Upon this reddish-brown earth of the Northern Region, the Jiang Family had produced a Great Emperor, and the Jade Pool had produced an Empress Mother. It was precisely because of the existence of such figures—who founded world-shaking ancient sutras and left behind supreme Dao weapons—that these lineages transcended the mortal world, remaining prosperous through a hundred thousand, even two hundred thousand years of inheritance.
From the carved inscriptions within Purple Mountain, one could see that the ancients had revered Emperor Wushi to the utmost extreme.
Unfortunately, simply because he left behind no formal lineage, this supreme emperor who had once shaken the ancient era gradually became buried beneath the dust of history—few now knew his name at all.
In the distant ancient era there had been Gu Tianshu; in the recent four to five thousand years there had been Jiang Taixu—both had desperately yearned for the Wushi Sutra, regarding their inability to see it as a lifelong regret.
What Ye Fan lacked most was cultivation methods, and he yearned for the Wushi Sutra tremendously, wishing he could once again enter Purple Mountain, guarded by nine dragon veins, and open that heavy stone sutra.
“Patriarch, you absolutely cannot let this Daoist escape—I believe he must be from the same sect as that fat Daoist priest.” Du Chengkun’s eyes blazed with fury as he struggled to rise from the ground.
“Supreme Sect Master, you must kill this scoundrel!” Li Youran seethed with indignation, ordering the disciples around him, “Seal the mountain—lock down Qingxia Sect, don’t let him escape!”
Ye Fan swept a glance over them and shook his head. “Allow me instead.” He hurled out a hundred and eight great banners, which shot toward Qingxia’s eighteen peaks, completely sealing the area shut.
“You… you’ve sealed us in here instead?!”
Du Chengkun and Li Youran were deeply shocked by Ye Fan’s action, then sneered coldly.
“He really thinks he’s some kind of grandmaster!”
“At his age, trying to defeat the Supreme Sect Master? Truly… hahaha…”
Xuanyue Cave’s Supreme Elder, white hair fluttering, seated cross-legged on the mountain peak, suddenly opened his eyes, bright as two pearls. “You’re quite confident—do you intend to kill us all here?”
“I believe it should be possible.” Ye Fan smiled.
“Observing your aura, you’re clearly but a youth—formidable indeed for one so young.” Xuanyue Cave’s Supreme Elder rose to his full height. “I simply don’t know whether you truly possess such strength.”
“Try it and see.”
“Even heirs of the sacred grounds wouldn’t dare walk the mortal world so boldly at your age—you’re quite arrogant indeed.” Lihuo Sect’s Supreme Elder emerged from the waterfall.
“Today, there’s no use saying anything else—you’re all waiting here to kill me.” Ye Fan spread his Daoist robe and stepped forward as well. “I’ve come back to eliminate you too. One might say only one side can survive.”
The disciples nearby, seeing this, all began discussing amongst themselves—most simply could not believe a mere youth could defeat two elder powerhouses of the Third Secret Realm of the Dao Palace.
“Has he gone mad? Sure, he could send Senior Brother Li flying, but how could he possibly match the Supreme Sect Master?!”
“Don’t you know some people are just extremely arrogant, always wanting to measure how high the sky is and how deep the earth goes, only to bury themselves in the end, hahaha…”
In such a remote region, for a low-tier sect like this, even the most gifted genius could not possibly cultivate to such a terrifying level.
Because they had all heard that even outstanding disciples of the sacred grounds found it difficult to achieve this at such an age.
“Could it be he really does have some kind of sect backing him, and someone’s already arrived? Otherwise, isn’t he just courting death?”
“Some people are willing to court death—why worry about it? If I were the Supreme Sect Master, I’d slap him and shatter every bone in his body outright, but let him linger a few more hours before dying, so he can taste the bitter fruit of his own arrogance.”
Ye Fan glanced back at them. His gaze was calm, yet these people all found themselves involuntarily shutting their mouths.
“Let me see just what tricks you have up your sleeve!” Before the waterfall, Lihuo Sect’s Supreme Elder, feet not touching the ground, body perfectly still, drifted forward like a ghost.
Still ten zhang away, his arm suddenly trembled violently, his right hand curling into a claw shape, each finger stretching several meters long, dark and blue-black, wreathed in strands of purple lightning crackling and sparking.
The sky instantly filled with a heart-trembling aura—a destructive force, savage and terrifying!
The massive dark blue-black claw continued to expand, and in almost an instant covered the sky, spanning over a hundred meters in every direction, thunder and lightning flashing, like a black cloud completely enveloping Ye Fan beneath it.
“Crack!”
Blood-colored lightning crisscrossed, descending from within that giant claw, slashing down. This was the combination of secret technique and divine power, swift and domineering!
The giant claw spanned the sky, pressing down upon heaven and earth—such a powerful attack left people feeling suffocated.
Ye Fan faced it calmly. His response was simple and direct—he swung his right fist to meet it head-on, a golden fist that seemed not like flesh and blood, radiating light in all directions, as if freshly forged from a divine furnace.
Everyone present had full confidence in Lihuo Sect’s Supreme Elder—after all, this was an elder powerhouse of the Third Realm of the Dao Palace; dealing with a young expert should be almost effortless.
“BOOM!”
But the result defied everyone’s expectations—that golden fist surged upward against the void, instantly shattering that massive claw of light, its might undiminished, lightning still flashing.
“BANG!”
Ye Fan’s golden fist, possessing incomparable destructive power, unstoppable and unbreakable, instantly shattered the fingers of Lihuo Sect’s Supreme Elder’s claw.
Blood spattered, streaks of light flashed, and Lihuo Sect’s Supreme Elder, as if bitten by a venomous snake, trembled through half his body and was sent flying backward.
It was hard to imagine just how much power Ye Fan’s golden fist truly held—what had actually made contact was the claw of light, yet merely a graze from the golden battle-qi against this Supreme Elder’s physical body was already unbearable, his entire right arm completely deformed and twisted.
“How is this possible? How old is he, that his physical body could be so overwhelmingly powerful, sending an elder powerhouse of the Third Realm of the Dao Palace flying?”
“This is simply too incredible—a physical body comparable to a treasured weapon, pure physical strength shattering the Supreme Elder’s arm to pieces. This…”
The disciples all gasped in shock, never having imagined such an outcome. Recalling what they had said moments earlier, chills ran down their spines.
This little Daoist priest was simply a monstrosity—likely even more terrifying than heirs of the sacred grounds his own age. Facing such an opponent, no one could laugh anymore.
At this moment, everyone turned to look at Ye Fan, and to their shock discovered he stood with hands clasped behind his back, Daoist robes fluttering, that previous strike having been utterly casual.
“You…” The shock in Lihuo Sect’s Supreme Elder’s heart could not be expressed in words.
His head of white hair flew in disarray as he quickly reattached his severed arm, let out a great shout, and slowly traced his fingers through the air, as if lifting a great mountain, shaking out a terrifying aura like a raging tide crashing against heaven.
“BOOM!”
Within his embrace, a mountain peak truly materialized, held against his chest, filling his entire bosom, radiating an indescribable oppressive force, possessing incomparable and overwhelming pressure!
“Mountain-Embracing Seal!”
Lihuo Sect’s disciples cried out in shock—this was Lihuo Sect’s mountain-guarding supreme technique, the highest secret of the sect, one that several generations of sect leaders had failed to master. They had not expected the sect’s strongest Supreme Elder to have achieved it.
Though this mountain peak was genuine, it was not large—rather quite small—yet that terrifying pressure shook people’s hearts, hazy wisps of mist swirling out from it.
This mountain peak, held in the embrace of Lihuo Sect’s Supreme Elder, shook out ocean-like terrifying waves, incomparably heavy—the very void beneath his feet caved in from the pressure!
“Suppress!”
Lihuo Sect’s Supreme Elder shouted out but a single word, and the Mountain-Embracing Seal pressed down, unstoppable! A great peak towered in the high heavens, its might capable of tearing apart souls, leaving many people with a terrifying sense of suffocation, utterly unable to breathe.
Around them, the young disciples collapsed to the ground on the spot—this immense pressure was like a demonic mountain suppressing them, something they simply could not bear.
A chill ran through Ye Fan’s heart—an elder cultivator of the Third Realm of the Dao Palace truly was terrifying. One realm, one world unto itself; a single realm higher was equivalent to ascending to another heaven entirely.
This gap, like that between immortal and mortal, was a chasm fundamentally impossible to cross. Any other cultivator at his level would have been utterly unable to contend with it, certainly suppressed to death on the spot.
But Ye Fan’s constitution was unique—his body like a bottomless pit, requiring far more heavenly and earthly essence during cultivation than ordinary people.
And this was precisely what gave him the foundation to strike an “immortal” as a mere “mortal,” allowing him to cross the heavenly chasm and slay powerhouses of a higher realm!
“Mountain-Embracing Seal—it won’t kill me!” Ye Fan shouted this low warning, yet dared not underestimate his opponent, his expression utterly solemn as his hands slowly traced through the air, likewise shaking out a terrifying aura.
Above his head, a great peak appeared spanning the void, as if cutting across primordial heaven and earth, shattering through space and time itself—its boundless grandeur and majesty making people’s hearts, souls, spirits, and essence tremble uncontrollably.
At first hazy and indistinct, it quickly grew clear, like the vast ocean giving rise to a heaven-soaring dragon, like the earth thrusting up a heavenly pillar.
The great peak was like the heavens themselves!
The magnificent ancient mountain stood above Ye Fan—he seemed to bear the blue heaven upon his very back!
At this moment, with Ye Fan at its center, powerful waves of energy roared out like a great river, surging forth, ravaging all directions!
Above his head, the great peak held up the heavens, silver waterfalls cascading down from it, long rivers surging, ancient trees towering skyward, birds and beasts flying and running—all clearly visible!
“Mountains and Rivers Grand Seal!”
Ye Fan shouted loudly, both hands raised to the heavens, the great peak spanning the void like an abyss bursting from its cage, striking to shatter the vast sky!
This was one of the Nine Secrets, a supreme technique within the Life-Taking Grand Art—all directions trembled, everyone present struck with terror.
The great peak pressed down, suppressing the mountain before it.
The Mountains and Rivers Grand Seal against the Mountain-Embracing Seal!
The two great peaks collided violently, like the sea collapsing and the earth caving in, like heaven overturning and earth capsizing, a spine-chilling aura shaking outward in all directions.
Everywhere was raging waves, everywhere was beams of light, everywhere was destructive force—beneath this sky, there remained no place of peace and quiet.
“BOOM!”
A boundless thunderous roar, heaven and earth overturning—after the two mountain peaks collided violently, a wild, domineering aura swept through heaven and earth, surging toward all directions.
The Mountain-Embracing Seal was utterly defeated!
The Mountains and Rivers Grand Seal remained condensed and unscattered, splitting heaven and shaking earth!
Lihuo Sect’s Supreme Elder’s chest caved in on the spot, his body shriveling instantly like a broken drum, sent flying several hundred meters through the air.
Every bone in his body cracked and popped continuously, clearly fractured in many places, many areas completely deformed.
Ye Fan stood tall, head held high, without a single injury, his Daoist robe snapping in the wind. He strode through the void, light and graceful, each step covering a hundred meters, as if compressing the earth itself—in the blink of an eye he arrived before his opponent.
The Mountains and Rivers Grand Seal trembled, its might pressing down on all directions, heavy as the heavens, suspended above his head.
Two sharp beams of light shot from Ye Fan’s eyes, the Mountains and Rivers Grand Seal pressing down—making both mind and soul tremble!
Lihuo Sect’s Supreme Elder, though beaten into a broken form, was indeed an extraordinarily powerful cultivator. He opened his mouth and spat out a brilliant, glowing bronze furnace.
The bronze furnace was but an inch tall, extremely crystalline, radiant throughout. Facing the wind, it unfurled and rapidly expanded, instantly positioning itself before him, blocking the Mountains and Rivers Grand Seal.
“CLANG!”
The Mountains and Rivers Grand Seal pressed down, striking the bronze furnace, producing a tremendous sound, like great bronze bells tolling, echoing on and on without end.
Ye Fan was startled at heart—this bronze furnace had not been destroyed, and was still expanding, towering between heaven and earth, possessing an aura of eternal indestructibility.
“Die!”
He shouted softly, continuing to drive the mountain-peak seal, striking forward with a thunderous blow—he did not believe this bronze furnace could withstand the Battle Sage Technique.
“CLANG!”
The lingering vibrating tone echoed through heaven and earth, the bronze furnace trembling once again, and at the same time expanding considerably more, its radiance brilliant, already standing like a mountain peak in the void.
At the same time, Lihuo Sect’s Supreme Elder’s shriveled body crackled and popped, his bones reconnecting, his flesh swelling back up.
Though his vital energy was severely damaged and his essence-blood depleted, in this short span of time he had regained the strength to fight once more, drawing upon his latent potential and Dao power.
“BOOM!”
Flames surged skyward within the bronze furnace, and Lihuo Sect’s Supreme Elder seized this opportunity to flee, positioning himself in the distant sky, staring at Ye Fan in disbelief—such a crushing defeat left a chill in his heart.
By this point, everyone present felt a wave of terror—such a young Daoist priest, possessing such terrifying combat power, his seal like a mountain, had utterly defeated Lihuo Sect’s Supreme Elder. It was truly bone-chilling.
The disciples who had collapsed to the ground moments earlier finally regained their senses, quickly retreating, and felt their scalps prickle whenever they looked at Ye Fan.
This gently smiling young Daoist priest instilled endless fear in them. Recalling the words they had spoken earlier, everyone couldn’t help but feel a lingering dread.
Xuanyue Cave’s true disciple Li Youran and Lihuo Sect’s chief disciple Du Chengkun both turned ashen-faced—this young Daoist priest was much younger than them, yet so overwhelmingly powerful, having nearly struck down an elder powerhouse.
“Even outstanding disciples of the sacred grounds are probably no more than this.” Lihuo Sect’s Supreme Elder sighed.
“They…” Ye Fan smiled faintly, walking forward slowly.
On the mountain peak, Xuanyue Cave’s Supreme Sect Master, who had not yet made a move, descended. “That you are not an heir of the sacred grounds makes this all the more astonishing—in the future, you will surely become a great enemy to the holy sons and holy maidens of all the great sacred grounds.”
Ye Fan could not help but take these two opponents seriously—Third Realm of the Dao Palace, a full realm higher, was indeed a formidable adversary for him.
“If we let him grow, we will face great calamity—for now, we have no choice but to join forces!” Lihuo Sect’s Supreme Elder’s expression turned grave.
“Very well. Today I shall strangle a genius in the bud, commit an act of utter annihilation!” Xuanyue Cave’s Supreme Sect Master nodded.
“Trying to strangle me will likely prove quite difficult—let me instead send you both on your way!” Ye Fan’s expression remained calm, yet an intangible killing intent permeated all directions.
At this moment, he seemed to merge with the very heavens, as if achieving unity between man and heaven. With every motion of his hands and feet, the aura of the Dao circulated, his body trembling with terrifying Dao power. As his Lung’s Divine Vault drew upon the great momentum of heaven and earth, it truly seemed as if a stretch of blue sky itself was pressing down!
He bore the blue heaven upon his back, the Mountains and Rivers Grand Seal suspended above his head, birds flying and beasts running across it, silver waterfalls cascading down, mountains and rivers stretching boundlessly, ancient and magnificent, its might overwhelming.