Deep as an abyss, the ancient city lay in utter darkness. The moment the formation patterns of Wushi Great Emperor appeared, they devoured the heaven and earth’s vital energy, transforming this place into an ancient slaughterfield from time immemorial.

In that moment, formless killing will surged and churned. It was as though a great world were coming undone, collapsing — slaughtering energy permeating everything, as though poised to cut down every living being in existence.

“What is happening?”

Everyone trembled with dread. It was as though they had fallen into the depths of the netherworld. Every inch of flesh and blood convulsed, blood seeping out. Every bone trembled — creaking and popping.

Whether powerful cultivators or lesser figures, every single person’s spirit was utterly crushed, seized by the illusion that the end of days had arrived, hearts filled with despair.

The moment Wushi Great Emperor’s killing formation activated, it sealed everyone inside. Not a single person could escape!

“Ye Fan, you little wretch — did you think laying down a formation pattern would be enough to trap us?” A cultivator of the Four Extremes Secret Realm sent a voice transmission and charged toward the outer boundary.

Crack!

A streak of cyan descended from the heavens. The stench of charred flesh assailed the nostrils. This person’s whole body began to emit white smoke. Flesh and organs convulsed, facial features twisting grotesquely.

Bang!

He fell straight back and toppled over. His flesh and blood had been utterly charred — a streak of cyan lightning had struck him to death, his divine mind dissolving into nothing.

“This is…” Many people drew sharp, cold breaths. Even many elder cultivators of the Dragon-Hidden Secret Realm changed color. The person who had just fallen was someone they had pushed forward to probe the way — and the result was a single strike, then a corpse.

Ye Fan stood beneath the night sky, a faint cold smile at the corner of his lips, saying nothing, calmly scanning everyone present.

Almost no one here appeared as they truly were. Those who had come to seize the cauldron had all used various means to conceal their true faces. Silhouettes everywhere — Four Extremes, Dragon-Hidden, half-step Great Ability — all present!

“Awoooo…” The Great Black Dog let out a long howl, emerging from not far away. It was drenched in blood from head to tail, having sustained no light injuries during the melee.

Behind it, Wu Zhongtian, Jiang Huairen, and the rest were similarly blood-stained, though they had withdrawn at the first opportunity. Yet even so, they had all taken wounds — because far too many powerful figures had come.

“Keep being so arrogant — come on, come kill this emperor again! Damn it, don’t look elsewhere, I’m talking about you!” The Great Black Dog roared, fixing its gaze on an elder of the sixth transformation of the Dragon-Hidden realm.

“A lowly dog-demon without fur…” That elder sneered, not in the least aware of his perilous predicament, not yet knowing these were the formation patterns of an ancient Great Emperor.

“Old thing — die!” The Great Black Dog made its move, setting the killing formation into operation.

Hiss!

A vast crimson haze bloomed — radiant as fireworks, yet its killing energy was like an ice-seal stretching ten thousand leagues, bone-piercingly cold — enveloping that elder entirely.

“Aaah…”

That elder of the sixth transformation of the Dragon-Hidden realm let out a cry of agony and was instantly dissolved by that crimson haze into a pool of pus and blood, body and spirit annihilated completely — dead without cause or reason.

Even many elder cultivators changed color at this sight. In the darkness, every heart turned cold. This was a mysterious formation pattern — once activated, it would be a catastrophe without end.

“Ye Fan, you little runt, spare your breath for half a moment…” Several powerful cultivators who prided themselves on their profound mastery of Dao patterns joined forces to open a domain gate, hoping to escape by fleeing through it.

Flash!

The patterns they had carved shattered like soap bubbles in an instant. Simultaneously, dozens of blood-colored lightning bolts interwove and appeared, descending from above.

Boom!

The crimson lightning struck their crowns. Every single one of them was hit. Their whole bodies began to smoke — clothes reduced to flying ash, flesh blackened, the electric arcs piercing straight through their bodies, and their skulls splitting apart along cracks.

All seven were killed. Every one had been accomplished in Dao patterns — yet not a single one survived. They became the second wave of casualties.

“What formation pattern is this — how can it be so terrifying?” No one could maintain their composure. Fear had taken root in their hearts.

So many people had come to hunt for the cauldron, yet all of them were trapped here. If they all perished, the death toll would be catastrophic — a thought that made the blood run cold.

Hiss!

A streak of violet light appeared suddenly. A keen, penetrating sword radiance descended from the heavens, aimed straight at the crown of Ye Fan’s head — seeking to pierce through his skull and kill him with a single blow.

A powerful cultivator of the Ancient Assassin Divine Dynasty had been lurking in the patch of void directly above Ye Fan’s head. In this critical moment, he had launched a thunderous strike.

Yet when the sword radiance was still several zhang away, the man’s body convulsed. His entire form was swept by a cyan light and dissolved on the spot into a pool of pus and blood, dripping downward.

Clang!

The divine sword fell to the ground, striking a shower of sparks. A powerful assassin had been ground to nothing by the formation patterns — ceasing to exist.

“Black Emperor, activate the killing formation — grind them all to oblivion!” Ye Fan spoke up. He had no desire to let the night drag on and breed further problems, and intended to cut down every last person.

“Such arrogance — you’re just an ant. Do you really think you’ve become an ancient sage? You’re still far from it!” Finally, a half-step Great Ability expert stepped forward, hands clasped behind his back, fixing a cold and emotionless gaze on Ye Fan.

Boom!

He struck without warning. Between his palm and fingers, lightning flashed. A vast stretch of electric arcs wove together into a sea of thunder, forming a Dao diagram that came spinning and slashing toward Ye Fan like a wheel of light.

Ye Fan’s heart jumped. Following the Black Emperor’s guidance, he retreated swiftly within the killing formation — his form flickering in and out of existence — vacating the position he had just occupied.

Thud!

A muffled sound rang out. That thunder-sea diagram instantly collapsed, simultaneously triggering the operation of the ancient Great Emperor’s killing formation. An energy capable of grinding all the world to nothing erupted outward.

Hum!

The void trembled. The very earth threatened to sink. A radiance of immortal light surged upward — ten thousand auspicious rays like great blooming immortal flowers, releasing killing energy of incomparable sharpness.

The half-step Great Ability expert roared and struck with full force, attempting to resist the endless killing light — yet all of it was futile. The divine halberd forged from meteorite iron in his hands crumbled like rotted wood, disintegrating into powder and showering downward.

“Aaah…” He let out a great cry. His arm had begun to dissolve, bones and flesh alike becoming pulp.

The irresistible killing force spread like a violent tide, each wave stronger than the last — rolling and crushing everything in its path. Even a half-step Great Ability expert could not withstand it!

“Aaah…” Gone was his earlier composure and calm. His face was written over with horror as he screamed toward the heavens — yet nothing could change what was coming.

Bang!

His body was fracturing, as though pressed by a divine grindstone from above, being converted inch by inch into a paste of blood — starting from the limbs, until at last, with a muffled sound, even his skull shattered.

“Break out — we have to break out!”

Everyone was screaming. After witnessing this, no one could maintain their calm. Even a half-step Great Ability expert had been ground to oblivion — how could any heart remain unshaken?

Perhaps only by joining forces and working as one could they carve out a path to survival. Otherwise, every last one of them would die here.

“How ruthless of you — laying down this absolute formation and waiting for us to walk in.” Many looked toward Ye Fan, their expressions a mix of outrage and shock, and no small measure of fear.

“You came to kill me and seize the cauldron. You ought to have been prepared to be killed.” Ye Fan said with a smile.

“What more is there to say? Black Emperor — activate the killing formation and wipe out everyone!” Li Heishui said.

“Good — the formation patterns activate now. Tonight is destined to run with rivers of blood!” The Great Black Dog shouted.

Hum!

Suddenly the void was pierced — a blood arrow shot out, aimed straight at the Black Emperor’s throat. It let out a startled cry and stumbled backward in alarm.

“Black Emperor, what’s wrong?” Ye Fan was alarmed, deeply afraid something had gone awry.

“This thing… how can it still exist?!” The Great Black Dog said in a trembling voice, visibly shaken.

Hiss!

The blood arrow streaked like a rainbow, passing through the Great Emperor’s formation patterns and chasing after the Black Emperor — seeking to pierce through it, carrying an aura of death as it spread.

Clang!

Ye Fan charged over, shielding himself with the Myriad Things Mother Qi Cauldron, bearing that strike head-on with his body.

The blood arrow streaked like a rainbow — it did not shatter, and continued to pursue the Black Emperor. The aura of death grew even denser: it would not stop until it had killed.

Flash!

Ye Fan called forth the cauldron, circulated the Myriad Things Mother Qi, and drew the Black Emperor inside, asking: “What is this thing?”

“This is an ancient secret arrow — used by Great Emperors of old specifically to slay enemies within formation patterns. It will not rest until it kills, and even the formation patterns have difficulty grinding it to nothing.” The Great Black Dog was genuinely frightened.

Clang!

The blood arrow continued relentlessly, a radiance pressing forward, stabbing at the Myriad Things Mother Qi Cauldron. Had it not been sufficiently sturdy, the cauldron would already have been pierced through.

Clang… clang…

The force behind the blood arrow was enormous. Each impact nearly knocked the cauldron flying — Ye Fan felt as though being hammered by a colossal weight, his body trembling lightly.

“If I could lay down one-third of the formation patterns, even a secret arrow of an ancient Great Emperor would be ground to nothing!” The Great Black Dog said with bitter resentment.

“Wait — something’s wrong. This is a forbidden weapon, not a true secret arrow of an ancient Great Emperor!” An expression of pleasant surprise appeared on its face.

For the blood arrow had now dimmed. After seven or eight impacts, with a muffled sound it crumbled into ash — ground to nothing by the formation patterns.

So-called forbidden weapons were weapons that could only be used a limited number of times — tremendously powerful, but incapable of lasting use.

“Just a crude imitation of a forbidden weapon — this emperor was frightened out of his wits. I knew it — how could a true secret arrow of an ancient Great Emperor possibly still be in circulation?” The Great Black Dog had fully recovered its spirit, and leapt out of the Myriad Things Mother Qi Cauldron.

Hiss!

Another streak of blood radiance shot through — wind and thunder in its wake, killing energy startling the clouds — aimed at Ye Fan’s throat, seeking to claim his life in a single blow.

“It’s someone from the Jiang Family!” Liu Kou said in a low, steady voice.

The bowman was none other than Jiang Yichen’s great-uncle Jiang Huai’an. His eyes were ice-cold. He drew his bow in rapid succession. In the blink of an eye, several red arrows like fresh blood were loosed, every one directed at Ye Fan.

“These are nothing but crude imitation forbidden weapons — utterly ineffective!” The Great Black Dog shouted and roused the formation patterns.

Boom!

Streak after streak of great dragons surged upward, piercing straight through the clouds. These were killing energy condensed into form — the terrifying face of Wushi Great Emperor’s formation patterns laid bare.

“Aaah…”

Cries of agony rang out immediately. In an instant, dozens of cultivators were destroyed in body and spirit, ground apart by the slaughtering energy — leaving nothing behind.

The sound of shattering followed. The several arrows that Jiang Huai’an had loosed crumbled to powder, scattering in mid-air.

“Pin him down!” Ye Fan pointed at Jiang Huai’an.

“Woof — this emperor was just thinking the same thing. Killing him outright would be too easy!” The Black Emperor barked.

The night sky shook, and endless patterns materialized. Jiang Huai’an and his entire party were bound in place within the killing formation — unable to move so much as a single inch.

As for the rest, they were running for their lives in desperate, frantic rushes. Thunder crashed everywhere; killing light burst and shot in all directions. Many were dissolved into pulp, dying miserably on the spot.

Flash!

Ye Fan charged over and confiscated from Jiang Huai’an’s hands a large violet bow along with several blood-red arrows.

Hiss!

Nearby, several half-step Great Ability experts suddenly appeared and struck, hoping to seize this opening to destroy him.

Zheng zheng zheng…

Ten thousand swords rang out in unison. Within the Wushi killing formation, endless transformations shifted — thousands upon thousands of sword radiances shot forth, aimed at the four half-step Great Ability experts.

“Aaah…”

One of them was instantly turned into a sieve, his very skull pierced through hundreds of times — body and spirit utterly annihilated.

“Aaah…”

Another cried out as hundreds of sword radiances hacked him into pulp — dead by misadventure, ceasing to exist.

Flash!

Ye Fan retreated backward, following the Black Emperor’s guidance, moving as though through an uninhabited land. He then raised the bow and nocked an arrow — a flash of blood radiance was released.

Splat!

The third half-step Great Ability expert had already nearly been ground to nothing by the killing formation. Then Ye Fan’s arrow struck him between the eyebrows. He let out a great cry and dissolved on the spot into a mist of blood.

“And you!”

Ye Fan drew the bow once more. The last half-step Great Ability expert, on the verge of death, had just launched himself upward into the sky — but a streak of blood radiance descended upon him, piercing through the crown of his head.

Splat!

The skull shattered. This powerful cultivator’s physical body crumbled into pulp, dying in an instant — not even managing to let out a single cry.

Terror had reached its absolute peak in everyone. Five half-step Great Ability experts had been slain in total — how could they not be filled with dread? They all cried out at once.

“Break out — we must break out!” The crowd surged in a mass, hoping to pile their corpses into a path to survival.

“Damn it all — to have been calculated against like this. If I survive, I will kill him a hundred times over!” Someone in the darkness cursed through gritted teeth.

Rumble rumble rumble!

It was as though a great millstone in the heavens and earth were turning — mercilessly grinding away at life. Bursts of blood light kept surging upward; person after person was dissolved into bloody pulp.

This was only a fragment — a single corner — of the formation patterns left behind by an ancient Great Emperor. Yet it possessed the power to cut down every living being in existence. Once trapped within, there was no escaping.

In this stretch of void, thousands upon thousands of great dragons leapt and soared — the most fearsome killing energy imaginable — and brilliant lightning of every color flashed ceaselessly. Anyone struck was certain to be turned to ash.

“Aaah…”

Cries of agony rang on without end. This was a spectacle like a field of Asuras — killing light spinning, one body after another hacked to pieces, blood flowing in rivers.

This night, far too many people had made their move against Ye Fan. But everyone who entered — not a single one escaped. All were slaughtered.

It was like an ancient battlefield — corpses heaped high, fresh blood flowing, the stench of iron filling the nostrils, mist of blood swirling everywhere, dying the hair of Ye Fan and the others red.

“These were all powerful experts. We’ve killed far too many people this time.” Wu Zhongtian sighed.

“Since the great slaughter has begun, it cannot stop. There is no need for compassion or restraint. Those who choose not to strike are fine — but once someone makes their move, every last one of them must be cut down!” Ye Fan said.

Hiss!

Ye Fan raised the bow and nocked an arrow, taking aim at Jiang Huai’an. The blood arrow streaked like a startling heavenly rainbow and pierced straight through.

Splat!

He had no way to evade. The arrow struck him squarely in the abdomen. With a crash, his Sea of Wheels shattered, and his entire body’s divine power drained away completely.

With one arrow, Ye Fan had crippled him!

“Aaah…”

Jiang Huai’an cried out in agony. Despair appeared in his eyes. The Sea of Wheels was destroyed, the divine power dried up — he would never again be able to walk the path of cultivation.

“You people…” He was consumed with venomous hatred, screaming bitterly as he fixed his gaze on Ye Fan and the others.

“Who are you?” Ye Fan asked with a cold smile, and then reached out a great hand, snatching him over and immediately sealing him — not giving him even a moment to speak.

“I don’t know who you are, but since you came to kill me, I cannot let you go. When the time comes, I’ll seal you in a latrine pit — a thousand years at the very minimum!” Ye Fan handed him over to Li Heishui.

“Absolutely right — this person truly deserves to be suppressed!” Liu Kou exclaimed.

The killing formation continued its activation, reaping lives without mercy. Ye Fan searched carefully for the whereabouts of the various holy sons.

“Jin Chixiao of the Northern Plains Golden Family?” Ye Fan fixed his gaze on a towering figure, covered all over in scales like a fierce spirit, treading over the corpses of others as he charged at the outer boundary.

“Damn it — the Golden Family really does descend from a Primordial creature!” Jiang Huairen exclaimed in admiration.

“Kill him!” Ye Fan spoke. Regardless of who it was — anyone who had entered the killing formation was destined to die.

Boom! The Black Emperor activated the killing formation.

Endless blood light swept across. That enormous figure instantly fractured — scales flew off, body torn into pieces. Yet there were fluctuations of divine power but no blood spattering everywhere.

“This is a divine deity within his Divine Palace — not his true body. And yet it is already this powerful — nearly comparable to a holy son.” Liu Kou’s heart gave a violent start.

Jin Chixiao was very cautious and had not appeared in person — only manifesting a divine deity to come and observe the situation here. With it slain here, he would certainly also suffer considerable damage to his foundation.

In this place, blood light surged to the heavens, killing intent boundless, like a vast ocean churning without end.

Viewed from a great distance, one could see clearly that the Wushi Great Formation had transformed into a great millstone, grinding one body after another into pulp — reaping lives without ceasing.

The spectacle was horrifying beyond description. On the ground, blood water flowed, accumulating into a thick layer of bloody mud. White bone fragments lay mixed within it. Anyone who witnessed it with their own eyes could not help but feel their scalp go numb — unable to bear looking directly at it. This was a living hell on earth.

“The Holy Son of the Purple Mansion!”

Ye Fan’s eyes turned cold. He caught sight of this holy son once more — disheveled hair, straw rain cape, bamboo hat, pitch-black gourd strapped to his back, rotted wooden hammer in hand, treading forward over the corpses of others.

Clang!

Ye Fan drew the Yin-Yang Sacred Sword and strode forward in great steps, passing through the formation patterns.

Hum!

He moved as though swinging a mountain range — the Yin-Yang Sacred Sword pulverized the high sky, rending the heavens asunder, the force heavy and the power immense!

Clang!

Ye Fan swung the sword, bringing it down with tremendous force. The Holy Son of the Purple Mansion met it with the rotted wooden hammer in his hand. Primordial chaos light flickered. The two weapons collided, releasing a deafening sound.

Thud!

The Holy Son of the Purple Mansion was sent flying backward, vomiting great mouthfuls of blood. He had nearly been ground to nothing by the formation patterns just moments ago and was already badly wounded, now barely sustaining himself through sheer will.

Yet the rotted wooden hammer in his hand was truly fearsome — it had even cracked the Yin-Yang Sacred Sword. This seemed utterly inconceivable.

Flash!

Ye Fan raised his sword and cleaved down again. The sword radiance nearly merged with the black clouds above — colossal as a mountain range, terrifying beyond measure!

“You cannot kill me — do you know…” The Holy Son of the Purple Mansion, aware of his own condition, knew this was absolutely not the right moment for a great battle.

“I don’t care who you are. You dared to come and kill me and seize the cauldron — be prepared to die!” Ye Fan shouted, not giving him the chance to speak. Had he been allowed to reveal his identity and then been killed anyway, it would have invited no small amount of trouble in the future.

Clang… clang…

The Yin-Yang Sacred Sword was heavier than mountains. Every stroke that fell sent the Holy Son of the Purple Mansion vomiting great mouthfuls of blood. He opened his mouth wanting to say something — but was given not a single opening.

Had it not been for the rotted wooden hammer in his hand, and the black gourd on his back — both of which were so fearsome they continually saved his life at the critical moments — he would already have been cut down.

“Each of these holy sons has extraordinary destined fortune. If not for being heavily wounded by the killing formation, actually killing them would truly require considerable effort.” Ye Fan furrowed his brows.

He did not know how the other party had obtained the rotted wooden hammer and the rest — with the corresponding techniques and arts to bring them to bear, the combined power was extraordinarily formidable.

“It’s time to end this. Let me send you on your way!”

In the end, Ye Fan swept his sword horizontally in a single stroke. The force his arm put into that swing was enough to send a chill through anyone who witnessed it — he swung the Yin-Yang Sacred Sword with such power that the blade itself bent, as though on the verge of snapping.

Splat!

Ye Fan’s sword severed the head of the Holy Son of the Purple Mansion. Blood surged upward more than three meters high. The headless corpse fell into the pool of blood. He then launched another sword stroke, splitting the fleeing head straight in two!

“Aaah…”

The Holy Son of the Purple Mansion let out a resentful cry with his soul: “Ye Fan — you won’t live long either…” A cluster of violet light burst outward.

Splat!

Ye Fan brought his sword down, shattering the violet light — destroying the soul of a generation’s holy son completely, body and spirit alike annihilated. He was not willing to give the other party a chance to shout his name — he would not allow him to cry out his identity.

“Killing you amounts to killing a nobody — you’re nothing but a nameless face now!” He stood there, sacred sword dripping with blood.