Chapter 1360: Purple Blood Flies

The Beginningless Bell rang, shocking the world!

So much time had passed — even a Sovereign would long since have passed into ash. Why, then, did the bell ring out once more from within Purple Mountain today?

Everyone throughout the world stood dumbstruck; every cultivator without exception trembled, holding a soul-deep reverence for the name “Beginningless.” Whenever it was spoken, the blood within one’s body would quicken.

He was a byname for supreme and invincible power. Ordinary mortals might not know it, but the name “Beginningless” had always circulated among the strongest experts, discussed endlessly, never fading through the ages.

Silence in all directions!

Only the sound of the bell echoed on; all other sounds vanished. The entire world heard the bell’s toll, gazing off toward Purple Mountain, the assembled heroes trembling, kneeling in worship toward that direction.

Toll after toll, the bell’s waves spread, resounding through the Big Dipper, harming no one, destroying no forbidden zone of life — only a kind of mournful lament, carrying a sense of desolation.

Long after the bell’s sound had faded, people remained petrified, unable to recover their senses for a long while.

“He should already have died — passing away facing away from all living beings eighty thousand years ago. I once felt that shocking, world-trembling ripple; heaven and earth themselves trembled.”

“This man was truly too powerful — what a pity that he too grew old within the ages!”

Within the several great forbidden zones of life, ancient voices finally emerged, holding extreme wariness toward Beginningless, mixed with both relief and sighs.

As time flowed on, one great existence after another aged; the strongest supreme beings and heaven’s chosen of past and present passed away one after another, never to be seen again, leaving people with regret.

“That incident eighty thousand years ago truly shocked everyone — no one ever expected he would live all the way into the modern era.”

“What a pity for such a man — in the end, he could only fade away alone in a solitary mountain. If he were to appear again, there would be only one possibility: that he had established himself within the Immortal Realm.”

“Impossible. The path to immortality is destined for solitude and desolation; the world will never see him again. There’s no way he broke into the Immortal Realm eighty thousand years ahead of anyone else!”

The several great forbidden zones gradually calmed down; they knew that was not the Great Sovereign Beginningless himself, only a bell he had left behind in the mortal world, tolling softly on its own, seeing off the Human Sovereign of a previous generation.

This was a form of tribute, a farewell to the senior Human Sovereign.

The true Great Sovereign Beginningless had already become a handful of scorched ash eighty thousand years ago, having passed away in solitude within the ages, facing away from all living beings.

The Beginningless Bell fell silent; the moment its waves stopped, fallen flowers scattered around Purple Mountain, transforming into a massive coffin that passed through the void, arriving at the very place where the Human Sovereign had vanished into a shower of light, scattering down there.

Few could guess the meaning of this; most people had no idea what had happened.

In the end, Purple Mountain returned to deathly silence once more, without the slightest sound, once again as still as all heaven and earth.

The Human Sovereign had returned, his brief journey of life like a fleeting epiphyllum bloom; the storm over the Big Dipper had once again drawn to a close.

Yet deep within the starry sky, the younger generation of supreme beings still contended with one another, full of youthful vigor, their blood boiling, striving for their own path to Sovereignty.

Upon the ancient road through the starry sky, the Great Demon God, the Human King, Emperor Tian, the Blue Poetry Immortal Maiden, and others competed, vying for the divine position of the number one talent in the ancient lands of the human race!

At the Fiftieth City of the Human Race, Ye Fan faced off against the Overlord once more, about to settle the matter of life and death.

Ye Fan’s hands moved, laying down an endless formation array, blood dripping golden from his ten fingers, reviving the entire forbidden formation, isolating the Overlord, nearly refining his opponent away entirely!

He himself gazed off toward the Big Dipper, his mind filled with countless thoughts. A human-bodied, ghost-faced lamp accompanied him at his side, its eerie flame swaying, making him appear all the more mysterious.

He was pondering the Sutra of Deliverance; he was thinking about the secrets of the ancient Sovereigns of old.

Burying a corpse in a place that captures the most marvelous mysteries of heaven and earth’s creation could produce terrifying transformations, impossible to predict.

In the age of myth, the corpses of supreme beings had undergone changes and produced “Spirit Gods,” their bodies bearing the mark of reincarnation, said to bury within them the body of a future life — and there were other strange transformation methods unknown to outsiders as well.

Considering things from this angle, the Numinous Treasure Celestial Venerable’s founding of the Sutra of Deliverance was simply astonishing — what exactly had he foreseen? Could it be that there would come a dark corpse calamity?

In an instant, Ye Fan pondered a great many things — had this never happened in the past? Might there be a corpse calamity for the Celestial Venerables in the future? The moment one thought it through even slightly, it was enough to send a chill down one’s spine.

One had to know, the burial grounds of the ancient Sovereigns of old were each and every one extremely bizarre, unpredictable places — to this day, no one had ever dug up a single true Sovereign’s corpse.

What had the Numinous Treasure Celestial Venerable foreseen, that he would found such a seemingly useless Daoist teaching — and yet one that had never failed across countless ages, as if meant to serve as a deterrent for the future!

Beside Ye Fan, the human-bodied, ghost-faced lamp gave off a faint glow, emitting the sound of scripture-chanting — that was the lineage of the Numinous Treasure Celestial Venerable, the flawless Sutra of Deliverance, producing a strange and mysterious power.

A faint jade-green light shot out, and not far away, the blood sacrificial altar dimmed, the last wisp of corpse-energy upon it vanishing as well.

Ye Fan grew alert, his eyes gleaming brightly.

At the same time, within the golden Origin Heaven formation, the Overlord roared, feeling even more stifled, repeatedly and unexpectedly suppressed, caught in an unfavorable position, so enraged he shouted: “Drink your blood, extinguish my fury.”

His body blazed with roaring flames, now employing forbidden Dao laws, tearing open a crack, about to break free from within the formation.

Hearing this, Ye Fan’s mouth curled into a cold, indifferent smile. His two hands came together,演化ing an even more intricate formation of the Origin Arts — the Yin Fish and Yang Fish entangling, transforming into each other, an immortal diagram flying up, upon which sun, moon, mountains, and rivers appeared, like a seal of stars, mountains, and rivers descending.

Amid the rumbling roar of the heavens, sun, moon, mountains, and rivers intertwined, the ancient formation revived, boiling forth with dazzling golden radiance, meteors and mountains and rivers condensing into one, forming a Mountain-Peak Divine Seal.

This was the fusion of Ye Fan’s Dao with the Origin Arts; the formation array condensed into a Seal of the Cycle of Yin-Yang, Life and Death, both soft and hard combined, utmost powerful and vast, surging mightily through the cosmic starry sky.

“Boom!”

The massive formation seal fell, striking the Overlord until blood gushed from all his seven orifices, ghastly white bone protruding all over his body, sent flying, leaving a great trail of blood across the starry sky.

The crowd stood dumbstruck — this was, after all, the mighty Overlord, yet he had been sent flying like a scarecrow, simply unbelievable!

The golden formation array merged together with the divine seal that Ye Fan had shaped — this was the highest expression of the fusion between his secret art and his formation technique.

“Ah…”

The Overlord roared in fury, resentment in his heart, suppressed by the formation in this special territory. He refused to submit, refused to accept it — how could his proud, unyielding nature endure such humiliation?

Ye Fan was cold and merciless; both hands forming a seal, his entire body radiated boundless light, the forbidden ancient formation beneath his feet reviving once more.

A deep resounding boom!

A pair of golden giant hands opened up heaven and earth amid the vast silver radiance, the universe seeming to be turned upside down, countless cracks bursting open in the void, fragments of chaos exploding one after another.

Finally, these golden giant hands, forming the divine seal, struck down!

The Overlord let out a mournful roar, his body nearly broken in two, ghastly white bone protruding all over, purple blood filling the sky. He resisted with all his might, wishing he could immediately reach Ye Fan and strike him down on the spot — but reality was far too harsh.

Beneath the mightiest formation of the ancient Celestial Court, he could not move a single step, his entire body covered in purple blood, his bones shattered and tendons broken as the golden divine seal fell upon him.

Ye Fan’s golden giant hand slowly pressed down, like a vast continent sinking down, suppressing the Overlord until he was drenched in purple blood, nearly reduced to a mass of pulp.

“You still want to drink my blood?” Ye Fan’s gaze turned, as if a thousand million years had passed, standing within this formation like a sovereign ruler of all.

The Overlord’s long hair was disheveled, purple blood splattering everywhere, his eyes filled with wild, savage brilliance, still carrying an aggressive edge, and he shouted: “Do you dare fight me for real?!”

“How should we fight? You used your higher realm to suppress me — now I’m using my own magic arts to suppress and kill you. Isn’t that fair enough?!” Ye Fan said coldly.

His clothes untouched by blood, graceful and light on his feet, he stood beneath the starry sky, encircled by rivers of stars, appearing calm and transcendent, as though a true immortal had descended into the world.

The veins on the Overlord’s forehead bulged, gritting his teeth, unable to voice his bitterness — originally this had been meant to be a battle between equals in realm, yet it had developed into this state.

“Boom!”

Ye Fan gave him no chance, both hands crossing and moving, condensing the massive formation array into a treasured seal, striking down once more, intending to finish off the Overlord completely.

He had forged a Seal of Sun, Moon, Mountains, and Rivers, the formation array merging with the Dao laws, becoming a single unified whole — truly dominating the vast cosmos!

This was a blow beyond compare; the condensed golden formation’s Dao-light poured down in strands, crushing down upon the universe. The Overlord could not avoid it in time and was struck directly.

Crack!

First, his arms snapped; his body was sent flying, and in the process of his defeat, the golden formation’s treasured seal caught up and struck his body directly.

It was a bloody scene — his body was struck into two halves, purple blood gushing forth, his spine shattered, bone fragments flying everywhere, an unbearable sight.

“Dong!”

After a single bell toll, heaven and earth fell silent; from within the Overlord’s body burst forth a great purple bell, suspended above his half-severed body, letting down wisp after wisp of bell-wave divine power, shielding him.

“This battle should end now!” Ye Fan said coldly.

“No, this battle is not over yet. I will fight you for real, each relying on what we’ve learned, a battle with no difference in realm!” the Overlord roared, extremely unwilling to accept defeat, believing himself to be the true number one power at the same cultivation level.

Ye Fan stood within the river of stars, untouched by even a speck of dust, his robes fluttering, like an immortal crossing over from beyond the mortal realm, gazing at him coldly, falling silent for a long while before saying: “Since you say so, then I’ll give you a chance.”

“Don’t!” In the distance, Long Ma, the Golden Lion, the Scorpion, and others all grew anxious.

“This mustn’t happen!” Yang Yunteng stamped his foot in anxiety, afraid Ye Fan would fall into a trap and suffer greatly at the Overlord’s hands.

The assembled heroes also showed looks of alarm — Ye Fan had originally held an absolute advantage; would he really change this situation now, engaging in a bloody battle?

“Very well then, I will surely destroy you!” the Overlord bared a mouth of snow-white teeth, like a wild beast, saying coldly.

“Boom!”

Suddenly, the golden formation roared, descending from the heavens, suppressing and slaying him, boundless starlight falling like a vast, endless sea.

“You go back on your word!” the Overlord roared, activating the great bell above his head to defend himself.

“Dong…”

The bell’s toll echoed on and on, the purple bell shaking wildly, the Overlord’s newly reassembled body torn apart once again, covered in blood, having suffered damage beyond imagination.

Within the remnant formation of the ancient Celestial Court, no matter how great his supernatural powers, he found it difficult to resist — the ancient formation shook once, and sun, moon, and stars fell from the sky; how could his single body of flesh and blood withstand it?

Even possessing the supreme physique of the Heavenly Overlord Blood lineage was not enough!

Ye Fan responded coldly: “I always keep my word. I’ll fight until your realm falls, kill until your origin gradually wears away, until you’re reduced down to a Sage — then, in a battle of equal realm, I will destroy you!”

“You…” The Overlord was so enraged he spat fresh blood, yet had nothing more to say — it was he who had first used his higher realm to suppress Ye Fan, and now the tables had turned, being suppressed and slain instead at a lower realm.

Chapter 1356: Crossing the Divine

The legacy left behind by the Three Pure Ones of Daoism should be one of the most powerful lineages since ancient times — it could absolutely not be a discarded teaching!

“When the source of the heart is clear, one glance shatters ten thousand things. When the vital energy fights fiercely, ten thousand feelings become one breath. Observe the ten thousand things with one heart…” Ye Fan sat cross-legged in the void, growing ever more ethereal, as if transmitting his voice beyond heaven and earth.

Above his head, the Cauldron of the Mother Qi of All Things floated and sank, all manner of runes flickering upon it, letting fall the mother qi born in the age when heaven and earth were first split, making him appear even more hazy and indistinct.

The ancient scripture rang out word by word like gold and stone striking together, resonant and piercing, echoing across the cosmos, illuminating the universe, filled with an aura of utmost yang and utmost hardness, working to deliver the divine will opposing him.

At this moment the Demon Lord hesitated, wavering, extremely wary of this kind of scripture — as if it were naturally suited to subduing his yin spirit and malevolent thoughts, capable of shattering it into ruin.

“Roar…” He let out a pained howl, suffering tremendous torment, even feeling the urge to turn and flee.

He stretched out his limbs, raised his head to gaze into the depths of the heavens, faced the starlight of the myriad heavens from afar, and roared in fury, making everyone tremble — faint wisps of a supreme aura seemed to spread from him.

A thunderous boom!

The heavens collapsed and the earth caved in; that place turned into fragments of chaos, everything falling into ruin. The divine will fought with all its strength, refusing to let the sound of scripture-chanting draw near. No one had expected such a violent reaction from him!

“Is this the Flawless Sutra of Deliverance!?” From deep within the starry sky, a white-haired elder cried out in shock.

“It’s the flawless ancient scripture. Ordinary people might not know of this thing, but we understand it deeply — its origins are immense!” another elder said, his expression grave as well.

From beginning to end, the two of them remained detached, as if standing outside this battlefield merely observing the fight, very different from the other cultivators, their own beings merged with the great Dao of the universe.

The Sutra of Deliverance — in the eyes of some ancient sages, it was not the scripture of a human Sovereign. People only knew it had extraordinary uses, capable of delivering all living beings from suffering, strange and unparalleled beyond compare.

Yet now it displayed such peerless might, shaking all the heroes present.

Across countless ages, few had ever managed to gather the complete scripture, which led some to believe that the full text might indeed be a Sovereign’s scripture, adding to its mysterious aura.

“Long ago, within the First Azure Heaven, the empty song of jade-green skies, the great Fuli earth. The suns and moons of all heavens, the stars and constellations, the mountains and seas that hold the clouds, heaven with no floating haze…”

Ye Fan, solemn and dignified, chanted the immortal scripture aloud, seeking to dissolve this demon born of yin energy. Dao light flowed over his body; he sat cross-legged upon the nine heavens like a golden-bodied Dao Ancestor, the river of stars reversing, chaotic qi swirling hazily about him.

Wisp after wisp of immortal light shot forth, like sword after immortal sword slashing at the divine will, ringing with a clear metallic sound, as if transmitted from the primordial beginning, cutting through eternity, dazzling and brilliant.

“Woo-ah…”

Gray mist billowed to the heavens; this Demon Lord let out roar after long roar, shaking the vast boundless universe until it trembled, yin energy sweeping forth like a boundless ocean, making the assembled heroes feel as though they had fallen into an ice cellar.

Just how powerful a Demon King was this? Once again it exceeded people’s expectations — the divine radiance formed from the Sutra of Deliverance, when it slashed at him, was entirely worn away.

He strode forward again, bearing yin energy and demonic might that pressed down upon the heavens as he advanced, his eyes holding endless cold and mercilessness, reaching out a terrifying palm, grasping toward what lay ahead.

“Hiss!”

Around Ye Fan, ribbons of golden radiance surged skyward, as if flames of ascension to godhood had been lit upon the Deification Platform, ancient runes there interweaving with one another.

This was the forbidden formation from the arts of the Origin Heaven, which he had obtained from Wu Yi, the fourth-generation Patriarch of Origin Heaven. It spread all around him; he sat cross-legged upon the sacrificial altar, Dao-marks densely covering the surroundings.

Blood dripped from Ye Fan’s fingertips, golden blood flowing along the lines of divine markings, like little golden snakes swimming along, instantly transforming into a golden formation array that merged with the Dao-markings.

A great sound rang out here, a deep resounding boom, as if heaven and earth were being split open anew, the star-domain trembling, primordial immortal light dancing through the air!

Utmost divine, utmost sacred, utmost hard, utmost yang — this forbidden formation array emitted a hazy mist of the immortal realm, enveloping Ye Fan, cutting off all the gray yin mist.

Moreover, the Sutra of Deliverance grew even more grand, as if drifting down leisurely from the age of myth long past, resounding like the great bells and chimes, awakening and startling all who heard it.

“Ah…”

The divine will roared, clouds of yin mist bursting open across its body, its form trembling violently. Facing the utmost divine, utmost sacred formation of pure yang, facing the flawless Sutra of Deliverance, it suffered grievous injury.

After all, this was no ordinary young Daoist chanting scripture — it was a supreme existence at the Eighth Heaven of Sagehood suppressing gods and ghosts, its dharma power beyond imagining.

Beam after beam of radiance shot forth; from Ye Fan’s mouth bloomed unending auspicious light, and finally, sweet dew fell from heaven, divine lotuses grew from the void, golden and glowing, fragrance filling the air.

This place became a sacred pure land!

Every ancient character Ye Fan chanted manifested into true form, as though cast from metal, transforming into shapes the size of mountains, flying toward the Demon Lord, pressing down and suppressing him.

This was deliverance after deliverance — mountain-sized metal characters crushed down the boundless void, delivering the yin energy of the mortal world from suffering, the gray mist dissolving like ice and snow, hissing and crackling as it vanished completely.

The divine will struggled in agony; through its black cloak seeped a thread of black blood, annihilating the void, giving off a scent of utmost evil, utmost malice — it had been wounded through the continuous process of deliverance.

This was a natural form of suppression; the Sutra of Deliverance had been created precisely for these yin spirits and ghosts, possessing tremendous destructive power — even if chanted silently by an ordinary mortal, it would still have some effect.

A boom!

Behind it, a sea of corpses and blood transformed into a wave surging toward Ye Fan, sweeping through the nine heavens and ten earths, the star-domain roaring.

Star after star burst apart, countless Dao-markings worn away, including unactivated remnant formations of the ancient Celestial Court, as if suffering the baptism of creation itself.

“Pfft!”

Ye Fan coughed up blood, having suffered an extremely severe wound. A wisp of utmost yin energy passed through the golden formation and pierced into him, unable to be defended against, making him feel as if he had fallen into the Nine Serenities’ underworld, cold from head to toe.

In an instant, ghastly white bone was exposed all over his body, blood dripping everywhere, great swathes of golden flesh and blood corroded away completely, an unbearable sight.

Ye Fan’s body was wracked with pain, as if ten thousand ghosts were gnawing at him. The gray mist wore away only to regenerate, wrapping around him. He circulated his mantra of characters with one part of his focus while chanting the Sutra of Deliverance with the other, not daring to stop.

This was a powerful divine will — one that could easily slay a Sage King without effort. Had it not been for the golden forbidden formation and the Sutra of Deliverance in hand, Ye Fan would already have been in mortal danger!

Throughout the heavens, the assembled heroes felt it even more keenly — the gray yin mist surged forth, meteor after meteor bursting apart, and even greater planets shattered into pieces, terror reaching its peak. Several who had deep cultivation but excessive boldness, having drawn too close, could not dodge in time; their bodies shattered on the spot, their spiritual consciousness annihilated, an unbearable sight.

What manner of tremendous power was this? Two Sage Kings had not even managed to let out a groan before becoming cosmic dust under the ripples of that yin mist.

The assembled heroes understood — this divine will was more terrifying than they had imagined; approaching it meant certain death, impossible to deal with.

At this point, people came to understand ever more deeply just how difficult Ye Fan’s position had been. Bearing the brunt of the assault, he had actually survived, though in a wretched state, having nearly become a skeleton of bare bone — yet this performance alone was enough to shake the world.

Hiss, hiss, hiss!

Suddenly, a beam of jade-green light surged upward, dispelling the yin mist around Ye Fan, igniting a flame of utmost yang divinity, restoring tranquility to that place once more.

A single solitary lamp appeared, suspended in the void, appearing eerie and mysterious, its flame flickering — not especially vigorous, but absolutely possessing the divine effect of suppressing and slaying yin spirits and evil demons.

At the wick, a little old man sat cross-legged, his eyes opening slightly, smiling in a most bizarre manner. He opened his mouth and spat forth a stream of divine fire, charging toward the aggressive Demon Lord ahead.

“Woo-ah…” The divine will let out an extremely resentful, miserable cry, threads of black blood dripping down from beneath its feet, having suffered a heavy blow.

It retreated repeatedly, its merciless, cold eyes showing faint traces of wavering, staring unblinkingly at that ancient lamp, as if struggling to think something through.

Let alone the divine will — even everyone else was startled. What kind of divine lamp was this, that it could actually force back the divine will!

It was cast from bronze, its shape bizarre — a human body with a ghostly face, rather unsettling to look at, especially with the little old man formed from the wick smiling so eerily.

The bronze lamp was covered all over in green rust, its mottled surface exuding an ancient air, and yet it had actually suppressed the divine will, keeping it from daring to approach.

This was the Coffin-Suppressing Lamp that Ye Fan had obtained beneath the Great Thunder Sound Monastery on the ancient star of Huoyu — it could not be regarded as an ordinary magic treasure, for it was a secret vessel that held no offensive power against ordinary people, only possessing world-conquering divine might against yin spirits alone.

Ye Fan firmly believed this lamp could suppress the many living beings in the world born of yin, because it had originally been the terrifying treasure Shakyamuni had used to suppress the Great Accomplishment Sacred Body’s divine will.

To this day, no one could say clearly its true origin.

“This… could this not be that ancient artifact left over from the age of myth? How did it end up in his hands?” Deep within the starry sky, those two white-haired elders were shaken.

“That’s right. It closely matches the records in the ancient texts — a human body with a ghostly face, personally forged by the Numinous Treasure Celestial Venerable, one that makes the underworld both fear and dread it.”

No one could hear their conversation; at this moment everyone was focused on the battlefield, never expecting Ye Fan to be able to block the invincible divine will at this critical moment.

“Ten cycles of deliverance, a hundred demons’ hidden echoes, separation and union follow nature’s course, the chaotic cave’s crimson script, none above the ultimate truth…”

Ye Fan, dignified and solemn in bearing, transformed into an immortal Dao Venerable, the scripture he chanted growing even grander, resonating throughout all the heavens. And the golden flesh and blood on his body regenerated, his wounds entirely healed, his form restored, growing ever more unfathomable.

The flames of the human-bodied, ghost-faced lamp roared, illuminating the nine heavens and ten earths, piercing through all mist and yin energy, locking onto the divine will, intent on burning it away completely.

The divine will possessed magic that could pierce heaven and earth, yet at this moment it could not muster it, trembling beneath this ancient lamp, all the yin energy on its body sealed away.

Suddenly, the black cloak covering its head flew up; it abruptly raised its head to the sky and let out a howl that shattered the heavens, its ghostly hair thrashing wildly, boundlessly terrifying.

Everyone was stunned — as star after star burst apart, it also revealed its true face, a pale visage that looked exactly like a real, ancient physical body!

“Who is he — why does he seem so familiar? I feel as though I’ve seen this very silhouette in an ancient stone carving!”

“Is that his true face — the malevolent thoughts of an ancient Sovereign of old…? He’s the being from the stone carving. The products of ancient supreme beings pursuing eternal life are far too terrifying!”

The two elders deep within the starry sky were shaken; the more they understood, the greater the fear in their hearts grew. Having seen that pale visage, their hearts pounded violently.

“Sacred Body, I have come!” A magnificent figure appeared, the Overlord standing firm beneath the vast heavens, purple energy surging skyward. It had to be said his combat strength was astonishing — he had actually fought his way over from the yin fish region, entering the yang fish region of the Taiji Immortal Diagram.

Ye Fan rose to his feet, his expression solemn, an ancient lamp suspended by his shoulder, standing upon the golden platform of the formation, like an ancient emperor upon the Deification Platform, the light in his eyes shifting and unfixed, encompassing all living beings.

“Boom!”

He pointed with his right hand, and the ancient lamp — the remnant of the Numinous Treasure Celestial Venerable left in the mortal world — charged toward the divine will, burning down the star-domain.

“Ah-woo…” The divine will howled, retreating at extreme speed, not daring to make contact with the ancient artifact left behind by the Three Pure Ones of Daoism.

“Bang!”

It crashed into the Overlord’s body — purple blood splattered everywhere, the Overlord’s magnificent body nearly torn into pieces, upper and lower halves separated, ghastly white bone protruding.

Chapter 1357: The Human Sovereign

The divine will moved at extreme speed, crashing through and passing on, great swathes of purple blood scattering down — one could see just how formidable that force had been. The physique of the Heavenly Overlord Blood lineage was so tremendously sturdy, yet still it could not withstand a single blow from the Demon Lord!

The assembled heroes were all stunned, dumbstruck at this outcome. The Overlord was matchlessly valiant, yet upon meeting the divine will, even his supposedly indestructible body had been split apart.

Drops of purple blood glimmered with divine radiance. The divine will lunged once, the river of stars reversing, heaven and earth transformed, arriving at some boundless distance away. Wary at heart, it looked back — that ghostly lamp had already returned to Ye Fan’s side, burning with flames of utmost yang.

“Ah…” The Overlord roared, circulating the mantra of the character “者” (zhe), reassembling his body, his expression at its worst, having nearly perished at the hands of the very divine will he himself had summoned.

He was naturally unwilling to accept this. From beginning to end, it was not that his strength was lacking — yet he had suffered repeated wounds, his heart stifled to the utmost, wishing he could shatter the very starry cosmos.

“Sacred Body, do you dare fight me? I’ll bind one of my own arms to kill you!” The Overlord roared loudly, his black hair flying wildly, pupils cold and gloomy. He needed a bloody battle, to bathe in the Sacred Body’s golden blood to wash away his humiliation.

This stretch of starry sky lay within the yang fish region, naturally suffused with pure yang energy, utmost hard and strong, dazzling and brilliant. Ye Fan stood above the river of stars, bathed in divine radiance, and spoke calmly: “Isn’t this enough? This battle has already made everything clear.”

The young supreme being of the Heavenly Overlord Blood lineage was drenched in blood all over, his hair standing on end, both eyes wide open, purple light piercing through the void, naturally unwilling to the utmost extreme — yet he had no way to draw close to Ye Fan, blocked by the boundless formation array.

“Great Yin Sovereign, awaken!” He offered up an ancient sacrificial altar, upon which strand after strand of great Dao markings coiled, suffused with the power of Great Yin, carrying the aura of a peerless supreme being.

Everyone was greatly startled, their bodies turning cold all over, hair standing on end, as if countless steel needles were piercing into their bodies, painfully unbearable — that was the invasion of utmost yin energy, capable of freezing and cracking a person’s very soul.

“It’s really him, the divine will of the Ancient Sovereign of Great Yin…” The two elders deep within the starry sky went pale with shock, staring at each other, both utterly stunned.

“Wasn’t his divine will already released into the world long ago? It should have already worn away over the ages — how could it possibly still exist now, and still be so powerful?!” Neither of them could quite believe it.

Such a powerful divine will as this should have been born in the near-ancient era — who would have thought it was actually the ancient Human Sovereign from countless ages past.

One of them stared at that sacrificial platform built from Blood Soul Stone, his expression changing, and said: “Perhaps it’s related to this Blood Soul Stone. It resembles an ancient pagoda, a Buddhist stupa — it must have gathered together that wisp of the Great Yin divine will!”

The other one also changed color, having thought of some possibility, and said in a trembling voice: “Was it the result of an attempt by one of those few supreme beings!?”

Whether in the age of myth or in the present, there have always been people pursuing eternal life, hoping to ascend to immortality. In the middle-ancient era, the Amitabha Sovereign, the Ascension Sovereign, and others had all made terrifying attempts — they were masters of this path.

For this purpose, they had conducted numerous experiments, seeking immortality, seeking to endure eternally in this world. These few supreme beings had paid an unimaginable price.

Not to mention the experiments conducted upon others — even more inconceivable. It was said the Amitabha Sovereign had once created a Blood Stupa specifically to study ancient demons and gods.

“This Blood Sacrificial Platform is a stupa built by the Amitabha Sovereign, using secret methods to preserve the Great Yin Sovereign’s divine will, observing the eternal malevolence of a Human Sovereign, peering into the mysteries of immortality,” one elder spoke of a secret from years past.

The other nodded, his expression grave, and said: “That’s right. The Amitabha Sovereign was unfathomable, having walked this path to a degree that makes one’s blood run cold. Just what attempts he made is difficult to know in full. But this Blood Stupa is absolutely real, beyond doubt.”

At this point, they could confirm that the figure that had lost all color, resembling an ancient corpse, was indeed the phantom of the ancient Human Sovereign of Great Yin, his divine will.

Because they had seen, on stone walls left over from primordial antiquity, that very figure of the Human Sovereign who had gazed down upon the six directions and eight wildernesses, sole supreme ruler of the universe.

Of course, that stone carving was far more magnificent than the divine will — a truly commanding presence over heaven and earth, spirit swallowing mountains and rivers, eyes capable of shattering time and space, eternally supreme, something no mere malevolent thought could compare to.

That was a transcendent confidence, possessing a posture unrivaled through all ages — though only an engraved image, it had expressed his true form to the fullest, worthy of being called supreme through ancient and modern times alike.

Unfortunately, even the greatest Human Sovereign has his day of decay and death; the divine will he had given birth to should, by all reasonable logic, have already worn away over the ages, given how far in the past it was.

The Blood Stupa flew up, letting out a low humming sound. It was built from rare Blood Soul Stone, releasing wisp after wisp of soul power, blanketing everything, as if an ancient Sovereign slept within, letting down ribbons of immortal light that could crush the very universe.

The divine will transformed into a beam of light and charged forward, gray mist billowing to the heavens, giving off an astonishing might, a wisp of supreme aura spreading forth, making people feel a chill of terror.

Its eyes grew even colder, glaring directly at Ye Fan, commanding the Blood Stupa forward, no longer so wary of the human-bodied, ghost-faced lamp.

The black cloak flew up, revealing a snow-white face, like an ancient corpse dug up after years buried underground, coldly surveying everything in the mortal world.

Ye Fan felt tremendous pressure; the formation array beneath his feet rumbled and roared, on the verge of collapse — not only that, even he himself was about to be reduced to fragments.

He could not allow this to happen. All ten fingers spread wide, blood dripping from each one, falling onto the golden formation array beneath his feet, protecting himself.

The forbidden formation array pioneered by Wu Yi, the fourth-generation Patriarch of Origin Heaven, burned with sacred blood, allowing the ancient array’s might to multiply several times over, the golden Dao-markings spreading, growing ever more brilliant.

At the same time, Ye Fan’s blood also flowed toward the human-faced, ghost-visaged lamp, aiding its flame to burn even more fiercely — what burned there was the life essence of an ancient sage, even his very fat and oil. Watering it with golden blood proved equally effective.

However, once the Blood Stupa emerged, the divine will of the Great Yin Sovereign truly seemed to fear nothing anymore — though scorched by the bronze lamp, though clouds of yin mist burst open on its body, it still advanced steadily and resolutely.

The situation grew critical in the extreme. Ye Fan’s body cracked open, great swathes of gray mist invading, his flesh and blood falling away, ghastly white bone exposed.

If this continued, he would become a blood-stained skeleton, even his primordial spirit would dissolve away — certain death!

“The gap in strength is too great. Even though he holds what appears to be an ancient artifact left behind by the Numinous Treasure Celestial Venerable, it’s still difficult for him to suppress such a powerful divine will.”

“Just what did the Amitabha Sovereign do — it truly makes later generations afraid, that he actually let the divine will of the Great Yin Human Sovereign persist all the way to the present!”

The two elders deep within the starry sky murmured to each other; they could not simply sit back and watch. They made preparations for the worst outcome, ready to intervene.

Ye Fan let out a shout. He would naturally not simply await death with folded hands. The Cauldron above his head floated and sank, giving off a great roar; the traces left by every heavenly tribulation he had experienced since his birth all lit up at once, the heavenly tribulation seeming to manifest anew in truth.

Moreover, from within the Cauldron’s mouth, streams of divine rivers poured out, cascading down like waterfalls, magnificently vast, shielding Ye Fan below.

What was this? The assembled heroes’ expressions changed.

People heard the wailing cry of all living beings, as if hundreds of millions were praying devoutly, resounding throughout the cosmic starry sky — this was a vast, boundless power of faith.

Ye Fan had established the Celestial Court back on Earth, and his disciple of record, Zhang Qingyang, carried the Cauldron across the world in his stead, gathering the faith-power of his believers, converging it into the purest power of belief.

At this moment it cascaded down like a divine waterfall, overflowing from the various markings on the inner walls of the Cauldron, vast and unending, existing together with all living beings.

Over all these years, Ye Fan had never made use of it, because he felt this was not his own power, and would bring no benefit to his future development — it would become a shackle upon him.

He had never expected it would come in useful now. As he chanted the scripture, he drew upon this pure power of faith, and all living beings seemed to chant the Sutra of Deliverance together with him, his divine power surging upward by who knew how many times over.

At the same time, the sky above became densely packed with figures, as if endless gods and demons all let out a shout together, shaking the divine will back in retreat.

“Recite ten times over, all heavens sing from afar, ten thousand Sovereigns arrange the rites, rivers and seas fall silent, mountains and peaks conceal the clouds…” Ye Fan chanted the scripture.

The assembled heroes were astonished — the flawless Sutra of Deliverance truly captured the marvelous workings of heaven and earth’s creation; all heavens singing from afar, ten thousand Sovereigns arranging the rites, this seemed to align with what was unfolding before their eyes.

Behind Ye Fan, densely packed everywhere, were the phantom images of gods and demons, and the dharma forms of all living beings also manifested together, following him in chant, shaking the starry sky.

The gray mist was dispelled; golden flesh and blood regenerated upon his skeletal frame, and the formation array beneath his feet grew solid once more. The suspended human-bodied, ghost-faced lamp blazed with intensifying light, its divine power surging.

Moreover, the people beneath the starry sky discovered in astonishment that they had actually fallen into a certain rhythm; many couldn’t help but chant scripture themselves, joining in the recitation.

As time passed, more and more people joined in, chanting together, and across this entire expanse of heaven and earth, some inexplicable power seemed to be stirred into motion.

This was an unimaginable, sacred, tremendous power — among this crowd were no lack of Sages. With such a vast crowd chanting scripture together, what could not be delivered from suffering?

The Cauldron of the Mother Qi of All Things roared; ten thousand divine waterfalls cascaded down. Ye Fan sat cross-legged below, chanting the Celestial Venerable’s scripture. Gods and demons endless, all living beings resonating, the assembled heroes moved — the Sutra of Deliverance resounded throughout the star-domain, capable of dissolving all yin spirits.

The divine will of the Great Yin Sovereign had already come to a halt, leaving the Blood Sacrificial Platform, wisp after wisp of black light overflowing from its entire body, the gray mist being steamed away completely.

It grew ever more indistinct, on the verge of vanishing entirely.

Then, an utterly vast supreme aura pierced through past, present, and future, erupting forth in an instant!

At the very moment the blurred figure was on the verge of total collapse, a heroic, magnificent form appeared, looking down disdainfully upon the world, taking its place, radiating power that flowed with the ages of eternity.

Throughout the entire starry sky, all the Sages trembled, all kneeling down at once, including the Guardians of the Ancient Path — the peerless Great Sages — who all bowed their heads as well.

This was something entirely beyond their own control — a submission and worship originating from the very soul.

The Human Sovereign had reappeared!

Time had passed for the Great Yin Sovereign across countless ages; his malevolent thoughts had been dissolved by Ye Fan with the aid of the ancient formation, the Celestial Venerable’s Dao-artifact, the Sages of the starry sky, and the faith-power of all living beings. Unexpectedly, his true spirit’s will had suddenly revived, manifesting in the mortal world.

He could not persist for long, but even this invincible bearing, even for the space of a single breath, was enough to shake past, present, and future alike.

This was merely his phantom shadow, not his true body, possessing only a fragment of his true spirit’s will — yet even so, it was enough to shock people to the utmost extreme.

“On the path to immortality I met misfortune, and my heart holds regret, unable to let go of my fixation…” Though it was only a soft sigh, it instantly spread throughout the entire starry sky, making everyone tremble, their souls resonating, prostrating themselves in worship.

Chapter 1358: The Sovereign Arrives at the Big Dipper

The Human Sovereign had revived, reappearing in the world!

His form was tall and imposing, his voice dignified, shaking the mortal realm — all the heavens trembled, the souls of all living beings resonating, the boundless stars seeming as though they would fall rustling from the sky.

This was a might that shook past and present alike; the Human Sovereign stood heroic and magnificent, standing naturally at ease, black hair draped over his shoulders, his eyes holding the loneliness of eternal ages.

All the Sages knelt prostrate — this was an irresistible aura of dignity, like ants facing the bright moon, facing a true god, an instinctive awe.

As everyone kowtowed, their hearts surged within them, their emotions like towering, tumultuous waves, unable to calm down, simply unable to believe that they could truly face the Human Sovereign.

This was a figure from countless ages past; his legend was known throughout the entire cosmic starry sky, proud and transcendent through the ages, peerless above all generations, one who had founded the glory of the human race.

His scriptural teachings expounded the greatest secret at the very root of heaven and earth; to this day they remained the most renowned mother-scripture of the human race, and later generations of Sovereigns had all drawn upon and referenced them.

Especially his combat strength — one that truly could make gods weep and immortals wail, matchless and lonely through all the ages, having fought across the nine heavens and ten earths without ever meeting a match, walking the path to immortality in solitary desolation.

“We pay homage to the Human Sovereign!” It was not clear who spoke first — everyone throughout the entire starry sky cried out together, one after another, echoing throughout the cosmos, sacred voices unceasing.

“However many Sovereigns and Emperors there have been through past and present, all have ended up as dust in the wind…” The Human Sovereign gazed toward the far shore of the starry sky, supreme dignity carrying with it a trace of solitude.

Everyone was moved, infected by this emotion, unable for a moment to find words to speak.

This was not the true Great Yin Sovereign — merely a wisp of true spirit’s will, a momentary awakening manifesting in the mortal world, yet it still suppressed all heavens and the myriad Dao.

People could hardly imagine what kind of dignity and presence would exist if the true Human Sovereign himself were to appear!

In this place, heaven and earth fell silent, the great Dao rose and fell, all rules and order of heaven and earth were trampled beneath his feet — only the Great Yin Sovereign was the sole existence within heaven and earth.

Strand after strand of Dao-marks interweaved, wailing; the various Daos revered by the world all trembled in his presence!

The Human Sovereign, bearing a trace of forlornness, cast his gaze across a thousand million years in an instant, immediately understanding everything before him, and sighed softly — countless ages had already passed; this was no longer his era.

Beside Ye Fan, the human-bodied, ghost-faced lamp dimmed; before the Human Sovereign, even a dragon must coil up, even a phoenix must lie dormant — all divine artifacts were suppressed.

The Great Yin Sovereign was a man like a god, heroic and magnificent, black hair flowing loose, fully displaying the heroic bearing of his youthful era, his eyes capable of seeing through all things.

He stared at a certain artifact within Ye Fan’s body, entranced for a moment — others did not know, but Ye Fan understood: the Human Sovereign was looking at the broken green bronze cauldron.

At this moment, the green bronze fragment gave off a faint light, not escaping from his body, bearing tremendous pressure, autonomously resisting the Human Sovereign’s might — and it was precisely because of this that only Ye Fan had not knelt.

The Human Sovereign stood in the starry sky, giving off an aura that made even the great Sages of the heavens tremble in fear, all of them awestruck and moved, even the Guardians of the Path prostrating themselves.

Though Ye Fan had not knelt, he still performed a great ceremonial bow — this was out of respect for the Human Sovereign, an admiration for his supreme, unparalleled achievements, a gesture of reverence toward him.

“Have we reached the crossroads again? Will there be someone in this generation who can ascend to immortality?” That tall, upright figure murmured to himself, making the cosmic starry sky roar, trembling because of him.

The Guardians of the Path were greatly alarmed, the assembled Sages trembling with fear — the Human Sovereign had spoken of ascending to immortality; this era, this period of time, was a crossroads!

His gaze grew profound, looking far off toward the Big Dipper star-domain, and then he strode forward, leaving directly.

“Human Sovereign!”

The assembled Sages called out together, but he showed no reaction at all. With a single stride he shifted the stars and turned the heavens, as if countless years had passed in that instant.

His speed was too fast — he passed directly through the cosmos, vanishing from this stretch of starry sky in an instant, heading toward the direction of the Big Dipper star-domain.

He was no longer merely a divine will; he now bore wisp after wisp of the dignity of an ancient Sovereign of old, able to display supernatural powers beyond all reasonable logic — even a Great Sage found it difficult to look up at him.

The Human Sovereign transformed into a beam of immortal, undying light, breaking through the void and departing, like an ascending immortal in flight, shocking even the Guardians of the Path, who silently bowed their heads to see him off.

It was simply too fast — the ages seemed to reverse, the long river of time seemed to fall into disorder; “raising mist and ascending to heaven” was not sufficient to describe this magnificent scene.

The Blood Stupa dimmed, having lost its host.

The Overlord was struck with terror, his face pale without a trace of blood, staring blankly as the Human Sovereign departed.

From beginning to end, that magnificent figure had not so much as glanced at him, nor paid any attention to the Blood Sacrificial Platform, leaving the young supreme being of the Heavenly Overlord Blood lineage feeling utterly hollow and empty inside.

The aura of the ancient Sovereign vanished; the starry sky returned to tranquility, the flow of the Dao returned to normal, no longer suppressed.

No one knew how much time had passed before people came to their senses, and then the place erupted into an uproar — witnessing the manifestation of the ancient Great Yin Sovereign today was an incomparable shock to them.

“The Human Sovereign has gone to the Sovereign’s Burial Star. Something major must be happening there. If we can sense it, perhaps we’ll witness a miracle!”

No one could remain calm; all were restless, wishing they could rush to the other shore of the starry sky immediately.

The Sovereign’s Burial Star — over all these years, who knew how many experts from various star-domains had rushed there, unceasing conflict, waiting for the path to immortality to open.

The moment one drew near this great star, one could sense a terrifying aura unlike that of any other planet, making even ancient Sages feel reverence, making all gods feel fear in their hearts.

Never had anyone dared to run wild here, because this was the burial ground of ancient Sovereigns of old, where too many secrets lay buried, and it was also where the path to immortality began.

Today, something unexpected occurred. A vast and mighty divine will spread from deep within the starry sky, upright and impartial, without fear or dread, sweeping across the entire ancient star.

“This is… who could this be? Even a peerless Great Sage would not dare to explore every corner of this star — yet he actually dares to do this!”

People were shocked — was there really such a person in this age? So utterly unrestrained — was he not afraid of angering the ancient and mysterious existences within the Seven Great Life Forbidden Zones?!

The divine will swept across the Sovereign’s Burial Star, and then a heroic man descended from the heavens, appearing on the ancient land of life within the Big Dipper star-domain.

“Who is this person — how could he possibly be so powerful!”

The Progenitor Kings of the myriad clans, the various Sages beyond the domains — all trembled, staring at the horizon, focused on this powerful divine will, feeling something stir within them, all utterly terrified.

This powerful ripple of energy made many of the Sages break out in cold sweat, their hearts and gallbladders chilled with fear.

The Human Sovereign had descended upon the Big Dipper star-domain, appearing on this ancient star after an absence of countless boundless ages. He had come from the ancient path of the starry sky, moving as easily as strolling in his own courtyard, as if traversing but a single step.

His aura spread outward, the might of an ancient Sovereign covering all — he made no deliberate effort to intimidate; it flowed forth entirely naturally, yet it stunned everyone!

“Who is this… has he returned from the Immortal Realm? How could there be such a person in this age!”

“Who is he — how could he possibly still be alive now?!”

Whether from the Primordial Forbidden Zone, the Immortal Mountain, the Immortal Mausoleum, the Divine Ruins, or any other of the great forbidden zones of life, existences within were startled awake, letting out dignified voices filled with questions.

“He… he closely resembles a legendary ancient Human Sovereign of the human race, from an extremely distant era.”

“Human Sovereign — Great Yin! It’s him, it’s really him. Wasn’t he already at peace, having passed away within the long river of time? This isn’t fair!”

Within the forbidden zones, several ancient existences were greatly shaken, simply unable to believe all of this. No one knew the turmoil in their hearts — though they themselves had persisted to survive until now, they were still shocked by the Human Sovereign’s appearance.

Several supreme-level existences treated this as though facing a great enemy, wisps of immortal radiance overflowing from their eyes, watching the Human Sovereign’s every move!

“I see — just like that Great Accomplishment Sacred Body, once his divine will was purified, it finally awakened a wisp of true spirit’s will from a past life.”

Someone within the forbidden zone murmured, and the tense atmosphere eased considerably.

The Human Sovereign gazed disdainfully across the world, countless ages flowing past in his eyes; he looked down upon heaven and earth, and with a single stride, mountains reversed and vast seas receded far away — there was nowhere he could not reach.

Everyone from his own era had passed away; everything had turned to ash. Arriving at this star once more today, his heart was filled with countless emotions. Even the Human Sovereign, facing this boundless loneliness of the ages, felt a moment of gloom.

Beyond the expectations of all the Sages, he did not go to the Seven Great Forbidden Zones, but instead transformed into a beam of immortal light, descending upon the Western Desert, appearing before a magnificent great mountain.

Here, Buddha-light steamed upward, the power of faith like an ocean, illuminating all directions — it was precisely the vast Mount Sumeru!

Sun and moon trembled, the river of stars lost its color, as the Human Sovereign ascended to the summit of Mount Sumeru, facing several ancient Bodhi trees, directly before the magnificent Great Thunder Sound Monastery.

“Dong…”

The bell’s toll echoed on and on, spreading throughout the Western Desert, resounding through the heavens, as if breaking through time and space from the distant past.

Mount Sumeru trembled, the Great Thunder Sound Monastery shook, and across the entire land of the Western Desert, Buddha-light surged greatly, as if the ancient Buddhas of all heavens had manifested — a heaven-shaking omen.

“Could it be that the Buddha has been reincarnated? Why else would there be such a magnificent scene, Buddha-light covering the land, chanting sounds everywhere?” Even mortals were stirred by this, feeling something within their hearts.

The Human Sovereign ascending Mount Sumeru, drawing near the very core of the Buddhist faith — this was a rare event since ancient times, throwing the entire Western Desert into chaos.

A tremendous pressure radiated outward, flowing down from Mount Sumeru; throughout the Western Desert, the Buddha statues within every ancient temple glowed with light, letting down wisp after wisp of ribboned light — that was the pure power of faith. Every statue of Bodhisattva and ancient Buddha revived, as though given life.

“So that’s how it is,” the Human Sovereign nodded, having seen through the Buddhist faith founded by Amitabha, murmuring softly: “Amitabha too could be considered remarkable.”

The moment these words were spoken, heaven and earth shook, all directions trembled, the great bells within every ancient temple rang out, the light of faith surging skyward, Buddhist power spreading everywhere, shaking the mortal world.

Whether atop Mount Sumeru or within other ancient temples, many ancient monks and Buddha’s disciples all shuddered — who, throughout past and present, had ever dared to speak this way?

It was like an elder commenting on a rather good child — it truly left them trembling with fear.

The sound of Buddhist chanting rang deafeningly; temple after temple lit up with Buddha-light, old monks and Buddhist disciples all prostrating themselves, unable to help but kowtow in worship toward Mount Sumeru.

At this moment, from the most mysterious ancient ground of Mount Sumeru, chaotic mist overflowed, and an ancient artifact flew up, radiating undying brilliance, charging toward the supreme Human Sovereign.

It was precisely the supreme divine artifact of Buddhism — the Demon-Subduing Pestle!

This was a weapon personally forged by the Amitabha Sovereign, the highest sacred object of the Buddhist path, capable of subduing demons and suppressing the Three Thousand Great Worlds.

“The sacred pestle is awakening on its own — is it targeting this mysterious supreme being?” Many ancient monks trembled — this was something that had never happened before.

Back then, only when the Buddha’s demon-shell Shakyamuni had turned against the Great Thunder Sound Monastery had the Demon-Subduing Pestle awakened on its own once — yet even that had not carried such overwhelming might as today; it seemed as though it might destroy the nine heavens and ten earths.

The divine spirit contained within the Demon-Subduing Pestle had thoroughly revived, holding nothing back — something that had not happened in three hundred thousand years!

This astonished everyone; the aura of the ancient Sovereign spread everywhere, as if the Amitabha Sovereign himself had been reborn, stunning all the divine monks and Buddha’s disciples.

Yet, what shocked everyone even more was that the Demon-Subduing Pestle trembled once and came to a stop before the Human Sovereign, actually bowing like a person, as if pleading guilty for some offense.

Chapter 1359: Supreme Being

Throughout the Western Desert, Buddha-light surged everywhere; even deep mountain ancient temples were suffused with Buddhist power, divine sounds ringing unceasingly in the ears, like great bells and chimes roaring, as if the Buddha had been reincarnated, about to manifest in the world.

Atop Mount Sumeru, the Demon-Subduing Pestle gave off chaotic energy, boundless immortal radiance surging skyward, the divine spirit within it humming softly, pleading guilty and offering apology to the Human Sovereign.

This scene shook the Great Thunder Sound Monastery, sending out wave after wave of Buddhist chimes, many ancient stone statues trembling, the pure power of faith surging like a vast ocean.

All the old monks stood dumbstruck, many Buddha’s disciples turned to stone with shock, watching this scene in disbelief before prostrating themselves — this was the Amitabha Sovereign’s own weapon, and it had actually made such a gesture.

The Great Thunder Sound Monastery trembled, sending out wave after wave of Chan chanting; three thousand Bodhisattvas and ancient Buddhas all manifested their dharma bodies together, radiating undying divine light, suspended in midair, chanting scripture.

“This is the ancient Buddhas of old manifesting their dharma bodies — this is the reappearance of the spiritual imprints they left behind! Nothing less than the greatest of auspicious omens could produce such a sign!”

A divine monk grew fearful, trembling before the Human Sovereign and the Demon-Subduing Pestle — what had happened today was beyond his comprehension.

The Demon-Subduing Pestle trembled continuously, bowing to the Human Sovereign, truly acting in the most human-like manner, as though carrying a thorn-bearing apology on its back.

“It was merely a wisp of malevolent thought, nothing of consequence — there’s no need to plead guilty,” the Human Sovereign said, not pursuing what the Amitabha Sovereign had once done to his divine will.

Yet the Buddhist sacred pestle continued to tremble, extremely earnest and solemn, insisting on pleading guilty on behalf of the Buddhist Sovereign.

“Let me ask you this: gathering so much power of faith — does it pose any harm to the living beings of the world?” the Human Sovereign asked calmly, yet it radiated a kind of divine might.

Within that calm there was an irresistible dignity; the Human Sovereign seemed to sit high above the nine heavens, looking down upon the mortal world, controlling the laws and measures, not permitting anyone to endanger the living beings.

Whether in the past or the present, he had always been a dignified supreme being, guarding the vast cosmos, ruling over the world, never allowing the laws to be broken, never allowing harm to be brought upon the mortal realm.

Even facing a Sovereign of the human race, it was the same — this bearing of swallowing mountains and rivers, of looking disdainfully upon the nine heavens, made people’s hearts tremble with fear.

Everyone within the Buddhist faith stood dumbstruck — just who was this person, that he would dare to question even the Amitabha Sovereign of the past? It was truly astonishing to hear.

Beyond their expectations, the Demon-Subduing Pestle responded earnestly, without the slightest perfunctoriness, the divinity within it reviving — and this time it actually spoke with a divine voice.

“Amitabha is compassionate and kind to the utmost, never in his entire life having killed a single living creature — sweeping the ground without harming the ants, cherishing even the moths caught beneath a gauze lampshade.”

This divine will was also filled with pressure, a power that could be called supreme between heaven and earth, responding to the Human Sovereign with meticulous care, taking this question with the utmost seriousness.

The entire Mount Sumeru trembled, sending out ten-thousand-foot divine radiance, the pure power of faith rising and falling like a vast, boundless river of stars.

Everyone was stunned; the various monks all trembled in body — since ancient times, this ancient weapon had never once spoken, yet now it showed such reverence toward this mysterious, magnificent man.

Who was this person? The crowd’s hearts were shaken, all of them chanting the Buddha’s name, trembling from the depths of their souls.

The Human Sovereign nodded, still dignified and solemn beyond measure, just as he had once ruled over the world, looking down upon all the gods, possessing a supreme, heroic bearing that inspired awe.

“In truth, this pure power of faith can also benefit every Buddhist disciple in turn, nourishing them, their life essence surging, their divine blood abundant,” explained the divinity contained within the Demon-Subduing Pestle, describing the various benefits of the power of faith.

“It’s easy not to kill for a moment — but to never kill in an entire lifetime, that’s truly difficult for him. I only fear that in the end, the heavens will collapse and the earth will cave in, everything completely overturned.”

The Human Sovereign’s black hair hung loose, his eyes profound beyond measure, as if able to see through past, present, and future. As he spoke, his dignity commanded the nine heavens, carrying a great compassion and great might, pressing down upon the ages.

Clearly, the Human Sovereign was issuing a warning — even facing the divine soul of a weapon belonging to a later generation’s Sovereign, he still radiated a righteous energy that would brook no defiance; should there be any act of harm against the human race, he would suppress and slay it directly!

In the era of the Human Sovereign, he had founded an age of extraordinary glory, sole supreme ruler of the nine heavens and ten earths, striking down gods above, suppressing the Nine Serenities below, slaying sacred spirits across all directions, suppressing every source of chaos — whatever endangered the living beings could not withstand a single blow from the Human Sovereign.

Now, even as merely a wisp of true spirit’s will, his invincible bearing still showed itself fully, even when facing the weapon of another Sovereign.

“The Human Sovereign may rest assured — Amitabha has been supremely benevolent throughout his life. Though he possesses an invincible Buddha-body, he has never once acted against the wishes of any living being,” the Demon-Subduing Pestle explained, expounding the Buddhist teaching of the equality of all living beings.

The entire Mount Sumeru trembled; the many ancient monks, all the Buddha’s disciples, stood dumbstruck — this was actually the Human Sovereign, appearing on their Buddhist mountain, simply like something out of myth.

The era in which the Human Sovereign had lived was far too distant, long since impossible to verify — yet here he was now, looking down upon Mount Sumeru, causing the Buddhist faith’s imperial weapon to awaken and personally respond to him.

All of this was too shocking, making it feel like a dream, so utterly unreal.

“We pay our respects to the Human Sovereign!”

Before the Great Thunder Sound Monastery, many Buddhist followers knelt down. Even having entered the Buddhist faith, they still knew that the Human Sovereign held great and illustrious achievements — though they could not state the specifics, generation after generation of the human race had chanted his name, which was enough to say everything.

The Great Thunder Sound Monastery roared, the entire Mount Sumeru trembled!

Ancient Chan chanting rose up, dignified and vast, transmitted across time and space — this was the divine sound left behind by the Bodhisattvas and ancient Buddhas of all heavens in years past, appearing only to greet the arrival of a supreme being.

At the same time, springs of sweetness gushed from the earth, auspicious colors fell from the sky, divine lotuses grew from the void, orchids and irises grew together, fragrance filling the air, thousands upon thousands of rays of rosy light — this place became sacred and auspicious, a paradise of ultimate bliss.

“I hope so,” the Human Sovereign said, shifting his gaze away from the Demon-Subduing Pestle, standing atop Mount Sumeru, gazing out over the Western Desert, seeing Buddha-light illuminating a hundred million miles, all living beings bathed within it.

The land of the Western Desert trembled, because the Human Sovereign’s gaze had swept across every inch of it, seeing through to its very source, letting nothing escape hidden, nothing able to evade his eyes.

“All for the sake of eternal life — how many heroic figures have been defeated by it, all turned to dust,” the Human Sovereign sighed softly.

“Yes, there is no solution to this path,” the divine will within the Demon-Subduing Pestle said, feeling something in its heart.

“Whether in the age of myth or now, many supreme beings and heaven’s chosen have walked their own paths — some burying one lifetime’s body, some seeking the elixir of immortality, some gathering the power of faith… many different methods have arisen, each one remarkable in its own right. There is one thing to always remember: however much you gain, you must pay an equal price. Even the weakest of mortal beings may one day settle accounts with a supreme being.”

The Human Sovereign spoke, each word resounding like clanging metal, his dignity fully displayed, his words echoing vast and mighty across the boundless earth. This was both a reminder and, in a sense, a warning.

The Demon-Subduing Pestle fell silent — not out of fear, but out of guilt toward the Human Sovereign, having once experimented upon the divine will of the Great Yin Supreme Being in the past. Now it harbored feelings of guilt, mixed with respect.

On this day, not only Mount Sumeru but the entire Western Desert trembled, because every ancient temple’s divine statues glowed with light, and what emanated from them was not the sound of Buddhist chanting, but the Human Sovereign’s voice.

Many old monks fell deep into thought, greatly moved at heart.

The Amitabha Sovereign was without doubt one of the most remarkable Sovereigns since ancient times, unfathomably profound, worthy of being spoken of alongside any ancient Sovereign or Celestial Venerable. The lineage he left behind was naturally powerful, and having developed to the present day, many ancient Buddhas had emerged, growing ever more flourishing.

The Human Sovereign surveyed the various regions of the Western Desert and nodded. Setting everything else aside, just considering how far this lineage had developed and flourished was worth pondering.

The Great Yin Supreme Being rose to his feet, left Mount Sumeru, and headed toward the Eastern Wilds.

“Where will the Human Sovereign go?” the Demon-Subduing Pestle asked with respect.

“My time is running short. I wish to leave behind a lineage, so that from now on, dust may return to dust, earth return to earth,” the Human Sovereign said calmly. Beneath his feet appeared a road of golden light, extending directly to the Eastern Wilds, so fast it left all living beings shaken and unable to comprehend.

“Farewell, Human Sovereign!” This single farewell represented a parting between life and death.

The Human Sovereign appeared in the Eastern Wilds, arriving alone at the Ancient Wasteland Forbidden Zone, nodding solemnly, a trace of gravity showing on his face. Then he departed, without saying a single word.

The Human Sovereign did not head toward any of the other forbidden zones of life; though some of the ancient existences there grew extremely tense, he did not so much as glance in their direction.

“Still a regret — unable to see the path to immortality open…” He walked on alone, regarding the Primordial Ancient Ore and the Immortal Mountain as nothing, paying them no attention, not listening, as though he were not of the same path as them.

Silently, without a sound, he vanished.

On this day, within the Jiang Family, wisps of Dao-patterns appeared; Xiao Tingting, the Body of Great Yin, sat cross-legged in the void, the sound of scripture chanting echoing in her ears, and she saw a heroic man appear before her.

“You… who are you?”

“Perhaps the path to immortality is merely a kind of hope. What could hold more meaning, more hope, than seeing one’s blood flow on within a descendant’s body, full of youthful vigor? Perhaps I have already seen the path to immortality, contained within that hope.” The heroic man, supreme through ancient and modern times, slowly faded away at this moment, gradually vanishing.

Within the Jiang Family, Xiao Tingting’s heart trembled, and she cried out: “Senior, please don’t go — don’t leave!”

The magnificent figure grew blurred, only that smile remaining, carrying a sense of release. As the supreme being was about to vanish, only kindness and brilliance remained upon his face, having lost the dignity that had suppressed all heavens through the ages. Xiao Tingting would never know that he had been the Human Sovereign.

A breeze passed by, a shower of light scattered away, and the heroic, magnificent figure disappeared completely, shattering into the void.

“From now on, there is no Human Sovereign in this world…” Atop Mount Sumeru, a faint, distant sigh sounded out.

To think that a generation’s supreme being of the human race, with countless great achievements, whose glorious deeds pressed down upon the ages, whose talent astonished the ages, unmatched through past and present — had finally reached the end of his road, leaving people sighing with regret.

A glance back across countless ages, a fleeting bloom like the epiphyllum flower, illuminating the world for but a moment. However great an existence may be, in the end it cannot escape its final curtain. That he could appear in this generation at all could already be considered a kind of miracle.

At this moment, several of the great forbidden zones of life fell into silence; the Human Sovereign had never once looked their way from beginning to end — different paths do not conspire together.

“What a pity, a generation’s Human Sovereign — such peerless bearing, what heaven-defying methods, and yet he has withered away just like this.”

“On this path, who can say who is right, who is wrong? There are only different choices.”

“A flourishing golden age, watching our generation’s heaven’s chosen wither away one by one — this is not the choice among choices; a golden age of splendor draws to its close, and how many of us will remain?”

“I listen to my own funeral dirge, and on this path, I persist, bearing witness to my own Dao amid the moth’s plunge into the flame… my own path to eternal life.”

Clearly, the passing of the Human Sovereign left the several existences within the forbidden zones deeply moved, feeling all the more lonely and desolate.

“Dong…” a bell tolled once, heaven and earth thrown into chaos, and the several great forbidden zones of life all fell silent at once. The Eastern Wilds, Central Prefecture, Western Desert, Southern Ridge, Northern Plains — the entire Sovereign’s Burial Star was shaken.

In the Northern Region, within Purple Mountain, the Beginningless Bell rang out inexplicably, deafening, even mortals hearing it, echoing throughout heaven and earth.

This sudden event startled everyone, their faces turning pale.

Chapter 1360: Purple Blood Flies