Chapter 865: A Saint Steps Forward
Yuan Gu was dead. His ambitions, his loneliness, his regrets, all transformed into specks of radiant rain, scattering with the wind.
In the end, such a formidable man had severed his Dao, yet could not sever his thoughts and true emotions. Bearing a heavy burden, he had come alone to this world to seek the Dao, chewing on desolation and solitude. He had flesh, blood, and tears as well.
When the rain of light vanished, the evening glow also faded. The sky darkened, and a bleak, cold wind blew across the desolate land. Everything had drawn to a close.
Ye Fan had won, but he felt none of the joy that should have accompanied victory. At the end, Yuan Gu had spoken mournfully, spreading his arms toward the lightless void, facing the darkness alone. Those words had touched him.
To cast aside everything for the hope in one's heart, only to find it all an illusion in the end—how many people in this world were like this? They struggled, experienced joy and sorrow, knew loneliness, and ultimately achieved nothing.
Every person is the sole protagonist of their own life, with their own story. Yuan Gu could not be called weak. Because of their differing stances and paths, his life-or-death duel with Ye Fan was neither right nor wrong. In the end, he became nothing more than a pile of scattered bones on the path to becoming an Emperor. His love, hate, and grudges ended there.
This was the merciless path of seeking the Dao. To abandon, to let go, to cast aside family and true feelings, yet ultimately achieve nothing, gain nothing. To use one's own blood and bones to pave the path to Emperorship for another, leaving behind only a mournful song.
In the same place, a similar event had occurred in the ancient times. Two supremely talented geniuses had engaged in a life-or-death duel, a peak battle that could be called a battle between young Saint Emperors, causing the heavens to boil.
In that battle, Emperor Yuan had won, defeating the most powerful enemy of his life, and from then on embarked on the path to the Dao. A million years later, a new cycle began, yet his descendant had lost, perishing in both body and Dao.
Qixia Plain—a place destined to be extraordinary. Perhaps a hundred thousand or a million years from now, another pair of young Emperors would contend for supremacy here, leaving behind another legend.
The entire battlefield was silent. People watched the rain of light depart, vanish, and scatter. Yuan Gu's final wish was to return to the ancient times, which was clearly impossible.
No one knew who let out the first sigh. Yuan Gu had indeed been a man of true feeling, yet in the end, he had ended so desolately, stirring the hearts of those who aspired to attain the Dao.
After a brief silence, people from the Primordial Lake let out unwilling roars. Many charged into the air, their killing intent soaring to the heavens, transforming into a torrent that swept toward Ye Fan. The vast plain was filled with a grim atmosphere, like an autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves.
Black mist surged, and killing intent rolled. Many in the Primordial Lake felt their hearts bleed. This was the eighth-generation descendant of Emperor Yuan, who had lived to this era solely to seek the Dao, and he had died like this. They felt as if they had lost a precious treasure, thrown away ten thousand years of heavenly fortune.
"Hum!"
A cold light flew out, shooting toward Ye Fan's head on the battlefield. It was a silver spear the length of a chopstick, an ancient relic, aimed directly at his brow, seeking to pin him dead.
Ye Fan sidestepped, not bothering to catch it. This chopstick-long silver spear rippled with patterns, inscribed with countless runes, not something an ordinary person could unleash.
As expected, various patterns densely covered it. It shattered on its own, transforming into a small world, attempting to devour him. A powerful figure wanted to take him away.
A flash of light appeared on Ye Fan's brow. The Purple Gold Hammer vibrated, sending out a ripple. This was a damaged Saint Weapon, instantly shattering the small world, turning it into flying ash.
"Kill him!"
Someone shouted. A large cyan claw reached down from the void, covering the sky, emitting a trace of Saintly might, intending to destroy Ye Fan.
Another flash of light appeared on Ye Fan's brow. A wisp of purple-golden light shot out, like a true dragon leaping, shimmering brightly, blocking the large hand, while he himself quickly retreated.
"What are you waiting for? Cut down the Human Clan's Sacred Body and avenge Yuan Gu!" someone on Qixia Plain shouted.
At the same time, several large hands reached down from the sky, from different individuals, each carrying a trace of Saintly might, terrifying and boundless, their auras oppressive.
These were all experts, with one foot already in the Ancestral King realm. Such a person could sweep an entire region, annihilate several clans. Their simultaneous attack on Ye Fan was a sure kill.
"My duel with Yuan Gu was a matter of life and death, determined by fate. What do you mean by this?" Ye Fan looked up at the high heavens.
"Daring to kill the descendant of an Ancient Emperor—ten thousand deaths cannot atone for this crime. How can you be allowed to live? Pay with your insignificant life!" In the end, a total of six large hands reached down. They were not true Ancestral Kings, but they were close.
Ye Fan's brow radiated purple-golden ripples, splitting into six strands, each shooting toward a large hand. Each strand contained a wisp of the Nine-Colored Divine Flame from the Fire Domain, capable of burning everything.
"Chi!"
In the sky, all six large hands trembled violently, quickly withdrawing into the void. No one understood what had happened.
"What are you waiting for? The Human Clan's Sacred Body has killed the bloodline of an Ancient Emperor. This is a great crime that cannot be forgiven. Let us all strike him down together!" someone clamored, secretly inciting others.
Ye Fan watched coldly. Neither those who had just attacked nor those clamoring were from the Primordial Lake's Imperial Clan. Some had ulterior motives, deliberately stirring up conflict.
"A fair duel has reached its conclusion. Are you trying to incite the masses, wanting the Primordial Lake to go to war with the Human Clan?" someone else shouted.
At the same time, a dazzling light surged up. Dao patterns filled the sky, and blood energy was like an ocean. The Barbarian King walked out, snapping his fingers repeatedly. People screamed continuously. On his head was a black Dark Turtle.
Among the crowd, over a dozen figures turned into bloody light, their forms and spirits annihilated. These were precisely those who had been secretly inciting, not one surviving.
"When did the Primordial Lake sink to such a level? Do some stray cats and dogs think they can use them as pawns, making them fight against the Human Clan?" the Barbarian King said.
"Boom!"
The people of the Primordial Lake finally made their stance known. Endless killing intent surged, boiling over. A group pressed forward, and at their center was an Ancestral King. His blood energy towered into the sky, forcing many to kneel, unable to withstand the pressure.
This was a group of murderous gods of death. Yuan Gu was the hope of their clan, and he had died like this. It was an incalculable loss.
It could be predicted that in the next ten thousand years, Blood Phoenix Mountain, Divine Silkworm Ridge, Fire Qilin Cave, and others would surely become even more prosperous, for they had Ancient Imperial Princes. But the eighth grandson of Emperor Yuan had fallen, and the Primordial Lake's situation was dire.
"Whether they are being used as pawns or not is not for you to say." An old man from the Primordial Lake, his expression cold and grim, waved his sleeve, sweeping it toward the Barbarian King, making it clear he had ill intentions.
Especially the Ancestral King at the center. Every pore on his body flowed with killing intent, wisps seeping out, crushing heaven and earth. Even his own clansmen dared not approach. His white hair was disheveled, and his eyes were terrifyingly hollow.
This Ancestral King fixed his gaze on the black turtle on the Barbarian King's head. "The Jade Pool Gathering had an agreement: Saints shall not display their divine powers. Are you trying to break this rule?"
"Don't speak nonsense. The one who acted just now was the little barbarian, not the great Black Tortoise. I know your heart is filled with boundless rage. The bloodline of an Ancient Emperor has died, and you're just looking for an excuse to strike," the Dark Turtle said.
"Bang!"
From another direction, a powerful aura swept across the land. Another Ancestral King manifested, clad in cyan-gold battle armor. Like a war god, he walked from the horizon, reaching them in two steps.
"The Human Clan's Sacred Body is truly impressive. So decisive and ruthless, killing even the descendant of Emperor Yuan without hesitation." Clearly, he too had ill intentions. Though he was not from the Primordial Lake, he had obviously come to stand up for them.
"In a life-or-death duel, if I showed mercy, I would be the one killed. It was a fair fight. Do I need to explain the great principles all over again here?" Ye Fan said, neither humble nor arrogant. He had mentally prepared himself for something like this.
The Primordial Qi Cauldron flew out, hovering above Ye Fan's head, letting down strands of divine power to protect his body. The Nine-Colored Flame within was ready to be unleashed at any moment, to slaughter everyone, be they Ancient Kings or Imperial Clans.
"Impressive. Now you kill the descendant of Emperor Yuan. In the future, will you trample us underfoot as well?" A third Ancestral King appeared, wearing a purple-gold crown, hands clasped behind his back. He stepped down from the night sky in one stride, aiming his foot directly at Ye Fan's head, trying to trample him to death.
"You've gone too far. It was a fair duel, life and death determined by fate!" the Dark Turtle on the Barbarian King's head said, opening its mouth to spit out a beam of light, blocking the Ancestral King's foot and knocking him back several steps.
"Kill him!"
Many from the Primordial Lake could no longer bear it, unable to accept this reality. A crowd surrounded him, all intending to strike at Ye Fan.
The black Dark Turtle on the Barbarian King's head spat out light. "Do you really want to break the rules and force the great Black Tortoise to act?" Its voice was like thunder, shaking these people, causing them to stumble and preventing them from approaching.
The white-haired Ancestral King from the Primordial Lake let out a cold snort, stepping forward to confront the Dark Turtle, blocking its aura. A divine sword, an inch long, shone brightly on his brow, sending a chill through everyone. That was the Emperor Yuan Dao Sword, which Yuan Gu had used not long ago. Its power was obvious to all.
Not everyone had the Six Paths Reincarnation Fist to counter it. The Emperor Yuan Dao Sword was a forbidden ultimate secret art, possessing the power of Dao dissolution, capable of slaying any great enemy. Almost no one could resist it, especially when wielded by an Ancestral King-level figure!
"Saints not displaying their divine powers—is this really going to become a dead letter?" the Dark Turtle said, its expression turning serious.
In the sky, the Ancestral King wearing the purple-gold crown revealed a cold smile. He stepped down again, aiming his foot at Ye Fan's head, trying to trample him to death.
"Hum!"
The void trembled. He was knocked far back in the sky. Once again, he failed to land his foot, because an old man with a hunched back and bony frame had appeared.
The Saint from the Celestial Pivot Stone Workshop stood beside Ye Fan, calm and unruffled, his expression indifferent. "This battle has concluded. Let everything end here."
"You say it's over, so it's over?" the Ancestral King in the sky with the purple-gold crown sneered coldly.
"I believe the people of the Primordial Lake have their own magnanimity," the old Saint of the Celestial Pivot Stone Workshop said. Then his gaze blazed intensely, fixing on the purple-crowned Ancestral King.
"Stagger, stagger, stagger..." He involuntarily retreated several steps, revealing a look of shock. At the Jade Pool Gathering, the White-Robed Divine King had made a name for himself. However, the Ancient Clan knew little about the other Human Clan Saints. Now, they were astonished to find that this one was equally unfathomable!
"The Human Clan's Saints are truly fearsome. But do you think you can protect the Sacred Body?" The Ancestral King with the purple-gold crown clasped his hands behind his back, a cold smile on his lips as he looked into the distance.
At the end of that direction, nine ancient ferocious beasts stopped at the horizon, pulling an ancient chariot that hung in the void, exuding an aura of antiquity and grandeur. The Nine Phoenix King, once praised by the Battle Saint Emperor, was there!
Ye Fan spoke, his words sharp as swords. "Not every Ancestral King is as narrow-minded as you. Don't you want to get rid of me? I'm standing right here. Let's see how you can touch a single hair on my head!"
The year 2011 draws to a close. Calling for the last *** of the year. Chapter one.