Chapter 541: Holy Spirit's Fallen Land

Chapter 545: Where the Saint Spirit Fell

Fire Demon Ridge, Central Region.

Legend has it that a Fire Spirit, nearly as powerful as an Ancient Emperor, was born here, dominating the world and inspiring awe throughout the primeval era. Unfortunately, it was reportedly suppressed and killed by an Ancient Heavenly Emperor, its body and spirit annihilated without a trace of life remaining. Endless ages have passed, yet legends about it persist, with various signs indicating that the Ruthless Great Emperor was responsible for its demise.

In those days, the Heaven Swallowing Great Emperor caused a bloody purge throughout the world. Although he later performed unparalleled heavenly deeds for humanity, his achievements were never celebrated and were intentionally erased. Later generations could only sigh, catching faint traces of what happened, for the Heavenly Emperor had passed, and the past had faded into smoke.

Fire Demon Ridge stretched boundlessly, filled with barren mountains, scattered rocks, and endless dormant volcanoes. There was not a trace of life; gloom and monotony coexisted, and even the sky was hazy and gray.

Ye Fan and the Black Dog arrived at this place, their divine senses sweeping the entire region like a vast ocean. However, the Fire Demon Ridge region was immense and boundless; not a blade of grass grew on its barren mountains, stretching as far as the eye could see. It was a truly desolate land.

"'In ancient times,' the Black Dog said, 'the ground here held endless divine fire, giving birth to a fire spirit. It turned demonic from its path and was eventually slain.'"

Having seen the Ruthless Great Emperor's coffin submerged in chaos at Wuchao, and now arriving at the site of her magnificent battle, the Black Dog felt a wave of sentiment. Only a fully matured Nine-Orifice Stone Man could potentially become a Saint Spirit—an existence invincible both in heaven and on earth. Yet, the Ruthless Great Emperor had once destroyed a Fire Spirit, a feat not widely known throughout the world.

Ye Fan, too, felt his heart stir. Standing amidst these ancient ruins, silently gazing at the endless desolate mountains, he marveled at the battle prowess of the Ancient Heavenly Emperors. The underground divine fire seemed to have long since cooled; all the volcanoes were dormant and no longer erupted. Yet, a few strange fluctuations lingered, preventing snowflakes from settling there.

"'Where is Yiyi?' Ye Fan muttered to himself, sweeping his gaze over one volcano after another."

Although endless legends existed, he was not in the mood to delve into them. Saving Liu Yiyi was the most urgent matter at hand, as he feared she might have met with an accident. After an unknown number of miles, majestic mountains appeared in the distance, a vast expanse of white, where heavy snow danced and severe cold raged. The dormant volcanic clusters were nestled within continuous snow-covered ranges, making it a very peculiar place in the Central Region, one that ordinary people were unwilling to venture deep into. This was because the place where the Saint Spirit perished always made people uneasy. Although nothing untoward had happened, anyone who came here would experience a strange illusion, as if they had entered an ancient graveyard.

"'You're finally here...' A ghost-like voice echoed through the mountains."

Ye Fan's expression hardened. In a nearby volcanic crater, he saw a glowing portal emitting strange and eerie power, its destination unknown.

"'Where is Yiyi?'"

"'She's not going to die yet,' a cold, merciless voice said, unseen, with a hint of mockery. 'She will personally witness you kneeling on the ground. Please enter the Saint Gate.'"

"'You tell us to go in, and we just go in?' the Black Dog retorted indignantly, baring its fangs. 'Who knows where that leads!'"

"'If you want to save her, do you have a choice?' the hidden person's voice asked with a hint of sarcasm."

"'You're too smug, you pampered pet!' the Black Emperor cursed. 'If we don't even have our lives left, how can we save anyone? Dream on!'"

The hidden person was silent for a moment before saying, 'This door does not lead to a deadly place; it's merely to verify if you came here alone.'

Ye Fan said nothing more. He had already discerned that this person was merely acting on orders, not the true orchestrator of a killing trap designed to eliminate him.

Above the volcanic crater, the glowing portal shimmered brilliantly, like a golden chamber, as if endless treasures lay behind it. The moment Ye Fan stepped inside, his body trembled as Old Daoist Red Dragon, Peacock King, Raven Daoist, and several Supreme Elders from Jade Lake all materialized. Instantly, they all appeared in the void at almost the same time, unable to conceal themselves and no longer sealed within Ye Fan's body.

"'The Myriad Net Gate!' Old Daoist Red Dragon exclaimed in surprise. 'This is a Gate of Life; once entered, almost nothing can be concealed, unless a peerless figure seals themselves.'"

The hidden person seemed very surprised, having not expected Ye Fan to bring such a powerful lineup. If they were to truly engage, even one 'living fossil' appearing would spell disaster.

"'Only you were permitted to come,' the hidden person's voice declared, cruel and merciless. 'Since you refuse, we'll send that one on their way!'"

Ye Fan fell silent for a moment, surprised that his opponents possessed such a marvel as the Myriad Net Gate. He walked forward, saying, 'I will go with you myself.'

"'You despicable hidden creature!' the Black Emperor cursed."

"'I've changed my mind,' the hidden person declared ruthlessly. 'Let this dog come along too.'"

"'Damn it, this Emperor doesn't want to go!' the Black Dog yelped, jumping high."

"'Let's go,' Ye Fan said. 'We'll brave it together.'"

Ugh, the Black Dog was dejected. It truly didn't want to go; without Old Daoist Red Dragon's combat power, it felt it would most likely be slaughtered if it went.

"'This won't do, don't go!' the Peacock King interjected. Everyone could see that this was a trap for Ye Fan's life; going would only be futile suicide."

Several Supreme Elders from Jade Lake also tried to stop him, believing it to be nothing short of suicide and opposing him going alone. Ye Fan shook his head, secretly reassuring them. Without saying more, he strode forward.

"'The wind sighs, the Yi River is cold; a brave man departs, never to return,' the Black Dog wailed, a sound as hideous as a slaughtered pig. Ye Fan dragged it by its tail, forcefully pulling it into the nearby domain gate. 'I really don't want to go!' it howled."

This was a vast snow-covered mountain range where cold winds howled and goose-feather snow fell heavily. Ye Fan and the Black Dog stood atop a mountain peak, surveying their surroundings. Not far off, there was only a single dormant volcano.

The wind howled. Gale-force winds roared like thunder, and the pines rustled in gusts. In the vast white mountain range, there was only one type of tree: ice pines! Each tree was so massive that it would take over a dozen people to encircle it. They were entirely snow-white, as robust as coiled dragons, and stretched upward into the sky. Heavy leaden clouds pressed down almost to the mountaintops. An invisible killing intent permeated the air, and unparalleled strong cultivators had sealed off the entire area.

"'Oh no!' The Black Dog's expression changed instantly."

At that instant, it etched dozens of array patterns, but they all disintegrated in the void, unable to be preserved. "'It's over! The Wushi Great Emperor's killing array is useless here!'"

The Black Dog stared intently at the single dormant volcano, fear appearing in its eyes. Trembling, it said, 'This is the place where the Saint Spirit fell. Unless an Ancient Great Emperor is resurrected, no one can lay down array patterns here.'

Ye Fan's heart sank. His opponents truly understood him; the Black Dog's mastery of dao patterns was unparalleled, but here, it had no place to use its skills.

"'You truly dared to come, you reckless fool!' A person let out a long laugh, stepping through the void, approaching step by step, and stopping on a distant mountaintop."

Ye Fan stood motionless in the wind and snow, quietly watching him. Activating his divine eyes, he saw through the figure's true appearance: it was none other than Xiang Yifei, the Divine Son of Great Evolution.

"'You truly came to your death, what a pity. Being a hero in this world isn't so easy; many end up cut down into pathetic wretches!' Another person laughed loudly, appearing on another mountaintop with disdain."

Cold light flickered in Ye Fan's eyes. This was Li Donglai, the Divine Son of Dao Yi, unable to conceal himself under the Origin Heavenly Divine Eye.

"'Haha... sending the Sacred Body on its way, what a great pleasure in life! I truly want to taste the Sacred Blood!' The third person arrived, stepping on snowflakes, stopping in the void. His eyes were wild, filled with cruelty and bloodlust."

Ye Fan saw through his true form, and his heart grew cold once more: this person was Jin Chixiao, the successor of the Northern Plains Golden Family! During the last Night of Bloodshed, when the Wushi Great Emperor's killing array annihilated many powerful figures, these three had tried to kill Ye Fan. However, none of their true bodies had entered the array, thus escaping that calamity.

From another direction, another cold laugh came as the fourth person appeared. Their beautiful eyes were as sharp as knives, almost piercing one's very soul.

"'The Saintess of Myriad Beginnings...'"

Ye Fan saw through the fourth person's true form: a graceful and elegant woman with long hair reaching her waist. Although stunningly beautiful, her face bore a resentful and malicious expression. She was Zhao Yanran, the Saintess of Myriad Beginnings.

His heart sank. These were no ordinary individuals, and their coming together meant the power they could wield would be terrifying. Behind them stood the four great Sacred Lands!

"'He's rushing to his own death; killing him won't be satisfying. I wonder how you all intend to torture him?' The fifth person laughed loudly from a distant mountain, without coming closer."

"'Killing the Sacred Body would be quite an achievement. Hanging his head in the Northern Region Divine City to feed the wild eagles—I imagine that would cause quite a stir,' the sixth person sneered, their true appearance unseen."

Ye Fan's expression was extremely grave. This time, things were looking ominous. So many Divine Sons appearing together clearly meant they intended to give him no chance at all. At that instant, he sensed the seventh, eighth... up to the thirteenth person! All were vibrant young people. Though they hadn't shown their faces, they couldn't conceal the unique life fluctuations of the younger generation; every single one was incredibly powerful. A full thirteen Saint-Son level experts had come to attack, a force comparable to the night when thirteen Saint Lords surrounded and killed the peerless Divine King!

"'You certainly think highly of me...' Ye Fan said, standing on the snow-covered peak, surveying all directions. His black hair danced wildly, and two cold bolts of lightning shot from his eyes."

"'You came after all; it's truly no surprise. Kneel and beg us,' Xiang Yifei, the Divine Son of Great Evolution, said with a chilling smile."

"'Who exactly are you?' Ye Fan asked."

"'You'd better remain a confused ghost!' Li Donglai, the Divine Son of Dao Yi, smiled mercilessly, his snow-white teeth gleaming coldly."

Ye Fan naturally wouldn't reveal his divine sight, which allowed him to see through their true forms. At that moment, he felt an endless killing intent and bore immense pressure.

"'Someone is leveraging your power, wanting to use your hands to eliminate me. After setting up this killing trap, did they not come themselves?' Ye Fan gazed into the distance."

"'Everyone who wants to kill you has arrived...' From a distant snow-capped peak, an incomparably malevolent voice echoed."

Two divine lights burst from Ye Fan's eyes, shooting out as he stared intently at that spot. The voice was identical to the one in the recording!

"'Oh, Ye Fan, I truly want to see you kneeling at my feet, pleading for mercy!' It was hard to imagine how deep this person's hatred ran; he roared lowly like a vengeful ghost, his tone incomparably malicious."

"'It's just thirteen Saint-Son level experts, isn't it? Even if another thirteen came, I could still slay them!' Ye Fan stood tall and proud, exuding an aura of dominion over the world, of being unsurpassed."

"'What is he saying? Has he gone mad? He wants to kill all thirteen of us? Hahaha...' Jin Chixiao laughed loudly, bloodlust flickering in his eyes, filled with cruelty."

"'He doesn't know what's good for him!' Many people sneered coldly."

Silently, more indistinct figures appeared on each snow-covered peak. Some possessed auras as insurmountable as ancient divine mountains, while others were as unfathomable as a great abyss. Beside Xiang Yifei, the Saintess of Myriad Beginnings, Jin Chixiao, Li Donglai, and the others, there were two or three elderly individuals. One didn't need to think twice to know they were all Supreme Elder-level figures.

"'If you can survive today, it would truly be a miracle!' that malicious voice rang out again."

"'A miracle?' Ye Fan's words rang out firm and forceful, his gaze utterly resolute, carrying an aura that could swallow mountains and rivers. Looking down at everyone, he declared, 'Today, I will slay you all and prove my Dao to become a god! You will all die!'"