Chapter 562: Chapter 561: Gathering of Wind and Clouds

Ye Fan no longer dared to dabble in the Curse Technique. He used the Yuanhong Sword to slice off a small piece of the cursed Dragon Bone, which he carefully stored in a box.

Although the Curse Technique was terrifying, he still wanted to study it. After all, only through experience can I truly understand how dreadful it is.

"Senior Divine Dragon, I am truly sorry you died such a tragic death. Rest assured, if I ever become strong enough, I will avenge you!"

After speaking, he knelt before the Divine Dragon. As a descendant of the dragons, it was only right for him to show his respect.

But after he knelt, an incredible change occurred. The ground began to tremble so violently that Ye Fan could barely stand. It felt as if the entire cavern was about to collapse, though he knew that had to be an illusion.

Above, on the mountain range, many genius martial artists had gathered, preparing to explore its depths. This sudden change caught them completely off guard. No one had expected such a drastic development. They all scrambled to steady themselves against the violent shaking.

"Not good, someone has already gone down!" Mu Chen Dong shouted.

This earth-shattering tremor could only mean one thing: someone had disturbed the Divine Dragon. The other martial artists grew restless, eager to get involved.

Everyone wanted to be the first to obtain the Divine Dragon Essence Blood, but no one wanted to be the one to stick their neck out, as that would mean facing everyone else’s wrath. The consequences would be tragic, and not even Mu Chen Dong, the strongest among them, would be an exception.

As the saying goes, even the fiercest tiger cannot stand against a pack of wolves. With so many "wolves" around, he knew he couldn’t take them all on by himself. Besides, he had the Red Sand Family’s reputation to consider. Openly snatching the treasure would damage their good name, so Mu Chen Dong was surprisingly in no hurry.

The mountain continued to tremble. Amidst the shaking, Ye Fan saw something rising from ahead—a red, diamond-sized jewel. Upon closer inspection, however, he realized it wasn’t a jewel at all. It was a glob of bright, fresh blood.

"Divine Dragon Essence Blood!" Ye Fan was ecstatic.

Once he merged with it, both his Pure Yang Divine Power and his physique would be immensely enhanced. Filled with anticipation, Ye Fan moved forward.

However, when he was still less than fifty feet from the Divine Dragon Essence Blood, he was almost forced to his knees. This was undoubtedly the overwhelming pressure emanating from the Dragon Blood. Not even Ye Fan could withstand it.

The power of the Divine Dragon Essence Blood was so immense it drained the color from his face. Still, he pressed on, even though his own strength felt negligible in comparison.

He had to obtain the Divine Dragon Essence Blood, both for himself and for his Pure Yang Divine Power. So he pushed forward, even as his bones began to CRACKLE and groan under the strain.

"Someone really did get here first!" an angry shout echoed from behind.

Ye Fan turned and felt a sense of dread. All the young martial artists had arrived—the heirs of the major families. They were now gathered near the Divine Dragon’s skeleton.

When they saw Ye Fan, their expressions turned mocking. They were relieved that the person who had beaten them here was so weak, yet they also felt immense pressure. There were so many of them, but only one drop of Divine Dragon Essence Blood.

How could any one of them obtain it? It was a tense question, and no one knew into whose hands the essence blood would ultimately fall.

As Ye Fan stood his ground, the others began to approach.

"I’ll take care of this brat!" Gui Hai Yidao said coldly.

He charged forward, aiming to take Ye Fan down with a single punch.

However, when he was still twenty meters behind Ye Fan, he froze, stunned. He too was hit by the oppressive force, and it was even more severe than what Ye Fan seemed to be experiencing.

What’s going on? Ye Fan was shocked. My strength is clearly inferior to Gui Hai Yidao’s, so why can’t he get any closer? What is happening?

Logically, with Gui Hai Yidao’s strength and physique, getting past Ye Fan should have been effortless.

It wasn’t just Ye Fan; Gui Hai Yidao himself was stunned. The others also tried to move forward, only to encounter the same omnipresent, crushing pressure. The pressure was terrifying, enough to induce despair. None of them could understand how a boy with such low cultivation could get further than they could.

Then, a thought struck Ye Fan. Could it be my Pure Yang Divine Power? Looking at the situation, it seems possible. My Pure Yang Divine Power is incredibly potent, so it must be resonating with the supremely yang energy of the Divine Dragon Essence Blood. That must be what’s causing this.

He tried releasing more of his Pure Yang Divine Power and, sure enough, the more he released, the lighter the pressure became. Ye Fan was instantly overjoyed.

He began walking forward, one step at a time. While he could move, those behind him could only struggle to inch forward, infuriated by the situation.

Just then, Mu Chen Dong also descended from above. He too was shocked when he saw the others pinned down by the pressure while Ye Fan, despite struggling, was still able to walk.

Isn’t that Mu Keqing’s little lover? Bah, I mean her little sidekick, Mu Chen Dong immediately corrected his thoughts.

He also tried to walk forward but was stopped by the same pressure. Although he could get further than the others, he knew he could never reach as far as Ye Fan. Therefore, he stopped. After all, that boy is Mu Keqing’s new subordinate. Since he’s one of us, this makes things much easier. Once he gets the treasure, won’t he have to obediently give me half? I can even protect him from the others. It’s truly killing two birds with one stone!

At that moment, Ximen Hengcheng and Duan Tianya arrived. Upon seeing the scene, killing intent flared in their eyes. It would be a disaster if Ye Fan obtained the Divine Dragon Essence Blood.

Resolved to kill him, they prepared to attack Ye Fan from outside the zone of intense pressure. But just as they were about to act, Mu Chen Dong moved to block them.

"Young Master Mu, what is the meaning of this?" Duan Tianya demanded.

Ximen Hengcheng had a bad feeling. They didn’t dare to question Mu Chen Dong in an accusatory tone. After all, he was a leader of the younger generation, and in a real fight, they were no match for him.

"I have no other intention," Mu Chen Dong said. "I’m simply fulfilling my promise."

The others, who were still struggling against the pressure, could only look at Mu Chen Dong in confusion, unable to confront him. That left only Duan Tianya and Ximen Hengcheng. But if they were to fight him, how could the two of them possibly be his match?

Mu Chen Dong spoke again, "Before we entered this secret realm, I said that even if I did not obtain the Divine Dragon Essence Blood myself, I would fully support the one who could!" His gaze flickered towards Ye Fan. "Now is the critical moment in the contest for the Divine Dragon Essence Blood, and I do not wish to see any killing. If you are dissatisfied and want to compete, that’s fine. I will step aside and let you try.

"But no matter how you compete, murder is forbidden!"

Hearing this, the expressions on Duan Tianya and Ximen Hengcheng’s faces turned ugly. Wasn’t he just toying with them? They were completely unable to get close to the Divine Dragon Essence Blood.