Chapter 1004: Meeting the Immortal Land

Chapter 105: The Land of Immortals

The Dragon-Horse galloped across the sky, its body flickering with fiery light. Its scales, like phoenix blood-red gold, glittered brilliantly, emanating a radiant glow. Two dragon horns sprouted from its head, and its eyes glared furiously at Ye Fan.

This dragon steed was exceedingly arrogant, charging at Ye Fan dozens of times. Its basin-sized hooves aimed directly for Ye Fan's crown, each strike shattering the firmament. Its breath, exhaled from its nostrils, formed coiling dragon shapes, and its immense power, like that of dragons and elephants, seemed inexhaustible.

Ye Fan clicked his tongue in wonder. The strength of this Dragon-Horse surpassed ordinary imagination; it could actually contend with him. This was certainly an anomaly, a rare divine steed nurtured by heaven and earth.

He estimated that the Dragon-Horse's hooves could crush the moon, and its power was comparable to a meteorite striking the earth. Killing a Dao-Slaying expert like a Pope would require no effort for it; feats like moving mountains or filling seas were useless against it.

The Dragon-Horse let out another long neigh. The mane on its neck flickered like flames, and its entire body pulsed with a red glow, appearing exceptionally magnificent. Though Ye Fan struck it a few times, a trickle of blood appeared at its mouth, but it was not seriously injured.

It was full of vigor. As it galloped with its four hooves, mountains within dozens of miles were all crushed into powder and lay in dust. Its power was astonishing.

It charged again. This time, as it leaped, divine light surged, engulfing the area. The two dragon horns on its head clanged, unleashing thousands of crimson sword waves that leveled the place.

Little Pine, carrying his small medicine basket, hid on Ye Fan's shoulder, watching wide-eyed and dumbfounded. He greatly admired such powerful strength, muttering to himself.

Ye Fan's strikes grew heavier each time, but this Dragon-Horse could fully withstand his force. It truly was a rare anomaly, worthy of being called a divine creature born of heaven and earth.

"Roar..."

Suddenly, a roar came from afar. Waves of bloody energy rose from the horizon, and three beams of light shot up into the sky like three blood-colored pillars supporting heaven, piercing through the nine heavens.

Ye Fan's eyes blazed. He discovered that three Dao Slayers had arrived. This Kunlun Immortal Vein was truly astonishing, with a total of four kings, which was quite surprising.

In the distance, sand and stones flew. Some mountain peaks were uprooted and blown into mid-air, as dark clouds, like the bottom of a black pot, pressed down.

Little Pine was scared. His expression was tense as he hugged his small medicine basket, sitting obediently on Ye Fan's shoulder, gripping his collar tightly with a small paw, refusing to let go.

Even if four Dao Slayers attacked simultaneously, Ye Fan wouldn't care; no one in this world capable of harming him had been born yet. However, things turned out differently than he expected. The three ancient Dao-Slaying demons were not aligned with the Dragon-Horse; seeing its predicament, they actually moved to attack it.

The Dragon-Horse neighed loudly, its fiery light intensifying. Its entire body glowed crimson like blood, and mist boiled as it exhaled dragon-shaped pillars of energy from its nostrils.

Seeing this, Ye Fan stepped aside and did not intervene further. He was curious to see the four kings of the Kunlun Immortal Vein confront each other.

Demonic energy surged forth, not like gas, but rather like a cluster of mountains pressing down. Few could withstand it besides Dao Slayers; the golden lion and old flood dragon had long since vanished.

"Moo..."

A mighty bull's bellow rang out. A massive creature, like a small mountain, golden all over and with horns on its head, charged forward.

This was a Bull King. Every strand of its fur glowed. It stood a hundred zhang tall, and its power while running was astonishing. Its pair of large horns aimed to gore the Dragon-Horse.

On the other side, a black ape, its feet stomping the earth, rolled with black mist. It too was a hundred zhang tall, like a roaring god. It wielded a long saber, which emanated a chilling dark glow, and brought it down with a vertical chop.

The third creature was a Taoist priest. He had chosen to assume human form, wearing a purple-gold crown. His complexion was sallow, making him appear sickly, but he was the most terrifying, for in his hand he held a black dragon spear, exuding an aura that made hearts palpitate.

This was the basis for their courage to attack. The Taoist, holding the spear, attacked the Dragon-Horse from the center, making it extremely wary and forcing it to leap and dodge to contend with the three.

Ye Fan opened his heavenly eyes and looked at the black metal spear in the Taoist's hand. His heart skipped a beat. What kind of weapon was this? It actually made his flesh feel cold.

"Dragon-Horse, this spear has been activated today! You are surely defeated. Give up the Fire God Cavern!" the Taoist shouted. A dark light shot up from the black spear body, piercing through the clouds.

The three Dao-Slaying kings were very strong, not weaklings. Because of this black dragon spear, the Dragon-Horse was forced into a passive state, struggling to cope and facing mortal danger.

Ye Fan did not intervene, observing coldly with Little Pine. The four beast kings battled within the Kunlun Immortal Vein, their fight dimming the sun and moon, darkening the heavens and earth. Demonic energy surged across thousands of miles.

"Buzz."

Suddenly, the black spear trembled, and its astonishing aura extinguished, fading into dimness. Its dark light completely vanished.

The Dragon-Horse let out a long neigh, its fiery light flickering and leaping. It instantly regained its powerful momentum, scattering the demonic energy from all directions, and the clear heavens and earth reappeared.

As the two sides confronted each other, the Dragon-Horse's eyes were filled with disdain and extreme arrogance. It stared at the three beast kings, especially casting a sidelong glance at the sallow-faced Taoist.

The Golden Bull King, the hundred-zhang-tall black giant ape, and the Taoist exchanged glances, then turned and left. They had relied on the black spear for their attack, but unexpectedly, their efforts were in vain, as its divine power did not last long.

The Dragon-Horse counterattacked, faster than lightning. Thunder descended from all directions, and fiery light was everywhere. Bolts of lightning sparked beneath its four hooves, and it moved by controlling light.

"Snap!"

The divine steed was incredibly swift and fierce. As it galloped, it instantly broke the bones and tendons of the Golden Bull King. Then, the light from its dragon horns flashed, emitting a wave of Dao traces that shook the black giant ape, causing it to vomit blood and fall to the ground.

"Boom!"

Finally, it stood on its hind legs and stomped its front hooves down like the Great Seal of the Heavenly Emperor. The Taoist met the strike with the black spear, but he was sent flying horizontally, his web of thumb and forefinger split, and blood gushed from his body.

Ye Fan nodded. As expected of a Dragon-Horse nurtured by heaven and earth, not born of a mortal womb, it effortlessly crushed and easily defeated fellow Dao-Slaying kings of the same realm.

With its combat prowess, it was almost unrivaled among those of the Immortal Three Realm, with few in the world capable of suppressing it. Its only fear had been that black spear.

The Dragon-Horse was filled with contempt for the three beast kings, giving the Taoist another kick, though it did not deliver a killing blow. The relationship between them seemed complex.

"Clang!"

Ye Fan activated the Troop Character Secret, instantly drawing the black spear towards him. It was entirely black, with a true dragon coiling around it. Made of an unknown metal, the spear felt incredibly heavy, weighing tens of thousands of catties. Its tip was sharp, yet it appeared dull and lacked luster.

Holding it, Ye Fan lightly swung it, generating a powerful airflow that pierced through the void. He then thrust it forcefully, piercing a distant mountain dozens of miles away, turning it into ashes.

Ye Fan did not perceive any special Dao principles from it, but this weapon was clearly extraordinary. He tried to bend it with force, but it did not break; it was extremely sturdy.

One must know that ordinary king-level weapons were now difficult for him to harm himself with; most could be easily destroyed and were considered nothing special.

Besides the Dragon-Horse, the three beast kings were all unnerved. Seeing Ye Fan move like a celestial god, with a single spear thrust turning a distant mountain dozens of miles away into ashes instantly, it was clear he was an unparalleled master.

The Dragon-Horse had a bad feeling and wanted to escape, but Ye Fan got serious. He unleashed the Movement Character Secret, and in the next moment, he was sitting atop its back, emanating a thunderous might.

The temper of this divine steed, born of heaven and earth, instantly exploded. It had always been incomparably arrogant; how could it tolerate being ridden by a human? It unleashed various divine abilities and Dao principles simultaneously, its entire body emitting blazing immortal light, burning fiercely.

However, Ye Fan remained firmly seated on its back, holding the dragon spear, as if rooted there, unmoving. All kinds of fundamental laws and secret techniques were ineffective against him.

The Dragon-Horse roared. Clouds rose and fell in the sky, and the surrounding mountains trembled. It charged furiously, crushing countless divine mountains and destroying numerous dragon veins, but it simply could not shake off the "plaster" stuck to its back.

Ye Fan was determined to subdue this horse. Ancient texts recorded that divine steeds could only be obtained by ancient Human Emperors and were exceptionally extraordinary, seemingly representing a form of heavenly destiny. He hoped to one day ride it across the star domains.

He had just tested it, and the Dragon-Horse's speed was second only to the Movement Character Secret. It could chase lightning and pursue the sun, possessing extreme cosmic speed, astonishingly fast.

The Dragon-Horse had not yet yielded, but the three beast kings nearby were terrified. They expressed goodwill towards him, offering to gift him the black dragon spear and explaining its origin.

This spear was very mysterious; it had flown in from beyond the domain, embedding itself in the Kunlun Immortal Vein, and also carried a mass of Fire God Source. No one knew what kind of divine object it was.

Ye Fan was surprised. This spear indeed had an extraordinary origin. Having flown in from beyond the domain indicated that a powerful being must have been in a life-and-death battle in the starry sky, causing the weapon to be flung away. This was likely a Saint-level divine artifact! No one had come looking for the weapon for so many years, suggesting its original owner might be in peril.

The Golden Bull King, the Ape King, the Taoist, and the Dragon-Horse originally kept to themselves and even had some acquaintance. However, conflict arose when they competed for the cavern formed by the Fire God Source, leading to frequent battles thereafter.

The Taoist obtained the dragon spear. The Fire God Source combined with the Kunlun Immortal Vein, transforming into a strange energy that formed a cavern. Cultivating within it would yield twice the results with half the effort.

Ye Fan rode the Dragon-Horse. No matter how much it struggled, it was futile. He was as steady as Mount Tai. He extended a hand and gripped firmly. The ground rumbled, a fiery light shot up, and a dazzling divine radiance emerged on the surface.

"So this is the Fire God Source. What exactly is it?" He stared at the liquid mass, which was as scorching and viscous as magma. When it met spiritual energy, it could transform into wisps of life light, making one feel completely comfortable and accelerating cultivation.

Without hesitation, Ye Fan cut off half of it and stored it in his cauldron, leaving the other half for the three beast kings. Then, he patted the Dragon-Horse's head and said, "You and these three are old acquaintances. Wouldn't it be fair to divide it like this? I've retrieved your half for you. Come with me."

The Dragon-Horse was furious and refused to yield. Ye Fan, holding the dragon spear, gave it a shake and thrust it forward with force. With a loud boom, the entire mountain range ahead vanished, reduced to ashes by his single strike.

"Although you are a divine steed born of heaven and earth, your cultivation and innate talent are too weak. Come with me, and I will enable you to traverse the star domains."

The Dragon-Horse was still extremely unwilling, but the "plaster" on its back was impossible to shake off. Moreover, its body was no longer under its control; it began to stride forward, moving towards the place where immortal hope was being nurtured.

Little Pine jumped in front of the Dragon-Horse, took out a precious herb from his small medicine basket, and offered it to the steed as a gesture of goodwill. He almost got trampled by a hoof, but luckily, the little fellow was quick-witted and leaped up with a whoosh.

Two days later, Ye Fan arrived at the deepest part, where he saw the pure land nurturing the hope of immortality. However, he could not advance further because he lacked the map for the ninth corner of the terrain.

Ahead, the scene was magnificent and astonishing; the place where true immortals were nurtured was finally visible.

This terrain surpassed all reason, something Ye Fan had never seen in his life. There were tens of thousands of peaks, clustered together to form a valley. Each peak resembled a dragon's head, appearing perfectly natural!

Each dragon's mouth exhaled essence, and immortal qi rose, shrouded in mist, condensing within the valley, creating an indescribably mysterious atmosphere.

Ye Fan was stunned. At first, he thought the dragon heads were carved by humans with superb craftsmanship, but upon closer inspection, he was shocked to realize they were formed by natural forces.

Tens of thousands of peaks, nurtured by the life essence of countless ancient stars, had themselves become sentient, transforming into the greatest treasures of the human world, possessing their own independent divine will!

One could say that these tens of thousands of peaks were naturally formed by heaven and earth, all serving as dragon heads, the result of countless ancient stars collectively nurturing them throughout history.

There were tens of thousands of dragon bodies beneath the earth veins, with only their dragon heads raised above ground, exhaling various natural essences to nourish the true immortals of the land of immortality.

"Unimaginable!"

Ye Fan exclaimed in awe. This terrain was indeed extraordinary. Even if it didn't nurture the hope of achieving immortality, these tens of thousands of true dragons would still revive someday, as they all possessed divine consciousness.

This was the hope nurtured after many ancient stars had withered. Once these dragon heads revived, it would be a magnificent spectacle of ten thousand dragons soaring into the sky.

"They collectively exhale essence, thus perfecting other things and forming a land of immortality. This is truly a heaven-defying method."

Ye Fan murmured to himself, then shivered. This method seemed to surpass a Heaven Master of Origin, demonstrating an even deeper understanding and mastery of terrain.

These dragon heads were definitely naturally formed. What kind of person could have achieved all this? In an instant, many thoughts came to his mind.

Millions of years ago, only one major power possessed such capability: the Heavenly Court!

The lineage of Heaven Masters of Origin was very mysterious, its beginning unknown. Could it possibly trace back to an even more ancient Primordial Era?

Ye Fan considered a possibility: if the Ninety-Nine Dragon Mountains were controlled by the Heavenly Court, descending upon one life ancient star after another, then who provided them with this method?

Could it be that in the ancient Heavenly Court, there was an existence beyond a Heaven Master of Origin who provided them with this concept, leading to this multi-million-year process of nurturing immortals?

Ye Fan was greatly startled by his own thoughts. His mind began to wander, making leap-frog associations, and suddenly many things clicked into place.

Later, the Heavenly Court's Emperor died, and the divine generals in various domains fell into chaos, naturally shelving all these plans, or rather, encountering major problems.

Was the Yuhua Divine Dynasty the remnant force of the Heavenly Court back then?

The next moment, Ye Fan thought of the Heaven Master of Origin's later years and recalled the scene of tens of thousands of Yin soldiers borrowing a path. This implied a connection to the ancient Heavenly Court, didn't it?

"This is the land where immortals are nurtured. I've actually succeeded in reaching here, going further than Rong Cheng. It would be truly unwilling to retreat now." Ye Fan's eyes gleamed brightly.

He gazed at the tens of thousands of dragon-head peaks. Giant dragons circled, soaring and coiling, forming millions of great dragons, their heads raised, roaring—all formed from dragon qi. Within the central immortal valley, it was a vast expanse, spewing auspicious energy. Myriads of colorful rays of light shot forth, and immortal light streamed out in continuous beams.

What exactly was inside? Ye Fan was eager to find out. (To be continued)