Chapter 361: Capturing the Calamity Beauty
One flower, one world; one blade of grass, one paradise!
Among the endless crystalline petals, over three thousand divine flowers were the most resplendent. Princess Qi, with a beauty that could topple cities and kingdoms, stood at the center, holding a flower and smiling. Her jet-black hair, snow-white skin, and lively, intelligent eyes combined to create a beauty that was intoxicatingly mesmerizing.
Three thousand small worlds revolved like spinning wheels around her. She stood like a female Immortal King, proudly at the center, looking down upon all living beings.
"Swish!"
A single thought bloomed a flower. A world-flower blossomed, transforming into a small realm that surged toward Ye Fan, attempting to swallow him and seal him within.
At that moment, Ye Fan clearly saw wisps of chaotic mist swirling around, as if the heavens and earth were being created anew. This was the evolution of a small world approaching perfection.
One flower blooming into a world—so magnificent, yet so terrifying, enough to inspire dread. And this was merely one of three thousand!
At this moment, Ye Fan's expression was grave. He activated his unmatched Sacred Body and fought seriously, not daring to be careless in the slightest. This unparalleled sacred art was astonishing, and even he sensed a crisis.
"Boom!"
Ye Fan moved, transforming into a fleeting light, threading through the air while concealing his golden radiance. His palm glowed with a clear brilliance, striking down like a heavenly stele.
One stele suppressing a world!
"Boom!"
Terrifying divine power shook the air. The flowers bloomed brilliantly, and the splendor of the world was pushed to its extreme in that instant. Chaotic mist shot out, each wisp capable of annihilating a savage dragon.
"Clang!" "Clang!"...
Ye Fan tore through the sky with his bare hands, clashing repeatedly with the divine flower worlds and the chaotic mist, sending out dazzling beams of light.
Only a Sacred Body could withstand this. Anyone else would have found it unbearable. The clash of small-world forces could grind down almost any divine weapon or treasured blade, yet Ye Fan took them all.
Princess Qi smiled radiantly, and in that instant, all the petals lost their beauty. She flicked her jet-black hair, extended her jade-like arms, and struck continuously—ethereal and natural, as beautiful as an immortal. Her robes fluttered, carrying a profound Dao rhythm.
"Pop," "pop"...
At that moment, hundreds and thousands of divine flowers bloomed simultaneously, each evolving into a small world. The explosive power unleashed was enough to make even Ye Fan's scalp tingle.
This unparalleled sacred art was truly mind-shaking!
He had to marvel inwardly. The Ruthless Heavenly Emperor was unmatched through the ages, and only a few secret arts had been passed down through the world, but each one gave him headaches.
First Hua Yunfei, and now Princess Qi. He had keenly noticed that while "Three Thousand Small Worlds" and "One Thought Blooms, Sovereign Over Realm" were different, they shared a similar divine essence.
Could it be that the Ruthless Great Emperor had truly incarnated as the Southern Emperor? How many sacred arts had he left behind in the Southern Domain?
If so, the ancient Heavenly Emperor was truly astonishing. His or her life was filled with legendary tales. Having been emperor across the five domains, how many lifetimes had he or she lived?
Ye Fan didn't believe in karma, but now he found himself constantly encountering everything related to the Ruthless Great Emperor, which left him somewhat unsettled.
"Pop," "pop"...
The divine flowers bloomed again and again. Hundreds and thousands of small worlds surrounded Ye Fan. All heavens trembled together, and world divine sounds pierced down, shaking Ye Fan violently.
"Is this... an otherworldly divine sound!?" Ye Fan was greatly shocked.
He felt as if voices from other worlds were flying in from beyond the heavens. World after world was suppressing him. All heavens descended together, an Immortal King descending to the mortal realm, trying to grind him to dust.
At this moment, he found a rare stillness, as if standing in a void-like realm. Let the wild geese fly south, let time pass, let the world age. He formed hand seals and struck out in all directions with an unchanging rhythm.
He immersed himself in a Dao state, using the Battle Saint Art to evolve his own Dao. He was actionless and tranquil. Nothing external could move his fundamental heart. He was the only one in this world.
"Pfft," "pfft"...
With each palm strike, he shattered a world, turning them into fragments of divine flowers that danced through the air.
These were no longer the initially evolved small worlds. These were small realms approaching perfection. Though not large, they carried a trace of world-creating divine power, terrifying beyond measure.
If Ye Fan had not ascended to this state, breaking them would have been extremely difficult, requiring him to push all his ultimate techniques to their limits and fight to the death.
But now, it was different. He was selfless and objectless, comprehending the Dao amidst a life-and-death duel.
Ye Fan did not act deliberately. He simply struck by instinct, continuously deducing a great Dao. His body moved with his heart, striking unconsciously.
The onlookers were shocked. No one understood better than them how terrifying those small worlds were once they approached perfection. They were enough to suppress most people present.
"Boom!"
Ye Fan shattered the thousandth small world before recovering. His consciousness returned to the real world, no longer immersed in his solitary Dao state.
Crystalline flower petals danced in the rain. Princess Qi stood at the center of the arena. Her glossy black hair flew in the wind. Her eyes held divine brilliance. Her jade-like cheeks and bright red cherry lips combined together, surrounded by divine flowers, as if she stood in the Immortal Realm.
"You do have some skills. You've exceeded my expectations!" Though she smiled, her beauty surpassing the flowers, her expression was extremely grave. She knew she had encountered a great enemy.
Ye Fan hadn't expected this either. He had thought this calamity-level hot pepper was merely arrogant, but he never imagined she was so powerful that all the holy sons could only concede defeat.
More importantly, this calamity was only at the second transformation of the Dragon Transformation realm, yet she displayed such combat power. He had been able to suppress those at the sixth transformation without pressure.
"If you lose, you really will become my Dragon Horse!" Princess Qi smiled like a flower, extremely confident.
"And if you lose, will you become my spirit beast?" Ye Fan keenly caught the loophole. From start to finish, this calamity had never said what would happen if she lost.
"Boom!"
Princess Qi moved like an immortal spirit. One thought bloomed a flower. At this moment, all the divine flowers blossomed. Brilliance and eternity became the unfading splendor of heaven and earth.
Three thousand divine flowers bloomed together. Chaotic mist surged up. The aura of world-creation was intensely thick.
Unlike the beginning, these were genuine small worlds being born. Each small world overflowed with a few strands of chaos, and when combined, they were terrifying enough.
The Calamity Beauty's robes fluttered. Her jade arms were white and crystalline. Her slender waist was delicate. Her long, straight legs were perfect. She danced with the wind of heaven, divine radiance blooming.
At this moment, she truly was like a female Immortal King, standing at the center of heaven and earth. With a single thought, she made all heavens tremble, moving at her command.
Three thousand small worlds revolved. This was a terrifying offensive sacred art. Even as strong as Ye Fan's Sacred Body, he found it somewhat hard to bear. He fought fiercely.
He put away his contempt. The Extraordinary Scholars Mansion gathered talents from the five domains of the world. All kinds of strong individuals existed. Those he had defeated earlier were nothing special—far from the most outstanding.
Now, even a Princess Qi was already like this. It was clear that the Extraordinary Scholars Mansion was filled with hidden dragons and crouching tigers.
He knew clearly that there were definitely heaven-defying prodigies inside. Just how powerful their combat strength was could not be guessed.
Ye Fan did his utmost, battling Princess Qi. Surrounded by three thousand small worlds, he became the sole target of attack in heaven and earth.
"Boom," "boom"...
He had withdrawn from his earlier Dao-comprehension state, but he remembered that feeling. He moved freely and naturally, continuously using the Battle Saint Art to evolve and resist these small worlds.
"Chi!"
But the most terrifying thing was that among these three thousand small worlds, the chaos had condensed into a sword, slashing down from time to time!
This was not an illusion. It was a genuine Chaos Sword. Even as strong as Ye Fan's physical body, he dared not meet its edge head-on. Each time, he struck the back of the blade.
"Truly insane!"
Ye Fan cursed. His opponent's sacred art was too powerful. Three thousand small worlds were bad enough, but it also spawned a Chaos Sword carrying world power.
If it weren't for him, anyone else would have been chopped down long ago. Even so, he felt immense pressure. They say beauty and strength are inversely proportional, but this calamity didn't fit that rule.
"Clang!" "Clang!"...
Ye Fan's divine fists were unmatched. He displayed his ultimate strength, hard-hitting the small worlds and resisting the Chaos Sword. The power of all heavens continuously scattered and trembled.
The only thing that comforted him was that the Battle Saint Art was unmatched in the world. As long as he could comprehend the Dao, he could continuously evolve and generate even more powerful life-slaying grand arts.
The Battle Character Art was endless, but everything depended on the practitioner's own understanding. It could be continuously improved. Even two people who learned the Battle Character Art at the same time would have completely different ultimate results.
This sacred art ultimately displayed whatever power the user understood. It was a door, behind which lay different worlds.
This was the supreme sacred art for exploring the origin of battle. Only the strongest could approach and touch the ultimate realm, requiring a lifetime of intensive study and comprehension.
"Smack," "smack"...
As Ye Fan evolved the Battle Saint Art, he felt more and more in tune. He brought everything he had comprehended in the Dao state to full expression, continuously shattering small worlds.
At the same time, he clashed with the Chaos Sword countless times. Though he never touched the blade's edge, it was still astonishing, shocking many in the Extraordinary Scholars Mansion.
Ye Fan and Princess Qi contended from noon until the sun was about to set, fighting a full two thousand rounds. It was truly a bitter battle.
By now, many people's expressions had changed. When they entered the Extraordinary Scholars Mansion, they all knew Princess Qi was beautiful—a calamity-level beauty capable of toppling nations, enough to enchant all living beings.
But no one knew she was so powerful. She had even mastered one of the Southern Emperor's sacred arts, surprising everyone.
Moreover, people were quite curious about Ye Fan. He truly lived up to his reputation as the most awesome lord in this wasteland's history, able to fight such a stunning heavenly maiden to a standstill.
"Interesting..." a tall man muttered to himself, hands clasped behind his back, staring at the two in the arena.
Beside him, everyone else was horrified. They didn't know when he had arrived, and they all involuntarily stepped back.
Because people had recognized him as a prodigy. After the Extraordinary Scholars Mansion closed its doors for recruitment, he was the last to arrive late. With a single strike, he had injured the gatekeeper at the ninth transformation of Dragon Transformation, and the mansion had made an exception to select him.
"So formidable!" In the distance, a child who looked no more than seven or eight years old, chubby and fair, with a little horn on his head, stood quietly to the side, muttering to himself.
This was a little prodigy, only nine years old, who had eliminated many competitors and successfully entered the Extraordinary Scholars Mansion. His future achievements were limitless!
On the other side, a man stood silent and wordless, his hair disheveled, half-covering his face. He looked mysterious and aloof. Everyone stepped back, automatically leaving a vacuum around him.
Everyone had a deep impression of him. He was a heaven-defying prodigy. On the second day after the mansion opened, he arrived. With a single slap, he killed a King Body, startling several great powers in the mansion to come see him personally.
On another side, there was a barbarian wearing animal skins, carrying a Wolf Fang Great Club on his shoulder. He was grinning foolishly, appearing harmless, but he also made people's hair stand on end.
This one had arrived only after the mansion had closed. Using his barbaric sacred strength, he had actually cracked the palm of a great power, dropping countless jaws.
The prodigies in the Extraordinary Scholars Mansion were not limited to these few. There were also arrogant figures who had crossed tribulations to enter the mansion. Some of these prodigies had come to watch the battle, surprising many.
"It's time to end this!"
When the battle reached two thousand five hundred rounds, the evening glow dyed the sky red. The Calamity Beauty let out a soft cry and decided to end the fight.
Endless flower petals scattered, each one flowing with light and color. The Calamity Beauty's entire body was crystalline, like a flying immortal, stretching her body to perfection.
Three thousand small worlds transformed back into brilliant divine flowers, surrounding her. She was flawless and spotless. A mark on her brow blossomed, shooting out brilliant light in all directions. She held the Chaos Sword, looking down upon the world.
At this moment, Ye Fan's heart tightened. He was shocked by the Calamity Beauty's rapidly rising aura, and even more stunned by the terror of this sacred art.
From it, he glimpsed a trace of the Ruthless Heavenly Emperor's former style. Could it be that with a single thought, three thousand true great worlds obeyed his command?
And this was just one of his unmatched sacred arts. Who knew what earth-shaking ultimate techniques were in his other secret scriptures!
"Kill!"
A word from the Calamity Beauty's cherry-like lips—a woman beautiful enough to enchant all living beings—carried a unique charm, but the killing intent was like a blade, terrifying beyond measure.
"Boom!"
Three thousand divine flowers bloomed, merging into one, evolving into a single small world. At the same time, the mark on her brow shot out and flew into it.
Flowers bloomed, the world opened. No thoughts, no form, no spirit. Before Ye Fan knew it, he was drawn inside in an instant.
In this small world, heaven and earth were silent. The flower petals were still, frozen in midair. Only he and the Calamity Beauty stood facing each other.
Without a doubt, the Calamity Beauty was the master of this world. With a single thought, she could control everything, grasping life, death, and reincarnation.
"This is a real and perfect small world under my control. Here, I am a god. If you lose, you'll be my Dragon Horse." The Calamity Beauty smiled, extraordinarily beautiful and moving, holding the Chaos Sword, peerlessly elegant.
"And if you lose, will you become my spirit beast?" Ye Fan looked at her sideways.
At those words alone, the Calamity Beauty's face darkened. She raised her sword and struck. The sealed small world instantly came to life. All divine power was at her command.
Ye Fan also moved, pushing his combat power to its ultimate limit. He had no way to hold back. He found that every time he encountered anything related to the Ruthless One, he felt a tremendous threat.
"Boom!"
Ye Fan evolved the Battle Saint Art, bombarding this small world, trying to destroy it completely. At the same time, he unfolded the Stride Art, moving as fast as a fleeting light, attacking the Calamity Beauty.
This was a shocking battle, but those outside could no longer see it. This was a sealed small world, cutting off everything.
"All heavens, freeze!" The Calamity Beauty shouted softly. She wanted to freeze everything in this world, stopping time and space.
However, Ye Fan secretly unfolded all his divine phenomena. Though they didn't manifest outwardly, their effects acted invisibly. She could not freeze him at all.
"Chi!"
The Chaos Sword slashed down. This was the most terrifying attack in the small world. Each time, Ye Fan only struck its side, never meeting its edge.
"Heavenly Dao Suppression!" The Calamity Beauty shouted again.
"You cannot suppress me!" Ye Fan roared. His body moved, unleashing all kinds of ultimate techniques, bombarding the small world.
"Boom!"
The All Secret was triggered, multiplying his combat power tenfold. He finally broke open the cage of this small world. At the same time, he unfolded the Stride Art and evolved the Battle Saint Art. Like a divine spirit, he radiated precious light and charged forward.
"Boom," "boom"...
Ye Fan clashed repeatedly with the Chaos Sword, meeting it head-on. He finally sent it flying. The small world collapsed completely. Like a beam of immortal light, he rampaged, slaughtering in all directions.
"Boom!"
Outside, everyone was greatly shocked. That small world had burst open. Two figures rushed out, one after the other.
"Swish!"
But in the next instant, they merged into one. Ye Fan had captured the Calamity Beauty. One arm was wrapped around her slender waist, and the other hand was pressed against her snow-white, swan-like neck, beautiful as jade.