The golden fist force exploded, like ten thousand stars shattering—brilliant and terrifying. In that instant the entire Thunder Sea was shaken into momentary collapse, revealing everything before the crowd.

“Who is that?”

All the Sages froze, seeing one magnificent celestial palace after another, watching two figures shatter everything as they clashed fiercely, as if two heavenly gods were locked in war.

Whether ordinary cultivators or Great Sages, all were struck with terror. That person whose eyes swirled with five-colored radiance was only at the Sage King Realm, yet his aura resembled that of a Supreme God.

Every gesture, every movement—composed and unhurried, possessing an innate grandeur. Searching the boundless universe, only one who held the Supreme Godly Throne could carry such a bearing, standing unrivaled.

All the heroes trembled, each one’s hair standing on end. Ye Fan was still fighting in this final Heavenly Tribulation Sea—he had encountered an opponent of terrifying strength!

Cracks appeared across Ye Fan’s Immortal Golden Body, white bone visible beneath, golden blood shocking to behold, deeply stunning everyone present. What kind of enemy could he possibly have met?

The Great Sages shuddered, their spiritual senses sharper than most—they glimpsed a vision of all races bowing in reverence, all living beings prostrating themselves, as if that figure were the sovereign of the universe, with gods themselves kowtowing before him.

“Could it be the Undying Heavenly Emperor?!” the Bull Demon King cried out in shock. His home star still revered this Supreme God from before the primordial ages to this very day, and his heart trembled at the thought.

“What?!” Everyone was stunned, as if struck by lightning. This was too unbelievable, like something out of myth.

The legendary Undying Heavenly Emperor had appeared within the tribulation—how could this defy heaven’s order so? The heavens were clearly determined to annihilate the Sage Body, refusing to let him pass.

“This is a god that every race must revere, yet he has manifested within the tribulation.” An ancient evil god of a foreign race spoke in a trembling voice.

The Undying Heavenly Emperor’s prestige was too great, his influence far-reaching. From ancient times to now he had never been forgotten—everything about him was legend itself, leaving people in awe.

“This defies heaven…” the ancient demon cultivator Baijie Daoren sighed softly.

Qi Tian, the human race’s ancient road guardian, went pale. This was truly devastating news for him; his face flickered between blue and white as he clenched his fists.

Di Tian, the Great Demon God, the Human King, and others all fell silent, staring at the Thunder Sea, their eyes flickering. They possessed unrivaled conviction, yet in this moment they felt an overwhelming pressure.

The golden fist force and the five-colored divine light came fast and vanished just as quickly, as the chaotic Thunder Sea pressed down again in an instant, swallowing everything from view once more.

Outside, all the heroes felt their hearts pound and flesh crawl with fear.

Ye Fan fought fiercely against the Undying Heavenly Emperor—every drop of his blood felt as though it were about to catch fire. His bones had fractured in numerous places; the two exchanged blow after blow, fighting to the death in a sea of blood.

He finally realized that the heavens were deliberately testing him. From the moment he began weathering the tribulation until now, he had endured trial after trial. Even possessing the Word Mystery Body Technique, he could not remain at his peak forever. Every time he healed his wounds, he had to burn golden Life Essence—though he seemed to recover instantly, he was continuously consuming his origin power.

From the start of this battle until now, even a god would struggle to hold up under this strain—especially facing the Undying Heavenly Emperor, sovereign of all races, which made things even more dangerous.

Ye Fan’s powerful will was what sustained him, precisely because this man was the Undying Heavenly Emperor, who had claimed supremacy in ages past, said to hold the highest divine rank. He wanted to fight him.

Such a person appeared once in eternity, separated by ages beyond counting—there should have been no chance to ever meet him. Yet now that the opportunity had come, it made his golden battle-blood boil.

If anyone else faced such a supremely powerful enemy, they would already be consumed by dread. But Ye Fan was instead exhilarated—even with his body far from its best condition, he forcibly ignited his potential.

This battle would be fought to the very end!

Ye Fan’s duel with the Undying Heavenly Emperor was almost divine and illusory. Yet he had considered this before—after slaying the Heavenly Emperor’s son, the thought had crossed his mind. It was said this man had attained the Supreme Godly Throne—had he truly passed into history and nothing more? Perhaps one day he would encounter what remained of that legacy.

Now, there was no need to dwell on anything else—this person had appeared within the tribulation, utterly terrifying, someone no mortal strength could possibly rival at the same cultivation level!

Ye Fan’s body bore no small amount of golden blood, but he had also made the Undying Heavenly Emperor pay a heavy price—five-colored blood splattered as well, the two of them fighting until heaven and earth turned dark.

“Roar—!”

Ye Fan let out a long howl, the sound shaking the Thunder Sea, startling Pang Bo awake in another great hall. He suddenly opened his eyes and wanted to rush over to help.

“Ye Zi, are you alright?”

“It’s fine. I’ve run into a god from eons past—he’s difficult to fight. Don’t come over, this battle is mine alone.” Ye Fan sent his voice across, refusing to let Pang Bo approach.

This battle was too brutal—Ye Fan’s true body had been shattered, white bone fragments flying, golden blood splattering everywhere. This was a peerless enemy.

Of course, Ye Fan had also cut the Undying Heavenly Emperor in half at the waist—both suffering mutual devastation. In a battle between equals, if a young Emperor fought with everything he had, even a god could not withstand it.

“Ye Zi, you won’t be in trouble, will you?!” Pang Bo rushed forward, forcing his way into the hall, overwhelmed with worry as he sensed the scent of blood and the brutality of the battle.

“Don’t come near, I’m fine. It’s just that I’ve fought too many battles today—my body isn’t at its best, which is a bit of a shame.” Ye Fan showed no discouragement, fighting the Undying Heavenly Emperor to the death, driven to a state of exhilaration bordering on madness.

Pang Bo naturally refused to leave, guarding just outside the hall, deeply worried. If Ye Fan were ever in danger, he would rush in without hesitation, regardless of the consequences.

“Boom!”

Ye Fan’s golden blood roared like thunder, his bones cracking and popping throughout his body as he forcibly gathered his life essence and spirit, pushing himself toward his peak state.

“Kill—”

He fought himself into a frenzy. Another violent collision, and both he and the Undying Heavenly Emperor exploded simultaneously, reduced to shattered bone and ruined flesh, an unbearable sight.

“Ye Zi!” Pang Bo cried out in alarm, rushing forward, no longer able to hold back—he couldn’t let this madness continue.

Ancient chanting rang out. Ye Fan’s crystalline white bone fragments fused back together, blood flowing in reverse, reforming into a gleaming, radiant Immortal Golden Body.

On the other side, the Undying Heavenly Emperor’s body also reassembled, his eyes cold and indifferent. Though his hair hung disheveled, he still carried a supreme majesty, his aura terrifying.

“Go to the Demon Emperor’s Hall, don’t stay here.” Ye Fan insisted Pang Bo leave—he intended to fight this battle to the bitter end, in blood.

“Boom!”

The battle erupted once more, growing ever more intense. Ye Fan fought with increasing ferocity, unleashing his phenomena and swinging his Six-Path Reincarnation Fist, advancing without retreat.

This battle dragged on for a long time, extraordinarily difficult. Ye Fan finally emerged victorious, cleaving the Undying Heavenly Emperor in two, his whole body covered in five-colored divine blood—a stunning sight.

Yet he fell silent, because after battling so many Emperors, his body was already far from its best condition. How could he have grown stronger the longer he fought, strong enough to slay the Undying Heavenly Emperor? Something was wrong.

Suddenly, he raised his head. Deep within the celestial palace, he saw a figure standing tall against the heavens, looking down from above, sending a chill through him that made him shudder violently.

The Undying Heavenly Emperor! How could there be two? Ye Fan’s heart turned cold—the one he had cleaved in half hadn’t even reformed yet, so how had another appeared?

“No, this one existed from the start—it shouldn’t be called one that appeared afterward. It simply hadn’t been noticed until now.” Ye Fan suddenly understood.

This body hung suspended in midair, gazing down from above, even more majestic, its aura vast enough to swallow the stars. In its eyes, sun and moon perished—the entire universe trembled beneath its feet.

This Undying Heavenly Emperor was even more powerful!

Suddenly, Ye Fan recalled a secret—something the Sage Emperor’s son had once heard from his old father, a tale rarely known even in ancient times.

The Undying Heavenly Emperor was revered by all races, worshipped by countless living beings. The pure power of that faith and devotion had given birth to a divine embryo, which transformed into a “god”—identical to him in appearance, its power shaking the ages.

Later, the Undying Heavenly Emperor’s true body withdrew behind the scenes, using this “god” to govern all races while he himself retreated into secluded cultivation, never appearing except at moments of utmost importance.

Ye Fan felt a chill run through him—the Undying Heavenly Emperor truly was too powerful. What he had cleaved in two must have been the “god,” not the true body—and now the true body had appeared.

“Clang!”

A metallic resonance loud enough to crack the universe rang out. High above in the heavens, behind that true body, a Heavenly Blade drew itself from its sheath, blazing beyond compare—even the sun would seem like a firefly in comparison.

In reality, the true Undying Heavenly Blade had never yet emerged into the world, its whereabouts unknown—a supreme weapon that had received the worship of all races. Now it manifested in the form of Dao law, cleaving down from above.

Above Ye Fan’s head, the shattered Cauldron surged upward, threads of primordial energy pouring out, colliding with the Undying Heavenly Blade.

Boom!

Blinding light burst forth. This place shattered—the Undying Heavenly Emperor’s palace was destroyed, everything annihilated, the chaotic Thunder Sea blasted open. Those outside saw golden blood splatter through the air, and nothing more.

Moments later, thunder rumbled once more, cutting off everyone’s view again.

Ye Fan was covered in blood from head to toe, bone visible in many places, jagged white fragments protruding. The Cauldron above his head had nearly burst apart, cracks running through it everywhere, as if it would crumble at the slightest touch.

An eighth hollow appeared upon it, shaped like a Heavenly Blade, radiating an aura of supreme, unrivaled dominance that struck fear into the heart.

Ye Fan turned back—the Undying Heavenly Emperor’s palace had been utterly shattered, and that true body had vanished into the chaotic Thunder Sea, leaving no trace of its presence behind.

Unable to fight the true body to its conclusion, Ye Fan felt a pang of regret. The battle within the celestial palace moments ago had been too fierce—even the heavens, unwilling as they were, had to acknowledge it, for he had fought his way out victorious.

“The Undying Heavenly Emperor truly is too powerful…” Ye Fan murmured to himself.

This was simply a fact. This man possessed a heaven-defying nature, said to be born a divine being. Some rumors claimed he had descended from the Immortal Realm; others said he was in truth a genuine Immortal Phoenix, which was why he possessed an undying body.

The era of his emergence was ancient, shrouded in mystery, layer upon layer of fog obscuring the truth. Legend held that he had once contended against the Emperor Zun, daring to stand against him as an equal. Other tales claimed he only emerged after the Emperor Zun’s ascension into stillness, stirring chaos and eventually unifying all races under his rule. Still others said he was born countless millennia after the Emperor Zun’s death, his brilliant achievements unmatched throughout the ages, unrivaled since antiquity.

This man’s entire existence was wrapped in mist, leaving behind far too many secrets.

Something strange could be gleaned from the attitudes certain ancient Emperors held toward him. The Monkey’s old father, the Fighting War Sage Emperor, had greatly admired the Undying Heavenly Emperor in his youth, even holding onto respect for this predecessor after attaining the Dao himself—yet in his later years, he had personally destroyed the Undying Heavenly Emperor’s cultivation grounds with his own hands.

This remained an eternal mystery, unresolved to this day.

In later ages, Emperor Wushi forcefully took control of Purple Mountain, seizing the Undying Heavenly Emperor’s great tomb—yet it was said that even before that, the interior of Purple Mountain had already been empty.

In truth, in the boundless years before, his coffin had already vanished, passing into the Immortal Mansion realm within the Central Prefecture.

This was also one reason people believed he was an Immortal Phoenix—legend held that long after his death he had been reborn through fire in a phoenix’s rebirth, and it was then that his coffin had been moved, entering the Immortal Mansion realm to seek fortune anew.

In short, this was a mysterious, supremely powerful being who had claimed supremacy eons ago, revered by all races, leaving behind an incomparable glory along with endless mystery.

“In the end, I was unable to fight his true body—so be it. When I grow even stronger, I’ll face him again in the Great Sage’s Heavenly Tribulation!” Ye Fan murmured to himself. On the road to becoming an Emperor, he still had a long path ahead, needing to unearth every ounce of potential hidden within his flesh and blood.

Ye Fan calculated that time was running short—he could open at most one more celestial palace, which fit the number nine as an ultimate limit. Who would he encounter in this final one?

He sent his voice to Pang Bo—time was running out. They needed to hurry and comprehend the fragments of the Great Dao held within the Emperor’s blood, refine the Demon Emperor’s Ancient Scripture, and be sure to collect the two halves of the Immortal Ruler.