Chapter 439: Ruthless Heir

"Clang!"

The man, a zhang tall, with a majestic and imposing figure, possessed immense strength capable of uprooting mountains and an overwhelming aura. His black hair was disheveled, and his eyes were piercing. He wielded his Heaven-Halberd, tearing through the heavens and earth with incredible might.

Ye Fan countered with his golden fists, striking the Heaven-Halberd repeatedly until it vibrated violently. The sound was deafening, capable of piercing metal and shattering stone, and it resounded beneath the sky.

"Boom!"

The purple-haired man descended like a celestial deity of the demon race. His skin was as translucent as white jade, and his eyes were as terrifying as an abyss, occasionally gleaming with purple light.

He controlled a nine-story ancient pagoda, bringing it down over Ye Fan. He continuously activated it, causing the bronze tower, inscribed with innate Dao patterns, to descend. Several times, it nearly absorbed Ye Fan.

"Thud!"

A bottomless pit appeared on the ground. The ancient pagoda pressed down, piercing the earth and sucking in countless rocks and soil.

"Clang!"

Ye Fan's heart was filled with dread, but he exerted all his strength to counter. He had already been drawn into the first layer of the ancient pagoda, and his large golden hands continuously swept outwards.

"Thud!"

His left hand transformed into a golden stele, and his right hand became a massive golden millstone. He struck them out simultaneously, finally sending the weapon flying.

He felt apprehensive, unaware of the astonishment of others. How many people would dare to attempt to fight a heavy weapon imbued with the textures of heaven and earth with bare hands?

"The Sacred Body is too powerful; his physical body is comparable to a heavy weapon, inherently invincible. How many among his peers can harm him?"

"To deal with him, one can only suppress him with overwhelming magical power and then slowly refine him; otherwise, it's easy to suffer a great loss!"

Many cultivators arrived from afar, all whispering. The sounds of such a battle at night spread for dozens of miles; anyone in Yan Capital would undoubtedly hear it.

At this moment, Ye Fan was most wary of the woman wielding the ancient Sky-Swallowing Demonic Jar. She possessed not only the jar itself but also its lid, both of which were interwoven with Dao and principles.

Legend had it that the most terrifying part of the ancient Sky-Swallowing Demonic Jar was its lid, which the Ruthless Emperor had refined from the skull of her own shedding Great Emperor body, possessing incredible power.

Even a replica, he thought, would be more terrifying than the jar itself. Ye Fan had been constantly on guard, but this beautiful woman had not used it, which was a form of invisible deterrence.

The origins of these three were unfathomable. Each was a formidable opponent, comparable to the Saint Sons, yet Ye Fan had never heard of them, which truly shocked him.

"Whoosh!"

Suddenly, a golden light shot out from Ye Fan's glabella. The small golden lake within him, like a miniature sun, conjured a small golden cauldron formed from divine consciousness.

His divine sense was exceptionally powerful, something well-known among the younger generation. When the three-legged cauldron materialized from the small golden lake, everyone's expression changed.

Even the three powerful adversaries showed surprise, their glabellas flickering with light as formidable treasures emerged to block the cauldron.

"Hmph!"

The beautiful woman let out a cold snort, then suddenly flicked her hand, conjuring the lid of the ancient Sky-Swallowing Demonic Jar, and pressed it towards the small golden cauldron.

Ye Fan felt a pain in his glabella; the small golden cauldron was about to be absorbed by the demonic lid. On its surface was a ghost-like imprint, seemingly laughing and crying at the same time, incredibly eerie.

"Hehe... Haha..."

Terrifying laughter emanated, chilling and dreadful, as if the world's most ruthless individual stood in front of the primordial era, sneering and transmitting the sound through space and time.

Following that was an incredibly arrogant laughter, as if capable of trampling all celestial spirits underfoot, a demonic sound proclaiming the world's greatest self-importance.

Even someone as powerful as Ye Fan felt a chill down his spine. This was merely a replica; had it even replicated such demonic sounds?

Was this the voice of that supreme Ruthless Emperor? Fortunately, it was just a replica, merely sound, without the power to obliterate the world. Otherwise, it would be a great disaster, and Yan Capital would be lost!

Even so, Ye Fan's small golden cauldron was almost absorbed, quickly dimming. With a soft shout, golden light erupted from his glabella.

The small golden cauldron transformed into a stream of light and shot out, sweeping towards the three individuals. They quickly resisted, fearing its touch, as everyone knew it was one of Ye Fan's trump cards.

"Thud!"

At the same time, the ancient Sky-Swallowing Demonic Jar trembled. The woman flipped her hand, aimed it at Ye Fan, and a mysterious beam of light shot directly out.

It was a black light, devouring everything. Additionally, Dao patterns descended in strands, like a celestial curtain, strangling everything in its path.

"Ah..."

Ye Fan was unharmed, but distant onlookers collapsed, screaming. A large area of people were affected, blood oozing from their glabellas; the power of this demonic lid was immense.

And at this moment, the ghost-face imprint on the lid of the ancient Sky-Swallowing Demonic Jar seemed to come alive, crying and laughing simultaneously, making Ye Fan's heart pound violently.

Chaos-Seeded Green Lotus!

He unleashed his phenomenon, intending to suppress all three individuals simultaneously. Of course, his primary goal was to deal with the Sky-Swallowing Demonic Jar; this artifact was too sinister, and he didn't know what other powers it held back.

He didn't want to engage them one by one. Taking the initiative, he aimed to capture and kill all three at once. As chaotic mist swirled around him, the small golden cauldron returned to his glabella.

As Ye Fan moved, a green lotus accompanied him, rooting itself in the void like a celestial book of the Great Dao. Its three leaves gently swayed, and all things revived, as if the heavens and earth had returned to their primordial state.

"Buzz!"

Ye Fan's hands moved, and between his golden palms, a Yin-Yang Dao Diagram appeared. His left hand formed the Yin diagram, his right the Yang diagram, moving as if the sun and moon were turning together.

The aura of the world's genesis permeated the air. Ye Fan's golden hands transformed into a Yin-Yang diagram, intending to envelop the three individuals beneath it.

Clearly, they understood its power and dared not enter the phenomenon's range, all retreating decisively.

"Clang!"

The imposing man wielding the Heaven-Halberd was instantly sent flying, his tall body shaking violently, and the halberd in his hand trembled ceaselessly.

Had it been any other weapon, it would surely have been pulverized; it simply couldn't have withstood a single blow from the Yin-Yang Diagram!

"Boom!"

The nine-story ancient pagoda, massive as a mountain, was struck by the Yang Diagram in Ye Fan's right hand and sent flying. It transformed into a streak of light, like a comet streaking across the sky, vanishing into the horizon.

Only the ancient Sky-Swallowing Demonic Jar remained terrifying. Even as a faint replica, it displayed unpredictable power, withstanding a blow from the Yin Diagram and emanating thousands of black lights.

"The Sacred Body is so powerful! He can withstand three formidable enemies without even using a weapon..." The onlookers felt a chill in their hearts.

"These three are top experts of the younger generation. Where did they come from?" someone wondered.

Ye Fan stood there, his expression calm, confronting the three. If the battle resumed, he intended to capture and kill them.

His mind was filled with doubts. The emergence of these three individuals disrupted his previous conjectures. Were they sent by the opposing side to probe him? But how could young powerhouses capable of rivaling him be obedient and unknown?

What were their true origins? They could definitely stand alongside Saint-level figures, and such individuals were rare among the younger generation, whether in the Central Plains or the Eastern Wasteland.

Possessing a replica of the ancient Sky-Swallowing Demonic Jar, including its complete lid, was extremely difficult, even for Saint Lord-level figures who could conceive and replicate such items.

This was somewhat unusual. His heart was shaken. Had the other party obtained the inheritance of the Ruthless Emperor? It was possible.

With a soft shout, Ye Fan's golden physical body shimmered under the night sky. He pressed one hand, collapsing the void, while protecting himself with the green lotus, and unleashed the Yin and Yang Diagrams, intent on capturing the three individuals.

"Swish," "Swish"...

The imposing man wielding the Heaven-Halberd and the purple-haired man, who resembled a demon race deity, both retreated. Only the woman swung the Sky-Swallowing Demonic Jar at him.

The ghost-face was crying and laughing, and from the depths of its two eyes, black light permeated, making Ye Fan feel a chill envelop his body. He powerfully shook, his blood qi soaring to the sky, dispelling the effect.

"If your skills end here, then prepare to die!" Ye Fan charged forward.

"Brother Ye, your body, hehe..." the woman chuckled.

Ye Fan's heart sank. Were they here to test his injuries? Pondering everything that had just happened, he found clues. Who was so formidable as to suspect him?

He believed he had no flaws, having been on guard and performing perfectly, even subtly simulating a wisp of the aura of Dao cracks, allowing it to inadvertently flow out.

"Don't trouble yourselves worrying about me; I won't die so easily!" Ye Fan raised his hand to strike, intending to capture and kill his opponent.

"Swish!"

However, the figures of the three suddenly blurred and stepped into the void, preparing to traverse away. Ye Fan's expression changed. He raised his fist, striking the sky, and simultaneously shot out divine light from his eyes, using his Source Heaven Divine Sense to pierce through their illusions.

"This is a divine art that engraves Dao patterns onto the body, allowing one to traverse the void, leaving no trace for hundreds of miles, making it impossible to pursue. It had disappeared for many years; I didn't expect it to reappear." An elder exclaimed in surprise.

"No matter how cunning you are, you probably don't know I've cultivated divine eyes, do you...?" Ye Fan mused to himself.

He found it hard to calm down. This opponent was difficult to deal with, a terrifying enemy!

The three individuals were not their true selves; they were three divine entities summoned from a Dao Palace, sharing a common origin and indistinguishable from each other.

But after careful consideration, he frowned. This person was extremely cunning and cautious; not a single special mark was left on the three divine entities, making it impossible to determine their true identity.

"What a powerful individual! The three divine entities they conjured can contend with Saint Sons, and these generated deities can take on male or female forms, completely indistinguishable from flesh-and-blood bodies. Without divine eyes, it would be impossible to see through them."

Finding such a person would be like searching for a needle in a haystack. Ye Fan pondered deeply, reflecting on past events.

He couldn't start by looking for life imprints; he could only search for clues in details. He desperately wanted to uncover this person, otherwise, he would not be at ease.

"Similar... there's a hint of similarity!"

He stood for a long time, then his eyes suddenly lit up. For a fleeting moment, when the imposing man wielding the Heaven-Halberd tore through the heavens and earth, that peerless aura bore a slight resemblance to a scene he had witnessed before. This was thanks to his powerful divine sense, which had firmly imprinted the past event.

In the Northern Region, not long after emerging from the Primordial Restricted Zone, there were two terrifying beings covered in long fur, suspected to be primordial creatures. They wielded great swords, cutting through the sky and shattering the earth, proclaiming their supremacy over all directions.

At that time, everyone speculated they were not primordial creatures but Old Man Daozi. Later suspicious points also indicated this, as Old Man Daozi had vanished, and all signs pointed to him.

However, a chill ran down Ye Fan's spine. He thought of the Shaking Light Saint Son, even though that trace of similarity amounted to less than one ten-thousandth of a possibility.

"On that day, those two beings even hacked down the elders of Shaking Light, massacring relentlessly, killing one person every ten steps..."

The thought of the Shaking Light Saint Son, like a god walking among mortals, untouched by dust, always enveloped by a divine halo, made his hair stand on end.

"Even if there's only a tiny possibility, I still need to be wary..." Ye Fan's heart pounded.

He associated everything with the Shaking Light Saint Son, muttering to himself, "Did he obtain the Ruthless Emperor's inheritance? Did he also enter the Ruthless Emperor's cultivation ground, suffer severe injuries, and nearly die, aiming to be 'in the darkness' together?"

Ye Fan frowned. Previously, he had not suspected the Shaking Light Saint Son, but now he had no choice but to be cautious. This person was inexplicably drawn into the situation.

"But, another person is even more likely!"

Ye Fan thought of Hua Yunfei. If he hadn't overheard his conversation with an elder in the Fire Domain years ago, he would never have suspected that Hua Yunfei wanted to kill Ji Ziyue.

He would never forget those words. Hua Yunfei had muttered to himself then that the Sacred Body contained strange and immense power, and if he learned of it, he would extract its origin.

Ye Fan, an outsider to the situation, could only see through the mist by hearing it firsthand. Otherwise, who in the world would ever imagine that the ethereal and transcendent Hua Yunfei was likely the Ruthless Emperor's inheritor?!

Hua Yunfei was renowned for his otherworldly purity, elegant and noble, and very low-key, never causing any commotion. He was practically shrouded in a layer of saintly attire, without a single flaw; the world would never suspect him!

"Whether he obtained the Ruthless Emperor's inheritance or not, he definitely intends to harm me. He wants to extract Ji Ziyue's origin, and that includes mine as well..."

When Elder Li Ruoyu fought against a Half-Step Mighty Figure, he was surprised that the opponent's aura felt somewhat familiar. Given that he had long been secluded on Mount Zhuo, adjacent to Star Peak, this further solidified Ye Fan's conviction.

"What about the Shaking Light Saint Son? It's confusing, but there's a slight possibility it could be him as well..."

However, the opponent's main goal tonight was to ascertain the true extent of the Sacred Body's injuries. Their intentions were clearly significant. Regardless of whether he was involved or not, caution was necessary.

"I firmly believe Hua Yunfei wants to kill me!" Ye Fan revealed a killing intent. What he had witnessed in the Fire Domain alone was enough to indicate that he and Hua Yunfei could not coexist.

The next day, Hua Yunfei and Li Xiaoman entered Yan Capital together. Ye Fan went to meet them and immediately made his move, not wanting to give the other party time for elaborate preparations.

Otherwise, given their cunning, they would surely devise a plot upon entering Yan Capital, likely with dangerous contingency plans to eliminate him. Rather than allowing that, Ye Fan decided to strike first, denying them any opportunity.

Moreover, this was originally a trap he had set for Hua Yunfei. The sooner it was resolved, the sooner he would be at peace!

"Brother Ye, why are you doing this?" Hua Yunfei, enveloped by the surging golden blood qi, dramatically changed his expression.

"Ye Fan, what are you doing? Why are you repaying kindness with enmity?" Beside him, Li Xiaoman also shrieked.

Ye Fan remained silent. He was there only to kill, not to be distracted. Only by obliterating this person with a thunderous display of power could he feel at ease.

Phenomena such as the Immortal King Descending Upon Nine Heavens and Chaos-Seeded Green Lotus simultaneously emerged, enveloping Hua Yunfei. As long as he was confined within them, everything would be easy.

Nine Heavens appeared, an Immortal King sat high above, uniquely supreme. The Yin-Yang Diagram sealed the sky, and this area became like an immortal realm. Golden light soared around Ye Fan, making him as powerful as a sacred spirit.

"Boom!"

Naturally, Hua Yunfei couldn't just sit there and await death. A star shot out from his glabella, radiating endless immortal light, engulfing him.

"How did the Sacred Body start fighting Hua Yunfei of the Supreme Mystery Sect?" All the cultivators were astonished and quite bewildered.

"Heavens, that's the treasured artifact of Star Peak! Legend says it was refined from an actual star!" Some elders were shocked.

"Ye Fan, what are you doing? Senior Brother Hua gave you the Nine-Orifice Exquisite Pill to save your life; how can you repay kindness with enmity?" Li Xiaoman's expression changed.

"He..." Ye Fan scoffed lightly, unconcerned. He strode forward, still wielding thunderous power, intent on killing Hua Yunfei. He advanced like an ancient deity, causing heaven and earth to tremble.