Chapter 418: The Curtain Falls
Xia Jiuyou's arrogance soared to the heavens, looking down on the younger generation with an air of supreme self-importance.
As soon as the Transcendence Immortal Melody sounded, stars shifted, the divine moon dimmed, heaven and earth fell into chaos, shaking the world. Even the supreme sect leaders of Central Province were moved, and many among the younger generation turned pale.
Yet at this very moment, this unparalleled genius was being spanked like a child—a stark and powerful contrast!
With a heavenly endowment rarely seen since ancient times, he could look down upon his peers. Scanning the Eastern Wasteland and gazing toward Central Province, few could rival him.
But now, he was being treated like a disobedient child, with a great golden palm teaching him a lesson, causing jaws to drop and eyes to bulge in disbelief.
"That's Xia Jiuyou! He who plays the supreme Transcendence Immortal Melody, cutting down his peers as easily as plucking grass and picking flowers, comparable to a young Great Emperor—and yet he's being suppressed like this..."
Countless cultivators and endless experts were all stunned.
Xia Jiuyou was furious, struggling violently, flailing his arms and legs, but the backlash from the Transcendence Immortal Melody left him powerless, unable to harm Ye Fan in the slightest.
"Little brat, let's see how arrogant you can be." Ye Fan truly treated him like a child, chuckling lightly while swinging his golden palm.
"Smack, smack..."
Sharp sounds rang out. Xia Jiuyou's eyes blazed with fury, tears nearly streaming down his face as he shouted, "Ye... I'm not done with you!"
As a peerless prodigy of the younger generation, he had never suffered such humiliation. Being spanked in public was a disgrace he could not endure.
Ye Fan swept his gaze over Holy Son Yao Guang, the Divine King Physique of the Ji Family, the Innate Dao Fetus of the Zi Mansion, Yao Xi, and others. The outstanding disciples of the various Holy Lands remained calm, showing no reaction.
The Divine Physique and Holy Son Yao Guang were undoubtedly the pinnacle figures of the younger generation in the Eastern Wasteland, yet they showed no intention of making a move. This left many feeling regret.
A consensus had formed among the cultivators: killing Ye Fan at the Four Extremes Secret Realm was extremely difficult. Only by entering the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm and crushing him with a higher realm could it be done.
Of course, ordinary Dragon Transformation cultivators wouldn't suffice either—only Saint Son-level figures could hope to succeed.
The Four Extremes Secret Realm corresponds to the four limbs of the human body, allowing one to resonate with the Dao. It has four levels, and crossing one level is like crossing a layer of heaven. A lower-level cultivator defeating a higher-level one is like going against the heavens to slay immortals—extremely difficult.
Now, Ye Fan had only just achieved initial success in the Four Extremes, yet he could already slay experts at the Great Perfection level. This outcome sent chills down spines. Such was the might of the Sacred Body—no one dared challenge or kill him within this secret realm.
Though no one stepped forward, an endless killing intent filled the air. Under the moonlit night, the Divine City was bone-chillingly cold, as if the harsh winter had arrived.
Ye Fan could already see that his path ahead was filled with flames of war. He would likely follow in the footsteps of Emperor Wu Shi, becoming an enemy of the entire world.
For now, no one came to fight him because they lacked confidence. But in the future, there would surely be continuous great battles, life-and-death confrontations.
All he could do was quickly enter the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm. Then, among the younger generation, he would fear no challenge and could even sweep the world.
The many sect leaders from Central Province who had come to observe frowned. The Sacred Body, having just achieved initial success, already possessed such power. They thought of the young kings of Central Province—in the short term, they could contend with the Sacred Body, but what about the future?
This was a troubling question. A Great Accomplishment Sacred Body could rival an ancient Great Emperor. The thought alone was hard to swallow. Perhaps early eradication was the only choice.
Ye Fan stood in the night sky, smiling brightly, his teeth white and sparkling. He looked no older than fifteen or sixteen, still carrying a hint of youthfulness.
At this age, with such cultivation, he left the Holy Sons silent, the major powers uneasy, and countless people with mixed feelings.
Ye Fan asked three times, but no one responded. Not a single member of the younger generation stepped forward to contend with him.
The Divine Physique of the Ji Family, the Heavenly Demon Body of the Demon Clan... there were young kings who could fight him, but none stepped forward.
Ye Fan stood under the moonlight, challenging his peers across the generation, and no one dared to clash with him. For the first time, he established his own prestige. From this night onward, his name would surely shake the younger generation.
The Peerless Divine King stepped forward. Though his eyes were dim and lifeless, his heroic bearing remained undiminished, commanding awe from all. He approached Ye Fan, raised a finger, and a brilliant light shot into Ye Fan's body.
"That's... the Divine King's Mark!"
"With this mark upon him, whoever kills the Sacred Body will be sensed by the Divine King."
The crowd was shocked. The Divine King intended to protect the Sacred Body to the very end. But how many days did he have left? He was already at the end of his rope.
The great battle came to a close. The night's turmoil dissipated. The Peerless Divine King was about to fall, the Sacred Body's curse was broken, and he looked down upon the younger generation...
The Divine City had seen endless ages, but this night was worth recording. It marked the beginning of a great era, something unprecedented in the post-Ancient Era.
That night, news spread rapidly. The Eastern Wasteland shook, and Central Province stirred. It was destined to be a storm, difficult to calm in the short term.
In the following days, countless cultivators came to visit and form connections—people from the Holy Lands, experts from ancient aristocratic clans, and heirs of various sects. Ye Fan could not extricate himself.
His residence was as busy as a marketplace. He had almost no time to rest, with banquets and visitors every day. It was exhausting, but he had to endure.
Everyone was enthusiastic, but how many were sincere? He didn't know. If his breakthrough had failed, the outcome would likely have been very different.
These days, he stayed with the Divine King, humbly seeking advice while hoping for a miracle to save the Peerless Divine King's life. He truly did not want him to die.
But the Divine King's eyes grew dimmer, nearly turning to a dead gray, devoid of any light.
"Divine King, please take the Fire Qilin Divine Medicine seed!"
The Divine King shook his head, saying nothing more. He was about to return to the Jiang Family, leaving the Divine City. He wanted to go back and see the Yin-Yang Physique.
Over the past few days, Ye Fan had met Yao Yuekong, the Great Xia Prince, Jin Chixiao, Xu Heng, the White-Robed Little Nun, and many others, but he had never gone to see An Miaoyi.
Because he hadn't taken a single step outside. With the Sacred Body having just achieved initial success, the Wind Clan intended for him to go into seclusion for a hundred years, not to emerge until he reached the Saint Lord rank.
It was indeed a prudent plan—endure a hundred years of solitude in exchange for ten thousand years of glory, allowing him to rule the world for ten millennia.
It was easy to imagine that both the Jiang Family and the Wind Clan would spare no effort to nurture him. He wouldn't need to worry about cultivation resources.
"A hundred years... too far away..." Ye Fan gazed at the other shore of the starry sky. He simply couldn't wait that long.
Fenghuang had not appeared, which didn't surprise him. The Wind Clan had come to the Divine City only to test him; they had never explicitly promised a marriage alliance.
If his breakthrough had failed, they wouldn't have even mentioned it. The best choice before was to keep Fenghuang away, leaving all options open.
Now that he had succeeded, Fenghuang still hadn't come. The Wind Clan made excuses, saying she was in seclusion, breaking through to the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm, and would arrive within ten days.
In truth, the Wind Clan's pearl had disdained the marriage from the start, openly declaring she would never marry the Sacred Body. Even now that he had succeeded, the Wind Clan's princess remained incredibly proud and refused to come.
The Wind Clan was still trying to persuade her...