Chapter 1436: Cocoon

The group continued their journey. Ye Fan, specifically, used his powerful Origin Techniques to survey the terrain, exploring and investigating the landscape to uncover many valuable clues.

Two days later, Ye Fan used his Origin Techniques to locate a stalactite-formed pool inside a mountain. It contained remnants of divine-demon liquid, and he also found hair and old skin, indicating that Ji Haoyue and his companions had evidently cultivated there.

Furthermore, the site bore clear traces, suggesting it had been inhabited just dozens of days prior, with its occupants having departed not long ago.

The cracked human skin on the ground gleamed, imbued with a powerful aura. Electric arcs flickered and crackled from it, making it incredibly mystical.

This was astonishing. It was far from mere discarded old skin; even after dozens of days, it still pulsed with vibrant vitality and divine power, clearly demonstrating the immense power of its original owner.

"Brother Haoyue's cultivation is formidable; he must have already entered the Saint King realm and be a top-tier expert among them," Pang Bo said, picking up a piece of the gleaming skin and examining it. "I believe with his strength, he could contend with young Supremes."

"This is truly outrageous!" exclaimed the Dragon Horse, who could only feel envious. "The Coffin of the Great Emperor Void personally cleared the path, pulling his descendants through various treasure lands and divine soils across the universe!"

The others also clicked their tongues in astonishment. The fact that the Ninefold Ancient Coffin from the mythical era had cleared a path, transporting the Ji family siblings to these treasure lands where they obtained divine-demon liquid and other resources, was truly astonishing, as if it were intentionally setting up his descendants for success.

The golden bird feathers were also extraordinary. They were accompanied by flashes of lightning and crackling sounds, resembling a pile of gold being struck by lightning.

"Could it really be that little one from back then?" Ye Fan muttered to himself, gazing at the divine feathers with a hint of emotion. "To have grown to this extent is truly astounding."

"The feathers shed by this golden divine bird carry a strong scent of phoenix blood," said the Black Bear Saint, sniffing the golden feathers on the ground again.

Boom!

Sounds of fighting echoed from a distance as several Divine Elders appeared. It was unknown who was unlucky enough to be discovered by them, for once confronted, even a Great Saint would face tragedy, as the Slaughter Array Diagram of the Celestial Venerable Lingbao was truly unstoppable.

The only option upon encountering them was to flee far away; even a slight delay would undoubtedly result in death.

Boulders crumbled there, accompanied by overwhelming blood-red light. Clearly, someone had met with disaster. After the blood mist dispersed, tranquility gradually returned.

Ye Fan said, "All the Great Saints and Divine Elders are heading for the stone coffin. Therefore, when we search for the Ji family siblings, we generally won't encounter them."

The Ancient Coffin of the Great Emperor Void was very peculiar. Intricate dao patterns covered its surroundings, merging it with the cosmic void. Only ultimate powerhouses like gods could truly approach it; otherwise, one would always become lost in the void.

Ye Fan used his Origin Techniques to survey the mountains and rivers, searching for traces of the divine-demon liquid. Using this, he tracked the siblings and the divine bird, moving forward all the way.

More and more clues indicated that his old acquaintances were ahead, hidden deep within a perilous area. They seemed to be cultivating using the divine-demon liquid and, having reached a critical stage, wished not to be discovered.

At the same time, they discovered a serious problem: Young Supremes like Golden Snake Lord, Gold-Eating Beast, and Di Tian were also active in the area, potentially encountering Ji Ziyue and her companions.

"Either Sang Gu or Shen Lan must be leading them," he speculated. "As descendants of ancient divine-demons, they are most sensitive to the aura here. If they diligently pursue the divine-demon liquid, it might be very easy for them!"

Upon realizing this, Ye Fan could no longer remain calm. He unleashed his Origin Techniques to their fullest, with earth-shattering power, causing the sun, moon, rivers, and mountains to tremble. He tracked the aura of the precious liquid, using it to approach his old acquaintances.

Two days later, they heard strange sounds. A section of mountains was trembling, and array patterns spread out like ripples. Clearly, someone was attacking a sacred ground there.

"The aura of divine-demon liquid!" Ye Fan exclaimed, his expression changing. He rushed forward with extreme speed, crossing over numerous mountains and ridges to arrive at a place densely covered with ancient trees.

A black towering peak stood tall, not a blade of grass growing on its body. Array patterns spread out from it, emitting brilliant rays of light.

Shen Lan, the Divine Race Heavenly Maiden, the Stone Man Saint Spirit, the Copper Ant King, and some other unfamiliar individuals had trespassed into this place. They were attacking the black mountain, eroding many of its dao patterns and causing its entire body to crack.

This was not a place where divine-demon corpses were buried, so it naturally didn't contain the profound teachings of ancient divine-demons. However, a great array had been artificially inscribed there, merging with the vast cosmic void.

"This is a technique from the Void Emperor Scripture," Ye Fan recognized instantly, discovering its secrets. "It shares similarities with chessboard array patterns!"

Although this great array was complex and profound, it could not withstand the assaults of numerous young powerhouses, and cracks appeared. Each of these individuals was hailed as a supreme figure in their own region, a king on their respective ancient paths.

"This must have been set up by the Ji family siblings," he thought. "Are they perhaps inside the mountain?"

Boom!

Boulders crumbled, and dust rose into the sky. The mountain was shattered into pieces, its array patterns finally completely obliterated, and the mountain body collapsed with a rumbling sound.

The Stone Man, Shen Lan, Copper Ant King, and the others were far from mere brigands. Each of them was an unparalleled prodigy of the younger generation—either Saint Spirits or members of the Divine Race, supremely divine and holy. Few could contend with them.

Their combined efforts were naturally astonishing; even Great Saints would likely frown in apprehension. After all, this was a group, not just one or two individuals, and the future of the world belonged to them.

Boom!

As the black mountain collapsed, Ye Fan sensed a familiar aura. He emerged from the shadows, his entire body radiating golden vital energy. With every movement, he seemed to push the sun, moon, and stars, like an ancient divine lord.

He blocked the path of the powerful experts, fearing that his old acquaintances inside the mountain would be harmed.

"It's you! How dare you block our path!" exclaimed the Stone Man, who held a well-known grudge against Ye Fan among the young Supremes, having clashed with him more than once since entering the Ancient Mythical Domain.

The main reason, of course, was that Ye Fan had previously killed Saint Spirits, resulting in a curse on his body. Although the divine halo of the curse was slowly being worn away, the Saint Spirit race could still sense it.

Ye Fan's eyes were cold. He did not respond to the Stone Man's words; instead, he scanned everyone with a look of disdainful arrogance.

In this place, various divine-demon essences were buried beneath the earth, allowing him to utilize his Origin Techniques. Even surrounded by powerful experts, he felt no fear; he was not afraid of group combat.

Moreover, the number of opponents was not as great as one might imagine, only eight or nine individuals. If the Ji family siblings were there, along with Pang Bo, the Dragon Horse, and others, they could easily dominate this group of adversaries.

"Ye Fan, I have always hoped you would join our race. What have you considered?" Shen Lan asked, her crystalline body enveloped by a divine halo, dazzlingly brilliant, truly like a heavenly maiden. "Why are you blocking our path now?"

"My old acquaintances are inside the mountain," Ye Fan said calmly. "I don't want them to be harmed."

"Come and meet your demise! We've been searching for you for twenty years, and today we'll send you on your way!" The Stone Man was the first to charge. This race was synonymous with invincibility; in the same realm, few could truly contend with them.

Boom!

Ye Fan swung his fist. His left hand was a tiger, his right a dragon, and the deafening roars of a dragon and growls of a tiger filled the air. These were two of the Four Divine Beasts, which he had incorporated into his boxing technique, fully embodying the might of a dragon and tiger contending, suppressing the four directions of heaven and earth!

In a blinding flash of light, his fist collided with the Saint Spirit's palm in a direct, head-on clash. The furious waves of impact sent the young Supremes flying.

In this era, who dared to compare the solidity of their body with a Saint Spirit's? Perhaps only the Human Sacred Body, to engage in such an all-out, direct confrontation from the start!

Saint Spirits were immortal, their bodies formidable and difficult to break. Yet, at this moment, the Stone Man let out a muffled groan. His right fist cracked, blood splattered, and then with a pop, his entire arm exploded.

This was a display of overwhelming power. It wasn't that a Saint King-level Stone Man of such power couldn't even withstand one of Ye Fan's moves, but rather that both had unleashed wild, sublimated power to their utmost, with the victor able to be decided within three to five moves.

This was a clash of bodies, a confrontation of Grand Daos, where life and death were decided in an instant!

The others were shocked. A Saint Spirit, famed for their physical dominance, was actually no match for the Human Sacred Body. This left them feeling utterly powerless. After twenty years apart, Ye Fan's vital energy had grown even more vast and boundless, seemingly on the verge of becoming invincible under heaven.

Ye Fan pressed forward, intending to slay the Saint Spirit and take his head. But at this moment, the others made their moves, as they were currently united against an external threat.

Boom!

Without a word, Ye Fan did not engage in fisticuffs with so many people. Instead, he directly activated his Origin Techniques, causing mountains and rivers to shift and the sun and moon to lose their light.

"Not good, retreat!"

Someone shouted, seeing through the trick. This place had become unfathomable; all the mountains and rivers seemed to obey Ye Fan alone, placing him in the most advantageous position as array patterns emerged.

Ultimately, someone was a step too slow to retreat. Ye Fan struck, blasting forward with three consecutive punches, pulverizing that person into a cloud of blood mist.

Boom!

At the same time, he pursued the Stone Man once again, shattering his other arm. Saint Spirit blood splattered, a horrifying sight.

At the crucial moment, the Copper Ant King intervened, assisting him, and the Stone Man narrowly escaped disaster. His face was ashen, his expression extremely gloomy as he retreated to the rear.

"If you wish to live in the future, do not appear before me, and certainly do not contend with me," Ye Fan scoffed.

The Stone Man was furious, clenching his fists, but in the end, he held back and did not step forward. In all these years, who had ever made him feel so humiliated? His former adversary now seemed to have left him far behind, filling him with resentment and a sense of powerlessness.

It wasn't that he wasn't strong enough, but that his opponent was simply too powerful. As a Stone Man, favored by heaven and earth, he possessed all sorts of extraordinary abilities and divine powers, unrivaled in his domain. Yet, he could not kill the Human Sacred Body.

"Brother Ye, aren't you being a bit too domineering?" said Shen Lan, the Divine Race Heavenly Maiden, who had been observing coldly, a look of displeasure on her face as she prepared to act.

"What I said is true," Ye Fan replied. "My old acquaintances are indeed inside the mountain."

"Nonsense! You clearly want to seize the divine-demon liquid!" The others naturally didn't believe him and did not back down, each watching him with icy gazes.

Suddenly, an overwhelming fluctuation appeared, spreading out from the shattered black mountain and pulverizing many of the stone fragments.

A brilliant cocoon appeared, radiating precious light. Someone was undergoing Nirvana, a transformative process of shedding one's mortal body and exchanging one's bones, and had now emerged from seclusion. Furthermore, in the same spot, there was a chessboard teleportation array. The cocoon attempted to escape, but seemed to sense something, gave a violent tremor, and rushed towards Ye Fan.

"This is... a cocoon formed by divine-demon liquid!" someone exclaimed. "Someone has absorbed its essence!"

"Fragments of the Grand Dao of ancient divine-demons have dissolved into the precious liquid," another observed. "It's like countless ancient inheritances have been melted into a single furnace and obtained by someone. This is a heaven-defying fortune."

The Divine Race, Saint Spirits, and other ultimate bloodlines were all both surprised and envious, wishing they could be inside the cocoon themselves.

Crack!

Cracks appeared on the cocoon. Auspicious qi surged forth, with thousands of rays of glowing light and tens of thousands of strands of immortal qi. The person inside was about to emerge; they clearly knew Ye Fan, otherwise, they wouldn't have been so at ease, breaking out of the cocoon right beside him.