“You have actually extracted such a heaven-defying treasure liquid… one that can shatter the shackles of heaven and earth and ascend to sainthood in a single step!?” one of the Ancient Golden Crows cried out in shock.

As Ancient Saints, their divine powers were boundless — with a turn of their hand they could summon clouds and rain. They effortlessly extracted Ye Tong’s spiritual consciousness imprint and began to read it.

“Ha ha ha…” The other Ancient Golden Crow burst into laughter, brimming with smug satisfaction. A furnace of evolution liquid refined from Primordial Life Stones and other materials was equivalent to a divine elixir — priceless beyond measure.

“To think that coming to this ancient star domain would bring such a world-defying stroke of great fortune. Good — let us go and claim this windfall with our own hands!”

They had long since attained sainthood and could not benefit from the fourth-stage evolution liquid to break through further. Yet a treasure liquid refined from Primordial Life Stones and immortal medicine — could that be anything ordinary? It could resurrect the dead and regrow flesh on bare bones, granting the physical body eternal life.

The aura of the two Ancient Golden Crows split the sky like blades. Their entire bodies shimmered as golden feathers rang out, causing all things in the void to collapse as a sky-flooding golden demonic energy surged from within them.

The Solar Divine Physique, blood containing the Emperor Scripture, the great secrets within their hearts, the evolution liquid — all of these causes the eyes of the two Ancient Golden Crows to blaze with fierce light, and the way they looked at Ye Tong became distinctly different.

“Submit to my Golden Crow Clan, and your future shall know no bounds — you shall surely shine with magnificent brilliance.”

Ye Tong resisted. He would never submit, not under any circumstances.

“We will make you change your mind. Don’t you have a master? He is nothing but a mere Dao-Severing cultivator — we will go and execute him shortly!”

The two Ancient Golden Crows were utterly composed. As saints, they looked down upon all living beings as they would ants and insects. With a raise of their hands, they could slay any cultivator who had yet to attain sainthood.

“Hmm. The most potent evolution liquid is being extracted in the Village of Heaven. Let me see exactly where it is and how we might claim this fortune for ourselves!”

One of the Ancient Golden Crows extended a finger, intending to thoroughly examine Ye Tong’s celestial platform and uncover every last secret.

Slash!

Suddenly, five-colored sacred light swept across — transforming into five treasure swords suffused with the breath of primordial chaos, incomparably sharp — and struck down without warning.

Splat!

A flash of bloody light followed. One of the Golden Crow’s fingers was sheared off at the joint, blood spattering in all directions. His expression changed drastically. In all the years since his ascension to sainthood, no one had ever been able to injure him — yet today, a finger had been severed.

He clutched Ye Tong and rapidly retreated several thousand zhang, his expression ugly. His golden eyes blazed like lightning as he fixed his gaze on the spot where the attack had originated.

It was, of course, Ye Fan who had arrived. Inhabiting the Ancient Saint war armor, he had deployed the Heavenly Court’s supreme assassination technique and severed one of the saint’s fingers.

“Who are you?” the other Ancient Golden Crow barked.

“I am the very ant you speak of — nothing but a mere Dao-Severing cultivator. I am Ye Fan.”

Ye Fan stood tall in the void, facing the solar fire essence. Light flowed brilliantly across his body. Though he did not possess a fire physique, his power was comparable to that of an Ancient Saint, and he feared no sacred radiance whatsoever.

He bore Ye Tong’s imprint within him, which had allowed him to locate his disciple outside the sun at a moment’s notice.

Though Ye Fan had severed a saint’s finger with the five-colored divine light, he dared not grow careless in his heart. In terms of true power, he was still not a match for a saint — his earlier success had been primarily due to the sneak attack.

His expression was grave as he sized up the two Ancient Saints.

Both men were gaunt and withered in body, yet their spirits were sharp and vigorous. Their desiccated frames appeared as though cast from red gold. Dressed in golden Daoist robes wreathed in sacred radiance, they stood there with casual ease — and yet, that alone was enough to make every living being feel as though they were suffocating.

This was the might of saints!

Ye Fan had known his disciple was in danger, but he had never expected to draw out two great saints at once. He arrived here frowning, forced to proceed with the utmost caution.

For if he handled this poorly, both master and disciple might perish here.

“Master!” Ye Tong cried out anxiously, his face etched with worry. He knew full well how powerful his master was — and yet he still did not believe he could fight two Ancient Golden Crows at once.

“You are Ye Fan — the one who calls himself the Human Holy Physique? Since arriving in this star domain, I have occasionally heard things about you, but you appear to be nothing more than this!” one of the Golden Crows said coldly.

“Release my disciple.” Ye Fan’s face was expressionless.

The other Ancient Golden Crow spoke in an indifferent tone: “This child is destined for my Golden Crow Clan — he shall become the disciple of us both. Remaining under your tutelage is nothing but a hindrance to his future. If you truly have his best interests at heart, you should let him go.”

“You heard him — I will never bow to the Golden Crow Clan, nor take on any other master. I have only one master!” Ye Tong declared with absolute conviction.

“You heard him. Release him. He is simply my disciple,” Ye Fan said.

“Overestimating yourself. You are nothing but a trifling Dao-Severing cultivator — what right do you have to contest a disciple with us? We have already shown you more than sufficient dignity and courtesy. If you do not know when to advance and when to retreat, we will suppress and execute you with a raise of our hands!”

The Golden Crow whose finger had been severed spoke in a bone-chillingly cold voice. Even now, his severed finger was regenerating and swiftly recovering. His complexion was dark and grim, and murderous intent radiated from his eyes. Having a finger sliced off by a Dao-Severing cultivator was nothing short of a great humiliation. The fact that he had not lashed out immediately did not mean that he, as a saint, truly did not care.

“If you wish to contest a disciple, I am willing to oblige.” Ye Fan moved to face them, striding forward with an icy expression. “You think yourselves so lofty — looking down at me, a mere ant. Surely you can release my disciple first before we clash? Or can it be that you are actually afraid?”

One of the Ancient Golden Crows laughed broadly. He released Ye Tong and sent him several li away, showing no concern that he might escape — for he had planted a Dao imprint within his body that could bind him back before them in an instant.

“We are saints — what is there for us to fear? Seated upon the ninth heaven, looking down upon all living beings, we regard you as weeds. If you displease us, we can uproot you with a casual wave of our hand.”

The other Ancient Golden Crow spoke these words — though inwardly he did not hold Ye Fan in quite such low regard, for Ye Fan had, after all, wounded one of them, even if it had been a sneak attack.

“Then let us fight.” Ye Fan said.

“Ha ha ha… How laughable. Do you think you are worthy of us fighting you? You do not have that qualification. We can extinguish you with a single flip of our hand!” The Ancient Golden Crow laughed heartily — and in the same instant, a great hand shot forward to strike.

Though his words expressed contempt, he had secretly mobilized a terrifying force of Heavenly Dao power. This was precisely why those who had attained sainthood could look down upon all living beings: their very bodies were fused with the Dao, absorbing the laws of heaven and earth into themselves. Their true selves stretched from sun and moon to the depths of the nine nethers — there was nothing they could not do.

In that moment, the Grand Dao of heaven and earth vibrated in resonance. The star domain rang and rumbled. The massive sun blazing nearby seemed to tremble at his command as it suppressed everything beneath it.

Tens of thousands of order divine chains manifested. The void was torn open. Light formed from all manner of laws submerged Ye Fan entirely — this was absolutely lethal.

The Ancient Golden Crow spoke with contempt, yet when he actually struck, he was a lion fighting a rabbit — holding nothing back, seeking to destroy the Human Holy Physique in a single blow.

BOOM!

Heaven and earth collapsed. Sun and moon shook in unison. The Grand Dao laws detonated completely, obliterating all things.

Ye Fan’s expression changed. Inhabiting the Ancient Saint war armor, he activated every ounce of power within himself. The entire frame blazed with light as he summoned a peerless, supreme vision!

The Immortal King Descending Upon the Nine Heavens, the Golden Bitter Sea, the Primordial Chaos Azure Lotus, the Splendid Rivers and Mountains — all connected into one, forming a true world, like the six paths of reincarnation, like the reopening of heaven and earth.

Blazing light, blurred visions — not yet perfect, not yet complete — and yet when Ye Fan deployed them with his full strength, the result was still staggering.

The blurred vision was like a heavenly blade that hacked apart the explosive, endless Saint laws and cleaved open a stretch of void, breaking free from the onslaught.

Ye Fan held both defense and offense. His boundless vision rolled forward like a millstone, intent on enveloping the Golden Crow.

Both Ancient Golden Crows showed expressions of surprise. All of this was far too astonishing — he was only a Dao-Severing cultivator, and yet, with the aid of that war machine, he could actually contend with one of them.

BOOM!

The exchange concluded. Ye Fan, having struck across the ninth heaven and sliced apart ten thousand laws, flew out from the impact and came to stand before Ye Tong, shielding him behind his back.

The Ancient Golden Crow’s expression turned ugly. He had failed to seize Ye Fan. He had said moments ago that he would suppress and kill him with a raise of his hand — yet Ye Fan had dissolved the killing formation.

“Human Holy Physique, you do possess some degree of skill. I admit I underestimated you. Today, we shall see whether you can escape the palm of my hand!”

With a sharp cry, a three-legged crow appeared behind him — its entire body cast like gold, not in ink-black plumage but blazing with a radiance that blotted out the sun.

With a clear, ringing cry of a long howl, the Golden Crow behind him spread and rustled its feathers with a metallic clang. Countless golden swords flew out and slashed the vast sky apart.

Clang!

Ye Fan met the attack head-on, refusing to retreat. The void behind him split open, transforming into a golden world. All manner of weapons flew out, slashing forward to contend with each and every golden sword.

This was a killing calamity. Had it taken place in the mortal world, it surely would have laid waste to all living beings. Fought so close to the sun, flames blazed to the sky and clouds and mist stretched endlessly.

Behind Ye Fan emerged a golden divine vault — a golden celestial tower, divine sword, Dao bell, gourd — all transforming into a rain of light, dense and layered, crashing against the Golden Crow’s wing-swords in a ceaseless roar of collision.

“You cannot be allowed to live!”

The Ancient Golden Crow was shaken. He had never expected a Dao-Severing cultivator to block him through a war machine, unable to subdue him in a short period of time. This cast a shadow over his heart: if this man ever attained sainthood, how terrifyingly powerful would he become? Perhaps it was best to extinguish him at the earliest opportunity!

The other Golden Crow who had yet to act was also wavering in expression. In their original estimation, either one of them at full power could slay Ye Fan with a flip of their hand — yet now, both of them were inwardly shaken.

“Master, I am ready to sever my Dao… I need to enter the sun,” Ye Tong suddenly transmitted through his consciousness, his expression troubled.

Ye Fan’s brows furrowed deeply. Severing the Dao at a time like this was extremely dangerous — not a single interruption could be tolerated. But even finding a quiet place was out of the question. And Ye Tong’s Dao was unique — it required him to enter the blazing sun.

Dao severance was an absolutely critical juncture for any cultivator, one that would influence their achievements for an entire lifetime. And should it fail, the cultivator might very well be reduced to ashes by the tribulation.

“Go then. Enter the sun, quiet your heart, and comprehend the Dao. Pay no mind to anything happening outside,” Ye Fan said.

Ye Tong was his eldest disciple, and this was the most crucial moment of his life. No matter what, Ye Fan would protect him — he would allow no failure.

Ye Tong nodded and turned to enter the sun. He understood that his master’s resolve was set — no words would change that. The best path forward was to successfully sever his Dao.

One of the Golden Crows sneered coldly: “You think you can block us? You still want to stand guard here as his Dao protector? How wildly you overestimate yourself! Today, I shall shatter your primordial spirit, rummage through your sea of consciousness, slaughter my way into the Village of Heaven, and see for myself how I shall seize the fortune of your Heavenly Court!”

He spread his wings and let out a long cry. His sacred might was vast and overwhelming, blanketing everything. In an instant, even the sun began to shake, as the Heavenly Dao laws were bent to his will.

This was no ordinary Ancient Saint. This Golden Crow had attained sainthood a thousand years ago. His cultivation was deep and his divine power boundless — far surpassing that of a common saint.

Hum!

Suddenly, a terrifying aura emanated from between Ye Fan’s fingers. Two black arrow shafts appeared, radiating an incomparably strange power.

Even Ye Fan himself was taken aback, for faced with the Golden Crow, these arrow shafts seemed somehow different from before!

These were weapons forged from the remaining materials used by the legendary Hou Yi when he shot down the suns in ancient times — mysterious since antiquity, having accompanied many powerful figures across the ages, a secret treasure from the ancient era.

Whoosh!

One black arrow shaft flew out, shattering the heavens. Its dark light was soul-chilling, stretching several hundred li in length. The Ancient Golden Crow sensed the danger and spread his wings to soar skyward — yet he was still struck.

Splat!

A flash of bloody light erupted. One of his golden divine wings was pierced through, and blood scattered down.