Ye Fan was stunned — to face the Demon Emperor at such close range was something he had never imagined possible, being in the same celestial palace with her felt truly unbelievable!
The man within the hall had thick black hair, cascading over his chest and back, his white robes fluttering, spotless and untainted by dust, his expression serene and peaceful, his eyes deep as the starry void.
Ye Fan’s body felt on the verge of splitting apart. Facing the aura of an ancient Great Emperor, his golden blood roared like thunder, surging violently, as if about to catch fire, his bones nearly bursting.
The two broken immortal rulers within his meridian sea radiated blue-green light, transforming into two small sun-like radiant orbs, flying outward, filled with hope and restlessness, utterly urgent.
Ye Fan’s body trembled, and he involuntarily stepped back. The man before him possessed overwhelming vitality, a powerful pulse of life that made it nearly impossible to approach, as if he stood before the dazzling furnace of the Immortal Realm itself.
Snow Moon Pure was transcendent, otherworldly, on the verge of ascending to immortality — possessing a certain ethereal quality that did not belong to this mortal realm, like a banished immortal descended from the heavens.
The two broken immortal rulers gleamed, brilliant and crystalline, blue-gold light shimmering like rain from the immortal realm, circling around him as if lost children who had finally found their most beloved guardian.
These were the Demon Emperor’s own ruler-weapons — though shattered, and though the divine spirit within had died upon the immortal path, they still retained an instinct, a deep affection for their master.
So many talented heroes of the past, buried now in dust…
The white-robed man reached out a hand, gently stroking the two broken weapons. An air of transcendence surrounded him, laced with a commanding might — in the depths of his profound eyes lingered a fierce edge, as if he looked down upon the universe and all living beings from above.
This was the Demon Emperor’s aura — the majesty of one who struck the nine heavens above and suppressed the underworld below. Though he appeared calm and composed, he was not to be defiled; anyone would have to hold him in awe.
He did not withdraw the immortal rulers, but let them flicker and dance before him like mischievous children, while he himself stood there quietly.
Ye Fan’s eyes ached, tears mixed with blood flowing from them — not for any other reason, but because he had witnessed the true source of the Demon Emperor’s living pulse.
“So that’s how it is — the ancient Great Emperors did pass away, one after another, unable to survive to the present…” Having understood the reason, he felt a trace of relief, but also a sense of loss — even the most extraordinary of people could not truly achieve eternal life.
Those were a few drops of blood, entwined around the humanoid lightning form of the Demon Emperor, radiating undying divine might, as if a Great Emperor had been reborn, standing tall between heaven and earth, manifesting within the chaotic sea of thunder.
“True Emperor’s blood!”
Ye Fan’s eyes ached with pain — those few drops of blood had transformed into a wisp of thin smoke, radiating a bloody glow, like immortal needles that could pierce out one’s eyes, impossible to look directly upon.
It was precisely these drops that released this incomparable imperial aura, as if the Demon Emperor had truly reappeared in this world, shocking the great saints outside to the point of nearly kneeling.
Though he now understood the reason behind the Demon Emperor’s living pulse, Ye Fan’s doubts only multiplied. This was supposed to be a heavenly tribulation — how could it have summoned these drops of blood, fused together with the Demon Emperor’s imprint? It seemed utterly inconceivable.
“The only unusual thing here is that this stretch of starry sky is very close to the Demon Emperor’s grave — could it be that it stirred up her imperial blood?!”
Ye Fan murmured to himself. The moment this possibility occurred to him, his scalp went numb. If merely summoning a few drops of blood was already this dangerous, then should the true imperial corpse itself be summoned… it would simply be unimaginable!
Not to mention himself — even if every cultivator in the entire universe came together, it likely wouldn’t be enough to kill it; everyone would meet tragedy.
If the imprint fused with the corpse, it would be nearly equivalent to a true Great Emperor’s rebirth — it would never be limited merely to the Sage King realm of this tribulation; it would trample the great Dao of heaven and earth underfoot.
“Boom!”
In the distance, the ancient Great Emperor’s mausoleum shook violently, that vast, magnificent Yellow Springs surging and boiling, a strange aura spreading outward. Several yin spirits let out low growls, while countless ghostly spirits trembled in fear.
“The sacred body is undergoing its tribulation — why has this caused an upheaval at the Demon Emperor’s grave? What exactly is happening?!”
The great saints’ hearts filled with doubt and alarm, their very souls trembling. That imperial aura affected them all, draining the color from every face, filling their hearts with dread.
Within the hall, Ye Fan found himself in grave trouble — the Demon Emperor had struck, possessing world-surpassing divine might, casually punching yet another hole through the already cracked cauldron.
Although the Demon Emperor existed within the tribulation only at the Sage King realm, those few drops of imperial blood made him far more terrifying than even a great saint — evenly distributed across his body, granting him the majesty of one who had once ruled the universe.
This opponent was unbeatable!
Ye Fan rushed toward the exit of the hall — otherwise, he might truly fail this tribulation, dying here in vain, killed by a Demon Emperor tainted with imperial blood. No matter how he looked at it, it would be an unjust death.
“Boom!”
Yet, the Demon Emperor’s power was extraordinary — this white-robed man, surpassing the gods, took a single step, and heaven and earth shifted, blocking the hall’s entrance, cutting off Ye Fan’s escape route.
Ye Fan’s head throbbed. In a Sage King-realm confrontation, he could hold his own — but those few drops of imperial blood were simply too terrifying, capable of piercing through any defense; he couldn’t withstand them.
At this point, he could no longer hold back — he drew out the Green Bronze Cauldron, no longer caring even if it drew down a heavenly tribulation of its own.
The moment the Green Bronze Cauldron emerged, as if sensing danger, it instantly scattered the surrounding chaotic thunder and lightning, facing off against the white-robed Demon Emperor before it.
It radiated brilliant green light, thousands upon thousands of auspicious rays, dazzling and magnificent — yet it drew no heavenly tribulation, remaining ancient and dignified, locked in a standoff against the imperial blood, rising and sinking.
With a hiss, crimson light shot skyward — all the imperial blood fused together, like a dazzling crimson gem, radiating a peerless demonic majesty.
This was the Demon Emperor’s essence-blood, containing within it her great Dao, the life traits of a Great Emperor’s body, along with fragments of the inherited legacy within her bloodline — once activated, its potential was impossible to predict.
Without a doubt, the imperial blood had revived — at this moment, it carried a powerful pulse of life, as if seeking to use this to be reborn, to construct a perfect, flawless imperial corpse.
Ye Fan extended his spiritual sense, catching fragments of broken images, his heart shaken — these were scenes from the Demon Emperor’s life, contained within her blood.
“Boom!”
Suddenly, a thunderous roar shook the starry sky. In the distance, all the great saints were sent flying by a shockwave, their expressions all changing.
Deep within the starry void, demonic energy surged skyward, and a burly man, a head taller than ordinary men, emerged from the boundless sea of thunder, stained with blood, his bronze-colored body gleaming with treasured light.
His hair was exceptionally thick, his eyes sharp as blades — Pang Bo had successfully survived his tribulation, becoming a powerful Sage King.
People were startled. Even though they had been captivated by Ye Fan’s tribulation moments ago, they hadn’t forgotten that another person was also undergoing their own tribulation, equally terrifying, this person having been submerged within the sea of thunder.
Still, it was ultimately not as captivating as the Nine Emperors, and so the crowd hadn’t paid it consistent attention. But no one dared underestimate him — even Emperor Sky, the Great Demon God, the Human King, and the others had always regarded this man as an extremely formidable potential rival.
“Finally survived the tribulation — from now on, this Pang fellow can also rule over a domain of his own.” Pang Bo murmured to himself, standing a full two or three heads taller than ordinary men, his bronze-colored muscles coiled like writhing dragons, bulging impressively.
“You all fought the ancient Great Emperor, didn’t you? How did it feel?” Pang Bo asked Emperor Sky, the Great Demon God, the Human King, and the others — truly rubbing salt in the wound.
Naturally, their expressions turned unpleasant — today they had tasted an indescribable bitterness in the sacred body’s tribulation.
“Ah, you all got to fight the Great Emperor in his youth, at the same realm — what a shame I missed out. Pang here wants to try too. Ye Fan, is there still an Emperor to fight? Let me in, I want to find someone to test myself against too.” Pang Bo said boisterously.
Hearing this, all the saints nearly fainted. This man was far too reckless — fighting against a young Great Emperor usually meant certain death. Had he not seen the Great Demon God, the Human King, and Emperor Sky? They had nearly met their end here.
“Pang Bo, come up.” Ye Fan’s voice carried through sound transmission.
The crowd was stunned. What exactly was up there within that highest tribulation, that the sacred body would call for an old friend to join him? Could there be some great fortuitous encounter waiting?
Many hearts stirred, yet not a single person dared step forward. Who could withstand such a punishment? If nine more Emperors appeared, Emperor Sky, the Human King, and the others would surely become ash in the tribulation.
“Got it!” Pang Bo leapt into the air, vanishing into the sea of thunder.
Ye Fan immediately deployed the Beginningless Great Emperor’s Heaven-Deceiving Array Pattern, isolating him to prevent him from undergoing his own tribulation again, guiding him instead into the Demon Emperor’s hall.
“Who is this?” Pang Bo asked in astonishment, staring at the figure, then fixing his gaze on the ball of imperial blood locked in a standoff with the Green Bronze Cauldron.
Normally, imperial blood could do nothing against green bronze — but now, with the Demon Emperor’s blood revived, its state was different from usual, fragments of the great Dao flowing through it, causing even the green bronze to radiate immortal light.
Ye Fan had already finished his battle with the Demon Emperor and withdrawn from the hall’s entrance, leaving the green bronze locked in its standoff with the imperial blood. His expression grave, he said to Pang Bo: “This is the Demon Emperor. That imperial blood may contain immortal scriptures within it — comprehend it here, and you may gain something truly extraordinary.”
He then instructed Pang Bo to do everything possible to recover those two broken immortal rulers — weapons he had originally obtained on Pang Bo’s behalf, and which must not be lost here.
“Demon Emperor, long have I admired you!” Pang Bo’s eyes blazed with divine light, filled with an indescribable excitement and exhilaration. He chanted the Demon Emperor’s Heart Sutra, stepping forward to commune with the blood.
Ye Fan turned and left, carrying the even more damaged Cauldron of the Myriad Mother Qi, now bearing an additional hole shaped like an immortal ruler.
“If this keeps up, my cauldron is going to shatter completely…” He had, one after another, encountered several people who all struck at his cauldron — sooner or later, it would be reduced to pieces.
As Ye Fan entered the next hall, a strange sound rang out, sending his blood and vital energy churning. He looked up sharply.
There sat an old monk, striking a wooden fish, producing a terrifying rhythm that made hearts resonate and pulse along with it, as if they might burst open at any moment.
“Amitabha!”
Ye Fan was greatly startled. Though the figure was blurred like all the other ancient Great Emperors, he could guess that this person must be the founder of Buddhism.
In this world, only one old monk had achieved the Dao — he was the Amitabha Great Emperor!
The old monk bore a dignified, sacred countenance, radiating compassion, striking the wooden fish, each beat resonating deep into people’s hearts, making their very souls pulse in rhythm.
This was without doubt an utterly terrifying thing — merely striking a wooden fish was enough to control a person’s life and death. The old monk’s power was truly shocking.
Ye Fan spat out a mouthful of golden blood, then threw a punch forward, attacking directly — he had to break this rhythm, or else he would inevitably be led along by the old monk’s pace.
“Boom!”
The Amitabha Great Emperor rose to his full height, casting aside the wooden fish, wielding a purple-gold demon-subduing pestle as he struck back — no trace of Buddhist compassion remained; at this moment his divine might was overwhelming, like the most terrifying of battle sages!
“Are you even still a monk…” Ye Fan grumbled inwardly, using the cauldron to fend him off, locked in fierce battle against this mysterious Great Emperor who had forged an entirely different path toward eternal life.
In the end, Ye Fan burst out of this great Thunder Sound Monastery hall, hair disheveled, covered in blood from head to toe, cursing under his breath continuously, for the Cauldron of the Myriad Mother Qi was nearly reduced to fragments, now bearing yet another hole shaped like a demon-subduing pestle.
At this point, Ye Fan made a sharp discovery — among these ancient celestial pavilions, the Great Emperors he had encountered shared a crucial commonality, one that made his heart pound violently!
If his calculation held true, he was bound to encounter Emperor Zun, the Undying Heavenly Sovereign, and Ruthless Being!