A golden rainbow shot forward, its trailing radiance stretching a hundred zhang. Yan Yunluan let out a great shout and spat a mouthful of innate life essence from his mouth, which transformed into a sharp blade and sliced the arrow apart.

He stood in the stone forest, fixing Ye Fan with a cold and indifferent stare. He had nearly been shot dead the last time, and now he had been shouted at again — the rage in his heart was immense. Yet he knew the Ten-Thousand Calamity Bow had a natural advantage over him.

“Still not leaving? You have no chance — your ten breaths are over. I’ll send you on your way!” Ye Fan drew the bow and released again. This arrow was imbued with boundless life essence, a divine rainbow piercing heaven and earth, winds and thunder roaring alongside it as it burst forward.

Yan Yunluan’s expression shifted. He opened his mouth and produced a bronze lamp, its wick spewing forth divine flame, and he smashed it into the divine rainbow over and over again, dissipating its force.

“Ye Zhetian — I will come to kill you for this!” He turned and walked away, unwilling to face off against him.

“Why choose another day when today is right here? Let us settle this now.” Ye Fan made up his mind this time to kill him. With no one else nearby to disrupt things, he would use the All Character Secret in succession, releasing volley after volley of arrows to slay him.

Yan Yunluan’s resentment had reached its peak. Never in his life had he been so cornered — and not because his combat power was lacking against his opponent. He said not a word and flew toward the sky. He had no desire to be a living target again — the wounds from last time hadn’t fully healed.

“Yan Yunluan, weren’t you being so arrogant just a moment ago? How is it that now you’re running with your tail between your legs?” Liu Kou shouted from behind.

“Yan Wudi, aren’t you supposed to be invincible and unstoppable? Why flee in such panic? Stand and fight!” Li Heishui also jeered, every last bit of pent-up frustration releasing at once.

Ye Fan chased without relenting, loosing arrow after arrow. Golden light filled the air — viewed from afar, it was dazzlingly brilliant, like fireworks blooming, extraordinarily beautiful.

Yet wherever that brilliant display passed, life tended to be extinguished. An entire prodigy had been driven to such desperate straits.

“Ye Zhetian — you have some ability today, relying on a secret treasure to chase and try to kill me. Within a few days I will certainly have broken through. When I come to take your head, not even the Ten-Thousand Calamity Bow will give me pause!” Yan Yunluan swore with deadly resolve. As long as he broke through one more realm, he would be among the very strongest of the young generation — and at that point, even if Ye Fan held the Ten-Thousand Calamity Bow, he would have nothing to fear.

“Stubborn to the last!” Ye Fan had resolved to end him. He activated the All Character Secret, triggering an explosive tenfold boost in combat strength. The Ten-Thousand Calamity Bow was like a slumbering dragon reawakened — the aura it released was terrifying beyond measure, radiance blazing ten thousand zhang, its fluctuations rolling outward and instantly triggering a great avalanche.

“Whoosh!”

A divine rainbow shot out, aimed directly at Yan Yunluan’s brow. He opened his mouth and produced a bronze lamp, the wick belching divine flames to attack the divine arrow from the side, dissipating its force.

At the same time, Chu Tian acted. He raised his hand and sealed the void in ice. Profound glacial ice spread outward and froze that divine arrow within it, immense divine power pouring inward from all sides.

“Boom!”

The divine arrow shattered, transforming back into pure essence that surged into the space between heaven and earth, divine light raging and sweeping the top of that snowy peak apart, sending it plummeting into a ten-thousand-zhang deep gorge below.

Li Heishui surged forward. He had seen it clearly — with these two men fighting together, there was likely no one among the younger generation who could stand against them in a direct confrontation. He feared Ye Fan might be cut down and killed.

“Wait — you two are both supposed to be prodigies. Joining forces like this is rather unsportsmanlike, wouldn’t you say?”

From the distance, spectators had gathered. Two great prodigies standing together naturally drew every eye — and everyone was eager to witness the outcome.

Yan Yunluan’s expression darkened. “Very well. Since you say that, I will not make things difficult for him. Five days from now, I will go to his Domain Lord’s estate for a duel to the death — I will cut him down beneath my halberd!”

“Why wait five days? Come at me now — I will cut you down in front of everyone!” Ye Fan replied with a cold sneer.

“Friend — relying on a secret treasure counts for nothing. Know that treasures and weapons are without limit in this world, and the Ten-Thousand Calamity Bow is far from unbreakable. A true cultivator must ultimately rely on their own body and power.” Chu Tian spoke in measured, unhurried tones. His meaning was clear enough: Yan Yunluan’s defeat was not due to inferior strength — only to a disadvantage in weapons, which was why he had been suppressed.

“Then let today be that day.” Liu Kou stepped forward — he had no desire to see two prodigies standing together, knowing that if both moved at once, neither he nor Ye Fan would have a path out alive.

“Friend, let him be for now.” Li Heishui stepped forward and blocked Ye Fan, holding him back.

With two prodigies present, even with the Ten-Thousand Calamity Bow and whatever other means Ye Fan possessed, the fact remained that he had not yet entered the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm — and he had no confidence in his heart.

The crowd dispersed. The storm had been diffused for now, but it had only made people more eager than before — five days hence, a great battle would come: a duel between prodigies against Ye Zhetian. It would surely be a contest of dragons and tigers.

“Many thanks for your assistance, friend.” When they had found a place away from others, Li Heishui and Liu Kou expressed their gratitude.

Ye Fan broke into a grin immediately, stepped forward, and clapped them both on the shoulder. “Why are you two being so formal with me?”

Both men were dumbstruck — then let out startled whoops in unison, stepping forward to pound him enthusiastically with their fists, both overjoyed.

“You’re finally here! Every last one of those prodigies from the Academy of Remarkable Scholars is absolutely monstrous — we were counting on you to come and knock them all flat.”

“This place would truly be a loss without you. Fortunately, you didn’t stay cooped up in the Eastern Wilderness.”

“Speaking of which, Little Ye Fan — you need to level up quickly, otherwise you genuinely won’t be able to handle them. There’s a woman who came from the Western Sands — many people have unanimously agreed she is destined to attain Bodhisattvahood someday.”

“One of the Central State’s prodigies killed a Sovereign Physique with a single slap — you’ve probably heard about it.”

“A young man from the Northern Plains who calls himself the Wolf God — everyone who sees him gives him a wide berth. His combat power is terrifyingly ferocious, and he actually captured an Archaic living being to serve as his attendant.”

It was obvious enough — these two had been well and truly shaken. Having witnessed the extraordinary talents of the Five Great Domains, they had received quite a blow.

Ye Fan said: “Many great figures throughout the ages have come into their power late. Did not half of the Saints in the Ancient Era have unremarkable cultivation in their youth? What matters in the end is the potential revealed in the later stages.”

“That’s true enough — though you don’t need to comfort us with it.” Li Heishui nodded with a smile.

“Have either of you seen Pang Bo?” Ye Fan asked. He had come to the Central State precisely to find this old friend.

Both shook their heads. Many people had gone into seclusion the moment they entered the Academy of Remarkable Scholars, and fully half the people here had not been seen at all — and the entries into the Immortal Palace world had also been made in separate groups.

Ye Fan walked with them back to that stone forest, returning to the bank of the blue luminous little lake, and climbed the ethereal stone mountain. Immediately his mind grew still and tranquil.

“This place is truly extraordinary!”

They could all feel that something was different here, yet none could perceive the precise mechanism. All of them sat cross-legged on the stone mountain, facing the little lake in quiet cultivation.

The lake shimmered with deep blue radiance. The stone mountain felt ethereal. Day after day passed, their minds growing serene and clear — it became remarkably easy to enter the state of the Dao, and they nearly achieved enlightenment right there on the spot.

“I understand now — this is the site where an ancient Saint passed into the Dao!” Ye Fan startled himself with the realization.

When ancient Saints died, their flesh did not rot and could endure without decay — but some chose not to leave a body behind and would instead dissolve themselves away. Sites where this had occurred were called “Dissolution Sites” — infused with divine and numinous essence, inscribed with the truest principles of the Dao. Those who discovered such a place and cultivated within it would find it far easier to enter the state of the Dao and achieve enlightenment.

“In ages past, an ancient Saint dissolved themselves into the Dao here, returning to the heaven and earth from which they came.” Liu Kou clicked his tongue, deeply shaken.

Far off, strange beasts swarmed through the boundless mountain ranges, appearing at an astonishing rate of congregation over the past several days. Many cultivators had been killed by them.

“Let us leave — the great rampage of the primordial beast kings is about to begin. We should not let ourselves be trapped here.”

In the end, they departed the Immortal Palace world. Ye Fan adopted a different appearance and exited through the entrance controlled by the Academy of Remarkable Scholars — no one paid him any attention.

Yet Ye Fan did not leave the area. Instead, he wandered through the immortal mountains suffused with violet energy, then chose a spot and cultivated quietly for several days, sensing the pulse of this immortal mountain range and searching to see if there was anything out of the ordinary.

Several days later, he returned to Wildland City. The moment he arrived, he noticed many people watching him with strange expressions, clearly wanting to say something.

“What is it? Why are you all looking at me like that?”

“My Lord, a man by the name of Yan Yunluan came here several days ago and said he was going to kill you. Many people from the Academy of Remarkable Scholars followed along to watch the spectacle — but you weren’t here.”

“They speculated that you didn’t dare face him, that you had already fled in panic, and said many unpleasant things.”

“He actually came?” Ye Fan paid this no particular mind — he had simply stayed too long in the immortal mountain range and naturally missed it.

“Some people are saying that as long as you dare show your face, Yan Yunluan will certainly come to take your head — unless you remain a turtle hiding in its shell forever.”

Ye Fan came to the Barren Cottage. The people of the ancient village said the same — Yan Yunluan had come here too, wishing to engage him in a duel to the death.

Not long after, word spread that Ye Fan had returned. When the people of the Academy of Remarkable Scholars learned of it, Yan Yunluan appeared that very same day — and he had not come alone.

A mighty procession, no fewer than two or three hundred people — all young powerhouses who had entered the Academy of Remarkable Scholars. There were beautiful young women in the prime of their youth, and young monks with shaved heads among them — all manner of individuals.

Many had already heard that this young domain lord had chased Yan Yunluan and wanted to see for themselves what manner of ability he truly possessed.

The elites of the Five Great Domains were children of heaven, every last one proud and lofty — yet all were eager to witness this battle.

“Where is the Commandery Princess Qi?” someone cried out, glaring at Ye Fan.

He had been gone for some time, completely unreachable — and anyone who wanted to come to her rescue simply could not find him. Now that he had surfaced, he naturally attracted those eager to confront him.

“Release the Commandery Princess!” More than ten people crouched ready to spring, eager to act.

Ye Fan broke into a grin. With a flash of light from his hand, he released Qi Huoshui from the precious vase. The peerless beauty came out scratching and clawing, lunging at him.

“You dared to seal me away for so many days — I’ll fight you to the death!”

Unfortunately, the seals on her body had not been removed, and she could not hurt Ye Fan in the slightest.

“There are people here to rescue you — stop snapping at me.” Ye Fan flicked her forehead with a sharp rap of his knuckle.

From a distance, the onlookers watched this scene in wide-eyed, near-petrified disbelief. They found him impossibly bold — daring to lay hands on this peppery woman from the Southern Ranges, with no fear of the enormous trouble it might bring.

Qi Huoshui spotted the people around her, turned, and sprinted away toward them, wanting to escape. Ye Fan made no move to stop her.

At this moment, Yan Yunluan appeared. His expression was cold and unmoved, without a trace of emotion. “I will let you shoot at me with the Ten-Thousand Calamity Bow freely. Today, I will not raise so much as a single finger to suppress you.”

“What grandiose boasting.” Ye Fan replied with a cold sneer.

The others were equally bewildered — why would he dare speak such arrogant words, claiming he would not raise a single finger and yet still cut down Ye Fan?

Yan Yunluan paced forward to stand not far from Ye Fan, a faint cold smile on his lips. “I will send you on your way.”

“Boom!”

Ten thousand zhang of lightning descended from the sky, instantly engulfing both him and Ye Fan.

In that moment, not a single soul present was not seized with horror. This was a Heavenly Tribulation — many of the heaven’s favorites went pale with alarm, and every figure of a Sacred Child’s caliber was struck with deep and speechless awe.

A Heavenly Tribulation!

Yan Yunluan was crossing his Heavenly Tribulation — and intending to use the power of heaven and earth to simultaneously suppress and destroy Ye Fan. Every last person understood his plan.

In this world, very few people of this age could summon a Heavenly Tribulation — and any such figure was without question a prodigy with rarely a match.

As everyone else reeled with trepidation, Ye Fan was the one who smiled. Trying to strike him dead with a Heavenly Tribulation — that was a serious miscalculation. He thought perhaps he ought to call down an even greater Heavenly Tribulation upon this prodigy, and see in the end just who got struck dead by it.