“That foreign mongrel — what virtue or ability does he have to obtain the third-grade evolution liquid? Even I am not qualified to consume it, yet he has been chosen!”

Duo Luo was a blue-haired young man, ordinarily elegant and refined in manner, the picture of scholarly grace. Now his expression was savage, his pale face suffused with violent fury. He hurled a tall-stemmed wine goblet to the ground with force — the crimson wine spreading across the floor like blood.

He had already made a move before. On that deep night when Ye Fan was in Dao comprehension, he had commanded a saint-weapon warship in an attempted assassination, only to be blocked by Fanzhu and unable to complete the act.

He was a powerful young member of the Fan Clan’s in-laws, young yet with extraordinary strength — having slashed through the Dao for many years. He bore intense hostility toward someone like Ye Fan because of his pursuit of Fanxian.

An elderly woman stood nearby with bowed head. “Young Master, it is too late now. Fanzhu has personally sent over the third-grade evolution liquid. I imagine that young man will break through before long — and they say he possesses Indestructible Golden Blood, which will be immensely valuable!”

“I want to personally drain the golden blood from every inch of his body. That despicable wretch — which star domain did he crawl out from? If I were to find out, I would level that ancient star.” Duo Luo paced back and forth in agitation.

Suddenly, a mysterious wave of force descended from the heavens. A massive star gate appeared, as though forged from purple-gold, starlight flickering within it, connecting to an unknown star domain.

“The star gate has appeared. This is the ancient saint patriarch of the Fan Clan summoning several of the direct line heirs.” Duo Luo looked up in shock.

“That means Fanzhu and the others are leaving. This… perhaps this is an opportunity!” A manic light blazed in the elderly woman’s eyes.

“You mean… would that not be too reckless and dangerous?” Duo Luo asked in a trembling voice.

The hollows of the elderly woman’s eyes emitted two cold, ghostly beams of light. “That is third-grade evolution liquid — it would drive princes and great lords of every faction to smash their own heads fighting for it. Fanzhu will be departing, and he will certainly be uneasy leaving that person to break through alone… An opportunity presents itself before you — why not seize it? If you were to obtain it, Young Master, you might soar to the heavens in a single bound!”

Indeed, that was precisely what happened. The direct descendants of the Fan Clan — especially the major figureheads — all rose as one the moment they saw the star gate and rushed toward it without delay.

“Do not be in a hurry to break through. Wait until I return to guard you in Dao protection, to prevent any accidents.” Fanzhu said. He then furrowed his brow, as though remembering something, and added: “It is not good to keep the evolution liquid with you — it may invite great disaster. Return it first, and also enter the sacred ground. Wait until I return for everything.”

In recent days, people had made repeated attempts to kill Ye Fan, including powerful half-saints commanding super ancient saint mechs. If Ye Fan were left to break through on his own this time, there was a high probability of lethal catastrophe.

“Understood.” Ye Fan nodded.

Fanzhu and the major figureheads wasted no time. They rushed toward the heavens in that very first moment and entered the star gate, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

And Ye Fan, in that same moment, entered the Fan Clan’s sacred ground — the most important place of all, where ordinarily outsiders were forbidden to set foot, accessible only to the likes of Fanxian and Fantian.

“What?! Is this not too reckless — to launch an assault on the sacred ground this very moment?” Duo Luo was stunned. The major figureheads had just departed, and now this kind of outrageous act — it shocked him.

“He has only just stepped into the sacred ground and has not yet gone deep into the inner sanctum ahead. This is the only chance to intercept the divine liquid!” The elderly woman said with gravity, standing there able to clearly see the several figures ahead within the sacred ground.

“This is incredibly bold!” Duo Luo was deeply uneasy.

“I am willing to take action. If anything goes wrong, it will not implicate Young Master.” The elderly woman said.

“Good — slaughter him clean and bring me the third-grade evolution liquid!” Duo Luo’s voice turned cold. His expression rapidly hardened into something ruthless. “I will go and summon my grandfather from his seclusion — have him sweep away the evidence afterward. Perhaps it is time to leave the Fan Clan and go throw in my lot with that one on the Eternal Prime Star. As long as the divine liquid is in hand, all else can be negotiated.”

He had thrown everything to the wind. A divine liquid of this kind would drive even half-saints into a frenzy — it could make the most powerful lords and princes of every faction bow their heads. If he could seize it, everything would be worth it.

The sacred ground was quiet, vegetation dense with spiritual energy. Walking through this area, wisps of cloud and mist drifted, vapors rising and billowing — as though arriving at the dwelling of immortals.

Between the stone mountains, divine springs gurgled. A few auspicious creatures moved about — Three-Legged Golden Crows skimming through the low sky trailing long trails of flame, divine phoenix-birds their plumage brilliant, rainbow radiance stretching across the heavens.

Ancient medicinal herbs grew everywhere, fragrant aromas greeting the nose. As Ye Fan walked through the sacred ground, he discovered various strange living creatures appearing here and there, lending the place a layer of mystery.

Suddenly, a jolt ran through his heart. He sensed an acute danger — as though something terrible was about to happen.

Without a moment’s hesitation, he shifted laterally several thousand zhang. A dark beam of light appeared at his original position and pierced straight through, leaving a gaping hole several tens of li deep where岩浆 was punched through from below.

A deadly ambush, utterly silent — someone had come for his life!

There, a black mech appeared — only seven zhang tall, its entire body as though forged from black iron, radiating a cold black-gold sheen, wielding a pitch-black dagger that to ordinary people would have seemed enormous — several meters in length.

“With your ability alone, you dare think to possess such precious liquid? Hand it over.”

This was an ancient saint-level mech, with someone piloting it, carrying out an assassination attempt upon Ye Fan — equivalent to an assault by a saint. Terrifying beyond measure.

“Who is it?! Who dares invade the Fan Clan’s sacred ground?!” Several elders from up ahead cried out in outrage.

In the Heaven Pure Land, there were frequent incidents of bloodshed. They were a community of plunderers, fierce and combative, and fights to settle disputes were not uncommon. Yet no one had ever dared strike here. Today, that precedent was broken.

Pfft!

The black mech was decisive and ruthless, its hand merciless. The pitch-black dagger turned, shearing the head from the neck of the elder who had shouted — blood splattering everywhere.

This was the power of an ancient saint. Even though those several elders were extraordinary, their strength vastly superior, and they were senior members of the Fan Clan — they were still entirely inadequate.

Clang!

The black dagger cleaved through the void, shattering the armor and defenses of several elders entirely. Four elders were killed in an instant — their bodies torn apart, flesh and blood flying, each one dying with eyes that refused to close.

“Enemy attack — someone come quickly!”

The elder clutching the five-colored divine bottle cried out in extreme shock. Someone had dared to act this way — he fled at full speed, calling for the powerful figures deep within the sacred ground.

A chill ran through Ye Fan’s heart. The third-grade evolution liquid truly was supremely precious and rare — coveted by the entire world. This was certainly an inside job. They were willing to gamble everything, even risk their lives — this was a full defection from the Fan Clan.

The black mech stood over seven zhang tall — a massive presence to ordinary people — yet it moved with agile speed, like a bolt of black lightning. With a brief tearing sound it ripped through the elder’s body, sending chunks of bone and viscera flying — bloody and brutal.

The manic light in the elderly woman’s eyes within the black mech blazed. She leapt high into the air, reaching out to snatch at the five-colored divine bottle — it was almost in her grasp. Simultaneously, the black dagger in the mech’s other hand hacked toward Ye Fan — a dark radiance several thousand zhang in length, malice without bound.

“Little wretch, go and die. This liquid was never meant for you — hand it over!”

The black mech was unbridled and domineering, its killing intent overwhelming. There was a kind of immense satisfaction in its actions, as though it were severing Ye Fan’s path to immortality.

But its voice cut off abruptly.

Because another mysterious mech appeared — shimmering with crystalline radiance, wielding a long spear — nearly piercing through the first mech’s palm, intercepting it halfway, reaching out first to snatch at the five-colored jade bottle.

She was not the only one striking!

Another had also taken this desperate gamble. At this critical moment, they had made their move — seeking to seize the third-grade evolution liquid. It was too tempting. Even severing ties with the Fan Clan was worth it.

Boom!

On another side, a powerful mech came charging in, gripping a gleaming sword several zhang long — drawing a coldly desolate ghostly radiance, saint-weapon fluctuations intense — lunging directly toward Ye Fan in a killing strike.

“Kill!”

And it was not just one person. Another appeared wielding a dragon spear, commanding an ancient saint mech, with devastating offensive power — intent on slaughtering Ye Fan, destroying his flesh and spirit alike.

All those who had previously attacked Ye Fan appeared — including half-saints like Xuan Linfeng — now hidden within their mechs and unleashing saint-level power!

This was a great catastrophe. The situation was perilous beyond all extremity. All these days, Ye Fan had been on constant guard — if not for the sake of obtaining the third-grade evolution liquid, he would have left long ago.

And now all his great enemies had revealed themselves simultaneously, kill after kill coming in succession, driving him to an absolute dead end.

Black Arrow as body shield, bronze ready in preparation — he dove underground in the very first moment, plunging into the dragon vein, mobilizing the natural forces of heaven and earth throughout the Heaven Pure Land!

By the narrowest of margins, he brushed past the god of death. Several ancient saint-level strikes penetrated dozens of li underground, shattering numerous dragon veins and deep abysses.

Ye Fan’s hair stood on end. He barely, barely evaded it. Break through — he needed to obtain the divine liquid and break through. He no longer wanted to endure in this place. Being this passive was too difficult — striking back was not easy, his life always under threat.

On the surface, several mechs clashed against each other, nearly causing the outer perimeter of the sacred ground to collapse, as they fought over the five-colored divine bottle.

Ding!

Suddenly, the divine bottle rang out — a faint tremor — and sank into the underground dragon vein below.

Ye Fan, drawing upon the Soldier Character Formula, had snatched food from the tiger’s mouth. His true Dao cultivation was no weaker than theirs — only the mechs surpassed him in raw power.

The powerful figures piloting their war artifacts could unleash ancient saint-level combat power, but in terms of this kind of precise technique, they were somewhat inferior — far outmatched by the destructive, overwhelming force that belonged to the mechs.

“Who is it?! Who dares to cause chaos in the Heaven Pure Land’s sacred ground?!” In the distance, members of the Fan Clan roared in fury. A group of ancient figures came charging over — a swath of annihilating divine light sweeping toward the scene.

None of the mechs lingered in battle. They all fled in the very first moment. Being trapped here would mean death with no way out.

“Despicable! That young wretch did not die?! And the evolution liquid was not obtained?!” Duo Luo was beside himself with rage.

The elderly woman’s eyes were cold and ghostly. “Several powerful figures made their move simultaneously, all wanting to seize the evolution liquid — it disrupted the rhythm.”

In another courtyard, Xuan Linfeng said grimly: “That little runt has escaped yet another crisis — but you will not live long. As long as you remain in this star domain, sooner or later your death will come!”

In a sealed chamber, Cao Qing’s expression was dark, his face as though carved from stone. “I wanted every drop of his precious blood — yet this time it has failed again.”

“Things were too hasty this time. The next time will have no such mishap. Before long, his every move will be within our field of vision — his death will be certain.” The gray-robed elder said in a sinister, bone-chilling tone.

The Fan Clan members were outraged. Having failed to catch anyone, they did not act rashly — only tightened security. Everything would await the major figureheads’ return before any decisions were made.

“He did not die, did he?” Fanxian furrowed her brow, crossing one pair of elegant, slender beautiful legs over the other — like two snow-white serpents entwined.

Deep in the earth, Ye Fan’s expression was cold and sharp. He sat within the earth vein clutching the five-colored divine bottle for a long while. Once certain there was no longer any threat, he decided to immediately enter the starry cosmos for his breakthrough.

I have obtained what I wanted. I will endure no longer. You all… wait for me. I will make every single one of you pay in blood!

He deployed the chessboard array pattern and entered the cosmic starry sky, crossing repeatedly until he was certain he had traveled far enough — then prepared to face his heavenly tribulation.

This cosmos is truly so beautiful. It shall become the place where I attain the Dao…