Ye Fan rose to his full height and strode away from the stone platform. Many people cast sidelong glances, some suspicious, gazing at his retreating figure and feeling something oddly familiar about him.
“Who is this person—such powerful blood energy, as if a wild dragon from some untamed land coils within his body.” someone said, shivering.
Ye Fan walked with a dragon’s stride and tiger’s gait, presenting a striking, heroic silhouette to those he passed. No one imagined that he had returned—the world was simply too vast, and few had truly ever seen him before.
“Let’s go, let’s take a look too. The Wang Family is really being overbearing—coming to Nanling to wipe out an entire clan when they have such close ties with the Primordial Race, how bold indeed.”
“Right, let’s go see. Those ancient ridges are already thick with war clouds—there’s certain to be a life-and-death battle.”
…
Ye Fan’s fighting blood surged within him, and he wished he could rush over at once, wanting to enter the Northern Plains and uproot the Wang Family entirely.
“That clan truly thinks it can rule the world alone. As long as I, Li Tian, the divine son, am here, they will never dominate all under heaven—my Human Desire tradition shall flourish right here!” Li Tian declared, treating this battle as the one that would make his name upon this ancient star.
Killing intent surged like an ocean in Ye Fan’s heart, his gaze seeming to pierce through the vast land. Nanling too was a battlefield—it would become a road of no return for the invaders. However many came, that many would perish.
“Is there a teleportation array here?” he asked, inquiring among the people, fearing he would not arrive in time. If he was too late, he would truly be unable to face Dongfang Ye’s clansmen.
An old herbalist, well past sixty, said, “There’s an array platform up ahead, though it’s quite dilapidated—crossing through space with it often causes trouble. But many people are borrowing it anyway, saying they’re going to some wild ridge to watch the battle.”
Ye Fan strode forward at once, with Li Tian and Yan Yixi close behind, the three of them like three bolts of lightning, overtaking everyone else, arriving upon an ancient platform.
This divine array was indeed dilapidated, clearly existing for tens of thousands of years, barely still functional. When the three of them released their powerful auras, no one dared to contest with them.
“So the Northern Emperor is alive again—this time we’ll send them back a cold corpse, dissolve his Origin Spirit, make him a truly dead man, with no hope of reviving.”
Li Tian, standing on the array platform, uttered these words, frightening everyone nearby into retreat, trembling as they watched the three figures vanish.
Nanling had many towering mountains and ridges, dense with earth veins, teeming with savage beasts and strange creatures, filled with ancient ruins, thick with miasma in its mountains, and home to many primitive tribes.
Dongfang Ye’s clansmen lived within one such ancient mountain range. Now, with great enemies before them, endless killing intent had gathered—a great host of experts had arrived, surrounding this place.
In the sky, dark clouds rolled and churned, war drums thundered, banners fluttered, ancient war chariots rumbled, pressing down upon the heavens, cold light gleaming off iron armor—no one could tell how many powerful figures had come.
This was a very small tribe, hidden away in a primordial mountain range, originally at peace with the world, but today great disaster had come upon it.
An old man rose from within the mountains into the sky, extremely thin and withered, his robe patched, very plain, his white hair disheveled. He said, “Who are you, and why have you come to attack our tribe?”
“Merely a group of uncivilized primitives—not worth wasting more words on. Today, not one of you shall remain; we will exterminate your entire clan, and not a single person shall leave alive.”
In the sky, a massive silver warship gleamed with cold metallic light, exuding an intimidating aura, upon which stood a middle-aged man, cold and arrogant.
After speaking, he struck downward with his fist, boundlessly domineering, his combat power equally astonishing, divine radiance piercing the sun like a mountain crashing down.
The forest below collapsed as a fist materialized, striking directly upon the old man’s body, giving him no chance to dodge, instantly breaking his body, his blood staining the sky as he fell into the ancient village below.
Only a corner of his patched old robe, soaked in blood, slowly drifted down from the sky—an unbearable sight, a simple old man’s body broken by another in this way.
“Sixth Granduncle!” From within the ancient village came cries of grief, a group of people overwhelmed with fury.
“Old Seventeen’s temper is far too hot—striking first without even asking a question. Interrogating them first might have yielded something useful; there would have been plenty of time to bathe this place in blood afterward.” said a middle-aged man of somewhat greater age, standing on another golden warship.
“Our clan suffered too much humiliation in recent years, killed in great numbers by some inexplicable Sacred Body, even Teng’er died with regret. Old Seventeen has been in closed cultivation all this while, and came out with a stomach full of pent-up rage.” another person beside him said.
“You wretched bandits, coming here to commit violence…” A man in his twenties flew into the sky, bare-chested, muscles bulging, bronze-skinned, gripping a great axe.
“Don’t know when to fear death—a grain of rice thinks it can shine like the sun, just a bunch of civilized folk.” On the silver warship, the middle-aged man called Old Seventeen was utterly cold, pointing with one hand as a ray of divine light shot out, instantly piercing through the young man.
“Splat!”
A spray of blood bloomed as half his body shattered instantly, leaving only the blood-soaked great axe intact, falling from the great height alongside him, utterly tragic.
“Brother Quan!”
“Brother Li Quan!”
From the village below came a wave of wailing cries, several children weeping heartbreakingly, surrounding the dying man.
“I’ll leave you your remaining life—I enjoy savoring death, such a tempting flavor.” The Wang Family’s Old Seventeen smiled coldly.
“Tempting your mother’s backside!” a burly man in the village roared, about to charge into the sky, gripping a massive iron rod.
“Come back!” At that moment, a low shout came from within the village. An old man leaning on a cane walked out, dressed in coarse cloth, skin and bones, his hair thin, aged and feeble.
“Fifth Granduncle…” Many gathered around him, choked with sobs. In the ancient village, one old and one young had had their bodies broken, their lives hanging by a thread, bleeding to death—everyone was filled with grief and boundless fury.
“Ring the warning bell, have Seventh and Ninth come out of seclusion.” the old man said in a deep voice, then soared into the sky.
“I had long heard that certain primitive tribes harbor unrivaled experts hidden away—it seems the rumors were true. A small village like this actually has a formidable figure such as yourself, and it seems two more are in seclusion. It appears you’ve obtained some ancient inheritance, one belonging perhaps to a sage of antiquity. In that case, after we bathe your village in blood, there will be quite a harvest.” The Wang Family’s Old Seventeen sneered coldly.
“Old Seventeen, let this one go to Thirteenth Brother—I haven’t fought anyone in many years.” another middle-aged man flew out from the warship.
“Aren’t there still two more coming out of seclusion? Let’s have a contest, see who kills more, who kills faster.” Old Seventeen laughed cruelly.
“You really need to change that temperament of yours. Old Ancestor said back then you were too bloodthirsty—all these years in seclusion and it hasn’t worn off at all.” the other middle-aged man shook his head.
“Everyone, we mind our own business and have never wronged outsiders, always hidden away in the wilderness, without enmity or grudge. Why have you come to kill our clansmen, to destroy our home?” the Fifth Granduncle of the village spoke up.
“Does my Northern Plains Wang Family need a reason to kill people?” The Wang Family’s Old Seventeen sneered coldly, hands folded behind his back, black hair drifting, calm yet cold.
The old man sighed. “My clansmen have always been simple and honest, never engaging in deceit, ruthless scheming, or murder for gain. For you to come and kill us this way, to bathe our village in blood—this is truly too much.”
“And what if it is too much?” Old Seventeen said indifferently, utterly unconcerned.
The Wang Family’s Thirteenth Elder said, “Forget it, let’s give you a clear death. Dongfang Ye came from here, didn’t he? He offended people he shouldn’t have, allying with the Sacred Body against our clan, so your entire village must pay in blood.”
“Even if Ye’er has become your enemy, you shouldn’t extend that anger to the whole village—there are too many innocents, those children only a few years old, what do they know? Do you truly intend to kill them all without exception?” the village’s Fifth Granduncle said.
“Hand over your scriptures, and I’ll grant you a whole corpse. Otherwise, not a bone shall remain, and you’ll suffer endless torment.” came a cold, ghostly voice from the largest warship in the sky.
“A small tribe like ours, at peace with the world, living for years in the wild forest, yet in the end meeting such disaster—it seems the world has truly fallen into chaos.” the Fifth Granduncle sighed, then his gaze turned sharp. “Everyone must die eventually. My clan shall prove our resolve with blood. There are no cowards among us—at worst, we all die fighting!”
“Fight! Even if we all die, we’ll take them down with us!” Below, throughout the ancient village, everyone—man or woman, old or young—roared together. Even three-year-old toddlers waved little wooden sticks, their eyes filled with unyielding defiance.
“Well said! Our clan has never produced a single coward. At worst we all die fighting, we’ll take them down together!” In the distance, among a mountain cliff, two old men shot into the sky, flying over swiftly.
“Barren mountains and vicious waters breed unruly folk indeed—only in such an uncivilized place would the people be this fierce.” the Wang Family’s Old Thirteen sneered.
“Truly no small matter—a tiny village producing three formidable figures, quite frightening indeed. Fortunately we came well prepared, or we might have suffered a small loss. Let’s begin—leave no one, kill them all, bathe this village in blood. As for the sage’s ancient scripture, leaving one old undying soul alive should suffice.”
At last, the Wang Family’s people were about to make their move. Thunder rumbled through the sky—besides the seven warships, there were dozens of war chariots, all laden with cultivators.
And in the gaps between them, countless more powerful figures hovered in the air, filling the sky densely with silhouettes.
Dark clouds churned, war drums thundered, as though this very sky would split open, banners fluttering, savage beasts roaring, iron armor gleaming—as if a hundred thousand heavenly soldiers had descended.
A vast, surging aura, killing intent like an ocean, swept across all directions, engulfing the entire ancient mountain range.
Far in the distance, cultivators watching the battle were all shocked—the Northern Plains Wang Family had actually deployed such a massive formation, truly intending to exterminate the entire clan, unwilling to let a single person escape.
Seven warships meant seven figures of frighteningly high status had come to this place from the Northern Plains Wang Family—at the very least, extremely formidable, powerful figures.
Such a massive mobilization, deploying so many war chariots and experts, just to destroy one small tribe—a rare, large-scale action in recent years.
“Ahh…” The ancient village’s Fifth Granduncle, his blood staining the sky, was struck by two warships for a long time, coughing blood violently, his patched robe turning to ash, and he fell from the sky.
“Fifth Granduncle!” Many within the village cried out in grief, even toddlers of two or three clenching their little fists, eyes brimming with tears.
“Boom!”
The village’s Ninth Granduncle also suffered a heavy blow, struck down by two warships, his body nearly pierced through—not only had two terrifying figures unleashed divine techniques upon him, but two warships’ formidable array patterns had struck him as well.
Blood stained the sky as this white-haired old man also coughed blood and crashed down. They truly possessed formidable combat power, but with the sky sealed into a cage and so many experts present, the three old men were no match.
Only a Seventh Granduncle still held on, having weathered several heavy blows, but wearing a divine-thread jade robe of extraordinary toughness that could block attacks, preventing him from being pierced through.
“Fight them, fight them to the death!”
Throughout the ancient village, men, women, old and young alike, all shouted, faces filled with fury, helping the two fallen elders up from the pool of blood, those who could fly carrying them as they broke through the encirclement.
Even the very young children, carried on adults’ backs, cried out through their tears: “Fight them! Avenge our great-grandfathers!”
“Waaah, fight them!” Some little girls did the same, holding weapons, crying and shouting in their parents’ arms.
In this ancient village, no one feared death; everyone showed unyielding resolve, willing to fight to mutual destruction, charging together into the sky, utterly tragic and heroic.
United in heart, facing death without fear, all without exception—even if the entire village died, not a single person would bow in surrender.
“A group of uncivilized primitives, truly not knowing when to fear death. Since you all wish to die, I shall grant your wish.” The Wang Family’s Old Seventeen sneered continuously. Having freed his hands by now, he pressed one hand downward, intending to crush everyone at once.
“Boom!”
The ancient village’s Seventh Granduncle let out a furious roar, flying over, taking a blow to the back as he traded a strike with him.
“BOOM!”
Yet immediately, three warships pressed down upon him—this was not merely the attack of three terrifying figures, but the divine power of the ancient ships as well, their might compounding together.
The Seventh Granduncle ultimately also coughed blood, gravely wounded, falling from the sky, his hair and beard standing on end, filled with grief and fury.
“Granduncle!”
“Great-grandfather!”
Throughout the ancient village, everyone cried out in grief, all who could fly rising into the sky like moths to a flame, shouting with tragic desperation.
The people of the Northern Plains Wang Family were utterly cold and merciless. Several formidable figures, along with the many cultivators aboard the war chariots and the countless experts filling the sky, all struck at once, pressing downward, intending to bathe the ancient village in blood and exterminate everyone.
“Ahh…” The Fifth, Seventh, and Ninth Granduncles roared skyward, blood bursting from the corners of their eyes, pushing past their fallen bodies to charge forward with their injured forms, raising a shield of light to block the annihilating attack.
“Barren mountains breed savages indeed—you wild people, truly unafraid of death. Very well, I shall grant your wish—today I’ll wash this place clean of blood, and from now on nothing shall grow here again!” The Wang Family’s Old Seventeen said cruelly.
“Hmmm!”
In the sky, eight warships, dozens of war chariots, and the countless Wang Family experts filling the heavens, their iron armor gleaming coldly, pressed downward together.
The shield of light held up by the three old men in the ancient village, sustained by burning their remaining lifespans, simply could not withstand this and was about to shatter. Men, women, old and young—every eye brimmed with tears, yet all remained filled with defiance.
“Let them all die.” the Wang Family’s people sneered.
Those below had fallen into despair, carrying unwillingness, carrying defiance. They wished desperately to drag a few hated enemies down with them in mutual destruction, but they could not, filled with bitter regret.
“Brother Dongfang will avenge us…” several small children cried out.
“People of the Northern Plains Wang Family, go to hell!”
Suddenly, from far in the distance came a thunderous roar like a bolt from the blue, a single cry that shattered an entire mountain range, as a figure wreathed in golden blood energy filling the sky rushed forward, arriving at unimaginable speed.
Far away, all who watched the battle were utterly shocked, retreating in the first instant, fleeing as far as they could.
For the one who had arrived was simply too terrifying—his body wreathed in golden blood energy like an ocean, engulfing the entire mountain range as though swept by a vast tide.
“Ahh…”
A long roar, and in an instant he had arrived—the speed of his approach made everyone’s hair stand on end.
“BOOM!”
In the sky, a giant golden foot stomped down, instantly shattering the warship of the Wang Family’s Old Seventeen, while a giant golden hand reached down, grabbing him by the neck like snatching a chick, hoisting him high into the sky.
“People of the Wang Family, all of you—go to hell!”
The newcomer let out a thunderous roar, and no one knew how many of the Wang Family’s experts in the sky were simply roared into pieces, bursting into mist after mist of blood.
One roar, and the mountains and rivers shattered!
“Slap!”
Ye Fan did not kill the Wang Family’s Old Seventeen on the spot. Instead, he first delivered a massive slap across his face, directly sending his jaw flying off his body, shattering in midair.