Chapter 1660: Collapse of the Shackles

This was a Quasi-Emperor level fluctuation, startling the entire universe. All the powerful beings trembled as someone rapidly approached, determined not to give Ye Fan the chance to truly become powerful and rise.

A loud boom resonated!

World-ending divine lightning engulfed the vast star domain. Stars were no longer visible in this area, all shattered by the lightning. It was hard to imagine the immense scale of this lightning tribulation.

Ye Fan moved away from inhabited areas, entering desolate, dead star systems; otherwise, no living being would have survived, all turning to ashes.

Lightning intertwined, each bolt like a hanging galaxy. Long silver rays streaked across the dark universe, so brilliant they were shocking.

It was an unprecedented sight; people had never before witnessed such a massive lightning sea covering such a vast area. It was almost spanning star domains, simply incredible.

It defied all reason. A single bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, and even after leaving this area, it still destroyed one great star after another, like dazzling and beautiful flowers blossoming.

This sight rendered people speechless. It was too intense, too terrifying, too powerful. Was this still a Quasi-Emperor tribulation?

People almost suspected it was a Great Emperor undergoing tribulation.

Of course, no one had ever seen an Emperor's tribulation; this was merely speculation, as no current Quasi-Emperor had ever caused such a commotion.

Ye Fan roared, struggling amidst the sea of lightning. He was in great trouble, fighting desperately for his life, fighting to survive.

"This is truly a complete Quasi-Emperor tribulation!"

Compared to the last time, it was a world of difference, terrifyingly astounding. Even Ye Fan himself was palpitating with fear; the danger he faced surpassed his expectations.

To say it was a near-death experience would be an understatement; he was practically facing a dead end.

Several days passed, and he remained hidden in the desolate, dead star system. It should have ended long ago, but because of the multitude of trials, his heavenly punishment was unique. Even now, the lightning was still flashing violently, exposed to the outside world.

The lightning storm was like a sea, and Ye Fan was like a small boat, tossing and turning, rising and falling, constantly at risk of being overturned and buried in this vast sea of thunder.

At this moment, he was covered in blood, battling Great Emperors and confronting Ancient Sovereigns. They were one supreme being after another, peerlessly graceful and unmatched in the world.

These figures did not appear last time because the Quasi-Emperor tribulation was incomplete and flawed. Today, however, they all erupted, like vast oceans striking the sky and shattering the starry void.

This was nothing short of world destruction!

Ye Fan fought fiercely, having battled so many that he no longer knew the count. His body was severely mangled, bone fragments flying. His golden blood ignited the sea of lightning, and his red blood pulsed with flashing Dao runes, filling the sky.

The golden figure in his glabella also rushed out. It was shattered countless times but always reformed, fiercely battling the various Emperor projections.

"Kill!"

Ye Fan fought for days and nights, utterly exhausted, yet he continued to roar, unyielding and unwilling to give up. He knew that if he retreated, if he closed his eyes, he would fall into eternal slumber and never awaken again.

A buzz sounded.

On the opposite side, a figure wielding a battle-axe charged forward. Like a great devil king, his golden eyes blazed with intense light, and his monstrous killing intent surged skyward.

"Luan Gu!"

Ye Fan was very tired, but he had to summon his strength. Another young Great Emperor arrived, striking with an axe. The attack was world-destroying, the axe light like a sea.

Faced with the first strike, he did not dodge but endured it, using the rules of the young Great Emperor to bombard his own shackles, thereby breaking through his restraints and escaping his cage.

Ye Fan clamped the battle-axe with both hands, and the shimmering cold blade directly spread into his body, causing his bones to shatter, his flesh and blood to pulse violently, and his body to nearly explode.

This was almost self-mutilation, but it was necessary!

For the past three hundred years, the lingering Dao traces of Stone Emperor, Lord of God Ruins, Lord of Light and Darkness, Lord of Reincarnation, and others had intertwined within his body, forming a cocoon, or rather, a cage, burying his laws and Dao.

Now, Ye Fan was bathing in the Quasi-Emperor tribulation, using the Dao methods of ancient Great Emperors to temper himself and escape his predicament. This was like one sharp battle sword after another, piercing into his cage, helping him release his bonds.

Of course, doing so also harmed him; this was a necessary price to pay.

For several days, he had been enduring this pain, which was why the lightning punishment hadn't ended. He struggled to cross the sea of lightning, and whenever he was about to sink, he would let out a roar, thinking of everything from the past, present, and future, letting the obsession in his heart transform into a flame to forge his soul and keep himself conscious.

Painful struggles and continuous trials — for Ye Fan, this was an unimaginable hardship, yet also an opportunity. If he succeeded, he would find boundless possibilities; if he failed, he would fall into eternal hell.

One Great Emperor after another appeared, one Ancient Sovereign after another stood firm, waiting to conquer and battle. Ye Fan shed too much blood; his bones were shattered.

Fortunately, his recovery ability was now astonishing. This lightning tribulation also tore open his physical body, temporarily breaking the cage of laws, allowing his laws and Dao to become active. He used the 'Zhe' character secret art for healing; otherwise, he would have died even with ten lives.

"What a terrifying heavenly punishment, never seen before. This has surpassed the limit; he cannot be given this chance!"

A voice, chilling and trembling, resounded. A giant bronze coffin floated, etched with the Underworld Map of the Netherworld. The wailing of malevolent spirits emanated from it, and ghostly energy submerged heaven and earth.

A person sat up within it. Although not a Quasi-Emperor, they were extremely dangerous. A pervasive, chilling aura spread everywhere, originating from a scroll in their hand.

"The Netherworld Map, passed down for generations, is finally depleted today. But it's worth it, using it on the Sacred Body!"

This was a Quasi-Emperor forbidden artifact; in some sense, it was even more terrifying than a regular Quasi-Emperor weapon. It was a one-time use item, becoming useless after its single burst, but its divine power was astonishing!

A buzz sounded!

The ancient map soared across the sky, shimmering like a sea of stars. Inside, one galaxy after another swirled, encircling a desolate Netherworld. At this moment, it erupted.

Clearly, the arrivals were well-prepared; the forbidden artifact broke through the lightning, plunging straight into it without being destroyed beforehand. A monstrous netherworld aura surged, shaking this star domain. "Oh, these are tribulation-crossing runes, temporarily bypassing heaven's reckoning, dissolving the lightning tribulation, and forging a path. Weren't these supreme formation runes long lost? They've reappeared!"

"These are the formation runes created by the Tribulation Crossing Celestial Venerable back then; I didn't expect them to fall into the Netherworld!"

Clearly, there was more than one person, all closely observing, their eyes gleaming with ruthless and indifferent light.

Ye Fan was very weak, almost out of strength. After battling Luan Gu, he then faced the Divine Silkworm Emperor. And now, an ancient map tore through the sky, entering the lightning tribulation to crush him.

"Netherworld!"

Ye Fan saw the galaxies within the map, as well as the ghostly aura and the Hall of Senluo at its center. His brows furrowed with fury, he bit the tip of his tongue, and spat out a mouthful of Dao blood to forcefully regain his spirit.

A boom sounded!

The Soldier Character Art took effect. He wanted to seize control of the forbidden artifact to attack the Divine Emperor, hoping for a massive collision between the two.

Unfortunately, he did not get his wish. The forbidden artifact was heaven-shaking and earth-moving; in his weakened state, he couldn't seize it. The Netherworld Map remained as steady as a rock, continuing its relentless assault towards him.

"Then come on," he thought, "I have enough supreme traces on me already, what's one more of you?"

Ye Fan's body clanged, and one divine chain of order, thick as an arm, flew out. He was like a multi-armed demonic god, his law chains transforming into giant hands, grabbing towards the map.

A boom sounded!

The Netherworld Map disintegrated, transforming into a vast ocean that swept towards Ye Fan. This was a treasure map capable of killing Quasi-Emperors and annihilating peerless experts, and at this moment, its true power was finally revealed.

Brilliant light flickered, and Ye Fan disintegrated himself. The supreme Dao runes contained within his blood all surged forward, colliding with the vast, sea-like rules and order of the forbidden artifact.

His flesh, blood, and Dao bones were all burning. This was a battle where both sides would be harmed, and he bore the brunt himself.

However, during this period, his primordial spirit was not tainted by the Netherworld aura; it was safely taken into the Myriad Things Mother Qi Cauldron and strictly protected.

An earth-shattering collision occurred, and brilliant light flashed, dimming even the light of the heavenly tribulation. The Divine Emperor stood aside, not intervening, watching indifferently, as if a true divine consciousness had taken control of the body.

Ye Fan was completely shattered, his blood burning, his bones cracking, almost turning into a blaze of light. The residual divine chains left by the ancient supreme beings within his body, along with the map, simultaneously exploded.

This nearly led him to self-destruction!

"Is it over?" A chilling snort echoed. The person in the bronze coffin smiled, as if appreciating a rain of blooming, scattering flowers.

"I am immortal!"

From the vast sea of lightning, Ye Fan's cold yet awe-inspiring voice resonated. His burning flesh extinguished, his shattered bones reformed, and his body painfully reappeared.

This suppression broke through the seals of the supreme traces, allowing him to use more of his laws and Dao, making them much easier to control.

Ye Fan's primordial spirit did not immediately return to his body. After rushing out of the cauldron, he gestured with both hands, summoning the pervasive ghostly aura and netherworld yin flames to temper his primordial spirit.

His physical body had already experienced it; he wanted his primordial spirit to have the same experience.

Everyone gasped; this was simply defying the heavens!

They would not have imagined that the residual traces of ancient supreme beings, sealed within Ye Fan's body for over three hundred years, coexisting with him, would be so terrifying. Their attacks were essentially helping Ye Fan break free from his cage.

"What other tricks do you have?!"

Ye Fan roared, stepping forward. His 'Xing' character art reached its pinnacle; time stopped, or perhaps it seemed to reverse, as he instantly appeared before the bronze coffin, holding up the heavenly tribulation to prevent it from falling.

"You..."

The expression on the person in the coffin froze, and their heart trembled. Ye Fan's speed was too fast for him to react.

Seeing the violent lightning above and the surging Quasi-Emperor tribulation, his face turned deathly pale. Even if Ye Fan didn't attack, he would surely die; if the lightning descended, he would undoubtedly turn to ashes.

"Why?" His heart trembled, filled with bewilderment. That forbidden artifact could absolutely kill a Quasi-Emperor; it was one of the Netherworld's most precious immortal treasures, collected for endless ages and only brought out today. Yet, unexpectedly, it was ineffective, a result beyond all reason.

Ye Fan grabbed him and lifted him up, watching coldly. Then, with a rip, he tore him apart, blood splattering, before throwing him into the sea of lightning.

Only a wisp of smoke rose, and along with the bronze coffin, he turned into dust and ashes.

Ye Fan let out a long howl; the lightning flared violently, and the entire star domain roared and trembled. The stars were long gone, only empty sky and chaotic electric light remained.

"He's going to succeed; the tribulation has reached its final stage!"

It could be seen that the Great Emperor figures standing in the void were fading. The lightning tribulation, which had lasted for several days, was about to end, signifying that Ye Fan would break open the shackles of laws and Dao, truly rising.

This sight, this lightning punishment—one could ask throughout the world, how many could withstand it?