Chapter 497: Cause Trouble

CRACK! Scarlet lightning, like a crimson glow stretching down for thousands of feet, struck Li Heishui, tearing his skin and flesh, and making his hair stand on end.

BOOM! Azure lightning, like a true dragon soaring across the sky, suddenly struck down, sending the black dog flying hundreds of feet away, its body scorched.

“Dammit, black boy, stop following me, will you? You're drawing all the lightning my way!” the large black dog yelled in frustration.

“You wretched dog, didn't you say I should be your shield? If I don't follow you, where should I go? Should I plunge into the sea of lightning?” Li Heishui retorted angrily.

The endless sea of lightning pursued them relentlessly, nipping at their heels. It was clear how terrifying the heavenly tribulation Ye Fan had drawn was; this entire mountain range was engulfed.

At first, it was just purple lightning. Now, crimson blood lightning and azure divine lightning were also descending, with various colors constantly flashing.

“Besides the Five Elements Lightning Tribulation, there's also Seven-Colored Divine Lightning. This kid isn't going to be blasted into smithereens, is he?” the large black dog muttered as it ran frantically.

“Whether Little Ye turns to smithereens or not, I don't know. All I know is that I'm about to turn to ash,” Li Heishui yelled, smoke rising from his body, as he ran, baring his teeth.

“Black boy, stop following me! Let's split up and run!” the large black dog glared.

“Dammit, aside from straight ahead where there's no lightning, everywhere else is filled with thunder! How can we split up? How about you flee backward and I escape forward?” Li Heishui retorted angrily.

“Doggy, run! The lightning's coming again!” Little Nannan was very nervous, sitting on the large black dog's shoulder. Her brow glowed with a seven-colored radiance, and the recent lightning hadn't harmed the little one.

“It's coming again!” Li Heishui yelled, desperately charging forward.

Right behind them, endless crimson lightning, like a surging flood, filled the sky and surged forward, crushing mountains, ancient trees, and everything else in its path. This was truly a sea of lightning.

“Owwwww...” the large black dog howled in misery, having been struck again. The shiny black fur that had just grown back in the past two months was now considerably singed again.

Behind him, Li Heishui was screaming incessantly. Every inch of his flesh was blackened, truly a piece of charcoal, with only his teeth remaining remarkably white.

“Dammit, why is this Emperor so unlucky? I've been hit by seventeen bolts of lightning in total, it hurts so much I could die...” the large black dog wailed, its two long legs swiftly striding forward.

Li Heishui yelled from behind, “You wretched dog, I've been hit by fourteen more bolts of lightning than you! What are you complaining about?!”

“Owwwww...” Another wave of the lightning sea descended. The large black dog howled as it was struck, its entire body covered in electrical arcs.

“I'm dying! If it weren't for the secret treasure my grandfather gave me, I'd already be ash! Little Ye's miserable tribulation is truly going to kill someone!” Li Heishui shrieked.

“Woof! Black boy, you're not allowed to follow me! You go left, I'll go right! Dammit, you're the one attracting all this lightning!” the large black dog barked.

“You wretched dog, what does that have to do with me? Your luck is terrible; all this lightning is because of you!” Li Heishui retorted indignantly.

No matter how they ran, the lightning pursued and struck them, as if they were also undergoing a tribulation. The sight was unbearable.

“Dammit, this Emperor knows what's going on now! We must have entered the Sacred Cliff and picked up something unclean; Heaven is purifying us!” the large black dog exclaimed, as if a thought had struck it.

“If this purification continues, we'll all be dead first!” Li Heishui was exasperated, then yelled, “You wretched dog, you're defying the heavens, running so fast! Carry me too! I'll give you a ten-thousand-year spiritual medicine later!”

If it weren't for the pervasive sea of lightning, surrounding and blocking them, the large black dog would have long since left Li Heishui in the dust. Its two long legs indeed demonstrated the first dao diagram of the 'Movement' secret art to its fullest.

“Unless you produce an immortal divine medicine, there's no way this Emperor is going back to carry you!” the large black dog snarled.

“You wretched dog, you really have no conscience! You ate so much of my roasted meat for nothing, and even those flowery shorts you're wearing were given to you by me!” Li Heishui cried out.

“Dammit, it's just a pair of flowery shorts, isn't it? I'll give you a stack of them later!” The large black dog dashed away, its large flowery shorts exceptionally vibrant.

“Doggy, save Brother Li,” Little Nannan gently patted the large black dog's ear and whispered.

“It's fine, that black boy has thick skin and flesh. Being struck by more lightning will be good for his future cultivation.” The large black dog had a thousand reasons not to look back.

“You wretched dog, you're truly heartless! Then don't blame me!” Li Heishui was furious. With a flick of his wrist, he flung out an iron sword, which turned into a streak of green light and shot forward.

BOOM! Ten thousand feet of crimson lightning was instantly ignited and struck down, pursuing the iron sword.

“Woof!” The large black dog leaped and jumped frantically, its fur standing on end, electrical arcs dancing around it. Exasperated, it cried out, “Black boy, you goddamn scoundrel!”

“You wretched dog, you were unfair first!” Li Heishui, also being struck by lightning, fled with his head in his hands.

“Woof!” the large black dog yelped miserably, “Dammit, I'm burnt! I'm cooked!”

Little Nannan was somewhat speechless, seeing the two of them bickering while fleeing, unsure how to mediate. The little one wasn't very scared now, as the seven-colored light at her brow blocked the electrical arcs, leaving her unharmed.

Given how miserably the large black dog and Li Heishui were being struck by lightning, one could imagine Ye Fan in the center of the lightning sea. He had suffered who-knows-how-many layers of heavenly tribulation.

All the surrounding mountains had turned to ash, not a single one remaining intact. Everything ceased to exist, and a vast, bottomless abyss had appeared on the ground.

Five Elements lightning and Seven-Colored Divine Lightning, bolt after bolt, completely devastated the place. Even Ye Fan's powerful physical body was torn and bleeding.

“This is even more terrifying than the heavenly tribulation I endured in the Northern Region Divine City!” Ye Fan was astonished. This wasn't breaking a curse; it was merely a breakthrough to a new realm, yet he suffered such a lightning tribulation.

“Could it be related to the Sacred Cliff? Did I pick up some aura there? Well, let this lightning be my baptism then.” He vaguely considered this possibility.

BOOM! The Ninety-Five Heavenly Tribulation struck down again and again. Ye Fan's body was like steel being forged in a furnace, golden blood splattering everywhere. He gritted his teeth and persevered.

After two months of secluded cultivation, he had gained a great deal. He had cultivated the 'Movement' secret art to a very high level, making him ghost-like, coming and going without a trace, traversing perilous caves as if walking on flat ground.

Most importantly, he had broken through to the peak of the third realm of the Four Extremities Secret Domain and was on the verge of entering the final realm of this domain. His combat power had significantly increased!

After a full hour, Ye Fan finally passed the heavenly tribulation. The primitive mountain range was left scarred and desolate, with ash everywhere, and many distant mountains were shattered.

“Woof!”

From a distance, a dog's bark could be heard, along with Li Heishui's curses.

“Little Ye, you've finally finished your tribulation. We've all suffered because of it; I was hit by a full fifty-seven bolts of lightning.” When Li Heishui opened his mouth, sparks of electricity shot out from his throat.

“I'm cooked, thoroughly cooked! Kid, you owe me a divine medicine!” The large black dog's body emanated a roasted meat aroma, a broken sword hung from its bald tail, its eyes spitting fire, and electrical arcs crackling around it. It had been bickering with Li Heishui for a long time.

“Look at you two, so pathetic!” Ye Fan chided.

They did not leave, but continued their secluded cultivation, hoping to advance further. Ye Fan, in particular, felt a sense of urgency, as the Ancient Assassin Dynasty made him uneasy.

Over the next few months, sounds of wind and thunder occasionally echoed through this mountain range, and sometimes dog barks could also be heard.

While they cultivated diligently in seclusion here, only Little Nannan was carefree, chasing colorful butterflies and picking wild flowers in the mountains.

For a full half year, Ye Fan had largely mastered the various secret arts passed down from the Heavenly Court. Although it was impossible to reach the peak of transformation, he had reached the extreme limit of what Four Extremities cultivators could achieve.

“One needs enlightenment after the Four Extremities. Indeed, the greatest gains come from life-and-death battles!” Ye Fan sighed with emotion.

He had broken through one realm after two months of secluded cultivation, but for the next four months, he was unable to advance into the final layer of the Four Extremities Secret Domain.

The reason he was able to successfully break through in those two months was greatly related to his previous insights into the Dao!

During his great battle with Hua Yunfei in the Southern Domain, when confronting 'A single thought brings forth blooming flowers, ascending to rule the world,' he gained profound insights into the Great Dao, yielding immense rewards. In the Central Domain, during his battle with the Golden-winged Little Peng King, to break the first four forms of the Heavenly Demon Slaughtering Saint Art, he gained enlightenment on the verge of death, thereby resolving the predicament.

Breaking through within two months could be said to be the result of earlier accumulation, a gradual build-up that came to fruition quickly and without stagnation.

“Constant enlightenment is needed!” Ye Fan's cultivation speed was already fast enough, making both the large black dog and Li Heishui feel he was a monstrous talent, yet he was far from satisfied.

Half a month later, Ye Fan suddenly opened his eyes. He sensed an unusual aura, and leaving behind an afterimage in the ancient cave, he appeared amidst the mountains where flowers bloomed in competition.

WHOOSH! With one hand, he reached into the void and pulled out a dark figure. It was a dark, indifferent young man, but at this moment, a look of shock appeared on his face.

“The assassins from the Human World have found this place!” Li Heishui was alarmed.

“Woof! This is bad news! They must have used Heaven's Divination to deduce our location!” The large black dog ran out, its expression solemn.

Ye Fan said nothing. He placed his hand on the young man's crown, about to extract his spiritual consciousness and memories.

Pfft! However, as soon as his hand neared the young man's head, the young man's head shattered, and terrifying energy, carrying flesh and blood, surged towards Ye Fan.

Even the void was torn with black holes by this flesh and blood. It was clear what power it contained; it could definitely drag an opponent to utter annihilation, body and spirit.

BANG! However, Ye Fan's golden hand shook once, and all the flesh, blood, and energy turned into ash, completely obliterated.

“The Sacred Body at the peak of the Four Extremities' third realm is truly terrifying!” Li Heishui was astonished.

“This is bad!” Ye Fan was alarmed. He keenly sensed something, unleashed the 'Movement' secret art, turned into a wisp of smoke, and vanished in a blink.

Almost instantly, he arrived at the valley behind the mountain, just in time to see a woman walking towards Little Nannan, a cold smile on her face.

“Big sister, who are you? Don't come closer, I'm scared...” Little Nannan timidly spoke, continuously backing away.

“Big sister will send you to the ancient halls of hell...” The black-clad woman emanated a chilling aura of death from her very bones, carrying a deathly presence.

BOOM! Ye Fan swept across the sky, his speed reaching an extreme. Upon discovering him, the black-clad woman's eyes turned cold, a blood-dripping divine sword appeared in her hand, and she slashed towards Little Nannan's head.

CLANG! However, what she hadn't expected was that Ye Fan's speed surpassed her imagination. He arrived later but acted first, blocking in front of Little Nannan, and his golden hand struck the sword's edge.

Pfft! Ye Fan's palm was unharmed, but the blood-dripping divine sword instantly turned into powder, sifting down to the ground.

Refined gold, tempered a thousand times and imbued with the power of laws, still couldn't withstand a single strike from Ye Fan's physical body, instantly turning to dust.

The black-clad woman's expression changed. She turned and left, intending to escape, but Ye Fan's strength had greatly advanced. He pressed down with a large hand, pinning her in mid-air, then snatched her back.

“How monstrous! Even a peak Four Extremities assassin from a divine dynasty can be suppressed with a mere lift of his hand.” Even the large black dog exclaimed in awe.

Ye Fan wanted to try extracting memories from her spiritual consciousness, but this woman also shattered, completely beyond her control. Deep within her brow was a forbidden power laid down by a peerless master.

“How did people from the Human World and Hell find this place?” Li Heishui was alarmed.

“They are proficient in Heaven's Divination. If they employ some ancient, undying masters for divination, they can pinpoint an enemy's location. We've been in secluded cultivation for over half a year, not showing ourselves, so they must have invited peerless masters to perform divination. These two were here to verify,” the large black dog delivered this very bad news.

“We're leaving here!”

Ye Fan had the large black dog engrave Dao patterns. Then they quickly traversed the void, subsequently opening spatial gates repeatedly, changing their direction several times, and appeared a million miles away.

“This isn't a solution. If things get really bad, Little Ye, you should leave the Eastern Wasteland. Will they really pursue you all the way to the Central State or Western Desert?” Li Heishui said.

“They can't force me away like this!” Ye Fan now had a certain level of confidence.

Having mastered the 'Movement' secret art, he was fully capable of self-preservation. He could now go anywhere, above or below ground, and was not in a hurry to escape. Instead, he wanted to bring some trouble to the Ancient Assassin Dynasties.

“If you don't leave, you truly might face a great disaster that could cost you your life!” Li Heishui warned. “Two ancient assassin dynasties have simultaneously issued death warrants for you, and now they've even enlisted peerless masters to divine your location. This is a huge calamity, very difficult to avoid.”

“It's indeed very bad. It must be the living fossils from the ancient halls divining your whereabouts. If you don't leave, all their elite disciples will be dispatched, using you as prey to hone themselves,” the Black Emperor also cautioned.

Li Heishui said, “For the two great dynasties to issue death warrants, it's clear that many people have sought them out, and are simultaneously demanding your death!”

“To be able to find the ancient divine dynasties, they must be the most ancient inheritances. A single death warrant requires commissions from over ten people.” Ye Fan smiled as he said this. “How many ancient inheritances can there be in the Eastern Wasteland?”

“It's good that you know. There are definitely people from the Holy Lands involved, and also some supreme great sects,” Li Heishui nodded.

“Since that's the case, don't blame me for being impolite!” Ye Fan's smile grew brighter as he said, “Black Emperor, you should know how to contact the Ancient Assassin Dynasties, right?”

“Kid, what do you want to do? Do you want to go to your death? No, wait, seeing your wicked smile, you definitely aren't planning anything good. Don't drag me into this!” the large black dog bared its teeth.

“It has nothing to do with you at all. I plan to send a batch of Source to the two great dynasties!” Ye Fan chuckled.

“What... what exactly do you want to do?” Both the large black dog and Li Heishui were suspicious.

“Now, I'll give you an opportunity to mess with people. Tell me which Holy Sons you find disagreeable, list them all for me, and I'll commission the two great dynasties to eliminate them all!” Ye Fan sneered.

“Are you crazy?!” Both Li Heishui and the large black dog were greatly astonished.

“To be able to enlist the Ancient Assassin Dynasties, it must be those ancient inheritances. I'll drag them all into this!”

“You want the Ancient Assassin Dynasties to go to war with the Holy Lands? You want to throw the world into chaos?” The large black dog's eyelids twitched.

Li Heishui also gasped, saying, “This is a ruthless move!”

If the ancient divine dynasties dare to accept the assassination commissions, there's no doubt those Holy Sons will face great disaster, and boundless chaos will ensue.

If they don't accept, Ye Fan will find a way to publicize it, shattering the undefeated myth of the two great ancient assassin dynasties.

“How about this: At the very beginning, I'll have them each kill one Holy Son. I'm sure they'll accept it, and then we'll proceed gradually. If that doesn't work, I'll take the supreme scepter of the Heavenly Court and 'help' them!” A cold smile appeared at the corner of Ye Fan's mouth.

“This is too ruthless, Little Ye, you're going to cause a great upheaval in the Eastern Wasteland...” Li Heishui said, but then burst into laughter.

“This is truly a wicked idea...” The large black dog also chuckled mischievously.