Ye Fan strode toward the Light Divine Hall, a cauldron just over a meter tall hovering above his head, from which strands of primordial mother qi drifted downward in a curtain of fine threads.
The Black Emperor hid within the cauldron as a hidden force, waiting for the critical moment to act.
The moment Ye Fan entered the hall, a chorus of startled cries broke out. His cauldron drew every eye — it was impossible not to notice.
The primordial mother qi source — one would not expect to find even a single strand of it by searching all across the Eastern Desolation for a hundred generations. Yet his entire cauldron had been forged from this substance, without a trace of any other material.
This was, one could almost say, the rough form of a transcendent weapon — something capable of driving men to madness, a peerless treasure that the heirs of every sacred ground had dreamed of.
In that moment, everyone present erupted. Many who had never laid eyes on Ye Fan before could nonetheless deduce it was him. For there was no other example under heaven — only he possessed such a sacred object.
A disciple of a great sect leapt forward and declared, “A sacred object like the primordial mother qi source — even the great masters of the sacred grounds can only gaze at it from afar and never touch it. What virtue or merit does a small cultivator of the Secret Realm of the Dao Palace have to possess such a thing?”
“In your opinion, what sort of person ought to possess it?” Ye Fan said with a faint smile.
Not everyone had charged toward the Chaos Stone and been frozen in place there. A fair number of cultivators with somewhat weaker cultivation — those who reckoned they could not win the competition — had remained standing in the hall, feet on the ground, without flying up.
“Sacred objects should be held in the hands of great sects. Only then does one act in accordance with the will of heaven and earth, ensuring such treasures do not gather dust.” He wore an air of lofty superiority.
“Come then — tell me which sect you belong to. I will clean my ears and listen carefully.” Ye Fan looked at him.
“Stop playing the fool. You have the audacity to come here, and today you will not be leaving. Leave the cauldron behind!” The disciple’s killing intent blazed openly.
“And you think you’re capable of taking it?” Ye Fan laughed loudly, giving him a quick glance. This man was no more than the first level of the Dao Palace Secret Realm — not bad for his age in general terms, but it all depended on comparison.
Today, with so many sacred sons assembled, the so-called geniuses of the Dao Palace Secret Realm were simply not worth mentioning. Setting aside the sacred sons entirely, even the weakest among those frozen above possessed at least a fourth-level Dao Palace cultivation.
“I am a disciple of the Northern Region’s Phantom Annihilation Palace. Today, even if you surrender the cauldron, you will not keep your life!” He turned to several others beside him. “Senior brothers, junior brothers — what are you waiting for? Capture him, kill him, and take the cauldron.”
With the most powerful sacred sons restrained, and the geniuses of the great sects frozen in the air, the strongest on the ground were no higher than the third level of the Dao Palace Secret Realm. In a sense, this was their opportunity — no young supreme powerhouses were here to compete with them.
If they could seize the primordial mother qi source, it would be far more valuable than any Chaos Stone. It was a sacred object exclusive to great emperors — its worth beyond measure.
Ye Fan’s lips curled into a faint cold smile. “Phantom Annihilation Palace — I’ve heard of it. A great sect of the Northern Region. But are you not afraid that such blatant plundering will bring disgrace upon your name?”
“Kill him — a man about to die has too many words.” This disciple was the first to charge.
“Flash!”
A burst of light — and he vanished into thin air. At the same time, the other three closed in from all sides, appearing and disappearing like ghosts, their trajectories impossible to track.
This was their trump card. The very name of their sect, “Phantom Annihilation,” referred to their body technique — it made them as elusive as specters, nearly impossible to catch.
Moreover, three of them were at the same cultivation level as Ye Fan — both at the second level of the Dao Palace — which was why they acted with such confidence.
“Surrender the divine cauldron and we’ll make it quick!” The Phantom Annihilation Palace disciple at the first level of the Dao Palace did not dare approach directly, choosing instead to coordinate with his senior and junior brothers.
“You intend to kill me even after I surrender the cauldron, and you call this showing generosity?” Ye Fan said.
“We’ll make it quick — Phantom Annihilation Palace never drags things out. We guarantee a single, clean kill.” One of them said with a mocking smirk.
These people had heard Ye Fan’s name before but had never taken it seriously. As disciples of a great Northern Region sect, they were all arrogant and proud. In their eyes, outside the sacred grounds, they had no worthy opponents.
“What grand words. Very well — allow me to send you all on your way together.” Ye Fan’s expression was utterly composed.
“Swish!”
One of the Phantom Annihilation Palace disciples struck. A great net of sky-blue descended like a canopy, brilliant as a field of stars, glimmering with scattered points of light.
“Flash!”
The blue net enveloped what was inside it, and the group laughed, preparing to refine their catch — then suddenly every one of them went pale. It was nothing but a residual afterimage. The true person was not there at all.
One could imagine just how swift Ye Fan had become. The mad elder’s footwork technique had been pushed to its absolute limit, striking like lightning.
“Smack!” “Smack!” “Smack!”
Muffled, forceful impacts rang out in rapid succession, sounding almost as one. The three great experts of Phantom Annihilation Palace were struck as though by thunder — every single one of them caught by a single palm strike.
“Spit!”
Almost simultaneously, all three shattered into pieces, vanishing on the spot and dissolving into a mist of blood.
“You…” The sole surviving Phantom Annihilation Palace disciple — at the first level of the Dao Palace — went deathly pale.
“So this is the great Northern Region sect, Phantom Annihilation Palace?” Ye Fan said with a smile.
“All of our most outstanding disciples are frozen above. Were it otherwise, you would have long since been annihilated in body and soul.” This disciple’s spine had some backbone — he did not beg for mercy.
“Oh? Which ones? Point them out for me.” Ye Fan looked up toward the air, where the Chaos Stone held many frozen in place.
“Senior brothers — avenge me in the future!” the disciple called out loudly.
“A pity — your stubbornness is wasted in the wrong place.” Ye Fan shook his head, then struck swiftly, cutting the disciple down.
“You truly don’t know how high the sky is or how deep the earth goes, daring to come here.” Someone walked slowly out from the crowd — composed, regarding Ye Fan the way one regards a dead man. “Nothing more needs to be said. Leave the cauldron behind, then kneel to one side and await judgment.”
That tone was enough to make even the Black Emperor hidden inside the cauldron erupt with rage, nearly leaping out to charge and kill.
Yet Ye Fan’s heart gave a jolt. This man was at the fourth level of the Dao Palace — stronger than anyone else here. He had assumed all fourth-level Dao Palace cultivators had flown up into the air and been frozen by the Chaos Stone. He had not expected one to be lurking in the crowd.
“And who are you?”
“Song Tianfeng, disciple of the Northern Region’s Five Elements Hall.” He stepped forward with measured paces, perfectly steady and composed.
Ye Fan had crossed realms and cut down enemies beyond his level, slaying several third-level cultivators — but he had never truly fought against someone at the fourth level of the Dao Palace. He felt the danger keenly.
“Did you not hear what I said?” Song Tianfeng clasped his hands behind his back, his expression neutral. “Leave the cauldron behind, then kneel to one side and await judgment.”
Ye Fan smiled — broadly, brilliantly. His white teeth gleamed with a crystalline luster, and his refined features appeared young, even carrying a trace of innocence.
“Do you find it amusing? Am I to wait until I walk over and break both your legs before you kneel?” Song Tianfeng continued advancing at a slow and steady pace.
“I’m smiling because you truly know nothing at all about me.” Ye Fan’s brilliant smile faded. He shook his head.
“I have no need to know anything about a dead man.” Song Tianfeng continued closing in step by step, reaching out with a great hand black as ink — large as a house — pressing down with crushing force as he commanded: “Kneel!”
“Halt!”
Ye Fan let out a low cry. A streak of golden sword light shot out from between his brows — his powerful divine sense materialized and surged forward. The opponent had no idea he possessed this hidden killing technique and had actually strolled within range — an act of pure self-destruction.
“Ahhh…” Song Tianfeng cried out, clutching his brow, staggering backward.
But it was already too late. He had come too close — there was no escaping this calamity. His divine sense took a devastating blow. With a thud, one knee hit the ground.
“You…” He had barely gotten out that one word before a golden sword barely an inch long streaked forward and pierced straight through his forehead with a dull thud.
“Bang!”
Song Tianfeng let out a muffled grunt, and his corpse toppled to the ground.
Many people did not realize Ye Fan had killed using divine sense. Everyone was startled — until one of them cried out in recognition, and the others finally understood.
“Ye Fan — you truly have the courage of an immortal, daring to come and get involved even in circumstances like this!” Several people stepped out in a line. The weakest among them was still at the second level of the Dao Palace, and two of them were at the fourth level.
“The Ji Family!” Ye Fan’s expression darkened. He bore a deep enmity with this clan.
On the other side, several more emerged from the crowd — disciples of the Yao Guang Sacred Ground, including experts at the fourth level of the Dao Palace.
Both the Ji Family and Yao Guang had moved. The others gathered as well, including members of the great sacred grounds — though those had not yet acted, their eyes were fixed on Ye Fan’s cauldron. Their intent was obvious: they wanted to seize it.
At the same time, every one of them offered up a weapon and held it before their foreheads, guarding against an assault by divine sense.
“Ha ha ha…” Seeing them do this, Ye Fan could not help but burst out laughing.
Today, Ye Fan’s name was destined to spread far and wide — making disciples of every sacred ground regard him with such wariness.
In truth, after this day, many would blanch at the mere mention of his name. When facing him, the very first thought would be to put up a defensive barrier.
“Flash!”
Ye Fan leapt upward. He had no wish to waste any more time here — a risk of something unexpected happening was mounting.
The ancient cauldron, barely over a meter tall, cascaded strings of primal yellow-brown qi from above his head — like threads of silk, strand after strand, dense and thick, wrapping him entirely in protection.
With the cauldron hovering above his head, nothing impeded him. The streams of auspicious light shooting from the Chaos Stone were all effortlessly dissolved by the primordial mother qi.
In that instant, every face in the hall changed. This sacred object was too astonishing — truly the immortal material that even great emperors had longed for!
The peerless rare treasure — the Chaos Stone itself — could not even restrain him. Before the primordial mother qi, it was rendered completely helpless. Everyone’s desire to possess it intensified even further.
This was without question the rough form of a transcendent weapon. Once Dao and principle were eventually born within it, it would reign supreme over the Eastern Desolation, its might pressing down upon all under heaven.
“The despicable Daoist still hasn’t appeared…” Ye Fan muttered to himself, but he dared not let his guard down and remained ready to traverse the void at any moment. In a few steps he reached the strange black stone.
“Swish!”
A flash of light — he grasped the ancient scroll in his hand. Only then did he allow himself to exhale with relief.
Next, he attempted to put away the Chaos Stone as well, but he found his divine power insufficient to manage it. The black stone was far too heavy; without first refining it, taking it away was all but impossible.
“Release the beast-hide scroll!” The people below were genuinely furious. After so much effort, to have it snatched away like this — they could not accept it.
“Are you shouting at me? Don’t provoke me — or I may accidentally cut down your sacred sons and daughters.” Ye Fan swept his gaze downward.
With those words, a chill settled over every heart present. The finest disciples of every sacred ground and great sect were all frozen in mid-air — only Ye Fan was unaffected.
If he went berserk, the consequences would be truly dreadful. At that thought, everyone felt a wave of fear, a deep, creeping dread.
“Flash!”
Ye Fan, cauldron atop his head, strode forward and walked directly up to the Golden-Winged Xiaopeng King. His right hand swung out like a great golden millstone.
“Bang!”
The Golden-Winged Xiaopeng King was sent flying backward, though he was quickly frozen again by the force field formed around the Chaos Stone — restrained, barely able to struggle.
“You can’t kill me, brat!” The Golden-Winged Xiaopeng King’s eyes blazed with feral light. Frozen in the air since the beginning, he had only now gritted his teeth and spoken.
“Bang!”
Ye Fan struck again. The golden fist — heavy and powerful — sent the Golden-Winged Xiaopeng King crashing straight into the Chaos Stone. The entire hall shook.
Around them, every sacred son’s face changed — yet no one spoke. Everyone felt a creeping chill spreading through their bodies.
Ye Fan continued to stride forward, surveying all directions.
Ji Haoyue, the Sacred Son of Yao Guang, Yao Xi, the Sacred Daughter of Yaochi… every single one of them changed expression.
Under Ye Fan’s gaze, the many sacred sons and daughters of Dayang, the Jiang Family, Wanchu, Zifu, and Dao Yi all felt uneasy, dreading the moment he might come for them.