The chaos surged, electric arcs weaving together, forming the most terrifying ocean imaginable. Within it, one magnificent celestial palace after another stood side by side, along with countless ancient towers, ancient and weathered yet magnificent in their grandeur.
Ye Fan was covered in blood from head to toe. Even with the Word Mystery Body Technique, his condition was dire after fighting this long—every one of these opponents was a young Emperor, each one a genius of their generation. Simply surviving an encounter with even one of them would already count as a miracle.
Palace after palace stood magnificent, divine tiles gleaming with brilliant light atop them, as if forged from divine gold through countless refinements—utterly lifelike.
Nothing about it resembled something formed from lightning; it felt as though he were truly walking through an ancient celestial court. Carved balustrades and jade steps, staircases like white marble, simple yet solemn, wide streets, palace towers wreathed in chaotic mist.
Ye Fan settled on one palace tower, not knowing who lay within—his choice entirely random, following no particular pattern—and strode forward.
This time the feeling was different. This palace tower appeared simple, yet there was a faint aura of suppressing eternity about it. The glazed tiles held grandeur within their plainness, radiating a magnificent, sweeping presence.
Ye Fan’s brow furrowed, sensing he might have struck trouble again—could this be another ancient figure like the Undying Heavenly Emperor? But his foot had already stepped forward; there was no reason to retreat now.
The massive gate stood tall, engraved with all manner of runes, lightning flashing and thunder rolling, as if a living Emperor slept within, unwilling to be disturbed by outsiders.
The moment Ye Fan’s hand touched the gate, he was struck by a violent shock. With a boom, it felt as though the cosmos itself had collapsed, pressing down until he could barely breathe, every bone in his body creaking.
“Who is this person?” He forced the sealed, massive gate open, electric arcs bursting forth, leaving his palm and fingers bloodied.
“Boom!”
A thunderous crash rang out—a sound like the heavens splitting from within the gate, shaking souls to the point of near-collapse. Between Ye Fan’s brows, a cluster of bright flame formed from spiritual power flickered violently.
There was a grandeur here, and something even more ancient, striking deep into the heart. Faintly, all realms across the heavens seemed to resonate together, carrying the sound of gods paying homage.
A true dragon danced sideways, an immortal phoenix spread its wings, a white tiger pounced, a qilin raised its head high—all rushing forth from the great hall, as if descending from the Immortal Realm, shaking hearts to their core.
Ye Fan was stunned for a moment—how could this hall be so extraordinary, suddenly unleashing these four powerful beings, each possessing heaven-defying combat strength, terrifying beyond measure, crowding the entrance of the hall.
The true dragon roared, the nine heavens trembling in response. The immortal phoenix underwent rebirth through fire, its brilliant feathers tearing the sky. The white tiger let out a long howl, shattering rivers and mountains with its cry. The qilin charged forward, stars shattering and moons sinking in its wake.
These beings attacked together, the scene utterly astonishing—these were all ancient immortal beasts, unseen among mortals. How had they all manifested as lightning, descending here?
The chaotic energy surged, this place filled with countless wondrous phenomena, auspicious energy rolling in waves. The four divine beasts appeared together, radiant light stretching across ten thousand miles, blanketing this place, as if a Heavenly Emperor had descended to inspect the mortal realm, the four spirits guarding the four directions.
It was like something out of myth—anyone who witnessed it would be shocked to their core.
“Kill!”
Ye Fan roared. He didn’t believe for a moment these were true immortal spirits—at most, these were mere imprints. Immortals no longer existed in this world; there was no way to find any trace of them here.
He struck to kill immediately, unleashing all manner of secret techniques, engaging the four spirits in fierce combat, the scene both terrifying and bloody.
Primordial magnetic immortal light shot forth in ribbon after ribbon, countless strands of auspicious energy capable of resonating with one’s very soul until it shattered. He tangled with the true dragon, stirring heavenly winds, tearing apart the very fabric of the cosmos.
Five-elemental divine light formed into five divine swords, arrayed behind Ye Fan, clashing against the immortal phoenix with resounding clangs, brilliant phoenix feathers falling, phoenix blood staining the heavens.
The Six-Path Reincarnation Fist, advancing without retreat—Ye Fan’s golden fists collided endlessly with the white tiger, its roar shaking the heavens, both sides emitting brilliant, blinding light.
…
This was an all-out battle. Ye Fan employed every technique at his disposal, fighting these beings with everything he had—this was the first time he had encountered and fought beings other than Emperors within the Thunder Sea.
This truly was an unexpected turn. Pushing open the gate of this magnificent celestial palace, he had encountered these creatures, entirely different from before—these seemed to be immortal beasts guarding the ancient tower.
In this battle, Ye Fan ran into serious trouble. The palace held more than just these four beings—as the fight progressed, the Black Tortoise, the Serpent, and the Kunpeng also appeared, all charging in to attack, terrifying beyond measure.
The sight was astonishing, making one question whether they had stepped into the mythical age, encountering one supreme ancient beast after another, the fighting never-ending, a wild primordial atmosphere pressing in from all sides.
At that moment, all the ancient runes on the massive gate began to glow, transforming into ghostly shadows—ancient primordial ancestors and prehistoric beings all manifested together, surging forward to attack.
Simultaneously, heavenly soldiers and generals charged from within the palace halls. Even with a body of iron, how many blows could Ye Fan withstand? In an instant, golden blood sprayed forth—he had suffered a heavy blow.
He immediately understood who sat upon the central throne. Such overwhelming might, an aura vast enough to swallow the universe—in that ancient era, only he could possess such power.
Emperor Zun!
There was truly no one else it could be. The one who had established the ancient celestial court, ruled over all realms, laid down the laws, and was revered by all gods.
This was a figure both divine and illusory. Ye Fan pressed forward fiercely, stepping into the great hall. Fortunately, the countless armies only charged once before receding like a tide.
Otherwise, the true dragon, immortal phoenix, white tiger, and Kunpeng alone would have been unimaginably terrifying—if a genius of this generation were surrounded by them for long, even he would eventually meet defeat.
Only Emperor Zun could command such a display, revered across eternity—otherwise how could such ancient beings guard his domain? It left one unable to help but sigh at Emperor Zun’s supreme, unrivaled status.
Ye Fan, covered in blood, passed through the wall of heavenly soldiers and generals. Behind him, shadow after shadow gradually faded into translucence, until they vanished entirely.
At the deepest point of the hall, it seemed as though someone sat there—yet also as though nothing were there at all, blurred and indistinct, the very void twisting and distorting.
Ye Fan walked forward on foot, leaving two trails of golden blood on the ground beneath him, doing everything in his power to keep his mind and spirit clear. What lay ahead was likely to be an unprecedented, brutal battle—his body was truly not in good condition right now, but for the sake of the Cauldron of All Origins, he had to persevere.
He understood clearly in his heart that continuing to fight like this would benefit his Cauldron—through destruction comes reconstruction, and it would be reforged, becoming even greater than before.
Drawing closer to the center of the hall, that throne seemed to have a great mountain resting upon it, pressing down until one could barely breathe.
An aura of the highest, greatest, most supreme and powerful nature swept toward Ye Fan like an overwhelming tide, as if a supreme heavenly god were looking down upon all living beings.
Ye Fan’s expression changed drastically—this person was simply too powerful, suppressing all realms across the heavens, standing alone and unrivaled since ancient times, making one unable to resist the urge to submit.
Below the steps, all the gods knelt in worship, paying homage, filled with reverence, not a single one daring to raise their head. No one could see the figure upon the central throne.
Some gods glowed with light, some stood cloaked in darkness, some flowed with immortal mist, some devoured light itself—each one extraordinarily divine, sacred harmony coexisting alongside dark terror, all worshipping this one figure.
The gods of every realm across the heavens had come to pay homage, all revering a single sovereign—Emperor Zun, whose presence was even more powerful than that of the Undying Heavenly Emperor!
“Heaven, earth, ghosts, and gods alike bow to Emperor Zun!” Faintly, as if this phrase echoed from the mythical age itself, resounding mightily into this present era.
Ye Fan’s heart sank; he prepared for the worst. Such an opponent would surely be terrifying beyond compare—he might fall right here, his blood staining the Emperor’s palace!
Among the ancient Emperors, none could say who was stronger or weaker, for they had never actually crossed paths, never fought an Emperor’s battle—but Emperor Zun might well be the exception.
Various signs suggested that era may not have held just one Emperor—or perhaps several Emperors’ eras were closely connected, nearly overlapping with one another.
The great chanting of the Dao rang out, the entire hall filled with the sound of scripture. The heavenly soldiers and generals receded, transforming one by one into runes that sank into the walls and the massive dragon pillars, becoming carved marks.
Moreover, the true dragon, immortal phoenix, white tiger, Kunpeng, and the other immortal beasts vanished as well, returning to the laws of the Thunder Sea. Finally, the gods who had come to pay homage disappeared one after another, dissolving back into the Thunder Sea.
Ye Fan’s gaze never wavered, fixed the entire time on that twisted expanse of space, staring at the blurred throne. When he finally drew close, he was startled—it was completely empty.
Emperor Zun was not there. He had never appeared at all, from beginning to end!
Within that distorted void, there was only a great Cauldron, lying across the throne. It was this Cauldron radiating the aura that looked down disdainfully upon all realms across the heavens—there was no sign of Emperor Zun whatsoever.
“Empty. It’s actually empty!”
Ye Fan stood in a daze, enduring the overwhelming pressure as he approached the throne, observing the ancient, simple Cauldron up close. There truly was no one there—Emperor Zun had never manifested.
Had the heavens and earth never carved down Emperor Zun’s Dao imprint? Doubt rose in Ye Fan’s heart. This wasn’t the first time—last time, upon becoming a Sage, he had also entered a massive palace and seen the Cauldron of All Origins, yet had never once seen Emperor Zun himself.
Upon the throne, a green, ancient Cauldron rose into the air, swallowing and exhaling the sun, moon, and stars—unique across all eternity. Upon its walls were carved all manner of spirits, along with scenes of heaven and earth being formed, radiating a supreme, unrivaled aura.
This outcome left Ye Fan astonished. To this day, he had never once fought Emperor Zun directly—had he been utterly erased by heaven and earth, never again able to manifest a trace of his Dao?
Ye Fan let out a breath of relief, though he also felt a pang of regret.
Suddenly, the green Cauldron trembled, an overwhelming, world-shaking pressure surging forward as it struck.
Ye Fan urged his own Cauldron forward, primordial energy pouring down, enduring the mightiest of blows. With a metallic clang, the Cauldron’s wall was pierced through, a Cauldron-shaped hole appearing.
Then, the green Cauldron struck again, pouring down images of the immortal phoenix, primordial ancestors, chaotic deities—encompassing all living beings across creation!
With a thunderous boom, the entire celestial palace collapsed. Ye Fan and the Cauldron of All Origins combined their strength, resisting the supreme immortal artifact of the ancient celestial court.
This was total collapse—the entire Heavenly Tribulation began to disintegrate, like a prehistoric catastrophe, annihilating all living things, sweeping across the entire star region.
Outside, all the heroes were stunned, retreating in fear, not daring to approach even half a step closer, watching this scene in horror.
“Ye Zi, are you alright?!” Pang Bo cried out.
The Emperor’s palace shattered. Ye Fan floated and sank within the chaotic Thunder Sea, lying there like a corpse, as the Word Mystery Body Technique automatically activated, reassembling his bones and blood.
Moments ago, he had been shattered into pieces—but that green Cauldron had also dissipated, never to appear again.
As for his own Cauldron, it had become a pile of fragments, completely formless, no longer resembling a weapon at all.
“I’m fine.” Ye Fan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and stood up, looking around. All the celestial palaces were slowly vanishing, sinking back into the sea of lightning.
He said nothing more, sitting cross-legged within the chaotic sea, chanting immortal scripture, beginning to reforge his Cauldron anew—using the Heavenly Tribulation as fire, the chaos as water, melting down the Cauldron’s fragments.
This place suddenly burst with radiant light, immortal energy surging forth, chanting sounds rising from every direction as a great Cauldron took shape. All manner of living beings appeared upon its walls, as if alive, on the verge of awakening.
He carved the ancient script from within the Nine Dragons Pulling the Coffin into it, allowing the spirits within the Cauldron to become crystalline throughout, reborn through fire, making the Cauldron even more ancient and grand, carrying an aura capable of suppressing heaven and earth.