Divine Prohibition — the forbidden realm of the divine, breaking through all constraints, elevating a mortal to a state near-divine, one that only ancient Great Emperors could remain within for long!
The Jie Character Secret shook ages past and present, elevating a person’s every quality across the board — whether combat power, speed, primordial spirit, or even thought and perception — any beneficial aspect was amplified tenfold, a truly heaven-defying feat.
The Overlord had lost, utterly and completely — this was an unprecedented, crushing defeat. Ye Fan’s performance had been too overwhelming, extinguishing the last glimmer of light in the Overlord’s heart, leaving him shrouded in gloom, his spirit shattered.
There was not the slightest suspense left, even reviving his Dao Self had failed — forcibly interrupted, in the end his own body shattered, bones broken and tendons torn, purple blood scattering everywhere.
This crushing defeat left him seeing not a shred of hope. Even unleashing his strongest combat stance, he had still been defeated, withering away at his most beautiful and resplendent moment.
What kind of gap was this?
The Overlord grieved, knowing deep down that even given another chance, starting over from the beginning, the outcome would not change — he would still be suppressed and slain by Ye Fan’s overwhelming, merciless might!
His enemy felt like a great mountain pressing down upon his heart, giving rise to a sense of powerlessness. His heart told him this man could not be defeated. This had never happened before — always, it was he who became others’ nightmare, yet now someone had cast a shadow over his own heart.
Precisely because of this, he was utterly disheartened, his entire body cold as ice, beaten until he lost his fighting spirit, his whole being consumed by grief, sorrow, lament, and despair, as if turned to stone.
“Why?” His lips trembled as he questioned himself, unable to believe this reality. Throughout history, he had heard of the deeds of outstanding heavenly prodigies — the combat power of Great Emperors in their youth was a benchmark, one that no one should have been able to surpass.
By his strongest combat stance, gathering four or five divine forms into one, he should have been invincible, for it was surely comparable to a Great Emperor’s youth!
Yet still he had lost. He was in such agony, yet could find no answer. The Overlord believed that on this ancient path, among his peers, no one should have been able to suppress the strike of several combined divine forms like this.
This defied all reason!
Beneath the starry sky, silence reigned; the assembled heroes felt a chill run from head to toe. The Overlord’s might had spread across the ancient path for decades, yet now he had suffered such a crushing defeat, leaving everyone speechless.
No one could believe it — the mere appearance of a single divine form would cause a sensation, yet now several combined into one had still resulted in utter defeat. Who in this world could rival such an opponent?
“What I said still stands — buy your life with secret techniques.” Within the starry sky, Ye Fan spoke calmly, bathed in the clear moonlight, his entire being transcendent and otherworldly, ethereal as an exiled immortal.
The Overlord seemed torn between grief and laughter, his heart aching — never had he imagined such a day would come. Once so mighty, charging forward unstoppable, sweeping all before him, he had now become the weak one in others’ eyes, looked down upon and forced into submission.
“Kill me then — I will never hand over the nine secrets or the Lunar Immortal Scripture!” Though the Overlord had lost, the wildness in his bones remained, refusing to yield.
“Puh!”
Ye Fan spread all five fingers, five world-shattering points of light piercing through the cosmos, all striking the Overlord’s body, shattering him into a mist of bone and blood, showing no mercy whatsoever, decisive and resolute.
Yet after a moment, the Overlord’s body reformed once more — the Zhe Character Secret was truly unrivaled in this world, possessing it was as good as having an undying body amid fierce combat.
“All methods in this world are but means — one need not know them all, and yet, such means are sometimes necessary.” Ye Fan sighed softly.
Seeking technique, seeking method, seeking Dao — none compare to seeking the self. This would be the foundation of his future cultivation, yet nothing was absolute — even Buddhism, which emphasizes compassion, still possesses the divine art of subduing demons.
The Nine Secrets were truly heaven-defying, seizing the most exquisite mysteries of heaven and earth’s creation. Each secret possessed extraordinary divine power, capable of reaching the heavens — take the Zhe Character Secret alone, worthy of a lifetime’s contemplation.
Ye Fan believed that anyone who desired longevity, who wished to remain undying in this world, would treasure this secret — studying it deeply might bring enlightenment, extending one’s time remaining in this world.
“Puh!”
Ye Fan flipped his palm again, crushing the Overlord within the starry sky, his purple divine blood shocking to behold, the pristine white bone fragments causing dread.
This time, before the Overlord’s flesh could reform, Ye Fan reached toward his purple primordial spirit, intending to forcibly probe his sea of consciousness, searching for the nine ancient characters within the Lunar Immortal Scripture.
“Wait!” the Overlord cried out, the fist-sized purple figure glaring with furrowed brows.
Ye Fan stood above the star river, his expression carefree, saying nothing, watching him calmly and composedly.
“If you forcibly probe my primordial spirit, I will immediately halt the Zhe Character Secret’s operation and destroy myself instantly — you will gain nothing!” the Overlord threatened.
“Two choices — death, or buying your life with secret techniques.” Ye Fan said calmly.
“You’re humiliating me!” the Overlord roared, eyes wide with fury, fists clenched, his entire body trembling and convulsing with rage.
Having turned back from deep within the starry sky, charging forth with overwhelming force, only to end up like this, he was utterly disheartened. In this moment, the only thing sustaining his will to live was the desire to know an answer. Filled with resentment, he said, “I want to know — why were you able to defeat me?!”
The Overlord asked this, and not a single person mocked him — the starry sky fell silent, for this was the question on everyone’s mind. Ye Fan’s performance could only be described as miraculous, utterly beyond belief!
Setting aside the Overlord’s other heaven-defying methods, just considering the combat power of his combined divine forms alone — it should have been enough to sweep across the starry paths, rivaling even a Great Emperor’s youth, beyond any doubt.
That divine might had been witnessed by all; under normal circumstances, it should have been nearly unsolvable. Even with Ye Fan’s strength, at best it should have ended in a draw, or a tragically hard-won victory.
“A state.” Ye Fan said calmly.
What state was this? Everyone, amid their fear, was also filled with confusion. Finally, deep within the starry sky, a Path Guardian murmured softly, “It can only be the Divine Prohibition.”
This time, he did not lower his voice — everyone heard it, and all were stunned.
Divine Prohibition — a forbidden realm; among the countless heavenly prodigies of this world, how many could break into it, let alone remain there for long? Only an ancient Great Emperor could achieve this!
“Divine Prohibition — so that’s the state it was!” Upon hearing this, the Overlord did not sink into despair. Instead, he seemed to suddenly awaken, bursting forth with a powerful vigor, his gaze instantly turning brilliant.
“I knew it — how could my strongest combat stance possibly be so easily suppressed? If I too could enter the Divine Prohibition, I would still be invincible!” he roared loudly, as if suddenly filled with confidence.
A wild light burst from his eyes, a powerful fighting spirit spreading forth — no longer lifeless, as if he had suddenly been reborn, looking down upon his great enemy.
Ye Fan gazed at him calmly and said, “In this world, no success can ever be attributed to mere luck. I win only because I am stronger than you. I have comprehended the Divine Prohibition for over a decade — that is why I can enter this realm. This is strength. If you don’t believe it, come and try — step into the Divine Prohibition realm and fight me there.”
“The Divine Prohibition is no obstacle to me — I will surely break through, and in the future, I will remain there long!” the Overlord roared.
Ye Fan said nothing more, beginning to obliterate him, seizing the nine ancient characters of the Lunar Immortal Scripture along with the “Zhe” Character Secret. The Overlord’s body shattered completely, yet he still roared, refusing to submit.
“I am undying, indestructible — I can regenerate endlessly!” he bellowed.
“How many times can you survive?” Ye Fan said coldly. The Cauldron of the Myriad Things’ Mother Qi descended with a rumble, drawing the Overlord inside, beginning to refine him, his blood boiling and gradually drying up.
Possessing the Zhe Character Secret, it was said that as long as a single drop of blood remained, one could regenerate endlessly, difficult to truly kill.
Ye Fan severed his hope of resurrection, letting his entire being turn into blood-light, burning and evaporating. The Overlord roared, struggling violently, and the entire great cauldron shook.
Everyone was stunned into silence — this was the mighty Overlord, yet now he had been collected into a cauldron, sacrificed and refined alive, reduced to the lowest of prisoners.
What had happened today would surely shake the starry sky, alerting the heavenly prodigies on the paths ahead — in the contest for supremacy on the path to immortality, a “fierce tiger” had arrived, about to shatter the existing order!
The Sacred Body from the Star of the Buried Emperor had come, destined to become a formidable rival to the young supremes of the human ancient path. From this day forward, everyone must take him seriously, marking him as the most dangerous of all.
In the distant sky stood several figures — the “miners” whom Ye Fan had once captured, who had contributed “great merit” in setting up this array, and were now restored to freedom.
“I don’t believe it — could the Overlord really suffer such a crushing defeat, with no hope of turning the tables at all?!” Xu Li muttered to herself in disbelief, nearly lost in confusion — she was the youngest daughter of the Guide Envoy of the Eighty-First City.
“He truly has lost.” Qi Zheng stood in a daze — his background was even greater, being the eldest grandson of Qi Tian, a Path Guardian of the human ancient path, who had also once been reduced to a miner.
On the ancient path, some Guide Envoys held the young supreme of the Vast Heaven Overlord Blood lineage in especially high regard, encouraging their children to befriend him, forming a powerful faction.
Some Guide Envoys had traveled personally from deep within the starry sky just to witness this battle, never expecting such an outcome — for a moment, they all stood frozen in disbelief.
The young supreme they had so valued had been beaten nearly to ruin, brought to such a miserable state that even his Dao heart had wavered — leaving them all speechless.
“Aah—” The Overlord was nearly annihilated in both form and spirit, for most of his blood had been evaporated away, his bones scorched, unable to withstand this terrifying cauldron any longer.
Within the Cauldron of the Myriad Things’ Mother Qi, chaotic qi swirled in mist, the star river flickering, as if creation itself were unfolding within, capable of refining all things in the world.
“Enough, let this be the end — show mercy where mercy can be shown!” A cold shout rang out. Deep within the starry sky, a white-haired, white-bearded old man appeared, arriving in an instant, impossibly fast.
A Great Sage!
The crowd trembled, sensing a terrifying aura, overwhelming and boundless, making their blood boil, their bodies feeling as though they might burst apart.
This was a Path Guardian of the human ancient path. After the two supremes had battled all this time, the Path Guardian finally revealed himself, moving to stop Ye Fan from slaying the Overlord, radiating an unrivaled, world-conquering pressure.
His body appeared blurred, wisps of Great Dao qi trailing down, suppressing the ancient blue heavens, powerful beyond compare!
“So many trial-seekers have died upon this ancient starry path, yet you never once appeared — why show yourself now, as the Overlord faces destruction?” Ye Fan remained perfectly calm.
“What kind of talk is that — have you no respect for a Path Guardian?” the blurred figure said coldly.
“Whom did you protect, whose Path Guardian are you?!” Ye Fan showed no fear, standing firm beneath the starry sky, facing this mighty Great Sage directly.
“There is no denying you are a peerless talent, astonishing through the ages — in the future, this world will surely hold a divine throne for you. But this is not yet your world; you cannot yet claim supremacy, and you must not act recklessly on this ancient path!” the Path Guardian said.
Everyone was shaken. This newcomer clearly favored the Overlord, having emerged to protect him. Yet in doing so, he had also spoken these words, evaluating Ye Fan in such a manner — enough to demonstrate the young man’s potential and future strength.
“What is reckless conduct? How do you define it? Within a ten-zhang radius, I alone reign supreme — if I wish to kill the Overlord, can you stop me?” Ye Fan said coldly.
“He must not be killed!” Suddenly, another figure appeared, hazy and indistinct, obscured by starlight and moonlight.
“He is nothing but a defeated general of the Vast Heaven Overlord Blood lineage, yet he has drawn so many to his side. If you wish to protect him, then trade me the Lunar Immortal Scripture and the Nine Secrets!” Ye Fan said coldly.
The crowd turned to stone, all in disbelief — the Sacred Body did not even show deference to the Path Guardians, demanding the ancient scriptures from them directly. Truly awe-inspiring.
How pitiable the Overlord was — having dominated the starry sky for decades, reigning supreme on the human ancient path, yet now reduced to a bargaining chip, his life and death entirely in the hands of his old enemy. He wished he could smash his own head against something right there and then.