Chapter 1098: Challenge the Sage

Slaying a Saint!

To cultivators, these two words were too illusory. No one entertained such a delusion; as long as one was not a Saint, they remained an ant.

The difference in power was an insurmountable chasm. Even a Half-Saint could only occasionally manifest some Saintly power, but could never truly achieve it.

Saints had completely transcended, existing above all beings, like deities. How could a mere mortal slay a god? The difficulty was immense!

The Black Emperor said, "Kid, it's not that I'm saying you can't defy heaven, but the difference is immeasurable. In a sense, a Saint is already another life form; they are no longer human."

Even the killing arrays it inscribed could typically not harm a Saint. The reason was simple: the gap was too vast. How could an ant bite a dragon to death?

"Let's be realistic," Duan De also shook his head.

"Is there no hope at all?" Ye Tong was unwilling to give up, hoping deeply for his master to rise and settle a long-held grudge.

"Unless... enough divine materials are found for this Emperor to engrave a world-shaking killing array, only then would there be a possibility of slaying a Saint," the Black Emperor said.

The divine materials it spoke of were naturally rare in the world, specifically used for Great Emperor array patterns. They were incredibly hard to come by, and only with them could the true power of the corner of the Wushi Array Map it possessed be unleashed.

"The other way is for Ye Fan to reach the Half-Saint realm, trigger the Divine Ban, and then shatter the 'Saint Domain Barrier' completely. Only then might he have a chance to fight a Saint," Duan De explained.

Both of these conditions were too demanding, at least for Ye Fan to achieve or realize at present.

"This..." Ye Tong's eyes dimmed. He felt stifled for his master, as the ancient race was too oppressive, and they were unable to retaliate.

"Even so, I will still slay a Saint!" Ye Fan declared firmly. He then told the Black Emperor to prepare array platforms for him, insisting that they must all be of the chessboard imperial pattern, the kind that could cross over from the Undying Mountain.

The Human Race Saint might be finished!

In recent days, some ancient races had been discussing this. Just a few days ago, Huotan had appeared in every major city, overlooking the Southern Domain, adopting a posture that suggested he would not rest until Ye Fan was killed.

Everyone had known for days that Ye Fan had truly returned. The slaying of the Heavenly Emperor's son and the battle against the Golden Heavenly Maiden were all his doing; there were no secrets left.

Huotan was not very old. After awakening, he was the first among the ancient races to become a Saint in this world, possessing a special status and destined to be recorded in history.

Now, he had emerged with great force. Within days, everyone in the entire Eastern Wasteland knew that he intended to kill Ye Fan.

"Ye Fan, aren't you arrogantly claiming divine poison? Why are you a weakling in front of my master, cowering in a corner, afraid to see the light? You'd best never come out your entire life."

Huotan's disciples also arrived in the Southern Wasteland, their words sharp and sarcastic, designed to humiliate Ye Fan and make him feel distressed.

Ye Fan naturally ignored them. These past few days, he had been traveling through the ancient lands of the Southern Domain, even taking Ye Tong and the Dragon Horse into the Fire Domain, allowing them to witness true immortal flame.

In the tenth layer of the Fire Domain, there was a cluster of immortal flames composed of runes, untouchable. They were fortunate enough to witness it; even observing from afar made them gasp in awe.

Even the Black Emperor was momentarily dazed, saying, "After all these years, it's still here. As expected of the immortal flame that allowed the Desolate Pagoda to float here for thousands of years!"

"This humble Taoist has a dream: to claim this flame for myself, to use it for alchemy. Unfortunately, the difficulty is too great," Duan De sighed.

As they traveled around, Huotan was also conducting a carpet search, because calculations indicated that these individuals were still in the Southern Domain and had never left.

"Our ancestors consumed humans as blood-food; their taste was exquisite. The Human Sacred Body contains precious blood, which must taste even more wonderful," Huotan's disciples brazenly shouted, completely disregarding Ye Fan.

This was intolerable. Many cultivators were enraged upon hearing this, and if they possessed sufficient cultivation, they would certainly strike them dead.

"Huotan, your grandpa is calling you home to wipe your nose!" On this day, the Dragon Horse stepped forward to respond, its voice resounding across half the Southern Domain like a giant trumpet.

Of course, it fled immediately after shouting, controlling an array to prevent the Saint from acting. Otherwise, ten horse lives wouldn't be enough to kill.

Huotan's face turned ashen, his gaze grim. He rushed to where the Dragon Horse had appeared, but could only stare helplessly.

"Huotan, as a Saint, how dare you contend with Ye Fan's elegance? He hasn't even become a Saint yet. How thick is your skin? Why don't you challenge the Victorious Fighting Buddha? You'd probably be scared to death before you even reached Mount Sumeru."

The Dragon Horse appeared in another area, neighing loudly like a grand trumpet, shouting insults throughout the world with similar sarcasm.

"Ye Fan, if you dare to come out and fight, my master won't bully you. He'll seal his magical power and just crush you with one finger," Huotan's disciples yelled.

"Huotan, your mother is calling your disciples home to rinse their mouths!" The Dragon Horse was never one to be mild-mannered. Though it was an auspicious beast, it was no pushover.

A single Dragon Horse caused chaos in the Southern Domain, shouting insults everywhere, which prompted Huotan to repeatedly cross star domains in pursuit.

"Human Sacred Body, everyone talks about you, but in my eyes, you're just a trivial bug. If you dare to appear, I'll crush you with one foot," Huotan said grimly. One could imagine the rage simmering within him to utter such words.

He was a Saint who had attained the Dao Fruit, yet he was repeatedly provoked by a Dragon Horse that clearly didn't take him seriously. He desperately wanted to capture it immediately and establish his authority.

"Huotan, come and face your death!" Ye Fan appeared. Having been repeatedly mocked, he began to challenge the Saint, actually seeking a duel.

"Hahahaha..." Huotan burst into laughter upon learning this, rushing there immediately. He roared, shattering the sky, "You, want to be my enemy? An ant wanting to bite a dragon to death? You overestimate yourself!"

At that moment, everyone in the world was stunned. Was Ye Fan truly going to duel a Saint, pushed beyond his limits by anger?

This was a barren plain, overgrown with mugwort and ancient trees. The Southern Domain contained many vast wildernesses, with uninhabited areas covering ninety percent of its territory.

Huotan appeared and, from a great distance, extended a massive hand to grab towards the area. A single strike from a Saint could turn tens or hundreds of miles into scorched earth.

"Boom!"

Ye Fan appeared without any other movements, directly summoning his cauldron. The Mother Qi of All Things swirled around it. With a violent shake, the great cauldron flipped, and monstrous flames shot skyward.

Nine-colored mist threads transformed into streaks and wisps of Dao marks. This was the divine flame from the ninth layer of the Fire Domain, capable of burning Saints to death, surging with immense power.

As the blazing saintly radiance erupted, the entire barren plain turned into a sea of fire, the ground became lava, and the few existing stone mountains vaporized, leaving nothing behind.

The nine-colored fire threads were terrifying, not solely due to extreme heat, but also due to mysterious and unfathomable Dao power, capable of grinding Ancestor Kings to death.

Huotan was startled. His outstretched right hand felt scorching hot, a little blood splattered, and his bones ached intensely. But being a Saint, he forcefully wiped it, and with his cultivation rotating, the injury immediately stopped.

Furthermore, he instantly moved several thousand feet away, avoiding the sea of fire. He said chillingly, "Without being a Saint, one is ultimately mere dust. Killing you is as easy as crushing a tile dog. Without corresponding strength, wanting to rely on external objects to be my enemy is simply courting death!"

However, Ye Fan was also decisive. The moment he conjured the divine flame, he put away his cauldron, stepped into the chessboard array patterns, and turned to leave.

"The moment I appeared, I locked onto you. Still trying to run? Even an Immortal King descending wouldn't save you!" Huotan's expression was cold. He pointed a finger, and a burst of light shot out, intending to shatter the void and force Ye Fan out of the spatial gate.

"..." He was surprised; the spatial gate remained motionless, on the verge of disappearing.

This was the chessboard array pattern, which had crossed over from the Undying Mountain in ancient times. Even the killing arrays of ancient Great Emperors couldn't obliterate it, so a Saint naturally couldn't damage it.

"You're well prepared, but unfortunately, to a Saint, you are merely a bug. Since I've locked onto you, there's only one path: death!" Huotan was unconcerned, sneering repeatedly. He stepped in as the spatial gate was closing, following closely.

Four disciples followed beside him, enveloped by his saintly radiance, and entered the spatial gate simultaneously, pursuing Ye Fan.

"Boom!"

After Ye Fan emerged, he immediately stepped into another spatial gate. This place glowed brightly, with various Dao patterns activating together, forming an unparalleled killing array.

This array was meticulously arranged by the Black Emperor, utilizing the natural landscape. Though it lacked physical form, combined with the Origin Heaven Divine Array, it formed a terrifying Seven Absolute Grand Array!

Huotan roared in fury, shaking out a sky full of saintly radiance. His body was crisscrossed with dozens of wounds. If not for his protection, his four disciples would have been minced into mud.

"I can't believe Saints are so terrifying; even a small, intricate corner of an Emperor's array couldn't obliterate him. What a shame... no divine materials to engrave the array." Ye Fan muttered to himself, dissolving into the void and directly shattering the array platform left outside, denying Huotan any chance to track him.

"Trying to run? There's no escape for you in any of the nine or ten realms. Do you truly think a Saint can be insulted? Atone with your blood!" Huotan sneered, shaking his hand to summon an item. The shattered array platform rapidly restored itself to its original state. He then forcibly opened the spatial gate with his disciples and pursued.

This was a secret treasure given to him by a Great Saint. No matter how peerless your array patterns were, or if you crossed into another domain, it was useless. It could temporarily restore your array platform, allowing him to track you like a shadow, all the way.

Without a doubt, this was a death trap. There was no way to escape a Saint. It wouldn't take long for them to be caught; surviving was harder than ascending to heaven.

"Human Sacred Body, you think you're well-prepared, but in front of my master, your thousand methods are useless. If your strength is insufficient, nothing you say matters!"

"A mere wisp of divine flame and a dilapidated ancient emperor's killing array wish to obliterate a Saint? You're too naive! My master prepared thoroughly for you, specifically borrowing a secret treasure to ensure you have no escape!"

"Just a mere Dao Severer, yet you dare to challenge a Saint? My master will kill you as easily as a common chicken!"

Huotan's disciples laughed loudly. Enveloped in holy light, they rapidly followed, spotting Ye Fan's figure in the void.

However, to their surprise, Ye Fan once again conjured an array platform in the void, altering his path within the eternal darkness and disappearing once more.

Changing direction and altering his path in the void—this technique made Huotan's expression change. He clenched his fists tightly, thinking he had lost the trace.

He forcefully swiped, and the secret treasure in his palm flashed, restoring a damaged array pattern in the dark void ahead. He followed it in.

"I never imagined a Great Saint's secret treasure could be so miraculous..." He burst into laughter, no longer worried.

Ye Fan fled at high speed, changing array platforms more than a dozen times, each time in the void. Yet, he could never shake off Huotan. Any other Saint would have been long gone.

"The Great Saint's methods are awe-inspiring. He can be pursued all the way; he can't get rid of us."

One of Huotan's disciples was simultaneously delighted and deeply terrified by the ancient race's Great Saint's cultivation.

"Where have we ended up? Every time, he changes direction in the void. We have no idea of our location and can't predict the path ahead," another disciple frowned.

"How many array platforms can he possibly have? Once he runs out, he'll die right before our eyes! Master can crush him with just one finger!"

Before long, Ye Fan's figure drew closer, almost clearly visible. Huotan's lips curled into a cold sneer as he extended a large hand forward, intending to crush him to death!

"Boom!"

Just then, the spatial gate opened wide, and Ye Fan burst out of the void, entering the real world and falling out.

"He's out of array platforms! Death is imminent! Hahaha..."

"Human Sacred Body, your end is near!"

Huotan's four disciples rejoiced, laughing cruelly.

Huotan's eyes were cold! His purple hair cascaded, and his majestic, tall figure was as imposing as a mountain. He strode forward, but with a single step, he stumbled and fell to the ground.

Behind him, his four disciples fared even worse, plummeting headfirst from the sky to the ground, covered in blood from the fall.

"Where... where is this place? How did we... lose our magical power!?"

The four disciples were struck with fear, their hearts pounding as they sensed something was terribly wrong.

Huotan's expression also changed. His cultivation was suppressed to its lowest point, making it difficult to circulate. This sent a shiver down his spine, for he was a Saint!

All around, there was profound silence. Plants flourished, and ancient herbs possessed tens of thousands of years of medicinal age. The place was unnaturally quiet, without a sound, like a land of death.

Ahead, Ye Fan stood holding a dark-gold long spear, his expression indifferent, calm, and composed. He was no longer fleeing.

"What is this place?" Huotan felt waves of terror. As a Saint, the magical power he could wield was astonishingly meager; he could barely even fly.

"Ah... my cultivation, my life essence!" One of Huotan's disciples cried out in terror. He felt not only that he had lost his magical power but that his life force was rapidly draining away, with wrinkles slowly appearing on his face!

"Hmph!"

Ye Fan snorted coldly! Leaving an afterimage, he swept past Huotan and, with a soft sound, pierced through the forehead of one of his disciples. Blood splattered high into the air as he lifted the body.

"Bang!"

He forcefully shook his hand, and the corpse flew several dozen feet away, landing motionless, a large pool of blood spreading beneath it.

"You...!" Huotan was enraged. As a Saint, how could he tolerate Ye Fan's insolence? He swept a palm forward, yet the vast, ocean-like power failed to surge forth.

Ye Fan swept his spear, golden halos overflowing from his palm and fingers. The force was astonishing; his raw physical power alone could shatter the sky!

Huotan grunted. After his arm touched the spear, it trembled and nearly convulsed, causing immense pain. He knew he was in trouble. In this place, even his heaven-reaching cultivation was useless!

"What in the world is this place?!"

"Welcome to the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land. Today, I will slay a Saint and send you on your way!" Ye Fan said coldly.