Ji Yunteng’s face turned an ashen gray. His entire body shook with fury. The last thing he had imagined was that Ye Fan would have the audacity to do something like this.

He was being hunted down by two great Holy Lands, yet he dared come alone to risk entering the Ji Family’s compound and fraudulently collect the bounty. It infuriated him beyond measure; the veins at his temple pulsed and bulged.

“Anger is bad for the body — don’t work yourself into a rage. Besides, your family is wealthy and powerful. You can afford this little bit of ore-essence.” Ye Fan smiled.

“Surnamed Ye, you are outrageously arrogant. Two great Holy Lands have issued warrants for your arrest, yet you dare come out like this and swindle our ore-essence. You will have no path to survival. The Desolate Ancient Clans must not be profaned!” Ji Yunteng’s words were ice cold.

Ye Fan’s smile did not waver: “And what are you going to do about it? Kill me?”

“I will crush you with one hand!” A radiant splendor blazed from Ji Yunteng’s entire body. Divine power surged. Streams of dragon qi wrapped around him, pushing his cultivation to its absolute limit.

“Such powerful posturing, such magnificent spirit. Then let me see just how extraordinary the young powerhouses of the Desolate Ancient Clans truly are.” Ye Fan’s cold laughter rang out without pause.

“I will end you right now!” Ji Yunteng gave a great shout — and then, without a sound, vanished into the void. He had deployed the Great Void Technique.

Swish!

What happened next was entirely unexpected. Though his mouth had been fierce, he reappeared far off in the distance — not charging toward Ye Fan at all. Ji Yunteng had chosen to flee, and at breathtaking speed.

His bluster had been pure theater, intended to hold Ye Fan in place while he prepared to run. He was arrogant, and had always considered the Desolate Ancient Clans supreme — but after personally witnessing Ye Fan slap Ji Yunbiao dead with a single blow despite Ji Yunbiao being at the Third Heavenly Layer of the Dao Palace, he immediately understood that even at the Fourth Heavenly Layer himself, he was no match for this opponent.

“Why are your words and actions so contradictory?” Ye Fan wore a warm, genial smile as he cut off Ji Yunteng’s escape route.

“You…” Ji Yunteng was stunned. His opponent had moved after him yet arrived before him.

Swish!

Ji Yunteng deployed the Great Void Technique once more, disappearing from where he stood. He had his pride and his arrogance, but he had no desire to die. He strained every method at his disposal, intent on getting away.

Yet when he burst out of the void again, he found Ye Fan standing before him once more — wearing a cold smile.

“Don’t you tire of this back and forth? Is running around amusing?”

“Surnamed Ye, you are too brazen! You’ve offended two great Holy Lands — from here on there will be no place for you under heaven.” Ji Yunteng flew backward.

“I was just planning to take a stroll around. Breaking into the Fourth Heavenly Layer of the Dao Palace requires a hundred thousand catties of ore-essence — and I’m counting on your Ji Family and Yao Guang to provide it.”

Ye Fan was unhurried. He covered the distance in a dozen steps and caught up. A golden palm the size of a millstone came sweeping down — he had no intention of giving him another chance to escape.

Shhh shhh…

Five bolts of silver radiance flared to life — like five silver dragons arcing across the sky, each as thick as a house. The silver dragons swept and intersected, forming a dragon-shear, slashing toward Ye Fan’s golden great hand.

This was the Ji Family’s supreme art: the Heaven-Severing Finger — its power tremendous. But its potency depended entirely on who wielded it. Compared to Ye Fan in terms of combat power, Ji Yunteng was at an absolute disadvantage.

Crack!

The five silver dragon-lights were shattered by the golden great palm. The great hand came slicing down and — snap — Ji Yunteng’s expression changed drastically as that arm was shattered on the spot.

“Ahhh…”

He cried out to the heavens and exerted every ounce of his remaining strength, unleashing another divine art recorded in the Void Scripture — he opened his mouth and expelled a breath of Grand Dao qi, sending it surging toward Ye Fan.

This was a technique recorded in the Void Ancient Scripture: the Innate Supreme Void Gang Qi. It was forged from the practitioner’s innate primal qi blended with the void itself — capable of breaking through anything, unstoppable by any divine weapon or precious blade.

It was clearly visible: a current of air burst from Ji Yunteng’s mouth, embodying the Innate Supreme Void, and twisted the surrounding space.

Clang!

Ye Fan did not dodge whatsoever. He swung his golden fist — as though striking a weight of ten thousand falling meteors. The sound was deafening.

Hum!

The Innate Supreme Void Gang Qi — said to be capable of breaking through any substance — was dispersed by a single punch. Blinding divine radiance exploded outward and transformed into a surging torrent that blasted in all directions, making the entire surrounding void shudder.

Thud!

The mountain peak they stood near, no more than a few dozen meters away, was caught in the dispersing energy. The Innate Supreme Void Gang Qi sliced off three to four meters of its height. The severed face was perfectly smooth.

“You…” Ji Yunteng’s face flushed crimson. His innate primal qi had been expelled, draining nine-tenths of his divine power — yet his opponent had dispersed it with a single punch. Truly beyond his capacity to accept.

“A remarkable art — but you must consider who you’re deploying it against. It seems every member of the Ji Family’s younger generation has mastered two or three secret techniques recorded in the Void Ancient Scripture. Would you be willing to explain them to me one by one?” Ye Fan pressed forward.

“Surnamed Ye, don’t get too pleased with yourself. The Ji Family produces gifted talents in abundance — countless members of the younger generation could suppress you for all eternity. You will have no path to survival!” Ji Yunteng gritted his teeth.

“In the future I will go seek out those talented individuals you speak of.” Ye Fan sent another palm crashing forward.

Bang!

Ji Yunteng tried to dodge — but he was not faster than that golden great hand. It caught him squarely, and like a cracked drum, his body was shattered. He fell crashing to the ground.

“What do you want with me when you’re not killing me?” Ji Yunteng gritted his teeth.

“I want you to teach me about the Void Ancient Scripture.” Ye Fan descended to the ground, his face carrying a warm, gentle smile.

“Dream on!” Ji Yunteng snarled.

Suddenly, Ye Fan raised his head and looked toward the distant horizon. Four silhouettes moved without touching the ground — like immortals skimming across the water, their robes fluttering — approaching rapidly.

He said with sardonic amusement: “Your Ji Family really does think highly of me. Four more have come — intent on a clean sweep, leaving no loose ends, and no gossip to worry about.”

Crash!

Ye Fan sent a kick flying, launching Ji Yunteng into the air. He crashed down with fractures all over his body and lay motionless on the ground, unable to utter a single word.

Ji Yunteng was consumed with shame and fury. He had vowed to stomp the opponent to death with one foot — and now here he was, reduced to this state. His opponent was clearly keeping him alive, obviously intending to plunder the divine techniques recorded in the Void Ancient Scripture.

Swish!

Ye Fan swept his robe sleeve wide, tearing a great crack in the ground. Another sweep of his sleeve buried Ji Yunteng within it.

It wasn’t long before the four silhouettes on the horizon drew close. They halted in an instant, dust untouched around them. Eight eyes like eight sharp blades fixed upon Ye Fan.

“Is there something you need from me?”

“Stop wasting words. Where are Ji Yunteng and Ji Yunbiao?” One of them sensed something was wrong and asked harshly, his face darkening.

“Those are your Ji Family’s people. What does that have to do with me? Why ask me?” Ye Fan’s expression was impassive.

“They came here after you. How can they simply vanish?” that person bellowed.

“Ah — they came after me? For what purpose?” Ye Fan asked calmly.

The four advanced on him. One of them wore an icy expression: “Stop evading the question. Tell us quickly — where are Ji Yunteng and Ji Yunbiao?”

“Don’t shout at me. Am I obligated to look after them?” Ye Fan’s expression grew cold.

All four Ji Family members sensed that something was off. They each stepped back slightly to avoid any accident, preparing themselves to either fight or retreat — but one among them was still domineering and bellowed: “Stop playing games. Tell us where they are or you’ll know the consequences.”

Crack!

Ye Fan suddenly swept his wide sleeve forward and struck that Ji Family disciple, sending him stumbling backward. His voice was cold: “Who exactly are you accusing of playing games? What consequences are you referring to?”

“You…” that Ji Family disciple’s expression changed dramatically. He pointed at Ye Fan: “You dare strike me first?”

Disciples of the Desolate Ancient Clans were surrounded by adulation wherever they went. Rarely did anyone dare to cross them.

“What kind of thing are you? What of it if I strike you?” Ye Fan laughed coldly. His wide sleeve spread like a great iron cloud sweeping through the void.

Crack!

The broad robe sleeve was like an iron plate, sweeping through the void and landing squarely. This Ji Family disciple raised his arms to block — completely futile. He was sent flying.

Bang!

This Ji Family disciple erupted with rage. He soared into the air and stood in the high sky, eyes shimmering with icy light and endless killing intent. Then he inverted himself — head down, feet up — and dove downward. The Void Great Handprint slammed down with tremendous force, a black great hand like a black wall pressing down, enough to make the heart tremble.

Yet Ye Fan did not move a single inch. He did not dodge. He looked up and watched as the figure descended, right until the black great hand was nearly upon him — only then did he suddenly reach out his left hand with a crash and grab upward.

“Fall back!” The three behind him shouted, warning this Ji Family disciple.

Bang!

But it was too late. With his left hand alone, Ye Fan caught the Void Great Handprint. A single hand broke through the void, seized hold of it, and dragged him from the air — as easy as plucking a small chick, utterly effortless.

Crack!

He raised his hand and delivered a slap directly to the man’s face, sending spittle and blood flying in all directions.

“You want to make an enemy of the Ji Family?” the disciple spat out a mouthful of blood — obviously frightened, though his words were still bold.

“So what if I strike a Ji Family member? Do you truly think the Ji Family is the Ancient Emperor of the Eastern Wastelands?” Ye Fan laughed coldly. Another raise of the hand — another slap — and this time blood streamed from the man’s nose and mouth.

The three behind him were not as reckless as this one. From the very beginning they had sensed something was wrong and maintained their distance from Ye Fan. They could choose to fight or to retreat.

At this moment, they did not choose to intervene. They turned and immediately walked away — decisively. Because they had a premonition they were no match.

It was, however, already too late.

Shhh, shhh, shhh…

Ye Fan struck out dozens of small banners, planting them all in the ground. Mist rose and surged, obscuring this entire area and cutting off their path of retreat. These were all talismanic implements forged by the Black Emperor, inscribed with complex Dao patterns — trapping cultivators at the Dao Palace Secret Realm posed no problem whatsoever.

Ye Fan grabbed that Ji Family disciple and gave him a fierce, thorough thrashing of successive slaps until the man had more breath leaving than entering, then tossed him to the ground like a dead dog.

The other three had completely changed color. A disciple at the Third Heavenly Layer of the Dao Palace had been rendered utterly powerless, subjected to more than a dozen slaps and kicked over onto the ground — it chilled them to the core.

“My friend, why must it be like this? Ji Yunsheng has always been reckless and hot-tempered, forever getting into trouble with people. If just now he offended you, I apologize on his behalf.” One of them spoke up.

Ji Yunsheng, still dribbling blood from his lips, let out a groan and struggled painfully to rise. But he no longer dared utter any wild words; fear had entered his eyes. He knew he had stirred up serious trouble.

The other three were deeply uneasy. Trapped in this place, they were in extreme danger.

“Friend, this is all a complete misunderstanding. You were providing information to help our Ji Family pursue and kill the villain Ye Fan — if anything, we’re on the same side. We are grateful for your help.”

“Ji Yunsheng, apologize immediately. You were told over and over not to be so rash, yet today you’ve caused trouble again. You’ll answer for this when we return!”

The three wore smiles and offered explanations, while at the same time ordering Ji Yunsheng to apologize — all to buy time.

Ye Fan smiled: “There is no need for an apology. Because the person you’ve been looking for — is me, Ye Fan.”

“What?!” All four were thunderstruck.

When Ye Fan revealed his true identity and pulled Ji Yunteng — buried in the ground crack — back out, all four of them changed color, so furious they nearly spat blood.

“What do you intend?”

“I have a great interest in the Innate Supreme Void Gang Qi. I wish to learn it from you.”