Chapter 289: Source of the Dao, Slaughtering All Directions

The bell tolled, lingering and lofty, carrying a primordial, vast aura; it warned the trial-takers that it was time to leave.

Among the forty-nine areas, figures continually emerged; some were in utter disarray, their bodies stained with blood, while others shone with vigor, having reaped great gains.

"What? He didn't die—could it be that everyone who joined forces to ambush him has perished?"

When people saw Ye Fan emerge unharmed, they were stunned, because many had chosen the same region as him upon entry.

Their aim had been to join forces to exterminate him, yet the outcome surpassed everyone's expectations.

"Interesting—I thought he would die so easily..."

The Thirteen Riders of the Wasteland sneered, their eyes vicious and cold, staring fixedly at Ye Fan.

"He's out!"

"Good heavens…… He entered the central forbidden zone at the outset, yet he still radiates vigor!"

As soon as Yang Zhu emerged, he immediately caused a considerable stir, leaving many incredulous.

Fallen Saint Island is fraught with danger; deadly grounds lie everywhere, and a single misstep could bring eternal doom.

Even Ou Ye Mo and Yu Xian, among others, had never set foot in the forbidden zone—showing how perilous it is—yet Yang Zhu emerged unscathed!

In the end, only over three hundred emerged; the other trial-takers perished here, reduced to blood and bone.

"Boom!"

The leader chanted incantations, an ancient altar appeared, a divine light shone, and it bore the crowd away.

"You have completed the trial of the first stage; rest a few days, then set out at once!"

Having spoken, the leader departed.

After undergoing the first trial, undercurrents surged darker in the city, and killing intent thickened.

Fortunately, Yang Zhu needed not concern himself with these; each night he sat cross-legged above the ancient city, cultivating, perceiving its formations and absorbing stellar power, becoming ever more ethereal.

"The road ahead requires you to carve your way through; during it you may strike anyone!"

Several days passed quietly; the guide's visage was stern, his tone still curt.

Yet as soon as these words were spoken, everyone erupted; from now on they must fight their way all the way to the second stage, and only survival counts as passing!

Horns sounded mournfully; an ancient altar arose, radiating flowing, hazy light, and the ancient road leading to the human race's second stage opened.

"How can there be so many antiquities?"

Yang Zhu and company fell upon a tract of ancient land where antiquities lay everywhere, lush and dripping, wafts of fragrant scent assailing the nose, intoxicating.

Vast expanses of antiquities, not seeming to have grown naturally, but as if tended by someone.

"Never mind—snap them all up!"

The Big Black Dog grinned with a huge maw, eyes fiery and greedy, as it stuffed the antiquities one by one into its sack.

"Roar! Who dares intrude upon my treasure land?"

The earth shook and mountains trembled as a Seven-Colored Phoenix swooped down from a thousand‑zhang‑high ancient tree, its aura ferocious, intent on pouncing on Yang Zhu and his companions.

"Wrong! This person has a problem……"

Yet when the Seven-Colored Phoenix was only a few dozen zhang from Yang Zhu, it suddenly halted, daring not to advance, and gazed from afar at the black‑robed youth before it.

Yang Zhu stood aloof; though he released no aura, he exuded a faint pressure, his bearing transcendent, enough to make anyone glance askance.

Though his foes were riddled with flaws, he somehow felt that striking would mean his own death……

"Are these yours?"

Yang Zhu inquired; the divine beast before him had actually reached Saint Rank, its bloodline extremely rich, and as it spread its wings, the surrounding peaks trembled, on the verge of collapse.

"Naturally, the master of this place was originally a divine ape, but I seized it."

The Seven-Colored Phoenix circled, a sudden apprehension rising in its heart; it dared not strike immediately, wishing first to gauge the opponent's true strength.

"Then it's settled—this place is now ours!"

The Big Black Dog was overjoyed; since the other had taken someone else's turf, it too could seize it.

"I ask you, what place is this, and does it have anything special?"

First we must clarify the situation here; that is the pressing priority.

"This is a stretch of the Human Race Ancient Road; you humans are truly hateful—every so often trial‑takers come in, sparking sky‑shaking battles."

"If you wish to reach the next stage, you must fight your way through; yet along the way lies something most precious—the Source of the Dao."

This divine beast seems to harbor no fondness for Human Race trial‑takers; when speaking of these matters its eyes brim with loathing.

"The Source of the Dao is exceedingly precious; only those of extraordinary talent can hope to obtain it, signifying heavenly acknowledgment and the hope of proving the Dao!"

As he spoke, the other's eyes blazed; the Source of the Dao is too precious, its occurrences rare, each emergence a grand feast.

Then, all trial‑takers and the various divine‑nation powers stationed here will spare no effort to vie for it!

"Alas, it has been many years since anyone obtained it……"

The divine beast sighed; before its words faded, threads of light seeped from the ground, containing a force most primal between heaven and earth.

The light below the dragon veins surged, crystal‑clear and dazzling, immortal radiance blazing, emitting a divine glow!

"Source of the Dao!"

Someone shouted in excitement, his breath suddenly swelling—it was an Ancient Saint, reaching out to seize it.

Moreover, all the mighty ones within the Ancient Ancient Land surged forth, madly pursuing, eyes blazing; yet the Source of the Dao transformed into a divine ray, its speed extreme, flying entirely toward Yang Zhu and gathering around him.

"Great Human Imperial Son, we wish to follow you; please lead us away!"

A divine resonance issued from the Source of the Dao, shocking everyone to the point of disbelief! "What, that person gained the Source's acknowledgment and yet chose to follow of his own accord?!"

The Source of the Dao manifested voluntarily, lowering its stance, willing to follow the black‑robed man—thus showing that Yang Zhu had earned the acknowledgment of heaven and earth.

Even as everyone remained stunned, the whole ancient land again boiled forth various qualities of the Source of the Dao, all converging toward Yang Zhu.

"Imperial Son, let us also follow you……"

"From antiquity, the first invincible constitution—we wish to follow you; we implore you to take us away!"

Finally, countless sparkling motes coalesced into a brilliant origin light cluster, there were as many as six Dao, each representing a different substance.

(Don't say again that the Chaos Body is not weaker than the Saint Body Dao Fetus, because the protagonist is a combination of the two.)

Among them, different divine sounds rang out, without exception all actively followed Yang Zhu! "Six... kinds of Dao sources! Know that even with Di Tian's talent, one has never obtained even one!"

Within the Divine Land, everyone was shocked, their emotions surged, their expressions blazing hot, greed unabashed.

"Can."

After Yang Zhu nodded, he flicked his embroidered robe, gathering all the sources of Dao, then swept his gaze across all directions, feeling countless killing intents directed at him, and instead laughed.

"The sources of Dao are in my hands; if you want them, come all at once."

He stood alone on the spot, facing the myriad heroes with tiger-like gazes, showing not the slightest fear, actually intending to take on everyone by himself!

"Impudent! Who are you!"

The sound of breaking wind echoed, a huge hand hundreds of zhang tall covered the sky and blotted out the sun, shattering the firmament; several mountain peaks merely grazed turned to ash instantly.

Immediately someone made a move to seize it, and their first attack was a killing technique.

That person was an ancient saint from the Demon Realm, having become a saint for several hundred years, always guarding here, just waiting for the source of Dao to appear! "Boom!"

Crimson vapors rose, six divine swords sliced out a light gate, reaching thousands of zhang high, even stars could be cleaved in two, boundlessly terrifying! "Bang..." a Cosmos Bag expanded, shaking out a river of purple sand, forming an Immortal-Binding Net that descended downward,...

At the same time, six different peerless killing techniques attacked, and without exception the attackers were peerless experts.

"Hum!"

The Chaos Heavenly Blade appeared, grasped in Yang Zhu's one hand, its edge bright, divine runes flickering, emitting ten-thousand-zhang immortal radiance! A shake of the blade dropped billions of strands of chaos immortal radiance, flattening a thousand-li radius underground to plain in an instant, turning to ash.

"Six ancient saints? Far from enough!"

Yang Zhu swung the Heavenly Blade, a divine light pierced the heavens, cleaving chaos, the void at this moment completely collapsed!

"Bang!"

The Heavenly Blade fell, the six-eight-eight wilderness stirred, the captured Heaven-Reaching Demon Hand was instantly shattered, everything returned to nothing.

Immediately the Heavenly Blade's might undiminished, it split the ancient saint who ate hands into two halves, blood spattered, flooding the lower land, leaving it shattered! "One move felled an ancient saint!"

People's hearts nearly burst, their bodies went cold, even the marrow in their bones felt a chill!

They only knew Yang Zhu was powerful, but no one had seen him act; now he acted, and with one blade he felled an ancient saint who had been a saint for many years.

"Pfft..."

The Chaos Heavenly Blade swept across the sky, its body tilted, nullifying all incoming attacks, then a killing intent shot out, sinking into some part of the void.

A flash of scarlet appeared, the skull of an ancient saint hidden in the void exploded, primordial spirit and flesh together instantly annihilated.

The Stride Character Technique was deployed, time frozen at this moment, Yang Zhu took a step of thousands of li, cutting a trialist into a blood mist.

"Rumble!"

A pitch-black long spear tore through the air, coiling with surging demonic energy, like an ancient ferocious beast emerging, killing intent towering, sweeping like a tsunami.

"Pfft..."

But Yang Zhu merely raised a finger, a purple-gold divine radiance detonated the black spear, turning it into countless flying fragments, various chaos auras raging.

Yang Zhu looked at the attacker, a seed competitor, young yet already stepped into the Saint Realm.

"This is Hong Chang, from an ancient star field; although he looks only in his twenties, he has cultivated for over a hundred years."

People recognized his identity; this person usually kept a low profile, not showing off, yet unexpectedly had entered the Saint Realm.

Yang Zhu formed seals in his hand, yin-yang power circulated, myriad Dao principles danced, a Chaos Taiji Diagram took shape.

"Hum..."

As the Chaos Taiji Diagram formed, myriad Dao roared, forbidden laws poured like a sea, capable of submerging the heavens; as it slowly turned, the firmament collapsed! Yang Zhu changed his gesture, withdrawing the Chaos Taiji Diagram, which could grind everything to nothing, unstoppable.

"The power of the forbidden..."

The person named Hong Chang was startled, sensing the aura of death, he shook his hand and sacrificed a peerless saint weapon, then quickly retreated.

"Bang... bang... bang!"

The Taiji Instrument collided with the saint weapon, law fragments flew, divine light blazed so people couldn't open their eyes, the terrifying power erupted, shattering the underground mountain ranges! After the various phenomena faded, Hong Chang's weapon had already exploded into countless fragments.

"What! My saint weapon..."

Hong Chang stared, not giving him time to think, he only felt an itch below; upon looking down, he found his body below the abdomen had been cut in half by the Taiji Instrument.

"Ah..."

He wanted to struggle, but the Taiji Instrument emitted a forbidden power, sealing the heavens; with a loud cry, his remaining soft voice together with his primordial spirit were instantly refined to nothing.

Thus, another saint fell, unable to escape even his primordial spirit.

Yang Zhu released his grip, the Heavenly Blade on its own slashed toward an ancient saint from the Divine Realm, they were a kind of enlightened divine material, having learned cultivation and self-built their strength.

Meanwhile he himself turned and charged toward another ancient saint, purple-gold blood aura divine light shimmering, emitting a powerful wave that left one breathless.

"How could it be so terrifying?"

That ancient saint's soul fled in panic, he brandished his own saint weapon to block, hoping to seize a sliver of life.

"Bang... bang... boom!"

Yet under everyone's incredulous gaze, Yang Zhu swung his fist, carrying the will of heaven and earth, in just three blows he shattered that saint weapon!

Purple-gold blood aura swept away, shattering the meteorites in the sky; Yang Zhu's speed was too fast, leaving that ancient saint nowhere to dodge.

Yang Zhu's casual strike could easily obliterate the might of myriad ages, shatter stars, and topple the Nine Heavens! "Pfft!"

That ancient saint merely brushed against a trace, and instantly his body shattered, like papier-mâché, with not a bit of his flesh left but turned into bloody mud.

Immediately, he flew sideways tens of thousands of feet, and after smashing dozens of mountain peaks, he left a human-shaped blood crater on the ground.

"Hum!"

The Battle Saint Method evolved, the Eternal Universe Furnace loomed across the sky, opening and closing, it took in that ancient saint; in just a few breaths, he turned into flying ash.

The Eternal Universe Furnace spun, striking straight at the Nine Heavens, suppressing toward another terrifying figure.

"This is the might of the Imperial Dao…"

Facing the evolved Eternal Universe Furnace, that person's heart and gallbladder were about to burst, fear reaching its peak.

Pfft—

The Eternal Universe Furnace weighed down heaven and earth, striking nine times; each blow made the opponent cough up blood profusely, their body splitting apart, covered in horrifying bloodstains.

When the final strike landed, the opponent was nearly a bloody person; the spilled blood dyed several mountain peaks red, a shocking sight.

Pfft—

In the void, a golden divine sword silently stabbed forth, piercing the ancient saint's skull and annihilating both body and soul.

The opponent's eyes were hollow; even in death they didn't know how they died, and their corpse toppled over stiffly.

This is the Heavenly Court's supreme secret technique! Now Yang Zhu can wield it to reach the stage of birth and entry into transformation.

Boom—

On the other side, after exchanging several blows with the Heavenly Blade, the opponent was also struck down by a slash that severed their head, falling thus.

Bang—

Colorful immortal light surged from Yang Zhu's crown, soaring to the Nine Heavens, transforming into a hanging Milky Way as thick as mountains, capable of erasing even the Dao and principle.

This is the God Silkworm Emperor's forbidden art, capable of exterminating myriad ages, boundlessly terrifying; now wielding the will of heaven and earth, its slash fells even gods.

Pfft—

A single blow swept another ancient saint into calamitous ash.

Boom—

A golden war spear awed the universe, sweeping across the six directions and eight wildernesses, exuding the might of an extreme Dao emperor; a slight tremor released a murderous aura like a sea, flooding all sides.

A holy spirit gave its all, yet under the golden war spear's onslaught, after barely a dozen rounds it was nearly shattered, flesh and blood flying! Bang—

At the final strike, Yang Zhu hurled the war spear, driving the holy spirit forward a zhang, finally pinning it to the ground.

Henceforth, the seven ancient saints who acted first were all slain by him; unstoppable, he destroyed the rotten and crushed the weak, with no hesitation, each strike a peerless killing art.

I said, you can all come at once.

Yang Zhu gazed down upon the field, like a banished immortal descending to the mundane, transcendent and invincible, possessing the invincible quality of sole supremacy.

(End of Chapter)