The Thirteen Riders of the Desolate Sky had arrived. Their exotic beasts and savage birds beneath them were all supernatural and extraordinary — some let out long roars at the sky, some blazed with surging divine radiance, scales dense as armor, feathers blindingly bright, breathing clouds and mist, like deep-dwelling dragons ascending to the heavens.
The street shuddered, like a surge of steel and iron crashing forward. The whole area felt as though an earthquake had struck.
Powerful Pixiu beasts, nine-headed golden-scaled divine pythons, sky-devouring azure dragons… one after another, magnificent and terrifying, they packed into this place and surrounded Ye Fan at the center.
The Thirteen Riders of the Desolate Sky sneered one after another, circling around him as if closing in on prey. Several broke from the group and called out taunts, circling around him.
The entire street erupted into chaos. A number of people gathered to watch, spectating this disturbance — perhaps a stunning clash was about to break out.
Ye Fan stood his horse sideways with his spear across it, facing these fearsome divine riders alone. There was no joy or rage on his face — only cold indifference, and the killing energy radiating outward.
“Hey — so you really want to fight us? Very well, then make your move. Let us see what you are capable of.”
“I will give you ten moves. Within fifteen, I will take your head!”
Two of the riders were especially domineering. Their mounts neighed and stamped, the road booming beneath them, sparks flying. They circled continuously around Ye Fan, as if they had caged their quarry.
Ye Fan’s gaze was intimidating. He swept the spear across them in a cold glare. These people were overbearing in their conduct, but they had not launched a direct assault — they were stirring up trouble, trying to provoke him into striking first.
It was clear: they intended to use the city’s rules. They would provoke first, then lure their opponent into making a move, and then “defend themselves” — eliminating him by the rules.
“What’s the matter — heart gone faint? If you don’t dare move, then get out of the way quickly and clear the road!” One of them called out with cold eyes. The moment Ye Fan struck in anger, he and the other would immediately and mercilessly cut him down.
“Enough with the dog’s barking. Come forward if you want to die — I’m waiting for you to move first.” Ye Fan’s words rang out, not high, not low — yet they carried through the length of the entire street.
Many faces changed expression. Ye Fan was one man alone on one horse — and yet he met them head on, sharp and relentless, which startled many people.
The Thirteen Riders of the Desolate Sky were absolutely seed-level powerhouses. On the road here they had already alarmed the Guiding Emissary, fighting a bloody path of battle without ever knowing defeat, and arriving at the first city of the human race with tremendous momentum.
These riders were feared by every faction. Many had already listed them as one of the most fearsome groups of rivals. Now that they were stirring up trouble, it naturally drew everyone’s attention.
“The Thirteen Riders of the Desolate Sky are seed-level powerhouses. This is clearly them sizing up each rival one by one — and they’ve chosen to start with this person.”
“Who is he? Which star domain is he from? His bearing is exceptional — can he truly hold his own against the elite of the ancient Desolate Sky star domain?”
“Of the four hundred and thirty-seven people who entered the city, very few could face the Thirteen Riders of the Desolate Sky in a duel. You can see their leader rides a sacred beast.”
The leader of the Thirteen Riders kept his eyes closed the entire time. He paid none of this any mind, as though he were an outside observer. He was bare-chested, his upper body an ancient bronze hue, and beneath him was a grey wolf with blood energy rolling off it like a flood.
“It is said this person’s cultivation has reached a state of consummate mastery. The taunting, the aggressive posturing — all of it is to sharpen the combat ability of the few riders who rank toward the end.”
“Move aside — or fight? Decide quickly. Otherwise, stop surrounding me!” Ye Fan spoke. He would not strike first — he had no desire to give them leverage — yet neither was he willing to let these people have an easy time of it.
The crowd was momentarily dumbfounded. This person was absolutely cutting — even more domineering than the Thirteen Riders themselves. Was he truly going to tear away all pretense and fight a decisive battle?
The two mounts of the Thirteen Riders that had been circling around Ye Fan came to a stop. The two men seated on them had faces like iron, the killing light in their eyes cracking the sky.
They had wanted to kill Ye Fan within the rules of the city — yet to their surprise, the other party, one man alone, had the same audacity. He wanted them to move first — so he could kill them!
“Even if I give you the chance to defend yourself, can you actually kill me?” One of them sneered with a bone-cold smile.
“Then come over here and try. I don’t mind taking your dog head.” Ye Fan spoke with iron firmness. In his hand, the black spear flashed with dark light as he raised it, pointing directly at that person’s throat. The divine radiance at the spear-tip flickered and pulsed.
These words set the entire street ablaze. The man on the crimson-scaled horse was too cutting — his battle garments in tatters, stained with specks and streaks of blood, he was like a god of slaughter, striking awe into every heart that beheld him.
“He’s going to stand head-on against the Thirteen Riders of the Desolate Sky until the end!”
“His path ahead may grow dim from this moment on. No matter how strong he is, he may not be a match for all thirteen riders.”
“Who is he?”
Many people were at first dumbstruck, then all spoke at once in a clamor.
Among the Thirteen Divine Riders, the two who had been stirring up trouble were naturally enraged. Those words had been too grating to the ear — for people who had always been domineering, it was a humiliation.
One of them sent a divine jar floating up above his head. It breathed in the essence of heaven and earth, its fluctuations like a crashing sea, intending to draw Ye Fan inside.
“Thirteen!” A powerhouse on a mount in the distance shot him a sharp look, signaling him to put the divine jar away.
“Do not forget — two years ago, two seed-level powerhouses who considered themselves to have reached the sacred realm were untameable and disregarded the city’s rules. They were both executed.” One of the city’s residents offered the reminder.
“Who is causing a disturbance here? Does anyone dare to violate the rules of this city?” A squad of soldiers arrived from the distance. One after another, clad in black heavy armor, iron spears in hand, they advanced like a range of mountains — carrying a terrifying pressure.
They, too, were former trial participants on the supreme road. Though they had failed, they had once gone very far — and their qualifications ran deeper than those of anyone present. Their power was naturally not weak.
“Twelve, Thirteen — stop making trouble and go find your lodgings.” The second-in-command of the Thirteen Riders of the Desolate Sky spoke up.
Having just entered the city, no one was willing to violate the city’s rules and infuriate the Guiding Emissary — the consequences of that would certainly be dire.
The second-in-command of the Desolate Sky group rode atop an azure dragon. He wore an azure-gold war-robe that covered even his head, leaving only a pair of eyes visible outside the armor. His eyeballs had no pupils — they blazed with an azure light that was deeply unsettling, carrying a quality of something demonic.
The azure dragon let out a low rumble. Sacred power spread through the air, sending many nearby exotic beasts into a frenzy — some came close to collapsing on the spot.
“That is a sacred beast!”
The crowd was greatly alarmed. Beyond the leader’s silver old wolf, the mount of the second-in-command among the Thirteen Riders had also apparently reached the sacred realm.
“Roarr…”
A chorus of roars spread. Several exotic beasts on the street were startled, and began struggling and thrashing. The unicorn closest to Ye Fan threw its rider off entirely, blazing with light, rearing up on its hind legs, and stamped down toward Ye Fan’s body.
It was obvious — all of this had been caused by the second-in-command’s azure dragon mount. A true dragon was lord of all creatures. The azure dragon carried diluted dragon’s blood in its veins. Having reached the sacred realm, it could naturally command lower-realm beasts.
“Pff!”
Ye Fan swung the darkened-gold spear in his hand, using it like a long blade, and cleaved the unicorn in two on the spot. The two halves flew forward.
“You…”
The Thirteen Riders of the Desolate Sky erupted in fury. The two halves of the unicorn’s body fell to the ground right in front of them. Blood splattered outward, piercing through the protective light screens of the twelfth and thirteenth riders, soaking down onto their bodies as filthy blood streamed over them.
The atmosphere on the scene went taut in an instant. Seven or eight among the Thirteen Riders turned back and surrounded Ye Fan. Battle could erupt at any moment.
“Stand down! I warn you — whoever strikes will be dealt with for violating the city’s rules. They will be killed on the spot without exception!” The squad of soldiers bellowed.
They, too, had walked this road as trial participants — they had walked further than anyone present, and their qualifications were deeper. Their power was naturally not feeble.
“He provoked us. He soiled our bodies with beast blood!”
“He blocked the road — then insulted us. He should be executed!”
The twelfth and thirteenth riders among the Thirteen Riders pointed their accusations, demanding that Ye Fan be punished according to the city’s rules — to be denied his life.
Ye Fan said: “Someone startled the unicorn, and it attacked me. I was acting in self-defense.”
“It has nothing to do with me — my mount was startled as well, and I was nearly thrown off.” The unicorn’s former rider said, his face pale.
…
This squad of soldiers had all walked this road themselves. They naturally understood what was truly going on. No one had been killed. They had no desire to intervene too much — they warned everyone and ordered them to disperse without further entanglement.
Having barely entered the city, a disturbance had already broken out. A tense atmosphere spread through the air, and every single person was now on guard against every other, afraid of being taken advantage of.
Ye Fan found an inn and paid one divine energy stone to take up lodgings there. Long Ma gritted his teeth and cursed the Thirteen Riders — yet could not act against them.
The inn was expensive, but worth its price. In the rear courtyard, there were pavilions, towers, a small bridge over a flowing stream — a garden-style design of beautiful scenery.
He intended to rest and restore his strength, for once they entered the trial grounds there would certainly be fierce fighting — and with the Thirteen Riders, there was bound to be a bitter battle.
“Who are you?”
Ye Fan, who had been sitting in meditation, opened his eyes and looked out into the courtyard. He saw a person — sneaking furtively, his footwork strange — who had slipped in from the adjacent courtyard into his.
“Shh — keep your voice down, Brother Dao. I have come to sell secret manuals.” A thin and wiry middle-aged cultivator said.
“I have no need.” Ye Fan replied. Long Ma’s expression also turned unfriendly.
“You misunderstand — these are not the usual kind of scripture manuals. These are survival guides — information about what goes on in the trial grounds.” This was a local resident. His cultivation was not weak — and he had made this his trade.
“That sort of thing must already be in violation of the city’s rules. I imagine the Guiding Emissary would not allow such irregularities to stand.” Ye Fan said.
The visitor gave a dry laugh, then left without further argument.
That same day, besides this kind of secret manual, there was another type of guide being sold — one that listed some of the formidable figures among the trial participants. In private, it stirred up a new wave of unease.
The sense of tension thickened further. For the hunt that was about to begin, people already felt that smothering sensation of a storm gathering and the wind rising before a great tempest.
The next day, a piece of news shook the entire city: a seed-level powerhouse had fallen — killed in their own lodgings, cut down without mercy.
“What happened? Who did this?”
The soldiers surrounded the location, yet were unable to immediately apprehend the culprit — triggering a wave of controversy.
“You don’t know — there have always been unsolved cases like this. In the end, if no one is caught, it just fades away.” A resident said.
“How can that be? Can’t even the Guiding Emissary find the killer?” The heroes were indignant.
“So many powerful figures, from the boundless cosmos, from vast and limitless star domains — many of them carry inheritances from ancient secret places. Some have peculiar forbidden secret arts. Even someone as powerful as the Guiding Emissary would find it difficult to uncover any trace.”
With this, the cultivators in the city became even more vigilant, guarding against each other with suspicion — trusting no one.
For it was said that the one who had died was a Saint — a cultivator of over two hundred years in the Dao, whose cultivation ran deep, who had been among the front ranks of the four hundred and thirty-seven. Yet this person had died in a manner that was murky and unexplained.
A dark current stirred beneath the surface. Killing intent lurked on all sides. People came to realize that perhaps more such incidents would follow.