Nine heavens above, the River of Stars glittered with brilliance, cascading down like a vast silver waterfall. Ye Fan stood alone beneath the starry sky, wreathed in starlight.

In one hand he gripped the dark-gold spear, pierced through the Half-Saint’s brows, nailing him to death in the void. Thread upon thread of blood tracked down the length of the black spear shaft — a sight that struck the eyes with visceral impact.

This was a breathtaking scene. Every person present stood as though clay-molded or wood-carved. No matter how many years might pass, all who had witnessed this night would never be able to forget it — it was seared into their hearts, impossible to erase.

Ye Fan’s black hair was thick and lustrous, like a god or a demon alike, washed by the River of Stars, star brilliance blazing across the sky, standing beneath the nine heavens — having slaughtered a Half-Saint, shaking all the world.

Every person was petrified, staring at that scene in disbelief. Time seemed frozen in this single instant, and people nearly forgot to breathe.

To shatter the Saintly Domain Barrier, to break through a myth of ten thousand years, to defy the natural order and slay a Half-Saint — this was accomplished by a path-severing cultivator, who now held his head high in solitary supremacy beneath the stars!

“Is what I am seeing real? He has slaughtered a Half-Saint!”

“This is a miracle — how can one slay a Half-Saint while in the path-severing realm?”

“What is his Dao? So fierce and domineering — I feel as though it would trample the entire Dao of heaven and earth underfoot…”

No one knew how much time had passed before the people cried out in this manner. All of them gazed up at what was nearly a miraculous battlefield result in the sky, every pair of eyes filled with stirred and impassioned color.

Ye Fan gave a forceful shake. The Half-Saint’s brows, pinned upon the sharp spear tip, rapidly cracked — and then the body made a soft sound and dissolved into a burst of blood light. Both form and spirit were annihilated, erased from this world forever.

“So powerful!” Ye Tong was brimming with excitement, yet kept her emotions admirably in check, showing no outward sign of anything unusual.

The Great Black Dog muttered a curse in a voice so low no ordinary person could hear, grumbling to himself: “What the hell, when is this debt getting repaid? This Emperor wants an Innate Sacred Physique Dao Embryo to be born, to come into this world sooner.”

“Dead — a Half-Saint has utterly become smoldering ash, even the blood mist fully dissipated!”

Many people murmured to themselves, waves rising and falling in their hearts, moving from shock to dread, each one at a loss for words.

In the distance, Feng Huang’s heart was shaking violently without cease. She kept her gaze fixed on Ye Fan, unable to look away. This man slaughtered a Saint with the River of Stars, his strikes fierce and overwhelming — she felt a strange sense of familiarity she could not quite place.

“Unbelievable!” Ji Biyue murmured to herself, lifting her snow-white chin and rubbing her temples, an expression of deep thought on her face. “Could this truly be that person from back then, returned?” She glanced inadvertently at Feng Huang.

Feng Huang turned away and made no response. She had no desire to trade words with her — the other woman had repeatedly needled at her emotions with pointed barbs, filling her with suppressed irritation.

In Qingxia City, it was like mountains collapsing and seas roaring — this was the clamor that erupted in the first moments after the event, as people recovered from their shock and broke into heated discussion.

Just who in heaven or earth was this? To call them extraordinarily powerful would be an understatement of staggering proportions!

Even Yao Guang — could he have done the same? Though many people believed it was not beyond him and that he could match a Half-Saint, the fact remained that no one had ever witnessed it firsthand.

“This is truly an ancient war god reborn, so magnificently brave and powerful, with the spirit to lift mountains and the aura to overwhelm the world — he struck a Half-Saint’s weapon with his bare fist and left it cracked.”

Many people sighed with admiration. Such an achievement was beyond their reach for a lifetime — they could only look up to it in reverence, as to a king among people, an existence beyond surpassing.

Ye Fan withdrew his spear and stood at the ready. The dark-gold spear swallowed and exhaled the brilliant light of the River of Stars, wreathed in nine-heavens star radiance, and only after a long while did it gradually grow dim. He then descended.

Rumble!

At that very moment, people felt a powerful fluctuation arriving from the far edge of the earth — as though two primordial ancient beasts were locked in confrontation and combat.

“Master!” Li Qingzhou cried out and transformed into a streak of light crossing the night sky, flying toward the distance. His face was written over with worry.

Seeing this, the crowd came to their senses all at once, and one by one set off in motion. They left this island and surged toward the horizon beyond Qingxia City — for there, an even more terrifying duel was taking place.

“Yao Guang facing the mysterious human powerhouse in a decisive battle — this cannot be missed!”

Before this moment, people had unanimously believed Yao Guang’s victory was beyond doubt. But now — after what had just transpired — who among the current powers could compete with him for supremacy? This moment was different: one Half-Saint had already been dealt with on this side.

“The duel of the century — Yao Guang in battle against the man who slaughtered a Half-Saint, the king among men. Who will prove the stronger?”

Many hearts surged with excitement. They had never imagined that on this night, stirring events such as these would unfold, feeling that the journey had been utterly worthwhile.

In truth, Ye Fan had been the first to set out. The moment the battle ended he descended from the high heavens, spear slung upon his back, walking toward the distance. The crowd was following in his wake, yet no matter what methods Li Qingzhou employed, unleashing even his Holy Light Technique, he could not surpass the man ahead.

“Disaster — our Sacred Master is only a Holy Light body, and now this person’s true body is heading there. Could something terrible happen?” One attendant’s face drained of color.

“Hurry back to the Sacred Ground to request the Sacred Master’s true body emerge from seclusion — otherwise tonight may bring catastrophe.” The second attendant turned and left at once.

Li Qingzhou let out a long cry: “Since this is to be a duel, please be fair to the very end!” His heart was filled with misgivings, fearful that something would go gravely wrong.

“A world-shaking battle!”

By the time people finally arrived, the primordial chaos had already been beaten outward in every direction — surging and raging without boundary or end. Only two figures of light could be seen moving — the techniques and fighting methods themselves were utterly indiscernible, and not a single person dared draw too close. To do so would mean certain death.

This place was far enough from Qingxia City. Ye Fan’s Dao Body and Yao Guang’s Holy Light body had fought their way into the ten-thousand-mountain wilderness, far from human habitation — otherwise, it would certainly have been a scene of devastation, with rivers of blood.

The battle had reached its white-hot intensity. Both figures had fought their way into the open wilderness, each fully unleashing themselves without any restraint. Their techniques were sky-shaking — the great mountains thousands of zhang high, one after another, were like paper constructions, crumbling and shattering in succession beneath the two combatants’ attacks.

In this place, shattered boulders pierced the sky, surging waves struck the shore, a sea of energy swept up into the high heavens. Both combatants had fought to a fever pitch, as though even the stars and moon might come tumbling down.

The Eastern Wilderness — as its name suggests — was a place of great wildlands and ancient marshes, primordial forests and wolf-thick woodlands, a region of primitive and boundless territory.

Ye Fan and Yao Guang’s Dao Body fought their way into the great wilderness, startling untold numbers of fierce birds and savage beasts — many of them ancient variant species of extreme rarity.

From time to time, several beast kings at the Hierarch level broke out in fury, roaring with enormous rage, yet they could not withstand even a single blow. The crowd watched clearly as a great ancient golden Peng spread its golden wings spanning hundreds of zhang, only to explode in the heavens and dissolve into a mist of blood.

Ye Fan’s true body was the first to arrive on the scene. Naturally he did not intervene, watching with cold eyes from the sidelines. The rest of the crowd regarded him with mingled reverence and awe, none daring to approach, all observing the battle from a distance.

“This is… a peerless figure has appeared who can actually contend with Yao Guang!”

Hearing is one thing, seeing is another — people trembled, cold sweat breaking out across their bodies. What an extraordinary existence this was!

The two combatants fought their way onward, cutting deep into the heart of the great wilderness and leaving a trail of devastation behind them. The open wildlands were a scene of utter ruin — countless mountain ranges had broken apart, many peaks utterly vanished.

Ye Fan and Yao Guang carved out a massive gorge, plunging into the primeval wilderness and battling with such ferocity that the fight had reached a fever pitch.

“Who do you think will win, and who will be victorious in the end?” People began murmuring privately among themselves. A world-shaking battle of this nature captured every single heart.

“I think Yao Guang will still win — even if that person killed a Half-Saint, Yao Guang has looked down upon the Five Regions for so many years and long since cultivated supreme and mysterious attainments.”

“Hard to say.” Others shook their heads.

“My master will be victorious!” Li Qingzhou declared. Standing beneath the starry sky, he clenched his fist so tightly that his knuckles had turned greenish, revealing the tension roiling within his heart.

Seeing him speak thus, quite a few people nodded along.

Clang!

Suddenly, surging killing intent burst forth from within the primeval wilderness. Many people went pale with shock — Yao Guang had actually fallen to the disadvantage.

Ye Fan’s Dao Body exhaled an immeasurable light from its mouth, forming into a Dao sword that executed strikes across the ten directions — brilliant as a bolt of lightning, cutting through the black sky with blinding intensity.

Yao Guang’s cold cry rang out. The divine light around his body boiled and surged as he blazed like a sacred furnace, releasing a tremendous quantity of blood aura and surging divine power.

“Kill!”

Yao Guang roared. He had nearly suffered a significant setback just now, and in this moment killing intent showed upon his face. He unleashed his unparalleled Holy Light Technique, and in an instant all attacks were repelled without exception!

“This is the great foundation upon which Yao Guang stands invincible. When this technique is activated, he is innately placed in an undefeatable position!”

“The Holy Light Technique is the peerless wonder of all under heaven — from it an endless array of secret methods has been derived, capable of shaking any powerful opponent. Yao Guang has been forced to this extent?”

The crowd was astonished, holding their breath, not daring to exhale, watching the battle with anxious intensity.

Rumble!

Yao Guang’s body transformed into an Eternal Sacred Furnace — a spirit that could swallow mountains and rivers — his full head of black hair flying in all directions, tracing the tracks of the Dao, growing ever more profound and unfathomable.

At this moment, his every gesture and movement was in itself the principle of heaven, harmonizing with the Dao. A clear cry, and entire ranges of soaring mountains became dust — his valor the greatest under heaven.

His arm trembled, and the mountains and rivers crumbled, and the long river reversed course toward the sky. A sweep of the holy light, and all the heavens trembled — stars and moon alike grew dark.

He rose in dominance — unstoppable and irresistible — nearly devastating the entire wilderness and laying it flat, his intent to overpower Ye Fan’s Dao Body through sheer force.

Ye Fan let out a long howl, holding his own without disadvantage. He was actually drawing upon the starlight flooding the sky as he fought, the endless River of Stars cascading downward, enveloping his surroundings in a vast expanse of white.

Toward the end, one could see the sun and moon rotating around him, great stars surging with magnificent force, countless ancient stars materializing on all four sides and surrounding him at the center.

This was like a cosmos and star domain — he stood at its heart, drawing together light of every kind, forging it into a silver divine spear made of constellations, indestructible and unyielding, thrusting it toward Yao Guang.

The battle had reached its white-hot peak. Ye Fan’s star-forged spear thrust toward the enemy, and sparks flew, for Yao Guang’s holy light had transformed into a sacred furnace to block each attack — the ringing crash was deafening.

Clang!

This was Ye Fan’s thirteen thousand and eighth thrust of the divine spear, striking before the center of Yao Guang’s brows — where a sacred furnace blocked the way, making it impossible to advance even an inch, with nothing but dazzling sparks flying in all directions.

Rumble!

Yao Guang once more elevated his aura. He himself nearly merged entirely into the sacred furnace, blood aura and holy light surging like a tide, like the Eternal Bronze Furnace of creation itself, filling and pressing against the entirety of the great wilderness.

In the distance, everyone was trembling. Many people directly fell to the ground, unable to suppress the cold dread, unable to move even a single inch — as though they had been fixed in the gaze of some primordial ancient beast.

“Terrifying — no wonder the saying goes ‘when Yao Guang emerges, who dares contend for supremacy’!”

Everyone’s hair was standing on end.

At this moment, Yao Guang’s body merged with the Holy Light Furnace, and in doing so ascended to the state of Heaven-Human Harmony — merging with the Great Dao of heaven and earth. His every movement was Dao principle itself.

“Heaven-Human Harmony, and the Dao follows nature.” Yao Guang cried out clearly and pressed forward in suppression.

Ye Fan also let out a mighty roar — entirely different from Yao Guang — his vitality rapidly intensifying, striving to break through every constraint of this world. Every drop of blood transformed into an ancient star of life; his Dao bones became a River of Stars!

And at his feet, trace upon trace of the Great Dao appeared. He stood tall and unbroken upon those traces, trampling every one of them beneath his feet, and with the divine spear forged of stars drove forward.

The two collided in violent impact, divine power rippling across the six directions and eight wastes in a massive collapse that tore apart mountains and cracked apart sky, utterly unstoppable.

Yao Guang had achieved Heaven-Human Harmony — ten thousand techniques could not touch him, his body blazing with immeasurable light!

In this moment it seemed as though he had harmonized with the Dao, his own being transformed into a brilliantly gleaming sacred furnace of metallic quality. With a great clang its lid opened, swallowing the essence of sun and moon, exhaling waves of gorgeous immortal mist — and then swiftly drew Ye Fan within.

Throughout this process, ten thousand mountains shook, and sun and moon and stars seemed about to fall from the sky — terrifying beyond all limit.

The crowd was shaken!

“I said it all along — no one is my master’s match. As long as no Saints emerge, my master is the Human Sovereign!” Li Qingzhou could not help but say.

“Even the king among men who slaughtered a Half-Saint falls short?” The crowd cried out in unison.

“My master is invincible!” Li Qingzhou declared with pride.

“Yao Guang truly is peerless in all the world — his mysterious arts supreme, undefeatable under all the heavens. Who dares challenge his might?!” The crowd was shaken with admiration, many people trembling as they spoke.

Bang!

Suddenly, an enormous sound rang out. That sacred furnace suppressing heaven and earth shook violently, its lid nearly hurled into the air.

Crack!

Fissures appeared across the walls of the sacred furnace. The left half of Yao Guang’s body went numb, his face wearing an expression of utter disbelief, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth as he was sent flying.

The furnace was covered all over in cracks — completely cracking apart — and with a deafening rumble it exploded utterly. Ye Fan emerged in full standing form.

Above the nine heavens, river after river of stars cascaded downward in a vast expanse of pure white, holy and immaculate beyond measure. He bathed in the dazzling starlight!

Dead silence fell over the scene!