It was a harrowing stretch of time, drenched in blood. Even though the human race had made preparations, they still suffered no small losses.

Several stretches of the ancient star paths through space collapsed. Two ancient life stars were shattered — and though vast numbers of living beings had been evacuated in advance, even so, it could rightfully be called a mountain of bones and corpses.

No one had anticipated that this battle would persist for eighteen years — and still it had not concluded, with these star domains all still in great turmoil.

The human race, the sacred being clan, the Radiance Clan, and others — all had been drawn into it over those ten-plus years. Even those who wished to extricate themselves could not, and dominant clans from other star domains were still arriving.

One by one, the seven demonic wells were opened — as though the gates of hell had been unsealed. It was a catastrophe that left the land littered with the dead.

Some speculated that the sacred being from the age of myth had been only one step away from attaining the Dao — nearly becoming an ancient Emperor — yet in the end had been subdued and slain by the Dao Venerable, its essence nurtured into seven cellars of divine specters.

After more than ten years of warfare, one ancient well after another was broken open, with each clan suffering devastating losses. Even Great Sages perished one after another, several falling in the fighting.

Some ancient wells were not particularly dangerous, while others harbored murderous intent that transcended imagination. The most sinister and malevolent of all was the demonic well in which the head of that sacred being from the age of myth was buried.

The combined armies of every clan arrived — and it took the living sacrifice of a full one hundred thousand souls, blood flooding the demonic earth and bones piling into mountains, before even a hairline crack appeared in the seal of this location.

In the end, every clan exhausted every conceivable method and finally opened this ancient well. And on the very day it was opened, world-shaking omens manifested.

From that day forward: sand and rocks flew, yin winds howled in fury, a blood moon hung across the sky, and bodies of gods and demons rained down from above, striking the earth with resounding crashes.

This state of affairs persisted for a full ten years. No one could approach. One alien-domain Great Sage rashly ventured into the forbidden zone — and cried out in misery for three days and three nights, until in the end only a white skeleton remained. Its flesh and blood and nascent soul had been completely devoured.

Ten years later, the sacred being’s head emerged into the world. The ancient star shattered. It consumed entire star rivers, and every clan paid a price beyond imagination.

Blood flowed in rivers, dyeing the cosmos red. Had so much time not already passed, had the Dao Venerable’s suppression not already brought this head close to the point of decay, it was difficult to imagine what catastrophe it would have wrought.

Such were the seven demonic wells — each one utterly uncanny, layered with murderous intent, becoming a burial ground for the powerful.

The final ancient well contained a half-section of a creature’s torso, and within it was hidden a stone scripture. This sparked an even more overwhelming bloody calamity. Each clan slaughtered one another in mutual warfare. Even among the evil gods, falling-outs occurred.

In order to obtain this scripture, every clan turned heaven upside down in their fighting. The human race also became involved — and acted at a critical moment — yet came up short at the final step. One path guardian narrowly escaped death.

As for the various major clans that had been involved throughout, their losses in this battle were enormous. Two Great Sages were blasted to pieces in succession, their blood and remains scattering through the star domain as entire star domains were pierced through.

The Divine Refining Cauldron, the stone decree, and other extreme-Dao ancient weapons, or ancestral artifacts approaching the level of Emperor weapons, clashed violently — ten thousand star rivers, the cosmos cracking and fracturing — causing certain dominant clans to be completely annihilated.

Eighteen years had passed. The seven demonic wells were opened one after another, and the great battle persisted to this very day. The whereabouts of the Heaven-Mending Art remained unknown — no one could say in whose hands it now lay.

Of course, despite their enormous losses, every clan had also gained greatly. Whether the sacred being clan, the Radiance Clan, or the human race — all had at various points obtained immortal liquid.

The Dao Venerable had sealed the sacred being from the age of myth, and in the end had refined some supreme precious liquid. Drops had been found in four of the ancient wells, making them priceless beyond measure for every clan.

Throughout all these years, the ancient star paths through space had collapsed and could not be rebuilt. For the human race, this road was effectively severed. The fighting never ceased, with blood raining down unceasingly — this ancient path had become a scene of utter desolation.

Eighteen years — and Ye Fan had fought in blood throughout, battling against every clan, year after year, day after day, never ceasing — killing his way through it all without pause. He had never left this star domain. In the most brutal and savage of battles, he tempered himself — crossing mountains of corpses, crawling through endless piles of the dead — and had firmly consolidated his Dao foundation.

He had advanced through the Sage realm far too quickly, yet having now experienced the impact of thousands upon thousands of different Dao methods and the clash of countless ancient arts, he had walked forward step by step. His Dao heart had grown resolute, and he had eliminated every hidden danger.

Throughout these years, he had not rushed to break through barriers. He had devoted himself wholeheartedly to building his own foundation of the immortal Dao.

Even a bean sprout, after eighteen years of being washed in blood and rain, would grow into a resilient and precious root — if it survived. And when the right moment came, it would rise from the earth and transform into an ancient tree with sprawling roots reaching toward the heavens.

How much more so with Ye Fan — having endured countless trials of life and death, he was like a peerless heavenly sword, luminously brilliant and razor-sharp, concealed within its sheath.

Over these years, Ye Fan had broken through a barrier only once — that was ten years ago. When he felt his immortal Dao foundation had been sufficiently consolidated, he attempted to push further.

Ten years ago, he had sat cross-legged atop one of the demonic wells that had been broken open by the various clans, absorbing boundless death energy, then consuming the immortal liquid left behind by the Dao Venerable to engage in a life-and-death collision.

In that year, he successfully broke through to the Seventh Tier of the Sage realm — a tremendous leap forward. Thereafter, he endured eight more years of blood-soaked slaughter and killing, using the test of life and death to consolidate that tier of his cultivation.

The immortal liquid left by the Dao Venerable could only be consumed once. For anyone, a single drop was sufficient — a second would be ineffective.

Each drop was the size of a thumb pad, with divine radiance radiating in all directions — capable of transforming a person body and soul. This was immortal liquid nurtured in an ancient well sealed for ten thousand ages, and its quantity was exceedingly limited.

By now, every clan had obtained some — priceless beyond measure. Some sought to trade secret treasures and ancient scriptures for it, yet no one was willing to sell even a single drop.

Ye Fan had more than ten drops in his possession, which he treasured and stored carefully. They would serve great purpose in the future — allowing close friends and disciples to consume them when they reached critical junctures in their cultivation, and their strength was sure to rise by several tiers.

Over these eighteen years, Long Ma and Nine-Tailed Crocodile Dragon had gained enormously. Whether from slain Sages or from the divine liquid essence Ye Fan expelled at the end of his cultivation — all of it had been absorbed by them in the end.

Both fierce beasts underwent multiple transformations, their power growing explosively — all built upon the foundation of continuously refining their dragon blood. The Demon Emperor had left behind no ancient scriptural texts on the ancient path, but even this single ancient art alone was enough to defy the heavens. It was the driving force behind the relentless rise in strength of creatures like them.

With so many deaths in the star field battle, there was naturally no shortage of ancient Sages whose remains became blood food for them, allowing them to forcefully refine their own dragon blood. It was nothing short of taking a shortcut.

Combined with the drop of sacred being immortal liquid Ye Fan had given each of them, their strength naturally soared. By now they stood equal to Ye Fan — both having reached the Seventh Tier of the Sage realm.

Recently, they had consumed far too much blood food. It was very likely they were about to break through again — and if word of this got out, it would certainly leave people utterly dumbfounded.

Only by walking the ancient star path, encountering a great battle such as this, and possessing a heaven-defying ancient art for nurturing dragon blood could one advance at such a speed.

For otherwise — dwelling in a single star domain, hiding away on some ancient star — how could they possibly consume the bones of so many fallen Sages?

Both of them had obtained far too much sacred blood, and had themselves accumulated no small amount of blood on their hands!

“Even knowing this may harm the harmony of heaven, and that there may be no good end in the future — there is nothing to be done about it. When an ancient Sage’s corpse falls before your eyes, how can you abandon it? Naturally you must use it to advance your strength.”

Both fierce beasts were rather at peace with it. Even if a sense of ill omen lingered in their hearts, and great calamity might await in the future, they had no choice but to seize this opportunity to madly advance their cultivation levels.

Over eighteen years, Ye Fan had become the common enemy of every clan except the human race — for he had slain far too many cultivators. A faint ring of dark blood energy had appeared behind him.

This was the result of bathing in the sacred blood of every clan. Whenever he appeared, there was no need to announce his name — the sight of that ring of dark crimson divine light behind him, combined with the gleaming golden radiance from the sacred being clan’s golden curse, was enough for all to recognize him instantly.

Moreover, the sacred being clan had issued a golden curse against him, adding a layer of dazzling golden light to his divine ring. Wherever he went, it could not be dispelled.

Over eighteen years, following the Stone Wolf, the Wugu, and Mo Pu, Ye Fan had slain yet another powerful Stone Ape in this star domain — tearing it apart with his bare hands and seizing a jar of sacred being divine blood.

This event had enormous repercussions. A supreme sacred being from the depths of the star field personally issued a curse in an attempt to grind him to nothing — yet fortunately Ye Fan had the Green Copper Cauldron on him, which blocked it. It only left the cursed golden light staining his divine ring.

In such a vast star domain, how many sacred beings could there be? And Ye Fan alone had slain four, nearly driving the stone people of this star domain to extinction. This had truly infuriated that sacred clan beyond measure.

At the same time, this caused a great stir. Rising talents of every clan continued to seek him out, all wishing to slay him and achieve legendary status for themselves.

And it was precisely because of this that over all these years, Ye Fan had been in unceasing battle — ever in the midst of bloody and violent winds — cutting down enemies without number.

Most regrettably, the powerhouses of every clan who had come seeking to make their name in a single battle had nearly all perished. Each death made Ye Fan stronger from fighting, forging his fearsome reputation.

Had Great Sage-level figures not all been consumed with contesting the ancient scriptures from the age of myth, someone would have come long ago to capture and slay him.

Even so, Ye Fan had encountered several dangerous situations. But he possessed the Word Technique for “Movement” — there were people in this world he could not defeat, but few who could catch up with him.

Deep in the dark cosmos, the great battle continued — year after year, ceaselessly ongoing. In whose hands the Heaven-Mending Art now lay had grown unclear.

But every clan kept a tally in their hearts: if they believed it might be with a particular clan, they would attack that clan. The Radiance Clan, the sacred being clan, the Feathered Wing Clan, the Primal Demon Clan, and others waged war against one another.

Of course, since this war was being fought on the human race’s ancient star path, the human race naturally had a difficult time of it as well.

Ye Fan moved forward through the cold cosmos. At intervals he could see corpses drifting through the star domain, their blood long since frozen solid.

Over all these years, Long Ma and Nine-Tailed Crocodile Dragon had reached the point of wanting to retch at the sight of corpses — yet still they forced themselves to keep consuming blood food. Everything was in service of growing stronger.

Ye Fan crossed through the cold and bitter cosmos, searching for an immortal sun — for he wished to break through another barrier. After so many years of tempering, with a mountain of bones beneath his feet and a path built from blood, he felt he could advance further and break through again.

Nine years ago, during one great life-and-death battle, he had been hunted by many powerful enemies. He had fled into a frigid star domain and discovered a Lunar Divine Core of extreme cold energy.

This was refined from the essence of the Supreme Yin — a peerless treasure for cultivating the Supreme Yin Immortal Scripture.

For Ye Fan, however, it was a type of divine material for cultivating his Sea of Wheels — it could cultivate the Supreme Yin Chart within the Supreme Polarity Immortal Diagram. Now, wanting to break through, he naturally needed to find a Divine Sun to refine the Supreme Yang Chart.

Ye Fan flew swiftly toward that blazing sun, dispelling the ice-cold darkness of the cosmos. The closer he drew, the more scorching the heat — until the radiance was so bright one could not open one’s eyes.

He wanted to enter the sun’s core!

“Who goes there?!” Suddenly, seven figures burst out — each one powerfully strong, with Sage might billowing from them.

Ye Fan’s expression shifted in surprise. Seven great Sages — and not ordinary ones either. Each possessed boundless magical power, and every single one carried an extraordinary bearing.

The one in the center had a body of pale gold with four faces upon his head — a cultivator of the Radiance Clan.

On either side, three figures stood — each of extraordinary appearance, belonging to different clans. Standing side by side, they presented a strangely unsettling sight.

These individuals were not very old — they should have been the rising talents of each clan, their standout figures among peers. Seven outstanding prodigies walking together was anything but ordinary.

“It’s you — Ye Fan of the human race, the Holy Body, the killing star from the Emperor Burial Star!”

When these individuals saw him, their eyes widened. There was no need for close inspection — at the sight of the ring of dark blood energy behind him, combined with the dazzling golden light emanating from the sacred being clan’s golden curse, they recognized him instantly.

“You have some nerve — you actually intend to break into the private chambers and palace of Great Sage Cang Yan.” One of them — a woman of breathtaking beauty — said through gritted teeth, her tone glacial and hostile. She hated him because he had slain far too many of her people.

At her words, Ye Fan immediately broke into a heartfelt smile. This sun was actually Cang Yan’s private chambers and palace — and what manner of ordinary place could it be for a fire spirit sacred being to reside? It was certain to help him break through successfully.