“Hiss… hiss… hiss…”
The Golden Serpent Clan’s Third Lord flicked his forked tongue, his golden serpent form brilliant and blazing — nearly three meters tall — balanced upright on his tail, his cold serpentine eyes enough to freeze the blood.
The Stone Man was equally cold and impassive. He carried a smoldering anger — not long ago, he had been humiliated and defeated by the Human Sacred Body in front of everyone, nearly losing his life. He wanted to release that fury through slaughter.
The Gold-Devouring Beast was encased in an icy metallic sheen across its entire body. It was a unique life form, constructed entirely of metal, nearly indestructible. Twenty years ago, it had exchanged blows with Ye Fan — one of its arms had been warped and deformed in that fight, but it could not truly be destroyed.
On the other side, Ji Ziyue said nothing. Instead, she glanced at the Ancient Golden Roc, as though asking its opinion on how to proceed. In itself, that look was already a statement.
Everyone knew that the Golden Roc and the serpent clans — including the Soaring Serpent — were natural-born enemies. Legend held that the Roc consumed vast numbers of powerful serpents each day, a fact sometimes mistakenly told as the Roc devouring dragons.
“My true inclination is to kill them,” the Ancient Golden Roc said. “But the eldest of the three serpents is far too powerful — a very difficult opponent.”
“One word from you, Roc brother, and we fight with everything we have,” Ji Ziyue said with loyal conviction. “We’ve pledged this alliance — we stand as one.”
“Crunch… crunch…” Behind them, the Celestial Wolf — tall and powerfully built, white hair cascading loose — ground his teeth, his eyes flushing blood-red, a beam of scarlet light erupting from the crown of his head.
“I agree — kill all of them. Not one of those serpents walks away,” the Celestial Wolf snarled, his voice carrying the weight of boundless, burning hatred.
“Celestial Wolf brother — do you have a grudge against them?” Ji Ziyue raised her fist. “If so, then we absolutely cannot stand aside. We fight to the end!”
In the shadows, Ye Fan and Pang Bo were struck with sudden understanding. Ji Ziyue had been deliberately selecting her allies with certain enemies in mind. The Golden Serpent Clan’s three Lords had bathed the other shore in blood — and the very first great clan they had massacred on this ancient star was the Celestial Wolf Clan.
In pursuit of cultivating their terrifying ancient technique — the Soaring Serpent Divine Transformation — they had slaughtered indiscriminately, killing countless beings across the land. The Celestial Wolf Clan alone had suffered the deaths of more than a hundred thousand — not a single child had been spared.
That massacre had made them the second most reviled existence in the world, surpassed only by Ye Fan himself — branded a blasphemer against the divine. In the eyes of the world, their names were synonymous with atrocity.
Their cruelty had no limits, no trace of humanity — they slaughtered clan after clan purely to harvest blood and soul bones for their cultivation.
This particular white-haired Celestial Wolf did not belong to this ancient star — he had come from a distant domain. But upon learning that his kind had been exterminated, a roaring fury had long been burning inside him. He had never had the opportunity to strike at the Golden Serpent Lords — until now.
Ji Ziyue’s declaration filled him with a rush of gratitude. He threw his head back and loosed a howl that shook the sun, the moon, and the mountains, sending tremors through the entire ancient land.
“I act in the name of the Celestial Wolf Clan — and I will destroy every last one of you crawling things!”
“One silver wolf,” the Golden Serpent Clan’s Fourth Lord sneered, a cold, sinister edge in his tone. “Fancying itself the equal of the ancient divine Celestial Wolf? Killing one more makes no difference.”
“HOWL—!” The Celestial Wolf’s fury erupted. His silver-white hair thrashed wildly as his eyes flew wide, the blood-light retreating to reveal two blinding beams of silver-white that blazed with terrifying force.
“You Golden Serpents are far too arrogant,” said the Nine-Eyed Jade Toad, stepping forward from Ji Ziyue’s side. Among their group, this being’s power was second to none — a truly supreme existence.
“Just a toad,” the Stone Man replied coldly, stepping up on behalf of the Golden Serpent Clan. He needed powerful allies now and was eager to prove himself useful. “What gives you the right to speak so boldly?”
“I despise toads more than anything,” the Golden Serpent Clan’s Third Lord spat with deep hatred. These past years, both the Grey Flood Dragon and the Golden Toad had hounded them relentlessly — he had been carrying that resentment for a long time.
“I’ve heard that an elder of my clan has been hunting you,” the Nine-Eyed Jade Toad said. “How fitting, then. I’ll settle accounts with you myself today.”
Ji Ziyue, the Nine-Eyed Jade Toad, the Ancient Golden Roc, and the Celestial Wolf — the four leading figures of their group had each declared their position in turn. The others had little choice but to follow suit.
Of course, these personal grudges were only part of the picture. The deeper reason was simple: they would inevitably clash over the Divine Demon Fluid and the other treasures of this place. Eliminating enemies now would save a great deal of trouble later.
“What’s there to make of the word ‘battle’?” the Golden Serpent Third Lord said, cold and faintly contemptuous. “We once drove the Human Sacred Body into full retreat. These people will be no different — kill them all!”
Ji Ziyue let out a short, sharp laugh. “Funny — I heard from Roc brother and Celestial Wolf brother that your Second Lord was killed by the Human Sacred Body, rendered down in a cauldron, and consumed as meat. You drove him into full retreat? Did I mishear — or did it actually take your entire group just to hold your own against one person?”
The faces of the Golden Serpent Clan’s Lords darkened instantly. They looked at the Ancient Golden Roc, then the Celestial Wolf, then finally at Ji Ziyue — hostility radiating off them in waves.
“Is what I’m saying untrue?” Ji Ziyue asked lightly, a soft smile on her face, small dimples appearing, her teeth gleaming white.
“The Human Sacred Body won’t survive,” the Stone Man said. His gaze had gone crimson — every ounce of his hatred for Ye Fan concentrated in that stare. “We will eliminate him within ten days.”
“Enough talk,” said the Golden Serpent Great Lord, who had been watching in cold silence until now. He spoke at last — and when he did, he spoke with finality. “If battle is what’s happening, then let it begin.” He had been sizing up Ji Ziyue and the Nine-Eyed Jade Toad from the start, recognizing them as the two most dangerous opponents on the other side.
“Then we fight!” The Celestial Wolf had long since lost patience. The silver beams in his eyes shifted into something monstrous — a dark light that seemed capable of annihilating heaven and earth. With a thunderous roar, he charged first.
“I’ll meet you!” The Golden Serpent Fourth Lord surged forward, heading straight for the Celestial Wolf.
The Nine-Eyed Jade Toad rose into the air, its entire body shimmering with jade-colored radiance. Nine is the number of ultimate extremity — having nine eyes said everything about this being’s level. A single resonant croak, low and thunderous as a muffled peal of thunder, sent blood and qi churning through everyone present.
Many were shaken to their core. This was an extraordinary figure — a pinnacle existence among all the young Supremes gathered here — and they were all intimidated.
The Golden Serpent Great Lord showed no sign of concern. “Leave this one to me,” he said calmly. “The rest of you, kill everyone else.”
Boom!
At the same moment, the Ancient Golden Roc made its move. The serpent clan held profound significance for it — consuming serpent spirits would purify its Roc bloodline, bringing it closer to its primordial ancestors. Its wings spread wide, tearing apart the fabric of heaven and earth as it lunged toward the golden serpents — but it was blocked before it could reach them. The Gold-Devouring Beast had intervened.
The Gold-Devouring Beast’s combat power was extraordinary. It had consumed a small fragment of Dragon-Pattern Black Gold, dramatically increasing its strength, and had become one of the most fearsome combatants present. Its battle with the Ancient Golden Roc was fierce and relentless.
Rumble!
On the other front, the Stone Man, the Golden Serpent Third Lord, and the others launched their attacks as well, engaging the Mountain-Bearing Turtle and the Green-Blood Man — and the battle that erupted shook the heavens.
By far the most intense clash of all, however, was between the Golden Serpent Great Lord and the Nine-Eyed Jade Toad. Both carried bloodlines beyond reckoning, and their combat power sent chills through every observer.
“Everyone — don’t hold back,” Ji Ziyue called from behind. “Fight with your full strength. I’ll restore your divine power.”
Bathed in a soft, luminous glow, she seemed wrapped in a sacred veil of light. Streams of auspicious radiance lifted from her and flew toward the Ancient Golden Roc, the Nine-Eyed Jade Toad, and the others, flooding them with unending divine power and keeping them locked at their absolute peak.
In that moment, limitless energy from all four directions — along with primordial fragments scattered throughout the Divine Demon Burial Ground — gathered and poured into the bodies of the fighters on her side.
“Yes!” The morale of her allies surged. Each of them fought like a being reborn — fierce and unstoppable.
“Spit!”
Not long had passed before one fell. With no fear of depleting their fundamental power, Ji Ziyue’s side fought without reservation, unleashing their most powerful techniques without hesitation — and one of the enemy was struck down.
“Hmph. Cultivators rely on their own strength in battle,” the Stone Man bellowed, his advance unstoppable as he charged forward. “Let me show you what a true powerhouse looks like!”
His opponent was the Mountain-Bearing Turtle — whose defensive capability was staggering. In human form, it carried a shield forged from its own shell, blocking every blow the Stone Man delivered.
But when the Sacred Spirit unleashed its full might — howling and shaking the heavens — the Mountain-Bearing Turtle visibly struggled to withstand the pressure, blood spilling from the corner of its mouth.
This was a difference in raw power. Even fighting at its absolute peak at all times, the Mountain-Bearing Turtle could not overcome the Stone Man. This was a lineage whose physical constitution was unmatched under heaven — only a handful of beings, like the Human Sacred Body, could dare trade blows with them directly.
“The strongest defense still isn’t enough,” the Sacred Spirit roared. “I’ll shatter you like a clay jar!” His palms and fingers shifted through rapid seals and slammed down in rapid succession, smashing the shield apart. With a sickening sound, he clapped the Mountain-Bearing Turtle’s skull into four pieces — splitting open like a melon.
A chill ran through everyone watching. The Sacred Spirit was every bit as terrifying as its reputation suggested.
A Roc cry rang out. The Ancient Golden Roc abandoned the Gold-Devouring Beast, which it couldn’t seem to damage no matter how it struck, and turned instead to tear apart one of the nearby enemies — devouring it in a single snap.
“Is that all?” Across the battlefield, the Golden Serpent Third Lord’s power reached to the heavens. A single sweep of its tail across the high sky struck the Green-Blood Man squarely, sending jade-colored blood spraying across the air — nearly cutting him in two.
“Spit!”
The Golden Serpent Third Lord followed up immediately. Its coils wound tight around the Green-Blood Man’s neck, twisting until the head separated from the body. The serpent opened its gaping maw and crushed it between its jaws, blood streaming down as it swallowed.
The scene was brutal and savage. As the two sides clashed, five or six had already fallen — all of them supreme powerhouses in their own domains. But here, life was worth less than grass.
Those still standing were beginning to feel the cold weight of doubt, tinged with regret. This kind of blood-soaked struggle was too terrifying. Clashes at the level of young Supremes meant death and complete annihilation with every exchange. This was no longer the ancient path where they had once reigned unchallenged.
“Spit—” “Spit—”
Not long after, two more fell — one at the hands of the Sacred Spirit, one at the hands of the Golden Serpent Third Lord. These two were powers beyond reckoning, cutting through Ji Ziyue’s side and leaving blood scattered everywhere, claiming both lives on the spot.
No one had anticipated how brutal this battle would be. A fight to the death — and in so short a time, both sides had their numbers sharply reduced.
In the end, Ji Ziyue’s side was left with eight; the opposing side with seven. The numbers were nearly even — but it was clear that the Ancient Golden Roc, the Celestial Wolf, and the Nine-Eyed Jade Toad had suffered the greater losses.
In raw individual combat power, the Golden Serpent faction held the advantage.
“Is that the best you have?” the Golden Serpent Third Lord said, cold and contemptuous. “Trash, all of you — dregs fit only to be slaughtered. Let your blood nourish my body, let it feed the Soaring Serpent Divine Transformation, so that I may cut down the Human Sacred Body!”
Not far away, the Stone Man also went on a killing rampage. With a sickening crack, he seized and crushed the skull of one more of Ji Ziyue’s fighters, drenching himself in blood, cold satisfaction twisting his face. He could already see the possibility of joining forces with the powerful Golden Serpent Clan to destroy Ye Fan.
“All of you have been deceived,” a voice rang out — loud and sharp. “This girl already has the Divine Demon Fluid. She is the one you’ve been hunting. And you’ve been slaughtering each other on her behalf.”
Sangu appeared. He was tall and powerfully built, black hair falling to his waist, eyes as cold as stone. As a descendant of the ancient divine demons, his sensitivity to the Divine Demon Fluid and all things connected to it surpassed anyone else’s — he had the most standing to speak.
“What?!” The others reacted with shock.
Every gaze snapped to Ji Ziyue. Cold intent filled those eyes, killing aura rising from every figure.
“What are you all still standing around for?” the Golden Serpent Great Lord said with glacial coldness. “She is the one we’ve been hunting. Kill her, search her soul, and find the Divine Demon Fluid.”
The Nine-Eyed Jade Toad and the Ancient Golden Roc exchanged uncertain looks. Both had been chased by a Great Sage before — only to escape into an ancient formation thanks to Ji Ziyue. Taking a side now was no easy matter.
The Celestial Wolf and the others went pale, their expressions turning to iron. They had all said it — they would cut down whoever held the Divine Demon Fluid and claim the opportunity for themselves. Now, looking back, they had no face left to show. Every one of those words had been spoken right in front of Ji Ziyue, and this was the result — the one they’d vowed to kill had been walking alongside them for days, and not one of them had realized she was their own target.
“I never wished harm on any of you,” Ji Ziyue said calmly. “But you came for the Divine Demon Fluid, intending to kill me and my brother without a moment’s mercy. I had no choice but to protect myself — to survive. Even when I had opportunities to strike at you along the way, I never did.”
The Golden Serpent faction had no such scruples. The Stone Man stepped forward with a look like death. “Not even a god could save you now.” He lunged forward.
Ji Ziyue reacted without hesitation. She had come prepared — she produced the Void Formation Platform and moved to cross through the void directly. This was a formation far more extraordinary than the chessboard formation the Black Emperor had obtained; no one present could stop her.
But just as she was about to leave, a vast tide of golden blood energy rolled in like an ocean, carrying with it an aura she recognized instantly. She stopped.
Ye Fan arrived in a blaze of supreme divine might, his entire body radiating a divine radiance, as though a great emperor of the Human Clan had descended into the world. He stepped directly into the path of the Stone Man’s charge toward Ji Ziyue. “It was you who said it, wasn’t it?” he said. “That not even a god could save her?”
“BOOM—!”
With the sound of heaven and earth splitting, the Stone Man let out a scream of agony — his arms shattered once more. This time, Ye Fan gave him no chance. The Military Word Secret Art activated; divine power surged and roared. He summoned every ounce of his strength — divine transformation, ancient techniques, divine form — all merging into one.
Spit!
A spray of blood burst outward. Ye Fan used his divine transformation to lock the Stone Man in place, then his divine form tore him apart — ripped clean in two. He swung his golden fists nine times in rapid succession, each blow harder than the last, until the Stone Man was completely obliterated in the void, blood and fragments of flesh scattering in every direction.
“No — I refuse—!” The Sacred Spirit’s true spirit flew out, howling its defiance at the mountains and rivers.
But its end was already written. Ye Fan gave it no chance to escape. A single stomp downward, and the glowing spirit — small and humanoid — was ground to dust beneath his heel.
The impact of this reverberated through every person present.
It was not that the Sacred Spirit’s power had been lacking — it was that its will had been broken. The crushing defeat at Ye Fan’s hands before had stripped it of all courage and ambition to contest with him again. The moment it saw Ye Fan, its instinct was not to fight but to flee — and it was that instinct that undid it. Caught by the Military Word Secret Art and dragged back before it could escape, it had fought defensively with no will behind its resistance — barely putting up a struggle, essentially beaten to pieces without ever truly fighting back.
Without that collapse of spirit, it could have held on for at least a hundred exchanges, even against this opponent. But in the end, it was cowed by Ye Fan’s sheer dominance, and it died for it in front of everyone.
The blood of the Sacred Spirit splattered across the ground, and every person present felt the hairs rise on their skin. This was a supremely powerful Sacred Spirit — and it had died just like that.
“Who dares lay a hand on her?!” Ye Fan stood tall and radiant, light emanating from every inch of him, the Source Heaven Formation rising beneath his feet, his gaze sweeping across every figure in the field below him.