Chapter 1226: Sacred Beast

A golden divine feather, though merely a wisp of a Quasi-Emperor's essence, was still world-shaking. Even hostile ancient saints would not dare to casually grasp it.

The Divine Being's expression was as unyielding as ancient ice, devoid of joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness—only cold indifference. He held the feather between two fingers, examining it closely.

In the distance, the giant Kui beast's fur bristled, and its body trembled. As the sacred guardian beast of the Four Elements Holy Land, it had just witnessed the Golden Crow's demise and instantly turned to flee.

The Kui beast had never experienced such terror. Only once, in the ancient era, had it encountered a similarly fearsome man, and it knew this individual was utterly insurmountable.

"Whoosh!" The white-haired man flicked his hand, and the golden divine feather shot forth, tearing through the air. The ancient giant Kui beast roared, its massive body unleashing countless divine chains of order, while various ancient weapons materialized around it.

The outcome was unchangeable. A splatter of blood erupted as the golden divine feather pierced its skull, instantly annihilating its primordial spirit.

With an earth-shaking, mournful roar, it fell with immense reluctance. Yet, its eyes quickly dulled to a lifeless gray as its colossal body crashed into the dust like a collapsing mountain.

"Ah!" Simultaneously, a second shriek pierced the air. Not far away, another saint's forehead was likewise pierced by the golden feather, and he fell backward into a pool of blood.

After slaying two saints with a single golden feather, the white-haired man's expression remained as unruffled as an ancient well, as if he had performed an utterly trivial act.

"There are no Quasi-Emperor artifacts or secret treasures here—only sorrow and grief," the Divine Being stated coldly, his voice echoing across the desolate dead star. "I do not wish for anyone to disturb this place!"

With those words, he ascended into the sky, vanishing into the starfield. He transformed into a bolt of lightning, streaking toward the depths of the universe, directly towards the Big Dipper direction.

A closer look would reveal a truly terrifying, extreme speed.

He flickered in and out of sight, his form growing increasingly indistinct. Eventually, his physical body tore directly through the fabric of the universe, hurtling towards the cold, dark unknown.

How powerful was this individual? It was difficult to assess, as he did not emit any of his fundamental aura. Nevertheless, his ability to effortlessly slay several ancient saints with a single strike indicated absolutely terrifying power, and he could traverse the heavens solely with his physical body.

"A five-star danger level God!" Ye Fan mused as he watched the figure recede. The Big Dipper was indeed on the verge of great turmoil, with various heaven-defying and mysterious individuals converging, presaging an unparalleled war in the future. That region would become the most dreadful place of upheaval in the starfield, and it was impossible to imagine how much blood would be spilled, how many bones would pile up, or how many lives would be lost.

A mottled black stone disk appeared, from which blood flowed. It opened a domain gate, and two figures in black robes emerged, descending upon the dead star.

Soon, they discovered the massive tomb. After exploring it for a while, they found nothing. The vast grave contained countless bones and was permeated by an extremely heavy aura of death, but no artifacts were present.

Ye Fan sighed, realizing that while the Quasi-Emperor's failed path to enlightenment might have left behind valuable items, they had undoubtedly been taken long ago. The Divine Being from earlier clearly had a profound connection to this star; otherwise, he wouldn't have guarded the massive tomb so fiercely or made a special detour to offer respects.

"That Divine Being," Ye Fan murmured to himself, "if I embark on the ancient trial path of the strongest, I might encounter him again."

The universe was vast, the starry sky boundless with countless stars, yet ancient life-bearing lands were exceedingly rare, almost impossible to locate. Ye Fan traversed countless starfields, searching meticulously and diligently, but not only were life-bearing planets absent, even places where traces of life had once existed were nowhere to be found. If he hadn't encountered the Sages from beyond this domain and known for certain about other ancient life-bearing lands like Huosang, Tongtian, Gouchen, and Feixian, he would truly have believed the universe was desolate.

Twenty-odd days later, a vast star, emanating an overwhelming life aura, emerged from the depths of a starfield, signaling Ye Fan's return to the Eternal Star Domain.

After several months, Ye Fan arrived at the Eternal Main Star once more. He sensed an unusual atmosphere: all major clans were preparing for war.

Tianyuan City, the most renowned main city on the Eternal Main Star, was situated in its central ancestral land. Surrounding it, majestic dragon ridges undulated, from which dragon qi billowed upwards.

The western half of the city was filled with a modern ambiance: towering skyscrapers rose in dense rows, reaching into the clouds, and spaceships could be seen taking off and landing frequently. The eastern half of Tianyuan City presented a completely different scene: magnificent colossal gates and ancient, weathered palaces evoked the feel of an ancient Phoenix City. Many buildings floated in the air, suspended in important celestial zones. This was a colossal city blending modern and classical styles, with a population numbering in the tens of millions.

"Divine Blue Fortress will commence a large-scale auction tonight," someone said. "Holy Beast blood, worth a fortune, will be sold, capable of significantly boosting a family's overall strength."

"Hmm, truly tempting," another replied. "That's a Holy Beast; extracting the divine and holy power from its bloodline can strengthen a clan's lineage many times over."

In front of an ancient castle in the eastern district, a large crowd gathered, watching a massive billboard that displayed items for the upcoming auction. The street was wide. Ye Fan walked along the ancient stone path and approached. After observing for a moment, his expression became quite strange. The Holy Beast blood being auctioned by Divine Blue Fortress actually originated from an ancient race, from an Ancestral King. This Ancestral King had been slain in the previous battle, and merely because he possessed a pair of deer antlers and a torso taller than humans, he was classified as a Holy Beast.

This clearly demonstrated the arrogance and pride of the Eternal Main Star's inhabitants, who casually referred to a venerable Ancestral King as a mere beast. It was truly tragic that the lofty Ancestral Kings of the Big Dipper had met such a fate. Not long ago, the first wave of strong explorers had achieved sweeping victories here, but within two days, peerless masters emerged and slaughtered them one by one.

"Hmm, speaking of which," someone remarked, "that Demon God and the Indestructible Golden Body are truly despicable. The Big Dipper is infested with beasts, including many Holy Beasts—it's a terrifying place. They were so insidious to lure our people from the Eternal Main Star into a trap."

"Indeed," another agreed. "Ultimately, that wave of Holy Beasts launched an assault. Fortunately, Saint Luanfeng intervened, or there would have been a true bloodbath."

"That place, the Big Dipper, is very fearsome," a third person added. "It's said that when their divine senses were probed, even higher-grade Holy Beasts were discovered there. They might even launch an attack."

"Are they underestimating the Eternal Main Star, thinking we have no one?" someone challenged. "Didn't Saint Luanfeng and other peerless powerhouses declare that in the future, that place would become a hunting ground for those aspiring to the Dao, with endless Holy Beast resources?"

"That's just encouragement, hoping future generations will rise up," someone countered. "Who can truly achieve the Dao and become an existence like an ancient deity?"

Listening to their discussions, Ye Fan gradually understood some of the battle's repercussions. The conflict's end had made the people of the Eternal Main Star vigilant, shedding their former arrogance.

As he walked along the main street, he saw several other renowned, long-established auction houses also planning to auction Holy Beast blood, bones, and antlers. In the last great war, nearly all of the ancient races perished and were subsequently divided among the major powers. Some factions were now auctioning off portions of the surplus flesh and blood.

Deep within the starry sky, aboard a massive mothership, the true army of the ancient races had arrived days ago. Not a single one of them was weak. Having secretly gathered some information, many of their faces turned ashen.

"My Great Strength Ox Demon Clan is being treated as Holy Beasts?" roared an Ancestral King, robustly built with black ox fur and a pair of dark horns. His ox nose nearly twisted from rage, and he exhaled plumes of white smoke. How proud the ancient races were, yet now they were being treated as mere beasts.

An Ancestral King from Blood Phoenix Mountain muttered to himself. He was a member of the Primordial Royal Family, normally aloof and revered, born in human form. Though some of his kin possessed avian features, they would never tolerate being insulted as mere beasts. "Excellent," he continued, "to treat us so lightly! Even the bones of an ancient saint from my Blood Phoenix Mountain are being auctioned off as if they were from a mere holy bird. If we don't wipe them out this time, I shall end my own life here!"

These were all powerful Primordial giant clans who typically disdained the human race. Now, being disrespected by beings from another ancient star, they were truly enraged.

"Enemy attack!" Giant alarm sirens blared across the Eternal Main Star, prompting every major clan to prepare for war.

Ye Fan was startled as well, looking up at the sky. However, he saw no saints descending, only warships ascending.

"No enemy traces have been found," someone said. "But it's rumored that several major families have lost cosmic motherships, totaling eight vessels. It must be that group of Holy Beasts attacking again, but this time they are very cautious, not revealing themselves immediately and ensuring a retreat path."

"There's no need to worry," another assured. "Saint Luanfeng and other peerless powerhouses have been waiting for them to appear. It's rumored that the concentrated divinity in these Holy Beasts' blood can be extracted and used as a primary ingredient to refine evolution fluid."

Everyone was discussing, and a tense atmosphere permeated the Eternal Main Star. Despite their sense of superiority, an attack by a group of "Holy Beasts" was still very daunting.

A cold smile touched Ye Fan's lips. Neither side was truly benevolent; it would be best for a powerful clash to occur, with each suffering some losses.

That night, Tianyuan City was brightly lit, resembling a gigantic divine pearl embedded in the earth. Throughout long and ancient ages, deities had been born here, making it a perennial central holy land. Many people held hope, with numerous major clans eager to compete in the auction to acquire Holy Beast blood and bones to enhance their family's strength.

Ye Fan walked through Tianyuan City, periodically gazing at the overcast sky. He sensed the stillness before a great battle, knowing a storm was imminent.

A streak of light flashed across the sky. Divine Blue Fortress instantly vanished from the ground, and a three-headed, six-armed Ancestral King from the Hun Tian Clan appeared in its place. He flicked his wide sleeve, and one by one, the most magnificent auction houses on the ground vanished into it. This was an ancient grand divine ability known as "Universe in the Sleeve." This was because, besides auctioning Holy Beast blood, it was rumored that evolution fluid might also be offered as the grand finale.

"They're here," a voice boomed, "This venerable one has been waiting for you for a long time!"

A figure shimmering with purple light shot up from the city, soaring towards the firmament. Wielding a crystalline, purple holy sword hundreds of meters long, he cleaved directly at the Hun Tian Clan's Ancestral King.

"It's Saint Luanfeng's third disciple!" many in the city exclaimed, shouting, "With him guarding, we should be safe!"

"Boom!" A fierce collision erupted in the sky, annihilating a large section of the void. The two saints battled, creating boundless black holes.

Silently, a mothership materialized in the firmament. Its hatch opened, and eight or nine ancient kings, each displaying cold indifference, stepped out. "Although there are some strong individuals, they are merely relying on external objects," one of the Ancestral Kings stated. "This battle won't last too long!" No sooner had this Ancestral King spoken than a violent explosion erupted. The Saint-artifact-level cosmic mothership behind them was engulfed in sky-high flames, emitting destructive waves as it disintegrated inch by inch.

"Ah..." The Ancestral King suffered heavy injuries. This was a Saint artifact exploding, releasing power comparable to a self-destruction, truly terrifying.

The battle had now begun. The clash between the two great star domains unfurled this night, with similar holy wars also commencing in other major cities.