"Very well." Emperor Kumu clenched his fists, his eyes turning chillingly cold. "Since that is the case, do not blame me for discarding any past sentiment!" As he spoke, his wrinkled hand lifted, and a vibrant, verdant light sprouted from his palm. Slowly, a small green sprout extended, rapidly growing until it transformed into a blade of emerald grass.

"The Void Artifact of Wood Origin!" Emperor Bingxue and the Hall Master of Light both looked grave. They observed the tiny green blade emitting a pure, clear, warm, and profoundly heavy radiance, carrying a cooling fragrance that calmed the spirit. Every cell in their bodies seemed to breathe, experiencing an indescribable comfort.

The Golden Domain that had previously permeated the entire sky, dyeing it gold, now, at the instant the emerald grass appeared, saw half the sky shift to verdant green. Lush vitality sprang forth, and phantoms of countless trees layered upon one another, emerging between heaven and earth, radiating a soft, faint glow. "Myriad Forms of the Forest!" Emperor Kumu’s expression was frigid, his gaze sharp and severe.

The old man clenched his hand, and a series of cracking sounds emanated from within his body. The previously gentle wood-element energy instantly turned violent, like boiling water. Anyone within this domain could feel an overwhelming killing intent and peerless battle aura surging all around!

Wood-elemental energy is inherently rich with the vitality of life and should be soft, yet this energy became hardened, capable of taking root in dense earth and spreading seeds through metal. Life is the most tenacious force. Emperor Bingxue’s delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly.

A flicker of resolve crossed her clear, bright eyes as she slowly raised her slender, pale hand, seeming to cradle the void as if it were soft water. A streak of azure light slowly emerged from her palm and ascended—it was a single drop of blue water. This droplet was crystal clear, radiating immense azure light that illuminated the sky to an expanse of deep blue, like an inverted ocean, with clouds and mist churning like breaking waves.

Those observing on the periphery, such as the Six Stars of the North, felt their mouths go dry and their breathing grow heavy. Gazing upon the Void Artifacts held by these four Emperors, their hearts hammered. They knew that each of these Void Artifacts was an entity capable of destroying heaven and earth, rarely seen at any time, yet now, four of them had appeared at once!

Blue, gold, cyan, and green—four streams of light saturated the sky, dividing the heavens of the entire Ancient World into four distinct colors, a sight both beautiful and flawless. Behind Emperor Jinshan was the phantom of a towering golden mountain. Behind Emperor Longquan was the phantom of a sharp, massive sword.

Behind Emperor Kumu was the phantom of an endless forest. And behind Emperor Bingxue was the phantom of an inverted ocean, within which turbulent, magnificent waves could faintly be seen surging. Hall Master of Light and the others felt cold sweat prickling their palms.

With their power, they deeply understood the terrifying might of these four Void Artifacts. If all four were to strike a single Hall Master simultaneously, they could inflict grievous, irrecoverable wounds with just one move. "Hmph!" Emperor Kumu’s eyes were icy.

His aged body stood tall, and he spoke with a chilling tone, "Today, I shall see just how remarkable the Divine Sword of Longquan truly is!" Emperor Longquan’s eyes burned blood-red as he glared ferociously, sneering, "You will see!" He gripped the Divine Sword of Longquan tightly, unsure if it was excitement, rage, or sorrow surging within him. Veins bulged on the back of his hand as he roared suddenly, swinging the Divine Sword of Longquan in a crashing arc toward Emperor Kumu. "Dragon of the Heavens!" A deep, ancient voice echoed across the entirety of heaven and earth.

Amidst the sky filled with four-colored light, billions of sword intents suddenly shot out. Each sword intent mirrored the Divine Sword of Longquan, tearing through the void and agitating the spatial layers of the entire Ancient World. The power of every single sword intent was enough to slay a peak Spirit God!

These billions of cyan-gold sword intents whistled toward Emperor Kumu, gradually coalescing into a Sword Dragon, teeth bared and claws extended. Every scale on it was as sharp as a blade, making onlookers’ scalps tingle and their hearts turn cold. Those watching from the outer perimeter, like the Six Stars of the North, silently congratulated themselves that they were not involved in a battle between experts of this magnitude.

Otherwise, this Sword Dragon, formed from billions of sword intents, could tear apart their bodies and souls into countless fragments with a single charge, leaving not even a remnant consciousness behind. Emperor Kumu’s expression did not change significantly. He calmly raised his hand, and in the void before him, countless verdant vines spontaneously multiplied.

Each vine pulsed with crystalline life force, bearing emerald-green leaves that were nearly transparent, their textures clearly defined. Rumble, rumble, rumble... The Sword Dragon slammed into the wooden barrier formed by the intertwined vines.

Sharp claws frantically tore at the wood, sending splinters flying everywhere. A breach was quickly torn open, but just as the Sword Dragon prepared to surge through, countless verdant wood tendrils shot out from the gap, rapidly mending the rupture. Emperor Kumu stared at the Sword Dragon held at bay, his expression cold.

He slowly raised his hand and began to murmur an ancient and mysterious incantation under his breath. "Where my eyes gaze, heaven and earth become wood..." As he chanted, the boundless space within his sight began to sprout thick, coarse vines that coiled together, forming innumerable gnarled wooden dragons that lashed out toward Hall Master of Light and the others. "Where my body stands, heaven and earth become wood..." His entire form began to sprout branches and leaves; countless dark green vines burst forth.

Patches of emerald-like green leaves spread across his skin. And within the illusion of the endless forest phantom, robust great trees sprouted. Some of these trees spewed fire, others shot out sharp swords, and still others vomited stones.

All of them roared forth, unleashing billions of beams of light that hammered down like a deluge upon the Hall Master of Light and his group. "Where my heart leads, heaven and earth become wood..." The moment this chant concluded, the Hall Master of Light and the others felt a chilling horror as they realized their very flesh was beginning to stir, as if countless ants and insects were writhing beneath their skin. Slowly, green sprouts emerged and grew vigorously, transforming into tentacle-like wood vines that wrapped around their bodies, tightly enveloping them.

Emperor Bingxue frowned. The moment the green sprouts emerged on her skin, they were instantly frozen into ice, then shattered into countless ice crystal fragments that drifted away in the wind. The blue droplet in her hand slowly unleashed a dazzling divine light that enveloped the Hall Master of Light, Clan Leader Heixue, and the others, causing a beautiful, dreamlike blue luminescence to envelop each of them.

As this light radiated outward, the writhing wood vines on their bodies ceased moving, frozen into countless blocks of ice. With a struggle from the few, they shattered completely with a loud crash. Those observing from the periphery were chilled to the bone watching this terrifying scene.

They hadn't expected Emperor Kumu to be so fearsome, capable of restraining the Hall Master of Light and the others without deploying any overt offensive techniques. Although it was clear they hadn't unleashed their true power, achieving this effect was already incredible. Ye Chen stood within the Divine Ark of Heaven’s Path, his brow slowly furrowing as he watched the battle outside.

A hint of coldness flashed in his eyes as he looked toward Emperor Kumu. "Is this the Divine Ark of Heaven's Path?" Bai Yijun asked, looking around the luxurious and beautiful central control room with a measure of awe. Ye Chen turned to her, his gaze softening, and he smiled faintly.

"This Divine Ark of Heaven’s Path is a Void Artifact. Every material inside here is indestructible. Even a simple water cup, with just a small amount of auxiliary material added, could be forged into an ordinary Dao Artifact!" Bai Yijun’s pretty face was filled with astonishment as she surveyed the surroundings.

"Did your master leave this for you? It hasn't suffered a single scratch, and judging by its appearance, all the major systems have been maintaining operations continuously. It seems your master put a great deal of painstaking effort into it!" Ye Chen smiled lightly.

"Master of Heaven’s Path is my greatest benefactor. Without him, I would not be who I am today." Bai Yijun nodded slightly. Having been around Ye Chen for a long time, she had heard mentions of the supreme figures of the continent and knew what a terrifying person the Master of Heaven’s Path was—a figure so formidable that countless people across the entire Ancient Continent had once united to attack him!

At this point, the fierce battle on the periphery had officially begun. Emperor Bingxue gracefully turned her wrist. The blue droplet in her hand carried a sharp, piercing light that bored through the wooden wall formed by the myriad intertwined vines.

Although the droplet appeared soft, it was actually incomparably sharp. Among the various energies, water embodied both rigidity and flexibility—it could wear away stone, yet it could encompass all things. After the sturdy wooden wall was pierced by the blue droplet, the Sword Dragon roared to the sky, baring its fangs and claws as it surged forward, slamming down upon Emperor Kumu’s head.

"Shatter!" Emperor Kumu’s eyes were piercing. He clenched his fist, and the small green grass in his palm merged into his body, manifesting on his forehead as a patterned emblem. A flash of green lightning sparked in his eyes as he shouted, raising his hand to fiercely grip the Sword Dragon in the sky!

Boom! The entire Sword Dragon let out a piercing shriek. Innumerable verdant vines erupted from within its body, coiling around it, crushing it into fragments.

Emperor Longquan let out a long cry to the heavens, raising the Divine Sword of Longquan in his hand. This divine sword, which had reigned supreme across the Ancient World, whistled forth, tearing open the entire sky and splitting time and space in two. Spectators on the outside felt their thoughts momentarily pause, becoming utterly blank.

Swish! As the sword descended, the cyan bead on its hilt erupted with a brilliant divine light, enveloping the entire Divine Sword of Longquan, causing the blade to shimmer with an autumn-water-like radiance, humming softly. The sword intent around the entire Divine Sword of Longquan boiled and surged, shredding the void.

The pressure surrounding this divine sword was so intense that any Divine Emperor level expert approaching would have their soul instantly pierced by the consciousness of the invisible sword intent. Emperor Kumu tilted his head back and looked toward the heavens, letting out a cold laugh. His aged hand suddenly transformed into a massive branch, entirely dark, with wood grain patterns that seemed etched by a knife, bearing a profound mystery—it looked like a diagram of secret runes.

This branch-like arm suddenly stretched thousands of feet long and swung out to collide with the Divine Sword of Longquan. "Break the Heavens!" Emperor Kumu roared, his eyes cold and sharp. Boom!!

The Divine Sword of Longquan smashed into the giant wooden palm. A violent shockwave radiated outward in all directions. With a sudden crack, the Divine Sword of Longquan whistled past, its sharp blade slicing through the giant wooden palm and bearing down upon him.