The long street fell into silence deep enough to hear a pin drop. A blood mist dispersed across it, leaving shattered bones strewn across the ground alongside the corpses of savage beasts and broken weapons.
A young man in purple robes stood in the middle of the long street, having killed one of the powerful members of the Tianhuang Thirteen Riders before a crowd of onlookers. The feat shook the hearts of all who witnessed it, as though an invincible demon god had descended upon the mortal world.
In that moment, only Ye Fan remained at ease before the small tavern. His frame was tall and slender, his robes swaying in the breeze, untouched by even a speck of dust. He raised his cup in a toast toward the purple-robed man on the street.
“Wolf-fire beacons rise as the myriad heavens watch, and the eternal immortal domain reveals itself. Sword qi cold as frost, its spirit swallowing star rivers — laughing without restraint, there is no end to the heads of enemies fallen on the ancient road…”
Ye Fan drained his cup in a single gulp, then tossed it casually onto the street. In the profound stillness, the only sound was the shattering of the cup, the crack splitting open in every onlooker’s heart.
All faces changed in an instant. At such a critical juncture, a single powerful figure in purple robes had already been audacious enough to sweep his iron sword across the long street and stir the clouds in all four directions. Now, yet another person had stepped forward with reckless words — how could this fail to draw attention? It was an outright provocation.
Some members of the Tianhuang Thirteen Riders furrowed their brows and glared coldly, while the soldiers who had rushed to the scene fixed their merciless gazes on the area, encircling it completely.
The fighting briefly ceased, for the soldiers of the first checkpoint of the Human Race had arrived, positioning themselves between the Tianhuang Thirteen Riders and coldly bearing down on the purple-robed man in the center of the field.
Though the battle had paused, the atmosphere grew even more suffocating. No one could tell how many people had gathered — all of them watching the unfolding events on the long street.
“You have killed in broad daylight on this street and shown contempt for the city’s laws. No matter which star domain you hail from, you will pay with your life in deference to those laws!”
The captain of the soldiers spoke with cold detachment, his entire body radiating fierce and vigorous blood energy. Black iron armor encased his powerful frame, and the bronze halberd in his hand radiated a killing intent that split the sky, filling the air with an overwhelming sense of oppression.
Everyone was taken aback — these soldiers were far too formidable. This man in particular surpassed many of the trial participants by several times over.
It was impossible not to reflect on the implication. These soldiers were a group who had failed — yet they had not fallen here. They had swallowed their bitter defeat somewhere deeper in the starry sky. One could only imagine the caliber of adversary they had faced: without question, they had encountered invincible paragons of humanity.
In a sense, these soldiers, who had set out on the ancient road more than a decade earlier, were undisputed heroes among men — even after retreating here.
This gate-keeping captain was truly astonishing!
Not long ago, when the young purple-robed powerhouse had not stopped at the captain’s shout, he had instead delivered a single punch to shatter the eleventh member of the Tianhuang Thirteen Riders before anyone could intervene — sweeping away the soldiers’ dignity.
Now, with the captain launching a cold and merciless attack, it was no surprise to anyone. All present knew that the purple-robed powerhouse was in deep trouble, his life hanging in the balance.
“Do you not wish to ask me why I killed them?” the purple-robed man said.
“What need is there to ask? Kill on sight!” the captain replied with icy hostility, issuing the order without any intention of hearing an explanation — he wanted an immediate execution.
This group of soldiers numbered eighteen in total. Each walked with the stride of a dragon and the step of a tiger, all of them outstanding heroes from various regions. Though they had been defeated in the starry sky, even in retreat they remained powerful figures.
Every one of them was clad in iron armor, each bearing the marks of exceptional distinction. They were unwilling to have retreated, and a vein of pride still ran fierce within their hearts.
The captain was powerful — a uniquely formidable figure — yet even his authority was not enough to send a whole crowd surging at the purple-robed man all at once.
Only eight soldiers stepped forward. These were his own subordinates, bound to him by deep ties of loyalty, with no hesitation to speak of. Each pair of eyes gleamed with cold light as they lunged straight toward Ye Fan’s Dao body.
By the edge of the long street, Ye Fan’s true body laughed aloud. “What magnificent dominance — worthy of elite soldiers indeed. Life and death held in your grasp, you lord over this ancient city; a single word from you determines who lives and who dies.”
“Who are you? Are you in league with the man in purple? If you obstruct me from eliminating my enemies, you will be judged alongside him — kill on sight!” the captain said with cold ruthlessness, his killing intent laid bare without restraint.
“Do you not know who I am?” A faint trace of mockery curved the corner of Ye Fan’s mouth. The man had first clashed with him, then waited outside the Tianhuang Thirteen Riders’ quarters for most of the night — how could he possibly not know?
“Seeing you like this, you must be one of the same kind. I will take you down first.” The captain’s voice was low and chilling as he prepared to order the others to act.
The eighth-ranked member of the Tianhuang Thirteen Riders added his cold voice in agreement. “Exactly — it was this man who provoked us first, and only then did the one in purple make his sudden assault. He is undoubtedly a co-conspirator. We are willing to lend the captain our strength. Together, let us uphold the peace of the first city of the Human Race — bring this man down first!”
“Whoever dares to make a move, I will cut them down cleanly.” Ye Fan stood before the small tavern, his expression indifferent as he spoke in a voice that was not loud, yet shook the hearts of all who heard it.
The long street was already in chaos, even with soldiers present, yet he showed not a shred of fear. He was undaunted in the face of the powerhouses set against him, his words ringing out sharp and clear, landing with the weight of iron.
“Insolence!” The captain’s gaze turned cold and piercing, his killing intent laid fully bare. With a single barked command, he moved to take action himself.
At the same time, several of the lower-ranked members of the Tianhuang Thirteen Riders closed in as well, intending to assist in cutting Ye Fan down. They had been smoldering with grievances all day and harbored boundless hatred toward both Ye Fan and the purple-robed man.
But it was at this precise moment that a scream rang out from the center of the field. The purple-robed man possessed profound magical power and battle energy that pressed down on all those around him. He seized a longsword and cleaved a soldier in two at the waist — blood spraying in all directions.
Any semblance of calm in this place shattered completely. The scene erupted into uproar. Whether they were the city’s original inhabitants or trial participants who had walked the ancient road of the starry sky — everyone was stunned.
“Is he defying the heavens? He has walked the path of the starry sky, yet he dares to go on a killing spree at the first checkpoint of the Human Race. The gall of it is simply outrageous.”
“Who exactly is he? I cannot make out his true appearance clearly — he looks striking and valiant, yet every time I try to focus my gaze, his features blur into obscurity.”
“Terrifying. He has slain powerful figures one after another. Today’s battle will either forge him a name that shakes the heavens, or he will be hacked to pieces by a thousand blades.”
Ye Fan’s Dao body did not retreat. He snatched up a bronze sword and entered battle against all enemies, its blade gleaming brilliant and swift — like one streak of azure dragon after another rending the sky asunder.
He had to admit — this group of soldiers was frightfully capable, their valor exceeding all bounds. Compared to figures such as the middle-aged female Daoist and her companions, they surpassed them by an immeasurable degree; each was an outstanding hero from his or her own region.
But this was the nature of the star road — it was destined to be a collision of the strong against the strong. Before an even greater power, the glory some had once held amounted to nothing.
Ye Fan’s battle energy surged, exceeding all of theirs. With a bronze sword in hand, he transformed into a human-shaped rampaging dragon, slaughtering in every direction — none could stand in his way.
Those who came forward to attack were the captain’s own people, driven by personal loyalty rather than principle — in their eyes there was no right or wrong, only the will to kill him.
Ye Fan naturally showed no mercy. The long sword danced through the wind of the heavens, sword qi cool and frosty. Radiant cold light swept outward and soared eight thousand zhang into the sky, shaking the hearts of onlookers.
Then in an instant the sword qi drew inward, passing from its most brilliant blaze to final dimness in a single breath — and this contraction was more terrifying still.
The ancient bronze sword cleaved downward, splitting from the brow of a soldier whose face was twisted with savagery and whose whole body oozed killing intent. With a wet sound, blood streamed down — a crimson line extended from that point all the way down to the space between his legs.
A bone-chilling scream tore out. The soldier’s body split in two, blood gushing wildly as the two halves fell in opposite directions — the sight enough to horrify anyone.
Within dozens of exchanges, two of the eight powerful fighters had fallen — both cut down by Ye Fan’s Dao body with the bronze sword. These were no ordinary men. The vivid crimson of their blood was a visceral shock to the eye.
The hearts of the onlookers went cold. In this short a time, the purple-robed man — beset by eight heroes who had walked the ancient road of the starry sky — had already killed two of them in fewer than a hundred exchanges, his might truly terrifying.
It was precisely because of this that the captain’s order to target Ye Fan’s true body stalled. A low and resonant sound rumbled from his throat — terrible as the howl of a demon.
He moved to act himself, his bronze halberd driving forward — for these were men he had taken under his wing with great care, men who looked to him as their leader and served as his instruments.
Some among the Tianhuang Thirteen Riders also changed expression, turning away from Ye Fan’s true body to target the purple-robed man instead — they felt his threat was too severe, and that eliminating him first was the pressing need.
The four lead figures remained unmoved, watching coldly and indifferently. The lower-ranked divine riders all moved together, joining the soldiers in hunting down the purple-robed man at the center.
“I am coming to kill you!”
The captain stepped forward. Heaven and earth shifted, and wind and clouds lost their color — it was as though a sovereign was on parade, looking down upon all beneath heaven, exuding an aura of supreme and solitary invincibility.
By his flanks, one massive star after another materialized, as if an immortal king was striding forward. His entire body was sheathed in armor, with only his eyes visible — cold and piercing as blades.
The patterns of the Grand Dao spread across the sky in endless profusion. The terrifying power of this single step made everyone present instinctively pull back — and this was still a man who had been defeated? Just what manner of opponent had struck him down? There must surely be a remarkable story behind it.
“Boom!”
The bronze halberd in his hand swept forward, compressing and collapsing the void. Its momentum — dauntless and invincible — rattled the very souls of those watching. This self-assurance married to this level of power was enough to shake the world.
Even Ye Fan’s expression shifted. This captain was unquestionably stronger than the lord of the Junwei Mountain — and yet he had retired to this place, guarding the city gate. It was truly beyond comprehension.
He remained calm and unafraid. The bronze sword in his hand slashed forward, and in an instant, boundless sword qi erupted and spread in every direction — like a great river of the heavens cascading down, vast and magnificent, stirring the hearts of all.
Every onlooker held their breath. This was a clash between supreme powerhouses — a rare and extraordinary battle between dragon and tiger, a world-shaking confrontation.
“Clang!”
Ye Fan met the bronze halberd with his sword. Edge met edge, and wave upon wave of Grand Dao symbols radiated outward — each one blazing with brilliant light, branded across the vault of the sky, drawing sharp intakes of breath from the crowd.
This was the level of mastery that only a peerless powerhouse among trial participants could command — a manifestation of understanding the Dao to a breathtaking degree.
A single blow — an effortless sword strike — both contained the supreme principles of heaven and earth, embodying the transformation of all things. This was the ultimate expression of terrifying law, the wielding of divine principles — a collision of the Dao itself.
“Boom!”
The six soldiers nearby were all flung back, their faces drained of color. The several members of the Tianhuang Thirteen Riders who had rushed over also had their pupils contracting violently.
Ye Fan and the captain stood their ground without moving an inch. Bronze sword met war halberd, and between them surged a flood of overwhelming power — it was precisely this wave of force that had driven everyone else back.
“Do you truly believe yourself the master of this city — rampaging without restraint, condemning me with a single word and ordering my execution on the spot?” Ye Fan said with composure.
“That is correct. Here, I am the law. I intend to behead you — what are you going to do about it?” the captain replied with cold indifference, his gaze oppressive, heavy with chill.
“Come together and kill him!” said one of the six soldiers, for whom right and wrong were irrelevant — they followed the captain alone, heeding only his will.
“Do not force me to begin a wholesale slaughter,” Ye Fan said without mercy.
“Then come and try!” the captain replied with cold detachment. His face was concealed behind iron armor and helmet, his true appearance hidden — yet from his voice, he was a young man. Low and chilling, he spoke: “Here and now, I am the law. I intend to lead men to kill you — and what exactly can you do about it?!”