“The King of the Night has fallen. He endured in this world, lived for over four thousand years—with almost no one capable of rivaling him. Yet in the end, he was defeated and destroyed!”
“Four thousand years of immortality, hailed as the invincible Twin Kings of Central Province—and yet they have turned to ash just like this. It is almost impossible to believe!”
…
Everyone was talking. The king of Central Province had died an untimely death—struck down even while wearing the divine robe of an ancient holy sage. This had shaken every single person to the core.
This was the end of an era. A king who had looked down upon the mortal world had become history forever. His blood and his name had forged another Divine King’s great and immortal legend.
Hiss!
In the due south of the sacred city, a dragon-shaped blood qi pillar that had soared into the heavens dimmed—then was extinguished completely. This signaled the third supreme figure being erased from the mortal world.
Another great figure had died. It was difficult to imagine what terrifying waves would roll across the world after tonight!
Sacred Sovereign-level figures were masters of this land—yet on this one night, they were being slaughtered one after another. This was certain to stir up a tremendous uproar, one that would absolutely shake all under heaven.
At this moment, the Jiang Family members were finally no longer tense. The Divine King had reversed the tide of battle, and with his own power alone had struck down the King of the Night. Even they could scarcely believe it.
“A pity we could not keep that Great Emperor sacred weapon. With it, who in this world would dare be our enemy?” This was the unspoken thought of many in the Jiang Family.
“What origins did those thirteen Sacred Sovereign-level figures actually have? Why did the Divine King, our Founding Ancestor, not keep any of them alive to investigate?”
A young cultivator of the Jiang Family was troubled by this—the night had been greatly oppressive, and he wanted to know who the enemies lurking in the shadows truly were.
Jiang Yun glanced at him but said nothing more. The other elders of the older generation also remained silent.
Among the younger generation, Jiang Yifei—a descendant of the Divine King—was also present at the scene. He bore much of Jiang Taixu’s bearing: equally elegant and jade-like in demeanor. He shook his head and said: “That would mean being prepared to stand against the entire world.”
The names of the thirteen Sacred Sovereign-level figures were unknown to the world. Their death and disappearance as it stood amounted to nothing. But once they were publicly investigated and identified, it would be equivalent to tearing apart the faces of the great forces standing behind them—leaving no way out but war.
The Jiang Family had been passed down for over a hundred thousand years—incomparably prosperous and mighty, capable of overawing the Eastern Wasteland. Even among the many holy lands, they were a transcendent existence of extreme power.
Yet they absolutely did not possess the strength to oppose all the holy lands simultaneously. If it turned out that several holy lands had been involved, it would trigger a great war like a sweeping ocean tide.
The peerless Divine King—what manner of figure was he? In the course of battle, he had likely long since seen through the true origins of all these people. But he would not speak of it. He could only eliminate them all. No matter whether these people had come from Central Province or the Eastern Wasteland, the Divine King was utterly unafraid. Killing them in this way was simply killing them. No dynasty and no holy land would dare step forward to reproach him—they would be tripping over themselves to deny any involvement.
Hiss!
The fourth pillar of vital blood qi piercing through heaven and earth dimmed—yet another great figure became dust in the annals of history.
After that, the massive and towering pillars of blood qi soaring into the clouds were extinguished in succession—the intervals between them not very long.
“Dead—all destroyed. Not a single one of the seven Sacred Sovereign-level figures survived!”
“The peerless Divine King—a peerless display! One man slaying thirteen Sacred Sovereigns, cutting down three peerless old demon fiends, and personally ending the life of the King of the Night of Central Province—what manner of bearing is that?!”
Within the sacred city, every person was stunned. The Divine King had been reborn—and in a single night had accomplished such a staggering feat. Truly it moved the heart beyond all bearing.
“All extinguished—not a single person could survive. And these were all the supreme rulers of the present age!”
These overlords were capable of sweeping through the world, with almost no one able to rival them. They were the apex fighting power of the present day. Yet it was their misfortune to have encountered the peerless Divine King—sealing a fate that was impossible to change.
Ye Fan, too, felt a surge of shock within his heart. The Divine King’s heroic bearing—who could contend with it? Look across the whole of the present world—could another such figure truly be found?
By now, he had long since lost his connection with the Lihuo Sacred Furnace. That mysterious furnace seemed to possess a life of its own, accompanying the Eternal Universe Furnace as the two followed the Divine King away of their own accord.
This night was destined to be sleepless. Not a single person could be calm. The peerless Divine King had dazzled all under heaven, setting every heart surging with turbulent emotion.
From the heavens, a solitary and desolate figure approached. The bloodstains upon the white robes had all vanished. Black hair drifted gently. The Divine King carried none of the joy of a hard-won victory—only an endless melancholy and sorrow.
He arrived before the Dragon Transformation Pool. Every person present knelt in a great bow, performing a ceremonial salute. Every one of them was deeply moved.
The Divine King bade them rise. Then he walked to where the shattered blood and remains lay—and with a single sharp command, his body blazed with radiant light, completely purifying that place.
“Divine King, Founding Ancestor—you need not grieve. Every disciple came willingly, prepared to risk their life to aid you. To be of service was the greatest wish they could have.” Jiang Yun offered counsel—he did not want the Divine King to expend vital essence on this account and further damage a body already in extreme deficit.
“I do not know whether there is reincarnation and rebirth. If there is—I have already performed the forbidden technique from the ancient scriptures to ensure they pass on safely and in peace.” Jiang Taixu’s heart carried sorrow. These descendants had all died for him.
“Divine King, Founding Ancestor—you need not do this…” The ninth great bandit, Jiang Yi, also stepped forward to offer counsel.
“The previous life is an illusion; the next life is a distant mist. A person can only strive in the present day.” The peerless Divine King’s face was written with exhaustion—and then he fell straight backward, collapsing to the ground.
“Divine King, Founding Ancestor!” Every person’s face changed color in shock. A great commotion erupted.
When the sky began to lighten toward dawn, the Divine King awoke. He shot into the heavens and with a mighty tremor, scarlet radiance engulfed the sacred city.
BOOM!
The Extreme Dao divine might surged like a tide—and ultimately vanished completely. The sacred city that had been suppressed was finally unsealed, at last connected with the outside world once more.
Ye Fan wasted no time in words. He immediately produced the Mysterious Jade Platform, preparing to traverse the void—for he felt that the Divine King’s condition was not good, and he could not be certain what great waves would roll through the sacred city from here on out.
“You need not go.” The Divine King’s voice suddenly resonated within his heart, bringing him to an involuntary stop.
“Little friend’s great kindness—we have not yet repaid it. Please do not leave.” The Jiang Family members also spoke up to detain him.
The moment the sacred city was unsealed, people traversed the void and departed in an unending stream. News spread in all four directions. The Northern Domain was shaken. The Eastern Wasteland was shaken. Even Central Province gave rise to tremendous waves.
That day, all under heaven was stunned!
Thirteen Sacred Sovereign-level figures—one person had killed them all in a single night. This was simply like a tale from the most fantastical of legends, and almost no one dared believe it. The Eastern Wasteland’s most terrifying earthquake in living memory had just occurred.
Every person was struck dumb. Every heart was filled with dread. Numerous sects and factions trembled with fear. The reborn Divine King—acting alone—had produced consequences this terrifying. Every cultivator was left shuddering.
Central Province, too, was thrown into a great uproar. The King of the Night—who was he? He was a heaven-sent king, who had looked down upon the mortal world for over four thousand years with almost no rival found. And yet in the end, like his elder brother before him, he had died in the Eastern Wasteland.
There was a saying in the world: the Solar King and the King of the Night, together, were matchless under heaven—naturally complementary kings. It was a pity that this glorious scene had never come to pass—they had been killed separately.
Yet people held out hope for their descendants, saying that perhaps Twin Kings would appear again among their offspring!
The Eastern Wasteland’s great earthquake left not one major power able to remain calm. The Jiang Family’s Holy Sovereign was the first to lead his people here.
“Jiang Ren—you still have the face to come?! Do you know what time it is now?!” The ninth great bandit shouted sharply. He had broken away from the Jiang Family, and he had a direct grievance with the Holy Sovereign’s lineage.
“It was not that I did not wish to come—it was that I could not. Do you have any idea what the family encountered? Formidable enemies came to our door—numerous terrifying figures appeared and stood in confrontation with us. Our family’s reservoir of hidden power was nearly entirely unleashed.”
“What?!” Nearby, Jiang Yun was startled.
“I pay my respects to the Divine King, Founding Ancestor!” Jiang Ren knelt in a ceremonial bow.
Jiang Taixu nodded, bidding him rise. He had not left the sacred city—instead, he sat in wait as the holy sovereigns of the world came to pay their respects. Only the peerless Divine King would dare conduct himself in such a manner.
“The Holy Sovereign of Yao Guang requests an audience!”
“The Holy Sovereign of the Ji Family requests an audience!”
“The Holy Sovereign of Wanchu requests an audience!”
“The Holy Sovereign of Zifu requests an audience!”
…
One after another, the holy sovereigns arrived in succession. All entered the sacred city to pay their respects to the Divine King.
“How did all of them come? Not one dead…” A young member of the Jiang Family muttered quietly—and was immediately reprimanded by an elder.
“Sacred Sovereign-level figures” did not necessarily mean they were actual Holy Sovereigns—perhaps they were other supreme experts of the highest order, and some might even have been people from Central Province.
The morning glow rose. The Divine King, holding the Caiyun Immortal in his arms, ascended high into the air and gazed out at the rising sun on the horizon—utterly motionless.
Within the sacred city, not a single Holy Sovereign dared show any displeasure. All waited quietly.
The rising sun climbed through morning; the hours passed through noon; then slowly it began to descend in the west.
The sunset glow was the color of blood, dyeing half the sky crimson. The Divine King held the Caiyun Immortal—still and unmoving—watching the setting sun in silence.
“Taixu, my love… years ago, you sought out the Earth-Life Fruit to replenish my lifespan… and asked me to live four thousand years alongside you… to grow old together in this mortal world. I waited for you… but it is a pity… I could not see with my own eyes the day of your rebirth.”
These murmured words echoed in the Divine King’s ears.
“I truly wished to walk with you into the sunset. But… there is no time left. You will never… hear my voice again.”
A glimmer of crystalline moisture flickered at the corner of the Divine King’s eye. Imprisoned for four thousand years, his heart had long since become iron—yet even now, it was torn with grief.
As the last of the evening glow vanished, his hair turned white as snow—conspicuous and striking against the night. Yet from beginning to end, he did not utter a single word.
“Divine King, Founding Ancestor!” The people below cried out in alarm.
The Caiyun Immortal disappeared within the Divine King’s pure land. Jiang Taixu descended, step by step. His face was still as jade—but his hair had become snow white.
“We pay our respects to the Divine King!”
All the holy sovereigns paid their respects simultaneously—with great reverence and sincerity. Then, one after another they spoke, swearing oaths to the heavens that the events of the previous night had nothing to do with the various holy lands.
The holy lands that possessed Extreme Dao weapons went to even greater lengths to prove their innocence, producing conclusive evidence.
The Divine King’s beloved had died a tragic death. If he were to wield the Eternal Universe Furnace and strike out without mercy, the catastrophe that would follow was beyond imagining.
Representatives of all the great powers had come. Many people arrived to pay their respects. Suddenly, one person cried out in astonishment: “The Desolate Holy Physique… what audacity—daring to hide here!”
Ouyang Ye’s form was like withered wood, but he was infinitely close to the Source Land Master realm, having practically attained the Heavenly Eye. In an instant he discovered Ye Fan within the crowd.
Many people had come from the various holy lands, including numerous young and middle-aged figures standing at a distance. Killing intent burst forth from many directions simultaneously.
“Do you wish to kill him?” From above, Jiang Taixu—seated at the center of the great hall—spoke.
“Senior Divine King—he is the Desolate Holy Physique! His crimes are many and heinous! All the holy lands have been hunting him!” Ouyang Ye said.
“We report to the Divine King—the Holy Physique deserves death! He has committed many offenses. Ten of Yao Guang’s top young experts from their reclusive lineage were killed by him!”
“The Tai Shang Elder of the Ji Family was burned to ash by him!”
“You truly have audacity—daring to come to this place!”
…
Many people spoke up. Killing intent was boundless. Everyone’s gaze locked onto Ye Fan.
“How much audacity. Are you referring to him—or to yourselves?” The Divine King spoke, sweeping his gaze across all present. Wherever his eyes passed, not a single person dared meet his gaze.
“Divine King, do you mean…” Someone dared to ask.
“He saved my life. To kill him is to kill me. Do you wish to try?!” The peerless Divine King’s voice rang out loud and resonant, making every person’s eardrums reverberate with a humming echo.