The Vermilion Bird, the divine beings and dark spirits, the Flying Serpent, the Roc — all of them vanished. The most terrifying heavenly tribulation came to a sudden halt, ending with such abruptness.

Some stars had transformed into dust, leaving behind remnants. There was blood, there were fragments of battle garments, and there was a shattered physical form. Even Ye Fan, under a heavenly tribulation of such vast enormity, had nearly been destroyed in both body and spirit.

Everyone came back from the shock of that terrifying heavenly tribulation, their expressions tightening, each harboring their own thoughts and reacting differently. Li Heishui, Li Tian, and the others were naturally filled with intense anxiety — that physical form showed not the slightest trace of life.

The Spiritual Court’s people wore expressions of excitement. Many wanted nothing more than to roar toward the sky. There was no better news than this. All of them were tense, eyes fixed on the scene — had Ye Fan died?

That manner of heavenly tribulation had never been heard of, never been seen before. Its power was absolutely supreme. If Ye Fan were to be struck dead by it, it would feel to the Spiritual Court’s people as though a great mountain had been lifted from their hearts.

“What has happened?” Within Divine Punishment City, many murmured in hushed voices, watching closely with desperate urgency, eager to know the result.

Clang!

Among the star fragments, the shards of the cauldron drifted, one chunk after another moving toward each other and beginning to reassemble. They were imbued with extraordinary lightning-radiance and divine power, having absorbed no small portion of the heavenly tribulation’s force.

The Myriad Qi Mother Cauldron reassembled, ringing with a clear metallic sound, shooting out beams of light — fine and slender, yet each one was like a celestial sword-edge capable of cleaving apart the universe.

At last, the radiance drew inward. The cauldron grew ancient and unadorned — no longer displaying any outward majesty — only mother-qi streaming downward in a thousand, ten thousand threads, like one waterfall after another. A unique Dao-resonance seemed to inhabit it.

Within the cauldron’s mouth, primordial chaos and the power of intent rose and fell like an ocean — vast and fathomless. Inside, the space seemed small, and yet it was as if a true and self-contained world existed within.

“Ye Fan!” Li Heishui and the others called out. What concerned them most was Ye Fan himself — as for weapons, so long as Ye Fan still existed, they could naturally be repaired.

“I am all right.” That shattered form slowly rose upright. However wretched the sight — flesh and blood a bloody mess, white bone jutting through — he had endured. He had made it through this heavenly tribulation.

From the Spiritual Court’s side came a wave of sighs — filled with regret. At the same time there was some trepidation. For them, Ye Fan surviving heavenly punishment might very well be the beginning of a nightmare.

“Has the flesh truly become Emperor — is this what a true near-Emperor is?”

“The heavenly tribulation stopped so suddenly — is it perhaps because his own orderly divine chains have not revealed themselves, and only the physical body has advanced to that level?”

These were the questions on many minds, yet no one dared go and test it for themselves. Ye Fan at this moment, though his aura was drawn inward, nevertheless radiated a power that made people tremble.

Whatever might be said — to have touched the character “Emperor” — this entire universe, in all its eight directions and vast wilderness, was open to him!

Blood ran down Ye Fan’s form in streams. The golden blood had diminished, the vivid red blood increasing — translucent and sparkling, like blood-diamonds in their purity. That was the most pristine Holy Body blood.

His wounds were healing rapidly. The bones shattered by the primordial heavenly lightning were reconnecting. Having reached this level, his life force had clearly grown greatly. Every aspect of his body was improving across the board by a tremendous margin.

The Spiritual Court’s army erupted into pandemonium. Chaos broke out, and a frantic rout began. They had been unable to do anything against Ye Fan before — how much less now? If the Holy Body chose to hold them accountable, there were few who would be able to survive.

The commanders had already fled at the very first moment. The reason they had issued no order to retreat was that they were hoping the vast numbers of the army could buy time and slow Ye Fan down.

The star-filled sky devolved into chaos. Figures were everywhere, cultivators in every direction. People shouted and beasts howled. It was a full-scale rout.

The Heavenly Court’s people made not the slightest move to pursue. Those fleeing were throwing themselves into disarray, running for their lives in a desperate frenzy, each wishing only that they had been born with two more legs. The panic and despair in their hearts was without end.

Those among the Spiritual Court’s Grand Commanders with some ability had long since brought out their formation platforms, opened domain portals, and made their great escape.

Those Grand Commanders of the Spiritual Court — every one of them was suffocating with frustration. They had harbored ambitions to swallow the eight directions. They had hoped to build great achievements in this lifetime, to follow the one who was about to attain the Dao and forge an immortal era, leaving their resounding names inscribed in history. Yet here, before their brilliance had barely begun, they had encountered this blow — feeling like stray dogs, driven to such a frightened retreat.

Ye Fan’s tribulation had struck too great a blow against them. Yu Mo and Yu Lan in particular — both utterly pale — had in these recent years lorded over all of humanity with supreme arrogance, confident in their transcendent divine gifts. And yet, measured against a Holy Body who had been declining and fading, they discovered themselves to be nothing more than earthen chickens and clay dogs. The psychological gap was vast beyond words.

The crowd stood in a stupor. Ye Fan had crossed the tribulation successfully. His flesh had reached the near-Emperor realm — and measured against what he had been before, the contrast was simply too immense. Without even making a move, he had already sent the Spiritual Court’s army into collapse.

“Some of the ordinary soldiers may go — but certain people must pay a price.” Ye Fan spoke.

He had recovered. A vast torrent of stellar force gathered from across the star-field and poured into his body in an endless stream — like a bottomless pit, so that even the countless stars in the sky dimmed.

He was looking for Yourou. She carried a near-Emperor weapon, and it was she who had issued the command and launched this assault. If he let everyone off without any punishment or act of intimidation, the Spiritual Court’s people would harbor a sense of having gotten away with it, and next time they might intensify their actions further.

“Though she was the first to leave, this sovereign marked her long ago. I left a formation-inscription tracking mark on her.” The Black Emperor said.

In the Black Emperor’s palm, formation-inscriptions appeared, pointing toward a particular direction. The precise star-field coordinates appeared directly — Yourou had not yet gone far. Clearly she intended to remain in this stretch of star-field to continue observing.

“Quite some nerve she has. I will go and capture her!” The wild man picked up his wolf-toothed club, licked his lips, and grinned, exposing white teeth. He had long since seen through the fact that though Yourou appeared in human form, her true body was certainly not of the human clan — and he was preparing to haul her back for the pot.

“She has the crimson iron Emperor hammer in her hands. If she lands a blow on you, you definitely will not be able to bear it. Let me go instead.” Li Tian said, an expression of roguish charm spreading across his face.

“Lecher.” The wild man muttered under his breath.

“I will go.” Ye Fan finished speaking, raised both hands and tore, and the universe cracked open. He stepped inside in a single stride and vanished from sight.

The sky above Divine Punishment City fell deathly silent. Everyone was stunned. A near-Emperor’s physical body was indeed terrifying — from this point on, even without the laws of order, he could move in and out of any place in the universe freely, traveling wherever he pleased, surpassing the domain portals that any formation platform could open.

“Do you think Little Ye can fly now?” Li Heishui asked.

The several of them pondered this question, each wearing a strange expression. Ye Fan had no arts or Dao — in principle he should not be able to fly. Yet did he even need to fly anymore? His physical body was unrivaled — he could shatter the void itself. Wherever he wished to go, he could go.

The other onlookers had also been petrified for a long time. Having reached this point, perhaps arts and Dao were no longer so absolutely indispensable for him. Now he had more than sufficient power to walk proudly through the world.

“Thud!”

In just an instant, a light sound came from above Divine Punishment City. The void split open, and Ye Fan returned, hauling Yourou — who was still at the Great Sage realm — back with him. He tossed her at the feet of everyone present.

The crimson iron hammer — broken in two. Dark and without luster!

“Heavens — a near-Emperor weapon, just like that, destroyed! This is truly a defiance of the heavens!”

People were astounded. Ye Fan had only been gone for an instant, and already had a result like this. How could it not make people’s hair stand on end? This was terrifyingly overwhelming power. What manner of domineering force was this?

In this one moment, everyone was seized by shock, suddenly understanding: what the Holy Body was most supremely powerful in was its physical form. Once it reached the ultimate realm, it could directly challenge a Great Emperor!

And now, Ye Fan’s flesh had become a near-Emperor’s body, and he had already set foot upon that road. Once all the blood within his body turned completely red, in this lifetime he would be the emperor without a crown.

And this was only the beginning — and yet he had already destroyed a near-Emperor weapon with his bare hands. The stunned amazement this produced was without limit!

The Spiritual Court’s million-strong army, having just heard Ye Fan grant them clemency, had largely remained behind without leaving. Now they witnessed the Spiritual Court master’s daughter being thrown to the ground in such a manner, and one by one they were dumbstruck.

Crack!

Ye Fan flicked a finger. Yourou shuddered violently throughout her body. Every trace of her cultivation was sheared away in an instant. She was directly reduced to an ordinary mortal. A sound tore from her throat — a heartrending cry — and atop her head, a black solitary horn grew out while behind her a pair of grey wings manifested. Her true form was revealed.

She was a Great Sage — moreover, the adopted daughter of the Spiritual Court’s master — and in a single flick of a finger she had been reduced to nothing. Every person watching had their breathing go ragged. The universe went silent of discussion. Everyone watched in tense anticipation.

Ye Fan cast her into the midst of the million-strong army. “I leave your life to you. Take care of yourself. The Heavenly Court does not pick fights — but it does not fear them either.”

After the several hundred thousand of the Spiritual Court’s army held their silence for a long while, a clamor of voices finally arose. Their master’s authority had without question been openly challenged. Ye Fan had neither fear nor reverence.

“What are you all making noise about? Does the Spiritual Court think itself able to command the entire world?” Dongfang Ye said. “Do not think that merely having someone on the verge of attaining the Dao means you can reign supreme over all under heaven and govern the universe. If you have the ability, tell him to go and flatten the Forbidden Zones of Life.”

“Do not think that a person approaching the Dao level is enough to intimidate everyone else. He too has his vulnerabilities. Unless he is capable of slaughtering every last person in the Heavenly Court in a single day — can he actually do that?” The Black Emperor said coldly.

Some things needed no further elaboration. The Spiritual Court’s master had nine sons — not adopted, but his own flesh and blood. If he dared to make his move on a large scale, Ye Fan would naturally go and eliminate those nine sons.

Now that Ye Fan had reached this level, wanting to kill a person was far too easy. And for the Spiritual Court’s master to stop a Holy Body dead-set on going somewhere was very difficult — because if it came to refusing battle, one could simply find some hidden corner in which to lie low and be nearly impossible to locate. The universe was too vast.

“The master of the Spiritual Court amounts to nothing. When the Supremes of the Forbidden Zones of Life were ravaging the world in those days, where was he? Playing the turtle with his head pulled in. Now he dares to be imposing — yet if he wishes to harm Little Ye, he makes an enemy of all living things!” Li Tian said coldly.

“We are not afraid of him. With Little Nannan there, if he dares to enter the Heavenly Court and make a move, she will terrify him to death.” Li Heishui said.

The Spiritual Court suffered a crushing defeat. The near-Emperor crimson iron hammer was broken in two. Yourou was crippled. The million-strong army was routed completely — truly shaking the world and setting off a great upheaval that swept through all of creation.

All of it was done by a single person — Ye Fan the Holy Body, thought to have faded quietly into obscurity. He was back, rising again, setting out upon his own road of legend to shake the stars.

This ignited a wave of turbulence beyond all imagining!

Yet for the time being, none of this had anything to do with Ye Fan and his companions. Once the matter at Divine Punishment City was settled, they set out on the road. The Monkey had left ten years ago to participate in the contest among the ancient princes. Ye Tong and Yang Xi had also been fighting their way along the ultimate Emperor’s road for ten years — without a single word of news. Beyond them, Pang Bo had crossed paths with Ye Fan and missed him; ten years ago he too had entered the imperial pass. They wanted to go and see.

“Hmm — as expected. Once you exit, getting back in becomes difficult.”

The moment Ye Fan drew near, the crystal stele and the imperial pass vanished. Having retreated from this place, he was deemed to have relinquished it — and going back in would be very difficult. He would no longer be recognized.

According to what had been handed down, this was a rule set by the Great Emperors of antiquity.

In the end, Ye Fan and his companions arrived at the final pass of the Ancient Road of the Human Race. The people here were all left open-mouthed in shock. In those years past, Ye Fan had driven them — the guardians of the road — into fleeing for their lives in desperate panic, leaving behind too many legends.

The news of Ye Fan alone routing the Spiritual Court’s million-strong army, and of his flesh achieving the near-Emperor realm, had not yet reached this place — for their group had moved too fast, arriving ahead of the news. Yet the people here still did not dare show him any disrespect.

What further commanded awe was the presence of the notoriously rapacious Black Emperor — stripping travelers bare to the bone as they passed — along with the wild Savage King, and Li Tian and Yan Yixi whose names resounded with power in all directions.

Here, they expended very little effort at all in obtaining an ancient command token — given to them by one of the road guardians. It could be used to enter the imperial pass, walking a special passage that only a rare few throughout history had ever been permitted to take. Clearly Ye Fan had the standing to be counted among that number.

With a flash, they vanished on the spot, appearing directly within a grand and magnificent great city. This place was filled with an aura of ten thousand phenomena — dragon-qi spiraling through the air, ancient watchtower gates imposing and vast.

This was not the first imperial pass — it was the fifth city. The powerful figures had already fought their way here. Ten years of bloody battle had passed, and those who remained now were all supreme elites!