Chapter 348: Breakthrough of the Divine Source Refining

The Divine City was majestic and grand, resembling the abode of gods. Legend had it that it had fallen from the Immortal Realm.

Ye Fan, about to embark on a distant journey, looked back at the Divine City, feeling a sense of its grandeur and the weight of its long history. It spanned a hundred miles in circumference, vast and boundless, having endured the ancient ages and remaining indestructible even now.

"Take care!""Go back now!"

Ye Fan bid farewell to Li Heishui, then strode forward, gradually disappearing over the horizon.

Ahead, An Miaoyi was waiting for him. She wore a moon-white long dress cinched at the waist by a delicate belt, her slender waist and graceful figure captivating. She stood elegantly, like a fairy from an immortal garden, exuding a fragrant aura. As the breeze blew, her long dress fluttered and her dark hair danced, as if she were about to drift away on the wind.

The two set off together, moving away from the Divine City. Ancient trees and vines became scarcer, signaling their departure from this warm region. The trickling spirit springs diminished, vegetation became sparser, and a chill began to pervade the air. Green plants gradually disappeared.

"It's already the season of falling snow," An Miaoyi murmured softly.

Ahead, everything was a vast expanse of white; mountains and rivers were cloaked in silver, entirely covered by snow.

The Divine City was a very special place; its surrounding area was perpetually vibrant, with spring warmth and blooming flowers year-round. Only after moving away from the Divine City did the true season reveal itself. Unbeknownst to them, winter had arrived, with heavy snow falling and the north wind howling.

The Northern Region was a vast, desolate expanse of bitter cold. The biting wind blew, whistling and swirling snowflakes.

"Little Brother Gu Feng seems to have a prejudice against me; he's always been wary," An Miaoyi said. Her beauty was beyond doubt; her delicate face was flawless.

"Fairy An, you're overthinking it," Ye Fan said, walking through the snow. "How could I have a prejudice against you? Your beauty is unmatched in the Eastern Wasteland; I believe few can resist your charm."

"Your words don't match your heart, Little Brother Gu, you're not being sincere," An Miaoyi said. Her skin was crystal clear, whiter than snow and as delicate as jade. As she moved through the snow, she resembled a fairy walking on water.

Ye Fan was indeed wary. It was too much of a coincidence that this flawlessly beautiful woman was leaving the Divine City at this particular time.

"Fairy An, where are you headed?"

"I haven't decided yet," An Miaoyi said, her eyes sparkling. "If Little Brother Gu doesn't mind, why don't we travel together for a while?"

"I'd naturally be delighted to travel with Fairy An, however, I have some private matters to attend to this time."

This woman was beautiful, but her intentions were not pure. In ordinary times, he might have indulged her, but this was not the time for romance. The Sacred Lands and the various sects from Middle State were about to attack Purple Mountain, and he had no time to waste.

An Miaoyi chuckled, a captivating smile on her face. "Very well then," she said, "once we leave this region, we shall go our separate ways."

Along the way, she subtly hinted that the ghost-faced bronze artifact from their previous encounter involved half an ultimate holy weapon, an undoubtedly alluring prospect.

As dusk settled, Ye Fan stopped in the snow and whirled around suddenly, but he saw nothing. He had distinctly felt observed moments ago. His heart immediately tightened. Could An Miaoyi have allied with powerful figures to attack him here?

"Miaoyi also sensed it; someone is tracking us."

Ye Fan said nothing more, accelerating his pace. He left no footprints in the snow, moving like a faint phantom.

The oasis where the Divine City was located was extremely vast, spanning tens of thousands of miles and containing many towns. That night, they stopped in a small one. The wind and snow battered the window, making tapping sounds. Ye Fan had not been lying in bed for long when he detected something unusual, subtly holding the Dragon-patterned Black Gold Saint Spirit Sword between his fingers.

A full hour passed before he felt a creature enter the room. It was extremely nimble and made no sound. In an instant, his wariness vanished. It was, surprisingly, that little golden creature!

It was sly and had successfully concealed its vital energy; even divine sense had difficulty detecting it. If they hadn't been so close, Ye Fan might not have even noticed its presence.

"This little thing isn't just fast; it also has such a method for concealing itself," he thought, surprised. At the same time, he found it amusing. This little fellow had quite a lot of patience, waiting for so long before making a move. He didn't need to think much to know why the little golden creature had come: it must have been obsessing over the Divine Source and had pursued them all this way, intending to steal it back.

Suddenly, it froze, its big eyes blinking as it looked suspiciously at Ye Fan on the bed. Then it turned and fled. Ye Fan was surprised; this little thing was too alert. He quickly reached out to grab it.

"Whoosh!"

A golden light flashed, and the little golden creature instantly shot out through the window.

"Where do you think you're going?" An Miaoyi chuckled, having been waiting outside. With a flick of her jade hand, a curtain of light shot forward, attempting to envelop it. The little golden creature twisted its body with incredible speed, transforming into a golden streak, vanishing in a flash, and shooting up into the night sky.

"Xiao Guai, where are you?" the Grand Xia Princess's voice echoed in the cold wind.

Ye Fan ascended into the sky and saw the Grand Xia Prince and Princess. They were very anxious, as they had only obtained the Divine Source with eighty thousand catties of origin stones, and it had run off after only a few days.

"Brother Ye, did it come after you?" the Grand Xia Prince asked. He had followed it all this way and felt the Divine Source was most likely after Ye Fan.

"I did see it flee in that direction," Ye Fan said, pointing the way. "Miaoyi just pursued it."

"Indeed, that's its aura," they confirmed, and the brother and sister hurried off.

Ye Fan rubbed his chin and smiled. This little thing was indeed very interesting; perhaps in the future, he could simply lure it back. He did not linger. Taking this opportunity, he could conveniently shake off An Miaoyi. He vanished into the snowy night.

According to the Divine City's residents' estimations, the Sacred Lands would need at least another month to prepare if they wished to use ultimate weapons. This was because it involved their "foundations," which could not be brought out instantly. Ye Fan knew time was limited and wanted to seize the opportunity to break through his realm.

Thus, he completely disappeared for twenty days. No one knew his whereabouts, except for a little golden creature...

This was a vast, boundless wilderness. Heavy snow fell, and the mountains and land were a vast expanse of white. This place was far from the oasis; for decades, perhaps centuries, no one would pass through it, making it extremely desolate.

However, for the past nearly twenty days, spiritual energy had continuously overflowed from a snow-bound mountain range. Especially in recent days, divine light frequently shot into the sky. This snow-covered mountain was precisely where Ye Fan was cultivating in seclusion. He had sealed himself inside the mountain, but he still could not prevent massive amounts of origin energy from gushing out.

The Divine Source and various other origin stones were piled together. Although they didn't look like much, the essence contained within was so vast that it couldn't be contained. Ye Fan was unaware that just outside the restriction he had set up, a little golden creature had been fuming with impatience for days, gnashing its teeth, but it couldn't break through. Hundreds of large banners, personally refined by the Black Emperor, bore incredibly profound dao patterns, making it impossible for the little golden creature to break through.

In the last few days, the origin energy from the mountain surged out like thick smoke, almost liquefying. The little golden creature finally quieted down. It began to absorb the energy like a whale drinking; the surging origin energy was so rich that it was enough for it to enjoy.

Ye Fan, in seclusion, sensed that more than half of the origin energy had dissipated, but he had no way to stop it. He discovered that the consumption of infinite origin stones was not entirely for absorption; instead, they were being used as a forceful impact to break through some kind of restriction. A large pile of various origin stones, equivalent to a million catties of pure origin stones, were all refined, yet he still hadn't advanced to the fifth layer of the Dao Palace. Everything was as he had predicted; the amount needed exceeded the calculated million catties of pure origin stones.

Finally, gritting his teeth, he began to refine a Divine Source the size of a human head. Instantly, divine light scattered in all directions, and brilliant radiance shot into the sky. The power of the Divine Source was irresistible, impacting his body and cleansing his physical form, making his entire being crystal clear, appearing like a divine being.

Within the Dao Palace, the five great divine organs trembled in unison. The heavenly sounds of the Grand Dao resonated, whether from his past self or his Dao self, pouring forth profound scriptures that awakened his life's master, seeking to make his present self eternal. A small cauldron floated and swayed within the Dao Palace, moving among the five great divine organs. Since entering the Dao Palace Secret Realm, the Myriad Things Mother Qi Cauldron had ascended from the Sea of Bitterness into the Dao Palace.

Outside, the little golden creature greatly enjoyed the overflowing Divine Source energy that completely enveloped it. It was bathed in brilliant, radiant light. Massive amounts of origin energy washed over Ye Fan's body. It was impossible to absorb it all; the vast majority rushed out. This was an extremely extravagant waste.

The gentle sounds from within the Dao Palace echoed throughout this mountain range, greatly confusing the Divine Silkworm outside. Fortunately, no one passed by this place, otherwise they would surely have been shocked. The chanting sounds continued for three more days. Endless origin energy submerged the mountain peak, melting the accumulated snow and causing plants to sprout, creating a vibrant scene. This series of changes made the little golden creature open its mouth in astonishment, and it then absorbed the Divine Source energy even more diligently.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, a violent tremor occurred. On the twenty-fourth day, divine light shot into the sky, even sending the little golden creature flying, leaving it sprawling on the ground, covered in dust and dirt. When the Divine Source essence completely dissipated, the area became peaceful, filled with an aura of serenity, as if a deity had descended upon the world.

Inside the mountain, Ye Fan opened his eyes. His physical body was crystal clear, like an immortal king. He slowly stood up, and the moment he clenched his fist, he felt as if he could grasp the entire world in his palm! This was an extremely powerful sense of confidence. He had broken through to the fifth layer of the Dao Palace, reaching this stage entirely on his own, without the support of any Sacred Land.

Ye Fan's body and mind were peaceful and serene. He did not unleash his divine power because there was no need; he clearly perceived just how powerful he was at that moment. At this moment, he possessed unparalleled confidence! His physical body finally possessed a hint of the inherent power of an Ancient Desolate Saint Body; it was extremely formidable.

The moment Ye Fan emerged from seclusion, he smiled. He sensed that the little golden creature was sulking outside. "I really didn't expect it could find this place."

It must be said that the little golden creature was extremely alert. It instantly sensed something, transformed into a golden light, and fled, vanishing in the blink of an eye. "Faster than even the Golden-Winged Young Peng King!"

Ye Fan didn't pursue it, instead rubbing his chin with a hint of a smile. If this continued, the eighty thousand catties of origin stones spent by the Grand Xia Dynasty would probably go to waste.

He stood on the mountain peak and took out a profound platform, preparing to traverse the void. This was refined by the Black Emperor and could be carried around. As long as origin stones were provided, it could transport one a certain distance in a specific direction.

Thus, Ye Fan consumed a lot of origin stones, using more than ten profound platforms, and finally arrived at the region where the Jiang family was located.

"I wonder if I'll have a chance to see Little Tingting and Old Man Jiang."

The Jiang family was about two hundred thousand miles from the Divine City, a very short distance relative to the vast and boundless Northern Region. This region contained many nations. After asking around, Ye Fan learned that the Jiang family lived within a sacred pure land.