Chapter 1513: The Grand Event Begins

Chapter 1517: The Grand Event Begins

The war chariot was not at all luxurious; it had no luster. Time, like a knife, had carved countless marks upon it, and its shafts were nearly broken. Yet, if anyone knew it originated from the Undying Mountain, who would dare to underestimate it?

"Go and pluck some Enlightenment Immortal Tea Leaves," a voice emerged from within the chariot. A servant stepped forward, bowed to an ancient tree in the distance whose branches were full of shimmering, vibrant leaves. He uttered a spell, and with a gentle rustling sound, many leaves fell, each one enveloped in layers of immortal radiance.

The war chariot proceeded slowly, following a special path that avoided many array patterns emitting auspicious light. It left the Undying Mountain. After tens of thousands of years, the entity from within the mountain had finally re-entered the Central Domain!

In the City of Darkness, powerful figures from all sides gathered. From time to time, saints from beyond the domain transformed into streaks of light, piercing through the air to land in the city.

In recent days, the place had been as bustling as a mortal's temple fair. Cultivators from all corners of the myriad heavens and domains appeared, representing every imaginable race.

Pixiu, Three-legged Black Phoenixes, God-Devouring Rats, Sky-Rending Ants... races previously only heard of in legends had all made an appearance.

The date for the grand event arrived. Above the City of Darkness, clouds surged and rolled like a thousand waves, and it seemed as if a door between heaven and earth had opened, emitting thunderous roars.

Naturally, a gathering of cultivators would not take place where mortals resided. Above this ancient city lay a vast and magnificent divine landscape.

Upon white clouds, majestic mountains soared and grand celestial palaces stood. This was a floating continent that had emerged from the void.

An ancient aura, imbued with the presence of primordial beasts, surged forth, making one feel as if they had arrived in the primeval era, truly standing upon ancient cloud seas.

This was the venue for the grand event. Great cultivators had collectively opened the void seal, summoning this dormant ancient continent. All conflicts would unfold here.

Array patterns, one after another, intertwined like lightning. They shimmered within the sea of clouds, guarding the ancient continent, forming a powerful defensive fortification.

"Dong..."

Inside a celestial palace, a large golden bell hung. When struck, its sound reverberated in all directions, clearly echoing throughout the ancient city below.

"The divine bell has rung again," the mortals murmured, looking up at the sky.

They witnessed many streaks of light rushing skyward, various magic artifacts dancing, and radiating light that illuminated the entire world in dazzling brilliance. The people in the city were not alarmed; they had seen such sights too often, encountering cultivators daily had long become commonplace.

The grand event officially began. Powerhouses from across the universe made their appearance, arriving on this ancient continent as if they had reached the dominion of the Heavenly Court.

Ye Fan also arrived, like a mere passerby. He calmly observed everything, not wishing to participate, only to quietly bear witness. The Path to Immortality was about to open, and everything here was merely the beginning!

Blazing golden light streaked across the sky as the Three-legged Golden Crows descended. Several figures stood abreast, led by a Great Saint. This race had reappeared, emanating oppressive killing intent as they scanned the crowd.

Ye Fan felt neither joy nor sorrow. For now, he did not wish to act, but of course, if anyone sought trouble with him, he would not hesitate to unleash a massacre.

"Boom!"

The heavens and earth trembled violently as a giant centipede, over ten miles long, swooped down from beyond the domain. Its gray mist surged, capable of annihilating all living beings. This was a Great Saint-level venomous insect.

A phoenix cry reverberated through the Nine Heavens. The old patriarch of Blood Phoenix Mountain appeared, and a flash of crimson light from his brow revealed a blood-red weapon—the Phoenix-Winged Gilt Trident—causing the ancient blue sky to rumble.

The sun, moon, and stars lost their brilliance beneath this weapon. Phoenix energy surged through the nine heavens, causing many meteorites and other celestial bodies beyond the domain to tremble, nearly falling from the sky.

This clearly indicated an aggressive stance, arriving with the potential for immediate conflict. Fortunately, the Emperor Artifact merely flashed and disappeared, not releasing excessive immortal power.

Finally, major powers such as the Ji Family, Fire Qilin Cave, Jade Lake, and Primeval Lake appeared. Including the myriad races from beyond the domain, it was no exaggeration to say that ten thousand races were present.

Today, all races had assembled to secure the greatest benefits for their own kind and to initially establish a set of laws and regulations that all races would be required to observe.

In the blink of an eye, countless figures appeared, ascending into the sky. Beneath their feet, white clouds surged, and before them, palaces stretched endlessly, as if they had arrived before the Southern Heavenly Gate.

As more powerful races arrived, naturally, many unruly individuals emerged, believing themselves formidable and sneering repeatedly.

"There are too many people here; I suggest clearing the area. What right do some weak races have to be here? They'll only cause trouble," someone stated.

"Well said. Then let's start with you," an eight-headed giant snake nodded. It suddenly extended one of its heads and swallowed the person whole, blood splattering, a truly terrifying sight. Its body was pure white like jade, each scale several meters long. It coiled into a snake mountain, and each of its eight heads was enormous.

Everyone's heart skipped a beat. This grand event was indeed a display of strength. Right at the beginning, a Saint was swallowed, and he had brought it upon himself.

"Fellow Daoist is too overbearing. Even if you disagree, there's no need for such excessive methods. This place will not tolerate your presence," an ancient demon with a bird's head, a human body, and dressed in Daoist robes stepped forward. Wielding a peach wood sword, he let out a soft cry and struck at the eight-headed giant snake.

"Pfft!"

One of the eight-headed snake's heads was severed. It struggled to resist, but in moments it was completely slain, leaving no remains. All its bones were collected by the demonic Daoist and placed into a blood gourd.

"What's the meaning of this? Is this gathering for you to cause trouble? Retreat!" a Great Saint from the ancient races bellowed.

"This assembly is for all races to deliberate together. It's normal for disagreements to arise and for them to settle it through combat," a Great Saint from beyond the domain said coolly.

Currently, the number of attendees was truly immense. From the myriad heavens and domains, almost all powerful races had sent representatives, solely to seek immortal opportunities and await the opening of the Path to Immortality.

Among them, naturally, were some powerful great cultivators who did not wish for so many to contend for the Path to Immortality. They intended to establish a law to deter the vast majority from even trying.

The assembly began, and everyone discussed at length the various aspects of the era when the Path to Immortality would open, and what rules and guidelines should be established.

"Don't you all think Beidou is too crowded? All other races combined aren't even a fraction of the human race. If this truly leads to universal ascension to immortality, won't humanity become supreme in the future?" someone whispered sinisterly from the shadows, their origin impossible to pinpoint immediately.

"Indeed, Beidou is teeming with humans. In this ancient land of immortal ascension, such a power distribution is unreasonable. I suggest all races unite to 'invite them out.' Leaving a portion would be enough!" someone echoed.

"Is that so? Would you dare to move all your respective race's people here?!" the old Great Saint from the Great Xia Imperial Family, who had a faint scent of a decaying corpse, spoke with a grim expression.

"Boom!"

The next moment, a Dragon Sword appeared in his hand. Exceptionally sharp, it unleashed Imperial Dragon Qi, whose attack power was said to rival the Battle Saint's techniques among secret arts.

"Pfft!" In just an instant, the area ahead was bathed in blood. Severed limbs and shattered remains flew up, then exploded in mid-air. That spot immediately became devoid of life, with only scarlet blood splattering everywhere.

Such methods sent shivers down spines. With a single word, he had wiped out everyone directly. No one had expected this Great Saint to possess such intense malevolence, far more ferocious than the individuals before him.

Killing one or two people earlier was just a minor skirmish. This was the true ruthless character, who in a single breath, directly annihilated over a hundred powerhouses, including many formidable cultivators at the Saint King realm.

"I heard that the Grand Emperor died tragically in the Immortal Mansion World. This old Great Saint most likely came filled with grief and killing intent. Provoking him now is purely asking for trouble and bad luck."

The crowd trembled in fear, no longer daring to discuss the previous topic. The human Great Saint was too insane, directly using an Emperor Artifact. Who would dare to speak recklessly now?

At the Central Heavenly Palace, several Great Saints stepped inside. This was only a portion of them; only the strongest could appear there.

As soon as Great Peacock King, the Ji Family Great Saint, and others appeared, many felt awe, unsure if they wielded the Demonic Subduing Pestle and the Void Mirror. Even some supreme powerhouses from beyond the domain felt a chill in their hearts.

Ye Fan did not approach. He simply sat in a pavilion, quietly observing the comings and goings of people and listening to their fierce, opposing arguments.

Clouds rolled, reaching only to one's knees. This ancient continent was very mysterious, with numerous spirit orchids growing there, their fragrant scent filling the air.

A commotion erupted at the Central Heavenly Palace. A Great Saint overturned a table, and with a thunderous crash, two figures shot into the high heavens, confronting each other coldly, on the verge of a Great Saint battle.

Many knew that today would be fraught with disturbances, but they had not expected such peerless figures to confront each other right from the start, almost to the death.

However, both individuals eventually descended, and the assembly continued as various powerhouses divided into many factions to negotiate.

Ye Fan believed that with two or more Human Great Saints, both wielding Emperor Artifacts, no one blind enough would dare to provoke them, unless all other races united.

At the Heavenly Palace, there was a sea of people, and many powerhouses voiced their opinions. The area was overwhelmed, and powerful Saintly fluctuations spread, causing hearts to palpitate.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, the sky shattered. Two figures shot straight into the Nine Heavens, disappearing into the firmament and entering the outer domain, initiating the most earth-shattering strike.

Enormous fluctuations spread, and the entire ancient continent shimmered with blazing light. The ancestral array blocked the vast ripples cascading down from beyond the domain. Without the intertwining of these mysterious laws, the ancient continent would have been directly submerged.

"This is... ultimate power. Emperor Artifacts are clashing!"

No one had ever imagined such intensity; Emperor Artifacts were actually engaging in battle.

Amidst towering flames, a man in snow-white robes, with a jade-like countenance, possessed unparalleled elegance. He was refined and handsome, appearing as if carved from divine jade, truly extraordinary.

In his left palm, he held a bright red, crystal-clear furnace that seemed to drip blood. Various runes flowed over its surface, and overwhelming imperial might surged forth.

It was none other than Jiang Yifei, the current master of the Jiang family, standing in mid-air, holding the Hengyu Furnace, like a newly born revered deity!

Opposite him, a large black seal floated and sank, letting down myriad silk threads that protected a white-haired old man with a third vertical eye.

Clearly, this was a Great Saint, and the black seal above his head was an Emperor Artifact. However, this treasure seal evidently had flaws: a corner was missing, and a crack extended straight to its center.

"The Human Emperor Seal!"

"It's actually the Human Emperor Seal left by the Ancient Emperor Taiyin! How did it fall into the hands of an alien race?"

Some elders recalled the records and descriptions in ancient texts, their expressions changing. This was undoubtedly the Human Emperor's weapon.

The crowd erupted in an uproar, causing a huge stir. Many past events were recalled, stirring excitement in numerous hearts.

In ancient times, a divine war had occurred, so fierce that the heavens collapsed and the earth shattered. The black gourd, reputed to be capable of slaying immortals, was destroyed, and the Human Emperor Seal, which once reigned over the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, was lost in the cosmos. In that battle, more than just one or two Emperor Artifacts were damaged or lost.

Everyone had thought the Human Emperor Seal was shattered, but unexpectedly, it had reappeared, merely held by a different race!