Chapter 487: 临圣崖

Welcome.

Snow-white petals, like funerary flowers in a graveyard, each stained with streaks of blood, fluttered and scattered across the entire ancient street. Black petals, symbolizing death, filled the air with mist, exuding an aura of destruction. They danced between heaven and earth, striking fear into all who saw them.

The simultaneous emergence of two ancient killer dynasties shocked everyone and frayed nerves, especially those of the Saint Lords, whose ancestors had participated in the campaigns to eradicate such dynasties. In the past, three great dynasties ruled supreme. For a very long time, they silenced all ancient inheritances in the Eastern Wastelands, none daring to provoke them. Because, once provoked, unparalleled figures would be assassinated. This unbearable burden was something no Sacred Land could withstand. The three ancient dynasties were so powerful and terrifying that they even dared to assassinate ancient Saints, and succeeded. Who in the world would not fear them? That was a dark era, truly a period when ancient dynasties reigned supreme, looking down upon the Eastern Wastelands and causing every Sacred Land to feel unprecedented pressure.

Petals fluttered across the street, all stained with fresh blood, as an invisible killing aura permeated the air. The legendary Death Mandate had appeared, a decree no one throughout history had ever managed to evade.

"I wonder what their current strength is like," mumbled the big black dog. "Before the Ancient Desolation, once a Death Mandate was issued, no one ever escaped alive!"

Many people looked at Ye Fan with unusual expressions. The ancient killer dynasties had an undefeated myth; no one had ever been an exception to their issued Death Mandates.

"The two dynasties have been in seclusion for countless years, yet now they emerge with such fanfare. They must possess formidable strength," the Wind Clan Saint Lord frowned. There were some things he left unsaid. The fact that they dared to issue a Death Mandate at this time was a clear provocation to the contemporary Saints; most likely, they intended to establish their might! If this was indeed the case, the situation was exceedingly serious, proving that the foundations of the two killer dynasties had expanded to a terrifying degree.

"Could it be that they have regained their past glory?!" the Saint Lord of Yaoguang also frowned. In the past, within the ancient halls of the Human World, the skulls of kings were almost all collected, missing no unique physique. They had slain all heroes of the world, making them untouchable! And Hell was even more formidable. They were like a group of fallen, ruthless deities, wielding blood-dripping divine swords, slaughtering all Saints in the world—powerful and terrifying. In Hell, the divine skins, skeletons, flesh, and organs of the ancient Saints they had slain were preserved, gruesome and horrifying, making it the most mysterious and terrifying place.

"This..." The Ji family's Saint Lord also showed a solemn expression, saying, "If they truly regain their former glory, it will likely lead to another dark turmoil, a colossal catastrophe."

The ancient killer dynasties specialized in assassination. These individuals cultivated the Way through killing their entire lives, making them the most skilled practitioners of deadly arts. Those of the same cultivation level found it almost impossible to resist or defend against them.

All Sacred Lands participated in the earth-shattering war before the Ancient Desolation. It wasn't that they didn't want to uproot the Human World and Hell, but only after actual combat did they realize the immense price it would cost. The Supreme Dynasty—Heavenly Court—secretly harbored two Saints whose lifespans were nearly depleted. In their twilight years, they couldn't unleash their full combat power, yet they still managed to make three Supreme Saints from various Sacred Lands, who were in their prime, perish alongside them. The timing chosen by the major Sacred Lands was excellent: they struck when the old Saints of the ancient killer dynasties were about to pass away and new Saints were on the verge of being born. Yet, they still paid such a heavy price, and therefore lacked the power to completely annihilate the Human World and Hell, allowing them to retreat intact.

Whoosh!

A shocking, long rainbow descended from the sky, its diameter reaching three zhang. It was a sharp sword light, a truly world-shattering edge, aimed directly at Ye Fan!

"What?! They actually attacked in front of a Saint? This is the Human World's Saint-Slaying Sword Art!" Everyone's expression changed. Had the Human World truly gone mad? Or had their foundational power swelled to such a terrifying extent that they no longer feared the peerless Old Madman? This was a deadly art unleashed by a Saint Lord-level figure, capable of severing both illusion and reality, annihilating everything. It left behind traces of a grand dao, as if tearing apart the barrier between the ancient past and the present.

Pop!

The Old Madman unfurled his sleeve, obscuring the sun, and met the attack head-on. Not only did he absorb the sword light into his sleeve, but he also drew the very firmament into it.

Boom!

The firmament instantly shattered, and a massive black hole appeared there. The sword light had been unleashed through a domain gate; the Human World's powerful cultivators dared not reveal themselves.

Hiss!

Another sword qi cleaved down, a blood-red divine light tearing through space for two thousand zhang, striking towards Little Nannan, who was on the big black dog.

Ye Fan's eyes grew cold. It was one thing for the ancient killer dynasties to target him, but to include Little Nannan, too, filled him with immense rage.

Thud!

The Old Madman flicked his finger, and a finger light pierced through heaven and earth. Not only did it shatter the bloody light, but it also punched through the cosmos, hurtling towards the other end of the void.

Boom!

Suddenly, the tall and majestic Saint moved both his hands simultaneously, displaying a divine art for the first time before the onlookers, yet no one could clearly perceive it. At his fingertips appeared intricate dao patterns, like true dragons about a foot long, swimming around. With a powerful shake of his hands, the firmament instantly collapsed.

Rumble!

In Lookout City, with the exception of a few Saint Lords, almost everyone collapsed to the ground, utterly unable to withstand such oppressive might, a suppression that originated from the very soul.

Boom!

A terrifying wave of dao power instantly traversed the void, striking towards the other end of nothingness. No one knew how he accomplished this.

"This... this isn't opening a domain gate, but killing enemies across boundless void!" Several Saint Lords were stunned, their faces filled with shock. The Old Madman hadn't even used a grand art; this was merely a secret technique he effortlessly conjured.

Thump!

The firmament was like a shattered drum, beaten to pieces. The dao power unleashed by the Old Madman streaked across the void, and from the other end came two miserable screams before absolute silence fell.

A contemporary Saint could not be insulted; such heaven-defying methods were truly terrifying! Peak experts opened domain gates to assassinate, not knowing how many miles away they were. Yet, the Old Madman had deduced their location, piercing through with unparalleled dao power and eradicating them. Such combat prowess filled everyone with deep fear.

The people from the Human World and Hell did not reappear, but everyone remained unsettled, astonished both by the Old Madman's methods and by the audacity of the two ancient killer dynasties. Today, they announced their resurgence. In the future, the Eastern Wastelands would inevitably face a period of bloodshed, and many ancient inheritances would likely not be able to stand idly by. Just now, they were merely testing the waters, but daring to attack a contemporary Saint was sending a truly terrifying signal.

Ye Fan grew enraged. The killer dynasties had targeted him repeatedly, even implicating the innocent Little Nannan, filling him with endless killing intent.

"It's okay, Nannan isn't scared..." The little one tugged at Ye Fan's sleeve, looking up and whispering. Her big eyes were clear and pure, black and white. Though visibly flustered, she bravely forced herself to say this, appearing utterly pitiable.

"Hmm, Nannan really doesn't need to worry, they're nothing to be concerned about," Ye Fan smiled.

At this moment, many cultivators in Lookout City stood up again. Apart from those protected by the Old Madman and the Saint Lords, almost all other cultivators had collapsed to the ground. Such was the might of a Saint; every move they made could affect countless beings between heaven and earth, possessing unfathomable supreme power.

Many people looked at Ye Fan with strange expressions. The two ancient killer dynasties were nothing? In the past, probably no one would have dared to say such a thing. In the past, no one had ever escaped a Death Mandate issued by a single dynasty. Now, two dynasties had simultaneously issued Death Mandates against him. This was practically a certain death situation!

The Saint Lords repeatedly tried to dissuade them, but the Old Madman remained silent, saying nothing more. No one dared to speak further, allowing them to depart.

"Here..." Ji Ziyue finally found an opportunity. Using the Great Void Art, she traversed to Ye Fan's side and handed him a small purple jade cauldron. The Ji family's 'Little Moon' had fair and luminous skin, looking even more beautiful and captivating. Dressed in purple, she was graceful as a fairy, with her hair fluttering and eyes ethereal. Wrinkling her delicate nose in displeasure, she pushed Ye Fan, saying, "Hurry and put it away."

"What is this?" Ye Fan asked, surprised. After their parting years ago, this was the first time he had stood so close to Ji Ziyue.

"This is a life-extending sacred medicine I secretly 'borrowed' from the Saint Lord. It was refined by a peerless God-King from my family in the past."

"Ah..." Ye Fan was surprised. Ji Ziyue must have stolen it. He felt both touched and amused that this proud daughter of heaven had done such a thing.

"What are you grinning foolishly at? Hurry up and put it away!" Ji Ziyue gnashed her small, sparkling canine teeth and lightly punched him. Then, she flashed a charming smile at Little Nannan, revealing small dimples, her large eyes curving like crescent moons, and asked, "Will you come with Big Sister?"

Little Nannan quickly ran back, hugging Ye Fan's leg. She tilted her head to look at Ji Ziyue, as if afraid Ji Ziyue would abduct her, blinking her bright big eyes without saying anything.

"Little one!" Ji Ziyue lightly flicked her nose, then vanished in a flash, disappearing into the void.

"That Big Sister has a treasure on her..." Little Nannan secretly told Ye Fan.

Ye Fan immediately laughed. What could the little one possibly know to say something like that? However, a flicker of light also passed through the Old Madman's hollow eyes as he said, "Something from the Bronze Immortal Palace." At that statement, Ye Fan's heart jolted. His Root of Myriad Things Qi was obtained from there; it was the burial ground of peerless experts. He had heard legends that all peerless experts who entered that place in the Eastern Wastelands never returned, except for him and Ji Ziyue. Only once before had someone successfully emerged alive, carrying out a corpse suspected to be that of an immortal, which was then equally divided among the Sacred Lands. As the Saint of Tianxuan, the Old Madman must have seen the inherited bones. Could it be that the secret treasure on Ji Ziyue was related to that 'immortal body'? But how could Little Nannan perceive it? She could actually detect a treasure on Ji Ziyue. The little one seemed increasingly mysterious.

Ye Fan and his companions traveled north, with many people following behind them, as if on a 'pilgrimage.' But no one dared to approach or disturb them anymore. Over half a month, the Human World and Hell appeared four times. They not only intended to kill Ye Fan but also implicated Little Nannan, with a killing sword striking towards her twice. With a Saint accompanying them, they naturally faced no danger. Those assassins were not their true bodies, but ancient strange corpses possessed by spirit puppets.

"Which ancient inheritances actually managed to enlist the Human World and Hell?" Li Heishui pondered.

"Certainly some Saint Sons, maybe even that ruthless Huayun Fei. Most likely, there will also be people from the Yin-Yang Sect. It seems many people suspect your injuries have healed," the big black dog muttered.

Ye Fan rubbed his chin, saying nothing. He knew that continuous battles were inevitable in the future, and for now, his only recourse was to become stronger. Afterward, they began traversing the void. After several such jumps, they shook off all their followers, leaving no trace.

Finally, the Black Emperor meticulously drew and inscribed dao patterns, preparing to head to their ultimate destination—Saint Cliff! When Li Heishui saw how serious it was, his head started to ache, because he saw the chessboard dao patterns again—those left by the Great Emperor of Void.

"Damn dog, put that away quickly! We don't want to go to the Western Desert or the Northern Plains. Haven't you already caused enough trouble for Pang Bo and Tu Fei?"

The big black dog indignantly said, "You really don't trust this Emperor?"

Little Nannan, for once, showed concern. Squatting on the ground, she earnestly said, "Doggy, oh, be careful. You always make mistakes, don't teleport us somewhere we'll get lost."

The big black dog lost face and continued to inscribe silently, replicating the chessboard array patterns. During this process, the Old Madman stared at the dao patterns, observing them very carefully. Ye Fan knew that the big black dog must have done this intentionally, hoping to get an assessment from the Saint.

"Alright, we're going to Saint Cliff, absolutely no mistake. We'll be there in the next moment," the big black dog said.

"These are the array patterns for the Western Desert..." the Old Madman suddenly spoke.

"Damn it, you unreliable dog! Are you trying to kill us? If we land on Mount Sumeru and smash the Great Thunder Sound Temple, those Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will fight us to the death!" Li Heishui fumed.

"But this is clearly for Saint Cliff..." The big black dog was puzzled, its eyes darting as it questioned the Old Madman.

The Old Madman said nothing, simply pointed with his finger, adjusting one or two spots in its array patterns, correcting them.

"So that's where the problem was, no wonder I felt something was off," the big black dog mumbled.

Whoosh!

With a flash of light, the few individuals traversed the void, vanishing from their original spot. The array patterns they left behind automatically disappeared, leaving no trace.

Long after their departure, a blurry phantom rushed from a distant mountain. It stood still for a long time before letting out a cold chuckle that seemed to come from hell, causing all birds and beasts in that mountain range to instantly drop dead. Not long after, another person appeared beside him, their figure even more indistinct, almost transparent, as if they could dissipate in the wind at any moment. He stared fixedly into the void, saying nothing, but his killing intent caused all vegetation in the entire mountain range to wither.

Ye Fan and his companions didn't know how many thousands of miles they had traversed, traveling from the central region of the Eastern Wastelands until they were near the Northern Region. Saint Cliff was located at the border between the Central Region and the Northern Region, a very special place. Ordinarily, almost no one ever came here, preferring to keep their distance. For this was an inauspicious land, where a Great Accomplished Sacred Body had died in their later years, staining the desolate cliff with blood, a sight that instilled fear in everyone. One must know, that was a supreme existence capable of contending with ancient Great Emperors, yet they met such an end, becoming an eternal historical enigma.

Although its name suggested a single cliff, upon closer inspection, it was discovered to be immensely grand: a vast mountain range, majestic and profound. Its entire body was black, as dark as ink, a color that even the countless ancient trees upon it could not conceal. Over fifty great peaks stood together, presenting a magnificent spectacle.

"The Great Accomplished Supreme Sacred Body was too powerful. This entire place was forcibly severed from the Undying Mountain to serve as his secluded cultivation grounds," the big black dog sighed. Ye Fan and his companions couldn't help but be astonished. They figured that the Great Accomplished Sacred Body, invincible both above and below, was only taken advantage of by some unknown entity after his vitality waned in his later years. Otherwise, with his peerless divine might, capable of rivaling a Great Emperor in his prime, it would have been exceedingly difficult for anyone in this world to eliminate him.

"Heroes growing old, not allowed to see their hair turn white in the mortal world – this is the greatest sorrow," the big black dog sighed.

"Little Ye Zi, you must find an undying divine medicine and plant it so you can live two lifetimes. My grandpa used to say that the later years of a Great Accomplished Sacred Body are not peaceful. You absolutely must not wait until your vitality wanes..." Li Heishui also spoke.