Chapter 1676: Absolute Strongman

Killing a young master from a forbidden zone with a single arrow—what a brutal achievement! What else could everyone do but be terrified? This wasn't Ye Fan's first time slaying a supreme bloodline; was this the sixth, or even more?

Terrifying accomplishments, a blood-stained path, and a glorious past converged into a trajectory that inspired awe and made many look up to Ye Fan.

Ye Fan held a longbow, entirely black yet gleaming with a metallic sheen. It had been forged from a divine root found in the Sea of Reincarnation, once inscribed with the Dao of a supreme being. Now, Ye Fan had refined it himself in front of everyone. Since the Lord of Reincarnation's virtual spirit had been devoured by the Green Lotus, Ye Fan re-forged the bow, transforming it into a formidable weapon in his hands.

He collected a few more golden arrows, adding them to those previously retrieved by the cauldron, making a total of twelve. Each arrow shimmered dazzlingly, its sharpness intimidating. Everyone's expression changed. The single arrow that had just slain the Lord of Reincarnation's descendant had left a profound impression on all. This was undeniably an overwhelming offensive power; anyone targeted by an arrow would blanch.

Whoosh!

With a sudden draw of his bow, Ye Fan fired an arrow deep into a chaotic mountain. There, two figures ascended, shattering many condensed stars. One figure was indistinct, while the other was An Pu.

With a resounding clang, An Pu, wielding a black halberd, struck the golden arrow. A shower of sparks erupted, and his entire body jolted. A flash of blood appeared as the arrow, with its unparalleled sharpness, flew past his halberd, grazing his arm and leaving it bleeding profusely. In fact, it wasn't merely a graze; a surge of murderous intent had torn through his flesh, causing the blood to flow.

Ye Fan remained unmoving, standing atop a mountain peak like a demonic overlord, gazing down upon the world. He drew his bow again, nocking another arrow; eleven golden arrows remained for him to unleash. The blurry figure vanished into the profound stillness, while An Pu, with a flash, disappeared into the mountains, tearing open space to conceal himself.

Boom!

However, the very next moment, Ye Fan's arrow proved even more terrifying. When unleashed, it resembled a colossal golden mountain crashing down, completely unlike an ordinary arrow. It pulverized the long sky, rent the chaotic mountain, and forcefully drove An Pu out of hiding.

“Brother Ye,” An Pu said, no longer evading, standing in the void after dodging the arrow, “I originally had no intention of fighting you. I didn't expect you would insist on starting now.”

He possessed a sickly beauty, his complexion still as pale as ever, as if perpetually deprived of sunlight, giving him a languid appearance. This was a unique demeanor, distinct from the formidable presence of other ancient princes. Ye Fan looked at him, a slight ripple in his heart. This was a significant figure. He had intervened to stop Shen Ming at Ye Fan's wedding, a gesture that could be considered a favor. However, a battle between them was inevitable. The Undying Mountain sought to destroy the Ji family and also to kill him; they were destined to be mortal enemies for life.

“We must fight!” Ye Fan stated, those four words his only reply.

“I appear to be no match for you now,” An Pu sighed, speaking candidly. Such an admission, coming from the descendant of a forbidden zone lord, carried immense weight and had a remarkably distinct impact. A ripple went through the onlookers. This was the candid admission of a supreme bloodline, and such an acknowledgment instantly made Ye Fan's battle aura seem many times more formidable. He was now universally acknowledged as a true slayer of ancient princes.

The cauldron above Ye Fan's head hovered, his eyes devoid of any ripple. He recalled An Pu's words from years past, stating that the opening of the Immortal Road would mark the beginning of the greatest turmoil in history. At that time, few understood the true meaning of those words, yet they had been proven true one by one.

He slowly drew the bowstring, nocking the third arrow, his expression indifferent as he gazed at An Pu. An Pu, his complexion pale and devoid of color, lifted his head. “This battle has finally arrived,” he stated. An Pu knew a life-or-death confrontation between them was inevitable. Almost all forbidden zones were Ye Fan's adversaries, and once his strength peaked, he would certainly eliminate them completely; this was unavoidable. However, he was indeed unprepared. The question of how to contend with the Human Sacred Body was no longer a personal challenge, but one that had perplexed the bloodlines of multiple supreme beings.

Ye Fan fired the third arrow, a golden flash like an exploding thunderclap, tearing through the void. Attempting to traverse starfields was futile; he had already locked onto his opponent. An Pu let out a long roar. Though still appearing somewhat sickly, the halberd in his hands, when wielded, seemed to cleave heaven and earth, splitting chaos with terrifying might. Clanging sounds resounded incessantly as the halberd and arrow collided repeatedly. One arrow was deflected, its luster dimming as it slid aside.

However, when the fourth arrow was unleashed, An Pu's expression changed. The halberd in his hand vibrated violently, having sustained a destructive impact. This arrow was imbued with the full essence of the Sacred Body, terrifying beyond measure. Even An Pu, powerful as he was, felt his arm go numb, and his thumb web began to bleed. His eyes blazed with divine light; instead of retreating, he advanced, charging towards Ye Fan.

“Young master, leave! You are not his match now. He is in a unique state, at the pinnacle of the forbidden realm, just as the old master was in his youth!”

Just then, a blurry figure appeared, interposing itself before An Pu, urging him to retreat swiftly and intending to take his place to confront Ye Fan. As Ye Fan's fourth arrow was unleashed, the area erupted in chaos, and the world's vital energy seemed to be completely drained. The blurry figure roared, but it still couldn't significantly alter the outcome. An Pu charged forward, his halberd clashing violently in successive impacts, but one of his lower legs was shot through, exploding with a *pop* in the sky.

“Young master, leave!” The blurry figure rapidly materialized, dropping its concealed state. It was, in fact, a colossal headless knight.

“It's *it*!”

Many gasped, recognizing its origins. In the past, when this Death Knight first appeared, its aura was world-shattering. It was a servant of the Stone Emperor, and once intimidated all the heroes within the Undying Mountain, shocking the mortal realm. Though the Immortal Road had shattered, crushing many dreams, the Headless Knight survived, concealed within the Undying Mountain. And now, astonishingly, it had reappeared.

“So, you survived. Today, we'll settle accounts!” Ye Fan spoke coldly. The entity had been renowned in ancient times; the Stone Emperor had instigated countless upheavals, and this knight had once led armies into battle, shedding rivers of blood, truly terrifying.

Buzz!

The Headless Knight moved its hands, creating a chaotic rift that swept An Pu inside. Even Ye Fan's arrow couldn't sever this escape path. The Headless Knight employed the most fearsome powers and laws of its existence to forge a path for its young master, enabling his retreat and escape from the area. An Pu's pale lips parted, then closed again. In the end, he said nothing, vanishing into the chaotic rift.

Ye Fan advanced step by step, devoid of anger, calm and collected. The difference of one more or one less kill meant nothing to him. Crucially, he had already locked onto An Pu, having imprinted a trace of his energy within the latter's body. He would be able to pursue him no matter where he went in the future.

“The Headless Knight, who once gazed down upon the world…” he murmured. Standing at a different vantage point, the enemies he faced were naturally different. In the past, when this entity emerged from the Undying Mountain, who dared to resist or contend? Even a supreme being's mere servant was a Quasi-Emperor. Now, everything had changed. Ye Fan could now gaze down upon the world, and few remained who could contend with him. A battle was about to begin.

The Death Knight from the Undying Mountain, whose strength surpassed An Pu's current level, endured Ye Fan's arrows, but ultimately proved no match. When the twelfth arrow was unleashed, the knight roared furiously as its lower body exploded, sending rock fragments and gore scattering everywhere. It roared wildly with its divine sense, its body contorting in frenzy, attempting the same trick. Alas, when the chaotic rift was summoned again, it proved useless; having witnessed it once, Ye Fan would not allow it to succeed a second time. A supreme law fixed that spot, preventing chaos from opening!

With a hum, the Myriad Mother Qi Cauldron flew up and descended, suppressing the knight. This mighty being finally collapsed, transforming directly into a cloud of ash, leaving behind only a faint imprint. Branded onto the cauldron's wall, it barely resembled a living creature's image.

Who in this world could still impede Ye Fan's progress? This question weighed on everyone's mind. Yet Ye Fan himself remained remarkably calm. That aged sigh still seemed to echo in his ears; what he'd heard moments ago couldn't have been an illusion. There was indeed a peerless figure present.

His steps were firm as he walked towards the Monkey. General Kuntian was still present, showing no fear of his approach. “Hmm, my Lord's descendant was forced to his death by you all, cut down before he could truly mature—what a pity. There's nothing more to say, two lives for one.”

His figure finally became clear, revealing black profound-gold armor. He stood there like a demon god, streams of runes flowing around him, surprisingly exuding imperial might. Even though he knew Ye Fan was formidable and that the Monkey wielded half an immortal iron rod, he did not retreat. His intention to confront both of them sent shivers down many spines. At this moment, however, some realized that he held a supreme formation diagram!

Could it be… left by the Undying Heavenly Emperor?

“After the battle of old, is the Heavenly Empress still not resigned, still intent on taking control of this place? But I am not dead yet; do we need to fight another round?” Suddenly, an ancient voice resonated high in the sky.

“Old man, you truly aren't dead!” General Kuntian said grimly, baring a mouthful of stark white teeth, his profound-gold armor shimmering with dark light. He shook his hand, unleashing dozens of grand banners, each exuding the might of an ancient emperor, causing the entire area to tremble.

Suddenly, a blade descended from the sky, its frigid gleam astonishing for eons. With a *whoosh*, it severed every single flag formation that had yet to fully materialize! This single strike shook both past and present. The snowy white blade light stunned everyone, causing even Grand Sages to tremble, almost collapsing to their knees, their bodies weak as chaff.

Whoosh!

In the void, a burst of phoenix blood manifested, and a channel flickered into existence and then vanished, sweeping General Kuntian inside and causing him to disappear in the blink of an eye. A single blade strike destroyed the formation and forced General Kuntian, a loyal follower of the Undying Heavenly Emperor, to flee. It was suspected that the Heavenly Empress's divine powers had aided his escape. Such immense power left everyone stunned.

Clang...

A profound bell chime resonated through the ages. The chaotic mist dispersed, all mountains began to shift, and every kind of lightning and thunder receded. A vast immortal palace appeared in the sky, majestic and solemn, grand and magnificent, and to some, it seemed familiar.

“Ancient Heavenly Court!”

“It's the Heavenly Court's palace complex!”

Many cried out in astonishment.