Signing In on Zhuque Street, Acquiring the "Fire Saber Art"

Above the first rank of Xiantian, yet not quite at the higher realm. Ye Fan was in such a state. The warm current transformed into a golden liquid, gathering within his body and beginning to circulate slowly. His appearance looked increasingly majestic and divine, as if he were practicing a Buddhist cultivation method. A refreshing sensation spread throughout his body, and Ye Fan could not help but let out a long howl, awakening everyone in the capital.

At the same time, the Hour of the Pig had passed!
"Ding! Detected that the host is at the Capital's Zhuque Street. Would you like to sign in?"
"Confirm!"
"Congratulations, you have received the Fire Saber Art as a reward!"

The Fire Saber Art, the strongest saber technique above the first rank of Xiantian, was a unique secret manual created by Old Devil Liehuo over three hundred years. It was reputed to be able to slash through all ice and snow, and incinerate heaven and earth! Only experts above the first rank could practice it! Ye Fan said softly, "Learn."

Soon, distinct from other cultivation methods, a small golden figure representing the Fire Saber Art appeared in Ye Fan's mind. The figure's expression was unclear, but every movement was identical, perfectly executing the forms of the secret manual! Each move connected seamlessly, fluid and natural, finally erupting into scorching flames!

Ye Fan stood at the end of Zhuque Street, the golden liquid in his body beginning to circulate through his entire frame. As he learned the Fire Saber Art, the flow of the golden current within him accelerated. At the same time, some ordinary citizens cautiously walked onto the street. But a cold wind blew past, and a crescent moon hung in the sky. Zhuque Street was empty. They looked around, not knowing what had happened.

Ye Fan was clearly standing on Zhuque Street, right in front of them, yet not a single person noticed him. It was highly mystical. The upper stage of the First Rank was completely different from the realm of ordinary martial artists. It was a state of mysterious, inexplicable enlightenment—the Gate of All Wonders. In the history of the Dagan Dynasty, only three people had ever reached it. Ye Fan was now truly invincible under heaven!

After signing in and practicing the Fire Saber Art, the golden current in Ye Fan's body quickly completed its first cycle. As the movements of the golden figure in his mind grew faster, the golden current flowed more and more vigorously. The second cycle, the third cycle... A breakthrough to a higher realm, which would take even the most gifted geniuses hundreds of years, began to look easy before Ye Fan.

Ye Fan extended his hand. In his palm, a small, exquisite Green Lotus bloomed beautifully. Ye Fan loosely gripped the Green Lotus, executing a move from the Fire Saber Art. Using the Green Lotus as a sword, he unleashed sword qi!

"Whoosh!"

An unknown flame appeared, enveloping the Green Lotus! Wrapped in red flames, the Green Lotus looked dreamlike and exceedingly beautiful. However, the black skeleton imprint originally etched on the Green Lotus began to make a sizzling sound, and before long, a miserable shriek echoed from it.

"It hurts, it hurts, it hurts... I don't want this, I don't want this..."

The dark figure had not expected that the other party could actually harm him. An ant, how was that possible?!

The corner of Ye Fan's mouth curved into a smile. He seemed to hear the unwilling voice of the Taotie, and said with absolute certainty, "Tentacle monsters must all die!"

The black mark continuously let out miserable shrieks. The Taotie clone regretted its actions, regretting that it should never have targeted Ye Fan. If it had not attached itself to the Green Lotus and had fled early, it would only have needed to devour one more Taotie clone to absorb the world's power again and become strong once more. Unfortunately, a single misstep leads to eternal regret. The power of this Taotie clone ultimately became nutrients for the Green Lotus. And Ye Fan's realm broke through!

In an instant, Zhuque Street and the adjacent roads completely vanished. Ye Fan once again heard that man's voice. A palace with golden pillars and jade beds appeared before him, with figures moving around him in a bustling manner. But this time, he could not only faintly hear the man's voice, but also dimly see the man seated on high. Although the man's face remained unclear, his words became much sharper: "The Great Tribulation of Heaven and Earth is upon us. We, disciples who study the arts of cultivation to pursue longevity, must eliminate evil and help the weak, practice the principles of the Great Dao, and never forget our original intentions!"

"Now that the tribulation has appeared, you may descend the mountain!"

Among the disciples, one stepped forward and asked, "If our flesh is crushed and our bones shattered, our souls scattered, and we go never to return, what should we do?"

The grand hall fell silent for a moment, and then the man on the high seat murmured, "If cultivators only take and never give back, how are they any different from locusts in this world?"

The disciple bowed three times and spoke with resounding force, "If we go and never return, then let it be so!"

Ye Fan stood by the corner of the wall, his mind in a daze. These words were like thunder descending from the nine heavens! His body involuntarily began to turn, as if he wanted to follow the illusory figures of the departing disciples. But at this moment, the Green Lotus within his body spun and soared into the sky, catching the attention of the man on the high seat! Ye Fan's heart pounded rapidly, and he felt inexplicably nervous.

He saw the man on the high seat point a finger, and a black figure appeared within the Green Lotus—it was the Taotie clone that should have vanished. Even though it was just an insignificant clone, it possessed bizarre and unpredictable methods, leaving a seed of resurrection within Ye Fan's body! However, under the man's gaze, the Taotie turned into a cloud of black smoke, unable to even utter a final shriek before being completely devoured by the Green Lotus. The man on the high seat seemed to nod toward Ye Fan, but everything was shrouded in mist, making it hard to see clearly.

The golden liquid at this moment slowly solidified. Under the infusion of the dark shadow's power, it was completely dyed black, turning into a black medicinal pill. Core Formation! Above the ninth stage of Houtian was the ninth stage of Xiantian, and above the ninth stage of Xiantian was an even higher realm—Core Formation! As the black pill appeared, a continuous stream of power surged from within it. Ye Fan finally woke up. He was unconsciously walking past the people on Zhuque Street, yet like a completely non-existent person, he drifted past them! Thinking of everything that had just appeared, Ye Fan did not know if it was real or fake. He felt immense pressure in his heart. It seemed he had to speed up his signing in!

The Capital's Nianci Nunnery. On an old altar stood a stone statue of the Bodhisattva, white as jade and about three times the height of a man. Though made of marble, through a thousand years of incense offerings, its appearance had grown increasingly lifelike and elegant.

As the two Taotie clones merged into one and began to absorb the power of heaven and earth, the Dark Hall suddenly began to shake at this moment! Inside Nianci Nunnery, the Abbess hastily pushed open the temple doors and knelt on the ground. Generations of nuns in Nianci Nunnery had passed down a prophecy: "When the White Jade Bodhisattva moves, the chaotic world's demon emerges, heaven and earth fall into chaos, and the common people suffer!"

She saw a drop of red blood-tear fall from the corner of the Bodhisattva's eye, and a black crack appeared on its neck, proving that all of this had indeed come to pass.

"Creak..."

The moonlight shone into the hall, and the young Abbess, clad in a kasaya, hurriedly knelt on the cushion before her, her expression panicked. Everything was aligning with the ancient prophecy: the demon had appeared, and Dagan would once again be swept into a storm of blood. She mumbled, chanting the Guanyin Heart Sutra.

"When Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara was practicing the profound Prajna Paramita..."
"When Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara was practicing the profound Prajna Paramita..."
"When Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara was practicing the profound Prajna Paramita..."

However, as the stone statue cracked open, a dark shadow plunged into Abbess Shenying's forehead. Abbess Shenying foamed at the mouth and collapsed to the ground. After a long while, she stumbled up from the cushion, her gaze fixed on a distant direction in the capital, feeling very strange. Yet, she spoke words that were somewhat unseemly for a nun: "Mighty Heavenly Dragon, World-Honored Ksitigarbha, Prajna Buddhas, Prajna Paramita!"
"The demon has appeared in the world; this humble monk will surely slay it!"