A single arrow shatters a mountaintop — what manner of power is this? Strike it against a human body, and the physical form would certainly be obliterated, nothing left behind whatsoever!
Every spectator stood slack-jawed. As time wore on, Ye Fan had already fired more than seven hundred arrows. Each one was a brilliant long rainbow, illuminating the heavens above.
Even from a great distance, one could feel the terrifying undulations coursing through this stretch of heaven and earth — as though a field of stars were being destroyed. Souls and spirits trembled at the sensation.
Many powerful spirit beasts had retreated far away, not daring to advance, terrified of being caught in a catastrophic disaster. Numerous cultivators watched from afar, and not a single one dared approach.
How was one supposed to fight under these conditions? People couldn’t help but ask themselves. Hundreds of arrows of light firing simultaneously — like a cascade of meteors falling from beyond the sky, reducing cliff faces to powder at irregular intervals.
With power this terrifying, no one could withstand it. Even a half-step great expert would furrow their brow at such fearsome divine arrows forming a rain of light, falling interwoven, piercing clouds and shattering mountains.
“Seven hundred eleven, seven hundred twelve…”
Many people had taken to counting, and the sense of disbelief only grew with each number. Ye Fan’s body glowed with precious light, his blood-energy as vast as a sea, flooding half the sky. Not the slightest sign of exhaustion showed anywhere on him.
When people reached the count of seven hundred and twenty arrows, Yan Yunluan too could no longer hold. An endless rain of golden long rainbows descended upon him, each arrow weighing more than ten thousand catties, numbing his arms with the impact.
Bear in mind that each single arrow had the power to bring down a mountain peak. When so many converged together, even a supreme elder of a sacred ground would be close to coughing blood.
In the eyes of the world, Yan Yunluan was a prodigy — unafraid even when facing those who had reached the eighth or ninth Dragon Metamorphosis transformation, supremely confident in his ability to cut down Ye Fan. Yet at this moment he was filled with unspeakable frustration and shame.
No divine power he possessed was of any use. His opponent held the Ten-Thousand-Bane Bow in hand and had sealed off the entire sky. He simply could not break through, could not close to engage in direct combat.
At this moment, Yan Yunluan was nothing but a living target, absorbing the impact of hundreds of long rainbows, the fang-patterned halberd moving in his hands in sweeping heaven-defying arcs — and still it was to no avail.
Though he had split and shattered more than half of the arrows of light, his opponent’s momentum kept climbing, his divine power never running dry. At this rate, he would inevitably be shot to death — there was not the slightest uncertainty about it.
Clang!
Even with the bearing of a war god, Yan Yunluan had grown weary by now. The fang-patterned halberd in his hand, though capable of cleaving the sky apart, no longer struck with the ferocious fury of the beginning.
Clang! Clang!
He continued to slash and sever in rapid succession, charging toward Ye Fan several times, yet each time he was forced back by sheer pressure, nearly meeting catastrophe. Rage and humiliation — and with it extreme resentment and unwillingness — yet there was nothing he could do.
Thud!
An arrow pierced through the sun, arriving like an eternal light from beyond the sky, suddenly closing in and sweeping a lock of Yan Yunluan’s dark hair away, reducing it to ash — coming within a hairsbreadth of boring clean through his skull.
His eyes were ice-cold beyond expression. Without a single word, he turned and left. There was no way to continue this battle. When his divine power was exhausted, he would inevitably be struck down.
“Didn’t you want to end my life? It’s not so easy to just walk away!” Ye Fan gave chase, drawing and loosing the bow with calm composure. The Ten-Thousand-Bane Bow and he had fused into a single entity — like a wheel of the immortal realm, blazing with dazzling brilliance.
Clang!
The divine arrow trailed a long tail of light stretching several li behind it, resplendent beyond description — yet devastatingly fearsome, its destructive power staggering. When it struck the fang-patterned halberd, it made the weapon shudder violently.
“Don’t push me…” Yan Yunluan glanced back at him coldly, then continued surging toward the distant sky.
“And if I do push you?” Ye Fan was completely unconcerned. The man had already tried to kill him — there was nothing further to be considerate about. If he could shoot him down, he absolutely would not show mercy.
Of the seven hundred and more divine arrows loosed, around one hundred and fifty had not been destroyed, forming a curtain of brilliance that blazed with dazzling light in relentless pursuit.
Clang! Clang!
Yan Yunluan had finally begun to show some signs of distress. The fang-patterned halberd nearly flew from his grip several times. Blood traces appeared across his body, several arrow shafts grazing past him and nearly causing grievous injury.
Though as a prodigy-level existence his speed was indeed far superior to that of other sacred sons, measured against the Movement Rune Art he still fell considerably short, unable to shake the pursuit.
By now, everyone who watched was left stunned. Could it truly be that Yan Yunluan was going to perish here? The very thought of this outcome sent a wave of commotion through the crowd.
Boom!
Ye Fan fired another arrow, every ounce of his strength poured into it. The light it produced was overwhelming and daunting to behold — it carved a “Dao-scar” through the void, lightning flickering along its length, the sound thunderous enough to shake the ears.
Clang!
This arrow struck with crushing weight and ferocious momentum, numbing Yan Yunluan’s arms so severely that he nearly released the fang-patterned halberd. A massive force launched him flying hundreds of feet and snapped a mountain peak in two.
Boom!
Another arrow like the last — infused with Ye Fan’s full vital energy, essence, and spirit — shot through the fabric of space and was upon him in an instant, its trailing light stretching seven or eight li behind it!
Clang!
In that moment the fang-patterned halberd itself nearly warped and bent. This arrow brought a mountain peak crashing down, rocks tumbling in every direction, smoke and dust surging skyward. Yan Yunluan was buried beneath the rubble below.
Not one person failed to change color. The Ten-Thousand-Bane Bow was too fearsome a secret treasure, and in the hands of this young man whose divine power flooded the heavens, it was nothing short of a divine-killing, Buddha-obliterating force.
Yan Yunluan let out a long, piercing cry. Violet light blazed from his entire body as he burst out from the pile of rubble, fang-patterned halberd in hand, slicing through dozens of arrows in quick succession. Without looking back, he flew away.
By now, Ye Fan himself had finally grown somewhat fatigued. An ordinary person who could draw the bow a dozen times was already considered exceptional — yet he had already fired more than seven hundred arrows.
He had no desire to let this prodigy go. He continued to circulate his divine power, and at this moment triggered the All-Character Secret, carefully drawing back the dragon bowstring of the Ten-Thousand-Bane Bow.
Whoosh!
This arrow, when finally loosed, was of a different magnitude altogether — not remotely resembling an arrow of light. It was far more like a dragon, stretching over ten li in length!
The terrifying undulation it produced caused many people to nearly collapse to their knees. Quite a few actually lost their balance and nearly tumbled from the sky, crying out in startled alarm.
Clang!
This arrow pierced through the fang-patterned halberd that had been interwoven with the laws of heaven and earth. The halberd shaft snapped and broke apart. An arrow aura over ten li long shattered everything in its path!
Boom!
The void shook violently. An expanse seemingly as vast as a stellar field appeared — boundless and infinite. Yan Yunluan had disappeared into it, having deployed his own phenomenon at this critical juncture.
“Boundless Star Field!”
Someone cried out in astonishment. The hearts of all present lurched. This phenomenon was extraordinarily rare — even in the ancient past, very few had ever cultivated it. And yet this prodigy had mastered it.
The divine arrow over ten li in length had shot into it but was not immediately halted. Though it was dimming rapidly, it had not been extinguished — it was still in flight, passing through the star field in pursuit of Yan Yunluan.
Thud!
A spray of blood erupted outward. The arrow of light had finally pierced through Yan Yunluan, and then dissipated into the star field, drawing out a great blossoming of blood.
Yet Yan Yunluan had not fallen. His body shuddered just once. He retracted the Boundless Star Field and surged toward the distant sky.
“Yan Yunluan has been wounded!”
The crowd was shaken, every face awash in disbelief. A prodigy with skills this heaven-defying — even a cultivator who had reached the ninth Dragon Metamorphosis transformation could not have dealt with him.
Yet here he was, nearly shot to death by a barrage of arrows from someone else. This was undeniably a stunning, world-shaking piece of news, and among the cultivators of this entire region it set off a wave of uproar.
Ye Fan’s heart, meanwhile, was filled with quiet dread. This person was truly too powerful. That last arrow was enough to obliterate a savage dragon body and soul, enough to reduce an entire mountain to dust.
And yet Yan Yunluan had escaped. There was no mortal danger to him. The arrow had merely passed through his body without destroying his life force.
He must break into the Dragon Metamorphosis realm — and soon. This was the voice from the depths of Ye Fan’s heart, and it was fierce and insistent.
Otherwise, the moment he had to fight someone like this to the death without the Ten-Thousand-Bane Bow in hand, most likely the outcome would be grim. Too many cultivation stages separated them, the gap too vast. Even for a sacred physique, it was impossible to transcend and cut down a prodigy of this kind through sheer difference in realm — he needed to raise his own level.
Ye Fan pressed the pursuit. He continuously triggered the All-Character Secret, firing peerless sacred arrows infused with his full vital energy, essence, and spirit. At this moment his opponent’s divine power was running low and he had suffered wounds — it was the perfect opportunity to end him.
“Yan Yunluan is finished — there’s no way he survives this!”
“What a pity. It’s not that his combat power was lacking — without the Ten-Thousand-Bane Bow, even if a supreme elder-level figure from a sacred ground arrived in person, there’s no guarantee they could kill him.”
The crowd was astonished. None of them had anticipated this outcome.
Ye Fan chased the prodigy, the two of them flying more than a hundred li — him behind, Yan Yunluan ahead. He loosed nine arrows in succession, every one of them piercing through the Boundless Star Field. Four of them passed through Yan Yunluan’s body, drawing out great sprays of blood.
All along this stretch of sky, every onlooker was wide-eyed and speechless. The disciples of the extraordinary cultivators’ residence could scarcely believe what they were seeing. Yan Yunluan was being hunted down — this was as fantastical as something out of a fairytale.
“Who is that person? He’s driven a prodigy to this state — what background does he have?!”
“He… it’s actually him!” Someone stared hard in recognition, jaw dropping, struck speechless for a long while.
“Who exactly?”
“He’s that rogue cultivator outside the immortal mountain — the one who captured Princess Qi. I went to watch that battle and saw him with my own eyes.”
“He’s that extraordinary rogue cultivator Ye Zhetian — the one who ate all those spirit beasts and hunted outside the immortal mountain carrying a massive bow?!”
“That’s right — that’s him!”
When the identity was confirmed, the crowd erupted in a wave of astonishment. This was too far beyond belief. This rogue cultivator truly was powerful — even capable of hunting down a prodigy.
Thud!
Blood blossomed, and Yan Yunluan’s body shuddered again — nearly tumbling out from within the Boundless Star Field.
Ye Fan had pierced him for the seventh time, yet his own heart was all the more shaken. Seven arrows in total, each of which could have reduced a great mountain to ash — yet this person still had not died.
A great expert arrived driving clouds through the sky. With a broad sweep of his wide sleeves, he shattered the sacred arrow Ye Fan had fired using the All-Character Secret, blocking the path forward.
Boom!
Simultaneously, he pressed his right hand down into the void, and the remaining dozens of divine arrows all shattered at once — not a single one left intact.
This was a great expert, from the extraordinary cultivators’ residence, someone who held those few prodigies in high regard. He had placed a mark on their persons, and upon sensing danger had rushed to intervene at the very first moment.
Ye Fan was swift and decisive. He turned and left. Never mind a Sacred Master-level figure — even against a half-step great expert, he had not the slightest hope. He had no intention of throwing his life away.
“Young man, we can talk,” the great expert of the extraordinary cultivators’ residence transmitted to him.
Swish!
Ye Fan gave no reply. He activated the Movement Rune Art, vanished into the depths of the mountain range, and disappeared from sight in the blink of an eye.
Two days later, Ye Fan entered a place of extraordinary aura, suffused with a haze of purple mist. Strange flowers bloomed all across the area, spirit grasses carpeted the ground, and numerous orchids and spirit herbs flourished in abundance.
“Duan De!”
Ye Fan was surprised. He had found the unscrupulous Daoist Duan De, wandering about within this spirit-rich ground.
“This fellow has a profound mastery of burial grounds and tomb layouts. He couldn’t have spotted something here, could he?”
Duan De had entered and exited the Demon Emperor’s yin tomb nine times, and had further identified the burial site of the Nine Secrets in Lizhou — his abilities were genuinely beyond measure.
“Follow behind him — this time I’ll rob him of his treasure!” Ye Fan made up his mind. In years past, Duan De had seized several spirit items from before the Demon Emperor’s tomb.
The unscrupulous Daoist wandered about the area for the better part of a day, then suddenly struck out, shattering a cliff face. A cave dwelling appeared within it, with auspicious light flowing outward.
“A immortal cave has emerged!” Duan De suddenly opened his voice and bellowed at the top of his lungs, as though wishing to draw in every person within hearing range.
“When did this scoundrel become so public-spirited? What’s he plotting?” Ye Fan was thoroughly puzzled.
In the space of mere moments, numerous cultivators were stirred from the mountain ranges in the distance, flying over to descend at this spot, all of them staring at the ancient cave that poured forth flowing brilliance.
And Duan De had already retreated, disappearing into the distant mountains. Ye Fan followed in silence, not making a sound. He didn’t believe for a moment that this unscrupulous Daoist had become so generous — there was certainly something being planned.
“Heh heh — you all go ahead and break the restrictive formations. This poor Daoist thanks you in advance,” Duan De sniggered.
“This scoundrel truly never changes his nature!” Ye Fan cursed internally.
Before long, Duan De arrived at a place dozens of li away. Here was a clear, pristine little lake, swathed in drifting thin mist, its shores fragrant with the breath of orchids — a corner of the world that seemed utterly untouched and pure.
“Once you all have broken open the restrictive formations, this immortal lake will sink below ground, and the true cave dwelling will emerge. There must be extraordinary treasure here.” The fat Daoist rubbed his hands together, eyes gleaming with a bright, covetous light.
“This fellow is truly something — he has people breaking restrictive formations dozens of li away while he reaps the rewards right here at his leisure. One move, two gains,” Ye Fan thought, contempt and genuine admiration mixing together in equal measure.
In the distance, a figure flickered. A woman of peerless beauty appeared — graceful and upright — passing through the spirit vein paths, walking toward the clear immortal lake. It was Princess Yudi.
“Princess…” Ye Fan transmitted a message, calling her over.
“Why are you here?” Princess Yudi was surprised.
“You weren’t thinking of bathing in this lake, were you? Don’t go over there — wait here. There’s most likely an immortal opportunity about to appear.” Ye Fan smiled.
Princess Yudi shot him a sideways glance. “What are you talking about nonsense? I simply sensed this place has dense spiritual energy, clearly not an ordinary spot, and came to take a look.”
Then her expression shifted, and a trace of surprise appeared on her smooth, flawless face. She too had spotted Duan De by the lakeshore, behaving in a sneaky, furtive manner, lurking behind a rock of pale green jade.
“That person is very mysterious, also a disciple of the extraordinary cultivators’ residence. It is said that one prodigy wanted to test his martial abilities — but couldn’t gauge his depth at all.”
This result didn’t surprise Ye Fan in the slightest. This unscrupulous Daoist had managed to escape from the hands of great personages. Even one of the Thirteen Great Outlaws, Wu Dao, had chased him in circles throughout the land without ever catching him.
Suddenly, in the distance auspicious rays of light surged skyward. Boundless luminescence flowed outward. Throughout the mountain ranges, spiritual energy was everywhere, accompanied by strains of celestial music.
It was that spirit-rich ground from before. Many cultivators had deployed their power to break the restrictive formations; from this great distance one could see streams of divine light surging upward, drawing the eye irresistibly.
Every person within this region immediately rushed there at the first instant. This kind of spectacle closely resembled the signs of a cave dwelling being opened.
Ye Fan clicked his tongue. The fat Daoist was truly unscrupulous — those people were toiling for him in vain, keeping all the powerful experts busy elsewhere. Meanwhile this location went unnoticed by anyone — a single move, and he had achieved two things at once.
Splash, gurgle
Points of luminescent light seeped upward from within the lake water, and it was sinking rapidly. The density of spiritual energy increased many times over.
“It truly is an entrance here — this must be the true cave dwelling. At this scale, it was most likely left by a saint of antiquity, or perhaps even connected to an ancient great emperor. There may very well be an ancient scripture emerging here!” The fat Daoist muttered to himself, bubbling with excitement.