Chapter 1352: Divine Malevolent Intent

Beneath the starry sky, all the mighty figures trembled! Everyone's hair stood on end. Such creatures were extremely rare, seldom seen throughout eternity, and all of them were terrifying, difficult to contend with.

The black shadow was indistinct, draped in a large black cloak that concealed its entire body. It seemed to have walked out of the mythical era, carrying a sense of ancientness and an unnatural, sinister aura.

According to legend, a Divine Spirit of Malice is a malevolent thought formed after the death of a deity from the Nine Heavens. It stands in direct opposition to the supreme divinity and holiness of their former life, possessing the most terrifying demonic nature, inspiring fear in all.

No one had ever imagined that the Hegemon would carry such a Divine Spirit of Malice, coexisting with it peacefully. How astonishingly defiant of natural order was this? Throughout history, no normal person had ever been known to coexist peacefully with such an utterly evil entity. It defied common sense, sending shivers down one's spine and seeming utterly inconceivable.

This Divine Spirit of Malice was exceptionally powerful, truly the epitome of evil and malevolence. It exuded a repulsive aura, with wisps of dark light swirling around its body like a deathly halo. Its mere appearance made the entire starry sky tremble!

A powerful surge of Yin energy swept across the cosmos, like the sharpest, gleaming long blade scraping against people's skin. Many felt their fine hairs shed, and their bodies ached. Powerful fluctuations spread, making all the mighty figures feel a profound sense of oppression!

"This... this is a Divine Spirit of Malice from the Ancient Era, not the Recent Era, and far from the Primordial Era. Otherwise, it wouldn't possess such power," an old man remarked.

"Judging by its power, that's certainly true. But if the circumstances are unusual, then it's difficult to determine," another elder interjected, his expression grave.

Ancient Great Emperors or Ancient Sovereigns, who performed great deeds for the common people, would be remembered even after death. The collective faith of sentient beings could help forge their malevolent thoughts. This was the fundamental reason for the birth of Divine Spirits of Malice! In a sense, if a Great Emperor was frequently discussed and most remembered by the masses, then any Divine Spirit of Malice born from them would undoubtedly be the most powerful.

If too much time had passed, and they were forgotten by sentient beings, or if their own clan had long since perished, then fewer people would speak of them. In such cases, even if a Divine Spirit of Malice were born under special circumstances, it would not be invincible. Not every Ancient Emperor would give birth to a Divine Spirit of Malice. This only occurred if their obsession before death was too profound and involved various complex karmic ties. Otherwise, under normal circumstances, such a creature would not appear at all.

While this Divine Spirit of Malice could not be called supreme, it was far superior to the Hegemon. Thus, some elder figures inferred that it was a supreme malevolent spirit from the Ancient Era.

Ye Fan stared at the black shadow. It was not the first time he had encountered a Divine Spirit of Malice. He had once even fought alongside other mighty figures against one, deeply understanding the horror of such creatures. This Divine Spirit of Malice was absolutely impossible to confront head-on. After all, it was formed from the fragmented malevolent thoughts of an Ancient Great Emperor. If pushed into a corner, it might even overturn the entire starry sky.

"If only I could awaken its past life, allowing its benevolent thoughts to re-emerge. It would then collapse without a fight," Ye Fan murmured to himself. In this world, Divine Spirits of Malice feared forces of extreme rigidity and ultimate Yang, such as lightning tribulations. Unfortunately, he was not currently undergoing tribulation, so he couldn't eliminate it using that method.

"Holy Body, do you think a mere formation can trap me? Break!" the Hegemon roared. The Seven Prohibitions of Immortal Sealing had already descended, countless starlight forged into a cage, trapping him within. His body was covered in purple blood, and white bones were clearly visible.

The Divine Spirit of Malice stood beside him. Although boundless starlight filled the area, its immediate surroundings remained dim and indistinct. At this moment, it suddenly turned its body to look at Ye Fan. What kind of eyes were those? Ruthless, cold, filled with the chill of death, like a demon lord from a dark age descended and reappeared in this vast universe, instilling a sense of despair in everyone.

It let out a low growl that instantly caused the vast universe to tremble violently. Savage energy surged, and every person in the starry sky felt a chill from head to toe.

"This Divine Spirit of Malice is somewhat peculiar. Its era cannot be determined by conventional means, and its power is strange, making it difficult to judge!" the elderly voice from before spoke again.

"Could this be... a calamity?" another elder asked, deeply worried.

The Divine Spirit of Malice moved, letting out a low roar. Its overwhelming Yin energy actually shattered the brilliant light of the sun, moon, and stars, plunging the area into dimness. A tremendous roar erupted! No one knew what secret technique it had used, but the area was utterly extinguished. The Seven Prohibitions of Immortal Sealing were dismantled, the cage forged from starlight shattered, and the demon and the Hegemon broke free one after another, like beasts unleashed from their gates.

In an instant, killing intent swept across the cosmos. The universe seemed to plunge into darkness as all starlight was eclipsed by that malevolent spirit. It was as if a demon lord had crossed dimensions, dominating everything in its path.

"Holy Body, you trapped me with a formation, but now it's broken. Let's see where you can hide! Today, it's not about anything else, only life and death!" the Hegemon declared, his eyes cold and filled with unconcealed murderous intent. Only one person could survive this battle. They were destined rivals, and one had to fall for there to be a conclusion.

Ye Fan stood in the starry sky, surrounded by the galaxy. The area he occupied was supremely divine and sacred, filled with powerful Yang energy, as he was about to confront the Divine Spirit of Malice, harboring extreme wariness towards it.

"Kill!" the Hegemon roared, charging forward alongside the demonic lord. They transformed into two streaks of light, tearing through the cosmos, even shaking out primordial chaos.

"Taiji generates two polarities!" Ye Fan calmly shouted. With a flick of his hand, he hurled out banner after banner that he had carved, planting them in the starry sky to bolster the formation's power. Simultaneously, he continuously employed Origin Arts, activating the massive ancient formation beneath this starry sky. He utilized the laws of Extreme Origin Arts, causing all things to revive; from the grand sun, moon, and stars to the smallest cosmic dust particles, everything came alive.

The remnants of the ancient Celestial Court's formation flickered, and a specific area laid out by Ye Fan became even more incandescent. A Taiji Immortal Diagram, not vast but certainly not small, materialized. Within it, the sun and moon rotated, and meteors formed dragon-shaped curves of Dao principles, composing an immortal formation diagram that now unleashed unparalleled divine power.

Heaven and Earth shifted, the sun and moon relocated. Manipulating a star domain, Ye Fan, with his masterfully applied Origin Arts, severed the cosmos, separating the demon and the Hegemon. The formation transformed, stars shifted, seas dried up, and stars turned to dust. In that instant, it was as if eons had passed, marked by terrifying changes.

The Yin-Yang curve formed by asteroid clusters split the cosmos into two: the Supreme Yin fish region and the Supreme Yang fish region. They intertwined, revolving around each other. The Hegemon was isolated in the Yin fish region, while the Divine Spirit of Malice was cut off in the Supreme Yang and Supreme Rigidity Yang fish region. Both were separately isolated and besieged.

Within the Supreme Yang region, countless streaks of starlight spread out like rivers, brimming with Yang energy. Ye Fan directly confronted the Divine Spirit of Malice!

Boom!

The demon lord-like entity took a step forward, instantly dimming a swath of starlight and sharply reducing the Yang energy. Even a formation capable of killing a Saint King could not immediately suppress this demon.

"Whose Divine Spirit of Malice is this, to be so powerful? Could it have been born in the Recent Era?" The "Recent Era" as referred to by the Saints in the starry sky was an entirely different concept from what ordinary mortals and minor cultivators understood.

"There was only one Azure Emperor in the Recent Era. This... surely isn't a malevolent spirit born from him, is it?"

Everyone's hair stood on end as they whispered in secret. This Divine Spirit of Malice seemed far from simple. It was many times more powerful than anyone had imagined, incredibly difficult to deal with. With a roar, the demon strode forward, composed and serene, truly like a shadow of an Ancient Great Emperor, pressing down with suffocating force. Many felt their legs tremble, almost buckling to kneel.

"Resist! You absolutely must not kneel! This is merely a Great Emperor's malevolent thought, the most evil of creatures. Do not be intimidated by its aura!" Ancient Great Emperors deserved respect and worship, but this antithetical demon was not worthy of prostration.

Rumble!

A small cauldron shot out from between Ye Fan's eyebrows, then rapidly expanded. Inside, thunder rumbled and mist surged, releasing the power of a heavenly tribulation. This immediately startled the Divine Spirit of Malice, causing it to halt abruptly.

Ye Fan's cauldron was unique. The heavenly tribulations it had endured were too terrifying. Each time it passed through a tribulation, it would leave behind patterns and imprints—a confluence of thunderous energy. Now, engraved upon it were images of flowers, birds, fish, insects, the sun, moon, stars, and various celestial deities—all etched by heavenly tribulations, imbued with an aura of ultimate Yang.

Those numerous tribulations had all been extraordinary, with even young Great Emperors emerging to contend with them. One could imagine the immense scale of such lightning tribulations. The lingering aura alone still made the Divine Spirit of Malice wary. However, the demon merely paused briefly before immediately advancing again. Even the aura of ultimate Yang and rigidity from the lightning tribulation could not impede it; it was fearless.

"This... this couldn't truly be the Azure Emperor's Divine Spirit of Malice, could it? It's simply too powerful! Only a malevolent spirit born from a supreme being of the Recent Era would dare to defy a lightning tribulation!"

"No, that's wrong. The Azure Emperor only passed away ten thousand years ago. A Divine Spirit of Malice couldn't possibly appear yet."

In the starry sky, a pair of elders exchanged grave looks, observing intently and whispering among themselves. They also instructed their disciples to begin preparations, to fully seal off the area should anything unexpected occur, preventing its spread.

"Could it be the Divine Spirit of Malice of Great Emperor Amitabha? He spread his teachings in some ancient star domains, and who knows how many people in the world speak his name. If a Divine Spirit of Malice were to arise from him, it would be close to, if not the strongest, in history!"

"The waters surrounding Great Emperor Amitabha are too deep. I hope there is never any information about him. This Divine Spirit of Malice is terrifying, but it shouldn't be his."

The two quickly fell silent, saying no more. The others, meanwhile, were extremely tense, closely watching the battlefield. The Hegemon was trapped in the Yin region. The demon stood fearlessly in the Yang region, accepting the baptism of starlight, allowing the constant thunder within the cauldron, yet still pressing forward. The situation was critical. This terrifying black shadow was immensely powerful, far exceeding earlier predictions, utterly unfathomable, causing even the Saints to tremble!

"'Accumulated Yang becomes spirit, within spirit is form. Form is born from the sun, the sun is born from the moon. Accumulated Yin becomes form, within form is spirit...'"

A chanting sound resonated through the starry sky. Ye Fan sat cross-legged amidst the Yang energy, reciting scripture that echoed throughout the star domain. The demonic shadow trembled, filled with surprise and uncertainty, as if deeply affected.

The Deliverance Sutra!

This was the complete and unblemished ancient Deliverance Sutra, the full version Ye Fan had obtained on Earth. It was a supreme scripture specifically created to deal with Divine Spirits of Malice and Yin spirits, possessing miraculous efficacy. Most people believed it to be of little use, not an immortal scripture, not even a Saint's scripture. However, after experiencing various things, Ye Fan no longer held that view today.

It was very likely an exceptionally important scripture, a method passed down by the Taoist Supreme from the other side of the starry sky—Heavenly Venerate Lingbao. Heavenly Venerate Lingbao was one of the Three Pure Ones of Taoism, whose origin and demise were unknown, so ancient that they defied exploration.

Ye Fan speculated that Heavenly Venerate Lingbao might be one of the Nine Heavenly Venerates from before the mythical era, undoubtedly a Great Emperor-level figure. The scripture he left behind would naturally be considered an Emperor Scripture. Later generations considered this scripture useless, perhaps because it had not shone brightly in their current era.

Ye Fan had once pondered deeply that in the mythical era, generations of supreme beings undertook various inconceivable attempts in pursuit of methods for immortality. For instance, burying their physical bodies, leading to changes in the corpse and the birth of a spiritual deity. Or burying their future incarnation and engraving the Samsara Seal... All these might be suppressed by the Deliverance Sutra!

This was an incomplete conclusion Ye Fan had reached after years of diligent study of this scripture. If this were true, the meaning and importance of this scripture would undoubtedly shock the world. Heavenly Venerate Lingbao was a figure from before the mythical era. To have created this scripture in such an early age, he must have deduced something profound, leaving behind an unparalleled immortal scripture for future generations.