Though the blazing sun hung high overhead, the broken mountain ahead was shrouded in nightfall — a jade sea surging with rising and falling tides, a bright moon suspended in the sky. It gave one a feeling of serene clarity. Despite the sound of waves, there was an atmosphere of peace and tranquility.
The bright moon rising over the sea!
The wheel-sea phenomenon of an ancient great one had stunned everyone present. Such techniques were rarely cultivated in the current age.
Ji Haoyue, the seventh young master of the Ji Family, had just formed his divine body for the first time. His debut strike delivered an enormous shock to all who witnessed it.
Legend held that every phenomenon possessed mysterious and tremendous power, entirely unlike strength cultivated through ordinary means — utterly impossible to fathom. And the bright moon rising over the sea was especially renowned throughout the ages. Many great ones of antiquity had cultivated this very phenomenon, and it enjoyed an extraordinary reputation throughout the Eastern Desolation.
Ye Fan’s heart could not settle. This was his first time witnessing a wheel-sea unlike any other, and he found himself constantly comparing it to his own golden sea of bitterness.
How could a bright moon hang suspended in the sky like that? How was it produced? He could not puzzle it out no matter how long he pondered. Though his own golden sea of bitterness was extraordinary in its own right, he knew that right now he was absolutely incapable of contending with his opponent. He had yet to explore the tremendous power hidden within his own phenomenon.
Ye Fan was not discouraged. He had only cultivated for a little over three years, and his current level of cultivation was already astonishing. What he needed now was simply time — time to excavate the latent potential of his sacred body.
“Only by cultivating two or three secret realms can one manifest a phenomenon and unleash its tremendous power. This young man is truly formidable.” An elderly woman among the demon clan sighed. “The Ji Family kept him hidden for many years. They must have begun guiding his cultivation from the moment he was born. Twenty years have passed, and only now that his cultivation has matured have they allowed him to emerge into the world. One can only imagine how unfathomably deep his true strength must be.”
All the powerful demon clan members present understood that over these twenty years, the Ji Family had surely devoted boundless effort and resources to nurturing this person. If an ancient heritage clan poured its full strength into raising Ji Haoyue — a man already blessed with a divine body — what level of cultivation he might have reached was beyond anyone’s prediction.
Ye Fan overheard these discussions, and his heart grew solemn. His sacred body had not yet fully formed, so he was in no position to compare himself with the other man. Ji Haoyue’s divine body had just taken shape, and even the powerful members of the demon clan were deeply wary of him.
“Leave the demon emperor’s sacred weapon behind, and I will let you go.” Ji Haoyue stood atop the broken mountain like a clear breeze, like a drifting cloud, the tides rising and falling behind him. He was utterly composed.
“Do you truly believe you can stop us?” An elderly woman among the demon clan regarded Ji Haoyue ahead with an icy expression.
“I know what you are planning — to engrave dao markings, gather the momentum of heaven, open a domain gate, and cross through the void.” Ji Haoyue calmly saw through the demon clan’s intentions and said, “Unfortunately, you may not yet know that this place is very strange. It is a battlefield left over from ancient times. Opening a domain gate here is extremely difficult.”
“Ji Family…” The elderly woman of the demon clan darkened her expression. “The sacred weapon of the great emperor — how could we allow it to fall into your hands? Even if you succeed today, are you not afraid that other great demon clan powers will march upon the Ji Family? Do you truly believe an ancient heritage clan is invincible under heaven?”
“That is our affair, and not something you need worry about.” Ji Haoyue’s expression remained serene, as though nothing in the world weighed on him. A bright moon hung above his head, and he stood with his feet upon the broken mountain — an image of effortless grace and perfect naturalness beyond words.
“In that case, this old one shall pay you a visit and see just how formidable a divine body truly is.” The elderly woman stepped out from among the others, mounted a cloud, and flew forward.
In the distance, figures stirred. On every mountain peak, powerful members of the Ji Family stood watch. As the elderly woman came riding her cloud, three old men appeared atop the broken mountain.
“How very cautious you all are,” the elderly woman mocked. “If you fear the divine body might meet an early end, why let him come out at all?”
“We will not take action. We are here merely to observe the battle.” The three old men of the Ji Family said as much, though their caution was plain to see regardless.
Ji Haoyue gave a light laugh. His purple robes floated gently as he stepped forward, moving away from the three elders, and faced the elderly woman. “You are welcome to attack.”
Young as the opponent might be, possessing a divine body meant age was no constraint on cultivation. The elderly woman of the demon clan dared not underestimate him. In the palm of her right hand, a small mountain of vivid jade green appeared, rapidly expanded, and pressed downward.
The verdant mountain peak grew larger with every inch it descended, and each inch caused the surrounding space to shudder. The overwhelming pressure made even the broken mountain sway.
Yet when the verdant mountain peak descended over the jade sea, it sank as though into a swamp — impossibly slow, bound in place as if restrained.
“Fall!” the elderly woman bellowed.
The verdant mountain peak, vast and boundless, blotted out the sky and covered the earth. Its force was enormous, its power immense. Green radiance pierced the heavens and stirred the tranquility of the jade sea.
Ji Haoyue remained perfectly calm. Behind him, the tides rose and fell, the waves surging and crashing. A great wave swept forward and rolled the verdant mountain peak under in a single motion, plunging it into the deep and making it vanish entirely.
The young man of the Ji Family had made no visible move. Composed and steady, he had used the phenomenon of his wheel-sea alone to directly claim the elderly woman’s treasured weapon.
“This…” The elderly woman’s expression shifted again and again. She had completely lost her connection to her own weapon and could no longer sense it at all.
“You are no match for me.”
“You…” The elderly woman found herself with no way forward and no way back.
Yan Ruyu transmitted her voice from behind. “Retreat at once!”
The elderly woman pulled back without hesitation. She knew she was utterly incapable of being this purple-robed man’s opponent — he was unfathomably deep.
“Since you have already come, there is no need to leave.” Ji Haoyue at last moved on his own initiative. He stepped forward, walking out from the broken mountain and treading through the void. In just a few strides, he had caught up with the elderly woman, and the jade sea surged up to the heavens, enveloping her in an instant.
“No—” The elderly woman cried out. In that moment, five-colored divine radiance burst from her entire body as she transformed into an enormous bird the size of a mountain, beating against the waves as she surged skyward.
Yet the jade-green sea seemed to possess a terrifying power of its own. There was no escaping it. Great waves crashed over her, submerging her completely, and she could not struggle free.
“Kill!” Two young women of the demon clan charged forward simultaneously, intent on rescuing the elderly woman.
Together, they offered up a powerful treasure — a golden flood-dragon shears that split into two flood dragons, each over a hundred meters long, rearing their heads and swinging their tails as they bore down. They spewed clouds and breathed mist, golden radiance spiraling around them as they crossed. Together they were capable of shearing through mountain peaks — a truly fearsome weapon.
Yet such a powerful treasure was utterly useless against Ji Haoyue. The bright moon above his head shed its clear brilliance, and gentle light spilled out, causing the golden flood-dragon shears to instantly dim. A series of sharp cracking sounds followed, and the shears shattered on the spot.
“Hiss!”
Every person present drew a sharp breath. The tremendous power harbored within a phenomenon surpassed even powerful treasures. It was truly unfathomable.
The two young women tried to retreat, but they moved as if mired in mud — they could not stir a single inch. Their bodies then moved against their will, plummeting swiftly into the jade sea behind Ji Haoyue.
Yan Ruyu issued an order: “No one is to take action without my command.”
But it was already too late. Five more young women had flown forward, each offering up their weapon, launching a collective assault against Ji Haoyue. Clouds and mist surged, mountains trembled, and five spiritual treasures transformed into divine rainbows that streaked across the sky — like blazing comets striking the earth — and came crashing down to suppress him.
“All of it is futile.” Ji Haoyue turned to face them. The bright moon above his head showered silver brilliance in all directions, tranquil and radiant. Points of holy light descended, and the five powerful spiritual treasures instantly dimmed and turned to dust on the spot.
There was no resisting it. All five fell into the jade sea at once, and none could struggle free again.
In the blink of an eye, Ji Haoyue had subdued eight powerful demon clan members, as casually as if he were strolling through a garden. Not the slightest strain showed on him. The bright moon hung overhead, and the jade sea shimmered and sparkled. He stood like a deity, his entire body bathed in the holy radiance of moonlight.
“I will say it once more: leave the demon emperor’s sacred weapon behind.”
“You wish!” an elderly woman among the demon clan snarled coldly.
“Then do not blame me for opening the floodgates of slaughter!” Ji Haoyue’s expression slowly turned cold. He stepped forward through the void at a measured pace, advancing steadily, and the mountains all trembled gently because of him.
“Ah—”
Several screams rang out from within the jade sea. All eight captured demon clan experts fell — their heads separated from their bodies, dropping out of the rolling sea.
“No one is to engage in prolonged battle. Break through the encirclement outward!” Yan Ruyu issued this command to everyone.
Aside from Yan Ruyu, Ye Fan was also being protected by several elderly women. And there was a stone coffin, likewise surrounded by powerful demon clan members. Ye Fan suspected that Pang Bo was likely inside it, though he had no way to open it.
“Thinking of fleeing? That will not be easy!” Ji Haoyue stepped forward, and at the same time, figures appeared on the mountain peaks all around, pressing inward to seal off their escape.
“Kill!”
At that moment, the melee erupted. Everyone moved at once.
Ji Haoyue walked with unhurried steps, like an exiled immortal descended into the dust. No one could stop him. The bright moon hung high, and any person bathed in its moonlight was obliterated in both body and soul.
“Kill!”
Three elderly women personally launched themselves at him, fighting toward him to buy time for the others. More than ten young women of the demon clan also charged forward alongside them, each unleashing their own abilities and offering up powerful treasures in a combined assault against Ji Haoyue.
Brilliant radiance surged into the heavens. Mountains shook. The earth split apart. Everyone had joined the battle, and the scene was nearly boiling — figures everywhere, war cries everywhere.
Ji Haoyue in his purple robes remained untouched and otherworldly, yet he moved as though possessed by some demonic quality. Purple light flickered in his eyes, and the bright moon above his head continuously poured its brilliance in all directions. More than ten young women of the demon clan were all pierced through — blood sprayed, and their bodies fell.
Though the three elderly women had charged right up to him, even they could not withstand the surging jade sea. All three were swept up within it. The bright moon turned gently overhead, and in a burst of crimson light, three heads fell from the sky.
The demon clan had courage in their blood, and many of them grew red-eyed and charged toward him. Ji Haoyue did not even blink. His purple robes snapped and flared as he strode forward, leaving bodies collapsing at his feet one after another. Blood filled the air around him, and bones lay beyond count.
He was like a sovereign of the realm of death. No one was his match. Wherever his purple robes swept, the opposition was routed. His divine body had only just formed, yet it was already destined to shake the name throughout the Eastern Desolation.
The powerful members of the demon clan fell one after another. Wherever Ji Haoyue passed, bodies lay strewn about and blood flowed without end. Lives were extinguished one by one, paving a road of blood before him. None could contend with him!
“Kill—” “Kill—”
War cries shook the heavens. The cultivators of the Ji Family and the powerful members of the demon clan clashed in continuous combat. Spiritual treasures flew through the air in all directions, and every mountain in the surrounding area was shattered.
Yan Ruyu — radiant as the sun rising through morning clouds, luminous as a lotus flower emerging from clear water — carved out a path of blood, ordering people to take the stone coffin and break through the encirclement. She then charged back in to rescue more demon clan members, and it was at this moment that she finally came face to face with Ji Haoyue.
“Haoyue — be careful of the demon emperor’s sacred weapon!” Two old men silently placed themselves in front of Ji Haoyue and struck at Yan Ruyu together.
“Shhk!”
The demon emperor’s sacred weapon swept outward. Mountains and rivers lost their color; the vault of heaven trembled. Divine radiance filled Yan Ruyu’s palm — a streak of light like a severed arc of a rainbow, too brilliant to look upon directly. It struck forward.
“Splat! Splat! Splat!”
The Ji Family members who had stepped forward to aid were enveloped by the chaotic energy flowing from the ancient mirror, yet they still could not escape their fate. All were pierced through and perished on the spot.
“The demon emperor’s sacred weapon truly lives up to its name!” Ji Haoyue’s expression was solemn, yet he showed no fear. Above his head, an ancient bronze mirror rose and fell, flowing with the misty breath of primordial chaos.
“The Ji Family’s ancient mirror!”
“Indeed!”
In the distance, Ye Fan’s heart shook. The other man’s divine body had only just formed, and already he possessed such might — with a phenomenon manifesting alongside it. The impact on him was immense, and he burned with the desire to excavate the boundless potential hidden within his own sacred body.