Chapter 1097: Calm Before the Storm

Chapter 1098: The Calm Before the Storm

All the Saints arrived, surrounding the ancient tomb. The atmosphere was tense, with various factions confronting each other.

The magnificent ancient bronze palace, though covered in rust, emitted countless rays of light that illuminated the sky. Especially the character "Immortal" (仙) it projected made everyone's heart tremble.

Grand Saint Huntuo, the Grand Saint of the Myriad Dragon Nest, and more than a dozen other ancient kings stood together. They resembled a dozen primordial demonic peaks, instilling fear in the hearts of all beings.

The Human Race had too few Saints. So far, only Wei Yi and Jiang Taixu were present, with no sign of others, making them seem isolated and outnumbered.

Grand Saint Huntuo squinted his eyes, looking at the Bronze Immortal Palace. This ancient structure, which had existed since time immemorial, had revived, and even someone as powerful as he dared not rashly force his way in.

"The fluctuations are incredibly strong. I can vaguely hear someone chanting immortal scriptures inside. It's unfathomable; once you step in, the outcome is unpredictable."

For a Grand Saint to have such a feeling and make such a judgment made others even more apprehensive of the bronze palace, and no one dared to act rashly.

Ye Fan, the Black Sovereign, and their companions were eighty thousand li away, observing the situation near the ancient tomb clearly through a mysterious crystal stone. This was made possible by the infinitely wondrous Emperor-level Dao patterns.

"The Grand Saints of the ancient race have all arrived in person. If they attack with a few ancient imperial weapons, they might truly obtain what they desire, and then we'll be in serious trouble."

The ancient race had no shortage of Ultimate Imperial Weapons. The Golden Mace was said to be able to strike down immortals, and a shake of the Myriad Dragon Bell could shatter the cosmos. If the Fire Qilin Cave, Primeval Lake, Divine Silkworm Ridge, and Blood Phoenix Mountain all brought their weapons, not only the Southern Domain but even the Eastern Wasteland would be submerged.

"Everyone, what do you think of my proposal? Let us enter together and explore the secrets of immortality," Grand Saint Huntuo spoke again.

"If we enter with ancient imperial weapons, there shouldn't be a major problem. At the very least, we can protect ourselves," nodded Qian Lun, the Grand Saint of the Myriad Dragon Nest.

These two were the leaders, among the peak existences of the ancient race. Even Saint Kings dared not breathe heavily in their presence, and no one dared to defy them.

Some looked towards Divine King Jiang and Wei Yi. These two Human Race Saints were extraordinary, forcing even the ancient kings to be cautious. The battle at Jade Lake that year, where the White-Clothed Divine King alone shook the cosmos, had left an incredibly deep impression on them.

"Do you two wish to enter?" Qian Lun, the Grand Saint of the Myriad Dragon Nest, said with a smile, looking their way.

"Forget it, we can't contend with you. We won't add to the chaos," Wei Yi shook his head.

"All races coexist, and the world is one family. Why distinguish between us? Everyone may enter," Qian Lun stated.

A celestial sound rang out, and the Bronze Immortal Palace in the sky glowed with even greater power. The projected character "Immortal" was bloody, immense, and profoundly shocking.

At this moment, more than a dozen Saint-level ancient kings frowned. They too heard someone chanting scriptures, but it was indistinct and blurry, making it impossible to hear clearly.

"Could there still be a living being inside the bronze palace?"

So many years had passed; even ancient Great Emperors had long since passed away. It was impossible for any life to remain. Could it truly be related to immortals?

"I smell blood. This 'Immortal' character was at least formed from Emperor's blood, perhaps even immortal blood," Grand Saint Huntuo said.

Either possibility was absolutely astonishing!

Who could wound an ancient Great Emperor and use their blood to engrave characters? That would be a blasphemy. And if it were immortal blood, it would be even more incredible.

Eighty thousand li away, Ye Fan frowned. He had entered there before and seen this "Immortal" character. Was it written with the Ruthless Emperor's blood? It didn't seem so.

Behind the "Immortal" character was a mysterious door. He had only reached that point, with no chance to enter, because taking another step forward would mean death.

"Let the ordinary cultivators retreat. A great calamity is about to unfold in this place; no one should linger," a sickly old man appeared in the field and secretly said to Divine King Jiang and Wei Yi.

The moment he appeared, Grand Saint Huntuo and Grand Saint Qian Lun could no longer remain calm; their faces were filled with gravity. Gai Jiuyou had arrived, making them feel immense pressure.

The White-Clothed Divine King nodded. Which ancient Great Emperor was ordinary? Who could possibly rob their tomb? If they were unwilling, anyone who came would perish.

Just like the Purple Mountain, everyone knew that Great Emperor Wushi was buried within, yet after all these years, who could do anything about it? Even several imperial weapons attacking the mountain that year could only retreat in defeat.

Many important figures had arrived, and no faction could remain calm. Ordinary cultivators began to retreat. This was no simple battle; if a Saint war broke out, let alone a few tens of thousands of li, the Southern Domain itself could be devastated.

Both the Human Race, the Demon Race, and the ancient race were sensible; they all began to withdraw.

If people wished to observe, they would need to use array eyes and similar tools. Otherwise, if any unexpected changes occurred, ordinary cultivators would be as fragile as ants.

"What a lively gathering," another ancient Saint arrived.

Before the former site of Yaoguang, a golden light appeared. The Grand Saint of the Golden Race arrived, wielding the Golden Mace. The ancient imperial might it exuded caused the Bronze Immortal Palace to tremble, and its immortal light intensified.

The Golden King glanced at Gai Jiuyou, then looked towards Wei Yi and the White-Clothed Divine King. He said nothing. His defeat to the Victorious Fighting Buddha had left him dispirited for a while. This time, he came wielding the Golden Mace, hoping to compensate for the loss of his priceless divine essence.

"Another Grand Saint has arrived. If a real fight breaks out, with ancient imperial weapons being wielded, can the Southern Domain still be preserved?"

Everyone was worried. Even Divine King Jiang and Wei Yi frowned.

With so many powerful figures gathered, representing the absolute pinnacle of current combat power, it was clear that the situation was escalating. Ordinary cultivators had no right to participate and retreated like a tide.

Before long, the vast former site of Yaoguang became desolate. Not a single ordinary person remained; only Saints were left.

"Boom!"

The Bronze Immortal Palace emitted a roaring sound, and simultaneously, the sound of the Great Dao grew even grander, as if a true immortal were expounding scriptures, deafening and enlightening.

"This is... careful! I almost dissolved into the Dao!"

An ancient king whose lifespan was nearing its end, with only a few months left to live, was terrified. This was an elder Saint, whose hair stood on end, and whose skin was covered in goosebumps.

"Clang!"

The Golden Mace let out a roar, transforming into an indestructible divine radiance. It could cleave the sun, moon, and stars above, and destroy all living beings below. The ancient imperial aura had revived!

At the same time, bell chimes resonated. Countless purple-gold divine bells were strung together, forming a true dragon that shook its head and tail, appearing in the void.

The Myriad Dragon Bell—each bell was a segment of dragon bone. With a single sound, it could shatter the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, possessing the power to create heaven and earth, causing chaos to surge.

As both ancient imperial weapons emerged, the Bronze Immortal Palace reacted. Its radiance undiminished, it slowly descended into the depths of the heavenly pit, positioning itself at the entrance to the Chaotic Immortal Land, actively defending.

"Oh, how remarkable. Even after the Great Emperor has died, their tomb is hard to shake. Even the Bronze Immortal Palace has come to obstruct us," Grand Saint Huntuo muttered to himself.

"For the secret of becoming immortal, we can only forcibly attack the Immortal Palace. Furthermore, the Chaotic Immortal Earth is also a place we must contend for," the Golden King was the first to act, descending into the heavenly pit.

"Do not allow idlers to approach," Grand Saint Huntuo said, leaving a few ancient kings above to provide support.

Everyone moved, descending together into the abyss.

"A major event! All the Saints have arrived, aiming to open the Bronze Immortal Palace and enter the tomb of an ancient Great Emperor!"

"A great storm is about to erupt! With so many ancient Saints acting, the Southern Domain might be sunk!"

"There's a secret rumor that this is the ancient tomb of the Ruthless Emperor, the most astonishing and brilliant person of all time. Can she succeed?"

The news spread in all directions, and the attention of cultivators across the world converged. Unfortunately, they were not qualified to participate and could only observe.

That day, many important locations in the Southern Domain had ancient array platforms glowing, using Heaven-Penetrating Array Eyes to observe and pay attention to this world-shaking change.

"I feel a bit uneasy..." Wei Yi said, turning his head to look in another direction in the domain. The near-total destruction of the Heavenly Swirl Sacred Land years ago had left him with a lifetime of pain and old memories.

"Let's observe quietly first," Gai Jiuyou said calmly.

The White-Clothed Divine King and his companions did not move; they simply stood at the edge of the abyss, watching the ancient race make their move and calmly awaiting the outcome.

Several Saints of the ancient race flew in all directions, patrolling the surroundings. If any unforeseen changes occurred, they would immediately inform those below with their divine sense. In reality, it was clearly to guard against the Human Race's ancient Saints. What else could it be? They feared that these Saints might set up killing arrays above.

"Boom!"

In the Southern Domain, within the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Zone, the atmosphere was eerie. Beneath the abyss formed by nine sacred mountains, a terrifying aura surged skyward.

Two ancient Saints from beyond the domain were very uneasy and retreated immediately. Having already learned that an ancient Great Emperor's tomb had appeared elsewhere, they also rushed there, temporarily leaving this place.

Ye Fan and his companions were not far from there and were all surprised to witness this scene.

"What's happening? Could the path to immortality truly be opening? Is it happening soon? This would be a world-shaking change!"

Each of their hearts was pounding. Was the elusive Immortal Realm truly about to appear? Who would be able to ascend and transform into an immortal through it?

"Boom!"

Suddenly, an immense force surged, moving a hundred thousand great mountains. Lead-colored clouds resembled a vast sea, and the entire sky seemed to tilt, striking towards Ye Fan and his companions.

"Not good, a Saint is attacking!" the Black Sovereign yelled.

As it acted, twelve array platforms flew out, arranging themselves in the void, blocking the overwhelming Saintly radiance. With a flash of the chessboard-like array platform, they immediately vanished into it.

"Bang!"

The twelve array platforms instantly shattered, turning to ash. They couldn't block even a tiny bit of the attack. One should know that this was a fragment of an Emperor array, powerful enough to kill a Half-Saint, sending their blood and corpses flying.

However, the array diagram was, after all, incomplete, only a tenth of its full power, so it couldn't withstand a Saint's attack.

"Human Sacred Body, you cannot escape. Next time, I will surely kill you; no one can stop me. You are my blood meal, and the Mother Qi you possess will also belong to me," Huo Tan said chillingly.

He was very regretful. He had received guidance from a Grand Saint who deduced that the group should be in this direction, and he had come charging over. Yet, he still hadn't hit them, with only the aftermath destroying a few array platforms.

Tens of thousands of li away, Ye Fan, the Black Sovereign, Duan De, and others frowned. That had truly been dangerous; they were nearly intercepted.

"A Grand Saint must have expended a great deal of effort in divination; otherwise, Huo Tan, who just became a Saint not long ago, couldn't have found us," Duan De said.

"I have a fragmented immortal cauldron on me; they can't calculate my whereabouts. It seems they have another secret method to deduce your positions," Ye Fan said.

"We must be careful! This Sovereign will engrave more small-scale Heaven-Deceiving Array Patterns. Everyone should carry a few; even Grand Saints won't be able to deduce our presence!" the Black Sovereign declared.

Some time ago, they had slain the Heavenly Sovereign Prince and plundered the Enlightenment Tea. Using this divine wood's trunk to engrave the Heaven-Deceiving Array Patterns created by Great Emperor Wushi, the Black Sovereign was confident that it would ensure their safety.

"This is very bad. It's clearly a Grand Saint's instruction and personal deduction. This is a bad sign!" Duan De said.

Ye Fan paced back and forth, looking towards a certain spot in the Southern Domain, his eyes cold. He said, "The ancient Saints have all jumped out. Do they really think I can't slaughter a Saint?"

"What do you intend to do?" the Dragon Horse asked, both excited and nervous. It loved chaos but held deep reverence for ancient Saints, knowing the vast disparity in power made it impossible to defy fate.

"Huo Tan wants to kill me, but he might not succeed. And if I come up with some methods to slaughter an ancient Saint, it might not necessarily fail!" Ye Fan's words were cold.

"You... what's your plan?" the big black dog asked.

"Now, everyone in the world knows I've returned. I seem to have been too quiet for too long. Since the ancient race is bullying me, then I shall slaughter an ancient Saint! I'll give them a grand gift."

"Master, you..." Ye Tong clenched his fists, both nervous and excited.