Ye Fan blocked the cyan hand and was not swept away by it. For a brief period he could actually hold his ground against it — leaving an entire crowd of onlookers dumbstruck.
Even the arrival of a saint could do nothing to him!
The war faction of the Qi Clan finally understood what manner of ascetic cultivator they had provoked. This fellow was frighteningly extraordinary — he dared to wrestle with a saint, fearing neither heaven nor earth. He could fight back!
Of course, Ye Fan was on the defensive. Even deploying every technique at his disposal, he was barely managing to protect himself — but that in itself was already astonishing enough to rock the world. Inside warship after warship, people were completely petrified.
Whether the Fan Clan’s heavy hitters or the Qi Family’s decision-makers, there were representatives from both sides present. Fan Zhou’s eyes shimmered with an eerie light. Qi Kun furrowed his brow and let out a long sigh.
Fan Xian, Qi Meng — celestial beauties who would be remembered for the ages — were also present. They stood inside the command centers of their respective motherships, mouths agape, eyes filled with a strange and otherworldly light. This was truly astonishing.
“How has he cultivated? How has he grown powerful enough for even an ancient sage to be unable to deal with him?”
“The ascetic cultivator excavates the treasures within himself and cultivates against the natural order. Reaching this point — it’s truly terrifying!”
The Qi Clan’s sage furrowed his brow. He drew closer, no longer using his enormous hand from a distance. His true form appeared.
To protect himself, Ye Fan began fighting back with everything he had. He expanded a golden circle around himself, piloting the ancient sage’s mech suit to manifest Tai Chi, and engaged in battle against this sage.
“Ha ha ha…” On the other side, the old ghost of the heavens broke into loud laughter — ugly as a night owl’s cry. This was power of divine consciousness, capable of penetrating any cosmic vessel.
The Qi Family members were horrified, backing away rapidly, afraid that this plundering ancestor would turn on them.
“Qi Yao Guang, you do have some skill — all this time fighting a Dao-severing cultivator to a standstill.” The old ghost of the heavens taunted him, his figure lurking in the darkness, looking hazy and indistinct.
“Fan Yuntong, if you think you’re superior, you’re welcome to come and try.” Qi Yao Guang’s voice was unhurried. His cyan robes billowed. The fluctuations of a saint were astonishing, causing the star domain to tremble beneath his divine consciousness.
“Why would I bother trying? I am a friend, not a foe, of this young Daoist companion. I came specifically to escort him. Your provocations are useless against me.” Fan Yuntong said.
In truth, he had struck at Ye Fan first — though only the single blow. When unable to sweep him away, he had stopped immediately.
Clang, clang…
Behind Ye Fan, the five-colored divine light rotated. Five precious swords revolved and turned, exerting boundless pressure — comparable to the movement of the sun, moon, and stars — impervious to all methods, deflecting all of sage Qi Yao Guang’s attacks.
Fan Yuntong watched all of this, at once shocked and full of regret. These were the seeds of divine power that their heavens had cultivated — and yet, through all these years, not one person had been able to comprehend them. In the end, they had all become Ye Fan’s gift.
As for ancient sage Qi Yao Guang, his expression was blank. He had been fighting for so long and, though holding the advantage the entire time, had been unable to finish the matter. It left him deeply unsettled.
He was a saint. Even in the Eternal Realm he was a supreme and extraordinary figure — a true being who could look down on all the crawling creatures of the world. Yet even now he was unable to achieve his goal. It was genuinely unreasonable.
BOOM!
Ye Fan unfurled his phenomenon — though it was only a simple and incomplete fusion, blurry and imperfect, not fully integrated — yet its power was nonetheless astonishing. It landed on Qi Yao Guang and sent him tumbling backward with a strange cry, flipping through the air as he was sent flying.
This region of the star domain instantly collapsed. Chaotic energy surged like mountains overturning, transformed into a vast black cloud that struck outward — terrifying to behold.
A saint had been sent flying!
Throughout the star domain, aboard every ship, people were left dumbfounded. Every single one of them understood — after this battle, Ye Fan’s value had grown even greater. Perhaps the most powerful and ancient forces of the Eternal Main Star would all extend their olive branches to him.
“Very well. I acknowledge that you can match a sage in battle. This old man must get serious.” Qi Yao Guang’s face flushed hot. It was truly uncomfortable — he had nearly coughed up a mouthful of old blood.
“Little Qi, your family’s ancestor is being almost pummeled to the ground by a Dao-severing cultivator. He must have been absolutely flushed and seething just now.” Inside the mothership, Fan Xian laughed tauntingly, her manner languid and enchanting. She transmitted the image to Qi Meng’s command center.
Qi Meng blinked her large eyes. “What are you so happy about? He broke away from your heavens. He slaughtered his way out of your clan. I remember your family suffered tremendous losses — every single person was furious. Word has it you smashed the Nine-Colored Divine Glass Lamp you loved most.”
BOOM!
An astonishing change erupted on the battlefield. Qi Yao Guang did what he had promised. He released a sky-flooding aura of power — the sun, moon, and star rivers all quivered at his will.
He donned a layer of cyan battle armor. His aura immediately grew many times stronger, affecting the pulse of this entire star domain. The terrifying presence shook the heavens.
A Sage King Armor!
This divine garment was not large — roughly several zhang in height — covering his body precisely.
Many onlookers cried out in shock. It surpassed an ancient sage’s mech suit — among such war machines, it was royal quality. It elevated the power of a saint to an entirely new level.
Just as a half-sage entering an ancient sage’s war machine could project the might of a saint, when a true sage entered a battle machine suited to them, they could equally leap above their rank, and their combat power soared.
Hum!
A piercing vibrating cry rang out. The cosmos shattered. Qi Yao Guang had become utterly unstoppable. He extended one cyan hand and reached forward — as if the fundamental laws of the heavens were ringing out, tearing open the star domain.
Ye Fan fled at top speed, transforming into a streak of light that dove into the depths of the cosmos. He understood he could not match this — not unless he ascended to the next level!
However, the cyan hand ripped through the cosmos, unstoppable and all-encompassing, spreading rapidly. It was terrifying beyond measure, and enveloped even a small asteroid near Ye Fan’s body, shattering it with a single crushing grip!
Plucking the stars and seizing the moon — this was no legend. This was something happening in reality. Powerful enough to reach this level, one was a king among sages, a supreme existence.
RUMBLE!
The cosmos thundered. The entire starfield shook. One meteorite after another was ground to powder, and seven or eight small asteroids were seized and blown apart by the cyan hand.
Ye Fan’s heart went cold. His thoughts moved like lightning as he prepared to fight with everything he had, using every last trump card.
Suddenly, the old ghost of the heavens made his move. He entered his own ancient sage’s King Armor as well, extending a jet-black massive hand that crashed through the stars with a resounding boom, intercepting the cyan hand.
“Old ghost, what are you doing?” Qi Yao Guang’s voice turned hard.
“Protecting my clan’s honored guest, naturally. I will not permit you to harm him.” Fan Yuntong smiled and replied.
Qi Yao Guang laughed aloud. “This young Daoist companion clearly defected from the heavens and killed his way out of your clan with bloody hands. How has he become a valued guest?”
“Nothing more than a small misunderstanding. A brief explanation will resolve it. Better that than your clan repaying kindness with treachery and then trying to punish him, wouldn’t you say?” Fan Yuntong replied.
Qi Yao Guang shook his head and smiled. “That young one doesn’t know how to behave — I’m well along in years. What would I take to heart? How could I hold a grudge against him? What happened earlier was merely a test. Now, I invite him to come and be a guest of our Qi Clan.”
No one could have anticipated this turn — two ancient sages adopting this posture. No one knew whether they truly had no grievances, or whether they harbored ulterior motives.
Whether it was the Fan Clan or the Xianyu Qi Clan, their people were all somewhat dazed. Hiding in their cosmic ships, they watched all of this in a blank trance. Two ancient sages were plainly competing for Ye Fan.
In the distance, Ye Fan had stopped fleeing. Two powerful divine consciousness energies had locked onto this region of space, and he was weighing whether to fight with everything he had, without regard for the cost.
“Brother Ye, might we speak for a moment?” When the two sages were at a standoff and on the verge of breaking into full combat, Fan Zhou, the Fan Clan’s heavy hitter, spoke up. He flew out from the cosmic mothership and moved toward Ye Fan.
“What do you want to say?” Ye Fan replied.
“Not long ago, some misunderstandings arose, and our hospitality fell short. I hope you will forgive us.” Fan Zhou said, expressing his wish to invite Ye Fan back, declaring they would certainly treat him as an honored guest.
Ye Fan laughed coldly inwardly, his expression blank. How could he possibly go back to the Fan Clan? There was nothing worth saying here.
“Brother Ye, I know you have formed a negative impression of us. But please set your mind at ease — there will absolutely be no further unpleasantness. I swear this oath here and now. If I ever act against you, may the five thunders strike me down, and may I perish in my tribulation!”
Fan Zhou swore a solemn blood oath on the spot, shocking many onlookers. He had gone to real lengths — willing to bind himself in such a profound way.
Afterward, Fan Zhou did not state it explicitly, but his implication was clear enough — he hoped Ye Fan would marry into the Fan Clan, stopping just short of speaking Fan Xian’s name aloud.
Many people who heard this were left dazed. What had happened here? For the Fan Clan to value this ascetic cultivator so highly, and to reverse course so completely, so quickly.
“Fan Xian, your uncle has put you up for sale!” Qi Meng blinked her large eyes and said.
Fan Xian — celestial beauty of unparalleled grace — her two snow-white legs crossed together as she sat in the command center, equally startled. Then she swung a jade hand and smashed the screen she had been using to speak with Qi Meng, sending sparks flying and smoke billowing.
On the other side, sage Qi Yao Guang’s divine consciousness shuddered. He opened his Heavenly Eye and fixed his gaze on Ye Fan in the distance, then turned to look at the old ghost across from him. He blurted out: “Could he be a first-generation Indestructible Golden Body?! No wonder… so that’s why you people have suddenly acted like this!”
The two men were conversing in a secret transmission that no one else could hear, but their expressions were visible to all — and both had taken on a strange look.
Qi Yao Guang transmitted his voice in secret, directing Qi Kun to step forward — because his own status was too high, and it was unsuitable for him to personally recruit someone.
Upon receiving the message, Qi Kun felt a surge of shock, then steeled himself and moved to recruit Ye Fan. He even made a promise — declaring outright that they could refine a fourth-stage evolution fluid, and that when the time came, they would present Ye Fan with a share.
“What is happening? Why have both clans changed their minds so completely? Both of them behaving like this?” Everyone was bewildered.
“Little Qi, judging by your clan’s attitude, they probably won’t sell you — they’ll just give you away outright.” Fan Xian smiled coldly.
At that very moment, Fan Zhou suddenly produced an ancient mirror and held it up for Ye Fan to see. “Little friend, do you recognize this object?”
Ye Fan’s expression remained blank, yet his divine consciousness was shaken to the core. Was this not the Void Mirror? No — more precisely, it was a replica of the Ji Family’s Imperial Weapon, a king-class artifact.
“This was left behind by a brilliantly gifted ascetic cultivator several years ago. He said that if anyone could recognize it, they were most likely someone from his homeland.” Fan Zhou spoke calmly, watching Ye Fan’s expression carefully.
Was this left by Ji Haoyue, or was it Ji Ziyue’s weapon? Though Ye Fan’s face remained calm, his heart was far from still.
Far away, Fan Yuntong smiled. He had been keeping close watch throughout, and had sensed a slight tremor in Ye Fan’s divine consciousness. Though it was faint, it revealed something of his inner state.
Ye Fan cursed inwardly. Saints were indeed not to be trifled with. A single moment of inattention had been enough for his inner feelings to be read. They now knew his deep connection to this mirror.
“Brother Ye, why don’t we find a quiet place to talk?” Fan Zhou had received a hint from his ancestor. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief — it was as they suspected. This man was indeed connected to that brilliantly gifted ascetic cultivator from years ago.
Qi Yao Guang’s expression changed. Fan Yuntong, however, let a faint smile cross his face. He withdrew his black Sage King Armor and gave up on the idea of fighting. “The two of us have no need to come to blows. Let that young friend make his own choice.”
“Brother Ye, I have heard you are an ascetic cultivator from beyond the domain. Perhaps you share the same origin as my ancestors, who traveled this trial road tens of thousands of years ago and ultimately stopped here, settling down permanently. Might we speak privately?”
A divine consciousness fluctuation arrived from the distant sky. Several groups of people were approaching — none of them ancient sages, yet even so, they put both the Fan Clan and the Qi Family on guard. For they were unmistakably one of the transcendent great powers of the Eternal Main Star, and they had come with obvious intent to poach.
“We’ve had quite a search for you. We’d like to formally extend an invitation for you to become one of us — the Divine!” A silhouette came flying in from the distant sky — and when those present saw it, both ancient sages changed color. That organization was too fearsome.
Ye Fan had just held his own against a saint — a fact that genuinely shook these various parties who had followed along. Now, one by one, they revealed themselves, all burning with eagerness to win him over.