Chapter 1294: Big Moon Slope

Chapter 1295: The Great Moon Slope

The slope was not steep; it was crescent-shaped, which gave it its name. It appeared desolate, devoid of vegetation, and vast. Legend has it that this place was once where ancient beasts aspired to divinity, but somehow it evolved into its current lifeless state, utterly dead. Day or night, it remained a dismal gray, perpetually shrouded in mist, with dim, obscured landscapes, in a constant state of twilight.

Ye Fan and his companions stepped onto this area. They saw no plants, no ants or insects; all life had vanished, and even birds avoided flying through. The Great Moon Slope was desolate, as if untouched by anyone for hundreds of thousands of years, silent and abandoned.

However, according to the Nine-tailed Alligator Dragon, this slope was not always like this. Ancient beast elders had recounted anecdotes that the Great Moon Slope was once a significant location during the Divine Splendor Era, far from its current barren state. A mythological era once existed? This raised questions about what had happened to the Great Moon Slope for it to become such a desolate land.

White bones and decaying corpses periodically appeared on the ground, enveloped in mist. Although it was midday, it felt as if dusk were approaching. The ground was heavy with Yin energy. Ye Fan and the Dragon Horse were on guard, not entirely trusting the Nine-tailed Alligator Dragon. The fierce beast cried out, insisting it had no ill intentions. After learning of Ye Fan and the Dragon Horse's origins, the Nine-tailed Alligator Dragon changed its mind and decided to follow them, having already abandoned any ulterior motives. Against the backdrop of impending war on the Ancient Starry Sky Road, it felt that following such a "filthy" Dragon Horse and the unfathomable Sacred Body would be considerably safer.

A divine light flashed and vanished in the distance. Even through the dense mist, it did not escape Ye Fan's profound vision. Having already attained sainthood, with more of his body's hidden potential unlocked, his spiritual senses were incredibly acute. Four hundred li away, a powerful and swift creature moved like a streak of light across the tranquil land.

"Didn't you say there were no living beings here?" the Dragon Horse asked suspiciously, fearing the Alligator Dragon was setting a trap. The Nine-tailed Alligator Dragon was also puzzled. It earnestly explained, then led the way, pursuing the creature to get a clear understanding. Ahead, the mist thickened, gray and heavy like leaden clouds. There were many bones on the ground, long since decayed, crumbling instantly with a crunching sound when stepped upon.

"It's a Stone Wolf!" Ye Fan's heart sank, and a strange expression appeared on his face. The Tenth City and this ancient star were currently filled with an atmosphere of tension and panic, as Sacred Spirits were expected to attack. Seeing a Stone Wolf now was definitely not a good sign. Sacred Spirits, born of heaven and nurtured by earth, were protected by the heavens and incredibly powerful from birth. However, fate is unpredictable. The more favored they were by the heavens, endowing them with world-shaking power, the more prone they were to accidents.

This Stone Wolf had a difficult destiny. It lacked a human form, and its wolf body had significant defects due to an accident during its gestation, keeping it far from perfection. It had only three legs, and a terrifying crack ran across its head, suggesting it might have come into the world hundreds of thousands of years prematurely. Even so, within its body raged immense vital energy, containing a vast ocean of sacred blood essence, capable of erupting like a tsunami at any moment.

"A Saint-realm creature, very difficult to deal with," the Dragon Horse said, its expression grave. No one wanted to face a Sacred Spirit. Such beings were inherently powerful, wielding many heaven-defying laws, and in battles of the same rank, they almost always swept aside their opponents with devastating force.

After traveling over eight hundred li, they gradually neared the depths of the Great Moon Slope. The gray mist had thinned slightly, revealing some features on the barren horizon.

"An ancient fortress... there's actually an ancient fortress!" The Nine-tailed Alligator Dragon's expression changed drastically, and it couldn't help but let out a low cry. It was a magnificent ancient fortress, resembling the abode of a demon god, etched with the marks of time, exuding a grand and awe-inspiring aura as it stood upon the land.

"Didn't you say there were no living beings inside the Great Moon Slope?" the Dragon Horse questioned it again.

"According to what I know, there truly weren't any. But now, something is clearly strange, something has changed. I've recalled some legends," the Nine-tailed Alligator Dragon said, its expression flickering.

"Legends? Don't tell me it's something related to the mythological era," the Dragon Horse said, giving it a sidelong glance.

"Precisely, it's related to that," the Nine-tailed Alligator Dragon replied with a solemn expression.

"Then tell us," Ye Fan motioned, urging it to speak truthfully. The Great Moon Slope was an unusual place, containing the ancient star's oldest secrets; there must be some hidden truths.

"Ancient legends say that every few hundred thousand years, when cracks appear in the God and Ghost Burial Ground, magnificent ancient fortresses and other unusual sights will emerge," the Nine-tailed Alligator Dragon recounted the anecdotes it knew. This was an abandoned land with an extremely ancient history. Normally, it was exceptionally quiet, with nothing but gray mist and dead silence. Only in special eras would strange phenomena occur, manifesting various ancient relics from before the primordial age. Since there were rumors of its glorious past during the mythological era, it was easy to make connections. This place had buried the past, interring everything from the mythological era before the primordial age!

Yet, some believed that the terrifying things within the God and Ghost Burial Ground, with their unknown secrets, had not truly ended. If someone were to venture inside, they might gain something, perhaps even a great fortune.

"A sealed ancient land," Ye Fan murmured to himself, many thoughts crossing his mind. Deep in the universe, Sacred Spirits were leading vast armies to attack the ancient human road. One or two sacred cities had already been annihilated, and the ancient road itself had been severed. There was no war without reason; it was either driven by hatred or by profit, aiming to gain something. Seeing a Stone Wolf here scouting the way, Ye Fan had reason to believe that matters were growing more complex, and the Sacred Spirits' objective in attacking the ancient human road was significant. The mythological era was long, and abandoned lands were numerous. This place was likely one of the Sacred Spirits' targets, not the only one. Presumably, there would be many such places along the ancient road.

"What are the Sacred Spirits looking for?" Ye Fan wondered aloud.

The Nine-tailed Alligator Dragon had much knowledge because this ancient star had extraordinary heritage and had always been suitable for cultivation, never declining. It had heard many secrets from ancient sages before it. "I once heard that in the mythological era before the primordial age, there were heaven-defying ancient arts that allowed imperfect Sacred Spirits to achieve perfection through postnatal efforts. That was a period where one could aspire to divinity." Were the Sacred Spirits emerging from the depths of the universe searching for these very things? This thought was both alarming and unsettling.

"This is an ancient road belonging to humanity. I believe humanity's strength is by no means weak, and someone must have long since discerned the Sacred Spirits' purpose. For now, we can't concern ourselves with too much; cultivating our own strength is paramount." Whispering discreetly, they moved silently and stealthily, advancing into the depths of the Great Moon Slope.

The ancient fortress was colossal, boundless in its grandeur. Faintly, sounds like the roars of gods and demons emanated from it, terrifying beyond measure. However, each time they approached, the fortress dimmed and became unstable, turning into a phantom that could not be entered. The Stone Wolf ahead faced the same issue; its many attempts were fruitless. It had now reached the very center of the slope.

"There's a massive gateway there!" The ancient fortress and other structures vanished. A towering stone gate stood closed on the ground, hundreds of feet high, seemingly built for gods and demons. Behind the gate, there were no buildings; it connected to the void, as if it could be used to enter another world.

"I understand now. Both the ancient fortress we saw earlier and this giant gate are entrances. Through them, one can enter the God and Ghost Burial Ground," the Nine-tailed Alligator Dragon realized with a start.

"Look, there's a magic array over there, and a Saint Beast is meeting him," the Dragon Horse said. In front of the massive gateway, layers of runic patterns were densely spread, with shimmering light points, resembling a shimmering expanse of water connecting to the giant gate. It was a Wild Fox, guarding the array with focused attention. Before it stood a stone altar, on which rested a brilliant golden divine egg.

"The Overlord Dragon's offspring!" Ye Fan and the others' expressions changed; they immediately understood the origin of this golden dragon egg. A Wild Fox guarding a stone altar with a golden divine egg, facing the colossal stone gate—it all appeared incredibly strange. This Wild Fox was very powerful, a Saint Beast. Its vital energy was restrained, yet its terrifying aura could still be sensed. In this desolate place, there was no need for it to conceal its cultivation.

When the Stone Wolf arrived, the Wild Fox immediately went to meet it, whispering and communicating something via divine sense transmission. Evidently, the descendant of the Tuolan Saint Beast King and the Great Saint-level Overlord Dragon was here, a result of collusion between powerful beings on this ancient star and the Sacred Spirits from beyond, having been stolen for a significant purpose.

"This egg is no ordinary one; there are even strands of divine patterns on its shell. Those are clearly Great Saint imprints," the Dragon Horse said in shock. Even for Saint Beasts, while their offspring would be extraordinary and extremely powerful, it was impossible for such divine patterns to appear on the egg itself. These patterns typically developed gradually as the creature matured and approached the Saint Beast level.

The Nine-tailed Alligator Dragon trembled and said, "Several years ago, the ruler of this ancient star, the Great Saint-level Tyrant Dragon Monarch, passed away. It is said that before his death, he used a heaven-defying divine ability to pass on his life's cultivation fruits to perfect his descendant."

"That's too heaven-defying! Once this divine egg hatches and the little Tyrant Dragon is born, its future achievements will be immeasurable!" the Dragon Horse exclaimed. To use a Great Saint's lifetime of cultivation as a 'wedding dress' for an offspring was truly an attempt to defy the heavens.

"It's probably precisely because of this that this divine egg was plundered and brought here," Ye Fan said.

The Wild Fox chanted a spell, and the stone altar glowed. The golden divine egg instantly emitted myriad rays of immortal brilliance, dazzling and radiant, with golden divine light spilling out like waves. Layers of interwoven runic patterns caused the entire array to revive, connecting to the massive stone gate, which began to emit rumbling sounds. The stone gate, connecting to the God and Ghost Burial Ground, trembled violently, emitting grinding sounds. A colossal force pushed it, causing it to slowly move, revealing a gap.

"They want to open the burial ground of the mythological era!" Ye Fan's expression changed. This was definitely a terrifying abandoned land. Taking advantage of the favorable terrain, he motioned for the Dragon Horse and the Nine-tailed Alligator Dragon to split up and prepare to block the retreat of the Stone Wolf and the Wild Fox.

An announcement stated that the system would undergo maintenance late tonight, preventing uploads and subscriptions. Today's update concludes here. The chapter scheduled for late tonight cannot be posted. I'll take this opportunity to go to bed early; I've been very tired recently, shedding tears of pain.