Ye Tong’s injuries were severe. Had he not refined the Zhenren Technique to a state of consummate mastery, had the Healing Secret Technique not been unparalleled under heaven, he might never have made it back.

With Ye Fan’s assistance, blood mist steamed from his entire body, the shadow demon energy was purged, his shattered bones grew back, his ruptured organs knitted themselves whole, and the dimmed flame of his primordial spirit began to shine once more.

As a quasi-emperor, Ye Tong was capable of matching blows with an ancient imperial son — yet he had been injured this grievously, a testament to how lethal that battle had truly been, and how narrowly he had escaped with his life.

Flames danced in Ye Fan’s eyes. He could not forget that glimpse of the future he had once caught — the Immortal Heavenly Empress leading the forces of the underworld in a march upon this place, shattering Ye Tong and Xiao Song — the guardians of Xiao Zi — alive into clouds of blood mist.

Now, such a catastrophe had nearly come to pass ahead of schedule. His killing intent was laid bare. Passivity was not in his nature; since he had discerned something of what was to come, he would mobilize every last ounce of his power to prevent it. He would strike first.

“Master, someone just obliterated the Anlan Star System with a single palm!” Hua Hua rushed forward with fresh news, her face drained of color.

Ye Fan’s expression darkened upon hearing this and grew even more grim. He said nothing for a long while. That star — the Heavenly Soldiers and Heavenly Generals of the Court had been stationed there as its garrison. They had all been turned to cosmic dust.

That was the same star where Xiao Song and Yang Xi had once gone to cultivate and train. It was clear that whoever had struck intended to target them both — one palm, and the entire star was destroyed, every life on it extinguished.

The one blessing, at least, was that Xiao Song had already returned and had not been caught in that person’s reach.

“Where is Yang Xi?” Ye Fan asked.

By now the situation was obvious. The Phoenix Nest had decided to move decisively and was determined to eliminate Ye Fan’s three great disciples — for all three had become quasi-emperors, possessed of transcendent, heaven-defying talent, and that was precisely what terrified the enemy.

“We don’t know where he went. He left alone to cultivate, to consolidate his Dao fruit,” someone replied. All who ventured out had their whereabouts reported back for the sake of contact and support.

But Yang Xi had only just become a quasi-emperor, and he needed to travel alone to sense and perceive his own Dao and Dharma. For the time being, he had severed contact with the Heavenly Court.

“Junior brother said he wanted to go look upon his homeland once more — to cherish what he remembered of it. Perhaps being in a familiar place would stir something within him and bring him deeper insight,” Xiao Song said quietly as he came to stand with them.

Then the blood raven on the moon descended and passed through a transmission gate, bearing a message: the fiftieth human tribe checkpoint had been shattered by the Divine General Kuntian with a single punch, collapsing all the stars in the surrounding area.

Three of the Phoenix Nest’s eight divine generals — Shadow Demon God, Sun-and-Moon, and Kuntian — had all moved out simultaneously to hunt down Ye Fan’s three disciples. They were going all out.

Hearing this news, not a sound could be heard beneath the Bodhi tree. Everyone fell into a heavy silence. The eight divine generals had followed the Immortal Heavenly Emperor and were all supreme warriors without exception. Even without having recovered their former power, they were not adversaries that someone who had only just become a quasi-emperor could hope to contend with.

“This is an outrage!”

Many eyes turned red. Yang Xi was a bold and forthright soul — whenever the Court went to war against external enemies, he charged at the forefront. On ordinary days, he drank and made merry with the soldiers and generals, and he was deeply respected by all the Heavenly troops.

“I am going personally,” Ye Fan said, his killing intent fully awakened.

“Cool down, boy. We are about to join forces with the Dao Palace and the Divine Organization. The greater picture must come first — we will strike like thunder at the decisive moment,” the Black Emperor said, stepping in to block him.

“I am perfectly cool,” Ye Fan replied serenely. “If we show no response whatsoever, they will find it strange. I will go and cut through them completely — call it lulling them into a false sense of security.”

“How do you know this isn’t a trap — a deliberate ambush designed to draw you in and close the net around you?” the Black Emperor pressed, and others shared the same suspicion.

“I know what I’m doing. This time, the goal is to hurt them enough that they consolidate their strength in one place — saving us the effort of hunting them down one by one,” Ye Fan replied.

The Heavenly Court, the Dao Palace, and the Divine Organization were forming an alliance precisely to drive all of the Phoenix Nest’s forces into a single gathering, then eliminate them in one decisive sweep. Ye Fan’s expedition was meant to accelerate that outcome.

“As for the matter of the divine infant — can we discuss it further after this battle is finished?” Ye Fan asked the divine elder.

“No problem!” the elder agreed without hesitation. Whether it was the underworld or the Phoenix Nest, both were enemies of the Divine Organization — and now, with the connection of the divine infant, there was all the more reason to cooperate.

The Black Emperor, Ye Tong, Qi Luo, and the others took charge of discussions and preparations with the Dao Palace and the Divine Organization. A great battle was approaching — one that would require pulling out all the stops — and every party needed to be clear on what forbidden-level techniques they were prepared to deploy. No half-measures would be tolerated.

Reassuringly, when they opened the treasure vault and retrieved Yang Xi’s soul lamp, they found it still burning. He had not perished.

Even so, Ye Fan resolved to set out.

The divine elder narrowed his eyes and said: “You’re just going to leave like this without a care in the world? Are you not afraid that we will take the divine infant by force and use him against the Heavenly Court?”

Ye Fan smiled, but said nothing.

“Big brother, be careful on the road,” a soft voice called from the distance. A tender little girl came running over — walking alongside Xiao Zi, the two beautiful and delicate little girls were like a pair of porcelain dolls.

The divine elder’s every hair stood on end. A bone-deep chill swept through him, and goosebumps erupted across his skin. He felt as though he were standing in the presence of some primordial, ancient beast capable of devouring all living things in the world.

He closed his mouth at once and said nothing more.

Yet within his heart, a tidal wave of emotion surged. This was the Dao fruit of a Great Emperor — he had always heard of it, but seeing it with his own eyes was another matter entirely. Living here in the mortal world, through how many tens of thousands of years? How utterly defying of heaven!

The Divine Organization’s inheritance stretched back across vast ages, and they had once gone to the Northern Dipper. Countless thousands of years ago, an aged quasi-emperor had encountered Xiao Nannan there and had been so frightened that his courage shattered. That secret was recorded in a yellowed handwritten volume preserved within the Divine Organization’s archives.

“She has not faded away. She still walks the mortal world. This is too astonishing!” His heart could not be stilled.

“Old man, you’re so foolish — have you never seen my Sister Nannan? What a country bumpkin,” the divine infant called scornfully from a short distance away, fawning over Xiao Nannan while refusing to go anywhere near her no matter what, terrified that her presence would drain his vital essence.

A swath of Greater Yin mist drifted past, blanketing the entire stellar river in shadow. Ye Fan set off alone, wielding the secret arts of the Greater Yin Immortal Scripture to sweep through the star domains under the Phoenix Nest’s rule.

Across dozens of stars in succession, many Phoenix Nest leaders lost their heads — he found not a single worthy adversary. He did not massacre entire populations, but this method — taking only the heads of the important figures — was far more effective at sowing terror and panic in the hearts of all who remained.

Ye Fan came — deploying first the Greater Yin Immortal Scripture, then activating the Greater Yang Mother Scripture. His entire body blazed with radiance. He struck like thunder, cutting directly toward the Phoenix Nest.

News spread out in waves, and the once-quiet cosmos was once again thrown into turbulence.

Ye Fan had slain twenty-seven powerful experts — all of them core members of the Phoenix Nest — and pressed forward without any intention of stopping, his blade aimed straight for the Phoenix Nest deep within the cosmos.

His robes billowed, blood blossoms bloomed in the void, and in the span of a single day Ye Fan had killed fifty-four Phoenix Nest experts — every last one of them figures who had held dominion over entire regions.

Some had been servants of the Phoenix Nest; others had been powerful individuals of the current age who had defected and become regional commanders — and all had been slaughtered by Ye Fan without mercy, cut down to the last.

The news was nothing short of explosive. Every major power in the cosmos was stunned.

What did Ye Fan intend? Was he throwing all caution aside and declaring open war? After a clash of this magnitude, one of the two great organizations would have to perish — there could be no peaceful resolution.

For twenty years, all sides had exercised restraint. Though covert warfare had persisted, there had been no signs of large-scale conflict — yet Ye Fan had suddenly launched this brutal purge, carving a road through rivers of blood, shocking every corner of the cosmos.

“Hmm, they say Ye Fan’s disciple Yang Xi was killed. He’s snapped and is charging forward to avenge his disciple without regard for the consequences.”

“Latest news — the Holy Body Ye Fan has fallen into an ambush! The Phoenix Nest’s three divine generals are each stationed in position, having waited long in readiness. A great battle has erupted!”

“Ye Fan and Kuntian have clashed — a world-shaking exchange! The former of the eight divine generals is coughing up great mouthfuls of blood, narrowly escaping death!”

One piece of news after another rolled in, shaking all parties — in particular the last one, which left countless people dumbstruck. Twenty years — only twenty years had passed — and Ye Fan had grown to such a level?

“The Phoenix Nest has torn open the cosmos — the Immortal Heavenly Empress has made her move!”

When the final news arrived, this was no longer a minor disturbance but a cosmic earthquake of the highest order. A vast, sweeping war was about to ignite, one that would engulf the entire world.

The Heavenly Empress and the other two divine generals had rushed to converge upon the location — yet all of them were too late. They could not keep Ye Fan there. He had almost completely executed the Divine General Kuntian, and then departed with great composure.

“What an overwhelmingly dominant Holy Body. Even the former eight divine generals of the Immortal Heavenly Emperor cannot do anything to him — one was nearly killed outright. What level of power has he reached?”

After that day, a profound tension settled over the cosmos. Everyone knew that the great war was now unavoidable. The Immortal Heavenly Empress would certainly not let this rest.

“There is someone within the Heavenly Court whom the Heavenly Empress fears. Otherwise, she would have simply come and leveled the place.” People thought of the former Overlord Emperor, who had once marched there with great fanfare, only to return in humiliating defeat.

“What is there left for the Heavenly Empress to fear? She battled at the Heavenly Emperor’s side while contending for dominion over the cosmos — what kind of hero has she not seen? Who could match the Heavenly Emperor?!”

A handmaiden of the Immortal Heavenly Empress appeared, beating a great divine drum — beginning the call to muster. This was the Heavenly Emperor’s Summoning Drum for Generals, forged long ago through the combined efforts of all races in the cosmos as an offering to the Heavenly Emperor.

Whenever this drum sounded, all races were obligated to answer and report for duty.

This drum was of extraordinary mystical power. The moment it began, the ancestral lands of many clans blazed with brilliant light. The drumbeats rolled like thunderclaps, reverberating across every corner of the cosmos.

The cosmos erupted in uproar. No one had imagined that this drum would sound again after lying silent for ten thousand ages. Some rose and set forth to answer its call.

Of course, far more of the great clans chose silence and did not respond to the summons. After so many years, who among descendants would still hold the oaths of their ancestors to heart?

“The Immortal Heavenly Empress is not summoning the armies of the various races — she is calling the Eight Divine Generals!” The eyes of the Wood-Chopping Elder blazed with brilliance.

“Precisely. Several of the generals have long since passed into nirvana. I believe she is attempting to summon the First Divine General — to use him to slay an emperor-level being, to deal with that small girl in the Heavenly Court,” the elder of the Divine Organization said, his expression deeply grave.

Were the First Divine General to emerge, it would be nothing short of a catastrophic storm. He was a figure who had dared to contend with the Immortal Heavenly Emperor himself — and all agreed that he had been on the verge of attaining the Dao!

“What do we do?”

“What else is there? We fight!”

The Heavenly Court, the Dao Palace, and the Divine Organization had at last united, and they were prepared to strike.

“Here I am — haven’t missed it, have I? Made it just in time!” Pang Bo returned to the Heavenly Court, accompanied by a woman of incomparable, unrivaled grace — none other than Yan Ruyu.

The last time, Pang Bo and the Black Emperor had gone out together to cultivate, and on one particular star had unexpectedly discovered a descendant of the Green Emperor. He had witnessed her command over the Demon Emperor’s divine weapon with his own eyes.

Now, he had invited Yan Ruyu to come — and had borrowed the second Emperor’s artifact to use in the coming battle!

Boom, boom…

The Heavenly Emperor’s drum thundered on, shaking every corner of the cosmos. The clans that had initially refused to join the war suddenly found their ancestral lands crackling with lightning and on the verge of collapse.

This was the power of a vow made in blood!

In ages past, those great clans who had sworn to follow the Immortal Heavenly Emperor — and who had sealed those oaths with ancestral blood upon the altars of their ancestral lands — were now being called to account by that vow. If they refused to take the field, they would face severe consequences.

No one had anticipated that the Heavenly Emperor’s Drum would prove so terrifying. Even after ten thousand ages, its demonic nature and divine might endured!

“The situation is not looking good — the underworld appears to be stirring as well. There are signs that they intend to make a move,” the Black Emperor said with a furrowed brow, having kept a constant watch on that colossal force and now detecting the first signs of action.

“It doesn’t matter. As long as the Underworld Emperor does not emerge and the ancient supremes remain hidden, even if they dispatch some powerful fighters it will not change the outcome of the battle.”

“We cannot underestimate the underworld. Now that they have moved — now that even the Heavenly Emperor’s Drum has appeared — there is no reason for us to hold back any longer either!” The divine elder spoke with grave solemnity.

With deep reverence he knelt upon the ground, laid out an incense table and made an offering, then with great ceremony opened a stone box and withdrew a single, dim and lightless war horn. He raised it to his lips and blew.

Wuu, wuu…

The moment the horn cried out, all eight extremities of the cosmos shuddered. Many did not recognize what it was — yet they discovered that the pull of the Heavenly Emperor’s Summoning Drum had suddenly been canceled out.

And of course, a portion of the mightiest races stirred and awakened, calling out: “It is the Emperor Sovereign’s war horn — summoning us to battle!”

No one had anticipated it. The storm only continued to grow, and dimly, one could sense that a war to sweep the entire cosmos was about to begin!