Chapter 1242: Conflict

**Conflict, Chapter 242, The First Year of Zhetian**

The Thirteen Riders of Desolate Heaven arrived. Each of their mounts—strange beasts and savage birds—was extraordinary; some roared skyward, others glowed with divine light, their scales sharp and dense, their feathered wings dazzling. They exhaled clouds and mist, like dragons rising from the abyss.

The street trembled as if a torrent of steel had charged in, and the entire area felt like an earthquake.

Majestic Pixius, nine-headed brocade-scaled divine pythons, sky-devouring azure dragons… each one magnificent and terrifying, they filled the area, encircling Ye Fan.

The Thirteen Riders of Desolate Heaven sneered repeatedly, like hunters surrounding their prey. A few of them stepped forward, shouting criticisms, and circled him.

The entire street fell into disarray. Many people gathered to watch the commotion, anticipating a potential astonishing battle.

Ye Fan immediately held his spear horizontally, facing these formidable divine riders alone. His face betrayed no emotion, only an expression of cold indifference and outward killing intent.

"Heh, you really want to fight us? If so, then make your move. Let us see your skill."

"I'll give you ten moves. I'll take your head within fifteen!"

Two of the riders were particularly arrogant. Their mounts neighed loudly, and the street boomed under their hooves, sparks flying. They continuously circled Ye Fan, as if targeting chosen prey.

Ye Fan's gaze was piercing. He swept his spear to survey them. These individuals acted dominantly, but they didn't immediately attack him. Instead, they were provoking, trying to bait him into making the first move.

Clearly, they intended to exploit the city's rules by provoking him first, then, when he retaliated, claiming "self-defense," thus justifying his killing.

"What, are you afraid now? Frightened? If you're too scared to act, then get out of the way, make way!" one of them shouted, his eyes cold and menacing. If Ye Fan dared to strike in anger, he and the other rider would ruthlessly kill him on the spot.

"Why are you barking? If you want to die, come here. I'm waiting for you to make your move!" Ye Fan's words were firm. His voice was neither loud nor soft, but it resonated throughout the street.

Many people's expressions changed. Ye Fan, alone on his horse, actually confronted them head-on, powerfully and sharply, which surprised many.

The Thirteen Riders of Desolate Heaven were undoubtedly top-tier talents. They had already alarmed the Emissaries during their journey, fought countless bloody battles without a single defeat, and powerfully arrived at the First Human City.

These individuals were feared by all factions, and many listed them as among the most formidable competitors. Now that they were stirring up trouble, it naturally drew attention.

"The Thirteen Riders of Desolate Heaven are top-tier powerhouses. It's clear they intend to size up their competitors one by one, and they're starting with this man."

"Who is he? Which star domain is he from? He has an extraordinary demeanor. Can he truly contend with the heroes from the Ancient Desolate Star Domain?"

"A total of four hundred and thirty-seven people entered the city, but few can stand against the Thirteen Riders of Desolate Heaven. It's rumored their leader possesses a Sacred Beast mount."

The leader of the Thirteen Riders of Desolate Heaven kept his eyes closed, not paying attention to these matters, like an outsider. His upper body, bronzed and muscular, was bare. Beneath him was an azure wolf, emanating a monstrous aura of blood qi.

"I heard this man's cultivation is peerless. Some of the provocations and aggressive actions are merely to sharpen the skills of the less powerful divine riders."

"Get lost, or fight! Make up your mind quickly! Otherwise, stop circling me!" Ye Fan spoke again. He wouldn't make the first move, leaving no weakness to exploit, but he also wouldn't let them off lightly.

Everyone was stunned. This man was truly sharp, even more formidable than the Heavenly Emperor's Thirteen Riders. Were they really going to throw all pretense aside and fight?

The two mounts of the Desolate Heaven Thirteen Riders that had been circling Ye Fan stopped. The faces of the two riders atop them turned ashen, with killing intent blazing in their eyes, intense enough to tear the sky.

They wanted to legally kill Ye Fan, but they hadn't expected their opponent, all by himself, to have such daring. He also wanted to force them to strike first, then kill them!

"I'm giving you the chance to defend yourself. Can you really kill me?" one person sneered coldly.

"Then come and try it. I don't mind taking your dog's head!" Ye Fan said firmly. The black long spear in his hand shimmered with dark light. He raised it, pointing it at the man's throat, and the divine radiance at the spear tip flickered unpredictably.

As these words were uttered, the street erupted in commotion. The man on the red-scaled horse was truly too formidable. His tattered battle armor, stained with blood, made him look like a terrifying god of slaughter.

"He's going all the way against the Thirteen Riders of Desolate Heaven!"

"His future might be dim now. Even if he's strong, he's probably no match for the Thirteen Riders."

"Who is he?"

The area was noisy, and many people were dumbfounded.

The two provocative riders among the Thirteen Divine Riders were naturally furious. These words were too harsh. For them, who had always been arrogant, it was an insult.

A divine jar appeared above one man's head. It pulsed, absorbing the essence of heaven and earth, its fluctuations like a tsunami, intending to draw Ye Fan into it.

"Thirteenth Brother!" From a distant mount, a powerful figure glared at him, telling him to put away his divine jar.

"You absolutely must not engage in conflict within the city. I remember two years ago, two top-tier powerhouses who, relying on their Saint Realm cultivation, were unruly and disregarded city rules, ended up being completely beheaded," a native resident of the city warned.

"Who is causing trouble? Do you wish to violate the rules of this city?" A squad of soldiers advanced from afar. Each was clad in heavy black armor, holding iron halberds. They pressed forward like a moving mountain, exuding a terrifying pressure.

"Twelfth Brother, Thirteenth Brother, stop fooling around. Go find lodging quickly," the second-ranked individual among the Thirteen Riders of Desolate Heaven spoke.

Having just entered the city, no one wished to violate the city rules or anger the Emissaries; otherwise, they would certainly face a terrible fate.

The second-ranked figure among the Thirteen Riders of Desolate Heaven was mounted on an azure dragon, wearing azure-gold battle armor. His head was completely covered, only a pair of eyes visible outside the armor. His eyeballs had no pupils, emitting a terrifying green light, full of malevolence.

The azure dragon let out a low roar, and a holy might permeated the air, startling many nearby strange beasts into chaos, nearly causing them to collapse to the ground.

"It's a Sacred Beast!"

Everyone was greatly surprised. Besides the leader's silver old wolf, the second-ranked figure's mount had also reached the Saint Realm.

"Roar..."

A chorus of roars came. Many strange beasts on the street were startled, struggling frantically. A unicorn closest to Ye Fan even bucked off its master, its body glowing intensely. It stood on its hind legs and charged towards Ye Fan.

It was obvious that all of this was caused by the mount of the second-ranked individual among the Thirteen Riders of Desolate Heaven. True dragons are lords of all spirits, and even with diluted dragon blood in its azure dragon form, upon reaching the Saint Realm, it could naturally command other lower-ranked beasts.

"Pfft!"

Ye Fan swung the dark-gold long spear in his hand, using it like a long saber, instantly cleaving the unicorn into two halves, which flew forward.

"You..."

The Thirteen Riders of Desolate Heaven were enraged. The two halves of the unicorn's body fell near them. Blood splattered everywhere, piercing through the protective light barriers of Twelfth and Thirteenth Brothers, splattering onto their bodies with foul blood flowing.

The atmosphere instantly grew tense. Seven or eight of the Thirteen Riders of Desolate Heaven turned back, surrounding Ye Fan, ready for killing intent to erupt at any moment.

"Stop! I warn you, anyone who dares to make a move will be dealt with as a violator of city rules and killed without mercy!" the squad of soldiers shouted.

This squad of soldiers had experienced similar situations. Although they had failed on the strongest path, they had once traveled very far, their qualifications were deeper than anyone present, and their strength was naturally not weak.

"He provoked us and stained our bodies with beast blood!"

"He blocked the street and then offended us; he should be executed!"

The two lowest-ranked among the Thirteen Riders of Desolate Heaven accused, demanding that Ye Fan be severely punished according to city rules, with no quarter given.

Ye Fan said, "Someone disturbed the unicorn, causing it to attack me. I was acting in self-defense."

"It's not my fault. My mount was startled and threw me off," the unicorn's owner said with a pale face.

This squad of soldiers, having experienced similar situations, naturally knew the hidden implications. Since there were no casualties, they didn't want to interfere too much. They warned everyone to disperse and not cause further trouble.

Such a commotion immediately upon entering the city created a tense atmosphere. Everyone became wary of each other, fearing they might be exploited.

Ye Fan found an inn, paid a divine source, and checked in. The Dragon Horse gnashed its teeth, cursing the Thirteen Riders of Desolate Heaven, but unfortunately, they couldn't act.

Although the inn was expensive, it was worth the price. The back garden featured pavilions, small bridges over flowing water, a garden-style design, and beautiful scenery.

He prepared to conserve his energy, because a fierce battle was inevitable after entering the trial grounds. A tough fight with the Thirteen Riders of Desolate Heaven was certainly coming.

"Who are you?"

Ye Fan, who was meditating, opened his eyes. He looked towards the courtyard, seeing a person stealthily moving with strange footsteps, making their way from the adjacent courtyard to his.

"Shh, keep your voice down, fellow cultivator. I'm here to sell secret manuals," a skinny, withered middle-aged cultivator said.

"I don't need them," Ye Fan said. The Dragon Horse also looked displeased.

"You misunderstand. These aren't ordinary scriptures. They are life-saving secret scrolls that introduce various matters regarding the trial grounds." This was a native resident whose cultivation wasn't weak, yet he was doing such business.

"Such things have probably already violated city rules, haven't they? I believe the Emissaries wouldn't allow such unfairness to occur," Ye Fan said.

The visitor gave a dry laugh and, quite straightforwardly, retreated.

That very day, besides these secret manuals, another kind of secret scroll was being sold. It listed some formidable individuals among the trial-takers, secretly stirring up a wave of commotion.

The tension intensified. In the upcoming hunting battle, people already felt the suffocating sensation of an impending storm.

The next day, news rocked the entire city: a top-tier powerhouse had fallen, found ruthlessly killed in their residence.

"What happened? Who killed him?"

Soldiers surrounded the area, but they failed to immediately apprehend the killer, which sparked controversy.

"You don't know, but there have always been unsolved cases. If they can't be traced, they eventually become unresolved," a native resident said.

"How can this be? Even the Emissaries can't find the killer?" The powerful figures were dissatisfied.

"Many powerhouses come from the boundless universe, vast star domains. Many inheritances are from ancient secret lands. Some possess strange forbidden secret arts. Even powerful Emissaries find it difficult to trace clues."

As a result, the cultivators in the city became even more cautious, wary of each other, trusting no one.

This was because, it was rumored, the deceased was actually a Saint who had cultivated for over two hundred years with profound spiritual attainment. He was among the foremost figures of the four hundred and thirty-seven entrants, yet he had died inexplicably.

An undercurrent surged, killing intent pervaded, and people realized that similar incidents might still occur.