Chapter 1067: 斗战圣皇一脉

Kunzhou the Great Sage had a grand-uncle named Di Que, whose astonishing talent was unparalleled, outshining even several ancient emperors of his time and shaking the entire Archaic period.

Di Que, renowned for his astonishing talent, achieved fame in his youth. He once challenged twelve clan masters in a single night, engaging in a bloody battle that shocked the world and sent shivers down everyone's spine.

Unfortunately, during that same era, the Fighting Saint Ape emerged. Possessing a similar divine physique and renowned especially for his combat prowess, he and Di Que became the two most dazzling celestial bodies.

The appearance of just one such prodigy would have been enough; two coexisting in the same generation naturally led to a tragedy. This rivalry resulted in multiple pinnacle duels, which were chronicled in the history of archaic divine wars.

In the Archaic era, a confluence of events saw myriad clans emerge. The competition in this grand age was exceedingly cruel; becoming an emperor was more challenging than ascending to the heavens, requiring one to defeat all the prodigies of the myriad clans.

These two swept across the Archaic realm. Inevitably, they had to fight to the death, progressing from Dao-Slaying to becoming Saints, then Saint Kings, and finally Great Sages. Throughout their lives, they engaged in countless battles, each one described as earth-shattering and ghost-wailing.

Indeed, in the eyes of the Archaic clans, they were lifelong rivals.

The most legendary battle occurred when they both became Saint Kings. Both were severely wounded and on the verge of death. However, Di Que struggled back from the brink, and after that battle, his life force suddenly surged, allowing him to live a second life and effectively doubling his lifespan.

This was undoubtedly sensational, shocking the Archaic world and causing an uproar among all clans. They almost unanimously believed that Di Que was destined to emerge victorious and become yet another emperor of the Archaic era.

To enter a second life without having yet achieved the Dao of an emperor was exceptionally rare, though not without precedent. Di Que and the White-Clad Divine King Jiang Taixu were among these few.

At that time, all the clans believed Di Que would ultimately prevail, as the Fighting Saint Ape had suffered severe injuries and expended a significant amount of his life essence.

However, in their ultimate battle as Great Sages, everyone's predictions proved wrong. The Monkey's father, with his peerless demeanor, illuminated the Archaic era. Though he barely survived, he ultimately emerged victorious, undeniably suppressing Di Que and becoming invincible throughout the land.

Afterward, Di Que lived a life of melancholy. His cultivation never advanced, remaining stuck at the Great Sage level. Despite the passage of time, he never took another step forward.

A prodigious figure whose brilliance once shook the past and present saw his aura rapidly dim, never again emitting a spark of light, culminating in a somber end.

In contrast, the Monkey's father, despite experiencing setbacks, battled his way upward. He made valiant progress on the path to becoming an emperor, defeating all opponents across the nine heavens and ten lands, and his dazzling splendor illuminated the entire Archaic realm.

The Monkey's father did not emerge without paying a price. The injuries accumulated during his lifelong, life-or-death duels with Di Que eventually transformed into a hidden Dao injury.

Initially, he paid it no mind, but a great catastrophe occurred when he attempted to reach the ultimate imperial realm and achieve final emperorship. The hidden Dao injury flared up, nearly causing his demise.

The consequences were severe. His first attempt at achieving emperorship failed, and he was practically given a death sentence. No one believed he could succeed again, as retrying the path to emperorship would be many times more difficult.

However, the Monkey's father was no ordinary person. When disaster struck during his enlightenment and emperorship attempt, bringing him close to death, he used the immortal medicine—the Peaches of Immortality—to overcome the fatal ordeal. Afterward, he emerged with renewed vigor, like a dragon and tiger, and successfully assaulted the ultimate imperial realm in one swift attempt.

It was astonishing at the time; despite being many times more difficult than his first attempt at emperorship, he passed through unscathed, his combat prowess reaching a heaven-defying level!

Di Que, who lived a second life, possessed a talent rarely seen since ancient times and a divine root that shone brightly, unparalleled in the world. Yet, he was defeated.

The Fighting Saint Emperor, after barely surviving and enduring countless hardships, ultimately triumphed. He lived a life without defeat, renowned for his supreme combat prowess, and was revered as the Saint Emperor—a tremendous honor, elevating him to the stature of ancient Celestial Emperors!

"My father might have been the shortest-lived among the ancient emperors," the Monkey whispered, "but his cultivation and Dao insight stood at the very forefront."

The Fighting Saint Emperor lived for just over ten thousand years, which was considered an "early demise" compared to other ancient emperors. This was partly because he consumed the immortal medicine—the Peaches of Immortality—too soon, and partly because he was immensely powerful. His path to becoming a battle immortal in the mortal world involved a cultivation and enlightenment process that was exceedingly fierce, greatly depleting his life essence.

The Fighting Saint Emperor's defiant path, aimed at ascending to battle immortal, ultimately fell short. His demise had a profound impact, causing the entire world to undergo significant changes prematurely. The Northern Region, in particular, lost all vitality, becoming an boundless, barren wasteland where not a blade of grass could grow.

Of course, even without the Fighting Saint Emperor's attempt to transform into a battle immortal, the rules of the Great Dao would inevitably have changed; his actions merely accelerated the process by many years.

"The great river flows east, its waves washing away all heroes; ancient emperors vied for supremacy, only to turn to dust," Kunzhou sighed.

"Di Que is dead… I still find it hard to believe," the Victorious Fighting Buddha said, frowning.

He was a figure comparable to the Fighting Saint Emperor! A lifelong rival whose brilliance illuminated the Archaic era, he surpassed all peers, defied fate to live two lives, and created miracles. He was just a hair's breadth away from becoming a Supreme Being.

It could be said that if he hadn't coexisted with the Monkey's father in the same generation, he would certainly have achieved emperorship. His combat prowess was superior to that of his ancient peers who possessed the potential for imperial rule.

"Even the Fighting Saint Emperor has passed away, let alone my grand-uncle; his demise is quite normal," Kunzhou stated.

"He lived a second life, one even longer than yours..." the Fighting Saint King remarked.

Everyone present also showed signs of doubt. Di Que's talent was extraordinarily high; he possessed dazzling brilliance, defied fate to live two lives, and commanded immense life essence, allowing him to endure for a very long time.

"He was indeed buried in dust a long time ago," Kunzhou said with regret.

"Back then, you were the one who made him act, weren't you? Otherwise, he would have remained aloof from worldly disputes; why would he have brought chaos upon the land?" the Fighting Saint King asked, his golden eyes sharp as piercing light.

"Indeed, I was the one who prompted him to act…" Kunzhou did not deny it.

Everyone was startled for a moment, then felt a sense of relief. As they recalled that period, certain mysteries began to dissipate.

The Fighting Saint Emperor rose with an unstoppable momentum, while Di Que, the peerless prodigy who could have stood beside him, met a somber end. Their paths, as lifelong rivals, no longer intersected from that point on.

After achieving emperorship as the Saint Emperor, the Monkey's father displayed great magnanimity. He never dwelled on past enmities, and even though he was invincible throughout the land, he never suppressed Di Que's clan.

"Your imperial brother possessed a spirit capable of swallowing mountains and rivers; naturally, he would not have sought trouble for my grand-uncle, and my grand-uncle himself harbored no thoughts of revenge," Kunzhou stated calmly, revealing the reason for Di Que's actions. "I simply told him that unless he broke free from conventional wisdom and stepped out of his unchanging world, he would never be able to achieve emperorship, even with his unparalleled talent."

"And that's why he acted?" the Victorious Fighting Buddha asked calmly.

"Exactly. To break the shackles of one's life, one must do what they ordinarily wouldn't want to do or couldn't do. His talent was not inferior to the Saint Emperor's in the slightest; he understood this principle even better than I did!" Kunzhou explained.

"I knew it. With his character, how could he possibly do such unwilling acts? You truly went to some lengths to instigate him," the old monkey remarked.

He held Di Que in extremely high regard, for he was, after all, a figure comparable to the Fighting Saint Emperor, whose only regret in life was his defeat to the latter's elder brother.

These were archaic secrets that would forever remain unknown to the world unless revealed. Even figures of the ultimate imperial realm faced various forms of helplessness. Upon learning this, people could only sigh softly.

Despite his loss to the Fighting Saint Emperor and his subsequent stagnation in cultivation, Di Que remained a formidable Great Sage. Back then, even the Saint Emperor's own powerful younger brother was gravely wounded and on the verge of death after their battle, crying out mournfully to the heavens and earth before retreating to the Western Desert.

"My grand-uncle fought you to a draw. He returned even more melancholic afterward and died shortly after."

Everyone was aghast. The Fighting Saint King had truly fought Di Que to the death in a battle from yesteryear. This was an absolutely terrifying event that shook the Archaic era, undoubtedly meriting a substantial entry in the history of divine wars.

"Two brothers from a single lineage, both capable of contending with Di Que—this is truly... defying the heavens!" All the ancient clans were utterly astounded.

Who was Di Que? He was someone who should have achieved emperorship, very likely becoming an extraordinary ancient emperor. It was merely a matter of being born at an inopportune time!

"Unbelievable, the Fighting Saint Emperor's younger brother is no weaker than his elder brother... If they hadn't been in the same generation, there might have been two emperors from one family!"

Both the human race and the ancient clans, upon learning these hidden secrets, felt their emotions surge, unable to contain themselves. Their blood ran hot, and they found it impossible to calm down.

The Fighting Saint Ape lineage comprised only a few members, yet they became a major imperial clan of the Archaic era. This was by no means mere luck; it was entirely logical.

Members of this lineage generally became Saint Kings with unparalleled combat prowess. When the Fighting Saint Emperor was five or six thousand years old, his elderly father was still alive, which is why he also had a younger brother.

The "Grand Supreme Saint Emperor" of that era was a legendary figure who left behind many tales. In this context, the flame of curiosity burned brightly in Ye Fan's heart, and he couldn't help but ask the Monkey. However, the Monkey stammered, unwilling to elaborate further.

"Di Que is no more; do you dare fight me alone?" the Fighting Saint King challenged, his spirit and energy rapidly surging, his golden fur shimmering brilliantly.

The powerful experts of all clans recoiled, and many immediately activated teleportation platforms, daring not to remain in that place. If Great Sages were to fight, the Middle Domain itself could be shattered and completely disappear.

Kunzhou's gray hair fell loose, and his lead-gray eyes blazed fiercely. He spoke calmly, "My grand-uncle narrowly lost to your elder brother, but I shall thoroughly reclaim that debt. Today, I will suppress you, washing away all shame. My clan is destined by nature to surpass your Fighting clan!"

The Fighting Saint King glowed with light, his aura instantly intensifying. "My Fighting clan," he declared, "how could we ever fear a challenge!"

"Monkey, today your life is destined to end!" Kunzhou said coolly.

"In the late Archaic era, you and others rampaged, arbitrarily establishing rules of order, causing heaven and earth to shake. Today, we settle it all!" The Fighting Saint King pointed skyward and declared, "A battle beyond the domain!"

"Very well, I shall send you on your way!" Kunzhou vanished in a flash, his vast aura instantly receding.

The Fighting Saint King also emitted a blazing light, disappearing from True Sage City and heading towards the Saint battlefield beyond the heavens.

After many years, the ancient outer domain battlefield was finally entered once more, and new saintly blood was about to be spilled.

"What should we do? We can't possibly go and watch; we can't even get close. To touch it would mean certain death!" Many expressed their regret.

"Quickly, activate the array platform's dharma eye to observe this battle!" an ancient clan expert urged.

Experts highly skilled in Dao patterns could set up peerless dharma eyes, capable of transmitting the battle situation from beyond the domain, allowing it to be clearly manifested.

Several Ancestor Kings quickly made arrangements, and in the blink of an eye, a massive array platform appeared, poised to project the battlefield beyond the heavens.

Beyond the domain, a profound silence reigned. Shattered weapons and colossal bone fragments drifted in outer space, exuding an ancient, desolate aura.

This place remained eternally unchanged—desolate, cold, and mournful—with nothing but the lingering traces of past saintly battles.

At this moment, a small metal warship emitted a tremor, transforming into a streak of eternal immortal light and surging toward the depths of the universe.

"This battle is irrelevant to me; I am merely here for the path to immortality," a wave of divine consciousness reverberated as it drifted far away.

If Ye Fan, Li Tian, or Yan Yixi were present, they would undoubtedly recognize it as the mysterious miniature metal warship they had encountered previously.

The brand on Ye Fan's body from back then was also inflicted by the mysterious individual within this very ship. It was foreseen by the Ancient Buddha of the Western Desert during his transcendence, who then helped Ye Fan sever it.

Kunzhou and the Fighting Saint King arrived at this battlefield, facing each other with cold resolve. This was destined to be a peerless battle. Both glanced towards the depths of the universe but spoke no words.

"Monkey, another Dao brother will also arrive today; he too wishes to exchange pointers with you," Kunzhou stated, his body enveloped in an immortal aura and immortal light that shook the cosmos. An aura of an ultimate imperial weapon even began to emerge from him.

"Shameless!" Outside True Sage City in the Middle Domain, the Saint Emperor's son immediately clenched his fists, filled with immense worry.