The black-gold iron staff blazed with immortal light, tens of millions of auspicious beams cascading down into the life forbidden zone, illuminating a stretch of eternal radiance — the extreme Dao imperial might erupted in full!
Yet what astonished everyone even more was that golden colossal ape — divine and peerless, looking down upon the six directions and eight wastelands, its momentum surging upward to pierce the nine heavens and pressing down to suppress the nine nethers, its roar shaking the ancient Beidou star to its core!
“The Victorious Fighting Sage Emperor—” From deep within the primordial ancient mine came a cry of shock.
With that display of imperial might, it was as if a great tidal wave had crashed outward, seeming to cut across three thousand worlds, covering heaven and earth, its vast power reverberating through all of antiquity, causing every sage to tremble.
“What — the Old Sage Emperor who sat in meditation during the primordial age — how has he appeared again?”
From afar, certain powerful figures among the ancient clans who had been watching were so frightened they shook, barely keeping themselves from falling to their knees. That towering, magnificent figure filled them with bone-deep terror.
“The Sage Emperor — it truly is him. After all these years — is he still alive to this day!?”
Some had paid homage to the Victorious Fighting Sage Emperor before and witnessed his true appearance with their own eyes. Now, seeing that colossal golden figure standing tall within the forbidden zone, they were struck dumb.
The Victorious Fighting Sage Emperor carried with him too many legends. Undefeated throughout his entire life — from his youth, when he had competed with Di Que on the road to the Dao, to his later efforts to transform himself into a Warring Immortal, his divine might shaking all of antiquity. Who in all the world did not submit? Who in all the world did not fear?
To fight so as to astonish the heavens, to do battle so as to look down with contempt upon all of antiquity — thus was he known as the Victorious Fighting Sage Emperor!
In terms of pure battle power alone, it was nearly impossible to find a match for him. He was the supreme sovereign of combat, without compare.
The killing intent that had erupted from the primordial ancient mine was shattered by this golden colossal ape with a single roar, and the entire primordial forbidden zone seethed with turmoil as golden light surged like a flood toward the ancient mine.
The Victorious Fighting Buddha stood there with an expression that seemed distant and lost — there was grief, there was joy, and there was a quiet melancholy as well. Only after a long time did he let out a sigh. What had passed was gone forever, beyond retrieval.
His elder brother had entered sitting meditation. In the primordial age, he had failed to become a Warring Immortal — not for lack of talent, but because the circumstances would not permit it. This heaven and earth had not allowed it.
In this universe, no one could attain immortality. It was not a failing of one’s own — the path to immortality had long since been sealed.
The black iron staff rose and fell slowly, hovering above the head of the golden colossal ape. Untroubled by wrath, it weighed upon the nine heavens above, looked down upon ten thousand ages below — like a god standing eternal.
This, of course, could not truly be the Victorious Fighting Sage Emperor. He had refused to bow to heaven or earth, forging a fierce and unyielding path upward — seeking to transform into a Warring Immortal — and had fallen more than a million years ago.
This was merely the divine spirit housed within the iron staff — it had reproduced his divine might and towering presence. The ancient emperor’s weapon had awakened of its own volition to protect the Victorious Fighting Buddha, preventing the being within the ancient mine from striking him down.
“The ancient weapon left behind by the Victorious Fighting Sage Emperor — what do you think you are doing!?” A shout rang out from within the mine, seemingly filled with fury — finally, emotion had entered that voice, no longer the blank indifference of before.
“Bring it out!” A cold divine thought reached outward, carrying only those two words.
“What do you want?” The being within the mine steadied itself, and its voice returned to cold, unfeeling composure.
“The primordial life stone!” The golden colossal ape clutched the iron staff in its hand, gazing with cold, indifferent eyes at the swirling immortal mist shrouding the ancient mine. Step by step it began to advance — and the entire forbidden zone trembled beneath its stride.
“Do you imagine you are the Victorious Fighting Sage Emperor? You are nothing but an ancient weapon!” The voice from within the mine was imposing and domineering, radiating the aura of one who holds dominion over all living beings and all of creation.
“Bring it out!” The golden colossal ape spoke only those two words again. The great black iron staff pointed forward, and it continued to move — the entire forbidden zone shuddering all the while.
“An ancient emperor’s weapon dares to do battle with me—” The voice from within the mine had turned icy cold to its extreme limit. A towering surge of energy rolled outward, shaking the Northern Wilderness, as though it intended to meet the challenge head on.
The other being spoke, its voice placid. It said: “What have we waited all this age for, and at what cost? Why quarrel over something like this? What does it matter to give it a piece of the life stone?”
At that, the life forbidden zone fell completely silent. One could have heard a pin drop.
In the far distance, the elder patriarchs of several great primordial royal clans watched with great tension, ancient emperor’s tokens clutched in their hands, looking as though they too had considered going forward.
“This is not the primordial age any longer. Even the Victorious Fighting Buddha going in there nearly led to his death. We had better stay where we are.”
The primordial powerhouses had survived to this generation by enduring much, and they had no wish to provoke the ire of the beings within the life forbidden zone. Silently, they drew back, not daring to advance.
After a very long time, the supreme being within the primordial ancient mine who had been in relentless opposition finally spoke. It said: “That sage emperor who showed no reverence to heaven or earth — in the end, he still had to come here and beg!”
A silver-white life stone flew upward — fist-sized, containing within it the secrets of the primordial, nurturing within it the force of life. The moment it appeared, it became the focal point of all heaven and earth.
Ten thousand wisps of silver radiance poured down. It rose and fell in the air, imbued with the essence of the Dao, flying toward where the Victorious Fighting Sage Emperor stood.
“Though this is not my elder brother, it carries his will — and what it said was bring it out.” The Victorious Fighting Buddha spoke, correcting the error.
From within the mine, strand after strand of killing intent seeped outward — terrifying beyond measure, drifting toward the old sage ape — enough to shatter an Ancient Sage’s primordial spirit.
The Victorious Fighting Sage Emperor raised his great staff and stepped forward. With a tremendous boom he shattered the killing intent apart, and with one hand seized the primordial life stone — but still felt it was not enough, and continued to press his demand.
“Bring it out!”
At the far ends of the earth, everyone who witnessed this scene drew a sharp, cold breath. This was not the old sage emperor himself — yet his dominion and arrogance of those years were plain for all to see.
For this was only his ancient weapon. If it displayed such overwhelming might, what unimaginable divine power would his true self have wielded in years past?
“Insolence!”
From within the mine came a furious roar. Imperial energy from the distant past surged and spread like a tide, as though a supreme sovereign was about to emerge, threatening to split the heavens and earth apart.
In the Northern Wilderness, all things fell into stillness. All living creatures trembled — a form of overwhelming pressure that could not be resisted!
Within the primordial forbidden zone, in the Fallen Sun Ridge — once the place where the Eternal Universe Great Emperor had forged his weapons, an ancient structure still stood to this day, all those years having not brought it down.
At this moment, the plaque upon the ancient structure radiated wisps of rosy light — the two characters “Eternal Universe” gleaming brilliantly upon it, rumbling and reverberating through the heavens, clearly stirred by the emperor’s might.
Within the primordial ancient mine, imperial might surged, growing ever more formidable. The being within seemed unwilling to stop at nothing — it intended to fight, to seize back that iron staff.
“Three ancient emperor’s tokens presented, one piece of a life stone offered — that is not too much to ask. The agreement should be honored. If we break our word, it reflects poorly on us.” The other supreme being spoke at the right moment.
Clearly, the being within the mine was unwilling to see anything go wrong, and even less willing to shatter the peace it had long maintained. What had all these years of waiting been for? Only for the path to immortality.
“Very well. When the day comes to leave this mine and step upon the immortal path, the debt with the Victorious Fighting Sage Ape lineage will be settled then.” The great battle was averted, and things quieted.
Within Shencan Ridge, the Shencan Princess and many others had gone pale as snow. The cause and effect of this was immense — for that was a supreme being. Who but an ancient great emperor could stand against it?
A great calamity might be coming in the future!
A shadow settled over everyone’s heart. What were they to do? Unless they could attain the Dao, it was impossible to be a match for a supreme sovereign.
“Pressing — all of you must advance your strength as quickly as possible.” One of the elderly figures of Shencan Ridge said with goodwill.
The primordial ancient mine pressed down upon their hearts like a mountain. Heaven only knew what the future held.
“As for that supreme being — it must have old grievances with my father. But it matters not. I will walk among the stars, and when I am strong enough, I will return!” The Holy Prince said.
“Time is running short.” Ji Zi said.
They were beings of heaven-defying natural talent — given enough time, rising to the heights was inevitable. But matching blows with a supreme sovereign was another matter entirely, for that was the most terrifying master of a forbidden zone in all of antiquity!
Within the primordial forbidden zone, the golden sage ape’s hand now held a life stone the size of a washbasin. The life essence and Dao radiance it emitted were even more astonishing than the first.
Immortal energy cascaded down, enveloping both the ape and the iron staff within it.
Whoosh!
At last, all of it vanished — transformed into a divine brilliance that sank into the Victorious Fighting Buddha’s body. Step by step he walked away, moving out of the life forbidden zone.
In the distance, several primordial powerhouses stood in silence, unable to find words. Among them were one or two elder patriarchs of primordial royal clans, their hearts filled with awe toward this old monkey.
To enter the primordial ancient mine alone, with his elder brother at odds with the supreme being within — without bowing or groveling — and yet to walk out alive, bearing with him what he had come to retrieve!
It was impossible to say how much time passed. All the world fell into silence. Deep night descended. Only then did a low murmur sound from deep within the primordial forbidden zone — yet the outside world could no longer hear it, utterly cut off.
“That was the Victorious Fighting Sage Emperor’s undying will — he failed to transform into a Warring Immortal, and even after ten thousand ages in sitting meditation, he still could not reconcile himself to it—”
The Victorious Fighting Buddha returned safely. Within Shencan Ridge, there was a great eruption of joyous cries — everyone was elated. This was a momentous event, and well worth celebrating.
“It is not known whether Duan De lives or dies. He dissolved into wisps of energy that merged into heaven and earth — has he truly perished?”
This remained an unsolved mystery. By all reason, someone like Duan De would never walk to his own death by choice — yet everyone had witnessed with their own eyes the way he had been shattered.
The Victorious Fighting Buddha appeared within Shencan Ridge and presented this washbasin-sized life stone to them.
“Uncle!” The Holy Prince’s voice trembled as he spoke. This stone had been exchanged for the old sage ape’s life — the danger of that moment had been extreme.
“I am fine. As long as you have not attained sainthood, I will not enter sitting meditation — I will wait until you are strong enough.” The Victorious Fighting Buddha said, then led the several arhats and the guardian vajras in preparing to return to the Western Desert.
“If that is truly so, then I would rather never achieve sainthood!” The monkey said.
A trace of warmth appeared in the Victorious Fighting Buddha’s expression. He said: “Foolish child — all people must die in the end. No one is excepted, unless they attain immortality. Your uncle and your father — neither of us will succeed. I hope that one day you may enter the immortal realm, transform into a Warring Immortal, and fulfill your father’s deepest wish.”
What sort of being lay dormant within the primordial ancient mine? That was a question everyone yearned to know the answer to.
The old sage ape said only this: it was a former supreme sovereign, one he greatly feared. He did not wish to say more, fearing to bring calamity down upon later generations, and with that, he departed.
No one could avoid death — without attaining immortality, there would be no eternal life. And to shatter the natural order, a cruel price must be paid!
The rock of heavenly destiny, the Netherworld Heart, the primordial life stone — all of them now in hand, and in generous quantities. The hearts of everyone present stirred with excitement.
The number of divine primary minerals in their possession determined which stage of evolutionary fluid could be refined.
The third stage? They were deeply reluctant to settle for that.
They held several portions of the precious fluid, all of them approaching the fourth stage yet not quite reaching it. Using three types of primary minerals to nurture and refine them would very likely elevate the quality of the divine fluid.
“And yet I am still not satisfied. If we could find one more primary ingredient, there would be no need to nurture and warm the fluid — we could extract it directly, and refine a great quantity of it!”
“I have it!” Something stirred in Ye Fan’s heart. He felt there was a good chance of success — that it was truly possible to extract the fourth-stage evolutionary fluid properly.
Everyone looked to him, a ripple of excitement passing through them all. This was the opportunity for achieving sainthood. If it succeeded, more than a few of those present could take the most pivotal step of their lives.