Chapter 61: Perfect Woman

Qilin are legendary creatures, on par with dragons, and have only ever existed in stories and writings; virtually no one has seen them throughout history. Similar to legendary dragons, only their impure descendants live in the world, often mistaken for true dragons, like the Flood Dragon. The same applies to Qilin; their true forms have never appeared in the world. Only bloodlines passed down from ancient times remain today, resembling Qilin but not being true ones, and are called Qilin Beasts.

Although the divine blood of these impure ancient beasts has long been diluted, they remain incredibly powerful, comparable to great demons. The arriving party used nine Qilin Beasts to pull their carriage, a display so grand it was awe-inspiring.

Dozens of divine rainbows streaked ahead, clearing the way. Nine ancient beasts resembling Qilin then galloped forth, stopping in front of the Demon Emperor's Tomb. The jade carriage shimmered with myriad auspicious colors, enveloped in divine light, looking quite extraordinary.

An elder from the Yaoguang Holy Land whispered, "A prominent figure from the ancient Ji Family uses nine Flood Dragons to pull his carriage when he travels. In comparison, anyone using nine Qilin Beasts must possess an extraordinary, transcendent status." A powerful expert on the Ji Family's ancient war chariot heard this and smiled wryly, "The one using nine Flood Dragons is an uncle of our family head. The display before us is so grand that even if this person isn't the head of an ancient aristocratic family, they're certainly close."

The cultivators from both the Yaoguang Holy Land and the Ji Family were awestruck. They dared not rush forward to greet the mysterious figure, completely overwhelmed by their presence, unsure of their identity. Over a dozen women from the Jade Lake Holy Land also discussed quietly but couldn't guess which powerful figure had arrived.

After the nine Qilin Beasts halted, there was no movement within the jade carriage. The prominent figure inside did not emerge, seemingly waiting quietly for something. On the other side, a massive divine boat, forged from sacred jade, hovered in the air, not daring to approach, seemingly wary of the jade carriage. Clearly, this was just the prelude; more factions were arriving. It was obvious that by dawn, thousands of people would have gathered. Once the news spread fully, this place would surely erupt, and the Demon Emperor's Tomb would draw the attention of all cultivators in the Eastern Wasteland.

"The emergence of a Demon Emperor's tomb is profoundly significant. If the distant Holy Lands receive this news, they will surely lay down 'Dao patterns,' gather 'Heavenly Power,' and open 'ancient pathways' in their territories to swiftly cross space and arrive in Yan Land."

The Demon Emperor's Tomb glowed brightly, and more people gathered around it, whispering among themselves. Even those who knew they couldn't claim any treasures still rushed here, wanting to witness this monumental event that would shake the Eastern Wasteland.

Ye Fan departed without looking back. There was nothing for him to linger over here. A long time had passed, and Pang Bo still hadn't returned; Ye Fan could no longer wait. "Pang Bo, please don't let anything happen to you..."

Ye Fan moved swiftly, crossing mountains and valleys, and soon left the ancient land. He ran continuously, but by the time dawn fully broke, he had found nothing. Divine rainbows occasionally streaked across the sky above this primeval ancient land. All the cultivators were flying in one direction, clearly heading for the Demon Emperor's Tomb.

"Where did he go? Did I take the wrong direction...?" Ye Fan pursued without any discovery. However, he didn't give up and continued forward until noon, when he sensed a strange fluctuation. "It's... the Demon Emperor's Heart beating! I've found the right direction!" Ye Fan quickly pursued, but half an hour later, he found himself back where he started, as if he had never left.

Ahead, five towering mountains stood side by side, rising steeply like five fingers reaching into the sky. "What's going on...?" Ye Fan was puzzled but didn't dwell on it, thinking he had simply lost his way earlier. He paused, carefully re-oriented himself, and resumed his pursuit, confident he wouldn't come back to the same spot this time. But half an hour later, he was dumbfounded to find himself back at the starting point again.

"Why is this happening?" Back at the starting point again, Ye Fan knew something was unusual. This area was only a few hundred li from the Demon Emperor's Tomb, still within the ancient land, and seemed to hold some strange mystery. At first, he hadn't paid attention to the surrounding scenery, but now, looking carefully, Ye Fan was truly surprised. The five mountains standing side by side indeed resembled a god's enormous palm, with the five peaks looking exactly like fingers.

"Could it be that 'Dao patterns' have been carved into the mountains and ley lines here, forming some mysterious 'force' that disrupts one's perception...?" Ye Fan mused to himself, forming this conjecture. He closed his eyes and proceeded purely by instinct, using his own heart to sense the strong, powerful beat of the Demon Emperor's Heart. After an unknown amount of time, he suddenly felt a surge of spiritual energy wash over him.

Ye Fan opened his eyes to find that he had, at some point, entered a world of fragrant flowers and singing birds, like a legendary sacred pure land. The scenery was picturesque and breathtakingly beautiful. At this moment, he could clearly feel the Demon Emperor's Heart beating, causing his own heart to throb with pain. It was deep within this pure land, specifically behind those beautiful peaks.

Immortal mist swirled, and pavilions and palaces shimmered faintly amidst the depths of the fairy mountains. Ye Fan quickly moved forward. Suddenly, he spotted a beautiful figure standing on a cliff ahead. Mists surged around her. The woman, dressed in white, was as pure as snow, her garments fluttering in the wind as if she were an immortal fairy about to ascend.

She was an exceedingly beautiful woman, like a secluded orchid in a vacant valley, incredibly ethereal. She possessed a serene beauty that blended perfectly with the exquisite natural scenery around her, as if she were an inherent part of the world's spiritual essence. Ye Fan had never believed in perfection, yet the woman on the cliff gave him a sense of flawlessness. Not only was her beauty capable of toppling kingdoms, but her temperament was also so transcendent and otherworldly, untouched by worldly cares, that it made one feel ashamed of one's own inferiority. It was as if all the beautiful things in the world would pale in comparison to her.

This woman of unparalleled grace appeared to be no more than eighteen or nineteen years old. Her black hair danced gently, her long eyelashes trembled, and her eyes seemed veiled with mist. Her red lips and jade-like teeth shimmered with a crystal luster. Her neck was slender and delicate, her skin like ice and bones like jade, her features exquisite, her face peerlessly beautiful, and her figure subtly curvaceous, making her appear utterly flawless and pure, truly perfect.

Ye Fan, a resolute and confident person, was not greatly affected. After a brief moment of awe, he quickly regained his composure and strode forward. Just then, the woman on the cliff looked towards him and smiled faintly. The smile instantly bloomed like an immortal flower, so dazzling that even the sun in the sky lost its brilliance. While astonished by her beauty, Ye Fan felt a strange sensation arise within him. This woman was too unreal, like a dream or an illusion, flawless and pure to the point of being almost demonic.

"Stop here, or you will lose your life." A voice like celestial music drifted over, incredibly melodious, yet it sent a chill down Ye Fan's spine. He felt that this perfect woman was not joking.

Sounds of rushing air emerged, and several great demons who had disappeared earlier burst forth from the depths of the fairy mountains, appearing beside the woman. The golden-haired girl with wings, the old Flood Dragon, the robust man with scaled arms, and the giant with bull horns—all appeared pale, seemingly having expended their vitality. They approached the perfect woman with deference, standing respectfully before her, then turned their gaze to Ye Fan, their eyes filled with killing intent.

"Let him... leave!" Just then, Pang Bo's voice came from the misty fairy mountains behind the cliff. He sounded extremely pained, gritting his teeth as he uttered those four words. "Kill him and be done with it!" At this moment, the old Flood Dragon pressed forward.

Boom! Suddenly, a monstrous surge of demonic energy, like a vast ocean, swept forth. In an instant, a figure appeared in the sky. Pang Bo's black hair whipped wildly around him, and his entire being was like an abyss or a sea, radiating immense pressure, as profound and weighty as ten thousand mountains, making it hard to breathe. At this moment, Pang Bo's face and forehead were covered in demonic script, and his exposed chest and arms were likewise densely marked with dragon patterns and phoenix talismans. Ancient characters covered his entire body, surrounded by a swirling green aura, and his eyes shot out green light tens of meters long.

"I said let him leave!" His expression was utterly cold as he stared at the old Flood Dragon.

The old Flood Dragon and the other great demons simultaneously looked at the nearly perfect maiden on the cliff, seemingly awaiting her command. The perfect woman smiled faintly and said, "Do not harm him; send him away from here."

"Pang Bo..." Ye Fan cried out, looking at the figure in the sky, whose demonic aura soared to the heavens and whose presence was like mountains. He called out the name again and again. But at this moment, Pang Bo was both familiar and strange; his expression was cold. He looked at Ye Fan, said nothing, and then vanished from the sky in a flash, disappearing in the blink of an eye as his ocean-like demonic power receded like a tide.

Immediately after, Ye Fan felt his body lighten. The beautiful golden-haired girl with a pair of golden wings gracefully flew over, bound him with a beam of light, and instantly soared into the sky with him. Ye Fan continuously shouted, "Pang Bo..." Soon, the rush of air filled his mouth, stifling his shouts. The golden-haired girl flew at extreme speed with him; only muffled sounds of unwillingness could be heard in the sky as they instantly vanished into the distance.

Before long, the golden-haired girl landed with Ye Fan, set him down, looked at him deeply, and said, "Take care of yourself; depart soon." With that, she transformed into a golden streak of light and soared into the sky.

Ye Fan roared to the sky, "Bring Pang Bo back!" But no one answered him, and the golden light vanished in the blink of an eye. The location was only a few li from the Demon Emperor's Tomb. From there, one could clearly see the area glowing brightly, an ancient palace floating in the sky, and many cultivators gathered around it. Ye Fan had been sent back to the primeval ruins.