Chapter 1274: Saint's Calamity

A handful of silver flames danced, exceptionally dazzling in the universe. The vast and boundless starfield contained no other light that could compare.

Ye Fan, riding his horse across the sky, broke through the seal and burst forth from the Primordial Dao Field, emerging into the vast and boundless starfield.

He had reason to believe that the Primordial Dao Field was a chaotic land of immortals.

The boundless universe, encompassing all space and time, stretched endlessly. Compared to its immensity, even a colossal ancient star was as minuscule as a speck of dust, let alone a single person.

Ye Fan immediately held his spear horizontally, his mind and body serene. He suppressed the urge to achieve Sainthood, gazing at the distant rivers of stars and the dazzling silver flames.

“The aura of an ancient Great Emperor…” he muttered.

This feeling couldn't be wrong; ahead, there seemed to be an ancient living star where a Great Emperor had once appeared, possessing an unparalleled grandeur and vastness.

The Dragon Horse, without waiting for further words, galloped through the sky, leaving a streak of light as it rushed toward the dazzling silver flames.

The distance wasn't great; right next to this area, an overwhelming and magnificent aura enveloped everything, compelling one to prostrate in worship. It exuded an ancient vastness and profound majesty.

This was an astonishingly immense star, orbited by countless dazzling moons. It had once been an ancient land teeming with life, but now it was utterly devoid of living beings, though one could vaguely sense its past glory.

The Dragon Horse shivered, stopping abruptly. It dared not advance further, having finally discerned what lay ahead.

Within the silver flames, various divine chains of order intertwined: golden primordial laws, gray mists, and green life force. All these principles of Dao merged, forming a unified mass of light.

The power of Dao Dissolution!

The entire ancient star was permeated with this chilling aura. A colossal land of life had met its end because of it. How could a living planet be saturated with such power? It was utterly inconceivable.

How could this have happened? Ye Fan was stunned. It was unimaginable that this power of Dao Dissolution could devour everything; even a Great Saint would perish if they encountered it.

The man and his steed stood there, their divine essence sublimated, their minds serene. As they silently contemplated the ancient vicissitudes of the great star, Ye Fan suddenly perceived a wave of decay.

“The Emperor is dead, the divine generals of all realms are in disarray, the Heavenly Court has fallen, disintegrating in a single day…”

It was a fragmented utterance, like a bolt from the blue, streaking across the vast universe. It shook Ye Fan's heart violently and sent a shiver down his spine.

“Did you hear that?” Ye Fan asked the Dragon Horse.

“Heard what?” The Dragon Horse, confused, looked at him suspiciously.

“The Emperor is dead, the divine generals of all realms are in disarray, the Heavenly Court has fallen, disintegrating in a single day…” The fragmented words thundered, vast and grand, shaking the entire starfield with deafening force.

Ye Fan woke with a start, staring at the great star, while the Dragon Horse remained oblivious, surprised by his reaction.

The Emperor's demise, the Heavenly Court's collapse—everything was in chaos. A desolate aura, overwhelming in its sweep, made Ye Fan feel as if he sensed the profound sorrow of a glorious era's end.

This had to be a figure of immense stature; otherwise, who would be qualified to express such sorrow and utter such words? Eons had passed, and no one knew, rendering verification impossible.

The condition of this great star was likely related to the demise of the Heavenly Court.

Ye Fan had heard similar words on Earth, though they had only emanated from a corner of an ancient pavilion, like old tales fading into smoke, never to return.

Had the Heavenly Court's collapse affected the entire cosmic starfield? This was an astonishing fact, given the countless galaxies separating Earth from this place.

This great star was merely one of the affected locations, but it was unknown why the impact was so severe. Could it have been triggered by one person's Dao Dissolution?

Too much time had passed. The Undying Heavenly Emperor had inaugurated the glorious Primordial era of the Big Dipper, but even his deeds were now too ancient and obscure to be verified.

Even more so the Heavenly Court from an earlier epoch, an ancient event predating the Primordial era. Aside from a few ancient remnant clans who miraculously survived and preserved their heritage, no one else could look back and clearly discern what transpired.

“This is disastrous!”

The Dragon Horse fretted, realizing its misjudgment. There was no living star here, only utter silence. Anyone who dared to undergo tribulation ahead would inevitably suffer Dao Dissolution.

“This is truly disastrous. I can no longer suppress my cultivation level. I thought I could break through unhindered, but I didn't anticipate such a turn of events.”

Its entire body was enveloped in divine radiance, with streaks of glowing mist darting about. Its flesh crackled incessantly, as if it were about to undergo an ascension. Divine power surged uncontrollably within it.

What was to be done? The current conditions were even worse than the Primordial Dao Field. What was here but endless void?

On the ancient Starry Road, there were sacred lands prepared for trial-takers to achieve Sainthood. Breaking through in such places offered numerous benefits, potentially influencing future accomplishments and broadening one's subsequent path.

This place offered nothing. It was inconceivable that the guides on the ancient road would have arranged anything here. If one broke through, what kind of Dao fruit could they comprehend?

Ye Fan said, “For me, it would be ideal if an ancient star appeared, one where a Great Emperor once reigned; other conditions don't matter. But you, on the other hand, need a pure land where various laws are intertwined, to comprehend the order of heaven and earth. This presents a bit of a problem.”

“I’m not aiming for Great Sainthood; there’s no need for me to face the cosmic void. This is a huge mess now,” the Dragon Horse said, drooping its head.

Ye Fan thought for a moment and said, “If you are not afraid of Dao Dissolution, that ancient star ahead will be a blessed land for you to seize fortune against the odds.” He pointed forward, where silver radiance shone brightly, various flames surged, endless laws permeated, and the power of Dao Dissolution filled the air.

“That’s purely courting death!” The Dragon Horse’s expression changed. Who could withstand the power of Dao Dissolution? The slightest carelessness would completely destroy one’s cultivation.

“You have no other choice,” Ye Fan said. “If you want to become stronger, this is the ideal place.” He leaped up and pushed the Dragon Horse toward the great star with the dancing silver flames.

The Dragon Horse let out a strange cry, but it didn't stop itself, instead rushing forward with the momentum until it reached a certain distance before halting.

Ye Fan strolled through the starfield, observing the area, his expression shifting from a frown to serene calm as he surveyed the entire region.

There was more than one place that had once harbored life; several planets had glorious pasts, but now they were all parched and reduced to deathly silence.

He did not land on any star, choosing instead to advance directly through the cosmic void, surrounded by these desiccated ancient lands, positioning himself in the center.

“I’m going to begin now. As long as I survive, I’ll surely be unrivaled in the future,” the Dragon Horse cried, boosting its own morale. It didn't wish to undergo Dao Dissolution; it intended to transmute these very laws.

At a certain distance from the colossal mass of light, it ceased suppressing its cultivation and began its breakthrough. In an instant, lightning flashed and thunder roared, various lights danced, and a sea of thunder descended.

The Dragon Horse's Heavenly Tribulation had arrived, its might immense!

Endless thunder and countless tribulations—Yin, Yang, Five Elements, Chaos, and other heavenly tribulations intertwined. Their types were innumerable, all of them the most colossal and terrifying lightning tribulations.

The Dragon Horse was arrogant and boastful, but it certainly had the right to be so flamboyant. Its tribulation demonstrated that this was far from an ordinary Saint Tribulation; the lightning gleamed, boundless in its terror.

Electricity surged from the void, enveloping it and turning the area into a pool of tribulation. The Dragon Horse cried out miserably within it.

The great star undergoing Dao Dissolution also showed abnormalities; streaks of silver radiance rose like smoke and mist, continuously spreading towards the Dragon Horse.

This was an enormous threat, containing not only various laws and orders but also the power of Dao Dissolution, capable of mercilessly annihilating all life forms.

The Dragon Horse howled and cried out; now was certainly not the time to act cool. It neighed, then barked, then roared like a dragon, and then like a Qilin. Its scales flared, its mane flew like flames, and it leaped about, undergoing tribulation while remaining wary of the ancient star.

For the Dragon Horse, this was both an opportunity and a deadly trial. It invoked the lightning tribulation to cleanse itself and resist the power of Dao Dissolution, simultaneously comprehending the other laws and orders.

Slowly, it finally found its rhythm, striking a balance. It absorbed what it needed, using the thunder to resolve the crisis. Of course, the Heavenly Tribulation was also perilous; it was struck until its skin was torn and flesh exposed, its bones broken and tendons snapped, covered in blood.

This was a Saint Tribulation, the most terrifying of its kind. From ancient times to the present, no one could pass it calmly. By the end, the Dragon Horse was almost crippled by the lightning.

“This venerable one will fight you to the death, you old thief Heaven!”

The Dragon Horse was a bloody mess, having lost count of how many bones it had broken. Fortunately, it could rapidly repair them each time. It was a difficult and painful ordeal, but it endured the fatigue, resisting the punishment of the heavens.

Ye Fan glanced at the Dragon Horse, observing that despite its immense suffering, it continued to persevere. He believed it could get through this, even though the tribulation far exceeded what an ordinary Saint could endure.

“It’s my turn for tribulation!” Ye Fan stretched his body, opening himself up. He gazed up at the vast sky, standing alone under the immense starry canvas, and began his breakthrough, welcoming his own Heavenly Tribulation.

Streaks of Saint power overflowed from his body, and divine radiance bloomed. His entire body glowed brilliantly, as if cast from gold, and his blood-qi surged like true dragons from the crown of his head.

“Boom!”

At that very instant, the Heavenly Punishment erupted, reaching an unbelievable level of ferocity and brilliance, as if countless star seas were plummeting and submerging the area.

Ye Fan instantly vanished, swallowed by the sea of stars. This entire starfield was inundated by divine radiance; light was everywhere, rendering him completely invisible.

The Dragon Horse’s eyes widened. If its own Heavenly Tribulation, which far exceeded that of an ordinary Saint, was like rivers of stars falling and converging into a vast ocean that enveloped the area, then Ye Fan’s Heavenly Tribulation was like entire oceans directly smashing down, not merely falling in streaks.

This greatly agitated it, making it cry out, “Are you kidding me? Is this still a Heavenly Tribulation? The cosmic starfield is buried! Is this even allowing anyone to live?!”

Fortunately, they were far enough apart; otherwise, the Dragon Horse would also have been in grave danger. That was no longer a Heavenly Tribulation but the very arrival of the apocalypse.

Amidst the terrifying light, planets began to shatter, turning into dazzling bursts of light. Yet, within that sea of Heavenly Tribulation, they were merely a few ripples, unable to cause any significant commotion.

Ye Fan had anticipated the Heavenly Tribulation would be fierce, but he hadn't expected it to be so overwhelming. Even his powerful body developed streaks of blood, and his joints creaked.

This was a Heavenly Punishment that flayed skin and refined bones, tempering every piece of flesh and blood. It truly felt like having his bones shattered only to be reassembled. Ye Fan’s Saint Heavenly Tribulation was utterly tyrannical.

The most terrifying lightning in the world appeared. He immediately summoned the Myriad Things Mother Qi Cauldron, which floated with him, undergoing the same baptism, as this artifact was also destined for qualitative change and sublimation that day.

It was unknown how long passed, but Ye Fan's bones were shattered multiple times, his entire body nearly annihilated, yet constantly reforged and reassembled, shining brilliantly.

He endured the pain, resisting the tribulation, not daring to relax for a moment. After another period of time, he suddenly looked up, his gaze like a torch, peering into the depths of the lightning sea. There, the aura of an ancient Great Emperor permeated, alongside another majestic power.