Chapter 366: Gazing Past the Jade Pool

It had been a long time, but Ji Ziyue was just as she had always been. Her dimples, sparkling canines, and large eyes that curved like crescent moons were just as they had been, giving her a lively and mischievous air when she smiled.

"Where are you looking?" Li Heishui smirked.

Ye Fan's face flushed. He had unconsciously activated his Origin Heaven Divine Sense just now, but his x-ray vision was ineffective. A thin, mist-like veil enveloped Ji Ziyue's celestial body, making it hazy and impenetrable.

He couldn't discern what it was. Perhaps, as the Peacock King had said, Ji Ziyue possessed a special physique. Or it might be a secret treasure she had often mentioned she carried.

"How did the Divine Silkworm end up in Ji Family's Little Moon's hands?" Li Heishui exclaimed in surprise.

Ye Fan was also stunned. Ji Ziyue was holding the golden little creature, playfully teasing it with a grin. How could this sly little thing have been caught?

Only when they approached did they understand what had happened. The golden creature had accidentally eaten a stone gall skin, and its mouth had turned purple from bitterness. Its large eyes were hazy, and it swayed continuously like a drunkard.

"Little sister, did we lose this Divine Silkworm?" Li Heishui, thick-skinned as ever, leaned forward, attempting to deceive her.

"I told similar lies when I was six," Ji Ziyue responded crisply, continuing to playfully tease the Divine Silkworm with a grin.

The golden little creature kept performing 'drunken boxing', wanting to escape but unable to. When it saw Ye Fan and Li Heishui approach, its large eyes filled with an expression of fear.

"Don't be afraid, little darling, these two scoundrels wouldn't dare bully you," Ji Ziyue said, gently stroking its nose and cradling it in her arms.

Li Heishui was speechless. Sensing that Little Moon from the Ji Family was too sharp-tongued for him to gain any advantage, he sheepishly rubbed his nose and continued walking forward.

Ye Fan also lightly brushed past the brother and sister, not lingering. If the Divine Body sensed his presence, it would lead to a great disaster.

Ji Family's Stone Workshop was bustling with a continuous stream of people, many times livelier than on his previous visit.

"What's going on?" Li Heishui asked, puzzled.

Someone nearby casually chimed in, "Rumor has it that Ji Family's Stone Workshop might contain a Stone King, so many people come here daily to try their luck."

"Is that true?" Ye Fan was surprised; he hadn't expected the news to spread.

"The Origin Art prodigy from last time..." The person stopped mid-sentence as he noticed the two beside him, then exclaimed in surprise, "Aren't you...?" He was extremely excited to unexpectedly meet the very people he was talking about.

Through their conversation, Ye Fan learned that during his last stone gambling showdown with Tuoba Chang, their frantic stone cutting had led many shrewd elders to deduce that a Stone King was present in this location.

On that very day, the Ji Family sealed off the stone garden and had their Origin Masters cut the stones one by one, hoping to find an unparalleled rare treasure.

"You wouldn't believe it," the person continued, "the Ji Family suffered heavy losses. They cut open over half of the stone materials in the garden but found nothing."

An Origin Art master asserted that even if all the priceless wonder stones in the garden were cut open, they might not find the Stone King. Perhaps it had already become a Holy Spirit, merely cultivating there.

Only then did the Ji Family stop cutting stones and reopen the stone garden, attracting a large number of stone gamblers.

Ye Fan stroked his chin, quite speechless that his actions had caused such a commotion.

As he walked deeper into Ji Family's Stone Workshop, many recognized him, immediately causing a sensation as everyone surrounded him.

"Young Master Jifeng, you're back at Ji Family's Stone Garden!" someone asked. "Are you perhaps here to pursue the Stone King?"

"Young Brother Gu, you're not planning another world-shaking showdown here, are you?"

Not far away, the staff of Ji Family's Stone Workshop all turned pale when they learned Ye Fan had arrived. Last time, Ye Fan had practically swept through like a whirlwind, plundering two large chunks of Divine Source and even cutting out a heaven-defying Divine Silkworm.

Now that he was back, they truly wished they could close their doors, unleash their dogs, and immediately beat him out, never allowing him to enter again.

"They don't seem to welcome us?" Li Heishui muttered to himself, oblivious.

The people nearby were all speechless.

"Of course they don't welcome you."

"I estimate the Ji Family probably has the urge to silence you," someone remarked. "You two young masters should take it easy. After all, you took away a large quantity of rare treasures from them."

Some people advised them not to go too far. This was, after all, a Holy Land's stone workshop, and if they targeted this family too much, they might genuinely infuriate the Ji Family.

Ye Fan rubbed his nose. Unconsciously, he had already acquired the demeanor of an Origin Celestial Master; wherever he went, the Holy Lands all turned pale.

"Everyone, I'm not here to gamble on stones, so there's no need to be so nervous," Ye Fan explained with a smile. "I'm just here for a casual stroll."

Not far away, the people from Ji Family's Stone Workshop wore cheerful expressions, though they didn't believe a word he said. Why would he casually stroll here for no reason?

Not long after walking forward, Ye Fan saw a large, fat man with his rear end sticking out, rummaging through a pile of stones.

"Blind my divine eyes, this fat bastard is actually wearing bright red underpants!" Ye Fan exclaimed in disgust.

As he walked in, he had been using his divine eyes to search for the Stone King, and sometimes he would naturally see things he shouldn't.

He could only silently apologize in his heart for the female cultivators he inadvertently saw, but seeing this fat man so flamboyant left him quite speechless.

"Wait, this fat bastard looks familiar. Damn it, it's that bastard Duan De!"

Ye Fan was dumbfounded. He never expected this fat bastard to show up here; indeed, wherever there was profit, a scoundrel Taoist priest was sure to follow.

Although Duan De had changed his appearance, under Ye Fan's x-ray vision, he had nowhere to hide, his lewd essence fully revealed.

Ye Fan really wanted to go over and kick his fat rear, but he suppressed the impulse, not wanting to alert him. He casually walked away as if nothing had happened.

"Fat bastard, you'd better pray," Ye Fan thought to himself. "If you dare to stay in the Divine City, I'll scheme to ruin you."

Ye Fan circled the Ji Family's stone garden, found no Stone King, and eventually left. This made the Ji Family people breathe a sigh of relief, seeing him off as if he were a plague god.

Afterward, Ye Fan and Li Heishui arrived at the Great Evolution Holy Land's stone workshop. As soon as they entered, they were recognized, and everyone from that Holy Land turned pale.

"Why do I feel like we've become the most unwelcome people?" Li Heishui grumbled.

Ye Fan chuckled, "You're wrong. They'd be very happy for us to be their honored guests; they just don't want us to appear in their stone workshops."

After that, they successively entered several Holy Land stone workshops, and the result was the same every time. Wherever they went, the Holy Land stone workshops reacted as if facing a plague god, wishing they would leave immediately.

Finally, Ye Fan and Li Heishui entered the Jade Lake Stone Workshop, their last stop for the day. Ten thousand years ago, the Origin Celestial Master had left endless legends here, and even after all these years, some rumors still persisted.

The Jade Lake Stone Workshop was veiled in mist. Beside the 'Heaven' character stone garden lay a celestial lake also named Jade Lake, sharing the same name as the Holy Land.

Suddenly, a female disciple from Jade Lake approached, saying that the Jade Lake Saintess had invited Gu Feng.

Ye Fan's heart skipped a beat, and his expression subtly changed. If anyone could guess his true identity, it would certainly be the Jade Lake Saintess.

By the celestial lake, there was an ancient, tranquil forest. No one entered or exited this place, where a hazy figure stood, enveloped in a faint mist.

They had met several times before, but Ye Fan had always failed to see the Jade Lake Saintess's true face. Meeting again, he wanted to activate his Origin Heaven Divine Sense to use his divine eyes for x-ray vision.

But at this very moment, the Jade Lake Saintess suddenly spoke. Although her voice was heavenly, it deeply shook Ye Fan.

"Should I call you Gu Feng, or Ye Fan?"

"What do you mean, Immortal Maiden?" Ye Fan asked, calmly looking at her.

The Jade Lake Saintess's voice was magnetic as she said, "We entered the Primordial Restricted Zone together, and later competed for the Nine Secrets in Lizhou. Even then, I knew you must have studied the Origin Heaven Book."

Ye Fan shook his head, saying, "I think, Immortal Maiden, you've mistaken me for someone else."

The Jade Lake Saintess replied, "Now, although your appearance has greatly changed, your Origin Art has not. You cannot change that fact."

Ye Fan smiled, saying, "Immortal Maiden, what exactly are you talking about? I truly don't understand. People from ancient Origin Art families are all skilled in Origin Art; are they all the people you are looking for?"

The Jade Lake Saintess smiled, saying, "Perhaps you've heard, the former Origin Celestial Master was an esteemed guest of my Jade Lake, revered as an external protector of the Dao. My Jade Lake can recognize his Origin Art."

Ye Fan smiled, remaining unmoved, and shook his head without speaking.

The Jade Lake Saintess, hazy like an immortal, stepped lightly through the ancient forest, speaking casually as she pointed out the distinctiveness of Ye Fan's Origin Art, directly hitting the mark.

"Although my Jade Lake does not possess the Origin Heaven Book," she continued, "we can still recognize its unique Origin Art."

Ye Fan knew that she had truly recognized him. In the Primordial Restricted Zone, she had already deduced from his Origin Art that he had obtained the Origin Celestial Master's legacy, and now she had confirmed his identity through his Origin Art.

"What do you want?" he asked, activating his Origin Heaven Divine Sense and looking forward, purple light sparkling in his eyes.

At that moment, he instantly saw through the mist and beheld a peerless, breathtakingly beautiful immortal face.

As rumored, even an old Taoist priest who had renounced the world would be moved to abandon his cultivation and return to secular life if he saw the Jade Lake Immortal Maiden's peerless true face.

"You... you obtained a stone gall and cultivated the Eye of Heaven? Don't look at me!" The Jade Lake Immortal Maiden was very surprised, then both shy and angry, no longer able to maintain her usual composure.

"I haven't cultivated the Eye of Heaven," Ye Fan denied, but the purple light in his eyes intensified as he stared unblinkingly ahead.

His expression betrayed him; anyone who suddenly saw such a beautiful physique would find it hard to remain calm.

Her celestial body, snow-white and delicate, seemed like a Celestial Maiden of the Nine Heavens bathing in the mortal world. Her alluring curves, as smooth and translucent as congealed fat and beautiful jade, were utterly mesmerizing.

The name of Jade Lake was renowned throughout the world. People from the great Holy Lands and Desolate Ancient Families all considered it an honor to marry a woman from Jade Lake. Unfortunately, few could achieve this, and marrying their Saintess was simply impossible.

"You..." The Jade Lake Saintess abruptly turned and floated into the forest, losing her usual composure.

Ye Fan's eyes gleamed with purple light. Looking at her retreating figure, he murmured, "Indeed, a peerless beauty. Her skin like congealed fat, a beauty of national allure and heavenly fragrance."

Although it was only her back, her graceful curves and snow-white translucence were still enough to make one's blood surge. However, Ye Fan merely revealed a faint smile at the corner of his mouth.

In this situation, he certainly wouldn't dare harbor any disrespectful thoughts. He merely wanted to disturb her composure to gain the upper hand in their subsequent conversation.

He knew that she didn't intend to attack; otherwise, she definitely wouldn't have met him here.

The Jade Lake Saintess heard his murmur. Her body instantly stiffened, and she quickly vanished into the forest. It seemed to take a long time for her to calm down before she transmitted a message: "You are truly tiresome!"