Chapter 996: Confrontation with the Ancient Great Emperor!

**Chapter 996: Confrontation with Ancient Great Emperors!**

Far away, a shower of meteorites flew as the Human Saint Body underwent the Dao Severing tribulation, and heavenly phenomena descended. This was merely the beginning!

It was a field of several hundred meteors, emitting brilliant light that illuminated the ages, arranged in formation and surging forward. The smallest pieces were hundreds of zhang long, while the largest were as big as half the moon, possessing thunderous might. They streaked across the sky with dazzling, long tails, filled with world-destroying power!

Ye Fan's expression changed. He knew there might be phenomena during Dao Severing, but he never expected hundreds of meteors right from the start. This was a terrifying spectacle. All of them surged from the depths of the universe, imbued with a mysterious, boundless power. Each meteorite was as blinding as the sun.

“This light isn’t born from friction; it harbors immense power within.”

Ye Fan swung his fists, struggling amidst the heavenly tribulation, striking forward. Instantly, an overwhelming holy radiance erupted, as every inch of his body was enveloped by lightning. The heavenly tribulation, stirred by his presence, converged with the meteorite swarm. He stretched his arms, unleashing his full power to shake the meteorites. It was a grand annihilation: rays of light soared, thunder roared, and all the meteorites were reduced to dust. Even a faint wisp of tribulation light was destructive, equivalent to a major heavenly tribulation for others, effortlessly capable of crumbling mountains and great peaks. Ye Fan's pores dilated, as tens of thousands of wisps of tribulation light flowed in and out. His body autonomously absorbed and expelled the divine sea of lightning, his flesh, blood, organs, and bones all breathing.

“Buzz!”

The void trembled. Dragon-entwined lightning flashed, ancient and majestic, taller than celestial peaks, suppressing Ye Fan. It bore various trigram diagrams, profound and eerie. This was lightning shaped like the Fuxi Dragon Tablet, incredibly powerful. Ye Fan had been struck several times, his bones almost broken and tendons snapped. Each downward press was like an ancient star exploding. He had doubts in his heart: Why was the lightning shaped like ancestral artifacts? And why was it so shocking and immensely powerful? What was the relationship between them?

“Could these be the Dao traces left by past Path-Provers?” Ye Fan pondered many possibilities. Was the Great Dao manifesting the imprints of various divine principles left by the strongest beings of old, revealing them in the world?

“Boom!”

At that moment, he had no time for further thought. Lightning bolts, transformed from various ancestral artifacts, appeared simultaneously, pressing down. Their divine power was boundless; the aura emanating from the Fuxi Dragon Tablet and others was immense.

“To sever the Great Dao in reverse means to defeat the existing Dao in this realm, to truly break free and transcend it!”

Ye Fan's eyes sharpened, shooting out flame-like rays of light like two divine lamps. Deep within the cosmic sky, they shone with extraordinary brilliance, intimidating beyond measure.

“Boom!”

He began to swing his fists, crushing all obstacles. Whether it was the Fuxi Dragon Tablet or other ancestral artifacts, he shattered them one by one, fighting the established Dao! In the vast and boundless sea of lightning, he alone traversed the outer reaches, battling numerous ancient sacred Daos, enduring a tribulation unimaginable to ordinary people. If it were anyone else, simply enduring the heavenly tribulation would count as a successful crossing. But he had to ascend against the void, destroying all tribulations until there were no more left for heaven to unleash. Precisely because of this, his heavenly tribulation far surpassed all those of ancient times. It was incredibly vast, a single bolt of which would be enough to shatter other Dao Severers.

At this very moment, the lightning tribulation in the void intensified. The Dragon Tablet was destroyed, and the stone platform shattered, but they rapidly reformed. Humanoid lightning figures appeared, several at once. Simultaneously, more various weapons appeared, their power shaking this starfield. Ye Fan felt a chill down his spine, his bones breaking and tendons snapping several times, golden blood splattering.

“What am I seeing?” He could hardly believe his eyes.

“Boom!”

From afar, a blazing beam of light shot forth, piercing his chest, a wisp of smoke rising, accompanied by a burnt smell. It was a majestic figure whose true appearance was indiscernible, but the ancient mirror in its hand was unmistakable: it was the Void Mirror!

“This is the weapon of the Great Emperor Void! There's no mistaking it!” Ye Fan had once carried the small bronze coffin to resist it; the patterns on the ancient mirror were identical. He actually saw it at this end of the starry sky. The Great Emperor Void had visited this ancient star, perhaps engaging in combat here, leaving behind some Dao traces in the Great Dao, which were imprinted by this realm. At this instant, Ye Fan gained a new understanding of the Great Dao and heavenly tribulations: the ancient Daos, recorded and imprinted, could manifest!

“Am I actually confronting the Great Emperor Void?” His voice trembled as he murmured to himself. It wasn't that he hadn't encountered humanoid lightning before; he had seen similar scenes in the Beidou Star Domain. But this time was different from the past. Previously, it was pure humanoid lightning, striking down various tribulations, and even if there were Dao principles, they weren't this extensive. But this opponent, the humanoid lightning wielding the Void Ancient Mirror, could unleash various supreme Dao arts, terrifying beyond measure!

“Thankfully, it's not imperial might, but merely a trace imprinted by the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth!” Ye Fan could only feel fortunate about this, otherwise, he would surely die. These Dao traces were only meant for Dao Severers, not for Saint tribulations, let alone Great Emperor tribulations; otherwise, this entire starfield would be destroyed.

Ye Fan let out a clear cry, charging through the sea of lightning. He summoned his own cauldron, smashing it towards the Void Ancient Mirror with immense power.

“Clang!”

They became entangled, fighting fiercely. Ye Fan had a strange illusion: it was as if he was facing the Great Emperor Void in his youth, confronting his true self.

“Boom!”

Flames poured down from the sky. A massive fiery furnace descended from above. Though formed of lightning, it appeared to be cast from Phoenix Blood Scarlet Gold. Above it stood a majestic figure, suppressing him.

“The Hengyu Furnace! That’s the Great Emperor Hengyu!”

Ye Fan was startled again. Another ancient Great Emperor had appeared. The Heavenly Dao had also preserved a wisp of his imprint; his divine might was unparalleled! He barely avoided the Void Mirror's illumination but was then solidly struck by the Hengyu Furnace. His spine cracked open, and his bones were almost completely shattered, leaving him severely wounded. Another Great Emperor from the Beidou Star Domain had also visited this shore. Now, with the manifestation of his Dao principles, unrivaled in the world, Ye Fan almost perished on the spot.

He finally understood the consequences of severing the Great Dao in reverse: it was a dead end, without hope of survival. The Daos of the strongest beings who had ever appeared under this starry sky would all manifest. How incredibly difficult it would be to transcend! However, he remained unyielding and did not give up. His gaze sharpened, and the light deep within his pupils intensified, burning like two fiery torches!

“This is a rare opportunity! I've always yearned to fight against young Great Emperors at the same cultivation level, but never had the chance. Today, I'll see who's superior!” Ye Fan declared fiercely. It wasn't that he was arrogant or disrespectful towards the ancient Great Emperors; rather, he was forced into this situation with no other choice but to fight to the death against these ancient emperors from their own Dao Severing period.

The most terrifying battle erupted. Ye Fan was almost beaten to death, as the young Great Emperor Void made his move, and the young Great Emperor Hengyu showed no mercy either. They unleashed various profound techniques, shattering heaven and earth. Though formed of lightning, they possessed the Dao principles of old, equally terrifying and boundless – a true killing blow.

“Boom!”

A Celestial Tear Green Gold Pagoda appeared, shattering ancient space and time as it slammed into Ye Fan. Even the Human Saint Body couldn't withstand it; hundreds of his bones broke, and he was sent flying. The Western Empress of Yaochi had appeared!

Ye Fan faced an immense crisis, barely escaping death. To contend with young Great Emperors at the same cultivation level was his lifelong dream, propelling him to understand the Dao. However, to encounter a group of young Great Emperors at once was a disaster. Even if an immortal were to be resurrected, they would perish in this realm.

“Boom!”

A thunderous roar erupted, as billions of lightning bolts covered the sky. Another man, with dishevelled hair, stepped forward, striking with wide, sweeping movements, possessing a magnificent and invincible aura. The Great Emperor Fuxi had attacked!

Ye Fan roared loudly, casting aside all thoughts of reverence for ancestors. His thick black hair danced as he battled fiercely against these supreme beings' young Dao bodies amidst the lightning. This was an arduous battle. He was indeed strong enough, but to contend with such beings was simply too demanding. Who were these people? Each one was the strongest of their historical era, their profound techniques suppressing all of antiquity, invincible throughout the cosmos! These individuals had never met each other, yet they shared a commonality: they were all Great Emperors who had defeated everyone in their respective eras, truly invincible under the starry sky, standing at the apex of all beings, looking down upon the past, present, and future!

Ye Fan needed powerful adversaries. At his level of strength, in this Age of Dharma Decline, it was hard for him to even find defeat. But this time was truly outrageous. One such opponent would have been enough to hone his brilliance, but with so many appearing at once, there was no way out. Ancient Great Emperors—these four words alone were enough to crush the cosmos. Such individuals were the most astonishing, not just in name. For Ye Fan, at the Dao Severing stage, battling even one would be an incredible achievement. At this moment, this wasn't a trial, but a definite killing blow, offering him no hope. This was the consequence of his attempt to sever the Great Dao in reverse: he would face the full force of all the Daos that had appeared on this ancient star throughout history!

Ye Fan, bathed in blood, fought fiercely. All the bones in his body were shattered. He had never suffered such a brutal ordeal, yet he remained unyielding, gritting his teeth and persisting, battling the four ancient emperors simultaneously.

“Puff!”

Finally, he could not evade. The Void Ancient Mirror shone on his back, the Hengyu Furnace slammed into his shoulder, the Western Empress Pagoda suppressed his head, and Great Emperor Fuxi delivered a palm strike. Ye Fan was covered in blood, his bones shattered, golden blood splattering. Blood stained the sky as his body disintegrated in this outer realm, his flesh, blood, and organs torn apart. Since his emergence, he had never been so battered and miserable, trapped in a desperate situation, his life hanging by a thread.

He was a man, not an immortal. Each of the ancient Great Emperors was peerless throughout history, among the most astounding figures under the entire starry sky, each a protagonist of their era! In this world, if there was anyone who could be compared to the ancient Great Emperors in their youth, or contend with young emperors, it could be said that he would surely be eternally renowned in history. To find someone who could single-handedly battle four young Great Emperors—perhaps no such person had existed throughout history. No one could believe such an absurd miracle! Even if Ye Fan were to prove the Dao, he would only be one among them, the protagonist of his own era. Yet now, he was fighting one against four, performing a feat unprecedented throughout history!

His bones were shattered, golden flesh and blood splattered everywhere, and he suffered severe injuries. Yet, his spirit, energy, and vitality remained intact, becoming even more resolute.

“Boom!”

Vast golden blood energy permeated the air. Ye Fan activated the 'Zhe' character secret art, his flesh and shattered bones rejoining, his skeletal structure reforming with grinding sounds, restoring his true body. Ye Fan had long since lost all sense of reverence. This was a heavenly tribulation unprecedented in history. Facing these humanoid lightning figures, transformed from ancient emperors, his eyes were piercing, holding only one belief: to kill them all!

“Boom!”

He unleashed a profound technique, the 'Laozi Transformed into Three Pure Ones,' manifesting a Dao body identical to himself, with equal combat power, to confront the four young Great Emperors! The battle reached a fever pitch. Two against four still offered no chance of victory; it was incredibly difficult. He was covered in golden bloodstains. Soon after, the Dao body's duration expired, and it was severed and returned. Fighting one against four, he could only face defeat and death. Ye Fan, bathed in blood, fought fiercely but refused to be disheartened or yield to the ancient imperial Dao.

“Confronting four young Great Emperors, I'm bound to die. What can I do?” Ye Fan asked himself inwardly. If anyone were to learn that he was confronting four young Great Emperors at the Dao Severing stage, they would be utterly shocked, perhaps even disbelieving. This was a glorious feat, unmatched through the ages! Just enduring for a moment would be worthy of eternal boasting, enough to be recorded in history. Yet, he was still contemplating severing the Great Dao in reverse.

“Boom!”

In the sky, nine suns blazed, their instantaneous light illuminating the dark depths of the universe. Another scene of the Dao Severing phenomenon appeared. And at that moment, five more humanoid lightning figures appeared in the sea of lightning. Now, a total of nine young Great Emperors had emerged, intending to jointly sever Ye Fan's Dao!

Ye Fan drew a sharp breath, feeling a headache coming on, because he recognized one of them. Suspended above its head was a great chaotic bell. Though its true face was obscured, it could only be the Great Emperor Wushi!