Chapter 1256: When the God-Killer Rides Through the Street

Chapter 1257: Slaughtering Divine Riders on the Street

Starlight descended. The mansion was very quiet; a wisp of pure energy drifted by without the slightest ripple.

On the surface, the courtyard appeared serene. However, the pure energy into which Ye Fan had transformed sensed that something was amiss. He found nothing specific, but it was a cultivator's instinctive intuition.

He landed not far from the courtyard wall, then merged into the earth. He unleashed his profound Source Arts to observe cautiously.

A short while later, a pair of eyes, formed from mist, looked up from beneath the ground. Killing intent surged within Ye Fan, and his gaze turned icy.

Inside the mansion, besides the Heavenly Emperor's Thirteen Divine Riders, there were also several seed-level cultivators and even two city guards. They were waiting for him to walk into their trap.

These individuals were concealed within a magical formation, chatting and laughing, drinking fine wine. They were isolated from the outside world. Had it not been for his exceptional Source Arts, which allowed him to use the earth's dragon qi to detect unusual activity above, he would have remained completely unaware.

This was a trap, waiting for him to fall into. They didn't necessarily need to kill him on the spot; his mere appearance, witnessed by these people, would be enough to pin the blame of killing a Saint on him.

Should that come to pass, who would listen to his explanations? His competitors would use this to eliminate him, and the many cultivators of the Human Race's First City would rise up against him!

This was a vicious trap. The second-in-command of the Heavenly Desolate Thirteen Riders had no intention of truly assassinating him, but rather aimed to lure him into a trap—a truly insidious and malicious scheme.

Before arriving, Ye Fan had already realized that tonight would likely not be a simple assassination attempt, but a targeted scheme to trip him up. This was now confirmed.

“Swoosh!” Within the formation on the ground, the leader of the Heavenly Desolate Thirteen Riders suddenly thrust a purple war spear fiercely into the ground, his eyes blazing with terrifying light.

This sudden action startled many, who didn't understand why. Especially those ranked lower among the Thirteen Riders felt a chill of fear, intensely afraid of him.

“Brother Gu, what happened?” a seed-level cultivator asked.

Gu Ling, the leader of the Heavenly Desolate Thirteen Riders, his eyes gleaming with a wild light. His upper body was bare, his powerful, bronze-like physique exuding an oppressive aura. “Someone is spying on us from beneath the ground,” he said.

A wisp of pure energy dispersed underground, vanishing completely. Nothing was left behind. The purple spear's sharp point could pierce a Saint, but it could not strike the pure energy.

Ye Fan's heart tightened. This was undoubtedly a formidable foe, many times more terrifying than ordinary seed-level cultivators. No wonder he had alarmed the Emissary on the way here.

“I also sensed something, but he vanished in an instant.” The second-in-command of the Heavenly Desolate Thirteen Riders, his eyes emitting a green glow, was fully clad in armor, like an ancient demonic god, as unfathomable as the deep ocean.

“Indeed, someone was spying, then instantly vanished.” A city guard spoke, startling everyone present. This individual, a so-called 'failure' from the ancient starry road, yet possessed such immense power.

It was clear without a doubt that he had encountered peerless experts on the path ahead; otherwise, with his cultivation, he wouldn't have retreated to the Human Race's First City.

“Could it be him? He truly is formidable,” the rarely speaking fifth member of the Heavenly Desolate Thirteen Riders said coldly.

“This person is a threat. We waited quietly for him to make a move, but he didn't. It seems eliminating him will be difficult,” another person said.

The stronger and more cautious Ye Fan became, the greater the threat he posed to them. If they were to act against him on the later trial path, it would likely be difficult to conclude the matter without paying a significant price.

“He cannot be allowed to live! He must be eliminated!” The second-in-command of the Heavenly Desolate Thirteen Riders, his blue eyes intimidating, like a demon god from hell, spoke chillingly and cruelly, like a venomous serpent flicking its tongue.

Under the starlight, wisps of pure energy gathered, descending into Ye Fan's courtyard and merging into his head. This energy could gather or disperse at will, not necessarily having to return to his main body.

However, it was ultimately a portion of his vital essence, and unless absolutely necessary, he preferred not to dissipate it, but to use it to strengthen himself.

Ye Fan stood up. “Since it has come to this,” he said, “I might as well kill them directly in front of you!”

With that, he smiled, then sat down to meditate and restore his energy, falling into a deep slumber. He completely disregarded everything external to him.

That night, the Heavenly Desolate Thirteen Riders stood guard for half the night in vain. They had invited several seed-level cultivators and two soldiers to witness the event, but it was all wasted effort.

In the morning, the streets resumed their bustling activity; people came and went under a bright sun. However, the gloom in the hearts of some cultivators deepened, as three more people had died last night.

The bloody terror continued, and no one knew when it would end. It was clear that some powerful individuals were also making their moves under the guise of 'killing Saints,' leading everyone to fear for themselves.

How many more days until they could depart and head for the Human Race's next ancient pass? This was the question on everyone's mind, as they all desperately wanted to leave.

The Emissary remained inactive, allowing the situation to escalate. Some even suspected he was involved, and a sense of unease settled over people's hearts.

A tense atmosphere permeated the city. At this critical juncture, Ye Fan, however, seemed to have completely relaxed. He strolled through the city, and as he passed the city gate, he felt a cold, piercing gaze directed at him.

He couldn't help but look back. It was the very soldier he had clashed with upon entering the city, a powerful captain.

The man wore black iron armor, holding a bronze halberd. He stood by the city gate, gazing at Ye Fan with cold indifference, a cruel smile concealed at the corner of his lips.

“It’s him…”

Ye Fan was certain that this was one of the two city guards from last night, who had been a guest at the Heavenly Desolate Thirteen Riders’ residence, drinking and waiting there for half the night.

“They really went to some trouble, to seek out the captain who harbored animosity towards me.”

After noon, Ye Fan had strolled through the entire city. He entered a tavern and sat down to drink alone. He was waiting for the Heavenly Desolate Thirteen Riders, intending to spill blood publicly.

The small tavern faced the street, with a few tables and chairs set up outside for open-air business. Not many people were coming and going.

Half an hour later, a rumbling sound came from another direction down the street. A group of iron-clad riders galloped forth, making the ancient street tremble. Many people scurried to get out of the way.

The Heavenly Desolate Thirteen Riders had arrived. They were about to enter a wine establishment, a habit of theirs. In recent days, they had always appeared at this time.

“You won’t live much longer!” a rider from the Heavenly Desolate Thirteen Riders said from across the street. His voice was not loud, so ordinary people couldn't hear it.

Ye Fan had been observing them closely, and with his acute hearing, he naturally heard it clearly.

Many of these riders bore cold sneers, their killing intent undisguised. Old Twelve and Old Thirteen were particularly provocative, making a throat-slitting gesture at him.

This was a clear insult, and on the ancient trial path, such a gesture was a grave act of contempt and provocation.

There were several large wine establishments in this area, naturally attracting many cultivators. Now, with everyone fearing for their lives, they all hoped to communicate more in such venues to find allies.

Many witnessed this scene, realizing that a major confrontation might erupt today. The animosity between these two parties ran deep, and it was bound to explode sooner or later.

“Some of you won’t live past today,” Ye Fan murmured, taking a sip of his wine.

“What did you say? Are you provoking us? Are you looking for death?” Old Thirteen retorted violently.

“You are actively provoking us. If you don't apologize, we’ll kill you on the spot!” Old Twelve openly instigated trouble, intimidating and threatening him.

“Please clarify what you mean, otherwise don’t blame us for being ruthless,” the ninth member among them turned around and said coldly.

They selectively ignored their own blatant provocation from moments earlier, instead seizing on Ye Fan’s words and refusing to let go, hoping to escalate the situation.

They needed a suitable pretext to kill Ye Fan, and had always hoped he would initiate trouble, allowing them to suppress and kill him together with the city guards.

The tenth member of the Heavenly Desolate Thirteen Riders and Old Eleven directly pressed forward. Both were openly murderous, fearless of consequences, and had long been frustrated by the lack of an excuse.

“You’re looking for death!”

“Let’s see how you survive! You started this with us!”

The most aggressive, Old Twelve and Old Thirteen, smiled cruelly and pressed closer. This time, even the second-in-command was tempted, feeling that Ye Fan might finally lose his composure. This could be a good opportunity to unite with the city guards and eliminate him.

No matter how strong he was, could he withstand the lawful suppression by the city guards? That was clearly impossible!

As these individuals pressed closer, Ye Fan remained calm, sitting and pouring his own drink. However, the air was thick with tension. Windows of all nearby taverns were thrown open, and the street fell utterly silent, as everyone watched intently.

“Even if you apologize now, it’s useless. Even if you kneel and beg for mercy, you will not be spared!” Old Twelve taunted, trying to force Ye Fan to act.

This was utterly blatant bullying and public humiliation. Most people would find it unbearable, too direct and brutal.

Ye Fan remained still, calmly drinking his wine. Yet, from inside the small tavern, a figure emerged. He was tall and strong, dressed in purple robes, his black hair cascading like a waterfall. He looked exceptionally valiant, though upon closer inspection, his features were indistinct. He dragged an iron sword, creating streaks of sparks on the ground.

He stepped onto the street, and walked directly towards the Heavenly Desolate Thirteen Riders, sizing up each one.

“Who are you? Get out of the way! Today, we only want to kill the one named Ye,” Old Thirteen said. He was utterly arrogant, no longer bothering to conceal his contempt.

“Splurt!”

Blood splattered. No one had expected it, but the purple-robed man attacked violently the instant Old Thirteen finished speaking!

He swung the iron sword, faster than lightning itself! He cleaved Old Thirteen in half instantly. Blood sprayed and spurted everywhere, even his mount was cut into two pieces.

At this moment, everyone's scalp tingled with shock. It all happened too suddenly. Who dared to commit murder openly on the city streets?

This violated city rules, a crime punishable by death!

This person acted without any scruples, too swift and decisive. Moreover, his sword strike was exceptionally sharp; even a powerful Saint would struggle to evade it.

“Murder!” someone screamed. The street erupted into complete chaos.

The blood of many cultivators surged. They knew a major event was unfolding today. Anyone daring to kill one of the Heavenly Desolate Thirteen Riders on the street must have an extraordinary background, and this would be a drastic turn of events.

“Argh…”

The Heavenly Desolate Thirteen Riders erupted in chaos. Many screamed and roared in fury. It had all happened too suddenly. This man’s arrogance was beyond measure; he had launched a sudden, public attack, killing someone openly. No one had anticipated it.

“Old Thirteen!”

Some of the Heavenly Desolate Thirteen Riders cried out, enraged to the extreme. Various lights flashed and soared, as they all charged forward.

The purple-robed figure was naturally Ye Fan, who had employed the 'One Qi Transforms into Three Purities' technique. This was his Dao body, slaying a great enemy openly on the street. He intended to do precisely this: kill publicly, shattering the prestige and dignity of these individuals, and utterly eliminating them.

Ye Fan was well prepared. After the first strike, the second sword had already been unleashed, moving even swifter than his opponents. As some of the Heavenly Desolate Thirteen Riders roared in fury and rushed to surround him, the blood-dripping iron sword in his hand was already less than half a foot from Old Twelve’s head.

“Ah…”

Old Twelve screamed, his face pale. Immeasurable light erupted from his body, and various weapons shot out to block, but it was still too late.

“Thud!”

The iron sword swept across, cleaving through his head. More than half of his face was severed, and blood splattered six or seven feet high!

With a single sweep of Ye Fan’s sword, Old Twelve’s half-severed head flew into the air. His skull was split in two, and he died on the spot, bleeding profusely!