Chapter 762: Introducing the Enemy into Nanling

Deep in the mountains, apes cried and tigers roared, exotic beasts roamed freely, and various fierce birds of prey circled. Some were like azure dragons with wings, while others resembled divine phoenixes but were covered in red scales. It was a prehistoric scene.

This was the dwelling place of the barbarian tribe, hidden deep within a vast mountain range in the Southern Ridge. The creatures they faced were all extremely formidable and powerful, and it was precisely this environment that forged their entire tribe into warriors capable of combat.

"Ah, the aroma..."

Li Tian inhaled deeply. A roc was roasting over the bonfire; even stripped of its golden feathers, it was still over twenty meters long. It had been hunted from the wild.

At this moment, it had been divided into hundreds of portions. Many young children and elders gathered together, sitting around various bonfires, enjoying the roc meat.

Its golden divine feathers gleamed with light, possessing a formidable power, proving how powerful the bird had been in life, but now it was mere food on a plate.

Oil dripped down, sizzling as it hit the fire. The fragrant roasted meat was exceptionally tempting. After being seasoned with salt and other spices, it turned golden and glistening, and its aroma grew even richer.

Some barbarian elders uncorked several jars of aged wine. The scent of roc meat mixed with the aroma of wine, making people's mouths water.

Ye Fan sat with some barbarian elders, discussing the significant matter of marching into the Northern Plains. Both sides conversed happily, eating meat heartily and drinking wine by the bowlful.

Occasionally, when barbarian elders were happily drunk, they would tear meat from the grill with one hand and brandish a large club with the other, shouting about trampling to death the "blind little rats" of the Wang family and annihilating the very essence of those "turtle bastards."

"Tell me, brother, you grew up eating these wild delicacies? This is better than what immortals eat!" Li Tian tore off a large piece of golden, glistening roc meat, took a large swig of aged wine, and felt so good he almost floated away.

"This kind of roc meat isn't something we eat often," Man said. "You should consider how difficult it is to hunt. Although it's an exotic bird that doesn't follow the path of human transformation, it can rival powerful beings. We generally don't provoke them."

"This roc meat is truly exquisite," Li Tian said, wiping his mouth. "I wish I could stay in your tribe and never leave."

In the distance, the Fifth Uncle-Ancestor from the ancient village and a group of elders from the tribe were competing in a drinking contest. Hearing this, he laughed and said, "When Man was a child, he already craved roc meat. At the age of five, he climbed a cliff to steal roc eggs and was almost trapped in the nest by an adult roc. Luckily, a few of us were following him."

"What a fortunate childhood!" Li Tian said, envious, thinking it was too wild. "Raiding roc nests when you were young—that's truly not an ordinary experience."

"My brother liked to catch flood dragons," Man said. "There used to be many deep pools where we lived. He started exploring them when he was very young. By the time he was in his teens, he often dived into the pools to capture flood dragons."

"What kind of people are you?" Li Tian said, utterly convinced. "Raiding roc nests, catching wild dragons in deep pools... to me, it sounds as easy as catching sparrows or scooping up loaches. You were too abnormal as children!"

"Aow, aow, aiyo..." Not far away, a wild child of a similar age came rushing, swinging from one cliff to another using a vine, more agile than an ape.

"There's roc meat to eat! Oh, and flood dragon meat! This is great!" The children moved like flying, climbing rocks and leaping through trees, quickly arriving before them.

"Aow aiyo..." With a mighty roar, the mountains trembled. A colossal creature streaked across the sky, casting a vast shadow on the ground.

It was a terrifying entity, like an azure dragon, but it had a pair of wings. Its body was covered in scales, and each wing was large enough to cover a mountain.

"What kind of monster is that? It's terrifying!" Li Tian nearly dropped the jar of aged wine he was holding.

"What a terrifying aura!" Yan Yixi also felt a shiver of dread. "How many in this world could stand against this creature?"

Even Ye Fan's expression changed, as he stared blankly at the sky. Although this place was like prehistoric times, filled with various strange ancient birds and monstrous beasts, this particular creature was so powerful it made him uneasy.

"Don't worry," Man said, "it's a guardian beast of our barbarian tribe. It was personally raised by the previous old chieftain."

Although it is not a true azure dragon, it possesses azure dragon blood. It is now three thousand nine hundred years old. One roar can shake ten thousand mountains; its terror is boundless.

Time is merciless. That old chieftain passed away two thousand years ago, but this exotic beast is still alive, with abundant vigor and no signs of aging.

"This truly is a genuine guardian deity, a living legend," Li Tian said. "Damn it, if that grandson Yin Tiande dares to pursue us here, let this azure dragon bite him to death!"

He started looking around, wanting to see if there were any other exotic beasts. This ancient tribe was truly too mysterious, to possess such terrifying guardian deities. If these were brought to the Northern Plains, wouldn't they sweep through everything?

Man gave a simple, honest laugh and said, "Are you looking for guardian beasts? There's another one over there." He pointed to a pond ahead, where there was a large, dark, unassuming rock, several meters long.

At this moment, several barbarian strongmen were carrying a large iron basin over, filled with plenty of fragrant, roasted roc meat, its aroma captivating.

"A Black Tortoise!" Ye Fan exclaimed in surprise. It was a formidable mystic turtle, with a dragon's head and a black shell on its back. Smelling the meat, it slowly extended its head and began to gnaw.

"Such a huge turtle, that's truly rare," Li Tian said, suspicion in his voice. "Is it really a guardian deity? A demon turtle that's lived for thousands of years could also be this big, so it doesn't quite seem like it." Then he whispered, "This thing, growing so large and full of vital essence, wouldn't it be incredibly nourishing if eaten?"

Man whispered, "Don't talk nonsense. This turtle looked like this when it came to our tribe over two thousand years ago. After the old chieftain at the time discovered it, he ordered us to care for it well and never neglect it."

"Why treat it this way?" Even Ye Fan was interested.

A barbarian elder said, "The old chieftain at the time said it greatly resembled the legendary turtle, the one raised by a chieftain from a very distant past."

"No way, that's too incredible!" Yan Yixi's expression also shifted.

"It's not certain," the elder continued. "The old chieftain said it might also be a descendant of that turtle, from the same lineage. In any case, we were told not to harm it and to treat it well."

Soon after, Ye Fan and the others heard a tiger's roar. The entire forest was filled with scattering leaves as a white tiger, like a mountain, flashed and disappeared in the distance.

That was another guardian beast of the barbarian tribe, raised by a deceased senior hero. It had learned the breathing techniques of the ancient Barbarian Martial Scripture and was three thousand five hundred years old.

Profound and unfathomable—this was Ye Fan's intuitive understanding. This ancient barbarian tribe was truly mysterious and immensely powerful. No wonder they claimed that the entire Southern Ridge belonged to them in ancient times.

In the following days, Ye Fan consulted with the elders of the barbarian tribe. After all, attacking an Archaic Noble Family was a monumental undertaking, which could easily lead to mountains of corpses, and no one knew how many would die.

"Holy Body, kneel and die for me!" On this day, in Phoenix City, one of the ten ancient cities of the Southern Ridge, someone issued such a challenge, which spread throughout the entire Southern Great Domain.

"Has someone finally arrived?" Ye Fan had once declared that he would sit in the Southern Ridge, quietly awaiting all the world's enemies to come and face them together. After many days, someone finally arrived.

"We're about to attack the Northern Plains," Yan Yixi asked. "At such a critical moment, are you still going to meet them in battle?"

"I want all the world's attention to be drawn to the Southern Ridge," Ye Fan said, "to make all my enemies focus their strategies on the Southern Ridge and send out their experts to deal with me, thereby neglecting other matters."

With the impending attack on the Northern Plains, he wanted to divert all his enemies' energy to the Southern Ridge. Then he and the barbarian army would storm into the Northern Plains, striking like lightning with irresistible force.

"Hold back all the malicious enemies," Yan Yixi said, nodding. "Let them deploy their forces in the Southern Ridge and find nothing, while we break free to attack the Wang family."

"Holy Body, kneel and die for me!" This was a display of extreme arrogance and ignorance, as if they had lost their minds. In the current world, with peak kings not emerging, no one could humiliate Ye Fan in such a manner.

Who would dare to curse like this? Even Li Tian, the wicked man, became unusually sinister. He declared he would help Ye Fan tear off this person's head and use it as a chamber pot.

The Southern Ridge was in an uproar. Everyone's gaze was fixed on Phoenix City, wondering who dared to be so audacious.

As expected, it was someone from the Northern Plains' Wang family: Wang Chengtian had arrived. Though not very old, he was a formidable figure who had stood at the ninth small step of the Second Heaven of the Immortal Terrace for many years.

It was he who had people shouting the challenge, wishing to force Ye Fan to appear immediately, to capture him, strip his soul, and brutally humiliate him to death.

A clan leader had been beheaded. Such a humiliation was beyond words, bringing shame before the entire world. This was more severe than slapping all members of the Wang family across the face.

Since ancient times, apart from dark turmoil and the calamities of shattered sects, never had a Holy Lord been slapped and then brutally thrown to their death on the ground.

"Holy Body, kneel and die for me!" Finally, Wang Chengtian himself shouted these words. He wanted to humiliate Ye Fan in the largest and most prosperous Phoenix City, forcing him to appear.

He was fearless, because he had brought an ancient Holy Weapon. Any opponent, even a king, would be utterly annihilated without a corresponding divine weapon.

"So, Ye, you're not coming out?" An even more outrageous challenge rang out, Wang Chengtian's voice echoing throughout Phoenix City. "Then let me tell you, when my clan pursued your old friends, I personally acted and slaughtered them like stray dogs. Today, I'm here to slay you." He insulted Ye Fan and his old friends, and who knew how many major powers were paying attention?

"He dares to issue such a challenge; he must have something to rely on," Yan Yixi said. They had already arrived at Phoenix City. They speculated that the Northern Plains' Wang family had most likely brought an ancient Saint-killing formation this time, or else they had brought a Holy Weapon.

"Let's go meet him and give him a surprise." In Ye Fan's palm, the Divine Maiden Furnace was crystal clear, emitting an eerie glow.

Wang Chengtian himself was cold and not a talkative person. With his hands behind his back, he was fearless. In his embrace was an ancient Holy Weapon, ready to unleash an attack at any moment.

"I suddenly feel that killing you this way would be too boring," Wang Chengtian said. "Let's go to that ancient village. You want to protect them, don't you? Today, I will destroy all of them right before your eyes."

He gave Ye Fan no room for consideration. He and several others stepped onto a formation platform, teleporting away and disappearing from Phoenix City.

Ye Fan did not hesitate. He, Yan Yixi, and Li Tian followed, also teleporting away. All three were quite eager, hoping they might acquire a Holy Weapon if they were lucky.

Phoenix City was in chaos. Who knew how many people were watching? But both parties had left in this manner. These people quickly built formation platforms, all wanting to witness this unusual battle.

Wang Chengtian confronted Ye Fan and the others, sneering, "Is that the mountain village in the ancient ridge ahead? I'll erase it!"

At that moment, he launched his attack. A purple-gold hammer flew up, transforming into a scorching bolt of lightning that struck towards Ye Fan, its power overwhelming!

"Look." All around, mountains collapsed. Divine power surged like a sea. The ancient village in the distance was instantly reduced to ashes! This was the might of a Holy Weapon. Although it was incomplete, its terror was still boundless, as if the end of the world had arrived.