Ch. 242 - Severed Cloud

Next to the restaurant was a stone-gambling house, doing very good business. The people coming and going were either cultivators or stone gamblers, spending freely and generously.

On the second floor, by a window seat, there was a man in a blue robe, about twenty-one or twenty-two years old, with fair skin and lacking masculine vigor, carrying a somewhat delicate and soft demeanor.

It was obvious he was from an Ancient Desolate Clan. Beside him, a pair of young women poured wine and served food for him attentively.

After drinking a cup of wine, he said, “The reason he was able to burn the Ji Clan’s Supreme Elder to death was not because his cultivation was shocking, but because the Ji Clan’s Supreme Giant was unprepared and was killed when touched by that terrifying flame he had collected. Without that flame, he is nothing.”

“This brother, you overstate it. No matter what, that youth burned a Supreme Giant to death, so he’s definitely not simple,” someone nearby disagreed.

The blue-robed man glanced at the speaker and said, “Half a year ago, he was only at the Other Shore stage. Without that flame, many people could kill him as easily as tearing a painting.”

Someone in the restaurant thought he was being arrogant and said, “Brother, you may be exaggerating. To kill him as easily as tearing a painting, can you do it?”

The delicate-looking blue-robed man drank another cup and said, “Killing him would be as easy as turning my palm, one slap would be enough to kill him.”

Ye Fan was sitting not far away and could not help glancing at him. The man’s expression was calm; although he did not show overt arrogance, he was quite self-assured.

Someone nearby was displeased with his attitude and said, “That youth is only fifteen or sixteen years old yet has reached the Other Shore stage. That’s already astonishing. May I ask, brother, what realm are you in?”

“Dao Palace Realm, third stage,” the blue-robed man answered, taking the white towel offered by the maid and wiping his mouth.

Many people showed surprise. At his age, such cultivation was indeed impressive, no wonder he was so confident.

“What is your name, young master?” someone asked.

“Situ Feng.” The blue-robed man lightly tossed the towel onto the table.

“Is this the Situ Feng of Fire Cloud Sect?”

“That’s right.”

“No wonder. It turns out to be Situ Feng. Among those around twenty years old in Cloud Marsh, few can compete with him.”

“Cloud Marsh Prefecture has no great sects, much less sacred grounds. At this age, having Dao Palace third stage strength is indeed enough to be proud.”

People in the restaurant talked among themselves. Clearly, they had all heard of the name Situ Feng.

Ye Fan naturally did not like this delicate man who claimed he could kill him with one slap, but he was not about to argue here. He asked, “Where will the gathering of the young generation of Cloud Marsh be held? I want to see it for myself.”

“In the Cloud Severing Mountains, not far from Sun Dawn City,” someone in the restaurant kindly replied.

“Thank you, brother. When does it start?” Ye Fan asked for details.

“In two days’ time. Many young geniuses from Cloud Marsh will come.”

Ye Fan smiled and asked, “Do you know which powerful figures from the Ji Clan and the Radiant Light Sacred Ground will attend?”

“That’s hard to say, but surely there will be outstanding people present since it’s organized by them.”

Not long after Ye Fan left the restaurant, the big black dog strolled over from a distance, muttering curses.

After listening carefully, Ye Fan laughed. The big black dog had bad luck, running into a shameless butcher who chased it down a street wanting to skin and cook it. Still, the dog had some restraint and did not harm mortals.

This mountain range was a hundred miles from Sun Dawn City. The terrain was steep, with peaks reaching into the clouds, hence the name Cloud Severing Mountains.

Mountains in the oasis naturally brimmed with life, no longer bare. Looking out, one saw a lush green expanse with trees covering the slopes.

The tallest peak reached six thousand meters, shrouded in mist and clouds, majestic and grand.

Ye Fan arrived early, wanting to study the terrain. The big black dog followed reluctantly, face long with displeasure.

The mountain range stretched hundreds of li, with no sects based here, a no man’s land.

It wasn’t that the place lacked beauty; in fact, over the last thousand years, three medium-sized sects had established themselves here, but all had perished.

Other sects deemed the place inauspicious and stayed away.

In truth, the Cloud Severing Mountains were exceptionally picturesque, with mountains and rivers complementing each other, clear springs, and streams winding like jade belts, an excellent cultivation site. Otherwise, no sects would have chosen it before.

“So it’s this place…” The big black dog’s fur stood on end.

Seeing this, Ye Fan was shocked, it was the first time he’d seen the dog so tense.

“You’ve been here before?”

The big black dog’s eyes flickered with uncertainty before calming down, its fur smoothing again.

“Let me take a closer look!” It ran swiftly, circling the mountains for dozens of miles before stopping in an open area.

“What did you find?” Ye Fan asked.

“It really is this damned place. I didn’t expect to come here again.” The dog’s expression was unsettled.

“What kind of place is this?” Seeing its demeanor, Ye Fan knew it wasn’t just any mountain.

“This emperor once suffered a big loss here,” the dog said gloomily.

“When was this?”

“A long time ago. Even if I told you, you wouldn’t know,” the dog replied coolly.

“God Kings only have four or five thousand years of life. If you’ve lived over a thousand, you should thank the heavens. What exactly happened?”

“The loss I suffered is none of your business,” the dog said, turning to continue circling the mountains.

Ye Fan, having obtained the Celestial Source Tome, had been practicing diligently. He now used the terrain observation method to survey the area, and the entire range appeared in his mind.

“There’s nothing special, no deadly terrain. Even underground source veins are few,” he concluded.

“Hmm? Not right.” Ye Fan was surprised. While it wasn’t a deathtrap or immortal soil, it felt unusual. Using his observation method, he saw faint white mist rising, not from mountain clouds, but from underground, caught by his spirit senses.

“This isn’t a deadly land or a paradise, but it feels different.”

“After all these years, it’s still the same,” the big black dog muttered.

Ye Fan walked over and said, “Tell me in detail. As a disciple of a Celestial Source Master, I’m better at reading terrain than you.”

“You people just like digging up the ground, but this isn’t about source veins,” the dog grumbled.

“What happened to you back then?”

“I was trapped here for eighteen years and almost died,” the dog said through gritted teeth.

“I can’t see any danger,” Ye Fan said after another look. Aside from the white mist, there was nothing unusual.

“If you could see the danger, that would be bad. This was once the Dao Domain of a Supreme Giant, very unusual.”

“You must have been here to steal from them.”

“That person’s been dead who knows how many years. I was here seeking opportunity!” the dog corrected angrily.

“Whose Dao Domain was it, that could make you suffer?” Ye Fan was curious.

“A ruthless person who ultimately refined even themselves,” the dog said, unwilling to elaborate further no matter how Ye Fan asked.

“So you’re saying we shouldn’t enter?”

“That’s fine. Just don’t dig around here and you won’t die,” the dog finally let slip.

Ye Fan laughed. “Look at you, what did you do back then for treasure hunting?”

The dog scowled. “You source people always dig up mountains. I’m warning you.”

Ye Fan was only here for the young generation’s gathering in Cloud Marsh, not to stay long, so he wasn’t worried.

There was a wide riverbed here, dry for who knew how many years, with pebbles nearly weathered away.

This dry riverbed wound from the mountains into the distance like a giant flood dragon.

Ye Fan followed it into the mountains, wandering for half a day without finding anything. The big black dog refused to talk.

“The treasure tempting you must be extraordinary. Don’t you want to dig it up?” Ye Fan teased.

“Of course it’s a great treasure. Buried for tens of thousands of years, I don’t mind it staying buried for a few more decades. When I’m strong enough, I’ll get it myself,” the dog said firmly.

Two days passed quickly. The Cloud Severing Mountains were no longer quiet, with divine rainbows crossing the sky and figures arriving, almost all young cultivators.

At the center of the range stood a broken mountain, extremely thick and broad, its flat cross-section as if cut by a supreme blade, forming a huge platform.

Many people stood on it without feeling crowded, so vast it seemed empty.

“This broken mountain is ten times thicker than the others. If it weren’t cut, it might reach the heavens, the tallest in the area,” Ye Fan said to himself.

“They picked quite the spot,” the dog’s copper-bell eyes gleamed.

“This is the Supreme Giant’s Dao Domain, right?” Ye Fan probed.

The dog did not answer.

Half an hour later, Ye Fan, robes fluttering, rode a cloud there, not bringing the Black Emperor to avoid giving himself away.

The mountain was filled with young cultivators chatting as more figures flew in from afar.

Five-colored divine light split the sky as a jade ship descended, radiating auspicious light and strong godpower. It landed on the broken mountain, stirring an uproar, important figures had arrived.

“The Ji Clan and Radiant Light Sacred Ground’s heroes are here.”

“The Ji Clan and Radiant Light Sacred Ground have unbroken inheritances lasting over one hundred thousand years. The young disciples they produce are this strong, it’s astounding.”

People gathered around the divine ship like stars surrounding the moon.

Ye Fan did not move closer, staying where he was, when he spotted Situ Feng, the man who had boasted he could kill him with a slap.

The delicate blue-robed man still carried himself with pride, standing apart from the crowd with a hint of aloofness.

“Brother Situ…” Ye Fan approached.

Situ Feng turned and frowned. “Who are you?”

“Ye Fan!”

Hearing this, Situ Feng quickly turned fully and fixed his gaze on him.

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