Chapter 117: Overwhelming Force

This was a lethal attack. Zi Hao was the most formidable talent of the younger generation in the Purple Garment Pavilion, a figure far beyond the reach of Zi Ming. Even a titan of the Heaven-Human Realm would have to face this sword strike with the utmost caution.

As the sword’s roar shook the heavens, the Fallen Flower Young Master felt only despair. Zi Hao’s strength was overwhelming, crushing down with the force of a landslide, his brilliant blade carrying a terrifying, destructive power.

"Hmph."

In the distance, the expressions of Yang Tong and the others were chillingly unified. They did not even care to watch the outcome; without his Demon-Subduing Pestle, the Fallen Flower Young Master was no more than a toothless tiger, stripped of any power to threaten them.

"A decent attack."

At that very moment, a figure suddenly appeared before the Fallen Flower Young Master—it was Lin Fan.

He had actually arrived some time ago, but had held back to observe the cause and effect of the situation. He figured it was time to intervene; if he didn't appear now, the Fallen Flower Young Master would surely be cut down.

Lin Fan’s frame was not imposing, yet he stood like a peerless god of war, his formidable aura spreading across the heavens and earth. He reached out a hand slowly, without triggering the slightest disturbance in the air, simply extending it forward.

However, the faces of those in the distance changed drastically. This was the realm of returning to simplicity, where the Dao merges with nature.

His palm, broad and heavy, shattered the void, descending with lightning speed to crush the sword light into nothingness. After the strike, Lin Fan did not pursue further. He stood with his hands behind his back, eyes sweeping across them with an air of invincible dominance.

"Lin Fan?! How did you get here?!"

Yi Yuan’s face paled. Over the past month, he had used various means to uncover Lin Fan’s identity; after all, the latter had never made an effort to conceal it, so it was no secret.

"What? You seem surprised."

Lin Fan looked at Yi Yuan with a flicker of interest. Murderous intent surged—because of Yi Xiaoxian, he and the Yi family were already at daggers drawn. As the leader of the Yi family’s younger generation, Yi Yuan was naturally at the top of his hit list.

"So you are Lin Fan. I hear you possess the Bodhi Seed. Hand it over. Even though you are extraordinary, you could never be a match for the three of us combined."

Yang Tong’s brows twitched, followed by a cold sneer. The matter of the Bodhi Seed was known only within the upper echelons of major factions; alongside the Demon-Subduing Pestle, it was a prize they were all determined to claim.

"Who are you? I’ve never heard of you. If you want the Bodhi Seed, kneel and beg for it. Perhaps if I’m in a soft-hearted mood, I might take it out for you to look at."

While others were fierce, Lin Fan was even more arrogant. Yang Tong was indeed powerful, but there was still a massive gap between him and Lin Fan—a gap between minor stages of the Heaven-Human Realm that was like a chasm, impossible to cross.

"The arrogant are usually the first to die."

Zi Hao’s voice echoed. A terrifying aura erupted, reaching the very threshold of the Heaven-Human Realm. He had the right to be proud.

"I heard you call yourself Zi Hao. I knew someone named Zi Ming. He died right before my eyes, his heart crushed into pieces."

Lin Fan spoke with utter indifference, yet his words were world-shaking, causing even the Fallen Flower Young Master to glance over in shock. Lin Fan was far too reckless; he had placed himself in direct opposition to the Purple Garment Pavilion, not even bothering to hide the fate of Zi Ming.

"I received news of Zi Ming’s death earlier. Although he was a good-for-nothing, a waste, he was my own brother. So, your death is now inevitable."

Unexpectedly, Zi Hao’s voice remained calm, yet his murderous intent was palpable, washing over the area like a dark ocean and making one's scalp tingle.

"Then come and try."

Lin Fan struck suddenly. He targeted Yi Yuan, his vast vitality surging forth like crashing waves, shaking the very earth.

With a single palm strike, Lin Fan ignored the others, intent on executing Yi Yuan.

"You seek death!"

Yi Yuan’s expression twisted. Realizing he was being treated as the softest target, he erupted with rage.

A curtain of light soared into the sky. The scroll in Yi Yuan’s hand released a terrifying, multicolored glow as the forbidden artifact fully unleashed its power. Both were determined to end the other’s life.

The light curtain was monstrous, blotting out the sun and churning with clouds. The scroll acted with tyrannical force, manifesting a figure that lunged forward, the power of the Heaven-Human Realm pouring out like a breached river.

"Power that isn't your own will never truly belong to you. I really don't know how the Yi family became the leading clan of the Ancient Buddha Domain. Was it just because of that Nine-Section Whip?"

Lin Fan’s gaze remained steady. He moved with the grace of a dragon and the power of a tiger, throwing a punch directly at the figure manifested by the scroll.

"Boom!"

A deafening sound rocked the heavens, and shockwaves rippled out like a lion’s roar, threatening to overturn the very firmament.

Lin Fan followed up with heavy strikes, occupying the absolute advantage. He pressed forward, his surging vitality overwhelming everything and shattering the void.

Yet, it was clear that Yi Yuan’s forbidden artifact was no ordinary item; it likely originated from the Nine-Section Whip itself. The brilliant light surged, stirring up chaos and instantly drowning Lin Fan, the manifestation raining down blows to annihilate him.

"Meaningless."

In the distance, Zi Hao snorted. His eyes flickered with shock; Yi Yuan’s forbidden artifact was truly terrifying, a force that would be hard to find an equal for even in the early stages of the Heaven-Human Realm’s first decline. Even he would find it difficult to break free.

"So this is the foundation of the Yi family? Truly frightening."

Yang Tong nodded in agreement. He had previously looked down on the Yi family, considering them weak—they lacked even a single major figure in the Void-Breaking Realm, relying solely on a fully awakened ancestral artifact to hold their ground. But now, it seemed the Yi family’s heritage was profound indeed.

"There is a reason the Yi family has stood in the Ancient Buddha Domain for so long. Not to mention the terror of the Nine-Section Whip, rumor has it this family is merely a branch, and a much more powerful main family exists, capable of looking down upon many factions in the Great Jin Kingdom."

The Purple Garment Pavilion had researched the Yi family extensively, knowing far more than the average person.

"I have heard this as well. Rumor has it their main family is in the Imperial Capital."

Yang Tong nodded, clearly knowing more but unwilling to elaborate.

In the distance, the scroll hung in the air, its light drowning the sky and chilling the soul. Yet, Yi Yuan was not as relaxed as the others thought. His face was deathly pale, sweat beading on his brow, for he sensed that Lin Fan, buried within the divine light, had not perished—and his resistance was growing fiercer by the second!

"So this is a forbidden artifact. Just a single strike of power poured into it by another."

Lin Fan shook his head. He had originally wanted to see if the forbidden artifact held any secrets, but it seemed it was nothing more than this.

Since that was the case, Lin Fan stopped holding back. He erupted with his full strength, his entire being radiating a terrifying light. A fist shattered the sky, rising from the chaos, followed by a series of cracking sounds as Yi Yuan’s scroll began to tremble.

In the end, Lin Fan broke through the blockade. He strode across the heavens, his hand shattering the scroll, his vast aura stretching across the nine heavens and crushing the four corners of the world.