Three golden holy apes struck in unison, their cultivation driven to the absolute pinnacle, three Emperor-level weapons brought down together — who in all the world could withstand it?
Even a deity reborn in the flesh would fall here!
Great Saint Kun Zhou’s skull shattered. Blood and brain matter splattered high into the air — red and white mingling, like peach blossoms blooming in full.
A piercing shriek cut through the dark heavens and reached the earth below, setting all living beings trembling.
A Great Saint of an age had fallen. Blood and flesh sprayed in all directions — even the Ancient Imperial Weapon within his body could not defy heaven. When three Emperor-level weapons fell together, the outcome had long been decided.
Ranked among the most powerful figures of the age, even a single white fragment of bone would have been a supreme treasure, capable of being refined into a peerless holy weapon. Yet nothing remained.
Under the assault of the Emperor-level weapons, his entire body first burst apart, blood splashing outward — then he began to burn, reduced to a mound of ash. Both form and soul were destroyed.
The elderly Clan Elders who had arrived from Fire Qilin Cavern, the Primordial Lake, and Scarlet Phoenix Mountain all changed expression, mouths opening as if to speak, yet unable to find any words.
The Battle Saint King had been too decisive — clean and swift. He had moved one step ahead to deliver the killing blow to Kun Zhou, forcing a fait accompli into existence. Who could plead for the dead?
Ding-ling-dong…
A melodious ringing arose. A mass of violet light surged from the annihilated void — this was the Supreme Dao Ancient Imperial Weapon from within Kun Zhou’s body, now revealed.
“It’s the Ten Thousand Dragon Bell!”
In the Central Region, people shuddered. Indeed, yet another supremely powerful Primordial Imperial Clan had been entangled in this affair.
“It’s the Ancient Imperial Weapon of the Ten Thousand Dragon Nest!”
This was a strange weapon — formed by a string of violet divine bells linked together, shaped like a violet true dragon, each violet bell like a vertebra of the dragon, immortal light flowing through them. It could suppress all nine heavens and ten earths.
Ding-ling-dong…
The bell tones were like celestial music — even separated by an infinite distance, their sound still reached the earth below, making people feel as though their divine souls would escape their bodies.
The Battle Saint King moved to strike with the black divine iron staff, and his other Dao Body nearly acted as well, Demon Subduing Staff in hand.
Flash!
The violet-gold Ten Thousand Dragon Bell swayed — and vanished in an instant, tearing through the heavens and disappearing into that indistinct figure standing within Dao marks in the distance. This was the Great Saint of the Ten Thousand Dragon Nest.
The Battle Saint King ultimately did not reach out to seize it. Ancient Imperial Weapons each contained a divine presence within them, belonging to the level of ancient Great Emperors — they could not be tamed. Even if suppressed for a time with three Ancient Imperial Weapons, they could not be suppressed forever. Forcing them to remain at his side would inevitably bring a disaster of self-destruction!
The heavens fell quiet. No one spoke. Kun Zhou the Great Saint had been killed — it was now fact.
The Battle Saint King’s expression was indifferent. Now he feared nothing. With three Emperor-level weapons in hand, he could easily raze a powerful Imperial Clan if he chose.
They had come neither too early nor too late — precisely now… He understood their thinking perfectly.
Some had their loyalties twisted and had wanted to pull the scales in the other direction. Others had simply chosen not to show themselves earlier, preferring to watch and gauge the genuine depths of his and Kun Zhou’s cultivation. Of course, there were also those who had genuinely considered the broader picture, unwilling to see living beings plunged into slaughter.
“I imagine the Saint King has vented some of his anger.” The elderly Clan Elder of Fire Qilin Cavern spoke.
“Had we shown ourselves too early, we would certainly have accomplished nothing. Better to let you fight it out for a while, to release some of the anger in your hearts.” The elderly Clan Elder of Scarlet Phoenix Mountain said.
The Battle Saint King said nothing — fixing his gaze upon the Golden King, three Emperor-level weapons aimed forward, killing intent undiminished.
The atmosphere was tense. Everyone’s expression shifted. The three golden holy apes now were no compassionate Buddhas — gripping three Ancient Imperial Weapons, every single person was wary of them.
“Saint King, let him keep his life.” Huntuo the Great Saint said.
The Golden King’s face was snow-white. Watching Kun Zhou die before his eyes had shaken him to the core, drenching him in a cold sweat, his grip on the Golden Mace white-knuckled.
“Golden King — did you not say you would pay with a life’s worth? Are you not going to bring out the divine essence without delay?” The elderly Clan Elder of the Primordial Lake urged.
The Golden King steeled himself. Driving his supreme profound technique, he opened the inner realm within the Supreme Dao Imperial Mace — a small world that served as the space for his clan’s immortal treasures.
A jade vial appeared in his palm — somewhat over half a foot in length. As the stopper was removed, flowing radiance escaped. A fragrance so extraordinary that every Great Saint and Clan Elder present was visibly moved, their entire bodies suffused with comfort, as though they might soar into the sky at any moment.
“Transcendent divine essence!” they exclaimed in awe.
“This vial of divine essence is currently the most rare and precious thing our clan possesses. It is capable of extending a Great Saint’s lifespan by a thousand years.” The Golden King said bitterly.
Parting with this was more painful than being killed outright. This was a divine substance he had been preserving to use when making a breakthrough — a precious immortal treasure accumulated by his ancestors over generations. And now he had to surrender it with both hands.
Originally, he had intended to offer only half — five hundred years’ worth of lifespan. But as the monkey had made clear his intent to kill him on the spot, there was no choice but to present the entire vial then and there.
In this world, life-extending substances were things one encountered only by rare fortune — especially at the level of Great Saints. Even precious medicines refined through a hundred processes had no effect.
This vial of divine essence could extend a Great Saint’s lifespan by a thousand years. The value of this could be imagined!
Even the several Clan Elders and Great Saints present felt their eyes grow hot. At their level of cultivation, they had long been in the twilight of their years. Who among them did not need more lifespan? Time was the greatest obstacle constraining their progress on the immortal path.
Flash!
The Battle Saint King reached out, drawing the vial of divine essence to himself in an instant, sealing it inside the black divine iron staff to prevent its vital energy from escaping.
With the immortal treasure surrendered, the Golden King seemed to have had all the strength drawn out of him. The equivalent of half his life had just been handed away — his spirit wilted and listless, heart dripping blood.
He understood that this life he would only ever remain at this stage — never to advance further. While the Battle Saint Ape could live a thousand years longer, his own path grew ever narrower. The gains and losses were inversely matched.
Boundless bitterness. The Golden King put away the Supreme Dao Imperial Mace, and seemed to age a thousand years in a single instant. This was truly the bitter fruit of his own making.
The Battle Saint King did not spare him another glance. His true form and his two Dao Bodies, carrying three Emperor-level weapons, bore down toward the Great Saint of the Ten Thousand Dragon Nest — still speaking not a word.
“So be it. Though it was to repay the great kindness of Dicue, in the end we caused the Saint King to be placed in danger. My clan will naturally also pay a price.” The Great Saint of the Ten Thousand Dragon Nest said.
He stood within the Dao marks, his figure indistinct. A flash of radiance bloomed in his palm, and a stalk of ancient divine herb appeared — half a meter tall, carved entirely of ink jade, its fragrance flooding the air.
“Its medicinal age spans tens of thousands of years!” several people exclaimed.
Herb Kings were rare, nearly impossible to find in the present age. This was a specimen sealed away during the Primordial Age. By common reckoning, an ancient herb had to grow for eighty or ninety thousand years to be crowned an Herb King — yet surviving past a hundred thousand years was itself a threshold that was nearly impossible to cross.
“This kind of Herb King can extend one’s lifespan by three or four hundred years.”
Upon hearing this, the Battle Saint King extended his immortal radiance and drew it over, likewise sealing it within the black divine iron staff.
Beside him, several elderly Clan Elders stared with eyes full of burning desire. They were all on the verge of passing away naturally. For them, a divine herb like this was a genuine life-saving grass.
The Battle Saint King’s one battle had shaken the world. Not only had he killed Great Saint Kun Zhou, he had also gained an additional thirteen or fourteen hundred years of lifespan — inspiring envy and admiration alike.
The Battle Saint King did not strike again. Two great Ancient Imperial Clans were involved, and the figures who had come to mediate were none of them simple characters. He, too, had his reservations.
Among the ten thousand races, powerful figures were everywhere. Though it was said there were only a handful of Great Saints, the supreme unmatched experts of each generation had always hidden themselves away. Without attaining the Dao to become Emperor, no one could claim to be invincible beneath heaven.
Who could say — perhaps some day, some quasi-emperor previously unknown to the world might leap out from the shadows!
“This is an age of great flourishing. Ten thousand races coexist. All we await is the opening of the path to immortality, hoping to enter the immortal realm. I hope all clans can lay down their weapons.” Huntuo the Great Saint said.
“True enough. In the endless ages before, our ancestors arrived at this ancient star from other star domains. What were they seeking, if not the two words — to become immortal? And yet…” One elderly Clan Elder sighed with feeling.
None of them were natives of this land. All ten thousand races had come from different star domains.
“In those days, the ancestors of our respective clans miscalculated in their deliberations, and missed the path to immortality. They placed their hopes upon our generation, hoping we might lead our whole clans into the immortal realm. Let us not add to the fires of war at this moment.” The Great Saint of the Ten Thousand Dragon Nest nodded.
“If others do not provoke me, I will not raise a hand against them.” The Battle Saint King spoke plainly, each word carrying weight.
The others all nodded. The Battle Saint Ape lineage letting this matter rest was the best outcome — otherwise, real trouble would follow. It was believed that no one would want to provoke this monkey any longer. One true form, two Dao Bodies, three Emperor-level weapons — whoever faced him would cough blood. What’s more, the power of faith on Mount Sumeru was like an ocean — who could possibly assail it? This monkey had become the master of that place, naturally invincible from the very start!
“Shall we let the storms of this occasion dissipate?” Huntuo the Great Saint said.
The Battle Saint King nodded and said: “No problem. Wait here for a moment — I’ll go clean out the Eight Division Divine Generals, so they can’t cause trouble in the future. To truly lay down arms means doing it thoroughly.”
With a whoosh, three golden holy apes vanished from the outer battlefield. Huntuo the Great Saint was left speechless. The others were equally dumbfounded — then all cried out together: “Show mercy!”
In the Central Region, outside Zhenxian City, the assembled ancient clan warriors were all shaken. Through the Heaven-Piercing Divine Eye, they had seen everything that had transpired beyond the domain.
The Eight Division Divine Generals’ faces had gone deathly white, one by one feeling that the end had come. The several Ancestor Kings’ scalps prickled with alarm. Kun Zhou was dead — what was to become of them?
Huntuo the Great Saint and the others had stepped forward to mediate. Just moments ago, they had still clung to hope, believing they might survive. But now it was clear that the Battle Saint King had made his decision long ago — he would not honor any account.
Just like striking down Kun Zhou first — now he had charged down, intent on forcing a fait accompli, eliminating them preemptively before anyone could object.
“Run!”
That was the only thought left to anyone!
There was simply no way to resist. Were they to stand there and wait for a Great Saint carrying Emperor-level weapons to descend and kill them one by one?
Yet they discovered in horror that a supreme formation had been laid outside Zhenxian City — the Shencan Princess had prepared well in advance, trapping everyone within it with a divine formation.
“Ahh… No!”
The Eight Division Divine Generals cried out in terror, screaming in unison — this was equivalent to sealing off any path of escape.
Boom!
The Battle Saint King arrived with extreme swiftness, descending in an instant. The Demon Subduing Staff swept forward — Buddha-light flooded all directions. Blood and flesh flew; bone fragments scattered. The Eight Division Divine Generals’ descendants all cried out as they fell in swathes, dying en masse.
Even the several Ancient Kings could not escape. Beneath the weapon of Amitabha the Great Emperor, they could only cry out once before being transformed into blood and dust!
The powerful warriors of every clan all went dead silent. Not one of them dared utter a word. Even having become a Buddha, the Battle Saint King remained, to his very bones, the same as he had always been — domineering and wild. The audacity that had swept through the Primordial Age had never left him.
“Ahh…”
The Eight Division Divine Generals’ descendants cried out — yet it changed nothing. Not a single person could withstand even one blow from the Battle Saint Ape!
The Shencan Princess also struck, declaring: “I said that from this day forward, the Eight Division Divine Host would cease to exist in this world. I intend to keep that word.”
Blood stained the heavens red. The powerful warriors of every clan sealed their lips — not one person dared speak a word, let alone interfere.
In this battle, the Eight Division Divine Host was erased from existence!
“Unless your ancestors are resurrected — unless the true divine generals return — you can only serve as pieces in other people’s games, acting as their claws and fangs, ruining the glorious name of the divine host of former days.” The Shencan Princess said.
The Silver Moon Heavenly King had fled. The several Ancestor Kings who had sneered at the Victorious Fighting Buddha, predicting his death and saying he would amount to no more than dirt, had also slipped away — they had left the moment Kun Zhou began to lose.
The Battle Saint King directly tore open space and gave chase. Within half a quarter of an hour, he had captured every last one of them and dragged them back.
Before the old monkey had gone to fight in the outer heavens, he had already left a mark on each of them. No matter how far they fled to the ends of the earth, it was useless — unless they left this ancient star entirely.
“I implore the Great Saint of the Battle Saint Lineage to be merciful!” An aged voice called out.
Crack!
With one palm the old monkey descended, and the Silver Moon Heavenly King who had been dragged back was instantly shattered into a cloud of blood mist — his form and soul destroyed, erased from the world.
“My elder brother praised your aptitude for cultivation — but that does not mean I share his view!”