Chapter 1735: Ancient Unprecedented

Individuals who reach this stage are invariably self-assured, believing themselves to be unmatched throughout history and supremely dominant. Such a mindset is essential for them to progress this far.

This personality type is not uncommon in the mundane world. Those who fail naturally become objects of ridicule, but successful individuals, who maintain their powerful demeanor throughout life, often find their arrogance transformed into a distinct and defining characteristic.

The Great Accomplishment Hegemonic Body clearly belongs to the latter category. His invincibility stems from his character; he is consistently brimming with such overwhelming confidence that he sees no one else as his equal.

"Just focus on enduring your Quasi-Emperor Eighth-Layer Heavenly Tribulation," he murmured, his face impassive. "Otherwise, killing you would feel like staining my hands." His words were harsh, yet in a way, they reflected his genuine sentiment.

Having reached this stage himself, he had already achieved a unique form of enlightenment, even personally slaying a Great Accomplishment Holy Body. Thus, he naturally possessed the standing to utter such words when confronting someone at the eighth layer.

"Hahaha!" Ye Fan roared with laughter. Despite his blood-soaked fists, his demeanor remained bold. "You don't even know how to write the word 'death'," he declared. "Today, I'll carry your head and let you see it clearly!"

The Great Accomplishment Hegemonic Body's expression turned frigid. "If you don't wish to live longer and seek a swift demise," he stated, "then I shall grant your wish!"

In the arena, the colossal millstone grew increasingly terrifying, its imprinted figures becoming more lifelike. This was the manifestation of the Grand Dao's will, its divine power overwhelming the world.

Ye Fan and the Hegemonic Body's fists collided, and both were instantly battered into a bloody mess. Bone splinters jutted out, and crimson blood sprayed in all directions.

"Flesh and blood, form and spirit—is there truly something ghostly here? I don't believe it. It's merely lightning carving the spirits of past powerhouses. I'll kill you!"

Ye Fan roared, his pores wide open. Immortal radiance flowed through his body, and as he formed hand seals, he instantly unleashed an aura that sent shivers down the spine of the mortal world.

His left hand moved, sketching a rune in the void with a resounding boom. The character for "Time" manifested, shaking heaven and earth, accompanied by a sound like a vast river of time rushing by.

In its vicinity, time became chaotic, and the world blurred. Everything seemed to cease existing, cast into the ocean of time, utterly subverted.

Meanwhile, his right hand formed a seal and moved, carving another massive rune into the void. The character for "Space" appeared, causing the universe to collapse and the starry sky to tremble violently.

Spatial power diffused, engulfing the area and causing the very cosmos to tremble. This was a force of absolute destruction; the sky shattered and reassembled, reshaping according to Ye Fan's right hand.

The Great Accomplishment Holy Body's expression immediately changed. This technique was utterly terrifying. His left hand controlled time, and his right hand manipulated space. When combined, didn't they form "Zhong" (representing time) and "Yu" (representing space)?

What immense ambition and power were required to create such a secret technique?!

The Great Accomplishment Hegemonic Body's face turned grim. He realized that if this secret art were to further evolve, it would undoubtedly become horrifyingly powerful, potentially rivaling the Nine Secrets, with astounding potential.

Indeed, as Ye Fan pressed down with his left hand and thrust out with his right, time in front of him became chaotic, and space exploded, forcing the illusory god to violently retreat, coughing up blood.

"Boom!"

Next, Ye Fan brought his hands together, merging them as if he had traversed the primordial cosmos and condensed the essence of heaven and earth. In that moment, he appeared to be creating the world itself!

Heaven and earth erupted, and the suppressing World-Grinding Disk immediately developed cracks, emitting a dreadful crunching sound before finally shattering.

The disk was utterly destroyed, and the immense power of the Five Elements dispersed. Ye Fan's golden primordial spirit soared, absorbing the Five Element immortal light and lightning tribulation. His cauldron, too, floated there, devouring the fragments of the World-Grinding Disk, its body growing ever more ancient in appearance.

As for his physical body, it required no conscious control. All his pores opened wide, and every cell acted like a bottomless pit, voraciously consuming the Five Elements divine tribulation.

That terrifying great tribulation, manifested as a grinding disk, even saw the will of the Grand Dao descend in the form of an illusory god. Yet, at the critical moment, Ye Fan shattered it with his bare hands!

The illusory god also dissipated, captured by his golden primordial spirit, and was then swallowed whole and refined into immortal essence.

He wasted not a single drop of power, refining and absorbing every bit into himself for tempering and to replenish his vast needs. This feat was utterly unprecedented, astonishing the entire world.

Who would dare behave this way? To "plunder" a heavenly tribulation so greedily, consuming every last bit without wasting even a fraction—it defied all reason, especially when others struggled simply to survive it.

The Great Accomplishment Hegemonic Body, Cang Lan, felt his eyelids twitching. Something was amiss; his opponent's strength was excessive, surpassing the scope of the eighth layer—it seemed they had ascended to another significant level!

"Impossible!" His eyes blazed as he stared intently at Ye Fan.

He found it hard to believe. It was universally known that the final stages of the Quasi-Emperor tribulation increased in difficulty with each layer; one could not skip levels but had to pass through them sequentially.

Since ancient times, apart from unverified legends, there had been no recorded instance of anyone being able to skip stages during the final eighth and ninth layer tribulations. Everyone had always progressed one step at a time.

Accumulation was essential for all, an unshakable truth.

Yet, why did he now feel a sudden unease and a sense of threat? A powerful premonition of danger welled up, and his sharpest divine sense told him that something was terribly wrong.

"Boom!"

Above the Eighth-Layer Heavenly Tribulation, another world-shattering divine punishment descended. It was unimaginably vast, engulfing the entire area and piercing through all the lightning of the eighth layer.

This sight was utterly terrifying!

It was like a destructive light descending from the immortal realm, obliterating everything in its path, reducing all to dust.

The grand tribulation descended, obliterating the original Eighth-Layer Heavenly Punishment and shattering a vast world of lightning. A higher level of immortal energy emerged, wreathed in chaotic mist.

It was an immense, boundless surge, simultaneously eerie and profound. It appeared endless, at times ethereal, then hazy, and then sweeping like a vast ocean.

The most ancient primordial laws were spreading, threatening to recreate heaven and earth by utterly destroying this place!

The Great Accomplishment Hegemonic Body gasped sharply. He could barely believe what he was witnessing, yet he had to concede that someone had indeed leaped across two tribulations, shattering an age-old myth.

This was so surreal, almost like a dream, leaving him utterly dumbfounded. A living example stood before him, validating the ancient legends.

The Great Accomplishment Hegemonic Body, Cang Lan, retreated, careful not to be directly affected by that heavenly punishment. Although he had experienced similar trials before, he was unwilling to rush into this one recklessly.

"The Ninth Heaven... Great Accomplishment!"

His eyes blazed with astonishing light, like heavenly fire burning intensely. What had transpired today might be unprecedented in all of history!

"Rumble!"

Inside Ye Fan, a radiant blood-light erupted, his body trembling. With his left hand forming the 'Cosmos' seal and his right hand the 'Universe' seal, they collided, emitting the most brilliant light. With a hum, his blood and bones underwent a drastic transformation, elevating him to a new level as his vital energy surged, overwhelming and engulfing the universe.

Space-time was collapsing, and the river of time surged through it!

The scene was utterly terrifying. Ye Fan had forcefully ascended another level, surpassing all predecessors and accomplishing something that defied all logic, even for the Hegemonic Body.

While he had not concealed his true cultivation when confronting the First Divine General, Ye Fan had still held back some of his power when undergoing tribulation alone against the Great Accomplishment Hegemonic Body.

He was sufficiently powerful that facing the Eighth-Layer Heavenly Tribulation had not been particularly strenuous. Now, however, he had triggered the unending grand tribulation of the Ninth Layer!

"What of the Ninth Layer Heaven? I trampled upon it long ago," Cang Lan stated calmly. He was, after all, a supreme being who had once reigned over the world in a bygone era.

Despite his words, he was no longer complacent. He stood prepared, for Ye Fan's monstrous display, the unprecedented feat of leaping two layers, had far exceeded his expectations.

In the past, similar legends existed concerning figures like the Ruthless Emperor, the Void Emperor, and the Wushi Emperor, but no concrete evidence ever remained.

This was also due to another past legend suggesting such feats were achieved through the protection of artifacts like the Immortal Bell or the Desolate Pagoda. However, Ye Fan's current demonstration was a genuine, live example!

As a supreme being, Cang Lan was acutely sensitive to such phenomena. He knew that Ye Fan's future was limitless; perhaps he genuinely could break the curse, and it was even possible for a Holy Body to become an Emperor!

"Boom!"

The world-shaking grand tribulation of the Ninth Layer was truly an apocalyptic event. It convulsed heaven and earth, with lightning sweeping across everything, splitting the firmament apart, and annihilating all creation.

Even someone as powerful as Ye Fan was almost torn to shreds on the spot. In just a single exchange, his flesh and blood were sent flying, blood rained down, and bones were exposed—an utterly terrifying sight.

Ye Fan's body nearly disintegrated, with raw white bones exposed in places. It was a terrifying sight; many throughout history had reached this stage, only to perish in the lightning tribulation.

The world has never lacked exceptional talents!

Ye Fan's grand tribulation surpassed even other "Ninth Layer Heavens." The intensity of its lightning rivaled that of myths, directly proportional to his strength, placing this tribulation among the most formidable in ancient history.

Yet, after the colossal lightning descended, it suddenly stabilized, surging in the void but no longer striking downwards.

Furthermore, the area appeared remarkably serene, with tendrils of immortal qi swirling and drifting, giving one the sensation of transcending and ascending to immortality.

This was no illusion. As vast sheets of light rain descended, Ye Fan's entire body glowed. His wounds healed instantly, and his essence blood became even more vibrant.

"Is this... the Nine-Layer Immortal Tribulation manifesting?!" The Great Accomplishment Hegemonic Body was stunned. He knew that any cultivator's tribulation that bore the word "immortal" was destined to be extraordinary, a phenomenon that would shake both past and present.

He sensed the grand tribulation brewing, poised to unleash the legendary Nine-Layer Immortal Tribulation. The presence of this junior from his rival lineage made his expression grow even colder. Now was the time, he thought; it would be best to eliminate him swiftly!

The lightning remained unseen, coalescing high in the sky, while only immortal mist swirled and light rain showered down. Cang Lan rushed forward, greedily swallowing the light rain, his pores wide open, frantically absorbing the golden droplets.

"You are old!" Ye Fan uttered only these three words, cold and merciless, offering no obstruction.

Those three words caused Cang Lan's body to jolt. He spun around abruptly, his eyes like daggers fixed on Ye Fan. The younger man's words had struck him to the core.

He craved life-sustaining energy, hoping this immortal rain would prolong his existence. Yet, if he were the same age as the young man before him, why would he be in such a state?

Ye Fan was only just beginning his ascent, his vital energy as boundless as the sea, entirely unconcerned with such matters. Those three words made Cang Lan deeply uneasy; the young man was right—he was no longer young.

"Haha!" Cang Lan burst into laughter, his purple hair swirling wildly as he pressed forward. "What is your lineage?" he scoffed. "It's not as if I haven't slain Great Accomplishment Holy Bodies before. They were merely piles of wasted bones, testaments to my glory! I'll kill until you submit!"

"Weak at heart—you're done for!" Ye Fan's reply was concise.

"Is that so? Then die!"

The grand battle erupted, with both combatants immediately unleashing forbidden divine arts. While a victor might typically require hundreds or even thousands of moves to emerge, they both sought an instantaneous result.

The Great Accomplishment Hegemonic Body manifested nine divine forms simultaneously, which then fused into a single entity: a Battle Immortal!

This outcome was profoundly terrifying, stunning anyone who witnessed it. His past ability to dominate the world and reign invincible throughout the cosmos was clearly not without reason.

Anomalies surged around Ye Fan. With his left hand forming the 'Cosmos' seal and his right hand the 'Universe' seal, he ripped open space-time, engaging in a fierce collision with both the Battle Immortal and the Hegemonic Body.

"Thud!"

Blood splattered as Ye Fan's shoulder was pierced through, a gruesome spray of blood erupting. Yet, he charged forward without a backward glance.

Behind him, even more blood flowed. The Great Accomplishment Hegemonic Body's entire arm was torn, almost severing completely and hanging by only a layer of skin. It was nearly lopped off at the shoulder.

Most terrifying of all, Ye Fan's various phenomena converged, solidifying into a Heavenly Emperor's form—identical to himself—which gazed down upon the world, firmly treading the Battle Immortal beneath its feet.

He forcibly pressed the Battle Immortal to its knees, commanding, "Submit!"

Ye Fan himself then turned, looking with cold indifference at the Hegemonic Body's true form, and declared, "Who, precisely, will submit to whom?!"