Chapter 355: Chapter 354: The Beauty’s Gratitude
As night fell, everyone began to set up camp and rest in the Gobi desert. Ye Fan watched the bright moon above, his mind filled with countless thoughts.
Although I’ve now broken through to the Supreme Level, the enemies I face have also become increasingly powerful.
He set aside thoughts of the Divine Dragon and Ancestor Mo for the moment. Even if he managed to eliminate those two factions from the Divine Land, he still had to contend with the Western powers: the Dongzheng Emperor and the Vampire Clan. After all, he had slain members of both these great forces, and he certainly didn’t believe they would let bygones be bygones. It had to be said, looking around, he truly had no shortage of enemies, each one a first-class power in the world. The journey of conquest had only just begun.
At that moment, Bai Zhimei came to his side. "You’re the King of Heaven, aren’t you?" she asked.
"Why? Do you think I need to impersonate the King of Heaven?" Ye Fan replied helplessly.
Bai Zhimei immediately burst into laughter. "The underground world used to be filled with news about the King of Heaven. I thought he was just famous but mediocre in strength! But now I know that the King of Heaven’s strength is truly proportional to his fame!"
Of course, he thought. She should know who she’s dealing with. Outwardly, however, he said, "That’s just a rumor spread by others!"
Bai Zhimei smiled. "I think otherwise." She felt an abundance of Spiritual Power nearby, only to discover that Ye Fan had set up a unique Array. This portable Array was clearly a top-tier treasure. "No wonder you recover so quickly! You have a treasure!" she exclaimed in admiration.
"It’s just a little trick, nothing worth showing off," Ye Fan said.
"You’re being too modest!" Bai Zhimei laughed.
Ye Fan simply chuckled and said no more. It was, without a doubt, a highly advanced Array, so it was no wonder Bai Zhimei was so impressed.
She then asked, "May I recover my strength inside it?"
"Of course," Ye Fan replied.
To his surprise, Bai Zhimei actually sat down within the Array.
Ye Fan was speechless. She had completely misunderstood his intention, but at this point, he was left with no choice. I can’t very well kick her out, can I? He had no choice but to let Bai Zhimei cultivate within the Array. He sat down inside as well. The space wasn’t small, over ten square meters, which was more than enough room for two people to recover their power.
Suddenly, however, Bai Zhimei grew bold. To Ye Fan’s complete surprise, she embraced him from behind and began to kiss him.
He quickly asked, "What are you doing?"
Bai Zhimei said, "I don’t like to be indebted to others. You saved me and shared the Bengyu with us. I owe you too much, so I must repay you!"
Repay me like this? Ye Fan was stunned. A few years ago, he would have enjoyed, even welcomed, such an offer, but not anymore. He couldn’t accept this kind of repayment. "No, I really don’t need this!" he said quickly, pushing her away.
But Bai Zhimei persisted, "Are you afraid of taking responsibility? You don’t have to. I don’t need you to be responsible, because this is my choice! We can go our separate ways afterward!"
Ye Fan was at a loss for words. Such a wonderful girl... why is she acting like this?
He pushed Bai Zhimei out of the Array. "I think it’s better if we keep our distance," he said. "We’re past the age of acting on impulse. Let’s not be reckless."
"You!" Bai Zhimei was furious. She straightened her clothes and said to Ye Fan in a cold voice, "You’re so insensitive! You deserve to be alone!"
Then she stormed off in a huff.
Ye Fan scoffed with disdain. Me, lonely? Hmph, I have a whole platoon of women. What nonsense!
Then he closed his eyes and began to meditate.
「By dawn.」
At dawn, Ye Fan packed up the Array, only to find Leng Dao and the others already gathered and ready to depart.
Hong Zhi approached Ye Fan. "Young friend, this is where we part ways. If you ever need anything in the future, I will do everything in my power to help!"
"Likewise!" Ye Fan said, cupping his hands in a respectful bow.
Then Hong Zhi led his people away toward the north. The environment there was brutal and uninhabitable for ordinary people, but it was a paradise for devout cultivators of the Buddhist Sect. After all, their sect preached about growing in adversity and achieving breakthroughs in hardship.
Then, Leng Dao approached Ye Fan. "Lord King, Bai Zhimei has left. She was quite angry. She also asked me to relay a message to you... I’m not sure if I should."
"Speak," Ye Fan said flatly.
Just spit it out! Why are you trying to act so refined when you’re not? he thought, annoyed. Even the iron-blooded soldier Leng Dao seemed to hesitate.
"Speak up!"
If this were Tian Can, Di Que, or even Black Fog, I’d have kicked his ass by now for being so coy. Have you no shame?
Leng Dao looked at Ye Fan with a strange expression. "Miss Bai said... you’re an impotent man!"
Ye Fan was so angry he could barely breathe. How could she say something so insulting? If only I had shown her what a real man was last night! If I’m impotent, then there isn’t a normal man left in this world! Whatever. What happened last night was just an impulse on her part. Besides, who could accept something like that so suddenly? After all, I consider myself an absolute gentleman.
At that moment, Leng Dao spoke again. "Lord King, I must return to report on my mission. Also, the Yanhuang Special Forces will need to intensify their training!"
Ye Fan nodded. "Good. I should be heading back, too. Tell your master that the next time I’m in Shangjing, I’ll be sure to find him for a long talk!"
"I will pass it on!"
Then Leng Dao departed with his remaining subordinates. Their group, originally over a dozen strong, had been reduced after several were killed by the vampires.
Ye Fan also prepared to leave. He had initially thought breaking through to the Supreme Level would be incredibly difficult, taking at least two months, but the Evil Wing Prince had inadvertently helped him achieve it. Since he had made the breakthrough, there was no longer a need for further trials.
"Time to head back."
Ye Fan turned to leave the frontier Gobi. The desert had already begun to return to calm now that the Bengyu, the cause of the recent turmoil, had been divided among the various forces.
Just as Ye Fan embarked on his journey home, his gaze suddenly shifted toward the Extreme North Grassland. In this season, the northern plains were a vast, soul-crushingly empty wilderness of ice and snow.
For some unknown reason, he wanted to traverse the northern grasslands and witness the vastness of Shen Zhou. Years ago, back when he was with the Divine Dragon, he had undertaken a mission to the Extreme Northern Border. Several years had passed in the blink of an eye.
At this thought, Ye Fan sighed and, without hesitation, turned north.
「Three days later.」
He arrived on the icy, snow-covered plains of the Extreme North Grassland. The great plains were covered in large blocks of ice, all frozen together. Stepping on them produced a crunching sound. CRUNCH. CRUNCH. It was, without a doubt, a magical place.
Ye Fan walked alone across the grasslands, taking in the vast landscape. He hadn’t come north just for old times’ sake. He intended to temper his character in the Northern Land. He still felt that his mind was not yet mature enough. Although his cultivation realm had broken through, his mentality had not been sufficiently forged.
The deeper he went into the grasslands, the colder it became, and he could soon see glaciers in the distance.
However, at that moment, Ye Fan noticed footprints on the snow-covered grass ahead.
"What’s this?"
He saw a clear line of footprints. Ordinary travelers or villagers would never come this far. The visitor had to be a Martial Artist. A bit further ahead lay the territory of the Northern Bear Country.
Ye Fan quickly followed the tracks, curious to see just who had gathered in this forsaken place.
