Chapter 1047: Slaying Yao Guang
Beneath the starry sky, radiance blazed brilliantly. Every strand of Ye Fan's hair danced, imprinted with Dao marks. He bathed in the sea of stars, standing firm between heaven and earth.
The sacred furnace exploded, shattering into pieces. Silence reigned across heaven and earth. Not a single person could speak. Had Yao Guang King been defeated? Many found it hard to believe.
"Master!" Li Qingzhou cried out. Even though he knew that was a Sacred Light Body, not true flesh and blood, he still couldn't help but mourn.
"Defeated. Yao Guang King has actually been defeated. This person is truly too powerful."
"A heaven-defying king has emerged across the world. The ranking of the number one human Dao Cutter is about to change!"
Only at this moment did people finally speak, their faces filled with shock and astonishment. This outcome exceeded everyone's expectations.
For so many years, Yao Guang King had reigned supreme, establishing an invincible reputation. In fair duels, he had never suffered a single defeat. Now, that undefeated myth was broken!
"Just now, Yao Guang King merged with the Dao, transforming into a sacred furnace that stood between heaven and earth. He clearly took that person inside to reduce him to ashes. How did he end up losing instead?"
Yao Guang had dominated the Eastern Wasteland for so many years, naturally earning deep reverence from many. They found this result difficult to accept.
Across heaven and earth, a vast torrent formed from the fragments of the sacred furnace, severing entire stretches of towering mountain peaks. The wildlands were nearly razed to the ground.
Sacred light and misty vapors churned in the sky. Divine energy aftershocks spread in all directions, sending chills down everyone's spines.
"Piercing Yao Guang King with a spear—this feat will surely shake the Five Domains and astonish the entire world!"
"Clang!"
Amid the clamor of voices, a trembling sound rang out across heaven and earth. A piercing noise that could shatter metal and split stone echoed through the sky. The shattered fragments of the sacred furnace flew back and reassembled.
The cracks on the furnace walls healed at a visible speed, vanishing completely in the blink of an eye. Blood energy and sacred light once again surged into the sky, displaying a momentum that could swallow mountains and rivers.
The crowd was astonished, and then many grew excited. Yao Guang King's methods defied heaven. It seemed there would surely be another fierce dragon-and-tiger struggle, making them even more anticipatory.
"My master will not be defeated!" Li Qingzhou clenched his fists, his heart extremely tense.
Ye Fan's true body watched coldly from the sidelines. He deeply understood Yao Guang's terror, for he had never once displayed the Ruthless Person's inheritance. What had just happened was not a reflection of his true strength.
Of course, Ye Fan himself had also refrained from using his heaven-defying secret arts, holding back as well. Naturally, he had no fear.
"Let's settle this in the Fallen God Battlefield." Yao Guang surprised everyone. Instead of attacking immediately, he transformed into a streak of sacred light and flew away, charging toward the horizon.
Ye Fan sneered coldly. Stepping on a river of stars, he traversed the sky, vanishing into the vast night in an instant as he rushed into the distance.
"The Fallen God Battlefield is extremely far from here. Ordinary people can't even enter. It's said that gods once died in battle there. The conditions are harsh and terrifying, with war souls wailing all year round."
People's hearts trembled, but they all followed. However, how could they match Yao Guang and Ye Fan? They were left far behind.
"Ao roar..."
Demons howled. Terrifying phantom figures walked about—these were the undying battle wills of ancient times, never dissipating.
On the Fallen God Battlefield, stars and moonlight were dim. The ground was blood-red and scorched. This place was barren, a land of desolation where nothing grew.
At this moment, Yao Guang and Ye Fan rushed in one after another, sensing powerful killing intent. The undying laws of ancient experts interwove here, turning this place into a demonic land where living beings dared not tread.
Under normal circumstances, no one dared come here, let alone venture deep inside. There was always the danger of dissolving into the Dao.
Legend had it that ancient sages and gods from beyond the domain had fought a great battle here, shaking heaven and earth and moving gods and demons. In the end, it was tragically brutal, with all the mighty figures falling.
Divine blood had dyed this land red. Their ultimate laws never dissipated, interweaving here. Every night, one could hear the roars of gods and demons.
Ye Fan and Yao Guang, however, evaded the ancient laws and charged into the forbidden zone, where they would engage in a great battle to decide life and death.
Yao Guang transformed from the sacred furnace back into human form, recovering. His expression revealed neither joy nor anger. His eyes were deep, as if trying to pierce through Ye Fan's soul.
"Could it be... that you've truly returned?" he spoke calmly. In his hand appeared a sword, bright as autumn water under the moonlight.
"I thought you were going to use the Ruthless Person's secret arts. It turns out you wanted to settle things with a sacred artifact. Either way, I'll oblige." Ye Fan said as two black ancient arrows materialized.
The Dao body he had forged with the One Qi Transforms into Three Purities secret art was very powerful, but it had a time limit. The two of them had fought quickly just now, though it hadn't consumed much time, they couldn't delay any longer. They needed to end this immediately.
"More than the meaning of this duel, I want to confirm your identity." Yao Guang said. The long sword in his hand was dazzlingly bright, like a bright moon shining over a thousand lakes, rippling with light.
"Boom!"
Blazing light directly flooded heaven and earth. This was a sacred artifact. Terrifying fluctuations spread across the surroundings, dispersing many of the ancient laws in this forbidden zone.
This was devastating. Unless one became a sage, they could not resist the might of a sage. This was a domineering power that dominated heaven and earth!
Even a half-sage was no exception, for they were not true sages. The sage domain barrier blocked everything, only barely allowing them to unleash a few strands of sage might.
Ye Fan possessed the Eight Forbidden Levels, barely breaking through the sage domain barrier. Like a half-sage, he was blocked below the level of a true sage, naturally unable to directly contend with it.
"Chi!"
He grasped a black arrow and slashed with force. Black light surged like a mountain flood erupting, rushing up and colliding with the sword light that flooded heaven and earth.
At the same time, he held the other black arrow to protect his body, preventing the sacred artifact from being too fierce and injuring his physical form. He balanced offense and defense, calm and composed.
Heaven and earth were completely detonated. This was a confrontation at the sage domain level, terrifying the mortal world and shaking the universe. If anyone were here, they would surely tremble and kneel.
Sages stood high above, surpassing the category of humans, invincible. The weapons they forged were naturally the same. Once awakened, they could slaughter everything.
Ye Fan's black arrows were secret treasures. After leaving Hangu Pass and going through dozens of large and small battles, they had already been tested, enough to contend with sacred artifacts. Thus, he had no worry about damage.
The black arrows dueled with the sacred artifact. This Fallen God Land was split open, tearing out patches of black void abysses that cut off the eight directions!
At this moment, secret techniques and forbidden arts were useless. Only sage power was eternal. This was why the sages stood so high above—this power alone was enough to suppress all living beings.
Hence the saying: beneath the sage path, all is dirt.
A "sage" breaks free from the category of "human." Only at this step does one have the capital to traverse the heavens, to contend across the universe. It was a qualitative transformation.
Like a fish leaping to transform into a true dragon!
At this moment, everything else was illusory. Only the clash of sacred artifacts could make one perceive eternal power. The two fought fiercely, driving their divine power and Dao cultivation.
Without a doubt, awakening a sacred artifact required incomparably vast power. If one's cultivation was insufficient, they might be drained dry, their body turning into withered wood.
Ye Fan's One Qi Transforms into Three Purities secret art displayed its invincible quality at this moment. This Dao body was as strong as the main body, almost another self. The source of the Human Clan's Sacred Body was like a sea!
"It really is you!" Yao Guang shouted. He understood in an instant. Ye Fan had returned! He had appeared once again on this land.
"That's right, it's me. I've come to settle the unfinished battle and grievances from fourteen years ago!" Ye Fan let out a clear cry, holding the black arrow as he charged forward.
Yao Guang, upon learning his opponent's identity, was greatly shaken. Deep in his eyes was a terrifying scene—sun, moon, and stars revolved, with scenes of the Milky Way being destroyed appearing.
He desperately drove this sacred sword, cutting through heaven and earth, almost transforming into a deity. But his Sacred Light Body was not his main body after all, unable to fully display his cultivation.
And at this moment, Ye Fan, no longer caring about concealing his identity, let his golden blood energy surge like a volcanic eruption, flooding heaven and earth. It swept away everything in its path, driving the black arrow to break through all obstacles. Nothing could stop him.
"Boom!"
The black arrow merged with the Dao, piercing through the dark sky. It shot forward like a streak of black light, like a surging black ocean.
"Dang!"
The black arrow struck the sacred sword, producing a deafening sound. The aftershock swept through everything, severing the sky. Destruction reigned in all ten directions!
Yao Guang was sent flying, traces of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. This wasn't true blood but a manifestation of his Dao essence dispersing. If not for the sacred sword's light protecting his body, he would have been reduced to nothing, not even bone fragments remaining.
He turned and fled. Without his true body, he couldn't use the true forbidden power. And his opponent's Dao body was extremely strange, as if the true body stood here. The blood energy within surged like a mountain collapse and a tsunami, producing deafening sounds. He was divinely brave and unstoppable!
"Where do you think you're going!"
Ye Fan pursued relentlessly, naturally unwilling to let this Sacred Light Body escape. He wanted to kill it here.
In the distance, people had just arrived when they saw the two flying across the sky, charging toward even more distant places. All were shocked beyond words.
Unfortunately, separated by the Fallen God Battlefield, they couldn't follow immediately. The ancient sages' laws blocked this place.
However, although they couldn't follow right away, they saw the fact of one chasing and one fleeing.
"What? Yao Guang King has been defeated, being hunted down by that man!"
"How can this be? Who is this person, defeating the invincible Yao Guang King?!"
Everyone was petrified, watching this scene in disbelief. They had thought Yao Guang could turn the tide and ultimately defeat his opponent, but instead, he was fleeing in defeat.
"No, how could my master be defeated?!" Li Qingzhou's breathing became rapid.
Yao Guang rode the sacred artifact as he fled, moving at extreme speed, almost traversing the heavens. However, Ye Fan, holding the black arrow, could also tear through the void, using the Stride Art without restraint, rapidly closing in.
Killing this Sacred Light Body held little meaning. Ye Fan's main goal was to seize this sacred sword—a legendary saint weapon passed down through generations!
And the reason Yao Guang fled was also to protect this weapon, unwilling to let it fall into enemy hands. Otherwise, what harm was there in abandoning a light body?
"You can't escape. I won't let you return to your true body!" Ye Fan hadn't yet faced the Celestial Prince and didn't want anyone to know he had returned.
"Chi!"
Heaven and earth split apart. The two black arrows shot out again, both aimed at the sacred sword. Countless stars seemed to tremble, as if they might fall.
Of the ten thousand great mountains, any that pierced the clouds had their upper halves turned to dust. Wherever the black arrows passed, everything was swept away, leaving nothing behind.
This sacred sword was even more holy than the stars and moon in the sky, radiating light in all directions. It was made of Silver Moon Divine Jade from the Nine Heavens Divine Jade series, crystal clear and dazzling, incomparably beautiful.
"Dang!"
The black arrows clashed with it repeatedly, producing ear-splitting sounds. Yao Guang could no longer hold on. His entire arm burst apart, his body tore through the void, blood spilling from his mouth as he was sent flying.
"Clang!"
Ye Fan was as fast as lightning. The Stride Art was unmatched in the world. Using the two black arrows, he suppressed this silver-radiant sacred artifact, causing its deity to fall asleep.
"Sacred artifacts are hard to seize, unlike secret treasures like the black arrows. Once the deity within awakens, it would be a great disaster!"
Ye Fan felt he should first suppress it in the Green Cauldron for the safest measure. It would likely be unusable for some time.
"Yao Guang, where do you think you're going!"
Ye Fan took away the sacred sword, stepping with the Stride Art as he pursued, intercepting the severely wounded Yao Guang King, forcing him into a dead end.
When people arrived here, they only saw this scene: Ye Fan standing alone under the starry sky, his hands pulling apart, tearing Yao Guang King in two. Blood formed from Dao essence splattered, dyeing the sky red!
"What? He... tore apart Yao Guang King's Dao body with his bare hands!"
The crowd was shocked. Yao Guang King, undefeated for fourteen years, had his Dao body cleaved in two by someone. The entire starry sky fell into dead silence. Everyone was stunned.