Ants and dragons have no common ground; dandelion seeds and clouds in the sky rarely cross paths — they exist in different worlds, forever unaware of each other.

Back when Ye Fan first embarked on the path of cultivation, cultivators at the Life Spring realm seemed unreachably high above him, and cultivators at the Dao Palace realm were nearly invisible to him. Now, the Wheel Sea and Dao Palace realms lay far behind him — he could look down upon cultivators at the Four Extremes realm and meet those at the Dragon Transformation realm as equals.

Different realms, different identities, different journeys — this is an experience everyone goes through. Standing at different heights, what one encounters naturally differs.

Ye Fan and Pang Bo discussed at length but still couldn’t decide how to handle these thirty-some young geniuses. Taking them along was simply too much to manage, yet where could they possibly send them?

The small town was quiet, its streets lined with moon trees. Each night, the crescent-shaped leaves would emit a soft, gentle glow, along with a faint fragrance drifting through the air — a very pleasant place to live.

Deep in the night, a light breeze blew, rustling the moon trees, their swaying branches casting a hazy radiance, fragrance wafting through the windows.

Yet Ye Fan suddenly felt a jolt of unease in his heart. He abruptly sat up from his bed, standing by the window and gazing out at the street below.

A dark shadow walked forward from the main street, each step firm yet remarkably light, landing without a sound — yet carrying an extremely dangerous aura, as though some primordial ferocious beast were closing in.

At this moment, Pang Bo and the others also woke with a start, all rising to investigate.

Silently, without a sound, over twenty figures appeared from the four directions surrounding the small town, converging together, each exuding killing intent. They no longer bothered concealing themselves.

“Let’s go, we need to leave immediately!”

Ye Fan gathered up the thirty-some children into the Jade Purity Vase, having the Black Emperor summon the Mysterious Jade Platform, preparing to cross the void. The intruders were powerful, their killing intent bone-chilling — there might be no way to withstand them.

“Not good, something’s gone terribly wrong!” the Black Emperor suddenly cried out in alarm.

“What happened?” Pang Bo’s heart skipped a beat.

“We can’t cross the void!” The Black Emperor grew anxious, having attempted several times without success.

“Why would that be?” Tu Fei asked, well aware of the Great Black Dog’s mastery in the art of formations — it seemed almost impossible for anyone to counter it.

“It must be that those people outside are carrying a forbidden artifact, likely refined using that intricate ancient method from before the Wastes era, capable of sealing the void.” The Black Emperor sensed something was terribly wrong.

“It’s the Yin-Yang Sect’s people.” Ye Huiling made this judgment.

“They truly are relentless, actually pursuing us all the way here.” Pang Bo frowned.

“We’ll break through and avoid that particular person.” Ye Fan pointed toward the first shadow that had appeared on the street, as deep and unfathomable as an abyss.

“Heh heh…” Before they could act, a silvery bell-like laughter drifted through the night sky. A woman stepped forward, walking upon moonlight, radiance flowing beneath the moon’s glow, saying, “Don’t even think about escaping.”

“The Yin-Yang Sect’s Holy Maiden.” Ye Huiling said softly, then withdrew into the shadows, altering her aura, her appearance growing blurred — she had no wish to be recognized.

“It was this older sister who took Nannan away, but later on she grew to dislike me…” Xiao Nannan said, feeling somewhat wronged.

“That’s because she has no eyes to recognize true worth. She couldn’t compare to you even after cultivating for a hundred lifetimes.” The Great Black Dog spoke rather bluntly.

Ye Fan smiled and gently patted Xiao Nannan’s head, saying, “You’re so adorable, everyone likes you — except for those bad people.”

“Ye Fan, I know you’re in there. Come out.” The Yin-Yang Sect’s Holy Maiden appeared to be in the prime of her youth, strikingly beautiful, graceful and elegant. Her smile was captivating, yet it carried an undertone of killing intent.

“You arrived quite quickly.” Ye Fan responded coldly, harboring genuine killing intent toward this woman.

Previously, he had left a piece of jade on Xiao Nannan’s person, recording fragments of memories for her to review each morning to prevent her from forgetting her past. When the Yin-Yang Sect’s Holy Maiden had taken Xiao Nannan away, she must have seen the memories within that beautiful jade and realized the connection between the little girl and Ye Fan — yet she had abducted her anyway.

“Ye Fan, you’ve destroyed our sect’s stronghold and taken away all the children — you’ve gone too far.” The Yin-Yang Sect’s Holy Maiden smiled, her expression carrying a trace of coldness.

Ye Fan snorted coldly and said, “You should know exactly why I did that. You must have already known her connection to me when you took Xiao Nannan away.”

“Doesn’t the world say your life is nearly at its end? I took her from the inn for her own good, so she wouldn’t end up wandering the streets in the future.” The Yin-Yang Sect’s Holy Maiden laughed lightly, utterly unconcerned.

Had there not been a mysterious powerhouse present, Ye Fan would absolutely have engaged her in battle right then and there. This woman twisted right and wrong so shamelessly — she had clearly abducted Xiao Nannan, letting her suffer immense grievances within the Yin-Yang Sect, yet she still wore such an innocent expression.

“Go!”

Ye Fan let out a low shout, taking the lead to break through, with Pang Bo, Ye Huiling, Li Heishui, and the others following closely behind, fleeing toward the west.

“Heh heh… did you think leaving would be so easy?” The Yin-Yang Sect’s Holy Maiden laughed lightly as over twenty figures simultaneously surrounded them from all sides. Most terrifying of all was that shadow Ye Fan had been wary of, now pursuing them at astonishing speed.

They had intended to break through and then cross the void, but this person clung to them like a shadow, impossible to shake off — the forbidden artifact was on his person.

The Yin-Yang Sect’s Holy Maiden and the others pursued relentlessly as well, determined to keep them here, killing intent surging.

“Let’s split up and flee in different directions. My speed is fast enough to draw away the strongest mysterious figure — the rest of you be careful!” Ye Fan spoke up.

“No, I’ll go with you — I can at least help block him at critical moments!” Pang Bo disagreed, worried something might happen to him.

“It’s fine, I have the Extreme Speed technique, he won’t be able to catch up to me. All of you hurry and go!” Ye Fan refused to yield.

In the end, they split up, each fleeing in a different direction. Before separating, Ye Fan exchanged a few words with the Great Black Dog and Pang Bo through voice transmission, then charged forward without looking back.

Sure enough, the strongest mysterious figure and the Yin-Yang Sect’s Holy Maiden both pursued Ye Fan, unwilling to let him go.

“Since the Divine King has spoken, we won’t kill you, but we can’t let you go either. We’ll imprison you and slowly extract your sacred blood — that’s not a bad idea at all.” The Yin-Yang Holy Maiden giggled.

“First you bullied Xiao Nannan, and I still haven’t settled that score with you. Now you’re scheming against me too — truly going too far. But are you sure you’ve already got me cornered?!” Ye Fan said coldly.

“The whole world now knows you’ve learned the Ruthless One’s footwork, possessing top-tier speed. Capturing you won’t be easy, but feel free to try your best — let’s see if you can escape us.” The Yin-Yang Sect’s Holy Maiden’s face carried a captivating smile, yet her killing intent grew even more intense.

Ye Fan’s heart sank. It seemed the enemy had come thoroughly prepared, likely possessing some method to counter him. He accelerated rapidly, leading this group of pursuers far into the distance.

Sure enough, neither the most powerful old man nor the Yin-Yang Holy Maiden and the others could be shaken off. Beneath their feet, golden lightning flickered and moved, equally fast.

“What is that?” He felt puzzled.

Suddenly, he recalled something the Black Emperor had once said — among the ancient Wastes-era talismans was a type called the Lightning Talisman, which only a Supreme Sect Master could refine. Once locked onto a target, it would match that person’s speed exactly, no matter how fast they moved.

Without knowing the secret behind it, one could be worked to death and still never escape the pursuer — an incredibly mysterious technique. Although there was a way to counter it, Ye Fan didn’t know how.

His expression grew grave as he continued fleeing at a steady pace, unable to turn back and fight head-on, because he had now shockingly realized that the most powerful old man pursuing him was a cultivator at the Eighth Transformation of Dragon Transformation.

The Ninth Transformation of Dragon Transformation meant soaring into the void, becoming a true dragon among men — only then would one have a chance to look up toward the supreme realm of the Great Powers, and the peerless bearing of a Saint Lord.

Against a powerhouse at the Eighth Transformation of Dragon Transformation, Ye Fan simply had no way to contend — if he truly managed to defeat such a foe, it would no longer be defying the norm to slay immortals, but defying heaven itself.

“Ye Fan, you might as well stop running. You’re going to die anyway, so why not just accept your fate and let us take you.” The Yin-Yang Sect’s Holy Maiden’s smile never faded as she said, “Your Sacred Body has reached minor completion — your blood can already be refined into medicine. Your entire body is a treasure.”

“You’d better be careful your joy doesn’t turn to sorrow when I cut you down!” Ye Fan retorted.

“This one awaits you — come and kill me.” The Yin-Yang Sect’s Holy Maiden’s smile was utterly captivating.

The old man sneered even more coldly, “Little wretch, death is upon you, yet you still harbor foolish delusions. This old man’s lifespan is nearly exhausted anyway — even if I kill you, I need not fear the Divine King coming to seek revenge on your behalf.”

The Yin-Yang Sect’s Holy Maiden laughed charmingly and said, “You mustn’t kill him, Elder — we need to keep him caged and raise him. He’s more precious than any rare beast; his blood is worth a fortune. Slowly draining his blood is by far the most worthwhile approach.”

“Indeed, we should raise him alongside those exotic beasts!” the old man nodded repeatedly in agreement.

“Undying old fossil, and you too, Yin-Yang Sect girl — I will surely kill you both!” Ye Fan left these words behind before continuing his flight. Now was not the time to fight to the death.

The Eighth Transformation of Dragon Transformation — such a terrifying figure was simply beyond his ability to contend with. If his opponent advanced just two more steps, he would become a figure comparable to a Grand Elder of a Sacred Land.

“Little wretch, even if we don’t kill you this time, we’ll work you to death coughing up blood before capturing you!” Two more elders spoke up as well, equally terrifying — powerhouses at the Seventh Transformation of Dragon Transformation, both Grand Elder-level figures.

This time, they had come thoroughly prepared — not only had the Holy Maiden herself come out, but three of their most outstanding Grand Elders had followed as well, combined with the Lightning Talisman, more than enough to eliminate Ye Fan.

This pursuit along the way alarmed countless cultivators, leaving everyone shocked — the Yin-Yang Sect was making a move against the Sacred Body, something entirely unexpected by all.

Soon, word spread that the Yin-Yang Sect claimed Ye Fan had recklessly destroyed their stronghold and slaughtered innocents without cause, forcing them to retaliate to defend their dignity.

“Your ability to twist black and white is truly impressive.” Ye Fan heard much of this along the way.

Over the following two days, he remained unable to shake off his pursuers, chased relentlessly the entire time, his opponents genuinely determined to work him to death through sheer exhaustion.

The Southern Region was in an uproar — the Yin-Yang Sect making a move against the Sacred Body required tremendous audacity, especially with the Divine King still alive.

During this period, many people rushed to witness the spectacle, but Ye Fan had fled deep into the Great Wastes, deliberately taking primordial, remote paths, and their speed was so extraordinary that no one else could keep up.

The Yin-Yang Sect’s people had already exchanged Lightning Talismans seven or eight times, growing increasingly astonished — Ye Fan seemed utterly tireless, flying at extreme speed without the slightest sign of exhaustion. They worried their Lightning Talismans would run out before they could catch him.

“Ye Fan, you might as well stop. If your wounded body reaches its limit, the crack in your Dao will likely worsen, and then you truly won’t survive.” The Yin-Yang Sect’s Holy Maiden taunted, adding, “Though we plan to cage you, we won’t harm your life — not until you die on your own.”

Ye Fan paid her no mind. By the third day, he finally caught wind of certain rumors — that the Yin-Yang Sect had been abducting gifted children throughout the Eastern Wastes, drawing widespread discontent from the great sects of the Southern Region.

He knew that Pang Bo and the Black Emperor had successfully shaken off their Yin-Yang Sect pursuers — this news had come from them directly, and things must already be arranged as planned. It was time for him to head back, as agreed upon when they had split up.

Ye Fan accelerated, turning back toward the small town they had originally come from. Along the way, he heard even more news — many sects had lost their gifted children, their whereabouts unknown, and now all suspicion pointed squarely at the Yin-Yang Sect.

He couldn’t help but laugh. He hadn’t expected that casually leaking this piece of news would expose such a hidden scandal — the Yin-Yang Sect’s audacity was truly beyond measure, abducting talented children from various sects throughout the Eastern Wastes. With this exposed, they would surely find themselves in deep trouble.

“Hahaha…” He couldn’t help but laugh heartily. If he sent the thirty-some gifted children back to their respective sects, these factions would surely be grateful, and the Eastern Wastes sects would likely drive the Yin-Yang Sect’s people out entirely.

On the fifth day, Ye Fan flew back to the small town.

“You little wretch, today’s the day I catch you — I’ll break every bone in your body!” the Grand Elder-level powerhouse at the Eighth Transformation of Dragon Transformation said coldly.

“You’re clearly the ones who shamelessly abducted my Eastern Wastes talents, including Xiao Nannan, and even mistreated her. Yet in the end, you turn around and pursue me as though you’re the victims — have you no shame at all?!” Ye Fan retorted.

“Little wretch, nothing you say matters. Isn’t the Sacred Body’s bones supposed to be hard? I’ll break them one by one!” the Grand Elder-level figure said coldly.

“Elder, you’re getting angry again — we can’t kill him, we still need to slowly drain his blood.” The Yin-Yang Sect’s Holy Maiden giggled, then turned to speak to Ye Fan, deliberately provoking him, “So what if I’m the one who took Xiao Nannan away? If you hadn’t come, I would have simply thrown her out. If you want revenge for her, go ahead and try to kill me.”

Ye Fan understood full well that they were deliberately trying to provoke him into stopping.

He sneered inwardly, for at this moment he had already heard the Black Emperor’s voice transmission, and he began flying in a zigzag pattern, following a specific predetermined route.

“Something’s wrong, be careful!” The Yin-Yang Sect’s Holy Maiden was highly cautious, sensing something amiss, calling out a warning as she stopped in mid-air.

But by then, it was already too late. A thunderous boom erupted from ahead, clouds and mist blotting out the sky, instantly swallowing them all whole.

Not a single one of them managed to escape — all were completely enveloped within.

“Hahaha…” Pang Bo emerged, laughing heartily.

The Great Black Dog’s grin stretched from ear to ear, immensely pleased with itself — this had been their agreed-upon plan when they split up: once they had shaken off the powerful pursuers, they would hurry back to set up the formation and help resolve Ye Fan’s crisis.

“Boom!”

Within the formation, terrifying waves of energy erupted as those trapped inside struggled to break free.

In such a short time, there was no way to refine them completely — perhaps more Yin-Yang Sect reinforcements would arrive soon, which made Ye Fan frown deeply. He desperately wanted to eliminate these people once and for all.

“These people are too powerful — there’s no way to trap them to death in such a short time.” The Black Emperor shook its head, equally at a loss.

“No matter, I’ll make a trip and come back to destroy them!”

Ye Fan summoned the Mysterious Jade Platform and began crossing the void. Within moments, he arrived at the Fire Domain, holding the Bodhi Seed as he directly entered the seventh layer. Without the Cauldron of All Things’ Mother Qi, he had no suitable vessel to contain the terrifying flames.

He directly endured it with his own body, holding the Bodhi Seed as he carried the monstrous flames back with him. Bearing such flames, he had no way to cross the void, or else the Mysterious Jade Platform would surely be reduced to ash.

Fortunately, the distance to that small town wasn’t too far, only a few tens of thousands of li. Along the way, the multicolored flames blazed and surged, scorching the void as he flew southward, stunning countless cultivators along the way.

Many people, upon recognizing Ye Fan, were utterly astonished, pursuing after him. Though they couldn’t match his speed, they still followed slowly, curious to see what exactly he intended to do.

Finally, Ye Fan returned, bringing the monstrous divine flames back to the outskirts of the small town, leaving even the Black Emperor and Pang Bo stunned.

“Sending you all on your way!”

Ye Fan let out a great shout, hurling the endless divine flames directly into the sealed patch of heaven and earth.

“Boom!”

Flames roared into the sky, terrified screams echoing out — this fire was utterly unstoppable, something even Grand Elder-level figures could scarcely withstand, let alone these people.

In the distance, everyone stood frozen in shock. Ye Fan had brought a massive fire specifically to burn all his powerful enemies to death — truly “decisive” in the extreme!

“Ahh…”

Because the great fire had also destroyed the formation, the three Grand Elder-level figures burst out, their entire bodies engulfed in flames, screaming in agony, their bodies nearly burned beyond recognition, utterly gruesome — clearly beyond saving.

On the other side, the Yin-Yang Sect’s Holy Maiden also burst free, her body radiating brilliant, auspicious light — she hadn’t died, clearly possessing some sacred treasure protecting her.

“Since you haven’t died, I’ll personally cut you down!” Ye Fan closed in on her immediately.

Pang Bo and the Black Emperor also stepped forward, preventing her from fleeing.

“You’re truly ruthless…” The Yin-Yang Sect’s Holy Maiden’s face was pale as ash — seven or eight powerful figures had all died horrifically, chilling her heart with dread.

“It’s you who repeatedly bullied me — now it’s your turn!” Ye Fan advanced forward.