This shore boiled with excitement — such a thing hadn’t happened in who knows how many years. The god had grown wrathful, actually issuing a decree specifically to kill one man, stirring the entire world into an uproar.
Whether it was the Divine Realm or the ancestral lands of the various races, all were inexplicably shaken. If a god grew truly wrathful, it would mean a million corpses strewn about, blood flowing enough to float shields, the entire land dyed red.
Who exactly was this man named Ye Fan, that he had provoked such great wrath from the god — truly astonishing and incomprehensible.
Clearly, this was a blasphemer, and moreover, an unforgivable, utterly lawless great demon — otherwise, the god would never have grown so furious.
In the age ruled by the god, he had always been peaceful and noble, the embodiment of mercy and sanctity — never angry, never wrathful, never restless, never malicious, never hateful, possessing a pure and tolerant heart.
On this day, people across the entire world were discussing the name Ye Fan, and being so hated by the god surely meant he was no ordinary figure.
Before long, some news gradually spread. It was said that Ye Fan was a great demon from beyond the realm, who had destroyed the foundations of the Divine Realm and disrespected the ruler — the greatest heretic to appear since the god’s reign began.
“Twenty or thirty years ago, a believer went mad, broke off a branch of the Tree of Life, and fled this shore — it’s said he was seduced by this very demon.”
“That’s not what I heard — I heard it started because he destroyed a hazy avatar of the god, isn’t that right?”
“How could the god, so sacred and noble, unparalleled in the world, have his avatar destroyed by anyone, unless another god appeared? Clearly there’s some other reason — he brazenly blasphemed and committed a grave sin, something even the god couldn’t forgive.”
…
The entire world seemed to explode. This man named Ye Fan became the focal point of heated discussion, drawing attention from all directions, with people from many ancient lands setting out to search for him.
In this world, blasphemers were rare, and once they appeared, they could never escape death, reduced to ashes of calamity.
“Is there really a god in this world, commanding the entire realm? And you’ve become a wanted man.” Long Ma clicked his tongue, looking rather pleased at the misfortune.
Ye Fan slapped him, pushing his massive head to the side. They had already left that forbidden ground, since after several rounds of shouting, their voices had all been cut off by the myriad peaks.
“The Divine-Demon Liquid is quite considerable, comparable to the elixir of immortality — and it actually flowed toward that massive stone coffin. I suspect there will be big trouble, I don’t know what chaos might follow.” Ye Fan said.
Pang Bo said, “Let’s not worry about that for now. You’ve become this world’s heretic — the Divine Realm has issued a decree calling for the entire world to kill you together. Quickly think about how to solve this.”
This was a headache-inducing problem — they might find it difficult to move through this world. No one had expected that destroying that strand of the faith-avatar would result in the god’s true body discovering it.
“My Origin Technique reaches the heavens. Walking through this world, if I don’t want to be exposed, they have no way of finding me.” Ye Fan wasn’t worried.
Pang Bo shook his head, saying, “Haven’t you heard? Once a blasphemer encounters an envoy sent from the Divine Realm, their whole body will emit demonic energy and be quickly identified. Clearly, they can sense enemies through faith-power, causing them to manifest strange phenomena. Since you’ve slain a god, you’ll likely reveal yourself.”
“As long as I don’t run into a divine envoy, it’ll be fine — or I’ll just make sure the envoy dies and goes to see the Demon King instead.” Ye Fan said, confident in his mastery of the Movement Mantra, unrivaled under heaven.
Ye Fan had glimpsed from afar what appeared to be Ji Ziyue’s silhouette, and he wasn’t worried — he felt it was safe there, since outsiders simply couldn’t get in; even the god had stopped venturing deep in there for years because of that ancient coffin.
“Let’s get a thorough understanding of this world, learn the secrets of this shore.” They traveled on foot across the land, witnessing many different customs and ways of life.
Of course, they used great magical power to conceal their true appearances, and pressed their bodies with heaven-deceiving array patterns, to avoid revealing different marks due to differing faith-power.
“A pure-blooded descendant of the ancient gods and demons has appeared, named Sanggu, battling powerful figures of the Divine Realm, traversing eighty thousand li in all directions, striding across the heavens.”
“An ascetic cultivator named Earth Corpse has appeared, wandering through the many burial grounds of this shore, absorbing corpse energy, cultivating an indestructible demon body, his cultivation growing ever deeper and more unfathomable.”
“A heavenly maiden named Xin Lan has appeared, causing a sensation, suspected of having bloodline ties to the ancient gods.”
Within these two days, various pieces of news arrived — young supremes emerging, shining brilliantly across this world, shaking this realm.
Of course, some young supremes also died, and even great Saints withered, causing those who had also come from beyond the realm to feel a shadow of unease, sensing a great calamity was coming.
Some hid, some acted, surviving in this world through different means, searching for what they needed.
Over the following half month, Ye Fan’s group learned a great deal, fortunately never encountering anyone from the Divine Realm, remaining safe the whole time.
On this day, another shocking piece of news arrived.
The Golden Serpent Young Lords had annihilated the Sky Wolf Clan, wiping them out completely, the entire mountain cliff dyed red with blood, causing boundless slaughter. Now every race had mobilized, hunting them down.
“They’ve gone mad, so brutal — aren’t they afraid of heaven’s retribution? Killing without reason, without principle.” Pang Bo was shocked upon receiving this news.
Less than ten days later, the three Golden Serpent Young Lords struck again with madness, annihilating the Silver Horn Clan completely — over a hundred thousand people, including many Sage Kings, not a single one escaping the bloody calamity, all massacred.
In that place, corpses piled like mountains, blood formed lakes, dark mist shrouding everything, sorrowful clouds hung heavy — an unbearable sight to witness.
Not to mention the locals — even Ye Fan, Pang Bo, and the others were outraged. Such senseless killing, so bloody and cruel to the extreme — what exactly were these three serpents trying to do?
The Divine Realm hadn’t even issued a specific decree yet, but the strongest figures of every race had already taken action, hunting them down, trying to eliminate this menace.
Yet the three Golden Serpent brothers showed no restraint. Days later, they struck again, wiping out the Fire Leopard Clan — the entire tribe of tens of thousands, not a single one surviving, their methods so cruel it was appalling.
“What are they trying to do here, defying the world’s condemnation like this, so ruthless and vicious — are they tired of living, seeking their own death, driving themselves to the brink?!” Pang Bo was puzzled — this didn’t seem like something normal people would do.
Ye Fan’s group set out, secretly observing the three great clans the Golden Serpent Young Lords had massacred. Ye Fan, sparing no expense of his own origin, employed the Vedic Scripture’s Ancient Observation Technique, tracing back to the source, conducting a thorough investigation.
He reached a conclusion: the three Golden Serpent brothers were cultivating some terrifying demonic technique, requiring vast quantities of powerful bloodlines to achieve a breakthrough.
“Tengshe Transforming into a God — it must be this technique!” the Blue Luan Saint said. He had once heard of the Tengshe Clan’s rebellious, heaven-defying inheritance.
This method required absorbing vast amounts of blood, souls, and other essences — essentially using the fetal fruits of countless living beings to achieve one’s own ascension.
It was said that Tengshe Transforming into a God was the transformation of a divine serpent, shedding and regrowing, transforming into a serpent deity!
Of course, this was merely an exaggerated way of putting it. The true meaning was that this transformation erupted with both quantity and quality simultaneously — once successful, it would be equivalent to a complete rebirth.
Ordinary snakes merely shed their skin, but the Golden Serpent Clan shed spiritual power and soul power — essentially a transformation of the primordial spirit, strengthening it, which in turn would nourish the physical body, both advancing rapidly together!
It had only been a month, yet the three Golden Serpent Young Lords had already become notorious, ranking second only to Ye Fan as the world’s greatest evildoers, with countless people wanting to eliminate them.
Ye Fan was stunned — he had merely killed one avatar of a god, while the three Golden Serpent Young Lords had massacred entire clans across the land, and yet they still ranked below him. He truly found this incomprehensible.
“The sin of blasphemy runs deep, involving the Divine Realm itself. Even if you’re not the number one evildoer, you’d still be ranked first.” Pang Bo laughed.
This was the news they’d gathered after careful investigation — Ye Fan’s situation was even more dangerous than the Golden Serpent Young Lords’. If not discovered, he’d be fine, but once exposed, the whole world would unite to kill him.
“Utterly deranged — the three Golden Serpents have massacred another race, over three hundred thousand people, all killed — from Sage Kings down to newborn infants, all turned into pools of blood.”
Everyone shouted, wishing they could immediately execute the three Golden Serpent Young Lords, but they possessed an ancestral artifact — the Tengshe Array Diagram, capable of breaking through all heavens, allowing them to come and go freely, uncontainable even by great Saints.
On this very day, the Divine Temple Knights emerged — a divine army that had vanished for thousands of years, specially dedicated to slaying demons and evil spirits, the strongest force the Divine Realm had ever mobilized.
However, when the divine army appeared, their first target was actually Ye Fan — intent on eliminating the primary evildoer ranked first, to destroy him.
Pang Bo was dumbfounded, saying, “Those three long worms have slaughtered so many people, causing boundless bloodshed, yet they’re still ranked second. Their infamy has spread far and wide, but in a way, they’ve raised Ye Fan, this greatest evildoer, even higher.”
“It’s deliberate. The three young lords of the Golden Serpent Clan have malicious intentions, their hearts truly vicious.” Long Ma said in a startled voice, offering his own judgment — he believed that the three Golden Serpent brothers might have initially acted purely to cultivate their demonic technique, but after seeing how far the blasphemer’s ranking had risen, they deliberately continued their bloody rampage to indirectly elevate Ye Fan as the greater evildoer.
The Black Bear Saint said, “You’re overthinking it. These three golden serpents are vicious, but surely not so willing to harm themselves just to spite someone else — this approach is dangerous for them too.”
Long Ma was a genuine conspiracy theorist, believing that the three golden serpents were malicious enough to cultivate themselves while simultaneously harming others — cruel, ruthless, and detestable.
The wind rose, fallen leaves scattering. Amid a stretch of mountainous terrain, there was a stern, autumnal chill, making people feel a sense of coldness.
Ye Fan, Pang Bo, Long Ma, and the others were intercepted — after over a month of peace, they encountered enemies for the first time, and not weak ones either, seemingly extremely powerful.
Atop a massive boulder stood an imposing figure, his hair an ash-brown color, radiating a terrifying aura, like a great Saint capable of swallowing mountains and rivers.
“Even at the Sage King realm, to possess such an extraordinary presence — his understanding of the Dao surpasses his own realm.” Ye Fan’s heart skipped a beat, his expression turning grave.
Suddenly, the figure turned around — an elderly man of tall stature, yet his body showed no lack of vitality, gleaming with a bronze-like luster, his sinews like coiling dragons and serpents.
Ash-brown hair, terrifying silver pupils, marking his advanced age — a terrifying Sage King, standing at the very peak of the final glory of his life.
Judging by the state of his vital energy, in a few more years he would begin entering old age, starting his decline.
“Strange — such a formidable Sage King, yet his comprehension of the Dao seems so extraordinary. Why has he stopped here, failing to break through to the great Saint realm?” Ye Fan was puzzled, because this man was truly extraordinary.
This old man was at the same realm as Ye Fan — Sage King Fifth Heaven — his aura deep and unfathomable like an abyssal sea, his eyes cold and merciless, staring fixedly at Ye Fan’s group.
From the distance, four more figures rushed over, each with profound magical power, formidable auras, their blood-energy vast as an ocean, terrifyingly powerful.
These four were all Sage Kings, extremely powerful — two at Sage King Sixth Heaven, and the other two at Sage King Seventh Heaven, their realm even higher than the ash-haired old man.
Yet they treated him with respect, standing behind him, with him as their leader, not daring to overstep in the slightest.
Five powerful figures had come in person, among them the ash-haired old man, transcendent above the rest, possessing an unfathomable aura, suppressing heaven and earth, making even those of higher realm than him revere him.
This was the First Army of the Divine Temple — only five had been dispatched, but because of this one old man, it felt as though they could sweep away all enemies.
“You are the blasphemer, Ye Fan?” the old man spoke.
“Who are you?” Ye Fan retorted.
“This is our Divine Realm’s rare, heaven-gifted Sage King — Second Under the Stars.” one of the Divine Temple Knights said, unable to conceal his reverence for the old man.
“What does that mean?” Long Ma asked.
“At the Sage King realm, undefeated across the world, having suffered only a single defeat in his life — hence the title Second Under the Stars.” one of them said proudly.
The old man silenced him, saying, “In my youth I suffered one defeat, and never advanced an inch since. Just a useless old man.”
Ye Fan, Pang Bo, and Long Ma all felt a warning sign rise within them — this was undoubtedly a formidable figure, no matter how you looked at it, his spiritual realm seemed far more transcendent than any Sage King they had ever encountered.
“Number one demon, since you’ve blasphemed against the gods, don’t blame us for showing no mercy. In this battle, the weak shall bleed and lose their heads, and the strong shall sing in triumph.” the visitor got straight to the point, unwilling to say more, ready to strike.
But Long Ma didn’t want it to go this way, saying, “Have you all been brainwashed? Where is there any god? Having reached your level of cultivation, and you still believe in this?”
“In your eyes, what exactly is a true god? Is it not eternal life, indestructible, beyond the reach of any calamity?” one of them shouted.
“Number one demon, come and fight!” Behind the old man, the four great Knights of the Divine Temple stepped forward, preparing to strike.
Ye Fan found this both amusing and exasperating — from an outer-realm demon, he had now been promoted to “number one demon.” Even the three Golden Serpent Young Lords, who had massacred several great clans, hadn’t committed a sin as serious as blasphemy.
The ash-haired old man spoke little, remaining almost silent, coldly indifferent, his silver pupils flickering with icy light, fixed on Ye Fan, ready for battle.
Within the arena, a terrifying storm rose. Before the old man even moved, the void in this place had already twisted, time itself seeming to freeze, striking fear into every heart.
Clearly at Sage King Fifth Heaven, yet possessing the presence of a great Saint, reaching heights in the comprehension of the Dao that ordinary people could never attain — a peerless opponent.
Ye Fan’s expression grew grave, not daring to be careless in the slightest. In the current world, ever since comprehending the Dao, he had confidence that he was virtually unbeatable among those of the same realm — yet facing this old man, he dared not be complacent for even a moment.
This aura was extremely dangerous, too terrifying!
“Boom!”
The great battle erupted. Ye Fan clashed with the ash-haired old man, and indeed he had encountered a formidable enemy. This was clearly a man in the twilight of his life, about to retire, yet at this moment he moved like a dragon and tiger leaping, vigorous and powerful. The old man struck out with a single palm, shattering heaven and earth, the Great Dao roaring, supremely powerful.
Ye Fan suspected he had encountered an Emperor’s descendant — otherwise how could he be so astonishing? This was a rare opponent; though at the same realm, at times his moves carried a comprehension of the great Saint’s Dao mixed within.
Such a strike shook even Ye Fan to his core, too fierce and overwhelming — who exactly was this person, to be called Second Under the Stars?
Meanwhile, Pang Bo, Long Ma, and the Twelve Saints faced their own formidable enemies, also plunged into battle. Though their opponents numbered only three, they were all high-realm Sage Kings, their blood-energy vast as an ocean.
“Boom!”
Another plain strike — not some rare ancient secret technique, the ash-haired old man merely pushed out a palm, yet it was accompanied by the sound of the Dao resonating with heaven, turning decay into magic, deeply shocking.
Ye Fan’s heart trembled violently, growing ever more suspicious of this man’s identity — someone this powerful had displayed a portion of the great Saint’s Dao fruit and profound meaning at this realm.
This was precisely because of Ye Fan — any other Sage King would likely not withstand even two or three moves, being instantly smashed into a pulp!
“Hiss!” “Hiss!” “Hiss!”
Suddenly, three dazzling beams of golden light appeared — three golden snakes, each over a zhang long, like three golden divine spears flying through the air, heading straight for Ye Fan.
“Shameless long worms, I knew you were vicious and cunning — appearing at a time like this. You’ve long harbored evil intentions and premeditated this, unafraid of being eliminated by the Divine Realm first?!” Long Ma shouted furiously.