Chapter 1377: Corpse Chaos

In the Sea of Suffering, two fragments of the Immortal Ruler lay dormant, exuding a faint blue glow and appearing very peaceful.

Ye Fan making a move at this moment would be like snatching food from a tiger's mouth. Contending with the Great Saints for an Emperor Armament, if exposed, would lead to disastrous consequences.

Chaos reigned here as everyone sought the Demon Emperor Ruler. Such an artifact could not be forcibly seized; one could only communicate and interact with it, otherwise even Great Saints would be turned to dust.

"Amitābha!"

The old monk with yellow eyebrows chanted Buddhist names, and the purple-gold Buddhist bridge beneath his feet extended. A stream of the purest and most serene faith flowed, encircling the last fragment of the Immortal Ruler. The old monk's spiritual cultivation was profound; his body was enveloped by rings of Buddha light, making him appear solemn and majestic. Bodhisattvas and ancient Buddhas manifested above his head. They chanted ancient scriptures together, communicating with the Demon Emperor Ruler, hoping to draw it into Buddhism and make it a protector artifact.

"Boom!"

A large cauldron floated, as the chief god from the Divine Organization made a move, activating the artifact. Various patterns appeared on the cauldron's walls: ancient ancestors, flora and fauna, wind, rain, and lightning—all emerged simultaneously. This contained the vitality of creation, from the primordial beginning of all things, transforming into a stream of immortal essence that flowed towards the Immortal Ruler fragment, intending to repair it.

"Clang!"

Not to be outdone, the black-robed powerhouse from the Underworld made his move. The ancient coffin vibrated intensely, and a funeral scripture resonated, as if mourning the Demon Emperor with reverence.

All the Great Saints moved in unison, each employing their unique methods to contend for the last Immortal Ruler fragment. As for who obtained the previous four fragments, no one knew. It was generally assumed they had also fallen into their hands.

Ye Fan's brow furrowed slightly. This cyan-gold ruler was out of reach; several Great Saints were fighting for it, and attempting to snatch it now would most likely lead to trouble.

"Boom!"

The old monk from the Amitābha Ancient Star Domain conjured a monastic bowl. Buddhist light shone brightly, and within it, many demon characters appeared, their forms resembling true dragons and qilin. The chief god of the Divine Organization refused to fall behind. Ten thousand spirits appeared simultaneously on his great cauldron, resonating with the Demon Emperor Ruler, seeking its recognition. At the same time, Daoist of Hundred Tribulations sat cross-legged in the void, chanting demon scriptures. He was a true ancient demon, his blood surging as he called out in his identity as a Great Saint of the demon race.

In this place, divine winds roared, and the Great Saints displayed their supernatural powers, summoning wind and rain, setting up altars, and engaging in a supreme struggle. Ye Fan silently retreated, leaving Emperor Armament Mountain with a large group of cultivators. He wished to avoid being drawn into the final commotion and appeared in another ancient area of the mausoleum.

Half an hour later, the curtain fell. The last Immortal Ruler fragment was obtained, and the entire mountainous area returned to peace. The Great Saints' expressions were indifferent, showing no discernible emotional fluctuations. No one knew who ultimately gained the most from this contest; all five fragments of the Emperor Armament had vanished.

"We want to leave, we're not going any further," some cultivators cried out. This place was too dangerous, and they were unwilling to delve deeper into the Great Emperor's tomb, fearing they would die in vain. They were rogue cultivators, without any powerful leaders. The other large contingents remained relatively calm and quiet, as they had been conscripted by their respective race-protecting Great Saints.

Powerful divine senses swept across the area, attempting to pierce through the endless cultivators present. Some Great Saints were unwilling to give up, determined to find out who had obtained the Demon Emperor Ruler fragments. The armies of various races continued their journey, leaving the mountainous area and heading in another direction. Suddenly, an intense and peculiar fluctuation emanated.

There, an enormous mountain, larger than a star, lay suspended in the void. A colossal crimson dragon coiled around it, flickering in and out of an ancient cave. The Demon Emperor's mount! It was the same colossal crimson dragon that had manifested earlier. It resided here, in the sky behind Emperor Armament Mountain. Its immense fluctuations stunned everyone; even the Great Saints trembled inwardly, confronting it cautiously.

"My grand-nephew, don't forget your old uncle!" Daoist of Hundred Tribulations had sharp eyes and immediately spotted the Dragon Horse, floating in and out of the dragon's cave, wreathed in wisps of dragon energy. The Great Saints fell silent for a moment. Upon closer observation this time, they realized the crimson dragon was not its true form, but an indestructible essence energy enveloping a segment of an imprint. It was not a living entity at all, merely a remnant imprint left behind by the Demon Emperor's mount. Upon reflection, this made sense. If even a Demon Emperor of a past era had faded, how could his mount still be alive? It must have long since turned to dust in the annals of time.

The mountain itself resembled an ancient tomb, specifically the grave of the crimson dragon. It hung suspended between heaven and earth, majestic and monumental. In fact, this mount had died before the Demon Emperor. Even with its extraordinary nature, it was not a Great Emperor and could not have lived longer, thus failing to accompany the Demon Emperor through his final years and his campaign on the Immortal Path. Long ago, the Demon Emperor himself had buried his mount, which had died of old age, in the yellow earth and erected a stele for it here.

After a long passage of time, another Dragon Horse appeared, activating a portion of the crimson dragon's essence energy left in the great tomb. It rushed towards its companion, and the two merged. It could be said that this was a great fortune for the Dragon Horse, something ordinary beings could not obtain. This was a legacy of its kind, a cultivation method left by the Dragon Horse Ancestor, which had been improved by a past Demon Emperor. The powerful figures looked on with envy. Even obtaining fragments of the Immortal Ruler might not be a greater gain than what the Dragon Horse received. This was a legacy spanning eons, as it was bathed in the crimson dragon's essence energy. What was frustrating was that it was difficult to approach; there was an imprint of the Dragon Horse race there, making it inaccessible to ordinary individuals.

"Rumble..."

A great river surged, a river of corpses gushing from a distant ancient mountain range—this was the Yellow Springs. Everyone had intentionally tried to avoid it, hoping to explore other areas first, but ultimately, they encountered it again. This turbid, yellow river meandered with many twists and turns, flowing through numerous parts of this mountain range and ancient domain, traversing the entire mausoleum. To call it merely a large tomb would be an understatement; it was a real world complete with mountains, rivers, and all living things. Ancient medicinal herbs were rooted in rock crevices, and mighty peaks towered above the clouds...

"Aooo!" A long howl echoed. From the upper reaches of the River of Corpses came a heart-rending roar, as a creature with bat wings and a body like a demonic ape streaked across the sky.

"It's a Corpse Ghoul!" an old cultivator exclaimed. This was a creature that could only be born in Primordial Extreme Yin Desolate Lands, utterly evil and malevolent, truly a type of vengeful spirit, and incredibly ferocious.

"Not just one, there's a whole group there!" People cried out in alarm. It was a large group: some were entirely covered in white fur, without wings, resembling old corpses flying horizontally across the sky. Others were purple-bodied, covered in scales, with horns and demonic wings. All of these were Corpse Ghouls, carrying an overwhelming aura of death. They swept past, causing mountains to crumble, earth to crack, and rivers and seas to boil.

"Chant the scriptures!" ordered the Human Race Protector. Before entering, everyone had already anticipated that this type of mausoleum would likely breed creatures born from Yin energy, potentially extremely powerful, against which scriptures like the "Scripture of Salvation" would be ineffective. Dozens or even hundreds of contingents chanted scriptures together, but their recitations differed significantly from Ye Fan's; this was not the complete "Scripture of Salvation." Even what Ye Fan obtained on Earth was not complete; only the human-bodied, ghost-faced lamp recited the most primordial scriptural profoundness, as he discovered when comparing them later.

Roars echoed, and the River of Corpses surged wildly. From its waters, bizarre creatures surged forth, some disheveled, others covered in terrifying scales, all emanating an aura of death. As everyone chanted, streams of scripture emanated, glowing in the void. To these creatures, it was like a heavenly tribulation, filling them with terror and prompting them to resist.

"Roar..."

Overwhelming roars reverberated. From the very upper reaches of the River of Corpses, several bizarre creatures flew forth, each resembling a Thunder God, their entire bodies covered in fur that shimmered with a faint golden light. These were flesh and blood born from corpse qi, subsequently transforming into Yin Gods and other extremely terrifying entities. Their gazes ripped through the void, unafraid even when confronting Great Saints.

With a thunderous crash, heaven and earth collapsed. The Yin Gods charged, battling the Saints, immediately unleashing their most terrifying ultimate attacks. Even the powerful Bull Demon King was almost slain. He was attacked from both front and back by two Yin Gods; had it not been for the formidable power of the Vajra Bracelet, he would have been in real danger. Everyone's expression changed, no longer daring to be distracted. All the Great Saints charged forward, attacking. Blood bloomed and splattered as the fierce battle unfolded. The other armies, meanwhile, continued chanting scriptures, transforming into wisps of divine light that struck the Corpse Ghouls.

The battle erupted so suddenly. From the upper reaches of the River of Corpses, several beings resembling Thunder Gods flew forth, their golden fur shining brilliantly. Their combat power was astounding, capable of rivaling Great Saints. The Yellow Springs surged, and terrifying roars were incessant. More and more Yin spirits appeared, launching attacks at everyone. The sounds of chanting, ghostly wails, and divine howls intertwined. This place became a cauldron of noise, where Yin energy and life energy coexisted, transforming into a flowing blend of Yin and Yang.

Everyone's heart sank, and even the Great Saints' expressions grew solemn. This was the tomb of an ancient Great Emperor, and yet they were continuously encountering so many corpse-ghosts, which was certainly not a good omen. They dared not imagine further. If the Emperor's corpse were to undergo a heaven-defying transformation, it wouldn't matter if they, or even all the powerhouses from myriad worlds, came; it would be useless!

"Form arrays! Use the supreme scriptures to pacify the world's corpse plague!" a protector roared. Large banners fluttered in the wind. People began to set up killing formations to slay the Yin spirits, while simultaneously chanting scriptures without pause, commencing a grand campaign.

"Boom!"

The great battle began. The powerful figures attacked, and Dao patterns densely covered the void, interweaving into a net of destruction that descended upon the Corpse Ghouls. At the same time, the chanting grew even more majestic, as if gods were singing, and ethereal figures of gods and demons stood on the Ninth Heaven.

"It's time," Ye Fan murmured to himself, silently retreating. Everyone was now tied down here, and with the energy storm surging, it was the perfect moment to free Pang Bo. The cauldron above Ye Fan's head floated, letting down the Mother Qi of All Things, and a waterfall of pure faith power flowed out. He used this to protect himself, blocking various divine lights that sought to destroy him, crossing the River of Corpses, and exiting the Emperor's Mausoleum. Then, he took out the array platforms he had prepared in advance, arranging them in the void to construct a massive domain gate.

Within the mausoleum, Yin and Yang energies flowed, transforming into black and white forces that continuously surged out. Ye Fan guided them, and then set up dozens more arrays to stabilize and construct the passage. Of course, all this had been prepared beforehand, otherwise, there wouldn't have been enough time to set it up on the spot.

Great Saints battled Yin Gods, while other beings clashed with Yin spirits. Killing formations covered the great tomb world, and the most volatile forces surged out in chaotic waves. Ye Fan did not delay, for he had not a minute to spare. He had to seize this fleeting opportunity to redirect this most terrifying power. The spatial coordinates had already been set. The constructed domain gate passage blazed with light, and the rampant power surged directly into it.

"Boom!"

This chaotic storm burst forth, striking an ancient continent directly—the very place where Pang Bo was trapped. Instantly, mountains and rivers fractured, and stars trembled.

"He's really here! He wants to rescue the trapped man named Pang Bo!" someone in the shadows on the ancient continent said indifferently.

"The Sacred Body of Buried Emperor Star has finally arrived!" From another direction, a blurry phantom appeared, its gaze chilling. At this moment, many were alerted; they had been waiting for a long time, having anticipated his arrival. However, no one had expected him to be able to draw such a violent force and unleash it upon the Great Emperor's false tomb, causing all beings to tremble.

"Has our lord emerged? Has he left the Great Emperor's true burial ground?" One of these factions was notably the Qilin Saint Envoy and Vermilion Bird Saint Envoy, among others. Simultaneously, the true mausoleum of the Demon Emperor cracked open, and the River of Corpses surged. More people rushed out.

Meanwhile, before the ancient continent where Pang Bo was trapped, Ye Fan sneered. He sensed that extremely powerful experts had arrived in the shadows.