Chapter 1525: Sacrificial Sound Remains

Chapter 1529: The Sacrificial Chants Remain

"Sadura, jufa shu, gululu..." the divine infant widened its eyes, looking a bit miffed and also slightly scared. Its black, gem-like pupils were filled with tension as it met Ye Fan's gaze.

Ye Fan's expression was solemn, his eyes shining brightly. He stared at the infant's Celestial Platform, preparing to explore its Sea of Consciousness. The child's forehead glowed, pure white and translucent, like a piece of carved jade.

The divine infant grew even more restless, kicking and flailing, attempting to break free from the Immortal Source and escape. However, the Immortal Source was no ordinary object; it was incredibly difficult to break, and with Ye Fan holding it steady, not even a single crack could form.

With a hum, the light from Ye Fan's forehead bone intensified, emitting a primary divine sense. It was like a beam of light from a comet streaking across the sky, piercing into the Immortal Source and submerging itself within the child's Celestial Platform.

He had to get to the bottom of this; the child's origin was far too strange and unsettling!

The vast Sea of Consciousness resembled an boundless ocean, shimmering and dazzling, incredibly serene. At its center stood a towering platform that pierced the sky, radiating brilliant light and appearing awe-inspiringly majestic.

This was the divine infant's Celestial Platform, resplendent and blazing, as if fashioned from divine jade. Upon arriving, one might almost believe they had entered the Immortal Realm, filled with a sacred aura that was truly astonishing.

This was just a child, yet it possessed such a magnificent Celestial Platform, surpassing that of many powerful cultivators who had trained their entire lives. It was truly shocking.

Ye Fan's primary divine sense ascended the Celestial Platform, entering the glowing source. With a thunderous boom, he found himself in a vast world, identical to the other shore of the starry sky he had seen before.

This was the scene of the ancient wilderness on Earth: majestic mountain ranges, vast and boundless terrain, towering ancient trees, various savage beasts roaming, and divine birds soaring through the sky.

This was the child's memory, also the initial location within its Sea of Consciousness, where impressions were deepest, thus forming the most prominent fragments of spiritual consciousness.

Then, endless cries reached Ye Fan's ears, as if thousands upon thousands of people were wailing. The sound echoed through the heavens, and the entire world seemed to tremble.

This was merely the beginning. The cries grew louder and the number of voices rapidly increased, until eventually, it seemed as if all beings across the vast land were weeping in sorrow. It was inconceivable and difficult to comprehend.

Next, various strange sounds emerged: like divine drums beating, or funeral bells tolling mournfully, shaking the nine heavens and ten earths.

Meanwhile, the majestic mountains across the Earth on the other side of the starry sky all trembled simultaneously, as if on the verge of collapse. The mountain bodies emitted various brilliant ancient runes and dao patterns, and all the peaks and valleys resonated together.

Ye Fan walked forward, able to see only various scenes of the ancient wilderness. He heard the wailing of countless beings but could not discern any human figures.

Heavenly drums, funeral bells, the sorrowful cries of all beings... all intertwined, mysterious and eerie, sending shivers down his spine.

Finally, when he reached the deepest part, he heard various sacrificial chants, as if an ancient Holy Emperor was being interred. All these signs and anomalies felt extraordinarily unusual, weighing heavily on his heart.

"What happened? How could this child's Sea of Consciousness contain such memories? Why are there no human figures to be seen? Yet there are many savage beasts and divine birds prostrate on the ground."

Ye Fan passed through, filled with endless questions, but ultimately did not discover the child's origin. The divine infant seemed to possess innate knowledge, only remembering that initial place. Afterward, there was a blank period with no instruction, followed by the trivial events of over a century spent in the stone workshop.

For most of that time, it was sleeping. Its Sea of Consciousness contained several discontinuities regarding its origin, which seemed non-existent, even to the child itself.

Its current demeanor and cautious nature were entirely due to an innate spiritual intelligence. It possessed nothing else, and it was unknown who had sealed it.

Ye Fan was startled. Either parts of the child's memory had been erased, or something extraordinary had occurred, leaving a defect in its Sea of Consciousness.

There was also a possibility that nothing was missing at all; this was simply its complete being, merely too young to have left any imprints of a past.

"The sacrificial chants and burial sounds are terrifying, and the vast mountains and rivers from the other side of the starry sky are constantly manifesting. This is the greatest suspicious point about his identity and origin; it's difficult to draw conclusions."

Although Ye Fan harbored some astonishing conjectures, he lacked concrete evidence to confirm them.

He meticulously searched its Celestial Platform and found some scattered memories, many of them vague scenes from Earth's ancient barbaric era, but still no human-like beings.

Finally, he caught a glimpse of boundless heavenly palaces, but they were fragmented, appearing ruined and decayed, vanishing in a flash—only a very small scene.

"The death of an important figure, the decline of a magnificent divine dynasty..." Ye Fan murmured to himself. This was the most crucial clue within the divine infant's Sea of Consciousness.

He pondered many possibilities, standing silently in that spot for a long time, his heart heavy. The child's origin was simply too extraordinary, making it difficult to decide how to handle it.

After careful observation, Ye Fan confirmed that the child was not a Holy Spirit, though its true race remained unclear.

It possessed a human-like body, yet at such a tiny size, it exuded energy comparable to a Saint. This was truly astounding, and calling it a human seemed somewhat inaccurate.

It was neither a true flesh-and-blood Holy Spirit nor a malevolent creature, which allowed Ye Fan to breathe a sigh of relief. Still, he felt a measure of remorse towards the child.

Now that the stone skin was cut open, it was impossible to let it remain in the stone workshop. Ye Fan decided not to break open the Immortal Source, preferring to keep it in its sealed state.

Although there wasn't extensive evidence, all signs indicated that this child's background was incredibly profound, suggesting many unpredictable events might unfold in the future.

"Little fatty, stop struggling. I won't hurt you; just go to sleep obediently," Ye Fan said, though this time he transmitted his thoughts telepathically.

"Fenluo rang ge luoli..." the divine infant mumbled, puffing out its cheeks.

Ye Fan truly found it difficult to decipher this language. He had long mastered the ancient divine script common to all races, but this child's language transcended that scope, feeling even more ancient.

Pondering it carefully, a tremor went through his heart: Where did it come from? Was it a language from an even more ancient era?

"Did it truly come from Earth? Was there once a period that was sealed away and forgotten?" Ye Fan mused.

Even when he was a mortal, he had been fascinated by ancient anecdotes and legends. The *Plain Questions* chapter of the *Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon* once recorded: "In ancient times, people lived to be a hundred years old in both spring and autumn, and their movements did not wane."

That was a mysterious ancient history, shrouded in a veil of fog. The last time he returned to Earth, he hadn't uncovered any particular secrets.

"Perhaps I should go back," Ye Fan muttered. He was reluctant to depart easily, fearing he might bring conflict there. None of his current enemies were easy to deal with; some even quasi-emperors were about to emerge, leaving him with many apprehensions.

"To cut out a child comparable to a Saint, it's simply defying heaven! Whose descendant is this? It's incredible!"

"Heavens, could this be an immortal embryo, abandoned in the mortal world, now emerging? Otherwise, how could it be so powerful!"

People in the distance exclaimed in surprise. Years later, Ye Fan's return to the stone workshop once again caused a sensation. Unveiling a living being from a stone here, one so tiny yet so incredibly powerful, was astonishing!

The divine infant was plump and chubby, fair-skinned and clean. Its large eyes were exceptionally bright. It met Ye Fan's gaze, trying hard not to flinch, appearing somewhat stubborn and endearing.

Ye Fan pondered for a long time: How should he deal with it?

Several important figures from the Ji family gathered around, filled with astonishment. They had handled this stone casually years ago, never imagining it concealed a tiny ancestor.

"This living being was cut from your Ji family's stone. When I next visit your clan, I will present it as a valuable gift," Ye Fan said after a moment's thought.

The child widened its eyes, muttering something unintelligible.

"Who knows if you're a harbinger of disaster or an innocent being? Now that you've emerged, your presence is certainly like 'Tang Monk's flesh'—everyone will want a bite. I'll send you to the Ji clan; there, you should be protected. Go back to your deep slumber."

Ye Fan departed with the "little fatty" he referred to, while the Divine City erupted in a great commotion. This unusual event instantly spread far and wide.

The infant born from the stone exhibited extraordinary and astonishing abilities, causing a huge uproar in the Northern Region. This shockwave quickly spread to the Central Plains, Southern Ridge, and other areas, even astonishing and somewhat disbelieving the Saints from beyond the domain that such a heaven-defying divine infant could exist.

"Fellow Daoist, please wait!"

As Ye Fan calmly made his way towards the Jade Lake, someone shouted loudly from behind. Turning around, he saw Huntuo, the Great Sage of the Ancient Clan, pursuing him.

"Is there something you need?" Ye Fan stopped and turned to face him.

The God of Decline wiped sweat from his brow, appearing as if he had chased with all his might. He was the first to arrive after hearing the news, finding Ye Fan.

"Fellow Daoist Ye, I've come to acknowledge a relative," Huntuo said with a serious expression.

"I don't believe we're related, are we? Do you think we look alike?" Ye Fan replied with a faint, unreadable smile.

"Fellow Daoist, you misunderstand. I've come to acknowledge the child you cut out. That's a child our family lost over a million years ago. I've specifically come today to recognize him," Huntuo said anxiously.

Ye Fan was amused. "You really dare to say such a thing? This is your child? Go ahead and ask if he's willing to acknowledge you. And look closely, isn't this Immortal Source far older than your own existence?"

Inside the Immortal Source, the child stared at Huntuo with a pair of bright, black eyes, making a sound of displeasure and mumbling, "Ewai regata huli men!"

"See? He's calling me! This is my long-lost child, left behind in my foolish youth. To meet him today truly fills my aged heart with comfort and moves me to tears. Oh, the sorrow!" Great Sage Huntuo declared solemnly, his face unfazed.

"You could have such a young child?!" Ye Fan scoffed. He wasn't afraid of Huntuo trying to snatch the child away, so he waved for him to come closer, hoping to use him to further confirm the child's identity.

Great Sage Huntuo hesitated slightly. Although known as the God of Decline, he still feared Ye Fan, the God of Slaughter. If Ye Fan were to throw an Emperor Weapon at him, it might indeed be his own downfall.

He stood some distance away, listening to the divine infant's disgruntled muttering directed at him.

Before long, Huntuo's expression changed. The more he listened to the child's mumbling, the graver his face became. He stammered, "How can this language still exist in the world? Impossible!"

Finally, unable to bear the torment in his heart, and with Ye Fan's approval, he extended a thread of his divine sense to observe the child's brilliant Celestial Platform.

When the sacrificial chants began, Great Sage Huntuo's body trembled violently. Then, like a startled old rabbit, he leaped thirty zhang high and fled in a flash, panicking like a stray dog. His expression was absolutely not feigned.

"Huntuo, isn't this your child? Quickly explain yourself!" Ye Fan called out, chasing after him with the infant in his arms.

"It's not my business! My child ascended long ago! This isn't my descendant; it's clearly an ancestor!" Huntuo sprinted like an old rabbit, unleashing his peak power, moving like wind and lightning, making it somewhat difficult for Ye Fan to keep up.

"Tell me its origin, or don't blame me for being impolite," Ye Fan threatened from close behind.

"I advise you to quickly send that little ancestor away and not get involved! An ancient imperial clan was wiped out because of it in primeval times!" Great Sage Huntuo warned solemnly.

"Nonsense!" Ye Fan scoffed.

The two, one fleeing and one pursuing, arrived directly at the Jade Lake, which was Ye Fan's original destination. Without waiting for permission, Great Sage Huntuo shot towards the mountain gate with a whoosh, and, clearing his hoarse throat, shouted, "Quickly prepare the Western Emperor Pagoda! A big one has arrived! Activate at least two Emperor Weapons and send this child into the boundless universe, or a great disaster will befall us!"