“You are nothing more than a servant, yet you dare consider yourself supreme and roar at me?” From within the Imperial Tower forged of Eternal Blue Gold came an indifferent voice, filled with deep displeasure.

As one who was on the verge of attaining the Dao in this lifetime, he would shine with the most radiant brilliance of his era — save for the Ancient Sovereigns of antiquity, he could command the entire universe.

Even true Ancient Sovereigns of old would not dare look down upon him so, extending him a measure of respect. Yet a headless knight had the audacity to berate him thus, treating him as though he were nothing — it felt like an intolerable humiliation.

“Before a Forbidden Zone, spare us your airs as Lord of the Divine Court. Let alone that you have yet to attain the Dao — even if a true Great Emperor were to come here, what would that make you?!”

The headless knight’s words were cutting and merciless, even somewhat cruel, yet he spoke them naturally and with complete sincerity, without any intention of deliberate insult.

For in his eyes, this was simply the truth.

“Hmph!” A cold snort rang out from within the Imperial Tower, and the entire heaven and earth trembled. A Pressure Aura surged forward like a crashing tide.

In an instant, men and horses cried out. The headless corpse let out a great roar and charged forward, its imperial aura flooding the heavens!

The headless knight was clad in black iron armor, tall and imposing, wielding a black and cold battle spear, with a bearing that could subdue heaven and earth. Regrettably, it bore no head — its neck was stained with considerable blood.

Beneath him stood a towering stone horse, shaking its head and flicking its tail, neighing with its head raised high — powerful and terrifying. Its stone hooves, large as the mouth of a bowl, cracked open the void with every step.

This lone rider charged forward, shaking the entire Eastern Desolation. Though its killing intent was contained by the Undying Mountain and confined to this area, its aura still spread across the sky like an all-encompassing tide — not enough to destroy mountains and rivers, but more than capable of sweeping through the mortal world.

An imperial battle!

Everyone was stunned, all eyes turning toward that region, unable to believe what they were witnessing. The whole world was shaken!

Though most had never laid eyes upon an emperor, nor felt such fluctuations before, in this single instant they knew — this was an emperor’s power. Something set apart from all others. A force that transcended reincarnation, awakening something deep in their subconscious, making them instinctively recognize what tier of existence this was.

“What is happening? Has a true imperial battle broken out?” The crowd was horrified, all gazing with disbelief toward the distance.

Had the Undying Mountain not contained the killing intent, this world would surely have been drowned in a tide of blood, with the bones of ten thousand living creatures piled into mountains. Too terrifying — this was the power of an emperor, utterly irresistible.

“This… should be a true battle between Quasi-Emperors!”

A Great Sage made the assessment, his heart pounding with fear. Just touching upon the word “emperor” in its description — it truly could be called an imperial battle, far beyond their own level, not even in the same order of magnitude.

And had Ye Fan been present, he too would surely have been shocked. How could the true strength of a Quasi-Emperor be compared to that old serpent? To say it possessed such power would be a great overstatement.

A Quasi-Emperor — with that single character “emperor” attached, the difference became as vast as heaven and earth. It was an entirely new realm, one that could not be surpassed!

Boom!

Over at the Undying Mountain, the headless knight struck alone, yet it was as though a thousand armies surged forward. The surrounding Great Desolation remained unharmed, but the heavens had already been torn asunder — the battle extended beyond the domain, shattering numerous small celestial bodies into dust!

The stone horse beneath him — much of it had transformed into flesh and blood, terrifying beyond compare, releasing wisps of horrifying aura.

In this battle, had any Great Sage come to this place, they would all have been annihilated without exception. No matter how many came, they would all perish — they would simply not be enough to kill.

And this was only a Quasi-Emperor — not a true Great Emperor!

Hummm—

The Imperial Tower forged of Eternal Blue Gold descended, growing larger and larger, pressing down upon the headless knight and the war horse until both trembled violently and the void cracked open.

This was an irresistible imperial might — a vast and majestic authority. The Lord of the Divine Court had grown furious, no longer heeding the taboo of the Undying Mountain’s life Forbidden Zone, and began to strike with full force.

The headless knight was no sovereign — he was merely a servant sealed in place, guarding the gateway to the innermost sacred grounds of the Undying Mountain. Though supremely powerful, capable of sweeping through all enemies in the mortal world —

The Lord of the Emperor was clearly beyond that scope. Such power did not belong to the mortal world, approaching the level of a true sovereign — something that the knight could not extinguish.

Hummm—

The Imperial Tower forged of Eternal Blue Gold shook violently. Its thirty-three tiers seemed to fuse together with the thirty-three heavens, carrying the power to destroy every star in the sky.

Moreover, the primal energy descended like a river of stars — thirty-three streams in all, vast and boundless, each strand as heavy as hundreds of millions of units of weight, utterly beyond human endurance.

“Roar!”

The headless Quasi-Emperor bellowed. The sacred spirit horse beneath him also unleashed its divine might, joining together with the knight to resist — yet still it fell short, unable to hold on. It was pressed to the point where cracks appeared across its entire body, the black armor nearly shattering, and the battle spear keened with sorrow.

Hmph!

Suddenly, a cold snort rang out from the most central and mysterious ancient ground within the Undying Mountain. The entire Imperial Tower was struck like lightning, shaking violently, the light of its Eternal Blue Gold blazing brilliantly as it was sent flying sideways.

The headless knight broke free. His entire body ignited with blood and qi, recovering in an instant — and was about to charge forward once more.

But a divine thought from within the Forbidden Zone stopped him. A vast and majestic fluctuation emerged in person, pressing toward the Imperial Tower, causing a rumbling tremor throughout the area.

The Lord of the Divine Court’s heart lurched in fear, and he shouted: “I have no intent of offense, nor do I wish to make enemies of you — I am merely passing through. Why must you be so overbearing?!”

“Whether or not you intended offense, you know yourself. You even harbored designs on the sacred medicines of the Undying Mountain. Do you still hold the Ancient Sovereigns in any regard?” came the cold voice of the headless knight.

Now that the Ancient Sovereigns had awakened, things were no longer as they once were. The sacred medicines had owners once more, and no one could be permitted to come here and desecrate them — or flaunt their own power.

In the headless knight’s view, the Lord of the Emperor was using this place to demonstrate his strength to the powerful beings throughout the universe, laying groundwork for a future unification of the great cosmos. That had to be pressed back.

Hummm—

The fluctuations of the Dao were terrifying, sweeping through the stars of all the heavens. The celestial bodies far beyond this domain trembled — yet this stretch of land itself was locked still, without so much as a single quiver.

Ordinary mortals knew nothing of this, yet the saints perceived it fully, a chill running from head to toe. This display of power was too fearsome — beyond their comprehension. What could they use to fight against it? There would never be hope, for all eternity.

If the Immortal Road were to open, even fishing in troubled waters would be impossible for them. They could only act after the Ancient Sovereigns had entered. The gap truly was enormous — the difference between clouds and mud.

The Imperial Tower keened mournfully, trembling with a faint rustling, cracks appearing across its surface. Even the Lord within could not withstand it and was about to be dragged out.

“Bang!”

A shadow of light was yanked directly outward, while the presence within the Undying Mountain never showed itself — remaining deep within the ancient grounds afar — and yet such world-shaking divine might was manifested. It was staggering.

This figure was hazy, even somewhat indistinct, not entirely real. This was the Lord of the Emperor — yet this was not his true body, merely a divine thought projection!

The Great Sages present in this region were astonished once more. This Lord of the Emperor was truly remarkable — his true body had not come, yet his divine consciousness already possessed such unrivaled power, enough to match the headless knight. Too astounding!

No wonder the Lord of the Divine Court carried himself with such confidence. He truly was powerful. If his true body arrived — could he actually battle an Ancient Sovereign?

The sovereign within the Undying Mountain did not immediately move to destroy him, but observed — as though sensing something. The fluctuation did not surge forward immediately, but swept instead toward the distant horizon.

“Senior Sovereign, I have no intention of offense — this is all a misunderstanding.” In this moment, the Lord of the Emperor adopted a very humble posture, offering a sincere explanation.

However, the headless knight was deeply displeased. He had guarded this place across many generations and despised such people most of all.

The sovereign within the Undying Mountain said not a single word, as though above the need to speak. In the end, he made his move — a wisp of fluctuation surged forward, and fragments of the great Dao of heaven and earth instantly assembled themselves into a great hand, which seized hold of the Lord’s divine thought projection and was about to crush it to dust.

Everyone was terrified. The Forbidden Zone’s master had never shown himself from beginning to end, yet was on the verge of slaying a divine thought projection that possessed Quasi-Emperor-level combat power. Too fearsome. The gulf was immense.

“I address you as Senior Sovereign — but I do not fear you! Do you truly believe you are still the one who attained the Dao in ages past?” The Lord of the Divine Court roared back through divine sound, surprisingly forceful.

Everyone was dumbstruck. That there existed a person who dared to rebuke an Ancient Sovereign — too staggering.

“Is this a provocation against the dignity of a sovereign?!” the headless knight bellowed.

“What sovereign? The true Great Emperors and Ancient Emperors are all dead!” The master of the Divine Court roared, his voice shaking the entire Northern Dipper star domain, leaving everyone in a daze.

What did he mean? Was he denying the existence of all life Forbidden Zones?

The great hand temporarily assembled from the fragments of the Dao did not immediately clench shut, but allowed him to finish speaking — utterly unruffled, its patience extraordinary.

“I acknowledge that when a Forbidden Zone master fights with everything they have, they can return to their former peak state and remain unrivaled beneath the heavens! But do they dare? Could such an opportunity come once — or twice? What would happen afterward, they know full well in their own hearts!” The Lord of the Divine Court roared.

This was undoubtedly stunning news. How could ordinary people know of such things, having never imagined them at all? Who would have thought that a person who was on the verge of attaining the Dao would reveal the secrets within?

“On ordinary days, even if they are stronger than my true body, it would not be a difference of heaven and earth. For them to reclaim the most glorious heights of their former peak — they would only dare squander that state when the Immortal Road opens. Before then, would they truly dare kill my true body? They would not! I have no quarrel with you — I do not wish to be enemies. But if you force me, I too am without fear!”

The Lord of the Divine Court threw down fierce words and went all out. In this world, perhaps only one such as him — someone on the verge of proving the Dao — would dare speak like this!

“Pfft!”

The master of the Undying Mountain answered with action. The temporary Dao-assembled palm closed, directly grinding the divine projection to dust and reducing it to ash.

Overwhelmingly powerful — peerless and matchless! The Forbidden Zone’s master could not be resisted in the slightest. Such a powerful Lord of the Emperor, and yet he failed to move this one even a fraction — erased directly by the shattered fragments of heaven and earth’s laws.

The headless knight was about to step forward and retrieve the Imperial Tower forged of Eternal Blue Gold, to take it into the Undying Mountain. But in that very instant, several powerful divine thoughts reached out — like primordial divine fiends, like immortal sovereigns — so overwhelming that even he could not help but tremble.

More than one sovereign had made their move, seeking to seize the Imperial Tower forged of Eternal Blue Gold. Without question, they all came from the great life Forbidden Zones. This was an immortal material — enough to stir even those at the level of Ancient Great Emperors!

Boom!

Yet somehow, someone gave the tower a deflecting force, sending it hurtling away. And it was clearly more than one force acting upon it simultaneously — the tower was sent flying straight from the Central Domain into the Southern Domain.

The tower emitted a piercing blue light, eternal and inextinguishable, radiant as a burning flame, and it crashed directly into the Primordial Forbidden Ground!

Evidently, one of the sovereigns wished to gauge the true strength of the Forbidden Zone that had changed hands!

“Smack!”

Far beyond anyone’s expectations, the woman within the Primordial Forbidden Ground could not be bothered with any of this. She had no interest in seizing the tower, no desire to wade into muddy waters — and with a single palm strike, clean and crisp, the sound rang sharp and clear.

What followed was a shattering crack. The Imperial Tower forged of Eternal Blue Gold shattered, transforming into a vast rain of blue light that surged beyond the domain, pulverizing countless celestial bodies into dust and disappearing into the depths of the universe!