Boom!

The golden bell exploded into bits.

Golden fragments shot outward, embedding themselves in the walls of the Cloudy Palace of the Golden Arches.

Heavenly Emperor of Supreme Polarity stood with a wanton grin, then stared coldly at the Golden Cicada, who was coughing up mouthful after mouthful of fresh blood.

If Shakyamuni had come I might have some reservations. Now even you think you can suppress me?

Whoosh.

The thrust his right arm forward. An illusory fist of spiritual energy instantly formed and grabbed the Golden Cicada by the neck.

Urk..

The Golden Cicada clenched his neck. The veins in his neck bulged outward, his face completely red.

I wanted to take the throne without shedding blood but you. Youve been disobedient. Since thats the case, you can just go ahead and die.

Stay your hand!

Boom!

In the blink of an eye, the Heavenly Emperor of Supreme Polaritys illusory fist shattered into pieces. The North Pole Emperor stood and walked down the stairs, stopping only to pour some of his spiritual energy into the Golden Cicadas body before taking a few steps forward.

Five meters.

When there were only about five meters between him and the Heavenly Emperor of Supreme Polarity, he stopped.

Supreme Polarity, youve gone too far.

The North Pole Emperor looked so angry he was liable to burst. He glowered at his brother, his clothes fluttering as his spiritual energy whirled around him.

The atmosphere throughout the hall grew heavy beneath the weight of the North Pole Emperors fury.

Youre angry?

The Heavenly Emperor of Supreme Polarity laughed, utterly unconcerned. He simply smiled at the North Pole Emperor and said, do you really want to fight me, your older brother? Little brother, don't forget just who it was who taught you how to fight.

I dont wish to see us brothers fight either, but.. Supreme Polarity, you really have gone too far, said the North Pole Emperor. He glowered at his brother coldly, then brushed past him and made his way out of the hall.

Ill wait for you outside. Win and the throne is yours. Lose and go the hell back where you came from.

Then, without any excess words, he walked out of the hall.

The Heavenly Emperor of Supreme Polarity hesitated for a while, then cocked his head to the side and laughed, a sharp glint in his eyes.

Youre truly a disobedient little brother.

..

What do you mean by that? Lei Hu stared, eyes bulging, and shouted furiously at Gu Li, theyre in dire straits? Youre not trying to tell me that you demons have surrounded all three sacred lands? Youre boasting; theres no way thats possible. This already your entire military might. You want to surround all three sacred lands? Thats nothing but a pipe dream.

Even when their grand formation still protected the Beast Region, they didnt dare refer to themselves as a sacred land. The three sacred lands, since they dared refer to themselves in such a way, naturally knew everything that went on in their respective realms.

There was absolutely no way to force your way into a sacred land from the outside.

The only possibility was attacking from the inside, from the inside..

From the inside!

The Flying Serpent Clans betrayal flashed through Lei Hus mind. Had people within the three sacred lands allied with the demons as well?

But the structure of the sacred lands was dramatically different from the Beast Regions. Convincing their people to rebel....

That wasnt quite possible, was it?

Clan head Lei Hu, it seems youve thought of something? asked Gu Li playfully. Is it that you think no one could possibly betray the sacred lands? You seem to have overlooked humanitys innate greed and desires.

As he spoke, Ye Zichens expression darkened dramatically.

Gu Li saw this and laughed, it seems Emperor Ye has already heard about the situation?

The Four Sacred Beast clan heads glanced at Ye Zichen, only to see him nod back ambiguously.

Gu Li, Im sure Ive already said this more than once, but not killing you back then was a huge mistake on my part.

Ye Zichen stared at him darkly, seemingly liable to burst with fury. Just now, hed glanced at his phone.

The discussion group was frantically sharing information. Quite a few messages included pictures. Although hed only looked briefly, he still roughly understood.

The three sacred lands were in a very tight spot.

Emperor Ye, saying such things! Youve really disappointed me. Dont forget that were both from the Gu Family. Were brothers of the same clan! Gu Li shook his head in distress. If we brothers join forces, what couldnt we achieve? Yet you always insist on standing against me, even if it means a fight! Can you even imagine how disappointed our familys senior generation would be if they heard about this?

We walk different paths; we cant possibly work together, snorted Ye Zichen.

What a pity. In truth, Ive always wished we could work together, said Gu Li. He let out a melancholy sigh, then started picking his ears. Theres nothing we can do about it. Brother Ye, you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders while Im just a petty, small-minded person. Were different, you and I. That said, that insufferable devotion to righteousness of yours is exactly why I hate you!

By the time hed finished speaking, Gu Lis demeanor was incomparably sinister. What even are you? You want to protect every living thing in this world? If thats what you want, you must have read too many Wuxia novels. Its truly a pity, though; history is always written by the victors. Once Ive exterminated the lot of you, who knows? Future generations might very well curse your names for all eternity!

Go ahead and try it, said Ye Zichen evenly. He looked at Gu Li coldly, without even a hint of fire in his eyes.

Why are you wasting all that time talking to him? Lei Hu chimed in. Little demon, you really think you can defy the heavens and reign supreme, dont you?

Clan Head Lei Hu, your words are awfully overbearing. Just as a friendly warning, though, the head of the Flying Serpent clan is..

Let him come, snorted Lei Hu contemptuously. I dared kill his son right in front of him all those years ago and he didnt even dare let out a fart. If he dares act against me, Ill just let him reunite with his son.

Clan Head Lei Hu, youve got quite a temper! Sensing Lei Hus fury, Gu Li took a few steps backward, then laughed, I was only warning you out of the goodness of my heart!

I actually only said all that in a bid for peace but it seems that wont be possible, will it?

No one spoke, but the look in their eyes was enough to answer Gu Lis question.

Peace?

Given the depths of the grudge between them, was there any chance at all for peace?

Either you die, or I die!

Fine then, Ive done what I could and said all I had to say. Since you refuse to accept my offer, Ive got no other choice.

Stop with that nonsense. Quit the chatter and fight! grunted Lei Hu.

I hope youll still be able to say such things after this.

In truth, Su Yiyun was the main reason Gu Li had said all that. He had no idea what exactly Su Yiyun had up his sleeve. Even so, it scared him.

Despite his confidence, he couldnt quite see through Su Yiyun.

He sighed helplessly then returned to the ranks. Ye Zichen and the others returned to their armies as well.

Negotiations had failed. All they could do was fight.

Kill!

With a mighty roar, the two armies charged at each other.

New hatred!

Old grievances!

Theyd settle them all now!