Building a long-lasting family lineage starting with genealogy

Chapter 376 An Encounter

Chapter 376 An Encounter (Please Subscribe!)

Before he could catch his breath.

Ye Fan's figure was already close to him like a bone-deep carbuncle, and the true yang flames between his palms and fingers spurted out, transforming into a three-legged golden crow phantom, its sharp beak pecking straight at his brow!
"Supernatural powers?!"

"It's the dual cultivation of Dharma and body!"

Cao Jiyi frantically activated his cultivation technique, and nine blazing golden lotuses appeared behind him, barely managing to withstand the Golden Crow's attack.

Amidst the shattering of lotus petals, Ye Fan had already traversed the layers of energy impact and arrived before him.

His left palm passed through the gap in the flames.

"Snapped!"

A solid slap landed on Cao Jiyi's left cheek!
The protective aura shattered like paper, and several blood-stained teeth splattered out.

Another kick!
The sound of ribs breaking was like popping beans, and the internal organs felt as if they were being crushed by a tremendous force.

Cao Jiyi crashed into the palace below like a meteorite, causing the pavilions to collapse with a deafening roar.

The city was deathly silent.

Only smoke and dust rose.

After a while, a disheveled red figure shot into the sky from the ruins, his face pale and his eyes filled with fear as he looked at Ye Fan outside the great formation.

"Who...who are you?!"

The voice was much weaker than before.

"Cao Jiyi... has been defeated?!"

Lei Yunchao, who was watching the battle from a distance, had a solemn expression on his face, and was accompanied by several Foundation Establishment elders.

"Patriarch, how can this person be so powerful? His physical body is truly terrifying!" said a Foundation Establishment elder.

“Cultivating both physical and spiritual power will surely make one a prodigy!” Lei Yunchao uttered these eight words.

"Father, should we go forward to help?" Lei Xiaoyun asked.

Lei Yunchao glanced at him, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth, thinking to himself: You really are my good son, do you also want to see your father go up and get slapped in the face?

He sighed softly and said slowly, "Let's wait and see."

"Dual cultivation of Dharma and body".

Inside the formation, Cao Jiyi, his hair disheveled and stained with blood, spoke in a hoarse voice like a broken gong: "This area could never produce a person like you!"
Where did you come from?!
Could it be outside?

Ye Fan hovered in the void, his black robes fluttering, and his sneer echoed through the sky: "Hundreds of years of arduous cultivation and this is all? You're just an old codger!"
"Bring on whatever cards you have, I'm right here waiting!"

Half an incense stick has passed.

The palace was deathly silent; the great array shimmered with light but showed no sign of attack.

Even the patriarch was no match for the opponent, so what could the others do even if they rushed up?

"How boring." He sneered dismissively. "Since there's nothing there, I'll be taking my leave!"

Ye Fan laughed loudly, then transformed into a dark rainbow and soared into the sky.

After a long while, the city erupted in discussion like boiling water.

"A single slap sent my golden core flying... Am I dreaming?"

What did the Cao family patriarch mean by "the outside world"?

"This person is so strong, how does he compare to Xu Mingwei, the Supreme Elder of the Immortal Martial Alliance?"

“Senior Xu’s archery skills are unparalleled. It’s hard to say without a real contest!” replied an elder who had reached the Foundation Establishment stage.

"Judging from that person's behavior, it seems like he came specifically to challenge the Cao family's patriarch. Could he also be going to challenge other Golden Core cultivators?"

Upon hearing this, the eyes of the many cultivators around him lit up.

"Perhaps, that's really possible!"

Many independent cultivators and foundation-building families from the imperial city left the city to travel to Guangling County in order to witness the possible epic battle.

"Cao Jiyi is not worth mentioning. I wonder what Master is worried about. Could it be that he really has some special trump card?"

Ye Fan flew towards the direction of the Great Jin Dynasty, his eyes flashing. "If it really exists, then not using it after being humiliated to this extent means that the cost of using it is extremely high."

Or it could be a disposable item, only to be used in the most critical moments.

Alternatively, once exposed, it will inevitably attract the covetous eyes of everyone.

It shouldn't be shown to others lightly!

After a moment's thought, Ye Fan stopped thinking about it and sighed softly, "Master is right. I am not him. My perspective and way of thinking are different."

The level of thinking he's on is one I might not be able to see.

Besides, this isn't my style.

Let's just focus on doing our jobs properly!

After making a self-deprecating remark, he increased the speed of his escape.

More than an hour.

He then arrived in the Great Jin Dynasty.

Suddenly, his escape light stopped abruptly.

Ye Fan stood suspended in mid-air, his black robe fluttering lightly in the clouds.

"Wait, where is the Sima family in the Great Jin Dynasty?"

He frowned slightly, realizing something serious.

But after a moment's thought, he muttered to himself, "The Sima family is such a famous family of Golden Elixir cultivators in the Great Jin Dynasty that everyone must know about them."

"Asking a rogue cultivator should be possible."

His divine sense spread out like an invisible tide, sweeping across the continuous barren hills below.

In an instant, a surge of spiritual energy was detected in the southeast.

A dozen or so Foundation Establishment auras chased after a single person like a pack of wolves.

With a thought, he disappeared into the high-altitude clouds to investigate.

The middle-aged cultivator being chased looked disheveled, his body swaying, and his shoulder stained with blood.

But Ye Fan discovered that he had been secretly releasing array flags as he fled.

When the pursuing troops surround them.

The man suddenly made a hand seal, and a pale yellow light screen, like an inverted giant bowl, covered an area of several miles in radius.

The others were immediately alarmed and looked around.

"Trapped in a formation?!"

Once the formation was complete, Ye Fan could no longer sense any fluctuations within it.

Unless he forcibly breaks through the array's seal with his divine sense.

But this will inevitably alert those who set up the formation.

"This formation seems somewhat familiar."

Ye Fan muttered to himself.

Within the formation.

The middle-aged cultivator's aura steadily increased, progressing from the late Foundation Establishment stage to the peak Foundation Establishment stage.

He pushed out with both palms, and a torrent of dark gray energy surged out, condensing into a giant ghost claw covered with blood-red patterns.

Wherever it swept, vegetation withered, and even the protective aura of cultivators crumbled upon contact.

With a single blow, six or seven people were seriously injured.

"Is that a demonic divine power? Judging by its power, it's quite formidable. It must have grasped at least 70% of the true meaning of its introductory level."

Although Ye Fan could not use his divine sense to investigate, he could still see the situation in the formation with his eyes and then make a judgment based on its power.

A hint of surprise flashed across his eyes.

In the Azure Dragon Palace, those who have reached the Foundation Establishment stage and are able to touch the threshold of supernatural powers are already one in a hundred.

This person not only possesses supernatural powers, but has also cultivated them to such a high level.

"This person should be less than sixty years old. At such a young age, he would definitely be one of the top geniuses in Tiancang Prefecture."

However, what Ye Fan cared about more was the formation.

After pondering for a moment, he finally remembered what the formation was called.

"It's the 'Six Harmonies Sealing Formation.' My master had such a trapping formation when we went to Tiannan."

"How could he have it? Is it a coincidence?"

Could this person be a member of the Xu family?

Ye Fan had doubts and planned to show up later to ask him about it.

The screams of agony from within the ranks quickly subsided.

In a short while, only corpses remained on the ground.

The middle-aged cultivator collected all the storage bags and scattered magical artifacts.

He glanced at the corpses, flicked his finger, and sent out more than a dozen gray flames that burned them to ashes.

They perfectly staged a classic case of playing dumb to outsmart others.

Afterwards, he expressionlessly put away the array flags, preparing to leave the place.

"Such a swift and efficient method."

A calm voice came from not far behind him.

The middle-aged cultivator's muscles tensed suddenly. Without even turning his head, he unleashed a condensed gray-black evil energy dragon with a roar!

The serpentine shadow was menacing, obscuring the view, but his true form shot back into the dense forest behind him like a wisp of smoke, his speed astonishing.

"I haven't even asked yet!"

"That's a bit too decisive." Ye Fan shook his head helplessly and casually punched away the evil dragon.

Then, following the scent, they entered the dense forest.

This type of terrain makes it impossible for Golden Core cultivators to reach their maximum speed.

In the blink of an eye, the middle-aged cultivator had vanished without a trace.

Ye Fan followed along, carefully scanning the area with his divine sense.

The middle-aged man was extremely cautious, not daring to fly high, but only traversing through the complex terrain of the mountains and forests.

Even more strangely, its aura was rapidly weakening.

Within a few breaths, even divine sense could not lock onto it, as if it had completely merged into the mountains and forests.

"This concealment technique, the method to isolate the Golden Core cultivator's divine sense, and the array and supernatural power just now," Ye Fan pondered. "Could it really be someone from my Xu family?"

"Who is this person?"

Ye Fan had only been back for a short time and had not yet fully understood the situation of the Xu family.

He was only familiar with some of the core members of the Xu family.

In a blink of an eye.

He arrived at the place where the other person's aura had dissipated.

He didn't chase after them, but stood still, then spoke loudly, "I know you're still nearby, come out."

The mountains and forests were quiet, with only the sound of the wind rustling the leaves.

Ye Fan flicked his sleeve, and a streak of dark light shot out, hovering in mid-air.

It was indeed the Xu family's token.

With a gentle push of his magic, the token emitted a bright blue light, and a simple and profound phantom of the character "Xu" appeared in the air, exuding a unique family imprint.

The silence lasted for about ten breaths.

"Where did you obtain this order?"

The sound seemed to emanate from behind the ancient tree on the left, from the rock crevice on the right, and even faintly from the void above.

Elusive and unpredictable, difficult to grasp.

"My name is Ye Fan," Ye Fan said frankly.

There was no response; the mountains and forests remained silent.

Ye Fan paused, raised his hand to touch his scarred face after his disguise, and asked with a hint of helplessness, "My wife is Xu Deyue. Do you know her?"

"What? Deyue is back?!"

The fleeting voice suddenly rose in pitch, filled with unbelievable joy, then quickly subsided, becoming cautious, "You...are you really Deyue's husband?"

"Replacement guaranteed."

"Then let me ask you, where was Deyue before? And how did she return?"

The voice pressed on, scrutinizing every single word.

“Tiannan,” Ye Fan replied with a smile, “Not only has Deyue returned, but my master, father-in-law, and Sister Deling have also all returned.”

"Master...Father-in-law..."

The voice murmured and repeated.

Suddenly, a figure slowly emerged from the shadow of an old tree dozens of feet away.

It was that middle-aged monk.

At this moment, all his murderous aura was completely contained, and his face was as resolute and simple as that of a country farmer.

Only his eyes, gleaming brightly, were fixed intently on Ye Fan.

"Your master is...?"

"He is none other than the patriarch of the Xu family."

Ye Fan met his gaze and spoke slowly.

"Grandfather... Hahahaha!"

The middle-aged cultivator was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter, "So it's one of our own. What a joke!"

He moved swiftly and came to Ye Fan's side, saying, "My name is Xu Dewen. I wonder if you have heard of me before?"

The "Sister Deling" you mentioned is my own sister, born of the same mother!

"Oh it's you."

Ye Fan suddenly realized and smiled sincerely: "De Yue did mention it. I never expected to meet you here, Brother Wen."

"The coincidences in life are sometimes beyond imagination."

Xu Dewen stopped laughing, then carefully examined Ye Fan. "If I'm not mistaken, you should be a Golden Core cultivator, right?"

Ye Fan didn't hide anything, nodding frankly with a slight smile on his lips: "Just lucky."

"That's incredible."

Xu Dewen sincerely praised, "To have formed the Golden Core at such a young age, no wonder your grandfather accepted you as his disciple."

"Brother Wen, you flatter me."

Ye Fan said calmly, "My Core Formation was actually quite slow. My father-in-law and Sister Deling formed their Cores much earlier than me."

Xu Dewen raised an eyebrow: "They...have all achieved the Golden Core stage as well?"

"That's natural."

Ye Fan smiled and said, "With my master's meticulous planning, and my father-in-law and the others being exceptionally talented and insightful, the Golden Core realm is naturally no challenge for them."

Xu Dewen nodded slightly, thinking to himself: With all that cheating, how could he not be exceptionally talented?

However, I'm a man with superpowers now!
Immediately, he changed the subject and asked, "By the way, what brings you to the Great Jin Dynasty this time?"

Ye Fan made no attempt to hide anything and said frankly, "My master ordered me to come here to test the depth of the foundations of the Cao family of Great Wei, the Sima family of Great Jin, and the Liu family of Great Liang."

I just came from the capital city a little over an hour ago.

We are on our way to the Sima family now.

I've never been here before and don't know where the Sima family is. I was planning to ask a local hermit.

And that's how I found you, Brother Wen.

"The Sima family?" Xu Dewen understood. "I know the way, I can take you there."

Ye Fan shook his head and refused: "Brother Wen, just tell me the location."

My purpose in going there is to cause trouble; I will definitely take action, and the scale of the incident will be considerable.

If someone with ulterior motives were to see you traveling with me, it could bring you unnecessary trouble.

"It makes sense."

Xu Dewen hesitated for a moment and then gave up.

He immediately informed Ye Fan of the location of the Sima family's territory.

"Brother Wen," Ye Fan said suddenly after listening, "I observe that you have already entered the basics of the supernatural powers you cultivate, and your foundation is profound. You should not be far from forming your core."

Do you have any auxiliary spiritual items needed for Core Formation?
If you're missing anything, I can bring you some next time we meet.

Xu Dewen waved his hand and said with a smile, "I appreciate your kindness, but there's no need to trouble yourself."

My situation is special, so I should minimize my contact with the clan to avoid any unforeseen complications.

As for Core Formation…

A glint of light flashed in his eyes. "I have my own preparations, and I am quite confident."

After a pause, Xu Dewen continued, "Since you have important business to attend to, you should go quickly."

With my abilities, unless a Golden Core cultivator personally intervenes to surround and block me, no one else can do anything to me.

Ye Fan smiled upon hearing this.

I remember almost losing Xu Dewen.

With his caution and skill, even if a Golden Core cultivator attacked, he would be confident of escaping.

Ye Fan immediately clasped his hands in greeting and said, "Brother Wen, then I'll take my leave first."

If we meet again someday, I will surely share a drink and have a good time with Brother Wen.

Xu Dewen smiled and nodded, returning the gesture with a cupped hand: "Take care, be careful yourself, the Sima family is not simple."

Ye Fan nodded, said no more, and his magical power surged slightly, transforming into a streak of crimson light, which sped away in the direction Xu Dewen pointed out.

It disappeared into the distant horizon in the blink of an eye.

Xu Dewen stood alone, watching the light disappear completely, his relaxed and casual expression gradually fading.

It returned to its usual calm and deep state.

He looked around, his divine sense scanning the surroundings carefully.

After confirming that there were no further signs of spying, he moved silently.

As if dissolving into the wind, it silently fled away in a direction completely opposite to Ye Fan's.

Almost an hour.

Ye Fan arrived at the city where the Sima family was located.

It was a giant city that rivaled even the imperial capital of the Great Wei Dynasty.

The city is entirely black and iron-gray in color, covered with mottled marks of time and weathering.

The walls stretch out endlessly, their length beyond sight.

A rough estimate suggests that it should be over a hundred square miles in circumference.