Chapter 364: Chapter 363: Huge Harvest
Although Ye Fan had gone all-out with his powerful sword techniques, he had still only managed to injure the Dongzheng Emperor. However, the now-berserk Dongzheng Emperor suddenly punched the ground. The ice shattered, and the spot where Ye Fan and his two companions stood collapsed beneath them. This sudden turn of events horrified them.
The Dongzheng Emperor attacked again, charging straight for Ye Fan. Ye Fan couldn’t face him head-on and could only dodge quickly. This was undoubtedly a lopsided battle; the berserk Dongzheng Emperor was on a completely different level than before. Such a dangerous person was truly terrifying.
The Guardian swung his ice weapon down, striking the Dongzheng Emperor on the head. He thought the blow would be enough to smash the emperor’s skull, but unexpectedly, his greatclub shattered instead.
The Dongzheng Emperor suddenly threw a punch that connected with the Guardian. With the sound of his bones cracking, the Guardian was sent flying, extremely weakened and seemingly on his last breath.
The Dongzheng Emperor grabbed the Grassland Bear by its tail and hurled it away. The beast smashed brutally against the glacier, shattering the ice and leaving it dazed.
Finally, the Dongzheng Emperor charged at Ye Fan, displaying his ultimate power. Ye Fan could only defend passively, attempting to use his Sword Qi to disrupt the emperor. Unfortunately, the current Dongzheng Emperor was completely unfazed by the Sword Qi. He was not only fearless but also completely ignored his own injuries in his determination to kill Ye Fan. A single strike left Ye Fan severely injured. He was now extremely weak, his life hanging by a thread.
Ye Fan struggled to stand, but the Dongzheng Emperor, now like a mindless beast, paid him no mind.
Ye Fan roared, "Slaughter—Returning to the Sect Sword!"
Gripping the Yuanhong Sword, he charged at the Dongzheng Emperor. This was a clash of ultimate power. Both were top-tier Supremes, but in his current state, Ye Fan was completely outmatched in terms of raw physical strength. To compete in physical strength against the berserk emperor meant a certain and gruesome death. He pinned all his hopes on the Yuanhong Sword and unleashed his most powerful slaughtering sword technique.
BOOM!
The ice quaked violently, and a cloud of ice and snow obscured the two from view. The Guardian struggled to peer through the chaos, and the Grassland Bear was no longer filled with rage. Only once the shattered chunks of ice settled did they see Ye Fan, half-kneeling on the ground.
The Guardian struggled to his feet and walked over to Ye Fan. "Where is the Dongzheng Emperor?" he asked.
"He’s been shattered to pieces," Ye Fan replied.
The Guardian gasped, drawing a sharp breath. He couldn’t believe that Ye Fan was the one who had finally put an end to the Dongzheng Emperor.
It was true. In that final moment, Ye Fan had surged forward and completely shattered the Dongzheng Emperor. Though the emperor possessed a nigh-invincible body, Ye Fan’s Yuanhong Sword was an undeniable Divine Artifact. A body of flesh and blood could never hope to compare to the Yuanhong, a king among swords for ages past.
The Guardian thanked him. "Thank you for everything you’ve done for the Ice Glacier Grassland. Our tribe will forever remember your kindness!"
Ye Fan replied, "You don’t need to thank me. This time, I fought for myself and for my friend." He glanced at the Grassland Bear, which was now wagging its tail at him.
But the Guardian insisted, "If it weren’t for you, we would have stood no chance against the Dongzheng Emperor. Thank you! I will never forget your kindness!" Then he added, "I killed the others. I had to prevent the secret of the Kirin Ice Talisman from getting out, so I killed them without your consent."
Ye Fan said, "Even if you hadn’t killed them, they wouldn’t have survived. They were all cursed by the Dongzheng Emperor. Now that he is dead, they will die along with him."
"You’re severely injured," the Guardian said. "Why not come to my tribe’s lands to recover?"
Ye Fan shook his head. "No, thank you. I’ll be leaving in a few days, and I want to spend the time I have left with my friend." He refused, not wanting to get entangled in any more secrets.
The Guardian seemed to understand his reasoning and said at once, "If you ever need help in the future, my tribe will do everything in its power to assist you!"
"Thank you," Ye Fan said.
The Guardian then ordered his people to bring forth a large quantity of spiritual materials and various treasures from the Ice Glacier Grassland. This time, Ye Fan did not refuse. Refusing again would have been unreasonable. After all, he was a noble person—or so he told himself.
Afterward, he and the Grassland Bear returned to the bear’s den. He had originally wanted to take the bear with him, but this was its paradise, and he had no right to take that away.
So, he told the Grassland Bear, "I can’t take you with me."
The Grassland Bear looked crestfallen. As a Spiritual Beast, it understood exactly what Ye Fan was saying.
"But don’t worry," Ye Fan continued. "I’ll come back to visit, and I’ll bring you more delicious snacks next time!"
At this, the Grassland Bear was instantly overjoyed. The snacks Ye Fan had brought from the modern city were the most delicious things it had ever eaten in its life.
Ye Fan said, "That’s a good boy! Just rest up and recover here. I’ll come back for you next year!"
The Grassland Bear nodded obediently.
Ye Fan could see the Grassland Bear was on the verge of a transformation. Taking it away now would mean robbing it of this opportunity. Generally, even when a Grassland Bear awakens its spiritual nature, it cannot become a High-level Spiritual Beast. This endearing bear was different, however. Its ability to fight so ferociously under the spiritual pressure of the Ice Qilin was proof that it possessed an exceptionally noble bloodline. Therefore, he had to give this evolving Spiritual Beast the chance to be reborn like a phoenix.
「Two days later」
Ye Fan departed. When he reached the edge of the Ice Glacier Grassland, he saw the Grassland Bear sitting not far behind him, its gaze fixed on his back. He had been in a good and cheerful mood, but seeing this made him feel a pang of sadness. It’s not just humans who have feelings. In fact, an animal’s emotions are much purer than a human’s. They don’t play mind games; if you’re good to them, they’ll be ten times better to you. How could he bear to part with it?
He immediately turned, walked back, and stroked the Grassland Bear’s head. "I’ll come for you in two months at the most. Go on back now! Don’t make me sad."
Reluctantly, the Grassland Bear turned back toward the Ice Glacier Grassland, looking back every few steps.
Watching the bear’s reluctant figure retreat, Ye Fan’s eyes suddenly welled up. Damn it. I’m a tough guy with nerves of steel, and here I am, crying! He wiped the tears away, forced himself to look away from the Ice Glacier Grassland, and disappeared into the dense forest.
It had to be said that this expedition had brought Ye Fan enormous gains. First, deep in the Gobi Desert, he broke through to the Supreme Realm. Then, heading north to the Ice Glacier Grassland, he had acquired numerous treasures and the friendship of a future Divine Beast. As for the Dongzheng Emperor of the Northern Bear Country, his fate would become a mystery. Perhaps soon, the entire underworld would be shocked to learn that the Great Emperor of the Dongzheng Court had simply vanished. No one would ever know how he died—unless Ye Fan himself revealed that he had been torn to pieces in the Ice Glacier Grassland.
