Chapter 1288: Ancient Road Crisis Signs

A thunderous roar, like a mighty hammer striking everyone's heart, penetrated through the ancient city's sealing formation, causing many people's vital energy to surge and nearly making them collapse.

Everyone was stunned. This stone creature was incredibly powerful; its entire body emanated an overwhelming aura, enveloping the sky and piercing through the firmament, like a vast ocean surging furiously. Its swinging fist, like a crashing hill, attacked the Human Race's Tenth Holy City, thundering and rumbling with unparalleled divine might.

The Tenth Holy City was protected by two layers of formations. As a special location situated above an ancient life planet, it faced extremely formidable creatures below. Both layers of these formations were of Grand Saint level, had existed since ancient times, and had never been damaged. Yet, at this moment, they shook violently, as if on the verge of being breached.

"This is terrifying! What cultivation realm has this stone creature reached to be able to shake this city?" someone exclaimed. "A stone creature, invited by that Saint King-level Tyrannosaur... Where did it come from in the depths of the universe?!"

Everyone's hearts were shaken, and their faces filled with dread. This stone creature was overwhelmingly powerful, exuding an aura vaster than a galaxy, truly astonishing. Each of its strikes caused the sky to collapse and the earth to crack. The two layers of formations, representing the deepest realm of ancient Grand Saints, were on the verge of shattering, making everyone's scalp tingle with shock.

At this moment, everyone in the city was alarmed. Countless indigenous inhabitants, along with thousands of trial-takers, were all dumbfounded and breathing rapidly.

"Is that a Holy Spirit? How can this be? Who can subdue it?" There had been too many legends about Holy Spirits since ancient times. Their terror and power were ingrained in people's bones; they were practically synonymous with invincibility. From ancient times until now, besides the Great Emperors of old, what other entity could suppress them? Moreover, countless anecdotes claimed that once a true Holy Spirit reached full enlightenment, it would be utterly fearless of ancient Great Emperors, as it would be an existence of the same caliber, invincible through all ages!

At this moment, many felt a chill run down their spines. If such a peerless existence truly manifested, the Tenth City absolutely could not hold, and everyone within it would perish, dying in space. No one had expected such a calamity today, especially the group of trial-takers who had just entered the city, whose scalps tingled with dread as if they had fallen into an ice cellar.

"It's not a Supreme Holy Spirit that has fully matured; it emerged prematurely due to an accident," an elderly cultivator muttered to himself, still holding some confidence. "Otherwise, even with the protection of the most intricate Grand Saint-level formation patterns, this city would undoubtedly fall!" He believed that even if this stone creature was ferociously rampant and possessed monstrous magical power, it would absolutely not be able to break in.

"Although it's not an invincible Holy Spirit, it's still a disaster," someone remarked. "There's more than one stone creature in the depths of this starfield; someone previously saw an even more powerful one." This was a fact, and also the reason many people's faces turned pale, because an old law enforcer, before his demise, had claimed to have seen a stone creature of peerless terror, which still caused great concern.

The stone creature roared, swinging its mountain-like fist and smashing it above the Tenth City. Formation patterns emerged, and ancient marks manifested like clusters of immortal flames burning. The Grand Dao roared, its energy engulfing the cosmos.

The Emissary was alarmed. Standing on a dao platform, he looked up at the sky and said, "This creature is indeed formidable. One foot has already stepped into the Grand Saint realm, and the other is just a heel's breadth away."

That tyrannosaur also roared, constantly diving and attacking. It was a peak Saint Beast King, with terrifying attack power, roaring repeatedly.

"Humans, quickly hand over my child, or I will bathe your ancient city in blood; not a single person will survive!" the savage Tyrannosaur roared furiously.

As the cultivators in the city had guessed, someone with extraordinary abilities had stolen the divine egg laid by this tyrannosaur, infuriating it. This was akin to opening a Pandora's Box, inviting a great calamity and prompting the terrifying Saint Beast King to attack the city.

However, it also indirectly showed how extraordinary the remaining trial-takers were, to be able to steal the offspring of a peak Saint King-level tyrannosaur. Their own cultivation must be astonishing.

"Who did this? What extraordinary means! To steal a Tyrannosaur's divine egg and bring such calamity upon the entire city, truly a source of disaster!" someone exclaimed. "Damn it! This has put all of us in a passive position. One person has implicated the entire ancient city; what a move by the egg thief!" The prominent figures in the city reacted differently: some were impressed, while others were itching with hatred, as they quietly observed the development of the tense situation.

"Saint King Tuolan, why do you come to demand an explanation in such a manner?" The Emissary rose into the air, clearly recognizing the tyrannosaur. He spoke to it, inquiring about the cause and circumstances.

The Tenth Holy City hung in space above this ancient planet, revolving around the land like a satellite. The cultivators residing in the city naturally knew the names of some powerful entities on the planet below.

Tuolan was a very dangerous Saint Beast King, with considerable fame. Normally, they kept to themselves, not interfering with each other.

"Your human race is too deceitful! Seeing my lord pass away, you bully my orphaned child and widowed mother!" Saint Beast King Tuolan roared.

The "lord" she spoke of was once an invincible existence on the ancient planet below: a Grand Saint-level Tyrannosaur who had overlooked the world and awed this cosmic starfield for seven or eight millennia. But even the most powerful could not resist the ravages of time; he ultimately passed away four years ago, his body cold and lifeless. The divine egg laid by Tuolan was the offspring of that Grand Saint-level lord, and now that it had been stolen, it naturally infuriated Tuolan.

After incubating for dozens or even hundreds of years, the young Tyrannosaur lord was finally about to emerge, but instead met such a fate. How could Tuolan not be enraged? This stone creature was a Quasi-Grand Saint, likely to succeed in its breakthrough within a few more decades. It was an old friend of the late Tyrannosaur Lord, and had arrived to fight due to Tuolan's tearful pleas for help.

The cause was as simple as this: the divine egg was stolen. Human cultivators had crossed the line, enraging the Saint Beast King, who was now prepared to attack the city at all costs.

The Emissary frowned and said, "I just used the Profound Heaven Treasure Mirror to illuminate the entire city, and the divine egg is definitely not here. There must be some misunderstanding." He patiently explained that while some human trial-takers might be audacious, most would not dare to be so reckless.

"In the depths of this ancient planet's wilderness, there are some unfathomable ancient existences," the Emissary explained. "Even the former lord could not claim to single-handedly cover the sky. Perhaps there are powerful beings from his era who have not yet passed away." He patiently analyzed the situation and urged Tuolan not to be angry, stating that it might be ancient beasts with profound cultivation causing trouble on the planet, perhaps even framing the humans.

"I don't believe it! Over all these years, how many Saint Beast descendants has your human race taken away? Would you not know?" Tuolan roared. "This time, someone definitely took a great risk!"

Its tyrannosaur body was like a verdant mountain peak; each swing of its divine power caused the ancient city to rumble and shake violently. The stone creature was even more terrifying, declaring that if no explanation was given, it would summon its old friends to conquer this place and demand an answer.

Many in the city were uneasy. This was a beast tide storm, and if mishandled, it could lead to the city's destruction and the annihilation of the human race, because the invaders were too powerful.

Many believed it was most likely the work of a trial-taker; after all, this divine egg was too astonishing. If it became a mount, it was destined to sweep across a starfield in the future. Its parents were a Grand Saint-level lord and a Saint King-level tyrannosaur. Such a bloodline was truly astounding, making it an extremely ideal divine beast cub.

Anyone would be tempted; some even suspected that it might have been stolen by someone of the Emissary's caliber.

"Saint King Tuolan, how about you calm your anger for now? I will provide you with an explanation." The Emissary stood on a mottled stone platform, conversing with the two powerful beings, asking them to cease their attack, and spoke with them in hushed tones for a long time.

Tuolan said, "Alright, I will temporarily trust you and give you some time. But if you cannot return my child by then, I will definitely fight you to the death!" The stone creature also gave a stiff nod and said, "If anything happens to my nephew, whom I have not yet met, I will certainly raise my banner, summon my old friends, and come here to demand an explanation."

After secretly listening to the Emissary's analysis, neither of them could be certain whether it was the work of the human race or other powerful beings on the ancient planet.

They also did not wish to turn hostile towards the human race. After all, the Grand Saint-level Tyrannosaur Lord had passed away, and contending with the human race would be truly difficult. On this ancient road, the overall strength of the human race made all starfields wary.

After all, in a sense, this was territory managed by the human race!

The stone creature retreated, and Tuolan returned to the ancient planet below. A storm temporarily subsided, but it was far from over.

Immediately after, the Emissary issued an order for numerous trial-takers to set out, to find the root cause of this crisis and to investigate whether it was ancient beasts causing trouble or simply human cultivators who had stolen the divine egg.

Regardless of whether they were cultivators who had arrived decades ago or those like Ye Fan who had just arrived, all had to undergo this trial and uncover the truth.

Because the Emissary and others sensed a hint of crisis. This might not be a simple incident, but perhaps a prelude to a greater upheaval.

"Hmm, our human experts once saw an ancient ship in the depths of the universe, pulled by several Saint Beasts as beasts of burden. That was truly terrifying, and perhaps related to this," one person mused. "Old Law Enforcer Xu Yan, before his demise, truly saw a powerful stone creature in the depths of the starry sky. It was terrifying beyond measure, its aura splitting the sun and moon, and it also appeared in that starfield. Most likely, there's a connection."

Inside the Tenth City, in a secret chamber, the Emissary conversed with two elders, discussing the incident, all of them frowning.

"I've heard that some disturbances have also occurred ahead. I'm worried that a terrifying entity might be orchestrating all of this, linking one event after another to then detonate them, which would lead to a peerless great crisis!" one elder stated. "We really need to pay attention. We must report these matters, and then we'll first strive to resolve the dark clouds on our own side."

The Tenth Holy City was majestic and grand, magnificent in its aura. Its city walls were like mountain ranges, tall, thick, and imposing, exuding an air of grandeur.

Ye Fan and his group had been in the city for only a day, without even enough time to get acquainted or understand their surroundings. They were now about to set off with cultivators who had been stationed there for decades, to venture deep into the ancient planet and investigate the mysterious circumstances.

This was a dangerous trial, yet also a great opportunity and challenge.

Everyone knew that this ancient planet was incredibly mysterious. It contained numerous rare treasures, immortal scripture tablets, secrets of ancient Great Emperors, and artifacts left by Human Ancestors.

Normally, many areas were forbidden to enter. Firstly, to protect trial-takers from Saint Beast attacks, entry was strictly prohibited. Secondly, it involved many ancient secrets that could not be leaked.

This time, however, the Emissary announced that they could act according to their own strength. If trial-takers felt they could enter certain forbidden zones, they were free to do so, and no one would stop them.

Some powerful cultivators rubbed their palms together in anticipation. Many had been stationed here for decades, never setting off, simply waiting for this rare opportunity, which came only once every few years, to search for Emperor Scriptures, Human Ancestor artifacts, and other treasures.

Legend had it that in the past, young Great Emperors, Human King physiques, Saintly Physiques, and other invincible bloodlines had obtained extremely heaven-defying items here. Even these individuals valued them and praised them afterward, so others naturally paid even more attention.