Chapter 984: 威震耶路撒冷

Jerusalem is a holy city for three major religions, attracting countless pilgrims from Judaism, Islam, and Christianity every year. It has been a center for religious activities since ancient times.

However, what Ye Fan saw was a hidden, primal ancient city that had never been destroyed in any past wars, standing since antiquity. Its black walls shimmered with a cold metallic luster, exuding an ancient, weathered, and sacred aura. This was a city of gods, and also a dwelling place for saints.

The city's grandeur and immense size were beyond imagination; mortals could never have built it. Its walls, like dark mountain ranges, nearly touched the sky, stretching for hundreds of miles. What they enclosed was not merely a city, but more like a vast, open grotto, revered and shared by the three religions. Through its massive, open gates, one could see ancient temples, majestic mountains, and towering trees within. It was a pure, ancient spiritual ground, dedicated to cultivation.

The expansive area outside the city also exuded a primal, wild aura. Mountains and rivers stretched endlessly, ancient medicinal plants thrived, and old vines were as thick as tree trunks. The air resonated with the cries of apes and the roars of tigers. Many cultivators were present here, both inside and outside the city; none were ordinary mortals, as it would otherwise be impossible to enter this place.

Ye Fan's appearance naturally drew attention. For days, news of a "demon" from the Central Lands had been widely circulated, making his name known throughout the West. Several rogue cultivators had gone to confront him, only to be defeated and perish. It was widely rumored that this "demon" from the Central Lands was coming west to desecrate God's glory and slaughter His people. Some were waiting, hoping to slay him and become epic heroes.

"He's here! That person has finally appeared. Is he the one who single-handedly defeated the Crusader army?" people murmured.

The city walls were crowded with people of various races, and many more were in the primal forests outside, including knights riding savage beasts. Many among them had no intention of intervening; this was the holy city of three major religions, and Ye Fan had only offended one so far.

"Master, are we entering the city?" Huang Tiannu asked. That night, she had been incredibly bold, teasing and flirting with Ye Fan, yet she felt nothing strange about it and remained lively as usual, as if nothing had happened.

"No hurry," Ye Fan replied, shaking his head. He studied the ancient city intently, evaluating whether his black arrows could pierce through its defenses. If the people of the three major religions knew this, they would certainly be furious and fight him to the death. Of course, he wasn't intending wanton destruction; he was merely assessing all possible consequences. What if formidable formations protected it? Could they be breached?

"Everyone, I am here for no other reason than to reclaim the ancestral artifact of the Central Lands," Ye Fan declared. "I do not wish to offend anyone." If unnecessary, he had no desire to unleash widespread slaughter and engage in a bloody war in the West.

"There's nothing you want here. You're going too far," someone in the city said coldly.

"The ancestral bone artifacts of Yanhuang are displayed in the West, shown off for all to see. For us descendants, this is a humiliation. Now, reclaiming them is 'going too far'? What kind of logic is that?"

Azure mist shimmered and white fog permeated the sky as a magnificent white horse descended, carrying a maiden who exuded an ineffable sacred and ethereal presence. This was an almost pure-blooded unicorn, its coat gleaming pure white without a single blemish, and a spiral horn on its head shimmered with purple light. The maiden on its back wore silver armor, her body slender and graceful. Her pair of azure eyes were like the sea, and in her hand, she held a small silver pagoda, which she immediately used to attack.

"Om!" The pagoda rapidly expanded, reaching a hundred zhang in an instant. With a rumble, it descended, unleashing a vast expanse of white energy waves that cascaded down like a great waterfall, engulfing Ye Fan and his companions.

"Trying to give us a warning shot? This is an ancient sect master-level artifact," Zhan Yifan commented.

Ye Fan stood his ground, pointing a finger. A brilliant light shot out, instantly immobilizing the silver pagoda. With a gentle wave of his hand, it rapidly shrank and flew into his palm. He casually tossed it to his disciple. Such artifacts were not uncommon to him; though it was the Age of Dharma Decline, many weapons of ancient powerhouses remained. Even a branch of the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow's Nine Rivers possessed such weapons, so great clans and sacred cities would certainly not be without them.

"Return my treasure!" the maiden cried softly. The unicorn charged forward, its spiral horn instantly emitting a thick purple lightning bolt that tore through the void with thunderous crackles. Ye Fan waved his hand, and all the electric light vanished. With a gentle flick of his finger, the unicorn's horn instantly turned to dust; he had not delivered a killing blow. Clearly, this was an innocent, inexperienced maiden who had read too many stories of epic heroes.

However, just then, a change occurred. The maiden's eyes suddenly deepened, then shot out dazzling light. Her clothes on her back burst open as several pairs of brilliant light wings unfolded, and a powerful energy surged forth.

"Hmm, it seems there truly is a powerful entity in the city," Ye Fan mused. "But it's hiding its true form, possessing a naive maiden to test me. Since that's the case, I'll make you tremble with fear."

Ye Fan spoke softly, then transformed into a bolt of lightning and moved forward. His large hand swept down, enveloping the maiden, and from her crown, he extracted a humanoid divine light. It appeared as a fighting god, its divine wings tearing through the air, radiating immense light. It struggled violently, roaring, trying to shatter Ye Fan's arm, but it was futile.

"It is indeed powerful," Ye Fan said. "But within my close range, no matter what you are, you will be as fragile as a clay chicken or a pottery dog." He closed his palm, crushing the humanoid divine light. Surprisingly, threads of blood trickled down, appearing like divine blood.

"I await you in the city!" a cold female voice resonated from within Jerusalem, filled with rage. This was undoubtedly a powerful being.

"Thud!"

The unicorn and the maiden in silver armor fell to the ground, both unconscious. Ye Fan had not actively struck them; to him, they were no different from mortals.

"Indeed very powerful, no wonder he reached the Holy City. However, even if you are divinely brave and awe the world, you should not blaspheme God's glory." An old man in golden robes emerged, holding a divine staff, his entire body enveloped in holy light. Behind him, more than a dozen powerful knights, all riding savage beasts and clad in iron armor, shouted as they guarded the old man.

"That's Master Atuo! His magic is profound, and he understands ancient divine languages. He's a formidable Grand Divine Abilities practitioner," people whispered on the city walls.

Ye Fan and his companions could naturally hear them; although the languages were different, the divine senses of cultivators were universal, allowing them to understand everything being said.

"I won't waste words," Ye Fan stated. "Return the ancestral artifact of the Central Lands, and I will turn and leave. Otherwise, I will overturn this place."

"I know nothing of ancestral artifacts," Master Atuo boomed. "I only know you slaughtered five hundred crusading warriors. I will judge you here and send you to the gallows!"

"Then there's nothing more to say," Ye Fan said, too lazy to elaborate. "Perhaps I should be the one to judge you instead." This person was indeed strong, a Grand Divine Abilities practitioner, but utterly incomparable to him.

"Almighty God, please punish the sinner before me!" the old man chanted. A vast wave of energy surged forth, and lines of rules manifested between heaven and earth. The divine staff in his hand emitted boundless light, empowering these rules, increasing their power by several times. This was a forbidden artifact.

Ye Fan watched quietly, wanting to observe the peculiarities of the Western Daoist lineage. Only after its full power was unleashed did he calmly make his move, simply flicking a finger.

"Pfft!"

A golden light shot out, penetrating the network of rule-light, shattering the golden scepter, and piercing through his glabella. Everything instantly froze, and then the Grand Divine Abilities practitioner fell backward, dying an unnatural death.

"My God, Master Atuo is dead! He was killed by that demon from the Central Lands with just one move!" Everyone, both inside and outside the city, who witnessed this scene, gasped in astonishment. Many turned pale, watching in disbelief, feeling utterly shocked. Master Atuo had lived for over nine hundred years, and his cultivation was unfathomably profound. In the era he was born, cultivation was still barely possible across the Earth. In later years, he cultivated his Dao body using pure faith power, building a formidable reputation in the West as one of the few Grand Divine Abilities practitioners. Yet, to be flicked to death with a mere finger – how could this not be shocking!

What they heard was less impactful than what they saw. For days, people had spoken of a "demon" from the Central Lands, describing his ferocity and power, but many still didn't believe it. Now, witnessing the fall of a Grand Divine Abilities practitioner firsthand, a chill finally ran down their spines. Behind him, Huang Tiannu, Yan Xiaoyu, and others, though unaware of the old man's exact cultivation level, could infer from the crowd's reaction that he was an absolutely formidable figure, leaving everyone speechless.

"Master is too powerful! Even a Western Grand Divine Abilities practitioner vanished into thin air with a flick of his finger. It's estimated that no one in this world can match him."

This was the fourth Grand Divine Abilities practitioner Ye Fan had slain, after the three knight commanders. Most terrifyingly, he annihilated his enemies with effortless ease.

"A demon from the Central Lands..." many whispered tremulously.

Ye Fan walked forward, and the crowd retreated; no one dared to block him. His disciples followed, and all entered the Holy City of Jerusalem.

"Where are our Holy Knights? Where are the ancient Holy Knights who lived since the Dark Ages? Please resurrect, purify this demon from the Central Lands, and burn him with holy fire!" Some people were praying.

"How can a demon be allowed to enter the Holy Land? God's glory cannot be defiled!" Though some shouted, no one dared to step forward.

The city was brimming with spiritual energy, with ancient trees reaching the sky, majestic mountains standing tall, ancient temples situated throughout, and medicinal fields cultivated. It was a rare ancient cultivation ground, highly suitable for spiritual practice.

"You dare to step into the city where even gods reside!" a cold, merciless divine voice resonated, carrying heavenly might that made many people tremble.

"A Divine Race! It's a living Divine Race!" After a brief silence, Jerusalem erupted, with many people shouting, filled with immense shock and excitement. This was a shocking piece of news, bringing many devout believers to tears as they loudly called for God to descend and eliminate the demon from the Central Lands.

"Ancient Divine Races still live!" Even some old cultivators were shaken, unable to help muttering to themselves.

"A Divine Race..." Ye Fan said, his face expressionless, showing neither joy nor sorrow. "I don't care who you are. If you block me from reclaiming the ancestral artifact of the Central Lands, then I don't mind getting my hands covered in divine blood."

"God's light illuminates the earth, all-powerful and all-knowing. For those who forsake God, there is only immolation! Your defiled soul and body shall be burned to ashes, and your sins washed away!" A mass of divine light surged up, enveloping the sky and casting down boundless radiance that spread into every corner.

"Humble blasphemer, kneel before God's feet and repent!" another vast voice boomed, shaking the entire holy city.

"Are you forcing me to slaughter a god?" Ye Fan murmured softly, his words, like a bolt from the blue, shaking the entire divine city of Jerusalem.