Qi Luo let out a clear, piercing cry. He opened his mouth and expelled a stream of primordial Life Essence, transforming it into a divine soul that surged forward to intercept the enormous hand — he absolutely could not allow the medicinal cauldron to fall into the enemy’s hands.
“Heh, useless. You’re doing all this work for someone else’s benefit. Every last remnant of the Celestial Court must die — not a single one will survive!”
The Hell Killing Saint’s power was as vast as a sea of stars, his killing intent surging like a great ocean, his vital energy terrifyingly boundless. Though he appeared gaunt — nothing but skin and bones, his body withered and hollow — his strength was absolutely supreme.
In his hand he wielded a world-spanning holy weapon. A shadowy dagger swept through the air, and with the force of splitting dead wood, it severed the divine soul that Qi Luo had forged from his innate primordial Life Essence, shattering it utterly.
This was a catastrophe!
Though both were Killing Saints, this man was far older than Qi Luo — vastly more experienced, his killing intent far more concentrated. Moving against a single spiritual soul, he could naturally flatten it in an instant.
Schick!
He swung the black dagger, a dark gleam flashing past. Several heads tumbled down. The people standing before the cauldron died with their eyes wide open, and then their bodies exploded in an instant, dissolving into a mist of blood.
These were six people from Heaven Village specifically stationed to tend the underground flame beneath the medicinal cauldron. Now, without even a whimper, they were reduced to broken bone and gore beneath the Killing Saint’s might.
He chuckled coldly, the sound like ice scraping against bone. “You’ve worked hard,” he said. “To have refined such an excellent furnace of medicine — I’ll remember you all. Rest easy as you go.”
On the other side, Qi Luo roared with fury, yet he could not break free from his opponent. Both were Killing Saints, and every manner of technique was deployed between them. Killing intent swept across mountains and rivers; grass and trees alike were shattered.
Streaks of crimson light flashed one after another. He carved several wounds into the body of the mortal world’s Killing Saint, leaving him drenched in blood — yet he could not truly finish his opponent off.
“Truly, the young are to be feared. To think you could drive your killing intent through an ancient killing formation to wound this seat — that is no small feat.” The mortal world’s Killing Saint raised a withered finger, dipped it in his own blood, and brought it to his lips to taste. Around him, various ancient artifacts floated, forming a mobile ancient killing formation of primordial times — one that could both shield his body and annihilate enemies. He smiled darkly. “Pull up weeds by the roots, leave no one behind. Let the Celestial Court rot and perish!”
The ancient artifacts at his side blazed with fierce brilliance, fully awakening. Above his head appeared a bone bell, its white bones crystalline and translucent. When it sounded — a resonant, deep clang — the entire small world trembled violently without end, radiating terror beyond measure.
“Ha ha ha…” On the other side, the Hell Killing Saint laughed cruelly, looking down at Heaven Village. His withered frame radiated something sinister and demonic. “Hell and the mortal world shall rise to great prominence. We thank you for this tremendous fortune you’ve delivered!”
He raised his hand and reached toward the great cauldron, brimming with satisfaction. At the same time, a crazed killing intent appeared in his eyes as he looked down upon everyone in Heaven Village with contempt.
A ancient holy mech appeared without a sound, glimmering with a ghostly blue radiance. Ji Zi made his move, cleaving out a great Void-Rift Slash and striking toward the Killing Saint’s back.
Swoosh!
The Hell Killing Saint carried a cruel smile on his face. He struck backward with his skeletal palm. When it came to assassination, who could compare to him? Even Ji Zi wielding the Great Dao of the Void could not.
Bang!
Terrible claw marks appeared on the ancient holy mech, which was sent flying sideways. Inside the war machine, Ji Zi’s eyes turned cold. He shifted repeatedly, tearing open the void, vanishing and reappearing in an unceasing series of phantom movements.
The Killing Saint was too fearsome — a sovereign among killers. His methods chilled the heart, and he nearly managed to physically drag Ji Zi — who commanded the secret arts of the Void Emperor — right out into the open.
Roar…
A long howl rang out. The Holy Emperor’s Son arrived, inhabiting a golden war machine, gripping a golden war spear used as a great staff, sweeping it across with a momentum like a surging sea.
A resonant, trembling note rang out as the Hell Killing Saint’s dagger flashed, shearing off the war spear. He executed several spinning thrusts, then vanished from where he stood. When he reappeared, he had nearly cleaved open the golden mech!
He drove the Holy Emperor’s Son into rapid retreat — the gap in combat power too great, near-disaster narrowly avoided.
“The Celestial Court has long since rotted away. All its remnants will be exterminated today — perish utterly!” The Killing Saint locked in battle with Qi Luo spoke with cold indifference.
The Hell Killing Saint forced back the Holy Emperor’s Son and nodded with a cold laugh. “Indeed, you will all die. This should have been swept clean long ago — just like your ancestors. Until every drop of blood has run dry!”
He reached toward the Myriad Beings Mother Qi Cauldron once more, though his movements were unhurried. He glanced sideways at the Holy Emperor’s Son and Ji Zi, waiting for them to come and contest it.
“Stop him!”
Every warrior in Heaven Village opened their eyes wide with fury. After endless toil and hardship, having refined the medicine to the verge of completion, someone had come to pluck the fruit — the anger and indignation in their hearts was boundless.
The Holy Emperor’s Son and Ji Zi charged forward again, but they were not yet Saints, and this opponent was a Killing Saint above all others — most versed in the arts of slaughter. They could not succeed, and nearly suffered serious injury themselves.
Schick!
The jet-black dagger swept past. In the distance, the head of a middle-aged man from Heaven Village rolled free, blood streaming down. His primordial spirit was extinguished — his death terribly grim — and then his body exploded apart in an instant.
The Hell Killing Saint had done this deliberately, every move within his control. This was a slow, methodical execution of Heaven Village’s people, one by one.
He reached toward the great cauldron once more, his movements slow as before, still watching Ji Zi and the Holy Emperor’s Son with cold, indifferent eyes — as if waiting for them to act.
Then, without warning, the great cauldron let out a thunderous roar. It transformed into a shaft of immortal light, its Dao power earthshaking, and smashed directly into his palm.
At the same moment, Ye Fan — concealed within the void — opened his eyes. His gaze was piercing and intimidating, shooting out cold, austere light. Every one of his mystical phenomena united into one, swallowing him completely.
Pff!
A flash of crimson. Half the Killing Saint’s body was drenched in blood and mangled flesh, nearly ground apart by the phenomena.
The Myriad Beings Mother Qi Cauldron’s energy was terrifying — it shattered the very vacuum of space, erupting with a tremendous force that struck the Hell Killing Saint’s arm and threw his body momentarily off balance.
It was precisely because of this that Ye Fan’s phenomena struck true, leaving the man drenched in blood.
Ye Fan had used the Celestial Court’s supreme secret techniques in a targeted ambush. Against any ordinary person, it would have killed them outright or at the very least peeled off a layer of skin — grave injuries were certain. Yet this Killing Saint suffered no serious harm.
Schick!
A flash of crimson. Ji Zi and the Holy Emperor’s Son seized the opening, each leaving two terrible wounds on the Killing Saint’s aged, withered body.
Yet he remained unharmed. This was the terror of a Killing Saint — unparalleled battle technique, inexhaustible arts of slaughter, capable of reducing damage to his body to the absolute minimum.
The three of them — Ye Fan, Ji Zi, and the Holy Emperor’s Son — were shaken, retreating swiftly. In that instant, they had sensed a terrifying aura closing in on them. The Killing Saint was utterly ruthless: he had chosen to sacrifice a holy weapon, intending to use its destruction to shatter their mechs and obliterate their bodies and souls alike.
The three shifted far to the side, and that area grew suddenly calm once more. The Hell Killing Saint smiled his ghastly smile — the holy weapon in his hand was entirely intact; what had just happened was a feint.
Ye Fan, the Holy Emperor’s Son, and Ji Zi all let their expressions harden. This Killing Saint was rich in battle experience and extraordinarily difficult to provoke.
Most critically of all, the opponent was a Saint — and combined with that fearsome combat power, charging at him directly today would most likely result in their deaths.
Hum!
The Myriad Beings Mother Qi Cauldron roared. Ye Fan forcibly recalled it, and with a flash of radiance, it sank into the space between his brows.
“Retreat!”
Seeing the medicinal cauldron safely retrieved, Qi Luo let out a sigh of relief. His body bore numerous wounds. He stood at the very front, letting everyone behind him fall back.
“No one leaves today. You all die here. The rise of Hell and the mortal world must be built upon the ruins of the Celestial Court!” The Killing Saint engaged with Qi Luo spoke. Before him, various ancient artifacts rose and fell — all formation banners. He had deployed the ancient killing formation of primordial times, and he himself had sustained no injuries.
In the same moment, the Hell Killing Saint also had various ancient artifacts floating before him, their luster swirling and flowing. He too had deployed a small-scale ancient primordial killing formation, one that could move with his body, poised to slaughter them all.
In the ancient age, both great divine dynasties had survived intact, preserving most of their accumulated foundation — vastly more powerful than the Celestial Court of today.
“Seniors, come quickly!” Ye Fan constructed a formation platform and opened the void, calling out to the elder Saints of the Heavenly Jade Stone Workshop.
Yet there was no response. The void ahead was utterly dark — it appeared to have been sealed.
“This is bad!” Ji Zi’s expression shifted. He had people attempt to traverse the void, only to discover that all formation platforms had become inoperable.
Heaven Village was equipped with all manner of defensive measures, formation inscriptions everywhere, capable of connecting outward to Central Prefecture, Southern Range, and beyond — but now none of them functioned.
“They have a treasure capable of binding the void, sealing this entire small world!” The Great Black Dog was an expert in formation arts, and immediately made this assessment — sensing that disaster was at hand.
The mortal world’s Killing Saint spoke, his eyes dark and venomous. “I know you have experts of great formation here. To be safe, we used the most primitive method — before we even entered, we severed the void and pulled this small world into another divine land created by an ancient Great Saint of primordial times.”
Like a tiny bubble swallowed by a crocodile, they had been cut off and sealed inside another cage.
“With the two Dao brothers having arranged everything so thoroughly, it seems there is no need for me to act.” A third Saint stepped out of the shadows!
Everyone’s expressions changed. This was actually an ancient tribe member — white hair cascading loose, eyes like cold lightning, his bearing lofty and imposing, a pair of antlers growing from his head, emanating a divine halo that resembled a wheel of divine moonlight.
“It’s the Silver Moon Royal Tribe!” the Holy Emperor’s Son said in a cold voice.
The appearance of two great killing divine dynasties was already enough to contend with — but now an ancient primordial royal tribe had appeared as well. Though only one Ancestral King had come, it still caused everyone’s hearts to sink.
“We each discovered this place around the same time, so we agreed to share the precious liquid equally and divide the benefits among ourselves. Heaven itself wishes to destroy you Celestial Court remnants — no one can save you.” The Hell Killing Saint spoke with cold indifference.
Two great divine dynasties and an ancient tribe joining forces — this was going to be a catastrophe of blood!
The Silver Moon Royal Tribe was an aggressive and extreme faction among the ancient tribes. They had recently been tracking down divine-natured minerals and discovered a trail of clues, accidentally finding Heaven Village in the process.
“To think the gains here would be so great. If we wipe them all out here, we’ll save ourselves a great deal of trouble in the future!” The Silver Moon Ancestral King laughed broadly, sweeping his gaze over Ye Fan before locking his cold, cruel eyes onto the Holy Emperor’s Son.
“Mm, no rush. Let the children get a taste of blood — how can they grow without experiencing slaughter?” Both Killing Saints waved their hands, and without a sound, densely packed assassins appeared — then vanished into the void.
Flash!
Qi Luo fell back and ceased fighting.
Then, with a sweep of his hand, a great expanse of killing light blazed up before Heaven Village, blocking these people from approaching. This was an ancient primordial killing formation left behind by the Celestial Court.
“The Celestial Court’s flawless killing formation has long since ceased to exist. This broken array is useless — watch how I break it.” One of the Killing Saints said this as he stepped forward, whereupon an endless torrent of killing light erupted, opening dozens upon hundreds of bloody cuts across his body, nearly severing him entirely. Had he not been a Killing Saint — with transcendent arts and the presence of mind to retreat instantly — he might have met with a terrible accident.
“The ancient formation I have supplemented, into which I have incorporated a fragment of Emperor’s inscriptions — did you really think you could break it?!” The Black Emperor taunted.
The Hell Killing Saint shook his head, his smile cold as frost. “Before absolute power, all methods are useless. I can slowly grind down this broken array — and not one of you will survive!”
Ye Fan looked toward Qi Luo. “Abandon this small world. We leave here, and once we have taken the evolution fluid to further elevate our combat power, we will root out Hell and the mortal world entirely.”
Qi Luo let out a long sigh. That was their only option now — today, this small world could not be saved. They had no choice but to leave.
They had made various preparations and imagined worst-case scenarios. Ye Fan, Qi Luo, and the Black Emperor had once branded the small world with source arts and formation arrays — they could ignite this small world, burning away the external binding forces.
“Hell! Mortal world! Wait for us. One day we will see you completely annihilated — struck from the record of heaven and earth!” The Great Black Dog shouted.
Ye Fan said coldly, “You’re right — everything else is empty. Only absolute strength is the hard truth. Within half a month, I will trample Hell flat and destroy the mortal world!”
“Silver Moon Royal Tribe — be patient and wait. I will personally pay a visit to your tribe.” The Holy Emperor’s Son fixed his gaze on the white-haired Ancestral King.
“Oh no — stop them!” The two Killing Saints and the Silver Moon Ancient Saint sensed that something was wrong, but they could not break through the ancient killing formation in time.
Boom!
The small world began to collapse, burning rapidly. A passage was blasted open, and the people of Heaven Village crossed through it and escaped.