Chapter 1617: Also God, Also Demon

Blood mist permeated the air, and bodies lay everywhere. Ye Fan stood alone atop a pile of corpses, silently observing everything. He spoke no words, made no movements, resembling a stone statue.

No one dared approach. Ye Fan had slain so many that the mighty heroes, even Great Sages, were terrified. They had never witnessed such a gruesome spectacle. These were all Great Sages who had fallen! Could this man, whose clothes remained unstained by blood, truly be the one who once battled across the starry sky and protected the peace of a region? Moments ago, he had clearly seemed like a demonic overlord, slaying with such terror that people trembled, and fighting with such ferocity that the heroes wished to scream. He was utterly terrifying.

The survivors dared not come closer; their hair stood on end. These individuals were lords of their own domains, the strongest cultivators from various star systems. Yet, in this place, they had no dignity, reduced to such a humble state. They could not raise their heads before that man, only prostrate themselves at his feet—a profound humiliation.

They retreated. Those who had just threatened to kill Ye Fan were now silent. This place filled them with dread.

In the distance, another group of people was filled with excitement. These were pilgrims who had come to follow Ye Fan's path, and they were gathering in increasing numbers, surrounding the battlefield. They were utterly shaken, feeling their blood boil. They longed to beat their chests and roar, to express the intensity of their emotions. Three hundred years had passed, and that man had stubbornly survived, remaining as formidable as ever.

Some had grown up listening to his legends, holding boundless reverence for him. They believed he was the strongest, convinced that had he not vanished, he would have undoubtedly become a monumental figure. In the hearts of many, Ye Fan had undoubtedly been deified, becoming a driving force for their aspirations. Now, a miracle had occurred; they had seen with their own eyes that he was still alive. How could they not be thrilled?

Just moments ago, they had been afraid, feeling anxious and uncertain, fearing that Ye Fan might suffer a setback and tarnish his formidable reputation, which would shatter the invincible myth they held in their hearts. Ye Fan's power filled their hearts with surging emotion. Even without fragments of the Dharma, he was still so potent! He alone had swept aside all challengers, towering over the mighty heroes, proving even stronger than the Holy Body they had once envisioned.

"Let's attack together and kill them!" shouted the powerful cultivators who had come with pilgrim hearts, pressing forward to aid Ye Fan.

Ye Fan shook his head, stopping them.

The enemies who had once attacked now grew timid, wanting to retreat. But Ye Fan cast a cold gaze their way, instantly stiffening their bodies. The sensation was profoundly unsettling. Ahead, piles of corpses rose like mountains. That man stood atop them, having killed so many, yet not a single drop of blood stained him, as he looked down upon them. Although so many had died, it had all happened in a mere instant, so swiftly that many people hadn't even had time to react.

Tuoba Mo's right hand was fractured, and fresh red blood dripped onto the ground. His wild eyes held a chilling intensity, like an awakened primeval beast, exuding great danger. His joints creaked as his hand bones recovered. Staring at Ye Fan, he felt utterly unwilling to accept that his bones had been broken by a single palm strike from the opponent. It was too humiliating. For many years, as a top figure among the younger generation, he had experienced setbacks, but none as utterly devastating as this. Especially as the Brahma War Body, he should have been able to contend with the Holy Body in physical combat. How could he have been so utterly defeated?

"Boom!"

Tuoba Mo attacked again. This time, he moved like a prehistoric beast, leaving a trail of afterimages, reaching an extreme speed that seemed to warp time itself. Everyone was stunned. His speed was astonishingly fast; even with partial cultivation not yet fully severed, it shouldn't have been this great. Moreover, his vital energy surged like a vast ocean, tearing through the sky. Tuoba Mo moved faster and faster, almost vanishing from the world, as if he had entered an ancient realm, traversing two dimensions simultaneously. He circled Ye Fan, not rushing to attack, but instead seeking an opening.

This was the first time Ye Fan showed a hint of surprise, though it quickly faded. He sensed that his opponent possessed the "Travel" character secret (Xing Zi Jue), which granted him extreme speed. It now appeared that the Nine Secrets were not entirely concentrated on the Burial Emperor Star; fragments of them had been scattered across other star systems, passed down and inherited.

"Boom!"

Tuoba Mo struck. His aura surged to its peak, and he channeled his extreme speed to unleash his strongest combat power, lunging forward. He seemed to merge with the very fabric of heaven and earth, his breathing and pulse aligning with them, using the will of the cosmos to suppress Ye Fan.

However, in that moment, Ye Fan took but a single step, and instantly shattered the overwhelming momentum. The earth trembled violently, and Tuoba Mo's rhythm was completely disrupted, as if a foot had stomped directly onto his heart! Who was Ye Fan, but the former Battle Maniac? He had refined the "Travel" character secret to its absolute peak, and effortlessly disrupted Tuoba Mo's rhythm.

With this strike, heaven and earth seemed to crack. Tuoba Mo's hand bones snapped, shattering instantly, and this time, his entire arm was twisted and completely deformed. He let out a beast-like roar. As the Brahma War Body, how could he be weaker than others in a physical confrontation? He was both indignant and utterly unwilling to accept this! Yet, with the undeniable facts before him, he could only retreat in bitterness. He resolved to temper his flesh and blood to a higher realm before attempting another battle.

However, his "Travel" character secret was utterly useless before Ye Fan. Ye Fan was a grandmaster of this art, capable of seeing through everything. The moment Tuoba Mo took a step, Ye Fan's foot disrupted his rhythm.

"Bang!"

Ye Fan swung his leg, sweeping across the War Body, who was unable to dodge. Tuoba Mo coughed up large mouthfuls of blood, the sound of bones cracking emanated from his body, and he collapsed into a pool of blood. Then, Ye Fan took a step and placed his foot on Tuoba Mo's back, pinning him down like a mountain. Tuoba Mo couldn't move, and even his breathing nearly ceased.

Tuoba Mo had once declared that the Holy Body was old and no longer fit for battle. Yet now, he suffered this humiliating fate, publicly trampled under Ye Fan's foot before everyone. "You..." Veins pulsed on Tuoba Mo's forehead, but he couldn't break free. Just one of Ye Fan's feet was enough to render him utterly powerless to resist, despite exerting all his strength.

"Bang!"

Ye Fan stomped down with his foot. Tuoba Mo, the demonic young man, felt his entire skeleton shatter. His fundamental essence was damaged, and his five great secret realms were simultaneously injured. He collapsed completely, utterly unable to struggle.

However, he did not die.

"You... why don't you kill me?" Tuoba Mo, who had been fearless moments before, now felt his hair stand on end, gripped by extraordinary terror. He felt that Ye Fan leaving him alive would be an even more terrifying prospect, filling him with profound dread.

Ye Fan merely glanced at him without a word, then looked towards the others. There was still a considerable number of combat-ready individuals remaining.

"Everyone, at this point, do you still wish to hold back? Can you escape his pursuit? We must fight here and now!" Mo Wentian of the Yao Guang lineage spoke, his voice not loud, yet carrying an air of cold authority. He had committed himself fully. Two members of their lineage had already fallen in battle. Though Mo Wentian had not yet made his move, he knew that Ye Fan remained as powerful and unshakeable as he had been three hundred years ago.

There were six or seven individuals from the Yao Guang lineage present, but only Mo Wentian was a direct disciple. The others, though they performed the rituals of apprenticeship, were more accurately followers—supreme experts from other star systems who had been subdued. They had acquired half of the Heaven-Devouring Demonic Art and cultivated this supreme technique. Ye Fan scanned these individuals, feeling a sense of pity for them. He knew that some were destined to become Yao Guang's "great medicine" in the future, used to gather other great medicines from the world, before Yao Guang would ultimately devour them. Hua Yunfei of yesteryear was precisely like this; his very existence was meant to complete Yao Guang, and he could not escape that predetermined fate. However, Ye Fan had slain him first.

Killing intent permeated the air as battle recommenced. Someone unleashed a forbidden artifact, which could be used without suppression in the Immortal Ascent Battlefield. A brilliant light instantly engulfed the heavens and the earth. Distant mountains and rivers were all evaporated, turning into dust. This was an attack of terrifying, peerless might. Clearly, this was no ordinary forbidden artifact; otherwise, it could not have unleashed such power here, striking awe into all who witnessed it.

"Die!" Mo Wentian revealed a cruel smile. A scroll appeared in his hand, which he also unleashed. It exploded and burned in the already chaotic center of the battlefield, as yet another powerful forbidden artifact took effect.

"Whoever has forbidden artifacts, use them all! Don't hold back!" Mo Wentian roared.

As a result, another terrifying forbidden artifact flew out, landing in the center of the battlefield, causing the heavens to collapse and the earth to crack! These were special artifacts crafted specifically for this environment, requiring endless heavenly materials and earthly treasures to forge.

Light engulfed Ye Fan's position. The heroes were invigorated, and shouts of battle once again shook the heavens. They refused to believe that Ye Fan, at the lowest point of his life and seemingly without a trace of cultivation, could withstand such powerful attacks based on fundamental laws.

However, when the light receded and the world returned to clarity, they beheld a figure like a demonic overlord, still standing in the center of the arena, one foot resting on Tuoba Mo's back.

"How is this possible?!" At that moment, everyone was utterly shaken. Even Mo Wentian, who had been the first to declare that there would be no Human Race Holy Body after three hundred years, felt his courage fail and couldn't help but tremble. That man stood amidst countless corpses, amidst blood and bone. His black hair cascaded around him, and his eyes were as profound as the starry sky. He was nothing less than an unparalleled demonic king!

"Unless you possess power at the Quasi-Emperor level, do not dream of tearing apart my physical body." This simple declaration was his only response. The very next moment, a bloody slaughter ensued!

Ye Fan moved, swift as a bolt of lightning.

"Pfft!"

With a single palm strike, he instantly reduced a powerful expert from the Yao Guang lineage to a bloody pulp. Then, Ye Fan seized a long spear, using it to pierce through the bodies of two other individuals, leaving them bleeding profusely. As this unfolded, Ye Fan saw followers of the Overlord charging forward, roaring to destroy him. This sight brought to mind the Great Accomplishment Overlord Body from the era of the dark turmoil.

"Pfft!"

He spun the war spear, shattering all those who approached. Many were sliced in half before exploding into fragments, their blood splattering. Next, Ye Fan confronted three stone figures. With his most formidable power, he shattered them into explosive fragments, and the stone men's blood erupted skyward.

At this moment, a surge of adrenaline coursed through Ye Fan as he fought. The Great Accomplishment Overlord Body and the Stone Emperor had once bathed the starry sky in blood, yet the races connected to them had never faced such tribulations. He, however, was enduring this very ordeal. Many were shouting, "After three hundred years, there is no longer a Human Race Holy Body, Ye Fan!" Hearing these words, he initially felt a surge of anger, but quickly calmed down. On the other side of the starry sky, he had long grown accustomed to such occurrences; there had simply been too many. He had seen old soldiers begging in the streets, while those whom martyrs had once driven away with their blood and lives now sat grandly on stages, their identities changed, impeccably dressed, and outwardly righteous. Human hearts, human nature—all of this was quite commonplace.

Ye Fan became free of joy and sorrow once more, his heart tranquil. Here, he continued to slay Great Sages, and the corpses beneath his feet grew increasingly numerous.

Finally, everyone collapsed. Even Mo Wentian felt his courage shatter. With a thunderous boom, his black treasure vase, formed from his enlightenment of the Grand Dao, was obliterated by Ye Fan's palm, dissolving into a sky full of dark light. Ye Fan then stepped on him, pinning him to the ground, where he lay prone beside Tuoba Mo. All five of his secret realms were shattered, leaving him unable to even twitch.

"Boom!"

Finally, with a single punch, Ye Fan shattered Yi Ming's Azure-Gold Dragon Sword. The fragments of the green sword body flew back, embedding themselves into Yi Ming. He let out a scream and collapsed into the pool of blood, lying prone alongside Tuoba Mo and Mo Wentian. All the other individuals had perished, slain by Ye Fan alone!

The ground was drenched in blood, red mist drifted through the air, and a thick, metallic scent of blood permeated everything. Corpses lay everywhere—it was a hellish scene. In the distance, only the pilgrims remained. Their numbers continued to swell, and all of them witnessed this shocking outcome.

"Both man, and god, and demon... invincible under heaven!"