Chapter 1050: Feint to the East, Strike to the West
In the latter part of the night, the starlight was cold and clear, the silver moon slanted westward, and all was silent. Thin mist swirled around the mountain peaks, creating a scene of plain tranquility.
Ye Fan and the Holy Prince both sat cross-legged on green stones, their expressions serene, without joy or worry. Even as an army pressed in from tens of li away, they showed no reaction at all.
This was a tactic to drain the morale of the Celestial Prince’s forces. No matter how loudly they clamored, the two remained as steady as a mountain, unmoved. Still as a maiden, yet when they moved, it would be like a divine lion tearing apart an elephant, with blood spraying in all directions, awaiting a thunderous strike!
“After all these years, just what realm has the Celestial Prince reached?” Ye Fan asked. Before the great battle began, he naturally needed to understand thoroughly.
The Holy Prince had originally been in seclusion, not expecting Ye Fan to suddenly launch an offensive, traveling day and night to reach the Southern Domain to coordinate his thunderous strike. Upon hearing the question, he said, “He’s in the same realm as you, standing on the sixth small step of Dao Severing.”
Ye Fan’s eyes flickered. This Celestial Prince was indeed formidable, advancing at a rapid pace. No matter how hard Ye Fan had cultivated over the years, he hadn’t been able to leave him behind by even a single step.
Seeing his expression, the Holy Prince said, “You should be proud. He severed the Dao before you, which means you’ve caught up to him. If he knew, he’d surely be indignant.”
Dao Severing was a difficult process; otherwise, the heirs of divine dynasties and holy lands like Guhua, Jiuli, Daoyi, and Zifu wouldn’t have fallen one after another. Of the former holy sons and holy maidens, few remained now, long replaced by later generations and turned into a handful of yellow earth.
When Ye Fan returned to the other shore of the starry sky, it took him three years. Only after accumulating deeply did he sever the Dao, directly advancing to the third small step. But from then on, every further step was filled with trials.
At first, he could advance one small step per year, but later, it took him a full eight years to successfully take another step, moving from the fifth small step to the sixth.
“How strong is his actual combat power?” Ye Fan asked. This was the issue he cared about most.
“Extremely strong, beyond estimation,” the Holy Prince said solemnly. Otherwise, he would have already killed this great enemy long ago and wouldn’t have let him live until now.
The occasional assistance from Huang Xudao and Huo Qizi was one reason, but the main factor was that the Celestial Prince himself was strong enough, far surpassing ordinary people, with a bloodline power unparalleled through the ages.
The Holy Prince’s fur gleamed brilliantly under the moonlight, as if cast from gold. His expression was grave as he revealed a secret that was enough to shock the world.
“He has a great battle almost every month, a life-and-death duel with an inconceivable existence. Do you know who it is?”
Ye Fan looked suspiciously at the solemn Holy Prince, asking him and listening intently.
“At least ten times a year, he fights against the young Immortal Emperor!” The Holy Prince’s voice was very low.
“What?!” Ye Fan’s gaze blazed, shooting out two lightning-like beams of light, a look of astonishment on his face.
This news was shocking to hear—fighting against the young Immortal Emperor was like a dream! That was someone regarded as surpassing the gods, revered by all races.
“How is this possible?”
“The Immortal Emperor was very strict with his only offspring, leaving behind many methods to temper him.”
It was said that the Immortal Emperor’s cultivation was unfathomable, and he had left behind an indestructible imprint of his youth. Only his bloodline could activate it, allowing the imprint to revive for duels.
Upon hearing this, Ye Fan furrowed his brow. What a terrifying teaching method this was, beyond the reach of ordinary people. Fighting against the legendary supreme being of all races was something any Dao-seeker would desire.
“He’s suffered quite a bit over the years,” the Holy Prince said teasingly, a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth.
Ye Fan nodded. “That’s true. The Immortal Emperor is likely the strongest in all of history. Even inheriting his bloodline and divine arts doesn’t guarantee being able to match him.”
“I really hope the young Immortal Emperor beats that kid to a pulp, but I imagine a father wouldn’t do that,” the Holy Prince said with a laugh.
Ye Fan rolled his eyes. Expecting a father to cripple his own son wasn’t realistic.
The mist on the mountain turned into ribbons, wrapping around the peaks and spreading through the forest, blending with the moonlight into a silver-white expanse. The two exchanged insights seriously, analyzing their powerful opponent.
“Before the Celestial Prince was born, he was inside a stone immortal fetus, located at a Creation Source Eye. That alone could make his life origin a hundred or a thousand times stronger than others’!”
Ye Fan had entered the Purple Mountain and seen that terrain. Even now, he felt deeply moved. Several generations of Origin Heavenly Masters couldn’t find a single Creation Source Eye—it was a truly heaven-defying immortal eye that seized creation.
The Immortal Emperor had left the best environment, making his bloodline power unparalleled in the world. Step by step, he nurtured the Celestial Prince, making it impossible for him not to be strong. Who knew what other heaven-defying methods were left behind?
“Hmm, their morale isn’t as high now, is it?” the Holy Prince said with a smile.
It was now the darkness before dawn. Soon, the countless stars would fade, and this night would pass.
“They came with great fanfare and soaring morale. Let time wear down their peak momentum, and we’ll strike when they’re in decline,” Ye Fan said with a smile.
Suddenly, a golden edge appeared on this main peak. A portal opened, and the Big Black Dog strode out, followed by the Dragon Horse and the unscrupulous Taoist Duan De.
Seeing this trio, Ye Fan felt it was strange. Not a single one of them was a good sort—three bad eggs gathered together. Especially looking at Duan De’s lecherous smile, it always made one feel uneasy.
Behind them, Ye Tong, Dongfang Ye, and the others followed out, all rubbing their hands together, seemingly extremely excited.
Ye Fan waved his hand, and countless Source Heaven array patterns appeared, turning into a dense web of Dao marks that sealed this mountain, concealing their auras to prevent anyone from deducing anything from tens of li away, since the distance was too close.
“With that sly grin on your face, you’re definitely up to no good,” Ye Fan said, staring at the Big Black Dog.
“Damn it, this emperor will spit a mouthful of immortal nectar and jade liquid all over your face,” the Big Black Dog cursed, immediately pulling a long face, looking very displeased.
“It was this poor Taoist’s idea. A flash of inspiration—I want to pull off a big one,” Duan De said with a grin.
His face was ruddy, his hair jet-black. He wore a purple-gold kingly Taoist crown, with a true dragon wood hairpin stuck in it. He was dressed in a sun-and-moon Taoist robe, with a yin-yang diagram on his back. Every item on him was a rare treasure. But aside from these external things, no matter how you looked at him, he didn’t seem like a good person, giving one the urge to punch him.
“You charlatan, what crooked scheme are you plotting?” Ye Fan warily stared at Fatty Duan. This guy was no good.
“The Celestial Prince has mobilized his forces and come here. I imagine his lair in the Northern Domain must be empty. Let’s go and wipe out his nest,” Duan De said with a shameless grin.
“You really are something!” the Holy Prince said with a loud laugh. Though he said that, he was clearly pleased and approving.
“This idea is really good. Lord Dragon already agreed earlier. If we’re going to do it, let’s do a big one!” The Dragon Horse shook its head and wagged its tail, puffing white mist from its mouth, looking overly excited.
“You three…” Ye Fan rolled his eyes. He knew that when these three bastards got together, nothing good would come of it.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Miss this village, and there won’t be another shop,” Black Emperor said arrogantly, very dissatisfied with Ye Fan’s attitude.
Ye Fan’s expression turned serious. “Setting aside whether we can find the Celestial Prince’s lair, even if we find the place, can we really ransack it? There are likely Primeval Ancestral Kings guarding it.”
“I know where the Immortal Emperor’s Palace is,” the Holy Prince spoke up. At the same time, he said that there were indeed Primeval Ancestral Kings stationed in that area, but they were some distance from the Primeval Dao Field.
“How far exactly? This emperor came here to ask you that. That’s what I care about most,” Black Emperor said, his bronze bell-like eyes flickering. This was clearly no joke.
“No one except the Divine Son and his serving attendants can enter the Immortal Emperor’s Palace. Several Primeval Ancestral Kings are in seclusion on the main peaks a bit farther away in that region…”
The Holy Prince explained in detail, even drawing some terrain maps on the ground, precisely estimating distances.
“No problem. I can set up the number one heaven-deceiving secret formation in the world. This was used by Emperor Wu Shi back in the day to deceive the heavens. At this distance, fooling a few Ancestral Kings is absolutely no problem. We can pull off a big one!” Black Emperor said with full confidence.
“Haha…” Ransack the Celestial Prince’s lair! Let him bounce around in the Southern Domain for now!” Dongfang Ye, Li Heishui, and the others were all excited, extremely thrilled.
The Celestial Prince led the Eight Divine Generals south, mobilizing a great force that drew worldwide attention. He had even invited Huang Xudao, Huo Qizi, and Fire Qilin Child, with a Half-Saint backing them up. If their rear base was wiped out at this moment, it would definitely make him spit blood from rage.
In the end, Ye Fan and the Holy Prince also nodded in agreement. If the Northern Domain was unstable, the Celestial Prince would surely become frantic, and when he rushed back to save it, they could ambush him halfway!
“At that time, the Ancient Imperial Prince Alliance and the Eight Divine Generals’ army will fall into chaos. We’ll cut off their vital point!” Ye Fan said.
The Holy Prince narrowed his eyes, divine light flashing as they opened and closed. “We need to put on a good show. For now, we have to pin them down in the Southern Domain. It’s time for us to stretch our muscles and go a few rounds with them. Then, we head to the Northern Domain to collect the spoils. I hear the Immortal Emperor left behind several shocking immortal treasures.”
Duan De, Black Emperor, and the Dragon Horse—these three scoundrels—took the lead, opening a Domain Gate and heading straight for the Northern Domain. Ye Tong, Dongfang Ye, Li Tian, Li Heishui, and the others howled with strange cries, excitement written all over their faces as they chased after them.
At dawn, outside Qingxia City, a group of ancient clansmen stood with cold expressions, motionless like ancient divine statues. They had marched south with their army, only to find nothing—no one answered their challenge. It was like punching air, leaving them with a powerless feeling, their anger unable to vent.
“Aren’t you challenging the Celestial Prince? Your true body is here, so why don’t you dare to fight? Useless thing! Come as many as you like, and we’ll kill them all!”
“From now on, wherever the Celestial Prince goes, you’d better tuck your tail and hide forever. Otherwise, you’ll die without a burial place!”
“Just jumping clowns! How dare you contend with the Celestial Prince? You’re nothing but useless ants, never worthy of being the Divine Son’s opponent.”
Many descendants of the Eight Divine Generals shouted, their voices surging, causing the distant mountains to rumble and shake.
“When the Celestial Prince appears, who can rival him? From today on, those wretches can only kneel. They’re not even fit to be the Divine Son’s opponents!”
“Do you dare to come out now? If you show up, I’ll crush you to dust with one toe! What are you worth!”
In the depths of the eastern glow, a new day began. Outside Qingxia City, thin smoke swirled and mist filled the air.
“Chi!”
Suddenly, a blazing immortal light shot out. The Holy Prince tore open the void and charged into the crowd. His great staff swept horizontally, and those who had been shouting had their bones broken and tendons snapped, their brains splattering everywhere—a large number died.
“What? The Holy Prince is here! Stop him, kill on sight!” a master shouted.
But the monkey came and went swiftly, unmatched in bravery, his blood energy surging to the heavens. His great staff swept, shattering bones and flesh, exploding everything. He forcibly carved a bloody path, charging through, leaving over a hundred corpses behind as he vanished into the horizon.
“Fight outside the Ancient Forbidden Land!” These were the words the Holy Prince left behind, shaking many people’s ears with sharp pain, causing blood to seep out.
Outside Qingxia City, it was in an uproar. People had waited an entire night and finally saw results. Someone had made a move and set the location for the battle.
On the ancient war chariot, the Celestial Prince’s face was dark. He couldn’t stop it in time. Watching the monkey kill a batch of his men and swagger away, the heavenly blade in his hand emitted a blinding, piercing light, cutting across the sky.
“Damn it!” some ancient clansmen cursed hatefully.
But before the chaos and wailing could settle, another blazing immortal light appeared. A dark golden spear tore through heaven and earth, as if opening a chaotic passage.
The sharp, unmatched spear light shot out, stretching for over ten li, sweeping down. The ancient clansmen screamed, flesh and blood flying everywhere. Ye Fan descended with the spear, slaughtering in all directions!
“Pu!”
A flash of blood appeared, accompanied by a miserable scream. A Greatly Accomplished King was pierced through the forehead by him, exploding in the void.
“Where do you think you’re going!”
The Celestial Prince was furious. Killing right before his eyes was a severe slap to his face. How could he have any dignity left?
The Immortal Heavenly Blade in his hand turned into a bright, violent beam of light, like the Milky Way falling from the nine heavens, pouring down a sky full of blinding blade light, directly splitting toward Ye Fan.
“Dang!”
Ye Fan used the dark golden spear like a staff, swinging it, directly smashing the sky to pieces. Some ancient clansmen nearby all disintegrated, flesh and blood flying. The spear shaft, gleaming with black light, collided with the Immortal Heavenly Blade, producing a earth-shaking sound that made everyone scream and cover their ears.
“Very strong!”
Ye Fan had to admit this. This Celestial Prince indeed had an unparalleled bloodline through the ages, worthy of being the Immortal Celestial Prince, unmatched in divine bravery.
At this moment, the Celestial Prince’s expression was cold. The blade he had slashed shattered even the traces of the Dao, with chaotic energy spreading, yet it was blocked by the opponent in one strike.
Ye Fan naturally wouldn’t linger in battle. This was a powerful enemy who had been dueling the young Immortal Emperor for years, with unfathomable cultivation.
“A battle outside the Ancient Forbidden Land!”
Leaving these words, he merged his body with the spear, turning into a rainbow, piercing through a Greatly Accomplished King’s body, shaking him into four or five pieces, and vanishing into the long sky.
At the spot where he disappeared, four terrifying Dao marks appeared, annihilating that area, but they failed to hit him.
Outside Qingxia City, it was a clamor. People’s hearts surged with excitement. The long-awaited great battle had finally begun, filled with noise.
Thousands of li away, Ye Fan and the Holy Prince exchanged a smile. They could imagine that, given the Celestial Prince’s temperament, he would first scout the situation before going to the Ancient Forbidden Land, buying them enough time.
“Let’s go, ransack his home!” The two opened a Domain Gate and crossed over, heading to the Northern Domain.