Chapter 1400: Supreme Position

Chapter 1403: Sovereign Position

The Yuanchu, a type of phoenix recorded in ancient texts, is born in the South Sea and flies to the North Sea, with only the phoenix tree serving as its true dwelling place in the world.

The True Phoenix Tower is a colossal phoenix tree that has grown for countless millennia, its branches and trunk as massive as a mountain. It lacks a canopy, having been destroyed by lightning long ago. Now, only half of its trunk remains rooted within the city, transformed into a Phoenix Tower, the tallest structure in the Golden Ancient City.

It is hard to imagine that such a colossal ancient tree has not yet gained sentience. Of course, some say that the tree transformed into a Quasi-Emperor in ancient times, but its cultivation was destroyed by heaven during its tribulation, stripping it of its essence and turning it into ordinary wood. Burn marks from lightning strikes can still be seen on its broken sections, remnants of a bygone era, scarred by time and impossible to erase.

Today, the True Phoenix Tower buzzes with activity. Cultivators come and go, powerful figures emerge, and ancient beasts, transformed into human form, exuding a powerful, primal aura, arrive in droves to ascend the tower. Here, one can see powerful individuals from various races, diverse in form: ten-zhang-tall golden giants, black dragons from the Underworld Sea, and even legendary drought fiends. From descendants of primeval demon gods to true divine races, and to the most powerful ancient bloodline experts, countless cultivators of great origin gather here!

Ye Fan and his companions also arrived, ascending the steps to the tower. The phoenix wood emitted a clear, metallic resonance, sounding less like wood and more like it was cast from jade-gold. The entire tower, except for its charred apex, was fresh and verdant, as the phoenix tree trunk naturally remained emerald green year-round.

Their arrival drew many glances. The Human Holy Body is a powerful physique, and now favored by the Divine Race, it naturally attracted the attention of numerous other races. Numerous gazes felt like sharp blades. Even with his back to some, Ye Fan could sense their keenness, like streaks of lightning striking him.

Pang Bo walked beside him, completely at ease, greeting powerful figures from various races. One unfamiliar with the situation might have thought they were old friends reunited after years. In this place, where everyone harbored mutual apprehension, hostility, and suspicion, someone as carefree as him was truly rare.

The uppermost part of the True Phoenix Tower was incredibly vast, not only because its trunk was as massive as a mountain but also because spatial laws were inscribed within, allowing it to accommodate any number of people. In terms of sheer size, creatures like the Dragon Horse, Golden Lion, Scorpion, and Nine Crocodile Dragons were hardly remarkable here. On the mountain-sized platform, various powerful beings were present: some with halos behind their heads, others bearing celestial phoenix wings… it felt like stepping into an ancient divine demon kingdom!

"Is that the Human Holy Body, proclaimed as one of the most ancient and powerful bloodlines?" someone whispered, though clearly not intending to conceal it, as many could hear.

"Holy Body? Who bestowed that title? It's merely a self-proclaimed honor within the Human Race. What does it amount to among the myriad races of the universe? Perhaps it's fit only to be blood-food!" A frigid, impolite voice resonated, yet its source was untraceable, hidden in the shadows, sending forth divine thoughts using an arcane heavenly art.

Many people showed surprise; these words were highly targeted, clearly demonstrating hostility towards the Human Holy Body. Was a conflict about to erupt?

"If you're so resentful, why don't you come out and fight? I specialize in curing all kinds of insubordination!" the Dragon Horse declared loudly.

The gazes of the gathered elites converged, a mix of indifference, goodwill, and sinister intent, like celestial swords clashing, their echoes ringing out.

"Just a beast, daring to parade its master's power?!" The voice from earlier reappeared, exceedingly unpleasant, shifting from left to right, still a divine thought.

Boom!

Ye Fan suddenly moved, his entire body shimmering with golden light, like a humanoid tyrannical dragon, his blood energy surging and his might extraordinary. As he moved, it was as if a mountain trembled; the entire True Phoenix Tower shook violently, causing a massive disturbance, unsettling the sky for thousands of miles.

He transformed into a golden bolt of lightning, appearing before a powerful Sphinx-like creature. He stretched out a hand to suppress it, summoning a storm of wind and thunder, with battle aura surging. There was nothing more to say. Having located the hidden provocateur, Ye Fan immediately struck with overwhelming force. His palm transformed into a golden celestial stele, its surface flowing with runes, weighing more than ten thousand jun.

"You..."

The Sphinx-like expert was alarmed. He specialized in cultivating his primordial spirit, possessing incredibly powerful spiritual energy and ancient techniques that even ordinary Great Sages struggled to detect. He never expected to be seen through by Ye Fan in an instant. He extended a lion's paw, which collided with the golden celestial stele, like a vast ocean crashing against the shore, a surge of bloody divine power. However, as the two clashed, with a muffled sound, the lion's paw exploded into a mist of blood, bone fragments scattering and fresh blood dripping.

"Roar..."

A great roar erupted, a true lion's roar. The Sphinx-like expert bellowed, and innate Dao principles burst forth from his mouth, striking Ye Fan at such close range with peerless ferocity. Ye Fan let out a soft cry, imbued with the Buddhist Om Heavenly Sound, instantly shattering the lion's roar, causing the expert's body to be torn into pieces and then explode on the spot. The scene was extremely bloody, yet all the heroes present remained impassive and unmoved. Who among those gathered here had not climbed out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood?

"Kill!"

From the exploded blood and gore, a small silver lion burst forth—the expert's primordial spirit. It swiftly advanced, instantly pouncing towards Ye Fan's forehead, intending to sever his primordial spirit. This individual specialized in divine consciousness, possessing incredibly powerful spiritual energy; this was his sure-kill strike. However, Ye Fan remained unmoving. From within his forehead, a fist-sized golden figure stepped out, unleashing the Six Paths Reincarnation Fist, striking out with a single punch. A brilliant light erupted there. The golden figure shattered the small silver lion with a single punch, making it burst like fireworks, its form and spirit utterly annihilated.

At this point, powerful figures from all races were stirred. From the moment Ye Fan struck, he held an overwhelming advantage, capable of instant kills with almost every blow!

"The Human Holy Body truly flaunts great prestige, but this True Phoenix Tower is no place for you to run wild. With heroes from various races gathered now, do you intend to disrupt the assembly?"

A sinister voice emerged, and nearby, a stone figure appeared. In the Saint King realm, one of its eyes was astonishingly made of Immortal Tear Green Gold, radiating dazzling and intimidating brilliance. Seeing this, everyone gasped. Saint Spirits are inherently heaven-defying beings, a headache for anyone who encounters them, immensely powerful. Having even a few in an entire star field or numerous stars is considered remarkable. Now, this Saint Spirit's left eye was Immortal Tear Green Gold, emanating divine radiance, indicating absolute heaven-defying divine abilities and marking it as undoubtedly the strongest expert in this realm!

Ye Fan harbored a great enmity with the Saint Spirits, and he still carried their clan's curse, though he had concealed it with secret techniques. However, a true Saint Spirit could still sense it upon approach. Between the two sides, no reason was needed; there was an inherent animosity. If left alone, it would inevitably be a fight to the death! Both were poised for battle, and if they fought, it would be world-shattering. They could both be called supreme-level experts in this realm, far beyond what ordinary masters could match.

"Truly ugly, not even as valiant as the stone figures I casually carve." At this critical moment, the Dragon Horse remarked indifferently, instantly bewildering many and leaving them unsure whether to laugh or cry.

"Do you wish to die?!" The stone figure's Immortal Tear Green Gold eye shot out a divine beam, tearing through space, emitting a resonant Dao sound, intensely bright, and streaking towards the Dragon Horse.

Rumble!

Ye Fan acted, wielding the Six Paths Reincarnation Fist, his aura encompassing mountains and rivers. Golden blood energy descended like a star field, colliding with the divine beam. Many were sent flying backward, groaning in agony from the shockwaves of the two powerful experts, suffering collateral damage and severe injuries.

"Gentlemen, we are here to exchange ten kinds of supreme ancient bloods. Why risk losing the greater objective over trivial matters? Let's each take a step back." Just then, a grand voice resounded. With his footsteps, the entire True Phoenix Tower trembled. This was a giant, ten zhang tall, and of the Golden Giant clan, possessing the most powerful bloodline in their legends. His divine power was unparalleled; he was a young supreme being!

At this moment, the Divine Race's Heavenly Maiden, Xin Lan, also arrived, her eyes gleaming with divine radiance. The arrival of these two young supreme beings finally averted a major battle.

"We shall meet on the Mythical Ancient Path!" The stone figure turned and left, not lingering.

Ye Fan curled his lips into a cold sneer and said, "You won't succeed. Enjoy your final moments."

The various heroes dispersed, and Ye Fan, Pang Bo, the Dragon Horse, and others continued their ascent to the uppermost floor of the True Phoenix Tower. Along the way, they saw some corpses, gruesomely deceased. It was said that Di Tian, the Great Demon God, and others who had just passed through had all encountered challenges, and their powerful interventions had led to massacres. Of course, the most malevolent was the Fourth Young Master of the Golden Serpent lineage. He actively attacked, killing dozens of powerful individuals during his ascent, a bloody and brutal display.

Many powerful individuals came to the Human Race's Golden Ancient Path, all of them paramount experts of their respective young generations. However, only about a dozen truly qualified as young supreme beings. Only through comparison could superiority be determined. Even reigning as a supreme figure within one's race or as a king on an ancient path in one region was meaningless; only when various races met could true strength be revealed. Although many were unconvinced, after the recent clashes, they had no choice but to begrudgingly accept that currently, only about a dozen individuals qualified as young supreme beings.

Ye Fan and his companions proceeded slowly, observing the various heroes below, carefully learning about each race to gain a clear understanding. Perhaps there would be terrifying battles in the future. It was only after more than half an hour that they ascended another floor.

"Although news of the Ancient Tree of Life has spread, only powerful individuals from dozens of nearby ancient paths have arrived. Compared to the vast star road, this is only a very small fraction." Many powerful individuals arrived at the Golden Ancient Path, but this was a tiny fraction compared to the myriad realms of the heavens. The universe was vast, and it was impossible for all powerful races to know and converge here.

"This is truly prestige earned through slaughter," Pang Bo remarked.

It wasn't just Ye Fan who encountered challenges; Di Tian, the Human King, the Divine Race's Heavenly Maiden Xin Lan, the Golden Giant, and others who had already ascended the tower also bore traces of blood. Comparatively, Ye Fan and his group experienced fewer battles as they were among the last to ascend. The blood on the others indicated just how fierce their fights had been.

On the topmost floor, there was a high platform, resembling both a fighting arena and a supreme altar. Currently, only about a dozen individuals were qualified to sit atop it: the Fourth Young Master of the Golden Serpent Clan, Xin Lan of the Divine Race, the Golden Giant, the Gold-Devouring Beast, Sang Gu (descendant of demon gods), the Copper Ant Saint King, the Dragon Sparrow, the Sky-Devouring Ancient Beast, the Earth Corpse, the Blood Beast, the Stone Saint Spirit, the Great Demon God, Di Tian…

These individuals sat enthroned, each dominating the world, their auras swallowing the Milky Way. Every one of them possessed a unique and awe-inspiring majesty. Below them were over a thousand people with complex expressions, all paramount experts of their respective young generations, but clearly a step below the dozen or so at the top. Earlier, many had issued challenges, paying a bloody price; over a hundred had lost their lives. Now, no one dared to provoke them, and everyone settled down. In a sense, they had all been defeated on the Imperial Road.

On the altar, the dozen or so figures sat aloft, making the other heroes feel unreachable, their positions unshakeable. Everyone yearned to ascend but could not.

When Ye Fan arrived, many gazes immediately turned to him, watching to see if he would ascend the altar radiating brilliant divine light.

"I think it's comfortable to sit up there," Pang Bo said.

Ye Fan nodded and ascended alongside him, immediately provoking displeasure from many powerful individuals. The first to act was the Second Young Master of the Golden Serpent on the platform, who let out a cold snort, as if a celestial sword had descended, its chill piercing.

Boom!

Ye Fan strode forward, his body erupting in brilliant golden light, like a surging golden sea, dissolving the chilling murderous aura. Then, his eyes shot forth two divine beams towards the Second Young Master of the Golden Serpent, as he and Pang Bo calmly stepped onto the platform. The Second Young Master of the Golden Serpent swept them with his cold gaze but made no further statement. Like his three brothers, he remained seated, unmoving. However, the cruel sneer on his lips indicated that he simply chose not to act at that moment, rather than harboring any apprehension!

In the past, he himself had single-handedly entered another star field, annihilated the entire powerful Divine Ape clan, bathed the starry sky in blood, and shaken numerous ancient domains. He was a living legend, his formidable reputation striking fear into all races. Since his debut, no adversary had ever escaped his grasp alive. Without a doubt, on this altar, if one were to speak of the strongest, it would be the four brothers. Each was a young supreme being; who would dare provoke the combined might of the four paramount experts of the Golden Serpent clan?!

"I once heard that the Human Holy Body is an extraordinary physique, and its blood can be considered a supreme ancient blood that meets the requirements," the Blood Beast suddenly stated from atop the altar, its words chilling.

"Indeed, we require ten kinds of supreme ancient bloods. If the Holy Body offers its blood, it can be counted as one," the Earth Corpse nodded.

These two powerful figures sat on the supreme altar, looking down at the heroes below. Their successive mentions of Holy Blood clearly demonstrated an attitude of targeting Ye Fan. Not only did Ye Fan's face darken, but Pang Bo also became furious. They had come to exchange ancient blood, possessing the ancient blood of the Ten-Thousand-Legged Demon Spider, which was certainly presentable. They never expected to be treated as prey.

"Are you sure you want my blood, treating me as prey?!" Ye Fan glared, the light in his eyes flaring like torches.

"So what if we are? We've long heard that the Human Holy Body's blood is extraordinary. If you contribute it today, we will all remember your generosity." The Blood Beast was an ancient fierce beast, bloodthirsty and utterly cruel, its true form thousands of zhang tall. At this moment, it appeared as a red-haired Daoist, seated on the altar, shrouded in a mist of blood, its gaze icy.

"That is precisely our stance: we intend to treat you as prey. What of it?" The Earth Corpse was even more direct. It was an ancient corpse that had attained the Dao, rumored to possess an indestructible body.

"I think you two are tired of living!" Ye Fan immediately struck, his golden fist shattering the void! To this day, no matter where he went, he had no need to retreat. On the Imperial Road, one must always advance fearlessly.