Chapter 270: A Lead on a Ruthless Person

The young woman, with her charming looks and golden feather robes, was extremely arrogant and showed great disdain for Ye Fan. This left Ye Fan somewhat speechless; it was a pure, unprovoked misfortune. He hadn't provoked her, yet he was being treated with such hostility simply because he was walking with Qin Yao.

"A useless body like yours is utterly unworthy of Sister Qin Yao. You should leave soon and stop harboring unrealistic fantasies."

The young woman, named Jin Yan, wore a dazzling golden feather robe that accentuated her delicate and alluring figure with graceful curves, making her appear captivating. However, her words were completely merciless.

Ye Fan shook his head indifferently and said, "Little girl, I can't be bothered to argue with you."

"You're nothing compared to true geniuses like Brother Jinyu, Brother Kuzhu, or Brother Baifeng. Don't make a fool of yourself here," the girl in golden robes said coldly.

"Little girl, you're being completely unreasonable and making baseless accusations. I'm not going to waste any more words on you." Ye Fan began to ignore her.

The group walked along the streets of Demon City, occasionally stopping at old shops that sold precious materials. Jin Yan, the young woman in the golden feather robe, would secretly send Ye Fan sarcastic telepathic messages from time to time, saying, "If you truly care for Sister Qin Yao, you'll disappear quickly and never return. You'll never understand the world of geniuses; you and we are from two different worlds."

Constantly subjected to such hostility and ridicule, Ye Fan felt a rise of anger and couldn't help but say, "Little girl, what did you eat today? A dragon, or ten elephants? Are you perhaps feeling too full and have nothing better to do?"

"You…" The demon girl Jin Yan glared fiercely at him. She finally quieted down, but her hostility only intensified.

"This old shop is magnificent and full of ancient charm; it feels quite old," Tu Fei commented.

By the roadside was an ancient shop named Fengxiang Zhai. It was quite large and impressive, with many people entering and exiting. The female demon walking with Tu Fei smiled and said, "This is Fengxiang Zhai, built eight hundred years ago by Old Ancestor Fengxiang. It's very famous in Demon City."

The demon girl Jin Yan also nodded, her chin held high, looking very proud. She said, "Old Ancestor Fengxiang was an old subordinate of King Azure Flood Dragon, and one of the first seniors to enter this minor world. They were the ones who built Demon City."

Tu Fei gasped, "Figures from eight hundred years ago, if they were alive today, their strength would be quite terrifying, wouldn't it?"

The female demon beside him nodded and said, "Naturally. While they might not compare to the Great Sages, they are still unfathomably powerful."

Qin Yao nodded, saying, "Few of the seniors who followed King Azure Flood Dragon remain. Their lives are nearing their end; their lifespans are running out." Ye Fan immediately thought of the old demons he had seen outside King Azure Flood Dragon's treasure vault. Each of them was at the end of their tether, their life force about to extinguish. Old Ancestor Fengxiang was likely one of them.

"Let's go inside and take a look; Brother Baifeng might be in there," the girl in golden robes said with a smile, pulling Qin Yao's hand as she walked ahead.

Fengxiang Zhai was steeped in ancient charm. Various spiritual herbs were sealed in translucent jade boxes, from which faint medicinal fragrances wafted out. Several demon cultivators were gathered nearby. The demon race placed great importance on cultivating their physical bodies, so many spiritual herbs were related to bone forging and marrow cleansing. These were all refined from rare natural treasures and were extremely expensive.

On the other side were various weapons, all unique demon treasures, such as demon fans refined from the wings of great demons, and treasured armor made from scales shed during a prominent figure's transformation.

Inside Fengxiang Zhai was a man in white robes who exuded an ethereal, otherworldly aura. His black hair cascaded like a waterfall, and his eyes were clear and bright. He appeared to be the owner of the establishment.

Jin Yan, the demon girl in the golden feather robe, sweetly called out, "Brother Baifeng, you really are here!"

The man in white immediately stood up to greet them, saying, "I just returned from outside today and came to Demon City to have a look."

"Sister Qin Yao came to see you," Jin Yan said, pulling Qin Yao by the arm and walking over.

Qin Yao had a graceful figure, like a gentle willow swaying in the wind. Her long dress trailed on the ground, accentuating her flowing curves, and her eyes sparkled. She gently tapped Jin Yan's forehead with her jade hand and said, "Little girl, don't talk nonsense."

Jin Yan smiled sweetly and said no more, but secretly sent a telepathic message to Ye Fan: "See? This is Brother Baifeng, a genius of the Five-Layered Dao Palace, ready to enter the Four Extremities Secret Realm at any time. Don't you feel ashamed of yourself?"

Ye Fan was somewhat speechless. This girl, Jin Yan, really had it in for him; even ignoring her didn't work.

Ye Fan paid her no mind. He turned to the big black dog and asked, "Black Emperor, see if there are any good materials we can collect." He and the Black Emperor walked to one side and began to browse. After all, it was an eight-hundred-year-old shop, and there were indeed many precious materials.

After wandering around, Ye Fan arrived at the area displaying unusual stones. Fengxiang Zhai also sold source stones, similar to a stone-gambling establishment. On the old rosewood shelves, there were only about thirty stones of various sizes, ranging from walnut-sized to basin-sized; none were excessively heavy. Ye Fan's heart stirred immediately. He felt these stones were unusual; they even had a primeval aura.

At that moment, Tu Fei, Qin Yao, and the others were looking at a multi-colored feather fan. Its colors were extremely vivid, with five-colored divine light flowing around it.

"This treasured fan is made from demon feathers shed by Old Ancestor Fengxiang, which he personally refined into the Phoenix Feather Fan. It is an extremely valuable weapon," Baifeng introduced.

"I've long heard of this treasured weapon. It's said it can fan mountains into dust," Jin Yan exclaimed.

"I've also heard of the Phoenix Feather Fan. It's a rare and precious treasure, one of the weapons Old Ancestor Fengxiang used in the past," the female demon beside Tu Fei said, holding it lovingly. "How much source is this treasured fan worth?"

Baifeng smiled and shook his head, saying, "This is not for sale; it's kept as a deterrent for the shop."

"This is a gift Brother Baifeng intends to give Sister Qin Yao, so don't even hope for it," Jin Yan teased.

"Is that so…" The demon girl looked very disappointed.

"Little girl, do you want a beating? Why do you always talk nonsense?" Qin Yao glared at her.

"Brother Baifeng, you really should hurry up and give it to her. There's a toad from the Southern Domain who's interested in Sister Qin Yao," Jin Yan said, glancing at Ye Fan, who was not far away.

"Stop spouting nonsense!" Qin Yao shot her a glance.

"He is…" Baifeng frowned.

"His name is Ye Fan, and he's been quite famous recently," Jin Yan said.

Many demons in this minor world already knew that Ye Fan possessed the Primordial Qi Root of All Things. Hearing this, a cold glint flashed in Baifeng's eyes, then he walked forward with a smile on his face.

"Young Brother Ye, are you interested in these stones?" Baifeng asked as he approached.

"I do want to pick a few," Ye Fan nodded.

"These are all rare stones, acquired by Old Ancestor Fengxiang in his younger years. After so many years, there aren't many left," Baifeng said with a smile, introducing them. Ye Fan understood that Old Ancestor Fengxiang, being a subordinate of King Azure Flood Dragon, must have plundered the holy land's mining areas, which would explain these types of stones. He selected a few, but had no intention of cutting them open there.

"It seems Young Brother Ye has quite a bit of knowledge about this. The source stones you've chosen should all yield source," Baifeng nodded.

Suddenly, the big black dog became extremely agitated and sent a telepathic message to Ye Fan: "That broken pot over there is strange! Ask him where he got it from!"

Hearing this, Ye Fan turned and looked to the side. There were some damaged weapons, including a bronze pot with a missing spout, dull and lacking luster. He walked over and held it in his hand, examining it carefully. The bronze pot was heavy but seemed unremarkable, except for an unusual mark carved on its lid, resembling a ghost face.

"This bronze pot is damaged, yet it hasn't been discarded. Does it have some special origin?" Ye Fan asked.

"Has Young Brother Ye seen something?" Baifeng inquired.

"I just asked casually. Does it really have a significant background?"

Baifeng took it in his hand and said, "This is something my friends and I brought back from outside. If I'm not mistaken, it should be an artifact from before the Desolate Ancient Era."

"What?! That's impossible!" Tu Fei, Qin Yao, and the others nearby were all astonished.

Baifeng shook his head and said, "It's not a particularly important artifact. Its only valuable aspect is the mysterious Dao mark inscribed within it, which has prevented it from decaying."

"You didn't happen to find a big treasure, did you?" Jin Yan's eyes lit up.

"It was just a small ruin, but we did find some unique things."

The Black Emperor immediately became restless, seeming extremely excited. It anxiously sent a telepathic message to Ye Fan: "Quick, try to get more information out of him! You must find out exactly where it was discovered!"

"Does this broken pot have some significant origin?" Ye Fan asked in surprise, secretly sending a telepathic message to the big black dog.

"This broken pot isn't that precious, but the place where it was buried is of great importance!" The big black dog was so excited it was practically trembling.

"Be more specific so I can make better judgments and extract information from him," Ye Fan sent telepathically.

"Do you remember the Cloud-Rupturing Mountains? I once mentioned that it was the Daoist ground of a ruthless individual," the big black dog said, gritting its teeth. "Now it seems that might not be the only Daoist ground; there might be an even more important place, and the true sacred artifact might be buried elsewhere."

"What kind of ruthless person is it? Do they have a very significant background?" Ye Fan pressed on.

"Of course. If word gets out, the entire Northern Domain will go crazy," the big black dog said in a low voice. "You must find out where they got that broken pot."

Ye Fan held the broken pot in his hand, pondered for a moment, and said, "The ghost-face mark on it looks a bit familiar. I seem to have seen it somewhere before, but I can't recall where at the moment."

"Oh, really?" Baifeng was surprised.

The demon girl Jin Yan scoffed, "You're trying to act profound! How long have you even been in the Northern Domain? What historical events could you possibly know?!"

Ye Fan was indeed bluffing; it was all to gather more information.

"Don't be rude!" Baifeng reprimanded, then turned to Ye Fan and smiled, "This evening, there will be a gathering of our demon race's young talents. Young Brother Ye, how about joining us for a few drinks?"

"That might not be appropriate. I don't know any of them," Ye Fan said tactfully.

"What's the problem? You can come with Brother Tu Fei. Both of you will be honored guests," Baifeng said with a smile.

"Brother Baifeng, why are you inviting him?" The demon girl Jin Yan was quite displeased.

Qin Yao glared at her, then gave Ye Fan a charming smile and said, "You could go and see. In the future, these might be the very people who control the Northern Domain's demon race."

"In that case, I thank you in advance. I will certainly come and disturb you then," Ye Fan said with a smile and a nod.

In the evening, within a splendid palace, many young powerhouses of the demon race gathered. Even Yan Ruyu and Qing Yi had arrived. A group of beautiful demonesses danced gracefully in the main hall, their gauze robes translucent, revealing their alluring figures as they swayed elegantly. Many jade tables were set up in the palace for young demon powerhouses of extraordinary status to enjoy food. Fine wine's aroma filled the air, and music flowed melodiously. Numerous young talents gathered, making the atmosphere very lively as they raised their cups and toasted each other.