Shrouded Sky

Ye Fan understood very well the consequence of defying Yan Ruyu: being hung up on the cliff wall of Peach Blossom Valley. Of course, he didn't narcissistically believe that such a bright and ethereal woman could actually like him. After all, they'd only met a few times. At the heart of it all was the Imperial Demon Heart.

After the group departed, Ye Fan descended back to the ground. In the peach grove, the ancient peach trees stretched and twisted like coiled dragons. Blossoms bloomed everywhere. When the breeze blew, countless petals drifted through the air, like pink mist.

Ye Fan began to think carefully about what lay ahead. The Imperial Demon Heart was being nourished within his Life Spring, there was no way the demon race would let him leave. Did that mean he had to join them? But the cultivation methods of the demon race were unsuitable for humans. He wouldn't be able to obtain any powerful techniques here, so he'd have to find another way.

This group of demonesses had all surpassed the Other Shore Realm; they likely belonged to a formidable faction of the demon race. Escaping from them would be nearly impossible.

"I'll just take it one step at a time." Ye Fan wasn’t overly worried. For now, his life wasn’t in danger. So he sat cross-legged in the peach grove, letting petals swirl around him as he focused his mind and began to cultivate.

With the Imperial Demon Heart immersed in his Life Spring, he would be a fool not to make use of it. He hoped to use the sacred blood to temper his flesh, to undergo another rebirth. His golden Bitter Sea was the size of a fist, like a blazing sun hanging in the void, radiating holy light.

His Life Spring surged, mists of light rising. The red heart, like a ruby, was being quietly nourished by divine spring waters. It glowed like the sun, pure and mesmerizing.

Ye Fan had his cauldron revolve around the heart, then pressed it against it, trying to extract the sacred blood. But no matter what technique he used, the heart remained motionless, firm as a stone, completely unshakable.

Eventually, Ye Fan outright challenged it, using the cauldron to strike the heart directly. Clanging sounds echoed through the Life Spring. The cauldron glowed brightly, releasing mysterious energies of the Dao.

But the Imperial Demon Heart remained still, unresponsive, as indifferent as the eternal sun and moon.

"The green copper block is too mysterious. It completely suppressed the Imperial Demon Heart. No matter what I try, I can't draw out even a drop of sacred blood."

This made Ye Fan feel incredibly frustrated, sitting atop a treasure mountain yet unable to take anything from it.

But he refused to give up. He carved nine ancient words onto the cauldron. These glyphs, even as they first began to shine, already radiated strange godpower. He arranged them according to a special pattern. This was a method described in the Dao Scripture, a technique for using a sacred vessel to "suppress oneself" in order to achieve immortality.

But this time, Ye Fan wasn’t trying to suppress himself. He wanted to use this secret method to seal and stimulate the heart of the Demon Emperor.

He didn’t know what the nine ancient words were and treated them as "Dao Runes." Following the Dao Scripture precisely, he engraved them into the cauldron without error.

The cauldron hovering above the Bitter Sea suddenly became hazy. Mist and chaos surged from it, as if from nothingness, weaving together principles of Dao and the Natural Laws. It was deeply mysterious.

Yin and yang balanced. The primordial force unfolded. Life and death mingled. The cauldron became increasingly divine, evolving vitality from silence and decay. Then it grew larger and pressed down toward the heart.

The Demon Emperor was once a peerless power in the Eastern Wilderness, looking down on the world. Though he had not become immortal, he had stood among the strongest under heaven. Naturally, even his heart was no ordinary relic.

The cauldron pressed down. The nine ancient characters glowed like innate Dao runes, generating unfathomable powers. At last, the motionless Imperial Demon Heart trembled slightly.

"Seal!" Ye Fan shouted in his heart. With the green copper block supporting him, he went all in. If he couldn’t extract imperial demon blood, he would never rest.

The cauldron, three-legged, two-eared, round and vast, symbolized the genesis of all things, the mother of creation. It enveloped the crystal-clear heart in an instant.

Boom!

At that moment, the Imperial Demon Heart finally stirred. Crimson light surged skyward, like a burning sunset spreading in all directions. After repeated provocations, it could no longer stay silent. It radiated immense power. Blood light streamed out, it was like a red sun illuminating the heavens.

The golden Bitter Sea surged in furious waves, rising to the sky. The Life Spring erupted and boiled. The Oceanic Wheel was no longer calm. A terrifying aura spread throughout.

The vitality of the heart was overwhelming. Every trace of its blood held immeasurable power. Its glow swept out and obliterated the nine words on the cauldron.

It wasn’t that the nine words weren’t powerful enough, Ye Fan simply lacked the strength to fully control them. The Imperial Demon Heart blasted out of the cauldron.

Ye Fan was stunned but excited. He quickly urged the cauldron to absorb the scattered blood light. The vessel acted like the mother of all things, swallowing the cloud-like scarlet glow into itself.

At the same time, the green copper block sensed the turmoil in the Oceanic Wheel and gave a gentle tremble. Instantly, the heart went silent again. The raging golden Bitter Sea and storming Life Spring returned to calm.

Ye Fan’s heart raced. Inside the cauldron, a single droplet of sacred blood sparkled brilliantly, shrouded in crimson mist. After collecting all the blood light, he had finally harvested a drop.

The cauldron flipped, and the drop of blood fell out, transforming into a crimson mist that surged into every part of his body.

In the peach grove, beneath an ancient peach tree, Ye Fan sat still. His entire body glowed red. His veins expanded, and his blood flowed like a mighty river, rumbling with every beat. His bones were pure and white, cracking and popping as if being reforged. His internal organs trembled lightly, like playing a celestial symphony.

A single drop of sacred blood flowed through his entire body, baptizing and refining his flesh. The process was slow, but his skin became more luminous, and his physique visibly stronger.

A full day and night passed before Ye Fan finally opened his eyes. His pupils sparkled like stars. He felt incredibly powerful, his body tougher than ever. When he clenched his fist, golden light burst forth. It felt like he could shatter the heavens!

"If I can absorb more demonic blood, I’ll undergo another rebirth." He had already undergone two rebirths from consuming divine medicine. A third would make his body nearly invincible.

Not far away, a sweet laugh sounded. Qin Yao approached with a sheer veil flowing behind her. Her exposed arms were fairer than snow, glowing with seductive luster. Her figure was bold and enticing, walking gracefully toward him.

"So greedy. Now you understand how great the Imperial Demon Heart is. But at first, you thought I wanted to harm you. How will you thank me?" Qin Yao’s voice was magnetic and lovely. The red mole on her brow added a unique allure.

"I’ve got nothing but myself. How should I thank you?" Ye Fan stood up, his smile bright and warm.

Qin Yao’s black hair flowed like a waterfall, her figure curvaceous and captivating. She walked up to him with an enchanting smile. "Then offer yourself to me." She rested her hand on his shoulder, licked her red lips, and whispered softly, her voice tingling like silk.

"Gladly," Ye Fan replied, casually grabbing her hand. Without blushing or skipping a beat, he quoted: "Hands like soft jade, skin like congealed cream, neck like a tender stem, teeth like white gems..."

Qin Yao laughed sweetly, casting him a flirty glance. She pulled her hand back and pinched his cheek playfully. "You're still too young to understand."

As a modern man, Ye Fan wasn’t fazed. He boldly brushed her hair aside and caressed her cheek.