The aura of a supreme being undergoing absolute sublimation spread outward — and in an instant, the terror it radiated multiplied many times over.

Ye Fan’s eyes blazed as he moved immediately, driving the cauldron with frantic urgency, pushing his own combat power to its peak.

An ancient supreme being who had cut themselves down would need to push to the absolute limit of sublimation to restore themselves to their pinnacle — and throughout that process, a flaw, negligible and nearly invisible, would briefly appear.

This was a problem Ye Fan had been contemplating for a long time. In recent days he had been immersed in pondering and mapping it out. That opening was exceedingly difficult to seize, yet it was not without possibility. In theory, it could be done.

Through all these years, even as he pursued enlightenment of the Dao, he had poured nearly all his heart and mind into it. Through those hundred years that had passed, through that state of enlightenment that felt like ten thousand years, he had never stopped deducing and mapping — spending boundless energy and effort on this alone, all so that he might thoroughly understand that battle opportunity.

Today, from the moment the battle began, he had been preparing. Standing within the divine forbidden domain, running the “All” character secret technique, waiting in patient stillness. When the battle opportunity appeared in that single instant, his attack power increased tenfold, and the laws of the Imperial Dao surged and roiled.

It was as if heaven and earth were on the verge of collapse — no longer an ordered cosmos, no longer a universe. First it dissolved into black holes, and then those became primordial chaos. A terrifying aura flowed everywhere, laws of destruction filling the void.

Ye Fan struck without mercy, driving his blow into the person before him — and in that instant, the terror of his power was fully ten times what it had been.

“Roar…”

A dragon cry rang between heaven and earth. A cerulean true dragon flew out from the cauldron wall — immense and ferocious. Its massive body coiled through the cosmos as it charged toward the immortal-tear green gold vase and toward Yun Heng.

And that was only a fraction of it. All manner of divine beings from the immortal domain appeared together.

Ten thousand radiances blazed. The cosmos was packed to bursting. The immortal phoenix that danced across nine heavens, the mighty tiger that lunged at the river of stars, the Xuanwu serpent-tortoise that rolled and churned through the cosmic sea.

Immortal spirits appeared in endless number, all crashing against the blazing light ahead, unleashing the most terrible energy storm imaginable. The entire great cosmos trembled.

“Ah…”

Yun Heng let out a roar. He knew that at the moment of sublimation a weakness would emerge — that while his power was being fully raised, his defenses would fall to their lowest point. He could not afford to be interrupted. Yet he had not believed Ye Fan would be able to seize it.

But now his expression changed drastically. All of this had come so suddenly, so swiftly — Ye Fan had seized his flaw with precision, charging forward like a primal beast from the age of creation.

The heavens surged with vast power. Even the supreme beings within several Forbidden Zones changed their expressions.

The cauldron transformed into an immortal domain. Ten thousand living creatures charged in one screaming rush — true dragons, white tigers, vermillion birds, and serpent-tortoises, all plunging forward together to tear him apart.

At the very center was Ye Fan’s true body, which had transformed into the form of a Celestial Emperor. Encircled by azure dragons, set against the backdrop of divine phoenixes — tall and magnificent, not to be looked upon directly. He came forward with overwhelming dominance.

This was the original attack power, layered tenfold — a strike at the absolute limit. Everyone was shaken, including the supreme existences within the Forbidden Zones of Life who were watching from afar, all of them deeply rattled.

Boom!

A world-shaking collision erupted. The Cauldron of Myriad Mother Energies clashed against the immortal-tear green gold vase — annihilating time and space. The immortal domain struck the divine vase of the great Dao.

And the fist Ye Fan drove forward hammered directly into Yun Heng’s body — this was nothing short of an absolute killing blow. In that fleeting, vanishing instant, Ye Fan had seized his chance.

Yun Heng let out a furious roar and went flying. The bones of his chest were fractured. A bloom of blood exploded across heaven and earth. Even his brow was grazed by another Emperor fist — the frontal bone shattered, and the primordial spirit within, which was in the midst of sublimating, was as though drenched in burning oil, blazing in a raging flame.

Everyone was dumbstruck. Had Yun Heng just been struck down like this? Even his primordial spirit had been set ablaze.

Boom!

Heaven and earth shook. The star domains shuddered in chaos. Ye Fan’s killing techniques came in an unbroken torrent — he could not possibly stop here. This was only the opening move, only the beginning.

He crossed through space like a meteor — swift and fierce. With a raise of his hand, the wind and clouds transformed. The color of the cosmos changed. His right hand became the Sovereign Eternal Sword, his left hand became the Void Mirror.

The Sovereign Eternal Sword in his right hand cleaved straight downward, advancing without hesitation. The great dragon blade split the cosmos open, and the blade light nearly cut Yun Heng’s body in two, detonating a vast blood mist.

The Void Mirror in his left hand swept across the sky. Mirror light like divine beams illuminated Yun Heng’s immortal platform, seeking to destroy his primordial spirit utterly and reduce it completely to ash.

Simultaneously he drove forward with the self-created Eight Steps to Destroy the Dao — a supreme divine technique. Each time he stepped down, a thousand small worlds were opened, crashing against one another, detonating together.

Primordial chaos flooded forth. Immortal light flickered. In all of heaven and earth there was nothing more brilliant than this — Ye Fan seized the first advantage and pressed it without mercy, wave after wave of attacks arriving one after another like a storm.

The divine manifestation had already taken shape. This time it did not become the form of the Celestial Emperor — only a single small world of chaos — meant to entrap Yun Heng within and grind him to utter ruin.

“Kill!”

Ye Fan had driven himself to an absolute frenzy of slaughter. The Source Celestial Pupils opened wide, shooting forth auspicious light to hack and slash that burning primordial spirit.

Yun Heng took the full force of these blows. Even with an Emperor body, he was beaten until his physical form was in ruins, his blood dyeing the long sky.

Yet it had to be said — an Emperor body was terrifyingly powerful. Even the Great Accomplishment Holy Body, whose physical assault was unparalleled in the world, had still not been able to completely destroy him. For an Emperor body possessed incomparable restorative power. The chest that had been punctured through and the frontal bone that had been shattered were already knitting back together on their own, immortal light flowing everywhere.

Ye Fan let out a howl of rage. Every secret technique poured forth — his power was inexhaustible, and all of it fell upon his opponent’s body. No assault could be more recklessly savage than this.

Yun Heng was in mortal danger. The absolute sublimation had gone wrong. He was in the most perilous of situations — the fire of his primordial spirit blazing, seeking to make its final leap. And in this fleeting instant, so many unexpected turns had erupted.

Boom!

Ye Fan’s assault went berserk, displaying a dominance that could overawe the world — shattering the enemy’s body into pieces, blood streaming in torrents. Even a fist-sized hole was driven through the top of his skull.

Yet Yun Heng reassembled himself.

All of this unfolded in a single instant — too fast for anyone to nearly react.

For the battle opportunity vanished in the blink of an eye — only a single point within the shattered fragments of time. Even a powerhouse of this caliber could barely seize it.

“Ah…”

Yun Heng cried out. His already ruined body went flying, breaking free from Ye Fan’s divine manifestation. Both flesh and primordial spirit burned, tearing through the cosmos, escaping the pursuit.

He had suffered gravely in the first exchange, but had managed at last to break free from that battle rhythm.

In that moment, heaven and earth went silent. Yun Heng stood there drenched in blood — yet he had not flown into a rage. He was not howling in fury. His expression was cold as a glacier as he brought himself back to the most perfectly calm of states.

Every corner of the cosmos was stunned. The scene from just moments ago had been too terrifying — Ye Fan had suppressed a sovereign of the Imperial Dao and beaten him savagely, nearly destroying him outright: the physical body pulverized, the primordial spirit cleaved apart.

The result was too shocking. Everyone drew in a sharp breath of cold air.

Even the existences within the Forbidden Zones of the Northern Dipper went silent, every one of them watching through the vast and ancient void, intent on seeing what would come.

The battle just now had sounded an alarm bell for all of them. One truly could not be careless. Such a tiny flaw during the absolute sublimation process could actually bring about mortal catastrophe.

Everyone fell into silent thought. This flaw absolutely had to be sealed off — to be killed in such a manner would be too unjust.

“Only a fraction of an inch short — and a sovereign of the Imperial Dao would have been beaten to death. Too terrifying. Pressing down on an unsurpassed Imperial Dao powerhouse and killing him — the Great Accomplishment Holy Body truly can match a great emperor. That is no mere empty talk.”

“Yes — almost succeeded. It was too frightening. To suppress and slaughter an unsurpassed Imperial Dao powerhouse — the Great Accomplishment Holy Body truly can stand toe-to-toe with a great emperor. That is no idle claim.”

In that moment, the eight directions stirred. Everyone was overwhelmed. The result stunned them — Yun Heng had nearly met with great calamity.

“I underestimated you. Ruthless enough, and strong enough. The opportunity was seized with great precision. A pity — still just a fraction short.” Yun Heng said, his voice cold as an ice peak.

“It does not matter. This is only the beginning. There are plenty more opportunities. We shall take our time.” Ye Fan said with calm composure.

The speed at which Yun Heng’s physical body healed was astonishing — that was what an invincible Emperor body meant. Without any deliberate effort on his part, the injuries he had sustained had already vanished. His body radiated precious light, fully restored.

The flame of his primordial spirit blazed toward the heavens, and it had not been extinguished — that was by his own deliberate design. He was pushing toward the absolute limit of sublimation; he was making that final leap from his immortal platform. His primordial spirit had not been devastated and endangered, as many had imagined.

Yun Heng tipped the immortal-tear green gold vase upside down, and from it fell a single crystalline droplet of liquid — shimmering with seven-colored immortal light, resplendent and dazzling.

“The last drop of Nine-Cycle Immortal Liquid.” Yun Heng sighed, and swallowed it. Even though he appeared unharmed, his vitality had still taken a blow.

The final, ultimate battle erupted. The two crashed toward each other without regard for life or death, fighting until the boundless cosmos trembled, fragments of time scattering in every direction.

In the battles that followed, Ye Fan struck out multiple times to disrupt Yun Heng’s sublimation, causing it to fail again and again. Yet it was impossible to injure him as devastatingly as that first time — Yun Heng had been on guard and gave him no more openings. The last flaw was sealed shut.

The inevitable result could not be avoided. Yun Heng’s sublimation succeeded. In that moment, the aura of the great Dao covered the sky, stretching boundless and without limit, its brilliance saturating the cosmos.

Ye Fan faced the most terrifying battle of his life. He had no choice but to give everything he had. There was no retreat in this battle — only success.

There was no doubt that throughout the entire process, the “All” character secret technique had been running without pause. At this level of cultivation, the rate at which it activated was extraordinarily high, and it sustained for great lengths of time — allowing Ye Fan to reach the absolute pinnacle of his life, pushing his power to its extreme.

He was not a true being who had attained the Dao — he still had flaws. But after all, during his tribulation he had pressed more than half his body through the threshold. Now, with the “All” character secret technique in support, his combat power increased tenfold, and he could battle the ancient emperor Yun Heng.

Heaven collapsed and earth cracked. Ghosts wept and gods howled.

The process was savage beyond measure. Even Ye Fan’s physical body — mighty as it was at this stage — was shattered multiple times, beaten into blood mist by Yun Heng, his bones reduced to sand and gravel. It was a harrowing sight.

A true great emperor was unconquerable. Even already grown old, they were still invincible beneath heaven.

Ye Fan raged and howled, resisting fiercely, fighting back with full force. Every secret technique was heaped upon his body. The “Conflict” character technique struck out, supplemented by the power of the mad man’s technique for ascending to immortality and others — ten times the combat power stacked, shattering his opponent multiple times as well.

Whenever the “All” character secret technique expired, those were Ye Fan’s most dangerous moments. The grim fate of having his body and spirit obliterated together fell mostly during these times — his Emperor body torn apart, the carnage extreme and bloody.

This was the most grueling battle Ye Fan had ever endured. More than ten thousand exchanges were fought. Multiple times he hovered on the very edge of total obliteration of body and soul.

And of course, his opponent ran into tremendous trouble as well — shattered by Ye Fan multiple times, with even his remote primordial spirit nearly seized in Ye Fan’s hand, only managing to escape at the last instant.

What surprised Ye Fan was that his opponent was still drawing upon another person’s scriptures and secret techniques, deliberately concealing them — unwilling to expose his own true self.

Through this blood-soaked battle, Ye Fan came to understand deeply the terror of a great emperor. A Great Accomplishment Holy Body truly could only hold its own, and strictly speaking — in the end it would die in battle.

Yet he also came to understand the heaven-defying nature of the “All” character secret technique.

It was precisely because of this one secret technique that he had been able to fight to this point — it was the very foundation upon which he battled an ancient emperor with such force. Without it, he would truly have been in mortal peril.

“The ‘All’ character secret technique of the Emperor Venerable is indeed without equal — but it is not necessarily invincible.” Yun Heng said. His whole body radiated a wondrous brilliance, and the aura of the nine secret techniques erupted.

“What?” Ye Fan was deeply shaken. Could it be that the “All” character secret technique of the nine secret techniques had actually been created by the Emperor Venerable? No wonder it was so extraordinarily heaven-defying.

“The ninth of the Nine Great Celestial Lords survived to a second life and afterward changed their title to Emperor Venerable. Few in the world know of this, but as someone of the mythic age myself, how could I not?” Yun Heng said with cold indifference.

His whole body blazed with light and erupted with a terrifying aura. Divine marks were branded across the entire cosmos. Ye Fan immediately understood which of the nine secret techniques this was — deeply shaken, his expression growing grave to the extreme.

“I truly did not wish to expose this.” Yun Heng murmured to himself.

Within two of the Seven Forbidden Zones, terrifying auras erupted. Beams of light shook the heavens, shaking the cosmos, and dreadful voices rang out.

“It is actually you. Still alive. There is an account between us that must be settled.”

“When I was attaining the Dao, it was you who came to seize my destiny. I never imagined — you have not yet died.”

The voices from within the Forbidden Zones caused every great clan across the cosmos to tremble.