“Who’s afraid of whom? This Emperor is going to kill you! You destroyed my Dao fruit — you’ll be struck by lightning for this!” The Black Emperor shot back without missing a beat, then shamelessely cried out: “Wearing your skin really is unbearable!”

The Teng Serpent could no longer hold back — a mouthful of old blood came spraying out. Reaching such heights in cultivation meant one’s emotions were no longer easily displayed, yet even so, it could not withstand this torrent of spittle and verbal filth being hurled its way.

Things had reached a point of no return. Both sides were bound to fight to the death; the blood feud between them ran far too deep.

The eyes of the Holy Emperor’s Son had been red the entire time. Not only had several of his sworn brothers died horrific deaths, but their entire clans had been utterly annihilated — leaving his heart wracked with grief. In his hands, the immortal iron rod blazed with countless strands of immortal light, its suppressive force sending the vast cosmos itself into trembling.

“Long Worm! You go too far!” he declared, gripping the immortal iron rod as he strode forward with great steps.

“Ape! Without that immortal iron rod, crushing you to death would be as simple as stamping out an ant!” The old serpent’s words were venomously cutting. In this moment, knowing a bloody battle was unavoidable, it had completely thrown caution to the wind.

“What a pity there are no ‘ifs.’ So you are destined to be nothing but a puddle of bloody mud! And truly, if there were an ‘if’ — if you faced me at the same cultivation level — one slap from me would kill ten of you!” The monkey had never been one to suffer contempt lightly. By nature explosive and fiery-tempered, his fury surged.

Boom! The great iron rod swept horizontally as he charged forward, driving in to strike down his great enemy.

Above the old Teng Serpent’s head, a wisp of pure energy rose. A formation diagram came flying out — none other than the ancient chart once controlled by the Fourth Young Lord of the Golden Serpent Clan, returned at last to its master, now fully unsealed.

This was a Quasi-Emperor artifact!

At the same moment, the old serpent opened its mouth and let out a sharp, clear cry. Rosy light radiated in all directions, and two small Teng Serpents flew forth — both vivid and lifelike — then rapidly expanded, transforming into Teng Serpent Swords.

These too were Quasi-Emperor artifacts. Together with the formation diagram, they combined to form a terrifying killing formation of tremendous might.

The Yin-Yang Teng Serpent swords swept out, and together with the Emperor’s diagram, they released strand after strand of immortal light capable of suppressing gods and Buddhas — a fearsome sight that sent chilling waves washing over all who witnessed it, causing their hair to stand on end.

The old Teng Serpent wielding Quasi-Emperor artifacts against a true Emperor artifact seemed ill-advised on the surface, yet in actual combat it defied expectations — it truly possessed the power to contend.

These were ancestral artifacts left behind by the founding Teng Serpent ancestor, who had been on the very cusp of stepping into the Great Emperor realm. With their seals broken, their true power was terrifying beyond imagination. Most critically, the Emperor artifact still slumbered, channeling only a fraction of its full might, while the Quasi-Emperor artifacts had been revived to their peak state.

One side unleashing its maximum force while the other remained dormant — a battle between them was not impossible.

This was the old Teng Serpent’s confidence: that it could overpower through absolute force using the Quasi-Emperor artifacts, then erupt in a sudden devastating assault to slaughter the monkey and the others.

Hum!

The Void Mirror blazed with fierce brilliance, piercing through the cosmos and unleashing a terrible burst of Emperor radiance that shot forward.

The Great Black Dog was roaring as well, wielding its killing sword in furious slashes, savagely hacking at the old Teng Serpent. As for Ye Fan, the green bronze cauldron hovering above his head had long since awakened — it pressed forward directly to suppress the enemy.

Though the old Teng Serpent’s plan was well-conceived, things would not unfold according to its predictions. Even fully revived, the Quasi-Emperor artifacts could not stand against true Emperor artifacts — they trembled before them with an innate terror, as though being crushed into submission.

The formation diagram and the Yin-Yang Teng Serpent Swords both fell back at last, shuddering slightly, utterly unable to be controlled, desperately seeking escape.

After all, on the opposing side were four Emperor artifacts — even in dormancy, merely arrayed here, they were sufficient to overawe the Quasi-Emperor artifacts, whose inner divinities were like small officials standing before four lofty Celestial Emperors.

With a thunderous crash, the old Teng Serpent was sent flying backward, losing all capacity to fight. With four Emperor artifacts bearing down on it from the front, this was a path that led only to death. It had no choice — it was driven, helpless, into the killing formation.

Thunder roared across heaven and earth, blood-rain lashed furiously, and the Wushi Killing Formation awakened — suppressing all four directions, sending bolt after bolt of divine lightning crashing down in succession.

Of course, this was merely a remnant formation, not nearly as fearsome as one might imagine in its full glory, yet it was still sufficient to shake the world — rattling the heavens and moving the earth, causing numerous smaller stars to be struck down and fall.

Once the old serpent entered the formation, the expanse of heaven and earth rang with ghostly wails and divine cries, a gory storm of blood and foul wind that sent chills crawling up one’s spine — space itself was being ground to pieces.

Even the Black Emperor itself shuddered once. Having restored this great formation to this state and deployed it — now using it against an enemy for the first time — the result exceeded all expectations.

Finally, one agonized shriek rang out, and then all fell silent.

“Is it dead?” Ji Zi said.

“Probably about done,” the Black Emperor replied.

Boom!

Suddenly, the sky collapsed and the earth split apart — that region erupted, and a great golden serpent, its body severed into dozens of segments, came bursting out, surrounded by numerous shattered formation platforms.

“Cut it off! Everyone, give chase!”

“It had a Quasi-Emperor formation array on it — it shattered the formation platforms and carved open a path for itself.” The Black Emperor roared furiously.

The Wushi Killing Formation had severe gaps in it, and once a nearly intact Quasi-Emperor formation array exploded, it was naturally able to blast open a way out — turning that region into a black hole, reduced to a land of utter apocalyptic ruin.

Shhk!

Bearing the formation diagram atop its head and with two Teng Serpent Emperor Swords floating at its side, the old Teng Serpent directly tore open the void and plunged into a cosmic black hole — vanishing without a trace.

“Pursue it! It must not be allowed to escape!” Ye Fan called out.

At the same moment, he swept out a hand and collected several segments of the serpent’s massive body — thick as a mountain — while the Black Emperor moved even more nimbly, sweeping up the remaining pieces and storing them inside a magical artifact.

This was divine material of immeasurable value — essentially the physical body of a near-Quasi-Emperor, comparable in rank to such existences, far superior to the Great Peacock King of the Sumeru Mountain by many times over.

“It doesn’t matter. This Emperor laid preparations in advance. Though it broke through this barrier, the formation left an imprint branded onto its body — we can pursue and hunt it down all the way.” The Black Emperor blustered: “Chasing down an existence of this caliber — this is a first in this lifetime, unprecedented under the heavens. It’s worth commemorating!”

In truth, the Black Emperor was not the only one with contingencies in place. On Ji Zi’s Immortal Mirror, a series of images materialized, reflecting the region where the old serpent’s true body was located.

Everyone drew in a sharp breath of cold air. This mirror truly was mysterious beyond measure — with so many powers to its name, it even possessed this kind of divine effect, directly seeing through the void itself. The Teng Serpent had nowhere to hide.

Their entire party charged straight into pursuit, launching a great campaign that would shake the countless heavens.

The battle lasted a full half month. The old Teng Serpent fled through the sky, at one point even managing to shake off its pursuers before secretly doubling back to launch a sneak attack — nearly succeeding in delivering a lethal blow before ultimately failing.

This only deepened everyone’s wariness. Something comparable to a Quasi-Emperor, capable of concealed ambushes — it was truly impossible to guard against, far too dangerous. It absolutely had to be eliminated!

In the end, they drove the chase into the Ancient Road of the Human Race, then crossed into the Demon Race’s Heavenly Road, entered the Black Tortoise Sea, and ventured further into the Vermilion Bird Heavenly Domain — the scope of their pursuit had grown vast beyond imagining.

Over the course of half a month, the Ancient Stellar Roads were naturally alerted, and all the great races were shaken. The names of Ye Fan, Ji Zi, and the Holy Emperor’s Son thundered across the cosmos, striking awe into the hearts of powerful experts throughout the starry sky.

That they wielded four Emperor artifacts to hunt down the old Teng Serpent — an existence nearly on par with a Quasi-Emperor — truly left the world astonished.

“Is that your master over there?” On one of the Ancient Roads, a young woman asked softly.

“Yes,” Ye Tong replied with a nod.

The impact of this battle was truly far-reaching. It spread through numerous Ancient Roads and drew the eyes of many — the news that Great Saint-tier figures were wiping out a supreme sovereign equivalent to a Quasi-Emperor sent shockwaves through the starry sky.

“To think he has become this powerful!” On the Human Race’s Ancient Road, many were stunned, and then shaken. Learning of Ye Fan’s deeds, their hearts could not settle.

Similarly, on the Ancient Roads Ji Zi had once walked, and in the stellar domains where the Holy Emperor’s Son had once gone to train, others were marveling at the might of those two as well.

Only the Black Emperor drew a tide of curses and furious condemnation.

“That accursed black dog again — how is it still alive? It swindled our clan’s divine feathers!”

“How has it gotten this strong?! I wish I could stew it in a pot!”

“That thunder-struck dog-thing — I curse it to #¥@#%……”

Ye Fan, Ji Zi, the Holy Emperor’s Son, and all the others stared at the dog. Just what manner of things — despised by gods and mortals alike — had this animal done, for everyone to want to beat it?

The Great Black Dog itself was wiping away sweat. “They’re just jealous of me,” it declared. “A being as great as myself naturally cannot be understood by common sensibilities. The truly gifted are always lonely — like the great emperors of antiquity, savoring the bitterness and the long torment of the years in solitude.”

The final battle concluded in the midst of a Yin Sea. Primordial Yin energy permeated the air. The old Teng Serpent was cornered there, with no path of retreat, and was struck down until both its form and its spirit were utterly annihilated.

One of the two Teng Serpent Swords was blasted to pieces in the process, while the formation diagram and the remaining sword tore through the void and fled into the depths of the cosmic stellar river — vanishing from sight.

“What a pity — the formation diagram got away.” The Black Emperor felt a deep sense of regret; that had been the thing it wanted most.

Blood-rain scattered down, and a battle that had shaken every corner of the cosmos at last drew to a close — all four directions trembling in its wake.

Without question, the gains from this battle were immense. They returned afterward to the Teng Serpent lineage’s ancestral star, lingering there for a long time to break through its Quasi-Emperor formation array — all without damaging the treasure vault within.

This was the accumulation of that clan across countless generations, and over those long ages, the depth of their reserves was simply beyond imagination — enough to dazzle the eye. The Black Emperor immediately flopped down right on top of the pile of treasures, drooling like a river, utterly unable to drag itself away.

A few unexpected incidents arose during their time there — sealed Teng Serpent Saints emerged from beneath the treasure vault, and even one Great Saint among them. But it barely posed even a hint of suspense; these few Emperor-child Great Saints were far beyond their ability to trouble.

In the end, they departed fully laden with spoils, setting their course back toward the Northern Dipper stellar domain. All the way there, the Great Black Dog grinned foolishly without stop — its materials for inscription formation work were now truly inexhaustible.

“Doggy, is that you? You’re back?” Inside the Village of Heaven, little Xiao Nannan came running to the village entrance. Catching sight of the Great Black Dog charging toward her at full speed, she called out to it in her soft voice.

This wretched dog could find ten thousand reasons to be contrary to anyone it encountered, and it especially loved to turn on those closest to it — yet toward Xiao Nannan alone it was different, capable of finding ten thousand reasons to lower itself before her.

Its true feelings poured out — it let out an excited howling cry and circled around Xiao Nannan in joy, before finally lowering its body to the ground and letting the little girl climb onto its back.

This was treatment no one else could ever hope to receive. Years ago, Ye Fan had tried to climb on for a ride — and ended up getting bitten for three consecutive months, his thighs covered in bruises and dog-tooth marks from head to toe.

Long ago, the Black Emperor had lain at death’s door, and it was Xiao Nannan’s tears that had called it back from the brink.

With the Black Emperor’s return, the Village of Heaven erupted into chaos — chickens flying and dogs leaping — as everyone came rushing out, surrounding the dog and scolding it for its unreliable ways.

Only the two Silver-Blooded Emperors tried to slink away as inconspicuously as possible. This was their nominal master, and they had been drilled by it until they were thoroughly terrified.

“Has the Immortal Road not fully opened yet?” Ye Fan asked Qi Luo.

That evening, they naturally enjoyed a lavish feast. Everyone gathered around the bonfire, trading cups and exchanging toasts. Not only the Holy Emperor’s Son, Ji Zi, and the Black Emperor were present — even Ji Ziyue, Dongfang Ye, Li Heishui, and others had all been notified and came to join the celebration, making it a lively and joyous occasion.

Qi Luo shook her head. “No. The crack in the Immortal Road is still widening, but the pace has been growing slower and slower.”

In the Northern Dipper stellar domain of the present day, patriarchs of countless sects and factions had arrived in numbers none could count, and the atmosphere was far more tense than before — throughout heaven and earth, a suffocating pressure bore down on all.

Quasi-Emperors had arrived. Supreme sovereigns from within the seven great Forbidden Life Zones had awakened. A great upheaval unprecedented since the dawn of time — one destined to shake the entire cosmos — was on the verge of beginning.

Yet amid the anxious waiting of all, the Immortal Road had still never truly opened wide. In the blink of an eye, many more years passed, and the crack extended to three hundred and fifty feet in length.

In the twentieth year, Ji Haoyue returned — not alone, but accompanied by a child of six or seven, stepping into the Northern Dipper stellar domain. The child was his own.

When everyone gathered to welcome him back, waves of deep feeling swept through them. Time and the years flow endlessly — a new generation was on the rise. And when would the Immortal Road open?