“What — you are… the Holy Body of the human race?!”
The Golden Crow Clan’s members were shaken to the core. The true target had come to their door. They had not known Ye Fan would return from the ancient road, and there was no need to ask why he had come — he was here to stand up for his disciple and repay blood with blood.
The mountain range had been shattered. Ancient peaks tens of thousands of zhang high had collapsed. The earth had cracked open, fissures stretching over ten zhang wide. Below, the Five Elements essence surged upward, fire bursting into the sky — a world of flame.
Ye Fan towered above ten thousand zhang, using the Heaven and Earth Dharma Form divine ability. Terrifying cloud layers swirled at his chest and abdomen. A pair of eyes pierced through the mist and fog, shooting straight down to the earth below.
His feet were planted in the Northern Domain. He had shaken loose the Golden Crow Clan’s nest. The earth cracked open beneath him, below it blazing brilliance, all laid bare without concealment.
“Human race Holy Body — do not push things too far!” One of the Golden Crow Clan’s elder Saint-Kings roared.
Behind him, a cluster of Golden Crows stood together — each one shocked and afraid. This killing star had returned, this dominant and forceful, crushing so many clanmates with a single foot. Every one of them felt unease rising within.
“I am pushing things too far?” The corners of Ye Fan’s mouth curved into a trace of cold amusement. In that instant, the blood energy of his entire being surged to the sky — boundless and infinite. He stood enormous, high above the clouds. This blood energy rolled and crashed like a vast golden ocean.
“Your elders were not enough, so your old ones joined forces, preying upon the young, hunting my disciple, mutilating his body — who is truly pushing things too far?!” His voice was like thunder rolling through the open sky, and like a dragon’s blade, cutting through the eardrums — the fury of a divine being made manifest.
That pressure shook the very souls of every Golden Crow present. They felt a heaven-divine weight bearing down on them — bodies on the verge of shattering, every limb trembling. Many could not withstand it at all. Blood leaked from the corners of their mouths. They buckled and fell.
This was the power of an absolute, undefeatable momentum.
There was no need to strike. The naturally radiating power alone was enough to shake and terrify, making the bravest lose heart — driving people to kneel in submission.
Everyone watching was stunned — Golden Crow Clan, ancient races, and the Saints from beyond the domain who had rushed to this place. Every person was horrified. How powerful did one have to be? The human race’s Holy Body truly had taken on the bearing of a supreme.
“You…” The assembled Golden Crow powerhouses retreated one by one. Among those whose strength was on the weaker end, blood was spilling from their mouths, their bodies fracturing across the surface, on the verge of exploding where they stood.
Many there had never seen Ye Fan before — but the name was one they absolutely knew. When that clan had first arrived in the Northern Dipper’s star domain, they had clashed with him multiple times, each encounter drenched in blood.
Through the years, Ye Fan’s disciple had fought on his master’s behalf, shaking the Northern Dipper and spreading the glory of his legacy further still. He had clashed repeatedly with the Golden Crow Clan’s young talented figures and had slaughtered their young prince.
The Golden Crow Clan found it impossible not to carry a vivid impression of Ye Fan and his lineage — they were mortal enemies. Through the years, the clan had sent out elder Golden Crow Kings to hunt Ye Tong, leaving him with nowhere in heaven or earth to hide, severing his arm and his leg bone, and still felt their fury unsatisfied. They had sworn to kill him, to cut him down piece by piece.
“Our Golden Crow lineage fears no one. You may have come back from fighting your way through the stars’ ancient road — but know that there are mountains beyond mountains and skies beyond skies. When our Clan’s Emperor arrives upon this land, no powerful figure will be able to stand against him. However great your strength, you will perish!”
Not every Golden Crow was afraid. A handful of young, hot-blooded newcomers — true calves who did not yet fear the tiger — shouted their defiance loudly, their voices severe, their eyes gleaming with cold ferocity.
This gave many Saints cause for thought, sending chills through their hearts — for a legend had long circulated that the Golden Crow Clan possessed someone they called His Majesty, referred to within the clan as a Great Emperor.
For so many years, this unseen supreme existence had loomed over every clan like an enormous mountain, making it impossible to breathe freely beneath its shadow. Even certain great clans were deeply wary.
People naturally did not believe it was truly a Great Emperor. Most likely, it was a Quasi-Emperor.
But that was more than sufficient. In this heaven and earth, once a Quasi-Emperor emerged, that being would be absolutely unrivaled beneath the sky and above the earth. It would not matter who came — they would be cut down without mercy, every last enemy under heaven slaughtered.
Ye Fan gave a cold snort. His eyes blazed. Two terrifying beams of light shot from his pupils, piercing through heaven and earth. That young Golden Crow prodigy who had just spoken let out a sudden scream. His skull cracked in four places, blood streaming, and he toppled onto his back and crashed to the ground.
Everyone was aghast.
What Great Emperor? What Majesty? Even if they feared such a being — what of it? In Ye Fan’s eyes, they were all simply enemies. Since they stood on the opposing side, those who must die would die. Mercy served no purpose.
“Holy Body of the human race — what is your intent today?” The elder Golden Crow King bellowed. He was secretly anxious. Ye Fan’s might had far surpassed his expectations. Power like this — nothing short of a Great Sage could match it.
But the clan’s ancestor was in the outer domain right now, not stationed here at the fire vein. The situation was growing dire. What could be done? He needed to stall — to wait for the old ancestor to return.
“I intend to kill every last one of you.” Ye Fan said quietly. He had reverted to normal human stature, letting the Heaven and Earth Dharma Form recede.
He had been on guard the entire time, not acting rashly — for the Golden Crow Clan was no ordinary foe. There was almost certainly a Great Sage residing among them, and yet none had appeared. He was wary of an ambush.
“In truth, we could very well sit down and speak. Perhaps over the years, misunderstanding has piled upon misunderstanding between our two lineages, deepening this hatred — but it need not be impossible to resolve.” The elder Golden Crow King said.
Beside him, some of the younger, hotter-headed Golden Crows began to protest and open their mouths. A single sharp glare from the elder silenced them all instantly — he could have smacked them dead on the spot.
“Speak of what? Bring out my disciple’s mutilated body parts, and tell me where he is now.” Ye Fan said with cold indifference.
“We do not know his whereabouts — but without question he is alive, and his strength must have advanced in leaps and bounds in recent years.” The elder Golden Crow kept his tone as conciliatory as he could manage, suppressing the killing intent and cold fury within, all for the sake of buying time.
Ye Fan stared at him with unflinching cold scrutiny. He knew at once: the Golden Crow Clan’s Great Sage was absent. Otherwise, why would they endure this? He issued a sharp command — have them bring out Ye Tong’s remains.
The elder Golden Crow King nodded and ordered someone to retrieve them. It was not long before someone came carrying a jade case — something over a meter in length, its surface shimmering with a warm, moist luster.
The moment it was opened, both of Ye Fan’s brows shot upward.
One arm, soaked in blood. It had been severed by a sharp instrument — the cut clean and even. The other piece was a lower leg, utterly different in nature — twisted completely out of shape, the bones shattered within. It had been wrenched apart by bare hands. The cruelty of the act left nothing to the imagination.
“Who did this?” Ye Fan’s voice was as cold as iron.
Ye Tong was his eldest disciple. Whether or not the boy had grown up, in his eyes Ye Tong was still a child — taken from Ziwei at the age of five or six, brought to the Northern Dipper with a pitiable history, his entire clan destroyed. He had never imagined that in the years of his absence, this child had suffered such torment.
Ye Fan took the jade case. He stepped forward, and forward again. He advanced like a divine lion walking into a flock of sheep — golden battle energy surging and roiling. The very earth trembled beneath his feet. Step by step he came, and all ten directions quaked. He was like an Immortal King descending from on high, his divine might covering the world.
That arm and that broken leg filled him with shock and fury — anguish for his disciple’s suffering, and a raging fire of anger at the Golden Crow Clan’s unbridled arrogance. He could contain it no longer.
Boom!
He unleashed a fist. A true dragon soared. An immortal phoenix swept across the sky. A white tiger roared up at the heavens. A black tortoise spread across the seas. Every manner of divine creature and immortal spirit coiled and wreathed around his golden fist — vast and magnificent.
“Array formation — now!” The elder Golden Crow King bellowed. He had been prepared for a long time. At the command, the others swiftly raised cyan-colored formation banners and planted them throughout heaven and earth. The howling wind swept across ten thousand li.
These were formation treasures left behind by the clan’s Great Sage — containing within them a vast and profound formation array. They had been left for the clan to use in protecting this place, prepared for any emergency.
It could unleash the power of a low-tier Great Sage, a terrifying force capable of sweeping through heaven and earth. Swirling mist closed in and billowed outward, like a curtain of cyan gauze descending over the world.
But Ye Fan paid it absolutely no attention. He drove forward alone, his golden fists wreathed in true dragons, immortal phoenixes, white tigers, and other divine spirits, unstoppable as a tide.
With a thunderous crack, all manner of divine creatures howled and surged through heaven and earth, soaring aloft like immortals ascending. The force of that fist was peerless across the ages. He shattered dozens of cyan great banners, passing through as though through empty air, and drove straight through into their midst.
The Heavenly Emperor Fist.
The formation array crumbled in an instant. Every inch for tens of thousands of li was laid to waste, mountain peaks collapsing, great banners shattering, the vast earth swept into desolation.
At the end of it, only a single golden figure remained standing in that vast expanse. Every formation and barrier had been reduced to dust, burning away in brilliant golden radiance.
The assembled Golden Crows were thrown into terror. No one knew how many had already perished — blood raining everywhere. Ye Fan had needed nothing more than a single fist. Everything had been swept away. Was this still human power? How could anyone contend with this?
Only a portion of the Golden Crow leadership had retreated into the fire vein nest in the instant Ye Fan unleashed his fist — hearts pounding in horror, having narrowly survived this calamity. Every survivor trembled.
“You and your master-and-disciple pair have killed members of our clan — retribution must come for you. When our clan’s imperial majesty descends upon this world, none will be able to stand against him. However great your power, you will fall!” The elder Golden Crow King roared.
The pretense was gone now. Even had he lowered himself entirely, it would have availed nothing. Ye Fan’s killing intent stretched ten thousand li — he had come to seek justice for his disciple, and could not be made to stay his hand.
Ye Fan’s expression was cold. Already with a single punch he had blasted open the earth, exposing the fire vein below. Within it lay a massive nest of Golden Crows. Fire blazed skyward.
Without question, this place was guarded by a formation array. Ordinary people would find it impossible to breach. This was the clan’s most sacred and forbidden ground in the Northern Dipper.
“Every Golden Crow who mutilated my disciple’s body must die!” Ye Fan spoke only these words.
“Everyone here — do you not know? The green immortal cauldron is on his person. The secret of becoming an immortal lies within it. How else has he been able to return from the ancient road and in such a short time reach a level comparable to a Great Sage? It must have something to do with that cauldron.” The elder Golden Crow cried out, his intent vile.
Many powerful figures watched from a distance — among them members of the ancient races and Saints from beyond the domain. Every one of them knew the green copper cauldron was on Ye Fan. They simply dared not attempt to seize it given how powerful Ye Fan had become — but that did not mean there was no greed.
“If any of you are hesitating, go quickly and summon the Great Sages of your clans, come together to suppress and kill the Holy Body of the human race, seize the green cauldron, and we will all study it together.” The elder Golden Crow shouted. His intentions were most wicked.
The corners of Ye Fan’s mouth curved into a trace of a cruel smile. He murmured to himself: “I am hoping everyone will come. Otherwise, how could I live up to my own expectations?”
“You…” Seeing Ye Fan advance as though through empty air, walking straight up to the entrance of the crow nest without any formation capable of stopping him, every Golden Crow powerhouse went pale.
Boom!
Between Ye Fan’s brows, brilliant light blazed. A small cauldron barely an inch tall flew out and rapidly expanded. The primordial energy of ten thousand things flowed in circulation, like countless enormous waterfalls hanging suspended in the air.
With a thunderous crash, the Cauldron of the Mother Qi of All Things came down upon the crow nest. It struck again. And again. Heaven shook, the earth rolled. The fire vein was shattered. The Golden Crow nest was blown to pieces — completely breached.
Even with the Great Sage’s formation array reinforcing this place, it was useless. It could not withstand Ye Fan’s assault. One cauldron, and all things were broken.
“Fight him to the last!” The Golden Crow Clan’s elder Saint-King let out a long cry. There was no escaping. Ye Fan’s laws and order had long since spread outward, sealing heaven and earth, shackling the open sky.
Ye Fan’s expression was tranquil. His mouth opened, and he issued a single Dao sound — and in that instant, it was as though a mighty thunderbolt had detonated throughout all of heaven and earth.
Pfft!
The elder Golden Crow King exploded on the spot. Blood and fragments of pale bone splattered in every direction — deeply, profoundly terrifying. The outcome left the entire world cold to the very bone.
Every hero retreated. The Golden Crow Clan’s members went pale as snow, shaking uncontrollably. Many of them simply collapsed to the ground where they stood.
What level of power was this? A single Dao roar had shouted a powerful Saint-King to death. This was truly the bearing of a supreme.
“Let us bring this to an end.” Ye Fan walked forward. His mouth issued another Dao roar, and he swung his right fist — golden light spreading like a sea, energy soaring to the heavens for ten thousand li.
Pfft. Pfft…
That place became a realm of the Asura. Every last Golden Crow exploded — one body after another detonating, primordial spirits shattered alongside, body and spirit obliterated together.
Ye Fan needed only a fist and a Dao roar. Every remaining Golden Crow was killed cleanly. How could a method this heaven-defying not stun the world?
Blood mist pervaded the air. Silence fell over the entire place.
In all of heaven and earth, not a single sound could be heard. Every powerful figure watching was frozen in fear. Many could not suppress trembling.
With a flick of the hand, clouds rise; with a turn of the palm, rain falls. The Holy Body of the human race could now dominate all under heaven and above it. Destroying the Golden Crow Clan was this simple — and every last person watching had been shaken to the core.