In the Southern Region, winds rose and clouds churned — a turbulent, unsettled state, with all manner of rumors beginning to circulate.
It was no longer any secret that the Celestial Imperial Prince intended to do battle with the human powerhouse and also fight to a decisive confrontation with the Sacred Imperial Prince. Nor was that the most eye-catching development anymore.
That very day, an even more explosive piece of news broke — leaving people dumbstruck, many finding it utterly inconceivable.
“Have you heard? Someone in Cloud Peak Main City is auctioning an ancient palace hall, supposedly from within the Undying Celestial Emperor’s traveling palace — grand and magnificent. Whether it’s real or not remains to be seen.”
“That’s nothing — the biggest auction house in Bluesky City has taken on a transaction. A mysterious individual is selling a Green Dragon Cup, an artifact from the primordial age, once used by the being revered as supreme by ten thousand clans.”
“What you’re all talking about is already old news. Do you know what someone was just auctioning? A set of divine armor and garments — and also… golden undergarments, both belonging to the Celestial Imperial Prince.”
“Spurt!”
A person nearby, upon hearing this, spat a mouthful of tea more than two meters outward, drenching the neighboring table. He hurriedly apologized, attempting to conceal his loss of composure.
“Come now, friend — you can’t just say anything you like. How could something this preposterous possibly happen?”
“I swear upon my grandfather’s name: this information is verified and confirmed. Who in Cloud Peak City doesn’t know by now? Ancient Tribe experts have already authenticated it with secret arts.”
The entire Southern Region was in an uproar. On this day, all cultivators were discussing the same question. No one had imagined that before the decisive battle arrived, an explosive piece of news like this would emerge.
Everyone was slightly dazed — struck as though by lightning, charred inside and out. It was inconceivable, like something out of a myth. What exactly had happened? Had someone truly raided the Celestial Imperial Prince’s home base?
“Golden undergarments — valued at a million catties of source material. The interior bears Dao inscriptions personally carved by the Celestial Imperial Prince: walls of bronze and iron walls, impervious to blades and swords — the ultimate defensive divine artifact for protecting the body.”
Everyone felt on the verge of coughing up blood. This was too vicious — pure and simple humiliation of the Celestial Imperial Prince, returning the treatment in kind. He had called them clay chickens and pottery dogs; they were selling his undergarments.
Not long before, the descendants of the Eight Divine General Legions had been proclaiming they would kill the Sacred Imperial Prince and the mysterious human powerhouse — and now, in the blink of an eye, this had happened. It was a resounding slap across the face.
“You called Ye Fan and the Sacred Imperial Prince clay chickens and pottery dogs? Then we’ll sell your undergarments — that’s what you get for your boasting.” Somewhere, a group of unscrupulous individuals sat together drinking Enlightenment Tea, utterly at leisure and ease. Nearly all of them fell into a state of enlightenment on the spot.
“Investigate every detail of this!”
The Celestial Imperial Prince’s temples throbbed with visible veins. He had lost all restraint. Since making his debut in the world, he had never suffered humiliation like this. He was practically grinding his teeth to powder.
“Whoever dares auction those items — I will exterminate their ten clans!”
He truly coughed up blood. The light in his eyes blazed with ferocious intensity. The beams that shot from them stretched dozens of li in length, piercing through the sky like two divine swords hacking and slashing. A terrifying flame burned upon his body.
A tremendous storm played out in the Southern Region. The Celestial Imperial Prince was nearly frantic — he desperately wanted to seize whoever was hiding in the shadows, peel their soul and flay their bones, hack them to pieces — and still it would not be enough to satisfy the hatred in his heart.
“Prince — what do we do?” An Ancient Tribe commander asked, his expression deeply uncomfortable.
Without question, the Undying Celestial Emperor’s traveling palace had been raided. Not a blade of grass had likely been left for them. The magnitude of this loss was incalculable.
“The stone chess board and the Enlightenment Tea Tree — they must be retrieved at all costs. They absolutely cannot be allowed to remain in enemy hands!” The more the Celestial Imperial Prince thought, the more he wanted to cough up blood, his entire body trembling with rage.
That traveling palace was surrounded by several primordial ancestor kings, situated at the very center of eight heaven-reaching main peaks. Dao Severance cultivators stood guard inside — any disturbance required only a single divine sense fluctuation to alert the ancestor kings. Any intruder would find escape impossible.
In the present age, who would dare be so audacious? They would be crushed by ancestor kings — not even the gods could save them, and death would be certain.
“Only someone in possession of great emperor-level formation inscriptions could have sealed that traveling palace, hiding it from the heavens and earth, preventing the ancestor kings from sensing anything.”
The Celestial Imperial Prince clenched his fists, his eyes blazing. Though this was technically possible in theory, with primordial ancestor kings watching all around, even a theoretical possibility was something ordinary people would never risk their lives to attempt.
This was not a glorious piece of news — yet it spread with extraordinary speed, traveling through dimension gates to reach every corner, until the entire Eastern Wastelands knew. Eyes dropped from their sockets across the land.
“Hey — have you heard? The Ancient Tribe’s Celestial Imperial Prince has made a complete fool of himself in the Southern Region. Apparently his home base in the rear was swept entirely clean. It’s truly laughable.”
“He came south with tremendous force and prestige, sovereign over the six directions and eight wastelands — and then this happens? He’s tripped over his own feet and fallen headfirst into a latrine.”
Many people were laughing. The Celestial Imperial Prince had been far too overbearing for far too long. Those who hated him to the bone were numerous — yet none had dared touch the tiger’s whiskers, until now.
Even within the Ancient Tribe itself, not a few people sneered. Not all the great tribes stood on his side. Many watched from the sidelines with cold eyes, waiting to see how events would unfold.
“Ha ha… your own traveling palace was raided by someone else — and this is supposed to be the offspring of the Undying Celestial Emperor, who intends one day to rule over ten thousand clans? Keep dreaming!”
On this day, the attention of the entire world was fixed on the Eastern Wastelands. This farcical episode put the Celestial Imperial Prince in a state of unprecedented disadvantage, and the damage to his prestige was incalculable.
The whole affair was absurd, making many people unable to suppress their laughter. Even elder figures sighed that the mastermind had been too utterly lacking in virtue. A pair of golden undergarments — that alone had destroyed the majestic image of a Son of God.
“Ahhh…”
The Celestial Imperial Prince raged in fury, his hair standing on end. He tilted his head back and let out a long howl toward the heavens. Mountain peak after mountain peak collapsed, crumbling into dust amid thunderous rumbling, flattening eight hundred li in every direction. Countless mountain ranges in the Southern Wastelands were shattered and destroyed.
“I can bear it no longer — if I don’t kill you people, I am no longer human!”
Even if he had to sweep the Eastern Wastelands and turn the earth upside down, he would have his revenge and redeem his honor. This was an extraordinary disgrace. As proud as he was, on this day he coughed up blood several times over.
His handsome face twisted slightly into something near ferocity. His bearing was divine and sacred in its bones — yet now he was nearly entering a demonic state. A beam of blood-light surged from the crown of his head, connecting heaven below and earth above. Within the vast wilderness, every bird and beast trembled and fell prostrate, bowing their heads toward his direction in reverence.
The Celestial Imperial Prince stood upon the ancient war chariot and arrived one ancient city after another in succession. Human cultivators everywhere felt his presence, their hearts seized with awe. None dared treat him lightly any longer. The power of the Son of God’s bloodline was terrifyingly frightening — shaking through all the ancient eras, as boundless as a divine sea flooding the heavens.
“What? No auction house dares accept this business? Fine — we’ll sell it ourselves.”
The group of unscrupulous individuals finished their Enlightenment Tea and had a thorough study of the stone chess board, then burst into another round of hearty laughter. Every one of them felt refreshed in spirit and mind — calm and composed, not the slightest bit anxious about the decisive battle.
The major auction houses of the Southern Region had gone silent — yet someone was wandering the great avenues and small alleys like a traveling snake-oil peddler, crying out wares for sale. Ten bronze coins for one pair of golden divine-inscription undergarments.
Not a single person dared to buy. Setting everything else aside, just the material alone and the divine spiritual inscriptions embedded within were priceless — yet no one dared participate.
Of course, the group of unscrupulous individuals had never really intended to sell anything. They simply wanted to stir up a scene — bare-faced slaps across the Celestial Imperial Prince’s face, stirring the whole city into tumult, letting all the world know.
“Enter the Central Region!”
Amid a mountain range in the Southern Region, the Celestial Imperial Prince raised the Undying Heavenly Blade with a sharp clang, immediately cleaving the sky apart. A cluster of meteors rained down upon the earth.
“The Celestial Imperial Prince’s divine powers grow ever more immeasurable. He can casually summon shards of the stars — sooner or later he’ll be able to pluck the stars and seize the moon.” One of the Ancient Tribe’s great commanders said with shock.
The great army swept forward in a massive wave, entering a great gateway and vanishing into the void, heading north.
The Central Region grew unquiet. The Celestial Imperial Prince’s movements were watched by all the world — every action and motion bore upon the great events that shaped the Eastern Wastelands. In this sensitive period, every side was on edge.
“Report, Celestial Imperial Prince — the one selling the golden undergarments has been located in Xuanqiu Ancient City.” Someone came to report, his expression panicked, fearing the Celestial Imperial Prince might hack him down in a rage.
“Kill.”
The Celestial Imperial Prince’s eyes were cold and ruthless. He raised the Undying Heavenly Blade and pointed it forward. In an instant, every leaf on the surrounding hills withered and yellowed, falling in a shower. A killing atmosphere descended like the deep of autumn.
Yet when they arrived, the snake-oil peddler had already vanished, nowhere to be found.
“Report, Celestial Imperial Prince — the person has appeared in Youyue Ancient City.”
“Swish!”
The Celestial Imperial Prince’s black hair flew wildly, his gaze overpowering all. One slash of the blade — a blood-light hundreds of li long — caused an enormous, boundless lake ahead to evaporate entirely in an instant, while dozens of severed mountain peaks appeared at the furthest edge of the earth.
The Eight Divine General Legions struck nine great ancient cities in succession, yet came up empty every time. The enemy was nowhere to be caught. Their fury was boundless. This great army swept up a towering tide of slaughter, and wherever it passed, all living beings trembled.
They were like celestial soldiers and heavenly generals, shaking the winds and clouds in all ten directions. A thousand mountains and ten thousand valleys trembled. Flying birds and savage beasts lay prostrate. Their momentum was without compare.
“A divination has been made — they will certainly appear in Zhenxian Ancient City. We can go there to lay an ambush and kill them clean.”
The Ancient Tribe also had figures skilled in calculation, able to divine the future and perceive a thread of celestial secret — especially when they expended great mental effort on the calculation, the results became considerably more precise.
“Unless he carries an imperial weapon, or his bloodline power receives the blessing of heaven, surpassing the Son of God’s in magnitude — otherwise he cannot escape my divination!”
“Good!” The Celestial Imperial Prince nodded. He sent part of his force to continue the pursuit, then secretly led another contingent to Zhenxian Ancient City — to lay an ambush and strike the great enemy.
By now, everyone understood: the enemy was deliberately acting in this manner. The cries of the golden undergarments for sale were a humiliation directed at him — a unique response to his “clay chickens and pottery dogs” remark.
Zhenxian City was an ancient city of sages in the central region of the Eastern Wastelands. In the primordial age, no fewer than several sages had emerged from this one city — and it had taken its name from that history.
The atmosphere within the city was now overwhelmingly oppressive, so quiet that a falling pin could be heard. Neither the teahouses nor the wine pavilions had anyone speaking loudly. The stifling air felt as though it might suffocate.
For a snake-oil peddler was crying his wares and hawking a pair of golden undergarments — leaving everyone speechless, giving him a wide berth as they walked around him.
“Today, let me see where you run!”
Suddenly a sharp shout rang out — nearly shattering the entire city. A great army appeared, dark and overwhelming, packed throughout the sky.
The Celestial Imperial Prince stood upon the ancient war chariot, his expression dark enough that water dripped from it. The Undying Heavenly Blade in his hand pointed toward what lay below. A powerful aura pressed down — like countless ancient stars trembling.
“Kill!”
A crowd of Ancient Tribe warriors charged straight toward the figure within the city. Murderous intent flooded the wilderness all around. They intended to use the most brutal methods to capture this person alive — leaving them to the Son of God to deal with.
Suddenly, above the ancient war chariot, a streak of celestial light bloomed in the void — like an immortal descending from outside the heavens, shattering the nine skies, piercing through the lead-grey clouds, transforming into an indestructible divine rainbow as it came.
Ye Fan held a divine spear in hand. His body came hurtling sideways through the air, striking toward the top of the Celestial Imperial Prince’s skull. A breathtaking spear strike — illuminating past and future, shattering the sky!
Immortal light blazed brilliantly; auspicious mist spurted in waves. Past, present, and future seemed to be pierced simultaneously by this one spear. Primordial chaos scattered in all directions — the great force of a world being opened erupting outward.
“Spurt!”
High in the sky, that majestic frame that held a demonic blade had the crown of its skull blow apart. A wave of blood surged several meters high. The corpse toppled over onto the war chariot.
“I’ve been waiting for you long enough — I knew you would act like this!” Suddenly, from another direction, a cold, ruthless voice rang out. One figure held a blazing heavenly blade and swept it sideways. Another Celestial Imperial Prince appeared — the one from a moment ago had been a fake.
In the same instant, a phoenix cry rang out through the skies. An immortal phoenix danced through the air, spreading its wings to strike the nine heavens!
“Roar…”
With the roar of a qilin, mountains and rivers shattered. Another majestic male figure — blood flowing through his body like rolling thunder, filled with a force of explosive power — swung his fist forward.
And at his side stood a blue-haired woman — strikingly beautiful and vivid — yet the energy she radiated was as though a divine being had descended to the mortal world. With a single step forward, heaven and earth collapsed!
Four ancient imperial princes struck simultaneously, locking down the entire area — giving the one who had launched the attack no chance to survive, intending to trap him here.
“Swish!”
Yet the figure surrounded in their midst immediately dissolved into a wisp of pure air, dissipating into heaven and earth. No matter how thoroughly they sealed the area, it was to no avail.
At the farthest reaches of the horizon, Ye Fan’s true body opened its eyes. Two beams of light blazed like twin torches from their depths. He leapt upright.
The Sacred Imperial Prince held the black dark-gold great staff in his hands. He said: “I have already locked onto the Celestial Imperial Prince’s location. I will strike him down in the Central Region!”