Chapter 808: Unyielding to the End
The monkey was murderous and overbearingly domineering, pointing the heavy black iron staff forward as if he could smash through a hundred thousand miles of mountains and rivers!
A creature with nine beautiful female heads but a phoenix body spoke, "The Ten Thousand Clans Grand Assembly is about to begin; all killing is forbidden now. Peace is paramount."
However, the monkey had already swung his great staff, striking forward with a slash that sent sand and stones flying, causing even the nearby low hills to be uprooted and on the verge of collapse.
He had already made his move, intent on killing the Celestial Prince, displaying unmatched ferocity and boundless dominance, completely ignoring the advice.
The mountain lords of Blood Phoenix Seventeen Mountains, the cave lords of Fire Qilin Thirteen Caves, and others—these were transcendent beings. The great clans that had produced ancient emperors held incomparably lofty status, and all other races paid them respect.
Who else would dare to defy their authority? Yet before them stood the Celestial Prince and the Holy Prince, both with astonishing backgrounds, putting them in a difficult position.
At this moment, neither side heeded the advice, and the conflict did not cease. Instead, it escalated toward a life-or-death struggle, causing their hearts to pound. If ordinary people had ignored their counsel, they would have already been killed.
"Clang!"
Sparks burst forth one after another, like meteors streaking across the sky, drawing dazzling and brilliant light outside the Jade Pool.
Several old servants stepped forward together, barely blocking this earth-shattering blow. They all staggered back several steps, blood trickling from the corners of their mouths.
The monkey was divinely brave and unmatched; his great staff was heavy and fierce, his aura surging. The nearby low hills were uprooted by the force of his staff, rumbling and collapsing in a terrifying scene.
Many representatives of the great clans were shaken to the core. This was the Battle Saint Emperor's own son, who had only just begun to sever the Dao, yet he already possessed such combat power. Who among the younger generation could contend with him?
"Both princes, please calm your anger. Whatever grievances you have, you can enter the Jade Pool to discuss and reason them out. Do not resort to force here," an ancient creature of great age spoke.
At this point, even the imperial clans of Divine Silkworm Ridge and Primordial Lake found it difficult to intervene in the dispute between the two princes, as neither was a simple figure.
The Celestial Prince's identity needed no explanation—he was the sole bloodline of a deity, to be respected by all races. Moreover, many guardians of the nine great dragon veins outside the Ancient Emperor Mountain had survived and were not wiped out by Wu Shi. Now, he had a formidable force behind him.
As for the monkey, he was no pushover either, especially recently. He inspired caution, and no one dared to provoke or offend him.
This was because Buddhist chants had come from the Western Desert, and the Battle Victory Buddha on Mount Sumeru was still alive, likely his own uncle. This weighed like a massive boulder on the hearts of the imperial clans, a heavy pressure.
The Battle Saint Emperor's younger brother had outlived his brother's era and survived to the present day. He might one day attain the Dao, a tremendous deterrent!
Previously, when it was heard that the monkey had been schemed against by some ancient clans, it hadn't seemed significant. But now, the situation was vastly different. Who would dare to play tricks? No one dared to make things difficult for him anymore.
If anyone else had caused trouble before the assembly, they would have been directly obliterated. But these two were both formidable; even the royal clans dared not touch them.
In the end, two great clans that had produced ancient emperors stepped in, placing themselves between them to stop the conflict. The people of Blood Phoenix Mountain and Fire Qilin Cave stood forward, blocking them and preventing the two sides from approaching. This was considered a sufficient explanation to those behind the two princes, avoiding a life-or-death outcome.
The monkey was very stubborn and had no intention of backing down. In front of everyone, he loudly cursed the Celestial Prince for previously allying with some experts to hunt him down—this matter could not be settled.
"Holy Prince, what do you intend to do?" an ancient creature asked.
The monkey insisted on killing the Celestial Prince and refused to compromise. The Battle Saint Ape lineage was always domineering, and after being hunted for half a year, he was filled with pent-up anger.
"This is indeed a serious issue. As the son of the Battle Saint Emperor, to be hunted by mere servants is a desecration of the ancient emperor."
Someone from the Divine Silkworm Ridge lineage, who had remained silent until now, stepped forward and spoke these words. Their status was revered and carried weight among the ten thousand clans.
Not far away, the Celestial Prince's expression changed instantly, but he said nothing. A major clan siding with the monkey was not a good omen.
"Indeed, without an explanation, this is hard to justify," another ancient royal clan member nodded in agreement.
Those leaning toward the Celestial Prince sensed trouble. If this escalated, would the two princes truly have to settle it with a fight to the death?
"It is all our fault. We should not have acted on our own, nor harbored hostility toward the Holy Prince, and certainly should not have led a pursuit. We, the old servants, are willing to die to atone for our sins," several old servants behind the Celestial Prince stepped forward.
"Indeed, as servants, daring to kill the Battle Saint Emperor's only offspring is truly excessive and deserves punishment," the Divine Silkworm Ridge person nodded.
Many changed color. This was clearly siding with the monkey, but they did not push too hard, only demanding the execution of these old servants without directly targeting the Celestial Prince.
"We will die to apologize to the Holy Prince!"
These three old servants were decisive. They immediately shattered their own divine souls, their brows splitting open as they died on the spot.
The Celestial Prince's eyes were dark and sinister. His face turned ashen, and two terrifying beams shot from his eyes.
"If you're not convinced, step forward yourself and fight me!" the monkey remained aggressive, pressing forward with his black iron staff.
"Enough, let it end here. Those who unjustly sought to kill the Holy Prince's son deserve death, but there is no need to widen the storm," a person from Fire Qilin Cave spoke, and other major clans echoed.
At this moment, many ancient creatures were silent as cicadas in winter. This was truly a clash of gods, and they dared not get involved. The waters were too deep, possibly involving the opposition and alliances of several major clans.
The monkey had arrived, killed two with his staff, and then forced three more to die. All five guardians around the Celestial Prince had perished, chilling many and showcasing his dominance.
For the Celestial Prince, this was undoubtedly a slap in the face, especially the public forced deaths of the latter three, turning his knuckles white with rage.
No one dared to discuss it, but many felt a chill in their hearts. Although today's clash was between the Holy Prince and the Celestial Prince, it also revealed issues among some imperial clans.
The monkey did not press further. He knew when to stop. Stirring things up to this point was enough; going further would not be wise.
Thus, the storm passed. Many cultivators entered the Jade Pool. People dared not get too close to either prince, fearing the other side's enmity.
The Human Sacred Body walked alongside the monkey, drawing much attention, but no one dared say much. Earlier, he had dared to call the Celestial Prince an egg and Yuangu a watermelon. Now, gathering together was only natural—equally lawless.
This confrontation ended with the monkey's great victory and the Celestial Prince's ashen face. Everyone had their own scales, weighing how to deal with these two in the future.
"They say the Celestial Prince's talent is unparalleled in history, a year of cultivation equaling a hundred years for others. Once he succeeds in severing the Dao, he will surely seek revenge fiercely."
"The Battle Saint Ape lineage is as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. In the prime of the ancient times, there were only three to five of them, yet each was heaven-defying. With such a small population, they ranked among the imperial clans and ruled the world. Do you think the Holy Prince, the emperor's only son, would have poor talent?"
The assembly was still a few days away, and the various clans discussed privately, but no one dared to rashly align themselves.
This was a great era. The bloodlines of ancient emperors were like dormant divine lions, all awakening in the same age. It wasn't just these two—there were also Huang Xudao, Huo Qizi, and others. Who was strong and who was weak was hard to say.
Snow orchids bloomed, scattering petals like snowflakes, drifting down in a white expanse.
This was an ancient forest of sturdy snow orchid trees, fragrant and lush, with snowy jade flowers hanging among the green leaves, refreshing the heart.
Ye Fan, the monkey, and Duan De sat around a stone table under an ancient tree, drinking freely and at ease. Soon, Li Tian and Li Heishui found this place and joined them.
"Monkey brother, mighty."
"Monkey brother, domineering."
They all felt exhilarated, especially Li Heishui, who harbored deep hatred for the Celestial Prince. He had been hunted to the brink of death and would have died long ago if not for the monkey's rescue back then.
"Prince, your clan at its peak had fewer than ten members. How did you manage to reproduce?" Li Tian, always concerned with life's great matters, studied this constantly.
The monkey was speechless but eventually admitted that their bloodline was very dominant. They could intermarry with other races, and any offspring would definitely be a sacred ape.
Duan De smiled slyly, "Prince, where is your clan's sacred mountain? When will you take us for a visit? I have immense admiration for the Battle Saint Emperor."
The monkey was a man of passion. Hearing this, he patted Duan De on the shoulder, "There will be a chance. I'll take you later."
"Fatty Duan, are you lacking in virtue? I think you're eyeing the Battle Saint Ape clan's cemetery, aren't you?" Ye Fan quickly stopped the monkey, telling him to keep his mouth shut.
"How can you doubt my character? I just want to purely investigate the unparalleled style of the Battle Saint Emperor!" Duan De said with a righteous face.
The monkey's expression turned unfriendly, but in the end, he poured Duan De a cup of wine, "Later, I'll take you into the Primordial Ancient Mine to help me retrieve something."
"Don't be so ruthless." Duan De quickly shook his head, flatly refusing, "Forgive me... I'm powerless."
Over the following days, many from various clans arrived. Every day, divine bells rang, signaling the arrival of distinguished beings worthy of welcome. Yet humanity remained awkward. Aside from a single Barbarian King, no one appeared who could hold the scene.
One day, another commotion arose outside the Jade Pool. Yuangu, from a demon mountain in Primordial Lake, appeared—another ancient emperor bloodline.
As expected, Yuangu walked alongside the Celestial Prince. Entering the Jade Pool, they stood shoulder to shoulder, facing Ye Fan and the monkey from afar.
"So this is Yuangu!" Ye Fan watched coldly.
He was a tall young man, robust, with black hair reaching his waist and bronze skin. Bands of demonic mist coiled around him, exuding a sense of pressure.
His eyes were peculiar. His left eye contained a black sun, and his right eye held a blood moon, making him appear extremely eerie. Ordinary people dared not meet his gaze, as it could devour one's divine soul.
He stood there quietly, like a black demon mountain, his physical body seemingly capable of crushing heaven and earth, sending chills down spines.
As soon as he appeared, he confronted Ye Fan and the monkey, immediately causing a stir. Many cultivators rushed over to watch from a distance.
"How ridiculous. The Ten Thousand Clans Grand Assembly is about to begin, and humanity has only sent a Barbarian King, not even a few presentable figures," Yuangu sneered, his face full of cold contempt. "When the ancestral kings arrive in person at the start of the assembly, I wonder what kind of people humanity will produce to sit as equals with them. Most likely, there won't be a single one worthy of sharing a table!"
Many human cultivators present were angry but dared not speak. This was indeed a fact. Relatively speaking, humanity truly lacked experts who could deter a region.
[Note: The author Chen Dong recently wrote a short story "The Legend of the Chivalrous" of about ten thousand words. Interested friends can check it out by searching for Chen Dong's microblog on Tencent.]