Within the Jade Pool lay clear lakes, towering peaks that pierced the clouds, magnificent waterfalls, and serene bamboo paths winding through quiet groves — a landscape of endless variety.
At that moment, petals rained across the sky, and the notes of the qin rang out clear and crisp, echoing through this pure land, peaceful and serene.
And yet every cultivator present broke into a cold sweat, soaking through their clothes, each of them chilled from head to toe — for the Heaven-Reaching Platform was suffused with a killing intent beyond compare!
Petals scattered in profusion, their fragrance filling the air, drifting down crystal-clear and translucent, swirling around the white-robed God King as he gently plucked the strings, playing out the ultimate truths of heaven and earth, carrying within it the very aura of the universe’s first opening.
“Pop!”
Another charging Ancestral King was shattered, brilliant blood blossoming, staining the resplendent rain of petals, releasing the scent of life amid the gentle breeze.
Petal after petal, crystalline and countless, their light fragrance lingering, shimmering with the brilliance of life, the pure white petals drifting down after being stained with streaks of blood.
“Pop!”
Another soft crack sounded, and hundreds of blood blossoms burst open — the fourth charging Ancestral King exploded, crimson blood staining the sky, his body torn to pieces, falling upon the Heaven-Reaching Platform.
A magnificent scene, and yet one stained with the splendor of blood. Amid this peace and serenity bloomed a killing edge that overawed the world — the white-robed God King had played out the Divine Melody, leaving everyone shocked and terrified at once.
In the blink of an eye, four Ancient Kings had been shattered to pieces, reduced to fleeting shadows of the past. Such destructive power — how could it not shock the onlookers?
He sat alone at the front, as if he alone could hold back a thousand armies, a single man seated in the pass, blocking the way of kings, overawing more than twenty primordial Ancestral Kings.
The white-robed God King did not move, letting the petals rain down freely, his gaze deep and profound, fixed upon all the Ancestral Kings before him. Heaven and earth fell utterly silent, save for the sound of falling blossoms.
The Divine Melody had come into being!
Not only were the humans shaken — even the various primordial clans were stunned, and then filled with boundless fear.
This melody was not entirely tied to one’s cultivation — it was a manifestation of the heart and mind, an understanding of the Dao, and a deeper comprehension of the countless faces of the mortal world.
The elevation of one’s spiritual realm, though it could not represent the whole of one’s combat strength, was nonetheless a manifestation of a cultivator’s greatest potential — carried to its utmost extreme, it might one day illuminate the human world.
The white-robed God King could be called a man of ill fate — half a lifetime of solitude and hardship, a life of desolation, a lost love that could never return. He carried too many regrets, and perhaps it was precisely because of this that he had come to comprehend the Divine Melody, a piece which almost no one throughout history had ever been able to touch.
After a long silence, among the four great Ancestral Kings, Tengqing spoke, sighing: “Very good. The Divine Melody appeared once in the primordial era, astonishing the ages past and present. I never had the chance to hear it then, but today I am fortunate enough to witness it. Though it has only just begun, it is already enough to move heaven and earth, to make even ghosts and spirits weep.”
The moment the melody began, it had instantly slain four Ancestral Kings — who could fail to be astonished? This was truly a world-shocking, murderous melody, and yet it unfolded with such serenity that people did not know whether to savor it or tremble in fear.
“He is powerful, but in the end he is only one man. I ask the Tengqing Ancient King to act, and kill this human hero!” an Ancient King spoke from the ranks behind.
The others, too, felt the pressure weighing on them, and asked the four great Ancient Kings to act together to eliminate the human Sage.
“I am rather looking forward to this. All of you, step back,” the Tengqing Ancient King said, stepping forward, the cold light of his bronze battle armor gleaming — a true legacy-grade Sacred Weapon, one that inspired awe in all who beheld it.
He advanced step by step, walking slowly, his expression indifferent, betraying no emotion, save for an occasional flicker of eagerness in his eyes, as though he had fixed his gaze upon his prey.
“Tengqing delights in the thrill of the hunt — does he wish to push toward a higher realm, to attain his own Dao through this incomplete Divine Melody?” the Taiming Ancient King said in a low voice.
“He is playing with fire!” the Xuedian Ancient King, the only woman among them, said coldly, gripping her crimson, crystalline dragon spear, her killing intent the heaviest of all.
“Clang!”
In the hand of the Tengqing Ancient King, a beam of light appeared, over ten feet long, quickly transforming into a dragon spear, its shape nearly identical to that of the Xuedian Queen’s, equally terrifying to behold.
“Hmph!”
Seeing him mimic her own weapon, the Xuedian Ancestral King let out a cold snort, but said nothing more, watching quietly from behind.
“A talent seen once in a thousand generations — I hope you do not disappoint me. It has been many years since I felt such delight. Even if you give me just a little pressure, it will be enough,” the bronze-armored Ancient King said, advancing, an eerie brilliance appearing on his face, eager and hungry, almost pathological in his thrill at the hunt.
“Hum!”
The dragon spear shot through the void like a bolt of crimson lightning, thrusting forward. His movement was too fast, like a beam of light bursting through, carrying the dragon spear as he surged ahead.
The clash of metal rang out unceasingly, sparks flying in all directions, traces of the Dao blossoming everywhere, countless divine patterns bursting forth across the Heaven-Reaching Platform as the two clashed fiercely.
The God King’s hands moved across the strings, and the ancient qin shot out threads beyond counting, transforming into strands of Dao-light that collided with the dragon spear, producing a thunderous sound that carried for tens of thousands of miles.
“What a powerful Divine Melody!”
The Tengqing Ancient King exclaimed in admiration, gripping the dragon spear with both hands, his body transforming into a streak of green light, thrusting forward with tremendous force, aimed directly at the God King’s forehead, seeking to nail him in place.
Everyone cried out in alarm — this single thrust was too domineering, its brilliance filling the sky so that no one could open their eyes, as if it could pierce the very sun from the heavens, its divine might overwhelming the world.
It transcended the bounds of space, breaking open the shackles of time, a single dazzling moment illuminating all eternity — even the light-screen produced by the God King’s melody could not withstand it.
The dragon spear was unrivaled, piercing through every obstacle in its path. A thin line of blood appeared upon the white-robed God King’s brow, shocking to behold, trickling down.
“Ahh…”
The instant the dragon spear’s light faded, everyone cried out. Seeing this, every human cultivator present felt a chill run through their entire body — had the God King been killed?
But among the primordial clans, there was only shock — the Tengqing Ancient King, whose name had shaken the primordial era, was truly terrifying. A single thrust of unmatched power, crowning him among the world’s Sages, dominating the primordial age.
“Clack!”
A soft sound rang out. The God King extended two fingers, catching and snapping the dragon spear’s shaft — the spear’s tip stopped less than an inch from his brow, the divine force surging forward but unable to draw any closer.
“Thud!”
The God King’s left hand pressed down upon the guqin, and thousands upon thousands of beams of light shot forth, slashing toward the Tengqing Ancient King, forcing him to retreat like a flash of lightning, narrowly avoiding the strike.
“Truly powerful — you have not disappointed me. You are worth taking seriously,” the Tengqing Ancestral King said.
The various primordial clans were shaken to their core, while the human cultivators nearly collapsed with relief, letting out long breaths — moments ago, the God King’s life had hung by a thread, and every heart present had been gripped with anxiety.
Now, only one human Sage remained here, and the God King had become their spiritual pillar, the only Sage they could rely upon.
The battle between these primordial Sages had begun — this was a clash in the void, an application of the Dao, an understanding of the ultimate truths of heaven and earth. A single strike here could shatter tens of thousands of miles of mountains and rivers.
Had the Heaven-Reaching Platform not been carved by the West Emperor himself, inscribed with the formation patterns of an ancient Emperor, it would long since have collapsed into dust — only such a battlefield could withstand their confrontation.
“Great Earth Vine King!” In the blink of an eye, five hundred exchanges had passed, and the Tengqing Ancient King let out a great roar, and in all directions, forty-nine dragon spears manifested around him at once, more terrifying than before by an incalculable degree.
Spears filled the sky, divine brilliance everywhere, like countless stars trembling — the world itself seemed to be collapsing, chaotic energy swirling, as if all things were ceasing to exist, returning to the very origin of heaven and earth.
“The Tengqing Ancient King truly is terrifying — worthy of being called a king among Sages, one who has few rivals in this world,” some of the Ancient Kings behind him exclaimed in admiration.
Such a world-shaking blow — aside from the Haoyang, Xuedian, and Taiming Ancestral Kings, none of the others believed they could withstand it; anyone else who faced it would surely die.
“Clang!”
A single note broke through the chaos, and the Heaven-Reaching Platform reappeared, with the white-robed God King still seated there, playing his qin, divine light bursting forth one strand at a time — aside from the thin line of blood on his brow, he remained unharmed.
“What — he’s unharmed!” everyone exclaimed in astonishment.
“Your strength exceeds my expectations.” The Tengqing Ancient King spoke calmly, but he had become even more terrifying — in his hand now appeared a gilded phoenix-winged glaive. Though not a legacy-grade Sacred Weapon, it was still awe-inspiring, as though a divine phoenix had been imprisoned within it.
“Kill!”
At this moment, an even fiercer battle began. In the blink of an eye, eight hundred exchanges had passed, and the two combatants remained evenly matched, with neither able to gain the upper hand.
“This battle must end now!” the Tengqing Ancient King roared, swinging the gilded phoenix-winged glaive with a resounding hum, carving open small worlds one after another, which then came crashing down.
This was the power of a world!
Since ancient times, there had been no shortage of Ancestral Kings, but those who could reach this level of power were rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. At this moment, chaos surged forward with tremendous force.
“Zheng!” “Zheng!” “Zheng!”…
The white-robed God King played his qin, no longer with serenity but with a sharp, clashing resonance, each pluck of the strings ringing out like the clash of swords, echoing through the heavens, shooting forth beam after beam of terrifying light, cutting through countless laws of the Dao.
It could be seen that the divine music had transformed into primal light, weaving back and forth, its offensive power beyond all reckoning!
“Ahh…”
The Tengqing Ancient King cried out, sent flying backward, the gilded phoenix-winged glaive in his hand shattered into dozens of pieces, falling to the ground like scrap metal.
“What — has the Tengqing Ancient King lost? How can this human hero be so powerful?!”
It was not only the primordial clans — even the other Ancient Kings were struck with terror. Tengqing had shaken the primordial era, capable of stirring the eight directions with a single stomp, and yet here, even his weapon had been destroyed.
“Clang!”
Tengqing leapt back to his feet, his expression cold, yet without a single wound upon him, the cold light of his bronze battle armor still gleaming, awe-inspiring as ever.
“I possess a legacy-grade Sacred Robe, indestructible through a thousand calamities — you will never be able to break through it. Let us see how you fight now!” Tengqing shouted, his whole body radiating light that pierced through heaven and earth, as he swung his fist, unleashing countless laws of the Dao, charging forward.
Legacy-grade Sacred Weapons were rare in this world — even in the hands of an ordinary mortal, they could unleash world-destroying power, let alone in the hands of a true Sage-King.
With this bronze battle armor, his defense could be called invincible — outsiders would find it nearly impossible to break through, able to shrug off countless attacks.
Behind the scenes, Ye Fan’s heart sank. He summoned Li Tian, intending to bring forth the Goddess Silkworm Furnace to give to the God King, but the Old Blind Man, who had appeared beside him without anyone noticing, stopped him.
“Offering it like this, it may not even reach the God King’s hands.”
“Your strength has exceeded my expectations time and again, but now it must all come to an end!” Tengqing’s voice boomed like thunder, and he unleashed his strongest divine technique, transforming into a beam of light that surged forward, punching through the light-screen ahead, striking directly at the God King’s forehead bone.
Everyone cried out in alarm — this great battle was about to reach its conclusion!
Many human cultivators could not bear to watch, filled with unwillingness, a sense of helplessness, anger, and despair all mixed together.
“Zheng!”
The final note of the qin rang out, like a heavenly sword thrust up against the nine heavens, and then gently split apart, echoing in every heart present before finally settling into stillness.
People saw that, aside from the thin line of blood on his brow, the white-robed God King remained just as ethereal and transcendent as before, wrapped in the falling rain of petals, still seated there — while the Tengqing Ancient King toppled backward, falling to the ground.
“How did you… break through…” He wore an expression of disbelief mixed with deep shock, and then with a soft “poof,” he shattered, turning to ash, leaving behind only his perfectly intact legacy battle armor.