Chapter 1708: The Great Battle

A Divine General, once magnificent, invincible, and glorious, ended his life in this era.

As he sighed forlornly, this was no longer his era, nor the ancient epoch he envisioned; all his glory was buried in the past, gone forever.

The arrival of a golden age, a time of war, was destined to be a brilliant constellation of talents, likely far more terrifying than their own era.

Ye Fan, an imperial bloodline killer who emerged from among the Ancient Imperial Princes, was naturally even more terrifying. Upon encountering him, Divine General Kuntian could only die with regret.

Such individuals were rare throughout history. In his time, if they were of the same cultivation realm, only a young Ancient Emperor could contend with Ye Fan; most others would surely fail.

This was no longer their Primordial Era, but it was a grand epoch for this young man!

Divine General Kuntian died. In his final moments, the purple flame of his primordial spirit stared intently at Ye Fan, trying to see through him, but in the end, it was merely a sigh.

This era belonged to him, to this young, god-like powerhouse whose radiance illuminated the world. Old warriors like them should pass away; they could not compete.

Everyone was stunned. Ye Fan obliterated Divine General Kuntian, his robes unsullied by blood, his presence peerless. Standing there, his eyes flashed like lightning, his aura devoured mountains and rivers, dominating the eight directions.

"Kuntian, ah…"

Divine General Sun and Moon let out a long howl, his hair flying. He appeared very young, under twenty, radiating heroic vigor, but his eyes were filled with the marks of time. He yearned to rush forward immediately.

He was blocked by the bearded Quasi-Emperor from the Dao Palace's side, unable to advance.

Ye Fan stood unmoving beneath the starry sky, his expression cold and indifferent, as if nothing could shake his core resolve, not even those who had followed the Undying Sovereign.

His gaze swept across all directions. The battle was exceptionally fierce; distant celestial domains were boiling, countless powerhouses engaged in combat. Innumerable races, all great clans of the universe, were swept into this immense turmoil.

The dull thud of drums continued ceaselessly, like the roar of a Celestial Emperor, deafening. Everyone's blood and energy surged.

Upon the Phoenix Nest, the Undying Empress stood proudly, her figure slender. Of unparalleled beauty, her light hair danced, her pale jade face was indifferent, possessing an indescribable divine charm—truly a peerless beauty of her generation!

She was beating the drum. The Sovereign Drum, of unknown material, was entirely reddish-gold. Each beat emitted dazzling light, like a ripple, expanding to eventually become a forbidden vast sea, shaking the cosmos.

This drum was extraordinary. It caused the Undying Sovereign's followers' battle blood to boil, unleashing their full potential, boosting their strength, and granting them astonishing combat power, making them incredibly formidable. At the same time, the drumbeats could suppress enemies, greatly affecting the powerhouses from the Heavenly Court, Dao Palace, and Divine Organization.

However, this situation was not insurmountable. The Old God blew his horn, advancing step by step, approaching the Phoenix Nest under the protection of many powerful figures, including the White-haired Sword God and the Woodcutting Elder.

This horn, grown from an unknown creature, was dull and emitted a mournful, wailing sound, conveying a majestic, imposing desolation. It depicted a grand ancient world where myriad gods coexisted, races were innumerable, and a wild, primordial aura permeated.

Emperor Zun's war horn could negate the drumbeats and also boost the combat power of his own people.

These were two heaven-defying Imperial artifacts. Both were secret treasures, like Emperor Wushi's Investiture of the Gods, priceless and possessing infinite divine power!

"Fight! Kill all these people, honor our oath, protect the Undying Sovereign's glory, and eliminate them completely!"

"Kill! Slaughter all the rebels of the Undying Sovereign's lineage! For Emperor Zun, for the ancient Heavenly Court, for past glory—this is a life-and-death decisive battle!"

The cries of battle here shook the heavens, sword energy tore through the firmament, and every cold gleam shattered several stars. Brilliant light bloomed as countless armies charged.

Blood flew, heads rolled, and lives blazed forth. The fierce battle continued; countless powerhouses from various cosmic races had arrived to participate, making the scene grand and terrifying.

"Master, we're here!" someone shouted from afar. This was a wave of reinforcements: a young, golden-radiant powerhouse, radiating immense vigor, charged forward.

The Phoenix Nest faction immediately surged like wheat waves, many falling never to rise again. Yang Xi appeared, unharmed and having sustained no significant injuries.

Ye Tong and Xiao Song also appeared; they were the ones who found Yang Xi and brought him.

These three were now all Quasi-Emperors. This outcome unsettled all factions; several Quasi-Emperors from a single lineage was nothing short of a miracle!

With three of Ye Fan's disciples reaching this realm, how could others survive? The mere thought was terrifying. Everyone understood why the Undying Empress was so eager to act against them.

If they weren't suppressed now, how could they be resisted in the future?

Ye Fan and his disciples were all exceptionally talented, each possessing astonishing potential and abilities. If they continued to develop, they would become a formidable enemy to all forces in the universe.

Indeed, as soon as these three appeared, they swept through like a mountain torrent, overwhelming all strong opponents, leaving no one able to resist.

"Dong!"

With a violent tremor, a figure shrouded in dark mist emerged, leaping from the Phoenix Nest and attacking Ye Fan's three disciples. As its aura erupted, the surrounding universe creaked and began to crumble.

"Nether Demon General!"

Someone exclaimed in surprise; it was Nether Demon General, ranked third among the Eight Divine Generals!

It was known that among the Eight Divine Generals who followed the Undying Sovereign, four had certainly perished in the river of history and did not survive. Furthermore, the fate of the First Divine General was unknown, his whereabouts a mystery.

The Nether Demon General was the strongest among the three Divine Generals who had appeared so far!

"If you want to kill the younger generation, you'll have to get past this old man first!" The old man with yellow teeth appeared. At this moment, he was not lewd; his aura was like a rainbow, looking down on the world, blocking the Nether Demon General's path.

It had to be said, the Nether Demon General was too powerful. Black mist spread, surging to obscure the sun, engulfing this part of the universe. No one could step forward to help.

Everyone retreated; this starfield trembled violently, collapsing intermittently.

The yellow-toothed old man was in a grim situation; he almost drew blood the moment they clashed. It wasn't that he wasn't strong, but his opponent was simply too powerful. He quickly gathered his focus for a desperate fight.

The appearance of the Nether Demon General intimidated many and also stabilized the morale of quite a few.

"The remnants of the Heavenly Court will not amount to anything!" the Undying Empress said coldly while beating the war drum. Her arrogance filled the Old God's chest with suppressed fury, which transformed into an even more dreadful horn sound.

If the Undying Sovereign had not struck Emperor Zun with the Immortal Bell back then, how could things have come to this? Perhaps the Heavenly Court would have entered the Immortal Realm, establishing a legend of eternal life.

But now, the Heavenly Court had collapsed, its legends unfulfilled, while the Undying Sovereign left behind an eternal reputation, regarded as a being beyond gods. How could the descendants of the Heavenly Court ever give up?

The waves from the horn intensely collided with the blazing golden light of the Sovereign Drum, influencing the battle. The powerhouses in this area fought with reckless abandon, charging forward.

Just then, the Woodcutting Elder drew the worn-out chopping knife from his back. A heaven-shaking aura erupted, and a vast white blade light shot forth from the ancient knife, astonishing the universe.

He stepped forward, intending to attack the Undying Empress, to gain more initiative for the Old God and let Emperor Zun's horn resound throughout the starry sky.

At this moment, everyone held their breath. Peak experts were about to clash; those nearing apotheosis represented the current most formidable combat power. Who could fight?

"Boom!"

Suddenly, corpse aura surged to the heavens. A colossal figure emerged from the darkness, arriving beside the Phoenix Nest. A large green claw reached out, clashing with the blade light, producing a metallic clang!

The people from the Underworld had arrived, dispatching a true giant!

"The Master of Yama Hall?" The Woodcutting Elder's expression turned grave. This entire heaven and earth grew sinister. Dark mist permeated, chilling everyone to the bone.

The arrival of the Underworld's forces was enough to change the tide of battle. This being's power was too terrifying, making all heroes across the world wary.

"Hmm. I merely temporarily oversee Yama Hall; I'm far from being called its Master," the giant from Yama Hall corrected. He was not yet a Supreme Being, so that title was indeed inappropriate.

What was even more terrifying was the swirling dark mist in the distance. Dark lightning exploded, and a dreadful shadow appeared as an endless army from the Underworld arrived.

The leading figures among them were extremely powerful, including awakened Quasi-Emperor corpses turned battle-slaves, as well as conscious individuals. Their sudden appearance inflicted heavy casualties on Ye Fan's side.

"Puff!"

The bearded Quasi-Emperor, who was clashing with Divine General Sun and Moon, was struck by a formidable spectral entity. Two powerful foes hunted him, leaving him severely wounded, nearly dead, and spitting large mouthfuls of blood.

The Underworld's army was swift. Upon their arrival, they immediately exerted immense pressure, and their destructive power was shockingly formidable!

On the other side, the yellow-toothed old man was also roaring. Both he and the Nether Demon General had already splattered blood across the starry sky, and at this moment, another powerful battle-slave charged over.

The charge of the Underworld's army nearly caused their side to collapse. These individuals were too strong; the Underworld had deployed its most elite powerhouses, some of whom were Quasi-Emperor corpses they had nurtured for untold tens of thousands of years.

"Puff!"

Blood flew high. A group of Heavenly Soldiers and Generals suffered calamity. The Underworld initiated a swift and fierce deadly assault that left no one time to react, causing all powerhouses from every faction to tremble.

Awakened Quasi-Emperor corpses led the charge, more than one, forming a sharp blade that pierced through the front lines. Who could stop them?

The bearded man, the yellow-toothed old man, Yang Xi, and others were almost all wounded. The assault was too ferocious. Ye Fan's hair flew in anger, and he immediately moved, charging forward fiercely.

"Boom!"

In the distance, a blurry figure appeared and pressed down with a palm. The surging spectral soldiers instantly dimmed; forty percent perished, and that starfield itself shattered.

Gu Xinao appeared. Obeying Xiao Song's summons, he delivered a powerful strike, halting this army and eliminating a significant number of powerhouses.

"Indeed, he is the only one who can obstruct Emperor Wanqing's path!" said the giant from Yama Hall, who was confronting the Woodcutting Elder. His mouth twitched slightly; the loss of so many powerful spectral entities caused him immense heartache.

"Boom!"

Another palm strike—this was Ye Fan's peerless attack, instantly shattering three ancient Quasi-Emperor corpses at the front. Corpse flesh flew everywhere, black blood splattered, shaking everyone to their core.

"Scripture of Salvation!"

Ye Fan roared, commanding another prepared contingent of Heavenly Court followers to appear. They sat cross-legged in the void and began chanting scriptures, their voices echoing throughout the starry sky.

Gu Xinao immediately withdrew from this battlefield to protect Xiao Song and the others.

As the grand chanting began, the universe vibrated, runes filled the sky, and the spectral army roared, encountering the most terrifying impact.

The Yama Hall Master's expression changed. He said grimly, "It seems we truly cannot let you live!" He stared at Ye Fan, fierce light shooting from his green pupils.

Ye Fan scoffed, beckoning to him. "If you're not convinced, come here, and I'll cut you down!"