As Ye Fan walked through Purple Sky Capital, he noticed nothing out of the ordinary. But Xiao Nannan tugged at the hem of his robe and said in her sweet, innocent voice, “There’s a person who keeps appearing.”

“What?!”

Ye Fan’s heart lurched. His spiritual perception was extraordinarily acute, yet he had picked up on nothing at all — not even the faintest trace of awareness. This was no good omen. If whoever was approaching harbored hostile intentions toward him, he could suffer greatly.

“They change into a different person each time. They’ve appeared quite a few times now.” Xiao Nannan said sweetly.

“Where?” A thread of unease stirred in Ye Fan’s heart.

“They’ve already vanished. Each time they don’t stay long — they may appear again.” The little girl blinked her large eyes and gazed out into the crowd.

“Have any of you noticed anything unusual?” Ye Fan asked the Black Emperor and Li Heishui.

Both were deeply shaken — they had sensed absolutely nothing and had no idea they had been followed. This put them all on alert: whoever this person was, they were clearly no ordinary figure.

They questioned Xiao Nannan in detail to understand what kind of person this was.

“They change into a completely different appearance each time, but Nannan can recognize them at a single glance…” Xiao Nannan said in her tender voice.

All of them couldn’t help but be amazed. Xiao Nannan’s spiritual perception was extraordinarily keen, far beyond what any of them had imagined — she had seen that person’s true form.

It was a completely unremarkable man, the kind no one would notice in a crowd. Each time he transformed into a different appearance, lurking within the flow of people, observing Ye Fan from ten zhang away.

“Ten zhang… that is a critical boundary. He doesn’t dare approach too freely — that’s at least something to be grateful for. If he could close in on us imperceptibly without any of us noticing, that would be truly dangerous.” Li Heishui’s unease was evident.

The Great Black Dog’s expression grew grave. It questioned Xiao Nannan in exhaustive detail about everything that had transpired — even that person’s every movement, each individual step they had taken.

“Closing to within ten zhang of us without us noticing — this is deeply unsettling. This is a frightening figure!” The Great Black Dog’s expression turned pensive.

“Have you thought of something?” Ye Fan asked. That a person could close the distance to ten zhang from them — and be detected by none of them except Xiao Nannan — was genuinely alarming.

“I hope my feeling is wrong. If it isn’t, we are in deep trouble!” The Great Black Dog was tense, unable to help but scan the surroundings anxiously.

“What have you deduced?” Ye Fan’s heart sank.

“The World of Mortals!” The Great Black Dog uttered those three words, growing ever more agitated, sweeping its gaze over everything around them and telling Xiao Nannan to keep a careful watch for any suspicious individuals.

“The World of Mortals…” Li Heishui gave an involuntary shudder.

They had only recently emerged from the Undying Mountain Range, where they had come to understand what kind of terrifyingly powerful force this was — one that had made even the great sacred grounds tremble in that ancient era.

In ages past, across this vast land, three great ancient assassin divine dynasties had existed — imperishable across ten thousand generations, with ancient legacies that had made the great sacred grounds go cold with dread, having slain even the sages of antiquity.

The Heavenly Court wielded the supreme assassin’s scepter, reigning supreme over all. At a single thought, blood would flow like rivers across the land — just like the supreme ancient Heavenly Court, it governed the fate of others.

The World of Mortals was concealed within the vast sea of humanity. One could never guard against it — no one knew when they would strike with a killing blow. Even the ancient sages of old could not evade it.

It was said that within their ancient halls, a tower of white bones had been built from the skulls of kings. Having slaughtered the heroes of the mortal world, its edge could not be challenged.

Hell harbored a group of fallen divine beings, who wielded blood-dripping divine swords and cut down every sage in the world — powerful and merciless, terrifying and gory.

It was said that within Hell, they preserved the divine skins, bones, blood, flesh, and organs of the ancient sages they had slain across the ages — cold-blooded and horrifying, and the most mysterious of all three.

The Heavenly Court had been annihilated by the combined forces of the ancient sacred grounds long ago, but the World of Mortals and Hell had endured — though they had conducted themselves far more discreetly since, their whereabouts unknown to the world.

“Is it truly the World of Mortals?” Even Ye Fan could not remain composed. This was a piece of news as jarring as a thunderclap.

“I cannot say for certain yet, but I have a premonition — it feels very much like them. Otherwise, who could evade my spiritual perception?” The Black Emperor was deeply tense. With its mysterious origins, it harbored a particular wariness of the ancient assassin divine dynasties.

“Who have we managed to offend now — even the World of Mortals has appeared?” Li Heishui felt a chill creeping up the back of his neck. Every person on the street now looked to him like a cold-blooded killer from the World of Mortals.

“They have not withdrawn from the world entirely — they left various traces behind and accept commissions from others. There are many ancient lineages that have ways to seek them out and engage their services.” The Great Black Dog’s expression was hard to calm.

“You’re saying someone commissioned them to come after us?” Li Heishui exclaimed in shock.

“The three great ancient assassin divine dynasties of antiquity — even though they made killing their path, they never killed without reason. Someone from an ancient lineage must have found them.” The Black Emperor bared its teeth, its own composure shaken.

It had always been fearless under heaven, yet faced with one of the three great ancient assassin divine dynasties, a chill crept through its heart and a sense of dread arose.

Just then, Xiao Nannan tugged at Ye Fan’s robe. Her large eyes blinked and she assumed her most well-behaved manner, saying nothing — young as she was, she was simple and pure, yet also remarkably perceptive.

Ye Fan understood. That person had appeared again. Affecting an air of casual indifference, he cast a glance over, and found that the person was truly unremarkable in every way — not a single distinguishing feature, indistinguishable from any other passerby on the street.

He probed with his powerful spiritual sense and found not the slightest abnormality. Only when he activated his divine eyes did he catch a glimpse of a different face beneath — proof that this was no ordinary person.

No circulation of divine power. No surging vital blood energy. Not a single trace of killing intent. Nothing consistent with the normal characteristics of a cultivator — too tranquil, too ordinary. There was simply no way to guard against it.

A brief pause, then that person departed without a single tell, melting away into the flow of people, vanishing into the sea of humanity. The group made no rash moves.

“That terrifying technique — the incomprehensible art of concealment. It truly is the World of Mortals!” The Great Black Dog was greatly agitated; every strand of its black fur stood on end.

“Why is this happening…” Li Heishui felt a chill crawl over him.

“Then let us pray. Let’s hope the World of Mortals of today is no longer the ancient assassin dynasty of old — otherwise we face catastrophe!” The Great Black Dog bared its teeth in a grimace.

Within the ancient halls of the World of Mortals, the skulls of kings were on display. Adding the skull of a Holy Physique to the collection was likely something they would welcome with great pleasure.

“What is there to fear? I carry the Heavenly Court’s legacy and wield the ancient assassin dynasty’s scepter. If the World of Mortals truly moves against me, I will strike back and kill them!” Ye Fan spoke with calm composure, yet with unwavering resolve.

“The problem is that the Heavenly Court legacy is incomplete. You only have the upper volume’s Saintly Art of Killing — you’re missing the lower volume’s core, one of the Nine Secrets!” The Great Black Dog showed a look of worry.

“What secret art did the Heavenly Court command among the Nine Secrets?” Ye Fan asked.

The ancient divine dynasties had long since passed into the distant reaches of time. Even in those days, very few people knew which of the secrets they had commanded — let alone people of the present age.

“Beyond myself, there is likely no one left in this world who knows.” The Great Black Dog said.

The Secret of “Movement” — world-shaking across antiquity, and almost entirely unknown as the core saintly art of the ancient assassin dynasty, the Heavenly Court. It was the very root and foundation of their power.

“Is this secret truly that formidable?” Li Heishui was taken aback.

“Formidable to an unimaginable degree. Legend has it that if taken to its absolute extreme, it can alter the flow of time itself!” The Great Black Dog said.

The Secret of “Movement” among the Nine Secrets represented the absolute pinnacle of movement in the mortal world. It not only granted the utmost speed conceivable, but could also leap upward to the Nine Heavens and plunge downward through the Nine Underworlds — any place, one could reach. Innate formations could not entrap it. Supreme Dao arts could not obstruct it. Even if ten thousand directions’ worth of absolute formations were deployed to seal off a sect, whoever had cultivated the Secret of Movement could still pass through freely as though walking into open air. That was the Secret of “Movement” — nothing could impede it.

“With the supreme Secret of ‘Movement,’ no matter how long your lineage stretches, no matter how many layers of formations seal your sect’s doors — none of it can stop someone who has cultivated it. They pass through as though the place were empty.” The Great Black Dog sighed softly.

Ye Fan finally understood why the Heavenly Court had been so terrifyingly fearsome — no one could stop them. They could walk to any place in the world, reigning supreme over all. That was no exaggeration.

The Secret of “Movement” could be elevated to an absolute transcendence. When speed breaks through the world’s limits, it becomes a manifestation of time itself. But throughout all of history, only the founder of the first Heavenly Court — that ancient sage who obtained the immortal medicine and lived two lifetimes — had ever grazed the edge of that boundary.

“We have not obtained the Secret of ‘Movement,’ but I have mastered the Crazy Elder’s footwork, which is also an extreme speed technique. It ought to be able to work in conjunction with the Heavenly Court’s Saintly Art of Killing to contend with whatever the World of Mortals sends against us.” Ye Fan said.

“I always felt your footwork carries a faint shadow of the Secret of ‘Movement.’ Perhaps there truly is some connection — it may well be compatible with the Heavenly Court’s Great Art of Killing.” The Great Black Dog gave a nod.

Ye Fan and the others departed Purple Sky Capital and returned once more to the Wind Clan’s eight hundred divine islands. Along the way, they stripped away part of Feng Huang’s handmaiden’s memories — certain things could not be allowed to reach her knowledge.

The mysterious figure from the World of Mortals did not appear again. Yet they could not truly settle their hearts: having been marked by the other party, there was no way this would simply end quietly.

“We need to find out exactly who is coming after us!” Li Heishui said.

This time, they made their way to the Wind Clan’s largest ancient island, toward which all the guests had converged. As they passed through the central region, they beheld towering mountains that had existed since the most primordial antiquity, encircling an ancient divine city within their ring.

Many were discussing it — all the Wind Clan’s “foundational reserves” were suppressed within those walls, the very root of their standing at the pinnacle of the Eastern Desolation. Even the Holy Master could not freely enter.

No one was permitted to linger here for long. Every visitor could only pass through hastily — otherwise they would be forcibly escorted away.

The Wind Clan Holy Master’s 1,500th birthday, and a great many had come. The divine islands were teeming with cultivators, many of them great figures of renown whose names shook the heavens.

Ye Fan and his companions arrived at this place and encountered several Holy Masters in succession, inwardly astonished — truly, powerful experts were as numerous as clouds here. Anyone who dared come to cause trouble would certainly end without so much as a burial place.

Holy Son Yao Guang, the Golden-Winged Little Peng King, the Holy Maiden of Jade Pool, the Ji Family’s Divine King Physique — the young generation could not approach the main proceedings and could only sit at a remove. Far too many elder-generation figures had arrived, all of them one-domain overlords.

Many noticed that Feng Huang’s handmaiden was standing meekly behind Ye Fan and his group, and exchanged looks of bewilderment, entirely at a loss.

Feng Huang had naturally witnessed this as well. She had already heard some of the rumors, and though her face was concealed behind a five-colored mask, one could well imagine that her expression beneath it was anything but pleasant.

“Return to your princess’s side. We can’t afford to keep you.” Ye Fan removed the restrictions he had placed on her.

Feng Huang’s handmaiden dared not make a scene. She lowered her head and withdrew swiftly — she was truly afraid that Ye Fan might heedlessly say something humiliating aloud, in which case the Wind Clan, to save face, would never let her off.

Everyone presented their celebratory gifts. Ye Fan produced a dull, black, unremarkable stone — no larger than a face — and handed it over to the Wind Clan’s representatives.

“I’ve heard he inherited the legacy of a Source Heavenly Master. He’s sent a source stone — it must be something precious.” Someone whispered in discussion.

Some of the younger Wind Clan disciples furrowed their brows — the same group who had consistently harbored resentment toward Ye Fan. They couldn’t believe Ye Fan had found something truly valuable in such a short time. If he had, why hadn’t he cut it open?

Zhao Fa from the Purple Subtlety Sect broke into a smile. “This stone — I know it well. It was on display in our Purple Subtlety Stone Trading Establishment for many years. To think that Brother Ye bought it. This stone was cut from the leftover edge material of an unusual stone that once contained divine source.”

An uproar swept through the crowd. Many turned to look at once, feeling that Ye Fan was being rather inappropriate — how could someone simply buy a random stone and pass it off as a gift?

“I knew he was bluffing. That’s not some divine object at all. He couldn’t bear to offer the Holy Sword or the divine medicinal seed to the Holy Master, so he brought a worthless piece of rock as a stand-in.”

“This is really going too far. He actually dares to look down on our Wind Clan this much.”

The few Wind Clan disciples who had been subdued by Ye Fan back in the Northern Domain were all deeply displeased, glaring at him with angry expressions.

“Are you certain this is leftover edge material — that you had already cut a piece of divine source from it?” Ye Fan looked over at Zhao Fa with apparent surprise.

“That’s right. I witnessed it myself. A fist-sized piece of divine source was cut from the main stone. This is nothing but a skin fragment left behind.” Zhao Fa nodded with a smile.