The highest hall was split apart, and a colossal sword planted itself into the ground, towering into the high sky. The sword hilt continued to vibrate, and its killing intent shot straight toward the Nine Heavens!
Every face changed color. Ye Fan moved as though there were no one to stop him, cutting his way straight to their doorstep — a sight that filled the heart with dread.
“You go too far? After all the slander and defamation you spread, you have the audacity to say that?!” Cold lightning flashed in Ye Fan’s eyes. Giving no opportunity for explanation, he unleashed the Heavenly Emperor Fist, and the Guardian was shattered to pieces on the spot.
A mist of blood spread through the great hall, bone fragments flew in all directions, and fresh blood stained the hall floor red. The Great Saint formation patterns dimmed even further. Every person present was nearly petrified, forgetting even to cry out in shock.
This was one of the most powerful figures in their sect — an enormously formidable individual — and just like that he had been struck down, without even the chance to mount any resistance.
“You…” The Vice Sect Master’s face turned blood red, then drained to white. He too had been one of the instigators, and now turned to leave without another word. He had nothing more to say.
Because Ye Fan was too fierce and unyielding. Having already demonstrated this, there was absolutely no way he could withstand it. If he stayed, he would have not even the slimmest chance of survival.
Hum!
Light blazed from between Ye Fan’s brows. A brilliant streak shot forth and transformed into a small cauldron, pursuing the fleeing silhouette. The Vice Sect Master of the Ice Demon Palace was shattered on the spot, his blood dispersing into a crimson mist.
Everyone was struck dumb. Their blood ran cold from head to toe. It was too terrifying — the two greatest figures of the sect had been given not the slightest chance, both perishing with body and soul utterly destroyed.
This chilled them to the bone!
Ye Fan’s gaze swept coldly over the assembled crowd. Then, step by step, he walked toward the highest throne, and finally sat upon it, looking down imperiously at those below.
The Sect Master of the Ice Demon Palace was absent. Two great figures within the hall had been killed. The other leaders dared not make a sound, not a single one speaking up. The atmosphere in the hall had turned frigid to an extreme.
“You know what to do next, I trust?” Ye Fan asked, his expression indifferent.
He sat high upon the central throne of the highest hall, looking down loftily upon the crowd below. The scene was one that provoked both rage and chilling fear — for this was an outright holy land, and yet it had come to this.
Though fallen from its former glory, it was still an immortal lineage that had once been unshakeable. To have it breached in this manner, to be looked down upon from above — each and every one of them burned with shock and fury.
But in the end, every single person restrained themselves. No one was unafraid of death!
“We will immediately issue a clarification. We will retract all those words and reveal the truth to the world, and we will offer you our sincerest apology!” One elder forced himself to speak, his face stiff.
There was no choice but to take a stance right now. This fearsome fiend was seated above them, and if they gave even the slightest displeasure, today could well bring total annihilation upon their sect.
In truth, there had always been a faction within the sect that opposed the earlier agitation. The moment that became known, disaster would inevitably follow.
The Guardians and the Vice Sect Master had believed that by harnessing the tide of the entire world — with the Divine Court, the Nether Ridge Longevity Temple, and all the other major sects striking together, all under heaven united in joint execution — Ye Fan might be reduced to ash before he could even become aware of their involvement.
Yet in reality, things had gone nothing like that. The fearsome fiend had come knocking directly at their door, cut down these two individuals, and struck at the very heart of the matter.
The magnificent ice palace stood in its vast expanse. Ye Fan did not linger and departed from there. He joined up with Li Tian, Yan Yixi, and the others outside the sect gate, then left that sweeping frozen wasteland, heading southward in search of Ye Tong.
“Ye Fan, I want to tell you something. Now that things in the Ziwei Star Domain are settled, will you not be returning? As for us — we don’t want to leave anymore. This is the place that gave birth to us and raised us. We want to stay, and return to our roots here.” Li Tian said.
Ye Fan gave a soft sigh. This day had come at last. Friends had their own roads, their own choices. They would be parted on opposite shores of the starry sky — reunions and farewells alike were unavoidable.
Yet he had the Divine Light Platform, and now that he knew the coordinates of Ziwei, the chance to meet again was not entirely gone.
Perhaps, compared to the Beidou Star Domain where the path to immortality was about to open — a domain destined to erupt into shattering conflict and possibly world-ending catastrophe — this place was the safer choice.
They journeyed onward, heading south. Along the way they heard much news.
From the far north all the way to the south, the road was filled with the sound of disputes. No one had anticipated that the Ice Demon Palace would change its tune — and this time, rather than agitating in secret, they stepped forward openly to reveal certain “truths.”
“As fellow cultivators, you and I both understand: do not let desire cloud your eyes. The Human Race’s Sacred Body came in search of family. The truth stands plainly before us.”
“There is news from the Beidou Star Domain. Someone crossed the star sea traveling back and forth and has brought back confirmed intelligence — that little girl truly does come from that star domain, and Ye Fan regards her as a daughter and a younger sister.”
“Desire knows no bounds. But do not dress greed in bright and shining garments.”
…
All under heaven erupted in clamor. This change of allegiance had come far too swiftly — and it was so thorough, directly vindicating Ye Fan and standing in complete opposition to the earlier slander and denunciations.
What was the Ice Demon Palace truly trying to accomplish? This was the question on everyone’s mind.
At the same time, their words also infuriated many of the major sects. This was wholly unacceptable — the great tide of the world stood assembled here, and the joint campaign against Ye Fan had already become a sweeping trend. For such words to appear was truly insufferable.
“There is nothing more to be said. The Human Race’s Sacred Body has relied on his strength to bully the weak, seized the Immortal Medicine by force, and now uses that power to suppress the Ice Demon Palace — they dare not speak the truth, everything they say is under duress. All of it was forced from them!”
“This demon must be eliminated. Let all under heaven join in denouncing him!”
…
Of course, only those like the Divine Court, the Demon Alliance, the Primordial Demon Sect, and White Tiger Manor — powers capable of dominating the rise and fall of an entire domain — would say such things, believing themselves capable of representing all under heaven.
As for the common multitude, they were buried in the daily concerns of survival, knowing nothing of cultivation affairs.
“Ye Fan, let’s go and storm several of the major sects together.” Li Tian suggested.
Ye Fan shook his head. “Just let me play the villain to the very end. You two should stay out of this. After all, you still need to take root and establish yourselves here — and there’s the matter of rebuilding the Human Desire Dao.” He refused absolutely, no matter what the two of them said.
On the first day of Ye Fan’s southern advance, the paramount figure of the Demon Alliance — a generation’s ancient demon, the Blood Eagle — had its head soaring three thousand feet into the sky, blood dripping, its headless body toppled upon a great mountain.
This battle was short in duration, and yet it set off a tremendous shockwave!
“What? The Blood Eagle is dead?!”
“This was a mysterious and powerful figure who crossed from the outer domain fifty years ago and became the overlord of an entire generation of demon clans. How many could match blades with this being? And now it has simply fallen.”
This was naturally earthshaking. Countless powerful experts felt a chill seep into their very bones. A pinnacle figure of the world in their eyes had perished.
On the second day, Ye Fan slew four Supreme Guardians of the Primordial Demon Sect — striking each down one by one, sparing none, every last one killed. Blood flew and splattered, sending a chill creeping up the spines of all who heard of it.
“More powerful figures have died…”
“Kill him — let all under heaven unite in denunciation!”
Feelings ran high, though this particular “all under heaven” was naturally limited in scope — it was made up of those who had their eyes on the human-form Immortal Medicine. The rest observed coldly from a distance, taking no part.
All under heaven seethed with tumult. Calls for his execution were incessant. Great armies converged from every direction. One ancient killing formation after another was brought forth and jointly wielded by the major sects as they searched for Ye Fan, seeking to crush him.
Yet the force that had been crying out most fiercely faced a brutal counterattack on the third day.
Ye Fan descended upon the mortal world like a sovereign arriving to take his throne. He stormed White Tiger Manor, slaying both the Manor Master and the Supreme Manor Master. With a single sword strike he split open that ancient ancestral ground that had commanded reverence since time immemorial — cleaving it directly in two.
All under heaven was stunned. Though only two lives were taken, the impact was nothing short of earthshaking: neither the present nor the former generation’s sect leader could escape, both cut down without exception.
On the fourth day, Ye Fan arrived before the Nether Ridge Longevity Temple. This was a strangely eerie stretch of mountain ridges, with drifting wisps of mist and ancient Taoist temples nestled upon the peaks — like a Daoist institution set in the realm of the dead.
In the distance, various great mountains stood side by side, which made this place appear all the more peculiar — as though an inwardly concealed, terrifying aura emanated from it.
Ye Fan observed it at length, yet in the end he did not force his way in, nor attempt to break through. He sensed a powerful energy there — the laws of a Quasi-Emperor were circulating within, and intact Quasi-Emperor formation patterns remained.
“Completely intact — to force my way in rashly would mean certain death.”
He could not suppress a soft sigh. This place had lived up to its name, and it was no wonder that it had once possessed half a page of the Divine Spirit Ancient Scripture, standing on equal footing with the Human King Hall. There was clearly good reason for that.
Sanque Daoren had already departed, having left the Ziwei Star Domain to set foot upon the star roads. This left Ye Fan feeling somewhat regretful — for he sensed, however vaguely, that this was an extraordinarily remarkable individual.
Sanque Daoren cultivated a unique technique: three of his souls were each separately entrusted within the bodies of other people. This was something known to very few in the world, and the name “Sanque” — meaning “Three Deficiencies” — had been derived from precisely this practice.
Even under such conditions, Sanque Daoren was already formidable — sworn brothers with Yin Tiande. If all three souls were reunited, what would he become? Anyone who knew the secret would never take him lightly!
“Yin Tiande is formidable in his own right. In his day, to contest the Divine Spirit Ancient Scripture, he directly killed Sanque Daoren’s father — and very nearly caused the soul that Sanque had been nurturing within his father’s body to be extinguished.”
“Yin Tiande is ruthless. The decisiveness and ferocity with which he pursues his goals is deeply chilling.”
Yan Yixi and Li Tian both remarked.
“If no one causes trouble from the Guanghan Palace’s side, then send Xiao Cao there.” Ye Fan said.
“Nannan, you must come visit me in the future.” Xiao Cao said with reluctance, tears shimmering in her eyes. The two little radish heads had been playing together for some time now and had grown genuinely attached.
“The time for parting hasn’t come yet. Don’t cry before then.” Li Tian said with a smile, lightening the mood of the childlike reluctance and sorrow.
“Ye Tong, that boy, has gone out to sea — searching for the Valley of the Sun, wanting to visit the burial site of the Solar Sacred Emperor and hoping to obtain the Sacred Emperor’s weapons.” This was the news Yan Yixi had received.
Ye Fan was momentarily taken aback. During the great battle at the Northern Sea back in his day, he had seen that only a single human skin remained inside the Solar Sacred Emperor’s coffin.
This was something that still made him uneasy even now, dwelling on it repeatedly in his mind. This was the same as the Undying Celestial Emperor’s situation — in both cases, bones were nowhere to be found, only a skin remaining.
Only their divine spirit intent had been left behind — carried across into this age without fully fading away — which was itself no small miracle. Of course, this could be explained as well: uncountable living beings had never forgotten them, always speaking of them, and so within the “ashes” a manifestation of their malevolent echoes might continue to take shape.
In the days that followed, Ye Fan waged great battles across the world, fighting in one place after another, never retreating — unintimidated by what was supposedly “all of the world.” This was nothing more than an alliance of major sects using raw power to pressure him. It was wholly incapable of stirring even a trace of fear in him. He met force with force.
Several days later, another great battle erupted. Seven War Saints struck together — each one a peerless figure in the domain of combat, the reserved strength of ancient times brought forward through sealed preservation. They hailed from the Primordial Demon Sect, the Demon Alliance, White Tiger Manor, and others — yet the result was total annihilation. Every great formation they had brought to bear was shattered to pieces, and every one of these individuals died a violent death, their blood splattered across the vast sky.
Slaughtering the entirety of the so-called “all under heaven” — Ye Fan had formed, in some inexplicable way, an invincible momentum of his own, with none who could withstand him!
Of course, the true multitude of all under heaven had nothing to mourn. It was those major powers who harbored desires for the Immortal Medicine, those who fancied themselves capable of representing all under heaven, who had suffered crushing blow after crushing blow — each one now in a state of frantic disarray, their hearts gripped with dread.
“In all this heaven and earth, perhaps only the Kunpeng Ancestor could suppress and kill him!”
“Word has it he is no longer in the Northern Sea — he has already left the Ziwei Star Domain.”
This was an ancient Kunpeng, a peerless figure from the primordial era. The very first time Ye Fan had come to the Ziwei Star Domain, he had already heard tell of him — a being who had lived in seclusion in the Northern Sea, whose fearsome reputation had not diminished across all those years.
“The Divine Court still hasn’t made a move? Aren’t they the ones orchestrating all of this? What are they still waiting for?!” Someone grew furious.
Ye Fan too understood clearly: the Divine Court was enormously powerful, backed by a supreme sovereign from the outer domain. Otherwise, how would they dare establish such a great sect, harboring ambitions of rebuilding an Ancient Heavenly Court?
“The time has come. It must end.”
The Divine Court finally moved. Its armies were beyond counting, boundless and vast, converging to hunt Ye Fan down. At their head stood a young man exuding an extremely dangerous aura.
“A Great Saint!”
He appeared young, yet this individual was at minimum over eight hundred years of age. His gaze was deep and cold. Behind him, great banners billowed in the wind, and cavalry without end stretched in all directions — like ten thousand heavenly soldiers and divine generals bearing down.
“You think yourself formidable — but in truth, you amount to nothing. Before true power, your so-called strength and dominance are nothing more than a joke!”
The Divine Court’s Great Saint said this coldly, with an expression of profound contempt. Yet the moment he moved, he struck to kill. A battle spear materialized in his hand — radiating the might of a Quasi-Emperor — and it was thrust forward to crush and suppress all before it!
The moment this spear was produced, the heavens cracked and the earth split, ghosts wailed and gods howled. Within Ye Fan’s body, the dark golden long spear shook violently, as though it had been struck by a tremendous stimulus.
He dared to speak such words because he indeed possessed terrifying power to back them up. As a Great Saint, the moment he moved he brought forth a Quasi-Emperor weapon — and this could only be described as a lethal blow.
Under normal circumstances, the enemy should be dead beyond all doubt — not the slightest suspense!
The terrifying Emperor’s might erupted, shaking the hearts of all, sweeping across the heavens — like an unfathomable expanse of mountains and seas pressing down, causing even one’s heart to feel as though it would shatter.
This was an overwhelming force, without equal or compare. Even those watching the battle from afar could not withstand it. They were nearly forced to their knees. A Great Saint was wielding a flawless Quasi-Emperor weapon, unleashing the vast majority of its power!
This was nearly the equivalent of a Quasi-Emperor descending into the world in his lower half — enough to kill Ye Fan — and was naturally terrifying to an extreme.
Yet the blood-drenched scene people had been anticipating did not come. Within Ye Fan’s body, the green bronze cauldron emitted brilliant immortal light. In his left hand appeared a Killing Immortal Sword radiating an even more terrifying murderous intent. In his right hand he gripped a black long spear, and he charged forward.
“What?! How do you possess the immortal spear of the Rongcheng Clan — how could it have fallen into your hands?!” The Great Saint cried out in shock.
Of course, what followed was a sensation even more profound. As the green bronze cauldron and the Killing Sword were brought out together, his face immediately drained of all color. The battle spear in his hand trembled and slipped from his control.
Hum! The cyan battle spear he had been holding tore through the void and wrenched itself free of his grasp, flying off on its own and vanishing into the depths of the cosmos.
This outcome left everyone stunned!
And from Ye Fan’s person, a supreme aura of power radiated outward — the true Emperor’s weapon was releasing its majestic and sovereign presence, causing all living beings to tremble. The countless armies of the Divine Court nearly collapsed to the ground as one, brought to their knees.
“You are not the only one with hidden reserves. Before others have revealed their trump cards, don’t be so arrogant.” Ye Fan said coldly. Then his eyes locked onto the other man, and he demanded: “Tell me — what is the connection between the master of this immortal spear and your people?”