Crash!

The depths of the underground palace shook violently. Nearly everyone stumbled and almost fell. Water from the Dragon Transformation Pool splashed everywhere, and Jiang Taixu was nearly flung out of it.

The Jiang Family members were horrified. Several elders acted quickly — each of them sent a thread of their own innate life essence surging out from their bodies and into the old Divine King’s body, simultaneously stabilizing the Dragon Transformation Pool.

Boom!

The mysterious Great Emperor’s sacred weapon awoke. Like a surging ocean, it pierced through heaven and earth — many people nearly felt themselves torn apart, unable to withstand the divine might of this supreme-grade weapon.

Had the Solar Divine Furnace not been stationed here, nothing would remain — everything would have been reduced to ash. Even so, the underground palace was riddled with devastation in every direction.

Rumble!

The Eternal Universe Divine Furnace rang out softly, its light blazing to ten thousand zhang. The red-gold divine phoenix shot skyward — it too was awakening, contending against the other Great Emperor’s sacred weapon and even holding the upper hand.

The underground palace finally settled into relative calm, enveloped in the brilliant radiance of the phoenix blood red-gold, bathed in a sacred crimson light filled with warm divine power.

But outside, things were nearly at a boiling point. Divine light radiated in every direction like the Nine Heavens’ silver river pouring down. Crimson light swirled through the sky — Divine City itself seemed as if it had been set ablaze.

At that moment, every person in the entire city was gripped with terror. Not a single soul could remain composed. The vast majority of people had collapsed where they stood, unable to bear this overwhelming force.

All of this was because two sacred weapons were awakening. And they had not yet unleashed the divine might of a supreme-grade weapon — if that happened, a single strike would reduce Divine City to dust and ashes in the annals of history.

“Who is this? Do they truly intend to challenge the Jiang Family’s Sacred Furnace head on?”

“Heavens — what is happening?! Has someone come bearing a supreme-grade weapon?! Are two Great Emperor’s sacred weapons now standing in opposition to each other?!”

“Please do not let them strike — if they do, the mountains and rivers will crumble, the earth will sink, and everything will be annihilated. No one will survive! Please!”

Throughout Divine City, many people were crying out in terror. Even more were praying in silence. If the two sides truly came to blows, the devastation would be countless times worse than what was happening now — no one hoped to see that kind of battle.

The mere awakening of the Great Emperor’s sacred weapons had already created such fearsome force. If they were to truly collide and clash, no one could imagine what kind of scene would unfold.

In that moment, everyone was filled with dread and uncertainty. No one knew which Great Emperor’s sacred weapon was now confronting the Jiang Family — the far side was completely obscured, shrouded in an impenetrable haze.

The Solar Divine Furnace, cast from phoenix blood and red-gold, illuminated heaven and earth. A divine phoenix spread its wings — enormous beyond all measure, pressing down over Divine City itself, covering the entire sky.

The other Great Emperor’s sacred weapon, meanwhile, was dim and obscured — only its terrifying pressure could be perceived; its form was nowhere to be seen. It was deliberately concealing itself, unwilling to be revealed before the eyes of the world.

Even its oscillations were impossible to pin down. One could sense only the Emperor’s awe-inspiring might, but could not capture its unique divine presence nor its distinctive spiritual signature.

Precisely because it was deliberately masking itself, its awakening was far slower than that of the Eternal Universe Divine Furnace — it had nearly been suppressed, unable to project any more terrifying Emperor’s might.

Deep within the underground palace, before the Dragon Transformation Pool, Jiang Yun and the elders all furrowed their brows. They focused their senses intently, yet could not determine which Great Emperor’s sacred weapon it was — the opposing party’s concealment was simply too thorough.

Ye Fan had even less idea. He had not even laid eyes on the Solar Divine Furnace — the sacred furnace of phoenix blood and red-gold was above ground, not below, though it had sealed off the Dragon Transformation Pool from above.

“Who is it that targets us, wanting to kill our Jiang Family’s Divine King?” The powerful members of the Jiang Family were deeply alarmed and uncertain.

In the Eastern Wastelands, among the supreme-grade sacred weapons known to be in the hands of living people, only a handful existed in a state of complete and undamaged perfection — one was held by the Jade Pool, another was a blade left behind by a great Demon Emperor.

Beyond those, Yao Guang possessed a Dragon-patterned Cauldron, the Ji Family possessed an Ancient Void Mirror, and the remaining one was the Jiang Family’s Eternal Universe Furnace. Which among these was it?

Across the vast earth — through a hundred million dynasties and ten thousand ages — only five flawless sacred weapons had been tempered into existence. Each was held by one of the great powers, and every time one was brought to bear, it swept all before it like toppling dead wood.

Rumble!

The Great Emperor’s sacred weapon had been suppressed too severely by the Solar Divine Furnace. It inhaled the vital essence of heaven and earth, drawing every last trace of spiritual energy from within Divine City in an instant, and roused itself with tremendous force.

“Strike out with the divine might of the supreme-grade weapon!” Jiang Yun suddenly bellowed.

“What?! We are truly going to activate the Solar Divine Furnace?!” The elders of the Jiang Family were all stunned.

“They have brought the fight to our doorstep. What more are we holding back for? Give me the Sacred Furnace — let it strike! If Divine City is reduced to ash as a result, I alone will bear the responsibility.” Jiang Yun was utterly and completely resolute.

As for what terrifying consequences would follow if the Eternal Universe Furnace were unleashed — they could extrapolate something of it from the records left by their ancestors. Every elder present felt their heart convulse with dread.

“Bold resolve!”

A cold snort came from above the underground palace, and then the pressure of the supreme-grade weapon withdrew like a receding tide. The opposing party had fled to a great distance — they had not dared to clash head-on.

The Jiang Family members let out a long collective breath. In the end, they had not needed to fire the Sacred Furnace. Had it been unleashed, Divine City would certainly have been leveled — and the ripples of such an event would have been enormous.

An indeterminate span of time passed before heaven and earth returned to peace. And yet the cultivators within Divine City found it impossible to calm themselves — every single one of them was in a state of intense agitation.

Two Great Emperor’s sacred weapons had been brought to the brink of confrontation, nearly piercing through heaven and earth and destroying everything here. Everyone felt a belated surge of terror — many would have been glad to run away and flee.

But Divine City had been sealed — no one could leave. To remain trapped within such a terrifying city filled the hearts of the assembled cultivators with a bone-deep chill.

That morning, Ye Fan produced the second of his “prescriptions.” He took out a white jade vial and opened it, releasing a gentle fragrance — not particularly overwhelming, but clean and clear.

“What is this?” Jiang Yun asked.

“A rare treasure of heaven and earth — take its essence.” Ye Fan himself did not know exactly what it was.

When he had accessed the divine cache left behind by the Source Heavenly Master for the second time, besides obtaining a purple stone gallbladder, he had also found a small quantity of liquid that appeared to be the dissolved essence of some divine fruit.

Jiang Yun received it and examined it carefully, then his expression stirred with emotion. “It is imbued with boundless vitality — surpassing even the Sacred Spring!”

“What?” The nearby elders all looked up in astonishment at once, and they immediately gathered to examine the crystalline liquid in the jade vial.

“Could this be the juice of some rare divine fruit of heaven and earth?” No one present could identify it. They ultimately decided to refine it, extracting its essence and vital energy and infusing it into Jiang Taixu’s body.

Over the next two days, Divine City was quiet. No one stormed the Dragon Transformation Pool, and all the peerless experts seemed to have been subdued by the confrontation of the Great Emperor’s sacred weapons.

The assembled cultivators gradually settled down and resumed their search for Ye Fan’s whereabouts, hoping to root him out.

The people of the ancient lineage of Source arts were the most determined in this effort. Ouyang Ye’s divine eyes were sharp as lightning — he passed by the vicinity of the Dragon Transformation Pool several times, each time with a sense of suspicion nagging at him.

The various Holy Sons and Holy Daughters dispatched large numbers of people, turning almost every corner of Divine City inside out, yet they came up empty every time, with no means of finding him.

No matter how hard they tried, it would never occur to them that Ye Fan was hiding in the Dragon Transformation Pool — the most heavily guarded location in all of Divine City. And even if someone had known, they would not have had the courage to force their way in.

Over those two days, Jiang Taixu’s body, though still deeply withered, had gained a faint thread of vital breath — no longer as utterly lifeless and stiff as a dried-out log as it had been before.

Seeing this, everyone was overjoyed. The old Divine King might yet be saved. When the elders present looked at Ye Fan, every one of them showed warm and friendly expressions — their hearts full of gratitude toward him.

“Perhaps it is time to use the divine medicine. I will go negotiate with the Heavenly Demon Palace and retrieve the qilin seed,” said Jiang Yun.

“I fear someone may be waiting in ambush there with a supreme-grade weapon,” one of the elders said, worry crossing his face.

The enemy possessed one of the Great Emperor’s sacred weapons. If they stepped out of the Dragon Transformation Pool, without the protection of the Eternal Universe Divine Furnace, even the most powerful experts would meet a bitter and unavoidable end.

“There is no need for the divine medicine seed. I have a third prescription,” said Ye Fan. He produced a small vial — before he had even opened it, the underground palace was already filled with a rich and intoxicating fragrance.

“This is…” Many people turned to look.

“The essence of divine medicine,” Ye Fan said, those four words turning every elder in the room to stone.

He handed the small vial to Jiang Yun. The moment it was opened, an intoxicating fragrance swept out — instantly drawing every person’s heart and mind toward it, nearly pulling them into a state of blissful, dreaming intoxication.

“It truly is divine medicine!”

Those present came from ancient lineages with extraordinary discernment. In an instant, they determined its authenticity — confirming beyond all doubt that this was genuine divine medicine.

Everyone stood rooted to the spot, hardly daring to believe it.

“This is the divine essence coughed up by a true dragon divine medicine. It is a pity I could not capture its true body — I did not know it could fly and burrow through the earth,” Ye Fan said with regret, offering this explanation to those assembled.

“You found a divine medicine plant… and actually attempted to capture it?!” The group of elders stared with wide eyes, utterly speechless.

What was a divine medicine? It was a sacred object of heaven and earth! Even in the most ancient of eras, few had ever been found — they had long since vanished from the world, and not a single one existed among all the sacred grounds. They were simply nowhere to be found.

Inside the small vial were nine tiny dragons, glowing with dazzling golden light — vivid and lifelike, just like living true dragons — extraordinarily wondrous. The fragrance alone was enough to leave a group of old men swaying in a state of near-intoxication.

“Nine drops of divine medicine blood essence — perhaps they can restore the old patriarch to life!” The group of elders trembled with barely contained emotion. They bowed deeply to Ye Fan, every face overwhelmed with agitation.

“There is no need for such ceremony, Elders,” Ye Fan said, stepping to one side.

“Beneath all of heaven, aside from the seven forbidden zones of life, there is truly not a single ancient divine medicine plant. This kindness is beyond any repayment,” the elders said in reverent gratitude, bowing again.

“Let us focus on reviving the Divine King first,” Ye Fan said.

“Yes — refine it immediately! Divine medicine cannot remain long in the world — not a single drop of its essence can be wasted!” The elders’ expressions were of the utmost solemnity.

The nine elders stepped forward. From the vial, they each drew out one of the nine radiant tiny dragons. Each elder released a beam of innate divine light, imprinting it into the dragon in their hands, then directing it into Jiang Taixu’s body.

Rich and intoxicating fragrance filled the air. The nine tiny dragons wound and coiled outside of Jiang Taixu’s body — like nine true dragons in the midst of transformation, alive and almost sentient, imbued with spirit. The withered body they surrounded began to gleam with a faint crystalline radiance.

“As expected of an ancient divine medicine — internally it contains the essence of undying matter, capable of reviving the dead and restoring flesh to bare bone,” everyone marveled.

“We must be vigilant tonight. I have a feeling something is going to happen,” Jiang Yun said in warning.

Every heart in the room tightened at the words. In recent days, throughout Divine City, towering columns of blood-red spiritual energy had been rising to the sky every night — each one like a great dragon ascending. One could only imagine just how many terrifying figures had arrived!

If someone came once more wielding a Great Emperor’s sacred weapon, and those figures all moved in response, it would be a catastrophe — and the old Divine King would likely be killed.

The ominous premonition proved true.

That night, every member of the Jiang Family felt a terrifying aura — vast and all-encompassing, surging toward them like a tide!

Everyone in Divine City was jolted into alarm. All one needed to do was look up to see column after column of dragon-shaped blood energy, each one converging toward the Dragon Transformation Pool.

Throughout the city, every terrifying figure had mobilized. Column after column of blood energy — thick as great dragons — pierced through sky and earth, their momentum immense, their divine power surging like a vast ocean.

Every single one of these individuals was like an eternal divine furnace — their blood energy roaring and blazing fiercely, shooting straight up to the sky, strong enough to make a person tremble!

These people were without question all Saint-level figures — or perhaps even stronger. Gathered together, their combined blood energy was like a sea, nearly at the boiling point, shaking Divine City itself with its force!

They had come to kill the Divine King Jiang Taixu. They would not permit him to return to life. Tonight, they would unleash a thunderous and decisive blow!

None of them knew who the others were — it was entirely a matter of shared instinct. They had all walked to this same place and were prepared to strike together, to extinguish the once-peerlessly-gifted Divine King.

Boom!

The Eternal Universe Furnace awoke. Its radiance shot ten thousand zhang into the sky — the entire Divine City shuddered. The phoenix blood red-gold wove together the supreme principles of the Great Dao, covering the entire sky and earth!

In that moment, it moved the nine heavens above and the nine depths below, becoming the singular sacred furnace of all heaven and earth — suppressing all things, transcending all — an eternal divine object.

The ancient Great Emperor’s sacred weapon had awakened. Its supreme divine might surged forth — like a great river entering the sea, roaring and thundering, like a red sun falling from the sky and crashing into the earth!

But very quickly, another Great Emperor’s sacred weapon awakened as well, holding the Eternal Universe Divine Furnace at bay. It was as if a billion stars were falling from the sky simultaneously — the entire sky blazed with blinding light.

Above Divine City, it seemed as though thousands upon thousands of silver rivers were rushing and roaring!

The ancient Great Emperors’ sacred weapons were awakening, each contending against the other without pause — shaking Divine City, trembling the heavens.

True-dragon columns of blood energy rose into the sky one after another, each one slowly pressing forward, closing in on the Dragon Transformation Pool!

A group of supreme experts of unknown origin and terrifying power were finally making their move — coming to strike down the Divine King.

Lamentable — Jiang Taixu, the Divine King. In years past, his presence had been peerlessly magnificent, looking down upon all under heaven, and no one had dared to provoke him. Yet now, enemies had come hammering at his door to take his life.

Four thousand years ago — a Divine King of matchless brilliance. Comparing that time to this moment… that he should have come to such a twilight — it could only be called desolation. A hero is not permitted to be seen with white hair by the world.