“Brother Ye, what do you mean by that? Do you intend to keep all of us here?” the old messenger asked, his expression darkening.

“You’re this old, your beard already white, yet you’re mixing in with a bunch of juniors — do you really think you’re some kind of old prankster?” Ye Fan mocked, having no goodwill toward this man at all — it was this messenger’s spreading of news that had caused all this trouble.

Messengers on the ancient road held no ordinary status, traveling between the great cities. Though not comparable to Guide Envoys or Grand Commanders, they were normally treated with respect. Being mocked like this by Ye Fan now left his face utterly unable to hold composure.

“Brother, please show some restraint! The Peerless Tyrant King is about to arrive — you’d best consider how to deal with your ultimate nemesis, and hope you can survive unscathed,” he said, his tone laced with sarcasm.

Ye Fan laughed coldly. “You’re always worrying about things that don’t concern you. Given your questionable character, it’s necessary to suppress you — off to mine ore for a hundred years.”

The messenger’s face darkened with fury. “Do you really intend to strike at us?”

Hmm!

Without another word, Ye Fan spread his five fingers wide and reached forward to press down, like a five-fingered mountain descending, emitting bursts of thunderous wind, along with astonishing divine light surging forth, brilliant and dazzling.

The messenger was indignant — this was far too dismissive of him. No matter how one looked at it, he ranked second only to the Guide Envoys and Grand Commanders, yet the Sacred Body treated him as if he were some stray cat or dog, casually flipping his hand to suppress him, utterly nonchalant.

His whole body emitted wisps of Supreme Yin Mystic Evil, a dark source power specifically meant to dissolve sacred power, its might formidable — ordinary people wouldn’t dare clash with it head-on.

Yet beneath Ye Fan’s golden palm and fingers, this Supreme Yin Mystic Evil dissolved like ice and snow, hissing and sizzling, purified clean by the golden radiance instead.

The messenger retreated rapidly, trying to regroup with the others, but the giant hand descending from the sky was like a golden firmament falling, sealing off his escape route.

The Guide Envoy’s expression changed — there was nowhere to flee, up to the heavens or down into the earth. That single hand was like an entire world, blotting out this place, impossible to break free from.

“Open!”

He let out a low shout, his whole body burning with Supreme Yin Mystic Evil, streaks of dark light like a black sun burning, tearing open the void, trying to flee.

Unfortunately, it was still useless. On Ye Fan’s golden giant hand, nine ancient characters appeared, glittering brilliantly, like nine divine stars turning, radiating immortal light.

These were precisely the nine mysterious characters from the Dao Scripture, capable of suppressing all living beings. Under normal circumstances, Ye Fan wouldn’t use them, but now, wishing to end the battle swiftly, he unleashed them directly.

“No…” the messenger cried out.

Everything happened too fast — no one else could have rescued him even if they tried. They only saw Ye Fan raise his hand and directly suppress him, as if dealing with a three-year-old child.

“How could this be — that’s the Tyrant King’s ancient technique!” Xu Li cried out in shock, her pretty face filled with disbelief.

The messenger was defeated too quickly. The golden giant hand transformed into a vast expanse of universe, chaotic mist swirling, the nine ancient characters like divine beings, glowing there, mysterious beyond compare.

Ye Fan slowly closed his golden palm. The messenger screamed, rapidly shrinking, collapsing limp in his palm like a caterpillar, trembling violently, as if facing a divine demon.

Ye Fan’s ancient technique was profound, instantly subduing his enemy. He gently shook his right hand, and the messenger immediately felt heaven and earth turn upside down, chaos surging within him — he nearly split apart, tumbling about wildly.

This golden palm seemed about to dissolve him entirely. The messenger was so frightened his soul nearly left his body, screaming desperately. This was truly terrifying — able to turn the clouds and overturn the rain, divine power boundless without limit.

“How do you know the Tyrant King’s secret technique — have you also… studied the Dao Scripture!?” Xu Li asked shrilly, seemingly quite shocked.

The others’ expressions changed as well. The Dao Scripture was extraordinarily mysterious and profound, an ancient mother scripture with legends spread across many stellar domains, yet very few had ever laid eyes on it.

Ye Fan learned an important piece of information — the Tyrant King cultivated the Dao Scripture, and by the looks of it, had reached an extremely profound level. This time it truly was a clash of equals, needle against wheat awn.

“Your turn now.”

He flipped his hand forward to press down again, still the nine ancient characters of the Dao Scripture, each radiating divine brilliance, faintly carrying the chanting voice of a Heavenly Venerate, rumbling like thunder, as if capable of suppressing all realms of heaven.

These people naturally wouldn’t wait to be captured without resistance, each unleashing their secret techniques, even detonating several terrifying sacred-grade forbidden weapons, shattering this stretch of stellar domain entirely.

Yet they discovered they simply couldn’t do anything against Ye Fan — that mouth-shaped cauldron rose and sank, mother energy circulating, impervious to all techniques.

Ye Fan stood in the starry sky, black hair scattered loose, both hands forming seals, each strike as if pushing the sun, moon, and stars forward, as if an Immortal King had descended to the mortal world, divinely valiant and unstoppable.

His whole body radiated golden light, the heavenly stars moving with his hands as if being pushed forward by him, the stellar domain trembling, supreme across the world.

None of these people could keep their composure. Xu Li screamed first — Ye Fan’s hands formed the Sun and Moon Seal, a golden sun shattering her sacred weapon, sending her flying tens of thousands of zhang away, covered in blood, her slender body broken and battered.

“Brother Ye, we bear no hostility — how could you do this?!” Liu Yun screamed miserably, struck by the Moon Seal, half his body turning into a mist of blood, only the upper half remaining as it flew backward, spraying a great rain of blood.

Among these several people, Qi Zheng was undoubtedly the strongest, ranked at the Sage King realm. During the battle, his eyes were like two blazing torches, his entire being radiating a monstrous battle aura.

“Eh, a Great Sage’s artifact!” Ye Fan’s heart jolted with alarm. No wonder his opponent held no fear — this kind of thing posed a real threat to him.

To be precise, this was a forbidden weapon with limited uses, but it could unleash a Great Sage’s might, equivalent in the short term to a Great Sage’s assault.

“I already told you — there’s nowhere for you to go. Just stay honestly in this stretch of starry sky and complete the fated battle. If you happen to survive, you may leave,” Qi Zheng said coldly.

The brilliance in his eyes intensified, burning fiercely, vastly different from his earlier ordinary and unremarkable demeanor, fighting spirit soaring high, like a war god, battle aura surging.

This person was truly formidable — among Sage Kings of the same realm, he was shockingly powerful, let alone wielding a forbidden weapon personally forged by a Great Sage, capable of easily annihilating a Sage.

“You think too highly of yourself. If it were your grandfather here, I’d turn and leave — but you alone aren’t enough!” Ye Fan responded.

“Then don’t blame me for showing no mercy — I’ll suppress you!” Qi Zheng said, holding a nine-tiered ancient pagoda in his hands, wisps of purple energy cascading down from it.

With a resounding hum, the ancient pagoda flew out, rapidly expanding until it matched the heavens and earth in size, descending to suppress Ye Fan.

Yet in that same instant, Ye Fan unleashed the Movement Rune Formula, Dao patterns spreading across thousands of mountains and rivers, densely covering the universe, and he rushed toward the distance, carrying the forbidden weapon along with him.

He drew out the Green Cauldron. Though the Great Sage-grade ancient pagoda had descended to suppress, it couldn’t manage to actually destroy him. He shook his hand and struck the Green Cauldron upward against it.

“Crack!”

The nine-tiered pagoda had originally been a forbidden weapon with limited uses remaining, and this collision with the Green Cauldron shortened its lifespan even further. Cracks could be seen spreading across it, and with a rumble, it exploded.

Purple mist and radiant light scattered in all directions, the Great Sage-grade forbidden weapon destroyed. A ball of green light flew out — the immortal Green Bronze Cauldron, ordinarily covered in rust and battered beyond recognition, now blazing with immortal light, illuminating and shattering mountains and rivers into a myriad of blossoms.

After Ye Fan waited for its radiance to subside, he drew it back into his body. He didn’t want to expose this object too early, or else bloodshed would inevitably follow on the starry ancient road, with countless powerhouses coming to seek him out.

“You…”

Qi Zheng’s heart shook violently, for in no time at all Ye Fan had returned, completely unscathed, tossing the fragments of the nine-tiered pagoda over, scattering like brilliant starry sand across the ground.

“What kind of monster are you, shattering even a Great Sage-grade forbidden weapon?!” he cried out in shock.

At this point, the battle no longer held any suspense. Qi Zheng was formidable, yet he too was suppressed by Ye Fan, drawn into his palm like a caterpillar, unable to break free.

Xu Li fled at top speed, rushing toward the human race’s Fiftieth City, dragging her battered body, leaving a great trail of blood rain behind her. The magnificent ancient city was already in sight — salvation seemed near.

However, just then, a figure like a demon god arrived faster despite starting later, cutting off her path ahead. With just a single hand reaching out, as if snatching up a little chick, he seized her and carried her back into the depths of the starry sky.

“Ah, let me go!” she struggled violently, humiliated and furious.

The group of six had all been suppressed one after another by Ye Fan, all appearing now in his golden palm, each face full of shame, hating themselves for ever having come here.

“Brother Ye, this has gone far enough. We’ve never had any grudge against each other in the past. Though we may have acted improperly, too arrogant, we truly never intended a fight to the death with you,” Liu Yun said.

“Let us go.” Xu Li shrieked, held in a man’s palm, being turned over and inspected, truly unbearable for her to endure.

“Noisy.” Ye Fan flicked his finger. With a puff, her body shattered, turning into a mist of blood, only a single head left floating in the void.

“Ah, you dare harm me! The Tyrant King won’t let you get away with this!” Xu Li cried out in painful, blustering defiance.

“When the Tyrant King comes, I’ll kill him too. Keep making noise, and I’ll destroy your body and soul completely,” Ye Fan said calmly, frightening Xu Li into silence, not daring to speak another word.

The others gasped in cold terror, never expecting Ye Fan to be so ruthless, shattering a Sage’s body with a mere flick of his finger.

“She’s the youngest daughter of the Eighty-First City’s Guide Envoy — how could you treat her like this…” The messenger’s face went pale with fright, crying out in shock.

“You’re noisy too.” Ye Fan flicked his finger again. With a puff, his body shattered as well, turning into a mist of blood, only a single head remaining, no longer daring to speak.

This was a demon king!

The hearts of the six roiled with turmoil. This person showed no mercy in his attacks, his physical body far too powerful, capable of destroying a Sage’s body with a mere flick of the finger — how terrifying was that?!

“What do you intend to do with us?” Qi Zheng asked, still relatively composed.

“From now on, you’re all miners. Work hard at your reform through labor, and strive to earn a reduced sentence,” Ye Fan said matter-of-factly.

The six felt like smashing their heads against a wall in despair, nearly driven mad, yet none dared speak carelessly. This was a demon king — even the enchanting, delicate Xu Li had had her body shattered with a single finger flick. What wouldn’t he do?

Ye Fan now had six sacred-grade miners under his command. They opened up stellar bodies, searching for heavenly materials and earthly treasures, excavating the various divine ores born of heaven and earth, working with utmost dedication.

Time passed day by day. News arrived from deep within the ancient road: the Tyrant Body was coming, roaring loud enough to shatter the sun and moon, swallowing mountains and rivers, unmatched in power, charging with unsurpassed divine might straight toward the human race’s Fiftieth City.

Hun Zhan had ultimately failed to break open the entrance to the Ancient Emperor’s mausoleum, and finally set off along the ancient road. Along the way, some Dao Guardians had tried to stop him, but he had evaded them all.

The Divine Light Platform had long since been taken away, but he possessed other secret treasures for traversing the universe. The Tyrant King charged toward this shore of the starry sky like a primordial beast, a world-ending battle now unavoidable.

“The Tyrant King is coming!”

“The young supreme being of the Heavenly Tyrant Blood lineage has finally arrived!”

This stellar domain boiled with excitement, all eyes upon it, countless people anticipating this moment. Many could not remain calm, doing everything possible to cross the stellar domains, rushing here specifically to witness the battle.