Chapter 958: Slaying the Demon God Clan

“Are you sure he’s the one who disappeared from the summit of Mount Tai all those years ago?” A group of people in the pine forest were utterly astonished.

Bo Yi nodded, spoke Ye Fan’s name, and then ordered the investigation files from that year to be brought forth. Comparing the two, everyone was stunned.

“It truly is one of the missing individuals from that time!”

A powerful demon was deeply shaken, considering this an earth-shattering event. The nine dragons pulling the coffin had carried away a group of people into the cosmos, leaving behind an unsolvable mystery. To think this person had returned, reversing the journey—what had he possibly endured?

“Now you must understand,” Bo Yi said grimly. “What I’ve done is absolutely worth it. He is a living divine treasury! In just over twenty years, he has become a being of great supernatural power. If we extract his soul and uncover his secrets, our accomplishments will be unimaginable, far exceeding his humble existence as a mere mortal!”

Deep within the primeval forest, Ye Fan remained calm and unhurried about escaping. He, along with Guo Zhen and Little Song, continued to search for the ancestral ginseng within the ancient killing formation.

Along the way, they discovered several ginseng pits. This Changbai ancestral ginseng pulsed with vitality and possessed profound spiritual awareness, instinctually seeking good fortune and avoiding peril. How else could it have survived since ancient times?

“This is a bit troublesome,” Ye Fan said, frowning. “It can move by manipulating the earth’s energy. As long as it doesn’t leave the soil, turning Changbai Mountain upside down would be futile.”

Guo Zhen clicked his tongue in amazement. Despite being trapped in an ancient killing formation, Ye Fan was in no hurry, still intent on capturing the ancestral ginseng. This truly impressed him.

“Let me try,” Ye Fan murmured, activating the Heaven-Restraining Divine Art. The sparse essence energy beneath the earth immediately surged, causing the entire mountain range to tremble.

Changbai Mountain’s dying dragon脉 revived, heeding his command and shifting beneath the earth. Above ground, snow-capped peaks swayed, and numerous avalanches roared down, creating a terrifying spectacle.

Ye Fan stood on the ground, his feet seemingly connected to the earth. With eyes closed, he sensed all life and vitality beneath the surface, searching for the ancestral ginseng.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes. He had sensed an astonishing orb of light, brimming with boundless essence energy. It was an immortal divine radiance, almost equivalent to a small fraction of an immortal divine medicine.

“Ancestral ginseng, truly a semi-divine medicine!” Ye Fan exclaimed, his eyes snapping open. He instructed Guo Zhen and Little Song to remain still and wait on the surface.

Then, Ye Fan vanished from the surface. His Source Art had advanced by leaps and bounds, now only a hair's breadth away from rivaling a Source Master. He moved through the earth's脉 like a true dragon returning to the sea.

Deep within the earth’s veins, that immortal divine light was incredibly swift. The moment the dragon energy began to fluctuate, it had already fled far away, having presciently sensed good or ill fortune.

“This old ginseng is indeed quite difficult to deal with,” Ye Fan mused, rubbing his chin. “To catch it would likely take several months.” Only because he was a Source Master could he possibly pursue it through the earth’s veins; ordinary individuals would have no hope whatsoever.

He continued his pursuit, using the dragon energy as a guide, tracking its movements. He aimed to ascertain the old ginseng’s range of activity, intending to capture it with a source array later.

Suddenly, within the earth’s veins, he discovered a beast bone several meters long, inscribed with bird script that resembled undecipherable scrawls. He paused to examine it closely.

Its general meaning was that the essence energy of heaven and earth would dry up, and the earth’s veins would wither. However, the ancestral ginseng, being spiritual, could activate the underground ancestral roots, giving rise to dragon energy that would keep the mountains vibrant and beautiful. It implored future sages to show mercy and not harm it.

In the distance, a flash of light heralded the appearance of an immortal divine glow. A sweet fragrance permeated the air as a half-human-tall ginseng emerged, shimmering with precious light.

Ye Fan was astonished, almost believing a small old man had appeared. This ancient ginseng had manifested itself, truly resembling a human with discernible, though indistinct, facial features.

It was a semi-divine medicine, long imbued with spiritual power, and had foreseen that the person before it could capture it—that he, like itself, could control the earth’s veins. Therefore, it manifested to plead for mercy.

Driven by its instinct to seek good fortune, it sensed that this individual’s presence was most auspicious. With a flick of its arm, more than twenty drops of five-colored radiant liquid flew forth, landing near Ye Fan.

Moreover, it bowed down, its wizened, aged appearance looking utterly pitiful. Although it had long been spiritual, it could not cultivate a Dao, just like other immortal divine medicines.

Ye Fan collected the droplets in a gleaming white jade bottle, sighed, and said, “You don’t need to do this. I have already seen the inscription on this white bone. You may depart in peace.”

The old ginseng bowed from afar, then shimmered and vanished, disappearing into the depths of the earth’s veins, seen no more.

Ye Fan meticulously examined the medicinal liquid. It flowed with five-colored brilliance and exuded a rich fragrance that permeated one’s bones. It was indeed a divine liquid. He roughly estimated that four such ancient ginsengs would be equivalent to one immortal divine medicine.

Within the earth’s veins, he pulled up several formation flags. These were restrictions set by the Heavenly Scale Clan, intended for capturing the old ginseng in the future. Many of the artifacts were crafted from pre-ancient materials, which would be difficult to repair once damaged.

Finally, he returned to the surface. Little Song immediately jumped to him, watching nervously, having been very worried about him.

“It’s fine,” he said. “The ancient formation here still cannot kill me. We’ll go settle the score with them now.”

Hearing this, Guo Zhen’s heart swelled with emotion. This Brother Ye was truly formidable; even an ancient formation capable of slaying Dao-severing kings couldn't harm him. What incredible divine power was this!

Ye Fan was not careless; this ancient killing formation was incredibly intricate, with danger at every step. A single misstep could truly lead to his demise. He systematically dismantled the formation, pulling out every flag, completely neutralizing it.

Dozens of miles away, Bo Yi remarked, “The recent avalanches and the shaking peaks indicate that the killing formation has been activated. He surely has no way out; his primordial spirit will be automatically drawn into the main flag. However, to be safe, let’s return now and come back in three days to collect his body.”

Everyone else nodded, fearing an unexpected mishap if they entered the formation too early. They returned along the path to the primeval dragon cave.

After destroying the ancient killing formation, Ye Fan was in no hurry to proceed. He occasionally looked around, observing the primeval forest, and even discovered several temples containing sacrificial texts personally inscribed by the Qing Dynasty’s Saint Ancestor.

They saw numerous steles, praising virtue and proclaiming Changbai Mountain a sacred peak, superior to the Five Great Mountains.

Soon after, they encountered several ancestral temples from the Jin Dynasty. Though nearing collapse, their grandeur and majesty still hinted at their past splendor.

“In those days, even mortals could enter this region,” Guo Zhen remarked.

Ye Fan said nothing, continuing onward. Amidst a vast mountain range, he unexpectedly discovered a dragon stele. It appeared to have been left by ancient peoples, inscribed with images of flowers, birds, and insects, rather than written characters.

“This is primitive worship,” Guo Zhen exclaimed, astonished. “The Heavenly Scale Clan has existed for an incredibly long time. For their own benefit, they have supported humans in various periods.”

Half an hour later, Ye Fan and his companions returned. Ahead of them lay vast stretches of snow-capped peaks. Beneath the central main peak, the primeval dragon cave pulsed with auspicious energy, enveloped by dragon-shaped divine light.

“You… you came out alive?!” More than a dozen men, clad in Heavenly Scale battle armor, their long hair disheveled and wreathed in demonic energy, were utterly aghast. They immediately launched an attack.

Ye Fan said nothing. He swept his conjoined fingers forward like a blade. The sounds of slicing flesh were incessant as all dozen individuals were cut in half at the waist, their blood flowing profusely and staining the ground crimson.

“What happened?” A burly figure appeared—a veritable demon, born with a human body but covered in scales. He looked over; this was a demon general.

“This is bad! That man has come back alive and is slaughtering everyone!” a demon cried out.

“Sir, please stop! Let’s talk!” the demon general shouted, attempting to stabilize the situation.

“Pfft,”

Ye Fan silently advanced, his conjoined fingers like a sword, pressing down through the air. A large spray of blood erupted as the demon general was instantly cleaved in two, from the crown of his head down to his legs, becoming two halves of a corpse without even a whimper.

“This is terrible! Something awful has happened!” The demon soldiers all panicked. Some rushed into the cave, reporting to those inside.

“What are you panicking about?!” a powerful demon bellowed.

“The person named Ye Fan broke out of the ancient formation and has returned, slaughtering everyone outside!” the terrified demon soldier reported.

“What?!” Bo Yi was stunned, his body growing cold, then immediately breaking out in a cold sweat.

The other powerful demons were also horrified. That ancient killing formation was incredibly formidable; centuries ago, it had utterly annihilated two great supernatural beings. How could a cultivator in the Dragon Transformation realm possibly have broken out of it now?

“Come, let’s go out and see for ourselves,” a group of powerful demons said, their expressions grim.

Bo Yi and his companions rushed out of the cave and looked ahead. They saw Ye Fan, completely unharmed, moving as if through an uninhabited land. Anyone who dared to obstruct him was instantly cut down, their blood splattering, melting vast patches of white snow, and staining the ground crimson.

Ten kills with every step!

Ye Fan was like a god of slaughter, his expression cold and devoid of emotion. Anyone who dared to block his path was cleaved apart with a single finger, none able to withstand even one blow.

“Stop! Let’s talk!” a powerful demon shouted.

“Boom!”

Ye Fan ignored him completely. With a diagonal slash of his left hand, he instantly cleaved off half of the demon’s head. The body was sent flying dozens of feet, and blood splattered onto Bo Yi, turning his face ashen.

“Ye Gui… please stop first. Let’s talk this over,” he stammered, his heart filled with bitterness and his body growing cold. He had never imagined such an outcome.

“Don’t you enjoy bullying the weak with your strength?” Ye Fan said calmly. “What’s there to discuss? I originally had no desire to intimidate with power; I wished to engage in fair discourse. But now… I have little to say to you.”

Since his return, no matter how weak the cultivators he encountered, he had treated them with equality, never wishing to exert dominance. However, if truly provoked, he would not hesitate to kill. He did not bully the weak, feared no strong opponent, and treated everyone the same.

“Ye Gui… please stop. We were wrong,” Bo Yi pleaded, filled with immense regret.

“You call for me to stop,” Ye Fan said, a cold sneer playing on his lips, “but the killing intent in your hearts has reached its peak. My divine sense can perceive it.”

He killed a person with every step, moving as if on a leisurely stroll. Blood splattered, and bodies continually fell at his feet.

“Pfft,”

Ye Fan extended a finger, and the head of a powerful demon in the Four Extremities realm exploded, its brains splattering as it toppled backward onto the ground.

He swung his arm, and a streak of light, like an eternal ray, shot forth. One of Bo Yi’s brothers was instantly cleaved in two, blood gushing and flowing.

“If you wish to live, do not let me detect any hostility towards me,” Ye Fan stated calmly, pacing steadily forward. The biting wind whipped his black hair, making him look like an Asura, with nothing but corpses beneath his feet.

“Pfft,”

With a flick of his finger, from dozens of feet away, the skull of a powerful demon in the Four Extremities realm was blasted off, blood and brains spurting several meters high as it met an instant, violent end.

He held his right arm level, then swept it horizontally. A beam of killing light, powerful as rushing thunder, shook all the snow-covered mountains, almost shattering them.

Bloody light surged up in succession!

The seven or eight powerful demons standing beside Bo Yi all exploded, dissolving into a bloody mist, their forms and spirits utterly annihilated.

These were individuals of his generation, the core fighting strength of the Heavenly Scale Clan, yet they were annihilated with such ease, as if squashed like ants. It made his heart bleed.

“Ah… who exactly are you?!” he shrieked, his eyes bloodshot, as he unleashed dozens of treasures, sending them forth in an attacking surge.

“Ye Fan, Lord of the Heavenly Court.”

Ye Fan’s expression remained calm. His palm, like a blade, swept horizontally, reducing all the weapons in the air to dust. Furthermore, half of Bo Yi’s head flew off, blood oozing as his lifeless body crashed to the ground.

Everyone was utterly shocked and stunned. This was nothing short of mythical. Although Bo Yi had only recently entered the Dragon Transformation realm, he could be considered a peak expert in the current era. Yet, someone had instantly cleaved off half his head!

“Lord of the Heavenly Court…” everyone murmured, filled with extreme dread.

Even Guo Zhen shivered, resolutely covering Little Song’s eyes, not daring to let him witness it. As for the members of the Heavenly Scale Clan, they were all aghast with terror. This was a myth forged from the bones of supreme experts!

“I am a very approachable person, and I treat others with sincerity,” Ye Fan stated. “If someone shows me an inch of respect, I will return a foot. The only prerequisite is that you don’t presume your superiority and provoke me.”

Ye Fan’s words were calm, without a ripple. He strode towards the primeval dragon cave, curious to see what lay within the cavern that pulsed with dragon energy. He recalled the Lingbao Sect Master mentioning it might be an ancient cave once inhabited by a primordial Saint Emperor.

At the same time, he did not relax, knowing that the Heavenly Scale Clan’s experts would not be limited to those he had just encountered.