Chapter 353: Reunion

The cold, vast ice plain stretched endlessly, a boundless expanse of white, piercingly chilling.

Ye Fan's smile was radiant, like a warm ray of sunshine amidst the falling snow.

But in Jiang Yichen's eyes, it was terrifying. His heart was filled with dread, and despite the bitter cold of the icy landscape, he broke out in a sweat.

The other party intended to eliminate him, and on this desolate ice plain, no one could save him, no matter how extraordinary his status.

The void trembled violently as Jiang Yichen summoned a Heavenly Net Umbrella. When opened, it resembled a vast dome, descending upon Ye Fan.

Ye Fan remained composed, walking forward step by step as if he hadn't seen the black demonic umbrella, approaching Jiang Yichen directly.

"Crack!"

Just as the black Heavenly Net Umbrella reached him, Ye Fan swung his golden hand upwards, striking the sky. The ominous clouds dissipated, and the demonic umbrella shattered into pieces.

Jiang Yichen's expression changed. The Desolate Ancient Sacred Body was unbelievably powerful; with a mere lift of his hand, a magical artifact was reduced to ashes. How could he possibly contend?

In the past, a simple command from him had almost killed Ye Fan. Now, the tables were turned, and Ye Fan inflicted the same immense pressure, making him experience this terrible torment.

It was worse than being instantly smashed into a pulp. At this moment, he was enduring the torment of extreme fear.

"Clang!" "Clang!" "Clang!"

Ten thousand engravings resonated simultaneously. Tens of thousands of engraved beams of light illuminated the entire ice plain, dazzling and piercing to the eyes. Each beam was over ten meters long and as thick as a water vat.

The blazing divine light almost pierced through the void, rushing towards Ye Fan and engulfing him.

Unfortunately, all of it was useless. Ye Fan didn't block it at all; his Desolate Ancient Sacred Body radiated golden light, shining like a brilliant sun in this vast white world of ice and snow, dazzling to behold.

"Pop!" "Pop!" "Pop!"

Tens of thousands of sword rays shattered inch by inch before Ye Fan, unable to approach within three feet of him.

His hair fluttered gently, and his eyes were clear, exuding an otherworldly aura. Enveloped in golden light, he appeared like a deity walking among mortals.

"You..."

Jiang Yichen grew even more terrified witnessing this scene. The enemy advanced through the snow, calm and unstoppable, which was an unspeakable torment for him.

He flicked his hand, casting out a purple-gold gourd. Purple energy surged skyward, dyeing the vast expanse of snow purple as it rapidly expanded, descending like a great mountain.

This purple-gold gourd was extraordinary, personally refined by his grandfather, and immensely powerful. Ye Fan recognized its true nature but remained composed, extending a golden hand to strike it.

"Bang!"

The purple-gold gourd, as large as a mountain, caused the entire ice plain to tremble under its weight. Yet, Ye Fan easily grabbed it, and with a sweep of his golden palm and fingers, the purple-gold light shimmered.

Jiang Yichen let out a miserable shriek. The divine consciousness he had left in the gourd was obliterated, and the treasure changed hands.

The purple-gold gourd shrunk, becoming three inches tall, and appeared in Ye Fan's palm. It was crystalline and translucent, with purple light flowing within.

"Three questions: First, does anyone in the Jiang family want to harm Little Tingting? Second, can your grandfather contend equally with the Jiang Family's Holy Lord? Third, what exactly is the 'underground might' that the Jiang family suppresses with the Hengyu Furnace?"

Ye Fan revealed a set of pearly white teeth as he posed the three questions.

Jiang Yichen was drenched in sweat. He knew Ye Fan was deliberately making him experience the fear of being threatened with death.

In just a few years, the other party had fully matured, no longer the destitute youth who had to flee for his life from a few knights sent to kill him.

Now, the Desolate Ancient Sacred Body had reached the Fifth Heaven of the Dao Palace Realm. Standing amidst the wind and snow, enveloped in golden light, Ye Fan was like an immortal king descending upon the world, capable of looking down upon him!

Jiang Yichen's expression changed, and he remained silent. He knew that if the other party intended to kill him, no response would allow him to escape death.

Ye Fan approached step by step, seemingly merging with heaven and earth, radiating a natural yet terrifying rhythm.

With each step, the ground trembled. Jiang Yichen was oppressed to the point of suffocation, eventually spitting out a large mouthful of blood.

At that moment, he finally collapsed from exhaustion, powerless, and slumped to the ground.

"Haha..." Ye Fan laughed heartily.

Jiang Yichen's face was ashen. He felt a profound humiliation, worse than being killed. The youth he had scorned just a few years ago now held his life in his hands.

"Whoosh!"

With a flash of light, Ye Fan used Jiang Yichen's own purple-gold gourd to collect him, completely sealing him inside.

He didn't want to completely break with the Jiang family. This person's grandfather was a formidable figure, capable of rivaling the Holy Lord, and it was not wise to burn all bridges at this moment.

He feared that those influential figures might trace it using special methods, so he temporarily spared his life, leaving everything to future developments.

Ye Fan retrieved his cauldron. Inside it was a rare beast with five-colored jade horns on its head, capable of sensing the presence of spiritual treasures.

This type of exotic beast was almost extinct and extremely rare. He didn't kill it because it would be very useful in the future, and so he also sealed it within the purple-gold gourd.

The few middle-aged cultivators from the Four Extremities Secret Realm and the young people from the Dao Palace Secret Realm left nothing behind; all their magical artifacts and exotic beasts had been erased.

After Ye Fan finished dealing with everything, he summoned the Profound Jade Platform and directly traversed the void, knowing it was not advisable to linger there.

The Northern Region was boundless, with hundreds of thousands of miles frozen and millions of miles covered in snow. Continuously traversing the void, Ye Fan returned to Haozhou, the location of the stone village rebuilt by Old Man Zhang and the others.

The land was covered in a blanket of silver. This place was no different, with vast stretches of white snow, and the breath exhaled would quickly turn into ice crystals.

"Haha, Little Ye Zi, you're finally back! I heard about what you did in the Divine City, that was truly an astonishing gamble!" Tu Fei appeared immediately.

He had been in the stone village, having received news from Li Heishui in the Holy City, knowing that Ye Fan had left over a month ago, and had been waiting ever since.

"Haha..." Ye Fan also laughed heartily, feeling a special warmth.

"Let's go, let's go! No excuses, we won't return until we're drunk today," Tu Fei said with a smile.

"Where's Black Emperor?" Ye Fan asked. He had been able to gamble with peace of mind in the Holy City mainly because Tu Fei, impersonating him, had been robbing everywhere with Black Emperor, providing immense help.

"That dead dog has been gone for days, looting Origin everywhere. Who knows how many people it's bitten? The female disciples of various Holy Lands turn pale at the mere mention of a dog."

"This fellow..." Ye Fan didn't know what to say.

"Come on, before that dead dog gets back, let's have some black dog meat hotpot. It's freezing cold, and dog meat is the most fragrant. A few cups of old wine too, it'll be like living the life of an immortal."

Inside the house, steam rose, and the stove fire burned brightly. Soon, an enticing aroma of meat wafted out. Ye Fan, Tu Fei, and Old Man Zhang sat cross-legged around the fire, constantly clinking cups and eating until they were drenched in sweat.

Soon after, Wang Shu and Er Lengzi also arrived, drinking old wine and eating dog meat together, creating a lively atmosphere.

They continued to raise their cups, recounting the events of recent days. Ye Fan held nothing back, and the others listened with continuous exclamations of surprise.

"When will Brother Ye take us to see the Holy City?" Wang Shu and Er Lengzi asked, full of envy.

Tu Fei said, "The Divine City is like spring all year round. Compared to the bitter cold outside, it's so much better. I'd like to spend the winter there too."

Suddenly, everyone felt the atmosphere shift. A bone-chilling killing intent surged in.

"What kind of meat are you eating?" The big black dog had returned without anyone noticing.

"Donkey meat!" Tu Fei stated righteously.

"It really is donkey meat, and some lamb slices too," Er Lengzi explained softly from the side.

The big black dog's face darkened. It bared its fangs and snarled, its eyes gleaming with murderous intent.

"I'll go get some firewood, the fire's dying down," Old Man Zhang was the first to try to slip away.

"I'll go slice some lamb," Wang Shu also wanted to run.

"It really is donkey meat, if you don't believe me, taste it," Tu Fei also felt guilty.

"Woof!"

The big black dog jumped onto the heated brick bed. The room erupted into chaos, filled with barks and curses.

It took a full half hour for everything to be tidied up again. This time, real donkey meat was served, and four yellow sheep were specially roasted for the big black dog, finally appeasing it.

"To cover for you, this Emperor braved wind and rain, enduring hardships. Was it easy for me? You have wronged me!"

Tu Fei heard this and immediately curled his lip, saying, "You dead dog, how dare you say that? In name, you were covering for Little Ye, but in reality, you were robbing Origin for yourself! You're practically a bandit, and you went around shouting about taking human pets. Every time, I had to clean up your mess!"

"Woof!"

The man and dog almost started fighting again.

"How many human pets did you actually take?" Ye Fan asked the big black dog.

"I caught seven or eight from a few Holy Lands. Those people were too fragile; they all broke down. Their mental fortitude is really too poor," the big black dog said, shaking its head disdainfully.

"I..." Ye Fan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. This dead dog was too much. Even someone with thick nerves would break down if a big black dog captured them to be a human pet.

"This dead dog caused a whole heap of embarrassing incidents..." Tu Fei added, elaborating on the details from the side.

"Woof!"

Finally, Ye Fan took out a fist-sized piece of divine Origin and threw it to the big black dog. Its eyes immediately widened, and it almost drooled.

There were three fist-sized pieces of divine Origin that sealed the golden sprite. One was given to Little Tingting, and the second to the big black dog.

Then, Ye Fan gave the last piece to Tu Fei. Divine Origin was rare in the world, possessing various mystical uses, and all Holy Lands coveted it immensely.

"Woof!"

The big black dog was extremely greedy. After putting away its own piece, it started trying to snatch Tu Fei's.

"Dead dog, you dare to bite me..."

The man-dog battle erupted again, almost overturning the table on the heated brick bed and lifting the roof. Ye Fan barely managed to separate them, though he himself got bitten a couple of times.

"I've acquired a spirit beast," Ye Fan said, releasing Jiang Yichen's mount.

"This Emperor wants it!" The big black dog pounced again, drooling profusely.

"Can you even ride it?" Ye Fan had intended to give it to Tu Fei, but the dog suddenly became very animated.

"Treasure-seeking beasts aren't for riding; they're for finding treasures."

"This is the mount of an important Jiang family disciple. It can't be seen openly," Ye Fan warned.

"Then I'll keep it for now. Since there are no human pets, I'll take a beast pet first."

Ye Fan had figured it out: never show good things in front of the greedy big black dog, or it would surely try to snatch them.

Afterwards, Tu Fei mentioned something: a mysterious young strongman had recently risen, hunting down disciples from various Holy Lands, which had drawn significant attention from all the Holy Sons.

"This Emperor knows who it is. I saw him two days ago," the big black dog declared.

"You saw him? Who is it?" Ye Fan asked in surprise.

"It's a scoundrel just like you. He didn't show his true face, ambushing people from behind. Fortunately, this Emperor's nose works well; I still remember his scent."

"Dead dog, tell me quickly!"

"Bring another piece of divine Origin, and this Emperor will tell you."

"You dead dog, you're too greedy!" Ye Fan reached out, grabbing at it.

"Fifth Heaven of the Dao Palace Realm!" Tu Fei, despite being mentally prepared, was still shocked to witness it firsthand. "It feels like a wild dragon has awakened," he said, "his vitality is so potent it makes one's heart pound."

"Alright, I'll tell you. It's that transformed one—Pang Bo."

"What? Pang Bo? He's out?!" Ye Fan was filled with both surprise and joy.

Having arrived in this world, the two had been together for less than a year before separating. Now, they would finally reunite.

"Where is he?" Ye Fan asked.

At that moment, the big black dog was staring at Ye Fan's golden hand, drooling. It said, "Once the Sacred Body enters the Four Extremities Secret Realm, its blood will be considered a spiritual medicine. In the future..."

"Dead dog, you dare to even scheme against me!" Ye Fan slapped it and said, "Quickly, tell me, where is Pang Bo?"

"I saw him the day before yesterday. He was chasing down a candidate Holy Son from the Light Shaking Holy Land," the big black dog said.

Tu Fei exclaimed, "Such a formidable person, we should definitely get to know him well!"

Ye Fan's heart stirred. Pang Bo had finally achieved success in his cultivation and emerged. He believed they would meet soon, and he knew Pang Bo was acting on his behalf.

"Fifth Elder, this time I'll cut some stone artifacts to save people," Ye Fan said to Old Man Zhang. He hoped to find something valuable in the divine treasures left by the Source Heavenly Master.

He was very respectful towards the elder. His ability to reach his current level was entirely due to the elder's family's Source Heavenly Book; otherwise, his cultivation would have made little progress.

He didn't give Old Man Zhang divine Origin because the elder had no use for it, but he did give him many exotic types of Origin, enough to ensure prosperity for everyone in the stone village for many generations.

"Cut them then, I also want to see what's inside," Old Man Zhang nodded.

"Cutting more? Don't cut out another poisonous fruit," the big black dog interjected.

"You dead dog, how dare you bring up what happened last time? Do you know what that was? You bit off over a hundred thousand catties of Origin with one bite—that was a Human Origin Fruit!"

"Woof!" The big black dog instantly jumped up, its expression filled with shock, utterly speechless.

"You prodigal!" Tu Fei immediately scolded it upon learning this.

The big black dog stammered in disbelief, "Are you saying that the fruit that almost poisoned me to death, made me foam at the mouth for half a month, was a Human Origin Fruit that can extend the lifespan of even Holy Lord-level figures?"

"It was that very fruit," Ye Fan said.

Upon hearing the affirmative reply, the big black dog didn't say another word. It turned and bolted, sprinting towards the piles of stones in the snow.

"Chase it! Damn it, this dead dog is too much! It's trying to snatch them again!"

Veins pulsed on Ye Fan's forehead. He quickly chased after it, followed by Tu Fei and the others.

"Woof! People should be honest. With so many divine treasures, you should at least share half with me," the big black dog declared.

"This whole pile is yours," Ye Fan said, pointing at a small mountain-like pile of stones.

"This Emperor only wants this pile of stone artifacts, nothing else," the big black dog said, its stubby tail wagging, its eyes burning with fervor as it stared at the stone rollers and grinding stones.

"Go stay somewhere cool."

"Be a generous person!"

"You dead dog, you're never generous," Ye Fan said, pushing it aside.

The pile of stone artifacts looked ordinary, with no special features. It was hard to imagine that these were left by a Source Heavenly Master.

"I hope I can cut out something unusual," Ye Fan murmured to himself.

He wasn't in a hurry to act. He had recently mastered the Source Heavenly Divine Sense, and he felt that now he should be able to discern something.

"This is a divine treasure from a Source Heavenly Master; it must be far more precious than the sky-high price strange stones in the Holy Lands' stone shops!" He was filled with anticipation.