Yi Qingwu did not grow angry. The enchanting smile on her face did not diminish. She tidied a strand of long hair with crystal-like jade fingers and said with a gentle smile, “You really are confident.”

“How can one go through life without confidence? How about this — shall we make a wager? If you lose, you come willingly to knead my shoulders and serve as my handmaiden. What do you say?” Ye Fan asked.

“Life is not meant for gambling. And no one can afford to gamble with it. The road lies beneath our feet — why should I gamble?” Yi Qingwu’s eyes shimmered with spirit as she let the faintest, most enchanting smile show.

Yan Yixi walked over and said quietly, “She must have something to rely on.”

Li Tian radiated wickedness — he was quite handsome, but one look made it plain he was no good sort. He laughed and said, “I refuse to believe the three of us together cannot take her down.”

“What of the patriarchs she summoned?” Ye Fan searched the area.

Earlier, the Twelve Celestial Guardian Divine Formation had sealed them in, and it seemed there had been twelve patriarch-level figures — which had been exceedingly dangerous. Yet afterward he had discovered that not all of them were real.

And so none of them were particularly worried. Their intention was to capture the most beautiful woman in the world right here.

Yi Qingwu gave a light laugh. Her entire being radiated crystalline brilliance, her silver-bell laughter shattering the stillness of the moonlit night and reverberating across the open sky. Her dark hair streamed in the breeze as she stood atop the divine carriage, her robes and skirt swaying into motion.

Then — strange sounds rang out. A treasure wheel appeared in the sky, engraved with Eight Trigrams patterns. Eight divine talismans flew up in succession, merging with it.

“The patriarch-level figures from before!” Ye Fan exclaimed.

“That is the Eight Virtues Treasure Wheel — the founding treasure of the Guanghan Palace!” Yan Yixi cried out in shock.

Li Tian was more direct than any of them — without a word, he leaped up and attempted to break through. That great malevolent figure showed himself, in that instant, to be utterly without loyalty.

“Still think you can leave?!” Yi Qingwu called out sharply.

In the sky, the Eight Virtues Treasure Wheel rotated, sending out eight divine talismans — each one more terrifying than the last. All of them took human form and cut off Li Tian’s path of retreat, blasting him back.

“Damnable — she was trapping us before as a way to power this weapon, to restore it to life. This is the supreme secret treasure of the Guanghan Palace!” Li Tian cursed.

Within the Eight Virtues Treasure Wheel lived eight divine spirits, each possessing the power of a supreme Sage Lord. Held in hand, it could cut down all under heaven — no patriarch alive could suppress it.

Furthermore, it was said that had this treasure not been shattered at some point in the past, it would have been still stronger and more terrifying. It was a founding supreme treasure of the Guanghan Palace, which the palace had long sought to repair without success.

“Don’t tell me — back then, those eight divine spirits were comparable to supreme divine kings of the ages?” Ye Fan said.

“Rest assured — at the very least, they are not anymore. Even so, they possess peak combat power, and the most terrifying thing is that they cannot be killed — unless one can seize the treasure wheel itself.” Li Tian replied.

Cannot be killed… how is one supposed to fight this? The sacred treasure was too outrageously powerful. Ye Fan drew a cold breath — no wonder this human demon had tried to flee the instant he saw it.

He found himself missing the black gourd. If it were in hand at this moment, what treasures, what eight divine spirits — all of it would be incinerated to ash in a single blaze.

“Let us break through. If we don’t, there is no way to crack open a treasure like this — this is no ordinary secret weapon. Even a supreme royal divine weapon cannot suppress it.”

By now, Ye Fan had no fear of facing patriarchs. But the crux of the matter was that these figures could not be killed. That was incomparably terrifying. If they did not leave, they would eventually be ground down to death.

“Go!”

The three of them united to break through. Eight divine spirits moved in unison, striking forward in a great killing sweep. At the same time, the divine carriage blazed with brilliant light, like a full bright moon radiating moonbeams — each one a sharp sword. It was both a carriage and a supreme royal divine weapon, and Yi Qingwu, standing atop it, finally made her move herself, channeling it to send out nine streams of primordial chaos light that illuminated the three of them.

Crack!

The nine-leafed golden lotus beside Li Tian was battered and shuddering violently, nearly shattering. He cried out, “This is what my master gave me as he entered nirvana — how is this little woman so powerful?!”

At the same time, Yan Yixi was suppressed. The painting of beauties rustled open loudly, and the nine beauties that flew out of it were all driven back.

“Primordial chaos light — this is the imprint left by a supreme king of the ages!”

Yan Yixi was flung backward. The scroll in his hand transformed into a divine rainbow, like a bridge reaching to the heavens, cascading toward the distance — he hoped to use it to break through.

Boom!

Suddenly, a power of absolute Yin — supremely yielding, incomparably dark — struck over. A massive black hand reached over blotting out the sky, intercepting and blocking his path.

This was the Supreme Yin Holy Power!

The black hand seemed to reach out from the black hole of the universe itself — absolutely powerful and terrifying. A single tremor from it caused all ten directions to be extinguished, leaving nothing that still existed.

“The Supreme Yin Divine Son!” Yan Yixi was thunderstruck. He was sent flying backward, his path of retreat brutally severed, and he fell back down into the battlefield.

A young man robed in black appeared — his complexion white as snow, forming a stark contrast with his dark garments. He stood silently in place, cold and frigid, carrying a chill that seeped into the bones.

Yin Tiande, the Supreme Yin Divine Son, the Daoist Sanque, and Lu Ya were sworn brothers, and also among the most terrifying individuals of the present age. At this moment, this divine son had appeared.

“Yi Qingwu — who else have you invited? Have them all come out at once.” Li Tian said, his expression exceedingly unpleasant.

“Grandmother is here too — caw caw caw…” A voice like a night owl rang out, and an old woman appeared — her entire body as withered and dried as dead wood, skin and bone, drifting over like a specter.

“The Celestial Fiend Grandmother!” Yan Yixi cried out in alarm, stumbling back seven steps, his hair standing on end, terror gripping his heart.

Li Tian was even more forthright — he immediately wanted to leap up and flee, but he was surrounded and had no opening. This was a Celestial Fiend Physique that had cultivated for nearly two thousand years — power so terrifying it defied imagination. The number of ancient fossils she had slapped to death was more than one or two.

“A Celestial Fiend Physique!”

Ye Fan’s heart jolted. A true Celestial Fiend Physique had finally appeared — nothing like Yaoyue Kong, who had been calculated against from the beginning and had come into the world already lacking at its foundation.

More importantly — this Celestial Fiend Grandmother was approaching two thousand years of age. This was an extremely dangerous signal. In this era, there were very few who could stand against her.

“Good — this is only one of her manifestations. Her true body has not come. We still have a chance!” The pupils of Li Tian’s eyes emitted two beams of strange light as he perceived the truth.

“Little ones, come here. Grandmother will give you candy.” This withered old woman’s voice was like a broken gong. She came flying toward them.

“What are we to do?” Even Li Tian felt genuine fear. His original plan of capturing the first beauty now looked like it might end with all of them being left behind instead.

The Supreme Yin Divine Son walked toward them step by step, his black robes billowing, with wave after wave of Supreme Yin Holy Power surging out — dark as ink.

Yi Qingwu moved with a light step, the Divine Moon Carriage at her side pressing in as well. The figures that had flown out from the Eight Virtues Treasure Wheel surrounded Ye Fan and the others on all sides, leaving no path of escape.

“Careful — there are others in the dark!” Ye Fan noted with keen perception. Two more patriarch-level figures were lurking and watching.

At this point there was no better option — only breaking through would do, and yet that was proving exceedingly difficult. Counting the eight figures from within the Eight Virtues Treasure Wheel, there were over ten patriarch-level powerhouses. And that was to say nothing of the Celestial Fiend Grandmother — a titan capable of overawing the entire present age. Far more terrifying!

“Children, come. Grandmother loves you dearly.” The Celestial Fiend Grandmother smiled, pressing in close, reaching out one great bony claw-like hand and swiping downward.

At that moment, Ye Fan stepped forward to meet that great hand head-on — charging straight toward a Celestial Fiend Physique with his bare body.

“Brother Ye — do not touch her! That is a Celestial Fiend Physique!” Yan Yixi cried out, shouting a loud warning.

“Brother, if you’re going to kill yourself, not like this!” Li Tian also called out.

Behind them, the Supreme Yin Divine Son was deeply shocked. In this world, those who dared to fight a Celestial Fiend Physique in bare-fisted combat were virtually nonexistent. Moreover, the Celestial Fiend Grandmother had cultivated for nearly two thousand years — her attainment had reached the heights of creation itself — and even a single manifestation of hers could kill ancient fossils.

On the other side, Yi Qingwu — the most beautiful woman in the world — likewise showed a flash of astonishment in her eyes. This was practically suicide. She did not believe Ye Fan could withstand a Celestial Fiend Physique.

“Caw caw caw… Come, child. Grandmother simply loves you to death.” The dried and withered old woman reached out with her ghostly claw and snatched downward, intending to seize the entirety of Ye Fan’s person.

Six Paths Reincarnation Fist!

Ye Fan’s expression was solemn. With his peerless physical body, he channeled this world-shaking fist technique and unleashed it with raw ferocity — like a thunderclap crashing against that black great claw.

A strange sound rang out — then bones shattered, blood splattered, a muffled groan sounded.

All of this happened very quickly. Everyone present had assumed Ye Fan would be crippled — but instead, they watched as the Celestial Fiend Grandmother recoiled as though she had seen a ghost, both hands shredded and dripping with blood.

The Celestial Fiend Physique’s hands had been shattered by someone else’s fists!

The Supreme Yin Divine Son was submerged in darkness, stunned beyond measure. Yi Qingwu’s beautiful eyes likewise discharged brilliant light, and a look of profound astonishment appeared on her face.

Beside them, Yan Yixi and Li Tian were both left dazed. They had thought Ye Fan was going to meet his end — never did they expect this outcome.

“A Human Sacred Physique?!” Deep within the Celestial Fiend Grandmother’s pupils, two beams of dark light shot out. Her expression was frightening as she said, “How many years has it been since I last saw one? I thought it could never appear again — I never imagined it has once more come into the world!”

“A Sacred Physique?!”

Several of the most exceptional figures of the younger generation all revealed expressions of shock and disbelief, staring at Ye Fan in turn with strange looks.

“Caw caw caw…” The Celestial Fiend Grandmother let out a laugh that made everyone’s hair stand on end and said, “The blood of a Sacred Physique is the ultimate tonic — it could allow me to break through my bottleneck and bring the Celestial Fiend Physique to great completion!”

Then, as though she had gone mad, she launched into a frenzied assault, charging at Ye Fan.

It had to be said: a Celestial Fiend Physique who had cultivated for two thousand years possessed power of terrifying proportions. Though she had yet to reach great completion, she had long since surpassed the ancient fossil level.

Ye Fan did not trade blows with her directly. The situation before him was far too grim — with over ten patriarch-level figures on the scene, stopping to engage would be certain death.

He activated the Movement Art Secret, shooting out like a bolt of lightning, seizing the one and only opening available and successfully breaking through.

The onlookers had not yet recovered from the shock of learning that Ye Fan possessed a Sacred Physique when he had already escaped the killing formation and stood at a distance far away.

“Don’t even think of running!” The Celestial Fiend Grandmother’s manifestation bellowed, transforming into a beam of dark light and giving chase — absolutely unwilling to let him go.

“If I want to leave, even your true body coming could not stop me!” Ye Fan stepped away into the distance.

The Celestial Fiend Grandmother pursued relentlessly. But before long she found herself left behind by eighteen mountain ridges, left with nothing but a mouthful of dust to eat.

“That is the Celestial Fiend’s supreme speed technique — how could I fail to catch up with this boy?” The Celestial Fiend Grandmother muttered to herself, filled with indignant fury.

Before long, Ye Fan shook off the Celestial Fiend Grandmother and looped back, charging toward Yi Qingwu to engage her in direct combat.

In the short time he had been away, Yan Yixi and Li Tian had narrowly escaped with their lives — not because their strength was insufficient, but because their opponents were far too powerful.

Eight patriarch-level figures, together with the Supreme Yin Divine Son — one of the most terrifying figures of the younger generation — and Yi Qingwu, the foremost woman among the celestially gifted — even if several ancient fossils were encircled by this lineup, they would meet their end.

Ye Fan charged into the fray seeking to rescue them, but found that the Eight Virtues Treasure Wheel was a supreme ancient killing formation that even affected his movement technique.

“Brother Ye, don’t waste your effort — the old demon woman is coming back again. Be careful not to let her injure you!” Yan Yixi called out.

“I’ll stake everything! My vitality will take a great hit from this — but next time, I swear I will capture Yi Qingwu!” Li Tian raged.

The two of them exchanged a glance, then each let out a low, resonant roar. The blood throughout their entire bodies began to flow in reverse, surging outward through their skin — and then the two of them merged together.

This scene left everyone present stupefied. The bones of the two crackled and popped, and they actually fused into one — becoming a strange and unfamiliar man, who then shattered the void with a tremendous boom and vanished from sight.

Where they had stood, a pool of vital essence blood remained, radiating an astonishing divine power, burning like a roaring flame.

Two days later, on an ancient mountain, Yan Yixi and Li Tian met with Ye Fan again.

“I will not rest until this humiliation is avenged. My name is not Li Tian if I do not make heaven tremble — and capture Yi Qingwu as my concubine-cauldron.” Li Tian said with fierce resolve.

“Are you thinking of using that thing? Don’t do anything rash.” Yan Yixi warned.

Ye Fan looked at the two fellow disciples with curiosity, feeling that the situation was very strange. The two of them could actually merge into a single body — yet afterward, they had offered no explanation.

“It is time. The time has come to bring out the Divine Maiden Furnace that the Eternal Universe Great Emperor helped our founding patriarch refine into a divine weapon.” Li Tian’s expression was thoroughly sinister.

Ye Fan had paid it no mind at first, but very quickly he snapped to attention and said, “Wait — what did you just say? Who helped refine your patriarch’s weapon?!”