As Yun Fan approached the crowd, they trembled.
With the last barrier gone, their hearts were filled with an endless terror, as if their lives were no longer under their own control.
At this moment, Yun Fan pointed his sword at Yuan Lin.
"How do you plan to die?"
This question struck Yuan Lin's ears like a bolt of thunder, and despair immediately filled his heart.
Facing such a formidable being, even with his peak strength restored, he had no chance of victory.
He should have allied with the Heavenly Origin Saintess to deal with Yun Fan. But it was too late to say anything now.
"I will not fight you!"
Yuan Lin said coldly, "Defeating you in your current state would be easy, but out of respect for your origins from the Great Qin Dynasty and our brotherhood, I will absolutely not harm my own people!"
As soon as he said this, Yuan Lin instantly appeared noble in the hearts of the onlookers.
See? The character of both parties was fully displayed at this moment.
"Kid, the Emperor spares you out of brotherhood, yet you are so aggressive! If the Emperor were to strike, would you even survive?"
"Exactly. If I were you, I would be so ashamed that I'd immediately kneel and beg for forgiveness!"
Yun Fan was not surprised by the barrage of angry accusations.
In his eyes, these people were about to meet their demise, and there was no need to engage with the dead.
It would only lower his spirits.
Therefore, Yun Fan said, "It's not out of brotherhood. Weren't you always trying to get rid of me before? Now you're just lacking the confidence to face me! Because you're afraid you'll fail and be killed by me!"
Upon hearing this, Yuan Lin was instantly enraged but did not let his anger overwhelm him.
Yun Fan was clearly confident, so he must have had some preparation. Yuan Lin was not unaware of the Heavenly Origin Saintess's fate.
Thus, he immediately said, "Say whatever you want. Anyway, I'm not as petty as you. I'm a magnanimous person!"
"The Emperor isn't going to fight you anymore, aren't you going to leave?"
At this moment, a highly respected elder angrily berated Yun Fan.
As soon as his words fell, Yun Fan decapitated him with a single sword strike.
This shocked everyone present.
The only reason they dared to provoke Yun Fan was their certainty that he merely wanted to reclaim his honor and would not actually resort to violence.
Who would have thought that Yun Fan would actually strike?
It turned out their assumptions were wrong.
At this moment, Yun Fan stepped forward, causing everyone to retreat in fear, placing all their hopes on Yuan Lin.
"Your Majesty, strike! Do not consider brotherhood. He has become a demon and should be killed to rid the Great Qin Dynasty of this menace!"
"That's right! Your Majesty, you cannot tolerate this any longer. He is too presumptuous!"
Everyone urged Yuan Lin. At this moment, Yuan Lin was in a truly predicament.
He could only brace himself and step forward, "Yun Fan, do you truly intend to be my enemy?"
"Originally, I had no interest in you, as you were irrelevant to me. But from the moment you killed the God of Defeated Heaven, the hatred is irreconcilable!"
This was Yun Fan's stance.
"Is that so?"
Yuan Lin said coldly, "I killed my own subordinate. What business is it of yours?"
"Well said!"
Yun Fan said, "And what about the scheme you concocted against me back then? Should that account be settled as well?"
Yuan Lin had a bad premonition. He hadn't expected this secret to be discovered by Yun Fan.
Thus, he immediately said to Yun Fan, "Do you have proof?"
"Proof is not needed!"
Yun Fan said, "I am not one to hesitate. I don't need proof to kill you!"
"Did you hear that?"
Yuan Lin shouted, "He's so reckless in his actions!"
The crowd, initially indignant, now felt a sense of despair. Even they could see that Yuan Lin was afraid.
This left them deeply disappointed. Yuan Lin was, after all, the Emperor of the Great Qin Dynasty; how could he be so timid?
Even if Yun Fan were at his peak, he shouldn't have feared him.
In the past, no matter how tyrannical Yuan Lin was, they endured it, because in their eyes, Yuan Lin possessed the aura of an emperor.
But Yuan Lin's current behavior was entirely inconsistent with that imperial demeanor.
As expected, at that very moment, Yun Fan attacked, slashing at Yuan Lin with his sword.
Yuan Lin mustered all his strength to resist, but his defenses were still breached by Yun Fan's sword, and he was nearly killed.
"Retreat!"
Yuan Lin took the lead and fled.
The remaining people were disheartened. They hadn't expected their Emperor to be the first to flee at such a critical juncture.
"First God, if you have the guts, kill us all!"
The crowd declared with righteous fervor.
At this moment, no matter what, they would not retreat. Perhaps Yun Fan, seeing their integrity, would spare them.
After all, in their minds, Yun Fan intended to overthrow the Great Qin Dynasty.
And the Great Qin Dynasty needed their protection. Otherwise, what was the point of Yun Fan becoming Emperor?
Unexpectedly, they had overestimated their own importance.
The next moment, with just two sword strikes, Yun Fan cleared the entire area.
Before they died, the crowd could not believe that Yun Fan was so unyielding.
In fact, Yun Fan had no intention of letting them go.
Playing mind games with him was simply overestimating themselves.
After dealing with the crowd, Yun Fan pursued Yuan Lin's aura.
Yuan Lin was already on his kill list, and he would not give him any chance to breathe.
Indeed, in the palace of the Great Qin Dynasty, Yuan Lin sat on his throne. Below him, a middle-aged woman was restrained.
He now looked at Yun Fan with an air of triumph, a stark contrast to his earlier fear.
"Aren't you afraid of death?"
Yun Fan asked coldly.
Yuan Lin replied, "Of course, I am afraid. I never imagined that even in your injured state, you would be so terrifying!"
This was Yuan Lin's oversight. He now recognized the reality: he was no match for Yun Fan.
No matter Yun Fan's condition, he was no opponent for him.
Alas, he only understood this truth when he faced Yun Fan in their final battle.
"Then, die!"
Just as Yun Fan was about to strike, Yuan Lin said, "I advise you to wait before attacking. If you dare to strike, she will surely die!"
"What does her death have to do with me?"
Yun Fan said coldly.
At the same time, he glanced at the middle-aged woman and noticed that her eyes were exceptionally calm, showing no fear at all. She hadn't spoken a word throughout.
"It has everything to do with you!"
Yuan Lin said dismissively, "If not for her in the ancient past, how could there be a First God later!"
"Shut up!"
The middle-aged woman quickly reprimanded him, "Yuan Lin, if you want to kill, kill. Why all this nonsense!"
"Be quiet!"
Yuan Lin immediately retorted, "If it weren't for restraining him, I would have ended your life with a single sword!"
"What exactly is going on?"
Yun Fan questioned coldly.
Yuan Lin said mockingly, "When you were a disaster fetus, you were abandoned in the wilderness, but you were saved by someone. And the one who saved you was her!"
Upon hearing this, Yun Fan looked at the middle-aged woman in shock.
"I didn't save you. Hurry and attack!"
The middle-aged woman urged Yun Fan.
But at this moment, Yun Fan hesitated.
"It's this late, and you still won't tell the truth?"
Yuan Lin sneered, "Look, he's not attacking anymore!"
"Sigh!"
The middle-aged woman sighed. She had originally not wanted to reveal the secret, precisely to prevent Yun Fan from having any soft feelings.
She didn't want to implicate Yun Fan. But Yun Fan's hesitation sealed everything.
She said, "Back then, I was the Queen's steward, managing all the affairs of the inner palace. You were entrusted to me by the Queen and the Emperor. But you were just a newborn infant, what crime did you commit? I couldn't bear it, so I sent you away and contacted my family to take care of you. But eventually, the matter was exposed, and I was sealed in profound ice by the Queen. I only awakened in this era. It's a pity that everything has changed!"
She recalled that she was once the cherished daughter, Saintess Xuan Xin.
But after she awoke, everything had changed. Her family, her Queen, were all gone.
The only familiar connection she found was Yun Fan, the child she had saved with her own hands.
Perhaps Yun Fan was her only relative in this world.
At this moment, Yun Fan said, "I understand!"
"Senior, no matter what, I will not stand by and watch you die!"
Yun Fan stated directly.
If not for Saintess Xuan Xin, he would have died at birth in the ancient past. How could he have had so many opportunities?
Therefore, no matter what, he had to save Saintess Xuan Xin.
Yuan Lin could be killed anytime, but Saintess Xuan Xin could not be ignored. In the ancient past, he had no chance to repay her kindness, so in this era, he must repay it.
"Don't be foolish!"
Saintess Xuan Xin said to Yun Fan, "Third Prince, do not abandon your plan for my sake. Your intention is enough. Your plan is what's most important!"
But Yun Fan remained unmoved. He said, "Senior, you don't need to say anything. Leave it to me to handle!"
Then Yun Fan said to Yuan Lin, "Release her, and I will spare you!"
"Hahahaha!"
Yuan Lin laughed maniacally, "There's no such thing. You've already destroyed the entire Great Qin Dynasty. Do you think I'll let it go?"
"So, what do you want?"
Yun Fan asked coldly.
He realized that this fellow was quite unappreciative, and he detested unappreciative people the most.
At this moment, Yuan Lin said coldly to Yun Fan, "If you want to save her, you must cripple your cultivation!"
As soon as he said this, Xuan Xin was the first to disagree.
She said to Yun Fan, "Third Prince, if you truly compromise, then even if you save me, I will take my own life in front of you!"
"Bitch, do you have any right to speak here?"
The next moment, Yuan Lin was about to deal with Xuan Xin, but Yun Fan moved faster, using the technique of Shifting Forms and Changing Positions.
He swapped positions with Yuan Lin.
Then he swung his sword, and Yuan Lin was immediately injured.
Before Yuan Lin could react, he quickly used his formidable power to break the runes on Xuan Xin.
At this instant, Yuan Lin completely lost control of Xuan Xin.
Then Yun Fan said to Xuan Xin, "Senior, please wait. I will kill him now!"
Xuan Xin nodded. Although she had often cared for and visited Yun Fan, the child who would become the First God, when he was young, she knew nothing of what happened afterward.
Because she was sealed too early, and her family was annihilated, when the First God rose to prominence, he naturally did not remember her.
Now, seeing Yun Fan's rise to such heights filled her with joy.
At this moment, Yun Fan walked towards Yuan Lin.
Yuan Lin, who had already been heavily injured twice, now dared not even retaliate.
"Yun Fan, you can't kill me. I was just joking!"
Yuan Lin hastily begged Yun Fan.
But Yun Fan said, "Then I can only apologize. Because I don't joke around!"
Upon hearing this, Yuan Lin was terrified. "As long as you don't kill me, I will join you and fight against the Divine Race!"
"Fighting the Divine Race, one more or one less doesn't matter. You are not worthy!"
Yun Fan refused to give Yuan Lin any face.
"Die!"
The next moment, just as Yun Fan was about to end Yuan Lin with a sword strike.
"Hold!"
At this very moment, a streak of light descended from the sky.
Yuan Lin, who had narrowly escaped, was nearly scared to death. He had never imagined that he would survive in his most desperate hour.
At this moment, the figure of a middle-aged woman appeared.
"Huan Xin! It's you!"
Saintess Xuan Xin immediately recognized her identity. Indeed, she was Saintess Huan Xin, who held the same status as herself.
Looking back, they were both supported by the Queen. She had thought that after countless eras, Yun Fan would be the only familiar person.
Unexpectedly, Huan Xin was also alive. However, she held no good feelings towards Huan Xin, because Huan Xin was the one who leaked the information.
If not for Huan Xin, the news of the First God's survival would not have leaked, her family would not have been massacred, and she would not have been sealed for so many eras.
"Indeed, it is me!"
Huan Xin said coldly, "I didn't expect you, a sinner, to be released as well!"
"Shut up!"
Yun Fan immediately roared.
"Senior, save me!"
Yuan Lin seemed to have grasped a lifeline.
At this moment, Huan Xin said to him, "Crown Prince, rest assured, I have come to save you!"
Yuan Lin breathed a sigh of relief.
But Yun Fan said, "You can't save him!"
Whom he intended to kill was already predetermined. Huan Xin wanting to save Yuan Lin was wishful thinking.
However, Huan Xin said, "First God, I will save him today no matter what!"
"Are you sure?"
Yun Fan asked coldly.
"I am sure!"
Huan Xin stated directly, "This is the will of the Emperor and the Queen!"
"They are still alive?"
Yun Fan's expression showed shock. Xuan Xin was also stunned.
As for Yuan Lin, he was filled with disbelief, as it was hard to imagine they could have survived such a situation.
Huan Xin said, "That's right! Although they exerted all their strength to save you back then, they narrowly escaped with their lives and have been in seclusion. They only emerged recently!"
"Hahahaha! Yun Fan, you still can't kill me!"
Yuan Lin laughed arrogantly.
Because his father and mother were present, Yun Fan would have no chance to kill him. But he would have an opportunity to retaliate against Yun Fan.
Yun Fan had humiliated him so thoroughly that he would never let him off.
"I think you've forgotten something!"
Yun Fan said, "Even if they are alive, do you think I will obey their orders?"
Upon hearing this, Yuan Lin was dumbfounded. Indeed, Yun Fan had been reborn; why would he obey his father and mother's commands?
But Huan Xin immediately reprimanded him, "Are you truly going to be so unfilial?"
"I have long since repaid what I owed them. But what they owe me has not been repaid! Even if they were to appear, they wouldn't be able to stop me from killing Yuan Lin!"
The next moment, Yun Fan swung his sword again, striking Yuan Lin.
"Ah!"
Yuan Lin let out a painful cry. This blow completely extinguished his hope of escape. It was impossible not to be tragic.
Huan Xin was instantly furious and attacked.
Xuan Xin wanted to help, but Yun Fan stopped her. "Senior, there's no need to intervene. I only need one sword to deal with her!"
The next moment, Yun Fan drew his sword again and engaged Huan Xin in a head-on confrontation.
Bang!
A mist of blood exploded at the spot.
Puff!
Huan Xin spat out a mouthful of blood and looked at Yun Fan in terror. At this moment, she was far from his match.
Yun Fan said coldly, "If you dare to interfere again, I will kill you too!"
At this moment, Yun Fan did not know the truth of the matter. Otherwise, he would have killed Huan Xin directly.
Of course, Xuan Xin had intended to remind Yun Fan, but she lacked concrete evidence back then that Huan Xin was the informant.
Therefore, she did not want to mistakenly kill someone. If there were definitive proof, she would have reminded Yun Fan to deal with Huan Xin.
At this moment, Huan Xin wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and said coldly, "First God, by doing this, you will only break the Queen's heart!"
"What does her broken heart have to do with me!"
With that, Yun Fan ignored Huan Xin and walked towards Yuan Lin.
Even though he walked past Huan Xin, due to her previous experience, Huan Xin did not dare to act at this moment.
Yuan Lin hastily pleaded, "Senior, you represent my father's will. You cannot stand by and do nothing!"
At this moment, he was understandably terrified.
But Huan Xin closed her eyes tightly, as she was unable to save Yuan Lin.
Yuan Lin intended to beg for mercy, but Yun Fan gave him no such opportunity.
With a sword strike, Yuan Lin immediately met his end.
After dealing with Yuan Lin, Huan Xin, though furious, was helpless against Yun Fan.
Unless the Emperor and Queen could intervene, no one else was Yun Fan's match.
At this moment, she said to Xuan Xin, "The Queen has emerged from seclusion. Are you, a sinner, not coming with me to seek her forgiveness?"
Upon hearing this, Xuan Xin shook her head. "I have done nothing wrong, and I will not leave with you!"
"If you won't go, then I will take you myself!"
Huan Xin, relying on her superior strength compared to Xuan Xin, prepared to forcibly take Xuan Xin away.
But at this critical juncture, Yun Fan said, "Don't you understand Senior's words?"
"Scram!"
With Yun Fan's roar, Huan Xin, despite her immense anger, could only leave quickly.
Yun Fan's strength was far beyond her capabilities.
"Third Prince, thank you for saving me!"
Saintess Xuan Xin said gratefully to Yun Fan.
But Yun Fan held her hands, preventing her from kneeling.
"Senior, there's no need to be polite. It is I who should thank you!"
Yun Fan said earnestly.
Even if Xuan Xin had not saved him in this lifetime, it was essentially the same. Thus, it was his turn to thank Xuan Xin.
Xuan Xin listened and said to Yun Fan, "Third Prince, it is what I should do!"
"Senior, you don't need to call me Third Prince. Just call me Yun Fan!"
Yun Fan quickly said to her.
Xuan Xin was overwhelmed with emotion, "But is that truly acceptable?"
"Of course, there's no problem!"
Yun Fan said, "I won't call you Senior anymore. I'll call you Auntie!"
This statement nearly frightened Xuan Xin to death. She was about to stop Yun Fan, but he insisted, so she relented.
Even though her family had been destroyed for saving Yun Fan, she had never regretted it. The person she saved was a hero of heaven and earth.
And she had received Yun Fan's respect. What else could Xuan Xin regret? Yun Fan truly treated her as an elder.
At this moment, Yun Fan said, "Auntie, you don't need to go anywhere else, do you? Come back with me. I couldn't repay you in my past life, but I will take good care of you in this one!"
This was the regret from Yun Fan's two lifetimes. The regret that the First God had not fulfilled, he would now fulfill.
"Good!"
Xuan Xin was deeply moved and left the Great Qin Dynasty with Yun Fan.
It could be said that the Great Qin Dynasty was now a scattered mess. The dynasty had already been nominal.
What Yun Fan had done was merely a cleansing of the impurities.
...
Returning to the Demon God Domain, Yun Fan entered seclusion to recover his strength.
As for Xuan Xin, she lived very happily under the care of Yun Fan's women. Although she outwardly lacked the courage, in her heart, she had already considered Yun Fan's confidantes as her daughters-in-law.
The time spent in the Demon God Domain was undoubtedly the most comfortable period of her life.
Not long after Yun Fan emerged from seclusion, Huan Xin arrived again.
"First God, the Queen wishes to see you!"
Huan Xin said coldly to Yun Fan.
Upon hearing this, Yun Fan said indifferently, "I'm sorry, I'm busy. Furthermore, the Demon God Domain does not welcome people from the Great Qin Dynasty. If you don't leave, I will personally escort you out!"
This was Yun Fan's overwhelming power.
Huan Xin was almost infuriated by this. She, who served the Queen and held a high position, was treated with such disrespect by Yun Fan.
"Very well! I will relay these words to the Queen truthfully!"
With that, Huan Xin left dejectedly.
Xuan Xin was also aware of this matter but was not overly sympathetic nor did she try to persuade Yun Fan.
After all, the events of the past were unforgivable for anyone.
The suffering Yun Fan had endured could not be summarized in a few words.
Little did they know, shortly after Huan Xin's departure, a young woman entered the Demon God Domain.
"And who are you?"
Yun Fan was extremely exasperated. Was this endless trouble never going to stop?
The woman appeared dignified and exceptionally beautiful.
She said to Yun Fan, "Looking back, you should be my elder brother!"
"Brother?"
Yun Fan looked confused. "Auntie, do I have a sister?"
"This..."
Xuan Xin didn't know how to explain.
Thus, she said to Yun Fan, "Yun Fan, after you were abandoned, the Queen, heartbroken, adopted a daughter. Princess Peony is the daughter adopted by the Queen!"
Upon hearing this, Yun Fan understood.
Therefore, Yun Fan immediately asked, "Do you have something to say?"
"Of course, I do!"
Princess Peony said, "Firstly, with your noble status, how can you recognize a maid as Auntie! Secondly, you have repeatedly refused your mother's invitation, which is an act of great rebellion!"
From the moment she appeared, she had accused Yun Fan of two major offenses, which greatly annoyed him.
Yun Fan said, "Firstly, I have never distinguished between nobility and lowliness. I only know that whoever saved me and helped me deserves my respect. Secondly, I have severed all ties with the past. The people of the past have nothing to do with me, except for Auntie. Why should I see your mother?"
Upon hearing this, Princess Peony was furious. In her eyes, Yun Fan was too arrogant and disrespectful.
Therefore, she said to Yun Fan, "Even if you dislike Mother intensely, she gave you life. After your demise in the past, they spared no expense to preserve a wisp of your divine soul. Are you going to forget these kindnesses?"
Yun Fan said, "Compared to what they did to me, these two things are nothing! Don't think I will show you any respect just because you are their daughter. If you don't leave, don't blame me for being impolite!"
This was Yun Fan's response.
Princess Peony was so angry she nearly died. Yun Fan not showing face to Huan Xin was one thing, as Huan Xin could be considered merely a servant.
But to not show face to her was something she had never expected, as she was, after all, Yun Fan's sister.
However, this so-called sister was filled with irony.
At this moment, she said to Yun Fan, "I refuse to leave. Do you intend to kill me?"
"Since you wish to die, I will grant your wish!"
The next moment, Yun Fan attacked. A surge of power pierced through.
Princess Peony believed that Yun Fan no longer possessed the strength of the First God, so at this moment, she did not take him seriously.
Bang!
After a clash of powers, Princess Peony felt her internal organs shatter, while Yun Fan stood unharmed.
The power difference between them was evident. Although Princess Peony was indeed strong, comparable to Yuan Lin, in front of Yun Fan, her so-called strength was insufficient.
Just as Yun Fan was about to strike again, Xuan Xin stopped him.
Xuan Xin quickly said, "Yun Fan, no! If you kill her, the Queen and the Emperor might not let it go! Although I know you fear them not, internal conflict at this time will only benefit the Divine Race!"
Upon hearing this, Yun Fan relented and spared Princess Peony.
"I am not showing you respect, but respect to my Auntie!"
Yun Fan rebuked, "Scram!"
"Hmph!"
Princess Peony snorted coldly. Unlike Huan Xin's dejected departure, she left with an air of superiority.
Afterward, Yun Fan sealed the Demon God Domain and set up formations. If any fool dared to intrude, they would be attacked by the formations. He would not be held responsible.
He was simply too bothered.
After all, he was busy improving his strength to deal with the Lord of Gods and had no interest in these trivial matters.
...
After leaving the Demon God Domain,
Princess Peony could no longer suppress her injuries and fell to the ground. She leaned against a tree full of flowers, tending to her wounds.
Unwittingly, tears of blood flowed from her eyes.
"Have you truly forgotten all our past moments?"
Princess Peony felt immense pain.
She recalled that in the ancient past, when the Evil Path first descended, they targeted the Great Qin Dynasty.
All the warriors of the Great Qin Dynasty, including herself, resisted the attacks of the Evil Path cultivators.
However, in that battle, she was exhausted. Just as the leader of the Evil Path was about to finish her off.
The First God appeared. With just a single aura, he killed the powerful Evil Path cultivator.
It was from that moment on that she deeply fell in love with the First God. However, at that time, she did not know his true identity.
But no matter how hard she tried to showcase her charm to the First God, he ignored her.
He wasn't even interested in glancing at her.
She had thought that the First God had no emotions, but when she saw how loving he was with the Goddess of Burial Heaven, she realized she was merely a clown.
Love turned into hatred, and from then on, she began to resent the First God.
Until she learned of the First God's identity, her regret transformed into despair and helplessness.
This time, she had come merely to see if the First God still remembered her. In the vast expanse of time, the First God's identity had changed, becoming the current Yun Fan, while she had remained unchanged.
Because a sliver of hope still resided within her heart.
But only when Yun Fan tried to kill her did she realize that Yun Fan had truly abandoned everything from his past.
And had forgotten everything from before.
Everything had been her one-sided wishful thinking.
"Whether you have forgotten the past or not, I must say I am sorry!"
Princess Peony said painfully.
Back then, when the Lord of Gods and the Emperor learned that the First God was the disaster fetus, they conspired to trap him to prevent him from endangering all realms.
She had already known about this plan and intended to tell the First God. But when she saw how loving the First God and the Goddess of Burial Heaven were, she became enraged. Driven by jealousy, she did not reveal the plan to the First God or the unsuspecting Goddess of Burial Heaven.
Even the Goddess of Burial Heaven was unaware that she had become a bridge in the plan.
The human world was filled with such pain. Afterward, she too lived in regret and suffering.
Her visit this time was primarily to apologize to Yun Fan. But upon seeing the many beautiful women surrounding Yun Fan, and Yun Fan's cold indifference towards her, she lost her composure.
After a long while, Princess Peony managed to recover from her injuries and, with a wounded body, went to see her mother.