Ye Fan said coldly, "I’m not interested!"

"No!" With a swing of his sword, Ye Fan decapitated the West Spirit King. The king’s head flew through the air before landing on the ground, where Ye Fan promptly stomped on it. Who could believe it? This Spirit King, who had acted with arrogant impunity for thousands of years, had been triumphant one moment only to become a soul claimed by Ye Fan’s sword the next.

At the very instant the West Spirit King’s head was severed, the people of the Spirit Domain lost all hope, which instantly twisted into despair. They were on the verge of collapse, unsure of the fate that awaited them. Many had already begun to surrender. For them, surrender was humiliating, but it was far better than death. After all, they were a proud people; surrender was their final resort.

Many of the Spirit Clan Commanders, however, carried themselves with arrogance even in defeat, considering themselves superior. Although the West Spirit King was dead, their combined power was not insignificant. Their surrender was merely a temporary act of tolerance. They were certain the ultimate consequence would be their dispersal; there was no other outcome. Despite the absence of their king’s leadership, their numbers still gave them an absolute advantage, so they believed no one would dare kill them all. Thus, if they did not act haughtily now, they would truly become captives, a fate they found utterly unacceptable. They put on a show of their customary arrogance, intending to at least negotiate with Ye Fan. That was their gambit.

At that moment, Ye Fan stood up and bellowed, "Kill them! Leave no one alive!"

When these words echoed out, the Spirit Domain’s martial artists were stunned—no, all of them were completely dumbfounded. They never expected Ye Fan to order their slaughter so abruptly, without showing any leniency whatsoever. Moreover, he had skipped the negotiation phase entirely. It was unbelievably forceful and domineering!

His decisive action infuriated the Spirit Clan Commanders, as Ye Fan was not playing by their rules.

"Yes!"

The martial artists from the Spirit Suppressing Domain responded en masse. Following Ye Fan’s lead, they immediately surged forward to attack. Though their numbers were few, with less than half the martial artists of the Spirit Domain, one Ye Fan was enough. Clearly, they already regarded him as their king. At his call, they threw themselves into the bloody battle.

The enraged Spirit Clan Commanders charged toward Ye Fan. To them, this was a perfect opportunity. Ye Fan was at his weakest, and if they could kill him now, they could still seize control of the situation. Previously, the thought of killing Ye Fan was an impossible fantasy. But now things were different. Ye Fan was weakened, and the Spirit Domain had more Reincarnation Realm experts than the Spirit Suppressing Domain. They still had the strength to fight.

Ye Fan roared, "Kill!"

He slashed his sword, and the five Spirit Clan Commanders leading the charge instantly exploded into a mist of blood. Even in his weakened state, killing them was as simple as slaughtering dogs.

The remaining Spirit Clan Commanders witnessed this and instantly despaired. They turned to flee but were hunted down and slain by Ye Fan one by one. By now, however, Ye Fan’s strength had truly hit its lowest point. Compounded by the sheer number of Spirit Domain martial artists, a small group of Spirit Clan Commanders managed to break through the encirclement with their subordinates, escaping back toward the Spirit Domain.

The Spirit Suppressing People started to give chase, but Zhuang Zhou and Fa Ming stopped them. They knew how dangerous the lands beyond were, as that territory bordered the Divine World. They had their reasons for holding their people back.

Ye Fan’s legs suddenly gave out. If not for one of his female companions supporting him, he would have collapsed to the ground.

About a third of the Spirit Domain’s martial artists had escaped, but for them, it was merely a desperate struggle for survival. For thousands of years, the martial artists of the Spirit Suppressing Domain had been oppressed and slaughtered, trapped here guarding the pure lands behind them. In contrast, the martial artists from the Spirit Domain had always been aggressively dominant. Even at their weakest, they put on airs, assuming Ye Fan was powerless against them. None of them had ever imagined he would actually order their execution.

The protective barrier around the Spirit Suppressing Domain was growing weaker, but the Spirit Suppressing People were no longer worried. They now had Ye Fan, the Killing God of the Divine Land, standing with them. If not for his arrival, the Spirit Suppressing Domain would have already been annihilated by the West Spirit King. Therefore, every last one of the Spirit Suppressing People understood and fully supported Ye Fan’s actions, not for any other reason than the simple fact that this was a cruel world. Their only regret was that a small number of Spirit Domain martial artists had managed to escape.

「Three days later」

Ye Fan finally recovered. His battle with the West Spirit King had left an indelible mark on the Spirit Suppressing Domain. Its martial artists deemed the conflict a battle that had changed the entire landscape. After long years of oppression, the Spirit Suppressing Domain could finally hold its head high, and Ye Fan was hailed as the greatest powerhouse of the Human Clan since the Five Ancestors of the Yan Clan.

He was the greatest hero of the Spirit Suppressing Domain. They believed that under his leadership, their future held not only the Spirit Suppressing Domain but also the once-unattainable Spirit Domain itself.

Ye Fan stood before the tomb of the Evil Vengeance Divine Pet.

Zhuang Zhou approached him and asked, "Brother Ye, what name should we give her?" He had already been pondering the question. If we inscribed her original name, it would contradict her final wish. After all, she died in her pursuit of becoming human. Since she achieved her wish, her old name shouldn’t be used. But as for what to name her, only Ye Fan has the right to decide. Thus, Zhuang Zhou found himself at a loss.

"She only ever wanted to live a simple life, yet she contributed so much to the Spirit Suppressing Domain," Ye Fan said softly. "Perhaps we can give her this name..."

"What name?" Zhuang Zhou asked, puzzled.

Ye Fan replied, "Hongyi."

From the moment he first saw her to the day she died, she had always worn a long, red gown. The name, which sounded just like the words for "red clothes," was a fitting tribute.

Zhuang Zhou nodded. Although he didn’t fully grasp the connection, he knew that following Ye Fan’s lead was the right thing to do. With that, he immediately set about the task.

Ye Fan couldn’t help but feel a pang of pain in his heart. Though Hongyi and I were mere acquaintances, I was her benefactor, and in turn, she was mine. The relationships in this world are so complex; it’s hard to say who truly owes whom. If she were still alive, we would surely have become confidants, understanding each other completely.

Ye Fan gave the tomb one last glance and then walked away. For him, staying any longer would only deepen his sorrow.

At this time, the Spirit Suppressing Domain was still bustling with activity. Ye Fan didn’t ask about attacking the Spirit Domain because he trusted the judgment of Zhuang Zhou and Fa Ming. If they said not to attack, they surely had sound reasons. The people of the Spirit Suppressing Domain were busy rebuilding their homes and comforting the families of the deceased, a process Ye Fan knew would take a long time.

During this period, Ye Fan’s female companions were also incredibly busy, helping to manage the affairs of the Spirit Suppressing Domain. Ye Fan wasn’t used to seeing them so engaged, but it suited him just fine. Although he had been crowned the king of this domain, these day-to-day matters didn’t require his attention. Back in the secular world, his companions had grown bored; here, despite the cruelty of war, they had found a grand stage on which to display their talents. All he needed to do was ensure the overall stability of the situation.