In the dead of night, all was still, the stars and moon gentle, their radiance pouring down like flowing water.

Within Ye Fan’s bamboo garden, extraordinary phenomena manifested in abundance — ancient cosmic star systems condensed and drifted through the air, encircling him, while the chaotic light of the world’s creation cascaded down, enshrining him at the center.

This was a pure land flowing with luminous splendor. He had become the eternal and unchanging “One” — stilling his heart and concentrating his spirit, comprehending the ancient and immutable Dao, drawing reference and inspiration, achieving his own sublimation.

In the darkness, hidden watchers lurked among the heavens and between the cloud layers, gazing in secret with astonishment at all of this, finding it somewhat beyond belief.

“We must stop him — otherwise this fellow is going to break through!” Cao Qing muttered to himself, his expression cold and ruthless, his face sharp as if carved from marble.

Beside him, the elderly manservant clad in a gray long robe spoke in a bone-chilling voice: “Allow this old servant to go — simply kill him outright. His current state is clearly extraordinary, and if left unchecked, he may become a great enemy in the future!”

“No. With so many pairs of eyes watching right now, killing him would cause enormous trouble. Perhaps there are people even more impatient than we are — let us wait and observe first.” Cao Qing said.

A flash of sharp light crossed the elderly manservant’s eyes. “Then let us create a massive interference wave — disrupt his Dao comprehension state and make his efforts come to nothing. Taking the supreme evolution liquid is most dangerous when disturbed by outsiders — let him taste the bitterness of failure!”

Within the gray mist, Fanzhu’s expression was cold. He gazed at Ye Fan being surrounded by fragments of ancient cosmic space — a solitary divine-like existence radiating boundless light. The corner of his mouth curved into an unfathomable smile. His eyes blazed like a pair of divine lanterns, yet he did not utter a single word.

“My dear sister, will you not take my suggestion? This young man from another star system is truly extraordinary — a fine choice. If through the two of you a universe’s supreme battle physique were born, perhaps in the future our Fan Clan could enter the Eternal Prime Star and reign supreme, no longer confined to a corner, no longer retreating to the Immortal Feather Star Sea.” Fantian spoke with a sly grin — sinister and cold, yet carrying a soaring arrogance.

“I am increasingly of the mind that this person will be difficult to control. This will not do — I must think of a way.” Fanxian strolled with elegant grace, walking upon the clouds. Moonlight poured down, her tall figure white as jade, like a beautiful spirit. Her red hair shimmered with a flowing brilliance.

BOOM!

Suddenly, a massive beam of light shot down from the heavens — thick as a mountain peak — seeking to sweep the bamboo garden flat and reduce it to rubble.

This was a Great Dao strike — like a gorgeous, radiant, yet deadly fireworks display in full bloom — sufficient to annihilate a half-saint!

Someone had deployed a terrifying warship and launched a supreme strike!

Bang!

Fanzhu made his move. A cluster of violet light appeared around his body, rapidly transforming into a purple-gold mech standing over ten zhang tall. He swung a purple spear in a sweeping horizontal strike across the sky, intercepting that world-shaking blow.

“Worthless fool — he is to be used by our clan, yet you wish to eliminate him. Have you no measure whatsoever?” Fanzhu’s face darkened as he transmitted his spiritual sense toward a warship hovering in the heavens above.

This was a young and powerful member of the Fan Clan’s in-laws, a man named Duo Luo — held in high esteem by the clan. He had struck from the shadows, hoping to eliminate a future rival and remove a great threat.

Duo Luo was enamored with Fanxian, and harbored resentment toward any man who grew close to her. First there had been Cao Qing, and now yet another had appeared in the form of Ye Fan — whose origins were unclear — triggering in him an intense sense of crisis. He had wanted to eliminate Ye Fan in secret during this critical moment of evolution.

Evolution was most perilous of all — it could not tolerate interference from outsiders. The slightest mishap could bring eternal ruin!

Ye Fan’s heart was clear and luminous. Immersed within the ancient cosmic stellar clouds, he comprehended the Great Dao — the past, the present, the future, all forms of Dao markings manifesting in abundance, chaotic energy surging and billowing.

He harbored no fear of interference, for his primary cultivation was in the treasures of the physical body. Unlike the people of this star domain who relied upon external artifacts, everything from his flesh to his consciousness was solid as iron — unshakeable.

In this brief span of time, his Dao cultivation had advanced by a tremendous measure. He had actually touched upon the eighth minor stage of the Immortal Three Slashes of the Dao — if he could but comprehend it fully, perhaps a breakthrough was possible in that very instant.

Celestial Destiny divine nature, Primordial life-and-death laws… they manifested one after another, branding themselves upon his flesh, becoming undying marks — causing him to comprehend the Dao from his spirit down to the very marrow of his bones.

Just a little more… He furrowed his brow, and an involuntary sigh rose within his heart. He was only the slightest bit away — yet he could never quite touch that threshold, could never step across it.

Ye Fan felt helpless. This evolution liquid was far more mysterious and potent than the supreme precious liquid he had seized from the violet-eyed woman outside the Deathless Mountain — yet still it was not enough.

Can it be that the supreme evolution liquid has become ineffective for me?

The ancient cosmic star river slowly faded. The imperishable divine nature was branded into the Immortal Platform at his brow. The Primordial chaotic light vanished as well, ultimately inscribed within his flesh and blood, the power of eternal life diffusing outward.

All the divine substances from the supreme bloodline precious liquid had been absorbed by him — both body and spirit had been tempered and baptized — yet he was still one step short, unable to advance to the next stage.

Boom!

Then, at this last critical moment, a massive wave of force arrived — a saint’s strike — blanketing and submerging the entire area.

A massive cyan hand, terrifying in its vastness, pressed down upon the bamboo garden from above, covering it completely. It could destroy everything, and no one had time to stop it.

Boundless clouds of dust surged upward. This place became a deep abyss with no visible bottom, dark and endless, shaped like five fingers — utterly obliterating this vast region.

“Who did this — who dared to use the hand of annihilation to slaughter him?!” Fanxian’s beautiful face turned frigid with cold rage driven to its absolute limits. Ye Fan was someone she had personally brought back — only just beginning to be cultivated, not yet allowed to shine brilliantly — and someone had killed him. This was truly vicious.

Fantian said: “Heh. Truly decisive. Striking during his evolution process — even if he does not die, he will be crippled. Just the sheer magnitude of this interference wave alone is already terrifying.”

In the distance, Fanzhu’s expression was dark and cold. Two beams of terrible light shot from his eyes as he charged toward the heavens in the very first moment — only to see a saint warship in the process of a spatial jump, vanishing before his eyes.

In another part of the sky, the vicious gleam in Cao Qing’s eyes flickered and was gone, his expression returning to one of detached calm. The corner of his mouth curved into a cold smile.

Beside him, the gray-robed elderly manservant said: “No one noticed. A pity, though — this saint warship will have to leave the Heaven Pure Land now.”

“Even if he does not die, I imagine he must be feeling thoroughly stifled and miserable. His Dao comprehension state has been forcibly cut short!” Cao Qing said mildly.

This sequence of events had all unfolded in an instant — throwing the Heaven Pure Land into a great commotion. In the dead of night, voices filled the air as a multitude of people flew toward the scene, the area rapidly seething with activity.

“What happened — is there an enemy attack?”

“Heavens — a deep hole that vast can only be the work of a saint. A world-dominating strike of absolute supremacy — who could have survived that?”

The scene was chaotic. Many people in the Heaven Pure Land crowded around to watch, exclaiming in awe, every face revealing expressions of shock.

When the dust and smoke cleared, Ye Fan crawled up from a large crack in the earth far below the abyss — his clothes in tatters, yet not dead, his expression cold to the absolute extreme.

Someone had resorted to any and all means to kill him. Perhaps this place could not be stayed in much longer. Those who bore him enmity could no longer restrain themselves — which made him unable to suppress an impulse to begin a cold-blooded counterattack and slaughter his way through!

“He is truly fortunate to have survived.”

“He happened to fall into the large crack below. Had he been directly beneath that strike when it landed, a hundred lives would not have been enough!”

…

Those who arrived later all discussed the matter. The scene was noisy and chaotic. They did not know what had happened and assumed only that Ye Fan’s fortune was extraordinary.

Only those who understood the inside details would grasp how extraordinary this truly was — this was a strike infused with the power and divine Dao markings of a saint warship, equivalent to a full-power blow from an ancient saint. Yet he had actually evaded it. This was an inconceivable miracle!

“He survived — he escaped with his life from a single fierce assault equivalent to that of a saint!” Fanxian’s beautiful eyes blazed with brilliant light, her peerlessly beautiful pale face filled with excitement.

“This fellow is truly no simple matter. I tell you, dear cousin — if you pair yourself with him, the one who ends up at a disadvantage may well be you.” Fantian furrowed his brow, and for the first time the sinister grin disappeared from his face, replaced by absolute gravity.

Without question, evading that strike required an extraordinarily sharp spiritual perception and utterly astounding innate talent — this was most likely some manner of divine ability, an instinctive talent for seeking good fortune and avoiding calamity!

In another part of the sky, various direct descendants of the Fan Clan who had witnessed everything wore expressions that ran the full range. Only Fanzhu’s gaze was domineering and penetrating. A flash of divine light — and he vanished from the void.

“I want this person dead immediately. His instinctive perception is too terrifying. Once he is allowed to break through, he will become a great calamity in the future.” Cao Qing’s silver hair spilled loose, his expression ruthless, his face written over with bone-deep chill. He murmured to himself: “The Eternal Kingdom already has those few individuals — that is sufficient. Once someone like this is added to the equation, the trouble will be immense.”

“This old servant knows what must be done. He will not be allowed to live long.” The gray-robed elderly manservant said in an eerie, sinister tone.

Much later, the area finally settled down. After daybreak, many people were still discussing the events of the night, spreading numerous different versions of what had occurred.

“Hey, did you hear? That foreign young man actually managed to get his hands on the supreme bloodline evolution liquid. But a barn-yard chicken is still a barn-yard chicken — it didn’t transform into a phoenix. His evolution failed, and he still managed to cause all that commotion!”

“What right did he have to obtain the supreme evolution liquid? He wasted an opportunity for nothing, and it was utterly useless — truly infuriating!”

A group of people were disgruntled, all speaking words of ridicule, feeling that using such a thing on Ye Fan was an outrage.

However, Fanzhu — one of the major figureheads of the Fan Clan — made a stunning decision: in secret, he sent Ye Fan an additional supply of evolution liquid for him to use.

Even Ye Fan was somewhat taken aback — he had not expected the Fan Clan to be so generous. But the result was disappointing: he still did not break through. The evolution liquid at this grade had become ineffective for him.

“How can this be — his innate talent is astounding, and this time the process proceeded without interruption. How has he still failed?” Fantian revealed an expression of bewilderment.

Fanxian was deeply disappointed, her face written over with incomprehension. “He still did not successfully evolve. I had originally looked forward to seeing him blossom with a dazzling brilliance that would astound the world. Could this be the legendary physique spoken of as appearing once in a hundred million people — the kind that simply cannot be evolved through external means, and can only advance slowly through one’s own cultivation, breaking through each stage bit by bit?”

The matter of this time could not be concealed. Before long, it was leaked by someone, and while many people were indignant, they were also cursing with malicious satisfaction.

“Heh! A barn-yard chicken is still a barn-yard chicken — it is hard to transform into a phoenix. Two attempts and still a failure!”

“Ha ha ha — serves him right! Truly laughable!”

Even many direct descendants of the Fan Clan were deeply displeased, and came one after another to demand an explanation from the major figurehead Fanzhu.

“Uncle, is this not too wasteful? The supreme physique evolution liquid was refined at enormous cost — do you intend to continue?” Even Fanxian, whose face was enough to topple kingdoms, wore an expression of misgiving.

“You do not understand the secrets within. This person’s physique is far more formidable than anything we have imagined!” Fanzhu said. In his terrifying eyes, a flash of excitement appeared.

“He must be killed — he cannot be allowed to break through. Seize the blood from his veins and bring it to me — it belongs to me!” In another sealed chamber, Cao Qing’s expression was dark beyond measure.

“He has failed to evolve. The outside world is already saying he is a waste physique that cannot evolve — the kind that appears once in a century. Do we still need to concern ourselves with him?” The elderly manservant was puzzled.

“No — quite the opposite. This person is extremely dangerous! Moreover, I know what Fanzhu intends to do. This time, the Fan Clan has also extracted an evolution liquid of a higher grade. I believe this young man may be about to shine brilliantly and soar to the heavens. Before that can happen, eliminate him and seize his precious blood!” Cao Qing said with absolute conviction.