# Chapter 317: Dragon Battles in the Wilderness
In the ancient past, the Northern Domain was vibrant with life, lush greenery everywhere, the heaven and earth spiritual energy so thick it was inseparable, crystallizing into Source, with endless spiritual herbs and divine medicines to be found.
But now, the flourishing flowers are gone, the grass and trees withered, the land a stretch of desolation—red soil, reddish-brown rocks, all bleak and forlorn.
Although there are many oases, they are insignificant compared to the red earth, like scattered islands in a vast ocean.
This also shows that the Northern Domain is boundless, because countless oases often span thousands of li, or even ten thousand li in circumference.
Between Kun Province and An Province lies an endless great Gobi Desert, a sea of red stretching without limit.
Ye Fan carried the God-Slaying Whip on his back, walking alone across this reddish-brown land. He had already learned that one of the ten great experts of the younger generation might pass through here.
Tu Fei had gone to An Province, while the Big Black Dog remained in Kun Province to help him track down the ten great experts.
On the boundless blood-colored land, there was an especially solemn and cold atmosphere. Looking out, there was almost nothing—empty and deathly still.
The only scenery, perhaps, were some standing red rocks, which on the endless red earth could not attract much attention.
It was a monotonous emptiness, without other colors, without many sights, only ancient barren land.
Ye Fan did not walk quickly, but his steps were very firm, one footprint at a time, carrying the God-Slaying Whip on his back as he entered the depths of the red earth.
Suddenly, he stopped, standing still in this place, gazing at the end of the land. On the horizon, a small dot was rapidly approaching.
"Here he comes." A cold smile appeared at the corner of Ye Fan's mouth. His first battle was about to begin. This time, he was determined to fight a great battle!
At the end of the horizon, the small dot moved very fast, gradually becoming visible—a very sturdy figure. His feet did not touch the ground, his shoulders did not sway, hovering three inches above the earth, walking on emptiness.
In just a few breaths, the newcomer had already approached, his stature and face clearly visible. His steps were not fast, but he possessed extreme speed.
With each step he took, it was as if he disappeared from his original position, quickly appearing ahead, containing the profound meaning of shrinking the earth into inches. The newcomer was far from ordinary.
This was a young man of twenty-one or twenty-two years, not very tall but very sturdy, his skin a bronze color, giving off a powerful sense of strength.
His long hair was jet black, his eyes spirited and very sharp, giving people a sense of pressure, even somewhat aggressive. One could tell at a glance that he was a very domineering person, as if he wanted everything in his grasp.
This wheat-skinned, very heroic man, his body seemed cast from molten copper. Every move he made made people feel his bravery and overwhelming strength.
"Swish"
The newcomer suddenly stopped, three feet above the ground, standing in front, sizing up Ye Fan. Two terrifying beams of light shot from his eyes, like two sharp swords.
"You... Ye Fan!"
He spat out these four words, sonorous and forceful, like a golden bell humming, making people's eardrums tremble and the red earth shake.
"That's right, it's me." Ye Fan stood on the ground, staring at the heroic man before him. This person was indeed extraordinary, even giving him a hint of pressure.
The man stared at Ye Fan and said, "I was looking for you, but I didn't expect you to appear on your own. Are you waiting for me?"
"That's right, I've been waiting for you here for a long time. Today, I'll be the first to send you on your way!" Ye Fan answered very directly.
"Hahaha..." The powerful man burst into laughter, his black hair flying wildly, a coldness appearing on his bronze skin. "Now, everyone in the Northern Domain is looking for you, yet you still dare to act like this. Truly, 'iron shoes wear through in vain search, yet the prize comes without effort.' It saves me the trouble of searching everywhere."
"State your name. After all, you are the first opponent I've encountered today." Ye Fan spoke calmly.
"Gu Litian!" The heroic man announced his name.
"One of the ten great experts taught by the Hidden Elder. Let me see what extraordinary qualities you have. Don't let me crush you to dust with one punch." Ye Fan walked forward.
"You know quite a bit, and your tone is not small either. Unfortunately, this is no longer the Primordial Era. Your kind of physique was born in the wrong age." Gu Litian landed on the ground, step by step advancing forward. "The ten great experts have all mobilized, just for you alone. Yet I found you first—this is heaven's will!"
"Heaven's will? You think I'm meat on a chopping block?" Ye Fan laughed.
"You are a Primordial Saint Body, known to be invincible at the same cultivation level. Everyone knows this. But do you think the ten great experts came out just to die?" Gu Litian mocked, sneering coldly. "In this world, what's most lacking are talented people. The Primordial Saint Body is no longer favored by heaven. There will always be other physiques emerging. Even in physical strength, you may not dominate!"
"Suppressing my physique, is that it? Let me see how it works!" Ye Fan strode forward.
And Gu Litian did the same, completely unafraid of Ye Fan's physique far surpassing ordinary people, clearly intending to engage in close combat.
However, as he approached, his brow shone with immortal light, and a piece of purple star divine iron appeared, protecting his forehead and brow.
Seeing this, Ye Fan was speechless. Now, his powerful divine sense seemed to have no place to be used.
Indeed, his divine thought was like an ocean, capable of killing powerful enemies, and had long been known throughout the Northern Domain. All the younger generation already knew that when facing him, they needed to first protect their sea of consciousness.
Gu Litian transformed into a bronze electric flash, charging over in five steps. He was indeed confident, daring to engage in close combat with a Primordial Saint Body, contending in physical strength.
"Lend me your fine head. I'll take it back to the Holy Land and present it to my master." He shouted lightly, his bronze skin sparkling, actually having streaks of dragon qi swirling around him.
"Buzz!"
Gu Litian threw a punch, as if an earthquake had occurred. The ground beneath his feet shook violently. His arm was like a flood dragon, fierce and powerful.
"Boom!"
Ye Fan swung his golden fist, meeting it head-on. Their fists and fingers collided, producing a loud sound like a thunderclap falling.
Dao Palace Fifth Heaven!
Gu Litian had reached Dao Palace Great Perfection, his combat power astonishing, enough to kill those at the first level of the Four Extremes Secret Realm, just as Wei Wei had said.
With a "rumble," Gu Litian flew backward, a look of shock on his face. "You've advanced again, to the Fourth Heaven? How did you obtain one hundred thousand jin of Source?"
He was filled with disbelief. This was understandable—thirty cubic meters of Source was an astonishing number. How could a wandering cultivator possibly gather it all?
Ye Fan did not move an inch. His physical body could definitely dominate the Dao Palace and look down on the Four Extremes. In terms of pure physical strength, few of his generation could compare.
However, he was not careless. Gu Litian was very unusual, giving him a hint of dangerous aura, not inferior to Four Extremes Secret Realm experts.
Suddenly, a flood dragon's roar rang out, and the red earth trembled. Gu Litian's body burst with radiance.
Strands of purple mist overflowed. His physical body underwent a great transformation, a shocking change. Purple scales grew on his body surface, purple light flickering all over, even his face covered with them.
"Demon Clan?!" Ye Fan was startled.
Gu Litian did not answer. He transformed into a purple light and charged over, filled with a dangerous aura. His physical body was extremely powerful, flowing with explosive strength.
"Boom!"
The moment he charged, he continuously collided with Ye Fan, producing a series of clanging sounds. Their two pairs of fists were like four divine hammers striking each other, ringing loudly.
Ye Fan was indeed surprised. Gu Litian's physical strength had suddenly increased by a large margin, actually able to withstand his golden fists.
However, Ye Fan was not worried. He let out a light shout, fully elevating his combat power. His entire body shone with golden brilliance, like an ancient war god.
"Boom!"
At this moment, when he threw a punch, Gu Litian, covered in dragon scales, fell behind again, completely suppressed. Then he transformed into a purple lightning bolt and flew backward.
"Primordial Saint Body, indeed extraordinary. I have tempered my body with flood dragon blood since childhood, twenty years without interruption, yet I still cannot compare with your physique." Gu Litian said in a deep voice.
His master was very powerful, having subdued eight flood dragons to guard the mountain. Since childhood, Gu Litian had spent three hours every day tempering his body with flood dragon blood.
In addition, he spent another two hours sitting in a medicine cauldron, being boiled by his master with various medicinal liquids to strengthen his body. Thus, his physical body had reached a terrifying level.
But even so, he still could not match the Primordial Saint Body. In true close combat, he appeared inferior.
"No wonder he can fight at the Four Extremes level while at the Dao Palace. So that's how it is!" Even Ye Fan was somewhat envious. To temper the body like this, how many medicinal herbs and how much flood dragon blood would it consume? Only a Holy Land could afford such a thing.
"Let me see your divine techniques, or else I'm afraid you won't have the chance to use them." Ye Fan said.
"Disciples taught by the Hidden Elder rarely cultivate orthodox secret techniques." Gu Litian's body changed again. "You've advanced to the Dao Palace Fourth Heaven, which is beyond my expectations. But that doesn't matter. I only need to take your head."
"Anyone can talk big. But with just you, comparing physical bodies with me, you're still far off!" Ye Fan snorted coldly.
Gu Litian shook his head and shouted, "If I only cultivated my physical body, how could I stop here? Hand over your head!"
He opened his mouth and swallowed a purple inner core. His entire person instantly became almost ferocious, his joints crackling like frying beans, emitting an extremely terrifying aura.
Ye Fan was startled. He raised his hand and executed the Void Great Hand Seal, using the Battle Saint Art to drive it. The great hand changed from black to gold.
"Buzz!"
The great hand crossed the sky, like a golden cloud, so heavy it made people suffocate. The red earth directly cracked open.
"Boom!"
But at this moment, the aura Gu Litian emitted grew even stronger. Purple light shot up all over his body, dragon scales flickering. He had almost transformed into a purple dragon.
He moved like a purple lightning bolt, instantly shifting. His physical body seemed to have purple fire burning fiercely. His physical strength and combat power had suddenly increased several times over.
What Gu Litian had swallowed was a flood dragon inner core—not a whole core, but a piece cut from one. But even so, it was enough to terrify people.
At this moment, aside from not having grown a tail and horns, he truly differed little from a flood dragon. His scales had become thicker, the purple light dazzling.
Moreover, his hands had nearly transformed into flood dragon claws, his fingernails becoming hooked, half a foot long, gleaming coldly.
This was completely a human-shaped purple flood dragon!