Chapter 1437: Reunion

The magnificent cocoon seemed carved from primordial immortal stone, translucent and gleaming, shrouded in immortal mist, emanating thousands of auspicious rays and countless strands of divine glow. It was dazzlingly bright, its vital essence soaring skyward like dragons.

It rested peacefully by Ye Fan's side, suspended in mid-air, radiant with flowing light and surging immortal energy. The harmonious resonance of the Grand Dao accompanied it, like an immortal melody playing.

Crack! The cocoon became riddled with more and more cracks until a piece finally broke off, releasing an aura of supreme holiness and divinity, both serene and dazzling.

Ye Fan and Pang Bo were startled and became even more cautious, scanning their surroundings to guard against surprise attacks from the young powerhouses present. The person within the cocoon was undergoing a crucial transformation that could not be interrupted.

Pop! With a soft pop, another fragment fell from the cocoon, and immediately, a delicate fragrance and aroma wafted out. Auspicious glow and immortal mist blurred, and divine light obscured the sun.

The fallen fragment was precisely in front of the eyes of the being inside the cocoon, which now opened. Pure as crystal, bright and translucent, they brimmed with spiritual energy.

Anyone who saw them would instinctively exclaim, "Beautiful!"

These eyes possessed a profound spiritual quality, their pupils like flawless black gemstones, making one feel close to the Dao upon sight—pure, natural, an unadorned beauty.

Boom! Several individuals attacked, intending to interrupt the transformation. Among them was the Bronze Ant King, who was also approaching. His entire body was bronze-colored, exuding immense power, as if he could shake the nine heavens.

Beams of light immediately shot from Ye Fan's eyes like two sharp swords. At this critical moment, anyone who dared to interfere would surely be suppressed and killed with his strongest techniques, his entire body ablaze with golden flames.

Ye Fan took a step forward, and the entire landscape trembled. Origin Techniques, Battle Saint Arts, Soldier Character Secret, and other methods were all unleashed simultaneously. His fists moved like dragons and tigers clashing in battle, as if heaven and earth were about to collapse.

He transformed into a phantom and charged out with extreme speed, making it impossible to guard against him. This was an evolution of the 'Movement' Secret.

Pfft! One person was instantly blown apart by him, transforming into a cloud of blood mist, their body and spirit utterly destroyed!

This was Ye Fan's most powerful strike, containing all his vital essence, energy, and spirit. His various phenomena, true body, secret arts, and Dao techniques were all unleashed, fused into one, and delivered with overwhelming power.

He swept past, and the second person was shattered, bones splattering, blood profusely flowing, staining the void and the mountains red.

This sight stunned everyone. They knew that though it was only two strikes, it was akin to an earth-shattering battle, as Ye Fan had poured his entire essence, blood, and surging saint power into them.

It wasn't that the two deceased individuals weren't strong enough, but that what should have been a fierce battle was condensed into a direct clash, where life and death were decided in a single blow!

The Human Saint Body was willing to pay any price to kill indiscriminately. This made everyone wary.

All these people retreated, several of them directly coughing up large mouthfuls of blood. This was due to the pressure of an invincible aura; they were injured even before being struck.

Clearly, they weren't truly fighting, as the battle between the Saint Spirit and Ye Fan had just been witnessed by all. Those present simply wanted to 'create trouble' and complicate matters, unwilling to let the being in the cocoon complete its transformation smoothly.

But no one expected Ye Fan's reaction to be so 'intense', engaging in life-or-death combat right away, willing to expend his very essence to eliminate any adversary who dared to step forward.

"Let's see who dares to move. If anyone dares to attack now, I will wipe out their entire clan in the future!" Ye Fan roared.

"That's right, if anyone dares to move, I'll ascend to their ancient star domain later and wipe out their entire clan, root and branch, even smashing the blind little mice to death!" Pang Bo also said fiercely, threatening everyone.

"If it truly is Brother Ye's old acquaintance, what harm is there in waiting a moment?" said the Heavenly Maiden Xin Lan of the Divine Race. She didn't want to kill the person who had obtained the Divine Demon Liquid, because this precious liquid contained fragments of the Grand Dao, tantamount to the inheritance of ancient divine demons. If possible, she hoped to win this person over and have them join the Divine Race.

Pop! Another fragment fell from the cocoon, revealing a crystal-clear mouth, which caused everyone's expressions to freeze.

Especially Xin Lan, the Stone Man, the Bronze Ant King, and other young supremes, all stared blankly. This was different from what they had expected. How could such beautiful eyes have a 'mouth' like this?

Chirp chirp... A murmuring sound came from within the cocoon, and waves of fresh, fragrant aroma, like that of a being reborn, wafted out. It was full of joy, like a child seeing a loved one, and nudged against Ye Fan's side.

Finally, the cocoon shattered into pieces, and all fragments fell away, dazzlingly bright, like a ball of golden immortal fire burning, illuminating the entire area.

It was a golden divine bird!

Xin Lan, the Stone Man, and others all stared blankly. They had originally thought a peerless beauty would emerge, never expecting it to be a bird. It was vastly different from their expectations.

"It's really a bird?!"

Its entire body was brilliant, a full *zhang* in length, covered in magnificent golden feathers. It was exceptionally radiant, like a shimmering aurora or a ball of flames, brimming with spiritual energy. Its form resembled a phoenix, but it wasn't multi-colored; instead, it was a singular, noble golden hue. Its long tail feathers were proportionate to its body, also about a *zhang* long, vivid and dazzling.

Its eyes were like black gemstones, the rest of its body crystal clear and translucent, as if cast from pure gold. This was a Lightning Phoenix Bird, a rare variant from ancient times, possibly the only one of its kind in the current era.

It possessed an ancient phoenix bloodline; its aura spoke for itself. Everyone could see that it might approach the level of a Divine Phoenix in the future; the higher its cultivation, the more thoroughly its bloodline would awaken.

"I can't believe that after all these years, you still remember me," Ye Fan gently stroked its head, unable to help but sigh with emotion.

"This is a divine bird!" The Heavenly Maiden of the Divine Race revealed a solemn expression from afar.

Everyone else remained silent. This kind of bloodline was already extraordinary, and with the help of the Divine Demon Liquid for rebirth, it became even more transcendent, perhaps even approaching the level of the Phoenix Blood Progenitor.

"What good is a powerful bloodline? In a real battlefield, these mean nothing. If one's strength is insufficient, they will still be suppressed and killed," the Stone Man said chillingly.

"Are you talking about yourself? If you're not convinced, come over, and I'll shatter you with another punch!" Ye Fan taunted, his expression cold, carrying cruel killing intent.

The Stone Man wanted to say something, but couldn't retort. The real battle results were plain to see; any more words would only bring self-humiliation.

Chirp chirp... the Lightning Phoenix Bird chirped softly, rubbing its head against Ye Fan, like a child seeing an adult. However, its true strength was by no means weaker than anyone present; it was extremely powerful, making everyone wary.

Ye Fan was not surprised by this, as he clearly knew its origins. Lightning Phoenix Birds were difficult to find in ancient times. As long as it grew normally, it would surely become a Demon Saint, not to mention this divine bird's extremely high starting point.

Back then, even before it was born, it received a gift from its parents. The old Lightning Phoenix Bird, injured, transformed into the Dao, injecting its entire lifetime's Dao foundation into the golden egg, giving it the starting point almost of a Dao Severing King.

Of course, this wasn't its greatest fortune, because another opportunity it received was truly heaven-defying—something no other demon race or ancient beast could compare to!

That was, it obtained the Demon God Flower!

What was this? It was a heaven-defying divine plant. For immature demon races, nothing was more precious; it could be used to forge an immortal Dao foundation.

Even the Black Emperor once lamented, wishing he could borrow another hundred thousand years from heaven to return to his infancy and consume this flower, which shows its preciousness.

The Demon God Flower contained the most primordial Dao power of heaven and earth and possessed the most powerful spiritual essence. It was a supreme holy object in the eyes of demon races and ancient beasts; they could go mad for it.

It was of no great use to adult great demons. However, its wondrous effect lay in nurturing young demon spirits, purifying their bloodline, spiritual essence, bones, and more. It could fundamentally transform them.

Legend has it that both the Demon Emperor Xue Yueqing and the Azure Emperor of recent antiquity had consumed the Demon God Flower. It was an immortal divine medicine for laying the foundation of those with peerless talent.

There are three types of flowers in the world that are most difficult to obtain: the Demon God Flower, the Dao Integration Flower, and the God Flower.

In the past, divine crocodiles and vengeful spirits from the ancient planet Yinghuo appeared in the Big Dipper region, involving Liu Yunzhi, Lin Jia, and others. To uncover the truth, Ye Fan pursued them all the way to the Feathered Immortal Valley.

As soon as the Lightning Phoenix Bird emerged from its shell, Ye Fan, Ji Ziyue, and others placed it at the roots of the Demon God Flower. It absorbed the entire essence of the plant, which was a heaven-defying stroke of fortune, making the Black Emperor, despite his thousands of years, green with envy and regret, claiming he was still young and wanted to experience the flower's divine power.

Back then, the Lightning Phoenix Bird was still tiny, only the size of a fist. Its entire body was fluffy, but now it was so brilliant, making Ye Fan sigh about how time flowed like water, fleeting and swift.

"Where is Ziyue, and where is Brother Haoyue?" Ye Fan asked.

"Haoyue is in secluded cultivation, but Ziyue might be in danger," the Lightning Phoenix Bird, pure-hearted with a tender voice, blinked its black gemstone-like eyes, showing anxiety.

Recently, many powerful figures had entered the depths of the restricted zone, and Ji Ziyue and her companions were in a crucial period of their transformation, forced to constantly retreat. However, the outsiders, in pursuit of the Divine Demon Liquid, had been tracking them and were almost upon them.

"Chirp chirp, quickly find Ziyue! She came out of seclusion first, and with so many enemies, she definitely can't handle them all," the Lightning Phoenix Bird's voice was clear and crisp, with the tender tone of a little girl. It pecked at Ye Fan's clothes with its beak, then led the way.

Ji Ziyue had left her secluded cultivation prematurely before fully completing it, sealing her brother and the Lightning Phoenix Bird in different mountainous areas and drawing away the enemies herself. Now, her fate was unknown.

Ye Fan's heart immediately sank. He followed closely, while Pang Bo, Long Ma, and the others also remained silent, rushing forward. They knew the situation was critical.

"Trying to leave? Not so easy!" the Stone Man roared. With a bang, he conjured a formation, blocking their path to prevent them from going to the rescue.

"Are you tired of living!?" Ye Fan raged. For the first time, his fury surged to such heights. There was no time to waste; this Saint Spirit actually blocked his path at such a crucial moment. Its malicious intent was obvious.

"Everyone, we've already made an enemy of him today, and it will surely be a never-ending feud in the future. What more is there to fear? Use all your means to stop him," the Saint Spirit said chillingly. His aim was to block Ye Fan's path, preventing him from going to the rescue and leaving him with immense regret.

Some were eager to try, while others remained silent.

"Those who block me shall die!" Ye Fan roared in anger. His Origin Techniques soared to the heavens. With a flick of his hand, dozens of golden formations appeared simultaneously, and with a thunderous roar, they directly disintegrated the killing formation set up by the Saint Spirit.

Everyone felt a chill in their hearts, while the Saint Spirit's expression changed drastically. Without a word, he was the first to flee. He was the one who had just proposed a joint attack, yet he was also the first to escape.

The others cursed him inwardly. This was truly despicable. His intentions were evil, dragging everyone else into trouble for his own revenge, only to end up so spineless.

The Saint Spirit had only one thought: he didn't want to die. Ye Fan was now virtually invincible and impossible to contend with directly. The Saint Spirit knew that in a fight between those of the same cultivation level, he would surely die, hence his flight.

Boom! Ye Fan's true body shattered the firmament. His palm and fingers struck out like a golden grinding wheel. The glowing palm struck the Saint Spirit's back, and with a *thud*, pulverized everything below his chest into a bloody mess, splattering blood.

He wanted to pursue him, but feared that prolonged delay might endanger Ji Ziyue, so he turned and left, having the Lightning Phoenix Bird lead the way.