The ruins of Jinxiao City was taken over by Yu Sheng, yet due to Ye Futian's inherent extraordinary perceptivity and abilities provided by Freedom Meditation, he was able to sense a lot from the ruins nonetheless.
A terrible metal-elemental storm whipped up around Ye Futian that day. Pieces of gold-colored blades circled around him with immense aura speaking of unparalleled sharpness. The tornado of sharp blades gathered around his body, and a pair of incredibly dazzling pair of wings of the great roc congealed behind him. Every feather looked as if they were forged out of indestructible golden blades capable of cutting through anything.
Mu Zhiqiu watched him from the sides. Seems like he became able to comprehend metal-elemental noble will. When the day comes where he steps foot into the Noble Plane, he would have become the noble with the sturdiest foundations there is, far surpassing any who is at Noble Plane at the moment.
Ye Futian opened his eyes and saw a thread of golden light shimmer. Metal-elemental powers have always been one of his fortes. He was pleased to see the breakthrough achieved at the moment, and he took a look at the ones by his side. Yi Xiaoshi's aura seemed to have become even more aggressive than it had been, a testament saying that he had made it to grade seven Noble Plane, and had grown considerably more powerful.
At the gates outside of Jinxiao City, there were people taking turns to guard the place from the very time the ruins were opened. There were few, yet due to the fearsome image projected by the scene of Yu Sheng having the head of Ning Huang on his hand, nobody dared intrude Jinxiao City as of yet.
However, a figure arrived at the gates of Jinxiao City. The figure was a huge one, with a body that seemed to be made of gold. The figure took a look at the golden lights emanating from within the city and walked towards it.
"Yuan Zhan. Jinxiao City had given strict orders of allowing no one to pass," the ones told the ape as they shimmered about themselves. They watched the huge figure that was about to trespass with serious expressions.
It was Yuan Zhan, and the ape was not something they were capable of stopping.
Yuan Zhan paid them no heed. Every step he took shook the earth like an earthquake. Someone cast spells to attack him, which landed on him with rumbling booms. However, Yuan Zhan did not even bother defending himself. He simply spared a look at the one who had just attacked him. The attacker saw the intense wildness within the ape's eyes, which sent him shivering, and he took a step back without realizing it.
Yuan Zhan of Mount Taixing, a top class genius level figure, whose seniors were the king of Mount Taixing, the one demonic beast who was ranked within the Barren Sky Ranking. He was an extraordinarily powerful being and a peculiar one, as well as one who was acutely protective of his own shortcomings. Yuan Zhan was one of those beings that anyone could least afford to mess with.
Yuan Zhan did not bother doing anything else to the one who attacked him after giving the man the looks. The ape continued moving forward, and no one dared get in his way. They knew none of their efforts would have amounted to anything anyway. Rumbling noises continued to be heard as Yuan Zhan zipped past at frightening speeds. The guards at the gate looked at each other with bitter grins. "So what now?"
"If Yuan Zhan insisted on getting his way. There is simply nothing we can do here. He is obviously after the ruins there. But since Yu Sheng was the one inheriting the ruins' lineage, It would do Yuan Zhan no good getting in there anyway." One of them answered, and everyone nodded in agreement. All there was to left to do was to see how Ye Futian would have dealt with all that.
Yuan Zhan, who took large steps in his way in, arrived shortly near the ruins. Everyone stared at him with big eyes, given how he did not bother to do anything to conceal his presence.
Ye Futian gazed at the demonic beast's silhouette with cold eyes and said, "Did you not hear that Jinxiao City was off-limits?"
"Ning Huang promised me that when the ruins were opened, I was to be allowed to train here. And that was why I handed Jinxiao City to him in the first place," Yuan Zhan answered as he kept his gaze at Ye Futian.
"That was your business with Ning Huang. Jinxiao City belongs to us now," Ye Futian answered coldly.
"I want to see for myself, how powerful are the ones who killed Ning Huang." Yuan Zhan's eyes turned to look at Yu Sheng, eyes filled with wild ferocity.
"Older brother." Ye Futian turned to look at Yi Xiaoshi.
"Capable people are always busy," Yi Xiaoshi murmured and shimmered his plump body forward to face Yuan Zhan.
Yuan Zhan's eyes might have as well rolled seeing Yi Xiaoshi coming forward. The ape felt disdainful. A fat one like him probably doesn't even possess much power in the first place. How is he suppose to fight anyone?
Yuan Zhan raised his palm and terrifying rumble was heard all over the place. An incredibly huge golden palm lashed out at Yi Xiaoshi's direction, overshadowing their air before it with terrifying might.
Yi Xiaoshi remained unfazed. He extended his arm, which kept extending like vines whipping at the palm. His body blinked and a shining trajectory was seen reaching for the air behind the palm, arriving shortly after before Yuan Zhan.
Yi Xiaoshi extended both arms at the same time, which seemed to conjure countless arms in an instant. They reached out and went tangling the huge body of the ape.
Yuan Zhan's arms shook for a bit and shattered the vines entwining them. He then reached out and took hold of the golden vines, pulling them towards him in a jerk, which in turn brought Yi Xiaoshi up.
The incredible force of the pull caused Yi Xiaoshi's body to drop sharply, heading in the ape's direction. Pairs of shadows of arms flickered about in the air as if thousands of arms were born at the same time. Fearsome metal-elemental spiritual qi whipped about as they moved, coalescing into a giant golden palm pressing downwards. Yuan Zhan saw multiple golden palms filling the sky in an instant, attempting to suppress him where he stood. Yi Xiaoshi, whose previous attacks have been comparatively soft ones, struck with incredibly aggressive might with the palms instead, showing that he was indeed capable of blending softness and hardness in his art.
Roar… Yuan Zhan roared and the air before him trembled. He lifted both arms and swung hard at the great golden palm, like some arrogant ape god.
Boom! A crazed metal-elemental might swept about and the air rumbled with it. Yuan Zhan's body was somewhat shaken; a testament of the ferocity of Yi Xiaoshi's attack, which looked way more aggressive than it had suggested.
The countless palms shattered, and Yuan Zhan saw terrifying spears of golden colors followed. They looked to be manifestations of those vines from before, yet were incredibly hard and aggressive instead. The golden spears seemed to be out to pierce anything standing in their way. Yuan Zhan's eyes went on to take a serious look. He stepped hard on the ground and his body shook with overpowering might. A screen of golden light burst forth from his body, like a horrifying torrent out to defend against everything coming at it.
The golden spears zipped at the ape, piercing the seemingly-unbreakable defense and continued on their intended target. A golden staff of spiritual qi was conjured on Yuan Zhan's hand. He whipped the staff at the air before it shortly after.
Ye Futian stepped out from the ruins. His eyes sparkled as he watched the battle rage on before him. Others were doing the same. Their minds were completely shaken as they became aware, that Ye Futian's group was at the moment, the most powerful one in Dawn Road. Yi Xiaoshi had just made it into grade seven Noble Plane, and yet he became capable of facing Yuan Zhan alone.
The attacks of both combatants grew increasingly ferocious and violent. Yuan Zhan's art with a staff was out of this world and demonstrated unparalleled powers.
"Do his staff techniques have a name?" Ye Futian asked Mu Zhiqiu, who had just walked out of the ruins.
"81 Strikes of Heaven-traversing Staff Techniques, of the apes of Mount Taixing. The art bears incredible might, and this is actually the first time I've laid eyes on it personally. From the looks of it, it looks rather similar to how you go about with your staff," Mu Zhiqiu elaborated, looking at Ye Futian.
"Heaven-traversing Staff Techniques eh?" Sparkles were seen in Ye Futian's eyes. His techniques with the staff were named by Senior Snow Ape to be Nine Heavenly Attacks. And Senior Snow Ape was of the apes as well.
Ye Futian activated his Freedom Meditation abilities and watched the staff techniques demonstrated by Yuan Zhan. It was more than looking similar. He was able to feel somewhat that the Nine Heavenly Attacks were actually an evolved version of the Heaven-traversing Staff Techniques instead.
"Seventh elder brother, we're done here," Ye Futian shouted at Yi Xiaoshi. The plump man retreated and left the battlefield soon, feeling rather let down. However, it was clear that Yuan Zhan's powers were formidable. Had he not been training and making breakthroughs in the ruins, one whack from the ape's staff would probably have left him lying on the floor. While Mo Jun was a formidable figure himself, he nonetheless paled in comparison to Yuan Zhan who seemed to be something made of gold.
Yuan Zhan turned to look at Ye Futian, and Ye Futian returned the gaze, asking, "No need to try any further. If you were to face me under the same circumstances, you'd definitely lose."
"How arrogant." Yuan Zhan eyed Ye Futian for a bit.
"Have a closer look." The Five Element Rod appeared in Ye Futian's hand, which then transformed into a golden rod. Golden lights flowed about him as he leaped soon after. The Five Element Rod went burst as it attacked, bringing incredible might to bear.
At the very moment, the Five Element Rod burst forth, Yuan Zhan's eyes were simply fixed. He watched as Ye Futian whipped about with the rod, while his eyes never left Ye Futian for even a second.
Many who witnessed the battle felt shaken as well. How did Ye Futian come to know Yuan Zhan's way with the staff? What Ye Futian was demonstrating, was none other than the Heaven-traversing Staff Techniques.
Ye Futian stopped shortly after, and Yuan Zhan asked coldly, "Where did you steal those techniques from?"
Yuan Zhan took a step forward as soon as he was done talking. A golden staff materialized in his hand bearing an aggressive aura. Yi Xiaoshi was just about to interfere when he saw the Five Element Rod in Ye Futian's hand was replaced with the Polearm of Divine Destruction. Heavy pressures were felt around him as stars shimmered about. Saint lights flowed about him as a bearing like none other was manifested about him.
Boom. Yuan Zhan took a ferocious stance as he leaped in Ye Futian's direction. The Heaven-traversing Staff Techniques went for Ye Futian's head with frightening aura.
Starlight shimmered about Ye Futian and an even more fearsome aura burst forth. He too took a step forward and went with a heavy blow. Shimmering mirages coalesced into that one strike of his, which looked as if it could have split the heavens and the earth.
Boom… The air shook and terrifying storms were conjured. Ye Futian's body was thrown off and his arms felt numb. What terrifying might indeed. Yuan Zhan was thrown off as well as his body glided in the air. He was unable to come out on top at all with that one hit.
Ye Futian was able to fight Mo Jun before he was able to make it to the next plane. As he made it to grade nine of Arcana Plane, his powers became comparable to top class geniuses on the Holy Road with the help of the Polearm of Divine Destruction. However, if his opponent was to carry a ritual implement equal in power to his, he might not have looked as powerful.
Yuan Zhan's golden eyes glared at Ye Futian as he asked, "What technique was that?" He had practiced the Heaven-traversing Staff Techniques since he was young, and no one was more familiar with that art with a staff than the apes. While Ye Futian had only launched one strike, Yuan Zhan was able to tell that it was something that had evolved from the Heaven-traversing Staff Techniques.
"Come with me." Ye Futian stepped forward, as he had something to ask Yuan Zhan as well.
There were others who wanted to go with them but were stopped by Yi Xiaoshi. "There is hardly anyone who can harm little brother on the Holy Road now." They nodded in agreement, as they came to realize that Ye Futian of that very moment was no longer the Ye Futian who had just landed on the Dawn Road.
Ye Futian walked alone to a place with Yuan Zhan. Yuan Zhan's eyes never left Ye Futian, and he felt that Ye Futian had something going on with the apes.
"If you want to know where my staff techniques came from, there are some questions I need to be answered first." Ye Futain looked at Yuan Zhan and continued, "What kind of staff techniques were the Heaven-traversing Staff Techniques?"
"Techniques passed down throughout the line of apes." Yuan Zhan continued to eye Ye Futian. The answer he gave was never a secret.
"Where did golden great apes come from, and how did they end up in Barren State?" Ye Futian asked again. Yuan Zhan continued to eye Ye Futian, this time, without giving an answer.
"If you want answers on that staff technique, you need to answer my questions," Ye Futian continued.
"You swear?" Yuan Zhan asked, with his eyes fixed on Ye Futian.
"I swear." Ye Futian nodded.
"I will have to kill you if you are not telling me anything." Yuan Zhan said with a cold tone, "The golden great apes were a branch of the apes. I heard from my predecessors that the apes came from the demon world. The apes were led by the Snow Ape Emperor back then, following Emperor Ye Qing as he built his empire. The Snow Ape Emperor seemed to have sensed something untoward was about to happen sometime after that and had the apes who were lacking in martial training to lead the younger ones, to spread across the Divine Prefecture. Something happened to Emperor Ye Qing later. The Snow Ape Emperor disappeared, and the strongest among the apes were wiped out in a genocide. Only those who spread across the realm survived. Of course, that was only because the leaders did not bother settling the score or whatever, or else, where apes were found in this realm, there would have been golden great apes among them." He would not have told Ye Futian such things if his hands were not forced.
Ye Futian shook slightly. The gentle figure he remembered became something unimaginable. He would have never expected the gentle Snow Ape was an emperor of the apes. He then remembered what Senior Snow Ape looked like when he faced those divine generals—a figure of regal bearing, a true king.