The Divine Spirit Small Realm was collapsing. The formation array branded with the ancient Great Sage’s power spread waves of energy that made gods weep and immortals shudder, demons wail and ghosts howl, a terror that shook the entire world.

Everyone bore wounds upon their bodies. Had it not been for the Green Cauldron, they might have already been torn apart and killed right then.

The Divine Maiden Furnace was unharmed, for it was a Great Sage-level sacred artifact. However, the others had not reached that level, and even within it, they could not withstand the impact of a Great Sage-level collision.

“They’re all dead…” Long Ma’s body was covered in dried bloodstains. When he turned to look back, he discovered that all five or six hundred people from the various Holy Lands had been completely annihilated — not a single one had survived.

Although Ye Fan had brought out the Green Cauldron, the range of its green light was limited. It was not a wide-area defense, merely an instinctive self-protection.

Apart from Ji Zi, the Holy Prince, the Black Emperor, Qi Luo, and a few others, even their Saint-level cosmic mothership had been half-destroyed. Li Heishui was coughing blood and had collapsed on the ground.

In this battle, seven or eight damaged sacred artifacts had been destroyed in total. The might of that ancient Great Sage’s formation array was beyond resistance — once unleashed, it could sever the moon and cleave the stars. Even multiple Saints fighting together could only taste bitter defeat.

Everyone fell silent. Hell had truly been ruthless, willing to destroy the Divine Spirit Small Realm — a rare treasure of the ages — to eliminate its enemies. This had been a pre-set trap aimed at the Saints who had come to attack: Wei Yi of the Celestial Pivot Stone Workshop, the old master of the Extraordinary Scholar’s Manor, and many others.

“Ah…” A few individuals from the various Holy Lands still held faint traces of spiritual consciousness, though they were about to scatter into nothing. Their flesh and bone had already dissolved into bloody mud, and their dying remnants wailed out.

“Our forms and souls are both destroyed…” Terrified, anguished screams rang out, but they could change nothing.

This place had become a true hell. The entire small realm was destroyed, the Great Sage’s formation array shattered, and the last echoes were scattered by the aftershocks.

Boom!

The Holy Slayer raised the Divine Maiden Furnace. Its entire body radiated brilliance, with shimmering light waves washing outward, erasing the last traces of the killing formation. This place returned to silence.

The grand armies of all the Holy Lands had been completely annihilated!

Hell had been vicious and decisive — abandoning a lair unchanged since time immemorial. The very first time enemies had stormed their gates, they had detonated the entire place.

The one fortunate thing was that only Ye Fan and a few key individuals had entered. They had not brought the descendants of Heaven’s Village with them. Had they done so, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

“Slaughter them clean! Hell and the Human World must both be destroyed! They dared to trap this Emperor, and now even their old lair has been found — where can you possibly flee to?!” The Black Emperor bared its teeth in a fierce grin and wiped the blood from its body.

“To the Human World!” Ye Fan declared. The group tore open the void and stepped through a spatial gate, rushing toward the other ancient homeland of the assassins.

In the latter half of the night, moonlight fell softly, its radiance gentle and draping. A thin layer of white mist blanketed the earth, pale and tranquil.

A mountain village lay in peaceful quiet, backed by a low range of hills. Its houses stood in orderly rows, with groves of mulberry trees spreading across the land, bamboo forests deep and lush and green, fertile farmland stretching before the village, and paths crisscrossing through the fields.

This was a small mountain village. The occasional crow of a rooster or bark of a dog drifted through the air. Frogs called from the fish ponds, and though insects sang, the atmosphere felt serene and peaceful.

For so many tens of thousands of years, no one had known — the Human World was hidden right here, tucked within this idyllic countryside that resembled a paradise beyond the mortal world. Its entrance was a dry well just outside the village.

Now, a great army pressed in like a vast sea of black, still as an iron forest, unmoving, having long since sealed off the entire area. Several Saints had concealed themselves in the shadows, silent and waiting, blocking every exit.

When Ye Fan, the Holy Prince, and the others had gone to Hell, another group from the Holy Lands had already arrived here — including the elderly Saint from the Ji Family who had been sealed away until now.

Surprisingly, Jiang Yifei, the current Sacred Master of the Jiang Family, had come in person. He rode a Golden Roar as his mount, walking through the moonlight. He was graceful and refined, otherworldly and transcendent.

On the other side, the Holy Maiden of the Jade Pool moved in flowing white robes, like a fairy skimming the water’s surface — breathtakingly beautiful in the moonlight, pure and ethereal, like the mistress of the Lunar Palace herself descending to the mortal world.

Heaven’s Village had concentrated its main forces at Hell, while the various Holy Lands had concentrated their main forces here — and now the two groups had joined together.

Additionally, the Sacred Master of the Great Yan Holy Land had personally arrived. In the end, a number of truly heavyweight figures had come.

The Holy Maiden of the Purple Palace had also emerged from seclusion. She possessed the Innate Dao Womb, and at this point she had transcended ordinary human concerns — her immortal bearing was immaculate, purple energy swirling around her. Her entire being harmonized with the Dao. Every movement was one with heaven and earth, profound and unfathomable. In all these years she had never made a move, and no one knew what level she had reached.

“Everyone who attacked Hell is dead…”

When the leaders gathered at this location heard the news, every single brow furrowed. Though those lost were not the core elites and would not damage the foundations of their powers, it was still no small setback.

“We have reason to believe this place is also most likely a killing trap,” one of the elder Sacred Masters said.

The reputations of the Human World and Hell had shaken countless ages, and all under heaven feared them. As long as their lairs remained undestroyed and their lineages unbroken, even in decline they would have a day of return.

Now, they were no longer at their peak — broadly speaking, they were in a weakened period — but they were still not something ordinary major powers could shake.

Every brow was furrowed. If tonight yielded no result, then for a very long time to come, everyone present would face terrifying assassination attempts. That would be a nightmare.

Two Holy Slayers… No matter how tight the defenses, that would be a tremendous calamity. If they were not eliminated, many people would lose their heads — or even have their Dao lineages destroyed.

Stepping into the mysterious realm of the Human World, they found mountains and rivers of graceful beauty, rosy clouds rising between the peaks, a scene that looked like an immortal paradise. Rare birds and auspicious beasts of various sects roamed within — it did not look at all like the domain of assassins.

The cosmic mothership filled the sky and forcibly destroyed the entrance, expanding the passage countless times over. Killing intent erupted as assassins of the Divine Dynasty fought back.

The attackers did not rush in recklessly. Standing at the perimeter, they drove their magical power to sweep forward, sending the assassins ahead spraying blood, with light and mist rising and piles of bodies and bones left in every direction.

“It can be confirmed — the leaders of this place have already withdrawn.” After carefully observing, the group reached this conclusion. The defensive arrangement was the same as at Hell: the intent was to draw everyone in and slaughter them all at once.

“What do we do?” Everyone was greatly alarmed. If they could not destroy these two great ancient Divine Dynasties, what lay ahead would be a nightmare!

Whether it was the jade-like, elegant Jiang Yifei or the pure and otherworldly Holy Maiden of the Jade Pool, every brow was creased with worry, and unease filled each person present.

“Let me try. I will use my ability to draw upon innate qi and sense whether I can perceive any special conditions here.” The Holy Maiden of the Purple Palace spoke, then sat cross-legged to one side. Using her innate divine ability, she merged herself into the grand Dao of this place, stirring the entire Divine Spirit Small Realm.

The Innate Dao Womb was incomparably mysterious, possessing the same constitution as the Western Emperor. According to legend, even the mother of the Wushi Emperor had this constitution — something of terrifying, boundless power.

Those born with it were naturally close to the great Dao, capable of perceiving the secrets of an entire heaven and earth.

Everyone hoped. They halted their attacks, surrounding her in the center, and waited quietly.

The Holy Maiden of the Purple Palace, her eyes bright and beautiful, gently closed her eyes. Her long lashes trembled softly. Her body was translucent as white jade, emanating a crystalline glow. Strands of Dao light radiated outward and merged into the mysterious realm.

Heaven and earth communed. She became the sole presence within that luminous haze — veiled and sacred, as if all the vast and ancient Dao came to merge with her, mysterious beyond measure.

In this moment, the Dao followed its nature. She had become the embodiment of the great Dao, evolving all the secrets of this place, seeking to return to its past scenes.

Seeing this, Ye Fan also sat cross-legged. He activated the ancient methods recorded in the Vedic Scriptures that he had obtained from the other shore of the star sea — reversing time, tracing back to the source, also seeking to reproduce the scenes of the past.

Sacred Dao waves expanded outward. The Holy Body and the Dao Womb resonated with one another, mutually reinforcing each other, causing the great Dao of heaven and earth to fully merge in an instant, swallowing both figures within it.

Everyone was taken aback, expressions of surprise appearing on their faces.

The Black Emperor had been seething with anger just moments before, but now became wildly excited and hissed in a low voice: “Innate Holy Body and Dao Womb — become something like the Wushi Emperor reborn!”

Boom!

With a final tremor, both Ye Fan and the Holy Maiden of the Purple Palace — whose body shone as pure and clear as jade — opened their eyes simultaneously. Their expressions showed shock. The great Dao left no trace. Everything had already been severed. Nothing remained here.

It was impossible to investigate further. The Holy Slayer of the Human World had done things very cleanly, cutting off all traces of the past.

What now? Several Holy Lands were filled with boundless regret. After this battle, a great calamity would surely follow. How were they to face the wrath of two Holy Slayers? Even deploying their deepest reserves against Holy Slayers was more likely to end in disaster than not — these were demons born purely for killing.

“What on earth are we to do?!”

“There will inevitably be a bloody war ahead. Who knows how many will die. Unable to destroy these two Divine Dynasties, we will face their endless retaliation.”

“Damn it all, how did things come to this?!”

People were filled with dread and anxiety. They clenched their fists and paced back and forth, utterly without recourse — too late for regrets.

Ye Fan rose to his feet and looked at Qi Luo. “I will go in and bring it out intact.”

The Holy Slayer Qi Luo nodded. “Be careful. Although there are no Holy Slayers stationed inside anymore, you must still stay alert. If you trigger a Great Sage-level formation array, nothing of this place will remain.”

“What are you two talking about? Could there possibly be another way?” The others were astonished and looked over together.

“Indeed — the ancient Divine Dynasties will be destroyed!” Ye Fan nodded.

He strode toward the distance. The Saint of the Ji Family, Wei Yi, Qi Luo, the old master of the Extraordinary Scholar’s Manor, the greatest bandit of the Northern Domain — all stepped forward and came over together.

Ye Fan produced a damaged Green Cauldron, stepped inside it himself, and sat cross-legged at its center. He asked the several Saints to activate the cauldron and use it to send him deep into the Divine Spirit Small Realm.

In the distance, everyone was stunned. All eyes from the various Holy Lands fell on that ancient cauldron — mottled with copper rust, looking like nothing more than scrap metal — and for a moment, no one could find words.

“This is… that year…”

“The greatest winner when the ancestral land of the Feathered Transformation Divine Dynasty was destroyed… it was him!”

Back then, even the ancient clans and the Dao lineages of many emperors had been stirred into action. The entire world had been shaken, and people had rushed to the dragon vein of the Central State to compete for the Immortal Cauldron — yet the matter had ended inconclusively. And now it had appeared in Ye Fan’s hands.

Many people’s eyes burned with desire, their hearts stirring powerfully — but none dared show it. How many people today were capable of slaying someone with a Holy Body? Seizing it from him would be extraordinarily difficult.

This cauldron required so many people working together to activate — the sight of it left everyone speechless.

Whoosh!

A faint streak of green light flashed by. The bronze cauldron carried Ye Fan straight through, faster than lightning. Faintly, one could sense the power of time reversing, as if the entire space were being reshaped — something terrifying and strange beyond description.

Ancient Saint formation arrays tried to block the way, but the cauldron pierced through them, breaking through all the restrictions and forcing open a passage, creating a terrifying hole through which it passed.

Everyone was shaken!

A long while later, someone finally asked: how exactly would the two great Divine Dynasties be found?

The Holy Slayer Qi Luo fell silent. A look of grief appeared on his face. He slowly walked toward the distance. His silhouette was desolate and lonely — as if he had aged a thousand years in an instant.

Old Knife Handle went after him and supported his grandfather with both hands.

An elder from Heaven’s Village sighed softly, and revealed the hidden truth.

The Holy Slayer Qi Luo had seven children. Long, long ago — no one knew exactly how many years — he had sent each of them separately into the small strongholds of Hell and the Human World, solely for the purpose of finding the main strongholds of the two Divine Dynasties and then gradually infiltrating their most ancient and deepest halls.

What had happened in the interim, no one knew. But over those long, drawn-out ages, those in Heaven’s Village had witnessed Qi Luo weep five or six times. Each time, he had been consumed by grief and anguish.

The final outcome was that Qi Luo had adopted a grandson — Old Knife Handle — to keep him company. Others had assumed he was Qi Luo’s biological grandchild. Without needing to say it aloud, everyone could guess: all of his real children were dead.

Had his seven children lived to this day, there should have been grandchildren surrounding him. Yet in the end, he stood utterly alone.

“My last aunt or uncle endured in hiding for over two thousand years,” Old Knife Handle said. “Two years ago, they successfully entered the most ancient hall of the Human World — but died not long afterward.”

The discovery of the ancestral lairs of the Human World and Hell was entirely that person’s achievement.

After the collapse of the Heavenly Court, only two or three small fry had survived. It was not until Qi Luo’s generation that things had begun to improve, recovering some of their strength.

Having been weak for so long, previous generations had labored with all their hearts and found only one or two small strongholds. Qi Luo had steeled himself through the pain and sent all of his own children to find a way in. Over those long, long ages, they had finally infiltrated the innermost ancient halls.

“My last child… succeeded. They were never exposed. Yet because they were assigned to excavate a certain place, all those who went along on that task were silenced afterward.”

Qi Luo spoke in a flat, indifferent tone, but deep within his eyes was an endless sorrow.

Blood runs true between parent and child. They shared a secret art: in the moments before death, there could be a brief spiritual connection between them. Two years ago, when that final youngest child’s soul shattered, he had transmitted a set of strange coordinates to Qi Luo through tears of blood — but his soul power was too weak, and before he could convey everything, it ended. What he managed to leave was that the coordinates had been carved somewhere within the Human World, and could be found there.

“Hell and the Human World together excavated a celestial domain. Once the excavation was complete, all who had participated were silenced.” This was Qi Luo’s conclusion.

Boom!

Suddenly, the Divine Spirit Small Realm of the Human World underwent a great collapse. The ancient Great Sage’s formation array reawakened, shocking the entire realm, grinding and slaughtering all things, destroying everything within the world.

Everyone fell back. Ye Fan, driving the Green Cauldron, charged out of it.

“How did it go?” Everyone rushed forward, surrounding him, asking anxiously.

“Success. The coordinates of a celestial domain have been found!” Ye Fan answered.

Upon hearing these words, the Holy Slayer Qi Luo could no longer hold himself together. Murky old tears rolled down his face. His body trembled — there was release within his grief, and within his release, boundless sorrow.

He murmured, only two words: “My children…”

A cool wind swept through. Mist and haze drifted through heaven and earth. Everyone cheered — for this meant the two great Divine Dynasties might finally be completely destroyed.

People surmised the general picture: the assassins of the Divine Dynasties had surely taken refuge in that celestial domain, abandoning their ancient lairs, intending to lie low from this point forward.

Only Qi Luo stood forlorn, unable to speak a single word for a long time. His body trembled faintly. He gazed up at the sky and let the old tears stream freely down his face.

Old Knife Handle stepped forward and supported him, unable to say anything either — only staying by his side.

“Senior, let us go and destroy these two great Divine Dynasties!” Ye Fan said. There were no words adequate for the moment. Only by completely eliminating the enemy could he offer the greatest comfort to this man.

“Charge — kill them all, leave not one behind!”

“Attack! Go to that celestial domain — sweep it completely clean! Let the two great ancient Divine Dynasties become history, vanishing into smoke and ash this very night!”

People roared with fury.

The formation platforms had already been dispatched. The spatial gate had already been opened. Everyone set out, rushing toward that celestial domain.

It was an ancient land — situated, astonishingly, in the domain beyond, with primordial chaos qi drifting around it, detached from the surface of the ancient star. It would have been extraordinarily difficult to discover under any normal circumstances.