Chapter 1035: The Holy Blood Mark

The Immortal Pond was crystal clear and ethereal. A refreshing fragrance wafted through the air. Mist swirled around. The rosy light was dazzling, and propitious energy surged.

An ancient flat peach tree was rooted by the Immortal Pond, standing forty-nine meters tall. No one knew how many tens of thousands of years it had existed. Its old bark was cracked, rough, and primitive, resembling dragon scales. Yet, it pulsed with immense vitality; its branches and leaves were lush, glowing green, and a few crystal-clear peach blossoms had opened, their fragrance permeating one's very bones.

Ye Fan approached, his pores opening and closing, absorbing the vital energy. He reached a balance with the environment, and a layer of translucent light appeared on his skin.

The spiritual energy here was so dense it seemed to solidify, truly an immortal land. Even if a real immortal realm existed, its essence would be no more potent than this.

Several powerhouses of the ancient race had not left. They glanced at him a few times without saying much. No trace of goodwill could be felt; instead, there was a faint chill, discernible only to those who had reached the Dao-Slaying Realm.

"Our Crown Prince genuinely wishes to exchange for this stone embryo," said a man with antlers on his head and long gray hair. "An ancient divine scripture is truly heaven-defying; if the Jade Pond is willing, it could establish another lineage and transform into another Holy Land because of it."

"Let us stop this discussion here. The Jade Pond has its own heritage; there's no need to cultivate another's lineage," the Queen Mother of the West stated. She was graceful and noble, her hair adorned with a Nine Phoenix Hairpin and dangling golden step-shakers. Her feathered robes shimmered with iridescent light, and her expression was peaceful, yet sacred and inviolable.

"This is not a handwritten copy," the ancient race member insisted seriously, unwilling to give up. "It is the original scripture of the Undying Heavenly Sovereign, cast from Phoenix Blood Scarlet Gold!"

Beside them, Ye Fan's heart trembled. It seemed the Crown Prince was not trying to deceive the Jade Pond; he truly intended to make an exchange. This divine embryo indeed commanded a heaven-defying price. He secretly pondered that if the Crown Prince were to bring the ancient scripture himself, he would truly be tempted to intercept and kill him midway—first, to eliminate an enemy; second, to see what was so unique about a scripture revered by all ancient races, a text that surpassed even divine powers.

"This matter needs no further mention," the Queen Mother of the West refused. "This Stone King has already gained sentience and has been regarded as a child by generations of sages; how can it be exchanged with anyone?"

The several strongmen of the ancient race exchanged glances. One of them handed a jade artifact containing the Crown Prince's five-colored divine blood to the Queen Mother of the West. They then left with difficulty in their expressions. They cast a glance at Ye Fan, a flash of killing intent appearing and vanishing instantly, then strode away from the Immortal Pond. Elders from the Jade Pond escorted them, exchanging polite words.

The Queen Mother of the West smiled faintly. Apart from Ye Fan, she only kept the Saintess, letting everyone else leave the area. Who Ye Fan truly was... naturally, this could not be hidden from her. The Saintess had already reported it to her; otherwise, how could just anyone's blood be sprinkled onto the Stone King?

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Ye, on your great increase in strength, soaring across the heavens—a miracle that cultivators of our generation can only dream of," the Queen Mother of the West said, very courteously, treating him entirely as an equal. For by now, Ye Fan's cultivation was unfathomably profound. Even accomplished Kings could not act overly arrogant in his presence; once his true strength was understood, all Holy Lands would be wary of him.

In truth, she felt deeply emotional. Thinking back to those years, Ye Fan was merely a minor cultivator who had sought refuge in the Jade Pond. Who would have thought that after all this time... he now stood firm among the heavens? Ye Fan naturally wouldn't be arrogant. As the venerable master of a great Holy Land, even without considering her cultivation, her status alone was enough to converse with ancient Ancestor Kings. By now, he had long understood the formidable nature of immortal legacies; none could be underestimated. Their so-called "foundations" were truly considerable! If a great war were to truly erupt, Ye Fan mused, lineages that had produced Great Emperors likely possessed "trump cards" capable of reversing the order of the universe.

The Queen Mother of the West held the jade artifact, its five-colored blood radiating brilliant light and emitting wisps of powerful and terrifying fluctuations that inspired awe. The Jade Pond was exceedingly cautious. Any divine blood sprinkled onto the Stone King would be secretly purified using the Imperial Qi of the Western Emperor Pagoda. While others saw nothing as the blood descended, Ye Fan could sense the pagoda in the sky subtly trembling.

Beneath the ancient flat peach tree, the strange stone was lustrous and translucent, seemingly on the verge of dripping, with nine apertures and eight holes. It was exquisitely delicate, constantly absorbing the essence of the sun and moon. Once all the blood sent by the Crown Prince was absorbed, the stone trembled continuously, emitting joyful, soft hums. Its radiance intensified, and the life contained within seemed ready to burst forth at any moment.

For the past few days, Ye Fan had remained in this place, accompanied only by the Queen Mother of the West and the Jade Pond Saintess. Outsiders were not permitted to approach. He had already opened his Heaven's Eye, its divine light gleaming. He stared unblinkingly at the strange stone. In the past, he couldn't see through it because it was too mysterious and powerful, protected by formations laid down by ancient sages. Now, it was completely different. His Source Art had reached mastery, allowing him to clearly see everything inside the stone: a person of flesh and blood, seated in meditation, radiating precious light.

"It was a woman."

The divine embryo appeared to be around eighteen or nineteen years old, meditating with closed eyes, possessing unparalleled beauty. Immortal light flowed across her skin; though beautiful to the extreme, she was also awe-inspiring. Her nine apertures and eight holes connected to the surface of the strange stone, as if she were clothed in a thick stone garment. Various scriptures flickered on her body, left behind by ancient sages who had lectured and chanted for her. The Queen Mother of the West and the Saintess had invited Ye Fan for two reasons: first, they needed his Sacred Blood; second, they wanted him to use his heaven-defying Source Art to see the current state of the divine embryo within the stone.

"The intertwining of heaven and earth to nurture such a spiritual embryo is truly astonishing," Ye Fan murmured to himself. "I can feel wisps of immortal aura." Then, he closed his eyes and began to etch in the void, imprinting the divine embryo's appearance and aura, astonishing both the Queen Mother of the West and the Jade Pond Saintess.

The woman within the stone was undoubtedly extraordinary and holy; her beauty did not belong to the mortal world. Her body had long since materialized into flesh and blood, and her internal organs and bones possessed an inexplicable immortal charm, subtly glowing.

"The power of her potential is unimaginable," Ye Fan said gravely. "Every inch of her flesh and blood contains power as vast as an ocean. If she truly emerges, she will surely be able to pluck stars and seize the moon!" This female spirit had no flaws whatsoever. If such a divine embryo were to emerge in the future, almost no one in the world would be able to suppress her, compelling him to observe closely.

Ye Fan felt some hesitation. The stone vibrated as if by the spiritual embryo's instinct, yet her sea of consciousness was very quiet. The fluctuations were not strong, disproportionate to her powerful and beautiful physique.

"This is the result of purification by ancient sages," said the Queen Mother of the West. The former sages of the Jade Pond also feared unforeseen circumstances. With their profound abilities, they lectured on scriptures, thoroughly purifying the divine embryo's sea of consciousness. According to them, the divine embryo now possessed the heart of an innocent child, like a child of the Jade Pond. "When she truly emerges... her spiritual power will catch up." Though the divine embryo had been "purified," her potential remained. Once awakened, it would be as vast as the sea.

For the next few days, Ye Fan sat beneath the ancient flat peach tree, nourishing the strange stone daily with his essence blood. Each time, he would open his Heaven's Eye to observe.

"She's extracting the primordial power from the blood!" Ye Fan observed intently for several days, a strange divine light in his eyes, his heart stirring. Was all of this merely instinct? The awe-inspiringly beautiful divine embryo drew wisps of light from the infused Sacred Blood, transforming them into imperceptible symbols that were then branded within her body.

"Hmm, the symbols extracted from the Crown Prince's five-colored divine blood were exceptionally brilliant." Ye Fan possessed a unique Heavenly Source Eye; to him, there were no secrets within the stone. He observed this phenomenon. "Does blood contain primordial power and fragments of ancient ancestors' memories, and are these symbols related to that?" He was astonished in his heart. If one were to delve deeper, it was very complex. The Crown Prince's blood must contain the power of the Undying Heavenly Sovereign, the supreme deity revered by all races, quite possibly the strongest being throughout history. This was indirectly the blood and life imprint of the Undying Heavenly Sovereign! How many could compare?

Ye Fan pondered for several days but couldn't discern anything. Finally, he gritted his teeth and released a quantity of his own blood, no less than the Crown Prince's. Immediately, brilliant symbols were extracted from the stone. "What exactly was the Crown Prince trying to do?" Ye Fan didn't know. Ultimately, he shed a significant amount of his Sacred Blood, and the brilliant symbols extracted were slightly more numerous than those from the Crown Prince's blood.

By the Immortal Pond, ancient herbs grew in profusion, ginseng plants took shape, and orchids covered the ground everywhere, exhaling vibrant energy, their fragrance intoxicating. Qilin beasts lay resting, and other auspicious creatures roamed.

Ye Fan stayed beneath the flat peach tree for more than half a month, never discovering anything abnormal. Finally, he took a scroll of notes and departed. The notes vaguely recorded some secrets of the Western Emperor's refinement of Imperial Weapons, almost mythical tales: entering the Chaotic Immortal Sea, venturing alone into the Nine Heavens, slaying a divine being to sacrifice to the heavens. He frowned as he read. "Never mind, I'll ponder them slowly later, otherwise it's just like reading a myth," he shook his head.

Although he had left the Jade Pond, the strange stone with nine apertures and eight holes remained etched in his mind. The Queen Mother of the West had said that the Path to Immortality was about to open, and they had no choice but to seek various bloodlines to nourish the divine embryo, ensuring she emerged before then. "Was what I left behind a Sacred Blood imprint?" Ye Fan murmured to himself. He felt it was necessary to find the Crown Prince and slay him; otherwise, he had a lingering sense that something was amiss.

"Oh, you've finally come out. We've been waiting for you for over half a month."

Several hundred miles from the Jade Pond, several ancient race members blocked his path. The leader had gray hair, lead-gray eyes, and antlers on his head—he was a Dao-Slayer.

"Are you waiting for me for something?"

"Nothing much, we just wanted to talk to you." Several ancient race members surrounded him, a sneer on their lips, their killing intent fully exposed.

"Oh, really?" Ye Fan smiled. "That's good, I was just thinking of talking to you too."

"Are you the Feathered King of the Central Plains, or one of the Twin Kings, or perhaps someone else, like the Underworld King?" the deer-horned man asked leisurely. They had received precise intelligence that several kings from the Central Plains were supposed to arrive within this half-month, hence they assumed Ye Fan was one of them.

"None of them," Ye Fan shook his head.

"You clueless fool, quickly state your name!" one of them roared.

The gray-haired man with antlers acted immediately, unleashing a painting scroll that billowed with black mist, instantly enveloping the heavens and earth, drawing Ye Fan inside. "Better to be careful," he said, "capture him first, then interrogate him slowly." This was a secret treasure bestowed by the Crown Prince. They had absolute confidence that it could trap any Dao-Slayer and obliterate human King-level experts. The world within the painting was like a cage; those inside and outside could see each other.

"The Crown Prince has put so much effort into this; how can we allow one bad apple to spoil the whole barrel? Search his sea of consciousness and see who he really is." The group looked down at the painting, sneering repeatedly, their killing intent fully revealed. "You clueless fool, appearing at the Jade Pond at precisely this time is irritating. First, cut open his body and see what kind of blood he has." These people were all cold-faced, holding power over life and death. One of them, holding a divine whip, lashed out towards the painting.

"Pfft!"

A flash of blood light, and the man instantly disintegrated into a mist of blood. Everyone else was greatly astonished. Then, a large golden hand reached out, covering heaven and earth, enveloping all of them, and pulling them into the painting scroll.

"How... How is this possible?!" They were all horrified. To their knowledge, this painting scroll, apart from the Crown Prince, could only be broken by a select few, such as Huang Xudao and Huo Qilin. It was capable of suppressing and killing many human Dao-Slayers, yet now such a thing had happened.

"Speak, what exactly does that bad apple, the Crown Prince, intend to do?" Ye Fan stood on a beautiful mountain peak within the painting.

"You..." one of them attempted to retort.

From the sky, a large foot descended, crushing him instantly into a mist of blood, leaving no bone fragments behind, scattering into the air.

"I was just looking for him, and you've conveniently delivered yourselves to me. Quickly, tell me what he wants?" Ye Fan said coldly.