Whoosh!
A crimson holy arrow streaked through the darkness of space, conspicuous against the void, leaving thousands upon thousands of symbols flickering in its wake as sacred patterns intertwined.
Behind Ye Fan, the radiance of the golden divine treasury blazed with blinding light, ringing with a resonant clang that shook the heavens. Every manner of divine weapon and blessed armament flew forth, hurling themselves against the holy arrow.
Brilliant radiance and eternal light collided — both sides erupted into all-out battle, fighting for their lives across the stellar domain.
The several half-saints of Heaven wore grim expressions. They had waited for half a day, yet neither Fan Xian nor the mothership had appeared. Clearly, they had failed to locate this place, which left the half-saints somewhat baffled.
Dong…
The great bell tolled, slow and resonant — a terrifying surge of energy. Atop the golden mechanized armor, a golden sacred bell hung suspended, its waves rolling out ceaselessly to resist Ye Fan’s every attack.
Golden ripples composed of tens of thousands of symbols — ancient-saint-level laws — transformed into various forms of light that scattered outward, etched densely across the fabric of the void.
An ordinary person would be utterly overwhelmed, unable to endure facing such a terrifying holy artifact. Yet Ye Fan was perfectly at ease, wielding his Six Paths fist technique to strike the great bell until it rang with the threat of shattering at any moment.
It was a fearsome sight — his mechanized frame had been dyed entirely gold, the immeasurable treasury of treasures blazing behind him, while his true self pushed forward in battle, sweeping all before him.
Every manner of divine radiance encircled him. In this frozen expanse of the cosmos, he had become the sole blazing brilliance — looking, in that moment, as though a god had returned to life.
“This youngster is terrifyingly powerful. Have ancient cultivators, pushed to the extreme, truly become invincible?” The several half-saints couldn’t help but furrow their brows, their hearts seized with shock, as they recalled certain records left by their ancestors.
According to the ancient texts of the Eternal Kingdom, among the ascetic cultivators, there were figures of dreadful power who had torn apart their divine mechanized armor with bare hands — truly without equal in the universe.
Hiss!
The dark mechanized armor of the Brahma clan unleashed its might, gripping a war spear that flickered with dark light. It pierced through the stellar domain like an ink dragon cleaving hundreds of miles across the heavens, pressing toward Ye Fan’s immortal platform.
A burst of flame erupted, and a golden heavenly sword appeared before Ye Fan’s forehead — struck out with the aid of an ancient-saint-level war instrument. The Primal Emperor Dao Sword blocked the blow.
Clang!
The sword rang brilliantly. Piercing light split the cosmos, and the silver mechanized armor leaped forward, ghostly and unpredictable, its sacred artifact’s waves devastating vast stretches of the void without ever straying from Ye Fan’s vital points.
Boom!
The crimson mechanized armor raised its left arm, activating its thermal weaponry, unleashing a blast of divine light that annihilated a vast swathe of the heavens. Simultaneously, its left hand wielded a blood-red sword in a dual assault.
The golden divine treasury behind Ye Fan flung open wide — that mysterious domain from which all manner of weapons flew out, slashing toward this great foe.
Yet this was merely a single instant among countless identical moments. In truth, every fraction of a second was the same: Ye Fan fighting alone against five powerful opponents, battered by the thunder-like impacts of their every weapon and secret art.
What had once been a Desolate realm of space now roiled and seething, as hundreds of millions of streams of sacred radiance flowed through it — any single stream capable of annihilating entire living worlds.
The battle had reached its white-hot peak. All five opponents were stunned. They had not imagined Ye Fan would be this powerful, far exceeding their expectations. Were it not for their combined secret techniques, they would have been destroyed long ago.
At this moment, five streams of light intertwined and merged, resembling five realms in communion — constantly cycling, dissolving Ye Fan’s attacks into nothingness.
Boom!
How tremendous was Ye Fan’s martial intent — targeting a single ancient-saint mechanized armor, he had shattered it twice in succession, yet each time it repaired itself and emerged unharmed.
This was the power of the Five Elements. Every world, every stellar domain, even the entire universe could be interpreted through these five elements, containing infinite profundity. This was a secret the Brahma clan had excavated from the ruins of an ancient divine civilization.
“Ha — still waiting for the mothership to arrive? Apologies, I’ve already placed a seal on this location. Sealing the void isn’t something only you can do — I can do it as well.” Ye Fan laughed coldly, unsettling their minds.
The hearts of everyone aboard the ship sank. They finally understood why, after waiting so long, no aid had ever arrived. The unease within them grew sharper still.
“So long as we five remain together, you will never break through. We can be destroyed and reborn without end — let us see how long you can last!” A cold, detached voice issued from within one of the mechanized armors.
“You five only know how to hide together in passive defense — do you not dare face me in a true fight to the death?” Ye Fan sneered.
In truth, both sides had been fighting to the death all along, and the enemy had simply been advancing and retreating as a unit — they had not truly shrunk from battle.
“At our level of cultivation, your taunts are meaningless. Today, we will grind you down. Our mechanized armor can self-repair, while yours will be worn away without cease!” A half-saint responded.
“Since you are all so cowardly, I will keep you company using nothing but my physical body.” With those words, Ye Fan stepped out into the void and stood upright, his head held high.
Within the five mechanized armors opposite him, the eyes of the powerful combatants flashed — all of them startled. A Dao Severing cultivator dared to face their sacred might like this?
“He really dares come out — kill him first!”
The cosmos thundered. Five beams of light shot toward him, and had they struck, the consequences would have been beyond calculation.
Whoosh!
Ye Fan’s physical body shook, tearing open the void, and in an instant he appeared several hundred miles away. All manner of light swirled and spiraled around him, golden blood energy blazing across the sky.
“It’s his true body — he truly dares to leave the mechanized armor! A rare opportunity! Cut him down!” One of the half-saints bared their teeth in a savage grin and streaked forward as a beam of light.
“Destroy his mechanized armor — let that be the price of his arrogance! He’s seeking his own death!” Another shouted, their heart surging with elation.
Four mechanized armors pursued Ye Fan’s body — if they could seize him, his golden sacred blood would change hands. Meanwhile, one mechanized armor charged toward Ye Fan’s war instrument.
Clang!
Dong…
The Dao Sword rang, the golden bell resounded, and the ancient tower rose and fell. Ye Fan’s body deployed its secret techniques, transforming into a streak of light to retreat. His speed was no less than that of a Saint, always maintaining a certain distance, shielding himself thoroughly with the immeasurable divine treasury.
Boom!
Suddenly, from the distance came a terrifying wave — violent beyond description, accompanied by a roar of fury.
“We’ve been tricked — his true body never left the mechanized armor!” The black mechanized armor had run into serious trouble; even the war spear in its grip had been shattered, and it fell back step by step.
The four mechanized armors spun around — all of them shocked. The pale blue mechanized armor was wreathed in golden blood energy; clearly, Ye Fan’s true body was still inside, now laying into their companion with devastating force.
Ye Fan had not only unleashed the golden divine treasury — he had also struck out with the Six Paths Reincarnation fist intent. In that moment, his bravery reached its absolute peak, and the dark shaft of the spear cracked apart inch by inch.
The ancient-saint-level divine armor collapsed again and again, shattered beyond recognition and on the verge of complete dissolution. The assault was too savage!
“Five Elements Unite!”
Everyone cried out together. Four beams of light flew up, while from within the black mechanized armor another dark beam surged forth, merging into one — becoming a perfect five-colored divine radiance.
Clang!
This fused divine radiance was permeated with boundless primordial energy, heavier even than stars, pressing down on Ye Fan and forcing him back several large steps. A look of shock crossed his face.
Boom!
Thousands upon thousands of ancient symbols leaped forth, every one of them of unfathomable complexity. These very runes had composed the five-colored divine radiance — a secret power of the ancient divine civilization, now successfully fused within the ancient-saint mechanized armor.
Ye Fan collided with it again and again, unable to stop it, and allowed the battered black mechanized armor to retreat by a length. The five-element armors merged back together once more.
All five of the opposing combatants wore expressions as dark as still water. They had nearly been tricked into their deaths a moment ago, and the looks on their faces were ugly indeed as they glared balefully at Ye Fan’s side.
Ye Fan’s Dao body returned and stood alongside the pale blue mechanized armor to face the enemy together. He furrowed his brow — this was troublesome.
“Attack!”
At last, he resolved to strike with full force. The five-colored divine radiance could self-repair, but he believed that could not continue indefinitely — there would eventually come a moment of exhaustion.
Embrace Mountain Seal!
A black mountain range, vast as the heavens, slammed down relentlessly, shaking all five mechanized armors continuously. Cracks appeared, only to heal almost instantly. Moreover, the five-colored divine radiance swept outward with increasing frequency, posing a great threat to Ye Fan as well.
The golden divine treasury was deployed, yet the five-element world opposite him resembled a cycle of reincarnation — five elemental powers surging, merging into one, blocking him utterly. He could not break through.
Ye Fan found himself in a difficult position. He had exhausted every method, yet could not pierce this defense. The enemy held both defensive and offensive advantages, and could still pose a fearsome threat to him.
“The five seed-fragments of secret power left behind by the ancient divine civilization show signs of reawakening!” The combatants were surprised and delighted, their eyes turning cold and fierce. They launched a counterattack.
Rumble!
The five mechanized armors began to fuse together — a startling development. The five-colored divine radiance they emitted blazed even more fiercely, sweeping Ye Fan tumbling several times end over end.
Every beam of five-colored divine radiance was a peerless divine sword, ringing brilliantly, its might growing ever more tremendous — nearly enough to collapse the entire heavens around them.
Ye Fan’s expression turned grave. He activated his Military Seal technique several times, but each attempt was deflected. The secret power of the ancient divine civilization was terrifying, and difficult to suppress.
“Keep pushing!”
He refused to yield. He activated the Military Seal once more. With a thunderous crash, all five mechanized armors shook violently — nearly separating — and the five-colored divine radiance suddenly fell into disarray.
Ye Fan’s eyes blazed with intensity. He seized this rare opportunity, unleashing every skill at his disposal in a fierce assault.
“Five Elements United — this is the Boundless Absolute!”
From Boundlessness is born the Dao — a terrifying force. The several half-saints roared, fighting back with everything they had.
But Ye Fan’s Military Seal began to assert its authority. After the first success, every subsequent effort flowed more easily. He forcibly separated the five mechanized armors and made them collide with each other, preventing the divine radiance from uniting.
Yet the toll was immense. He could sense five uniquely secret powers within the five mechanized armors — deeply mysterious, carrying the aura of the divine.
Ye Fan’s mechanized armor had dimmed considerably. He had poured out too much magical power; the Military Seal had consumed a staggering amount in these brief moments — a truly terrifying expenditure.
Rumble!
The five-colored divine armors crashed into one another in a great collision. The five divine radiances were completely stripped apart — and at last they could no longer unite.
“Join forces and kill him!”
The several half-saints cried out. Knowing that the situation had turned against them, each directed their divine radiance at Ye Fan, hoping to merge them upon his body and destroy him.
“Kill!”
Ye Fan roared in return. There was no retreat now — only forward. He felt the power of the ancient divine civilization with profound clarity. These five mechanized armors posed no real threat to him on their own, but the secret power within them was overwhelmingly terrifying.
This was the final battle. Whoever faltered by even a thread would be destroyed. Both sides fought with everything they had.
Heaven-Overturning Seal!
Ye Fan’s right hand slammed down, transformed into the Heavenly Emperor’s Sacred Seal — indestructible beyond measure — crashing into the crimson mechanized armor. A burst of resplendent light followed, the explosion deafening.
The entire crimson ancient-saint mechanized armor and the arm of Ye Fan’s mechanized armor shattered simultaneously, dissolving into a scatter of runes and blasting open a vast expanse of black holes.
He felt not a trace of fear. His other hand manifested the Battle Saint Technique. The Eternal Emperor Furnace flew forth, red as fire — now deployed with the power of a saint — its divine might surging and vast, nearly reducing this stretch of the cosmos to ash.
Boom!
The golden mechanized armor exploded, causing another wave of terrifying impact.
Clang!
Then an ancient mirror appeared — the Void Emperor Mirror — casting its brilliant radiance like immortal light upon the black mechanized armor, making it melt rapidly. It exploded with a thunderous boom.
In this brief span of moments, he had destroyed three ancient-saint mechanized armors. Yet his own mechanized armor had nearly dissolved as well — half its body was gone.
“Your life is forfeit!”
Furious roars issued from the other two mechanized armors as they charged forward together. But waiting for them was a self-detonating explosion, while in the same instant Ye Fan activated his Military Seal, forcing the two to collide violently with each other.
When the storm settled at last, Ye Fan and his Dao body stood upright in the dark cosmos. Two battered mechanized armors — one cyan, one white — hung broken on the other side, not entirely destroyed.
“Youngster, let’s see where you run now! Without a mechanized armor, how will you fight?” Two half-saints lunged toward him to kill.
“Without mechanized armor, my physical body is enough. Watch how I withstand you bare-handed!” Ye Fan felt no fear and charged straight at them.
Had the enemy been undamaged, he might have felt some wariness. But now they were shattered wrecks, more than half their inscribed runes worn away, their sacred power extremely weakened.
Dong!
Ye Fan activated his Military Seal, causing them once more to crash into each other. Sparks flew everywhere, their damage immeasurable.
Swoosh!
His Dao body closed the distance, his physical form locking blades against the mechanized armors, the divine power surging fearfully. The half-saints within both armors wore expressions of utter disbelief.
“What the hell — is this even a human body? It can actually take on ancient-saint armor bare-handed!?” They were both left reeling.
“Kill him!” Both mechanized armors moved, deploying every terrifying technique they possessed.
But the frames were deformed, the movements sluggish, and their individual divine radiances could no longer be brought to bear — leaving the pilots drenched in cold sweat.
“Kill!”
They could only channel other Dao vestiges to attempt to pulverize Ye Fan. But Ye Fan’s Dao body had closed in. His physical flesh had long since surpassed even true ancient saints. With a crunching crack, it tore the massive arm from one of the mechanized armors, and then his hand reached out and ripped off the other leg as well.
Ye Fan’s true body let out a cold smile. Both mechanized armors were spent — many of the Dao symbols inscribed on them had been destroyed. He charged in as well to engage in raw physical combat.
Both half-saints struggled desperately to channel their magical power, but Ye Fan and his Dao body were right upon them, hammering relentlessly. The pure power of flesh and blood reached its most terrible extreme, destroying every critical part of both mechanized armors completely.
“So… this is an ascetic cultivator? This is too terrifying!”
Both half-saints had gone pale as death. Ye Fan and his Dao body combined to manifest the Six Paths Reincarnation fist technique, and their golden fists literally blasted the two ancient-saint mechanized armors to fragments.
“No!” Both cried out in anguish. It was a nightmare — Ye Fan’s physical body left them in despair. There was nothing it could not shatter.
“You wanted to treat me as an immortal medicinal treasure, to slaughter me and claim the prize — yet in the end, it is I who send you on your way.” Ye Fan shook his head.
“Please don’t—” Both half-saints screamed in terror. But before Ye Fan’s golden fists, nothing could be salvaged. With a wet, erupting sound, fresh blood sprayed through the air and they dissolved into mist.
Ye Fan gazed at the shattered ancient-saint mechanized armors, then looked at his own hands. He was not entirely calm. After obtaining the third-stage evolution fluid and successfully breaking through, his combat power had indeed risen by a tremendous margin.
He was certain that if he could make another gain and step onto the ninth minor stage of Dao Severing, he might be able to withstand an undamaged ancient-saint mechanized armor bare-handed — meaning he would be on par with a true Saint.
“I need evolution fluid beyond the third stage…”
Fragments of mechanized armor drifted everywhere, flickering with cold metallic light. Amid the wreckage, five seed-like points of radiance gleamed and pulsed, flowing with the aura of the divine.
“This is…” Ye Fan’s heart stirred.
Deep in the cosmos, aboard a vast mothership, Fan Xian’s expression convulsed with shock as she watched five soul-traces vanish from a crystal display panel. Her voice trembled as she spoke: “They’re all dead. Every one of them — killed.”