Chapter 1317: Heavenly Soldiers

He Kun was torn limb from limb, becoming a meal for the Golden Lion, Scorpio, Alligator-Dragon, and others. They divided his remains, leaving only wisps of blood mist drifting in the air.

The overwhelming ferocity of the Twelve Saints left the Wang family and the Lin clan speechless and somewhat unnerved. This group of ancient beasts and extraterrestrials could easily sweep across an entire region.

Wang Xi, clenching her small fists, cheered loudly, filled with excitement and thrill. She was a lively and innocent girl, yet she showed a tendency towards becoming a "violent girl."

In any case, the great threat of the night had been resolved, and the experts of both the Wang family and the Lin clan were greatly invigorated, cheering with joy.

Wang Ziwen let out a long breath. He hadn't expected Ye Fan to have such a formidable group of followers. It was truly astonishing; they could contend with any major power and dominate an ancient star.

"Between us, I won't bother with formalities," Wang Ziwen said. "If you hadn't arrived this time, my family and I would have truly been in danger."

"Thank you, Uncle Ye," Wang Chen also stepped forward and bowed deeply in gratitude.

Lin Ling, along with many clan members, expressed their thanks. Everyone was greatly moved; repelling the He family and killing several Saints was an undeniable display of powerful deterrence.

Only Wang Xi bounced around, completely unreserved, clamoring to join the Twelve Saints and go on "rampages" with them in the future, wanting to transform into a little demon.

This gave Wang Ziwen and Lin Ling a headache, unsure how to "subdue" their precious daughter.

"Some hostile forces harbor ill intentions, but now they will have to think twice," an elder remarked.

"Let them come if they dare. This venerable one is not yet full," said the Black Bear Saint, like a small black mountain, radiating saintly might.

Ye Fan shot it a look, and the giant bear instantly transformed into a foot-long creature with fur as smooth as silk and large, black-gem-like eyes that blinked wetly, completely devoid of any fierce beast appearance.

Aside from Wang Xi, who exclaimed how cute it was and wanted to rush over and pick it up, everyone else recoiled. These ancient beasts were more ferocious than the last, and their appearances should not be trusted.

The Twelve Saints all changed their appearances, each becoming either miniature or seemingly harmless, appearing as benevolent as possible.

In the early morning, the red sun rose above the horizon. Birds sang melodiously, and a gentle mist lingered over the land, tinged with golden hues by the morning glow.

The battle that night completely annihilated the He family; not a single member escaped, causing a ripple of shock throughout the region.

People did not know what had happened, nor were they aware of the Twelve Saints or Ye Fan's arrival. Everyone was talking about it, leaving those who had targeted the Lin clan particularly alarmed.

"The He family mobilized a large force and even invited four ancient demons. How could they have been wiped out without making a single splash? Were all their people killed?"

This news spread like a ripple, reaching far and wide, instilling fear in many major powers. People had reason to believe that Lin Han, the Saint King of the Lin clan, had recovered, otherwise, how could they have been so formidable?

This battle had a significant impact, deterring everyone from taking rash actions, which was good news for the Lin clan.

At Lin Han's cultivation retreat, many people waited with nervous anticipation, hoping the elder could overcome this hurdle and successfully pass his trial.

Days later, news leaked that Lin Han had not recovered, but rather someone had aided the clan, suppressing and killing Saint King He Kun and others.

Hostile forces immediately became restless upon learning that no Saint King had been involved in the last battle; instead, it was a group of terrifying fierce beasts acting together.

"They are cultivators from outside this domain, daring to go on a killing spree and bloodbath on our 'Heavenly Soldier' ancient star. This is utterly brazen, and we must rise up and attack them!"

"Foreign devils have invaded our 'Heavenly Soldier' star, showing contempt for everything and slaughtering our compatriots. We should unite and jointly besiege these villains."

One after another, people stepped forward, sternly calling upon the strong cultivators of the ancient star to unite and besiege Ye Fan and his group, declaring them extremely dangerous invaders.

Undoubtedly, those who stepped forward were forces that wished to attack the Wang and Lin families. Now, they began to incite others, hoping to gather more people to act.

They were indeed quite intimidated, because even though these fierce beasts were not Saint Kings, their combat power was incredibly formidable. They had even devoured a Saint King like He Kun, which was utterly terrifying.

"This is outrageous! It was clearly them who wanted to decimate our clan, and after their attack failed and they were defeated, they are now slandering us with rumors."

"Uncle Ye traveled so far to help us overcome a perilous trial, yet they portray him as an invader and want to rally everyone to eliminate him. It's truly hateful."

Wang Xi and Wang Chen were both indignant.

A wave of unrest surged in the outside world, but very few actually took action, and only a handful responded. Most people were simply waiting to see how things unfolded.

In front of a rocky mountain range, immortal mist swirled. Inside an ancient cave on the main peak, Lin Han was in secluded cultivation, heavily guarded.

In recent months, several groups had infiltrated this area to ascertain the truth, and there had even been two waves of assassins, stirring up a bloody storm.

Ye Fan ascended the stone steps to the main peak. Before the ancient cave within the formation, an old man with white beard and hair, gaunt and still, sat cross-legged on a stone bed, appearing as if he had entered nirvana.

This was Lin Han, who had reached the peak of the Saint King realm, just shy of becoming a Great Saint. However, his current situation was dire; chaotic laws entangled him, like shackles from hell.

Ye Fan stood before the cave, observing closely, and understood his condition: he had encountered a significant problem in his enlightenment. His spiritual consciousness was scattered, and he might even dissipate into the Dao.

Clearly, Wang Ziwen, Lin Ling, and others were also aware of the elder's condition and were exceedingly worried. He had the potential to become a Great Saint, but now he was on the verge of turning to ashes at any moment.

"It's not entirely without a solution," Ye Fan said after his assessment.

"What...? My father can really be saved?" Lin Ling's voice trembled as she pulled her two children, ready to kneel and beg Ye Fan for help.

"No, don't," Ye Fan quickly stopped her. "Ziwen and I are old friends. What are you doing? As long as there's a glimmer of hope, I naturally won't stand idly by."

"If you can truly save my father-in-law, all our problems will be resolved," Wang Ziwen said, equally excited.

Ye Fan left the stone cliff and found a quiet place to begin his secluded cultivation. He took out the Source of Dao, cut a small piece from it, and began refining it.

This was a difficult process. The Source of Dao did not recognize him and was extremely resistant. Ye Fan exerted a great deal of effort, his body radiating divine light as he refined it.

Perhaps only the Source of Dao could save Lin Han, who had encountered problems in his cultivation. However, Ye Fan feared that the Source of Dao might also reject Lin Han, which would directly lead to his demise.

Ye Fan believed that only by shattering the Source of Dao, dismantling the numerous primordial laws contained within, reorganizing them, and continuously refining them, could it be transformed into a precious medicinal concoction.

Of course, this process would be highly destructive to the Source of Dao, causing it to lose most of its divine efficacy. But it was the only way; retaining only a portion of its Dao essence would be enough to help Lin Han pass his perilous trial and recover.

After two days, Ye Fan emerged from his seclusion. He had to be extremely cautious, as even a slight error could lead to the complete destruction of this star's future supreme being.

It was a cluster of light the size of a baby's fist, sealed by Ye Fan. He handed it to Wang Ziwen, instructing him to directly infuse it into Lin Han's body.

Though only one-tenth of the Source of Dao's divine essence remained, it was sufficient to save a person from a life-or-death predicament.

"Was it from the lump you used to wash your feet?" the Dragon Horse's large eyes swiveled mischievously.

"Shut up," Ye Fan warned, not daring to let it say more. It would be too embarrassing, and Lin Han would likely be speechless upon recovery.

A ball of light merged into Lin Han's body, and instantly, a resonant sound of the Dao echoed within him. His chaotic spiritual platform erupted with precious light, and his entire being was suddenly filled with vitality.

"It's working! Father-in-law's spiritual consciousness is awakening; he might recover in just a few days!" Wang Ziwen exclaimed in surprise.

Lin Ling wept tears of joy, and all the clan members were invigorated. They suppressed their cheers as they exited the area, overwhelmed with gratitude towards Ye Fan, too emotional to speak.

As long as Lin Han survived and safely overcame this calamity, he would very likely become a Great Saint, capable of looking down upon the entire ancient star, fearless of anything.

"Let's eliminate the invaders! We should unite and slaughter those fierce beasts completely. We cannot allow them to lord over our ancient star!"

"It is everyone's duty to slay these foreign devils! We should do everything in our power to eradicate these scourges!"

The outside world was in an uproar as several major forces allied, constantly stirring up trouble and trying to recruit many unrelated individuals to join them in purging Ye Fan, the Lin clan, and others.

These individuals dared to act in this manner, undoubtedly with the tacit approval of peerless powerhouses. It was rumored that several Saint Kings, old rivals of Lin Han, wished to prevent him from becoming a Great Saint and eradicate the Lin clan entirely.

Wang Xi puffed out her cheeks, her small face filled with indignation. "They're too despicable! They're clearly a bunch of bandits who want our family's immortal pill fragments and also want to use this opportunity to eliminate my grandfather, yet they speak so grandiosely!"

"Uncle Ye said not to pay attention to them for now," Wang Chen said. "They don't fully understand the situation and won't act immediately."

"The Heavenly Soldier ancient star is very peculiar..." Ye Fan murmured. He was diligently comprehending the Great Dao, feeling that this ancient star was truly unique.

The Dragon Horse, Golden Lion, Scorpio, and others were thriving, finding their enlightenment remarkably smooth here. Over time, with consistent effort, they would gain immense benefits, and their cultivation would undoubtedly skyrocket.

In the past few days, Ye Fan had discovered numerous mysteries. There were man-made imprints of the Great Dao etched into the heavens and earth, seemingly as ancient as eternity itself, some already blurred.

This shocked him. What kind of supreme powerhouse could have done this? The more he explored, the more terrifying he found it. These were imprints left by supreme beings from prehistoric times, possibly even imperial marks!

Heaven and Earth nourish humans, and humans can also generate Dao; the two interact. The fact that this star, named Heavenly Soldier, has prospered continuously to this day is greatly related to these man-made Dao traces.

Ye Fan sat cross-legged in the sky, his entire being seemingly merging with the Dao, his form indistinct and hazy, blending with chaotic qi as he sought to capture those ancient traces.

"Profound and vast," Ye Fan marveled. "This doesn't seem like the work of just one person. There are several types of ripples, imprinted upon this universe, becoming immortal marks."

He felt that coming to this ancient star was truly the right decision. It seemed to hold unknown secrets worth exploring.

"Ye Fan, I've found all the historical materials you needed," Wang Ziwen appeared, parting the chaotic mist as he approached.

The Heavenly Soldier ancient star was very mysterious, and Ye Fan wanted to understand its past. Wang Ziwen took this seriously, delivering various ancient texts in the shortest possible time.

"There are dozens, even hundreds, of legends about this ancient star," Wang Ziwen said. "The truth is hard for outsiders to discern. I've also thoroughly researched them in the past, for your reference."

Ye Fan diligently read through them. These were all the result of Wang Ziwen's dedicated efforts: some were records from ancient books, some were gleaned from inquiries in ancient tribes, and some were clues unearthed from underground ruins.

* "The Heavenly Soldier ancient star is connected to other surrounding stars and is shaped like a weapon, hence its name."* "This star is the head of an ancient corpse, transformed into a great star."* "An Imperial Weapon is nurtured within the Primordial Mountain Range, sleeping for eons, and will one day awaken."

The age was too distant; no one truly knew the origin of the Heavenly Soldier star. There were various ancient legends, which Ye Fan carefully reviewed, feeling deeply surprised.

Each legend was astonishing and contained some convincing elements, making the place even more enigmatic.

Soon, another ancient anecdote caught his attention: ancient sages speculated that this might be an ancient training ground for the Heavenly Court to cultivate and nurture its celestial soldiers.