In the Eastern Desolation, world-shaking waves struck the sky and monstrous surging billows rushed forward. As several pieces of news emerged at once, every faction was thrown into turmoil, and many people could no longer sit still.

The Five-Colored Altar was complete. Ye Fan would soon depart from this ancient star domain and cross the celestial void to enter unknown ancient stars. This was a great tide of change.

And the series of events that had emerged at this critical juncture — anyone who thought carefully about them could see they were all connected to him. Someone was targeting him.

Lin Jia — aside from a very small number of people, no one had known of her before. Now she had been carved into a beautiful jade sculpture, presented as a woman who came from beyond the domain. Many people were moved by this and eager to win her for themselves in the bidding.

Very quickly, word spread of a secret: this beautiful woman had come from the same place as Ye Fan and was one of his old companions from those early days.

“Placing this woman up for auction at this critical moment is clearly intended to ignite the Human Sacred Physique’s fury and keep him from crossing the star domain — an action aimed squarely at him.”

People had every reason to believe that when Ye Fan heard this news, he would explode in rage. It was a provocation designed to stab straight into one’s lungs — treating his companion like a piece of merchandise to be sold was a form of insult bordering on the unbearable.

Someone investigated and confirmed that the Hu Family, one of the Eastern Desolation’s ten great financial clans, was responsible for organizing this auction. Even the promotional slogans they had prepared were leaked to the public.

“A fairy from beyond the domain, brilliant as ice and snow.”

“The fusion of two different civilizations can produce a brilliant radiance — equal to the spark of wisdom born from a thousand years of enlightenment.”

From the Southern Domain, excitement began to build from that day onward. Many people wished to make a move, each determined to claim the prize and get a piece of the action. Of course, those who had any friendship with Ye Fan were all deeply worried on his behalf.

This was obviously a trap meant to lure him in.

In the Central Domain, the situation was even more troubling. The tear-stained face of Xiao Nannan had drawn the attention of all quarters. Many people recognized at first glance that this so-called celestial herb was the little girl who had once followed by Ye Fan’s side — the pitiful little tail who had been missing for years, now at last reappeared.

Ye Fan was about to activate the Five-Colored Altar and cross the starry void. For Xiao Nannan to appear at this moment would inevitably leave him uneasy and compelled to go to her rescue. This, too, was a difficult problem with no easy answer.

The Tianduan Mountain Range was no friendly place. It was not somewhere that ordinary people could enter. It cut across the heavens, with fierce gale winds sweeping through it and great Dao divine winds blowing — ordinary people who climbed it would be reduced to flying ash.

“For the Human Sacred Physique, this is a great calamity. Any single one of these matters is sufficient to make him stop in his tracks and prevent him from crossing the star domain. Someone is trying to keep him here.”

“Knowing full well there is danger, he will still have to go. This is a great tribulation. Truly, it is impossible to know how he will survive it — unless his heart is made of iron and stone, and he abandons every single one of them.”

Anyone who analyzed the situation carefully could foresee that whoever had engineered these moves would unite every enemy who held enmity toward Ye Fan. The Southern Domain auction house and the Tianduan Mountain Range in the Central Domain would inevitably become killing grounds soaked in blood.

Not just those secretly targeting him — but others who had been waiting for their chance to strike. Together, they would form a combined force of power beyond imagination.

In a single night, the atmosphere across the entirety of the Eastern Desolation transformed. It became oppressively heavy, suffocating — a violent storm was coming.

Not long before, people had been discussing the mystery of the Five-Colored Altar. Now it had evolved into this. Everything had changed because Ye Fan was about to leave.

“I can already smell the sharp scent of blood. It’s as though I can see the flash of swords and the glint of blades — mountains of corpses and rivers of blood. This time, no one knows how many will die.” An old cultivator sighed deeply. It was a primal instinct, an intuition.

At that moment, everything was still. Yet people knew it was only on the surface. The killing intent would erupt in full force at some moment — a certainty.

Everyone was waiting. All had the same premonition: this would be a violent tide that would sweep across the Eastern Desolation. Some old and declining cultivators, one foot already in the grave, were seized by palpitations in their hearts and urged those around them not to get involved. But how many would listen? And who would truly believe it?

In Heavenly Village, Qi Luo’s expression was grave, a shadow of gloom hanging in her heart. Everything happening in the outside world was deeply unfavorable — whether for the Heavenly Court as a whole, or more precisely, for Ye Fan.

“Do you have any plan in mind?”

Ye Fan sat cross-legged on the mountain cliff. Every single pore on his body was exchanging innate essence energy, making him radiant as a jade golden body — without a single impurity, brilliant light illuminating his entire form. He was utterly calm. “Everything is under control,” he said.

Qi Luo was so startled by those words that she nearly flipped the stone table. She said sharply, “Everything is under control? All of this started because you built that Five-Colored Altar, and you’re still this collected?”

“Please set your mind at ease. I know what I am doing. When the time comes, I will need to ask Elder Qi for assistance.” Ye Fan’s expression was earnest as he spoke.

“Very well. If even you aren’t worried, what is there for me to fret over? The weather is lovely. I’ll go and sit in the sun.” Qi Luo clasped her hands behind her back and walked down the mountain, with plump little Xiao Que’er following along beside her.

“Patriarch Qi, that fat scoundrel has disappeared from the cemetery.” Someone from below transmitted an urgent message.

“What?! Heaven-damned wretch — get after him and run him down!” Qi Luo could no longer keep her composure. She charged toward the cemetery grounds like fire beneath her feet.

It must be said that Duan De’s tastes were truly peculiar. He enjoyed strolling through grave sites — by his own account, the sight of those ancient tombs and stone tablets gave him a deep, comfortable sense of familiarity, far superior to any garden full of flowering trees and plants.

Without fail he would wander about the assassins’ cemetery whenever he had little to do, to the profound disgust of many assassins, who wanted nothing more than to hunt him down to the ends of the earth.

“There are indeed certain things that have gone beyond our expectations. We need to think this through carefully.”

That night, a bonfire crackled and danced. A group of people sat gathered around the flames. Not one of them showed any urgency or unease — all were calm and composed. Qi Luo nodded quietly in private approval.

“Wu Zhongtian and Jiang Huairen are trapped in Nine Abyss Mountain — we don’t know yet if it’s real or a ruse, but someone must go and investigate. Let us leave that task to Brother Heishui,” Ye Fan said.

A bloody storm was now inevitable, and they could not spare many hands. He sent Li Heishui to summon the great outlaws, and in particular to bring out the Old Undying — even if he could not act under the constraints of his Jasper Pool agreement, his presence was necessary to preside over the situation and prevent unforeseen accidents.

That very night, Li Heishui departed, vanishing beneath the scattered stars.

They deliberated at length, working out which enemies might appear. Qi Luo sat to one side, inwardly uncertain and unsettled. These people were far too steady. Not one of them showed a trace of worry, and he found he could not help but admire them.

“Elder Qi, the moment I must trouble you has come. Would you be willing to probe the depths of the two great divine dynasties — find out exactly who might make a move, and how powerful a force they will bring?” At last, Ye Fan turned to look at him.

Qi Luo fell into thought. This was a difficult problem. The two great assassin divine dynasties were far too secretive. The world had no knowledge of where their ancient halls stood. One couldn’t even attack them — so how could one hope to understand their inner workings?

“I have two important pawns, embedded inside for nearly seven hundred years. I have never dared contact them — but it appears the time to use them has nearly arrived.”

The others were startled — everyone felt it was unexpected. They asked whether it might be possible to locate the highest sacred halls of the assassin divine dynasties. Qi Luo shook his head: finding a handful of small worlds would be more than sufficient. Their headquarters were not worth thinking about.

Everything moved forward with intense, focused urgency. Time was life. In these two days, every faction was in motion. Those who wished to insert themselves into the situation were all mobilizing troops and making their arrangements.

From the Southern Domain came troubling news: a faction from the Ancient Clans was moving, transporting multiple sides of divine Source, intending to bid for Lin Jia in the auction — a clear declaration of opposition to Ye Fan.

Other reports indicated that people from the Primordial Lake were also setting out for the Southern Domain to participate in the auction. That was an enormous imperial clan from the most ancient of times. If they were to get involved, the consequences would be incalculable.

“Heh. Is Lin Jia worth that much Source? In that case, one day if we sell ourselves, we too could command a sky-high price with this many people staring at us.” Pang Bo made a self-deprecating remark, clenching his fists.

Meanwhile, in the Tianduan Mountain Range, an even larger number of people had gathered. Great Dao divine winds swept through the region, making it extremely difficult for ordinary people to approach — yet many powerful cultivators had arrived nonetheless. Some had already made the arduous climb and reported back with definitive news: celestial herb fragrance filled the upper reaches, and in a brief glimpse, they had seen a small girl drifting along with the wind, pitifully small, weeping in a low voice.

Many people declared openly that they were absolutely determined to take that young child — regardless of whoever she might once have followed, they would do everything in their power to seize her.

“Such arrogance! Treating Xiao Nannan as though she were an immortality medicine to be refined — I’d like to see exactly who harbors such intentions, and who among them intends to make a move!” The great black dog sneered coldly.

Finally, Qi Luo brought news — news of extreme importance. The moment he spoke, everyone present felt a jolt of alarm.

The two great assassin divine dynasties had steeled themselves to ambush Ye Fan. They had deployed a vast number of assassins — mobilizing on a grand, sweeping scale, pouring out in full force, enough to make anyone’s courage falter.

The assassin divine dynasty known as Hell contained eighteen small worlds, known as the Eighteen Levels of Hell. A previous one had been destroyed during Ye Fan’s divine tribulation. This time, five levels were moving simultaneously — five small world masters leading swarms of assassins outward.

The assassin divine dynasty known as the Mortal World had four small world masters set to emerge, leading vast clouds of assassins who would make straight for Ye Fan. The moment he appeared, they would drown him in blood. They were reported to have a sacred weapon in their possession.

In addition, their Sacred Sons, Sacred Daughters, and other such figures were all being deployed. Both ancient assassin organizations would spare no cost to destroy Ye Fan and everyone around him, allowing none of them the chance to escape alive.

That such crucial intelligence had been unearthed was a testament to how deeply Qi Luo’s pawns were embedded — nearly seven hundred years of patience, only now being put to use.

“If these people are wiped out entirely, it would be the equivalent of cutting off a limb of the ancient assassin divine dynasties — severing more than a quarter of their strength!” Qi Luo said coldly.

“I wonder who will come — what manner of great figures will rise to meet this calamity. Hua Yunfei, the Sacred Son of Yao Guang, the Sacred Daughters, the Ancient Imperial Princes — it would be best if they all showed up,” Duan De said, afraid that the world was not in enough chaos.

“I only hope that the Vicious Ghost and Liu Yinzhi will appear — let’s not be disappointed,” Pang Bo said.

They deliberated at length. Ye Fan admitted plainly that wherever he appeared, it would almost certainly become the main battlefield in an instant.

Even so, after much consideration, he said: “Let us make the Tianduan Mountain Range the primary battlefield.”

He then began making his deployment: he sent Pang Bo, the Black Emperor, Li Tian, and the others ahead to the Tianduan Mountain Range first, to hold the position and await his arrival before striking together.

On that day, Ye Fan, Duan De, and the Monkey set out for the Southern Domain, making for the location where Lin Jia was to be auctioned.

“Won’t the killing I cause be too great?” Ye Fan murmured to himself on the road.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s just a bit underhanded — it doesn’t quite rise to the level of truly villainous. Tolerable, all things considered,” Duan De the disreputable Daoist said, offering his assessment.

“It’s nothing. There are some who deserve to be killed!” The Monkey laughed heartily and clapped him on the shoulder.

Ye Fan entered the Southern Domain with great fanfare, making no effort to conceal himself, making sure the world knew of his arrival. He sent word that he asked any old companions headed to the Tianduan Mountain Range to show mercy — whoever could protect Xiao Nannan would be richly rewarded.

This made it plain that after rescuing Lin Jia, he intended to travel to the Tianduan Mountain Range for a great campaign — a war stretching south and north, an unavoidable battle where rivers of blood would flow.

“I’ve realized now — you really are somewhat villainous,” Duan De muttered with reproach, because he understood the full picture.

In the Southern Domain, a great storm was arriving. The Hu Family, one of the ten great financial clans, was to auction off the fairy from beyond the domain — the radiant collision of two different civilizations. Many hearts were stirred.

And now Ye Fan had come, intent on rescuing his old companion Lin Jia. This would inevitably cause an enormous uproar — there could be no peaceful conclusion. Everyone knew it. The curtain had risen on a storm of blood.