The major figures of the Yin-Yang Sect had arrived — a total of seven or eight elders, all of Supreme Elder rank, each capable of dominating an entire region!
It was as though everything here lay entirely within their grasp, the fates of all present already pronounced. Their gazes were cold as ice — merciless and cruel.
“Creatures who do not know their own deaths — you have repeatedly provoked my Yin-Yang Sect! Slicing you ten thousand times over would not be enough to wash away this shame!” One of them barked, his voice sharp with fury.
The slaying of the Holy Daughter had been one thing. At the time they had been far away and could not come to her aid. But the Holy Son had died before their very eyes — killed openly and in public — which was no different from being slapped across the face.
A glorious supreme great sect of the Central Province: had any sacred ground’s future inheritor ever been cut down in such a fashion? For the Yin-Yang Sect, this was an extraordinary disgrace.
It was destined to become a source of ridicule for ages to come — a supreme great sect having both its Holy Son and Holy Daughter eliminated by a single person, leaving the Yin-Yang Sect to lose face for a very long time.
“When you came here, did you receive a thorough briefing?” the Great Black Dog asked with an insidious grin, its intentions clearly less than good.
Did they not know that the Old Madman had stared down and killed a powerhouse at the eighth variation of the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm? This was the question nagging at Li Heishui and his companions.
“We have learned that there was a great battle in this place, and that two of our sect’s great elders were killed here. Whoever was responsible — step forward and face your death!” One Supreme Elder’s gaze was as cold and piercing as a blade.
They had not received a report from their own people. Rather, they had heard along the way that a great battle had taken place here, and that two great elders of their sect had inexplicably been killed.
The messenger dispatched to inform them had failed to reach them — and had been unable to convey the full account of everything that had transpired. These major figures had no idea what had truly happened.
The Great Black Dog let out a sly, heh-heh laugh. “You’ve traveled ten thousand miles to get here — that must have been quite an ordeal. Let us see you off properly in a moment.”
“You dog — you are simply seeking death. You dare to spout such nonsense before us? In a moment we’ll skin you alive and pull out every tendon.” One of them rebuked sharply.
“Are you so certain you have us in your grasp?” Li Heishui asked.
“Ignorant whelp who does not know the height of the sky or the depth of the earth. Even if your master’s master came before me, he would not dare speak to me this way.” One of the major figures wore a face dark as still water, advancing step by step, prepared to make his move right then and there.
“Pah! Do you think you’re the Beginningless Great Emperor? Or perhaps the Eternal Universe Great Emperor? Are you not afraid of the wind making you bite your own tongue off?” Li Heishui laughed coldly. His grandfather was one of the thirteen great outlaws of the Northern Region — his standing was extraordinarily distinguished.
All those observing the battle had their misgivings. The people who had come from the Yin-Yang Sect were, each and every one, of astonishing power — all surpassing the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm, to say nothing of the genuine Great Ability figures anchoring their formation. Their lineup was overwhelmingly formidable.
And yet — those who had already witnessed the Old Madman’s power had seen enough. Even if the most supreme of Great Abilities came before him, they would likely only be left to taste bitter defeat.
“Boom!”
This Supreme Elder of the Yin-Yang Sect made his move directly — he thrust a great hand forward, reaching to seize and crush Li Heishui alive in his grip.
“Hmph!”
Ye Fan let out a cold snort, swinging his golden fist to meet the attack head-on. The other party dared reach with a bare palm — Ye Fan had no fear whatsoever.
“Clang!”
The golden fist struck like iron pounding iron, sending this Supreme Elder’s great hand recoiling sharply upward. Lines of blood appeared across it.
Everyone who witnessed this scene drew a sharp, cold breath. The Sacred Physique’s physical body was overwhelmingly powerful — even a Supreme Elder of a supreme great sect who had surpassed the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm could be engaged in close combat.
“This… it’s unbelievable!”
“A freak — does his physical body truly match that of a Sage Sovereign, as the legends claim? And yet he has only just stepped into the Four Extremes Secret Realm!”
Almost every person present stared with wide, unblinking eyes. Blood was dripping from the Yin-Yang Sect Supreme Elder’s palm — this outcome was enough to send a chill through anyone.
“Ha ha ha…!” Li Heishui burst out laughing and taunted: “You arrogant old stick, talking so big and looking down on even my master’s master — yet this is all you amount to?”
“Hmph!”
The Great Ability among them finally stepped forward. With cold, sweeping eyes, he brought a single palm down from above — the great hand covered a full ten zhang in every direction, blanketing all those below it.
“Clang!”
Ye Fan remained fearless. Standing in the void, he swung a golden fist upward, his entire body blazing with blinding golden light that surged straight to the heavens.
A deafening crash rang out. The palm of this Great Ability of the Yin-Yang Sect visibly trembled once — but very quickly steadied itself. He flipped his hand, and boundless divine radiance poured down like ten thousand great waterfalls cascading from above.
This was an overwhelming torrent of divine power sufficient to kill Ye Fan hundreds of times over. Every single stream of divine radiance pierced through the void, like tens of thousands of rivers of divine force rushing forward.
This was the might of a Great Ability capable of dominating all under heaven — he could turn the sky to clouds with one motion and cover it with the other. With a single thought, he could drown the earth in rivers of blood and mountains of bones.
Ye Fan retreated at top speed, quickly drawing back to the Old Madman’s side. Against a Great Ability, he had not the slightest chance. That aura of pressure was beyond all comparison.
Great Abilities who could dominate all under heaven — a single roar from them could shatter mountains and rivers. The world revered them as sovereign. They were the masters who controlled the sacred grounds and supreme great sects.
“Boom!”
Ten thousand streams of divine power, white and boundless in every direction, sent dread into all hearts. They all cascaded downward, engulfing Ye Fan and the others.
“Killing you all at once would be too merciful. I will refine you slowly — pulling out your very souls one thread at a time!” The voice of this Great Ability of the Yin-Yang Sect was cold and bone-cutting. He intended to grind the group down piece by piece.
With both Holy Son and Holy Daughter slain, the disgrace was beyond endurance. The Yin-Yang Sect’s people could not bear it — and would face enormous pressure going forward.
“No need for you to act, senior — leave this to me!” Another Supreme Elder spoke up.
Though all bore the title of Supreme Elder, those who had crossed the heavenly divide to become an unsurpassed Great Ability — comparable to a Sage Sovereign — held a status supremely exalted above all others, worthy of being looked up to.
This Great Ability withdrew his divine power and stepped back two paces. Two others came forward instead. One of them smiled coldly. “Let me deal with these — every last one of you will be destroyed, body and soul, and perish in agony.”
“And what are you afraid of?!” the Great Black Dog roared, without the faintest trace of fear. On the contrary, its eyes flickered with a gleam of excitement.
“I will give you one chance. Kneel here, willingly become Yin Slaves, and I will allow you to retain a fragment of your spiritual consciousness!” This Supreme Elder swept his gaze across each of them in turn.
“The Sacred Physique is excluded — he must die. Not even the Heavenly King Himself could save him!” Another added with icy finality.
“You’re all bad people…” Xiao Nannan spoke up timidly, her large eyes like black jewels filled with unease.
“Whether you kneel or not is your own choice.” The elder let out a cold snort.
“Divine one, you had better just slap them to death yourself,” Li Heishui muttered beside the Old Madman. “Otherwise I’ll want to do it myself — too bad I don’t have that kind of power.”
The people of the Yin-Yang Sect stood high and aloft, gazing down upon Ye Fan and the Old Madman and their companions with killing intent that grew ever more sharp and frigid.
“Very well — then I will break your legs first, make you kneel upon the ground, and slowly proceed with the refinement.” The two Supreme Elders of the Yin-Yang Sect smiled without mercy.
In the distance, the watching crowd exchanged glances, but not a single person opened their mouth. That strange figure was too terrifying — everyone was too afraid to say anything out of turn, and not one person stepped forward to offer a warning.
“Creatures who do not know their own deaths!” The two Supreme Elders finally made their move. From between their fingers, ten thousand streams of radiance shot forth — each one as thick as a large water jar — flooding and submerging Ye Fan and the Old Madman and their companions.
The onlookers watching from a distance felt a pang of pity for these two Supreme Elders. To truly strike against that disheveled, wild-haired strange man — this was surely going to be a tragedy.
The two Supreme Elders of the Yin-Yang Sect bellowed in unison. The radiance in their hands crashed down like heavenly blades, aiming to sever the legs of those below.
Yet what they found utterly incomprehensible was this: the ten thousand streams of divine radiance seemed to vanish like an ox disappearing into the sea — they drenched the wilderness and submerged the earth, only to rapidly dry up and dissipate. They could not even touch a hair on anyone’s body.
The Old Madman showed no reaction whatsoever — yet no technique or power clung to him. Their overwhelming divine power dissolved without a sound the moment it drew near, as though swallowed into nothing.
The Great Black Dog was deeply dissatisfied. This divine being standing before them was far too composed — he had not the slightest intention of making a move, and did not care about any of it in the least.
“What is going on?” The people of the Yin-Yang Sect sensed that something was very wrong. These individuals had all surpassed the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm — their vision was extraordinarily sharp.
“Was it you who killed our two great elders?” They fixed their gazes upon the Old Madman. Unable to sense the depth of his cultivation, they all revealed a trace of suspicion.
“I am speaking to you — why do you not answer? What monumental arrogance!”
Seeing this, both of them let out long howls. One of them spat forth a stream of radiance and slashed it forward — a golden great ship that rang out with a thunderous boom, capable of ramming apart mountains. In an instant it rushed straight to the Old Madman’s front.
“Bang!”
It did not injure the Old Madman. Instead, this golden treasure ship shattered on the spot, crumbling into fine powder. The golden dust drifted to the ground like ash, utterly destroyed in a single moment.
At the same time, both men charged in. Their great hands blotted out the sky as they swung downward, aiming to smash the Old Madman’s head to mush.
The eyes of all those watching went straight. Though these two were Supreme Elders of a supreme great sect, to dare strike against an existence suspected of being a holy man — the audacity required for such a thing was truly immense.
“Boom!”
The two powerful figures lunged to kill. Their great hands nearly came down upon the Old Madman’s head. Smiles of cold contempt curved at the corners of their mouths as they believed they were about to eliminate their opponent.
Yet at precisely this moment, both men felt a chill sweep through their bodies — followed by a total sense of powerlessness. They began to fall toward the ground, and at the edge of hearing, they caught the sound of their fellow sect members’ cries of alarm.
Only at this moment did they become aware, in a state of terror, of what had just happened. That disheveled, wild-haired strange man had not moved at all — yet a single strand of hair from his head had drifted down on the wind, and it had sliced both their bodies in two.
“Ahh—”
Both men let out agonized screams — born partly of physical pain, but far more from terror. What manner of being was this? A single strand of hair that had merely drifted down, lifted by the wind, and it had severed them clean through!
Every person who witnessed this scene felt their blood run cold with dread. This was truly a living, breathing holy man of the remote ancient era — not to be desecrated!
“According to the legends, even a single strand of hair shed by an ancient holy man could slay a thousand armies of ten thousand soldiers. Is… is this actually true?!”
“Could this truly be a holy man who crossed the great river of time from the remote ancient earth and walked into the present age…”
Everyone was left slack-jawed, their entire bodies trembling uncontrollably. Not one of them could remain composed. Many were so awe-stricken they could barely breathe.
The jet-black strand of hair drifted downward and settled upon the two men’s severed bodies. They let out heart-rending screams as they attempted to push it away.
But this single strand of hair was like an ancient divine peak — heavy as hundreds of millions of catties — crushing their palms to dust and grinding their bodies to pulp.
“The legends were true. The hair that naturally falls from an ancient holy man — even a single strand — can annihilate all things!”
“An ancient holy man is close to a divine being. A single drop of blood, a single bone — all are supreme divine objects. Every inch of flesh and blood can kill an unparalleled master of any generation!”
Everyone’s heart was hammering. A holy man had truly appeared in the present age — leaving all who beheld it shaken. Everything was so terrifying, utterly beyond the power of comprehension.
“You… what are you?” The Great Ability of the Yin-Yang Sect had gone cold from head to foot. He knew things had gone terribly wrong — this time, they had absolutely kicked an iron board.
A cold gleam of light passed through the Old Madman’s hollow eyes as he glanced at them several times. He showed no intention of striking — yet he bore down on those several people with an incomparable, crushing weight of pressure.
One Supreme Elder among them became overwhelmed by anxiety. Believing that this strange figure was about to strike and kill them, he let out a great roar and attacked preemptively.
The others felt their scalps go numb immediately. Actively provoking that divine being was certain to end in tragedy!
A half-step Great Ability possessed astounding divine power sufficient to flatten an entire mountain range. The Old Madman did not disregard this — he extended one great hand forward, pressing it downward, and covered them all beneath it.
Among the five major figures of the Yin-Yang Sect, there was one Supreme Elder, two half-step Great Abilities, and two genuine Great Abilities. Every last one of them changed color — they fought back with full force.
“Ahhh—”
The first one to strike against the Old Madman immediately cried out. Covered by that great hand, and not yet even touched by it, he felt his entire body crack open. An invisible pressure caused him to split apart like porcelain, his bones snapping one by one — and then his body exploded.
“Puff!”
Almost simultaneously, another Supreme Elder let out a cry of agony and dissolved into a cloud of bloody mist, completely vanishing from existence.
Beside them, the watching crowd did not dare to draw breath. Was this truly the might of an ancient holy man? Without even striking a direct blow — the terrifying shockwaves emanated by that great hand alone were enough to pulverize two major figures of a supreme great sect.
The half-step Great Ability and the two genuine Great Abilities felt their hair stand on end. After unleashing their most powerful strikes, they fled in rapid retreat.
This was the first time in their lives they had ever felt such terror. What Great Ability would fear anyone? There had never been such a thing as avoiding battle and retreating — they could walk sideways across the entire world.
And yet, at this moment, they had no choice but to flee for their lives. This strange figure was too terrifying. Not one shred of will to fight remained in them — only a heart filled with dread.
The Old Madman’s great hand reached forward like a mighty mountain ridge, extending outward for more than fifty miles, covering all three of them beneath it.
“Ahh—” all three cried out, striking back with full power.
Beneath them lay a vast mountain range. The roaring cries of those two Great Abilities caused the entire canopy of heaven to press inward, shattering several great peaks on the spot!
These were the supreme figures of the world. A single roar from them could shatter mountains and rivers. All things yielded before them, and they gazed down upon the world without equal. Yet now, even such supreme figures felt utterly powerless before the Old Madman — as though struggling against an entire sky.
“Puff!”
The half-step Great Ability finally could endure no more. Upon colliding with that great hand, his entire body shattered — he dissolved into bloody pulp on the spot, ceasing to exist.
The two remaining genuine Great Abilities of the Yin-Yang Sect underwent a terrible change of expression. They roared to the heavens, their bodies both igniting in flame as they struggled to resist the great hand blanketing the sky.
“Boom!”
They joined forces — one transforming into a yang diagram, the other into a yin diagram — assembling together into a single enormous Yin-Yang diagram that swept across heaven and earth.
The terrifying howls shook more than a dozen great peaks to powder. That Yin-Yang diagram swept through in a single motion, causing an enormous stretch of endless mountain ranges to collapse in ruin.
Yet when they crashed against that great hand, they could not damage it in the slightest — not one single bit!
“Boom!”
Another great expanse of mountain range collapsed, causing the wilderness not far away to crack apart. Dozens of miles of great rifts spread outward in all directions; the earth itself was on the verge of sinking.
“Bang!”
The Old Madman’s great hand extended forward a full seventy miles and more — an overwhelming spectacle, more majestic even than the broadest, most imposing mountain ridge.
“Thud!”
The great hand covered all beneath the sky and blotted out everything below it. It struck down upon that Yin-Yang diagram and shattered it on the spot. Both Great Abilities spat great mouthfuls of blood and were flung apart.
“Hum!”
The great hand pressed down, crushing one of the supreme Great Abilities deep into the mountain range. The boundless great hand leveled an entire expanse of mountain range in one motion, reducing that place to a flat plain.
And upon the ground, only a human-shaped bloodstain remained. That Great Ability was thus stricken from the world of the living.
Many among those watching shook with fear, their bodies trembling as though sifting through a sieve. Such a scene they had never seen in their lives. Was this the method of an ancient holy man — no divine technique displayed whatsoever, a casual strike, and yet heaven and earth were destroyed?!
“Bang!”
The great hand came down once more, pressing toward the other Great Ability. He could not even flee — for the entire firmament had been covered by that great hand.
“Boom!”
The endless mountain range was razed flat by that single great hand, ceasing to exist. All things were destroyed — everything annihilated and extinguished.
“This is… heaven above, it chills the soul. This is beyond the power of any human hand!”
“A cultivation realm impossible to look up to — this is… an ancient holy man!”
Everyone was stunned to silence. Every inch of flesh and blood in their bodies was trembling. Even their very souls were shaking.