Chapter 702: Saint's End

The bronze warship ascended from the ground, soaring into the sky along with the divine formation carved by the young madman. Accompanying them were the corpses of a Great Sage and several ancient kings. They were headed for space, leaving the Ziwei Ancient Starfield to enter the cosmic star regions for the final decisive battle.

The human cultivators were shocked and dismayed, watching the ancient ship ascend higher and higher. Everyone felt a chill from head to toe. Who could break this deadlock? Who could lend a hand to the human Sage? They felt their own insignificance, utterly unable to help. How many individuals of that caliber had there been throughout history? Compared to them, the cultivators were like ants.

"What are you standing around for? Go quickly to the immortal ancient lands and borrow the Ultimate Emperor Armaments! Do you want to just stand by and watch a colossal disaster unfold?!" Ye Fan roared. The old madman was incredibly strong, peerless in his generation, but facing so many ancient kings alone, he would undoubtedly meet a tragic end. It was a path of no return. If he went to the outer heavens, his sacred blood would likely stain the sky, and his soul shatter across the starfield. Ye Fan was extremely worried that he would perish.

At this moment, many people stared at him as if they had seen a ghost. No one responded, no one went to retrieve the Ultimate Emperor Armaments, and they all looked at him with confusion. "What's wrong with all of you? Don't tell me a dignified place like the Ziwei Ancient Starfield doesn't have Emperor Armaments!" Ye Fan grew anxious; time was life, and not a second could be wasted.

"Are you even from this world anymore?" someone finally couldn't help but ask.

"All the Emperor Armaments vanished with the Great Emperors of old. Don't you even know that?!"

"What?!" Ye Fan's heart was shaken. What was happening? He was utterly bewildered. What had transpired in the Ziwei Ancient Starfield? This was a place where endless myths were born, an ancient source of life, holding countless secrets, known as the legendary Central Ancient Emperor Star.

The bronze warship rumbled, slicing through the sky, unstoppable as it climbed higher and higher. The ancient formation sealed off all directions, and the floating corpses made for an incredibly eerie and terrifying sight. The ancient ship was etched with images of the primeval myriad races, including their ancient emperors, their Great Sages, and many inexplicable patterns: flora, fauna, tripods, pagodas, bells, and mirrors—everything imaginable.

At this point, even before the bronze warship had left, a fierce battle erupted. The young madman, powerful and unrivaled, launched an preemptive attack. Going to the outer heavens was a path of no return for him, yet he showed no trace of fear. He fought with expansive movements, his Six Paths Reincarnation Fist opening six ancient realms. Two Great Sages from the primordial era, along with over a dozen Saint-level Ancestral Kings, attacked simultaneously. What immense combat power was this? In that moment, they all struck at a single point. Even the greatest heroes would tremble; resistance was impossible!

The young madman was indeed very powerful, but against so many Sages, he simply couldn't be a match. Although these individuals were weak, they could still unleash several full-force attacks. The six ancient realms opened by the Six Paths Reincarnation Fist were pierced by over a dozen weapons, then shattered, rapidly collapsing and disintegrating. The human cultivators almost closed their eyes. How could anyone evade this? How could anyone resist? It was impossible to face. What good was being a Great Sage if even they would turn to ash from such an attack?

It was clearly visible: over a dozen weapons were upon the young madman's body, exuding divine principles of the Heavenly Dao, on the verge of disintegrating him. The old madman's fist power was peerless. Although he shattered several weapons, he couldn't nullify them all. People could barely bear to watch. Before even reaching the outer heavens, was the human Sage going to bleed here?

"Senior!" Ye Fan cried out. He truly couldn't bear to witness the horrific scene of the old madman bleeding in the sky. His heart pounded, and his eyes were about to split open with anguish. Everyone else felt a chill run through their bodies. If the old madman died, what would become of the Ziwei Ancient Starfield? People dared not imagine. Many closed their eyes, unable to witness the scene of the Sage bleeding.

However, at that very moment, the ancient Ancestral Kings cried out in surprise, and even the two Great Sages uttered a sound of astonishment. An incredible scene unfolded in the field. Time seemed to halt at that instant. All the weapons, exhaling sacred divine principles, were on the verge of touching the old madman's body, but they froze. It was incredibly brief, just a fleeting moment. Space-time solidified, and the young madman used that split second to escape certain death!

"What... what happened?!"

"What exactly is going on?"

Even the ancient Ancestral Kings were inwardly shaken, and the two primordial Great Sages trembled, their faces revealing expressions of shock. The young madman broke free from the deadly trap, evading all weapons and divine principles. Like a fish detached from the world, he leaped up, transforming into a Kunpeng.

*Pfft!* He swung both fists, unleashing Six Paths Reincarnation divine power. Instantly, heaven and earth shattered. He pulverized the head of one ancient Ancestral King into pulp, sending grey blood splattering dozens of feet high. With his other hand, he ripped open the skull of another ancient king, snatched out their primordial spirit, and crushed it into dust.

Many were bewildered. Only the two primordial Great Sages were shaken, clearly understanding what had happened. One of them said in a deep voice, "The power of time!"

"Though only a glimpse, it was indeed time, rapidly altered!" the other Great Sage added.

In the distance, Ye Fan's heart surged with emotion. He too understood: it was the "Line" character secret. When cultivated to its peak, it would sublimate, allowing one to glimpse the mysteries of time. The "Line" character secret, one of the Nine Secrets, was indeed terrifying. The old madman's mastery had reached its zenith, having already briefly touched upon the fringes of the temporal domain. Ye Fan found it hard to calm down. He and the old madman had both obtained the complete "Line" character secret on the Saint Cliff, naturally understanding the divine principles it contained. Witnessing such heaven-defying means now, he was incredibly excited.

The "Line" character secret originated from the ancient assassin divine dynasty, the Heavenly Court. In bygone years, an old Sage had a rare epochal fortune, obtaining an immortal divine medicine and living for two lifetimes to cultivate it to the temporal domain. As for others, they couldn't even touch that supreme forbidden realm; there was no hope of cultivating it. Yet now, the young madman had displayed such a facet, initially glimpsing the intricate divine principles within, which was enough to demonstrate his unparalleled talent.

"Touching the order of time is nothing special. It doesn't make you invincible. I can still slay you in the outer regions," the silver-haired Great Sage said coldly.

The battle resumed. Even with the "Line" character secret and the unmatched Six Paths Reincarnation Fist, the old madman suffered several heavy blows. Of course, his adversaries also sustained significant losses.

"Senior!" Ye Fan cried as he saw the old madman bleeding across the sky. He desperately thought of every possible method and activated a large chunk of divine source from within the Cauldron of Myriad Mother Qi. This was a large piece of source stone radiating dazzling divine light. Inside, there was an incredibly terrifying, emaciated old man, clad in beast hide armor, clutching a smooth white bone staff. His hair was disheveled, and his limbs were bound by crimson iron divine chains. He was like a primordial ferocious beast; the mere aura he emitted was enough to shatter one's primordial spirit, utterly unbearable!

Ye Fan transmitted a message, telling the old madman everything, and pushed the divine source chunk out, hoping it would slip through a gap in the divine formation and explode to launch an attack. "It's hard to say if this is good or bad. This ancient Sage cultivated both Yin and Yang, turning himself into a demon. He might even attack the old madman." Ye Fan was very worried; if he released this primordial human-demon, who knew what would happen.

"What, it's him... he's still alive in this world? Back then, he killed several Ancestral Kings and a Great Sage!"

"It really is the primordial human-demon! Wasn't he jointly suppressed and killed by the Ten Thousand Dragon Nest and Divine Spirit Valley? How is he still alive in this later era?!"

Several ancient kings from the Big Dipper Starfield all changed their expressions dramatically, recognizing the old man sealed within the divine source and recalling a terrifying past event. "Don't let him in! Don't let him break the seal!" cried the Great Sage with dragon horns on his head. He did not want any unexpected complications. Many ancient kings attacked together, jointly sealing off that corner gap, unwilling to let this terrifying human-demon enter.

Just then, the young madman acted. A dazzling light emanated from his glabella as a black moon divine talisman appeared. His Lunar Saint Power circulated, drawing and connecting with the divine source chunk.

*Boom!* From the divine source chunk, the desiccated primordial Sage unleashed an incredibly violent aura. Especially from his glabella, a dazzling light shot forth, resembling both the sun and a divine moon, radiating destructive brilliance. Like a beast unleashed from its cage, he condensed a murderous intent that surged directly into the body of one of the ancient kings.

"Ah..." That ancient king screamed, his primordial spirit nearly sucked out, and numerous cracks appeared all over his body, from which blood seeped.

"Quickly! Absolutely don't let him in! Don't let him awaken!" This was a Great Sage! Although currently sealed, he bore no injuries, merely slumbering within the divine source. Once unleashed, he would undoubtedly cause a massive slaughter.

All the ancient kings attacked together. In their prime, they would have been fearless, as they had two Great Sages on their side. But now, they were all extremely weak, making the situation different. Over a dozen beams of light shot forth, sealing that crack completely. The young madman was helpless; he couldn't stop everyone by himself.

The bronze warship rapidly ascended, and the divine source chunk containing the primordial Sage was knocked down, receding further and further away. Ye Fan was anxious and worried, yet powerless to change anything. He watched helplessly as the bronze warship disappeared into the clouds, heading towards the extraterrestrial battlefield.

"Senior..." Ye Fan cried out, racking his brains. He thought that perhaps only the "All" character secret could prove effective, so he transmitted it upwards into the sky. Among the Nine Secrets, all but this one were complex, requiring extensive comprehension and significant time to master. Only this secret was concise, quickly cultivated, and capable of triggering multiplied combat power. His only concern was that if the old madman had already touched the Eight Prohibitions domain, this secret would be ineffective unless he broke through his own limitations to unleash its supreme divine might!

The moment Ye Fan transmitted the "All" character secret, the old madman also sent down a divine thought, imprinting it into Ye Fan's mind, causing him to tremble.

The Six Paths Reincarnation Fist! This terrifying fist technique was the most suitable combat skill for Ye Fan, whose physical body was peerless. In the future, it would undoubtedly allow him to soar like a dragon.

"Don't let it be lost."

The young madman's gaze was indifferent as he confronted the many ancient kings. This was the last imprint he left, as if settling his affairs, before he and the primordial Sages vanished into the outer heavens.

"Brother Old Madman!" Ye Fan cried out.

Going to the outer regions was a death trap, with no hope of survival. People knew this was likely the last time they would ever see the human Great Sage. That resolute face, that unwavering spirit, that silhouette disappearing never to return, left an indelible impression on the world. The old madman fought alone against many Sages, going by himself to the outer regions. "Even if I die, I will slay all the Saint-level Ancestral Kings on that ancient ship!" The old madman's words, domineering and forceful, seemed to still echo in people's ears.

This was the legend of a Sage, one who did not appear in the world often, a fleeting glimpse, yet now completely vanished...

A few days later, a fragment of bronze, stained with the human Sage's blood, fell from the depths of the outer heavens onto the land of the Ziwei Ancient Region, telling the tale of a world-shattering, tragic battle. From then on, Sages did not appear. The primordial Great Sages did not descend, and the Ancestral Kings all vanished. The human Great Sage, too, never reappeared.

"For the Ziwei Ancient Starfield, the human Sage's blood stained the outer regions..." Many wept aloud.

It has been one year. "Shrouding the Heavens" has been uploaded for a full year now. I wanted to write a bit more, feeling very emotional. Here, Chen Dong thanks everyone for their continued support. Thank you all; it is you who have allowed "Shrouding the Heavens" to go so far and achieve such success. On the occasion of the first anniversary, whether or not...