The gatehouse tower was immensely tall and imposing, its surface carved with countless formation arrays and densely woven Dao patterns. Forcing one’s way inside would undoubtedly trigger deadly killing mechanisms.

The young man standing atop the city wall wore a casual, irreverent expression, not even bothering to regard Ye Fan and the others with any real consideration — yet when he fixed his gaze seriously upon Ye Fan, something in his heart gave a sudden lurch.

“The spitting image of that Heavenly Emperor’s divine statue. So you’re the lord of that Heavenly Court?” The lesser celestial lord on the battlement raised an eyebrow, unbothered.

Ye Fan paid him no attention. He sat calmly astride Long Ma, both rider and mount having suppressed their presence entirely, giving no indication of their true caliber. The lesser celestial lord’s question was met with complete indifference.

Beside him, Zhang Qingyang stepped forward. Several years ago, this very man had beaten him into grievous injury — dozens of bones shattered — an indignity for someone of his standing as the Dao Sect’s lesser celestial master, and one that still chafed. Yet since that day, he had never encountered this man again.

“You destroyed the structures of our Heavenly Court and burned our divine statues. Now that we’ve met, I’ll ask that you make restitution.” Zhang Qingyang said this without any particular heat, perfectly composed.

“Ha ha ha…” The young man on the gatehouse burst into laughter, his face written over with contempt, as though he’d just heard the most ridiculous thing imaginable. He shook his head. “You don’t know what you’re walking into.”

Over these many years, Zhang Qingyang had traveled far and wide preaching the Dao, and that wandering had worn away his sharp edges. His temperament was steady now, without the faintest trace of anger. He simply repeated himself: compensation was owed.

Ye Fan had come precisely to get justice for him. Zhang Qingyang knew his master would not let him suffer such an affront, so there was no need for worry. He stood composed and unhurried, neither obsequious nor arrogant.

“Frog at the bottom of a well, with no idea how vast the heavens are. You dare call yourselves a Heavenly Court? I was just on my way to see about dissolving it — and here you’ve come to me instead.” The young man on the gatehouse carried himself with sweeping arrogance, two bolts of cold lightning shooting from his eyes.

Then, once more, he fixed his gaze on Ye Fan, scrutinizing him carefully yet finding nothing. He said, “You’re the lord of the Heavenly Court. I was just speaking to you — why didn’t you answer?”

Ye Fan continued to ignore him entirely, sitting astride Long Ma and treating him as empty air. Nearby disciples responded in his stead; he remained entirely above it all.

The lesser celestial lord of Penglai let displeasure show on his face. His status was exceedingly high, and no one had ever dared disregard him. Casting a sidelong glance, he said, “Do you also wish to imitate the ancient demonic gods — gathering the power of faith to gestate a demonic embryo? You’re not qualified for that. I’d advise you to smash those divine statues and burn down your Heavenly Court as soon as possible. Otherwise, when our Penglai immortal masters make their move, the trouble will be considerable.”

“Who do you think you are, spouting such arrogance before my master?” Long Que spoke in an icy tone.

“There is room in this world for only one celestial lord. You want to establish a Heavenly Court without our consent — if you don’t want to die, burn it to the ground yourselves!” The young man on the city wall said coldly.

Something stirred in Ye Fan’s heart. There was definitely something more to this — it actually involved a contest over the power of faith. It seemed Penglai intended to spread its own Dao as well; otherwise, they would never have spoken this way.

“What demonic embryo and celestial lord — the way I see it, you’ve gone off the deep end. The heavens and earth are boundless. When my master establishes a sect, must it really require Penglai’s permission and approval?” Zhang Qingyang rebuked.

“You’ve said it exactly right. To establish a great sect, Penglai’s consent is required. Otherwise, you’ll only be undermining your own foundations.” The lesser celestial lord on the gatehouse said in a cold, quiet voice.

Even Huang Tiannü, who was usually all smiles, grew angry, her expression turning cold. “Penglai really does put on quite a show. Whether the Heavenly Court can stand must also depend on your say-so? Just who do you think you are?”

“Penglai has been the immortal homeland since ancient times, leading all cultivation lineages under heaven. Before the sages of high antiquity departed, they entrusted us with overseeing the central lands — and should any cultivation lineage arise that violates the celestial laws, we are permitted to deal with it.” The young man on the wall said in an icy voice.

Wei Yu spoke up. “Even we of Kunlun — a sacred ground of the immortal sects — have never dared such presumption. Yet Penglai takes this upon itself, truly believing it reigns supreme and commands universal reverence?”

“Kunlun?” The young man on the wall laughed and shook his head, a dismissive look on his face. “If you speak of the age before antiquity, then yes, it was an immortal capital. But as the stars have wheeled and time has shifted, when the sages of high antiquity departed, Kunlun already fell into decline. The three immortal realms — Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingzhou — have long since become the rightful orthodox powers.”

“There’s nothing more to discuss. Just flatten this Penglai and be done with it — no need to waste words on him.” Long Ma had a violent temper and was as blunt as they came. Despite wearing the title of auspicious sacred beast, it possessed none of the bearing expected of the ancient sage-emperors’ mount; it had always had the nature of a bandit.

“A mongrel wild horse dares to run its mouth.” The lesser celestial master of Penglai sneered. It had never once occurred to him that this was a genuine Dragon Horse.

“Master, I’ll lead the assault and demand justice.” Zhang Qingyang spoke up.

Ye Fan nodded. Treat others with a foot of respect and give them a yard in return — but things had gone this far. Better to simply let Long Ma trample through.

“Ha ha…” The lesser celestial lord laughed without restraint, a thread of mockery on the corner of his mouth. “A defeated subordinate, and you still dare to bluster. Back then I could have crushed you with one hand. What could you possibly have accomplished since?”

As he said this, he leaped down from the gatehouse, striding through empty air, and pressed his hand down toward the lesser celestial master in the casual manner of an elder disciplining a junior — brazen and unhurried.

“Today, I’ll break another few dozen of your bones — let you understand that the will of Penglai cannot be defied!”

His palm and fingers shimmered with clear radiance, giving form to a range of mountain peaks. This was a Dharma seal — it condensed the divine will of ancient sacred peaks and fused it with the power of one’s Dao cultivation, pressing down to suppress one’s enemy.

Zhang Qingyang let out a light cry, and from his body came measureless light that transformed into a divine wheel, casting him against the void like a divine being.

Then, with a sweep of his hand, holy radiance poured in from all four directions of heaven and earth like waterfalls, lifting every one of those divine peaks and meeting the blow head-on.

This was the power of faith. Ye Fan did not approve of cultivating it — he believed that ultimately, everything must rely upon oneself. Should the Heavenly Court’s inheritance be severed, these powers would become entirely void.

Yet the lesser celestial master had poured his whole heart and soul into his preaching with full sincerity, and had inevitably walked this path in the end — especially after he had sought Ye Fan’s guidance. After careful deliberation and thorough calculation, Ye Fan had concluded it was viable: unless he himself, the lord of the Heavenly Court, were to perish, or the Dao lineage to be destroyed, there was no cause for concern.

For this purpose, Ye Fan had made a special trip to the Vatican, where through the divine knights he had accessed many texts and found secret arts relating to the power of faith, which he then passed on to Zhang Qingyang.

Over these past several years, the lesser celestial master’s cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds. Having passed through several cycles of heavenly tribulation and endured their cleansing, pure Resolve had settled upon him — he was now a celestial master in every true sense of the word, capable of drawing upon the Heavenly Court’s Resolve!

Boom!

Zhang Qingyang moved with ease, pure Resolve arriving from the void as he manifested the True Dragon Seal: eighty-one heavenly dragons surging forth, each raising its head in a long, resonant cry — a scene of tremendous grandeur.

“You have made some progress — but still not enough to watch. Keep going; lie down before me, bones broken and sinews snapped!” The lesser celestial lord of Penglai bellowed.

He opened his mouth and expelled a divine radiance — dazzling and brilliant. It was a precious seal called the Void Seal, formed when an ancient sacred mountain from high antiquity was refined and a section of void law was fused into it. Its name had shaken the ancient age; it was a king-grade divine treasure.

Four years prior, it was this very divine seal that had shattered dozens of Zhang Qingyang’s bones. Had Ye Fan not passed him a life-preserving technique, he would have died that very day.

Now, he showed no fear. Above his head, vast and sweeping, the Cauldron of All Things’ Primal Breath manifested, dropping down curtain upon curtain of radiant light — vast, boundless, and unending — blocking the Void Seal.

This was Ye Fan’s cauldron, and it had now become a king-level divine weapon. Within it dwelled an inexhaustible power of faith, heavier than any mountain range, imperishable and eternal — a truly unrivaled treasure.

Crack!

The Void Seal transformed into a divine peak over a hundred zhang tall, enveloping Zhang Qingyang, Ye Fan, and all the others beneath it, intending to suppress them all at once — and yet in that instant, a cracking sound rang out, causing the lesser celestial lord’s expression to change on the spot.

Hum!

The void shuddered. The Cauldron of All Things drew in the boundless radiance like a whale swallowing the sea, seeking to devour the Void Seal and draw it into the cauldron.

“Rise for me!”

The lesser celestial lord of Penglai roared. The Void Seal had once absorbed a portion of the divine law of the sacred way and held it within — the mysteries of the void — and now a flash of radiance seemed to vanish into nothingness.

Zhang Qingyang remained steady and calm. He formed hand seals, his eyes deep and unfathomable, urging the Cauldron of All Things to act — countless silken strands cascaded down, pinning the Void Seal in place without any suspense and drawing it into the cauldron.

“What?!” Only at this moment did the lesser celestial lord of Penglai feel alarm. He sensed that something had gone terribly wrong. Several years ago he had nearly beaten the man before him to death, trampling him underfoot — yet now he was no match.

Boom!

The Cauldron of All Things descended, carrying with it an inexhaustible power of faith, like a vast ocean — and struck the lesser celestial lord on the spot, breaking his bones and snapping his sinews, sending his body flying sideways to crash at the foot of the city wall.

The injuries were much like those four years ago — only the roles were reversed. The lesser celestial lord nearly had his life crushed out of him, and lay there writhing like a dead fish until Zhang Qingyang placed one foot on his chest.

“My master is not someone you can compare yourself to, and the Heavenly Court is not something that Penglai can humiliate. Whether we establish a Dao lineage requires no permission or approval from you.”

“You…” The lesser celestial lord of Penglai had dozens of broken bones. Staring at the large foot on his chest, he was so furious that his mouth opened and he vomited a mouthful of blood. What kind of humiliation had he ever suffered like this before?

Behind the group, Huang Tiannü was all smiles — mercilessly taunting. “Celestial Lord, you who command the four seas and are universally revered — it’s unbecoming to lie there issuing orders. This really does little credit to your dignity. You’re the ones who lead all under heaven, after all — this just won’t do.”

The lesser celestial lord nearly passed out with fury, his teeth grinding and cracking together. He glared at the people before him, his liver and lungs blazing with rage.

“It seems Penglai’s lesser celestial lord falls quite a bit short of our Heavenly Court’s lesser celestial master. Does establishing our sect really require your nod of approval?” Even someone of Zhan Yifan’s temperament couldn’t resist getting in a dig.

Spit!

The lesser celestial lord’s fury erupted in waves, coughing up blood repeatedly. Having just been standing high and mighty, only to be trodden underfoot — it stoked his resentment and frustration to the absolute extreme.

“Audacious! Who are you people, making trouble on Penglai grounds?!” A sharp cry rang out as an elderly man appeared atop the city gate, and separately, an old woman came riding auspicious clouds charging in from the far distance.

The elderly man on the city wall possessed profound cultivation — compared to the Dao sects of the central lands, this was clearly a master of great spiritual power. In Penglai, where spiritual energy had not run dry, it was not surprising to find those who had attained profound command of spiritual arts.

He reached out a large hand toward the Cauldron of All Things, seeking to snatch it away by force. He was a man who knew precious things — he had recognized at a glance that this might be a peerless rare treasure. His eyes flashed with excitement, and at the same time a sliver of hidden unease crossed his face.

“Qingyang, come back.” Ye Fan called out.

These ten years had seen the cultivation of his several disciples advance tremendously — in this age of Dharma’s decline they were each capable of holding their own — but against an opponent of this caliber they were still insufficient.

Having dismounted, he let the divine steed run free and stepped forward to face Penglai’s supreme-level experts.

Long Ma let out a long cry. It had long since grown tired of the sight of these people. Transforming into a streak of fire, it charged — one hoof stamping directly down onto the lesser celestial master’s body, pounding a bloody cavity into him on the spot, nearly splitting the body in two.

Had it not reined in its power, that one hoof would have left nothing of the lesser celestial lord’s body — he would certainly have been stamped into flying ash.

“How dare you!”

The old man who had leaped from the wall erupted with rage. He abandoned the Cauldron of All Things and went for Long Ma, immediately deploying a killing blow.

Simultaneously, the old woman who had arrived riding the colorful clouds raised her dragon-headed walking staff and brought it down in a cleaving strike — heavy as ten thousand jun — intending to beat it into a pulp.

“Fellow seniors, this is no fault of ours. The young man from Penglai was the one who was being unreasonably overbearing.” Zhang Qingyang withdrew the cauldron and retreated, speaking with composed ease.

“Whatever the case, you dared make trouble here — first we’ll subdue you, then we’ll speak!” The old woman shouted.

“Quite a response — ‘whatever the case.’ You truly have grown accustomed to holding yourselves high above all others. What imposing authority. Long Ma — handle this as you see fit.” Ye Fan finally spoke.

“Kill on sight, and any consequences are mine to bear.” The lesser celestial lord on the ground spoke up.

Long Ma let out a long howl and reared up on its hind legs. Two hooves came down, battering the weapons of both combatants into scrap metal and waste iron — it moved with blinding speed. Then it gave each of them a hoof.

Both figures now bore hoof-shaped wounds through their bodies. They slammed into the city wall with a tremendous crash; the wall was reduced to fine powder. Long Ma’s eyes were full of contempt. “People like you dare to put on an air of supreme authority? I could stamp out a thousand of you with one hoof!”

The two on the ground were horrified. They were among the ranks of supreme-level experts — half-step great masters, with the power to look down upon the central lands. Yet this group of people had come at them with such overwhelming force.

A single horse, battering them both down with one hoof apiece — and clearly without even drawing upon divine power. It was simply unimaginable.

“This is… a Dragon Horse!” Finally, both of them were seized with terror as they grasped the truth. This was the auspicious beast that only the sage-emperors of high antiquity could ride. How had it appeared in the world again?

Nearby, the lesser celestial lord was completely dumbstruck. The people of the Heavenly Court were this powerful? It far exceeded his expectations, and a wave of panic rose in his heart.

“You… you all…” His words trembled; in a panic he pressed his hands over his gut where the hoof had opened a bloody cavity, the upper and lower halves of his body nearly parting company.

“What ‘you,’ this dragon has roamed Kunlun when none dared show defiance, and you’re just one Penglai immortal island — you dare to issue commands to all under heaven? I can send your whole island tumbling with one hoof!”

Long Ma was like a bandit, looking down on them all with contempt, pacing back and forth before the group of people as it rummaged for spoils of war — and in the end, fuming, it barely stopped itself from stomping them all to death.

“Go report to the sect master — summon the celestial lord…” The old woman was terrified, sending a voice transmission into the city. She knew they had encountered someone truly dangerous — this was absolutely beyond their ability to handle.

The lesser celestial lord was all the more at a loss, unable to speak a single word.

“There’s no need. We’ll pay a visit to the Penglai immortal mountain ourselves. I want to personally ask whether establishing a sect in the central lands truly requires Penglai’s permission!” Ye Fan said.

Since things had reached this point, there was nothing more to say. If it truly came to a falling out — trampling Penglai would be perfectly fine.