was unfathomably profound, possessing unimaginable depths of knowledge and power regarding the activation of domain gates, the inscription of Dao patterns, and the traversal of the void.

Based on various factors such as the shattered altar, the amount of energy consumed, and the duration the void was open, they were astonishingly able to calculate how many myriad li Ye Fan had traversed.

On that very day, the void was opened, and a domain gate manifested above the scorched earth. Over a hundred cultivators emerged, among them more than twenty elders, with the rest being young prodigies.

Some were as still and profound as deep mountains, their aura dense and unfathomable. Others were overtly sharp, like peerless blades, radiating chilling killing intent.

All one hundred-plus cultivators were formidable. Aside from the renowned elders, even the young cultivators were exceptionally influential; almost half of the ten strongest young talents of the Ji family were among them.

"This scorched earth must be the result of the void shattering; that wretch isn't dead..." An elder issued orders for everyone to disperse and search, transmitting a message immediately if any clues were found.

This was merely the first contingent; more cultivators were still en route. Had it not been for Daoist Crow and the other's audacious provocation of the Ji family, it was likely that prominent figures would have personally come to eliminate Ye Fan.

Ji Quan, a powerful figure, sent messages in all directions, sealing off various areas, determined to trap Ye Fan within this region.

Ye Fan had not anticipated that late that very night, he would spot Ji family members flying over the mountain range. "How did they find this region?" He naturally had no idea that the Ji family had calculated all this from the shattered domain gate.

Sensing trouble, Ye Fan fled through the night, but to his astonishment, he discovered that the Ji family had sealed off the entire region, and large numbers of cultivators were conducting a search.

Two days later, Ye Fan's whereabouts were exposed, and he was discovered by members of the Ji family. "Ancient aristocratic families are truly unfathomable," Ye Fan marveled to himself, "they can even calculate where the void shattered."

He wanted to leave this region as quickly as possible, otherwise, if the colossal Yaoguang Sacred Land were to be alerted, his situation would become even more perilous.

Had it not been for his peerless footwork, he would have had no chance of survival once discovered. Even with it, he found it incredibly difficult to shake off his pursuers.

Five days later, he fled evasively, entering a vast grassland, now over ten thousand li away from the Yaoguang Sacred Land. The Ji family seemed to have locked onto him, relentlessly pursuing him, making escape incredibly difficult.

On the sixth day, he finally clashed with the Ji family's young disciples, enduring a bloody battle and fighting his way out with the help of his cauldron.

On the eighth day, deep within the vast grassland, a tall man blocked his path. The man appeared to be in his twenties, with hair as black as ink, eyes as sharp as blades, bronzed skin, a powerful physique, and a composed, profound aura.

"Who are you?" Anyone daring to pursue him alone must be extraordinary, and Ye Fan dared not underestimate him.

"Ji Haiyue!" the tall man replied, his voice resounding like a tolling bell.

"I haven't heard of you."

"That only proves your ignorance," came a voice. From the dense grass behind him, over a dozen more people emerged one after another.

"Among the younger generation of my Ji family, three have cultivated to the Third Secret Realm, and Fifth Brother Haiyue is one of them."

Ye Fan's heart tightened. Even renowned elders typically cultivated only three Secret Realms. For someone of the younger generation to possess such cultivation indicated an extraordinary individual, a rarity in the Southern Domain.

As far as he knew, there were only about a dozen such individuals in the entire region. The Ji family accounted for three, the Yaoguang Sacred Land likely had around three, and then there were a few others like Hua Yunfei and Li Youyou.

"Your True Fire of Five Elements is exhausted, and you have nothing left to rely on. Let's see how you escape!" Ji Haiyue, tall and burly, his gaze sharp as lightning, stood blocking his path.

Ye Fan's lips curved into a faint smile as he shot directly into the sky. He wouldn't engage them head-on; he wasn't surrounded, so there was no need for a direct confrontation.

However, as he ascended, Ye Fan felt a gray haziness and an inexplicable force that trapped him, pulling him back down to the ground. He knew at once that something was wrong; this place had been specifically set up, inscribed with Dao patterns that converged the powerful energy of the earth's veins, effectively locking him in.

Ji Haiyue sneered, "Don't waste your effort. The moment you stepped foot in this place, your fate was sealed; you were destined not to escape."

After saying this, he took a step forward but did not press any closer. The fate of the Ji family's Supreme Elder served as a warning, making everyone cautious.

From Ji Haiyue's Wheel Sea, a large flag shot forth, unfurling high in the sky. It was as black as ink, shrouded in mist, and seemed to possess a demonic quality, as if it sought to ensnare the minds of those who gazed upon it.

A soft, melodious laugh, like a voice from the heavens, reached Ye Fan's ears. Someone was secretly transmitting a message: "Little Brother Ye, do you require my assistance?"

Ye Fan instantly frowned. It was the voice of the Yaoguang Saintess; he had, ultimately, drawn the attention of the colossal Yaoguang Sacred Land.

"If you want to help me, get rid of this Ji Haiyue first!" Ye Fan retorted.

"You say that so easily. He is second only to Ji Haoyue and Ji Biyue, and before Ji Ziyue matured, he was truly the third most powerful expert among the Ji family's younger generation." The Yaoguang Saintess's voice, sweet and disembodied, continued, "If I kill him, I will incur immense karmic debt with the Ji family. However, I have other ways to help you escape. Aren't you looking to go to the Northern Domain? I intend to go there myself, so we could travel together."

"Alright, I'd be delighted," Ye Fan replied.

In such circumstances, with someone willing to offer assistance, he naturally welcomed it. Although he knew the Yaoguang Saintess was not to be trifled with, he had to get past this immediate crisis.