The old woman Ji Hui swept her gaze across the many cultivators, and upon seeing Ye Fan, she immediately cried out in shock: “It’s you… how can this be?!”

“You nasty old hag — how are your eyes so sharp?” Ye Fan resigned himself to the situation and stepped forward in large strides. There was no escaping now — he was trapped within the Carefree Sect.

“You… you’re actually still alive?” Ji Hui’s face was full of disbelief. She could barely bring herself to accept it.

“Even an old dried-up widow like you hasn’t died yet — how could I possibly have fallen?!” Ye Fan was genuinely disgruntled. He had resolved crisis after crisis and slipped away from one dangerous situation after another — only to encounter this disaster right at the moment he was about to leave.

“Your grandfather’s—! I’ve made it through ninety-nine of the hundred steps, and now at the very last trembling moment — of all the people to run into, it had to be you lot?!” Ye Fan looked to the sky in speechless exasperation.

“It’s him — that little thief is actually here!”

“Truly astonishing — fell into the sixth layer of the fire domain and didn’t get burned to death, and now here he is again, lively as ever.”

The Ji Family’s renowned cultivators were all deeply shocked. None of them could have imagined they would see Ye Fan again — a youth who in their eyes had long since turned to ash, appearing before them alive and well.

“Little creature — how did you survive?” Ji Hui’s killing intent was fully exposed, her eyes radiating cold light.

“You shameless old thing — call me ‘young master’ and I’ll tell you.” At this point, Ye Fan had nothing left to fear.

All around, everyone now knew Ye Fan’s identity. All showed expressions of shock.

More than half a year ago, Ye Fan’s name had spread throughout this entire region. He had shouted and bellowed, telling Ji Family renowned cultivators to get lost — making himself the public enemy of the Ji Family’s younger generation. They had pursued him throughout the world, yet ultimately failed to kill him with their own hands, only chasing him into the fire domain.

Now, more than half a year later, here he was again, alive and kicking. This was a genuine slap to the Ji Family’s face.

Not being able to catch the Peacock King was already one thing — but even this mere youth hadn’t been killed, and had now surfaced again. What face did the Ji Family have left?

Everyone erupted in an uproar, each person staring wide-eyed and dumbstruck.

“Clatter!”

The several hundred cultivators on the altar all retreated, leaving Ye Fan standing on it alone. Clearly there would be no crossing the void now.

The Carefree Sect’s people looked at each other in bewilderment, unsure what to do. Someone hurried off to inform the sect leader and Supreme Elders.

The expressions of the Ji Family’s people all darkened.

“Your life is truly great, little creature — even the fire domain could not take it.” Ji Hui pressed forward. The others closed in from all four directions — there was absolutely no possibility of him leaving now.

“You spiteful, ungrateful, snobbish old thing!” Ye Fan was calculating in his mind. Unless the absolute last moment came, he would not give up.

“No wonder Ziyue has stopped being so upset these past days — she must have known you weren’t dead…” Ji Hui’s expression grew even more unpleasant.

“Do you want to know why I didn’t die?” Ye Fan swept his gaze across everyone present.

Every person looked toward him — including the Ji Family’s Supreme Elder, without exception. He had only become a Ji Family Supreme Elder thirty years ago, and even he had to be exceptionally careful when entering the sixth layer of the fire domain.

“I was rescued by a great cultivator who escaped the fire domain — one who had once received guidance from my sworn brother, the Old Madman.” Ye Fan spoke without the slightest shame or embarrassment.

Many people knew he had cultivated the Old Madman’s footwork techniques. The Ji Family’s people naturally understood — he was trying to invoke the Old Madman’s name for protection.

“Little creature — invoking anyone’s name is useless here!” Ji Hui’s face was ice-cold. “A thoroughly deranged old man — even if he were an immortal, what of it? Today I will cut you into ten thousand pieces.”

“Everyone — you all heard it. She is insulting the sole surviving madman of the Heavenly Jade Holy Land…” Ye Fan called out loudly.

The Ji Family’s Supreme Elder seemed to have misgivings, and shot a glance at Ji Hui. “Do not speak recklessly!”

“He’s already completely mad — what can he do to us? Today we’ll slay this little creature, search his soul, and find that footwork technique. Our Ji Family will have gained one more supreme secret art.” Ji Hui muttered in a voice too low for others to hear.

Ye Fan was close to her — while others couldn’t hear it, he heard it crystal-clear. “Not only do you repay kindness with enmity — you want to steal my secret art as well. You vile and shameless old widow!”

“Little creature!” Ji Hui’s face turned iron-gray. One palm swept forward.

Ye Fan had not yet brought forth the cauldron — revealing it too early would leave him without any hope at all.

Whoosh!

Fast as his speed was, he could not dodge a massive palm that covered the sky — blanketing the heavens, utterly unavoidable.

Boom!

The palm crashed down and sent him flying. Had his cultivation not advanced significantly in recent times, with his physique being terrifyingly hard, he would have been smashed to pieces by that single palm.

“I won’t slap you to death, little creature — I still need the Old Madman’s supreme footwork technique. I’ll make you wish you were dead!” Ji Hui’s face was ferocious, her voice extremely faint. Only the Ji Family’s people could hear it — other cultivators could barely make it out.

Boom!

Ji Hui struck again. Her massive palm closed over the sky and came smashing down hard.

Ye Fan was still enduring it, not bringing forth the cauldron, dodging passively.

“Little creature — I’m going to give you a thorough thrashing…” Ji Hui smiled with eerie coldness. “Why won’t you run?”

“Do not harm his body.” At that very moment, the Ji Family’s Supreme Elder Ji Changkong stopped Ji Hui. “Haoyue once told me that this young man’s physique is exceedingly special. Do not slay him — let me examine him carefully.”

Ji Changkong, vast as a great mountain and profound as an abyss — impossible to fathom. He reached out a hand and drew Ye Fan over to him, as easily as picking a flower or plucking a leaf.

Ye Fan’s heart turned cold, yet he made no rash movement. He was still waiting.

Ji Changkong did not restrain Ye Fan. Powerful as he was, facing a Far Shore realm cultivator, it was truly like looking down at an ant — there was no need to even bother.

He directly probed toward Ye Fan’s Bitter Sea. The moment he made contact, his expression changed on the spot. He cried out in disbelief: “How can this be?!”

All around — whether the Ji Family’s people, the Carefree Sect’s renowned cultivators, or the cultivators who had been about to cross the void — all showed expressions of shock and looked toward him and Ye Fan.

That the Ji Family’s Supreme Elder had lost his composure to such a degree — what kind of physique could this be? Every person’s heart was shaken, desperately wanting to know.

“This little creature is truly a monstrosity!” Ji Changkong was shaken to the extreme, his face covered in an expression of astonishment. “If this vile young creature had appeared before the Primordial Era, our Ji Family might truly have faced great trouble. But now… he won’t amount to anything.”

“What physique does he have?” Beside him, a Ji Family renowned cultivator asked.

“It is the Ancient Sacred Body recorded in the ancient texts — in ages without end past, this physique was peerless in the world, with no one able to match it under heaven. Even the Desolate Pagoda needed to suppress it for several years before it could put it to death.” Ji Changkong sighed again and again. “I never expected this vile young creature to have such a physique — truly astonishing.”

“This…”

Everyone was stunned. None had expected Ye Fan to have a physique like this. Yet most people quickly came to understand — the Sacred Body had already become a thing of the past, now merely another name for a crippled physique. The Eastern Wasteland’s divine bodies had already risen.

“This vile creature is truly beyond my expectations.” The Ji Family’s Supreme Elder showed a trace of curious expression. “That he could cultivate to the Far Shore realm is truly no small feat. Extract his source and bring it back — it should allow Haoyue’s divine body to ascend another level.”

Ji Changkong said “vile creature” with every other breath, filling Ye Fan’s heart with suppressed fury — he very much wanted to slap this old face.

The people all around changed expression. Only the Ji Family’s people were delighted.

“The physique of this vile creature is so powerful — truly astonishing.” After probing Ye Fan’s physique, Ji Changkong’s face was continuously covered in astonishment. “There seems to be a rare treasure in his Wheel Sea — let me see what it is!”

Ye Fan laughed coldly inwardly, standing still without moving, letting this ancient fossil work his arts.

Ji Changkong spread five fingers wide, like a dragon’s claw reaching out. In that instant, a mighty radiance burst forth — an irresistible and wondrous power!

Ye Fan did not resist. On the contrary, he was very cooperative, bringing forth the cauldron.

Without a sound, the small cauldron appeared in the void. Ji Changkong grabbed it with one hand — and immediately cried out in shock, even more astonished than a moment before.

Within the cauldron, a misty haze swirled. Dark-yellow qi flowed, sealed at the cauldron’s mouth.

“Primal energy of all things — no — the primal energy source root of all things!” Powerful as he was, even his divine sense was lost. This kind of peerlessly rare sacred treasure, which had only ever appeared in myths and ancient history, filled him with excitement beyond all measure.

“I would never have expected it — this little vile creature has actually obtained a sacred treasure of primordial origin! Hahaha…” Ji Changkong could not contain himself, and laughed loudly toward the sky.

The people around him were deeply shaken, every gaze fixed on that cauldron.

The Ji Family’s many renowned cultivators crowded forward together to look it over, every one of them wishing to touch it with their own hands.

Ji Changkong wanted to examine this cauldron carefully. He wanted to set the primal energy of all things flowing — not to remain blocked at the cauldron’s mouth.

At this very moment, Ye Fan also moved. He directly channeled the cauldron, lifting the primal energy seal at the cauldron’s mouth.

Boom!

In that instant, a sound like a roaring tidal wave rang out. A blinding, dazzling radiance drowned the entire scene.

A wave of searing heat made the many cultivators in the distance feel their very souls trembling — all of them were alarmed and rapidly retreated.

Even so, some cultivators were still reduced to ash.

At this moment, the center of the scene was a mass of brilliant radiance — five-colored light shooting into the heavens, as though the gates of the immortal realm had been thrown open. Five-colored cloud-flames surged and billowed, enveloping all of heaven and earth.

This was an unimaginable, terrifying power. The five-colored light had become the sole presence between heaven and earth, blazing and burning!

Within the seventh layer of the fire domain, Ye Fan had collected no one knew how much fire energy. The cauldron could expand and contract, capable of storing an entire stone forest within it. Its interior space was jaw-dropping. At this moment it was filled to the brim with five-colored cloud-flames — not a single bit of space wasted.

To release all those flames at once was an utter catastrophe.

It must be understood that these were terrifying fire energies capable of burning even great figures alive!

“Ahh—!”

The Ji Family’s Supreme Elder Ji Changkong let out a scream of agony, completely becoming a man of fire. He shot into the sky, struggling desperately.

More than a dozen of the Ji Family’s renowned cultivators were reduced to ash on the spot — unable to even struggle for a single moment.

“I’m going all out!” Ye Fan’s eyes blazed with divine brilliance. He grabbed the jade purification vial and poured divine spring into his mouth, frantically channeling the cauldron. The endless blazing flames were all concentrated directly onto Ji Changkong.

Boom!

The Ji Family’s great figure could withstand the cauldron’s crushing strike — but he could not withstand these flames. The five-colored cloud-flames were gathered by the cauldron and poured entirely onto him, completely drowning him.

He had been a Ji Family Supreme Elder for only thirty years — making him the weakest of the Ji Family’s great figures.

The purple flames of the sixth layer alone were already capable of posing a threat of life and death to a great figure. Ye Fan had witnessed with his own eyes the many human-shaped ash figures left there. The flames of the seventh layer — they were deadly beyond all question.

One could only lament Ji Changkong’s fate. Once enveloped by the five-colored cloud-flames, formidable as he was, he let out cries that tore heart and lung apart. There was simply no way to extinguish them. His divine power was completely ignited. His entire body was covered in fire — every inch of skin charred and scorched, his bones burned through, his divine soul itself beginning to extinguish.

“Ahh—!” He let out a shrill wail. “These are the legendary Five Elemental True Flames!”

Hearing that name, the many cultivators in the distance felt a chill run through them. The horror of the Five Elemental True Flames was beyond imagining — as long as one was within the five elements, one would be burned to ash. There was no extinguishing them, no way to resist!

“Ahh—!” Ji Changkong was reduced to a piece of charred wood, falling to the ground and continuing to writhe.

And of the other Ji Family renowned cultivators, more than half had been reduced to ash. Only a few who had been standing further away managed to escape disaster.

Several others had half their bodies burned. The Five Elemental True Flames could not be extinguished — desperate to survive, they gritted their teeth and severed their own half-burned bodies, rolling in agony in the distance.

Everyone was horrified. This was too terrifying.

At the same time, they were stunned beyond measure. Ye Fan, a mere youth with cultivation that was not particularly overwhelming, was about to burn the Ji Family’s Supreme Elder alive — this would absolutely shake the entire Southern Region.

“First there was the Peacock King, then Crow Daoist — both slaying your Ji Family’s great figures. Today I join their ranks!” Ye Fan called out loudly.

He drank deeply of the divine spring, continuously channeling the cauldron, concentrating all the flames onto Ji Changkong.

Not far away, Ji Hui’s lower body had been completely charred. She bit through her teeth and severed it herself — her divine power nearly burned dry — but she had managed to preserve her life.

“You nasty old hag — you got what you deserved!” Ye Fan was about to advance toward her.

The other few Ji Family renowned cultivators who had escaped disaster quickly reached out and moved Ji Hui far away.

At the same moment, a great shout rang out from the distant sky: “Who dares cause havoc in my Carefree Sect?!”

The Carefree Sect’s sect leader and Supreme Elders had been alarmed.

Ye Fan looked at Ji Changkong — seeing him turned to charred wood, his divine soul on the verge of extinction — he knew that even if an immortal descended to the world, this great figure could not be saved now.

He stepped in his supreme footwork technique, arriving before the altar in an instant. He placed a large quantity of source energy beneath the altar platform. The Dao patterns had already been inscribed — as long as there was source energy to provide power, the domain gate could be opened.

Ye Fan rose into the air and stood at the center of the altar.

A vast pulse of energy spread forth. Divine radiance shot into the heavens. The domain gate opened — space was torn asunder!

Ye Fan plunged straight in, beginning to cross the void.

When the Carefree Sect’s sect leader arrived and saw all of this, his mind roared and thundered. This was an event of the gravest magnitude!

He felt a sudden headache coming on. More than a dozen Ji Family renowned cultivators had been burned to ash. A great figure had been burned alive into a charred husk. This would absolutely shake the entire Southern Region.

The Ji Family was certain to go berserk. In less than a year, three Supreme Elders had died in succession. The Southern Region was certain to be swept by towering, earth-shaking waves.

“Quickly — destroy the altar! We cannot let him escape!” Someone shouted loudly.

Instantly, beams of radiance shot toward the altar one after another. With a thunderous boom, the altar crumbled and shattered, becoming a sky full of drifting dust.

The void shattered — yet no one came tumbling out.

“He was delayed for a period of time. He’s probably already tens of thousands of li away.”

“The void has shattered — with his level of cultivation, he’s most likely been ground to dust.”

Ye Fan had prepared in advance. The very instant he stepped into the void, he had entered his cauldron. He had long since anticipated that something like this would happen.

Therefore, when the void collapsed, he was safely unharmed inside the cauldron refined from the primal energy source root of all things.

“That despicable little creature!” The Ji Family’s surviving renowned cultivators all raised their heads and howled toward the sky.

This matter would inevitably shake the Southern Region and spread throughout all under heaven.

Without a doubt — the tempest was about to begin!