Ye Fan’s heart lurched — this gaunt, withered old man showed not the slightest sign of fear. He didn’t respond to Li Ruoyu at all, only stared fixedly at him.
“Keeping me here? That’s impossible!”
The gaunt old man’s words were ice-cold. He bared a mouth full of snow-white teeth, giving him a deeply sinister appearance. Sword radiance shot from his spine like a pillar of light reaching the heavens, shredding all the surrounding vegetation to dust.
It was a soul-piercing sword brilliance that sliced an entire mountain peak clean through — boulders scattered like broken clouds, the sword energy pierced through the firmament, and then swept in all four directions.
“BOOM!”
The sword radiance blasting outward from his spine was extraordinarily bizarre, yet it was utterly devastating and indestructible — terrifying beyond all measure!
One mountain peak was severed at its midsection and came crashing down, as though the very sky had collapsed. Earth and stone scattered like startled waves crashing against a shoreline, surging forward in a great rush.
The entire world was trembling, pressing down on the heart until breath nearly stopped. A terrifying storm of energy ran rampant with tremendous force and momentum, shaking the souls of all who witnessed it.
“BOOM!”
Like a flood swallowing the heavens, the sky-piercing sword energy utterly annihilated this entire mountainous region, leveling it completely flat without leaving a single trace — reducing everything to a barren wasteland.
“Crack, crack…”
The vegetation rooted in the void kept shattering and crumbling. Even though those plants were drawing on the power of the void and possessed a firm, undying divine brilliance, they still could not withstand this sword radiance.
Various ancient vines and towering ancient trees that had been branded into the void — transformed into something resembling Dao diagrams, profound and unfathomable — were still cut free one by one, each breaking apart.
“Half-step Mighty Being!”
Ye Fan was stunned. This gaunt, mysterious old man possessed matchless and overwhelming power that made one’s tongue go numb. One half-step further and he would be a figure comparable to a Sacred Lord.
“Old man will send you on your way!” His smile was cold and savage, his killing intent soaring into the clouds. Invisible murderous intent transformed into a peerless sharp edge that aimed straight at the very core of its targets.
“Pop!”
Old man Li Ruoyu furrowed his brow, extended a single finger and tapped it forward. A fresh, clean aura of vegetation spread through the air; his finger transformed into a towering ancient tree that blocked the invisible killing intent.
“Thud”… “Thud”…
The ancient tree reaching up into the high heavens had branches like coiling dragons, its leaves lush and green. Yet at this moment it suffered blow after blow, leaves scattering chaotically, as terrifying waves of divine power burst outward one after another.
The Great Dao of Nature resisted the invisible killing intent, grinding down each peerless sharp edge, slowly dissolving that formidable killing momentum.
These were two extremes. The gaunt mysterious old man’s killing intent soared to the heavens; his whole being was like an unsheathed peerless vicious sword. Li Ruoyu, on the other hand, was effortlessly serene, as though strolling through a beautiful painted landscape.
“Li Ruoyu, don’t think that because you’ve comprehended Clumsy Peak, you can make a stand in the Southern Region. Let me show you what a truly undying inheritance looks like!”
The mysterious old man grew increasingly forceful. His entire body was saturated with killing intent, like a world-slaughtering demonic blade reborn. The sheer power of that aura made one’s very flesh and blood involuntarily seize with spasms.
“BOOM!”
His body radiated boundless light, terrifying divine brilliance shooting outward in all directions. He was like a blazing sun, utterly dazzling, reducing this entire area to flat ground.
“Clang!”
The gaunt old man’s spine rang out, and incredibly, a holy sword materialized. His right hand gripped the hilt and slowly began to draw it outward.
“Shriiiing…”
Blinding divine light, a terrifying sword cry that pierced gold and split stone — it made one’s very soul feel close to shattering. This was an imperishable sword intent that made one feel ready to fracture apart.
He used his spine as a scabbard, from which a terrifying divine sword had been gestating. Each inch drawn out added another measure of dreadful aura; across the entire earth, great cracks split open one after another.
“BOOM!”
The sword was not yet fully drawn, yet its killing intent had already swept across heaven and earth. The sword radiance was everywhere — or perhaps it was more accurate to call it terrifying sword waves!
The gaunt old man slowly drew his sword. On the three inches of blade now exposed, ripple-like vibrations shook outward, sweeping in all ten directions. Anything of solid substance it encountered was shattered to nothing!
“Pop!”
In the sky, chaotic leaves fell and broken wood tumbled down. The sword intent cut through the Great Dao of Nature, destroying everything, pressing relentlessly forward.
“Die!” The gaunt old man let out a great shout and swiftly drew the sword fully — his entire body blazing with blinding light, sword radiance splitting the sky.
“Clang!”
The divine sword gestated within his spine was pulled completely free, more dazzling than ten suns layered atop one another.
“Sword of Man!” The gaunt old man roared out. The earth shook and mountains trembled; beneath his feet, countless great cracks several meters wide split open and spread into the far distance — a sight of terrifying extremity.
The divine sword in his hand came cleaving straight down toward Li Ruoyu and Ye Fan. Called the Sword of Man, it pushed the power of the human body to its absolute limit, splitting even the void in two!
The blazing sword radiance became the singular presence between heaven and earth, overwhelming everything beneath it. In this one moment, the Sword of Man became eternal.
The world-shaking sword radiance split the void in two, cleaving the earth into a supreme great rift valley that stretched beyond sight to its end!
“Rustle, rustle, rustle!”
Green leaves swayed, and an ancient vine materialized — thick as a mountain ridge — rooting itself in the void and encircling Li Ruoyu and Ye Fan at its center, blocking the peerless killing sword.
“Useless. Sword of Man, break for me!” The gaunt old man roared out.
The terrifying great sword pressed downward, piercing open the void and smelting it. There was simply no blocking it.
Ye Fan’s heart chilled. No wonder this old man, even when recently trapped, had not bothered responding to Li Ruoyu’s words at all and had only stared at him with intent to kill.
It was obvious — this old man had a powerful reserve move prepared, and therefore showed no fear. A half-step Mighty Being was indeed terrifying!
“Hum!”
Heaven and earth shuddered. The ancient vine, thick as a mountain ridge and like a dormant coiling dragon, began to stir. Its enormous leaf blades flickered with green light as a fresh, natural aura spread outward.
“Crack!”
The ancient vine was powerfully vigorous, its old bark rough like dragon scales. Its rootstalk plunged deep into the void, fusing with heaven and earth as one, drawing upon the power of the Great Dao.
“Cut through it for me!” The gaunt old man let out a great shout, and peerless sword radiance came crashing down. Though the void itself was crumbling, the ancient vine did not snap.
It was like a coiling dragon — powerful and magnificent — as it bloomed with clusters of vine flowers, brimming with endless vitality. Each flower was a Dao diagram, condensed within the void.
The world suddenly became stable, completely locked in place, immovable as iron, permeated by the aura of the Great Dao.
The rootstalks sunk into the void continuously refined the power of the void, connecting with the Great Dao and merging into a single whole.
This was the power of the Great Dao of Nature. It was a grand and sweeping Dao diagram covering this small world, where everything was in such harmony and naturalness.
The Sword of Man could not cut through. Moreover, the ancient vine, like a true dragon, extended toward the old man, seeking to bind him and seal him forever within this domain.
The heavens reached beyond measure, the earth stretched beyond exploration. Within this small world of the Great Dao of Nature, Li Ruoyu had become a deity, possessing irresistible Dao power.
“BOOM!”
With a wave of his hand, the ancient vine extended and pierced through the void, grinding the Sword of Man to nothing. It encircled the gaunt old man at the center as clusters of vine flowers flickered; the Dao diagrams were as deep as an abyss, profound and unfathomable, pressing forward to suppress him.
“Li Ruoyu, you are remarkable indeed!” The gaunt old man’s expression changed, and then he attacked with everything he had — but to no avail.
Suddenly he went still. His body began flowing with a terrifying aura as he said with chilling coldness: “I don’t believe you can truly suppress me!”
A tremendous wave of energy erupted like a mountain torrent destroying a plain — waves crashing up into the high sky. The mysterious old man suddenly dimmed, the area around him growing darker and darker.
At last, he actually transformed into a black hole. Terrifying waves originated from that pitch-black center and began devouring everything with frenzied abandon.
“BOOM!”
The ancient vine snapped apart, its withered branches scattering chaotically and rushing forward, being swallowed by the black hole. The power of the Great Dao of Nature was like a tsunami breaching its banks.
“I’ll take your power for my own use — let’s see how you resist!” The gaunt old man let out a cold and sinister laugh.
At this point he had become a black abyss devouring all things, impossible to see any longer, draining every trace of natural power from the void clean away.
The extremely terrifying waves destroyed everything. Both Li Ruoyu and Ye Fan could no longer stand their ground; the space around them collapsed and the very ground shattered to pieces.
“BOOM!”
In the distance, a mountain peak fractured into four or five pieces, as though the end of the world had arrived, being devoured with frenzied force and absorbed into the black hole.
Li Ruoyu and Ye Fan were also engulfed by the black hole, on the verge of being drawn inside. A massive crisis descended, and Ye Fan’s heart pounded furiously — what strange demonic art, truly frightening!
“BOOM!”
Vigorous life energy erupted. A towering ancient tree materialized, its branches and leaves lush, branded into the void. Its leaf blades rustled and swayed, and nine Dao diagrams actually descended from above.
It seemed they grew from this ancient tree, cascading from the treetop all the way down to the rootstalks, fusing with the void, hooking together with the Great Dao as one integrated whole.
The natural vital energy reached its absolute zenith. “Heaven and earth’s Great Dao serve my will” — this was the true embodiment of what was happening. Li Ruoyu sat cross-legged on the treetop, motionless.
“Even this is useless!” The gaunt old man shouted from within the black hole. “My arcane arts are unrivaled under heaven, more than sufficient to overwhelm your Dao source!”
“Arcane arts are not important. What matters is the person.” Li Ruoyu replied.
The ancient tree swayed, connected with the Great Dao. Nine scrolling diagrams unfurled, transforming into the gateways of nine small worlds — mysterious upon mysterious — flowing with an enigmatic aura.
“BOOM!”
In the distance, yet another mountain peak collapsed, swallowed by the black hole the mysterious old man had become. The earth shuddered; the firmament seemed ready to come crashing down.
The ancient tree, rooted in the void, grew ever more vigorous. The nine Dao diagrams revolved, merging with Li Ruoyu and with the vast world as one, until they actually began to produce the sound of sutra chanting.
It was impossible to tell whether it came from the ancient tree or from within the small-world gateways formed by the nine Dao diagrams — it sounded as though it came from ancient antiquity, profound and unfathomable.
Like heroic spirits of high antiquity resonating with the Dao. Like ancient deities of remote antiquity comprehending the natural world of heaven and earth, reciting ancient scriptures.
Within the nine Dao diagrams, a Li Ruoyu actually manifested in each one. He had become the absolute deity of this natural world; his aura was everywhere.
“You…” The gaunt old man was shocked and shaken, struggling with everything he had to resist — but the black hole was cracking, slowly falling apart.
“BOOM!”
At last, following one tremendous sound, the massive black hole vanished. Heaven and earth became clear and tranquil, filled with vigorous vitality; from the devastated mountainous ground, green shoots began pushing upward one by one.
“You… Clumsy Peak’s inheritance is this extraordinary? You old thing with your dismal aptitude — you actually walked this far!” The gaunt old man was deeply stunned.
“Arcane arts and inheritance are not important.” Li Ruoyu repeated the same words, and then turned his hand and pressed it downward.
The gaunt old man’s eyes shot out aberrant light, blazing and incomparably intense — then suddenly two beams of light burst forth, piercing through the void, trying to escape.
But under the covering of Li Ruoyu’s great hand, he had no avenue of escape. Both beams of divine light were seized and confined within the palm.
“BOOM!”
Suddenly he ignited, instantly becoming blazing fierce light so blinding one could not open one’s eyes — and then dimmed to nothing in an instant, becoming ash. Nothing remained.
“He destroyed his divine consciousness!” Ye Fan’s heart lurched. To have cultivated to such a realm, yet to destroy oneself so cleanly and decisively — even against one’s own self, this person was utterly ruthless.
The physical body on the ground was completely devoid of life energy, as though it had already been dead for decades. It carried a sense of oldness and antiquity, and was thoroughly suffused with a demonic and sinister quality.
Ye Fan and Li Ruoyu descended and examined it carefully. The corpse’s toughness was astonishing — nearly equivalent to a divine soldier or precious blade; striking it produced a ringing, metallic sound.
“Reaching this level of cultivation was no easy matter.” Li Ruoyu let out a soft sigh, then gave a gentle wave of his hand. A tongue of flame leapt out — fresh and natural.
“Whoosh!”
The corpse was engulfed, turning to flying ash in the span of a single breath, leaving nothing behind. Ye Fan was greatly astonished. The old man’s cultivation had surpassed his expectations — truly comparable to a Sacred Lord in stature. A late bloomer of truly great caliber.
Li Ruoyu had spent several hundred years in silence before comprehending the Dao. His cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds day after day, stirring all one hundred and eight peaks of the Supreme Mystery, where he was regarded as someone who could in time surpass the worthies of the past.
Seeing that he was this unfathomably deep, Ye Fan felt completely at ease about Zhang Wenchang. They were the same kind of person — natural teacher and disciple — and there was no need to worry about their future achievements.
“Be careful yourself. If things go wrong, come back with me to Clumsy Peak.” Li Ruoyu spoke.
Ye Fan bowed in thanks. He held great respect for the old man, and then bid him farewell here.
That very same day, news spread throughout the Southern Region that the Sacred Physique was nearing the end of his life. Many people witnessed him coughing up great mouthfuls of blood, stumbling and staggering all the way toward Yan City.
“The Sacred Physique’s Great Dao injuries have worsened again — he clearly has no chance of surviving!”
Nearly everyone in the Southern Region knew this news, and many were busy discussing it.
On the same day, Ye Fan arrived in Yan City and sought out the several great Holy Lands along with the Supreme Great Sects of the Central Continent, offering to cross the void on their behalf and enter the Ancient Forbidden Land to harvest immortality divine medicine.
Once this news broke, the Southern Region was in an uproar. Everyone was convinced that Ye Fan had been driven to the very edge of desperation, that he sensed his life was nearly spent, and was willing to serve as a medicine-gathering boy for the Holy Lands in exchange for one last chance at survival.
On this day, the Holy Son of Shimmering Light was hazy and indistinct, his entire body shrouded by holy radiance as though he were a divine being. He opened his eyes beneath a great waterfall, brimming with a divine aura.
He did not know what he was pondering. His expression carried a degree of unease. He then found Yao Xi and said: “The Sacred Physique is nearly gone. Let us go and see.”
Yao Xi was of breathtaking beauty, her eyes sparkling with divine brilliance. She breathed a long, quiet breath of relief inwardly. If Ye Fan died, she would be freed — otherwise that undergarment would always leave her unsettled, always fearing that one day Ye Fan would produce it in public.
“I am about to vanish from this world. The Sacred Physique will be extinguished. You ought to come out now, shouldn’t you? Stay right there and wait to be killed!” Ye Fan said coldly, gazing toward the north.
He was confident the other party’s shadowy “backing” would not dare enter Yan City, since the several great Holy Lands and the Supreme Great Sects of the Central Continent were all presently there.
In the Ji Family, Ji Haoyue, possessor of the Divine King Physique, gazed toward the south and said: “He is going to die. In the end he could not defy heaven. A pity — a Great Completion Sacred Physique will never appear in this world again. Let us go and see.”
Ji Ziyue wrinkled her elegant nose, her bright, vivid eyes carrying a trace of melancholy as she murmured to herself: “He is finally going to die after all.” Then she turned away and lowered her head, saying: “But… he killed our ancestral great-aunt.”
Ji Haoyue affectionately stroked her beautiful hair and said: “That was Ji Biyue’s ancestral great-aunt.”
“But she was still a direct lineage member of our Ji Family.”
Ji Haoyue’s eyes were profoundly deep as he gazed into the distance. “Being too kind makes it easy to get hurt,” he said.
At the Supreme Mystery Sect, Hua Yunfei stood on the edge of a sheer cliff. His blue robes billowed in the wind; he was ethereal, like a banished immortal. He sighed softly: “What a pity — Brother Ye is actually going to leave this world. Little Man, junior sister, let us go to see him off.”
Li Xiaoman stood on the cliff edge, her white robes dancing in the breeze, her gaze directed toward the Southern Region. No one knew what she was thinking. She gave a small nod.