Chapter 1194: Qi Breakthrough

Chapter 1195: Collective Breakthrough

The two Killing Saints' expressions changed. If the remnants of the Heavenly Court were to escape, it would be impossible to know when they could finally be eradicated, as "weeds grow again if not pulled out by the roots." They attacked frantically, unleashing various deadly techniques one after another. However, a powerful formation blocked their path, preventing them from breaking through quickly. The Ancestral King of the Silvermoon Race was consumed by anxiety, even more so than the two Killing Saints. They had already attacked the Saint Prince but failed to wipe out everyone present. If word got out and the old Saint Ape on Mount Sumeru became enraged, the consequences would be unthinkable!

The small world was disintegrating. Source techniques, ancient killing formations, and saint imprints intertwined, piercing through the chaotic barrier and forming a passage. The Heavenly Court members successfully rushed out. They simultaneously activated their formation platforms, and as numerous Dao traces appeared, domain gates opened, allowing them to traverse the void.

At this moment, the few frail, aged elders of Heaven's Village wept openly, their cloudy eyes filled with desolation and reluctance as they murmured incessantly. "The Ancient Heavenly Court... the last vestiges... are also destroyed," they lamented. "We have been unfilial; we failed to preserve anything." Their faces were deeply wrinkled, and with little life left, they felt sorrowful. Their last cherished memories had been shattered; nothing remained of the Heavenly Court's past ruins.

"Seniors, let's go," urged the younger generation. "Before long, we will surely rebuild the Heavenly Court upon the ruins of Hell and the Human World!"

"We will remain with the Heavenly Court's ruins... To be buried here is the best choice. You must leave quickly!" The elders' cloudy eyes emitted an unusual light, and each seemed to be filled with abundant vitality.

"Reborn from the ashes, perfected through nirvana, everything can start anew," said Yan Yixi. He often played chess with these elders and had received their guidance.

"We are already on the verge of death; we have at most half a year left to live. To be buried here is best. You must leave quickly," the elders urged.

"The fourth stage evolution fluid has been refined," said Qi Luo. "It can help you break through and prolong your lives."

"Don't waste it," they replied. "Leave it for these children. Even if we take the precious fluid, it will be hard for us to become saints; we would only prolong our miserable lives for a few more years." The frail, aged elders wished for death, for what they said was true: their blood energy had long dried up, and their bodies were severely decayed. Their only wish now was to perish along with the last ruins of the Heavenly Court; they refused to leave.

Many fell silent, watching their aged tears fall, a desolate scene of their final moments.

"Grandpa Tianqi..." Little Que'er cried loudly, holding an elder's hand, unwilling to let go, ready to pull him away.

"Grandpa Jingshan, I don't want you like this... come with me!" Ye Tong also stepped forward, supporting a trembling elder. These elders had watched them grow up and diligently guided them in many things; they were arguably their closest kin. Gu Fei and Gu Lin also stepped forward, grabbing their hands, unwilling to let go.

"Grandpas are old; we can't live on," they said. "We just want to find a burial place we like. Assassins should meet their end amidst flashing blades and lie down in pools of blood, but we are too old; our hands can no longer grasp a blade..."

"Grandpa..." Little bald-headed Huahua cried loudly, tears streaming down his face as he clung tightly to an elder, refusing to let go.

"What are you doing?" an elder said, stroking a long blade with his rough, calloused hand. "Everyone must die. To be buried here is the best end for us." His hand, however, trembled, no longer able to wield a three-foot green blade across the battlefield.

Everyone fell silent, respecting the choice of elders like Tianqi and Jingshan. With little life left, to be buried there was, for them, a peaceful resting place for their souls.

"You are our hope," they whispered. "The Heavenly Court will surely flourish..."

Though their hands could no longer firmly hold the blade, the three-foot green blades still hummed, clanging loudly in their hands, accompanying them as they walked into the disintegrating world. Cloudy aged tears, hunched figures, war robes turning to ashes, and finally, broken three-foot green blades... all were buried together in the flames.

Everyone took one last look, then stepped into the domain gate and disappeared. The last ruins of the Heavenly Court were destroyed.

"Will we have a day like that?" Ye Fan murmured to himself. Even the greatest heroes have a day of decline. Even invincible ancient saints face old age when their blood energy dries up, rendering them unable to act. He thought of the blood on Saint Cliff, recalling how heroic and peerless the Great Accomplished Sacred Body had been, yet its end was so desolate.

When his hair turned white, his vital essence, energy, and spirit declined, his eyes lost their sharpness, his body grew old, and his sacred blood dried up, no longer boiling, what choice would he make? For some unknown reason, Ye Fan's heart stirred, as if he had glimpsed a corner of the future. Would his old age be marked by such a desolate scene? And by then, where would his friends be? A Great Accomplished Sacred Body could live for over ten thousand years; perhaps only his aged self would remain then. Would he still be able to wield a blade against his enemies?

The Southern Ridge was a primeval land where giant trees obscured the sun, ancient vines blanketed the sky, and ape cries mingled with tiger roars. Many savage beasts roamed, too numerous to name. A massive ferocious bird streaking across the sky crushed a mountain peak with a single claw, tearing apart a thousand-zhang-long python and swallowing it whole. A strange beast in the swamp, with a single gulp, sucked down the clouds, and many nearby beast kings vanished into its mouth. In the deepest part of the Southern Ridge, various prehistoric creatures roamed, making it extremely dangerous. Even members of the Demon Emperor's Palace and the Barbarian Race rarely ventured there. Azure dragons spread their claws, obscuring vast ancient forests, while golden Rocs let out long cries, shaking a hundred mountains simultaneously.

This was the dwelling place of Heaven's Village. They rested here, and everyone was strengthening themselves, striving to break through their cultivation. The fourth stage evolution fluid was ready in large quantities because they had obtained many divine minerals, allowing them to extract enough precious fluid.

"Grandpa Tianqi..." Little Que'er cried, tears streaming down her fair face, her large eyes red and swollen. Ye Tong's eyes were also misty, and he remained silent on the other side. Gu Fei and Gu Lin wept, blaming themselves, for they could not foresee the heavenly secrets of saints and had not predicted the arrival of the two Killing Saints that day.

"Hell, Human World, all of you should die..." Little bald-headed Huahua was also wiping away tears.

"Why are you crying?" said Li Heishui. "The elders departed peacefully; they chose to sleep there. Your best comfort to them is to strive to improve your strength!"

"Yes, we will attack the two great divine dynasties, annihilate Hell and the Human World, and thus comfort the elders!" Ye Tong stood up and resumed his cultivation to break through. Ye Fan did not let him take the evolution fluid immediately, instructing him to stabilize his realm. After all, he had only recently completed the Dao Severing and needed to carefully comprehend this Dao fruit.

"Yelp!" From deep within the forest came the miserable cries of the Twin Silver-Blood Sovereigns. They were being relentlessly chased by a large black dog, with nowhere to run, undergoing hellish tempering. When Li Heishui heard this, his scalp tingled, and he quickly went to use the evolution fluid to push for a breakthrough. He felt that if he didn't hurry, he might be surpassed by the Black Emperor's two disciples.

It must be said that the Silver-Blood Royal Clan was indeed worthy of being uncrowned kings. Although no Ancient Emperors had emerged from their lineage, their bloodline power was domineering, no weaker than imperial clans, and incredibly formidable. With the evolution fluid assisting them, their heaven-defying bloodline power, once fully activated, caused their strength to soar!

In recent days, thunder had constantly rumbled deep within the mountains. Dongfang Ye, Li Tian, and others had successively broken through, each undergoing a tribulation, and their combat power significantly increased. A loud bang resounded, stones shot through the sky, demonic clouds obscured the sun, and killing intent pierced the nine heavens. Everyone gasped. Killing Saint Qi Luo was actually undergoing a tribulation! His flesh and blood, having been baptized by the evolution fluid, were filled with vital power, and his strength had risen another small step.

"This old man was provoked," someone remarked. "The fourth stage evolution fluid alone wasn't enough for him to break through, but years of accumulation combined with the resentment in his heart forcefully pushed him up another small step. It wouldn't be surprising if he became a Saint King one day." A saint's tribulation naturally presented a terrifying sight; the entire area turned to ash, and no one could approach. In the end, he successfully withstood it.

Heaven's Village did not have a large population, only a few hundred. Besides the oldest elders like Tianqi and Jingshan, several slightly younger grandpas, now aided by the evolution fluid, were like withered trees brought back to life. They successively made breakthroughs, undeniably becoming kings among those who had severed the Dao. Among them, Old Blade Handle achieved the greatest. He had already severed the Dao, and his realm was superior to Li Heishui and the others. Now, he directly became a Great Accomplished King.

"That dog of Black Emperor's is actually about to become a saint, faster than anyone!" the Dragon Horse exclaimed, its face filled with jealousy, envy, and hatred, exhaling white smoke and covered in radiant flames. Dongfang Ye, the Saint Prince, and others were also quite speechless. This dog was indeed heaven-defying; in its own words, it was desperately suppressing its realm, or it would have ascended long ago.

"This Emperor breaks and then stands, stands and then breaks, and now stands again, to solidify every step," it boasted shamelessly. "But it's just a half-saint; what does that count for?" However, no one could refute it, for it indeed had the grounds for such arrogance. Back then, it could fight Ye Fan in close combat with just its physical body without falling behind, and its bites were incredibly fierce. Now that its realm had steadily advanced, this fellow's abnormal physical body became even more exaggerated, making people suspect it was the Demon Emperor's own child, for its bloodline power was no less than Ji Zi's or the Saint Prince's, daring to engage anyone in physical combat.

"From now on, this Emperor will never run again!" the Black Emperor declared, wearing large floral shorts, standing upright with its front paws behind its back, truly resembling a humanoid dog, its face filled with arrogance. "If anyone chases me, I'll bite them to death!" Having now reached the Half-Saint realm, it could definitely rival a saint, possessing an ancient method passed down by Emperor Wushi that allowed it to break through saint domain barriers.

The Dragon Horse was naturally incredibly fierce, having broken through to the Great Accomplished King realm. Given time, becoming a Half-Saint would not be difficult for it. After all, it was an auspicious beast, known as a mount only ancient Great Emperors could possess, a rare sight in all of heaven and earth. Back then, on the other side of the starry sky, its realm was a step higher than Ye Fan's; at that time, it was already a demon horse at the sixth layer of Dao Severing. Now, with the help of the evolution fluid, it had naturally advanced even further.

The Black Emperor warned: "Be careful. Those who wish to prove the Dao and become Great Emperors should not rely on evolution fluid to become saints. That final step must be enlightened by oneself, otherwise, it will affect your future achievements." The Dragon Horse had no small ambition; it was precisely for this reason that it stopped at the ninth layer of the Dao Severing realm. Otherwise, it might have advanced further, possibly even gaining a chance to become a saint.

Among the group, Dongfang Ye was undoubtedly a formidable individual. He and his brother, Dongfang Man, were known as the Barbarian Race's God of War Bodies. Aside from magical power and enlightenment, his physical strength among humans was second only to the Sacred Body. Now, the wild man's ferocity was as strong as ever. His realm had not fallen behind in recent years, and now, with the help of the evolution fluid, he had reached the eighth layer of the Dao Severing realm. Of course, the evolution fluid was still effective for him; given enough time, ensuring he became a Half-Saint would be no problem. However, the wild man felt he should stop while he was ahead and not break through too quickly. After advancing, he needed to diligently solidify his foundation, saving further breakthroughs for a later date.

Yao Yuekong, as a Celestial Demon Body, was also heaven-defying. He also reached the eighth layer of Dao Severing, taking into account time and future considerations. Yan Yixi and Li Tian also reached the eighth layer of Dao Severing. Li Heishui, Jiang Huairen, and Wu Zhongtian stabilized at the sixth layer of Dao Severing. They dared not continue breaking through, reserving everything for the future. With the evolution fluid, they could slowly digest it in the future, and becoming Half-Saints would be no problem; everything was simply a matter of time.

Everyone was looking forward to Ye Fan, Ji Zi, and the Saint Prince emerging from their seclusion, knowing that once these three advanced to the next level, they would definitely be able to contend with saints!