Chapter 693: Phoenix Blood Bath

"How can the Eight Sceneries Palace truly exist?" Ye Fan was utterly astonished, momentarily stunned.

"Is the master of Xuandu Cave Laozi?" He couldn't help but ask, eager for an answer.

The young boy didn't respond. His expression was unfriendly. Though he had red lips and white teeth, looking only seven or eight years old, he carried himself with an air of authority. "Why have you damaged my immortal land?" he asked.

Ye Fan knew Laozi was a powerful cultivator, but he never imagined a place like the Eight Sceneries Palace actually existed. It was truly astounding.

Laozi lived 2,500 years ago and, like Ye Fan, came from the other end of the starry sky. In Ye Fan's previous understanding, Laozi was an ancient sage of great wisdom.

In the past, he had never considered Laozi to be a cultivator.

Later, when he arrived on the other side of the starry sky and entered the Big Dipper Star Domain, experiencing various events, his previous understanding was overturned, yet he still didn't dwell on it much.

Now, to hear that Xuandu Cave existed on this ancient star, his heart truly trembled.

Laozi's Eight Sceneries Palace and Sakyamuni's Great Thunderclap Temple, which were almost equivalent in significance, challenged his understanding and left him no choice but to be astonished.

"Why did you trespass on my mountain gate and destroy my spiritual land?" the boy pressed, questioning Ye Fan relentlessly.

Ye Fan performed a Taoist salute, apologizing. "I had no intention of offending you; I accidentally fell here," he said.

He was very polite to the boy, hoping to enter and meet Laozi, the ancient Chinese sage who had left behind endless mysteries, appeared in the Big Dipper Star Domain, and left footprints in this world as well.

Now, having suddenly fallen before the venerable Laozi's dwelling, Ye Fan's excitement was immense; he wished he could meet him immediately.

The boy looked as if he had seen a ghost, showing an expression of disbelief. "Who do you want to see?" he asked.

"I wish to pay my respects to Lao Jun," Ye Fan said earnestly.

"Where are you from? Did you fall from the sky, or have you not been out in the world for hundreds or thousands of years?" the boy asked, his face full of peculiar expression.

Ye Fan knew there must be some misunderstanding, otherwise the other party wouldn't be acting this way.

The boy was scornful. "Looking at you, it's clear you've seen nothing of the world to ask such a question. Did you just crawl out of some cave?"

"What do you mean?" Ye Fan asked calmly.

"There's no 'Laozi' to find. The current master of the Eight Sceneries Palace is my master—Yin Tiande!"

"What are you saying?" Ye Fan was stunned. Many incredible things had happened today: first, he had personally arrived in the mythical Ziwei Ancient Star Domain; then he heard of Laozi's Xuandu Cave; and now he learned that it had a different master.

"You rustic bumpkin! You damaged my immortal gate, and now you're here asking all sorts of questions, utterly without manners!" The boy's words were harsh.

Ye Fan had drifted alone in the dim universe for seven years, passing through ancient domains like the Taiyin Mist and Clouds. His clothes were already tattered, and he had never changed them. He didn't expect to be scorned and called a "rustic bumpkin" because of this.

"Where did Laozi go? Who is Yin Tiande, and how did he become the master here?" He had too many questions in his heart.

"How dare you! You, of unknown origin, question me in turn, after damaging my mountain gate and disturbing my spiritual land! What crime do you deserve?" The boy's face fell.

Ye Fan felt a surge of revulsion. He hadn't expected such a small boy to put on airs with him, and he instantly became indifferent.

"You're just a savage, yet you damaged my immortal gate and dare to put on a face here?" The boy sneered, a hint of arrogance in his voice. "Don't you even look at where this is? It's not a place for someone like you!"

Although he looked small, he was utterly lacking in innocence; instead, he was very domineering and aggressive. Suddenly, he extended a hand and clawed forward.

What was originally a warm, fair, small hand suddenly gleamed with blue light, growing fine scales and transforming into a massive, boundless claw dozens of feet long, descending with sharp, chilling talons.

"I thought it was a child; turns out it's an old demon. No wonder he's so arrogant," Ye Fan sneered. He stood his ground without moving a step, simply raising his hand to meet the attack.

Now, having reached the Second Heaven of Xiantai, he didn't flinch even before peak Saint Lords. How could he be bullied by a mere boy? He struck immediately.

*Bang!*

Ye Fan's palm and fingers, forged like divine metal, instantly shattered the dozens-of-feet-long hand covered in blue scales. This was the result of him holding back; otherwise, it would have been utterly pulverized.

"You..." the boy screamed in agony, stumbling backward. The blue hand shrank back to its normal size, grotesquely twisted, bones audibly cracking, and sacred power still surging chaotically.

"Although this is Xuandu Cave's Eight Sceneries Palace, even a small boy like you shouldn't be so arrogant. I doubt Laozi himself would permit his disciples to act this way if he were here," Ye Fan said indifferently.

"You... how dare you! How dare you cause trouble in my Eight Sceneries Palace? Even if you had nine lives today, it wouldn't be enough!" the boy shouted, pointing at Ye Fan, then yelled toward the mountain gate as he rapidly retreated.

Ye Fan ignored him. After all, this was the Eight Sceneries Palace. Although the boy was extremely rude, Ye Fan didn't want to kill him.

"Who's making that racket?" A stern, clear voice, not very old but possessing an undeniable authority, came from deep within the immortal land.

This spiritual land featured many beautiful peaks, with spiritual birds soaring, crimson cliffs, strange rocks, and waterfalls like flowing silk. On the cliffs and beneath sheer precipices, spirit ganoderma grew, surrounded by swirling auspicious mists.

The place wasn't particularly vast, and there seemed to be few cultivators here, yet it was extraordinary, truly a land of divine beauty.

"A rustic bumpkin, emboldened by audacity, came here to cause trouble, destroy my mountain gate, and continuously probe the Eight Sceneries Palace's true nature!" the boy cried, his broken right hand twitching, his forehead slick with cold sweat.

In the distance, a young man approached. He had a steady demeanor, wore five-colored dragon robes, and a purple-gold crown. With his hands clasped behind his back, he strode through the air, exuding natural majesty without needing to express anger.

This was a young man, appearing to be in his twenties. He had long eyebrows that reached his temples, dark, lustrous hair, and cold eyes. Though not handsome, he possessed an imposing aura, walking with the majestic stride of a dragon or tiger, like a Heavenly King descended to the mortal realm.

"My elder brother has only been in seclusion for a year, and already someone is so impatient as to covet the Eight Sceneries Palace?!" he said indifferently, walking towards the mountain gate.

Ye Fan stood outside the mountain gate, on a green stone. His powerful divine sense swept across the area, discerning that there were only two or three people in this immortal land.

"Is this Xuandu Cave's Eight Sceneries Palace? It's completely different from what I imagined. There aren't many cultivators, just these two or three people."

Ye Fan observed the young man, noting his dragon robes and noble bearing, like a Heavenly King descended. He felt something extraordinary. A closer look revealed even greater astonishment, for the man was incredibly powerful!

From the crown of his head, a faint wisp of vital energy pierced the sky, almost imperceptible without the Divine Source Eye. His entire being pulsed with a surging, dragon-like essence, like a divine furnace containing terrifying, awe-inspiring power.

Ye Fan was quite surprised. Having just arrived in the Ziwei Star Domain, he had already encountered such a powerfully young individual, who could definitely rival a Saint Lord!

"Who are you, daring to cause trouble in my Eight Sceneries Palace?" the young man asked coldly.

"I meant no offense. I fell here from the sky and damaged the mountain gate..." Ye Fan explained.

"Say no more. You destroyed my mountain gate and injured my boy; that is a grave offense. I sentence you to serve as a slave here, guarding my mountain gate for three years. After that, you may leave. Do you accept this?" The young man, hands clasped behind his back, spoke slowly but forcefully, his voice resonating like a golden bell.

He left no room for further discussion, acting like a superior with immense authority, directly decreeing Ye Fan's punishment to serve as a slave here.

"Who do you think you are, to make me a slave and guard your mountain gate?" Ye Fan's face darkened, but he was also astonished internally. This young man was truly immensely powerful, his vital energy like a pillar, like tens of thousands of true dragons swimming within him!

"You squander your chance. Do you want me to personally suppress and kill you?!" The young man's eyes were cold. Standing on the cliff face, he looked down at Ye Fan from above.

"I just want to know if the master of the Eight Sceneries Palace is Laozi," Ye Fan asked.

"Hmph, this place belongs to my master," the boy said, his gaze cold and full of hatred.

"Who are you?" Ye Fan asked.

"My elder brother, Yin Tiande, is the master of the Eight Sceneries Palace. I also cultivate in Xuandu Cave, and my name is Yin Tianzhi. I tell you this so you don't die foolishly without knowing," the young man said indifferently.

"You rustic bumpkin! Hurry and greet my master's own brother, you ignorant fool!" the boy yelled.

*Slap!*

Ye Fan struck. His golden palm and fingers, like a great golden millstone, flashed with dazzling divine golden light, sweeping out in an instant.

The boy screamed in agony, teeth flying from his mouth, blood gushing. He couldn't evade at all, was sent hurtling dozens of feet away, and slammed into a cliff face, leaving a deep, human-shaped crater.

"Are you seeking death, daring to strike in my Eight Sceneries Palace?!" Yin Tianzhi's face instantly darkened. He was incredibly forceful, looking down at Ye Fan as he steadily advanced, pressuring him.

The boy, with half his facial bones shattered, struggled to free himself from the cliff wall, snarling, "Who in this world doesn't know my master will be unrivaled in heaven and earth in the future? Yet you dare to come here seeking death!"

Ye Fan could now be compared to a Human Emperor. Once the Sacred Body reached this realm, it was truly terrifying, capable of traversing anywhere in the world without any fear or restraint.

*Slap!*

He delivered another backhand slap. His golden hand extended dozens of feet, sending the boy flying again. The other side of his face was also pulverized. Unable to speak anymore, the boy's eyes were filled with terror.

Severely wounded, the boy transformed into a green wild flood dragon, coiling on a cliff face, no longer daring to utter a single word.

"When beating a dog, one should at least consider its master. Your audacity before my Eight Sceneries Palace will not end well today. If you wish to live, serve as a slave here for all your life," Yin Tianzhi said grimly.

"Oh, really? I'd like to see how you'll keep me here." Ye Fan was calm. He took a step into the sky, facing him.

"Eh?" Yin Tianzhi suddenly paused, then revealed a surprised expression. "The aura of the Mother Qi of All Things! You possess the Essence of Heaven and Earth!"

Ye Fan's heart tightened. This person's spiritual perception was too strong; he could even sense the cauldron stored within Ye Fan's glabella.

"Good! My elder brother wishes to refine a Linglong Pagoda of Heaven and Earth's Profound Yellow, and he's been searching for the Mother Qi of All Things. I didn't expect you to deliver it!"

Yin Tianzhi spoke as if it were a foregone conclusion, convinced that Ye Fan was merely delivering treasure to their doorstep. He extended a large hand, grasping forward, instantly covering the sky and earth.

Ye Fan was startled. He wondered how powerful this person's physical body was. It seemed to have been tempered by supreme sacred objects, as it merely trembled slightly and caused the heavens to collapse.

However, he felt no fear. As a Sacred Body, he was naturally fearless in close-quarters combat. He met the attack head-on.

*Bang!*

Their massive hands collided, emitting a dull thud. Yin Tianzhi's physical body was like an eternally indestructible divine metal, incredibly resilient.

"So powerful?!" Ye Fan's heart pounded. This was one of the most formidable physical bodies he had encountered since his cultivation began.

"I have bathed my body in the blood of an undying divine phoenix. Aside from my elder brother, this is the first time I've encountered someone whose physical body can contend with mine. You weren't shattered?!" Yin Tianzhi was also extremely surprised, then sneered, "Phoenix blood, boil!"

He roared, and crimson light surged around him, enveloped by a layer of undying divine phoenix blood. His physical body became incredibly tough, seemingly indestructible for all eternity.

Ye Fan let out a cold laugh. Without further reservation, his golden blood boiled, and his vital energy soared, a golden rainbow erupting from the crown of his head, piercing through the firmament.

*Pffft!*

Their peerless physical bodies collided. A spray of blood erupted as one of Yin Tianzhi's arms was ripped off by Ye Fan. He let out a tragic scream, "You..."

He rapidly retreated, stabilizing himself, stopping the blood from his right arm as it regenerated. "Today, I will slay you!" he roared.