70: Chapter 7 The Ancient Path Before Enlightenment

The fiftieth pass, Emperors Fall Pass.

It did not look like a pass on the Ancient Path, but rather an ancient battlefield.

Broken stars and the remains of massive, fractured weapons floated in the Void Realm.

There were also some ancient, giant skeletons that had long since petrified, silently suspended in the starry sky, telling of the bloody battles of that distant era.

It was said that a Heavenly Venerable had fallen here during the Mythological Era, shattering countless Star Domains.

From then on, this place was known as Emperors Fall Pass.

In the center of the city, nine dead stars had been refined into a pedestal using great magic powers.

An ancient Formation capable of withstanding the impact of a Quasi-Emperor had been set up.

The light of the Formation flowed, enveloping the core of the entire battlefield.

Now, figures were everywhere in the starry sky; Cultivators of various races were densely packed like migrating ants.

A cursory glance revealed dozens of Great Sages who had revealed their auras, and several obscure and deep Divine Thoughts were interwoven in the Void Realm.

Those were Quasi-Emperor level existences, also secretly paying attention to this battle.

The battle between Little War Emperor and Little Chaos, these two overlords of the Ancient Path, had attracted countless people, and the spectator stands were naturally divided into several areas.

To the east was the gathering area for the Human Race forces.

The flags of the Dao Seeking Sect fluttered, the moon flags of the Taiyin Divine Sect waved, along with the flags of other major Human Race powers.

To the west was the area for the Primordial Races.

Gold-robed Cultivators of the Golden Divine Ox Clan stood low-key in a corner. Representatives of Ancient Imperial Clans like the Blood Phoenix Clan and Qilin Cave had also come, keeping their distance from one another with calm expressions.

To the south was a mixed area for the Yao Race and some ancient races; the atmosphere was relatively relaxed, with Cultivators of all races whispering and discussing.

To the north were the forces from All Realms, which were also very lively.

The whole place was a cacophony of voices, as bustling as a marketplace.

Some had even set up temporary stalls to sell spiritual fruits and immortal brews, while others had opened betting pools.

On the central high platform sat three veteran experts of the Great Sage Nine Heavens, their hair and beards all white, their auras deep.

They were the referees for this duel and the ones maintaining order.

Jiang Hao and Feng Xi landed on the edge of the Loose Cultivator area.

“Wow, so many people! It's even more lively than our Phoenix Realm's centennial festival!”

Feng Xi stood on her tiptoes, peering around excitedly, her eyes sparkling. She was clearly a member of the audience who loved to watch the excitement.

The red dress she wore appeared exceptionally vivid and eye-catching against the dim background of the battlefield.

“The fiftieth pass is truly magnificent. I've heard that many legendary battles have taken place here!” Feng Xi said with interest, speaking as if she knew them by heart.

“The most famous is the battle of the Heavenly Venerables in the Mythological Era, which shattered countless star rivers. Later on, many battles between Ancient Path Prodigies also occurred here...”

As she spoke, she suddenly remembered something, and her eyes grew even brighter. She said to Jiang Hao in a tone as if sharing a secret:

“Of course, there's also a legend widely circulated on the Ancient Path. It's said that over seven thousand years ago, before the Great Emperor attained the Dao, a duel that shook the Ancient Path also happened here. Senior, have you heard of the Seven Sons of the Heavenly Wolf?”

Jiang Hao glanced at Feng Xi and smiled,

“The Seven Sons of the Heavenly Wolf? I've heard a bit about them.”

The Seven Sons of the Heavenly Wolf were his defeated opponents, so of course he had heard of them.

“Right, right!” Feng Xi seemed to have found a kindred spirit, her speaking speed increasing slightly.

“I heard that the Heavenly Wolf Clan's Luck was at its peak back then. Seven brothers with ancestral Bloodline regression were born in one generation, each a top Prodigy. They called themselves the Seven Sons of the Heavenly Wolf and Cultivated a combined battle Formation. They were of one mind and always faced enemies as a group of seven, running rampant on the Ancient Path for a long time.”

She frowned slightly, trying hard to recall the details she had heard:

“My aunt also encountered them when she traveled the Ancient Path back then. She mentioned it once, saying that she wouldn't fear any of those seven individually, as they weren't her match. But once they formed that Seven-Star Moon-Devouring Battle Formation, they became a unified force of offense and defense, their power skyrocketing. Even she found it very troublesome. At that time, many famous Prodigies were suppressed by their joint efforts, some even being heavily injured and forced to flee in defeat.”

As Feng Xi spoke, a trace of sympathy for those past Prodigies appeared on her face, which then turned into a yearning for legendary stories:

“However, their arrogance didn't last long. Later, they provoked the Great Emperor, who was still rising at the time. Both sides agreed to a duel here at Emperors Fall Pass. The Great Emperor was only at the sixth level of the Saint King realm then, while three of the Seven Sons of the Heavenly Wolf were already at the ninth level of the Saint King realm. But the Great Emperor showed no fear. Everyone thought the Great Emperor was crazy—fighting seven people at once, and against those of a higher level. How could he possibly win?”

She paused, her eyes shining as if she had witnessed that legendary battle with her own eyes:

“And the result? That battle was fought until the sky and earth turned dark. The Great Emperor's strength surpassed everyone's expectations; he was incredibly ferocious. He didn't care about their battle Formation coordination at all; he would just catch one and beat them to death, trading injuries for lives. He forcibly tore a gap in that supposedly perfect battle Formation. In the end, all Seven Sons of the Heavenly Wolf were slain here; not a single one escaped!”

After Feng Xi finished, she let out a long breath, her face a mix of shock and admiration:

“From then on, the Ancient Path was peaceful for many years. That battle also became a landmark fight that made the Great Emperor truly famous on the Ancient Path and started his path to invincibility. Many of the older generation say that battle struck down the greatest ill wind on the Ancient Path!”

She looked at Jiang Hao with curiosity and respect: “Senior, how strong do you think the Great Emperor was back then? How much courage did he need to dare to challenge all seven of them alone? When my aunt mentioned it later, she said it was one of the few battles on the Ancient Path that even she found truly spectacular.”

Jiang Hao listened quietly, the wrinkles on his face appearing a bit deeper under the starlight.

That battle was indeed the one that established his prestige on the Ancient Path.

The Seven Sons of the Heavenly Wolf...

Xiaoyue, Tanlang, Pojun... Yingya.

Those seven arrogant and overbearing wolf cubs had left a deep impression on him.

The combined attack of the seven was indeed interesting. Their Qi and blood were linked, and their transitions between offense and defense were seamless. Fighting them was like dealing with a piece of gristle—very powerful.

It was just their bad Luck to have met Jiang Hao. Anyone else really wouldn't have been able to do anything to them.

Even Ancient Path overlords like Battle Saint Venerable and Ancient God Child couldn't have defeated them alone.

And to have someone of Battle Saint Venerable's level join forces to face an enemy? That was impossible; they were far too proud.

So the Seven Sons of the Heavenly Wolf had turned the Ancient Path upside down until Jiang Hao arrived.

Unsurprisingly, they also provoked Jiang Hao.

And so, Jiang Hao and the Seven Sons of the Heavenly Wolf agreed to a duel at the fiftieth pass. It was also very lively then, no less than it is now.

He fought seven alone.

And killed all seven.

From then on, the Ancient Path became much more peaceful.

“Senior, what are you thinking about?”

Feng Xi's voice pulled Jiang Hao back from his memories.

“It's nothing.” Jiang Hao shook his head. “I just remembered some old matters.”

The atmosphere before the start of the battle grew more and more heated.

A fat Cultivator shouted at the top of his lungs:

“Bets are open! Bets are open! One to one point five for Little War Emperor's victory, one to two for Little Chaos's victory, and one to five for a draw!”

A group of people immediately crowded around him.

Hearing this, Jiang Hao clicked his tongue inwardly. A classic pre-battle betting pool.

Only one to five for a draw? Who are they looking down on?

He sent a Divine Thought to the Gray-clothed Daoist Child: “Xiao Hui, go and bet ten thousand catties of Source on a draw.”

The Gray-clothed Daoist Child replied via Divine Thought: “Great Emperor, you're still placing bets? You're not lacking in Source Stones.”

Jiang Hao's Divine Thought: “Just for fun, go quickly.”

The Daoist child gave an acknowledgment and quietly disappeared into the crowd.

Amidst this cacophony of voices, the eastern horizon was suddenly torn asunder by a golden divine rainbow!

Wherever that divine rainbow passed, the Void Realm withdrew of its own accord.

An overbearing and terrifying Battle Intent that looked down upon the eight desolations and six directions surged through the entire Emperors Fall Pass along with the divine rainbow!

“Buzz!”

The divine rainbow faded, and a figure stepped out from the air, descending onto the eastern side of the Nine-Star Arena.