Chapter 1175: Oceans Turn to Ashes

Chapter 1176: The Canghai Race Turns to Ash

For some ancient races, today marked an unprecedented upheaval—the first time in countless years they had faced an unprovoked attack.

The Canghai race traveled northward, following the imprints within the Southern Demon's sea of consciousness. They successively located several ancient race habitats, sweeping through them with dense formations of warships, breaching the holy lands of some tribes.

"Too weak, unable to withstand a single blow."

They acted purely for resources, seizing some of the ancient races' medicine fields and divine minerals from their treasuries, which naturally provoked fierce resistance.

These were only minor tribes, no match for them. Without an Ancestor King, they had no power to retaliate, utterly unable to contend with the Saint-grade motherships and powerful mechs.

The Canghai race was greatly encouraged. Although these tribes were not strong and currently lacked presiding Saints, their clan treasuries were exceptionally rich. This convinced them even more that the Fire Qilin Cave ahead would contain astonishing immortal-grade artifacts.

"It's a Seven Tribulation Earth Essence, found among their possessions—this is one of the divine auxiliary minerals for refining evolution fluid, truly a peerless item!"

The Canghai race swept all before them, their motherships dominating the skies as they advanced. Upon reaching the Blue Demon Abyss, they encountered fierce resistance, losing eight warships.

"What? Such heavy losses? Seven or eight quasi-Saint level figures counterattacked? Deploy the ancient Saint mechs and sweep clean this demonic abyss!" the Canghai prince declared with a grim expression.

This was their first setback since arriving in the Big Dipper Starfield. Eight warships sunk, hundreds of lives lost—it was a significant blow to them.

Blinding light emanated as two ancient Saint war machines descended from the sky. These nine-zhang tall mechs, one wielding a scarlet mist battle spear and the other a black, demonic-light dragon blade, began their slaughter simultaneously.

Inside the Blue Demon Abyss, screams filled the air as many ancient tribesmen were slain. Blood qi surged upwards, turning the area into rivers of blood.

This was the Canghai race's first true act of killing. Although they had previously looted several vital strongholds of ancient tribes, they had not engaged in such widespread slaughter. Now, they revealed their sharp fangs, seeking vengeance for their fallen clansmen.

"Mere natives who only know barbaric arts, daring to contend with higher-ranking races from the vast starfield? Today, we will beat you until it hurts. Hand over all sacred artifacts passed down from ancient times, or blood and bones will pile up to fill this abyss!" the Canghai prince stated chillingly.

"Pfft!"

A streak of blood flew as he, piloting the third ancient Saint mech, personally severed the head of a quasi-Saint with a platinum holy sword, sending blood splattering.

The Blue Demon Race was not weak; reputed as one of the Ten Great Ferocious Races, they originally had a Saint presiding over them, and their illustrious reputation spread far and wide.

However, two years prior, they had oppressed the human race and challenged Saintly might. They even attempted to kill Ye Fan and destroy the Qishi Mansion, but Gai Jiuyou intervened and annihilated the Saint of that race.

In that catastrophe, an Ancestor King of the race had been away and escaped the calamity. Afterward, he dared not return to the clan, which was why this ferocious race was now unable to resist.

The secret maps provided by the Southern Demon were targeted, pointing towards ferocious races like the Blue Demon Race and the Charming Race. These races were filled with hostility and posed a threat to the current world, being radical elements that caused chaos.

Two years ago, the Blue Demon Race was unrivaled, wanting to go on a killing spree against the human race and others. But ever since Gai Jiuyou killed their Ancestor King, they had fallen to this state, now being attacked and slaughtered themselves.

Beneath the Blue Demon Abyss, screams rose and fell as bodies dropped one after another. The once powerful ferocious race suffered continuous defeats today.

A total of seven ancient Saint war machines entered the underground world, sweeping all before them. Their metallic bodies were stained with blood and shattered bones as they ruthlessly harvested lives.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, one ancient Saint mech emitted a blinding light, cracks appeared on its surface, and then it exploded.

"What's going on?"

The Canghai prince was astonished. Fearing an unforeseen event, he returned to the mothership, scanned the entire area, conducted deductions, and revealed a shocked expression.

"An ancient formation, boundlessly powerful!"

The only thing that reassured him was that this formation was fragmented and incomplete. The ancient Saint mech had mistakenly entered a preserved, intact section of the formation's patterns, which was why it had encountered a killing calamity.

These were the runes of an ancient Great Saint. Unfortunately, they had been broken by Gai Jiuyou that day; otherwise, the people from the Eternal Main Star might not have gained an advantage today.

"Hmm, there's an ancient city in the underground world. Open their treasury for me!"

On this day, the Blue Demon Race suffered a great calamity. Piles of corpses lay everywhere; they were nearly wiped out and sustained heavy losses. Only a portion of their people fought their way out through a sea of blood to escape.

"Incredible! These natives have rich collections. The treasures piled in their vault are comparable to an ancient divine mine!"

The Canghai race was shocked. When they opened the treasury, the dazzling light blinded their eyes, and they were all petrified. After a long moment, they erupted in excitement.

"Northward we go! All of this will belong to us!"

The Canghai clan went wild. Four motherships and hundreds of warships swept away all obstacles, advancing relentlessly.

It must be said, they were very fortunate. Their route took them directly through the former habitats of the Ten Great Ferocious Races. While these tribes were fierce, some could not even be considered royal races. Most importantly, two years prior, Gai Jiuyou had personally intervened and annihilated their Ancestor Kings, leaving them without any Saint-level combat power.

The Canghai race advanced with overwhelming force, sweeping all before them. Eventually, they divided their forces, with four motherships attacking in concert, sweeping through the Blood Moon Race, Purple Lightning Race, and Green Ghost Race!

Unfortunately, the once ferocious races were now attacked by a fleet of ancient Saint-grade mechs and motherships. They were routed, their ancestral lands stained red with blood, and corpses piled up like mountains.

This was a cycle: once high and mighty, they were now, after losing their Ancestor Kings, weak races bullied and brutally massacred by others.

The Canghai race was proud of their achievements. Their gains were truly immense; the minerals stored in the treasuries of the Ten Great Ferocious Races were exceedingly rare and precious, many of them legendary treasures.

"These natives' ancestral artifacts are too rare! It seems we don't even need to mine; just opening their treasuries brings surprises!"

After conquering several tribes consecutively, their confidence surged, and they believed the natives had low combat power and were nothing to fear.

What happened next, it's hard to say whether it was luck or misfortune for them.

The four motherships converged and, instead of attacking the next ancient tribe, avoided a true primeval royal race where several Ancestor Kings resided!

They directly initiated a space jump, arriving in the mountain range where the Fire Qilin Cave was located, and charged into the royal territory!

This was a majestic ancient mountain range. Ancient herbs grew everywhere, immortal vines climbed among the cliffside stone peaks, and exotic birds and auspicious beasts roamed. Immortal qi permeated the air, making it seem like a land of immortals.

Especially in the dead center, where the mountain peaks, although barren of vegetation, shimmered with flowing fire light. Yet, they appeared like the abode of deities, bathed in ten thousand rays of rosy light and a thousand strands of auspicious glow.

Ancient caves dotted the landscape, especially in the very center, where an immortal cave pulsed with surging divine light. This light transformed into fiery glows, illuminating the sky with an air of mystery, as Dao patterns rippled out like strands of water.

"This is truly a divine land!"

The Canghai clan was shocked, sensing that peerless treasures were buried here. If they could capture it, they would likely reap unimaginable gains.

"Huh, something's wrong, don't act rashly!" Inside one of the motherships, the Canghai race's ancient Saint suddenly opened his eyes.

Since entering the Northern Region, he had been in meditation, never acting or speaking, but now he was startled awake.

Because at this moment, he felt a terrifying Dao rhythm that made his hair stand on end. When he opened his celestial eyes to gaze, his face immediately turned ashen white.

"How could this be... This ancient star has such an existence. Deities were born here, and their immortal aura still lingers!"

The Canghai Saint's face lost all color; he was frightened to the core. Anyone who truly understood this place would react the same way, as they simply couldn't contend with it—supreme Dao runes were subtly flickering.

"Absolutely do not make a move!"

However, it was already too late when he awoke and spoke. The fleet of warships ahead had already made their move, flying towards the Fire Qilin Immortal Cave.

"Who dares trespass upon my Fire Qilin Cave?" shouts echoed from the mountains as dozens of figures soared into the sky, blocking their path.

"Whoosh!"

Four ancient Saint mechs attacked simultaneously, their bloody battle spears and black dragon blades cleaving the dozens of experts in front of them.

"How dare you!" The Fire Qilin Cave's gate guardians were shocked. From ancient times until now, no one had ever dared to offend their majesty; this was the first time anyone had attacked their home.

At the gate, over fifty figures soared into the sky consecutively, including three quasi-Saints, whose powerful cultivation was merely for guarding this entrance.

"Pfft!"

Inside one of the ancient Saint war machines, a Canghai expert sneered. They had already adapted to this kind of combat and charged straight through.

A flash of blood light, and one of Fire Qilin Cave's quasi-Saints was cleaved in two, dying a violent death, unable to block their path.

"Kill!"

The other three ancient Saint war machines also displayed their might, wielding holy swords and blood spears. They unleashed the Saintly might of the Great Dao, charging through and mercilessly slaughtering the other two quasi-Saints and the fifty-odd individuals.

"Have you eaten the guts of a god? Are you tired of living?" A majestic and enraged roar echoed from an ancient cave in the distance, and hundreds of people rushed out.

One elder transformed into a streak of fiery light, swiftly charging forth with overwhelming force. He sent all four mechs flying and breaking apart, then directly ripped one of them asunder, seizing the person inside.

"Pfft!"

Blood splattered as he directly crushed the Canghai expert.

"Retreat quickly!"

The Canghai Saint shouted, his face grim.

"This is bad! A quasi-Saint among the captives said that this ancient star not only has ancient Saints, but also Great Saints, and perhaps even a living Quasi-Emperor!"

"What? Set sail immediately! Perform a space jump and leave this place!" At this moment, sensing the aura erupting from within the Fire Qilin Cave, they knew things were dire—a peerless existence was awakening.

"Boom!"

It was too late. Various Great Dao runes flickered densely within this primeval mountain range, covering the entire sky and making it impossible to construct a star-gate.

Especially in the central area, the ancient caves spewed mist and auspicious light, as if a colossal being was resurrecting. The Fire Qilin Immortal Cave in the very center was the most mysterious.

In mere moments, over a thousand people rushed out from the various ancient caves, each one beside themselves with rage. Even in the most terrifying era of primeval times, no one had ever dared to bully their home like this.

Today, someone had slaughtered on a large scale right in front of their gate—this was an unbearable humiliation.

"Ants, all of you, die!" The old Ancestor King who had emerged first roared, displaying peerless divine abilities. He blew up the other three ancient Saint mechs, crushing the three individuals inside to death, leaving behind a mass of shattered bones and bloodstains.

The Canghai race was instantly stunned. How could they suddenly encounter such powerful beings?

"Break out, leave this place!" a titan roared.

The Fire Qilin Cave exuded the intense aura of ancient deities and possessed a peerless divine formation that imprisoned the void, making space jumps impossible. All warships could only fly towards the high heavens.

"Ants who don't know death from life, not a single one of you can escape!" The old Ancestor King extended a large hand that covered the sky and earth, obscuring the high heavens. Batches of warships exploded, shattered like flies—it was boundlessly terrifying.

"Retreat quickly, I'll stop him!" the Canghai Saint declared, making his move. He was inside an ancient and mysterious mech, and his power instantly soared to the Saint King realm, capable of crushing a planet.

"Boom!"

He transformed into a lightning bolt and charged over, blocking the Fire Qilin Cave's Ancestor King and critically wounding him with a single punch, making him cough up mouthfuls of blood.

The Fire Qilin Cave's Ancestor King was alarmed, not expecting this cold metallic war body to be a Saint King. He rapidly retreated, but in the process, he shattered dozens of warships with a single palm strike, and it was unknown how many Canghai cultivators died violent deaths.

"You forced my hand!"

The Canghai Saint attacked with full force, wielding the power of a Saint King. He unleashed streaks of divine light that engulfed heaven and earth, directly pulverizing the Ancestor King and turning him into a bloody mist.

"What? One of our ancient Saints was slaughtered!"

The people of Fire Qilin Cave were shocked. Everything happened too quickly for them to intervene, and their eyes all turned red with rage.

They were the masters of this land, the most powerful race. When had they ever been bullied at their doorstep like this, and had an Ancestor King mercilessly killed? It was simply unheard of, like a fantasy.

"Don't let a single one escape!"

From the ancient caves, an ancient and furious roar emanated, as if from primeval times, shaking many warships and causing them to explode directly in the sky.

A figure charged forward, colliding directly with the Saint King war machine, causing it to emit cracking sounds. It was a withered old man, his entire body flowing with Qilin fire light, wielding a terrifying weapon.

"Boom!"

Another figure shot towards the high heavens, also incredibly terrifying. A single palm strike descended, directly shattering a mothership, shaking it into dust.

The Fire Qilin Cave was enraged. They dispatched their peerless experts. For a dignified primeval royal race to be attacked at their home like this was simply a joke!

But now it had become reality, and an Ancestor King had died. The race was enraged to the extreme, believing that only by killing all enemies and draining their blood could their humiliation and indignation be washed away.

"Ah..."

An agonizing scream rang out. The Canghai Saint didn't last long; his ancient mech was shattered by the desperately fighting old Ancestor King, who then practically tortured him to death.

His body shattered inch by inch, and his soul was ripped out, making death an elusive release. He was destined to endure torture.

One mothership struggled to break free, attempting to soar into the sky, but a streak of immortal light flew out from the Fire Qilin Cave and, with a whoosh, sliced it into dust.

At the distant edge of the sky, Ye Fan and the others were alarmed. How could the Fire Qilin Cave be so enraged that they even unleashed an Extreme Emperor Weapon? Wasn't that like hitting a mosquito with a sledgehammer?

"We arrived a step too late," sighed the Saint Prince. "The Canghai race is certainly annihilated. Why provoke anyone else but specifically the Fire Qilin Cave? Isn't that just seeking death?"

"I hope they don't discover the secret of the evolution fluid," Ye Fan said. "Otherwise, they'll come to compete with us for rivals. That would be a difficult competitor to deal with."

Their harvest had been substantial. With the Killer Saint Qiluo present, they had just successfully seized the evolution fluid from a great royal race. It was precisely because of this person that they had been delayed, watching helplessly as the Canghai race marched to their deaths.

"Hurry, let's go to the next place. Heaven bless the Miluo Race; they absolutely must not attack Blood Phoenix Mountain!"

At this moment, Ye Fan began to pray for the people from the Eternal Main Star, not caring about their lives, but about the evolution fluid and motherships.

The Miluo Race was not so lucky. On their way to Blood Phoenix Mountain, they encountered a great ancient royal race halfway through, engaging in a fierce duel where tens of thousands suffered heavy casualties.

Facing an illustrious immortal royal race with Ancestor Kings presiding, they could not gain any advantage at all, and batches of their mechs were destroyed.

Of course, this primeval royal race also paid a heavy price, being almost leveled, and losing two Ancestor Kings.

Ye Fan and his group arrived at just the right moment, seizing the most important mothership. With the evolution fluid successfully in hand, they vanished into the horizon.

"We received news that two great tribes are gathered at Undying Mountain. Let's hurry there; I hope it's not too late."

At this moment, outside Undying Mountain, things were strange. People from the Cao family and the Primordial Demonic Sea faced off against each other, unwilling to retreat, each eager to be the first to enter the mountain.

Even after several of their dispatched space-faring vessels mysteriously crashed in the black mountain range, they refused to retreat. They had personally witnessed the immortal medicine—the Black Tortoise, a ten-thousand-year-old medicine—appearing there.

Little did they know, within Undying Mountain, a headless figure with a powerful aura had already appeared, standing within the central mountain region, riding an ancient beast like a resurrected deity!