The Monkey appeared as though cast from gold — his golden fur shimmering with brilliant radiance, fire-gold eyes blazing, his pitch-black great staff in hand, its tip touching the sky, its base braced against the earth.

Ye Fan recognized it in one glance. This was the matchless ferocious weapon cut from the divine source he had found — one that had in the past run through more than one primordial king, drinking the blood of supreme monarchs.

The divine being enshrined within the ferocious weapon had fallen into slumber, yet still retained a terrifying, demonic nature. Were it ever to awaken, it would surpass all description.

The spear’s point had been ground away by the Monkey, and it had since been transformed into a pitch-black great iron staff — pitted and scarred all over, yet impossible to break. No one could say exactly how many billions of units of weight it was, but it was enough to cause the void itself to cave inward.

The identity of the ancient Holy Primate Prince was deeply sensitive — and his own power was formidable beyond measure. Now that the ancient clans were emerging into the world, who would dare provoke him? Many eyelids twitched.

The two ancient creatures were most reluctant, but they kowtowed and offered their apologies to Ye Fan. In the distance, Wang Teng — as their master — had both eyes lit with fury, his sword-like brows slanting sharply upward.

“If you’re not happy about it, come and die!” Ye Fan spoke, striding forward with great steps. One after another, dragon pillars erupted from beneath the ground, piercing through the surface.

The others were astonished. Did Ye Fan really dare to fight the Northern Emperor — and did he truly have a chance of winning? Every gaze turned to watch.

“He has grown fast. In just a few years, he can already contend with veteran figures. Worthy of being a Holy Body indeed.”

Only a few years had passed, and Ye Fan’s combat power had risen dramatically. People believed that at this rate, before many more years passed, there would be few who could suppress him.

“Then I shall grant your wish — and stain my Emperor’s sword with your holy blood!” Wang Teng approached, his steps steady and deliberate. He held the golden holy sword in hand, and even from a great distance he slashed forward.

Ye Fan met him with calm composure. He stomped down with one foot — source-sky vein patterns flickered, corresponding to the stars above, spreading out one layer after another.

Pop!

Suddenly, the earth split open. A true dragon surged upward — its azure scales shimmering, its body massive and thick, its great claws blazing with cold light, its force overwhelming and unstoppable.

“A true dragon!”

“We know it is formed from dragon energy, yet it is so lifelike — so vivid — that it is indistinguishable from a living creature.”

The azure dragon stretched its body sideways like a blade of blue and came hacking down, colliding with the Celestial Emperor’s sword in a burst of blinding light.

Wang Teng let out a cold snort and pressed forward, raising his sword in an angled slash — but the azure dragon would not disperse. It leapt upward, struck sideways in advance, and blocked his path once again.

“This is nothing but external force. It is useless against me. Once I cut it all down, your time of death will have arrived!” Wang Teng’s black hair fell like a waterfall, his gaze razor-sharp.

Ye Fan remained calm and composed. With a light shout, hundreds and thousands of azure dragons burst from the ground — each one as though made of flesh and blood, incomparably powerful.

Behind them, the many Holy Masters finally changed expression. Such an attack made even them feel dizzy — this was the power of the Qinling great dragon, and Ye Fan could call it forth at will.

One, two… dozens were still manageable. But now there were hundreds, thousands — the attacking force was astonishing. Ten thousand dragons contended for supremacy, swallowing and spitting divine pearls.

Ou Yang Ye’s group all changed color. The profundity of the source arts is boundless and inexhaustible. This was a unique secret technique recorded in the Source-Heaven Book — summoning the dragon source. It made them burn with jealousy and envy alike.

“In this place, the Holy Body can truly contend against the Northern Emperor!”

The Holy Maiden of Jade Lake, the Great Xia Prince, the Moon Spirit Princess, and the others were all moved. Precious few in the younger generation dared to raise a blade against Wang Teng — yet at this moment, Ye Fan intended to kill the Northern Emperor!

The hearts of the various sect masters were seized with palpitations. In this place, one had to be extremely careful — if the Holy Body managed to kill someone with the source arts, there would truly be nowhere to go and weep.

“Source arts can truly be this terrifying — capable of slaying Holy Master-level figures!”

Ten thousand dragons erupted at once. Azure bolts of lightning streaked one after another, thunder rolling through the nine heavens. The entire area was wreathed in dragon energy.

Wang Teng charged through the sea of dragons with great sweeping movements — yet the dragon force was inexhaustible. Cut one down, and another would rise in its place. Dragon shadows filled every direction.

“Break!” He raised his sword and roared, unleashing the full power of his natural laws. Every dragon body shattered and collapsed.

“Seal!” Ye Fan too let out a great cry. He formed hand seals and cut through the void — nine ancient characters leapt one by one from his fingertips.

Within the Dao Sutra were nine mysterious ancient characters that could seal one’s own self and achieve eternity — profound and unfathomable, beyond all speculation. Ye Fan had long been studying them.

In the past, he had once used them against enemies — but without full mastery. Now, with the endless dragon force of this place available to draw upon, it was the equivalent of boundless divine power.

At this moment, naturally he thought of this divine technique. These were nine Emperor Characters, possessing a miraculous and immeasurable power — recognized only by the Great Emperors of the human race.

One ancient character after another leapt out, forming a cage in the air. The nine characters sealed the heavens, and not a single person could discern their meaning.

“Nine Emperor Characters interlocked into a cage — how mysterious!” The crowd cried out in amazement.

The nine characters pressed downward and slowly closed in. A small world flashed into being — as though heaven and earth were first being opened, flowing with the mist of primordial chaos. Every last ounce of this power was being provided by the Qinling great dragon.

The Holy Maiden of Jade Lake and the Moon Spirit Princess both let extraordinary light glimmer in their beautiful eyes. Ye Fan was truly going to seal the Northern Emperor — it was astonishing beyond words.

Many elder figures were frightened. A cultivator at only the Eighth Dragon Transformation, borrowing the power of the Qinling great dragon to display this supreme divine technique — it was simply too terrifying.

Hum!

As the world cage was about to close, Wang Teng’s expression finally changed. His tongue struck a peal of thunder as he chanted a passage of divine sound. His Martial Dao Heavenly Eye opened — like a star field winking into oblivion.

Nine ancient characters shot out from within his eyes — each one terrifyingly powerful, seemingly capable of throwing heaven and earth into chaos!

Ye Fan’s heart lurched. The other man undoubtedly had an ancient scripture at his disposal — these too were nine Emperor Characters, comparable to the nine characters he himself commanded.

Moreover, Wang Teng’s power was astonishing. He had comprehended them nearly in full, refining the nine ancient characters into his very eyes — a feat that chilled the soul.

“Could his Martial Dao Heavenly Eye have been forged precisely in this way?”

The void shook violently. Eighteen Emperor Characters clashed, releasing terrifying waves of force. The small world that had been taking shape continued to evolve — yet Wang Teng used his own nine characters to break through and escape.

The crowd was aghast. In this place, Ye Fan truly had the power to contest Wang Teng — it was no empty boast. At the very least, for now he was not falling behind.

After the two separated, neither immediately charged at the other again. Both stood in midair.

Boom, boom…

On the other side, the Monkey raised his big, shaggy foot and gave a fierce series of kicks. Right before Wang Teng’s eyes, he drove the two ancient creatures into screaming howls of ghosts and wailing of gods.

“Disgraceful things — enslaving yourselves to others. I feel embarrassed on behalf of your sovereign. You might as well find a block of tofu and bash your heads against it.” This was no mere thrashing of two ancient creatures — it was a deliberate and open humiliation of Wang Teng’s face.

“Enough!” The Northern Emperor’s voice rang out like a crack of a whip. He strode forward like a dragon and tiger combined, dragging his Celestial Emperor’s sword downward and advancing, his gaze as deep as the starry void.

The Monkey slanted a glance at him, standing atop the two ancient creatures, and jabbed his black iron staff forward in a point: “Go get yourself killed somewhere else.”

His words were identical to Ye Fan’s — as though spoken from the same mold.

In the immortal soil, every person was shaken. To this day, how many people dared to shout at Wang Teng in such a way? Even the most supreme Holy Masters felt a chill — not a single person would dare provoke him.

Yet the Monkey, just like Ye Fan, regarded him as nothing whatsoever — ready at any moment to bring his iron staff crashing down, without the slightest fear of a man who bore the bearing of a Celestial Emperor.

Clang!

Wang Teng — who was he? A man of Emperor bearing in this very age. Even the Great Emperors of antiquity in their youth had been no more than this! He immediately drew his holy sword and leveled it at the Monkey’s throat.

“You dare point that at me?” The Monkey’s temperament was fierce. With a heavy thud, his pitch-black great staff was planted into the ground — and the entire expanse of immortal soil shuddered.

On one side stood the ancient Holy Primate Prince; on the other, a man acclaimed as the reincarnation of a human Great Emperor. If the two were to collide, it would truly be like a comet striking the earth.

Hum!

The Monkey said fight and he meant fight. He gripped his black iron staff and swung it downward — black light sweeping outward, setting all things in motion. This was pure, undiluted force — overwhelming and overbearing.

Wang Teng’s black hair hung loose over his shoulders. He did not retreat. He raised his Celestial Emperor’s sword and hacked forward — as though possessed of a heaven-cleaving power. Around him, true dragon, divine phoenix, white tiger, and black tortoise manifested, the scene breathtaking.

A tremendous crack rang out. Everyone in the vicinity was rattled in their hearts, pressed back by a hurricane-like force. Many people were flung into the air like scarecrows.

Several Great Ability-level figures at the first tier of the Immortal Platform coughed blood — they had been standing too close, caught in the shockwave, all of them injured.

The Monkey had struck. The Northern Emperor had met him head-on. Their fierce battle could only be described as a collapse of mountains and a heaving of seas — two peerless figures of the younger generation vying for supremacy, gripping the minds of countless onlookers.

Clang!

Another strike. The Monkey’s black iron staff was peerless. He was a being of godlike might. Even the Celestial Emperor’s sword let out a mournful wail beneath his blows, and Wang Teng’s arm was left numb.

In the primordial age, ten thousand clans had flourished. Though the Battle-Saint Apes were few — no more than two or three — they were famed throughout all the clans for their battle prowess, known as the Battle-Saint Clan.

Wang Teng’s expression remained unmoved. The golden holy sword rose once more. Endless laws struck outward. The heavens above darkened, and one great star after another turned, pushed by the sword’s edge.

At this moment, dragon and phoenix cried in harmony, circling around Wang Teng, radiance stretching ten thousand zhang. He was like an ancient emperor reborn, pushing all the stars of heaven to bear down upon the Monkey.

The Monkey swallowed the sun’s essence. His divine manifestation activated, stretching to fill heaven and earth. His great staff swept around him — and with a single stroke shattered a star, leaving many faces pale.

One force breaks ten thousand techniques!

His combat power made many sect masters’ scalps go numb, their minds and spirits wavering. This Monkey was too powerful — a single staff stroke could kill a Great Ability expert.

A being like this simply could not be matched head-on. One would need boundless divine power to contend with him — otherwise, when that staff came down, even a Holy Master’s bones would be snapped and sinews broken.

The Monkey swung his great iron staff in a frenzy, shattering a hundred and eight stars in one breath, then let out a long cry and lunged forward — unstoppable in his valor.

The iron staff came down, clashing against the holy sword, producing one resonant clang after another. Many people screamed and covered their ears — some cultivators’ ears were trickling blood.

Wang Teng used the Celestial Emperor’s sword to block, bearing the pressure of a mountain range with every exchange. Each of the Monkey’s blows was like an entire sky pressing down, making his whole body feel on the verge of tearing apart.

He stumbled back nine steps in succession, his body shuddering violently. Had the Celestial Emperor’s sword not been a sacred object, it would have broken long ago. He felt for himself the Monkey’s overwhelming force and ferocity.

“This Monkey is too powerful — even the Northern Emperor has to give way before his offensive. No wonder they are called the Battle-Saint Clan — in terms of raw force, no one can compare!”

“The sole offspring of the ancient Battle Saint Primate, the unrivaled bloodline inheritance — truly terrifying. Though this Monkey is young in body, he already possesses such might.”

Everyone was alarmed. The leaders of all factions muttered uneasily to themselves — could this Monkey rival his old father? Might he grow up one day to become a generation’s Battle Saint Primate?!

The Monkey gave no quarter once he had the upper hand. One staff blow fiercer than the last, he circulated his celestial arts and struck out a full eighty-one times. Had it not been for the presence of the Immortal Transformation Pool and the dragon lair pouring out divine radiance, this ground would have been driven down eighty-one times over.

Mountains, rivers, all things, heaven’s vault and earth’s face — none of it could withstand a single iron staff strike. Endless mountain ranges would have crumbled into dust.

Wang Teng stumbled back exactly eighty-one steps. The webbing between his fingers split open, blood dripping steadily down. In terms of raw force, no one could contend with the Monkey.

“You call yourself the Northern Emperor? You’d better take that title back. Your boasts are quite grand — and you think you can just kill this one and cut down that one? Let me send you on your way instead!” The Monkey bellowed.

“Hmph!”

Wang Teng let out a cold snort without another word, and launched a fierce counterattack.

Though his power could be compared to the Great Emperors in their youth, his opponent was a true Holy Primate Prince — and one whose greatest renown lay precisely in the way of the physical body. In terms of raw force, Wang Teng truly could not match him.

Yet Wang Teng was no ordinary figure. Comparable in bearing to the ancient emperors, destined to be the protagonist of an era in human history — he had his own transcendent qualities.

At this moment, he brought forth his secret techniques, his laws, and all else at his disposal. The Celestial Emperor’s sword blazed like a rainbow. The moment it was launched, divine radiance flooded every corner of heaven and earth. Nine true dragons, nine divine phoenixes, nine white tigers, nine black tortoises all materialized — a sight to stagger the mind.

He let out a great cry and charged forward, carrying an invincible might. He drove the Monkey back eighty-one steps in turn — each sword strike more powerful than the last, its edge cleaving through the heavens.

The Northern Emperor’s formidability had also surpassed everyone’s expectations. Though the webbing between his fingers was injured, it had not diminished his combat power in the slightest — he was still able to match the Monkey blow for blow.

The two fought fiercely, neither yielding — incomparably intense!

“Monkey elder brother, let me be the one to finish his life!” Ye Fan spoke. He summoned the most primal dragon force of Qinling, intending to strike.

Everyone was at a loss for words. The Northern Emperor — what kind of figure was he? Yet now, two people in succession had jumped out, each proclaiming they would kill him. One was the ancient Holy Primate Prince; the other was the human race’s Holy Body. Both were historically extraordinary figures.