Bodhi raised a hand, and a servant returned, carrying a jade tray bearing a cup of immortal tea, its clear fragrance drifting outward as he walked toward Ye Fan.

Ji Ziyue sat together with Ye Fan in the pavilion, her large eyes curving into crescent moons as she smiled brilliantly — she naturally knew who this was from.

Ye Fan rose to his feet and looked toward An Pu. “Many thanks for the kind gesture,” he said. “If two cups had been sent, we would have accepted.”

Not far away, An Pu shook his head. “A pity. A generational feud admits no resolution. If I don’t act, I cannot account for myself to my elders — so I can only offer this immortal tea.”

“In that case, I can only offer my thanks,” Ye Fan replied. “But what if we truly are generational enemies? Wouldn’t you regret this?”

“No matter,” An Pu said calmly. His pallid complexion, however, carried a domineering quality utterly unlike before.

It sent a chill through those present. They sensed something in him — a presence that could swallow ten thousand miles, placing himself alone above all others. Every trace of his sickly air had been swept clean, and people felt their legs tremble and their spines run cold.

This was a truly remarkable figure. Not a single ripple of power emanated from him, his cultivation realm impossible to gauge. Yet by this natural bearing alone, he made the hearts of every great hero quake.

“Tea — being force-fed it as well?” Ye Fan shook his head.

“This immortal tea is something ordinary people could never hope to taste. It could rightly be called a celestial encounter. What is there to hesitate about?” the servant said coldly.

Ye Fan paid him no mind and spoke only to An Pu. “Before, when you offered me tea, I felt genuine gratitude. But if you press it upon me like this, then we are enemies.”

Though it was merely a cup of divine tea, the domineering manner in which it was being forced upon him carried the meaning of coercion. From the day he had entered the cultivation world until now, no one had ever been able to pressure him in such a way.

An Pu’s expression remained cold. He said nothing. But the servant holding the tea tray became even more overbearing. Where had they come from? The true Forbidden Zones of Life — and to those who hailed from such places, every power and lineage in this world was nothing but a joke.

Throughout all of history, what force had ever truly matched their elders? Unless a true Great Emperor appeared, everything else was fleeting like clouds passing before one’s eyes — nothing at all.

Ye Fan paid the servant no attention and simply sat back down. A servant was merely a servant. No matter how powerful, it was still just a servant. To exchange words and arguments with such a person would only demean himself, whatever the outcome.

“Everything in this world lies beneath our feet. Our master governs the rise and fall of all humanity. Across countless tens of thousands of years, never has anyone dared refuse our goodwill.” The servant raised his voice.

Ye Fan looked directly at An Pu. “It seems you are not entirely satisfied with this servant of yours. Are you hoping to use my hand to cut him down?”

His words were not loud, but the domineering aura they carried surged straight into the heavens, making every person’s ears ring. Everyone’s heart leaped in alarm, and all of them understood at last what a formidable figure truly stood before them.

His voice shook the firmament, imbued with an invincible martial will. Anyone could feel it clearly — a person of this kind was without question a peerless being of his generation, one rarely matched by any peer.

Clap. Clap. Clap…

An Pu applauded. “In all these years, you are the first person who has been this forceful toward me. I recall that since my birth until now, very few have ever defied me.”

He waved the servant back and had him take the Enlightenment Tea away.

“Master!” The servant was unwilling. He stared coldly at Ye Fan, truly unable to endure this posture — for from beginning to end, Ye Fan had never once glanced at him. Even when speaking, he addressed himself directly to An Pu.

Although this could be considered self-respect — not lowering oneself to quarrel with a servant — where had he come from? He had walked out from within the Undying Mountain itself! Even as a mere servant, he had in his day shaken the outside world, and who had dared look down on him? Ye Fan’s attitude filled him with surging fury!

He did not withdraw. Instead, he stepped forward, looming over Ye Fan from above, unleashing a tremendous aura that swept toward Ye Fan like a tide, intending to suppress and slay him.

Pff!

A flash of cold light, then a burst of blood — and it was all over.

Ye Fan had not even blinked. Seated cross-legged where he was, still perfectly composed, he had directly slain the man without a single additional word.

Everyone was stunned, surging waves of shock rising in their hearts. Just how powerful had that servant been? Even they couldn’t say for certain — he had been like a crashing tide, and yet in an instant he had been cleaved apart and blown to pieces, reduced to a pool of blood.

People hadn’t even been able to make out what weapon was used, nor how it had been done. Too swift — a single strike, utterly clean.

An Pu’s expression frosted over in an instant. Like a divine demon, his entire being erupted with a heaven-defying aura that directly shattered the vault of the sky.

“I respect you as a figure of note,” Ye Fan said calmly. “But your servant did not know how to advance or retreat. If our positions were reversed, what would you have done? Would you truly not have killed him?”

Tap. Tap. Tap…

Rhythmic footsteps approached. The Ji Family’s Great Sage appeared with a precious mirror suspended above his head, standing at a distance and gazing in this direction, eyes fixed on An Pu.

Everyone’s expressions stiffened. Just what sort of origin did this person have, that a Great Sage would stand watch bearing an Emperor’s weapon? This was truly astounding.

An Pu’s expression remained utterly cold. Only after a long time did he slowly settle down. “So be it,” he said. “He brought this calamity upon himself by failing to obey my decree. This tribulation was his due.”

No one had expected that despite such a fierce and sharp bearing, he would once again grow calm in the end, returning to a state of undisturbed tranquility.

“Who is this person?”

Everyone was filled with doubt and uncertainty as they stared toward Ye Fan. But some among them already understood — they had seen through who this was, and some even knew exactly how that servant had died.

Ye Fan had sent a flash of cold sword light slicing through the air, slaying the armored servant of the Undying Mountain. It could not have been concealed from Huo Lin’er, Jiang Yifei, the Moon Spirit Princess, and others — they had seen it clearly.

“Ye Fan, Holy Body of the Human Race — it has been a long time!” Shi Zhongxuan spoke up.

Ye Fan smiled slightly and raised his cup in acknowledgment. The mist and fog obscuring his face parted for an instant, restoring his true appearance. Since he had been recognized, there was no point in hiding further. He did not wish to invite trouble — but he was not afraid of it either.

Sure enough, once Ye Fan’s true self appeared in this place, it immediately triggered an uproar. Many people cried out, and quite a number surged forward, breaking into animated discussion.

“Brother Ye, we’ve heard that you charged through the Ancient Star Road of the Human Race, cutting down enemies in all directions until every foe trembled in fear, becoming unrivaled across the star path — is that true?” someone asked eagerly.

“Senior Ye Fan, what obstacles and dangers are there on the Ancient Road? What must one be careful of? Do you think I could set foot on that path?” a newly risen younger figure asked, eyes brimming with hope.

…

Ye Fan sighed helplessly. He had known this would happen, but there was nothing to be done. He answered one question after another, and only after a long time did the crowd finally disperse — it had truly exhausted him.

Only because he had hinted in private that a battle might break out here — likely ending in rivers of blood — had he even managed to escape the crowd at all. Now that his name had shaken the entire Northern Dipper, every appearance he made would inevitably produce this result.

Of course, there were those who regarded him with hostility as well — standing in the shadows, watching him coldly. Yet at this point, how many people were actually capable of killing Ye Fan? Who would dare lightly provoke him? He was no longer the small cultivator of the past; he had shaken the entire world with his power.

Huo Lin’er smiled and stepped forward, speaking in a low voice. “You saw it too — do you know where that person is from?”

Ye Fan nodded. “The Enlightenment Tea was freshly picked, nothing like those leaves blown out by the great winds of the past. I suppose only people from that place could have emerged.”

“Since you know, why did you still cut down their servant? That place is far more terrifying than any of our imperial clans — they have truly emperor-level powerhouses standing over them!” Huo Lin’er said.

This was the reality of things. In this world today, who could be truly undying? Who were the genuine masters? Naturally, it was the supreme beings within the Seven Great Forbidden Zones of Life.

Ji Ziyue laughed and pulled Huo Lin’er over to sit down beside her, personally pouring her a cup of tea.

“Little sister, are you trying to get me killed? Pulling me to sit here like this — what if the Undying Mountain tallies a debt against me too? What then?” Huo Lin’er said.

“Elder sister is of the imperial clan, the daughter of the Ancient Qilin Emperor — why would you fear them?” Ji Ziyue said, completely unconcerned.

“You scheming little thing — you clearly want to pull me onto the same war chariot as yourself, and yet you say things like that. They have truly emperor-level masters, and like your family, we too have long since seen the close of our most glorious era.” Huo Lin’er gave a bitter lament, saying that at least the other side had Enlightenment Tea to drink, whereas coming here had only earned her enemies for no reason.

“It’s just ordinary social dealings. That person over there doesn’t seem to be a petty sort either — it’ll be fine,” Ji Ziyue said with a smile.

Jiang Yifei also walked over and exchanged greetings with Ye Fan. The two had met very early on, back when Ye Fan was still a small cultivator who had just begun to understand the ways of cultivation.

“Heavenly fragrance!” Long Ma, Ancient Golden Peng, and the other eleven Saints emerged from within the Central Heavenly Palace, catching the scent of the Enlightenment Tea — and then spotting Ye Fan. They were overjoyed at once. “Brew a whole vat quickly, let’s drink our fill!”

Ye Fan’s forehead was covered in black lines. These fellows had all been drinking from giant vats back in the day — every last one of them a bottomless pit.

He took out some Enlightenment Tea leaves and brought the sacred spring liquid of the Ancient Celestial Venerable’s Life Spring to a boil, then began steeping the tea — which left the crowd in the distance utterly dumbstruck.

Since when had Enlightenment Tea become so worthless? How was anyone able to just casually brew a pot of it? And yet here it was, being freely offered to guests.

Especially upon seeing the number of tea leaves Ye Fan added — by no modest count — enough that if spread out, it truly could have brewed a full vat. Everyone watching was consumed with envy. This kind of peerless immortal tea was something one might never encounter in a lifetime, and yet here it was being drunk so casually. People were left speechless.

Many present knew the story behind this. Years ago, Ye Fan had fought a brutal battle against the Heavenly Emperor’s son, ultimately slaying him and shaking the entire world — and then gone on to raid his base, obtaining over a thousand and eight hundred leaves of Enlightenment Divine Tea.

And whose possession had those once been? The Undying Heavenly Emperor’s.

The Enlightenment Tea grew only one hundred and eight leaves per year. Only in exceptional years could it grow thousands of leaves at once. The Undying Heavenly Emperor had happened upon such a year, cut the entire tree at the trunk, fashioned the main body into a coffin, and left the branches to his descendants.

As for the poor old tea tree itself — it had simply had to start growing all over again.

“Well, it’s not a bad trade — at least I get to drink a few extra cups of fine tea here. Ah, it brings back so many feelings. When my father was alive, he drank this tea every day, always with freshly picked leaves. But those days are past now, and things are no longer as they were.” Huo Lin’er sighed with emotion.

Everyone who heard this felt the urge to cough up blood. The things they had seen and heard today were truly unbearable — each one more extraordinary and startling than the last.

“Ye Fan!” The Golden Crow Clan’s Crown Prince Huaizun stood up and called out in a sharp voice.

“Do you need something?” Ye Fan looked at him calmly.

Beside him, Shi Zhongxuan narrowed his eyes and smiled. “I have long heard of the Holy Body of the Human Race’s great name — seeing you today, the reputation is truly well earned. Your mystical arts are peerless under heaven!”

He swept a glance from the corner of his eye toward An Pu, but found him completely indifferent, without a single reaction.

Feng Huang, the current lord of the Wind Clan, possessed matchless beauty. Her eyes shimmered with radiant light as she also gazed in this direction, her heart far from calm.

The Moon Spirit Princess frowned slightly. She knew that if things continued down this path, considerable trouble was on the way.