Chapter 1006: 准帝 Dead

Finally, Ye Fan set off, heading deeper into the Immortal Ascension Ground. Xiao Song naturally followed, excitedly muttering to himself, a small hoe in hand, ready to harvest ancient medicine kings.

The Dragon Horse snorted white mist from its nostrils, its mind wrestling with a decision. Ye Fan had clearly told it that it could follow or leave on its own, and he wouldn't make things difficult for it.

It had just learned that the "villain" before it possessed an Immortal Ascension map, allowing entry deep into the Myriad Dragon Head Peaks to glimpse the secrets of becoming an immortal.

This was an irresistible temptation for anyone, and the Dragon Horse could not hold back. Finally, it gritted its teeth and followed. Its body pulsed with fire, crimson as blood, its dragon scales gleaming. Its slender, powerful form moved like a gust of wind, bringing it close to Ye Fan.

Ye Fan laughed heartily and climbed directly onto the magnificent Dragon Horse. It seemed forged from a blend of crimson clouds and divine metal, making it exceptionally powerful.

The Dragon Horse's eyes blazed with fire, and it nearly bucked Ye Fan off. But it ultimately held back, instead taking a furious bite out of an ancient herb Xiao Song was tending, snapping off half of it and swallowing it defiantly.

"That was mine..." Xiao Song mumbled timidly, watching wistfully as it ate the precious herb, which was at least fifty to sixty thousand years old.

The Immortal Ascension Ground was highly unusual, practically transcendent, as if it didn't belong to the passage of time. The ground was devoid of soil or dust, instead shimmering with a jade-like luster.

There were no wild weeds here; ordinary vines and trees could not grow. This was an ancient jade field, a place of high cultivation where only rare treasures and medicinal herbs could thrive.

Once they reached this place, the Dragon Horse's mouth was never still, munching on various ancient herbs as if they were common grass. Essence energy overflowed, shimmering with vibrant colors.

Xiao Song was very selective, searching everywhere for treasures. By now, his small medicine basket wouldn't hold ordinary spirit fruits; ancient herbs less than ten thousand years old were simply ignored.

Holding his small hoe, his big eyes kept glancing up at the Dragon Head Peaks, having long since identified the true medicine kings he intended to dig up.

Ye Fan proceeded with extreme caution. Taking a wrong path here would lead to instant perdition; if the Great Emperor's killing array was activated, even a Quasi-Emperor would perish without a trace.

The deeper he went, the greater his reverence grew. Not to mention the Emperor's array, even the Source Heaven laws here were beyond his comprehension. This place undoubtedly held rules set by a divine master of Source Techniques—an absolute killing formation.

Even if one managed to break the ancient Great Emperor's killing array, there was still the Source Heaven forbidden array. The two merged to form an Immortal-Slaying Map, allowing entry but no exit.

Holding an ancient scroll, he meticulously compared it to his surroundings, moving very slowly. Even a slight deviation from the path would lead to eternal perdition. Only a single, winding, and incredibly intricate goat trail was passable.

Suddenly, his expression stiffened. Within a stone forest, he saw a person sitting cross-legged on a piece of azure jade, bearing a solemn and majestic appearance, enveloped in immortal qi.

From their body, terrifying wisps of aura emanated, each weighing over ten thousand jin, pressing down like a demonic mountain.

The Dragon Horse whinnied softly, fire flashing beneath its hooves, flames surging. A cascade of crimson dragon energy erupted from its body, its mane bristled, and its scales trembled.

Xiao Song was even more terrified, clutching a corner of Ye Fan's clothes and daring not to speak. That aura was simply irresistible to him.

Ye Fan brought out his cauldron, letting thousands of layers of mother qi cascade down to protect them. He was exceptionally shocked that such an unparalleled figure, absolutely invincible, existed in the Immortal Ascension Ground!

The person wore an old Daoist robe, a wooden hairpin fixed in their gray hair. They remained motionless, surrounded by the faint, ethereal mists emanating from the Immortal-Nourishing Ground ahead, presenting an astonishing sight.

A Great Sage!

This was a human supreme expert. Ye Fan made the judgment immediately: this person was a Great Sage. He had sensed a similar aura from the Stimulating Expansion Great Sage among the Primordial Royal Family.

The Immortal Ascension Ground was one of the most terrifying forbidden zones of life, impassable to anyone. How could there be a person guarding this place? Ye Fan was utterly baffled.

"Senior," he called out softly. Encountering such a powerful being so suddenly made him feel somewhat apprehensive.

The person ahead showed no reaction, sitting on the several-zhang-long azure jade like a clay or stone statue, only immortal light being exhaled and inhaled.

"No, something's wrong. Although there's powerful life force, there are no spiritual consciousness fluctuations. This person must be dead."

Ye Fan quickly made his judgment, his expression hardening. Opening his Heavenly Eye, his heart was filled with shock and dismay. This was a human Great Sage; could they have simply died here?

He observed carefully. The person's physical body was perfectly intact, their flesh still glowing, and immortal qi moved in and out through their pores, as if breathing. However, their eyes were tightly shut, and their primordial spirit was gone.

"This..." Ye Fan was stunned. This person must be dead. Even with an intact body, without a soul, they couldn't be considered alive.

This was not a natural passing; otherwise, they would have dissolved into the Dao. This was an ancient Great Sage who had been killed, yet their flesh and blood had not withered, remaining preserved.

"How eerie! So lifelike, as if still living. It's lamentable that such a figure died within a formation." Ye Fan became even more cautious. If a Great Sage couldn't pass through, one could only imagine the terror of stumbling in inadvertently.

He opened his Heavenly Eye and discovered a divine lamp within the Great Sage's body. It was still brightly lit and unextinguished, brimming with life force. It was this lamp that was absorbing and exhaling immortal light, making the corpse appear as if it were still alive.

"A Great Sage's supreme treasure!"

Ye Fan was surprised; this was undoubtedly a treasure. It was only a few zhang away, yet he could only sigh in frustration, unable to reach it.

Only one winding path was safe here; straying a single step meant death. This Great Sage served as the best lesson, having been needlessly slain here.

Ye Fan tried activating the Soldier character secret, but without being reckless. He merely attempted to move a speck of dust that lay on the "safe line." Instantly, the winds and clouds changed, the world paled, and an immortal-slaying power intertwined in the void, crushing the dust and causing a sharp pain in his wisp of divine sense.

He quickly severed the karmic link, his heart filled with dread. This place was indeed extraordinary; one could not act rashly, or they wouldn't even know how they died.

They continued forward, turning left and right, entering a hilly area. Ye Fan felt waves of blood qi, as if they could peel flesh and sever bones.

After advancing a certain distance, he saw a blinding red, a mass of blood qi steaming. Though far from the safe path, it was still unnerving.

"Another Great Sage has died here!"

Ye Fan opened his Heavenly Eye. Before a hill lay a corpse, far more gruesome than the previous one with an empty primordial spirit. This Great Sage was a bloody mess, having suffered the agony of fire essence burning his body.

Of course, he was already dead and couldn't feel such pain, but it was truly tragic. Half of his body was charred dry, and blood qi surged forth.

Ye Fan's heart was stirred. This was not due to the Great Emperor's killing array, but an unimaginable Source Heaven forbidden art, surpassing everything he had learned. It wove together the power of the Myriad Dragon Head Peaks into a creation-grade fire source, capable of obliterating all life.

"Could there have been a Saint Emperor who attained the Dao through Source Arts, serving the ancient Heavenly Court?"

Ye Fan was suspicious, because no matter how he looked at it, he felt that the forbidden Source Art formation here was no weaker than the ancient Great Emperor's killing array; otherwise, there wouldn't be a double defense.

Moreover, these Myriad Dragon Head Peaks, which nurtured immortals, were very likely laid out and formed by this very person.

Ye Fan traveled a long distance. Along the way, a total of three Great Sages were found to have died here, the third of whom was reduced to just a piece of bone and a few drops of blood.

"In ancient times, Sages from beyond the domain rushed here. I wonder which ancient star these three came from; their bones couldn't even be buried."

Ye Fan sighed. He couldn't help, nor could he approach, otherwise the weapons left behind by these individuals would be enough to drive people mad.

Finally, they neared the Immortal-Nourishing Valley formed by the Myriad Dragon Head Peaks. It was then that Ye Fan felt a bone-chilling killing intent. Even with the Myriad Things Mother Qi Cauldron protecting him, he still felt waves of intense cold.

The Dragon Horse stopped advancing because its muscles were twitching, and its tendons and veins swelled, as if its entire body was about to burst from spasms.

Xiao Song, hidden on Ye Fan's shoulder, was even worse off. After all, his cultivation was still very low compared to theirs, and he let out a mournful cry.

Fortunately, Ye Fan had always been mindful of his safety, having wrapped most of the mother qi around him earlier, thus preventing any mishap.

"Poison,"

Ye Fan conjured a curtain of light, his golden blood qi surging outwards, protecting both Xiao Song and the Dragon Horse. In this era, few could match his physical body's ability to resist such killing intent.

At the same time, he activated the Myriad Things Mother Qi Cauldron, causing it to revive. The root of mother qi immediately cascaded down like a waterfall, isolating them from the outside and blocking the killing intent.

The Dragon Horse let out a long breath and continued forward. Xiao Song also huddled on his shoulder, lightly patting his chest, looking very much relieved and still somewhat fearful.

Suddenly, Ye Fan's expression stiffened. Among a cluster of rocky hills, he saw a shattered corpse. The immense killing intent emanated precisely from those scattered flesh and glistening white bone fragments!

"A Quasi-Emperor!"

Ye Fan's mind reeled with shock. His blood roared within him, accelerating its flow like thunder echoing through the nine heavens, and a chill ran through his heart.

Hundreds of pristine white bone fragments, along with vivid red and dazzling blood, all shimmered with light. That person had been torn apart by an ancient Great Emperor's killing array!

A Quasi-Emperor, possessing heaven-reaching abilities, capable of contending with heaven and earth for creation—how many such beings have there been throughout history? They are truly existences that shake the past and illuminate the present, yet they met such a tragic end here.

Even over a li away, the blood qi and killing intent were unbearable. Any other Dao Slayer would surely have their body crack apart, but only Ye Fan could withstand this terrifying power of bloodline.

"To be dead for over ten thousand years and still possess such might, it's truly incredible!" Ye Fan marveled, wondering which ancient star this person hailed from, only to finally meet their demise here.

Even without the Primordial killing array blocking the way, he couldn't approach. The person's corpse and blood lay scattered, and the Quasi-Emperor's aura was overwhelming. Before reaching their side, one would be reduced to bloody paste.

A centipede, even dead, never stiffens. A Quasi-Emperor, even in death, was far more terrifying, an existence no ordinary person could contend with.

"The Immortal Ascension Ground, truly an incredible place. Three Great Sages and a Quasi-Emperor all died here," Ye Fan could only lament.

Witnessing the terrifying power of a Quasi-Emperor's bloodline, he couldn't help but recall past events. How powerful would the Demon Emperor's heart have been back then if it had contained killing intent? It was simply unimaginable!

Had the Azure Emperor not dispelled the killing intent within the blood, when that heart first emerged from the ominous tomb, the entire world would have collapsed.

At the time, he had just embarked on his cultivation journey and knew little about it, not realizing how truly terrifying it was. It was only later, upon hearing Yan Ruyu and Daoist Red Dragon speak of it, that he felt utterly horrified.

That was the Azure Emperor's Imperial Blood Treasure Medicine, left for later generations, its killing intent long since dispelled. Otherwise, once it appeared, no one could approach it, and a great calamity of slaughter would ensue, bringing certain death to any living being that touched it.

It was also similar to the divine blood obtained by the Divine Knight of the Vatican. According to the Divine Knight, that so-called divine blood was likely the essence blood left behind by an ancient Saint Emperor, which had been refined by countless predecessors over generations to dispel its killing intent. Only after he accidentally spilled it and bathed in it was he able to survive, and from then on, his physical body became indestructible and powerful to the extreme.

Suddenly, Xiao Song dropped his small hoe and stared blankly ahead, a strange look on his face. He gently tugged at Ye Fan, urging him to turn and look.

Ye Fan withdrew his gaze from the Quasi-Emperor's bones and looked forward. He was first startled, then utterly shaken to an incomparable degree, simply unable to believe his eyes.

"Is... is this real?"

The Dragon Horse beneath him also recognized the value of what it saw, almost going mad. It stomped its hooves, nearly throwing Ye Fan off, wanting to charge directly towards it. This item was far too precious, enough to make even ancient Great Emperors tremble in body and mind.