The snow peaks shuddered, rumbling with thunderous sound, as a terrifying great avalanche was set off.

Cultivators appeared in groups and clusters from every direction, all flying toward this one place — men and women, old and young, protectors from the world’s foremost divine courts, and unaffiliated cultivators from the wilderness. Figures moved like shadows across the landscape, and the might of these powerful experts was such that even the avalanche and crumbling mountains could not slow their advance, as they all closed in.

Every gaze locked onto Xiao Nannan. Not one person could look away. This was the legendary divine infant — the one who had brought a hundred years of flourishing to the Purple Subtlety Divine Dynasty before vanishing without warning. Her likeness had been circulated throughout the world, known to everyone. Now, the entire world was searching for her.

“She’s appeared… she’s truly appeared!”

“The human-shaped immortal medicine has finally revealed herself again in this world — it’s enough to drive people mad with excitement.”

One cultivator after another, their eyes now holding nothing but Xiao Nannan — even Ye Fan was almost forgotten. She was the hope that existed in this world for achieving immortality.

A child who surpassed even undying medicines, a living being who could achieve immortality — she caused people’s eyes to go nearly crimson.

Many did not recognize Ye Fan, and even fewer paid him attention in a moment like this. Even if a god had descended, all anyone wanted was a bite — to claim a share of this “immortal fortune.”

In this moment, Ye Fan became extraordinarily calm. His blood energy withdrew inward, yet his expression was utterly cold and indifferent as he stared at this crowd of frenzied people.

Some recognized him. Fear gripped their hearts, yet they did not retreat. They waited for someone else to take the lead — to challenge this fearsome Sacred Body — and perhaps in the chaos seize an opportunity to snatch the human-shaped immortal medicine.

“Put down the divine infant and leave!”

Ahead on the icy plain, a dark mass of people and horses appeared. The figure at their head rode a wild beast, holding a halberd in hand, pointing it toward Ye Fan from a distance, radiating killing intent.

“These are people from the Ice Demon Palace of the far north — an undying sacred ground. They’ve finally shown themselves. On their home turf, mobilizing this many troops is not at all surprising.”

Quite a few people furrowed their brows, feeling the weight of the pressure.

“The human-shaped immortal medicine belongs to those of virtue. I will not make things difficult for you — simply leave the immortal medicine behind and withdraw at once.”

The beast he rode was covered in ice-cold scales that gleamed with frigid light, and his own body was encased in metal armor, dense with murderous energy. His entire figure, head and all, was encased in the helmet, projecting an aura of intimidating power. And behind him, nearly everyone was dressed in exactly the same manner — armor flashing cold metallic light, the wild beasts mounted beneath them shaking their heads and tails, letting out unceasing cries.

“Leave the divine medicine behind!” these people chanted in unison, shaking heaven and earth. Behind them, many mountain ranges crumbled, ground to dust beneath the iron hooves of countless wild beasts.

This was an unstoppable torrent of steel, rushing forward at terrifying speed, awe-inspiring to behold.

A cruel cold smile tugged at the corner of Ye Fan’s mouth. His fury had reached its absolute peak. The sight of Xiao Nannan had already left his heart aching; her suffering had already made him feel wretched — and yet these people still dared to do this right before his face, treating the little girl as nothing but medicine.

“Kill!”

Ye Fan let out a roar like a wounded wild beast. He covered Xiao Nannan’s eyes, seized an iron sword from the air, and swept forward with it.

Though it was no immortal weapon — merely a blade of refined iron — in Ye Fan’s hands at this moment, even a dead branch could radiate immortal light. Naturally the power was extraordinary.

This sword strike lit up the entire sky, cleaving open the heavens themselves, unfurling like a vast river of stars cascading down from above. With a shattering crack, the earth split open into a massive fissure dozens of zhang wide.

As for the figure at the front wielding the great halberd, he shattered in that very first instant — not cleaved apart, but crushed by the sheer force, exploding into hundreds of pieces. Even the wild beast he rode beneath him had no chance to let out a single cry before it too exploded into a mist of blood.

A dragon has reverse scales — touch them, and it will kill without mercy.

Xiao Nannan was Ye Fan’s reverse scales. This little unfortunate, so lonely and helpless, so pitiable to behold — seeing her like this was already enough to make Ye Fan’s nose sting. How much more so, then, when so many people came to bully her.

Where that sword struck, the dozens of riders caught directly in it vanished into that terrifying great fissure, dissolved entirely into blood mist — bones obliterated, flesh and all, completely and utterly wiped away.

As for the other iron riders, they all fell into chaos — people tumbling, beasts falling — every one of them struck by fear to the extreme.

“Who are you?!” The people of the Ice Demon Palace screamed, scarcely able to believe what they were witnessing.

“The one who kills you!” Ye Fan said through gritted teeth. The iron sword in his hand swept out horizontally this time, the sword energy billowing forth like a great banner — nothing it touched remained whole.

“Ah…!”

Screams rose in unbroken succession. Severed arms and broken legs flew through the air like splashing waves — terrifying beyond description. Those had been living, breathing people, and wild beasts too — all of them sliced apart, cut into pieces that could not be distinguished from one another, all obliterated in that boundless wave of sword energy. Not one could be an exception. All became blood and mud.

Within the tearing, heart-rending cries of fear, these iron riders came to their end. The icy plain ran red. Shattered bones lay scattered everywhere, and vast pools of blood made the scene a harrowing sight to behold.

“Who is this person?!” The other cultivators felt their hair stand on end, their scalps going numb. This was nothing less than a war god — the troops dispatched by the Ice Demon Palace of the far north had been wiped out completely!

“Two strikes… just two sword strikes, and a thousand-strong army is finished — consigned to the past,” someone trembled, crying out and losing their voice, their heart nearly leaping from their throat in shock.

Of course there were those who recognized Ye Fan, but all of them held their silence now — watching coldly from the sidelines. Yet their hearts stirred restlessly. The temptation of the divine infant was too great.

Even knowing how fearsome Ye Fan was — even knowing how formidable he was — they were still unwilling to accept it, still hoping that some supremely powerful expert might step forward, that they might all rally together and overwhelm him, kill him into defeat, and seize the divine infant.

Boom boom boom!

At the far edge of the sky, the rumbling of war chariots thundered out. One after another, ancient bronze war chariots appeared, driving in this direction, grinding the sky itself into a resonating tremor. One war banner after another unfurled in the wind, like dark clouds pressing down from above — blotting out the sun, darkening the heavens.

“The divine infant belongs to all people of the world — no single person may claim exclusive possession!” A formidable middle-aged man’s voice rang out from a distance.

This great power had arrived rather late, and naturally needed a good justification. They called for the “people of the world” to divide the human-shaped immortal medicine together, rebuking Ye Fan and demanding he immediately release her — seeking to borrow the great momentum of “all people of the world.”

“One after another, all of you beyond ignorant of death — how dare you try to harm Xiao Nannan!” Ye Fan’s expression turned even colder. He held Xiao Nannan, covering her eyes still, and swept straight through them.

To call it a sweeping was no exaggeration. Just one iron sword, horizontal across the battlefield. Blood sprayed everywhere. Head after head, trailing great arcs of blood, shot upward into the sky like crashing waves — a sight of absolute horror.

It was a scene from the underworld. One person stood alone amid a sea of blood. Every war chariot around him was destroyed. The heads of every powerful expert flew upward. Bodies and corpses lay strewn everywhere, filling the sky.

As for their primordial spirits — the moment their heads were severed, they were ground apart by the killing energy that had invaded their bodies. Not one person survived.

Ye Fan landed on the ground, his expression blank, surveying everyone. Though he had killed the forces of two great sects, the crowd had only grown larger, not smaller.

A great tide of people, surging from every direction, occupied mountain peaks and snow ridges as far as the eye could see, surrounding this place completely.

And at this moment, Li Tian and Yan Yixi had arrived as well — bringing Xiaocao — and took their positions at Ye Fan’s side.

“Xiao Nannan, as long as you’re alright,” the girl said, patting her own chest and letting out a long breath.

“Thank you, older sister,” Xiao Nannan said. Her eyes could see nothing, yet she could sense the auras of those nearby. The little unfortunate one was much better now than she had been moments ago — enveloped in Ye Fan’s golden light, the redness from the cold slowly fading from her small face.

“Fellow Daoist, might this old one have a word with you?” An old Daoist stepped forward.

“Speak,” Ye Fan said, looking at him calmly.

“The human-shaped immortal medicine is of immense significance. Even if you can overpower everyone here for now, do you truly believe you can walk out of the Purple Subtlety Star Domain? Every last person in the world will stand in your way. Would it not be better for the great sects to discuss this together and seek the method of immortality jointly?”

“There is nothing to discuss,” Ye Fan replied coldly.

“Fellow Daoist, you are going too far. Do you truly think yourself unrivalled under heaven? You should know there are always those above, and skies beyond the sky. If an immortal pill can be refined and distributed, we can guarantee you the first selection of the pills — and everyone would be satisfied,” another elder stepped forward to say.

They each stood backed by a great power, all leading figures of their respective regions, with formidable identities and standing.

Yet the moment Ye Fan heard those words about refining medicine, his expression darkened instantly. Killing intent lay bare as he snapped back: “Let me make this clear — Xiao Nannan is not an immortal medicine. She is my kin. Anyone who plots against her must get through me first.”

The crowd broke into uproar upon hearing this.

“Fellow Daoist, you are far too domineering. Do you wish to swallow the undying medicine all for yourself? Think carefully — this is making an enemy of every cultivator in the world. A chance at immortality that has appeared with great difficulty — and you wish to cut off the path for all people. You are challenging every supreme expert of this era!”

Ye Fan stared at everyone with a calm that was almost frightening. After a long silence, he spoke: “I have no desire to kill indiscriminately. I am unwilling to take innocent lives carelessly. But if you push me — then do not blame me when blood floods this earth and sacred grounds are cut off at the root.”

The crowd was shaken upon hearing this. The arrogance was breathtaking — did he truly believe he could destroy all the sects of the Purple Subtlety Star Domain?

Without another word, Ye Fan sent out a few fragments of imprints — scenes from his time spent with Xiao Nannan in the Northern Dipper Star Domain — making it unmistakably clear to everyone that his relationship with the little girl had nothing to do with any undying medicine.

Within that silence coiled endless killing intent. Ye Fan stared coldly at everyone. He was doing his utmost to restrain himself, unwilling to take too many lives. He had said what needed to be said. He had explained what needed to be explained. If anyone still refused to recognize death after that — then there was no reason to show mercy.

“Fellow Daoist — even if you have some connection with her, perhaps it is because she is an immortal medicine that led you to form this bond. Do you wish for her to become your exclusive personal medicine? That, I fear, will be difficult — because we, the people of the world, will not allow it.”

“Who are you to speak for the people of the world?” Ye Fan raised his sword and brought it straight down. With a single blow, this person was cleaved in two.

His killing intent grew heavier still. He turned his gaze toward the assembled heroes.

“What if we add the divine court that holds authority over all under heaven?” someone said coldly.

The so-called divine court was the terrifying great power that had descended from beyond the domain and destroyed the Purple Subtlety Divine Dynasty — the one that now called itself the divine court beneath the Purple Subtlety sky, intent on building the ancient Heavenly Court.

“Indeed — what if we add the Longevity Monastery of the Dark Ridge? What then?”

“Add the Heavenly Demon Alliance of Hezhou, the Origin Demon Sect of the Great Wilderness, the White Tiger Manor of Shenzhou — is that enough? Can they represent the people of the world?!”

The crowd shouted together, and those around them all joined in, one voice raising with the next in frenzied agreement. All the supreme great powers of the world seemed to have declared their position. Whether some among them were merely impostors or falsely claiming to speak on behalf of their sects — it was enough. The hearts of everyone present had been stirred, swept up together into a single roar.

Pressed down by “the entire world” — even the strongest would have to bow their head.

“Sacred Body Ye Fan — what do you say?!” someone bellowed.

“What I say is this: if you truly believe you can represent the people of the world — then I will kill every last one of you!” Ye Fan erupted. The final shred of restraint vanished.

Boom!

Like a tiger unleashed from its cage, he moved. With a tremor of his hand, the iron sword swept wide, and blood became vivid streaks of scarlet light, blooming brilliantly across that place.

He held nothing back. He brought forth the Soldier Script technique — within the crowd, all manner of divine weapons reversed direction, grinding through the masses as though being pressed flat. Bodies fell in swathes. Blood and mud were packed together.

“Ah…!”

On that day, this place became a living hell. Ye Fan unleashed a great slaughter, cutting down the “people of the world” without the slightest mercy.

Golden divine vaults opened wide. The technique of One Breath into Three Purities was executed. The Heavenly Emperor’s Fist struck in sweeping, boundless arcs…

This was a gathering soaked in blood. The entire icy plain was dyed crimson. Everywhere blood ran. Everywhere shattered bone fragments lay scattered.

Ye Fan covered Xiao Nannan’s eyes, and sealed her ears as well — and transformed into a god of slaughter, sweeping through the northwestern frozen extremity.

Half a day later, the news spread out, and for a brief moment the entire world fell into silence — then erupted into deafening uproar.

In the northwestern frozen extremity, the bodies of heroes lay strewn in all directions. Eight or nine out of every ten cultivators who had been present were dead. Every last person who had appeared on that icy plain and refused to heed Ye Fan’s warning had been reduced, almost without exception, to shattered bone and blood mist.