Chapter 482: The Wind Rises Before the Storm
"Thud!"
Blood and teeth sprayed from Zhao Fa's mouth as he crashed through the high wall behind him. Rage surged within him—being slapped across the face in front of so many people, his teeth knocked out, infuriated him to the point of bursting.
"Shiiing!"
Nine sword beams shot from his mouth, transforming into a rainbow of nine colors that streaked toward Ye Fan's body. Brilliant and gorgeous, killing intent surged like a tidal wave.
These were nine divine swords, each forged from different meteorites, all different in color. None were longer than a palm's breadth, yet they were incomparably sharp, their edges like piercing light.
They pierced through the void, emerging from nothingness like the nine tail feathers of a divine phoenix, spraying endless auspicious light as they swept in to kill.
Seemingly enchanting and beautiful, yet filled with murderous aura that could sever a person's soul, penetrating into the bones with an icy, chilling touch.
"Bang"
Ye Fan's golden hand struck out, covering all nine flying swords of different colors. They trembled violently—even the rare meteorite iron could not withstand such force.
"Clang," "Clang," "Clang"...
All nine colored swords were caught in Ye Fan's hand. His golden fingers pressed down with force, and a continuous "clanking" sound rang out as they all snapped.
Then, colorful iron powder sifted down through his fingers. With his powerful grip, he had crushed the divine iron into dust!
The crowd was shaken. Had the Sacred Body really severed his own cultivation? That was utter nonsense—this news was completely misleading!
"You..." Zhao Fa's expression changed, fear rising in his heart. "You didn't sever your cultivation!"
Ye Fan strode forward, each step making the entire street tremble. It was as if a great drum was beating between heaven and earth, resonating in everyone's heart.
Zhao Fa's expression turned ashen. If Ye Fan hadn't severed his cultivation, then even fighting desperately would mean certain death. His mind was in utter chaos.
"Hum!"
Ye Fan charged forward while Zhao Fa's emotions were unstable. His golden hand came crashing down again, transforming into a golden millstone that slammed downward.
"I really did sever my cultivation..." Ye Fan's words carried a smile, but his attack was merciless.
"What..." Zhao Fa was stunned, but the distance was too close. He had no way to avoid it and had to brace himself to meet the blow.
"Dang!"
It was like driving a stake into the ground. Ye Fan's golden millstone-like hand drove half of Zhao Fa's body into the earth.
"Bang!"
Ye Fan struck again, making Zhao Fa see stars. Blood sprayed from his mouth as his body sank another foot, his chest now completely buried in the dirt and stone.
"I told you, I severed my cultivation—half-crippled, with just a little self-preservation power left. Yet you bully me like this, thinking I'm a soft persimmon you can squeeze at will?"
Ye Fan crouched down, showing no mercy. He backhanded Zhao Fa across the face with a sharp crack, knocking out another two or three teeth. Zhao Fa was so furious his internal organs felt like they were burning.
"I forgot to tell you in detail. Under Divine Doctor Wang's treatment, I did indeed sever my dao fruit and fall from the Four Extremes Secret Realm, but I still have peak Dao Palace cultivation." Ye Fan's smile was radiant.
"Smack!"
Then he slapped down again, leaving Zhao Fa dizzy and spitting blood.
"You were too impatient. So eager to seize my sacred sword—don't you understand that the nail that sticks out gets hammered down?"
"You've already fallen from the Four Extremes Secret Realm?!" Zhao Fa gritted his teeth, his expression icy cold, murderous intent flashing in his eyes.
"Boom!"
As if gaining immense confidence, a soaring purple light burst from his body, like a massive purple dragon connecting to the sky.
Ye Fan laughed loudly, but his eyes grew even colder. He pressed down with his hand and said, "Now that you know my cultivation is far from what it was, you can't contain yourself anymore? Don't forget how close you are to me!"
"Smack!"
He struck down again. Zhao Fa's teeth were nearly all gone, scattering with bloody spittle. The purple light surging from his body was forcibly suppressed.
"So close to me, you'd better behave yourself!"
Ye Fan gave him another heavy slap, driving his body another half-foot deeper until only his head remained above ground.
Zhao Fa's face was ashen. This was the greatest humiliation of his life. He wanted to roar in anguish. He had thought everything was under control, coming here to seize the sacred sword. He never expected this outcome—being planted alive in the dirt, unable to fight back, taking slap after slap.
"That's enough! You've gone too far!" The Holy Son of Zi Mansion stood in the distance, his eyes cold, staring at Ye Fan.
"When Zhao Fa was bullying Ye Fan, thinking him half-crippled, why didn't you speak?" Li Heishui shot him a sidelong glance and said coldly, "If you want to defend him, come over here!"
The Big Black Dog was even more direct, barking, "You want to protect that bastard? This Emperor will accompany you for a round. I wouldn't mind taking a holy son as a pet!"
Everyone nearby was speechless. Had the Sacred Body really severed his cultivation to the Dao Palace Secret Realm? How were the people around him even fiercer than he was?
"You sent several of my junior brothers to another realm—I haven't settled that score with you yet!" The Holy Son of Zi Mansion stared coldly at Black Emperor, killing intent spreading.
"Who's afraid of whom? Bring it on!"
Ye Fan stood up and looked at the Holy Son of Zi Mansion. "Do you really want to make a move?"
All the holy sons had maintained an air of "righteousness and nobility," with none daring to attack him rashly. If the Holy Son of Zi Mansion made a move, he would be the first.
"Since you've severed your cultivation and fallen from the Four Extremes Secret Realm, I won't bother with a half-crippled man!" The Holy Son of Zi Mansion's gaze was icy, but he did not accept the challenge.
A cold smile curled at the corner of Ye Fan's mouth. As expected of a holy son—when the situation was unclear, he wouldn't act rashly. At least he had patience.
"Die!" Zhao Fa suddenly roared, purple light soaring to the sky.
Above his head, a massive star materialized, blazing with purple light, blindingly bright!
This solitary star possessed terrifying divine power, making even the sun in the sky seem dim, emitting overwhelming waves of magical energy.
"Ziwei Imperial Star!"
Someone exclaimed in shock. They hadn't expected Zhao Fa to cultivate the Ziwei Sect's unparalleled divine art, manifesting the Ziwei Imperial Star. If it exploded, it could destroy an entire region.
"Boom!"
Ye Fan's golden hand reached out, transforming into a golden heavenly stele that pressed down. The divine power fluctuation was terrifying, and with a "puff," it suppressed the Ziwei Imperial Star.
"Rise!" Zhao Fa shouted.
But Ye Fan's physical body was too powerful. His hand, transformed into a golden heavenly stele, forcibly pressed the Ziwei Imperial Star back into Zhao Fa's head, driving the overwhelming magical power back inside.
"Ah..." Zhao Fa screamed in terror. If the Ziwei Imperial Star exploded inside his body, he would surely be annihilated, body and soul.
"Save me..." Zhao Fa was truly terrified. He could no longer control himself—the purple great star was about to destroy him from within.
"You wanted to seize my sacred sword and take my life. Now you're begging me for mercy?" Ye Fan looked down at him.
Only Zhao Fa's head remained above ground, his face deathly pale. "I deserve to die. I shouldn't have been so greedy. Please save me!"
"Bang!"
Ye Fan kicked out, shaking the great star out of Zhao Fa's head. It shot into the sky and exploded in the distant heavens.
Endless purple light surged, terrifying energy rippled, and even on the ground, they could feel the aftershocks like a tsunami, sending chills down everyone's spine.
Although Zhao Fa was saved, a flash of viciousness passed through his eyes. Having suffered such a great loss today, he wished he could tear Ye Fan apart.
"Bang"
He burst out of the ground, standing on the surface, and said coldly, "Brother Ye, let's stop here for today. I'll visit you another day!"
Zhao Fa didn't know Ye Fan's true strength and dared not strike again rashly. He wanted to understand the situation before making a ruthless move.
But Ye Fan laughed, moving like a ghost, incredibly fast. He appeared before Zhao Fa, leaving him no way to avoid it.
"Then I won't see you off. Take care!"
Ye Fan lightly patted him on the shoulder, just as Zhao Fa had done before. Zhao Fa's expression changed drastically, and he quickly retreated.
"You... what did you do to me?" Zhao Fa coughed blood with every step. By the eighth step back, a sound of shattering came from inside his body.
He immediately cried out in pain, "You crippled me?!"
Ye Fan's expression was cold. "You tried to harm me repeatedly. Leaving you alive is already generous."
The crowd fell silent. A Four Extremes Great Perfection cultivator from the Ziwei Sect had been crippled by Ye Fan with a wave of his hand. It was chilling.
Had the Sacred Body really severed his cultivation? How was he still so terrifying and domineering? If he was only at the Dao Palace Secret Realm, he was far too reckless.
"You're so ruthless..." Zhao Fa's face was ashen, his whole body trembling.
"You had murderous intent toward me. Did you expect me to smile back? Heaven has a love for life—go and reform yourself."
With a single thought, Ye Fan had crippled a young prodigy, shocking everyone.
"If you're at the Dao Palace Secret Realm and can withstand three of my strikes, I'll turn and leave without troubling you," the Holy Son of Zi Mansion said coldly, suddenly sending a purple light toward Ye Fan.
"Bang!"
Ye Fan raised his fist and met the attack, shattering it on the spot.
"Boom!"
A purple miniature pagoda materialized from the Holy Son of Zi Mansion's brow, pressing forward with terrifying fluctuations.
"Shiiing!"
A golden miniature cauldron shot out from Ye Fan's brow, charging forward to meet it.
The Holy Son of Zi Mansion's expression changed. He withdrew his purple pagoda and retreated, then formed hand seals and sent a surging wave of purple energy crashing forward.
"Boom!"
Ye Fan met it again with his golden fist, causing the ancient street to shake violently, nearly collapsing.
"Let's go!"
The Holy Son of Zi Mansion turned and left. The other Zi Mansion disciples followed suit.
"He was testing me... He couldn't hold back after all..." Ye Fan muttered to himself.
The Holy Son of Zi Mansion hadn't managed to test anything. He left decisively, unwilling to take risks.
That day, news spread like wildfire.
The Sacred Body had severed his cultivation but wasn't completely crippled—he still had peak Dao Palace cultivation. The Ziwei Sect's Zhao Fa, caught off guard, was crippled to a mortal. The Holy Son of Zi Mansion tested him but ultimately left.
Everyone was buzzing about this news, trying to understand Ye Fan's true state. None of them fully believed the rumors.
That same day, Divine Doctor Wang appeared, confirming Ye Fan's claim that he had severed his cultivation. He also revealed that if Ye Fan was willing to fight to the death, he could occasionally unleash Four Extremes Secret Realm combat power, at the cost of his life essence—no more than ten times.
This was prearranged between Ye Fan and Divine Doctor Wang. They didn't want to make him seem too weak; otherwise, if he suddenly displayed Four Extremes cultivation, it would immediately expose the lie.
Still, he wasn't too worried. If he obtained the Stride Secret of the Nine Secrets, he would no longer need to worry. With that footwork, he could go anywhere in the world without fear of being ambushed.
"With news like this spreading, not to mention others, even the holy sons won't be able to hold back. You did this on purpose, didn't you?" Li Heishui said, glancing at Ye Fan, then at the Old Madman behind him.
"If they want to test me or kill me, let them come!" Ye Fan smiled.
"The Ancient Assassin Divine Dynasty will likely appear soon. They've probably received quite a few commissions," the Big Black Dog said.
The holy sons remained patient, taking no action yet. But many disciples from various holy lands appeared, coming to test Ye Fan's true condition. The wind rises before the storm—these were the pawns sent to probe.
Soon, news arrived: The Holy Son of Yin Yang, carrying his secret treasure—the Yin Yang Sword—was heading south, intending to cut off the Sacred Body Ye Fan's head. Several Supreme Elders accompanied him, and they would arrive soon.
At the same time, senior figures from the Ziwei Sect, Zhao Fa's sect, were enraged. They traveled through the night, charging toward Youyue City, intent on suppressing Ye Fan.