A great foot came crashing down from the heavens — completely without restraint — covering all those below and crushing every one of them beneath it!

Upon the golden ancient war chariot stood the princess of the Golden Clan. As the daughter of a primordial Emperor, even the six ferocious beasts that pulled her chariot were at the Dao Severance level. Her status was supremely noble — who had ever dared treat her this way?

Everyone was dumbstruck. Trampling the ancient imperial daughter underfoot, looking down upon the Southern Domain — this was truly without boundaries or fear, contemptuous of all things, the very pinnacle of dominance and arrogance!

“Who is this person?!” Not a single person was unmoved. Every one of them was so startled their pupils contracted, their mouths fell open, and they watched with tense, focused attention.

Spit!

Wang Xu’s body shook violently after spitting blood. Cracks appeared across him and he was sent flying dozens of zhang away — he was completely unable to withstand this kind of pressure.

He had been injured by Huang Xudao and the Sacred Prince, coming close to having his Dao foundation severed, and had not yet recovered. Now, being overwhelmed by an Imperial Son-level figure caused his old injuries to flare up immediately.

“How dare you!” Someone roared, quickly striking out to contest Ye Fan’s great foot — the guards of the Golden lineage, charging in horizontally.

Yet Ye Fan struck with dominance — why would he withdraw halfway? Strands of sacred radiance poured from his entire body. Composed and imposing, he descended with majesty, the great foot’s momentum unchanged, sending out even more terrifying shockwaves than before.

The Golden Heavenly Maiden and the phoenix-eyed young man shifted sideways and chose to retreat, for Ye Fan was descending from above, his foot coming down upon them — the attack was far too “pointed.”

For the supremely noble youngest daughter of a primordial Emperor, the cynosure of ten thousand eyes and the recipient of every form of reverence and honor, accustomed to being held in the highest esteem — how could she face down a foot crashing toward her head-on?

And the phoenix-eyed young man, who also possessed an uncommon status, noble and elegant — it was even more impossible for him to meet a great foot head-on. He chose to step aside first.

The others had no such considerations. When an ancient imperial daughter traveled, she naturally had guards in attendance. Several of them struck simultaneously, rushing in to engage — yet they couldn’t stop it at all.

Thud!

As the foot landed, it formed a shockwave that sent every one of them sprawling and rolling away, like a peal of muffled thunder.

At the same time, the Golden Princess and the phoenix-eyed young man were also pushed back hundreds of zhang, having avoided the full brunt of the blow.

Clang!

Ye Fan’s foot came down directly upon the golden war chariot, shattering it into pieces. The six ancient beasts let out long cries and charged off in all directions, all of them startled and driven back.

From a distance, people were utterly silent. This person was far too domineering — arriving and immediately destroying the chariot of an ancient imperial daughter, shattering it with one foot, utterly brazen and completely unafraid.

Nearly everyone was stunned. This was an ancient imperial heavenly maiden — and the other person was the senior disciple of an outer-realm sage. The newcomer had no regard whatsoever for anyone present, and with one stomp shattered the golden chariot, its metallic luster scattering in all directions.

“Who is this person?” someone asked quietly, an expression of astonishment on their face, finding it nearly impossible to believe.

In the current world, the most powerful force was the ancient imperial clans without question. For someone to now dare make a move against their heavenly maiden was absolutely earth-shaking.

“Shh, keep your voice down — the real figure has finally appeared again. Today, things might get completely out of hand once more.”

“Who are you talking about?” Many people didn’t understand.

“Ha — this person’s identity, quite a few people can probably guess. There may be world-shaking waves to come. Could he actually be planning to kill the Golden Princess? If so, things would become very serious indeed.”

A small number spoke in hushed tones, not daring to say it aloud for fear of causing trouble.

“The princess of the Golden Clan — beauty that could topple a nation, divine skin and jade bones, naturally stunning grace. Is he going to cruelly destroy that flower?”

“The one he’s going to deal with is probably the phoenix-eyed man.”

On this highland, many people turned their gazes to the center of the scene, their eyes flickering with both anticipation and fear.

From a distance, Black Emperor and Ye Tong saw what had happened and stepped back out of the spatial gate — though they moved to a different position, flying to the edge of the sky to watch the battle.

Ye Fan drew the attention of many eyes. Many people were guessing at his identity. The stretch of sky where he stood was very quiet — those who dared discuss it in the open stood far off in the distant sky.

“Who are you — daring to block the princess’s path and destroy her chariot? State your name,” called someone from the Golden lineage.

Ye Fan’s gaze swept over them. He paid them no heed. He stepped forward, pressing toward the phoenix-eyed young man, intent on striking again.

“Senior Brother — seize him! He’s most likely that Sacred Physique Ye Fan!” Wang Xu shouted, his eyes burning red. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with a swipe of his hand, his entire body convulsing.

He had been utterly terrified just now — that foot coming down had made him feel the world was ending. He had barely avoided it, and yet the residual impact alone had caused his old injuries to flare.

Whoosh!

The highland instantly broke into a clamor. Though some had already had their suspicions, having Wang Xu say it outright was a different matter entirely.

“He… truly is Ye Fan? Fourteen years apart and he has returned to this world?”

“Not long ago he cut down the Celestial Son, nearly plunging the ancient clans into internal chaos, with storms sweeping across the Five Domains — even the Victorious Fighting Buddha came down from Mount Sumeru because of it. And he is really the Sacred Physique?”

In recent days, all under heaven had been speculating about his identity, searching for that mysterious figure. Now that Ye Fan had reappeared, it naturally triggered enormous waves.

“That’s right — this is the very person who once battled several ancient Imperial Princes, escaped from the combined assault of Huang Xudao and Huo Qizi, and ultimately cut down the Celestial Son!”

People could not confirm whether this man was truly Ye Fan, but they could be certain it was he who had struck that day — fighting the Eight-Division Divine Generals in a battle that left rivers of blood.

The Golden Princess’s skin was snow-white and flawlessly smooth. Yet her expression was cold and haughty, a head of golden hair draped around her neck like a white swan’s. The beams of light from her golden pupils shot out toward Ye Fan.

This functioned like a demon-revealing mirror — cover anyone with the beams, and their true form would inevitably be exposed. No technique could conceal it.

Ye Fan gave a cold grunt. With both hands he made a sweeping gesture, and a web of Source-Heaven markings appeared in the air. The common folk didn’t know what to make of it — yet several dragon-tracking geomancers from the Central Province were thoroughly shaken, unable to hold back their admiration.

“This… he reshapes the grand momentum of heaven and earth with a lift of his hand.”

“What a heaven-defying technique — able to borrow the power of mountains, rivers, sun, and moon for his own use. This is a grandmaster-level technique!”

Hiss!

The Source-Heaven marking web spread open, radiating a divine light, blocking the two golden beams and preventing them from seeing through. Moreover, Ye Fan’s Dao arts were extremely aggressive in nature — it was far more than simple defense.

The mountains and rivers began to move, transforming into a surging killing intent that rose like a tidal wave, becoming a tsunami-like shockwave that surged toward the Golden Princess and her companions.

“How dare you!”

The group of guards was furious and alarmed. This person’s aggression was overwhelming — and now he was attacking the imperial clan princess once again. They feared some mishap.

“What do I not dare do? You’ve all already made your move against me — do you think I’m a clay bodhisattva?” Ye Fan’s divine flames surged sky-high, pressing forward like a volcanic mountain reaching the heavens, radiating an astonishing divine power!

With his every movement, blazing light filled the air — as if a divine being were making his descent — domineering and overbearing. Facing the charge of these guards, he struck out with a single palm.

Spit!

The person at the very front bore the brunt of it, spraying blood from his mouth. Like a kite with a broken string, even at a considerable distance the injury he sustained was severe — and he went flying out sideways.

“Are you truly the Sacred Physique of the human race?” asked the heavenly maiden of the Golden Clan. The beams of light in her golden pupils had not shot out again.

Ye Fan continued walking forward. “What of it if I am? And what of it if I’m not?”

All around, the crowd was stirred into an uproar, deeply moved. Was he going to come to blows with the ancient imperial princess? This would be an absolutely momentous event — a battle sure to shatter the heavens!

“How audacious — who do you think you are, to speak to the princess like that?!” one of the guards roared.

The Golden Clan’s princess was the most cherished daughter of a once-supreme ancient Emperor. In the eyes of these guards she was an unparalleled heavenly maiden whom no one could desecrate — they revered her with something close to blind devotion.

Ye Fan laughed loudly, paying no attention to anyone around him, and continued walking forward, utterly unbothered.

“Insolence — halt at once!” the guard cried out again.

“Noise!” Ye Fan launched a punch, sending out the sound of wind and thunder. The clouds in all directions rang out in response, and golden lightning split the void.

Bang!

The person blocking his path was struck by the punch and turned into a mist of blood — nothing remained. He pressed forward with the bearing of someone who kills gods if gods stand in his way and slays Buddhas if Buddhas obstruct him — aggressive and unstoppable, his gaze fixed directly on the heavenly maiden of the Golden Clan.

“You—!”

The group of guards was furious and alarmed, forming a line in front. The six ancient beasts that had pulled the chariot all transformed into human form, standing in a row to guard this place.

“Allow me.” The phoenix-eyed young man smiled, parting through the crowd and stepping forward.

He was dressed in celestial blue treasure robes, tall and well-built, with fair skin, a refined and ethereal bearing, and a pair of phoenix eyes that radiated flowing immortal light with every blink — a transcendent half-saint.

“It is specifically for you that I have made my move!” Ye Fan said.

Had Ye Fan truly returned? Everyone grew more and more certain. The phoenix-eyed young man had just injured Ye Tong — that was clearly the primary reason Ye Fan had struck.

“You are the Sacred Physique of the human race?” The phoenix-eyed young man’s expression was composed and unhurried. He was called Li Wentian, and his background was no trivial matter — the prized disciple of a terrifying ancient sage.

“It seems you are not of the human race.” Ye Fan said, opening his Heavenly Eye and discovering that within the other man’s body, golden light flickered — just like the Golden Clan’s princess, even his internal organs appeared to have been cast from gold — yet from the outside, nothing of this was visible.

“I come from the ancient star where the Gold lineage’s ancestral Emperor attained the Dao. Within my body flows both the blood of an ancient Emperor and the blood of the Human Ancestor.” Li Wentian answered.

This was the first time people had heard of his origins. All showed expressions of surprise. Clearly Li Wentian’s background was immense — his bloodline extraordinarily noble!

“Look at his commanding presence and outstanding bearing — who could have imagined his background was so extraordinary!”

“He comes from another ancient star of life — the ancestral star of the primordial imperial clans. Truly no ordinary figure.” People could not help but be astonished.

Li Wentian carried both the blood of ancient Emperors and the precious blood of the Human Ancestor flowing within him — though how many generations removed was unknown. His talents were exceptionally rare.

People now understood. No wonder that when their master and disciple descended upon the Eastern Wastelands, a sage of the Golden Clan went out to welcome them — they were closely connected, bound by intimate ties of blood.

“Senior Brother — kill him! The Sacred Physique of the human race is the perfect whetstone for your advance toward sainthood!” Wang Xu shouted.

His eyes were bloodshot, and he had lost some degree of reason. In his view, Ye Fan was far more detestable than Huang Xudao and the Sacred Prince — those two had at least come in person, whereas this person had sent only a disciple to deal with him in the Divine City. To Wang Xu, that was a form of humiliation.

Ye Fan had done no such thing, and he had no intention of explaining himself to him. He swept a disdainful glance at him. “In three more years, you won’t even be fit to be Ye Tong’s opponent.”

“You—!” Wang Xu’s face flushed crimson. He trembled all over with rage, shouted in fury, and pointed his finger at Ye Fan.

“Get lost!” Ye Fan uttered a sharp reprimand, deploying the Om-Word Heavenly Sound. The sound wave was like a heavenly sword, resonating with the cosmos. Behind him materialized a phantom image of a divine demon, whose single roar shattered mountains and rivers.

“Aahh—!”

Wang Xu screamed in agony. His entire body cracked open. A single roar had damaged his very essence — he had nearly been obliterated, body and soul.

At the critical moment, Li Wentian made his move, forming a treasure seal with his hands and completely dissolving all the pressure bearing down upon his junior brother. Had he not, there would certainly have been nothing left but bones!

“Sacred Physique of the human race — let me experience you for myself. Let me see just what extraordinary qualities you possess!” Li Wentian gave a light cry and charged forward to attack.

“He truly is Ye Fan — fourteen years apart and he has really come back?!”

In the hearts of the people, a tsunami of emotion surged. Guessing was one thing — having someone speak it aloud and confirm it was another entirely. The news was without doubt earth-shaking!