The White-Robed Divine King’s magnificence was undiminished. As he made his move, the blood of all who watched surged hot, and they cried out together, overwhelmed with blazing emotion.

High in the sky, that blood-red divine furnace radiated boundless light — crimson glow swirled, divine principles without end, the resonant thunder of the great Dao rang out unceasingly.

Six Ancient Kings bent at the waist and buckled at the knee. Unable to withstand the divine might, they resisted together — yet it was no use. Every bone in their bodies was crying out, on the verge of shattering.

Heaven and earth were a vast expanse of brilliance — light everywhere, laws everywhere. A furnace, crimson-red as blood, towered like a mountain, illuminating all beneath the sky!

Every soul was overcome. Six sages joined in resistance — still outmatched, still pressed beneath it, on the verge of being forced to their knees, their forms and spirits together obliterated.

People could only be astounded. The White-Robed Sage’s reputation was not hollow. The Sacred Technique of the Battle Saint was without equal in the world — even the Hengyu Emperor Furnace had been manifested from it. What else could possibly be beyond him?

“Ah—!”

All six sages cried out, every one of them coughing great mouthfuls of blood. Their bodies were bending further — if they did not kneel, they would perish as their Dao was consumed.

Finally, the seventh Ancient King made his move. He was immensely powerful — transforming into a flood of boundless white light, a great curtain of white like the Milky Way pouring down — merging himself with the Dao!

“Through a thousand ages, undying; through ten thousand tribulations, unbroken; the Dao-law knows no bounds; splitting open heaven and earth!”

This Ancient King was extraordinarily powerful. It was as though within that boundless white light he had attained eternal life. He raised an enormous divine axe and cleaved straight down, intent on splitting apart the blood furnace in the void — as if he were cleaving apart heaven itself, with chaos energy surging forth.

One had to acknowledge — this being was supremely powerful. Earth, fire, wind, and water cycled around him. The breath of a new world surged toward all. He cleaved apart every obstruction; chaos light rushed in torrents.

This was no illusion. This was true primordial power — the aura of all things being born at the beginning, like returning to the very first moment of the Dao’s origin.

BOOM!

Faced with all of this, the White-Robed Divine King formed seals with both hands. Crimson glow billowed. The resplendent Hengyu Furnace rose higher — and then, astonishingly, it blocked that divine axe outright.

Nine divine phoenixes burst from the furnace, and a sun manifested on the spot. This was a form of imperial might — nothing like a manifested technique at all; it appeared to be a true ultimate Dao imperial weapon arrived in the flesh.

A fierce collision erupted. The sun and the divine axe crashed together, releasing light that would never cease — the entire sky and earth collapsed.

BOOM!

In that moment, every person went deaf. Nothing could be heard. The sound of that colossal impact caused the ears of many to bleed.

It was fortunate they had stood far enough away. Had they been closer, every single person would have been killed — reduced to dust, leaving not even a bloodstain.

This was a terrifying shockwave. The sun branded upon the Hengyu Furnace broke apart, and that heaven-cleaving divine axe also shattered into flowing light.

The shock waves produced by the collision were too horrifying — as though they had punched through nine layers of heaven. This was catastrophic destruction! Some of the elders within Yaochi cried out in alarm; the formation patterns just outside the pure land almost tore open. The force of this battle was beyond all measure.

In this place, boundless formation patterns had been laid — a battlefield carved out specially for sages, with ancient stones buried one after another underground, some inscribed by the West Emperor’s own hand.

When Yaochi had relocated, those foundations had not all been brought, but the most critical portions had been transported in their entirety.

This was what a battle between sages looked like — world-destroying, sky-demolishing — and even the battlefield prepared specifically for them had nearly been breached, with some small ruptures appearing.

“Ah—!”

The seventh sage cried out, his full head of hair surging upright. Eyes blazing wide with fury — yet he could not stop nine divine phoenixes from crashing into him, pressing him down beneath them.

BOOM!

High in the sky, the blood-red divine furnace rose higher — then slammed downward once more with tremendous force, suppressing all seven Ancient Kings together this time.

All who watched were struck dumb. What kind of battle power was this — one person alone suppressing seven sages, holding the upper hand entirely? This was brilliance of a matchless, awe-inspiring magnitude!

Among the seven Ancient Kings, four of them had not traveled far upon this path after stepping into this realm — but the other three were profoundly powerful, with the last one extraordinarily so, a supreme and fearsome adversary — yet still unable to prevail.

“Up!” The seven roared together. The sound shook the very clouds overhead and carried outward for tens of thousands of li. Every law and principle of heaven and earth shook in resonance.

With the seventh added, they became even more terrifying. They were nearly able to overturn the blood-red divine furnace and shatter it into the void.

In this moment, every sage’s crown orifice unleashed a column of blood, nearly punching through heaven and earth. They were truly pushing to the limit, drawing upon every last reserve of power.

“Ah—!”

The roar was earth-shattering, tearing open the ages, shattering the space around them, rumbling and thundering — like ten thousand horses charging at once, shaking the ears beyond all description. The seven sages’ furious cries tore across the river of time!

The blood-red divine furnace was rising — nearly being overturned. The seven sages erupted with power beyond all comparison, their hair standing on end and their vital energy surging like ocean tides, pouring out through their crown orifices.

Everyone cried out in alarm. Faced with all of this, if Jiang Shenwang were to fall — who else could possibly hold them back? All hope was gone.

In this moment, the White-Robed Sage had become the only person of the human race that anyone could rely upon — their spiritual pillar!

Everyone was terrified. Bodies trembling uncontrollably. The human race simply could not afford to lose this battle — they did not have that many Ancient Kings. Sages were too scarce. If he fell, the consequences were unimaginable.

“Heaven protect the Divine King!” Many prayed inwardly.

White robes billowing, Jiang Shenwang released a long cry — the sound moved through all six directions and eight wildernesses. He descended from above, his entire being radiating brilliance, landing atop the Hengyu Furnace.

This was an eternal image — no matter how many years passed, no one would ever forget it. The Matchless Divine King’s invincible bearing was fully displayed in this moment.

White robes surpassing snow — the Divine King Jiang Taixu, standing upon the Hengyu Furnace, descended. He pressed the seven sages further and further down, without cease — matchless, without rival!

“Ah—!”

The seven sages bellowed, every one of them coughing great mouthfuls of blood. Every bone in their bodies had cracked. They despaired — the human race’s sage was nothing less than the king among sages!

Seven of them combined could not shake him. They were being pressed beneath the Hengyu Furnace he stood upon, sinking without stopping. A profound sense of helplessness arose — the courage to fight had left them.

“Are all the sages proven in the post-primordial era this terrifying?” Even the most powerful of the seven Ancient Kings — whose will was the most tenacious — despaired.

Their bodies were groaning and shattering. Every law and principle around them had reversed, turning inward against their own flesh. And just then, as their physical forms failed to hold on any longer — on the verge of being forced to kneel in the most humiliating of postures at the feet of the White-Robed Divine King—

“Divine King — invincible!”

The crowd roared, their emotions blazing. The terrifying scene of defeat and destruction had not come. The White-Robed Divine King’s matchless bearing — suppressing seven sages with a single hand!

“Matchless Divine King!”

Though it was now more fitting to call him the White-Robed Sage, people were more accustomed to calling him the Matchless Divine King — for that conveyed his singularity, his difference from all others.

His white robes drifted in the wind. The Divine King Jiang Taixu stood upon the crimson blood furnace, illuminating all beneath heaven — as though he stood alone upon the absolute peak, surveying the vast earth below while all mountains were beneath him, and seven sages lay prostrate beneath the furnace at his feet.

This was the spirit of one who stands at the cliff’s edge and declares: “I am the peak.” Gazing down at the boundless world — even sages had fallen. They were about to kneel at his feet.

An eternal image — no matter how many years passed, it would be branded into the hearts of all who saw it, impossible to erase.

“Ah—!” The seven sages were on the verge of destruction, unable to endure this pressure any longer, throwing their heads back and roaring to the sky.

Yet in that moment — the White-Robed Divine King gave a brilliant smile, withdrew his supreme might, dissolved the Hengyu Emperor Furnace, and pulled all his aura back within himself.

He stood in white robes surpassing snow, alone in the void — and he did not deal the killing blow to the seven sages. He did not force them to kneel in humiliation either.

Heaven and earth fell silent. Every single person was stunned — even the seven sages were bewildered, frozen in place, not knowing what to say, not knowing what to do.

No one could have anticipated it — the White-Robed Divine King pulling back at the critical moment, choosing not to bring the divine furnace down in the final blow. Anyone watching knew with absolute certainty that he had the power to kill all seven sages moments ago. He could have made them kneel and die in humiliation — an entire lifetime’s renown dissolved into flowing water — and in doing so built for himself an incomparable reputation for dominance and power.

Yet he had not done that. His expression was composed and at peace. Standing alone in the evening glow, his bearing surpassed all who had come before.

The ancient clans went pale. Seven sages had been defeated by a single person — a sight to chill the soul. Many felt their legs go weak.

“Why did you not strike?” one Ancient King asked in a low voice.

“If killing goes on like this, when will it end? This is the gathering of ten thousand clans — not a great slaughter,” the Divine King answered.

The seven Ancient Kings fell silent. Their hearts could not be calm — there was bitterness, and there was loss. They had simply been defeated.

“Displaying power without wielding it as arrogance — that is a true king. The road ahead is destined to be far longer than the one we walk,” one Ancient King said softly with a long sigh.

Many among the human cultivators did not understand — why not kill the sages, who would then be rid of, one fewer terrifying enemy to face? Few understood the heart of the Divine King.

“We have been defeated. We are grateful that you spared our lives!” And in this moment, the seven sages bowed together in ceremony — stunning everyone present.

Whether from the ancient clans or from among the human powerhouses — all were struck speechless and wide-eyed. These extraordinarily powerful Ancestor Kings had a pride ground into their very bones that nothing could strip away. They did not bow to heaven, they did not pay tribute to the earth, and they would never lower their heads before anyone of equal standing.

In this world, unless an ancient Great Emperor were to return to life, they would never bow before any soul — yet in this moment, they bowed their heads before the Divine King.

What was a true king? One who makes even undying rivals pay their respects and feel genuine awe and admiration. The White-Robed Divine King had given the most perfect answer imaginable.

To make Ancestor Kings bow, to earn the ceremony of primordial sages — what unimaginable honor was this? Who in the world could achieve it?

In this battle, the White-Robed Divine King had not killed a single adversary. His robes bore not a drop of blood. And yet this moment was destined to shake all under heaven, to move every clan — and to inspire reverence in all.

“We underestimated the human race. You are a true king,” the seven sages said, bowing once more to the Divine King — and then turned to take their leave.

All were in a daze. From the beginning of history to this day — how many could claim to have received such a noble gesture of respect?

After a moment’s reflection, everyone understood. Not killing had been right. These seven — the Divine King could end them whenever he chose. But if he had killed them, the ancient clans of the primordial age would have gone berserk in retaliation, and the human race could not have withstood that.

Subduing through choosing not to kill carries far greater deterrence than a display of force and overwhelming dominance.

“You have all traveled to Yaochi — why not come inside and sit down, and speak freely,” the Divine King called out, inviting them to stay.

The seven Ancestor Kings paused in their steps — and after a brief hesitation, turned back. Together with the White-Robed Divine King, they walked into the pure land.

“Do not look down upon us for attacking together — for if we could not pass even this hurdle, the human race truly has no hope. Not only do we few disbelieve that Wushi still lives — there are those even more powerful who share this view. They… should all be arriving tomorrow.”

The seven Ancient Kings felt no shame in the matter of their joint attack. They laid out the truth with frank candor.

These seven had returned to their cold composure. They were nothing like the Dragon Head Ancient King — not impulsive or volatile. They sat only alongside the White-Robed Divine King and paid no heed to anyone else, completely ignoring all the rest.

This was destined to be a sleepless night — for when the sun rose, unknown fates would await every soul. Could the Divine King, alone, hold back all under heaven?

Many who considered this question felt their hearts grow heavy, unable to sleep. The night seemed so very long — and yet people found themselves hoping it would stretch on forever.