A thick iron staff was driven into a slab of green stone. Whether it was cast from black-gold was hard to say exactly — it was sharp and awe-inspiring, tinged with a trace of dark red, as though it had been soaked in blood.

This was an ancient ferocious weapon. Though so many years had passed, it still made hearts tremble and spines run cold.

No one knew, back then, who had killed the Shencan Princess — it remained an unsolved case to this day. Toward the end of the Primordial Age, after the Battle Victory Holy Emperor passed into nirvana, the world fell into great chaos. Figures of unparalleled standing struck out, and the fighting left heaven and earth on the verge of total collapse — screams of ghosts and gods filled the air, chaos reaching its absolute extreme.

“Back then — was it the Silver Moon Heavenly King’s master who struck against the Shencan Princess?” People gasped, every heart going cold.

The Silver Moon Heavenly King had been dazzling in the Primordial Age, praised as one of the existences most likely to become a Great Sage. He had walked very far along that road, and perhaps in the not-too-distant future would step beyond that threshold.

How unfathomably deep must his master’s cultivation be, and what realm had he reached? Just thinking about it made people’s scalps explode with shock, a chill running from the crown of the head all the way to the soles of the feet.

“The Silver Moon Heavenly King’s master is… Kunzhou the Great Sage!” Someone’s voice trembled as they whispered the name.

“It’s actually him… The supreme Kunzhou the Great Sage — who swept through the Primordial Age and stood alone and unrivaled across the nine heavens and ten earths. Who could suppress him, save for the Holy Emperors themselves?”

Kunzhou the Great Sage had been a living deity of the latter Primordial Age, one of the most powerful existences, numbered among the great powers at the summit — capable of looking down upon the entire ancient star with a battle strength too terrifying to measure.

No one had anticipated that it was this person who had struck against the Shencan Princess back then. The crowd gasped in unison, not a single person daring to speak rashly — for an injudicious word could bring about the annihilation of an entire clan.

“Back then, after forging a piece of divine iron, he hurled it from ten thousand miles away, pinning me to the front of the Great Wilderness Holy Temple — truly the master of all under heaven. What magnificent authority.” The Shencan Princess lifted her gaze to the sky, her expression unruffled, and recounted the manner of her death.

Hurling a divine spear from ten thousand miles away and pinning the mighty Shencan Princess — the entire crowd instantly went ice-cold. What did this signify? The power defied all common sense; it bordered on the unreal.

“So that was how she died…”

“Terrifying beyond words!”

People whispered, every one of them trembling from the very bottom of their hearts. The fearfulness of Kunzhou the Great Sage was beyond the measure of ordinary reasoning — his power was boundless!

The Shencan Princess, a peerless genius of the Primordial Age and one of the few most likely to become a Great Sage — pinned to death with a casual gesture. This secret revelation struck fear into every soul.

After the Battle Victory Holy Emperor passed into nirvana, the world fell into great chaos — that much everyone knew. But the grudges and grievances between the great powers were not something every person understood clearly. Even those with a vague awareness could not know the full picture.

“In those days, the Battle Victory Holy Emperor commanded the Primordial Age and ten thousand clans bowed before him — the world held him in universal reverence. Yet he died, and the times changed. It is only natural that certain rules must shift accordingly.” The Silver Moon Heavenly King said with equanimity.

“A pity, then, that Kunzhou never proved the Dao and became an emperor. To establish his own order and rules — he was not yet ready for that. He had not yet attained the power and bearing to reign supreme over all under heaven, and could only root out those who opposed him!” The Shencan Princess’ gaze blazed with intensity — peerlessly resplendent — and she stepped forward, her aura pressing in like a tide.

Now everyone understood. This was why the Son of the Celestial Emperor had dared to be so brazen — hunting the Holy Imperial Prince across so many years, with such fearless impunity, backed all along by Kunzhou the Great Sage.

This matter was deeply frightening. It reached back to the ancient grudges between supreme existences of the Primordial Age!

Most likely, the Son of the Celestial Emperor’s actions had been directed by Kunzhou the Great Sage all along — a test and a probe to gauge what level of cultivation the Victorious Buddha in the Western Desert had now reached, and how he would respond.

In one sense, this had never been a rivalry between children of ancient emperors. From start to finish, it had been the invincible Great Sages standing in opposition to one another — a prelude to a storm that would sweep across the entire ancient star!

So many years had passed. Heaven alone knew what realm Kunzhou the Great Sage had now reached, whether he had stepped forward once more along that path — just thinking about it sent chills down the spine.

“A pity about the Son of the Celestial Emperor. Unworthy as he was, he still possessed the finest bloodline constitution under heaven — even without proving the Dao, his future achievements would have been immeasurable. And just like that, he died.” The Shencan Princess said with cold derision.

“Shencan Princess — since you know that Kunzhou the Great Sage still lives, you ought to have the self-awareness that you cannot yet run rampant in this world!” An Ancestral King from the Eight Divine Generals’ side spoke.

“Smack—!”

The Shencan Princess didn’t so much as blink. Her jade hand flew out, and a resounding slap struck his face — his jaw shattered on the spot, and his body was sent flying hundreds of paces away.

Every mountain and valley fell deathly silent. Not a single person dared say another word. Every last one of them was inwardly astonished — this peerless genius princess was too domineering. Whether in the past or the present, she had never changed.

This was an Ancestral King — yet she struck him without hesitation, and delivered a thunderously loud slap at that. If word got out, who would believe it? It sounded like a fantasy!

“You…” That Ancestral King erupted in fury, yet also felt a wave of helplessness — he was simply not her match.

“On the strength of you alone — a petty descendant of the Eight Divine Generals — you dare repeatedly point your finger at me and tell me what to do? If the true divine generals themselves were resurrected, that might be another matter entirely. But as it stands — what a pity — you have none of your ancestors’ bearing or battle strength.” The Shencan Princess said without a shred of mercy.

“Shencan Princess, you go too far — take care that you never rise again!” The Silver Moon Heavenly King said, stepping forward and pressing in.

The Shencan Princess paid him no mind. She swept her gaze across the armies of the Eight Divine Generals and said: “Do you think that just because you have Kunzhou the Great Sage backing you, you can throw your weight around? Believe me when I say I could wipe out all eight of your clans single-handedly!”

Whether human race or the great Primordial royal clans — every last person’s heart lurched in their chest, not a word they could say, unable to help but lower their heads. The Shencan Princess was simply overwhelming — leaving no room for anyone to breathe.

“Silver Moon Heavenly King — surely you cannot stand by and watch the Son of the Celestial Emperor die in vain?” An Ancestral King from the Eight Divine Generals spoke, resentment stirring within.

“The fall of the Son of the Celestial Emperor is heartbreaking. He bore the god’s unique bloodline, a physique unrivaled under heaven — an incalculable loss for the ten thousand clans. His death cannot be for nothing.” As the Silver Moon Heavenly King spoke, he stepped forward, his gaze fixed upon Ye Fan and the Holy Imperial Prince, eyes like two sharp blades.

“Clang—!”

The Shencan Princess waved her hand without ceremony, shattering his powerful aura and blocking his path. She laughed coldly: “Truly like your master — what magnificent authority. Displaying the posture of a supremely powerful figure before junior generation cultivators who have not yet become saints. Come the day that the Holy Imperial Prince reaches this height, how many shreds of courage will you have left to face him?”

“Shencan Princess — I will not waste more words. I will say only one thing: the Son of the Celestial Emperor’s death cannot be for nothing. You alone cannot suppress this storm!” The Silver Moon Heavenly King said in a cold voice.

The Shencan Princess’ aura was awe-inspiring, making it entirely clear she did not hold any of them in her eyes. Her face was full of contempt. “You want to deal with the Holy Imperial Prince?” she asked.

“At minimum, the human cultivator at his side must be killed first — because I know the Son of the Celestial Emperor most likely died at his hands.” The Silver Moon Heavenly King’s eyes were cold as ice, locked onto Ye Fan. “Kill this person first, and there is still room to talk about what to do with the Holy Imperial Prince. As for how to handle the Holy Imperial Prince — that can be negotiated.”

“Correct — first kill that human cultivator as a sacrifice to the Son of the Celestial Emperor’s spirit! There is absolutely no possibility of letting him off!” Many among the Eight Divine Generals roared in fury.

“Ha, ha, ha…” The Shencan Princess laughed out loud — though however you heard it, there was something cold within. She stood like a queen of a generation, commanding all under heaven. “How amusing — I haven’t said a word yet, and you’re already making demands. Let me put it plainly: every single one of you standing before me, eyeing me with cold hostility — you’d all best weigh your own situation carefully. You are all in danger of not being able to preserve yourselves!”

“She intends to… sweep away all these great enemies?”

Everyone was left dumbstruck. No one had imagined this peerless remarkable woman would be so domineering — was she going to slay them in every direction?

“You… what an arrogant boast. Do you truly think yourself an ancient emperor reborn from Shencan Ridge?” Several of the ancient kings across from her were indignant.

The Silver Moon Heavenly King’s expression was cold as he stared at her. “You may not even be able to protect the Holy Imperial Prince!”

“When the Battle Victory Holy Emperor looked down upon all under heaven and surveyed the nine heavens and ten earths — where were you? Why did you not dare leap out then? The Holy Emperor’s only true son killed a worthless dead prince through his own ability, and every single one of you can’t wait to come jumping out — what impressive ability!” The Shencan Princess swept her gaze across everyone.

“Regardless of anything else, you cannot change what is coming. Do not think that the Battle Victory Victorious Buddha is the only one of his kind in this world — among the ten thousand clans, there are other peerless masters!” The Silver Moon Heavenly King said coldly.

“Exactly right — blood for blood — killers must die!” Radical voices among the Eight Divine Generals cried out.

“Precisely what I would say — you have been rampant for so many years, hunting the Holy Imperial Prince without pause. Today, every one of you will die here. Blood for blood!” The Shencan Princess said without mercy, and one hand struck forward. The divine silkworm transformed into a small white tiger on her shoulder immediately covered its round dark eyes.

“Pff—!”

A blast of blood erupted as swaths of the Eight Divine Generals fell. The Silver Moon Heavenly King hurriedly moved to block, and several Ancestral Kings unleashed secret techniques to intercept her assault.

No one had anticipated that the battle would erupt so suddenly. Though the Shencan Princess appeared ethereal and luminous, her conduct was decisive and ruthless — she charged in alone, enveloping one Ancestral King in a blaze of holy light, and with a light shout launched a killing blow!

“Ah—!”

A piercing cry rang out through the heavens. That Primordial Ancestral King struggled violently but could not escape — he was shattered alive and destroyed. His holy blood cascaded down into the mountain ranges, causing the land to collapse and the earth to cave in, like the end of an age.

“Swish—!”

The Silver Moon Heavenly King transformed into a streak of silver light, shooting straight toward Ye Fan and the Holy Imperial Prince, intending to use a technique of absolute annihilation to wipe them out completely.

“Bang—!”

But the Shencan Princess moved too fast — in nearly the same instant, she was before them, her jade hand striking out and sending him staggering back. She declared: “The Holy Emperor’s descendant, who has every right on his side — someone still dares to kill him? Is he lesser than some worthless dead prince? I say this clearly: whoever dares lay a finger on the Holy Imperial Prince or his friends — I will slaughter their entire ten clans!”

“Shencan Princess — you personally killed an ancient king of the saint’s level in plain sight of everyone. Make sure you understand what you have done. All consequences are yours to bear!” The Silver Moon Heavenly King’s pupils blazed with incomparably cold light.

“Killed, and so I killed — what can you do about it? And beyond that, I intend to have the Eight Divine Generals struck from the records forever, relegated to history!” The Shencan Princess declared with absolute sovereignty.

All present felt their flesh crawl. This princess of Shencan Ridge was truly fearsome — she intended to wipe out the whole lot, exterminating every clan of the Eight Divine Generals? That was enough to shake the entire ancient star!

“You…” Several Ancestral Kings from the Eight Divine Generals’ ranks were equal parts shocked and furious.

“What ‘you’ — for so many years you have insulted the Battle Victory Holy Emperor, and this entire account will be settled today. Not a single one of you will survive. Not even Kunzhou can shield you — I’ve long wanted to settle old scores with him as well!” The Shencan Princess thundered.

Her full head of light, nimble violet hair danced and flowed. The bright, spirited large eyes blazed out two terrible beams of light as she stepped forward and struck again!

“Outrageous!” The Silver Moon Heavenly King moved to block.

“I say you are the outrageous one — it’s nothing but Kunzhou the Great Sage. After all these years of testing, tell him to crawl out and show himself!” The Shencan Princess rebuked.

“Before my master makes his move, I will first take down the Holy Imperial Prince and that human cultivator, and let you see that there is always someone stronger, always a sky beyond the sky!” The Silver Moon Heavenly King roared, reaching out to seize Ye Fan and the Holy Imperial Prince.

“Bang—!”

Suddenly, a great golden hand struck down from high above the heavens. The Silver Moon Heavenly King was sent flying horizontally, every joint in his body snapping and cracking, every bone broken.

“My elder brother may have long since passed into nirvana in the Primordial Age, but the line of the Battle Victory Holy Ape has not yet fallen to the point where anyone can humiliate us as they please. Tell Kunzhou to come and face me!” An old ape appeared on the scene — his entire body of golden fur radiant and shimmering, his aura dominating heaven and earth.