Chapter 557: Capturing the Root of All Evil

One flower, one world; one blade of grass, one heaven!

Among endless crystalline petals, over three thousand divine flowers bloomed most brilliantly. Princess Qi, whose beauty could topple cities and kingdoms, stood in the center, smiling as she plucked a flower. Her hair was as black as ebony, her skin as white as snow, and her eyes sparkled with vitality; her beauty was intoxicating.

Three thousand small worlds, like spinning pinwheels, revolved around her. She stood proudly in the center, like a female immortal king, gazing down upon all beings.

“Whoosh!”

With a single thought, a world-flower bloomed, transforming into a miniature realm. It moved to engulf Ye Fan, intending to trap him within.

At that moment, Ye Fan clearly saw wisps of chaotic mist swirling, truly as if heaven and earth were being created. This was the evolution of a miniature world, approaching perfection.

A single flower blossoming into a world was both magnificent and terrifying, filling one with dread. Yet, this was just one of three thousand!

At this very moment, Ye Fan's expression grew serious. He activated his unparalleled Holy Body, facing the challenge with utmost seriousness, daring not to be careless in the slightest. This unparalleled holy art was astonishing and terrifying, making him feel a sense of danger.

“Bang!”

Ye Fan moved, transforming into a streak of fleeting light, passing through. Concealing his golden radiance, his palm emitted a clear brilliance, striking down like a celestial monument.

A single monument suppressing a world!

“Boom!”

Immense divine power surged. The flowers bloomed brilliantly, the wonder of the world manifesting to its extreme at this moment. Chaotic mist threads burst forth, each capable of destroying a fierce dragon.

“Clang! Clang!...”

Ye Fan, with bare hands, tore through the sky, constantly clashing with the divine flower world and the chaotic mist threads, emitting dazzling light.

This was only possible for the Holy Body; any other person would find it difficult to withstand. The clash of this miniature world's power could almost obliterate any divine weapon or treasure, yet Ye Fan endured it all.

Princess Qi smiled, and for a moment, all the flower petals seemed to lose their beauty. Her dark hair swayed lightly, her jade-like arms extended gracefully, striking continuously. Ethereal and natural, exquisitely beautiful like a celestial being, her robes fluttering, she was imbued with a divine aura of the Great Dao.

“Pop! Pop!...”

At this moment, hundreds of thousands of divine flowers bloomed, simultaneously evolving into miniature worlds. The unleashed power sent shivers down even Ye Fan's spine.

This unparalleled holy art was truly mind-boggling!

He couldn't help but marvel; the Ruthless Heavenly Emperor surpassed all from ancient times to the present. Only a limited number of secret arts were passed down in the world, but each one gave him a headache.

First there was Hua Yunfei, and now Princess Qi has appeared. He had keenly noticed that while "Three Thousand Small Worlds" and "A Thought Blooms, King Over the World" were different, they shared a similar divine essence.

Could it be that the Ruthless Great Emperor had truly incarnated as the Southern Ridge Heavenly Emperor? How many holy arts did he or she leave behind in the Southern Ridge?

If so, the ancient Heavenly Emperor was truly astonishing. His or her life was full of legendary color. Reigning as emperor in the five great domains, how many lives did he or she live?

Ye Fan didn't believe in karma, but now he found that constantly encountering everything related to the Ruthless Great Emperor made him feel somewhat apprehensive.

“Pop! Pop!...”

The divine flowers bloomed repeatedly, and hundreds of thousands of miniature worlds surrounded Ye Fan. All heavens trembled, and divine sounds from worlds permeated, causing Ye Fan to shake violently.

“Is this... divine sound from beyond the domain!?” Ye Fan was greatly astonished.

He felt as if these were sounds from other worlds, as if flying in from beyond the heavens. World after world suppressed him. All heavens arrived, immortal kings descended, intent on grinding him to dust.

At this moment, he rarely found peace, standing as if in a tranquil void. Letting wild geese fly south, time pass, and the world grow old, he formed hand seals, striking in all directions with an unchanging rhythm.

He was immersed in a state of Dao, evolving his own Dao with the Holy Battle Art, acting effortlessly and serenely, with nothing external able to disturb his fundamental core. He was the sole entity in this heaven and earth.

“Poof! Poof!...”

With each palm strike, a world was shattered into fragments, transforming into scattered pieces of divine flowers, fluttering through the air.

These were not the nascent miniature worlds from the beginning. These were miniature realms approaching perfection. Though not large, they contained a trace of the mighty power of creation, making them terrifyingly unusual.

If Ye Fan hadn't advanced to this state, it would have been difficult to break them, unless he unleashed all his supreme techniques to their utmost, fighting to the death.

However, it was different now. He was without self or substance, comprehending the Dao during a life-or-death confrontation.

Ye Fan wasn't deliberately performing any actions. He was merely acting on instinct, constantly deducing a Great Dao. His mind moved with his body, striking out unconsciously.

The spectators were startled. No one knew better than them how terrifying those miniature worlds became once they approached perfection. They were powerful enough to suppress most of the people present.

“Bang!”

Only when Ye Fan shattered the thousandth miniature world did he recover, his divine consciousness returning to the real world, no longer immersed in his personal Dao state.

Crystalline flower petals danced in the air. Princess Qi stood alone in the center of the arena. Her glossy black hair fluttered, her eyes contained divine grace, her cheeks were like white jade, and her lips were a vibrant cherry red. All combined, enveloped by divine flowers, she appeared as if standing in a celestial realm.

“You certainly have some tricks, beyond my expectations!” Though she smiled, more enchanting than the flowers themselves, she was extremely serious, knowing she had met a formidable opponent.

Ye Fan also hadn't expected this troublemaking "chilli" to be merely arrogant. He hadn't realized she was truly immensely powerful, making even the various Holy Sons admit defeat.

More importantly, this 'troublemaker' was only at the second transformation of the Dragon Transformation stage, yet she displayed such combat power. One must remember that he could fight against those at the sixth transformation of the Dragon Transformation stage without pressure.

“If you lose, you really have to be my dragon-horse!” Princess Qi smiled beautifully, full of confidence.

“And if you lose, will you be my spirit beast?” Ye Fan keenly caught the loophole. From beginning to end, this 'troublemaker' hadn't said what would happen if she lost.

“Boom!”

Princess Qi, like a celestial spirit, brought forth blooming flowers with a single thought. At this moment, all immortal blossoms unfurled, brilliance and eternity becoming an unfading dazzling splendor in heaven and earth.

Three thousand divine flowers bloomed simultaneously, rising with swirling chaotic energy. The aura of creation was incredibly intense.

Unlike the initial stages, these were true miniature worlds being born. Each miniature world exuded wisps of chaos, and when combined, it was terrifying enough.

Princess Qi's robes fluttered. Her jade arms were fair and translucent, her waist slender, and her jade-like legs long and straight. She danced with the celestial winds, divine radiance bursting forth.

At this moment, she truly resembled a female immortal king, standing at the center of heaven and earth, causing all heavens to tremble with a single thought, moving at her command.

Three thousand miniature worlds rotated. This was an extremely terrifying offensive holy art. Even Ye Fan's powerful Holy Body found it somewhat hard to bear. He resisted fiercely.

He cast aside his disdain. The Qishi Mansion gathered heroes from all five great domains, possessing all kinds of strong individuals. The people he had previously defeated were nothing special, definitely not outstanding talents.

And now, Princess Qi was already like this. It was clear that the Qishi Mansion was full of hidden talents.

He clearly knew that there must be heaven-defying prodigies within. Their combat power was unfathomable.

Ye Fan did his best, fighting Princess Qi fiercely. Surrounded by three thousand miniature worlds, he became the sole target of attack in heaven and earth.

“Bang! Bang!...”

He emerged from his previous state of Dao comprehension, but he remembered that feeling. He moved freely and naturally, constantly evolving his Holy Battle Art to resist these miniature worlds.

“Swish!”

However, what was most terrifying was that amidst these three thousand miniature worlds, the chaotic energy transformed into a sword, periodically striking down!

This was not an illusion, but a real Sword of Chaos. Even Ye Fan's powerful physical body dared not confront it head-on lightly. Each time, he merely struck its flat side.

“This is truly insane!”

Ye Fan cursed. The opponent's holy art was too powerful. Three thousand miniature worlds were one thing, but it also spawned a Sword of Chaos, imbued with the power of worlds.

If it weren't for him, anyone else would have been cut down long ago. Even so, he felt immense pressure. Everyone said beauty and strength were inversely proportional, but this 'troublemaker' was an exception.

“Clang! Clang!...”

Ye Fan's divine fists were invincible, displaying ultimate power, directly confronting the miniature worlds and resisting the Sword of Chaos, causing the power of the heavens to continuously collapse and tremble.

The only thing that comforted him was that the Holy Battle Art was unparalleled in the world. As long as he could comprehend the Dao, he could continuously evolve it, giving birth to even more powerful killing techniques.

The "Dou" (Battle) Character Art had no limits, but everything depended on the practitioner's own comprehension. It could be continuously improved. Even if two people learned the "Dou" Character Art at the same time, their ultimate achievements would be completely different.

The ultimate power displayed by this holy art depended entirely on their own understanding. It was a gate, behind which lay different worlds.

This was a supreme holy art for exploring the origin of battle. Only the strongest could approach and touch its ultimate realm, requiring a lifetime of diligent study and profound comprehension.

“Snap! Snap!...”

As Ye Fan evolved the Holy Battle Art, he felt it more deeply. He unleashed everything he had comprehended in the Dao state, exhibiting it to the fullest, continuously shattering the miniature worlds.

At the same time, he clashed with the Sword of Chaos countless times. Although he didn't touch the blade, it was still astonishing, shocking many in the Qishi Mansion.

Ye Fan and Princess Qi contended fiercely, fighting from noon until the sun was almost setting, a battle of over two thousand rounds—truly a bitter struggle.

By now, many people's gazes had changed. When they first entered the Qishi Mansion, everyone knew Princess Qi was beautiful, a woman capable of causing chaos for nations and people, enough to captivate all beings.

But no one knew her strength was so immense. She had even mastered one of the Southern Ridge Heavenly Emperor's holy arts, which astonished everyone.

Moreover, people were quite curious about Ye Fan. He truly lived up to his reputation as the most formidable lord in the history of this barren land. He actually fought such a world-shaking heavenly maiden to a stalemate.

“Interesting...” A tall man muttered to himself, hands clasped behind his back, staring at the two in the arena.

Beside him, everyone else was horrified. They didn't know when he had arrived, and instinctively retreated.

Because people had recognized him as a prodigy. He was the last to arrive late after the Qishi Mansion closed its doors for disciple recruitment. With a single strike, he severely injured the gatekeeper, who was at the Ninth Transformation of the Dragon Transformation stage, and was exceptionally chosen by the Qishi Mansion.

“How amazing!” In the distance, a small child, looking no more than eight or nine years old, plump and fair, with a topknot pointing skyward, stood quietly muttering to himself.

This was a small prodigy. At just nine years old, he had eliminated many people and successfully entered the Qishi Mansion. His future achievements were immeasurable!

On the other side, a man was silently still. His hair was disheveled, half-obscuring his face. He appeared mysterious and aloof. Everyone retreated, automatically leaving a vacuum around him.

Everyone was deeply impressed; this was a heaven-defying prodigy. He arrived on the second day after the Qishi Mansion opened. With just one palm strike, he killed a King Body, startling several great powers in the mansion who came to see him personally.

On the other side, there was also a barbarian clad in animal skins, carrying a wolf-tooth club, grinning foolishly. He seemed harmless to humans and animals, but also made people uneasy.

This individual arrived only after the Qishi Mansion closed. With brute sacred force, he literally shattered a great power's palm, dropping many jaws.

The prodigies in the Qishi Mansion were not limited to just these few. There were also arrogant figures who entered after surviving tribulation, and so on. Some of these prodigies also came to watch the battle, surprising many.

“It's time for this to end!”

When the battle reached two thousand five hundred rounds, and the evening glow dyed the sky red, Princess Qi let out a soft cry, deciding to end the fight.

Endless flower petals rained down, each shimmering with iridescent light. Princess Qi's entire body became crystalline, like a flying immortal, as she stretched, perfected to the extreme.

The three thousand miniature worlds transformed back into brilliant divine flowers, encircling her. She was flawless and pure, a mark on her forehead blossomed, radiating brilliant light, holding the Sword of Chaos, looking down upon the world with disdain.

At this moment, Ye Fan's heart tightened. He was astonished by Princess Qi's rapidly rising aura, and even more shocked by the terrifying nature of this holy art.

From this, he glimpsed a trace of the Ruthless Heavenly Emperor's demeanor from back then. Could it be that with a single thought, three thousand true great worlds would obey his command?

And it must be known that this was merely one of his unparalleled holy arts. Heaven knew what world-shaking supreme techniques other secret tomes contained!

“Kill!”

Princess Qi, a woman capable of captivating all beings, uttered this word from her cherry lips, possessing a unique charm. Her killing intent was like a sharp ray, incredibly terrifying.

“Boom!”

Three thousand divine flowers bloomed, merging into one, evolving into a singular miniature world. At the same time, the mark on her forehead shot out, piercing into it.

As the flower bloomed, the world opened; without law, without thought, without form, without spirit. Ye Fan, unaware, was instantly drawn inside.

In this miniature world, heaven and earth were silent, and the falling flower petals were suspended mid-air. Only he and Princess Qi stood facing each other.

Undoubtedly, Princess Qi was the master of this world. With a single thought, she could control everything, holding power over life and death and reincarnation.

“This is a real and perfect miniature world that I control. Here, I am a god. If you lose, you'll be my dragon-horse, alright?” Princess Qi smiled, exceptionally beautiful and captivating, holding the Sword of Chaos, radiating unparalleled grace.

“And if you lose, will you become my spirit beast?” Ye Fan eyed her askance.

At just that one remark, Princess Qi's face immediately darkened. She raised her sword and struck, and the confined miniature realm instantly came alive. All divine power became usable by her.

Ye Fan also moved, raising his combat power to its extreme, with no room for reservation. He found that every time he encountered anything related to the Ruthless One, he felt an immense threat.

“Boom!”

Ye Fan evolved the Holy Battle Art, bombarding this miniature realm, intent on utterly destroying it. At the same time, he unleashed the "Xing" (Movement) Character Art, moving like a streak of fleeting light, attacking Princess Qi.

This was a world-shaking battle, but unfortunately, those outside could not witness it. This was an independent miniature world, isolating everything.

“All heavens, stand still!” Princess Qi lightly shouted; she intended to freeze everything in this world, bringing space-time to a halt.

However, Ye Fan secretly activated all his phenomena. Although they didn't visibly manifest, their effects became apparent invisibly. There was simply no way to immobilize him.

“Swish!”

The Sword of Chaos cleaved down. This was one of the most terrifying attacks in the miniature world. Each time, Ye Fan merely struck its side, avoiding a direct confrontation.

“Heavenly Dao Suppression!” Princess Qi shouted again.

“You can't suppress me!” Ye Fan roared, his body moved, unleashing all his supreme techniques to bombard the miniature world.

“Boom!”

The "Jie" (All) Character Secret was triggered, increasing his combat power tenfold. He finally broke open this miniature world cage. At the same time, the "Xing" Character Art was unleashed, and the Holy Battle Art evolved; he, like a divine being, radiated brilliant light and charged forward.

“Bang! Bang!...”

Ye Fan continuously clashed with the Sword of Chaos, engaging it head-on, finally sending it flying away. The miniature world collapsed, and he, like a streak of immortal light, rampaged, slaying in all directions.

“Boom!”

Outside, everyone was greatly startled. The miniature world shattered, and two figures rushed out, one after the other.

“Whoosh!”

But then, they instantly merged into one. Ye Fan had captured Princess Qi. One hand was wrapped around her slender waist, while the other rested against her neck, which was as white and beautiful as a swan's.