Chapter 1167: Target Beidou

Chapter 1168: Target Beidou

The Eternal Main Star buzzed with activity. Undercurrents stirred as various factions grew restless. The Great Exploration Era had arrived, presenting an unprecedented opportunity.

All major clans were recruiting soldiers. Anyone with sufficient strength was certainly taken in, as everyone aimed to gain an advantage in the upcoming territorial conflicts.

"The Primordial Ancient Mine, how exciting! To think such a place exists. I'm sure we can unearth a good amount of Primordial Life Stones there. If we find this divine primary material, perhaps other components will also be discovered. It's truly thrilling! We might even be able to refine fifth-stage, or even sixth-stage, evolutionary immortal liquid!"

The promising outlook and grand blueprint excited many major clans. For them, it could become a sacred land of revitalization, rekindling the past glory of the Eternal Kingdom.

Only Ye Fan frowned. Were these people tired of living, wanting to excavate the Primordial Ancient Mine? Did this ancient star have several Quasi-Emperors who would travel there with mechs left by ancient gods?

"This will trigger a great revolution. Back then, we found a similar resource star, which advanced our civilization's progress by 50,000 years!"

This time, perhaps 100,000 years, or even longer? We shall see!

Ye Fan was busy, visiting various recruitment centers. He was choosing among the major powers, seeking a strong enough royal clan to join within the ten initial clans.

In fact, all clans were recruiting, but the vanguard, including the Lanto Clan, only comprised eleven clans. Others had to wait until the area was surveyed before setting out, and Ye Fan was unwilling to wait long.

The entire star system was recruiting, and mercenaries became highly sought after, unprecedentedly so. Recruited by major clans, humanity seemed on the brink of a great migration.

The Starry Sky Network was abuzz with daily discussions and debates. Centered around this topic, some naturally accused it of being an invasion and protested it as bullying weak natives.

However, no major power took these concerns seriously. In their eyes, only profit mattered, and no resource could be overlooked.

Ye Fan deliberated and weighed his options between mercenary groups and major powers. With his strength, he would certainly be welcomed anywhere, but his ambition went beyond that. He wanted to rise in rank so he could eventually hijack a mothership.

As the major clans made their moves, only the Pluto Clan remained calm. They did not begin preparations, instead observing with a detached eye. They merely warned a few friendly major clans that the place would likely be difficult to find.

Generations ago, their ancestors had come from that place, yet few knew about it now. Even their forefathers had not found a way back, leading them to doubt the Lanto Clan's success.

The Lanto Clan, upon learning this, had their leader shake his head and smile. He stated that the Demon God was extraordinary, possessing ancient demon clan methods for recording star coordinates and meticulously measuring the journey.

Based on these primitive, almost archaic coordinates, the Lanto Clan could gradually deduce and calculate, allowing them to reverse-engineer their way back to find that mysterious star field.

Upon hearing this, the Pluto Clan also began preparations. However, their true intention was not to participate, as they vaguely remembered their ancestors' dying instructions: the Beidou Starfield contained a path to immortality, a place sought by ancient Great Emperors, and it was certainly not simple.

Nevertheless, they kept all of this to themselves, burying it deep in their hearts. They made superficial preparations while secretly biding their time.

Apart from the Pluto Clan, the Immortal Feather Qi Clan also had other plans, as the old Saint Qi Yaoguang personally consulted Ye Fan, stating that he would follow his advice.

"Don't go. Raiding that place won't end well," Ye Fan simply stated, without explaining the situation in Beidou.

The Qi Clan immediately ceased their preparations, becoming extremely cautious. They no longer wanted to get involved in this mess, sensing a murderous intent in Ye Fan's calm words.

"You can't just not prepare either; someone is watching you. Everyone knows you once helped me, and some major clans have already deduced that I'm from the Beidou Starfield. For instance, Zhao Qingchuan is very astute and is certainly observing your movements."

"Kid, you're really underhanded, aren't you? Isn't this just setting people up?" said Qi Yaoguang.

Ye Fan's expression was serious as he said, "They intend to invade the Beidou Starfield, which will lead to a cross-starfield war where it's hard to say who will live or die. I just don't want you to act uniquely and draw others' attention."

This was a protracted preparation, as the expedition was no trivial matter; there was always a risk of being annihilated in foreign territory. The people of the Eternal Main Star were not blindly arrogant; they had gathered sufficient information from the "Demon God."

Recruiting strong individuals, forging battleships, and maintaining motherships—all this was proceeding intensely, and various expedition plans were also under discussion.

During this period, besides pondering which major power to join, Ye Fan was also actively preparing. He was doing his homework, analyzing and studying various minerals.

He learned about the various divine primary materials needed to refine the strongest evolutionary liquid. These were truly rare, encountered perhaps once in eons, but he thought some might be found in Beidou.

Now, he urgently wanted to elevate his cultivation. The ancient mirror left by Ji Haoyue recorded the dangers ahead; the nine pieces of information made him uneasy. To advance, he absolutely had to become a Saint; otherwise, the path ahead held many perils, and pursuing it might lead to his demise, making it difficult to achieve anything.

"This divine mineral, appearing once in an eternity, is—the Eye of Creation?!"

Ye Fan was astonished. No wonder the evolutionary liquid was priceless; none of its required components were ordinary. All were exceptionally rare treasures, especially the nine primary materials, each more valuable than the last.

Fate Stone, Eye of Creation, Grand Luo Immortal Vine, Primordial Life Stone, Heart of the Dead World... which of these wasn't an astonishingly heaven-defying item?!

In a sense, possessing even one divine primary mineral was enough to refine the first stage of the evolutionary liquid. Substitutes could be found for other main ingredients, and with dozens of rare auxiliary minerals, success was almost guaranteed.

In fact, the number of divine primary materials determined which stage of evolutionary liquid could be refined.

Just like the Heaven's Pure Land last time, they lacked the Grand Luo Immortal Vine, substituting it with the heart of a withered meteor vine. With only the Fate Stone, Primordial Life Stone, and a small piece of the Heart of the Dead World, they successfully refined the third-stage evolutionary liquid.

Of course, their preparations were thorough. All sorts of rare auxiliary minerals were gathered, and they were of superior quality. Even the missing main ingredients had excellent substitutes.

After learning the details, Ye Fan pondered. Refining the ninth-stage Great Perfection Immortal-grade evolutionary liquid was simply impossible!

Not to mention the ninth stage, even the eighth and seventh stages were difficult to refine. The most sensational event on the Eternal Main Star in 50,000 years was when someone barely managed to refine the sixth stage of the evolutionary liquid.

"After I robbed the purple-eyed woman on Undying Mountain, the Fate Stone was only partially melted, and merely the first stage of evolutionary liquid was extracted. It was left in Sky Village, and I imagine it still has great use. Furthermore, I could ask the Holy Prince to invite the Victorious Fighting Buddha; perhaps a Primordial Life Stone could be obtained from the Primordial Ancient Mine. As for the Heart of the Dead World... I seem to have one on me!"

During his journey on the Ancient Starry Road, he once stayed on a star filled with withered bones. He witnessed a battle between a Saint-level bone creature and a golden Saint ship. Ultimately, he delved into the core of the planet and retrieved a mineral filled with death energy. Only now, having arrived here, did he finally learn that it was the Heart of the Dead World.

This mineral had only a one-in-a-billion chance of forming in places of extreme death. The black mineral contained a miracle of immortality, making it exceptionally rare!

Ye Fan studied diligently, gaining a detailed understanding. He finally learned many valuable things. If he could return to Beidou this time, he would focus on finding and collecting these items.

Doing so would bring immense benefits to both him and his old friends, leading to qualitative transformations. Each step forward would shorten cultivation time by a century, making it incredibly significant!

Four months passed in the blink of an eye. The clans of the Eternal Main Star were in full swing, and their preparations were nearing completion, indicating their immense seriousness and importance attached to this expedition.

Ye Fan chose to join a super royal clan known as the "Undying Sun." This ancient family had historically produced Great Saints, and some specific branches still had Saint Kings overseeing them, thus earning them the title of a regional monarch.

The Cao Family, the Fan Clan of the Immortal Feather Star Sea, the Mo Family of the Primordial Demon Star Sea, the Zhao Family where Zhao Qingchuan belonged, the Undying Sun Royal Clan... counting the Lanto Clan themselves, there were a total of eleven major clans.

Pre-war preparations were nearly complete, and they were about to gather and embark on the expedition. A cross-starfield war was about to commence.

Ye Fan was no longer so optimistic; this star field truly had powerful experts. It was not as simple as he thought. If a Great Saint were to embark on the journey piloting a divine mech, it would likely be a disaster.

Of course, he wasn't pessimistic. Since he couldn't stop it, he could only follow along. He would inform the Saints of Beidou in advance when the time came; perhaps ancient Great Emperors' weapons would clash magnificently with ancient gods' mechs.

"I should prepare some grand gifts for them, like sending some sketches to the eleven great royal clans, preferably leading them to places like the Primordial Ancient Mine and the ancient clan gathering grounds."

However, doing so would be very difficult. Who would believe him? If he offered maps, he would likely be immediately targeted and exposed.

Finally, an opportunity arose, and the next event caused a huge uproar.

A brother and sister from the Purple Cloud Clan, lost in the cosmos for many years, returned with astonishing news. They claimed to have visited the Beidou Starfield, having crashed near a peculiar region called Undying Mountain.

They had lain low there for years, but ultimately, an accident occurred, and the evolutionary liquid they refined was taken by a native.

"That truly is a treasure trove. Through the description of the Purple Cloud Clan's siblings, the Lanto Clan's words were confirmed to be credible. That native possessed one of the strongest physiques in the universe, and there might indeed be many powerful bloodlines on that land."

"Miss Ziyan has finally returned! She is the pride of the Purple Cloud Royal Clan. Her spending so many years in space with her brother, refining evolutionary liquid, is truly admirable. She is the most beautiful elf on the Eternal Main Star, comparable to Qi Meng and Fan Xian of the Immortal Feather Starfield."

When Ye Fan received the news, he was momentarily stunned. The pair of "alien" siblings had escaped and returned; they had once been his captives and were only now back on their homeworld.

Ziyan, the fairy-like beautiful girl, and her group endured immense hardships. Their mothership was seized, leaving them only with the golden mech god within, which allowed them to perform countless spatial jumps. They were lost over a dozen times in the cold, dark cosmos, nearly dying out there, and returned only after a narrow escape.

Some of the warriors who returned with them were immediately and secretly divided among the major royal clans, lured by hefty rewards, solely to learn about that ancient star.

Unfortunately, these individuals had limited knowledge, as they had spent years solely focused on refining evolutionary liquid and had no understanding of what a truly divine land the Beidou Starfield was. They did mention some important details, stating that upon their departure, they had captured many peculiar races whose bloodline power was indeed extraordinary, which only further invigorated the people of the Eternal Main Star.

Ye Fan began to act, spreading various versions of secret maps, making people mistakenly believe they were secrets revealed by the returning individuals.

Having done all this, he had only one matter left to resolve: rescuing the Southern Demon. For several months, he had been trying to ascertain his identity, but it was always difficult to approach, as the Lanto Clan's defenses were too strict.

Finally, before setting off, the ancient Saint Qi Yaoguang brought him an important piece of news: in recent days, rumors had been rampant, and various maps of the Beidou Starfield were circulating, unsettling the major royal clans. Together, they pressured the Lanto Clan to reveal all the secrets known by the Demon God.

Eventually, under pressure from the ten royal clans preparing for the expedition, the Lanto Clan reluctantly revealed the truth, allowing them to observe the Demon God's Sea of Consciousness. Nothing remained a secret.

"What? The Demon God is a clone, not the actual person?" Ye Fan was slightly surprised, but not overly shocked. He had long suspected that it was likely not the real Southern Demon.

"That's right. His Sea of Consciousness contains a wisp of the Southern Demon's imprint, but it's mostly dominated by a Lanto Clan Half-Saint," Qi Yaoguang explained.

The Southern Demon once battled the Lanto Clan. To save his sister Qi Huoshui, he almost perished, shedding much demon blood. The Lanto Clan used this blood to forge the Demon God's body.

Qi Yaoguang said, "A few years later, that terrifying man, like a demon god, returned, slaying many Lanto Clan experts. However, under the intervention of an ancient Saint, he abandoned a clone and departed, gravely wounded and on the verge of death."

Ye Fan was astonished. The Southern Demon was truly remarkable, managing to escape from an ancient Saint. He was either thoroughly prepared or incredibly powerful.

"So, the Demon God's Sea of Consciousness now contains the imprint of the Southern Demon's clone?"

"That's right," Qi Yaoguang nodded.

"Since the Lanto Clan has revealed the secret, have they allowed anyone to examine the clone's spiritual consciousness?" Ye Fan asked.

"I saw it myself," Qi Yaoguang showed him.

Finally, Ye Fan was dumbfounded. The Southern Demon was truly ruthless. Losing a clone and nearly bleeding to death—it was absolutely deliberate.

These imprints were terrifying traps. The Beidou in the Demon God's mind seemed to have few ancient Saints, and the Sea of Consciousness map clearly indicated some important ancient clan strongholds, believed to contain divine treasures.

That clone had definitely been tampered with by the Southern Demon; it was left behind intentionally!

"This... is a deadly scheme against the ancient clans, driving tigers to devour wolves, making the people of the Eternal Main Star and the ancient clans slaughter each other!"

When the Southern Demon departed, the Beidou Starfield was in dire straits. The threat from the various archaic clans was immense; they could sweep across the world at any moment, leaving billions of corpses.

In a sense, the Southern Demon was forced to leave!

Ye Fan, too, wanted to spread maps, but his plan was incomplete because he wasn't in the same dire situation as the Southern Demon, making it difficult to exploit the current circumstances.

The Southern Demon's arrangements were meticulous, fully demonstrating his intentions, and their goals aligned perfectly.

"Ruthless enough!" Ye Fan chuckled, confirming the Southern Demon's prowess.

"Woooo..." The war horn, left by an ancient Great Saint, blared. Motherships from the Eternal Main Star ascended one after another, heading towards the already opened stargate.

The Purple Cloud Royal Clan also joined, making a total of twelve great royal clans embarking on the journey. Each clan deployed at least four motherships, with ample ancient Saint mechs and powerful existences like Saint Kings holding the line!