Chapter 1270: The Ancient Daoist Temple

In the cold night sky, a crescent moon hung high, and the stars glittered brightly, casting down streaks of silver light that caused wisps of mist-like glow to rise throughout the ancient city.

Ye Fan sat on the roof ridge, gazing at the night sky. The Dragon Horse was right; suppressing his cultivation level was becoming increasingly difficult. He needed to choose an ancient star as soon as possible. The current situation was dire, fraught with many crises, and becoming a Saint was imminent.

The city was very complex; powerful individuals had even returned from deep within the ancient starry sky road. What was worse, some of the city's magnates harbored sinister intentions. He had reason to believe that the city guards could not be relied upon.

He just didn't know about the Emissary; this was a very crucial person.

Cold crows cawed, their calls particularly distant and eerie in the cold night sky. A river flowed nearby, bordering the residential area.

"Whoosh!" Ye Fan instantly vanished from the roof ridge. Holding a long spear, he plunged it sharply into the river. With a splash, he pulled a body from the water. It had been impaled through the skull and was already dead.

Few of the forces he faced were benevolent. With the Dao Source and ancient scriptures on him, many coveted them, ensuring he would have no peace.

Perhaps only by thoroughly eliminating those with malicious intent could the future troubles be completely resolved.

In the latter half of the night, all was silent, with only the faint glimmer of stars. The city was very quiet. On a tall building in the distance, the second leader of the Thirteen Riders of Desolation held a large bow. A giant, spear-like arrow was nocked onto it, its deep blood groove dark red, and the characters "Ye Fan" were carved inside, with drops of blood trickling down.

This was a forbidden artifact. Blessed by a peerless master, it possessed a terrifying and strange power within a certain range, making it impossible to guard against.

He pulled the large bow with all his might, exuding bursts of dragon and tiger energy. The blood-red giant arrow, like a war spear, sharp and icy cold, was aimed at Ye Fan's dwelling.

A strange howl rang out as the blood-red giant arrow tore through the void with destructive force, arriving instantly!

At the same time, Ye Fan felt a chill throughout his body. Faint blood patterns appeared between his brows, as if his divine platform was about to shatter, causing a chilling pain.

This feeling was similar to when he fought against the Monarch of Junwei Mountain, who had used a strange forbidden technique that unsettled him. At this moment, Ye Fan's body curved like a dragon, evolving into a golden Taiji. At the same time, he unleashed his phenomenon and soared into the sky.

Simultaneously, he summoned the Cauldron of Myriad Things Mother Qi. With a clang, it met the blood-red giant arrow, producing an earth-shattering roar.

The blood-red giant arrow shattered inch by inch and then violently exploded. A powerful energy permeated the high sky, alarming everyone within the hundred-mile-wide city.

The ancient city had restrictions, but even so, the sky was torn open. Cosmic starlight surged in, and fierce hurricanes poured into the dark star domain.

Fortunately, a master immediately repaired the restrictions; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

"What's going on? What happened?" All the masters in the city had just felt a spine-chilling sensation.

On the high-rise building, with a flash of light, the second leader of the Thirteen Riders of Desolation vanished from the spot, reappearing in another mansion, having left the scene.

Ye Fan's eyes gleamed with coldness. He immediately rushed to the tall building, but unfortunately, he was a step too late and failed to intercept his opponent.

In the resplendent hall, with its carved beams and painted pillars, arm-thick divine candles illuminated the place, making it brightly lit. The second leader of the Thirteen Riders of Desolation said, "This level of power is truly extraordinary, but it's a pity it still couldn't kill him."

Yan Chifeng frowned and asked seriously, "How did he break it? You know, this arrow can easily wipe out powerful ancient Saints with thousands of years of cultivation."

"It was blocked by the cauldron forged from the Root of Myriad Things Mother Qi, and shattered inch by inch," the second leader of the Thirteen Riders of Desolation said. Although his intention was merely to stir up trouble and he hadn't expected a one-hit kill, he still felt regret.

"No wonder then," Yan Chifeng said. "Countless heavenly materials and earthly treasures were spent when forging this arrow in the past, and thousands of incantations were secretly carved onto it, giving it supreme divine power to break myriad laws and instantly kill Saints. Its only drawback is that it fears being blocked by solid objects." This was a protective treasure left to him by his great ancestor.

This arrow could break all laws, restrain endless divine arts, and easily sever a person's soul. However, it was deficient in terms of physical attacks.

The second leader of the Thirteen Riders of Desolation had seen Ye Fan's golden circle and blurred phenomenon. He vaguely felt that even without the cauldron, it would likely be difficult to harm Ye Fan. However, he didn't say much; he had only one goal: to create more enemies for Ye Fan.

"Boom!" In the latter half of the night, there was another loud bang as a massive purple-gold hammer descended from the sky, smashing Ye Fan's dwelling into dust, with wisps of Saint energy rising.

Ye Fan stood in the sky, his face grim. He decided to take the initiative and go on a killing spree in the latter half of the night.

He knew very well who was against him. He knew there was no need for evidence now; he would simply kill them all.

However, the Grand Commander appeared in time, forcing him to stop and preventing him from acting.

"The city is not very peaceful; I hope you can exercise restraint," Yu Han said.

Ye Fan said nothing, silent as an abyss. He landed on a green stone by the river and meditated with closed eyes.

In the early morning, bathed in the glow of dawn, a vibrant morning emerged. Everything from last night had not stirred any significant ripples, and the city was bustling with prosperity.

"Dong..." The great bell tolled leisurely. The Emissary finally appeared. He seemed to have anticipated something, not wanting these people to rest for too long, and intended to immediately open the Primordial Proving Ground.

The trial-takers embarking on the ancient starry sky road were all full of vigor. None wanted to miss it; they were all waiting for this moment.

"Yan Chifeng is going in too. He's been in many times over the years and gained immense benefits," someone among the city's natives whispered.

A group of savage beasts galloped through the sky, dozens of feet above the ground, arriving with a whistle.

Besides Yan Chifeng, there were also disciples from some major powers in the city. Although entering this way was somewhat against the rules, the city authorities would turn a blind eye to their own disciples.

Di Tian's people also arrived. Several old men stood outside the crowd, their gazes on Ye Fan somewhat cold, and they also glanced at the Grand Commander not far away.

Monk Kutoutuo, Tuoba Yu, Ou Ye Mo, and others stood separately, expressionless, waiting for the Primordial Dao Field to open to temper themselves.

In the distance, Guan Cheng approached with the second leader of the Thirteen Riders of Desolation, heading towards Yan Chifeng and those disciples.

Right on the ancient city square, twelve portals appeared out of thin air, leading to a Primordial Proving Ground. The divine gates were dazzling, and inside, it seemed like a celestial realm.

"Well," the Emissary said, glancing at Fairy Qing Shi not far away, "take care of yourselves and temper yourselves thoroughly. Back then, some individuals gained immense opportunities here, and now their names shake the ancient road. Figures like the Exiled Immortaless and the Great Demonic God all gained profound insights here."

Guan Cheng stood here, clenching his fists tightly, his knuckles turning slightly blue. He was recalling another name that could make heaven and earth change color, a name that represented a taboo for many in the past.

He still remembered back then, that one person and one mount, riding through the sky. A single spear pinned him and his mount to the ground, bleeding profusely. What astonishing arrogance and domineering power that was.

And this person traversed the starry sky, invincible wherever he went. Years ago, he had heard that this person was hunted by many powerful figures in the depths of the starry sky. They battled for an entire night, destroying a section of the star road and shaking the vast ancient domain.

Many years had passed, yet Guan Cheng still felt as though he was being watched by a primeval beast whenever he thought of it, the hairs on his entire body standing on end. It was an indescribable feeling of suppressed dread.

That person was still invincible, sweeping all before him at the forefront of the ancient starry sky road. Truly, few could contend with him.

It was in this very Primordial Dao Field that person once broke the Dao Field's restrictions and rushed alone into the outer regions. Only Guan Cheng witnessed it; even the Emissary was unaware. The domineering posture from that time still made him feel cold all over whenever he thought of it.

Returning to this familiar place, he immediately thought of that ruthless young supreme and couldn't help but clench his fists.

On that day, Guan Cheng saw Ye Fan enter the city alone on his mount. He pierced the Golden-Winged Heavenly Peng of the middle-aged Daoist nun with a single spear, killing it. This reminded him of his own past encounter; he had also been pierced by a spear, bleeding profusely. This evoked a deep, irrational, and unchosen hatred for Ye Fan, hence the subsequent conflict.

After more than a decade of cultivation, he had regained his conviction, and his strength had greatly increased. Therefore, he had embarked on the ancient road again, starting from the first pass anew.

But now he was somewhat hesitant again. Standing here, he couldn't help but think of that person's might from years past, and his body felt somewhat cold.

Guan Cheng looked at Ye Fan in the morning glow, sensing a similar quality in him. He muttered to himself, "What I fear and hate is this invincible aura."

The twelve portals opened. The trial-takers entered the Primordial Dao Field, and disciples from some major powers also followed deep inside. The Emissary, the Grand Commander, and the soldiers did not obstruct them.

Afterwards, the divine gates slowly closed.

This was a vast and magnificent land. Many ancient beasts were roaring, all primeval rare species long extinct in the outside world. He had never expected to see them here.

Several Golden Crows streaked across the sky, leaving trails of fire. A Dragon Sparrow spread its wings, seized a mountain range to build its nest, obscuring the sky and sun, terrifying beyond measure.

After Ye Fan entered, he closed his eyes and walked forward step by step, feeling this majestic atmosphere with his heart. An endless power surged within it.

The Way of Strength! The power of time, the power of space, the power of heaven and earth, the power of myriad things... Many methods, myriad Dao traditions, all were inseparable from strength, intrinsically contained within.

Ye Fan felt a kinship with this world. His blood energy surged throughout his body, rumbling like thunder within him, emitting supreme combat power. This land made his Saint blood surge.

As the Human Saint Physique, with an unparalleled physical body and infinite power, he naturally integrated into this atmosphere upon arriving here.

Ye Fan walked on foot, measuring every inch of land, closing his eyes to perceive all things in nature and capture the Way of Strength. His essence blood surged throughout his body, like a colossal mountain moving, making the ancient land rumble as if it were about to sink.

Finally, like a star, every movement he made caused heaven and earth and all things to resonate. Endless laws, chains of order, intertwined, piercing through mountains and rivers.

Dazzling divine chains were adjacent to his physical body, making him appear incredibly dazzling. He was like an immortal phoenix, being reborn in fire within a celestial realm.

In this world, many fierce birds and beasts trembled. Even if sacred beasts appeared, they all avoided him from afar.

Ye Fan had an impulse: to tear open this land, break through the restrictions, transcend this place, and rush towards the world outside the Dao Field to see where he truly was.

"It's still early; I'll slowly comprehend it."

Ye Fan was not reckless; after half a month of comprehension, he opened his eyes, and golden lightning tore through the void. He felt his body brimming with power; with a mere lift of his hand or foot, he could pluck stars and seize the moon.