Chapter 1237: Qilin's Lament

Dao Yi stiffened. He had never expected a third Imperial Armament to appear, which would completely turn the tide of the battle. Was all his effort truly about to be in vain?

"Brother Dao, I'm truly feeling unwell and have no choice but to act this way. Just lend me the Ancient Tree of Life, and I'll leave immediately. I'll return it next time," Ye Fan said with a sincere expression.

Dao Yi showed a trace of worry. He didn't want to yield and tried to buy time, but Ye Fan gave him no chance. Ye Fan pressed the green cauldron downwards, immediately threatening the Ancient Emperor Formation Diagram.

Seeing this, Yan Qi, while battling, spoke up, "Fellow Daoist, if you help this old man escape, you will be richly rewarded. From this day forward, Fire Kirin Cave and you shall be eternal friends."

"Elder, don't panic, I'm here to save you." Ye Fan pressed the green cauldron down again. A faint, awe-inspiring radiance emanated from it, but he was careful not to fully engage. He then said, "My abilities are limited, and I lack profound techniques. How about you first impart to me a divine art from an ancient emperor's secret scripture, so I can break through this formation?"

Yan Qi secretly fumed. He had already lowered his stance, yet this arrogant individual continued to exploit the situation and pressure him.

Flames of murderous intent flickered in Huo Qilin Zi's eyes like two leaping fires, but Ye Fan completely ignored him, not even glancing in his direction.

"Brother Dao, I have a hidden injury and urgently need an immortal medicine. If you don't help me, then so be it. I no longer wish to live; I'll simply be buried by this Ancient Emperor Formation."

Ye Fan became resolute. The green cauldron shone with auspicious brilliance, its vibrant essence overflowing as it descended dozens of feet, eroding many of the ancient emperor's dao imprints.

This was divine energy extended from the formation diagram. Although it didn't harm the main body of the formation, if this continued, the green cauldron would truly collide with it.

Dao Yi's smile vanished. For the first time in his life, he was being threatened in such a way. He secretly lamented that he shouldn't have provoked Ye Fan at the last moment, as it had brought forth an Ancient Imperial Armament!

A miserable shriek echoed, signifying the death of another Saint. This one was from the Hun Tian Clan, a member of the Ten Great Primeval Royal Clans, possessing boundless magical power.

"Fellow Daoist, I will transmit a divine art to you, called Kirin Slash, capable of killing all gods. Listen carefully!" Yan Qi could no longer hold back. The ancient Saints accompanying him were worthy of protection, and their deaths were truly lamentable.

"Very well, I'm all ears," Ye Fan said with a smile.

"Wait!" Dao Yi interjected. Making a decision, a tender, foot-long branch appeared in his hand.

At the same time, Yan Qi transmitted a divine thought, conveying a secret technique that entered Ye Fan's ear.

Ye Fan sneered inwardly. Did Yan Qi truly think he was easy to deceive? This secret technique was extraordinary, but it had a flaw, a conclusion he quickly deduced using the Fighting Saint Method.

Dao Yi acted decisively. With a flash of green light, the branch shot upwards, appearing in Ye Fan's palm. It was a string of tender branches, seemingly cast from emerald jade, crystalline and translucent, emitting vibrant light.

Simultaneously, Great Saint Yan Qi, holding his divine staff, soared towards the sky along the path the tender branch had traced, intending to escape via this opening.

However, his opponent was also a Great Saint, unimaginably brave and unstoppable. The opponent entangled him and forcefully drove him back; it was clear he couldn't escape.

"Brother Dao is truly too stingy. You possess a Tree of Life, yet you only give me such a small section of a tender branch, which can only heal external wounds and is completely insufficient to cure my dao injuries," Ye Fan sighed.

"Brother Ye, one should learn to be content," Dao Yi said, a hint of displeasure appearing on his face. "I only have a segment of the trunk myself, not the true Tree of Life. It was lost deep within the universe."

"Alas, if that's the case, my injuries will be difficult to heal. But who wishes to die? Brother Dao, then please share a slightly thicker branch with me," Ye Fan requested.

Dao Yi felt depressed. For the first time in his life, he wanted to beat someone up!

This Indestructible Golden Body truly deserved a beating, especially seeing his earnest and sincere demeanor; Dao Yi genuinely wanted to slap him away.

Dao Yi's plot to trap and kill Great Saint Yan Qi could not fail. Otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable; if Yan Qi escaped, he would undoubtedly seek devastating revenge in the future.

He was somewhat frustrated. How had such a troublemaker appeared at the last critical moment? He glared at Ye Fan with a darkened face, his previous bright smile nowhere to be seen.

Another shriek of agony sounded as another Saint from the ancient race fell, cleaved in two by the formation diagram, staining the sky with blood.

Yan Qi grew desperate and cried out, "Fellow Daoist, why aren't you upholding your promise? I've already transmitted the divine art to you!"

Ye Fan's eyes were cold as he stared at Yan Qi. "I wouldn't dare learn your divine art. I fear I would perish upon cultivating it."

"Alright then, this old man will impart another technique to you, one that is infallible. This is the ultimate divine art from an ancient emperor's secret scripture!" Yan Qi exclaimed. He was secretly astonished, having never imagined Ye Fan to be so formidable. In such a short time, Ye Fan had deduced the "hidden flaw" of the previous technique.

Dao Yi spoke, his voice booming with divine power, "Aren't you afraid I'll keep Huo Qilin Zi as a hostage and unleash Yan Qi to kill you, costing you your life?"

"I dare to act this way because I have a way to protect my life. Furthermore, if you were to do that, all your efforts would be in vain. I don't believe a Great Saint of a prominent race would be foolish enough to remain threatened by you once they gained freedom," Ye Fan replied with a faint smile.

"What if I come and fight you instead?" Dao Yi's demeanor turned incredibly sharp, his Saintly might surging, stirring up thousands of waves that spread directly into the cosmos.

Inside the formation, Huo Qilin Zi's expression changed. He clenched his fists, and torch-like light shot from his eyes.

"You are welcome to try!" Ye Fan was exceptionally forceful, radiating divine light as he declared, "I am in need of a battle with a powerful Saint!"

"You need a powerful Saint, not an ancient emperor's son who has become a Saint!" Dao Yi's eyes were deep, directly piercing Ye Fan's true intentions.

Ye Fan smiled, weighed the green bronze cauldron in his hand, then suddenly slammed it downwards, causing the entire formation diagram to tremble violently. Perhaps it truly could be broken open!

"Good, Fellow Daoist, if you help me escape, Fire Kirin Cave will surely reward you handsomely. We shall accompany each other on the path to immortality!" Yan Qi declared.

Huo Qilin Zi bit his lip until blood seeped out, remaining silent. This day was a humiliation for him; he would rather die in battle than beg for mercy. He shot a glare at Great Saint Yan Qi.

"Very well, I will lend you a section of the Tree of Life. Take it for your healing." Once Dao Yi made his decision, he acted without hesitation, breaking off a section of the trunk, about one-third of its length, and tossed it out with a flick of his hand.

Ye Fan activated the "Soldier" character secret, bringing the branch into his palm. Upon holding it, he felt immense comfort, enveloped by a potent life energy.

"Excellent, Brother Dao's decisive actions are truly gratifying. We part ways here. As the green mountains remain and the rivers flow on, I look forward to our future reunion," Ye Fan said.

Dao Yi listened to Ye Fan's glib, "Jianghu"-like talk, sounding like a mountain bandit among mortals. His face immediately darkened. "It's best if we don't meet often."

Ye Fan waved his hand and walked towards the flying ship, appearing as though he intended to leave in it. But suddenly, he vanished, merging into the green cauldron and steering it directly towards the formation diagram.

"You..." Dao Yi's expression changed.

"Good, Fellow Daoist truly has a heart. We are both from the Big Dipper, and thus we should naturally stand together and support each other!" Yan Qi laughed heartily.

However, he was quickly stunned. The green bronze cauldron grazed past the formation diagram without colliding with it, tearing through the void from above the planet and vanishing instantly.

Dao Yi nodded, seemingly understanding, and made no attempt to stop him during this process.

"What's going on..." The two or three ancient Saints remaining beside Yan Qi despaired.

During this process, a vast net appeared in the distance, engulfing Ye Fan's cosmic mothership and covering that entire expanse of starry sky.

If Ye Fan had left from that direction just now, he would have walked straight into the net and certainly been captured. No one had expected him to move in the opposite direction, passing right beside the Ancient Emperor Formation, and thus making his escape.

This was a dazzling, vast net, seemingly forged from countless stars, shimmering with divine radiance. Each strand of the net resembled a galactic river, entrapping half the universe.

"These youngsters nowadays are getting slipperier and slipperier; they're all so hard to catch," an old man sighed in the void, retrieving his net with frustration. It was the old mercenary, Huo Bai.

He did not reveal his true form, hiding in the shadows. After watching for a moment, he departed, saying, "Alas, I truly didn't expect him to possess an Immortal Cauldron. I missed out."

Ye Fan needed a battle, but not here. With two Great Saints present, each wielding an Extreme Imperial Armament, and the Ancient Emperor Formation Diagram, getting entangled here would surely lead to his demise.

Furthermore, the Divine Spirit had suffered greatly here and would most likely not let it go, poised to retaliate at any moment. This place was not suitable for a prolonged stay.

"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind it. I thought I was the oriole, but I never imagined there was an old mercenary, that damn old fox, who turned out to be a tough opponent," Ye Fan cursed.

As the Saints of the Initial Royal Clan perished, on the Blood-Soaked Ancient Star, Great Saint Yan Qi was left with only Huo Qilin Zi by his side; everyone else was dead.

"This old man will fight you to the death!" Yan Qi roared, burning his own life force to blood-sacrifice the Kirin Staff.

At that moment, a blue divine light, many times brighter than a star, was visible from endless distances, streaking across the sky and illuminating eternity.

The blue-gold divine staff cut through the universe, tearing open a corner of the incomplete Ancient Emperor Formation Diagram. Yan Qi soared skyward with Huo Qilin Zi, half of his body badly burned, his primordial spirit cracked. He had paid an irreversible price!

"You won't escape," Dao Yi said softly, standing his ground. Yet, the formation diagram became even more terrifying, its divine light sweeping across all directions, shattering everything in its path.

Meanwhile, the Great Saint clad in the Dao Yan Immortal Robe remained like a shadow, locking onto Yan Qi and giving him no chance to escape.

Immortal mist surged, and murderous intent boiled over, engulfing Yan Qi. The Ancient Emperor Formation Diagram was unparalleled; without even being fully activated, it sealed the heavens itself.

"Your Highness, I will send you away even if it costs me my life!" Yan Qi was covered in blood. Only his head remained relatively intact; the rest of his body was drenched in blood and on the verge of melting.

"Yan Qi!" Huo Qilin Zi cried out.

"This time, I will become a sinner of Fire Kirin Cave, because I cannot send away the Kirin Staff. I can only send Your Highness away. I must use this divine staff to block them, or they will catch up to Your Highness," Yan Qi coughed up large mouthfuls of blood, his eyes dimming.

Yan Qi spat out a mouthful of vital essence, then roared furiously. The divine staff fully revived, but the Dao Yan Divine Robe did the same, no weaker than him, suppressing it!

Simultaneously, the formation diagram locked onto him, severing his divine soul and slaying his primordial spirit.

"Yan Qi, go! Flee with the Kirin Staff!" Huo Qilin Zi shouted.

Yan Qi did not speak. His entire being grew increasingly brighter, outshining numerous stars, releasing immortal power. His body rapidly disintegrated, and the Great Saint's essence blood completely evaporated.

Only his head remained, merged with the Kirin Staff, his eyes vacant. He activated the weapon, cleaving open a corner of the formation diagram and shaking open a void channel, into which he thrust Huo Qilin Zi.

"Imperial Prince, you must live. With your bloodline, you will at least become a Quasi-Emperor in the future, while my achievements end here. They will obtain the Kirin Staff, but no one can seal it forever. An Imperial Armament cannot be insulted. At most, they can suppress it with the Dao Yan Divine Robe and the formation diagram for a few decades; eventually, it will fly away on its own. The divine spirit within an Extreme Imperial Weapon cannot be extinguished by anyone, unless Dao Yi becomes a Great Emperor."

"Imperial Prince, take care. I can no longer guard your path. Imperial Prince, learn from others' strengths. A talent like Dao Yi is truly formidable; he can live for a long time..." Yan Qi's voice faded.

Huo Qilin Zi cried out in agony, but after entering the dark void, he could see and hear nothing, having left the battlefield.

Yan Qi's torso turned into bloody pulp, and his head cracked, his eyes dim. Yet, he remained merged with the Kirin Staff, blocking the way...

Tears blurred Huo Qilin Zi's eyes. Just moments ago, he had been discontent with Yan Qi, angry at his compromises and hating that he had bowed to Dao Yi and Ye Fan. But in the end, everything had been to save him, not to save his own life.

Huo Qilin Zi fell out of the void, landing on a desolate planet. He clutched his hair, knelt on the ground, and let out a heartbreaking roar.

"I will grow stronger! I will never stop at being a Quasi-Emperor!" he cried out in anguish, like a wounded beast, weeping in solitude.