Chapter 1401: Transformation into Buddha

As a divine sun hung in the sky, when Ye Fan ascended the altar, golden light radiated from his entire being, like a sun releasing immortal brilliance, with a surge of supreme power.

He formed a seal with his left hand, and myriad stars emerged. With his right hand clenched into a fist, he controlled the cycle of life and death. He was like an Immortal King reigning over the nine heavens, supremely divine, sacred, and dazzling.

The Blood Beast roared, and behind it, an endless sea of blood appeared, as if it commanded the Asura World, a sovereign of that realm. It stood upon the blood sea, its aura engulfing heaven and earth.

It did not reveal its true form at this time but appeared as a red-haired Taoist, with disheveled hair and beast-like eyes. It transformed its palm into a universe, containing mountains and rivers, and suppressed it towards Ye Fan.

Ye Fan’s golden fist controlled the cycle of life and death, shattering all obstacles; even a palm world was no exception, being directly pierced through.

A sound of shattering reverberated, and a world was destroyed!

One must admit, the Blood Beast was incredibly terrifying. Its palm world collapsed, causing the void there to cave in and twist, yet its body remained completely unmoved. It met Ye Fan’s golden fist head-on with its blood-red great hand.

With a thunderous roar, a blinding light erupted between them, like countless stars exploding, resembling eternal, brilliant fireworks scattering in all directions.

This place was the True Phoenix Building, rumored to be the physical body left behind by a Quasi-Emperor who failed their tribulation. It had been indestructible since ancient times; otherwise, in any other place, even the stars in the sky would have been shaken down.

The Blood Beast was extremely powerful, a supreme variant among Primeval Fierce Beasts. Its physical body could contend with gods and demons, and only such a bloodline could withstand Ye Fan’s punch without exploding.

This indirectly proved that the young supremes on the Ancient Starry Road were not merely boastful. Otherwise, how could they have stood out among all the saints?

Below the altar were thousands of people. They were not ordinary trial-takers but the strongest of their generation from various races! All were peerless talents, having risen through competition among billions of beings. At this moment, they could only look up at the dozen or so figures on the high platform.

Many races could only produce one young supreme, which fully illustrated the significance.

Ye Fan’s golden fist and the Blood Beast’s palm collided repeatedly, causing the red-haired Taoist’s body to tremble and streaks of scorching lightning to appear in the void. Ye Fan charged past, attacking another enemy, quickly switching opponents, and striking the Earth Corpse.

There, an overwhelming yin energy surged, and nether mist billowed. It was as if the King of Hell had opened the gates of hell and descended into the mortal world.

“Clang, clang!”

From the Earth Corpse’s palms and fingers emerged several thick, dark, shining iron chains. They were chillingly striking, like shackles from the depths of hell used to bind fierce beasts, now serving as its weapons.

It was an ancient corpse that had gained enlightenment. It had been buried in an extremely yin place, absorbing yin energy over the years, gradually developing sentience, and achieving its current power.

Ye Fan struck with his bare hands, tearing a chain apart. His golden palm was indestructible; even Saint King-level weapons would be useless and destroyed.

However, the Earth Corpse’s body was unexpectedly tough and horizontally resilient, truly living up to the name "Diamond Indestructible." When Ye Fan struck it with a sealed hand, only white marks appeared; it did not crumble.

To become a young supreme of this generation, it was clear that they all had their reasons; none were ordinary, each possessing unique insights in cultivation.

Clang, clang…

Like hammering iron, Ye Fan’s left hand formed a seal, causing myriad stars to flicker, while his right hand clenched into a fist, emitting tens of thousands of golden divine lights, fiercely clashing with the Earth Corpse.

This power, this dominance, this intensity, astonished every young supreme. It was a confrontation of Diamond Indestructible Body against an Undying Golden Body.

Finally, Ye Fan alternated strikes with his left palm and right fist, shattering all the chains on the Earth Corpse’s body, as if he had broken into hell and destroyed its divine artifacts.

However, the Earth Corpse was truly too powerful. Its body remained undamaged, emitting yin energy and vast black mist that surged upwards, incredibly resilient and strong.

Everyone below the altar was astonished. They were all far beyond ordinary trial-takers, the strongest young individuals of their respective races, the most powerful among their generation. Yet, at this moment, they felt profoundly vulnerable.

If it were them, they estimated they would be instantly shattered into bone fragments and blood pulp by a single punch!

At this moment, everyone felt a chill in their hearts and became silent as cicadas. It seemed their decision not to challenge Ye Fan was correct; only those on the altar could contend with him.

On that high platform, the Gold-devouring Beast, Sang Gu (descendant of Primeval Gods and Demons), the Sky-devouring Ancient Beast, and the Copper Ant King were all covered in bloodstains, having also endured such fierce battles.

Every young supreme who ascended the altar fought their way up through sheer strength. Apart from the Golden Serpent Four Young Masters, figures like the Divine Race Celestial Maiden Shen Lan, Emperor Tian, and the Stone Golem Sacred Spirit had all shed blood.

On the True Phoenix Building, there were numerous powerhouses from various ancient domains, belonging to different races. In their respective worlds, they were invincible, but here, no one acknowledged anyone else’s superiority. In a sense, everyone would be an enemy to the world, needing to defeat all others to reach the pinnacle on the Emperor’s Road.

Ye Fan was the last to arrive. Those below dared not test him, but this did not include those on the altar. They had all fought their way up, shedding blood and risking their lives to become the supremes on top. Naturally, they would not sit idly by and let someone ascend so easily.

Ye Fan’s fame among the human race was irrelevant here; he had to pass this test and gain recognition from other races through his strength. Some on the altar naturally hoped for his demise to reduce a competitor.

“Clang!”

Ye Fan’s golden fist collided with the Earth Corpse’s black fist, causing heaven and earth to collapse as if two pieces of divine metal were violently smashing together, causing some people’s eardrums to almost crack.

“What was this guy’s past life? How can his physical body be so powerful, actually able to contend with Ye Zi’s body? This defies common sense,” Pang Bo said with a grave expression.

The Earth Corpse was too strong, causing Emperor Tian, the Divine Race Celestial Maiden, and the Golden Serpent Four Young Masters to change their expressions. Such an invincible physical body at this realm was rare throughout ancient history.

Ye Fan’s strength was self-evident. And the Blood Beast could also be understood, being one of the oldest bloodlines, a race that could contend with gods and demons in primeval times, immensely powerful.

However, the Earth Corpse was too bizarre. Many speculated that the ancient corpse’s past life must have had an extraordinary identity; otherwise, how could it be like this?!

Ye Fan’s eyes were cold, fully displaying the true meaning of the Six Paths of Reincarnation. One punch split heaven and earth, controlled life and death, and dominated reincarnation, as several ancient universes rotated.

The Earth Corpse was sent flying horizontally but did not explode. Instead, its entire body emitted boundless Buddha light, and faint chanting sounds came from within.

It appeared solemn and dignified, like an enlightened high monk, with ceaseless Zen chants reverberating through heaven and earth, as if countless Bodhisattvas and ancient Buddhas were blessing and protecting it.

Witnessing this terrifying scene, everyone was stunned, then their hair stood on end, feeling a chill throughout their bodies, a profound shiver.

Was its past life a supreme Great Buddha?

Evidently, Ye Fan’s punch was too overbearing, almost harming its fundamental source. It activated the dormant ancient divine power within its body, causing it to surge forth.

“Amitabha!”

Ancient chanting sounds rose and fell, like the resonant music of the Great Dao of Heaven, deafening. It made every soul tremble, unable to bear it.

“Its origin is too grand!” Everyone was shocked. Ancient patterns appeared behind the Earth Corpse; in ancient times, it had actually worshipped an ancient Buddha, with Imperial aura flowing, shaking through all eternity.

The ancient corpse’s past life had served Amitabha Buddha. It was either an enlightened high monk or a disciple of Amitabha Buddha—this was simply unheard of!

Everyone was petrified, completely awestruck.

Boundless Buddha light emanated from the Earth Corpse, radiating immortal brilliance. But then, an anomaly occurred; the sacred suddenly changed. All auspicious light instantly turned pitch black, becoming corpse qi.

The Zen chants of the Bodhisattvas and ancient Buddhas all transformed; the Earth Corpse converted them into death qi. Its entire body became cold and sinister, and the boundless sacred light turned into black light, submerging it.

It resembled an ascetic monk, all its hair shed, with ordination marks appearing on its head. However, its entire body was pitch black, no longer possessing any of the serene auspiciousness of a Buddhist disciple; it had completely become a great demon.

“What rebirth, what past? A life, then an empty death. Amitabha, with this final chant, I am me, difficult to seek reincarnation.” Its body, which had been fractured by Ye Fan, completely healed under the infusion of black light, and its Diamond Indestructible Body reached an even higher level, becoming dark and lustrous!

The Earth Corpse retreated, bowed to Ye Fan, and said, “Even if two identical flowers bloom in the world, they are merely alike in form. This flower is most splendid when you see it. Thank you!”

Everyone felt a chill down their spines. This was indeed an ancient monk from the Amitabha era, whose corpse had been preserved within a ley line, and now it had achieved enlightenment. Fighting Ye Fan stimulated the Buddhist light of its past, leading to a complete transformation, changing from Buddha to demon, becoming even more powerful.

The Earth Corpse retreated and returned to the altar.

With a thunderous roar, Ye Fan clashed with the Blood Beast. This ancient beast was forced to reveal its true form: its entire body blood-red, as if cast from scarlet gold, with colossal, clanging scales. It resembled a winged dragon, but upon closer inspection, it looked like a gigantic, scaled bat. Its true form was thousands of feet long, but now it had shrunk to ten feet, dashing and charging, its magical power immense and boundless.

Eventually, it also retreated, transforming back into the red-haired Taoist and reappearing on the altar. Its purpose was merely to make things difficult for Ye Fan, not wanting him to ascend easily. If a single strike could kill him, that would be best, but no one was willing to engage in a life-and-death battle, especially with a dozen other young supremes watching intensely.

“Ye Zi, did you use eight-tenths of your power?” Pang Bo secretly asked, using this to estimate the others’ strength.

Ye Fan replied, “They also held back; they won’t fight to the death here. They will engage in a bloody battle when they meet on the Ancient Starry Road, to decide life and death and reincarnation.”

Above the altar, Sang Gu, the descendant of Primeval Gods and Demons, rose. His thick black hair cascaded like a waterfall to his waist, and his eyes glittered like stars. There were bloodstains on his body, evidence of his fierce ascent. He now stood up and said, “For me to acknowledge you, you just need to withstand one palm strike from me.”

He merely stood there, causing the myriad stars to tremble. He was supremely powerful and great, the only pure-blooded descendant of Primeval Gods and Demons to appear in tens of thousands of years.

Everyone’s hearts pounded. This was a true descendant of Primeval Gods and Demons; his body was as hard as divine iron, his magic power vast as the sea—most terrifying.

“Is there a need? I have fought him before,” said Shen Lan, the Divine Race Celestial Maiden, glowing all over, her divine blood rumbling within her, releasing immortal power, as if she stood high in the ninth heaven.

In terms of bloodline alone, the descendants of Primeval Gods and Demons and the gods were closely related, separated at some unknown time, both being the most powerful races.

Sang Gu, the descendant of Primeval Gods and Demons, was supremely majestic. Hearing this, he nodded and said, “Very well.” He ultimately did not strike.

“We all fought our way up. For me to acknowledge you, you just need to show an astonishing display of strength,” the Copper Ant King said.

Its true form manifested, standing as tall as a person, entirely copper-colored. It was a divine ant; its race possessed innate divine strength, inspiring fear in anyone who knew about them!

It was a young supreme of a star domain on the Ancient Road, and its peerless divine strength could no longer be described as merely astonishing. With a rumble, its seemingly not-so-tall body, as it stepped forward, almost caused the True Phoenix Building to crack.

One should know that even the most terrifying heavenly tribulation could not destroy this ancient phoenix tree.

Ye Fan extended a golden hand, and the heavens and earth rumbled, countering the ancient bronze-colored palm it manifested. At this moment, the myriad stars trembled.

Both possessed supreme divine power, capable of lifting the sun and moon, causing everyone’s expressions to change, even the Golden Serpent Four Young Masters were no exception!

“You have passed,” the Copper Ant King retreated.

Each of the Golden Serpent Four Young Masters was calm and indifferent. They were the cream of the crop; with the four supremes united, who could be their match?

At this moment, they said nothing, which was also a stance, acknowledging Ye Fan’s supreme divine power.

No one else tested him. Ye Fan had contended with several young supremes in their areas of expertise, displaying such dominance that his strength was beyond doubt.

Ye Fan ascended the altar, looking down at those below, announcing the rise of another supreme. His status was recognized by the most powerful dozen or so individuals, placing him on par with them, and he was revered by the mighty figures below!

Indeed, none of them were merely boastful; they were truly powerful. The Divine Race, the Holy Blood—which one did not cause a tremor? To kill any one of them would require a bloody and tragic price. They were either gods and demons or sacred spirits… chilling to behold!

At this moment, no one dared to challenge them.

Pang Bo stepped forward and also ascended this towering altar, standing alongside Ye Fan, immediately provoking several cold snorts.

Those below watched in silence, daring not to provoke them casually, but those above had no such qualms. Some laughed coldly, their murderous intent palpable.

“Isn’t this platform a bit crowded? Not everyone can stand here, not everyone can enter the Mythological Ancient Road!”

Hearing this, Ye Fan stared at him and coldly spoke, “You’re right, it is a bit crowded. How about I kill one, and let Pang Bo take his place?”

Then, his gaze swept over several individuals, fixing on the Blood Beast, the primeval fierce beast that had first provoked and fought him.

“I’ll do it myself!” Pang Bo exclaimed, boldly pointing forward, intending to initiate an attack and challenge.

“Forget it, time is short. Let’s exchange things earlier and gather the ten strongest ancient bloodlines. I’m impatient for the Ancient Tree of Life,” said Sang Gu, the immensely powerful descendant of Primeval Gods and Demons, stopping further conflict. Clearly, his words carried significant weight.

“Relatively speaking, I am more interested in the Nine-Layered Coffin from the Mythological Era. I heard there are still a few beings sitting on it, advancing along the ancient road with the coffin,” said the Golden Serpent Third Young Master.

This made Ye Fan’s heart pound. Beings sitting on the Great Emperor’s Coffin? This stirred immense waves in his heart.

“Does anyone want to contend with us for the Nine-Layered Coffin from the Mythological Era?” the Golden Serpent Second Young Master said with a cruel, cold smile, sweeping his gaze across everyone.

He was powerful and self-assured, having massacred a domain, causing all the mighty figures to shiver. Even the dozen young supremes harbored apprehension towards him.

“I’m also very interested in the Ancient Tree of Life,” the Golden Serpent Eldest Young Master suddenly spoke. He had been closing his eyes until now, but at this moment, two peerlessly sharp golden rays shot out, making all the mighty figures tremble involuntarily.

The dozen or so young supremes, each believing themselves supreme, naturally would not back down, all scoffing in succession.

“See you on the Mythological Ancient Road,” Ye Fan said coldly.

“Indeed, there will be a battle then!” the others responded one after another.