“What were you thinking, diving in there, you with the surname Ye?!” Li Tian’s fury blazed.

“He was collected inside the Guanghan Que. Unless you release the Guanghan Que along with him, there’s no way around it,” Yan Yixi said.

“Ye Fan, you’d better keep your wits about you — if you dare compete with me over the number one beauty as a furnace vessel, don’t ever think about coming back out again!” Li Tian threatened furiously.

Yan Yixi said: “He will likely be in mortal danger. Having entered the Guanghan Que, the Divine Maiden Furnace needs to suppress it — otherwise, something terrible will most likely happen.”

A golden wind swept across. Solar Sacred Energy seethed and boiled. The Crow-Winged Flowing-Gold Halberd came flying in, carving out a trail of eternal light. The weapon of the Golden Crow clan’s Grand Saint was terrifyingly powerful.

Clang!

Li Tian hastily sealed the furnace lid and activated the Divine Maiden Furnace to resist it, shouting: “Lu Ya, what grievance old or new do you have against me? Why do you insist on being my enemy?”

“Spare me the nonsense!” Lu Ya’s entire body was like molten gold coursing through him, his killing intent fully exposed.

“Your Golden Crow clan’s princess was on friendly terms with my senior martial brother — don’t pin that on me, all right?” Li Tian said with a wicked grin.

Lu Ya’s expression grew even colder. The weapon of the Golden Crow clan’s Grand Saint awakened and pressed down.

Yan Yixi’s expression changed. He snatched the Divine Maiden Furnace to resist the descending Crow-Winged Flowing-Gold Halberd. A brilliant shower of sparks erupted across the sky — this was the terrifying clash that belonged only to sacred weapons.

Lunar Yin energy surged violently. A swath of black mist submerged everything, bone-piercingly cold, dropping the temperature of Tanggu considerably. The Divine Son of the Lunar Yin had also made his move.

At the same time, Three-Deficiency Daoren also came to assist Lu Ya. With the help of two elderly Daoist priests, they descended bearing a sacred weapon. The Long-Life Halberd struck the Divine Maiden Furnace, sending a blinding burst of radiant light in all directions as Tanggu shook violently.

“Let’s go — retreat!” Yan Yixi called out quietly.

Although the others had all charged toward the Ancient Solar Emperor’s palace hall and had not come to surround and kill them, the three sacred weapons before them were already more than enough trouble.

“We’ve come all the way to where the Ancient Emperor attained the Dao. Why are you attacking us instead of searching for divine artifacts?” Li Tian said in frustration.

“Release Qingwu!” the Divine Son of the Lunar Yin thundered from within the black mist. He moved through the darkness like a great demon god, wrapped in Lunar Yin black clouds.

“Quickly open the Divine Maiden Furnace and invite the celestial Yi out,” said Three-Deficiency Daoren, whose bearing was transcendent and unworldly — his Eight Trigrams Daoist robes lending him an air of someone untouched by worldly affairs.

It had to be said that Yi Qingwu’s beauty was matchless, her appeal boundless. Even several sect-master-level figures cried out from a distance, demanding they release her.

The Divine Maiden Furnace radiated divine light in all directions, nearly transparent, crystalline. It rammed the Crow-Winged Flowing-Gold Halberd aside, tore open the void, separately absorbed the full-force strikes of the Divine Son of the Lunar Yin and Three-Deficiency Daoren’s sacred weapons, and soared upward.

Hmmm!

Suddenly, yet another sacred weapon appeared within Tanggu. An ice-cold palace descended from the sky, bearing down to envelop the Divine Maiden Furnace and Yan Yixi and the others.

Clang!

It was entirely unexpected. The frigid palace was towering and magnificent, imposing and grand. It struck the Divine Maiden Furnace directly — the two martial brothers, who had just absorbed the previous assault and had not yet had time to adjust, coughed up great mouthfuls of blood.

“So the legends were true — you have another sacred weapon. This is the true Guanghan Palace!” Li Tian cried out.

“Release Qingwu.” A middle-aged woman of considerable beauty flew forward, still carrying traces of her former grace, her expression extremely unpleasant. The Divine Maiden Furnace had a notoriously vile reputation. Once someone was collected inside, if they could not be rescued, the consequences were unimaginable.

“The number one beauty under heaven has entered the Divine Maiden Furnace — and you expect her to come out? Don’t even dream of it. Hereafter, the name ‘Yi Qingwu, purest beauty under heaven’ shall be changed to ‘Guanghan Desire-Woman,'” Li Tian said with an imposing, wicked coolness.

Inside the furnace, this was a vast and expansive space filled with misting, hazy radiance. A palace was currently drifting about — it was the Guanghan Que.

Yi Qingwu had entered the sacred weapon. She dared not remain in the open space of the Divine Maiden Furnace, for this space was filled with immense threat to celestials, sacred women, and the like.

Inside the Guanghan Que, clouds and mist drifted. Palace halls and towers rose throughout, flawlessly white, shimmering with scattered light. Ye Fan sought to break through this space and get out, but it was exceedingly difficult.

“It’s no use. You’ve entered a sacred weapon — it’s impossible for you to leave,” Yi Qingwu appeared, standing atop a cloud. Her robes drifted about her. Her figure was slender and graceful, her oval face more lustrous white than mutton-fat jade, her long lashes framing a pair of deep eyes brimming with spiritual light.

“I may not be able to leave, but you’re in great peril yourself. As a woman who has entered the Divine Maiden Furnace, you’d better pray for your own sake,” Ye Fan said.

“Submit to me, and I’ll spare your life,” Yi Qingwu revealed a faint smile. She was strikingly beautiful, unrivaled in her time, and her voice was deeply resonant, incomparably pleasing to hear. The words that came from her lips felt somewhat unexpected — they did not seem like words that should come from the most beautiful woman under heaven.

“For you, the only way out after entering the Divine Maiden Furnace is to submit to me — that is the only way to leave alive,” Ye Fan said.

“Right now we are inside the Guanghan Que. This is a heirloom sacred weapon, and your fate is in my hands. If you do not submit, I can only send you to your rest,” Yi Qingwu said. Her dark hair drifted, her body shimmering with flowing light, her beauty dizzying enough to make one lose oneself.

“Most beautiful woman under heaven — why do you enjoy making others submit to you? Do you enjoy being a queen?” Ye Fan teased.

“Within this Divine Maiden Furnace, I control everything myself. By taking your primary soul into my hands, I will have something to negotiate with those outside,” Yi Qingwu said with a faint smile, though a murderous intent emanated from her.

“I think you and I can sit down and have a good discussion,” Ye Fan said sincerely.

“Don’t bother stalling for time. I won’t give you any opportunity. Even if you possess the Sacred Physique, within this ancient Saint’s weapon, life and death will be governed by me,” Yi Qingwu said. She was supremely ethereal, her lotus steps graceful, her bearing captivating as she swayed. “Surrender your primary soul, and I will spare your life. From this day forth, you shall acknowledge me as your master.”

A full-force strike from a sacred weapon would cause even a king who had attained the third tier of the Celestial Platform to meet a bitter end. Even if Ye Fan’s physical shell was extraordinarily strong, he was still far from reaching full completion and could not possibly withstand it.

“What would our relationship be then? Serving at your side day and night?” Ye Fan scoffed.

“I’ve already given you your opportunity. Since you won’t make a choice, don’t blame me for making my move,” Yi Qingwu said, smoothing back her long hair with unhurried calm.

Suddenly, Ye Fan struck first. His Trajectory-Word Secret Art was unrivaled under heaven. He transformed into a shadow, shooting electrically forward to strike at Yi Qingwu, intending to ruthlessly destroy the flower.

“It’s useless. Inside the Guanghan Que, personally refined and consecrated by an ancient Saint of primordial times, even a king with a fully completed king physique would be unable to escape doom,” Yi Qingwu’s resonant voice was bewitching, but the moment she acted she was an entirely different matter — completely merciless!

A violent tremor rang out. The entire Guanghan Que shook intensely, and celestial light poured down from everywhere, striking at Ye Fan. Every single beam of it was sufficient to slay a powerful expert.

This was absolute slaughter!

A woman of peerless beauty — graceful and matchless, supple and divine — yet the moment she acted she was like a female war goddess, terrifyingly formidable.

Clang!

One violent tremor after another. Celestial light fell. Ye Fan was sent flying backward. The Cauldron of All Things’ Maternal Qi above his head nearly separated from him. The scroll he had obtained from the Dragon’s Nest and draped across his body also fluttered and cracked.

In addition, in his hand he gripped a golden divine staff, bursting with multicolored light as well. Blood seeped from the corner of his mouth as he barely withstood the might of the sacred weapon and narrowly escaped this death calamity.

“A sealed sacred weapon!” Yi Qingwu’s expression changed. She fixed her eyes on the golden scepter that radiated boundless murderous intent. Her heart was not at all at peace.

Within the Divine Maiden Furnace, the Guanghan Que could only exert one-tenth of its divine power — it was being massively suppressed, clearly by the doing of Li Tian and Yan Yixi.

Yi Qingwu’s delicate brows furrowed. To kill Ye Fan with one-tenth of a sacred weapon’s divine power was proving somewhat troublesome — the scepter in his hands, though sealed, could still block a portion of the attacks.

“I cannot give you any more time!” Her expression turned ice-cold.

Yi Qingwu’s entire body radiated precious light. Her divine robes flowed with luminous color, her bearing spirited and valiant, like a goddess incarnate. Her slender figure moved, and she launched a divine moon, pressing down upon Ye Fan.

This was celestial light from the sacred weapon, condensed and sent flying by her hand — a direct assault on her enemy. The might of the Saint was sweeping and boundless!

The Celestial Court Ancient Staff was indeed a sacred weapon, but it was sealed, and at present could not release any divine power at all. Even with it in hand, Ye Fan could not strike out with it.

“What is a sacred weapon? It is the other form of a Saint’s life continuing after the ancient Saint’s own death. Do you think you can resist a Saint? Your weapon is dead. All of this should end now. Let me send you to your rest,” Yi Qingwu struck at him with words.

What she said was not without basis. Even though the sacred weapon could only exert one-tenth of its divine power, it was still something no human strength could resist. Cracks appeared all across Ye Fan’s body, his joints crackling.

Outside, the Divine Son of the Lunar Yin attacked again. Lunar Yin sacred energy froze everything, coating both Yan Yixi and his martial brother who stood before the Divine Maiden Furnace in a layer of frost.

Lu Ya made his move as well. The Crow-Winged Flowing-Gold Halberd slashed across. Several sacred weapons together encircled and murdered the two of them, intending to seize the Divine Maiden Furnace.

Boom!

The ancient palace hall above the Fusang divine tree shook violently. Major forces had stormed inside it — a great melee had already broken out in there, blood staining everything red.

Chaotic battle erupted everywhere. Many people wanted to seize the human race’s ancient emperor’s remaining treasures. Some cultivators did not charge into the palace hall but instead descended toward the golden Fusang divine tree.

However, this tree was extraordinary. Solar Sacred Energy incinerated many powerful cultivators, and what was most terrifying of all was a one-armed elderly man standing before the tree, shining like a radiant sun — no one could approach.

Though divine treasures were about to appear, the middle-aged woman of grace, Lu Ya, the Divine Son of the Lunar Yin, and the rest had not immediately rushed over. Instead, with sacred weapons they blocked Li Tian and the others. The Divine Maiden Furnace trembled continuously, and on several occasions nearly fell from the sky.

Crash!

A violent tremor rang out. Two sacred weapons pressed down together. Li Tian’s arms nearly shattered — he opened his mouth and coughed up blood. Yan Yixi also let out a muffled groan, his white robes stained crimson. He was no better off than Li Tian.

This was not because the Divine Maiden Furnace was inadequate — it was because too many sacred weapons were arrayed against them, four in total. The Divine Son of the Lunar Yin and Three-Deficiency Daoren struck intermittently with sharply lethal attacks. Even with sacred weapons on both sides, it came down to the strength of the wielder, and the two of them naturally could not hold off the combined assault of multiple parties.

Li Tian steeled himself with ferocity: “Fine then — if we go down, we’re taking you with us. The number one beauty in the furnace… heh heh!”

“Release Qingwu, and we will let you leave,” said the middle-aged woman of grace from the Guanghan Palace.

“If we wanted to leave, you couldn’t stop us. To keep us here, you’d have to be willing to destroy one of your sacred weapons,” Li Tian began deploying the forbidden power within the Divine Maiden Furnace, lifting the furnace lid and carving runes into the small sacrificial altar.

Inside the Divine Maiden Furnace, Yi Qingwu’s expression changed. The power of the Carnal Desire Dao permeated the space, flooding and engulfing the Guanghan Que. A foreboding premonition rose within her as she recalled certain legends.

Crash!

The pressure on Ye Fan diminished greatly. A pure power surged forth, resisting the Guanghan Que, burning as a sheet of flame.

“The Power of the Carnal Desire Dao!”

The interior of the Divine Maiden Furnace was wreathed in haze. The Six Desires Divine Tribulation descended, weaving together trail upon trail of multicolored light that flooded the furnace and poured into the Guanghan Que.

Crash!

Yi Qingwu’s dark hair flew wildly. Her divine robes were burned to ash, revealing a body as pristine and beautiful as ivory, completely bare, her perfection breathtaking.

Struck by the impact of the Six Desires Divine Tribulation, she displayed not a trace of panic. Even facing Ye Fan completely unclothed, her expression remained composed, but her black jewel-like eyes were ice-cold.

“I’ll send you on your way!” the most beautiful woman under heaven said coldly.

She activated the Guanghan Que, disregarding the invasion of the Divine Maiden Furnace’s internal laws, determined to destroy Ye Fan first and prevent any unpleasant developments.

The sacred weapon fully awakened. The divine power it unleashed in this moment surpassed everything before — absolutely terrifying!

Spit!

Even a fully completed Divine King who came here would have to meet a bitter end under such circumstances. Now, the still-far-from-complete Ye Fan’s body burst apart with a sound.

“So I’ve finally killed him first,” Yi Qingwu murmured to herself.

Yet before long, a flash of blood-red light appeared not far away, and Ye Fan’s physical body was reborn, reappearing within the divine furnace.

“You…” Yi Qingwu’s expression changed utterly. Her body was snow-white jade, her face of flawless beauty, the spiritual wisdom of heaven and earth condensed in her person. Her legs were snow-white and long, her slender waist fitting within a single embrace, her entire form like a masterwork carved from mutton-fat jade — beautiful to the point of near-fantasy.

Ye Fan struck toward her, his expression frigid, his black hair flying wildly. And so Ye Fan and Yi Qingwu battled, both completely bare.