The White-Robed Divine King’s return filled Ye Fan’s heart with deep emotion. He was not his master, yet was as good as one — having passed down sacred laws to him, and having literally given him new life. In those days, it was the Divine King who had used his very own foundational essence to cleanse and purify Ye Fan’s Dao diagram, allowing him to survive a critical juncture. Otherwise, Ye Fan might well have perished then and there.
“Welcome the Divine King!”
The moment Ye Fan moved, everyone was naturally stirred into motion as well. The key figures overseeing the Ji Family’s affairs had received word long in advance, throwing open the grandest gates, prepared to receive the Divine King with the highest ceremony.
All eyes turned toward him. Anyone who had come from the Northern Dipper naturally knew the Divine King’s history — in his prime, he had been magnificently imposing, his name known throughout the heavens, and he had left behind countless legends.
He had been away for one or two hundred years, and his glorious legend only continued to grow.
At the magnificent gathering of the Jade Pool, the White-Robed Divine King stood stained with blood, holding off the ancestral kings of numerous Ancient Tribe branches alone — moving all who witnessed it to admiration and tears.
If one were asked who among the Northern Dipper could be called a true hero, the White-Robed Divine King was beyond question deserving of that title — by any measure, he had lived an upright and admirable life, worthy of that reverence. He had the spirit for it too.
Jiang Taixu had been a generation’s peerless genius, without doubt. He possessed both the talent and the power to match — yet his life had been one of hardship and misfortune, his white-haired twilight years marked by the passing of his beloved, his life force exhausted as he walked into the Great Barren… a figure who inspired a long, sorrowful sigh.
Among the few people Ye Fan admired most deeply in this life, the Divine King and the Fifth Generation Founder of the Source Heaven lineage, Zhang Lin, were without question at the very top of that list. Now that he could see the Divine King again — his heart was far from tranquil.
Zhang Lin the Founder had already departed, dissolving into a shower of light that brilliant morning, while the Divine King remained. Ye Fan hoped the Divine King would remain peerless forever, looking down upon the world with none to rival him.
“This junior pays respects to the Divine King!” Ye Fan bowed deeply, expressing the joy and emotion in his heart.
Even though he had already become a Great Saint — one of the most supreme figures in the current age — he still carried reverence in his heart, and a heart full of gratitude. This was always the Divine King Jiang he respected most.
Many years had passed. The White-Robed Divine King’s appearance had not changed greatly — only that long hair, white as snow, had grown even whiter. When his beloved the Rainbow Fairy passed away, he turned white-haired overnight and it had never returned to its former color.
The years had left some marks on him, yet even so, it was not difficult to see the bold and vigorous air of the Divine King’s younger self. His features were still youthful in appearance, though his eyes carried an immense depth of age and sorrow — the many hardships and trials he had passed through gave him a singular maturity and profundity that one could not easily forget upon first meeting.
The Divine King Jiang helped Ye Fan up and studied him carefully, his expression carrying both contentment and a deep feeling — the currents of time had flowed on, one generation giving way to the next. He felt this truth in his bones.
“You have grown into what you were meant to be. The road ahead will be hard — walk it with nothing held back.” The White-Robed Divine King said softly.
Ye Fan nodded. This was the Divine King’s hope — and it was the path he had always meant to walk, from the very beginning. He would carry it through to the end.
“Who is this person, this so-called ‘Divine King’ — does that mean the king among gods? Who gave him that title? Who would acknowledge it?” At that moment, a discordant voice rang out.
In this setting, in this festive atmosphere, such words were jarringly out of place — clearly not the words of someone who had come purely to attend the engagement ceremony. The visitor was hostile.
In the current age, with the world in upheaval — great saints appearing everywhere, kings contending for dominance, sect patriarchs descending, Quasi-Emperors emerging — and with the supreme sovereigns from within the Forbidden Life Zones awakening — this was an unprecedented grand era, and inevitably a complex one.
In such an environment, all manner of beings had come from across the ten thousand realms, and there were certainly those among them who opposed Ye Fan. That was to be expected.
What no one had anticipated was that this engagement ceremony had barely begun — had not yet even touched upon Ye Fan himself — before someone leaped out to pick fault with the peerless Divine King.
Ye Fan turned sharply, his gaze piercing, locking onto the direction the voice had come from. Whoever looked down on the Divine King — that was a matter even more serious to him than any slight directed at himself.
“I merely spoke a truthful word. I had a question in my heart and could not hold it in. Perhaps the Human Race is truly proud — but the title ‘Divine King’ truly cannot be used carelessly.”
The speaker was a young man of about twenty-five or twenty-six — he did not appear frivolous. His tone was measured and forceful, carrying a certain pressure, and his gaze blazed like twin torches. He was clad in divine armor wrought of black spectral iron — within that black glinted a cold crystalline radiance and a metallic luster particular to the material, lending him a formidable and intimidating presence.
The man’s frame was powerful, his bearing extraordinary — like an ancient war god stepping forth from primordial ages, his feet untouched by dust. The black gleaming battle armor encased even his feet, and his entire body was enveloped in a sacred halo of light.
He walked toward them from a distance — like a divine being descending!
His long black hair fell loose over his shoulders and back. The only part of the spectral iron armor that left him uncovered was his head, making his face visible — his eyes ablaze, his countenance hard and resolute, with two sharp brows that radiated a keen edge. All in all, he was a person of marked presence and distinction — clearly someone of extraordinary caliber, unmistakably formidable.
In all the Northern Dipper of today, how many had not heard of the Divine King Jiang? And how many would dare go toe-to-toe with Ye Fan? Truly very few. This person must have an extraordinary background.
To step forward and stir trouble, one must have backing. One must have the means.
“Since those words were aimed at me, you may as well direct your challenge at me directly. Come, and I will receive you.” Ye Fan looked at him.
He was this direct — no interest in prolonged talk, ready to act immediately. And this was a day of great celebration, yet he showed not the slightest sign of holding back.
Everyone was taken aback. This had barely even begun — and before the engagement ceremony could even take place, it was going to turn into a fight?
Many had come — from the Ancient Tribes, from the sages beyond the borders — not all of them friendly. Many were stirred with excitement, every one of them hoping to witness a battle between dragons and tigers.
Who was Ye Fan? The Holy Body of the Human Race — one of the most powerful figures of this generation, standing unrivaled on the Human Race’s Ancient Road, said to have defeated every challenger across that expanse of starry sky.
This newcomer had to be someone of equivalent standing to dare act like this. Whoever he was, his origins were certainly not ordinary — otherwise, how could he dare issue a challenge?
“By all means. Come then.” The man spoke with ease, as if he considered this of no particular consequence — like he was proposing a casual game. He showed no fear at facing a Holy Body with battle power that defied reason.
The black armor on his body shimmered with dark light, growing more crystalline and luminous. His feet moved forward, producing a steady clank clank of metal — a sound that rang in everyone’s ears like a demonic melody, reverberating through their very souls.
His self-confidence was absolute. Standing before the Ji Family’s gates, facing the Divine King and the Holy Body of the Human Race, his bearing was what it was — truly sending a chill through all who watched.
Dongfang Ye, Li Heishui, Yaoyue Kong, Wu Zhongtian, and the others were all outraged. This person was simply insufferably arrogant.
And this arrogance was not performed — it came from the marrow. It was not deliberate. It was innate. Which made people all the more suspicious of his identity and origins.
Ye Fan stepped forward. At this point in his path, what battle did he fear? Every ounce of his reputation had been won through fighting.
“Since those words were aimed at me, allow me to respond.” The White-Robed Divine King spoke calmly. He possessed a manner that transcended the ordinary and approached the divine — as he had always been, his grace unparalleled, his bearing calm and at ease.
The Divine King does not age. He has lived a second life — only bearing a weathered heart. This man had never been weaker than anyone else in his entire life, so why would he fear the provocation of someone younger?
“No.” Ye Fan refused without hesitation. What was the Divine King’s standing? With Ye Fan present, how could he allow the Divine King to personally handle this? “Take your seat for now. Dealing with him does not require you to act — let me handle it.”
“I have all the time I need. Come at me one at a time.” The man in the spectral iron battle armor spoke, his eyes blazing, his thick black hair unmoving, the halo radiating from his body growing more intense.
Everyone jolted inwardly. The confidence in those words was staggering!
This infuriated Dongfang Ye and the others. The Holy Emperor’s Son’s expression turned cold on the spot — he pointed a finger directly at the man. In a setting like this, he preferred not to let Ye Fan step out himself. He intended to take the man’s place, for this was Ye Fan’s day of great celebration after all.
“I know who you are. Your father is indeed formidable. Whether you live up to him — that remains to be seen. Or shall we simply settle it all at once.” The man in the spectral iron armor — like a divine warrior encased in light, flames flickering — was wreathed in a terrifying aura.
Boom!
Ye Fan strode forward. Golden battle energy surged into the sky, sweeping across heaven and earth, swallowing ten thousand miles — like an ancient heavenly god descending, casting its gaze down over all creation.
Vast golden blood energy — unmatched battle power — transformed into a surging ocean rolling forward. There was nothing left to say. He moved. He would deliver a strike capable of bringing down the sky and splitting the earth.
Yet at that moment, the Holy Emperor’s Son could not restrain himself either. With his explosive and domineering nature — erupting like an ancient sacred peak — he shook the heavens and charged forward.
This was going to be a world-shattering battle!
And in that moment, two other auras erupted simultaneously. One came from the man in the black metallic divine armor, and the other came from a person with a pallid complexion — as though he had never seen sunlight, with a kind of sickly, delicate beauty.
This was An Pu, from the Undying Mountain — he had appeared at the time of the Grand Assembly of Ten Thousand Beings. He was remarkably handsome, but his skin was so fair and pale that he looked as though he were just recovering from a grave illness, lacking a certain vital edge.
Yet now, he erupted with an aura so terrifying it shook every powerful being present across all ten thousand realms — utterly fearsome!
These four immense powers — all clearly of Emperor-child caliber — surged to their peaks, their auras sweeping across the six directions and eight wastelands, crushing the souls of all who felt them. Many powerful beings nearby were nearly struck to the ground on the spot.
Those in close proximity were either sent flying or fell prostrate where they stood. In the very center of it all stood only the White-Robed Divine King — calm-faced and undisturbed, not even the corner of his robe stirring, silently watching it all unfold.
“Shenmíng, you’ve gone too far.” An Pu spoke. As always, his voice was soft and unhurried.
Everyone’s hearts trembled. The Grand Assembly of Ten Thousand Beings was many years past, and by now many had come to suspect where An Pu truly came from. Now, hearing him speak like this, it confirmed the terrifying nature of the one he had called Shenmíng’s origins.
They had to be of the same tier — from a Forbidden Life Zone!
A moment ago, people had thought the one An Pu called Shenmíng was being absurdly arrogant. Now only a deep awe remained. With that background and those origins, this individual absolutely had the standing and the right to speak as he had.
“You know how I am. I say what I think, without going around it.” Shenmíng addressed An Pu, his expression unchanged from before. “Of course, doing this here, at today’s engagement ceremony — that is rather rude of me. But when I see something that stirs my desire to fight, I genuinely cannot help myself.”
He said this with no pretense whatsoever — matter-of-fact and natural. It was a kind of confidence, and an innate forcefulness. He continued: “Rude as it is, I will not apologize, and I will not take back what I said. Those were my true feelings. If you are displeased, then come and fight!”
“Then as you wish!” The aura Ye Fan had unleashed burst open like a mountain flood breaking free — heaven and earth cracked apart. His voice was as cold and remote as death’s own whisper.