In that supremely yin and supremely dark place, Ye Fan sat in stillness. He drifted in the cold cosmos, forever ignorant of what lay ahead.

Before his brow, a crescent-moon-shaped pendant hovered in the air, perfectly motionless — maintaining a steady, unwavering distance from him. Like a divine lamp, it flickered with soft, cold radiance.

Yet this radiance was glacially cold — cold enough to shatter anything it touched. Several ancient treasures Ye Fan had collected crumbled into powder, unable to withstand the chill.

Cradled against his chest was the black gourd, a flame dancing within it, the nine-colored mist threads coiled around it like a veil of thin smoke.

He was using the nine-colored sacred flames to resist the Supreme Yin Sacred Force. Otherwise, he might have been transmuted into a current of Supreme Yin energy himself, ceasing to exist — and this was still far from the core of the Supreme Yin.

Such was the terrifying power of the Supreme Yin force. Once unleashed in full, it was extremely difficult to resist. Were it not for the ferocity of the nine-colored mist threads, nothing would have been able to hold it back.

Around Ye Fan, a black mist drifted — the primordial Supreme Yin of the cosmos, exceedingly rare even within the breadth of star domains, yet here it lay in vast, endless sheets.

A boundless expanse of black cloud-like mist had consumed this place entirely. The Supreme Yang Sacred Force roared through it, and this in turn was the reason the crescent-moon pendant was glowing — as though something inside it had come alive once more.

Seen from afar, it was like a supreme yin divine lamp, fixed before Ye Fan’s brow, breathing in and breathing out the Supreme Yin — locked in intimate, profound communion with him.

He counted himself fortunate. It was lucky that the interior of the black gourd was like an ancient cosmos unto itself — vast beyond reckoning — storing a limitless supply of nine-colored sacred flames. Otherwise the supply would have been far too insufficient for what was needed.

Supreme Yin — inheriting the supremely yin force of the opening of heaven and earth — held within it infinite killing intent, utterly ungovernable, nearly impossible to refine and absorb into the body.

Throughout all of history, those who had truly cultivated the Supreme Yin Ancient Scripture to its completion could be counted on one hand. To do so was to contend with heaven and earth themselves for fortune and transformation.

Within the pendant, ancient characters flickered one by one, transmuting into a brand that vibrated — like the pealing of great bells — as though one were being immersed in a kind of sacred cleansing.

Of course, this was an extraordinarily dangerous cleansing. Even if every Saint Lord under heaven were present, none could endure it. They would absolutely be dissolved alive into Supreme Yin energy, ground into nothing.

The temperature here was impossibly low. A single tremor could freeze ten hundred thousand miles of space — the cold spread without limit, without end. Wherever it reached, all vitality would be extinguished. Not a trace of life would remain.

Ye Fan labored to quiet his mind. Drawing upon the nine-colored flame threads to resist the Supreme Yin Sacred Force, he studied the brand flickering within the pendant with deep attention.

Though he had long sensed it, to truly confirm that the pendant contained the Supreme Yin Ancient Scripture still stirred in him a surge of excitement. This was one of the two great Mother Scriptures of the human race — even the great Emperors of antiquity had found immense benefit in studying it before achieving the Dao.

Yet it was still an incomplete scripture — not without flaws. It contained the Dao Palace scroll and the Immortal Platform scroll, yet was missing three scrolls, and carried no Supreme Yin secret arts.

Still, as long as the Immortal Platform scroll was present, it was sufficient. The Sea Wheel, the Dao Palace, the Four Extremes, and the Dragon Transformation — he had cultivated them all, and all from the most powerful ancient scriptures.

Now the Supreme Yin and the Supreme Yang were gathered together, flowing into the Immortal Platform in unison — perfect to allow Yin and Yang to complement each other, giving rise to the legendary supreme Immortal Platform technique!

Of course, this was but a hopeful wish in his heart. Who throughout history had ever united these two opposing ancient scriptures into one? Even the ancient Saints of the primordial age had driven themselves to madness trying.

“Supreme Yin, Supreme Yang — which is weaker, which is stronger? Yin and Yang in harmony — the world would call you Emperor.”

This ancient-sounding phrase, like a divine incantation, continued to resound at Ye Fan’s ears — emanating from within the crescent-moon pendant, refusing to let him rest.

Since ancient times, the path to the Dao had been paved with hardship. To advance, one required not only immense willpower and wisdom, but supreme fortune — an ancient scripture alone was not enough.

For example, immortal dynasties that had persisted through the ages, holy lands that had endured since time immemorial — all possessed ancient scriptures. Yet aside from their founders, none of their descendants had ever achieved the Dao.

A path seemed as though it could only be walked once. When one predecessor achieved the Dao, the road was sealed — those who followed could hope no more.

Yet the Supreme Yin and Supreme Yang were uniquely different. There was a legend that if both were cultivated to full completion, the Dao would be attained. Simply cultivate both scriptures to perfection — and the way would be opened.

Other ancient scriptures, even if cultivated to their supreme completion, still might not allow the cultivator to step beyond where the ancestors had gone. One might only be a quasi-Emperor at best.

“Supreme Yin and Supreme Yang in harmony — walking them together to full completion, and one becomes Emperor. Truly remarkable. No wonder that ancient Saint of the primordial age risked his life to defy heaven, driving himself mad, becoming the Human Demon.”

Time flowed like water, never returning. In the void there is no reckoning of time. Ye Fan sat like a sealed fossil in the lightless cosmos, motionless, in silent, earnest contemplation.

Beside him, the green-robed elder cradled the stone coffin like a stone sculpture. It was difficult to say what state he was in — one might say he had dissolved into the Dao, yet he still existed, not fully extinguished; one might say he was still alive, yet he had lost all self-awareness.

As for the stone coffin — it had sealed itself once more. Not a wisp of energy leaked from it now. At such close range, if it had continued to emit power, Ye Fan could not possibly have sat here in calm meditation.

In this dark cosmos, time was of the least value. The Supreme Yin mist drifted and curled around him. Ye Fan had not moved for half a year — he had been in continuous contemplation the entire time.

When he had cultivated the Supreme Yang Ancient Scripture, it had not taken this long. Three months in closed cultivation, and he had emerged. Yet now half a year had passed, and he was still frowning.

The Immortal Platform scroll of the Supreme Yin Ancient Scripture was profoundly abstruse. It required a pure and unblemished Dao heart to comprehend it — and a powerful divine consciousness as its foundation, upon which the Immortal Platform was to be constructed.

He possessed all of these things. By rights, his progress should have been twice as swift for half the effort. Yet he had encountered grave difficulties — not only was his progress slow, but several times he had almost damaged himself irreparably.

He cultivated the Supreme Yang Ancient Scripture, and now he was refining the opposing Supreme Yin Sacred Force. The two were in violent conflict — impossible to fuse. Several times the force had nearly shattered his Immortal Platform.

So much for Yin and Yang in harmony. So much for the two forces giving rise to each other. None of it was possible — only conflict, and self-destruction.

Pfft!

Half a month later, Ye Fan coughed up a great mouthful of blood. The clash between the Supreme Yin and Supreme Yang had caused his Immortal Platform to tremble, and a terrible gash split open across his brow — a frightening sight.

“Supreme Yin, Supreme Yang — how can they walk together?!”

Ye Fan pondered. He brought every ability to bear. He was not being arrogant — he did not believe himself superior to that ancient Saint of the primordial era. Rather, he had something to rely upon.

He had come from the other end of the starry sky. He had encountered the concept of Taiji — the Supreme Ultimate. Though it was not a cultivation method, it gave him boundless inspiration. Perhaps it was the most effective means of resolving the conflict between the Supreme Yin and Supreme Yang. He was therefore making the attempt.

Yet even so, he had sustained injury. The two diametrically opposing forces had pushed his Immortal Platform to the edge of collapse, threatening to reduce it to chaos.

Ye Fan persevered with quiet tenacity, contemplating without cease, sitting cross-legged in the lightless cosmos, beginning his comprehension anew.

“The Dao of heaven and earth uses the two forces of Yin and Yang to birth and transform all things. The principle of human life uses the two forces of Yin and Yang to nourish every bone and sinew. Within a single body, there is nothing that does not conform to the principle of Yin and Yang. I must begin from this.”

“Taiji is that which existed before heaven and earth were divided — primal energy as one, which is the Supreme Beginning, the Supreme Unity.”

Ye Fan murmured, contemplating carefully. Within his body, he set the Supreme Yin Ancient Scripture in motion and once again began his attempt.

The Dao — that which is supremely refined — cannot be given form, cannot be given name. To force a name upon it is to call it the Supreme Unity.

“I am the Supreme Unity. My body is the Dao. Through me, Yin and Yang are divided, the two forces are given birth, and from their interplay, all life is engendered.”

Ye Fan’s mind was without flaw. Step by step he deduced, combining everything he knew — drawing forth the Supreme Yin and the Supreme Yang, allowing them to advance in concert, like water and fire mingling.

He regarded himself as the Dao itself. Within the Dao, Yin and Yang were divided. He focused his sight on allowing the Supreme Yin and Supreme Yang to flow together — dependent upon each other, born of each other.

And so another most of a year passed. Using the principle of Taiji to cultivate both the Supreme Yin and the Supreme Yang Ancient Scriptures, Ye Fan at last achieved a breakthrough — a key and decisive step forward.

This did not mean he had truly fused the Supreme Yin and Supreme Yang. He had only reached the point where initial cultivation was possible. To truly cultivate both scriptures simultaneously was still extraordinarily difficult.

That he had managed even this small step was owed not only to his innate gift, but to the fact that he had absorbed the essence of thousands of years of ancient Chinese civilization — drawing analogies and comprehending the Dao through the principle of the Taiji Supreme Ultimate.

For that entire year, Ye Fan had not moved once — still as a divine statue in an ancient temple, solemn and resplendent, in clear understanding of the Dao, clear understanding of the heart.

At last, the nine-colored mist threads around his body faded somewhat. Black mist began to flow toward him — this was pure Supreme Yin force, thread by thread, seeping into his pores.

After over a year of bitter cultivation, he had at last stirred the Supreme Yin true force, refining it into his body, cleansing and washing him — though the amount was small, the effect was extraordinary.

Northern Dipper Star Domain. On an ancient star. Within a forbidden ground of ancient beings in the Eastern Wilderness, a divine platform flickered with light.

After more than a year, they had finally made their decision. Facing the desolate cosmos, they initiated the summoning. The cost was immense — divine source stone was arranged in square formations at each of the four corners.

Array inscriptions flashed. Dao marks spread densely, weaving through the void. This entire region was instantly submerged in their light.

At the same moment, in the cold depths of the cosmos, Ye Fan was jolted awake. He felt a powerful force tearing at him, seeking to pull him into a tunnel.

“What’s happening?” Suddenly, he felt a profound and strange force binding him in place.

Boom!

He directly channeled Supreme Yin true force, driving it toward that distant region of void, sending it shooting into the tunnel.

Eastern Wilderness. The divine platform pulsed with light. A vast black mist erupted from it, radiating an aura of utter destruction — instantly reducing the surrounding ancient ground to powder and freezing it into a wasteland.

“Supreme Yin Sacred Force!”

“To be able to cultivate Supreme Yin Sacred Force — which clan’s king could this be?”

The ancient beings were greatly shaken. All of them retreated, calling forth various divine treasures to guard themselves and block the black mist from drawing near. At the same time, the divine platform dimmed and went silent with a flash of light.

“Should we continue the summoning? This existence appears to be… quite displeased.”

In the cosmos, Ye Fan was bewildered. He had a vague feeling that it had been the ancient kings he had carried off the bronze war vessel that had drawn forth that pulling force — but he did not dwell on it further.

He began his sitting cultivation once more, working hard at the Supreme Yin force. Thread by thread, the mist seeped into his body, passing through his pores, letting him gradually grow more accustomed to it.

And so — one month, two months — another full year swept past. Ye Fan achieved the initial accomplishment of the Supreme Yin. He was far from mastery, yet he had already developed a formidable set of abilities.

Throughout this period, he continuously refined Supreme Yin Sacred Force. The vast expanses of black mist in this ancient region had almost been entirely absorbed.

Ye Fan was unwavering in his focus. Day by day, month by month, he persevered in silent, arduous cultivation. He needed tremendous power — and so he contemplated, endlessly and without stop.

“Taiji stirs and Yang is born. Yang moves to its extreme and stillness follows. From stillness, Yin is born. Yin reaches its extreme and motion follows again. One motion, one stillness — each the root of the other. Yin and Yang are distinguished, and the two fundamental forces are established.”

Grasping Yin and Yang, cultivating the Supreme Yin and Supreme Yang together — he had at last achieved a measure of success. Yet still he was not satisfied.

In that lightless star domain, Ye Fan had remained in closed cultivation for over three full years without taking a single step. At last, he refined away every last trace of the black mist.

In the past, he had cultivated the Supreme Yang Ancient Scripture in three months. Now the Supreme Yin had taken three full years — the time gap was enormous, yet the results were equally extraordinary.

Ye Fan had been adrift in the desolate cosmos for nearly seven years. His strength had grown by leaps and bounds. After finally refining the last of the Supreme Yin mist, he endured a great heavenly tribulation that shook the entire surrounding star domain.

A supremely terrifying lightning tribulation descended — a host of human-shaped bolts of lightning fell upon him, and then an ancient celestial palace came pressing down, seeking to crush him into oblivion.

In the end, he passed through the tribulation successfully, taking the most pivotal step of a cultivator’s life — entering the second level of the Immortal Platform, becoming a Saint Lord!

For Ye Fan, this had an immeasurable significance. He possessed the Sacred Body and had broken into the eighth forbidden realm. Once he became a Saint Lord, the result would be something of extreme, terrifying power. The entire world would be open to him — there would be no one left who could hold him down and destroy him.

“Having reached this level, if I were to return to the Northern Dipper Star Domain — what holy land would I have cause to fear?!” And yet he could only sigh. There was no way back.

Deep in the night, in the Eastern Wilderness, Pang Bo was drenched in blood, gazing up at the stars.

“Seven years. Ye Fan, are you still alive? Have you returned to our homeland? Do you know how brutal the fighting here has been…”

“Cough…” Li Heishui coughed up blood. “This time, I may really be dying. I don’t know if the Barbarian made it out.”

On another ancient platform, Ji Ziyue let out a soft cough, a trickle of blood at the corner of her lips. She gazed up into the night sky.

“Little Ye Fan, where are you? Have you reached the other end of the starry sky? Your old companions have encountered great disaster. My brother came to help — and was ambushed, gravely wounded.”