Chapter 653: South Demon

Chapter 657: The Southern DemonCovering the Heavens, Chapter 657: The Southern Demon

The Qishi Mansion is home to many beautiful mountain peaks, with kirin lying at the foot of cliffs, accompanied by ancient medicinal herbs that fill the air with fragrance. There are also plenty of open spaces, dotted with luminous lakes where flood dragons appear, gathering divine essence and beauty.

As soon as Ye Fan entered the Qishi Mansion, he was discovered. Qi Huoshui led dozens of people to block him in a small courtyard, attracting a crowd.

"The monster from the Eastern Wasteland is here! His true form has entered the mansion!"

This news spread quickly. Many people rushed over, eager to catch a glimpse of his true appearance, as his reputation had become immensely renowned lately, and many wished to see him. Naturally, arrogant prodigies who felt unconvinced rushed to the scene. Even monster-level beings were alerted and emerged from their seclusion one after another.

"Ye, you scoundrel, you're not leaving today!" Qi Huoshui gritted her teeth. Her beauty was undeniable; she was a pearl of the Southern Ridge, an unparalleled beauty who made all flowers pale in comparison.

"Go ahead and scream. It's useless even if you scream until your throat is hoarse. Ye Fan didn't do anything to you anyway," Pang Bo said, looking very mischievous.

Qi Huoshui was so angry she nearly fainted. Her face flushed crimson, and she was so choked up she could barely speak. She finally managed to let out a breath before exclaiming, "You... you!"

Upon hearing this, everyone was dumbfounded. Qi Huoshui was an unparalleled beauty, usually very elegant in her speech and manner, but it was clear she was now beyond furious.

"Who did I provoke?" Pang Bo said, looking utterly provoking. "Ye Fan really didn't do anything to you. Did I say something wrong, or is there some hidden truth?"

"You... just disappear!" Qi Huoshui was so angry she wanted to bite someone.

"We're not that familiar, are we?" Ye Fan asked. "Don't get so excited when you see me. Are you setting up such a grand welcome for me or something?"

"Shut up! I'm here to suppress you!" Qi Huoshui became even more agitated, her face flushed crimson with anger, and her slender, jade-like body trembled. She shouted at the people beside her, "Attack him together and seal him!"

However, although dozens of people had arrived, looking fierce, when they actually got close, not a single one dared to make a move. They completely ignored her words.

Qi Huoshui was exasperated. She yelled for a long time, but no one stepped forward. Only she remained, facing Ye Fan alone, filled with shame and indignation.

"What are you afraid of?" she demanded. "He's just a Sacred Body, isn't he? So many of you can't defeat him?"

These people still didn't make a move, merely looking at each other, unmoving. "Are you kidding?" they seemed to think. "This is a killing star, someone who even dares to slay a mighty expert. Who would dare to step forward now?"

"Princess, he just killed the Northern Emperor's uncle," a woman beside her quietly reminded her. "Are you sure you want to suppress him?"

"So what?" Qi Huoshui said indifferently.

"The Northern Emperor is a figure even the various Sect Masters fear. His uncle was killed, which is enough to show how arrogant the Sacred Body is. Wouldn't it be bad to provoke him now?"

"What about the Northern Emperor?" Qi Huoshui mumbled. "My brother is still the Southern Demon. What about the Sacred Body? My distant cousin, Yao Yuekong, is still the Heavenly Demon Body."

"You're a demoness?" Pang Bo asked, surprised.

"Shut up, and disappear!" Qi Huoshui felt an overwhelming aversion towards him, veins pulsing visibly on her smooth, jade-like forehead.

"No wonder you're so outrageously beautiful and captivating like a demoness," Pang Bo cried out. "You're a demoness. The Southern Ridge has many demon lords, so you must be from the Demon Emperor Palace."

Princess Qi's face darkened with displeasure. "Big fatty," she said, "I'll remember this. Neither you nor the Sacred Body are good people. Just you wait."

In reality, Pang Bo wasn't fat at all. He was simply too burly, towering two or three heads above ordinary people. He had thick eyebrows, large eyes, and arms as thick as others' thighs.

"You're the one who's fat!" Pang Bo retorted. "I'm called magnificent, okay? You've never seen such a masculine demon, have you?"

"Go to hell!" Qi Huoshui ordered the others to act, but they wouldn't budge. So she herself summoned a demon pagoda, which glittered with silver light and flew forward.

Ye Fan made his move, catching it barehanded. With a tap, he immediately sent it flying back. Stroking his chin, he looked at Qi Huoshui from left to right and said, "She's really a demoness?"

He had once captured Qi Huoshui and never imagined her background was so significant. She was from the ancient Demon Emperor Palace and the Southern Demon's younger sister.

"Whether it's the Heavenly Demon Palace in the Eastern Wasteland or the Demon Emperor Palace in Poison Ridge, both produce astonishing great demons," Pang Bo explained. "Their descendants are born in human form, and their true bodies cannot be discerned, just like Yan Ruyu." He knew more than Ye Fan, having spent a long time among the demon race and understanding them deeply.

"Qi demoness, I don't really have any grudges with you," Ye Fan said. "Don't get so excited when you see me. I haven't even planned to go to war with your legendary brother yet."

The people in the Qishi Mansion had heard rumors that the Southern Demon was extremely mysterious and rarely seen. He had been studying the ancient texts of the Qishi Mansion's sages, in reclusive cultivation.

"Ye, don't be so arrogant..."

"Cousin, what are you doing? This is like floodwaters washing away the Dragon King's temple – these are friends," a soft chuckle came from not far away. A purple-clad man walked over, looking very heroic.

"Brother Yuekong!" Ye Fan laughed. It was indeed Yao Yuekong, the young master of the Heavenly Demon Palace, as spirited as ever.

"Long time no see, Brother Ye. Your name now shakes the world; it's truly admirable," Yao Yuekong said as he walked closer.

"Cousin, how do you know him?!" Princess Qi was very displeased, still remembering how Ye Fan had taken her as a maid and imprisoned her for a month. Even now, just thinking about it made her teeth itch with irritation.

"Let bygones be bygones. Brother Ye is not an outsider," Yao Yuekong said with a smile.

Boom!

Deep within the Qishi Mansion, an ancient mountain surged with demonic energy into the sky. Infinite divine light pierced through the heavens as an ancient Demon Emperor Palace appeared, as majestic and magnificent as the ancient Heavenly Court.

A majestic figure, reaching up to the nine heavens, materialized out of thin air. His black hair cascaded like a waterfall, and endless stars seemed to flicker and die in his incredibly profound eyes, as if a demon god had descended.

"Could that be the legendary Southern Demon?!" Many people were astonished.

Ye Fan's expression froze. Both the Demon Emperor Palace and the man-like figure were merely transformations of a wisp of divine consciousness. Emerging from the ancient mountain with such earth-shattering power, it was possible to imagine the cultivation level of that person!

"Just like a demon god!" Pang Bo was also surprised.

"Qi Qi, come back," a clear, cold voice transmitted. The divine consciousness transformed into a beam of divine light, piercing through the void, enveloping Princess Qi and whisking her away, disappearing in an instant.

"The Southern Demon is so powerful! A mere wisp of divine consciousness surpasses other top young experts!" Everyone was awestruck, as this was the first time they had witnessed the Southern Demon making a move.

"Little Ye Zi..." Li Heishui and others rushed over, none of them having expected Ye Fan to be so daring as to come to the Qishi Mansion.

"Let's go find a place to drink," Wu Zhongtian said.

Soon after, they arrived at a small tavern by the roadside. It wasn't very large, but peach blossoms were in full bloom, a sea of pink, blossoming out of season.

The Qishi Mansion, being a place of cultivation, couldn't have large restaurants, but there were indeed such small taverns, dotting the grounds, creating a unique and wonderful ambiance.

"Brother Yuekong, you are actually a Heavenly Demon Body! You truly keep your abilities hidden!" Ye Fan said, raising his cup.

"My Heavenly Demon Body is not worthy of its name right now," Yao Yuekong said, shaking his head.

Before his birth, he was ambushed in his mother's womb, resulting in an innate deficiency. It was already a miracle that he survived, but this limited his future achievements.

"Only if I pass through the nine gates of death can I truly display the unparalleled grace of the Heavenly Demon Body," Yao Yuekong said, not elaborating further, seemingly unwilling to discuss the past.

"Is Qi Huoshui's brother really that powerful?" Pang Bo asked.

"That's my distant cousin. His power is beyond doubt, definitely comparable to the Central Emperor and the Northern Emperor," Yao Yuekong said, nodding and cautioning them not to provoke him.

"Extremely powerful." From the dense peach blossom forest, a barbarian dressed in animal skins walked over. He had thick black hair and exuded a wild, untamed power.

It was Dongfang Ye. He had rushed over upon hearing the news, made himself at home, and only after downing a large bowl of wine did he speak: "I also come from the vast Southern Ridge. I once saw him in an ancient primeval forest; he crushed a demon dragon with one hand."

"How strong was that demon dragon?"

"Comparable to a mighty expert!"

"What?" Everyone gasped.

"Are you sure that demon dragon was comparable to a mighty expert?" Jiang Hairen found it hard to believe.

"Of course," Dongfang Ye nodded. "Because I roasted and ate that dragon later."

"What realm is he in now, then?" Li Heishui asked, startled.

"Three years ago, I personally witnessed him crushing a demon dragon with one hand," the barbarian said. "At that time, he had just completed his heavenly tribulation and entered the second layer of the Immortal Terrace. I imagine he has long since consolidated his power and is comparable to a top Saint Lord now."

"The Southern Demon is actually so powerful! I always thought it was just a fabrication by well-meaning people. I never imagined there truly was such a terrifying young demon lord."

"Little Ye Zi, did you come to see me?" Fiery red peach blossoms were in full bloom across vast, endless peach groves, their fragrance wafting in waves, as Ji Ziyue walked gracefully towards them. She smiled brightly, revealing two small dimples on her face, her purple robes fluttering, full of spiritual charm.

Beside her, Ji Haoyue, the Divine King Body, walked with the majestic strides of a dragon and tiger, looking very composed. His black hair was unbound, his eyes were deep, and he exuded the aura of an invincible Divine King, forming a striking contrast with the playful Ji Ziyue.

At the table, Ji Haoyue spoke little, remaining very composed, but every word carried weight. He said, "Some people soar to the sky in their youth but then stop there. Others achieve greatness later in life and have immense staying power. Looking at the ancient sages, the latter group makes up the majority. Those with infinite potential sometimes need an entire lifetime to fully unearth it."

"That's right, it has always been like this since ancient times," Yao Yuekong nodded. "Hundreds or thousands of years from now, some of the natural prodigies of our generation might be forgotten, while some, the 'fools', will leap like dragons into the sky."

"So, in a thousand years, I might very well beat Wang Teng into a pig's head, so much so that even his mother wouldn't recognize him?" Li Heishui asked.

Everyone was speechless, falling into silence.

"People like the Northern Emperor and the Southern Demon cannot lack potential," someone observed. "Their momentum will be unstoppable in the future; they won't stop, and it's hard to say what heights they will reach."

Late into the night, stars twinkled and the moonlight was soft. Even Ji Ziyue's small face was flushed from drinking, and she was loudly declaring she would suppress her brother.

Ji Haoyue was exasperated. He tried to help her sober up, wanting to pull her away.

"Not drunk, not drunk at all!" she slurred. "I can drink many cups of Thousand-Year Immortal Brew! I've only had one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight cups..." Her breath was fragrant as orchids, and she danced among the peach blossoms, swaying drunkenly like an elf under the night moon.

"Little Ye Zi," she mumbled, "tomorrow we'll go together to suppress the Southern Demon, suppress the Central Emperor, suppress... the Mansion Lord." Ji Ziyue was forcibly pulled away by her brother. She was indeed a little tipsy, muttering childishly about suppressing her "wicked" brother.

After seeing off Ji Ziyue and her brother, Ye Fan returned and asked Yao Yuekong and Dongfang Ye, "Do you know where the ancient starry road leading to the outer regions is?"

"No one knows where it is," they all replied, shaking their heads.

Deep into the night, they left the small tavern and came to an area of spiritual mountains. There were many peaks, each with a cave dwelling, and auspicious energy flowed under the pure moonlight.

In the latter half of the night, everything was silent. Ye Fan walked out alone, standing on the mountain peak, gazing across the entire Qishi Mansion. It stretched endlessly, with the light of ascending immortals rising together.

Suddenly, he felt a powerful aura and quickly turned around. He saw a man step out of the void, standing within an ancient Demon Emperor Palace, like a demon god.

"The Southern Demon!" Ye Fan's heart leaped.

The Southern Demon was unfathomable; a mere wisp of his divine consciousness could open a small world. He stood as if in the ancient Heavenly Court, looking down, his eyes containing starfields, as if an ancient Demon Emperor had been reborn.

"I have seen you. You are from the outer regions," the Southern Demon, Qi Lin, spoke calmly.

Ye Fan was greatly startled and stared at him, unable to understand why he would say such a thing.

The moonlight flowed like water as the Southern Demon, Qi Lin, stood in the void. His eyes were deep, and he said, "The Nine Dragons pulling the coffin came from the outer regions. There were over ten of you, crossing starfields, and you were one of them."

"You..."

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