# Chapter 1044: Half-Saint
The island fell into dead silence. Who was this person, daring to strike a half-saint with his true body while using another manifested body to face Yao Guang King? Who would believe such a thing if told?!
How extraordinary was this? Yet the man before them had made such a choice, leaving everyone dumbfounded, unable to speak.
The atmosphere at the scene was somewhat strange. After a brief silence, people finally spoke, each one exceptionally agitated, all clenching their fists tightly.
"Too domineering! To dare face Yao Guang King and a half-Saint alone—truly inconceivable."
"But does he have such strength? A manifested body to strike Yao Guang King, a true body to battle a half-saint—it's like a fairy tale!"
"I thought I misheard. He dares to do this? Does he truly believe himself to be the reincarnation of the Human Sovereign?"
"I mistakenly thought the Sacred Body had returned, but even he might not possess such combat power. This man truly swallows mountains and rivers—what boldness!"
People were shaken. Ye Fan was domineering and overbearing, not bluffing, but truly daring to act. It was simply unbelievable.
However, Yao Guang King did not accept the challenge. He shook his head and said, "I do not know you, nor do we have any grievances. Why must we fight?"
"Just a sparring match," Ye Fan replied with only these four words.
"How could the Sacred Lord of my clan be challenged by just anyone? You are not worthy—nameless and unknown, far from qualified. If the Sacred Body had returned, that might barely be acceptable."
A young attendant behind Yao Guang spoke, puffing out his cheeks. He felt that Ye Fan's desire to fight both his master and a half-Saint alone was an insult to the Yao Guang lineage and spoke with derision.
"When I speak with your master, it would be best for you to remain quiet." Ye Fan's manifested body smiled. With a flick of his finger, a beam of clear light shot out. The attendant's mouth opened and closed, but he could no longer speak.
"You..." The other attendant was shocked and angry, fear flickering in his eyes, but he dared not say more.
"Who exactly are you, daring to offend my master's dignity? Too presumptuous!" Eight hundred zhang away, Li Qingzhou shouted, his body still convulsing until this moment.
"Annoying." Ye Fan waved his hand again, sweeping forward.
Yao Guang's eyes blazed with intensity. "This fellow daoist is far too overbearing!"
His right arm extended, five fingers forming a seal like a crane's beak, carrying an indescribable Dao mark. It streaked through a patch of flowing light, pecking toward Ye Fan's wrist.
Though it resembled the movements of a mortal martial artist, it was actually a manifestation of Dao fruit—returning to simplicity. His fingers transformed into an immortal crane, displaying an aura of merging with the Dao, with ten thousand Dao threads cascading down.
"Bang!"
Ye Fan's hand gesture did not change. It seemed to transform into a Golden Wing Great Roc, possessing the sharpness of an eagle striking the sky. It collided with the crane-shaped seal, sending out a ring of divine radiance.
"Boom!"
In that moment, within a thousand zhang radius, Dao marks interwove. Strand after strand of order divine chains tangled together, like beautiful phoenix feathers threading through the sky.
The two controlled their power with exquisite precision. Though they could slay kings, only a gentle breeze brushed outward. Otherwise, the entire island would have turned to dust, leaving few survivors.
Li Qingzhou's body trembled, convulsing again. He was sent flying another eight hundred zhang, his face turning deathly pale and unsightly.
Yao Guang stood with his hands behind his back, staring at Ye Fan, trying to discern the man before him. He did not continue attacking.
"Yao Guang, weren't you just about to strike at this Emperor? Now that someone wants to duel with you, why retreat instead?" Black Emperor sneered.
Everyone was astonished. They had all witnessed this mysterious expert strike Yao Guang King in midair—not losing at all, possessing strength that could look down upon all heroes.
"Who is this person? His words were not false. He did not act just to gain fame. He truly can battle Yao Guang King!"
This seemed truly inconceivable—a peerless figure appearing out of nowhere, capable of dominating the Southern Domain, sweeping millions of miles without an opponent.
Waves surged in people's hearts, shocked by the result of that single exchange.
Wind Phoenix, Ji Biyue, Li Youyou, and others all showed strange expressions. They found it hard to imagine which human expert could contend with Yao Guang. At the very least, after those few had departed, the present age seemed devoid of such.
Thinking this, Wind Phoenix, Ji Biyue, and others felt a tremor in their hearts. If someone had returned along the Stellar Ancient Path, perhaps they could accomplish all this.
Ye Fan's manifested body stood there, unmoving as a mountain. His hair danced in the wind, his entire person as steady as an ancient rock that had existed since time immemorial.
"I, Yao Guang, have never been inferior to anyone in my life. Since you wish to spar, then please bring out your true body. I will accompany you to the end." Finally, Yao Guang spoke these words.
"No need. A manifested body is sufficient." Ye Fan's body, formed from a wisp of pure qi, spoke calmly. He left the island first, striding toward the horizon.
"Swish," "Swish"...
Suddenly, the sky filled with dense rain of light, like countless flying swords falling, blazing and dazzling, transforming into piercing divine beams!
The half-Saint appeared. This was the aura he brought with him, turning into a rain of holiness falling down, like the Nine Heavens' Silver River descending. The oppressive aura made bodies feel as if they would split apart.
Most people on the island collapsed, and many knelt down. They did not want to do this, but this pressure made their souls tremble, and their bodies instinctively made this choice.
"The aura of a Saint!" Everyone cried out, showing terrified expressions, all inwardly horrified.
"A half-Saint—an invincible existence! Because one foot has already stepped into the Saint realm, occasionally emitting Saintly might. A Greatly Accomplished King represents a qualitative change!
Even if another Dao Cutter was stunningly talented, looking down upon past and present, possessing Six Forbidden or even Seven Forbidden, capable of crossing six or seven minor realms in battle, it would be useless. They would be suppressed by the 'Saint Domain Barrier,' unable to break through.
Because even possessing Seven Forbidden was merely an accumulation of quantitative change, always suppressed by the Saint Domain! Even if one had Greatly Accomplished in the Dao Cutting realm, adding the power of Seven Forbidden could not break through the Saint Domain Barrier. This was an unchanging suppression throughout the ages.
However, Ye Fan was merely a Dao Cutter, not a half-Saint. Yet he had split open that giant hand with a single spear strike, breaking common sense. How could people not be shaken?
Everyone was stunned, unable to believe it. Their facial expressions froze, mouths agape, unable to speak. Their hearts pounded violently, as if about to burst from their chests.
"A Saint has transcended the category of humans. The Saint Domain Barrier separates the two realms of Saint and King into heaven and earth. Even possessing Seven Forbidden is ineffective. Before this natural moat, one can only end in dejection. How did he do it?!"
Wind Phoenix murmured in shock. This was the reason Saints stood so high. If one could not reach this realm, no matter how brilliant, it was useless. They would be firmly suppressed by the Saint Domain, unable to defy heaven.
Everyone was shaken. Ji Biyue, Li Qingzhou, Purple-Robed Marquis, and others all showed expressions of shock. Someone had actually broken the myth, able to contend with a half-Saint!
"Can Yao Guang King do it?" someone whispered. This mysterious figure was too shocking. People almost couldn't breathe.
At this moment, only Ji Zi remained calm, still sitting alone in a corner, silently watching everything, saying nothing.
"I don't believe it. It's fundamentally impossible to rebel against a half-Saint!" someone said.
The Saint Domain Barrier was a chasm, a myth, fundamentally unbreakable. It sent everyone who could cross realms in battle back to square one, suppressing them until they were ineffective. Possessing "several forbidden" was useless.
"He blocked it. Can Yao Guang King do it?" someone else said with a trembling voice.
"If he can do it, my master can naturally do it!" Li Qingzhou clenched his fists, uncertain whether this was said out of spite or truth.
Moonlight was like thin mist, enveloping the entire island. Ye Fan's true body stood beneath the long sky. Moonlight sprinkled onto his form. His expression was resolute. Holding a dark-gold long spear, he pointed at the heavens, fearless.
"It's him! The one who challenged eighteen levels of the Celestial Prince's domain! He has been among us all along!"
Finally, people recognized him through this black-gold long spear. All the storms had been caused by him. The Celestial Prince would lead the Eight Divine Generals' descendants southward because of him.
When people learned the truth, many nearly fainted. This god of slaughter had been with them all along, on this island, and they had been completely unaware until now.
"Boom!"
The place became like a pot of boiling water, a scene of chaos. Everyone understood. How could someone who dared to raise a blade against the Celestial Prince be ordinary? No wonder he feared neither Yao Guang King nor dared to battle a half-Saint.
"When facing a half-Saint, no matter how many 'Forbidden' one masters for cross-realm combat, it becomes ineffective. It is said that even possessing the legendary Eight Forbidden makes it difficult to break the barrier, at most allowing self-preservation."
"This person is not a half-Saint, so he must possess the power of Eight Forbidden!"
"To break the eternal legend and break through the Saint Domain Barrier, only the ancient Divine Forbidden is said to be capable. But that exists only in myths!"
In the sky, the leaden clouds dispersed. A figure of medium build stood there, merging with heaven and earth, in sync with the pulse of the Great Dao, releasing strands of Saintly might.
Without a doubt, he was an Ancient Clan member. He appeared to be in his forties, very imposing, with disheveled black hair and eyes that contained scenes of star domains opening—soul-shaking!
A half-Saint—a true half-Saint.
His left hand held an ancient black-gold shield, his right hand a blood-colored war spear. He stepped down in one stride, striking at Ye Fan!
"Clang!"
Ye Fan was unafraid, defying heaven as he rose. The black long spear in his hand traced a mysterious trajectory. Black light burst forth, clashing with the blood-colored war spear.
Sparks flew in all directions. The clanging sound was ear-piercing. The souls of all heroes nearly shattered. The storm here was like the sea!
Ye Fan had actually held off the half-Saint, engaging in a great battle. The black spear met the war spear, ringing like sword chimes, as if a deity was merging with the Dao!