Chapter 1094: Challenging the Sage

Chapter 1095: Challenging a Saint

Huotan's ascension to sainthood marked the rise of another generation and heralded the true advent of the great era, instilling a sense of urgency in everyone.

Upon attaining the rank of Ancestral King, Huotan said little. Immediately after emerging from seclusion, he arrived at this location, seeking Ye Fan. His intentions were clear.

His body was noticeably taller than an average person. His eyes, like twin black suns, emitted a cold and ruthless light. As they swept across the crowd, they felt like unsheathed blades, making people's skin tingle with pain.

This was the will of a Saint. If his gaze focused on a single spot, ordinary cultivators would surely explode, bleeding profusely and losing their lives.

Across the Hundred Thousand Mountains, birds and beasts wailed in distress. They lay prostrate on the ground, trembling, their souls filled with an innate fear of the Saintly might.

Ye Fan, Duan De, and others silently retreated at once, not daring to approach. This individual meant them no good, and they wished to avoid a direct confrontation, for he was, after all, a Saint!

“That Twenty-Three, he certainly knows how to put on a show,” the Dragon Horse snorted two streams of smoke from its nostrils, commenting with some vulgar Earthly terms.

“Now he comes here to show off his might, but why didn't he swagger around when he was merely a Half-Saint?” the Big Black Dog said. “Otherwise, this Emperor would have sent him to his demise with a single formation platform.”

Huotan had, after all, become a Saint. No one here could contend with him; he had transcended the realm of mortals. Even if Ye Fan was incredibly defiant of destiny, he was no match.

“Ignore him. We'll wait for our chance. I am absolutely going into that great tomb!” Ye Fan said. An inexplicable summons made him increasingly restless.

With Huotan's arrival, the atmosphere on the high ground instantly became extremely tense. People didn't even dare to speak loudly, especially the human race, who all felt apprehensive.

“Where is the Human Sacred Body? We heard you are the bravest in the world, so why do you not dare to appear, cowering in some corner?” After Huotan became a Saint, he naturally gained some followers. These individuals sneered from the high ground, harboring ulterior motives.

“Since Ancestral King Huotan is here, the Human Sacred Body had best retreat and never show himself, otherwise, he will just end up as a pile of bone fragments.” Someone burst into laughter.

Some people acted brazenly, standing on the high ground and provoking freely, hoping to stir up trouble.

Huotan sat cross-legged on the high ground, his eyes closed and motionless. At such a cultivation level, he naturally wouldn't speak much, lest he lose his dignity.

The great tomb was about to open. He closed his eyes to rest and recuperate, waiting for the optimal moment. He wanted to be the first Saint to enter the tomb, obtain rare treasures of the ages, and further consolidate his Saintly position.

“Keep on acting smug, Twenty-Three. Sooner or later, I'll stomp you to death with one hoof!” The Dragon Horse was indignant. With Huotan's arrival, they were forced to stay far from the high ground and could only observe through a crystal formation platform.

Over the next few days, no one dared to approach the entrance of the great tomb. It emanated auspicious mists and glowing immortal lights. Only Huotan braved the pressure, sitting cross-legged right in front.

With him there, no one dared to step forward. They couldn't contend with him and could only watch helplessly, feeling profound frustration.

“With Ancestral King Huotan here, you'd all best retreat as far as possible….” The few individuals behind him sneered repeatedly.

“Boom!”

On the fifth day, a violent tremor occurred. Thousands of Dao markings surged upwards from the celestial pit, brimming with a soul-stirring power that swept across all directions.

“It smells so fragrant. There seems to be an immortal medicine down there….” Many people were moved and looked forward to observing.

Amidst the radiant glow and under the awe-inspiring aura of an ancient Great Emperor, wreaths of fragrance drifted out. It was faint, yet unforgettable once smelled.

Huotan glanced back coldly. The ancient races were relatively unaffected, experiencing no major shock. However, some human sect masters felt their minds violently shake, spitting out mouthfuls of blood.

It was merely a sweeping glance, yet the oppressive might was unbearable. One after another, the old sect masters turned pale and stumbled backward.

Everyone's heart grew cold. Indeed, those who were not Saints were utterly insignificant. They couldn't even withstand Huotan's cold gaze!

People's hearts utterly sank. How could they possibly contend? A Saint harbored hostility and clearly had no intention of letting the human race approach. Had he not been wary of a few older Saints of the human race, he would likely have started a massacre long ago.

“Rumble!”

On the eighth day after Huotan's arrival, the great tomb collapsed further. Various divine lights boiled forth, surging upward like waves, and the celestial pit expanded many times over.

“It's ready. We can probably enter now!” Duan De said.

On this day, Huotan had a premonition. He walked around the giant pit for half a day, as if he had made up his mind, finally ready to act.

“What can we do? If there's no mistake, this is the tomb of our human race's Great Emperor. How can we allow an ancient race Saint to enter first?”

“But who can stop him? There's no way to block him.”

All the human powerhouses felt helpless. Currently, Huotan was the only Saint present, making him truly invincible. People dared to be angry but not to speak.

“I'll go down and take a look. You all guard this place,” Huotan said, his voice low, as he glanced at his few followers.

At the center of this high ground was a celestial pit. Cracks radiated outwards from it, extending into the distance, rendering the mountain terrain desolate.

Huotan hesitated briefly, then leaped in, disappearing into the bottomless celestial pit, and heading towards the ancient tomb of the Great Emperor.

He was also forced to act. Time was precious; if other veteran Saints arrived, even his extraordinary talent would be useless. He could only take the risk, hoping to get there first.

“I can guarantee he has gone deep inside and will be difficult to surface in a short time. Furthermore, there isn't a second Ancestral King in this area,” Duan De said, his eyes flickering.

This fellow's origins were mysterious. Even the Black Sovereign, who had followed the Great Emperor Wushi, couldn't see through him. His life-saving abilities were truly first-class. Since he said so, it was most likely true.

Ye Fan nodded and began to walk. The 'Line' character secret art was already activated, with each step an illusion of fading and reappearing. He was now on the high ground.

Over the past few days, Ye Fan had already learned from the ancient races what kind of person Huotan was. Huotan had once said that his ancestor had used human Saints as blood sacrifices in ancient times, and he, too, wished to taste the precious blood of the Human Sacred Body.

“You came for me. My cultivation isn't high enough, so I'm not your match, but that doesn't mean I fear you,” Ye Fan murmured to himself, standing firm before the celestial pit.

The moment he appeared, a commotion immediately erupted. The Human Sacred Body arrived right after the Ancient Ancestral King vanished, which could only be described as utterly audacious.

“You…”

By the celestial pit, Huotan's few followers all changed color. They had a bad feeling. The Ancient King was right below, yet Ye Fan dared to approach so closely.

“Were you the ones laughing just now?” Ye Fan's lips curled into a cold smile.

These few people recoiled, their hearts pounding. They hadn't expected Ye Fan to possess such audacity, to directly confront and eliminate them.

Just moments ago, they had mocked Ye Fan, saying he could only cower in a corner, utterly humiliating him, hoping to force him to appear. But now, he had truly come to kill.

“Run!”

They were not Saints. It was impossible to contend with the person before them. To go forward meant certain death. They turned and fled.

One person, desperate, even disregarded the dangers of the celestial pit, leaping and trying to enter it, preferring that to facing the Human Sacred Body.

“Clang!”

However, Ye Fan gave him no chance. Activating the 'Soldier' character secret art, he took control of the divine sword in the person's hand. It turned and stabbed backward, and with a *thud*, the sharp blade horizontally slashed across its owner's neck, splashing blood.

This outcome shocked everyone. In their eyes, he had gone mad, using a gleaming divine sword to sever his own head, which rolled onto the ground with a thud.

“Pfft!”

The divine sword vertically cleaved down, splitting the head into two halves. His primordial spirit perished, and he died instantly and completely.

“Split up and run!”

The other few individuals turned ashen. Just moments ago, with Huotan supporting them, they had feared nothing. But now, like stray dogs, they were terrified and felt their end was near.

How could Ye Fan let them escape? With a turn of his 'Line' character secret art, various Dao patterns appeared, transforming into golden lightning that carried him forward, possessing the fastest speed in the world.

“Whoosh!”

Like a bolt of lightning, he blocked one person's path. He slammed his fist forward, and with a *bang*, the ancient race member exploded, blood and bone fragments splattering everywhere.

“Swish!”

He didn't pause for a moment. He transformed into another dazzling ray of light and shot towards another direction. His golden blood energy surged heavenward. With a guttural roar of the 'Om' character divine sound, the other two were shattered inch by inch, turning into blood that stained the sky.

Clanging sounds filled the air endlessly. Ye Fan opened up a world belonging to the Golden Divine Treasury. Various golden divine lights flowed. Ancient bells, Daoist swords, sacred pagodas, and other countless treasures floated and sank together, and with a shake from him, they sprayed out like a rain of light.

This was a kingdom of weapons, all golden and dazzling. They transformed into dazzling rays of light that swept in all directions. The remaining few people shrieked, cut into bloody paste.

Ye Fan struck powerfully. In this brief moment, he annihilated all of Saint Huotan's followers, not letting a single one escape.

All around, people exclaimed in shock, yet no one dared to intervene. Even the ancient races were subdued by his presence.

“What audacity! He truly fears nothing. Huotan had just descended into the ancient tomb, and right after, Ye Fan completely wiped out his subordinates, without fear of incurring the wrath of a Saint.”

“So powerful, he killed them all. Huotan will likely be furious enough to burst. This is a blatant slap in the face; to be trampled upon right after becoming a Saint severely damages his prestige.”

Even many venerable figures of the ancient races were dumbfounded and felt a chill down their spines. The Human Sacred Body was not to be provoked. What else was he incapable of doing?

He had even chased the Golden Race's Heavenly Maiden to the point of utter disgrace, and now he openly challenged Huotan. He truly disregarded all norms!

Ye Fan strode away, not lingering. He left behind a trail of blood, along with severed limbs and shattered bones, a gruesome sight.

“Rumble!”

Suddenly, a muffled sound erupted from beneath the great tomb, accompanied by violent shaking. Huotan stumbled out in disarray, his hair disheveled, covered in blood, and tottering precariously.

It was unknown what he had encountered. His skin was torn and flesh gashed, broken bones protruded from his flesh, and he was completely covered in gore. He collapsed to the ground with a *thud*, gasping for air.

At the entrance of the great tomb, immortal mists had surged for a while, finally ceasing. The Great Emperor's divine radiance once again receded inwards.

Huotan glanced back and let out a long breath. But immediately after, he saw the corpses of his subordinates and erupted on the spot.

“Who killed them?!”

“It was the Human Sacred Body,” someone replied.

“Is that so? I came for him, intending to use him as blood food, but I didn't expect him to provoke me first. This time, the Victorious Fighting Buddha will have no reason to protect him. No one can say anything if I kill him!” Huotan's face was cold. He showed no grief for his subordinates; instead, he laughed grimly.

“Twenty-Three, are you just going to swagger about? Sooner or later, I'll slaughter you!” the Dragon Horse said.

In truth, this was also Ye Fan's inner thought. He very much wished for Huotan to bleed here, to make a Saint fall!

“Bang!”

The great tomb collapsed further, and its aura grew even more potent. Duan De raised an eyebrow and said, “I think we can enter the tomb now.”

“I know! I finally know what's in that great tomb!” Ye Fan's heart pounded wildly. This time, he felt it clearly: something inside him was resonating with it.

Back then, also in the Southern Region, he had entered, barely escaping death, and obtained an immortal opportunity. Now, he never expected to encounter it here again!

“Perhaps, from this, a conclusion can be drawn, clearly identifying who is inside the great tomb….”