Chapter 1422: The Gods' Backyard

Date: October 18

Chapter 1425: The Gods' Backyard

The giant ape looked innocent and honest, scratching its head as it said, "Everyone in the world knows this. Is there something wrong with that?"

This answer left them speechless. Could it be that the Nine-Layered Coffin and the Ancient Tree of Life from the mythical era were truly common knowledge? They all stood there in a daze.

"Where exactly is the Ancient Tree of Life?" the Dragon Horse pressed, wanting to know its whereabouts immediately. Too many powerful beings had arrived—Grand Sages and young Supremes from all walks of life—none of them were easy to deal with.

"It's not far from here," the giant ape replied. "Just go straight ahead for ten thousand miles, and you'll reach it. It's in the Gods' Backyard."

"The Gods' Backyard, what kind of place is that?" Pang Bo asked seriously.

"It's considered a dwelling place for the gods, a part of what could be called the Immortal Realm. However, the gods usually don't descend there; they rarely visit." The giant ape pointed ahead, telling everyone that the place was ten thousand miles away.

This distance was truly nothing to them. With their cultivation reaching the Sage realm, they could turn vast distances into mere steps; a single stride could make sun, moon, rivers, and mountains spin.

The Immortal Realm, the Gods' Backyard, a place not regularly inhabited, where an Ancient Tree of Life grows... all these details combined were enough to shock any outsider.

Everyone wore a strange expression. Before coming here, they had all expected a difficult journey, believing the Other Shore of God would be fraught with danger, perhaps requiring battles so fierce that corpses would pile up like mountains.

Who would have thought that a mere giant ape would reveal almost everything they wanted to know, without any effort on their part?

The Dragon Horse and the Golden Lion questioned it thoroughly. Once they had enough information, they were impatient to act immediately. Being just over ten thousand miles away, they could reach it quickly.

Ye Fan's expression changed. He opened his Heavenly Eye, staring at the giant ape repeatedly. It truly was a creature from the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm, not some ancient living artifact.

Mountains flew by in reverse, and rivers receded into the distance as their group traversed the void, like streaks of ultimate rainbow spanning the sky. Before long, they arrived ten thousand miles away.

Upon reaching this point, everyone felt a jolt in their hearts. The place was very mysterious, with surging chaotic mists separating the front, as if forming a world of its own.

Clearly, this place was extraordinary. Just approaching it made their hearts pound. The mountains within the mist were all inscribed with Great Dao runes, inspiring awe.

"That giant ape didn't lie; it's true! This is definitely a hidden realm!" The Twelve Sages, having experienced countless trials over the years, recognized at a glance that this place possessed an extraordinary layout, embodying an ancient and rarely seen grand presence.

Mountains stood like divine statues. Ancient ridges, resembling coiled dragons, stretched from east to west. Sheer cliffs were like golden roc wings, soaring straight into the sea of clouds. Tombs, like dormant Black Tortoises, appeared stable and profound.

"Indeed, I examined that giant ape's divine consciousness; it didn't lie," the Dragon Horse said. Although such an act was a bit underhanded, it was best to be cautious upon first arriving here.

"It really is the Gods' Backyard, a part of the Immortal Realm. This is too incredible. Does coming to the Other Shore of God mean we're about to become immortals?" Pang Bo was full of questions.

There was no doubt that this place held some special significance. Just standing outside made their hearts stir, eager to enter and explore its profound mysteries.

"Something's not right," Ye Fan said.

"What's wrong? Is there danger here?" the Nine-Tailed Alligator Dragon asked.

"Not that I can see yet," Ye Fan shook his head. In fact, this place greatly resembled an immortal's dwelling; it was truly extraordinary, with sacred sites everywhere, captivating to behold.

"What's amiss?" the Azure Luan asked.

"That giant ape was strange. Come on, let's go back and check." Ye Fan turned around and sped back towards the ten-thousand-mile mark.

The others exchanged glances and followed. However, the vast land, towering ancient trees, and dense primeval forest showed no trace of the giant ape.

"These are the footprints it left, ending right here," Ye Fan said.

The hundred-zhang-tall giant ape had left massive, deep footprints on the ground, which abruptly stopped at this spot, as if it had inexplicably vanished.

"I clearly searched its sea of consciousness; how could there still be a problem?" The Dragon Horse was itching with frustration.

"Even my Origin Heavenly Eye was almost ineffective. This giant ape is formidable!" Cold lightning shot from Ye Fan's eyes as he scanned the surroundings for traces.

Finally, he picked up a shimmering golden monkey hair from the distant grass. It wasn't very long, significantly shorter than the giant ape's fur from earlier, and exceptionally brilliant.

"A single monkey hair, what's going on?" Pang Bo asked.

Ye Fan said in a deep voice, "That giant ape earlier was transformed from a single monkey hair. It almost fooled all of us. There's a divine ape that's mastered the art of transformation; it's practically unparalleled."

"Why does this feel somewhat familiar?" the Azure Luan's eyes sharpened.

"Indeed, it seems familiar," the Scorpion Sage nodded gravely.

"It's it!" Pang Bo shivered. Deep within the Ancient Heavenly Venerate's Fountain of Life, there was an ancient cave dwelling where a Six-Eared Macaque had achieved Nirvana. The aura was similar, suggesting it might be him.

"No way, that old monkey's power was immense, but how could it have survived after hundreds of thousands of years?" The Golden Lion expressed doubts.

"I know!" the Black Bear Sage gnashed his teeth, filled with endless resentment. "It's the younger one!"

One of his ancestors, a Grand Sage with immense magical power, had encountered a Six-Eared Macaque of overwhelming divine might relocating in the starry sky. Just for accidentally blocking the divine monkey's path, he was slapped into a pulp.

"There was also a small monkey sitting on that peerless expert's shoulder at the time. I think... he might have survived!" The Black Bear Sage's face was grim.

Everyone was stunned. The Six-Eared Macaque had built its residence within the Ancient Heavenly Venerate's Fountain of Life, which was truly astonishing. Its strength was beyond doubt.

It was conceivable that with its strength, finding a divine source to seal its offspring until this great era would be no problem.

It had built a divine bridge over the Ancient Heavenly Venerate's Sea of Bitterness directly to the other shore, making this place incredibly close. If the divine bridge appeared, one could simply take a step to arrive.

"Legend has it that the Six-Eared Macaque possesses one of the strongest bloodlines in the universe. It can discern truths and comprehend all things. Especially, its six ears can hear all sounds under heaven, allowing it to learn all methods. Its transformations are unpredictable, and no one can see through them," the Nine-Tailed Alligator Dragon said solemnly, then fell silent, scanning its surroundings as if fearing the divine monkey might overhear.

"Everyone said the Six-Eared Macaque was extinct, that the world had lost one of its most terrifying physiques. Who would have thought there was still a bloodline on the Other Shore of God?"

Everyone had a bad feeling. This monkey's abilities were heaven-defying. If it had set its sights on them, a bitter battle was certainly inevitable.

Merely transforming with a single monkey hair almost fooled all of them. Such a technique was beyond the capabilities of ordinary experts.

Ye Fan's expression was calm as he said, "No matter. If its divine might were truly overwhelming, it would have already acted against us."

Though he said this, the Twelve Sages dared not lower their guard, as this bloodline was truly too powerful, compelling them to be wary. Especially the Black Bear Sage, whose face was ashen, for this was an enemy of his clan.

Ye Fan and the others searched everywhere but found nothing. Since the Six-Eared Macaque's hair transformation was in this world, its true form might also be here, and they might encounter it in the future.

"That damned monkey! What a cruel heart, wanting to lure us in and wipe out our bodies and souls!" the Dragon Horse gnashed its teeth.

From other creatures, they learned that those mountains were indeed related to the Primordial Gods, but they were by no means a backyard. Instead, they were an ancient, long-standing forbidden zone.

Even the current gods might not be able to enter, and for others, it was a one-way trip to certain death. This was because it was a killing array laid down by an Ancient Great Emperor, which remained intact and had not been completely destroyed.

"That cunning monkey! We'll settle this score someday!" Pang Bo also said.

While there were extraordinary sights in the mountains, with a new scene every ten steps and a divine talisman every five, capturing the essence of creation, the Ancient Great Emperor's killing array was arranged there. Even gods would die upon entering.

Bypassing this ancient land, they entered the true vast expanse where heroes contended, successively seeing several massive ancient cities, each guarded by peerless experts.

"The homeland of immortality isn't called the Immortal Realm; it's named the Divine Realm, the dwelling place of the gods."

This was the truly accurate information they learned after arriving in this world. What the giant ape had said was mistaken, but not entirely false; one simply needed to replace "Immortal Realm" with "Divine Realm."

"One Human Race Protector has died, and two Grand Sages from other races have also perished! What happened?!" They received a shocking piece of news.

On a magnificent city wall, a notice was posted, displaying three bloody heads. It stated that these individuals were criminals who had attempted to blaspheme the gods and had been suppressed as a warning to others.

Only one night had passed since their arrival in this world, yet three Grand Sages had already died. This was astounding. Ye Fan and the others all felt a chill in their hearts, realizing how truly terrifying this world was.

This was the fifth grand city they had passed. Its city walls were towering, seemingly forged from molten black iron, emitting a cold, dark radiance and a chilling metallic luster.

The three bloody heads were placed in bamboo cages, suspended above the magnificent city gate tower, a horrifying sight.

Ye Fan and his companions entered the city and saw various unheard-of races: some had bird bodies and wolf heads, some were merely balls of light with no fixed form, and some had only massive heads with no arms or bodies.

The races were diverse and varied. Many were even magical artifacts, such as a divine blade walking through the city, having grown legs and arms while still being a blade. Another ancient pagoda swayed and floated through the city.

The Dragon Horse almost moved to plunder these weapons but was stopped by Ye Fan, who sternly warned it not to act recklessly.

These were all native races of this world. Many were transformed entities; holy weapons gaining sentience and becoming 'other-species' was legal here, allowing them to move freely without interference.

It was said that many of them emerged from cave dwellings in famous mountains and great rivers.

"This is truly bizarre. What kind of place is this?" the Twelve Sages muttered amongst themselves.

Fortunately, they also saw many humanoid beings. Ye Fan, Pang Bo, and the others weren't considered anomalies and didn't attract much attention. Some of these humanoids were actual humans, while others were transformations of other terrifying creatures, and all were very powerful.

"These massive majestic cities have existed since ancient times, reportedly guarding the dwelling place of the gods." They uncovered this information.

The area behind the majestic cities was near the Divine Realm. The Human Race Protector and the two Grand Sages from other races had been killed while attempting to explore the Divine Realm, which was why their heads were hung on the city walls as a warning.

"Grand Sages, killed just like that! Are these truly actual gods?!" This news made them feel a terrible premonition.

Ye Fan and the others passed through the city without acting rashly. After much inquiry, they learned that there were eight similar colossal cities surrounding the so-called Divine Realm, guarding all eight directions.

They questioned many creatures but still couldn't figure out what these "gods" truly were, as no one could explain it clearly.

The Divine Realm was unassailable. They risked incurring misfortune by inquiring about the Nine-Layered Coffin from the mythical era, which once again confirmed some of the giant ape's words: it was indeed known to most people, but it was not in the Immortal Realm; it was in a forbidden zone.

Traversing the land, they didn't know how many millions of miles they had crossed until they reached an ancient land that had existed since the mythical era, deep within its interior.

"Just a stone coffin, yet it lies deep within a forbidden zone. Is this an omen of great misfortune?"

Everyone stood in the sky, before the forbidden zone. Malarial mists permeated the air, ancient trees formed a dense forest, and it was profoundly quiet, a deathly silence.

Amidst a cluster of massive mountains, there lay an incomparably tall stone coffin, like a vast rocky peak, exuding an ancient and weathered grandeur.

This coffin had descended from beyond the realm. For decades, no one had dared to enter it, as this forbidden zone was steeped in too many terrifying legends, making approach a death sentence.

"This... is truly the Void Great Emperor's ancient coffin, but how did it become so enormous?" Ye Fan's heart was filled with doubt and surprise.