Of the seven great restricted zones of life, each and every one was a death ground — none who entered ever came out alive, with almost no one returning.

The ancient abyss above all others aged the living body. It was inherently contrary to the path of ascending to immortality. Not only did it deny the possibility of eternal life — it actively caused those within to grow old and die at an accelerated pace, something that had inspired dread throughout the ages.

And yet, someone was now waging a world-shaking battle above it. All manner of divine order chains pierced through the universe like the brilliant tail feathers of a phoenix, penetrating in every direction, their shockwaves reaching even the outside world, shattering heaven and earth.

“Who on earth could it be?” The hearts of Ye Fan and the others were shaken to their very cores. Within the primordial mountain ranges they ran at full speed, circling the restricted zone of life to observe.

They found a favorable vantage point, clearing the obstruction of the nine holy mountain peaks. They flew up into the high sky and gazed forward — immediately sensing once more a terrifying energy that pressed upon them from all directions.

“What a frightening power. Up on that abyss, where all divine laws and Dao power are ground away, such intense fluctuations are radiating outward — what manner of existence could possibly be this powerful?” Even the Black Emperor shuddered.

“Someone is fighting a great battle with the Desolation Slaves!” Ye Fan said in a heavy voice. They all nearly held their breath. What level of cultivation must one possess, what scale of courage must one have, to dare carry out a great slaughter across those nine holy mountains?

A vigorous silhouette moved in a dance of combat, clothed in battle armor that covered even the head, swift as a startled wind and divine lightning. One moment it plunged into the ancient abyss, the next it appeared on the cliff faces of these holy mountains. What manner of speed was this?

Even the Monkey King immediately broke into a cold sweat. He could feel the pressure surging even from this great distance. His heart hammered in his chest — and he had long since achieved Three Cuts of the Immortal Dao!

Who was that person? Everyone present was shaken to their core. Each and every one of them stood there dazed. Several Desolation Slaves struck together, yet could not gain the upper hand.

“Can the power of Desolation not suppress that person’s Dao laws? How is it possible to wage battle within the ancient forbidden wilderness — why has that person not been reduced to an ordinary mortal body?”

“Look closely — each of those Desolation Slaves is mighty beyond measure, like several phoenixes reborn from the flames. Their bearing is nothing like that of mere puppets. They have their own minds and will!”

“That person’s power has been infinitely weakened. Otherwise they would be many times stronger than this, which is truly beyond all belief — and yet they have not been destroyed by the Desolation.”

Ye Fan, Pang Bo, Ji Ziyue, the Black Emperor — every single one of them was shaken to the extreme, unable to stop themselves from murmuring. This was something rare throughout all of history. How could one person be this powerful, fighting a battle above the ancient forbidden wilderness — no different from charging into the Primordial Ancient Ore Mine? Both were restricted zones, equally forbidden.

Even the Monkey King was wide-eyed with astonishment. He did not know much about the ancient forbidden wilderness, but toward the Primordial Ancient Ore Mine he felt nothing but deep reverence. Even in the Primordial Age, that had been a secret and forbidden land. Who would dare attack it?

“Have the heavens truly changed? What sort of fearsome individual has appeared — do they truly belong to this world? Could they be from beyond the domain?”

Pang Bo was the first to think of it. Back then they had traveled by Nine Dragons Pulling the Coffin, emerging above the abyss. Could it be that someone — like them — had crossed the star domains and entered this world?

Everyone felt there was merit in this. It was very plausible, for deep beneath the abyss lay a five-colored sacrificial altar connected to the outside world — an ancient cosmic road through the stars.

“The heavens are changing. With such a supreme being now appearing, who else can prove the Dao?” The Black Emperor muttered to itself.

Ye Fan and the others moved rapidly, needing to constantly shift positions to avoid having the holy mountains block their line of sight — especially when that person plunged into the abyss and became impossible to see.

“Trouble. The aura of Desolation is growing stronger and stronger — it has already spilled out beyond the restricted zone!”

They retreated quickly. They had personally sensed that terrifying energy. In the mountain ranges, countless animals cried out in alarm. Some wolves and other beasts grew old and died on the spot. Several fierce creatures with some cultivation were startled and immediately flew away to escape.

“That person has been affected. They are not as they were before — they are about to be suppressed!” The Monkey King said.

Above the ancient abyss, the vigorous silhouette narrowly escaped a critical blow. All who were attacking were peerless masters, their garments of ancient style. Besides the Holy Maiden of the Celestial Pivot, the others were difficult to identify as belonging to any particular era.

The Holy Maiden of the Celestial Pivot descended like a divine spirit into the mortal world, her white robes billowing. Her every gesture and movement was an ocean of laws. She had been the foremost beauty of six thousand years past — no telling how many heroes and stalwart men she had bewitched and entranced. Yet now she was lost in a stupor, reduced to this — while all those who had once adored her had long since turned to yellow dust.

A wave of energy transmitted outward, spreading beyond the restricted zone. Eight Desolation Slaves struck together, pressing that person down into the abyss below, sealing it with dense Dao-light. Within the forbidden zone, the eight of them moved without constraint, possessing power at its absolute peak.

Everyone’s hearts sank. Yet at precisely that moment, a tremendous crash rang out, and an intense wave of energy transmitted to the outside world, sending every one of them flying backward.

“An Emperor of the Primordial Age!”

The Monkey King was the first to shout out in alarm. In that instant they had all sensed an indescribable fluctuation of supreme divine law — as though the opening of heaven and earth itself, with primordial chaos churning and surging.

Every single one of them very nearly trembled. They rushed madly toward the distance, taking cover from those undulating waves — not daring to stop even for a single step. This was practically as though the world were being annihilated.

Beside Ji Ziyue, the small golden Phoenix Bird chirped softly — fearful and frightened — burrowing into her embrace. This divine bird’s spiritual senses were the most acute of all.

That silhouette burst upward from beneath the ancient abyss, nine-colored radiance blazing from its entire body, illuminating the vault of heaven. Every Desolation Slave dove back into the abyss in the very first instant — as though avoiding an immortal — not a single one daring to draw near. Not even for the blink of an eye would they linger.

The aura of an ancient Emperor!

Ye Fan, the Black Emperor, and Ji Ziyue all went pale. They had rushed out to a sufficient distance and now gazed into the depths of the ancient forbidden wilderness — every single one of them wearing an expression of utter disbelief.

Who was it? Who on earth was this person?!

“It cannot be a living great Emperor. Someone must be wielding an ultimate Dao Emperor’s weapon!”

In that moment, it all became clear to them — why that person had been able to draw upon the power of laws within the restricted zone of life. They had such a heaven-defying weapon in their possession all along.

“Even with an Emperor’s weapon, that person must be a Saint — and the absolute pinnacle among Saints at that. Otherwise they would still meet a bitter end, for this is the ancient forbidden wilderness!” The Black Emperor said.

The Monkey King’s fiery eyes blazed with intensity, staring unblinking into the depths of the abyss. He said quietly: “That is an ancient Emperor’s weapon!”

The vigorous silhouette surged out of the abyss, swaying violently — clearly having sustained impact. The so-called weapon was none other than the battle armor on the figure’s body, radiating nine varieties of dreamlike radiance.

Everyone was astonished. The weapons of ancient Emperors had always been instruments of offense and slaughter. None had ever been known to be a battle armor — this was utterly unprecedented, something that had never been spoken of.

“These are people from Silkworm Mountain… they want to reclaim the Nine-Wondrous Undying Elixir!” The Monkey King said, recognizing the ancient Emperor’s battle armor and deducing the person’s origins.

In the Primordial Age, the Nine-Wondrous divine herb had flown away to parts unknown. As the stars and ages turned, a million years of time drifted by, and now it had taken root in the ancient forbidden wilderness. The Silkworm Clan naturally wished to reclaim it.

In truth, over all these years, not only that clan, but other royal lineages and imperial clans as well had made several attempts to obtain this undying elixir — yet all had ended in failure.

“Nine Transformations of the Silkworm — under heaven and above the earth, none to oppose it. But to achieve the status of an Emperor of the Primordial Age, one final supreme transformation is still needed — the ultimate transformation!” The Monkey King said.

The ancient Emperor’s weapon of Silkworm Mountain was renowned for its unparalleled defensive power — unmatched throughout the world. The reason it had been forged in the form of battle armor was related to how this clan grew. They underwent constant metamorphoses, forever shedding one divine shell after another like molted skins.

“It is… the Silkworm Princess!”

Ye Fan recalled the scene at the Jade Pool Grand Gathering. After that peerlessly proud princess had been revived, she had been incomparably dominant and overbearing — slaying an Ancestor King with a single point of her finger. She had once said she would come to the ancient forbidden wilderness to reclaim the undying herb that belonged to her clan.

“Monkey Brother, this is your future aunt-by-marriage!” Li Heishui said.

The reason the Silkworm Princess had been able to be revived at all was because the group of them had cut open stones and found what they needed. Then the Monkey King had searched far and wide for divine medicine — otherwise she would still be lying dormant beneath the earth.

“I understand now. She does not merely want to dig up the Nine-Wondrous divine herb — she may also intend to compel my uncle to emerge!” The Monkey King was tremendously agitated. Over all these years he had gone several times to the Western Wilderness, seeking an audience with the Fighting Saint Buddha — yet every time he had failed.

The ancient Buddha on Mount Sumeru remained in closed-door cultivation year-round, meditating on the mysteries of life and death. He had long since transmitted a decree to those old monks, making it known that he would receive no visitors whatsoever.

The people of Silkworm Mountain must have long since sent word to the Great Thunder Sound Temple on Mount Sumeru!

“Is the Fighting Saint Buddha coming?!” Pang Bo was immediately overcome with excitement. He pressed forward and said: “Monkey Brother, you do not know — back in my homeland, the one I admired most was your clan.”

The Monkey King found this baffling and ignored him. He blinked his fiery golden eyes, staring intently at the nine holy mountains, no small amount of tension in his heart. After all, this was a land that had brought death to all since time immemorial. Even if the Silkworm Princess was powerful beyond measure, even with the ancient Emperor’s battle armor to protect her, there would come a point when her strength ran out.

Crash, crash, crash!

A grating sound of divine chains rang out. Every person felt a bone-deep chill run through them. Even at an immeasurable distance they could hear it clearly — like the sound of a peerless Demon Emperor, imprisoned since the beginning of all things, now coming into the world. That stirring and restlessness was nearly enough to shatter everyone’s elemental spirits, forcing them to retreat further still.

BOOM!

A surge of overwhelming black mist rose skyward, submerging the entire ancient abyss. All nine holy mountains were concealed within. A trembling, dread-inducing energy poured out of the restricted zone of life, spreading in every direction!

The Silkworm Princess bore the brunt of it. She was sent flying outward in an instant. This was the power of Desolation — it could cause a Saint to age and die in a mere moment. Even the mighty Primal Great Sage who came would struggle to resist it for long.

Were it not for the ancient Emperor’s battle armor, in the instant that billowing mist surged skyward, she would without question have been reduced to a pile of yellow dust.

“Trouble. The most fearsome thing has come to pass. The Silkworm Princess is not an ancient Emperor after all. Even with the Emperor’s battle armor protecting her body, it is not enough. If the thing inside comes out, she will certainly be lost!” The Black Emperor said.

Crash, crash, crash!

The sound of icy iron chains, as though the divine beings of the underworld had opened their shackles, broken free, and come slaughtering into the world of the living.

A hazy black silhouette slowly walked out from beneath the abyss. It was impossible to tell whether it was male or female, or even whether it was human or beast. It swung iron chains hundreds upon thousands of zhang in length, its fierce might overawing the entire world.

“Something that emerged from deep within the Desolation Abyss — not one of the previous Desolation Slaves!”

The Silkworm Princess, who had fallen to the far distance, coughed up great mouthfuls of blood. Before this terrifying, supremely powerful existence, she was unable even to fight — that aura alone rocked her again and again until she vomited blood.

“Truly terrifying. Were it not for the battle armor of the Silkworm Clan’s supreme ancient Emperor shielding her body, even the Silkworm Princess would have long since been reduced to nothing, body and spirit alike!”

This was the first time they had ever witnessed anyone standing up against an ancient Emperor’s weapon with such power. It was a shock that shook the very world!

“The Silkworm Princess has likely… absolutely no way to step forward and engage in battle anymore. Even if the battle armor of Silkworm Mountain is unmatched throughout all the world — she is not the ancient Emperor herself!” The large black dog said.

“The princess is in danger!” The Monkey King cried out in alarm.

For the hazy black silhouette within the overwhelming dark mist was advancing step by step out of the abyss, pressing ever forward — and how could the Silkworm Princess possibly withstand it?

BOOM!

Suddenly, a tremendous tremor. From another direction within the restricted zone of life, an extreme Dao-might erupted — dominating and reigning supreme over heaven and earth, as though piercing through the past, present, and future all at once.

A great staff blazing with boundless holy radiance swept the heavens into submission and came cleaving directly down toward several of the holy mountains. Its brilliance blazed across every realm — and the might of the Fighting Saint Emperor swept through the sun, moon, and stars!

“That is… my father’s weapon!” The Monkey King cried out, overwhelmed with excitement beyond measure.