The scene fell utterly silent.

The tip of the spear was drenched in blood — a sight that chilled the bones. Driven into the bluestone ground, the thick, long metal shaft trembled faintly, pinning Guan Cheng into a pool of blood as crimson liquid trickled down the metal shaft.

This sight sent a chill running down everyone’s spine — a cold surge rising from the soles of their feet all the way to the crowns of their heads.

The blood had sprayed high, dyeing the bluestone ground red, and had also splattered onto the Grand Commander’s robe — vivid and striking. What this meant, every single person present understood with a shudder.

The plaza had gone so quiet that a falling needle could be heard. Not a single person spoke. All eyes turned to Ye Fan. What did he intend to do? This was a display of sheer, overwhelming provocation!

The ice-cold spear was planted right beside the Grand Commander — less than two feet away, nearly striking him. The black shaft still trembled, cold and striking.

The blood-soaked scene left everyone’s bodies ice-cold, as though they could feel it themselves. A chill swept through every one of them. That had been a breathtaking spear strike — and a savage one.

It was a display of overwhelming intimidation. The oppressive atmosphere made it difficult to breathe.

Ye Fan stood upright on Long Ma’s back, unmoved. With a single strike, he had speared a transcendent-turned-saint trial contestant to death. Every person present went cold with fear. An unparalleled spear thrust — awe-inspiring to the heart.

The scene was deathly still. Guan Cheng had been pinned in the pool of blood, motionless, blood flowing freely.

“Insolence! How dare you run amok in the Sacred City of the Human Race — do you dare to defy the Grand Commander?!” Finally, a veteran soldier bellowed, shattering the silence.

Only then did people come back to themselves. Murmurs broke out in all directions. Ye Fan was far too forceful and sharp — the moment he appeared, he had immediately carried out such an act.

To have blood splattered on the Grand Commander of the Human Race’s Sacred City, and to display his power so openly — this was truly audacious beyond measure!

Several veteran soldiers stepped forward — some holding bronze dagger-axes, others raising longswords in confrontation — pointing at Ye Fan from a distance, their eyes radiating a bone-deep killing intent.

“Hum!”

The black spear driven into the ground trembled and emitted a blinding light. Inch by inch, it rose up from the ground on its own, pulling free of the earth by itself, leaving Guan Cheng’s body behind on the ground as blood gushed outward.

“No matter where you come from, no matter what identity you hold — drawing a weapon in the Sacred City of the Human Race is a violation of city law, which is equivalent to making an enemy of every powerful being on the entire human race’s ancient trial road.” A soldier declared.

Pff!

A sudden spray of blood burst through the air. The black spear, like a true black dragon, swung once and pierced through the soldier’s brow. Blood splattered in every direction.

“He’s turned on us — killing people within the city, defying the restraints of the ancient star road. He will be regarded as a traitor to the human race. All present, join together and execute him publicly — every person shall be recognized for their contribution!”

The military commander under the Grand Commander shouted with fierce intensity. His voice swept across half the ancient city, slapping a grand accusation down on Ye Fan’s head — the malicious intent behind it was plain. A crime like this, if made to stick, would bring every faction in the ancient city rising up to attack him together. As the military commander at Grand Commander Yu Han’s side, the man was clearly no ordinary figure — cold light flickering in his eyes, he shouted: “Seize him!”

“Hum — BOOM!”

The void shattered. The black spear shook once, collapsing the space in ten directions, sweeping through and shattering every bronze sword held by the row of soldiers — then it came down directly on the military commander.

Ye Fan’s weapon changed on its own, and though it was a long spear, in that moment it was like a heavenly sword. The spear tip was sharp and bone-chillingly cold; the bloodgroove along it pulsed with a frightening dark-crimson light, emitting a haunting wailing sound — like devils weeping.

“How dare you resist — you are making yourself the enemy of every human in this city…”

The military commander roared, his expression savage, rallying everyone to charge forward. But his words broke off abruptly. The black spear cut a blinding arc like a lightning flash and cleaved him down where he stood!

The spear tip traced a line from his brow all the way down to his thighs, a blood-red fissure splitting him open — then with a wet sound, blood sprayed several feet into the air. His body split into two halves, and he collapsed, his corpse lying across the ground.

The others nearby had blood splattered across them, and every one of them felt a piercing, bone-deep killing intent. Without a word of coordination, they all stopped short at the very same moment.

“Ye Fan — what do you think you’re doing?!” Grand Commander Yu Han shouted.

Ye Fan sat upright on Long Ma’s back, motionless. Only after cutting down the agitated soldiers who had just tried to rush him did he speak, his voice low and calm: “What am I doing? Can’t you see for yourself? I am ridding this city of traitors to the human race. The moment I arrived, you tried to pin a grand accusation on me as an enemy of all humanity — does he think he is the law itself, an emperor, the very Dao?!”

“What are you saying?!” The soldiers behind him roared and bellowed, each one seething with killing intent, flanking Grand Commander Yu Han and awaiting his command — every face dark and hostile.

Ye Fan struck first. The cold spear transformed into the body of a black dragon, dancing like lightning. Wet, piercing sounds rang out one after another as the spear consecutively drove through the soldiers who had stepped forward, dropping them all into pools of blood.

Although these men were powerful and attempted to fight back, every one of their weapons was shattered. Every single person was pierced through by the spear tip and died under its edge. Blossoms of blood bloomed.

“Stand down — do you truly wish to make enemies of every human race member on the entire ancient star road?” Grand Commander Yu Han asked coldly. He managed to hold himself together and, remarkably, had not yet made a move himself.

“How can killing traitors be considered making an enemy of the ancient star road?” Ye Fan said coldly. With a sharp motion, he beckoned the black spear back into his hand. He sat astride Long Ma, spear leveled across, even more menacing and intimidating.

“They are soldiers of this city — slaughtered by you without cause. The guidance official will not tolerate you, and will personally move to execute you!” The Grand Commander bellowed, his voice like a bolt of lightning splitting the sky, directed toward the City Lord’s manor.

It was clear he intended to alarm the guidance official — to bring him out to take control of the situation. He himself couldn’t yet gauge the depth of Ye Fan’s power, and was unwilling to make a move at this moment.

“Are they worthy of being called soldiers who protect the Human Race’s Sacred City?” Ye Fan said with cold contempt, his expression carrying a mockery he made no effort to hide, along with an undisguised killing intent.

A soldier stepped forward with a dignified air and declared: “You slaughter without restraint within the city, relying on your extraordinary achievements as justification. Know that the world is full of powerful figures who will suppress you — and furthermore, you have no right whatsoever to slander us.”

“Do you hear him?” Grand Commander Yu Han said coldly.

“And you dare call yourselves soldiers? You dare utter the words ‘right’ and ‘qualification’?” Ye Fan leveled the long spear forward in their direction. Where the weapon’s edge pointed, every one of those men went pale.

“I have a question I would like to put to the Grand Commander directly!” Ye Fan’s voice turned merciless. “I was comprehending the Dao within the primordial training ground — why was I surrounded and attacked by more than ten soldiers?!”

At these words, those soldiers all went pale. The other trial contestants present were equally shaken — so this had truly occurred. It made it all the more certain: Ye Fan intended to cause a great scene.

“I don’t understand. Which soldiers are you referring to? How could they have entered the training ground? Could they perhaps have been demon beasts within it that had taken human form?” Grand Commander Yu Han said evenly.

“I also don’t understand. The soldiers of this city are supposed to guard the ancient city — why would they enter the training ground to kill trial contestants like us?” Ye Fan’s expression remained cold and detached. Then he bellowed aloud: “And I understand even less — why are the very people who surrounded and attacked me now standing directly behind you?!”

His voice rang out like thunder, shaking the entire ancient city, reverberating in rolling echoes, filling every person with a jolt of shock. This was a Dao Shout — Ye Fan was publicly challenging the Grand Commander.

The Grand Commander waved a hand and said: “I believe you are mistaken. These are my soldiers and have never left their posts. They guard the Human Race’s Sacred City, having labored long and earned great merit. Each one is deserving of admiration — they are heroes of our human race. Why would they go into the training ground to attack you? Please do not cast filth upon them.”

As he spoke these words, his bearing was upright and dignified, radiating authority — his words resonating righteously with the Great Dao itself, reverberating outward with a rolling, thunderous sound.

Ye Fan let out a cold, contemptuous smile. This sense of dignity was far too cheap, and this degree of hypocrisy had gone beyond the word “reprehensible” to describe — it filled one with a visceral sense of the Grand Commander’s utter shamelessness.

“Why are you smiling? In the Sacred City of the Human Race, you are not free to behave recklessly!” Grand Commander Yu Han said — yet still with no apparent intention of making a personal move.

Before him, more than ten soldiers stood on high alert, each gripping their weapon and watching Ye Fan, every one of them prepared for battle.

Of course, stalling for time was the preferred course of action. Once the guidance official arrived, the deterrent force would be far greater. That old monster had cultivated the Dao for so many years — his power was surely supreme, unmatched by anyone in the city.

“Ha ha ha…” Ye Fan laughed heartily, without restraint or care. To the Grand Commander, it was the height of unbridled arrogance — a blatant, open mockery of all of them.

“Your bearing is so righteously upright. Truly, from ten zhang away, one would find themselves moved to admiration. Very well, then — right before your eyes, I will kill them one by one and give you the opportunity to champion righteousness.” Ye Fan declared.

Long Ma let out a roar and became a streak of fire — impossibly fast. A lightning flash like a crimson blaze surged forward. Ye Fan held the spear in one hand and thrust it forward.

“Clang!”

With just a single spear strike, more than ten weapons were shattered completely. With a wet sound, one man was pierced through the chest and hoisted into the air, hanging there suspended.

Then, with a crash, this soldier’s body broke into four or five pieces. Crimson blood sprayed outward in every direction, some of it falling in front of the Grand Commander.

Everyone went pale — with a single spear strike, every weapon had been destroyed, and one man killed simultaneously.

Grand Commander Yu Han’s expression shifted. He naturally understood — Ye Fan was doing this deliberately, intending to kill his subordinates one by one right before his eyes as a demonstration, which was tantamount to slapping him across the face publicly.

Hiss!

Ye Fan shattered the man. At the spear tip, a wisp of divine sense emerged. The scene of this soldier striking within the primordial training ground was instantly replicated, laying the truth bare for all to see.

Pff!

Ye Fan thrust his second spear strike. No matter how these men resisted or tried to evade, it was ultimately unavoidable. The second man was pierced through the forehead, lifted into the air by the spear thrust and killed, drenched in blood, his body unable to move.

At the same time, a wisp of divine sense flew out and replicated the scene from within the primordial training ground — displayed before the public.

Grand Commander Yu Han’s face went iron-green. With a sharp clang, a sacred banner rose up from behind him, its might overwhelming, swallowing heaven and consuming earth, snapping loudly in the air.

Ye Fan was collecting evidence before the public — this was blatant humiliation. The so-called “guardian heroes” had their ugly faces fully exposed, leaving the Grand Commander with nothing he could say.

And those soldiers — each one had gone ashen. Ye Fan’s power had exceeded every expectation, and was truly beyond frightening. Even with their numbers, they had no way to control the situation.

“What else do you have to say?!” Ye Fan bellowed, his voice deafening. The entire Sacred City of the Human Race trembled.

Everyone was stunned — then the entire plaza erupted in noise and clamor. By now, everything made it clear: Ye Fan intended to cause an all-out scene in this city. He had completely torn all pretense away!

Bitter Head Tuo, Mu Guanghan, Tuoba Yu, Ouye Mo, Yu Xian, and the others — each one’s expression shifted. What was unfolding today had gone beyond any of their expectations, leaving every heart unsettled.

The second-in-command of the Tianhuang Thirteen Riders wore an expression of cold intensity and said not a single word, standing beside Yan Chifeng.

The celestial poem fairy and her little handmaiden Yue’er were also present. Their expressions were calm, without agitation or urgency, watching the scene quietly.

“Clang!”

The Grand Commander made his move. The great banner in his hand surged with a tide of demonic energy. With a light shake, the entire banner face covered the sky, descending toward Ye Fan as it blanketed the heavens, and he shouted: “You fiend! You have used your arts to fabricate illusions and deceive the gathered heroes. Today I will eliminate you!”

Ye Fan laughed aloud and declared: “Cornered like a cur — now you resort to desperate measures? Today I will capture and execute every last one of you!”