Chapter 1617: No Sacred Body
A great wind swept across the ancient battlefield. The massive blood crow carried Ye Fan away into the distance, stirring up a vast commotion. Powerful individuals with keen senses all stood atop mountain peaks, gazing at the sky.
On the blood crow's back, that figure was not very clear—one could even say it was quite blurry. He sat like a rock, exuding an unshakable, immovable hardness.
It was like a meteor crashing into an ocean, sending massive waves sweeping across the boundless heavens and earth. Some of the strongest beings in the Flying Immortal Battlefield saw him, their gazes piercing and startling.
Many were shocked, yet also confused. Was it really that person? No one could be certain.
One hundred and fifty years ago, a man had appeared who looked exactly like the White-Robed Divine King, sparking a major uproar. Later, it was proven false—someone with ulterior motives had orchestrated it.
"I feel that this time it's real. No particular reason, just a genuine sense. This battlefield is about to see a world-shaking storm!"
"Even ancient supremes were buried in the stars. How did he survive? I believe some people won't be able to sit still. What an incredible surprise!"
The blood crow traversed the sky, causing noise and chaos in every region it passed. No one could remain calm. Many solid, tangible gazes shot up into the high heavens.
Some were shocked, others excited—reactions varied widely.
Enemies and those hostile toward him gritted their teeth, shadows of gloom rising in their hearts. The Human Clan's Sacred Body had appeared like a great mountain, suddenly pressing down on many, making it hard to breathe. They felt he was a peak on the Imperial Path that would be extremely difficult to surmount.
Others were joyful, even moved to tears.
In the past, the Dark Calamity had swept across heaven and earth. The Human Clan's Sacred Body's contributions could not be erased. Though some with malicious intent had tried to obscure his brilliance, they still couldn't block the truth.
Ye Fan had shed his last drop of blood, buried in the eternal void, never to return. This had moved many later-generation experts. They had never met Ye Fan, but they had heard his legends and felt his presence in their hearts. Now, hearing whispers that he might have appeared alive, they were naturally shaken and excited. To them, he was a living miracle and monument.
The wind rose. The ancient battlefield was far from calm!
"Did I… cause you trouble?" the blood crow hesitated, its words carrying respect and a hint of self-blame. It had flown across the sky without any concealment, and some of the strongest beings had surely seen Ye Fan's true form.
"It's nothing," Ye Fan said, without joy or worry. He gazed at the magnificent mountains and rivers below, at the boundless territory, his expression blank.
The blood crow had naturally heard of Ye Fan's past deeds. Though it was a demon clan member and a fierce bird, always arrogant and disrespectful of worldly laws, it felt a sense of respect upon learning Ye Fan's identity.
Back then, the Human Clan's Sacred Body was far inferior to the supremes, yet like a moth diving into a flame, he used blood and bone to interpret fearlessness and unyielding spirit. He fought with the Great Accomplishment Saint Body and the Green Copper Cauldron, splashing supreme blood across the stars—something ordinary people could never do!
At that time, there were not a few great saints in the universe, but how many could act like Ye Fan, daring to pay such a price, staining heaven and earth with blood, carrying a death wish to wound supremes? He had long known he would be buried in the cosmos, yet he did not retreat. That required a certain kind of spirit.
The blood crow's feathers stood on end, and waves of blood energy emerged, blocking the view of those below. It feared that more terrifying strong beings would lock onto Ye Fan.
Ye Fan remained silent and spoke little. Seeing the blood crow like this, he said nothing more and let it proceed.
The blood crow came from a very distant ancient star domain, far from the Ancient Human Path. Over the years, though it had heard of Ye Fan's deeds, it knew nothing of his old friends.
Because the universe was too vast. Even if one dominated a region or ruled several star domains, they might not be known in more distant lands.
Ye Fan was known because of the bloody battle three hundred years ago.
"Let me think… There's a man named Pang Bo. I think he's connected to you. He's a renowned great saint of our demon clan. Once, in a rage, he slaughtered for millions of miles, causing a huge stir over a hundred years ago, just to kill those who slandered you."
In the end, after thinking, the blood crow only mentioned Pang Bo, but not in detail, because the two places were too far apart, and it had only heard rumors.
"How is he?" Ye Fan asked, worried.
"He didn't suffer. Fierce and domineering, he killed until a region ran with rivers of blood, destroying more than one sect," the blood crow sighed.
They traveled northwest.
Behind them, intense fluctuations came from some light gates. Many powerful figures received reports, all showing grave expressions.
Though the news was unconfirmed and suspicious, it warranted caution. Someone who had fought supremes to the death had survived—how terrifying must he be?
Leaving aside everything else, the experience of that battle alone would benefit him for life, leaving many strong beings silent.
Such a person, if truly returned alive, would surely block many people's paths, like a demon mountain standing ahead, impossible to climb.
No one here was weak. They quickly thought of a question: Why hadn't Ye Fan appeared for three hundred years? He must have paid an unimaginable price to barely survive.
Perhaps he wasn't as terrifying as imagined—and that was likely the truth!
Several days passed. The light gates stabilized, connecting the two realms, freeing many astonishingly powerful heroes who had been guarding them, allowing them to move on.
In those regions, one camp after another appeared, establishing mountain gates. Different sects meant dozens or hundreds of great teachings had taken root here, formally settling.
On a mountain peak, a light gate had stabilized and taken form, no longer needing to be suppressed or guarded. Here, grand halls stood like magnificent heavenly palaces. In one main hall, which should have been resplendent, it was now pitch black, like an unfathomable black hole.
Vaguely, one could see a Great Dao Vase floating at the highest point of the hall. It was devouring all light, plunging the place into darkness.
That vase was covered with talismans, ancient and vast, as if bearing a world, not just a simple vessel.
This was not a magical artifact. It was a Dao symbol formed by a person who had cultivated to the extreme, now taking this shape and manifesting here. It was so solid, like the most terrifying physical Dao weapon.
Beneath the Great Dao Vase sat a person. He was so terrifying that even in this world, his cultivation had not been severed, allowing him to form true Dao talismans into a black vase.
Clearly, this person's cultivation had reached the extreme in a certain domain; otherwise, he wouldn't show such terrifying performance.
At this moment, he suddenly opened his eyes, like two lightning bolts tearing through the void. In the light, one could briefly glimpse his indistinct facial contours.
His black hair was loose and thick. His features were exceptionally striking, with a prominent brow and a heroic air—clearly an extraordinary person, surpassing his peers.
"Is it really him?" His words were calm and flat, without any ripple.
"It should not be false. Several people who have fought him showed intense emotional fluctuations, and their abnormal reactions were detected," said others in the hall, but they deferred to the man beneath the Great Dao Vase.
"How strong is he?"
"He should not have broken that shackle; it has nothing to do with being a Quasi-Emperor," another replied. They had put in considerable effort, judging from the battle traces Ye Fan had left.
"Senior brother, should we immediately report to the master?"
The man beneath the Great Dao Vase sat in darkness, his gaze piercing. Hearing this, he said coldly, "The master will face a bitter struggle in the Imperial Pass behind the light gate, vying for those immortal scripture insights and secret chapters. Divine Venerable, Yin Tiande, Zhang Bairen—which of them is easy to deal with? He has no time to attend to this for now."
This was the landing site of the Yaoguang lineage. The man at the center was Mo Wentian, the strongest disciple under Yao Guang. It was said his cultivation directly rivaled Yao Guang's.
"Golden Cicada, Nine Calamities Daoist, Overlord, Great Might Sacred Spirit, and others have also returned through the two-realm passage. It's said some immortal scriptures might have been left by Emperor Venerable, never seen or circulated in the world. To obtain them, one doesn't necessarily need overwhelming combat power, but the ability to truly comprehend Emperor Venerable's mysteries to glimpse the true scripture."
"Tai Chu, Emperor Sovereign have not yet manifested. Their whereabouts are unknown."
"Do we really not need to invite the master? That's the Sacred Body Ye Fan! Three hundred years ago, he shook an era!" someone from the Yaoguang lineage said.
"No need!" Mo Wentian shook his head, his gaze like a torch. He was terrifyingly powerful. "The Human Clan's Sacred Body died in battle three hundred years ago, buried in the universe with the supreme glory of fighting supremes. He deserves respect." Then his tone turned cold. "Three hundred years later, there is no longer a Human Clan's Sacred Body Ye Fan in this world. Someone is impersonating a fallen hero. Not just us, but many in the Flying Immortal Battlefield will fight for Senior Ye's honor and glory. His name must not be defiled. Many powerful figures will strive to kill that person."
"But… he really is the Sacred Body Ye Fan," someone murmured.
Mo Wentian bared a mouthful of white teeth, his expression sinister. "Three hundred years later, there is no longer a Human Clan's Sacred Body Ye Fan!"
"He is very strong," another said.
"But he is not yet a Quasi-Emperor!" Mo Wentian spoke coldly and mercilessly. "The stronger he is, the more worth anticipating. You must believe that many camps will use this to temper their own people. They will fight him, and 'very consciously' kill him for Senior Ye!"
"I think it's better to report to the master. He might not agree with this…" someone objected, but fell silent upon seeing Mo Wentian's cold expression.
"The master missed the chance to fight Senior Ye Fan. That is indeed a pity. But Senior Ye has a disciple named Yang Xi, also a Sacred Body. I will duel with him, continuing the battle of the previous generation. Who is stronger and who is weaker will be revealed in our confrontation!" Mo Wentian said calmly and coldly, then added, "He must be in the Flying Immortal Battlefield. I look forward to meeting him. That will also be the final result of the master's and Senior Ye's battle!"
Not everyone was like Mo Wentian of the Yaoguang lineage. Some rising strong beings were now on a pilgrimage, seeking Ye Fan, wanting to meet him.
"Senior Ye, where are you?"
Some, though firm in their resolve to compete on the Imperial Path, now wavered because of Ye Fan's appearance, wanting to pay homage and follow behind him.
However, as Mo Wentian said, other camps firmly believed that three hundred years later, there was no longer a Sacred Body Ye Fan! Many people were gathering from all directions, converging on a certain region.