Chapter 1619: Return

The battlefield fell silent as the blood mist dispersed, leaving only Ye Fan standing amidst his fallen enemies. No one else dared to challenge him.

The ground was drenched in blood, with tattered bodies and bone fragments clinging to bloodstains scattered everywhere. The sight was gruesome, like a hellish slaughterhouse.

Even those who had come with a sense of pilgrimage trembled. The Human Holy Body, Ye Fan, had indeed earned his fearsome reputation through battle. Three hundred years had passed, and even though he had lost his spiritual power and only his physical body remained, he was still inviolable.

Apart from the three individuals trampled on the ground, all the Great Sages who had come to encircle him were slain. It was a ruthless and cold-blooded display that inspired awe. In the past, he would sacrifice his life to fight Supreme Beings and protect the land's peace. Now, he could just as fiercely and decisively slay those he had once protected.

"Cough..." Mo Wentian coughed up a mouthful of bloody foam, his body wracked with intense pain. Not only had the Grand Dao Vase, formed from his cultivation, been brutally crushed by Ye Fan, but all the bones in his body were also broken.

This outcome was a devastating catastrophe and an even greater humiliation for him. How could he continue to live? His opponent would certainly not spare him.

Yi Ming was drenched in blood, his flesh almost completely pierced. The Dragon Sword, forged with Fledgling Azure Gold, had shattered, its fragments embedding themselves in his own body, leaving him a bloody mess.

Of the three, Tuoba Mo was the most indignant, continuously growling with a bestial glint in his eyes. Yet, he couldn't break free, trapped like a wild beast in a cage.

The numerous pilgrims wondered how Ye Fan would deal with the three. Some shouted, urging him to simply kill them to prevent future complications.

Ye Fan looked down at the three, then shook his head at the distant crowd. He had no desire to kill them at this moment. However, this indifferent expression, as it registered in the eyes of Mo Wentian, Yi Ming, and Tuoba Mo, felt like a knife slicing into them, their faces burning with shame and pain.

Ye Fan's demeanor made their faces contort. It was as if he didn't even see them, dismissing them as utterly insignificant, completely unafraid of their potential retaliation.

Tuoba Mo was enraged. He was a demonic figure who usually acted without restraint, so naturally, his blood boiled with immense humiliation at this moment.

Mo Wentian's face also turned ashen. The indifference in Ye Fan's gaze towards them was genuine, yet for him, it was the ultimate contempt.

They were both unwilling and indignant. The coldness at the corner of Ye Fan's mouth made them feel doubly humiliated and tormented. They were the prodigies of this era; when had they ever been looked down upon like this?

Ye Fan stood directly in front of them as they lay awkwardly prostrate on the ground, their heads touching the dirt not far from his feet. A fire burned in their hearts.

"So what, Ye Fan?" Mo Wentian said coldly. "Without your Dao fragments, you've lost the ability to contend on the path ahead. This is your sorrow and your misfortune!"

At this moment, this was the only way he could strike at Ye Fan's vulnerability, to salvage his pathetic dignity while prostrate at his opponent's feet. His heart felt as though it were being sliced by a knife.

"Do you finally know who I am?" Ye Fan asked indifferently.

Then, he lightly tapped his foot on the ground. The three felt as if struck by lightning, jolted to their feet, though they remained somewhat unsteady.

All three were defiant. Mo Wentian's eyes were icy cold, Tuoba Mo's gaze was full of wild danger, and Yi Ming's face was grim.

Even in such a predicament, they refused to yield, some even looking at Ye Fan provocatively to demonstrate their unyielding spirit and refusal to bow.

At this, all the powerful individuals who had come with a sense of pilgrimage grew enraged. They loudly reprimanded the three. More and more people gathered, far outnumbering the enemies Ye Fan had slain.

Ye Fan smiled, glancing at the three as if they were children. This look and expression made them clench their fists.

However, something even more infuriating to them happened next: Ye Fan kicked each of them in the behind, sending them all flying.

"Ye Fan!" The three went wild with rage. This was truly treating them like misbehaving children. Ye Fan had actually kicked their behinds. The physical pain was nothing compared to the burning shame and fury on their faces.

Who were they? All Great Sages, proclaimed as the most powerful young cultivators in three hundred years, possessing unparalleled talent. Yet now, they were being kicked in the behind in front of so many people—a humiliation more unbearable than having their bones broken.

The distant crowd was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter. This punishment was truly unique—only Ye Fan could come up with something like this.

Moments ago, everyone had been trembling, chilled by the blood and bones on the field. Who would have thought that in the blink of an eye, Ye Fan would deliver such dry humor?

"You... stay away!" Tuoba Mo lost his mind, panting heavily. He stared at Ye Fan approaching, backing away continuously, his face contorted with fear. It was clear Ye Fan wasn't done kicking, and he was coming for more.

"Aooo..." The demonic man was both pained and mortified. Kicked in the behind by Ye Fan once more, he soared through the air, letting out a sound like a wolf's howl.

Mo Wentian's face fell; he was next. Ye Fan walked towards him again. His face turned a mix of green and white, his eyebrows furrowed, and his incomparably handsome features were contorted with shame and indignation. "You... you can't do this to me!" he cried.

"Thump!" A searing pain shot through his behind, and he, too, was sent flying as if riding on clouds.

"No, don't come any closer!" cried Yi Ming, a remarkably handsome man who typically possessed an ethereal aura and had charmed countless maidens. Today, however, he was exasperated, shifting from fierce to angry, and finally, to fear.

Alas, no matter how the three peerless experts roared, it was useless. Throughout the Flying Immortal Battlefield, they were considered masters capable of dominating a region, yet at this moment, they were helpless, "miserable," and repeatedly kicked in the behind.

Great Sages over three hundred years old, being kicked in the behind by an adult like disobedient children—this was simply unimaginable.

"Ye, I'll fight you to the death!" Yi Ming was the first to break, but it was utterly useless; things remained exactly as they were.

Finally, with a faint smile playing on his lips, Ye Fan stopped kicking after a thorough session. The three of them were all grimacing, especially Mo Wentian and Tuoba Mo. One was formerly sinister, the other demonic, but now their expressions caused many to burst into laughter.

Three dignified Great Sages, supreme experts, ended up like this—kicked soundly in the behind, after which they obediently settled down.

This struck people as somewhat absurd. They pointed fingers at the three, and the laughter was incessant.

People felt that Senior Ye's heart was not old, but rather very young, to act this way. After three hundred years, his style of conduct hadn't changed much.

The battle concluded, leaving countless bodies, blood, and bones strewn across the battlefield. Ye Fan thanked everyone for their assistance but did not accept their offer to follow him.

Some people still insisted on following him, unwilling to leave. Their hearts were exceptionally excited; they sought his guidance and inquired about the details of that battle from years ago.

Those events were too distant for them. Battling ancient Supreme Beings felt like a major historical event from a mythical era.

Ultimately, Ye Fan lectured on scriptures, imparted cultivation methods, and shared insights on spiritual practice. He also discussed the course of past great battles but ultimately did not allow these people to follow him.

He had lost his Dao fragments and needed to be alone to reflect, find a solution, and forge his own new path. Furthermore, he didn't want these people to lose their ambition to compete because of him. His path ahead was full of thorns and dangers, and he didn't want them to be implicated.

However, three individuals still followed him, though they were not within the scope of Ye Fan's concern. When he was deep in thought, he could ignore them, treating them like air.

These three existed merely to serve as temporary laborers, clearing mountains and excavating ancient caves for him.

In the Flying Immortal Battlefield, countless heroes had died throughout history. Their blood and souls, their left-behind treasures, and their indelible Dao imprints had by now formed many talismans etched onto the mountains, creating numerous caves worth exploring.

The most precious finds were ancient scriptures, blood crystal divine marrow that could grant eternal life, and various divine vestiges left by ancient Great Emperors. If one searched diligently in this place, they could be found.

Ye Fan learned some information about his old friends. Three hundred years had passed, and there was no bad news. While he still didn't know the specifics, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"The Ji family and Jiang family were severely weakened, suffering considerable damage in that battle," the laborers added. "Yet they are universally respected by all races, becoming sacred grounds. No one would dare defy public opinion to trouble them."

"A great sect called the Heavenly Court is thriving and has spread across an entire star domain."

These details were added by the three laborers. Hearing this, Ye Fan's expression became somewhat dazed, and he nodded. He was not in a hurry to find his old friends now.

Now that he had appeared, this news, significant enough to shake the world, was bound to spread. He believed he would soon reunite with his old friends.

Ye Fan built a few thatched cottages at the foot of a mountain. Nestled against the mountains and by the water, the place boasted beautiful scenery, and he once again began to contemplate his future path.

Clearly, his appearance made it impossible for the area to remain peaceful. Those who insisted on following him cultivated nearby, never straying far.

As for Mo Wentian, Tuoba Mo, and Yi Ming, they excavated daily. Following Ye Fan's instructions, they carved into many talisman-laden mountain peaks, their sweat flying. Then, they drilled deep into the earth's layers to collect blood crystals.

The Emperor Pass was in an uproar. Once the news reached there, it caused a sensation. Almost no one believed that Ye Fan was still alive three hundred years after the Dark Blood Catastrophe.

"Go and see! Go and take a look!"

In the Emperor Pass, no matter how intense the hidden conflicts or how tied up they were, many people couldn't sit still after receiving the news. They wanted to go to the Flying Immortal Battlefield to see and verify it for themselves.

Of course, some people remained calm. Although shocked upon learning the news, their eyes quickly deepened. They didn't act immediately but quietly waited.

In the Flying Immortal Battlefield, one light gate after another shone, and one figure after another emerged. The aura of supreme power permeated many areas, indicating that some individuals' cultivation had clearly not been severed.

This was a tremendous upheaval, also portending a world-shaking catastrophe about to erupt. Ye Fan's return would make many restless and deeply worried!

Many peerless experts arrived, individuals who had shaken the world for three hundred years. Each one shone like the midday sun, having established an invincible reputation over the years!

Some were Ye Fan's acquaintances, while others were individuals who had heard of his fame but had never met him. One after another, they descended upon the Flying Immortal Battlefield.

People speculated that battle would be unavoidable, no matter what, because some of Ye Fan's mortal enemies would see his current weakened state as a rare opportunity!

"Master, I'm here!" At that moment, a great roar shook the mountains. A figure charged from the distance like a dragon, crushing all obstacles.

"If you wish to see my Master, you must first pass through me. Who dares to fight me?!" the newcomer roared, shaking the firmament. His echo reverberated through the heavens and earth, as an unparalleled, invincible aura surged forth.