Yan City — ancient in its history. Dynasty after dynasty had risen and fallen on this land, most choosing to establish their capitals here. From time immemorial it had been the center of this entire region.
The rise and fall of a dynasty was a momentous event in the eyes of ordinary people, but cultivators paid it little mind. Some powerful individuals might witness nine dynastic cycles within a single lifetime.
The ancient city walls bore the marks of time’s long passage. Sword scars and blade holes bore witness to the succession of rise and fall across every dynasty.
Ye Fan had released various smoke screens, coughing blood as he entered Yan City — naturally it was all a fabrication. He wanted to draw out a deeply cunning enemy, then kill them once they arrived in Yan City.
The fact that the other party had sent peak-level powerful combatants to assassinate him was proof enough of how fearsome they were: they had a half-step Mighty Being protecting their path!
Perhaps the dead gaunt old man had not been a true body at all, but merely a humanoid weapon. This was a conjecture of Li Ruoyu’s, since that corpse had been far too old.
With such a powerful figure protecting their path, Ye Fan had no desire to take risks in a direct confrontation. The only option was to set a trap, lure the opponent out, and kill them from outside — that was the most appropriate course.
He had reasoned that the other party, having obtained the inheritance of the ruthless man of the Northern Region, was absolutely determined to obtain the Sacred Physique’s original source. Upon learning that he was about to enter the Ancient Forbidden Land, they would certainly come — otherwise the opportunity might never arise again.
Though an apex-level expert protected their path, the demonic art a half-step Mighty Being cultivated could not bear the light of day. Such a person appearing in Yan City would inevitably draw the eradication efforts of the several great Holy Lands and the Supreme Great Sects of the Central Continent.
Ye Fan was borrowing the power of others. The several Supreme Sects needing to harvest immortality divine medicine had gathered in Yan City, sufficient to deter any half-step Mighty Being and prevent them from daring to show themselves.
If the ruthless man’s inheritance surfaced here, it would surely cause tremendous upheaval. It could swallow the original sources of other physiques — this was something the entire world would move together to destroy. In their era, the ruthless man had been opposed by all under heaven; his path had been even harder than that of the Beginningless Great Emperor. One person standing alone against all of heaven and earth.
Whether in the Central Continent or the Eastern Wastelands, any cultivator would join in attacking such an inheritance. This legacy violated the harmony of heaven — requiring the slaughter of other cultivators to strengthen oneself — and could not be tolerated by any sect in this world.
“I will vanish from this world. Let’s see if you can keep still — if you dare to prey upon a physique you believe to be dying, I will kill you until not a drop of your blood remains!”
Ye Fan himself was deeply wary of this kind of inheritance. It was too monstrously powerful — capable of endlessly strengthening oneself. If the original sources of all the world’s great kings were gathered in one body, how powerful would that make a person?
Every time he thought about this question, wave after wave of chills would run through him. He truly had no idea how powerful that ruthless man of the past had actually become after ascending to Great Emperor.
The ruthless man’s inheritance and weapons had the undying old devil known as the Black Emperor drooling every single day — his craving had gone on for not just a day or two.
“I wonder what kind of sparks would fly if the Beginningless Great Emperor and the ruthless man had lived in the same era. Both were heaven-defying monsters constantly struck by heavenly lightning…”
Ye Fan mused to himself. He yearned for such a grand age. To be able to witness those two ancient Great Emperors with his own eyes would truly be an honor.
A pity that from antiquity to the present — whether in the Central Continent, the Southern Range, the Northern Plain, the Western Desert, or the Eastern Wastelands — two Great Emperors had never been born in the same era.
Perhaps ascending to the position of Great Emperor was simply too difficult. After all, only a handful of such people had ever existed throughout all of history. Yet Ye Fan still harbored doubt in his heart, always feeling it was not quite so simple.
From antiquity until the present, through boundless ages, countless billions upon billions of living beings had been born — was it truly possible that not even two people with the bearing of a Great Emperor had ever appeared in the same era?
“Could it be connected to this world itself?” Ye Fan muttered to himself. He thought of many things, yet could not truly understand.
After finishing all his preparations, Ye Fan walked along the main street and came to an inn situated next to Zhang Wenchang’s small tavern.
“Xiao Nannan…”
Ye Fan desperately wanted to see the little girl. If not for her seven-colored small stone, he most likely would have died in the Ancient Forbidden Land this time — there would have been no possibility of surviving.
Yet he knew he certainly could not see her for the time being. He had already heard from Zhang Wenchang that Xiao Nannan had been taken away by a woman.
Zhang Wenchang had not seen the woman. Ye Fan speculated it was Ye Huiling. He had come here only to verify this, and upon entering the inn he found the proprietor and immediately searched his sea of consciousness.
Ye Fan felt a pang of heartache. During this period, Xiao Nannan had apparently fallen ill repeatedly, constantly murmuring about a little stone. The inn’s staff had been frightened, fearing she might die there, and had several times wanted to drive her out.
“This is…” Through searching the inn proprietor’s memories, Ye Fan discovered an astonishing fact: each time Xiao Nannan fell gravely ill coincided exactly with the times he had used the seven-colored small stone.
Especially when he had held the stone while ascending the sacred mountain for the first time and it had gone dim and lightless — Xiao Nannan had fallen gravely ill and nearly died. This filled him with tremendous guilt.
“This small stone cannot come to any harm — Xiao Nannan cannot be separated from it!” Ye Fan was alarmed. Even though the seven-colored small stone was currently brilliant and lustrous, he still placed it into the jade vial of divine spring water to nourish it.
Right up until he left, Ye Fan remained plagued with doubt. Had it really been Ye Huiling who had taken Xiao Nannan? He had searched through every person in the inn’s memories without finding a single clue. There was only a mist — someone had deliberately erased all traces.
“By the timeline it should be Ye Huiling, yet shortly afterward she and Wang Chongxiao were attacked and ambushed, and have been missing ever since without reappearing. Where exactly did they go?”
Yan City was in a state of roiling upheaval. Senior-generation powerful figures appeared and disappeared; young-generation geniuses showed themselves and drew abundant discussion. Every day brought no shortage of news.
On this day, the Holy Son of Shimmering Light arrived — drawing exceptional attention. He was a figure virtually without equal in the young generation, favored by all, with many people considering him comparable to a Great Emperor in his younger years.
The immortal Yao Xi also appeared. The two of them looked like a perfectly matched pair — captivating in bearing and manner, drawing eyes from every direction.
“The Holy Son of Shimmering Light truly has the bearing of a great figure — magnanimous in spirit, harboring no old grudges. He came all this way specifically to visit the dying Sacred Physique.”
“He perhaps harbors some regret. He wishes to walk the path of the ancient Great Emperors, and the Sacred Physique has been the best whetstone for him — a great enemy who must be defeated. It is a pity that this opponent is now about to leave this world.”
People’s evaluation of the Holy Son of Shimmering Light was extraordinarily high. Many senior-generation figures believed that he would inevitably ascend to the pinnacle in the future and look down upon the Eastern Wastelands.
On the same day, Ji Haoyue of the Divine King Physique also arrived. The Divine King Physique was called the King of the Eastern Wastelands — there was simply no need to question it. He was naturally a focal figure in everyone’s eyes.
The peerless Divine King Jiang Taixu had been trapped within the Purple Mountain for four thousand years, nearly exhausted to the dregs — yet the moment he emerged, he swept all under heaven with no one able to withstand his edge. This alone was sufficient to show how terrifying the Divine King Physique was.
If Ji Haoyue could grow and mature without meeting a catastrophe like the one that befell the divine king Jiang, his future path would undoubtedly be incomparably brilliant and radiant.
By his side was the Ji Family’s little moon, Ji Ziyue — bright eyes and white teeth, with small dimples on her face that gave the impression of someone lively and clever. She too attracted considerable discussion.
“I have heard that Ji Ziyue is also a special physique. In the past, the great ability Nangong Zheng actually wanted to take her as his disciple.”
“Nangong Zheng’s lifespan is nearly exhausted. Some say he followed dozens of living fossils from the Eastern Wastelands into the Bronze Immortal Palace — unknown whether it’s true or false.”
Ji Haoyue of the Divine King Physique only watched Ye Fan from afar and did not formally approach. His expression was calm, without any indication of intent.
Ji Ziyue’s eyes brimmed with tears. She wanted to go over, but Ji Haoyue held her arm firmly, not allowing her to advance a single step.
“I just want to go look, I won’t say anything. He’s about to die…” The Ji Family’s little moon watched Ye Fan coughing blood and could not hold back her tears.
“You can only watch. You cannot go over. He did kill a member of our clan, even if I myself was not fond of that ancestral great-aunt.” Ji Haoyue refused to release his grip. His expression was blank as he warned her: “Being too kind makes it easy to get hurt!”
Ye Fan wandered aimlessly along the main street, naturally sensing the siblings behind him. His expression remained calm; he did not look back, only letting out a quiet sigh.
Though Ji Haoyue had not come forward, the Holy Son of Shimmering Light did. His complexion was serene, his teeth very white, giving a radiant impression. His entire being flowed with a faint golden brilliance.
“Brother Ye, shall we sit down for a chat?” The Holy Son of Shimmering Light’s very hair strands flowed with golden light, like a son of the sun deity.
Ye Fan was momentarily startled. He had not expected him to be the first to seek him out. He unconsciously rubbed his chin and pondered for a moment, then gestured an invitation.
Yao Xi stood nearby — graceful and swaying, standing tall and slender, stepping with lotus-like elegance, her beauty captivating, making many people unable to help but watch.
“The Holy Son of Shimmering Light gathering with the End-Day Sacred Physique — I think this scene will be spoken of for many years to come. One wonders whose regret it will ultimately be.” On the main street, pedestrians came and went in a continuous stream. A cultivator who witnessed this scene spoke those words.
In a very quiet teahouse, Ye Fan sat across from the Holy Son of Shimmering Light and Yao Xi. They had been great enemies, yet here they sat together — both parties feeling a rather peculiar sensation.
“Brother Ye need not be pessimistic. Perhaps you can survive this tribulation, and from then onward the sea is vast enough for fish to leap and the sky is high enough for birds to soar.” The Holy Son of Shimmering Light spoke.
Ye Fan said: “In the Northern Region, that divine physician once said that if I cut away my own cultivation, I should be able to live. I may yet make such a choice.”
The Holy Son of Shimmering Light immediately laughed. “Based on my understanding of Brother Ye,” he said, “you would sooner die than make such a choice.”
These words immediately sent a jolt through Ye Fan’s heart. Even after the Holy Son of Shimmering Light and Yao Xi had departed, Ye Fan was still murmuring to himself: “Why was he the first to seek me out?”
Ye Fan sat quietly for three days in an inn in Yan City. In the deep of this particular night, a world-shaking killing intent suddenly surged to the heavens. Three silhouettes appeared — like three eternally undying divine furnaces — their life energy matchlessly powerful as they charged into his room.
The entire inn was reduced to powder in that instant. Under such a terrifying wave of energy, all structures simply ceased to exist.
The leader was a full ten feet tall — tiger-backed and bear-waisted, with a grand and robust build. Enormous strength radiated from him; his black hair flew wildly, and he wielded a crescent halberd, seemingly capable of tearing this entire realm apart.
He possessed an unparalleled surging blood energy that transformed into a true dragon surging up into the night sky, blood-light enveloping his body. Like a demon god descending into the world, he swung his great halberd down in a cleaving motion.
In that instant the entire world was split apart — like a ferocious beast of the primordial era emerging from the abyss, like a world-transcending sacred spirit walking out of one of the seven great life restricted zones. Incomparably terrifying.
“Clang!”
Ye Fan swung his golden fist to meet it, crashing against the crescent halberd to produce a heaven-shaking sound that echoed throughout the entire sky above Yan City.
Ye Fan’s heart tightened. The weapon this person wielded was interwoven with the laws of heaven and earth, and its bearer was incomparably powerful himself. This was a formidable enemy.
“BOOM!”
Beside him, yet another person struck. The momentum was equally terrifying, if anything surpassing the first — a man almost like a demon deity, his long purple hair flying wildly, as though a divine being had descended to the mortal realm.
He brought forth an ancient pagoda, pressing it down as a suppressing weapon. His deep eyes flickered with bizarre purple brilliance; the momentum was horrifying. Before it even landed, the earth had already cracked open!
The ancient pagoda had nine levels; Great Dao markings flashed upon it. It was unquestionably a weapon interwoven with Dao and principle. Before it even fell, it had already caused the earth to split open!
“Clang!”
Ye Fan fought this heavy weapon with bare hands. His golden great hand transformed into a golden heavenly stele, Dao markings flowing across it, striking against the ancient pagoda with a sound that shook throughout Yan City.
“Could I have guessed wrong…” A cloud of doubt rose in Ye Fan’s heart.
“BOOM!”
A third terrifying aura came bearing down — like the Milky Way falling from the ninth heaven. This was a woman of flower-like beauty. She extended a delicate jade hand in a graceful sweep, and dazzling light came rushing forward.
Ye Fan gave a cold laugh. Were they attempting to engage him in close-combat battle? His right hand transformed into a golden Dao stele, runes flickering as though representing the will of heaven and earth, striking downward.
“Hum!”
Suddenly, behind that brilliant radiance, this woman produced a black jar in her hand, transforming it into a black hole intent on swallowing him whole.
Ye Fan’s heart lurched. Yet another powerful combatant — truly a formidable enemy, absolutely no weaker than the previous two. This jar looked incredibly familiar.
“An imitation of the Ancient Heaven-Devouring Demon Jar — interwoven with Dao and principle…” Ye Fan’s heart gave a start. Even stronger than Tu Fei’s jar.
“Could I have truly guessed wrong?!” Doubt filled him. His entire being blazed with golden blood energy shooting to the heavens as he fought the three powerful combatants with bare hands.
This battle stirred many powerful figures in Yan City. Numerous cultivators rushed toward this location, astonished. When had these three apex young combatants appeared?