# Chapter 1256: Demon Man
The twelfth rider among the Heavenly Desolate Thirteen Riders had eyes that turned icy cold. Rather than a jest, this was more like contempt and provocation.
Clang!
The twelfth rider's spine rang out as a demon blade shot forth, using his human body as a sheath to nurture a blood sword. A chilling aura pressed down, and the blade's light split the heavens for three thousand zhang.
The street instantly fell silent, so quiet that a dropped needle could be heard. Everyone stopped in their tracks and looked toward this scene.
There was no denying it—the Heavenly Desolate Thirteen Riders were too powerful. Even the twelfth rider, ranked near the bottom, displayed battle qi fluctuations that made people tremble in fear.
The smile on Ye Fan's face faded. He looked at him coldly, without a trace of killing intent, yet exuding an aura that inspired dread.
"Twelfth Brother, what are you doing? I originally meant well by asking you to invite Brother Ye, but you're always so unruly. Good intentions turn into conflict every time."
The man covered entirely in azure-gold battle armor atop the Azure Dragon's back spoke. As the second-in-command of the Heavenly Desolate Thirteen Riders, he possessed an inviolable authority. Upon hearing this, the twelfth rider's expression froze, and the blood blade slowly sank back into his body.
"Apologies, Brother Ye. I originally wanted to invite you for a drink to smooth over the earlier unpleasantness. I never expected the misunderstanding to deepen. Since you already have a date with a beauty, we won't disturb you," said the second-in-command of the Heavenly Desolate Thirteen Riders. His eyes held a strange power, with no distinction between white and pupil—only a dazzling, demonic green light, as if he were a reincarnated demon god.
Having said this, without waiting for Ye Fan's reply, the leading riders turned their mounts and tore through the void, departing as everyone scrambled out of their way.
The lower-ranked riders among them cast cold, expressionless glances at Ye Fan before also riding their savage beasts into the distance, battle qi rolling.
"Brother Ye's fame shakes the first city of the human race. Even the mighty Heavenly Desolate Thirteen Riders yield to you—truly admirable." Yu Xian's radiant, delicate face carried a faint smile. Her white feathered robe fluttered, her black hair smooth as silk, her figure slender and supple, appearing as pure and ethereal as an immortal.
Yu Xian lived up to her name—like a celestial who had accidentally fallen to the mortal world, with divine bones and jade-like bearing, carrying the transcendent aura of one ascending to immortality. She was a lively and beautiful woman.
"Miss Yu, are you mocking me? If these people don't make their move now, it will only cause more trouble later. I actually wish the conflict had erupted just now." Ye Fan shook his head.
Yu Xian smiled. "With Brother Ye's strength, there won't be any trouble."
"There's a small tavern ahead. Let's go there—it looks very peaceful," Rui Wei said.
It was an old, established tavern, truly tiny, but the aroma of wine could be smelled from far away. It sat at the end of an inconspicuous little alley.
The courtyard was elegant, planted with over a dozen peach trees. It was impossible to tell what season it was here—every tree was covered in pink blossoms, their fragrance subtle and serene.
"Not bad." Ye Fan nodded. It was far superior to those noisy, bustling taverns—very tranquil, perfect for a quiet drink.
Only a few guests were in the courtyard, scattered among the ancient peach trees, with a jug of aged wine and a few small dishes, chatting softly.
They sat down. An old man came forward, wiping the table with nimble hands—though it was already quite clean. The table and chairs were old, polished to a shine from years of use.
A jug of aged brew and several specialty dishes were quickly brought up. The three drank lightly and chatted, the atmosphere very harmonious. They spoke of their experiences on Fallen Saint Island.
Ye Fan had fought over twenty people alone and slain them all, drawing a sigh of admiration from Rui Wei. Such a feat seemed unreal to him.
Yu Xian smiled and chatted, but eventually her expression turned serious. She mentioned the demon man who devoured cultivators alive, believing him to be a great threat—his identity still unknown.
"Someone like that actually entered the First District and fought Mu Guanghan?" Rui Wei showed surprise.
"That's right. I saw it with my own eyes—a demonic light blotting out the sun, unleashing endless killing radiance in the First District." Yu Xian nodded.
"Some say it was Tuoba Yu, the brocade-clad young master from the Human King Ancient Star Domain. Could the rumors be false?" Rui Wei asked.
"It wasn't him, because he was also watching the battle at the time." Yu Xian shook her head.
"Do you have any leads?" Ye Fan asked.
Yu Xian nodded. She had learned a terrifying fact: that person had ultimately retreated, crossing seventeen realms in succession before vanishing completely.
"How is that possible? How heavy must those shackles be? Is there really someone that powerful?" Rui Wei exclaimed.
Ye Fan was also shaken. "Was his movement affected?"
Yu Xian shook her head, her expression grave. "Extremely fast. Otherwise, Mu Guanghan wouldn't have let him go. He was lost after crossing six realms—others in other regions witnessed it."
"This is too unbelievable." Rui Wei was dazed, feeling it was unreal.
Yu Xian said, "Either he is powerful to an extreme, or he holds a supreme secret artifact that can ignore the trial ground's restrictions. Either way, it's terrifying—a dreadful threat to anyone."
It was for this reason that she had come to find Ye Fan, without any pretense. Her purpose was clear: she wanted to form an alliance with him.
According to Yu Xian's speculation, this demon man was very likely the Killing Saint, possessing all kinds of forbidden divine abilities—truly the most dangerous figure.
They drank and talked, naturally coming to the topic of ancient star domains. Ye Fan was very interested in the Yu Hua Star, because there was a Yu Hua Divine Dynasty in the Big Dipper.
"The Yu Hua Star experienced a great migration several hundred thousand years ago..." Yu Xian recounted some ancient events.
It was an extremely prosperous ancient star, where many saints rose together and ten thousand sects flourished—it was hard to describe such brilliance.
About three to four hundred thousand years ago, a peerless genius appeared. He came from outside the domain, claiming to be a descendant of the old Heavenly Court. He stirred up boundless storms on the Yu Hua Star and, before his death in old age, established a powerful divine dynasty.
Several tens of thousands of years later, an earth-shaking hero descended upon that divine dynasty, attained the Dao and became an emperor, then led the entire dynasty on a great migration, vanishing into the starry sky.
"The old Heavenly Court's remnants..." Ye Fan was extremely shocked.
The broken green cauldron was in the hands of the Heavenly Court's remnants. The Yu Hua Divine Dynasty was the power they had built. Its fall in the Big Dipper... did not mean the end.
"Where does Brother Ye come from?" Yu Xian moistened her red lips with fine wine, asking with a smile.
"The Big Dipper." Ye Fan had nothing to hide. Choosing this path meant fearing nothing—otherwise, he wouldn't have come.
"The Burial Emperor Star!" Yu Xian exclaimed in surprise.
Clearly, this ancient star domain had once shaken the universe, remembered by people in many ancient lands. Even now, it was mentioned with awe.
"That truly is a Burial Emperor Star where heroes emerge in droves. It's said that the path to immortality will also open there." Yu Xian's eyes shimmered with light.
She warned Ye Fan that it was best not to reveal this, because there would surely be unmatched enemies ahead. According to legend, during the glorious era of the Burial Emperor Star, it had forged deep enmities with many ancient star domains.
Starlight dimmed, bringing a sense of oppressive atmosphere. At dawn, chaos erupted—two cultivators had been killed in the dead of night, only now discovered.
Many felt a shadow fall over their hearts, an ominous premonition arising.
Walking through the streets, Ye Fan found soldiers mobilized everywhere, conducting thorough searches, almost under martial law. Yet still, nothing was found.
Deep night fell again. A bloodcurdling scream rang out—it was a Seed-level expert who had entered the Saint realm, yet he was assassinated this night.
All the soldiers hidden in the shadows rushed over, while powerful cultivators also hurried to provide support.
However, in the next instant, screams came from another direction. Another expert had fallen.
Ye Fan shot to his feet. Was this the work of a single person?
That night, four tragedies occurred in succession. Four cultivators were killed, meeting violent deaths.
The next day, the Great Commander of the human race's first city came to an ancient site, kneeling on one knee. "Please, Guide Envoy, take action. I believe you can find the true culprit."
A blurry figure appeared on a meditation cushion, speaking calmly. "I have already warned the ancient families within the city not to act. As for the assassinations among the trial participants themselves... consider it a form of trial."
"What? You won't intervene?" The Great Commander showed a shocked expression.
"Those who walk this path and are killed by assassins can only be considered failures." The blurry figure vanished, leaving the cushion empty.
Tension filled the city. Many felt that there was more than just the Killing Saint—some with ulterior motives had also begun to act. Otherwise, how could four people die in a single night?
"Heh, do you feel it? The Guide Envoy is indulging this behavior. This is a godsent opportunity. Let's move out tonight and kill that man named Ye Fan!" The twelfth rider of the Heavenly Desolate Thirteen Riders said coldly.
The thirteenth rider echoed him, strongly agreeing.
An icy gaze swept over, and both felt a chill from head to toe. The leader of the Heavenly Desolate Thirteen Riders had loose black hair and a bare upper body, his muscles like coiled flood dragons, shimmering with divine radiance, exuding a wild power.
With just a look, he silenced the twelfth and thirteenth riders, who dared say nothing more.
The second-in-command of the Heavenly Desolate Thirteen Riders revealed a cruel smile. "Do you think you can kill him silently?"
Both feared him as well and said nothing.
"If we can't kill him instantly, the consequences would be dire. Taking the blame for that bizarre Killing Saint would leave us dead without a burial place." The second-in-command of the thirteen divine riders said coldly.
Then he smiled cruelly again. "Instead, let's do the opposite!"
"What do you mean?" The thirteenth rider asked with a hint of awe, not understanding.
"Go find trouble with him, but don't start a fight—just provoke him with a few words..." The second-in-command gave his instructions.
The atmosphere in the city was oppressive. Many cultivators felt uneasy. People died every night—if this continued, it would become a major problem.
Ancient beasts galloped, shaking the streets. Several riders on savage beasts charged past, nearly colliding with Ye Fan.
"Watch yourself, or you'll be killed!"
"Wait for death to descend tonight!"
Several savage beasts rushed by, their riders muttering arrogantly.
Ye Fan coldly watched several members of the Heavenly Desolate Thirteen Riders. He had been provoked twice today, both times by their people, but each time they had backed off.
Deep in the night, ominous shadows hung over the city. After two screams came from afar, a dark figure appeared in Ye Fan's room, directly pulling him into a small void realm.
It was a scroll painting, held by a powerful Saint, which trapped him inside and launched a merciless assassination.
Boom!
In the end, however, Ye Fan shattered the ancient scroll, broke out, killed the man, and seized his primordial spirit to examine his identity.
"He's a member of an ancient family in the city..." Ye Fan was startled.
Then he examined the man's sea of consciousness and quickly discovered what had happened. Someone had secretly delivered an extremely rare and precious divine refining material to their family—priceless.
Unfortunately, it could only refine half a magic artifact. The person who secretly sent the divine material never showed himself, only leaving a message: if they could kill Ye Fan, they would receive the other half of the material.
"Hmm, this is a family with a less-than-clean reputation. Many residents in the city know it, so they were chosen to assassinate me..."
Ye Fan naturally thought of the Heavenly Desolate Thirteen Riders, a hint of mockery curling at his lips.
When it came to assassination techniques, who could compare to him? This was pure showing off before a master. The Heavenly Court's life-slaying secret arts were absolutely world-shaking.
Suddenly, he thought of something else. He manifested another self, which quickly dispersed into wisps of pure qi, drifting into the starry sky.
In another mansion, the twelfth and thirteenth riders of the Heavenly Desolate Thirteen Riders had icy, murderous eyes, waiting silently for action.
Moreover, several Seed-level figures had been invited to drink, seated within a formation that isolated them from the outside world's aura, with several soldiers also present.