Chapter 1376: Seizing the Immortal Ruler

**Seizing the Immortal Ruler**

This was a lifelong regret, truly difficult to accept. A generation's Demon Emperor, filled with sorrow, met a somber end. In the bitter wind, he bade farewell to the weapon that had accompanied him throughout his life's battles, burying it in the yellow earth.

His own life, too, was nearing its end as old age approached. His primordial spirit bore the deep marks of time, and his physical body naturally could not long endure unless the two were to separate. But in that case, what meaning would there be in merely leaving behind a physical shell?

The Demon Emperor fell, and the Heaven-Measuring Ruler shattered into five pieces, leaving behind a profound sorrow. This man, magnificent beyond compare tens of millions of years ago, met a somber end. It was a true pity for such a magnificent supreme being as Xue Yueqing.

The light screen dissipated into rain, and the footprint on the Altar of Gods and Devils vanished. At this point, the immense pressure faded, leaving behind only the broken Demon Emperor Ruler. The five fragments of the Emperor's Weapon chronicled everything from that battle. Unfortunately, the divine spirits contained within were almost obliterated, leaving behind only fragmented imprints.

The Great Sages rose, and the other powerful figures ceased their prostrations, all staring at the damaged Demon Emperor Ruler. It was forged from Ethereal Green Gold, bearing extensive feather-like markings, as if an immortal had ascended.

Powerhouses from the Underworld, the Main God wielding a bronze cauldron, and several other Great Sages moved almost simultaneously, each extending a massive hand forward, all intent on seizing the fragments of the Emperor's Weapon. Every individual suppressed their killing intent, exuding an aura of peace. Even the black-robed divine devil from the Underworld, whose dark, hairy hand usually conveyed menace, uncharacteristically radiated a holy glow.

From a distance, people watched with envy. Only individuals of this caliber could contend for the Emperor's Weapon fragments; others didn't even dare to dream of it. In an era without an Emperor, a Great Sage represented the pinnacle of existence.

Six or seven massive hands descended simultaneously, on the verge of grasping the weapon fragments. Yet, at that very instant, an overwhelming killing intent surged, sweeping across the Altar of Gods and Devils, impossible to block!

Everyone was shaken. Such a scene could only be caused by the deaths of countless beings; all witnessed mountains of corpses and seas of blood, with blood surging sky-high and bones piled like mountains.

Who was this? At this crucial moment, someone dared to act with such ferocity, unleashing the most terrifying killing intent to activate the Emperor's Weapon fragments, specifically targeting several Great Sages.

"Boom!"

Six or seven Great Sages immediately turned and fled, their bodies transforming into blurs that tore through the sky, leaving behind trails of light as they retreated towards the horizon. They were enraged, recognizing this as a clear ploy to ensnare and kill them all.

A terrifying imperial might emerged. The broken Demon Emperor Ruler was activated, emitting a green aura, as patterns of immortal ascension were imprinted across the heavens and earth. The five fragments surged towards five different directions, sweeping through and attacking everyone.

"Puff!"

The Stone Man Sacred Spirit suffered the most tragic fate. He possessed an Immortal Tear Green Gold Ruler within him, which, refusing to yield, emitted a trace of divine might. As a result, it was immediately targeted. A divine light flashed, piercing through a small portion of the Stone Man's body. Divine blood profusely dripped, spilling into the void and utterly destroying the mountains and rivers below.

The Stone Man cried out, taking action himself to sever a portion of his body at the shoulder, preventing it from being passively dissolved into the Dao. He then plummeted rapidly, doing his utmost to quickly repair his stone body. He was the most powerful among the Great Sages, yet he had never been so disheveled. The consecutive heavy blows ignited a furious rage within him, which he was forced to suppress.

"Swoosh!"

The Ox Demon King was also struck; besides losing a clone, one of his arms was shattered. Great Sage blood spilled, making his face extremely grim. The black-robed divine devil from the Underworld roared, searching for the culprit. He had been almost impaled to death by a weapon fragment but had narrowly escaped by sacrificing a divine corpse he had refined for many years. The Main God of the Divine Organization also wore a grim expression; a fist-sized hole appeared on his bronze cauldron, indicating he, too, had faced a dangerous attack.

"It's the Great Demon God! Only he possesses such killing intent; he once destroyed an ancient life star, causing countless beings to perish!" someone shouted.

If that were truly the case, the Great Demon God was terrifying indeed. To dare to ambush Great Sages was utterly audacious; it could no longer be described as merely snatching food from a tiger's mouth. This was defying heaven! Even if he was incredibly powerful, a young supreme being on the Human Race's Ancient Road with no rivals across the star paths, he couldn't possibly challenge a peak Great Sage. At such a moment, daring to make a move required immense courage.

Armies from various races arrived in dozens to hundreds of contingents, each boundless in number. The aura of mountains of corpses and seas of blood vanished, making it difficult to pinpoint its source for a time. Furthermore, chaos erupted among the various races at this moment. The Great Sages' shouts were no longer effective; people began to flee for their lives, naturally inciting a massacre.

"Puff," "Puff"...

This was a blood-stained realm. With every tremor of the Emperor's Weapon fragments, a rain of blood scattered, and countless powerhouses fell, unable to resist such imperial might.

"Perhaps it's not the Great Demon God; it's the Human King acting, triggering the Emperor's Weapon fragments!" someone shouted.

The scene was already in utter chaos. For most people, who was attacking no longer mattered; they scrambled to flee for their lives, desperate to escape this blood-stained demonic land, knowing that even a moment's delay could mean death. Only the Great Sages who had just been attacked remained enraged, seething at the hidden perpetrator who harbored such malicious intent. They could not possibly swallow the insult of being ambushed in such a manner. Their spiritual senses were keen, yet they couldn't immediately pinpoint the culprit. They only knew he was a junior, and if nothing unforeseen, he was likely one of the young supreme beings on the Human Race's Ancient Road.

"Where is the Great Demon God?! This old ox will cleave you alive!" roared the Ox Demon King, his enormous eyes widening like two condensed great stars.

"Human King, I'd like to see if you can truly be called a king among men!" the Stone Man Sacred Spirit snarled, his voice chillingly cold and cruel.

These two naturally didn't immediately confirm the culprit. Since someone suggested it was either the Great Demon God or the Human King, they decided to treat it as such. After all, they were young supreme beings of the human race, and eliminating one now meant one less potential menace in the future.

"Amitabha, truly good, truly good," chanted an old monk from the Amitabha Ancient Star Domain, his yellow brows slightly lowered, as he blocked the two powerful figures. "It is not yet certain who is right and who is wrong. Please, both of you, do not be rash."

The Ox Demon King retorted, "Baldy, you speak lightly! A mere brat who hasn't even fully grown dares to ride on our necks, and you still want to protect him?"

"Monk, mind your own business. This was absolutely done by a few youngsters of your human race; they are too audacious!" an evil god said with a grim expression, adding, "Might as well kill them all."

"Do not be disrespectful on my Human Race's Ancient Road," the Human Race's Dao Protectors declared, stepping forward to block them.

"Ah..."

Screams rose one after another as the five fragments of the Emperor's Weapon flew about, causing immense slaughter. Blood splattered everywhere, creating a horrific spectacle. Even Great Sages couldn't withstand it and dared not linger, hiding among the crowd as they retreated and observed. Such a scene was utterly terrifying.

The only thing that brought clarity was that a moment later, the five Emperor's Weapon fragments seemed to regain a trace of awareness. Some thoughts from eons ago returned, and the killing gradually ceased. The true divine spirit within the Demon Emperor Ruler had been obliterated; what remained were mere fragments of consciousness. After so many years of nourishment and regrowth, it had already mutated and was no longer the original Emperor's Weapon.

"Welcome the Immortal Ruler's return!"

The black-robed figure from the Underworld let out a roar, chanting a true scripture that was, surprisingly, a piece of primeval demon script. It emitted a strange ripple, awakening the Emperor's Weapon's ancient memories.

With a clatter, a broken Immortal Ruler fragment flew into the bronze coffin, causing a loud crash. It was not a true attack. That was a piece of demon race divine script, left by the Demon Emperor. No one expected that someone from the Underworld possessed a fragment of it, which evoked favorable thoughts from the Immortal Ruler.

However, a wave of blood, imbued with overwhelming killing intent, swept over, instantly striking into the coffin.

"Crack!"

Without a doubt, this was a disaster. The bronze coffin was pierced by the agitated Immortal Ruler, its entire body cracking and large holes appearing.

"Who?" the black-robed figure from the Underworld asked with a chilling voice, glancing coldly at the Main God holding the cauldron.

The place plunged into utter chaos. The Demon Emperor Ruler fragments were no longer as violent, allowing the Great Sages to unleash their methods, seeking to calm them and draw them closer. Unbeknownst to anyone, one piece of the Immortal Ruler vanished without a trace, leaving all the Great Sages with extremely grim expressions.

In the shadows, Ye Fan's brow also furrowed. Had the Great Demon God or the Human King succeeded? It could be confirmed that the one who first attacked the Great Sages was indeed a supreme being among the younger generation.

Ye Fan silently recited a scripture originating from the Nine Dragons Coffin Pull; only a surge of vital energy emanated, devoid of any divine sense or sound. Furthermore, he activated the "Soldier" character secret art, a supreme technique that allows one to control all things in heaven and earth as weapons, using it to summon one of the Immortal Ruler fragments. This was not an imprisonment, but a form of communication. The "Soldier" character secret communicated with an Immortal Ruler fragment, instantly reducing its agitation to the extreme. The scripture within the Nine Dragons Coffin Pull had no significant effect. Instead, it was the Green Emperor's Nine Slashes and Heart Sutra that displayed miraculous efficacy, these being parts of the essential principles Ye Fan had obtained during his exchanges with Pang Bo.

Under the dual effect of the Demon Emperor's Heart Sutra and the "Soldier" character secret, a divine light flashed, and that Immortal Ruler fragment vanished, appearing within his body. The second fragment of the Demon Emperor Ruler vanished from thin air, unknown to anyone, submerging into Ye Fan's Wheel Sea. There, a three-leaf green lotus trembled, instantly causing this piece of the Emperor's Weapon to become completely still.

Ye Fan's heart skipped a beat, and he remained silent for a long while. Almost in the blink of an eye, when Ye Fan recovered his senses, the third Immortal Ruler fragment had vanished without a trace, its whereabouts unknown.

Everyone knew that it was utterly impossible to suppress the Immortal Ruler with forceful means; otherwise, one would surely be reduced to ashes by the Demon Emperor Ruler. People believed that the one who succeeded either possessed a secret method left by the Demon Emperor in this world, or had a strong connection with the demon race, enabling them to awaken the Immortal Ruler's ancient memories and gain its recognition.

All the Great Sages looked indifferent, revealing no signs of joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness. Unsure who among them had obtained something, they all remained silent, calling out to the remaining two Emperor's Weapon fragments.

Ye Fan concentrated, silently reciting the Green Emperor's ancient scripture and using the "Soldier" character secret to try and connect with another Immortal Ruler fragment. This time, he encountered great resistance because another mysterious person was also communicating with the Demon Emperor Ruler.

"Whoosh!"

A green aura flashed, and immortal radiance tore through the void as the fourth Immortal Ruler fragment disappeared, ultimately submerging into Ye Fan's Wheel Sea, successfully obtained by him.

There were a total of five Emperor's Weapon fragments, and now two of them had fallen into his hands. This deeply surprised Ye Fan, as with no less than eleven or twelve Great Sages present, acquiring two segments of the Demon Emperor Ruler was truly unexpected. Inside his Wheel Sea, the green lotus gently swayed, and both Immortal Ruler fragments calmed, faintly glowing with a pure radiance, appearing very peaceful.