Long Ma first stared in dumbfounded shock, then flew into a furious rage, saying, “You actually used it to wash your feet, you wastrel! You deserve to be struck by lightning!”

“Isn’t it just the Source of the Dao? What does it amount to? My Dao has no need of its recognition.” Ye Fan sat upon a green stone, admiring the beautiful scenery of the lake as he soaked his feet.

Immortal light overflowed in all directions. The ball of light struggled violently, as if it had been brought to a boil, yet it could not escape. Ye Fan felt completely at ease in his body; soaking his feet in it caused every pore across his entire being to relax and open wide.

“How does it feel?” Long Ma swallowed hard with great difficulty, truly at a loss for words.

“It really is quite comfortable!” That was Ye Fan’s verdict. He laughed. He was well aware that the Source of the Dao had great uses, yet this immortal object of undying nature refused to acknowledge him.

“Why don’t you give it a try as well,” Ye Fan said.

“Forget it, let’s talk about that another time. This… this is absolutely insane. Everyone else would sooner enshrine it like a revered ancestor, yet here you are using it to wash your feet!” Long Ma was at a complete loss, and instead asked what he planned to do next.

Two days later, Ye Fan made his move and began competing for territory across this ancient battlefield, for he had already heard that several more streams of the Source of the Dao existed. What should have been a single unified whole had this time been split into numerous streams, scattered across the various ancient battlefields, and people were now hunting for them.

Half a month later, having endured over a hundred blood-soaked battles and unleashed the supreme Source Arts that were utterly unrivaled between heaven and earth, Ye Fan seized another stream of the Source of the Dao.

Within a verdant mountain valley, birdsong rang out crisp and clear. Ye Fan thrust his spear through a great demon, killing it, then entered the valley and began yet another period of recuperation.

The valley was lush with vegetation. Enormous trees soared toward the heavens, and several streams of clear spring water ran through it — a place of great tranquility.

“Ye Fan!”

Before a cliff face there was an ancient cave, and from within it emerged a young man — slender and fine-featured. It was Rui Wei, his body marked with faint traces of dried blood.

After entering this battlefield, he had endured several bloody engagements before going into hiding, for his greatest purpose was to relocate his clanspeople from the depths of the starry sky to an ancient life-bearing star.

“I have heard that the second-in-command of the Thirteen Riders of the Celestial Desolation intends to move against you. He is rallying people together and seeking out the most powerful seed-level individuals to unite in killing you.” Rui Wei relayed this piece of intelligence to him.

This ancient land was incomparably vast, divided into several great regions. During this period, Ye Fan had been fighting continuously throughout the central region.

Likewise, news of the Source of the Dao had arrived from the western region, the southern region, the northern hellish region, and others — places he had not yet had the chance to reach.

Within this region, Ye Fan reigned supreme. Trial participants were intimidated by him and did not dare to cross blades with him. Meanwhile, Tuoba Yu, Mu Guanghan, Bitter Head Monk, and Ou Ye the Demon each dominated their own territory, and none of them had yet come to blows with him.

The Thirteen Riders of the Celestial Desolation were the same — sovereign over one ancient battlefield, searching for the Source of the Dao, with no one able to resist them. Having heard that Ye Fan was in this region, it seemed they were preparing to make a move.

“Their second-in-command is a ruthless and unprincipled man. He will stop at nothing to kill you, and may very well call upon some extremely formidable figures.”

Upon hearing this, Ye Fan nodded his thanks. He had been intending to seek out these people himself, so it came as a surprise to receive news of them in this manner.

After recuperating for two days, he set out once more, crossing ridge after ridge of untamed wilderness mountains until he arrived at another ancient land teeming with life.

Unfortunately, the Thirteen Riders of the Celestial Desolation had departed and left this region. Ye Fan did come to face off across a mountain range against another person — Ou Ye the Demon — for a brief moment.

Rui Wei had previously told him that this individual was extraordinarily powerful, having swept through the western region and cleaved apart three Ancient Saints in succession with a single black-gold demonic halberd, shaking the entire western wilderness.

Ou Ye the Demon stared at him from dozens of li away, then ultimately hefted that great halberd — capable of crushing the heavens and collapsing mountains and rivers — and walked away into the distance, vanishing at the edge of the horizon.

Afterward, Ye Fan entered the battlefield of the southern region. Battles large and small never ceased, and the fires of war burned everywhere. In recent days, the Divine Kingdom, the Demon Kingdom, and others had all gone into a frenzy, each driven mad by the desire to obtain the Source of the Dao.

Ye Fan’s arrival set off a wave of unrest. Having swept through the central region and now crossing into another region, his presence put the many powerful warriors on edge.

“Are you the trial participant who obtained the Source of the Dao? I have heard that heaven and earth do not recognize you. Would you be willing to hand it over? I can offer you a certain degree of compensation.” A young man riding upon a sacred beast asked.

Ye Fan shook his head without a word.

Boom!

Suddenly, a terrifying attack arrived. This man had made his move, raising a great net — resplendent and dazzling, spreading across the entire sky — intending to capture and kill him. It was a sacred artifact, seemingly woven from the river of stars, every thread terrifyingly powerful, starlight surging and rolling as if countless ancient stars were revolving within it.

“Be careful — this is the Crown Prince of the Spirit Kingdom. He has already achieved Sainthood and has laid down an ancient peerless formation across this land.” Feather Immortal, unseen for many days, sent a secret transmission from the shadows. Her voice was sweet as heavenly music, and for just a fleeting moment a graceful silhouette could be glimpsed flashing through the mountain range before it vanished.

Ye Fan gave a cold snort. Seated upon Long Ma, he made no move to dodge, letting the great net descend. Then, with both hands, he tore it apart with a violent pull, and the very universe trembled.

The threads of this sacred artifact, seemingly woven from the stellar river, were of course terrifyingly powerful — yet Ye Fan had torn through them anyway, as if countless vast ancient stars were shattering and crumbling.

The light of the stellar river shattered. The sacred artifact was destroyed. The area was nearly annihilated, all the surrounding mountain ranges leveled to nothing.

“Kill him!” The Crown Prince of the Spirit Kingdom exposed a savage and cold smile. The ancient formation across this land had long since awakened, its light blindingly radiant, burying Ye Fan within it.

At the same moment, three Ancient Saints struck from the shadows — all of them from the Spirit Kingdom — their attacks aimed at Ye Fan in the center of the formation.

Everyone present drew a sharp breath. Seeing this, none dared to get involved. The Crown Prince of the Spirit Kingdom’s expression was glacial, and he along with his sacred beast mount also launched their attacks.

This was a battle that shattered the heavens and sundered the earth. The formation could not imprison Ye Fan — he possessed the “Movement” word-formula, through which he could ascend to the nine heavens above or descend to the nine depths below; no sacred formation could hold him back.

Yet it was nonetheless an arduous battle. Spirit Kingdom troops and powerful fighters streamed in as reinforcements without end, while Ye Fan fought alone on a single mount, cutting through the fray until sun and moon lost their light and mountains and rivers lost their color.

Blood flew everywhere. This ancient land turned crimson. Bones and corpses beyond counting littered the ground. Ye Fan fought like a demon god, heedless of his own wounds, pursuing the Crown Prince of the Spirit Kingdom for a hundred thousand li before finally hurling the black spear in his hand.

Wuuu…

The black divine spear cut across heaven and earth, trailing wisps of dark light, like an awakened Demon Sovereign, shattering the long sky. In its wake it drew forth a sweep of primordial chaos energy that collapsed the battlefield.

“Ahh…”

The Crown Prince of the Spirit Kingdom screamed — a sound of utter anguish. The ice-cold spearhead pierced through the back of his heart, then drove onward into the skull of his sacred beast mount beneath him.

Blood spurted everywhere. The spear ran through them both and carried them flying for several li, slamming into a mountain peak.

With a thunderous crash, dust and smoke billowed to the sky. The great mountain crumbled to ash. The Crown Prince of the Spirit Kingdom and his sacred beast mount were pinned to the earth, every trace of life extinguished.

Ye Fan’s killing intent flowed through that spear, destroying every last vestige of his life force. His primordial spirit shattered.

Blood pooled across the ground. The massive sacred beast and the Crown Prince of the Spirit Kingdom were nailed to the earth and killed on the spot — a sight so shocking that the hearts of every cultivator who had followed to watch trembled in their chests.

In this engagement, the Crown Prince of the Spirit Kingdom had brought several Ancient Saints from his kingdom, mobilized a great army of warriors, and laid down a peerless killing formation — yet he had been unable to kill Ye Fan. Instead, Ye Fan had broken free and pinned him to the earth here.

The southern region erupted. The Spirit Kingdom gathered its great army. Its Ancient Saints emerged in full force and began a campaign to encircle and annihilate Ye Fan — a great bloody battle that engulfed the entire ancient land.

Ye Fan fought across hundreds of thousands of li, battling for several days straight, cutting down an uncountable number of enemies. Only when the Spirit Kingdom’s sovereign finally appeared did he temporarily withdraw.

He went deep underground, using his supreme Source Arts to detect the traces of the Source of the Dao, and seized a third stream.

In this battle, Ye Fan established a ferocious and terrible reputation. Whether trial participants or natives of this ancient land, all trembled at the mention of his name.

Every ancient land he arrived at sent it into a wave of fear. All the powerful fighters withdrew and gave way. Among the trial participants, aside from a very small number such as Bitter Head Monk, Mu Guanghan, Ou Ye the Demon, and a few others, there was likely no one who dared to cross blades with him.

Of course, these days had not been easy for Ye Fan either. He had drawn several Saint-level sovereigns to pursue and kill him, leaving him with no opportunity to seek out the Thirteen Riders of the Celestial Desolation and the others.

It was a blood-soaked stretch of time. For two full months, Ye Fan slaughtered without number, carving his way through entirely from piles of the dead.

Dong…

The sound of a bell rang out, long and distant, reverberating across the several ancient battlefields. The young powerful fighters who had come from the ancient road of the starry sky all let out a long breath — it signaled that the trial in this land had come to an end.

This had been a blood-soaked battlefield. Over these two months, none could say how many had fallen — it had been like a nightmare, and simply surviving was no small feat.

Though the trial participants were about to set off on their way, the battles in some areas had not yet concluded.

The Thirteen Riders of the Celestial Desolation, the military commander Guan Cheng, and several Ancient Saints from among the natives had joined forces, discovered a stream of the Dao Source, and gathered together to chant an ancient scripture in unison.

At this place, Dao light fell in ten thousand layers and divine radiance streamed down in a hundred million threads, as if the phantasmal image of an ancient great emperor had been summoned forth from the void, seated cross-legged here expounding the sutras.

The Source of the Dao was drawn upward, seemingly sensing something, and resonated with the sound of the chanted scripture. Given enough time, perhaps it truly could be claimed by someone.

It was at this final juncture that Ye Fan arrived — alone on a single mount, spear in hand, surveying them with cold detachment. Every one of them felt their heart lurch.

Ye Fan stood atop a hill and began to draw his bow and nock an arrow. All around him, lightning crackled and thunder rolled, strange phenomena cascaded, and surging killing intent soared to the sky.

Everyone erupted in fury. They rose to their feet, eyes glinting cold, and charged at him together to kill him.

Swoosh!

Ye Fan drew his bow. A single arrow shattered the canopy of heaven. He triggered the Eighth Forbidden State and loosed an arrow of incomparable and breathtaking power!

“Ahh…”

The fourth-ranked rider among the Thirteen Riders of the Celestial Desolation was struck and exploded apart. Bones and flesh and blood splattered in every direction. Everyone who saw this from a distance went pale with shock.

That arrow was terrifying beyond belief!

“This is maddening — to be ruined by him at the final moment! If not for this, the Source of the Dao might have chosen to come to us.”

These people howled in fury, hearts seething with rage. Facing the threat of death, they went all out to surround and kill Ye Fan.

Having slain one great enemy, Ye Fan rode Long Ma and dove directly underground, chasing after the Source of the Dao.

The group of people on the surface went into a frenzy and followed him down, but how could they compare to Ye Fan, who was a master of Source Arts? Before long, they were left far behind without a trace.

Dong…

The ancient bell rang long and unhurried, urging all trial participants to set out. A great sacrificial altar materialized in the void, pouring down brilliant and dazzling radiance.

It swept across the sky and appeared in turn above each ancient battlefield. Trial participants soared up one after another, preparing to depart.

Ye Fan ultimately succeeded — using the Immortal-Sealing Sixth Lock Technique to seize the fourth stream of the Source of the Dao, suppressing it within the Cauldron of All Things’ Maternal Qi, then bursting forth from underground.

Waiting for him were several Ancient Saints. He had no choice but to fight through with his blood, and in the end, it took battling his way up onto the Five-Colored Sacrificial Altar to finally shake off the several native fighters.

Yet even after ascending the altar, the great battle did not stop. The leader of the Thirteen Riders of the Celestial Desolation, Gu Ling, finally revealed his world-shaking combat power — wild and primal — and clashed ferociously with Ye Fan. Beyond him, the second-in-command and military commander Guan Cheng also made their move.

Hum!

In a final flash of brilliant radiance, they all vanished. The great battle did not stop within that dark passage — these individuals continued to fight savagely, and they charged directly into a magnificent and imposing human sacred city.