The old man paused, sighing softly to himself.

The wind rustled his snow-white sideburns, revealing a face etched with vicissitudes, devoid of any former heroic spirit.

And in his words, there seemed to be no trace of the ambition and courage of yesteryear. The once valiant youth had finally become a decaying old man.

"Li Zhou, Ying San Ye…"

Hearing the old man's sigh, those who recognized him felt a pang of sorrow in their hearts.

Of the nine provinces and four seas under heaven, the human race occupied seven, with Zhong Zhou as the leader, followed by Li Zhou. However, unlike the many powers that coexisted in Zhong Zhou, Li Zhou was truly dominated by a single entity.

The 'Taihai Wangge' (Grand Sea Royal Pavilion) had reigned supreme in Li Zhou for over three thousand years. The last of Li Zhou's other sects and sacred grounds had relocated three thousand years ago.

And the reason why the 'Taihai Wangge' could dominate Li Zhou was precisely because of 'Ying San'.

Ying San of Li Zhou had already shaken the Huangji three thousand years ago. In that era, he was the true number one under heaven, unmatched by anyone.

He had a record of wielding supreme divine weapons to destroy a sacred ground with a million years of heritage. His techniques of attack and subjugation had reached their peak three thousand years ago.

He had even obtained the fruit of an evergreen spiritual root, extending his life by thousands of years.

Countless experts had predicted that he would be the first to be crowned king after the near-ancient era.

But alas…

"Ying San, Master Ying San, how could you…" Listening to the old and complex voice and looking at the aged man who no longer possessed the heroic spirit of his youth, many older generation experts shed tears.

The former prodigy had now become like this. How could they not empathize and feel grief in their hearts?

If even a peerless talent like Ying San could not cross that threshold, what about them?

Many people felt complicated emotions, both for the old man and for themselves.

He was a cripple, so what were they?

"Master Ying San, you've come too?"

An old man stepped forward through the air, arriving before Ying San, bowing slightly, performing the disciple's salute: "Junior Shi Cheng, over two thousand years ago, I had the privilege of listening to your lectures on the Demon-Quelling Mountain in Li Zhou…"

"A descendant of the Shi family, your heart is appreciated."

Ying San nodded slightly, acknowledging the greeting. His seniority was extremely high. Although this old man was also from a prominent family, he was still just a junior to him.

"You still remember me?"

Shi Cheng was somewhat excited: "Your demeanor is still as it was yesterday…"

"Time is ruthless, what demeanor is left? Just an old fellow eking out a living."

Ying San sighed.

"Why isn't this old fellow making a move?"

Seeing Ying San conversing with Shi Cheng, seemingly without any intention of taking action, the young boy on the carriage frowned.

He absolutely did not believe that a person like Ying San would lose his ambition. Otherwise, he would not have come here today. But why wasn't he making a move?

He was a little anxious because he could sense that the Yuanyang Daoist's treasure refinement was about to end.

As the young boy frowned slightly, Ying San sensed it, his gaze falling, locking onto the young boy:

"So, you old demon, you've come too."

Old demon?!

Shi Cheng's heart jolted in alarm, and everyone present also felt a leap in their hearts, turning to look at the young boy on the carriage.

There were not many in this world who could be called an old demon by Ying San!

"This old fellow…"

The young boy's pupils constricted, both surprised and angry.

He was surprised that this old ghost could see through his disguise, and angry that this old ghost had exposed him. What did he want to do?

Crack~

With a bloody sound of skin being torn off, the porcelain doll-like young boy disappeared, replaced by an old ape that was seven parts human and covered in golden fur.

Whoosh~

The old ape was four feet tall, its fur a brilliant gold, its red eyes flashing with a cold light, its red armor mottled, its aura as deep as the sea.

The Great Ape Marquis?!

He's still alive?

Seeing the old ape, many people present were shocked, recognizing who this old ape was.

Although the demon race of the present world was far from the power it held in ancient times, occupying only one province of the nine provinces and four seas, its pure strength still surpassed the sacred grounds of Dong Zhou.

The demon race revered the divine ape and the great peng, and in the present world, the divine ape was the dominant force. This old ape was known as the 'Great Ape Marquis', the nominal strongest of the demon race in the Huangji!

It was rumored that he had not appeared in public for at least a thousand years, and many people suspected that he had long since died of old age. However, they had not expected that he would also come.

Would a demon race powerhouse come to pay homage to a human race king?

Some people pondered, subconsciously raising their guard, while others had already begun to retreat.

Whoosh~

The old man also tore off his human skin, revealing an old ape with fur as red as fire.

The Great Ape Marquis casually discarded the useless human skin, his red eyes fixed on Ying San, filled with fear and coldness:

"Old ghost, you're very good!"

"Whether I'm good or not is not for you to say."

Ying San glanced at the old ape indifferently:

"The Tian Yao Ge (Sky Demon Pavilion) does have extraordinary means, with intelligence that amazes even me. However, the thing I dislike the most in my life is joining hands with others,

and even more so with things that are not human!"

The struggle between the myriad races had lasted countless years, and their hatred for each other was deeply ingrained. Even though the human race held absolute dominance at this time, the human race experts would not forget the threat of the demon race.

Joining hands with the demon race was a great taboo in the human race, even if no one knew about it.

Whoosh~

A sense of oppression suddenly arose between heaven and earth. The biting chill pressed down like a mountain, and the Great Beginning Mountain fell into a deathly silence.

"Old ghost!"

The Great Ape Marquis let out a thunderous roar from his throat, his eyes seemingly burning with flames: "Without me, what could you possibly do on your own?"

Was this old ghost crazy?

Or had he made another breakthrough in these three thousand years, daring to face the Yuanyang Daoist alone?

The Great Ape Marquis was furious, but his heart sank to the bottom, and he began to retreat.

Even if he still had some tricks up his sleeve, he did not dare to directly bear the wrath of a suspected crowned king powerhouse, even if he possessed a supreme treasure.

He knew that above the suspended Heavenly Palace, there was still the Great Beginning Golden Bell!

He had also witnessed the power of the Great Beginning Golden Bell's revival before.

"What use would adding you have?"

Ying San sighed softly:

"Compared to this one, I am a cripple, but compared to me, you are not even worthy of being called a cripple!"

"You!"

The Great Ape Marquis was enraged, and a terrifying aura crashed in all directions like a raging wave, forcing back all the onlookers.

The onlookers all changed their expressions, but none of them resisted, allowing the aura to strike them and using the force to retreat.

Some even tore through the void and fled into the distance, without any hesitation.

"A crowned marquis old demon!"

Yuan Duxiu, who was being pulled back by Miao Meng, felt a tremor in his heart. This old demon's aura was tyrannical and fierce, and even a slight sense of it felt like countless corpses and seas of blood were churning.

It was evident how much killing he had done.

Whoosh whoosh~

As the gale howled, the Great Ape Marquis stared coldly, his upturned fangs flashing with a bloodthirsty light: "You are seeking death!"

"If I want to seek death, you are not worthy!"

The Great Ape Marquis's aura was extremely fierce, but Ying San seemed oblivious, only saying those words indifferently.

He did not pay attention to the old demon any longer. He raised his head again to look at the sky. Above the long sky, the phenomenon that shrouded hundreds of thousands of miles of the firmament was gradually subsiding.

Gradually revealing the true face of the Taoist priest, who was like a god or a saint, beneath the swirling clouds.

Under such circumstances, who would dare to take action?

If he did not take action, then naturally, the old demon would not dare to either!

"Ying San!"

Seeing the clouds gradually receding, and the Taoist priest about to reveal his true face, the Great Ape Marquis let out an angry roar in his heart.

Even if he was unwilling and hateful, he did not dare to linger any longer.

With a single turn, he grabbed the red-haired old ape behind him and crashed through the void.

In an instant, he had torn through the void and left.

Utterly decisive!

Boom!

Almost at the same time as the Great Ape Marquis crashed through the void, it seemed as if ten thousand thunderbolts exploded in the long sky, and heavenly music flowed down.

In an instant, the wind rose in the long sky, and an immeasurable and majestic force pressed down, as if someone had raised their hand and directly pulled down the firmament.

The sky, had collapsed!

At this moment, even someone as strong as Ying San felt a moment of daze, and the firmament actually showed double images.

A piece of 'sky' descended from above, filling all directions, pressing down on all fields, seemingly silent, yet infinitely majestic.

Once it pressed down, it had already enveloped hundreds of thousands of miles of the firmament. In an instant, the vast and boundless aura filled everything, occupying everything.

"What kind of spiritual treasure is this?"

Ying San stood still, gazing into the distance. He saw the 'sky,' which was seemingly formless yet tangible, descending and overlapping with the void for a moment.

And this overlap revealed the true color.

In the clouds of the formless yet qualitative 'sky', there were towering palaces, thousands of rays of light, and floating islands that could be seen everywhere.

There were divine waterfalls flowing, profound Daoist mysteries hidden, and the manifestation of laws.

The palaces, the divine waterfalls, and the floating islands all manifested laws, containing powerful and mysterious divine powers.

All the laws intertwined within, ultimately transforming into this strange object that was like clouds and like the sky.

It was like the 'Immortal Sky' in the legends of mortal stories!

His eyesight was excellent. Looking as far as he could, he could even see, above the towering and sacred palace complex, on the divine gate that reached the sky and whose height was unknown,

a strange text.

He had never seen this kind of text before, but just by staring at it for a moment, he actually understood the meaning of the line of text:

Taihuang Huangzeng Heaven?!

Was this the spiritual treasure that the Yuanyang Daoist had refined??

What was that text?

Ying San's heart was shaken, while the others present were already terrified.

No matter where they were, no matter how high their cultivation was, everyone felt the firmament pressing down, and the majestic aura was everywhere, as if mortals were facing the collapse of the sky, with no place to escape, no place to hide!

Boom!

There was silence between heaven and earth, but in the void, a loud noise exploded.

This sound was so grand, like an ancient star reaching the limit of its lifespan, as if a celestial body was instantly disintegrating under a terrifying force.

Its sound was vast and terrifying to the extreme. Exploding from afar, it made even the Great Ape Marquis's body tremble.

His mind buzzed, and blood seeped out!

"Yuanyang?"

The Great Ape Marquis, who was speeding forward in the void, was shocked. He focused and looked back, but he did not see anything in the void.

However, the alarms in his heart surged wave after wave, making his hair stand on end.

"Not good…"

The Great Ape Marquis's heart pounded wildly. He knew that even if Ying San took action, it would be impossible for him to feel such a terrifying crisis.

This must be the Yuanyang Daoist, who had succeeded in refining the treasure, attacking him!

But wasn't he seriously injured and unable to easily take action?

Did he deceive me?

The Great Ape Marquis's heart was agitated, but he had no time to think. He shook his hand and threw out the screaming red-haired old ape.

Then, with a step forward, his blood energy burst forth.

Boom!

His four-foot body suddenly swelled up, and endless divine light burned and seethed outside his body. Boundless power instantly filled his entire body.

Roar~~~

The void shook, and the mountains and rivers outside moved!

The Great Ape Marquis raised his hand and tore through the void, suddenly leaping up into the sky like a shooting star!

Then, he let out an extremely fierce roar:

"Ten Thousand Demons Gate!!"

Endless blood energy and divine power burned at this moment. Within the Great Ape Marquis's increasingly burly body, ten thousand rays of divine light and laws suddenly leaped out.

As his roar fell, the ten thousand rays of divine light and endless laws were already in the long sky under the blessing of the burning blood energy and divine power.

Outlining an ancient, mottled, and extremely fierce portal.

The portal was pure green in color, with distinct patterns, intertwined laws, and faint images of the sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, birds, beasts, insects, and fish.

There were even countless demon race figures.

Rumble!

The aura of a supreme treasure flowed across the seas, threatening to crush the heavens and the earth. The fierce and majestic aura filled the heavens and the earth, dazzling and terrifying.

The Great Ape Marquis possessed the royal blood of the demon race. From the moment of his birth, he had the memories of his predecessors. Cultivating for thousands of years, his cultivation was infinitely close to that heavenly threshold.

He knew very well how terrifying it was to defy the heavens and be crowned king in this world!

If it were in ancient or middle ages, such a person would have the potential and strength to compete for the supreme position!

Therefore, at the moment he sensed the terrifying aura, he directly burned his blood energy and divine power, urging the revival of the demon race's supreme treasure, the 'Ten Thousand Demons Gate'!

Boom!

It seemed as if ten thousand demons were roaring in unison, and layers of demon shadows appeared in the long sky, with a group of demons dancing wildly, as if they were about to revive.

"Hmm?"

Igniting his blood energy and reviving the Ten Thousand Demons Gate, the Great Ape Marquis's heart leaped wildly before he could even breathe a sigh of relief.

He suddenly raised his head,

only to see endless seas of clouds below, and above them, ten thousand rays of divine light and thousands of auspicious colors. Amidst all kinds of divine wonders, a white-haired Taoist priest was looking down.

Looking down at himself, his eyes were deep, like a sea of stars, and his person was sitting quietly, but it was as if the divine king of the Nine Heavens had taken his seat. His aura was majestic, boundless and endless.

"Since you've come, how can you leave as you please?"