Chapter 912: Confrontation between Hua Yunfei and Li Xiaoman

**Shrouding the Heavens - Chapter 914: Confrontation with Hua Yunfei and Li Xiaoman**

Ji Ziyue's long eyelashes trembled, and her large eyes blinked, brimming with divine beauty. A faint smile revealed small dimples, making her seem like an elf—clever, nimble, and possessing a transcendent aura. Her eyes were like water, her black hair like clouds, and her purple robes danced lightly, as if she was about to ride the wind away. She was as ethereal and radiant as an exiled immortal, her delicate brows embodying poetic charm, untouched by worldly cares.

Li Xiaoman looked at the exquisitely beautiful Ji Ziyue, then at Ye Fan. Her expression faltered, and a glimmer of light flickered in her eyes, as if recalling distant memories. Her expression was somewhat unusual; her fingers clenched tightly within her snowy sleeves. However, she quickly regained her composure. Staring at Ji Ziyue, golden vortices appeared across her pristine white body, each containing the seated phantom of a deity.

The two stood in confrontation, generating a powerful field. Space rapidly distorted, light struggled to penetrate, and the void between them appeared somewhat blurred. The few Dao-Slayers who had not yet left retreated.

"Ziyue, you don't need to act. I can subdue both of them by myself," Ye Fan said. He stepped forward, shielding her behind him, and looked directly at Li Xiaoman. His vibrant golden blood energy made everyone present feel a surge of trepidation.

Many years had passed since they last met. Time had left no marks on Li Xiaoman's face; she looked as she always had. Yet, she was no longer the same person; many things had changed. Li Xiaoman looked back, her eyes clear and her skin snow-white. She exuded an aura of coldness, like a snow lotus on an icy mountain, a chill emanating from her.

Neither of them spoke, and the atmosphere was tense. Ye Fan slowly raised his hand, adopting the Mountain Embracing Seal as his starting stance, ready to unleash a powerful suppressive strike.

"Don't you want to ask why?" Finally, Li Xiaoman spoke, calm and natural, gazing steadily into Ye Fan's eyes.

"Is there still a need?" Ye Fan's voice was firm. "Ever since you attacked Pang Bo and the others, refusing to spare even Little Nannan and trying to kill her, today's outcome was sealed. You could have a thousand reasons, but they wouldn't wash the blood from your hands." He advanced step by step, fearless even in the face of the half-saint before him.

"Li Xiaoman, how could you be so cruel? We came from the same place, why are you so heartless?" Pang Bo asked angrily, his voice loud.

Li Xiaoman smiled, the light in her eyes inscrutable. She uttered an enigmatic remark: "I have seen it—the fated confrontation has concluded."

"A fated outcome?" Ye Fan laughed loudly, but a bone-chilling killing intent permeated the air. "I despise the word 'fate'. I only believe in this life. By being unrivalled in this era, shattering all obstacles, one can control everything. What fate? What destiny? All of it is illusory!"

"You haven't changed, always so arrogant," Li Xiaoman said with a bright smile, though a hint of wistfulness lingered in her eyes.

"At this point, I only have one question: Are you still the real Li Xiaoman?" Two sharp rays of light shot from Ye Fan's eyes, becoming materialized beams that were dazzling and overwhelming.

"What do you think?" Li Xiaoman smiled, all traces of abnormality vanishing as she regained her calm and composure.

"Li Xiaoman, what... what exactly happened? Tell us directly, we can pull you back," Pang Bo said earnestly.

"There's no need to say more; she has already changed," Ye Fan said, his voice tinged with sadness and a growing chill. His eyes became increasingly cold.

Recalling everything from the past, one couldn't help but sigh. They were once lovers, but now they faced a life-or-death battle. Even without that past relationship, having both come from the same other shore, such a confrontation was a tragedy.

"With a single sentence, you erase all the past. You intend to slay me as a mortal enemy; it truly chills my heart," Li Xiaoman said.

"What difference does it make? Haven't you come here to settle things with me, a life-and-death confrontation? Must we still pretend?" Ye Fan's Mountain Embracing Seal took form.

"This is a fated confrontation; it will inevitably conclude. Today, there must be a result," Li Xiaoman's words also turned cold.

"Then let's fight!" Ye Fan roared, unleashing the Mountain Embracing Seal with a thunderous sound. It enveloped both Li Xiaoman and Hua Yunfei beneath it. A black peak, filled with palaces, seemed to create its own world, pressing down on every inch of space.

"Boom!"

With a soft cry, Li Xiaoman's three hundred and sixty-five golden vortices spun simultaneously around her body, emitting sounds of sacrifice, as if a god was about to awaken and rule the earth. Wisps of golden light shot forth, cutting towards the black mountain, appearing grim and terrifying, filled with murderous intent, instantly deciding life and death, showing no quarter.

Hua Yunfei was certainly no pushover. Among his contemporaries, almost no one could rival him. For years, he had explored ancient tombs and sought out mausoleums, not only unearthing various Kingly Bodies but also entering a grand tomb where he obtained the primordial essence of a saint's remains. The Heaven-Devouring Demonic Art was astounding through the ages. In the past, the Ruthless Great Emperor, despite being a mortal, became unrivalled in the world with this art. No matter how exceptionally gifted or heroic, opponents were all defeated and perished. It could be said that although the Ruthless Great Emperor was not inherently suited for cultivation, she possessed astonishing talent throughout history. With a mortal body, she created the most terrifying heavenly art of all time—this was what truly commanded reverence. Moreover, for a prodigy like Hua Yunfei, who had cultivated since childhood, even without this art, he could still effortlessly slay kings!

A black precious vase materialized above his head, shimmering with dark light. Strands of black divine chains descended from it, and the void trembled with a resonant hum.

"Boom!"

The Great Dao Precious Vase emitted billions of rays of light, similar to the Heaven-Devouring Demonic Pot. It streaked across the sky like a black demonic star, colliding with Ye Fan. The black torrent threatened to tear apart the ancestral temple. Had it not been for the protective array patterns left by ancient sages, nothing would have remained. The black peak, the wisps of golden light, and the Great Dao Precious Vase collided, erupting in brilliant light and spreading ripples that alarmed everyone within the ancestral temple.

Qi Luo also stepped forward, confronting the half-saint, their battle on the verge of erupting. The Black Emperor bared its fangs, ready to strike. Ji Ziyue stopped it, deciding to fight personally, engaging Li Xiaoman. Her graceful body exuded wisps of immortal light, resisting the three hundred and sixty-five golden vortices.

"Ziyue, there's no need for you to act. I can handle this alone, even if both of them attack," Ye Fan said. His killing intent transformed into a ball of divine flame, flickering at his glabella.

"This might be your last battle before you leave, and I want to fight by your side. I won't take a single step back; let me handle her," Ji Ziyue said stubbornly and earnestly, a hint of mist in her eyes.

Ye Fan ceased his attempts to dissuade her, sighing softly in his heart. His gaze became incredibly intense as he fixed his eyes on Hua Yunfei, launching a full-force attack. His fist power shook the world, exuding an air of peerless dominance.

"Just as I wished! I intended to have a fair fight with you this time, and now I can unleash my full power!" Hua Yunfei gave a soft cry.

"Om!"

Ye Fan roared loudly, uttering a Buddhist mantra that shook heaven and earth. This time, his full-powered roar was countless times more potent than his previous one. This was because he was somewhat worried about Ji Ziyue. This roar not only enveloped Hua Yunfei but also converged into a beam of light that surged towards Li Xiaoman, interwoven with countless patterns. Ye Fan had evolved this mantra to its ultimate profound state. Within its radiance, endless ancient sounds resonated, like thousands of venerated kings chanting in meditation, or three thousand ancient demons roaring in fury.

Amidst the immeasurable light, figures appeared one after another. They resembled ancient Buddhas or primordial demons, some with solemn countenances, others radiating monstrous power. Three thousand figures simultaneously raised their hands, collectively suppressing the two individuals before them. When the three thousand figures became clear, people saw that they were all Ye Fan! This extraordinary sight stunned everyone. While Buddhas traditionally enlightened others, now Ye Fan had conversely enlightened them, transforming everything for his own use with the Nine Secrets of Daoism.

The "Om" sound reverberated through heaven and earth. Three thousand figures of Ye Fan, like gods and demons, collectively suppressed Hua Yunfei and Li Xiaoman. The various roars caused the entire small world to tremble, on the verge of collapse.

Li Xiaoman was sent flying. Ji Ziyue rose into the air like a celestial maiden, pursuing her. "Ye Zi, don't worry about me. Let me show you my strength," she said. Ji Ziyue was almost never seen in combat, but her strength was astonishing. Her earlier words about subduing her brother were clearly no joke; they even made Pang Bo, standing nearby, break out in a cold sweat!

On the other side, Ye Fan's world-shaking roar caused Hua Yunfei, who was bravely pressing forward, to bleed from his nose and mouth, with blood even trickling from the corners of his eyes and behind his ears. Yet, his eyes shone even brighter. With a "boom," his vital essence, energy, and spirit rapidly surged, stabilizing his injuries. He seemed like an ancient immortal reincarnated, untouched by worldly affairs, yet supremely powerful. His right hand wielded the Flying Immortal Art, and his left the Myriad Transformations Sacred Art. His offense and defense were almost dreamlike—these were ultimate techniques of ancient Great Emperors, created to counter the Nine Secrets, terrifying beyond measure.

The two engaged in fierce combat. Ye Fan took a step forward, and intricate domain source heavenly patterns emerged beneath his feet, weaving into a grand dao net that transformed into his immortal wings, slashing horizontally. Hua Yunfei turned to leave, shouting, "I'll wait for you ahead. For a true confrontation, let's choose a place devoid of dragon qi to decide life and death. We'll see whether the Ruthless Great Emperor's legacy astounds the ages and reigns supreme, or if you are the superior one!"

"Where are you going?!" On the other side, Ji Ziyue had surprisingly gained the upper hand. Ethereal like a Mystic Maiden descended from the Nine Heavens, she pursued Li Xiaoman, making Pang Bo wipe cold sweat from his brow.

"Boom!"

In the distance, extreme divine might enveloped the mortal world; this small world was on the verge of destruction. An ancient diagram stretched across the sky, flapping and roaring, like a vast river of time flowing through eternity. It was the Nine Li Diagram!

As intense battles raged on all sides, an Imperial Armament appeared. Its patterns were mysterious, obscured by chaos. Supreme imperial might permeated the air, intimidating everyone. An unknown number of powerhouses involuntarily knelt, succumbing to the aura of an ancient Great Emperor.

"Human Race, if you dare to use extreme imperial armaments, don't blame us for not being polite and utterly destroying this place!" The voices of several great Primordial Royal Clans were chilling. The aura of Primordial Emperors rapidly spread, clearly indicating they held ancient Emperor Weapons. This would have catastrophic consequences. If extreme ancient weapons were to collide, most people here would likely perish. It wouldn't be as simple as one or two weapons; once unleashed, no one could predict the outcome. Not only this small world, but even large parts of the Central Province would likely be submerged and destroyed. It would be an unbearable burden for all living beings in the world.

"By your own abilities! Relying on extreme imperial armaments and royal weapons, whoever obtains it first, it belongs to them," a mysterious old Daoist shouted. A blast of primordial elemental sound made everyone's ears ring. He was a half-saint! He was actually a half-saint, just like Qi Luo, unfathomably profound. Everyone was astonished, looking at him sideways. His primordial elemental sound was very effective. The various sects were not afraid of him, but genuinely feared destroying the place. If that happened, they would gain nothing and would be left hovering between life and death.

The extreme imperial might slowly subsided, and the various battles intensified once more. Blood flowed and bones shattered in every ancient temple.

"Hua Yunfei, didn't you want to decide life and death with me? Right here, right now!" Ye Fan's roaring voice made all eighty-one ancient temples tremble violently, buzzing loudly.

"Whoosh!"

Hua Yunfei, graceful and ethereal, with his blue robes fluttering, flew to the top of an ancient palace like an ancient immortal. Li Xiaoman did the same on the other side. Ye Fan and Ji Ziyue flew up together, landing opposite them. The two sides confronted each other, a powerful aura surging between them. This battle was destined to be remembered in the cultivation world. The legacy of the Ruthless Great Emperor would once again clash with the Human Saint Body. Whether it was a fated confrontation or a tragic elegy, all would be revealed in the struggle between life and death.