Like a storm threatening to break, the entire Eastern Wastelands were gripped with tension — especially in the Southern Region where the incident had occurred. The atmosphere was nearly suffocating.

This night was destined to be sleepless. Countless cultivators watched with bated breath, the suppressed anxiety like a dam on the verge of bursting, as though a great mountain had been pressed upon everyone’s heart.

“Has the Celestial Imperial Prince arrived?”

Ever since the news spread, people had been asking this question every few moments, gazing northward, waiting in silence for the tempest to arrive.

It was an agonizing wait — particularly for the great sects that had long been at odds with the Ancient Tribes, who trembled with fear that the Celestial Imperial Prince would lead the Eight Divine General Legions to sweep them away along with everything else.

In this great era, human lives were worth less than blades of grass. Even many immortal lineages felt their own survival was in jeopardy, to say nothing of ordinary people.

In the latter half of the night, the moonlight had grown somewhat cold and pale, yet every ancient city remained brilliantly lit. Transmission arrays flickered ceaselessly, relaying the latest intelligence.

“He’s come — truly come! The Celestial Imperial Prince has entered the Southern Region!”

The moment that news broke, the oppressive stillness of the long night shattered like an explosion. Countless places erupted into uproar and clamor. People understood: the hurricane had arrived.

In the latter half of the night, a colossal gate appeared in the Southern Region. Wave after wave of troops poured forth — a dark, overwhelming tide that chilled the hearts and souls of all who beheld it.

“Those who have wounded my people shall die. Today, I shall trample the Southern Region and drag out the true culprit!” A cold, bone-chilling voice reverberated through the heavens. The celestial dome shuddered, the void twisted, and the stars themselves seemed to tremble as though on the verge of falling.

The Celestial Imperial Prince gazed down upon the Southern Region from atop the highest peak — a summit tens of thousands of zhang tall — his eyes as cold as ice, twin beams of light piercing through heaven and earth.

He had led the descendants of the Eight Divine General Legions to this restless land at last. He would purge his enemies and raise the curtain on an unprecedented great war.

“He’s here — the Celestial Imperial Prince has truly come, and set foot upon our Southern Region’s soil!”

“The Eight Divine General Legions are thick with experts, strong as a forest. They could subjugate any ancient sect.”

“The war clouds of a heaven-shaking battle have appeared — the conflict begins!”

Chaotic voices, a boiling Southern Region, trembling cultivators — people could not be still. Many who had endured silent suppression now roared aloud, waiting for the great battle to begin.

The Celestial Imperial Prince led his great army southward, his might surging like a flood tide. That night, not only did the Southern Region tremble — news had long since reached the Central Province, Western Desert, Northern Plains, and beyond. The impact was immense.

“Trampling the Southern Region — what arrogance!”

Plenty of people in the Southern Region had been holding their breath in indignation, deeply dissatisfied, unable to keep from cold sneers at those words.

“I hope that mysterious powerful figure is strong enough to scatter all Eight Divine General Legions — and better yet, break the Celestial Imperial Prince’s legs so he never dares set foot on this land again.”

Some people desperately wanted to vent their pent-up fury, and said as much.

Everyone knew: the Celestial Imperial Prince was too powerful. He was the rarest genius to appear across ten thousand ages, carrying the blood of the Undying Celestial Emperor in his veins. His innate gifts were so extraordinary that there was nothing left to say.

If his various latent potentials were made public, they would absolutely be staggering — enough to make so-called prodigies die of shame. His flesh, blood, and bone foundation were simply too terrifying.

Thus, although many people wished he would meet with an accident, few truly believed he would suffer a great defeat. He was boundlessly fearsome — it was said he had once sent a single surge of blood energy soaring through the heavens, flooding an entire mountain range, and had swallowed a half-Saint whole with one breath.

A figure of this magnitude inspired genuine dread. Whether or not the story of swallowing a half-Saint was literally true, it still demonstrated his vast and ocean-deep combat power.

In the latter half of the night, the thunder of hooves upon the sky rang like rolling thunder, crossing the skies above the Southern Region. A group of Ancient Tribe experts swept forward like lightning, driving towering winds and clouds as they advanced on Bluesky City.

It was there that the mysterious human powerhouse had made his move. The Celestial Imperial Prince led his army to strike at that place, war energy blanketing the wilderness.

Not a word was spoken on the march, yet the rumbling of the savage beasts in their wake was like mountains and rivers collapsing — a thunderous, ear-filling roar, like a great river sweeping through the night sky.

“Is that Bluesky City ahead?”

The Celestial Imperial Prince stood upon an ancient war chariot. The metal frame of the vehicle flowed with the weight of ages and great majesty — a battle will that had never been extinguished through eternity. Nine primordial wild beasts pulled the chariot, treading upon the heavenly vault, their thunder ear-splitting.

“Whoever he is, he dies today — wash this place clean with blood!” The descendants of the Eight Divine General Legions roared.

In that moment, the winds and clouds of ten directions collapsed. Countless mountain peaks began to shake. The vast earth, the sweeping rivers and mountains — all were trampled beneath their gaze.

Their blood surged with passionate fervor, as though they had returned to the primordial age — as though the Undying Celestial Emperor had once again descended to claim his dominion, and they themselves had become beings like their ancestors: true divine generals, striking the gods of the nine heavens above and battling the demon kings of the nine underworlds below, sovereign over all nine heavens and ten earths.

That was an era when battle energy shook the skies — when the Undying Celestial Emperor and his Eight Divine General Legions created an immortal, mythical age that all later generations revered. That glory still set the blood of their descendants boiling even now.

Bluesky City was quiet, yet brilliantly lit — bright as day. Many people had not slept; even ordinary mortals were awake, for everyone had long since known this place would become the epicenter of great events.

Sure enough, in the latter half of the night, shouts of men and cries of horses rang out from the distance. A dark, overwhelming army came killing forward. Various strange beasts trampled across the open sky — a host of demons that seemed capable of plucking stars and seizing the moon.

“Criminals, come forth! The Celestial Imperial Prince has personally come to the Southern Region — bare your necks and submit to your execution!”

Battle energy surged with violent force. Even from dozens of li away, it came crashing over like a wave, permeating the entire ancient city and chilling the hearts of all within.

Closer now — the great army pressed in. The wild beasts let out long, piercing cries that nearly shattered the sky. Great banners snapped in the wind, unfurling like a torrent of iron and steel surging forward.

Every wild beast was a rare species — nine-tailed scaled beasts, heaven-swallowing divine apes, and ancient golden rukhs — each bearing one powerful Ancient Tribe warrior after another as they descended upon the Southern Region.

Each warrior was clad in armor, the cold metallic luster flashing with waves of murderous intent. Cold light shone upon iron armor; weapons overwhelmed the soul. These were the invincible descendants of divine generals.

Their arrival silenced all the great powers of the Southern Region. None dared speak. Not a single voice was raised. Everyone fell into swift, rapid silence.

In this latter half of the night, countless ancient sects throughout the Eastern Wastelands had mobilized, crossing dimensions to gather here, intent on witnessing this battle in silence. It was the most intense military conflict in more than a decade.

“With the Celestial Imperial Prince’s emergence, who dares contend for supremacy? The four seas bow in reverence — criminals, come and offer your heads!”

The ear-splitting roar disrupted the order of heaven and earth, causing the sky itself to collapse, spreading across the wilderness in every direction. It was the bellow of a great king who had reached the Peak King realm.

“Just how many troops have come?”

People were stunned. Even setting aside the ordinary Ancient Tribe experts, it was apparent that their ranks were far from lacking in Peak King realm warriors and half-Saints — the absolute apex of combat power in this era. Any single one who emerged into the world was without equal. Who could possibly stop them?

Everyone’s hearts trembled. Was this to be an extermination? This pack of wolves and tigers — the finest forces of the Ancient Tribe — could sweep away even a transcendent great sect. Who could stand against them?

Many human cultivators could only sigh. The Ancient Tribes were too powerful; there was simply no comparison. In this great era, everyone truly feared for their own survival. It was an unchangeable fact.

An ancient war chariot hung suspended high in the heavens, covered in sword slashes and spear holes — the sacred chariot that had survived the wars of the primordial age! The Celestial Imperial Prince wore the Undying Imperial Crown upon his head, standing upon it and gazing down. With a single wave of his hand, all the troops came to a halt and advanced no further.

This was the supreme might of one who commanded without question. The descendants of the many divine generals all obeyed his orders. With a single command, he could level countless great sects across the Southern Region. His deterrent power was absolute.

“I have come. Whoever wishes to take my head — come forth and fight!” The Celestial Imperial Prince let out a roar that echoed through countless regions beneath the heavens, ear-splitting in its thunder.

The crowd was stunned.

He was as though carved from jade — divine in bearing, sacred in bone, his presence sovereign over the world. To call him the most handsome man under heaven would not be an overstatement. His looks even surpassed the exiled immortal Hua Yunfei of old.

Yet he also possessed an invincible might. Compared to his jade-like grace and peerless beauty, his combat power attracted even greater attention — and fear.

No one in Bluesky City stepped forward. A profound silence fell. The entire city seemed as though it were empty. Lights flickered. Many cultivators held their breath, tension reaching its absolute peak.

“What’s this? Now that I, the Imperial Prince, have come, you no longer dare to accept the challenge?!” He said coldly, his gaze sweeping across the horizon.

“The Son of God is unmatched beneath the starry sky!”

“The Celestial Imperial Prince — first in all the world!”

Around the ancient war chariot, a crowd of Ancient Tribe warriors bellowed in unison. The sky trembled. The earth cracked. The winds and clouds of ten directions collapsed — as though they could shout the sun, moon, and stars from the heavens.

In that moment, their collective aura reached its most magnificent peak. They were as though gods had descended, capable of slaughtering any divine being that appeared. Any enemy who stood before them would be cut down.

Their blood energy merged into one — vast and boundless, flooding the rivers and mountains — like celestial soldiers and heavenly generals descending to the mortal world. This alone, the sharpness and dominance of their killing spirit, was unstoppable. Their morale had reached its zenith.

“Clang!”

The Celestial Imperial Prince drew a heavenly blade from his back. Its brilliance illuminated mountains and rivers, turning the entire night sky bright as day and dimming the sun, moon, and stars by comparison.

“Who dares contend with my blade?!”

All the Ancient Tribe warriors shouted in unison, amplifying the momentum of that one strike with a rolling thunder. The Undying Heavenly Blade split open the grand vault of the sky, carving a trace along the path of the Dao.

The Celestial Imperial Prince stood like a demon god upon the ancient war chariot. His flawlessly handsome face was written over with cold ruthlessness. The heavenly blade in his hand pierced through all of antiquity and the present age.

“How is it?” From atop a mountain peak dozens of li away, the Sacred Imperial Prince held a large black-gold staff, standing upon a slab of blue stone.

On another peak nearby, Ye Fan stood at the cliff’s edge. He nodded and said, “Very powerful.”

Beneath their feet, traces of Source Heaven Dao lines spread outward, concealing the workings of fate. No one could divine that they stood in this very place.

“One opponent doesn’t worry me — what I’m concerned about is whether multiple adversaries have come.” The Sacred Imperial Prince said, the blood energy in his body rumbling. He had long wanted to cut down the Celestial Imperial Prince, this great enemy.

“Given his personality, he must have made careful preparations for this southern expedition, intending to eliminate both of us,” Ye Fan said.

“Let me see exactly who has come to make him so supremely confident.” The Sacred Imperial Prince narrowed his golden eyes to half-slits, settling cross-legged onto the ground, reaching out through the Sacred Ape Celestial Heart to sense his surroundings.

Drawing upon the celestial heart, bending it to his will — a thousand li compressed to inches, all of heaven and earth contained within the mind — the Sacred Imperial Prince fell silent for a moment, then murmured to himself: “Huangxu Dao has come… there’s also the presence of Huo Qizi… and…”

Ye Fan’s expression shifted. By their estimates, three ancient imperial princes coming to kill them was about the limit they had anticipated. He had not expected a fourth.

“Huo Lin’er has also come.” For the first time, the Sacred Imperial Prince’s expression turned grave.

The Huo Lin Cave was the most terrifying of all. Both Huo Qizi and his younger sister Huo Lin’er had entered this world together. Both carried the bloodline of ancient emperors, and either one alone was without equal among their generation.

Moreover, there was a rumor: if the two of them combined their strength, their combat power would multiply several times over, making them unrivaled beneath heaven.

“This battle has become exceedingly difficult…”

Huangxu Dao was profoundly unfathomable. He had once said that his entire life existed only to prove the Dao — a figure who could not be provoked. His participation was certainly motivated by the desire to comprehend the Dao through great battle.

The Celestial Imperial Prince, plus the Huo Lin Cave’s pair of siblings — this battle was truly going to be extraordinarily difficult. Both Ye Fan and the Sacred Imperial Prince furrowed their brows.

“No matter how many thousands of troops and horses come, we kill only one — the Celestial Imperial Prince alone!” Ye Fan and the Sacred Imperial Prince spoke simultaneously and both broke into laughter.