Chapter 1394: Stone Inscription

The Divine Race, a heaven-defying lineage, represents invincibility and ultimate power. It is an extremely rare and potent bloodline that has truly existed in the world since ancient times.

“To split from the human race and establish themselves as a separate lineage—this is truly arrogant and proud, but they have forgotten their ancestors!” Pang Bo said indignantly.

Such matters were too ancient, and discussing them now held little meaning. At the very least, to other races, the Divine Race was stronger and nobler, with no connection to the human race.

The human race has a long and ancient history, its true origin unknown. Both the Big Dipper and Ziwei Ancient Starfield are rumored to be homelands established by ancient human ancestors who traveled far and wide.

Where the human race’s ancestral star of life truly was, and what its current state was, had long been unknown. Clues and secrets had gradually vanished into the river of time.

The Divine Race member inside the stone coffin was gasping for air, the light on his body growing more intense. With an agitated expression, he struggled to speak, rebutting, “The Divine Race... is the most dazzling of all races, and has nothing to do with humanity!”

He was on the verge of passing away, his body incredibly weak. Yet, he was so agitated at this moment, shouting with all his might. His body convulsed, and he seemed about to collapse.

A golden figure stepped out from Ye Fan’s forehead, about to enter the Divine Race member’s Sea of Consciousness to observe and gather more detailed information.

However, the Divine Race member’s glabella quickly cracked, emitting intense light, signaling that he was about to dissolve into the Dao, on the verge of shattering.

Clearly, he was unyielding, preferring death over allowing others to touch his race’s core secrets. Furthermore, the imprint left by a strong expert of his race was now activated, protecting his Mind Palace and preventing outsiders from accessing their secrets, or else it would self-destruct.

“We tried before; he would rather instantly dissolve into the Dao than let us observe,” explained the Dragon Horse.

The golden figure retreated back into Ye Fan’s Mind Palace. Ye Fan suddenly opened his eyes, shooting out two sharp beams of light. He activated the Zhe-character secret art to heal the Divine Race member once more, restoring his essence.

“I don’t wish to understand the Divine Race, nor do I want to be your enemy. Just tell me Yaoguang’s whereabouts, and we won’t touch anything else.”

Upon hearing that name, the Divine Race member immediately gritted his teeth, his white hair bristling even without wind, dancing wildly. His expression was terrifying, filled with hatred.

Yaoguang had departed four years ago. This Divine Race member had been harmed for over four years. At that time, both were Saints, but Yaoguang’s essence had deeply shocked even this proud and arrogant Divine Race member, terrifyingly immense.

“When he didn’t reveal his true power, he was enveloped in a divine halo, like the reincarnation of a sun god, comparable to our Divine Race in demeanor. But once he made a move, he became a demon god, as if transformed into a different person.”

The events that transpired years ago filled him with immense hatred. Ambushed here, he couldn’t help but tense up even now at the thought, as if still facing that formidable enemy.

Ye Fan and Pang Bo exchanged glances. For so many years, Yaoguang had kept a low profile; it was truly unknown how many powerful physical essences he had devoured.

Now, just this one Divine Race member was enough to make others wary. It would certainly greatly strengthen Yaoguang, boosting his power significantly.

“The Ruthless Emperor is truly terrifying, to have created such a Heavenly Art. It’s truly defying the heavens,” exclaimed the Black Bear Saint and others in awe.

“I’ve seen a great enemy rising. There will surely be a battle in the future. The Divine Race is his target, and the Heavenly Tyrant Blood and we ourselves might also become his prey,” Pang Bo said gravely.

The Dragon Horse, usually mischievous and fearless, now showed concern, his heart heavy. A life-and-death struggle might lie ahead.

The Scorpion, Golden Lion, Black Bear Saint, and others felt a shadow fall over their hearts. This Heavenly Art was too heaven-defying; it would grow stronger and stronger, with each devoured essence bringing a significant increase in power.

On this ancient starry path, there were exceptional talents from various starfields. For Yaoguang, this was practically a coveted Immortal Path!

To him, every strong individual was a potent elixir. If this continued, with bloodshed along the way, he would grow like a snowball, becoming increasingly terrifying and eventually reaching the pinnacle of power.

“No matter how strong he gets, can he truly rival the Ruthless Emperor? He’s merely an imitator!” Ye Fan declared, his eyes clear and his demeanor confident. “I’ll wait for him to appear. If we fight, I’ll kill him!”

This was a belief in invincibility, a peerless aura that deeply inspired the twelve Saints. The gloom in their hearts vanished, and all their worries dissipated.

This was not complacency or underestimation of the enemy, but a conviction—possessing an invincible heart, fearless of all hardships and tribulations. It allowed them to transcend, elevating their spirit and body to an optimal state!

Yaoguang was naturally terrifying, capable of devouring others’ essences to strengthen himself. He also possessed the Indestructible Heavenly Art created by the Ruthless Emperor in her second life, an immortal scripture that had never before manifested in the world, destined to shake the past and illuminate the present.

The Divine Race member lay in the stone coffin, his head full of white hair. Pang Bo asked him his age, noting that under normal circumstances, his true appearance would certainly not be so aged.

“Calculated by a cultivator’s lifespan, I... am still very young, only a little over a hundred years old,” he said, filled with unwillingness and regret.

This was an arrogant Divine Race member who had come out to gain experience, specifically seeking ancient stars suppressed by the Great Dao to temper himself. He had arrived at this life-bearing planet almost simultaneously with Yaoguang, leading to a conflict between them.

“Is Yaoguang’s heart so merciful as to spare your life?” Pang Bo knew that individual; when he acted, it was always with thunderous force, a killing blow.

“He was startled away by a senior,” the Divine Race member said, dejected. Though his life was spared, it was merely a prolonged struggle; this life was almost certainly at its end.

“Are there other powerful cultivators on this ancient star?” The Dragon Horse was skeptical. This planet was not large, merely a small asteroid, unsuitable for cultivation, and they had not sensed any supreme experts since their arrival.

“Yes, he merely let out a soft cry, like the roaring of a great bell, shaking everyone’s souls to the point of nearly dispersing,” the Divine Race member murmured distractedly, growing even weaker.

“What did he look like?” Ye Fan asked.

“He looked very ordinary, holding a wood-chopping knife...” The Divine Race member didn’t finish speaking before Ye Fan’s expression instantly changed. He turned to look back at the village; the old man’s trace was faint, he was already gone.

Ye Fan transformed into a streak of lightning, tearing through space, and instantly appeared at the village entrance. The mountain-like pile of firewood was gone, as was the old man’s trace. Everything else remained peaceful.

“What’s wrong?” Pang Bo and the others caught up, looking at him in confusion.

“Before you arrived, I saw an old man splitting firewood here,” Ye Fan said.

Outside the fields, several green oxen grazed, and a shepherd boy played his flute, relaxed and carefree. By the river, several women were washing clothes, their laughter carrying on the breeze, while farmers toiled in the fields...

Everything was harmonious and tranquil; nothing had changed, except for the absence of the old man splitting firewood.

Ye Fan inquired among the villagers, but all who heard him shook their heads. There had never been such a person in the village, and no one had ever seen him.

He felt as if he had seen a ghost. He had clearly just conversed with the old man for a moment, yet in the blink of an eye, he was gone, like an illusion.

“Young man, are you sure you truly saw such an old man?” The oldest man in the village, puffing on his dry tobacco pipe, walked over and looked at him with some doubt.

“Indeed, I did. Elder, do you have any insights?” Ye Fan was very polite, not displaying his powers before ordinary mortals, maintaining due etiquette.

“The person you speak of, I have seen,” the old man said.

“He... where is he?” Ye Fan pressed.

“That is not a living person.” The old man looked at him with even more suspicion, his meaning clear: that person could not possibly appear at the village entrance.

Ye Fan was stunned, and Pang Bo, the Dragon Horse, and others were also dumbfounded. This seemed illogical; had they seen a ghost in broad daylight?

“The person you mentioned is merely an engraving on a stone wall, located on the Western Mountain.” The old man pointed forward with his cane, towards where the sun was setting, not too far from here.

They left the village. When they returned, the Divine Race member’s life force had completely ceased. He had passed away, the light on his body fading, leaving behind a cold corpse.

The Dragon Horse and his companions performed a great magical art, sending the body back to the ancient cave dwelling and sealing it inside, thus burying him.

The mountain to the west of the village was not far, nor was it high or majestic. It was overgrown with weeds and thorns, with nothing remarkable about it.

Halfway up the mountain, there was a stone wall with ancient engravings on it. Their age was unknown; the marks were blurred and covered with moss.

Ye Fan carefully cleaned the wall and examined the engravings. His expression suddenly changed; he could hardly believe what he saw.

“Is it the person from the stone carving?” Pang Bo asked nervously.

Ye Fan nodded. This defied common sense and was utterly baffling. The old man he had conversed with was actually on the stone wall. The passage of time had blurred and mottled the image, indicating that the carving was at least tens of thousands of years old.

What was going on? A mere picture could manifest, making one feel as if they were actually there, believing it to be real. How profound must such a cultivation be?

“This doesn’t make sense! What kind of planet is this? It’s just an ancient wall carving, tens of thousands of years old, how could it manifest a real person?” Pang Bo muttered, touching the wall.

There wasn’t just one picture, but eight or nine consecutive ones: a wood-chopping scene, a horse-feeding scene. They were simple and unadorned, seemingly unrelated to cultivation at first glance. However, after what had just happened, Ye Fan couldn’t ignore them. This place was certainly extraordinary, containing remarkable secrets.

What kind of existence was that old man splitting wood? Tens of thousands of years had passed, yet he could still manifest.

It was only from the fifth picture that things became unusual and somewhat special: the old man was depicted sitting on a true dragon, ascending to the heavens.

“What does this mean?” Pang Bo asked, puzzled.

After clearing the moss from the stone wall, the sixth engraving was vaguely visible. It turned out to be an ancient coffin, the nine-layered sarcophagus from the mythical era!

Ye Fan’s heart stirred. With a flash of light in his palm, he took out a palm-sized stone coffin. Although tiny, it exuded an aura of ancient vicissitude.

Back then, at the Ancestral Temple in the Central Plains, Ye Fan and his companions had discovered this stone coffin on an ancient altar. Duan De had speculated that it was the supreme sarcophagus buried in the Nine Heavens during the mythical era.

Qi Luo had once asked him to cast it into the starry sky to avoid future disaster, but Ye Fan had always kept it by his side, never discarding it. Now, he took it out to compare it with the stone carving.

Just then, faint light patterns, like ripples on water, began to spread outward from the stone wall.

“This...” All of them were stunned, utterly shocked.

The supreme nine-layered sarcophagus from the Nine Heavens of the mythical era was actually reacting to the ancient engraving on this stone wall. This was truly astonishing!

Moments later, everything calmed down. The anomaly vanished, and the place returned to tranquility.

They cleared away the moss and carefully examined the seventh ancient engraving. It was even more mysterious: a blade. Although blurred, when one gazed at it, an unparalleled killing intent emanated!

“Pfft!”

Pang Bo spat out a mouthful of blood, his face pale, as he stumbled backward. The Dragon Horse’s glabella even cracked, forcing him to retreat seven or eight steps.

“Don’t focus your spiritual energy on this blade.” Ye Fan was shocked. He had recognized it with just a fleeting glance, his heart pounding violently. It belonged to the Immortal Emperor!

During his tribulation, the Immortal Emperor’s true form appeared at the last moment, and that blazing blade automatically unsheathed, cleaving down. It was more terrifying than anything, almost destroying his cauldron.

“Are you sure it’s an engraving of the Immortal Emperor’s Blade?!” Pang Bo and the others were aghast. A mere stone carving could injure people; how powerful must that blade be?

What surprised them most was that beneath the blade, there was a blurry, stone-shelled egg. Every wisp of qi radiating from the blade was being absorbed by it.

“What does this mean? Is this where the Immortal Emperor’s Blade is buried?” The Dragon Horse asked, astonished and bewildered.

“Look at the eighth picture! It’s... Nine Dragons Pulling Coffin!” Pang Bo exclaimed, filled with shock.