Chapter 732: Blood-Stained Elegance

Chapter 735: Blood-Stained Splendor

Heaven and earth fell silent, everything still as a painting, an eternal scene where all movement ceased, as if frozen in time.

Only the golden figure, embracing the cauldron, moved and illuminated the sky, becoming the sole entity in this world, radiating immortal divine brilliance.

The Lunar God Child, like a castle built of sand, rapidly disintegrated and vanished as the tide surged in, as if he had never existed.

Ye Fan's golden primordial spirit, only three inches tall, flowed with golden light like an immortal deity, embracing the cauldron with a solemn and majestic appearance.

After instantly slaying the Lunar God Child with a single strike, it transformed into a rainbow, flying back and stepping into Ye Fan's glabella. There, it settled upon the Heavenly Platform, cradling the small cauldron.

At that moment, tendrils of divine energy flowed from Ye Fan's glabella, cascading downwards, making him appear pure and majestic, standing like a god.

His entire body glowed, every inch of his flesh pure and crystalline. All his pores expanded, circulating vital energy imbued with the essence of the Great Dao, like a divine lamp made of seven-colored glazed glass.

Only at this moment, as Ye Fan's primordial spirit returned to his physical body and radiated immortal divine light, did everyone awaken from their eternal stillness.

Was it an illusion, or a delusion? This was the question on everyone's mind. Just now, heaven and earth truly seemed to have stopped, with only a primordial spirit and a cauldron moving!

Otherwise, how could the Lunar God Child have been defeated, his skull shattered, and erased from existence without even resisting?

The primordial spirit, merging with the Dao, transformed into a dazzling rainbow, embracing the cauldron and instantly slaying the Lunar God Child. All of this happened too quickly, beyond human comprehension, plunging the North Sea into a deathly silence.

Everyone felt a wave of dread. Even the bodies of living fossils turned cold. Ye Fan was truly terrifying; who could stand against him?

What kind of method was that? This was the question in everyone's hearts across the sea. The scorching divine light had not only destroyed the Lunar God Child but had also sent shivers down everyone's spines.

"Buzz"

In the sky, the ancient saint's skull descended, pressing down on Ye Fan's physical body. All seven orifices of the skull emitted a wailing sound, spewing forth magnificent light that shot into the heavens.

Those were wisps of an ancient saint's aura, an irresistible might that caused the ancient void to collapse under its pressure.

"Whoosh"

Ye Fan retracted his phenomena, executing the 'Moving' character secret art. His purple robes billowed as he gracefully soared ten thousand zhang away, like a banished immortal, evading the attack.

At the same time, with single-minded focus, he activated the 'Soldier' character secret art. An unusual fluctuation appeared between heaven and earth, severing a certain cosmic trajectory.

"Thump"

The skull, as dark as a great abyss, trembled violently. It broke free from a mysterious trajectory, deviating from its original path of movement, and its seven orifices slowly dimmed.

Ye Fan had executed a decapitation strike, first killing the Lunar God Child. Without subsequent divine power to sustain it, and no primordial spirit to connect with the skull, its path to full revival was severed.

Now, Ye Fan used the 'Soldier' character secret art to interfere further, causing it to fall off the path of the Great Dao. Its power sharply diminished, and it was about to gradually fall into slumber.

After all, this was merely a saint's skull. After countless ages, its essence had long since dissipated. It could not truly possess the saint's power from ancient times; it only retained a trace of his invincible aura.

Although supreme Dao patterns were carved upon it, allowing it to recreate the saint's might if evolved into a saint weapon, it ultimately fell short, failing by just one step.

Just one step. If it had crossed that threshold, it could have reappeared with the invincible divine power of an ancient saint. Though it surpassed other king-grade divine weapons by not crossing it, it still had discernible weaknesses and could be dismantled.

The skull dimmed, its seven orifices no longer spewing divine energy. Having lost the Lunar God Child's control and lacking subsequent divine power, it began to descend, and the deity within it fell into a deep slumber.

"Clang"

Ye Fan activated the 'Soldier' character secret art, and the skull transformed into a dark light, disappearing into his sleeve. He held it in his palm, making it his spoils of war.

At that moment, the North Sea trembled, and everyone felt almost suffocated. Many had intensely fervent eyes, yet not a single person dared to rush forward.

This was a saint's skull, its material undeniably of the highest quality, just one step away from evolving into a legacy saint weapon. Whoever could refine it and advance its grade would surely achieve unity with the weapon, unleashing its maximum power.

This was a great fortune!

Many wanted to snatch it, but intimidated by Ye Fan's recent display of power, no one dared to make a move, let alone step forward.

The skull flowed with dark light, as lustrous as black jade, emitting a dreamlike radiance in Ye Fan's palm, a flow of inky gold.

The Dao patterns on it were incredibly complex. Ye Fan observed closely and also discovered a vast number of restrictions, all placed by the Lunar Sect. Erasing them and fully claiming it for himself would likely be quite difficult.

Now was not the time to refine this saint's skull. With a flash of dark light, he calmly put it away, and it vanished from his palm.

"Clang"

In the sky, the gleaming Diamond Glazed Bracelet, under Ye Fan's 'Soldier' character secret art, grew to the size of a millstone. Its king-grade divine power astonished the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, like a silver divine moon hanging in the sky.

It traversed the North Sea, drawing a brilliant silver streak as it struck towards the nine eerie Netherworld Bamboos, unleashing terrifying fluctuations that caused the entire North Sea to boil!

The nine Netherworld Bamboos had indeed become malevolent entities. Although they were mere bamboos and not human, they let out piercing screams and fled into the North Sea.

Moreover, each stalk was enveloped in monstrous black mist, emanating a saint's oppressive might that shattered all resistance.

They were truly heaven-defying evil entities. What exactly had the Lunar Divine Sect cultivated? If they weren't eradicated early, they would surely become a great disaster in the future! This was a chilling realization for everyone.

Fed with the corpse qi of saints, nourished by Lunar Saint power, and planted in the netherworld, these were truly demonic bamboos, cultivated with exhaustive effort.

"Bang"

The Diamond Glazed Bracelet struck the Netherworld Bamboos but failed to destroy them. The saintly corpse qi surged monstrously, terrifyingly potent, nearly defiling the precious bracelet itself. From afar, people were aghast; these nine Netherworld Bamboos were indeed heaven-defying. The Diamond Glazed Bracelet was powerful enough to shatter other king-grade divine weapons because of its extraordinary nature, yet it had failed to succeed this time.

Ye Fan was also very surprised. He decisively unleashed the skull, and immediately, dark light filled the sky. The North Sea waters nearly evaporated as mighty saintly power rumbled down from above.

The skull purified all the residual saintly corpse qi. The Diamond Glazed Bracelet, like a silver moon traversing the sky, struck down, instantly raising thousands of towering waves!

The nine Netherworld Bamboos shrieked mournfully. All of them were snapped and transformed into nine pools of foul blood, scattering across the vast ocean, utterly destroyed.

“Fortunately, they hadn’t fully matured yet. Otherwise, these nine Netherworld Bamboos truly could have defied the heavens; if they weren't destroyed, they would surely become a great disaster in the future.” Many couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.

Tinkle, tinkle...

In the distant sky, a peerless beauty played the guqin. Melodious music poured forth like ripples, crystal light illuminating the heavens, creating a poetic ambiance and a refreshing aura like ice and snow, all amidst the beautiful strains of music.

Princess Yue Shi of the Ziwei Divine Dynasty, the second most beautiful woman of her generation, plucked the strings with her ten jade fingers, producing captivating melodies. It was as if ten thousand flowers were blooming, each petal transparent and fragrant, filling the sky and drifting down like scattered blossoms.

She had previously stated that she would observe the battle and play a war tune for the peerless young talents fighting. Now, the battle had ended, and so too had the music.

As the zither music faded, three heavenly prodigies met their end, their blood staining the sky, drawing a close to the spectacle. Only Ye Fan remained standing in the field, the sole victor.

After a brief silence, this vast expanse of water seethed, and an uproar soared into the sky. This battle had immense repercussions: three god-child level figures, peerless talents who had each reigned over their own domains, had fallen, becoming stepping stones for the young man named Ye as he advanced towards the supreme Great Dao.

The Nine-Headed Flood Dragon King, Chi Yang, and the Lunar God Child—which one of them wasn't a peerless figure who dominated their region, possessing astonishing talent, extraordinary brilliance, and courage unsurpassed under heaven? Yet, in a single day, they were all slain by the same person!

Ye Fan's achievement could be described as utterly magnificent. How many years had it been since something like this occurred—slaying three talented individuals, each aspiring to the path of a Great Emperor, in a single day? It was enough to shock the world.

It was imaginable that within a few days, when the news reached the mainland, it would surely cause a massive earthquake, astonishing the entire world!

Venerable Xuan Gui's immortal cave was exceedingly lively. People had returned, and Ye Fan was surrounded by numerous cultivators, like stars clustered around the moon.

After this battle, people foresaw the rise of an Emperor Star. Yin Tiande now had a formidable rival!

Daoist San Que would likely no longer be able to remain aloof from worldly affairs, and Lu Ya would certainly break out of his death seclusion to challenge this terrifying enemy of the Golden Crow race.

“Brother Ye, you are truly a heaven-blessed talent. In a single day, you consecutively slew three formidable foes who had suppressed the younger generation, making us all revere you as a divine being.” The younger generation offered their compliments and praises.

“Invincible in youth, with a broad path ahead, your future achievements are immeasurable, and the Great Dao is within your grasp!” Many elder sect masters also spoke.

Although Venerable Xuan Gui's longevity banquet had concluded, the place became even livelier. At the white jade tables, people raised their cups, drinking immortal brew, as many major powers sought to win over Ye Fan.

After this battle, Ye Fan's standing could be said to have skyrocketed. Many foresaw that the rise of this young man was now unstoppable.

“Brother Ye, come with me to the North Sea Dragon Palace in a moment. My ancestor has many treasures there; I'll definitely have him gift you a suitable king-grade divine weapon.” The Black Dragon King said.

Everyone was astonished. The Black Dragon Ancestor was an ancient flood dragon who had lived for three thousand seven hundred years, with cultivation so profound it was terrifying and unfathomable.

Nearby, a beautiful and radiant woman approached, swaying gracefully. Someone recognized her as being from Poseidon Island, an ancient, immortal great sect in the North Sea. She smiled faintly and said, “Brother Ye, your combat prowess is truly astonishing. Since you are in the North Sea, you must visit my Poseidon Island.”

Venerable Xuan Gui, like the Black Dragon Ancestor, was one of the most powerful ancient demons in the North Sea. His immortal cave was naturally one of the top major powers, and one of his disciples also invited Ye Fan to stay there permanently.

The impact of this battle was significant. Many people openly and unabashedly offered compliments and sought to win him over. Ye Fan was surrounded, unable to move a step.

Major sects from the mainland, due to their proximity to the Golden Crow Race and the Lunar Divine Sect, found it inconvenient to openly recruit him, but they all hinted or secretly tried to win over Ye Fan.

Naturally, there were also major powers and formidable individuals who had closer ties with the Lunar Sect and the Golden Crow Race, standing to the side, sighing and mourning silently.

“Not long ago, I saw the Nine-Headed Flood Dragon King dominating the North Sea, making all regional lords afraid to speak. But now… alas!”

“The Lunar God Child was a prodigy of his generation. Just days ago, he single-handedly suppressed a major sect, silencing all directions, with no one daring to fight. Yet now, he is buried at sea.”

Three extraordinary talents, full of youthful vigor and with few rivals in the world, at the very peak of their prime, had all fallen together, allowing people to witness the bloody, terrifying, and merciless cruelty of the Imperial Path.

This caused people to lament. The fall of geniuses and the defeat of astonishing prodigies all contributed to the rise of the young man named Ye, who advanced by treading upon the bones of many kings. This was a blood-stained path to becoming a Great Emperor, with blood and white bones visible everywhere along the way.

At this time, even immortal legacies such as the Human King Hall, Guanghan Palace, Longevity Temple, and Ziwei Divine Dynasty secretly extended olive branches to Ye Fan, demonstrating the immense impact and effect of this battle!

“Is this child truly a descendant of the Human Saint Emperor? So young, yet already brimming with divine essence and showing extraordinary talent—truly worthy of being a continuation of the Human Emperor's bloodline.”

Princess Yue Shi of the Ziwei Divine Dynasty approached. Her black hair gleamed like satin, her skin was snow-white and crystalline, and she possessed a pair of vibrant phoenix eyes, slightly upturned, radiating endless beauty and charm.