Qing Shi, the Banished Immortal Lady — the foremost among the cultivators of her generation more than twenty years ago — was a woman shrouded in an aura of myth, who had left behind many a legend.
Her return set off a great wave of discussion and became the focal point of everyone’s conversations.
Ever since this group of cultivators had entered the city, the Guide had not appeared even once — yet the moment the Banished Immortal Lady arrived, he regarded her with special distinction and personally came to escort her to his estate.
“What has she come for?” That was the question on everyone’s mind.
Once one sets foot upon the ancient road of the starry sky, they cannot turn back and act against those who came later, nor can they re-enter the trial grounds. Returning here held no real meaning.
Unless — it was for the Source of the Dao. Those who had set foot upon the ancient road of the starry sky were extraordinary without exception. Ordinary natural treasures had long since ceased to enter their consideration. Only an immortal object of this caliber could move someone’s heart.
“In all likelihood, it is precisely for this. That cultivator called Ye Fan is in trouble.”
“Who could have imagined that the Banished Immortal Lady obtained a Divine-Light Platform and could reverse course to return? With her prestige and power, who could stand against her?”
Some people discussed this in private, feeling that within the coming days there would certainly be a good show to watch.
The blood-soaked trial ground had left everyone with the shadow of death — yet it had also brought forth a Heaven-defying Dao Source, a thing that tugged at every person’s nerves.
Even if the Banished Immortal Lady Qing Shi had not appeared, people believed that some other storm would certainly arise. It was impossible for things to simply settle down like this.
Especially given that the Source of the Dao had refused to recognize Ye Fan — this meant that all others still had a chance, and it had even made the eyes of the city’s native inhabitants turn red with longing.
In this kind of atmosphere, someone could erupt at any moment and attempt a seizure and a killing. Quite a few people were waiting for that moment to arrive.
“You do not understand the Banished Immortal Lady Qing Shi. She possesses a divine-like transcendence — as if she were an immortal from the upper realm reborn in this world. She would never make things difficult for Ye Fan. That is not in keeping with her character.” An elder within the city shook his head, giving this judgment of the Banished Immortal Lady.
“The Source of the Dao can one day allow a person to achieve the great Dao. Who in this world could remain unmoved? It is a thing that seizes the creations of heaven and earth. What a pity that those of us without the power to compete for it can only stand aside. The Banished Immortal Lady returning at this moment — her purpose is plain.”
Naturally, there were also those who sneered at this. When faced with a treasure as extraordinary as this, was there really such a thing as a transcendent person?
Dark undercurrents surged through the human race’s second city. On the surface it appeared calm, but it harbored a killing intent. Within the city, no one dared openly attempt to seize the Source of the Dao.
Yet the human heart was unpredictable. It was impossible to say that some calamity would not erupt in silence.
Clear and cold moonlight fell. This was already the second night. Ye Fan sat cross-legged in the courtyard. The crown of his skull was crystal clear and translucent. Through his hair, he drew in the radiance of the ten thousand stars above, tempering the immortal platform.
“You are close to the point where you can no longer suppress it. You need to choose a vast and extraordinary life-bearing Emperor Star on which to achieve Sainthood. Otherwise, serious problems may arise.” Long Ma cautioned him.
Ten years prior, Ye Fan had already been at the half-Saint level. He was only one hearty, life-or-death battle away from achieving Sainthood — yet he had forcibly suppressed it.
Ten years of conquest, ten years of bloody battle. He had come to understand many things. Deep within the ancient road of the starry sky, there were ancient grounds prepared for those on the verge of achieving the great Dao, and achieving Sainthood within those special star domains would bring tremendous advantages.
Swoosh!
Suddenly, a sharp streak of immortal light came slicing in, aimed straight at the back of Ye Fan’s head as he sat cross-legged on the meditation cushion in the courtyard. Someone had come to assassinate him.
Long Ma reared up onto its hind legs. The scales across its entire body rang out with a metallic clang, and it sent out a sheet of crimson radiance that intercepted this streak of immortal light and ground it to nothing.
Yet at that very moment, a sound like a great flood bursting through a dam rang out. The sky above turned murky, and primordial chaos energy surged downward in a torrential flood, blotting out the heavens and covering the earth.
“Who is there?!” Long Ma bellowed.
Some entity was making a move — intending to shroud everything in this area, severing all connection with the outside world, and dispatching a great number of powerful fighters to execute Ye Fan and Long Ma here.
A black cloud drifted past. The nearby dwellings felt a wave of suffocating pressure. Many people’s hearts trembled with fear, and they could not help but peer outside — yet they saw no one.
None could say how much time had passed. A tremendous crash erupted from the courtyard where Ye Fan was located. One corner of the formation was torn apart, and the primordial chaos energy rushed out like a great ocean wave breaching a dam.
Amid the thunderous roar, many structures were reduced to flying ash. One anguished cry after another rang out. Blood rained down. Some of the nearby native inhabitants had been caught up in the disaster.
Crack!
In the darkness of night, people saw Ye Fan make his move — surging up from within the primordial chaos mist, doing battle in the sky. His body was marked with many traces of blood, drenched in it and fighting wildly.
Everyone was astounded. This battle had clearly been going on for some time, and had reached a white-hot intensity. Only now had it been noticed.
Long Ma was roaring with rage as well, locked in combat with a sacred beast!
Crack!
Blood splattered. Ye Fan fought desperately, blasting one person apart amidst heaven and earth until blood rained down all around. He then wielded his long spear to nail seven or eight people to their deaths in rapid succession — ruthless and cold, savage and brutal.
A hazy shadow retreated. More than a dozen people in total had been killed in the sky. Their corpses fell. Heaven and earth shook.
“The battle must have been going on for quite some time before we noticed. Someone used primordial chaos energy to conceal this place!”
Ye Fan had fought to the very last and critical moment before finally tearing open the terrifying formation and mist and clawing his way out — emerging only after enduring a life-or-death ordeal.
“Holy blood… Among those who have died, there are Saints!”
People were filled with dread. More than a dozen people had been killed. Among them were Saints. This was a supremely terrifying force — and even so, Ye Fan had still managed to carve out a path of survival.
“Who has caused this disturbance and violated the city rules?!” The commander charged with protecting the ancient city arrived at the first moment, shouting with great urgency — but the battle was already over.
Long Ma bared its teeth and snarled. Ye Fan also bore many wounds across his body. His expression was dark. He stared in the direction where the hazy shadow had disappeared, and said nothing.
Many people’s hearts trembled. As powerful as he was, he had still been wounded — which showed just how terrifying the battle that had just occurred must have been. It was clear that the leader who had fled must be a truly peerless expert.
“Why did you fight?”
“Someone tried to assassinate me.”
“Did you discover any leads?”
…
The grand commander of the city arrived with more than twenty soldiers, their expressions stern. They questioned Ye Fan at length before finally departing.
The primordial chaos energy dispersed. Starlight fell. A great deal of time had already passed. Ye Fan still stood on the rubble and had not moved. His expression was cold and not at all pleasant.
The assassins were not trial participants. He had never seen any of these people before, so they were clearly some faction operating within the city who had come to kill him.
The reasons were many, but the most likely was that they had come to seize the Source of the Dao.
The crisp sound of metal rang out. From within Ye Fan’s body there shot streams of divine radiance. Golden blood energy suffused the air. The “One Who Walks” word-formula circulated. In an instant, his true body was completely healed.
This night passed quickly. By morning, the entire city knew of what had happened. Ye Fan had been ambushed. Just how powerful the enemy had been was unknown — but the Saint-level blood left behind at the scene was proof enough of how terrifying the attackers had been.
The atmosphere immediately became charged and delicate. The grand commander of the city personally led soldiers on patrols to prevent even more intense incidents from occurring.
The Guide had also appeared. He stood in stillness for a moment at the site of the battle before slowly disappearing. He was greatly concerned by this and had issued a command for a strict investigation.
“Someone wants to muddy the waters — to create difficulty for the Guide and make it awkward for the Banished Immortal Lady Qing Shi to act in a heavy-handed manner. Even if the assassination fails, they’ve still achieved their purpose.”
Some people drew this conclusion.
Ye Fan also gave a cold smile. With the pond now murky, those who had come for him would find their stance toward the matter subtly shifted as a result of this incident — they would not dare to act as recklessly as before. There were drawbacks and advantages alike.
And so two days passed. The city remained relatively calm. Yet the Guide had not yet issued the order to open the Primordial Dao Ground and allow the trial participants to enter.
“The Banished Immortal Lady has made an appearance. She intends to hold a small gathering among acquaintances at the Emerald-Wave Immortal Grove, and will also be inviting some of the trial participants.”
On this day, such a message spread. Many people passed word of it along, and especially the young people within the city rushed about to tell one another, each hoping to obtain a spot to attend.
For those who had seen Qing Shi before, she was a truly worthy Banished Immortal Lady — ethereal and transcendent, possessing a divine-like quality, a rarity in the mortal world, a peerless and dazzling beauty.
Ye Fan received an invitation. Looking at the exquisitely delicate characters on the invitation card in his hand, they seemed like precious traces left behind by an immortal Dao, flowing through the paper itself.
He did not decline. He rode Long Ma onto the street and made his way toward the Emerald-Wave Immortal Grove — a famous landmark that every native knew well.
Quite a few people had received invitations and were heading in that direction. Some spoke quietly, while others sighed softly.
“The Banished Immortal Lady Qing Shi commands reverence. Through the brushstrokes themselves, I sense a profound and unfathomable Dao cultivation.”
This was not something she had deliberately done — it was merely natural writing — yet the delicate, graceful characters could not help but carry within them a certain refined essence and spirit of the Dao.
“Even her little handmaiden has achieved Sainthood. Can you imagine how terrifying the Banished Immortal Lady herself must be? Her power is simply beyond imagining. Among all the trial participants in this current generation, I would guess that those who could withstand three of her moves can be counted on one hand.”
The Emerald-Wave Immortal Grove was an ancient site within the city, planted with all manner of strange and extraordinary ancient trees, lush and suffused with spiritual energy, covering a vast expanse of ground.
The street was wide and spacious, and many people came and went along it — especially today, with the gathering at the Emerald-Wave Immortal Grove, as some powerful fighters arrived upon exotic beasts.
“Roaaaar…”
A great roar erupted, and the street descended into chaos. It was the bellow of a savage wilderness beast — deep and wild and domineering. A wave of bloody ferocity swept across the street, sending a shudder through the hearts of all.
A column of riders came charging through. Everyone hurried to clear the way, unwilling to get into a confrontation with them. The entire street thundered like a drumroll beneath the galloping hooves.
“Those are Nine-Headed Demon Qilin-Tigers. To think they were actually tamed — these are descendants of wilderness beasts with the true blood of both White Tigers and Qilins flowing within them.”
“The old commander’s descendants are truly extraordinary. They actually went deep into the cosmos and subdued nine young beasts of this kind. Once they grow to maturity, they will be of limitless value.”
Some people murmured to one another, all greatly astonished.
The ferocity of the wilderness swept through the air. The bloody scent was awe-inspiring. Nine creatures that resembled both Qilins and White Tigers charged down the street. Fierce winds howled. Even the clouds above were shaken apart and scattered.
Ye Fan looked back and took in this sight.
Nine wilderness beasts ran at the vanguard. Though they had not yet fully grown, they were already enormous — snow-white and bony, with savage and ferocious scale-armor. Their gaping, bloody maws were deeply intimidating.
Behind them were some young men, seemingly all from extraordinary backgrounds. Chief among them was a man with golden crown and bound hair, seated upon an exotic beast, and he appeared quite satisfied with the nine beasts running ahead of him.
Ye Fan noticed that among them were several people he recognized. Both Guan Cheng and the second-in-command of the Thirteen Riders of the Celestial Desolation were attending this man. When the group looked in his direction, their expressions were plainly unfriendly.
The second-in-command’s eyes carried a glint of cold light as he stared at Ye Fan, then sent a secret transmission — apparently saying something to these people. The man with the golden crown and bound hair looked over in this direction.
Shortly after, the mounted column surged forward, as if intending to trample right over Ye Fan and Long Ma.
Ye Fan sat straight and unmoved upon Long Ma’s back. Seeing more than a dozen riders charging toward him, he opened his mouth and let out a Dao-shout, activating the “Om” word’s heavenly sound.
The distance was not great. Every one of the charging mounts was instantly seized with terror. They let out long, shrill cries, rearing up onto their hind legs, nearly throwing their riders flying into the air.
“You…”
Many were furious and struggling to rein in their mounts, yet they had not seen Ye Fan make any offensive move — and so it was difficult to find fault with him.
The man with the golden crown and bound hair raised one hand, stopping them from saying anything further. A streak of cold lightning flashed through his eyes. The more than a dozen riders came to a halt here, staring over with cold detachment.
“You are Ye Fan. Your bearing is truly extraordinary, your heroism remarkable. No wonder you dared to oppose the heavens and suppress the Source of the Dao.” The man with golden-bound hair spoke. Within his gaze, as light appeared and vanished, fine streams of divine radiance emerged.