Chapter 411: Different Paths
Ye Fan's heart skipped a beat. This gaunt old man was clearly confident in his abilities, having not responded to Li Ruoyu at all, only fixing his gaze on Ye Fan.
"Want to keep me here? Impossible!"
The gaunt old man's words were cold, revealing a mouthful of snow-white teeth, looking very sinister. His spine shot out a beam of light that soared into the sky, shredding the surrounding vegetation to pieces.
Those were soul-shaking sword beams that sliced a mountain peak in half, sending rocks tumbling like clouds. The sword energy pierced through the heavens, then swept across in all directions.
"Boom!"
The spine swept out sword beams in all directions, extremely peculiar, yet it smashed through everything with irresistible force, terrifying beyond compare!
A mountain peak was cut in half at the waist by him and collapsed, as if the sky itself were falling. Earth and rocks splashed everywhere like crashing waves, surging forward.
This entire world trembled, suffocatingly oppressive. A terrifying storm of energy raged, its momentum vast and awe-inspiring.
"Boom!"
Like a flood sweeping the heavens, the sword energy piercing through the clouds completely destroyed this mountainous region, leveling it entirely without leaving a trace, turning it into a barren wasteland.
"Puff, puff..."
The plants rooted in the void continuously shattered. Even though they drew upon the power of emptiness and possessed the indestructible divine radiance of the holy, they could not withstand this kind of sword beam.
Various ancient vines and towering old trees, originally imprinted in the void and transformed into something like Dao diagrams—mysterious and unfathomable—were still carved out and broken apart one by one.
"Half-Step Great Power!"
Ye Fan was astonished. This gaunt, mysterious old man's strength was overwhelmingly powerful, jaw-dropping. Half a step further and he would be comparable to a Saint Lord-rank figure.
"I'll send you on your way!" He smiled coldly, his killing intent soaring to the clouds. His intangible murderous thoughts transformed into peerless sharpness, aimed directly at the other's origin.
"Pop!"
Li Ruoyu frowned and extended a finger, pointing forward. A fresh scent of grass and trees filled the air. His finger transformed into a towering tree, blocking the intangible killing intent.
"Puff, puff..."
The ancient tree reaching into the sky had branches like coiled dragons and lush green leaves, but now it was constantly being damaged. Scattered leaves drifted down as waves of terrifying divine power surged forth.
The natural Dao countered the intangible killing intent, grinding away each peerless sharpness and slowly dissolving that powerful killing momentum.
These were two extremes. The gaunt, mysterious old man's killing intent soared to the heavens, his entire being like an unsheathed peerless fierce sword, while Li Ruoyu was as calm as clouds and light as the wind, as if strolling through a beautiful painting.
"Li Ruoyu, if you don't fully comprehend Clumsy Peak, you can still stand firm in the Southern Domain. Let me show you what an immortal inheritance truly is!"
The mysterious old man grew even more aggressive, his entire being radiating killing intent, as if a demonic blade that slaughters the world had come to life. The power of his aura made one's flesh and blood involuntarily spasm.
"Boom!"
His body radiated boundless light, terrifying divine beams shooting in all directions. He was as dazzling as a sun, leveling the area.
"Clang!"
The gaunt old man's spine made a sound, and a sacred sword actually appeared. His right hand gripped the hilt, slowly drawing it outward.
"Zheng, zheng..."
Dazzling divine light, terrifying sword cries, piercing metal and splitting stone, nearly shattering one's soul. This was an indestructible sword intent that made one feel like they were about to break apart.
He used his spine as a sheath, nurturing a terrifying divine sword. For every inch he drew, the aura grew more fearsome. The entire earth split open with large cracks.
"Boom!"
The sword was not yet fully unsheathed, but the killing intent had already swept across heaven and earth. Sword beams were everywhere, or perhaps one could call them terrifying sword waves!
The gaunt old man slowly drew his sword. The three inches of blade exposed emitted ripples like water, sweeping in all directions. Anything tangible it encountered was destroyed!
"Pop!"
In the sky, scattered leaves withered and fell, broken wood tumbled down. The sword intent cut through the natural Dao, destroying everything, pressing forward.
"Go die!" The gaunt old man shouted, quickly drawing his sword with his right hand. His entire body was dazzling, sword beams splitting the sky.
"Clang!"
The divine sword nurtured in his spine was fully drawn, more brilliant than ten suns combined.
"Human Sword!" The gaunt old man roared. The earth shook and mountains swayed. Large cracks several meters wide split open beneath his feet, spreading into the distance, horrifying beyond measure.
The divine sword in his hand slashed down toward Li Ruoyu and Ye Fan. Called the Human Sword, it pushed the power of the human body to its limit, splitting even the void in two!
The blazing sword beam became the only thing in heaven and earth, covering everything. At this moment, the "Human Sword" became eternal.
The astonishing sword beam split the void in two, carving the earth into a massive rift valley, stretching beyond the horizon!
"Rustle, rustle..."
Green leaves swayed. An ancient vine emerged, thick as a mountain range, rooted in the void, surrounding Li Ruoyu and Ye Fan at its center, blocking the peerless killing sword.
"It's useless. Human Sword, break!" The gaunt old man roared.
The terrifying great sword pressed down, the void being cut open and melted, unable to withstand it.
Ye Fan's heart shuddered. No wonder this old man, when trapped earlier, hadn't responded to Li Ruoyu's words and only stared at him wanting to kill.
Clearly, this old man had a powerful backup plan, confident in his strength. A Half-Step Great Power was indeed terrifying!
"Hum—"
The heaven and earth trembled. The ancient vine, thick as a mountain range, like a dormant coiled dragon, shook. A massive green light flickered, and a fresh, natural aura spread.
"Crack!"
The ancient vine was vigorous and powerful, its bark rough like dragon scales. Its roots pierced into the void, merging with heaven and earth, channeling the power of the Dao.
"Cut!" The gaunt old man shouted. The peerless sword beam slashed down. Although the void collapsed, the ancient vine did not break.
It was like a coiled dragon, vigorous and majestic, blooming with vine flowers, endless vitality. Each flower was a Dao diagram, condensed in the void.
This world suddenly stabilized, completely fixed, unshakable. The aura of the Dao filled the air.
The roots rooted in the void continuously condensed the power of emptiness, connecting with the Dao, forming a whole.
This was the power of the natural Dao. It was a magnificent Dao diagram covering this small world, everything so harmonious and natural.
The Human Sword could not cut in, and the ancient vine, like a true dragon, spread toward him, wanting to bind him and seal him forever in this domain.
The sky was immeasurably high, the earth unfathomably deep. In this small world of the natural Dao, Li Ruoyu became a deity, possessing irresistible Dao power.
"Boom!"
He waved his hand. The ancient vine extended, piercing the void, grinding away the Human Sword, surrounding the gaunt old man in the center. Vine flowers flickered, Dao diagrams deep as an abyss, unfathomable, pressing down.
"Li Ruoyu, you are quite impressive!" The gaunt old man changed color, then exerted all his strength to break free, but it was futile.
Suddenly, he stopped moving. His body flowed with terrifying energy, coldly saying, "I don't believe you can truly suppress me!"
A massive fluctuation, like a mountain flood destroying a plain, waves crashing into the high sky. The mysterious old man suddenly dimmed, the place growing darker and darker.
Finally, it transformed into a black hole. The terrifying fluctuation originated from the pitch-black center. It began to devour everything, incredibly frenzied.
"Boom!"
The ancient vine snapped, withered branches scattered, all rushing forward, swallowed by the black hole. The power of the natural Dao was like a burst dam tsunami.
"Absorb your Dao for my use. Let's see how you can resist!" The gaunt old man sneered coldly.
At this moment, he became a devouring black abyss, no longer visible, draining the natural power from the void completely.
Extremely terrifying fluctuations destroyed everything. Li Ruoyu and Ye Fan could no longer stand. The space around them collapsed, and the earth shattered.
"Boom!"
In the distance, a mountain peak split into pieces, like the end of the world, frantically drawn over and absorbed by the black hole.
Li Ruoyu and Ye Fan were also enveloped by the black hole, about to be pulled in. A great crisis descended. Ye Fan's heart pounded. This strange demonic art was truly terrifying.
"Boom!"
A surge of vigorous life force erupted. A towering ancient tree appeared, its branches and leaves lush. It was imprinted in the void, leaves rustling. Nine Dao diagrams actually hung down.
They seemed to grow from this ancient tree, hanging from the crown to the roots, fused with the void, connected with the Dao.
The natural energy reached its peak. The Dao of heaven and earth was at his command. This was the true manifestation. Li Ruoyu sat cross-legged on the tree crown, motionless.
"This is useless too!" The gaunt old man shouted from within the black hole. "My profound art is invincible under heaven, enough to overpower your Dao source!"
"The profound art is not important; what matters is the person." Li Ruoyu replied.
The ancient tree shook, connected with the Dao. The nine scrolls spread out, transforming into nine small world gates, mysterious and profound, emitting mysterious energy.
"Boom!"
In the distance, a mountain peak collapsed, swallowed by the black hole formed by the mysterious old man. The earth trembled, as if the sky were about to fall.
The ancient tree rooted in the void, its vitality growing stronger. The nine Dao diagrams rotated, merging with Li Ruoyu, integrating with the great world, actually emitting the sound of scripture chanting.
It was unclear whether it came from the ancient tree or from within the small world gates formed by the nine Dao diagrams. It sounded like it came from ancient times, mysterious and unfathomable.
It was as if ancient spirits were resonating with the Dao, or ancient deities were contemplating heaven and earth, sending forth ancient scriptures.
Within the nine Dao diagrams, a Li Ruoyu appeared in each, becoming the absolute deity of this natural world. His energy was everywhere.
"You—" The gaunt old man was shocked, struggling with all his might, but the black hole was cracking, slowly disintegrating.
"Boom!"
Finally, with a loud noise, the massive black hole disappeared. Heaven and earth were clear and peaceful, full of vitality. Green sprouts emerged from the destroyed mountain.
"You... the inheritance of Clumsy Peak is not so simple. You, this old thing with such poor talent, have actually reached this step!" The gaunt old man was deeply shocked.
"The inheritance of the profound art is not important." Li Ruoyu repeated this sentence, flipping his hand and pressing down.
The gaunt old man's eyes shot out sinister light, blazing intensely, then suddenly two beams of light burst out, piercing the void, trying to escape.
But under Li Ruoyu's great hand, he had nowhere to flee. Both divine beams were trapped in his palm.
"Boom!"
Suddenly, he ignited, instantly becoming a blazing light, blinding to the eyes, then in an instant dimmed, turning to ashes, leaving nothing.
"He destroyed his divine thought!" Ye Fan's heart jumped. Having cultivated to such a realm, yet he self-destructed so cleanly, being so ruthless even to himself.
The body on the ground had all life extinguished, as if it had been dead for decades. It had an old and ancient feel, full of evil.
Ye Fan and Li Ruoyu descended to observe carefully. This corpse's toughness was astonishing, almost equal to divine weapons and treasures. Striking it produced a clanging sound.
"It's not easy to reach such a cultivation realm." Li Ruoyu sighed softly, gently waving his hand. A flame leaped out, fresh and natural.
"Chi—"
The corpse was engulfed, turning to ashes in an instant, leaving nothing. Ye Fan was very surprised. The old man's cultivation exceeded his expectations, comparable to a Saint Lord. Truly, great talent matures late.
Li Ruoyu had been silent for hundreds of years, then comprehended the Dao. His cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds, startling the one hundred and eight peaks of Grand Mystery. He was considered comparable to ancient sages of the past.
Seeing Li Ruoyu so unfathomable, Ye Fan was completely at ease about Zhang Wenchang. They were the same kind of people, natural master and disciple. His future achievements needed no worry.
"Be careful yourself. If it doesn't work, come back to Clumsy Peak with me." Li Ruoyu spoke.
Ye Fan bowed in thanks. He was full of respect for the old man, then took his leave.
That very day, the Southern Domain was abuzz with rumors that the Sacred Body was about to leave the world. Many had seen him spitting large mouthfuls of blood, stumbling all the way toward Yan Capital.
"The Sacred Body's Dao injury has worsened again. He won't live much longer!"
Almost everyone in the Southern Domain knew this news, and many were discussing it.
At the same time, Ye Fan arrived at Yan Capital, seeking out several Holy Lands and the supreme great sects of the Central Province, offering to cross the void into the Ancient Forbidden Land on their behalf to pick the Immortal Elixir.
When this news came out, the Southern Domain was in an uproar. Everyone was convinced that Ye Fan was cornered, sensing his life was short, willing to be used as a herb-picking boy by the Holy Lands in exchange for a final chance at survival.
That day, Holy Son Yao Guang was hazy, his entire body shrouded in holy light, like a deity. He opened his eyes beneath a great waterfall, filled with divine energy.
He seemed to be pondering something, his expression somewhat unsettled. Then he found Yao Xi and said, "The Sacred Body is about to leave the world. Let's go see him."
Yao Xi was peerlessly beautiful, her eyes sparkling. She breathed a long sigh of relief. If Ye Fan died, she would be freed. Otherwise, that chest garment always made her uneasy, afraid that one day Ye Fan would throw it out.
"I am about to vanish from the world. The Sacred Body will be extinct. You should come out now, right? I'll wait to kill you!" Ye Fan sneered, looking north.
He believed that those "backers" of his opponent who couldn't show their faces dared not enter Yan Capital, because several Holy Lands and the supreme great sects of the Central Province were currently gathered there.
At the Ji Family, Divine King Physique Ji Haoyue looked south and said, "He's going to die. In the end, he couldn't defy heaven. What a pity. The Great Accomplishment Saint Body will never appear in the world. Let's go see."
Ji Ziyue wrinkled her nose, her lively big eyes somewhat dim. She muttered to herself, "He's really going to die after all." Then she turned around, lowering her head, saying, "But... he killed our ancestral aunt."
Ji Haoyue lovingly touched her hair and said, "That was Ji Biyue's ancestral aunt."
"But she's still a direct descendant of our Ji Family."
Ji Haoyue's eyes were deep, looking into the distance. "Being too kind makes you vulnerable."
At Grand Mystery Sect, Hua Yunfei stood on a sheer cliff, his blue robes fluttering, ethereal like a banished immortal. He sighed softly, "What a pity. Brother Ye is about to leave the world. Junior Sister Xiaoman, let's go see him off."
Li Xiaoman stood on the cliff, her white robes fluttering, her eyes looking toward the Southern Domain, lost in thought. She nodded.