204: Chapter 204 Ziwei Star Region

Deep in the starry sky, a streak of light flashed across the silent Universe.

The Old Maniac carried Ye Fan across the Void Realm, the stars beneath their feet receding rapidly like grains of sand. Ye Fan could no longer remember how long they had been flying, only that the Old Maniac said "We've arrived," before landing on this ancient life-bearing star radiating a faint purple glow.

"This is the Ziwei Star Realm." The Old Maniac stood with his hands behind his back, his white hair fluttering gently in the stellar wind as his gaze swept across the vast land below. "It is older than the Big Dipper, and more cruel."

Standing beside him, Ye Fan instinctively spread out his Divine Thought. In an instant, he sensed countless powerful auras—some deep as abysses, some sharp and exposed, some scorching as the sun, and some cold as the moon. The masters of those auras were each no weaker than the Saints and Saintesses he had encountered in the Big Dipper.

"The Ziwei Star Realm does not have Ancient Desolate Families like the Big Dipper, but it has the Taiyin Divine Sect, Sun Divine Sect, Human King Hall, Longevity Temple, Ziwei Divine Dynasty..." The Old Maniac's voice was steady. "The Legacies of these forces can be traced back to the Primordial or even the Mythological Era. Their Saints and Divine Maidens Cultivate the purest ancient scriptures and walk the most orthodox imperial road."

He turned around and looked at Ye Fan, a profound meaning flashing in his eyes.

"Your Heavenly Emperor Fist was something you figured out yourself, and the Six Paths of Reincarnation Fist was taught by me. But a true powerhouse needs to collide with different Daos and laws, tempering their own path through the baptism of blood and fire."

Ye Fan understood.

"From today on, I will take you to visit every major power on Ziwei Star. Your task is simple—challenge their Saints and Divine Maidens." The Old Maniac's tone was calm, yet carried an unquestionable finality. "If you win, move to the next. If you lose..."

He paused.

"If you lose, you die."

Ye Fan was silent for a moment, then nodded.

"I understand."

The Old Maniac looked at him, a rare smile appearing at the corners of his mouth.

"Very well. Then let us begin now."

The Taiyin Divine Sect was one of the oldest Legacies in the Ziwei Star Realm.

Legend says that the ancestor of the Taiyin Divine Sect, the Taiyin Saint Emperor, once suppressed an entire era during the Mythological Era. The Taiyin True Scripture he left behind is one of the most powerful ancient scriptures under this starry sky. Countless tens of thousands of years have passed, and the Taiyin Divine Sect still stands tall, with brilliant Prodigies emerging in every generation.

On this day, two uninvited guests arrived outside the mountain gate of the Taiyin Divine Sect.

Before the gate-guarding Disciples could even ask, a pressure as vast as the sea descended from the sky. That pressure was almost tangible, weighing down on them until they could barely breathe. They looked up to see a white-haired old man standing with his hands behind his back, his gaze calmly sweeping across the entire mountain gate.

"Ye Fan of the Big Dipper Astral Region. Here to challenge the Taiyin Divine Son."

The Old Maniac's voice was not loud, but it clearly spread to every corner of the Taiyin Divine Sect. The unique pressure of a Saint expanded with his voice, causing several Grand Elders deep within the Taiyin Divine Sect to open their eyes simultaneously.

"A Saint?!"

"A living Saint? Not a sealed foundation!"

"How is this possible? How can there still be a Saint alive in this era?"

Shocked Divine Thoughts intertwined in the void. A moment later, the Sect Master of the Taiyin Divine Sect personally came out to greet them. He was a middle-aged man with a majestic countenance, his cultivation at the ninth heaven of a Half-step Great Power. But before the Old Maniac, he did not dare show the slightest neglect, bowing respectfully.

"Senior's presence brings great honor to our Taiyin Divine Sect."

The Old Maniac waved his hand. "No need for formalities. I have come only to have my Disciple spar with your Sect's Divine Son."

He pointed to Ye Fan behind him.

The Taiyin Sect Leader's gaze fell upon Ye Fan. He was a young man in his early twenties with handsome features and a steady temperament. His cultivation was at the first heaven of a Half-step Great Power, which was decent among the younger generation, but quite lacking compared to their Taiyin Divine Sect's Divine Son.

The Taiyin Sect Leader felt slightly more at ease, though he remained respectful. "Since Senior commands it, this Junior shall naturally obey. However..."

He paused and said cautiously, "In a spar between Juniors, fists and feet have no eyes. If by chance..."

"If my Disciple's skills are inferior and he dies at the hands of your Divine Son, this old man will turn and leave, never seeking revenge." The Old Maniac's voice was calm, yet carried a certainty that brooked no doubt. "And vice versa. In a battle between Juniors, the older generation must not interfere. If anyone from your Taiyin Divine Sect dares to use their seniority to bully the young..."

He did not finish his sentence, but merely stomped his foot lightly.

An invisible ripple spread from beneath his feet. The mountain gate of the Taiyin Divine Sect trembled violently, and a deep crack appeared on the ancient archway that had stood for countless millennia.

The Taiyin Sect Leader's face instantly turned pale.

"Junior understands."

He took a deep breath and turned to give an order: "Go invite the Divine Son."

A moment later, a figure walked out from the depths of the Taiyin Divine Sect.

It was a young man with a cold face and an innate arrogance between his brows. He was surrounded by a faint silver light, a manifestation of Taiyin Holy Power. Wherever he passed, the air condensed into frost, and a thin layer of ice covered the ground.

The Taiyin Divine Son, Wu Yue.

His cultivation was at the sixth heaven of a Half-step Great Power, making him one of the top Prodigies of the younger generation on Ziwei Star. He walked to the mountain gate, his gaze falling on Ye Fan with a flash of disdain in his eyes.

"A first heaven Half-step Great Power dares to challenge me?"

Ye Fan looked at him without speaking.

Wu Yue gave a cold laugh, raised his hand, and struck out with a palm.

That palm contained the supreme Profound Truth of the Taiyin True Scripture—the Taiyin Palm. Where the palm wind passed, the void was frozen, and the ground was covered in a thick layer of frost. That chill was no ordinary cold, but Taiyin Holy Power, capable of freezing flesh, freezing the Divine Soul, and freezing all life force.

Ye Fan did not dodge. He met the attack and threw a punch.

Six Paths of Reincarnation Fist—Human Path.

The golden fist radiance collided with the silver palm print.

"Boom—!"

With a loud explosion, frost splattered everywhere. Wu Yue was sent flying backward, crashing heavily into a stone pillar of the mountain gate. The pillar snapped upon impact, sending stone fragments and ice shards flying into the air.

Wu Yue crawled up from the rubble, a trace of blood leaking from the corner of his mouth. His eyes were filled with disbelief.

"How is this possible..."

Ye Fan withdrew his fist and looked at him, his voice calm.

"You lost."

The entire scene was deathly silent.

The Taiyin Sect Leader stood frozen, the Elders stood frozen, and all the Disciples stood frozen. One punch. Their Taiyin Divine Sect's Divine Son, a Prodigy of the sixth heaven Half-step Great Power, had actually been defeated in one punch by a first heaven Half-step Great Power Loose Cultivator?

"Next."

The Old Maniac's voice rang out, breaking the silence. He turned and walked toward the mountain gate. Ye Fan followed behind him with steady steps, as if that punch just now had been a trivial matter.

The Taiyin Sect Leader stood there, watching the two receding figures, unable to speak for a long time.

"Ancient Desolate Saint Body..." he murmured, "How can there still be an Ancient Desolate Saint Body in this era?"