Chapter Seventy-Four: Feathered Plume

“It seems the Celestial Martial Domain is quite distant from the Ancient Buddha Domain,” Yi Yuan sneered, his words laden with meaning, the implication clear to anyone listening.

“The Yi sisters once saved my life. Now you expect me to stand by and do nothing? That’s impossible. Disciples of the Heavenly Capital Sect have never feared anyone,” Lin Fan replied coolly yet resolutely, his tone leaving no doubt that if words failed, he would not hesitate to act.

“So you’re a distinguished disciple of the Heavenly Capital Sect. Perhaps you don’t yet grasp the gravity of this matter. The Yi sisters are not ordinary people—they are vicious and formidable members of the demon race. I suspect their approach to you is nothing but a calculated scheme. The demon race is especially adept at beguiling hearts. You mustn’t let yourself be deceived,” Yi Yuan said slickly, doing his utmost to sow discord between Lin Fan and the Yi sisters.

Yet his voice carried a note of gravity. The Heavenly Capital Sect was a powerful force, renowned throughout the entire Boswa County. In the face of a sect with an Ancestor who had pierced the Void Realm, the Yi family was inconsequential.

“That’s none of your concern. Even if they truly are of the demon race, it’s not my place to judge. In my eyes, you are the true demon—cruel, bloodthirsty, and not even worthy to speak with me,” Lin Fan replied with utter disdain. What he despised most was bullying the weak. As for the demon race, he thought little of it; in ancient times, they were once allies of humanity. Sadly, after countless millennia, these truths had faded from memory—if not for Prison Heaven’s mention, Lin Fan himself would not have known.

“Then there’s nothing left to discuss. The Heavenly Capital Sect may be powerful, but they hold no sway over the Ancient Buddha Domain. Let me give you a word of advice: if you lack the strength, learn to keep your head down. Don’t think that just because you have some backing you can act lawlessly. This is the Taiwu Mountains of the Ancient Buddha Domain, not the Heavenly Capital Sect’s territory,” Yi Yuan declared, steeling himself. If Lin Fan persisted, he would slay him as well. The Heavenly Capital Sect was strong, but in this remote region, who would know if Lin Fan died?

“Such audacity! For those words alone, your entire Yi family will be doomed,” Lin Fan retorted with a cold laugh, refusing to back down. He knew he could not reveal any weakness now, or death would surely follow. Yet he had underestimated Yi Yuan’s murderous resolve.

“I cannot concern myself with that now. These sisters hold a great secret, a great fortune. Even a disciple of the Heavenly Capital Sect cannot seize them from my hands. If you insist on defying me, then you’ll perish together,” Yi Yuan declared, striking without hesitation. The massive gluttonous beast manifested once more, rampaging with domineering might. Its colossal body shattered the void and, in a blink, loomed before Lin Fan, intent on crushing him.

“Die!”

At that moment, a cool, clear voice rang out. Yi Xiaoxian descended from the sky, a plume in her hand shimmering with golden light under the sun.

The aura of the Golden-winged Roc swept forth, terrifying and boundless. In that instant, it was as if an ancient golden roc had truly awakened, unleashing an overwhelming might.

“Kill!” Yi Xiaoxian snorted coldly. The golden plume swept down, unleashing a brilliant divine rainbow that arched across the heavens. Radiant divine light filled the skies like a shower of fireworks, sparkling with endless glory.

This was a true divine artifact, not an ordinary weapon. It was something exceptional—a feather from the ancient Golden-winged Roc, peerless in the world. Its golden light surged like a vast ocean, boundless and fierce.

“How dare you!” Yi Yuan’s face changed dramatically as he sensed an irresistible force. His previously calm expression turned grave in an instant.

“So it was you who took the family’s treasured artifact. You are truly bold!” Yi Yuan bellowed in fury, unleashing his full strength. Abandoning Lin Fan, he whirled around, a divine flask flashing in his hand as a terrible power erupted from within.

This was a clash between two divine artifacts, fraught with unimaginable peril. Even a high-ranking cultivator in the Vein Condensation Realm would have been slain instantly, their body and soul destroyed.

The earth split apart, distant hills were cleaved in two, and terrifying shockwaves rippled outward.

Yi Yuan coughed up blood, burning his very life force. He dared not relax for even a moment. The item in Yi Xiaoxian’s hand was extremely rare, remarkable even in ancient times. Fortunately, her own power was too weak to fully unleash the plume’s might. Otherwise, Yi Yuan would have stood no chance at all.

The divine flask in Yi Yuan’s hand trembled, riddled with cracks, but the power it unleashed grew even more fearsome, nearly exceeding the limits of the Vein Condensation Realm. One could even glimpse the flask’s spirit emerging, fierce and ready to fight.

A streak of blood flew. The golden plume’s radiance blazed with renewed intensity as the shadow of a Golden-winged Roc appeared, sweeping across the sky, raising a storm that shattered everything in its path. The two deathsworn followers trailing Yi Yuan were instantly pulverized, their bodies and souls obliterated.

“How terrifying! That divine flask in Yi Yuan’s hand is no ordinary object—it must be a half-spiritual weapon. Sadly, I have no way to seize it; if I could, I might be able to awaken Prison Heaven,” Lin Fan thought, a spark of insight flashing through his mind as he realized his own inadequacy.

“This is the importance of a true weapon. My own spear, aside from its hardness, has no special qualities, let alone the power to enhance my strength. Against these two, I’d stand no chance.”

He shook his head with a sigh, yet his mind remained steady, his focus drawn ever more to the golden plume.

“A single feather of an ancient Golden Roc holds such might—what kind of being was it in ancient times? It must have been a peerless existence, its power unfathomable, beyond all reason. Yet, such mighty ones have surely fallen, unable to survive to this day.”

Lin Fan’s heart surged with yearning and awe, his desire for power reignited.

“Once this is over, I’ll break through to the Vein Condensation Realm! Nothing else matters more than this breakthrough.”

Having resolved himself, Lin Fan knew that only with true strength could he participate in such battles; otherwise, he would remain nothing but a bystander.

“Hurry and take this girl away—I can’t hold on much longer,” a voice sounded in Lin Fan’s ear. Yi Xiaoxian staggered back, her body cracked and fissured, the backlash of wielding the ancient Golden Roc’s plume nearly overwhelming her. A single misstep would mean death.

“No! If you go, we go together. Unleash your final attack—leave the rest to me,” Lin Fan replied, shaking his head with unwavering determination and a surge of confidence.

“Very well! But I may lose consciousness after this—everything will be up to you,” Yi Xiaoxian agreed, nodding firmly as she looked into Lin Fan’s eyes. She struck once more, her whole being engulfed in divine radiance. The shadow of the ancient Golden-winged Roc blazed brighter, its overwhelming might sweeping the heavens and the earth, suffocating all in its path.

“You’re just a mantis trying to stop a chariot—let’s see how much longer you can last,” Yi Yuan roared, growing stronger as the battle wore on. He could see through Yi Xiaoxian’s condition; with a shout, he shattered the divine flask in his hand. A vast, surging wave of power erupted, obliterating Star Moon Lake and leaving a gigantic crater where it once stood.