Chapter 1595: Unsullied Blood

The Black Emperor had seen this stone box before.

The voice of Emperor Wu Shi echoed, startling the Black Emperor so much that its black fur stood on end. It jumped high and let out a series of shocked cries.

The man’s voice possessed a peculiar charm that inspired reverence, compelling listeners to give it their full attention and to seek to understand everything about him.

“Having come this far, a great catastrophe is surely at hand…”

Clearly, the Path to Immortality was a breakpoint, exceptionally unique, confusing space and time and severing everything. Even Emperor Wu Shi could not see through the ages; all of this remained mere speculation.

The voice grew fainter, as if he was being eroded by the river of time, gradually vanishing. He was powerless to do more.

This short phrase was starkly clear. What Emperor Wu Shi left behind might not be enough to turn the tide. His fragmented words sent a chill down Ye Fan’s spine.

“How can this be?” The Black Emperor’s emotions shifted from excitement to despondency, and then to silence.

The true Great Emperors were all dead. This wasn’t the first time the Black Emperor had mentioned it; it had been spoken of in ancient times, and now it seemed there was truth to it.

How could the dead contend with living Supremes?

In this era, the Path to Immortality was not the greatest upheaval in ages. The most significant change was the Dark Turmoil, which surpassed all historical events in its scale, horror, and bloodshed, disrupting the mortal realm and staining the cosmos red.

“Let’s leave here first.” Ye Fan, carrying the Great Accomplished Sacred Body and the stone box, took the first step.

As for the Western Emperor, although it was an Emperor’s corpse, it was unusable. Ye Fan was only able to inhabit this perfect Great Accomplished Sacred Body because he possessed the same bloodline and had previously fused with a damaged Sacred Body, which allowed him to resist its immense pressure.

In the past, Emperor Wu Shi was too preoccupied to spare any power to suppress this era, and even the contents of the stone box might not be effective.

This was most likely a harsh reality.

Ye Fan and his companions reached the surface, emerging from the ancient site of the Jade Pool. Though it seemed disrespectful to the father of Emperor Wu Shi, Ye Fan silently merged, for he could no longer afford such concerns; this battle was essential.

“Great Emperors never speak with absolute certainty; there must still be world-shaking divine power,” the Black Emperor said, its tone somewhat dejected.

Boom!

At that moment, Ye Fan completed his fusion, unleashing billions of celestial lights that startled the entire dark cosmos and brilliantly illuminated the starfield, which had long been desolate.

He had now inhabited the perfect Great Accomplished Sacred Body. Unified as one, he felt an immense power that could sweep through all ages unopposed; it was truly overwhelming.

It had to be said, the Great Accomplished Sacred Body was incredibly powerful; this was its perfect form, far more capable of displaying the divine might it held in its prime than the body at Sacred Cliff, which had lost so much vital essence.

All of this was also thanks to the green lotus within Ye Fan. He was now puzzled, as it seemed other Sacred Bodies did not possess this chaotic lotus in their Sea of Suffering.

He had seen several Sacred Bodies, but none had shown any trace of it in their Sea of Suffering, not even incomplete or withered ones. Only within him had it grown.

This chaotic green lotus was very mysterious. As soon as it took root, it immediately revitalized the desolate Sea of Suffering of two Great Saint Sacred Bodies, unleashing power that shook the ages, a sight that made Ye Fan’s heart pound.

Long ago, he had harbored some theories, but dismissed them as absurd. Now, there was no time for contemplation; a bloody battle in the cosmos awaited.

The large black dog fumbled with the stone box. Before long, a faint click was heard, and it opened.

In that instant, its dampened spirits surged into excitement. Suppressing its thrill, it staggered back a few steps, then let out a long howl skyward: “Awooo…”

It didn’t sound like a dog at all; it was more like a large-tailed wolf. Its deep roar made the heavens tremble, and the surrounding mountains rumbled, threatening to collapse.

Inside the stone box was a crystalline treasure bottle, filled with brilliant scarlet light that was dazzling to behold. Its radiant glow shook the heavens and earth, causing the Great Dao itself to wail and tremble unceasingly.

This was a bottle of blood, possessing strange magical power. Even before it was fully revealed, it directly suppressed the Great Dao; its terror was boundless.

“Whoosh, whoosh…”

Throughout heaven and earth, gods and demons wailed, hurricanes swept through, and various celestial phenomena appeared. The stars in the cosmos trembled, as if on the verge of exploding.

This was Emperor Wu Shi’s vital essence blood, refined and sealed by him for later generations. It was truly supreme treasure blood, containing fragments of his Great Dao, astounding beyond words.

“Great Emperor, you were already old and frail then, unable to attend to other matters, yet you still refined so much vital essence blood…” The Black Emperor trembled.

Furthermore, there were some writings, surprisingly addressed specifically to the Black Emperor.

“The Great Emperor knew I would come. So, what he said back then wasn’t just casual talk; he clearly wanted me to remember…” Tears welled up in the Black Emperor’s eyes and rolled down.

The message was brief, stating that if a Congenital Sacred Body Dao Embryo could be found, these items could be used to briefly manifest Emperor Wu Shi in the mortal realm.

Unfortunately, such a physique had not appeared in this current era.

“What a lifelong regret! Lad, do you think I should have forced you back then? A Congenital Sacred Body Dao Embryo is truly needed…” The Black Emperor let out a heart-wrenching cry, almost lunging forward.

Perhaps that would have been his last chance to see Emperor Wu Shi.

A Congenital Sacred Body Dao Embryo couldn’t be found on short notice. However, there was a Sacred Body available, and though it couldn’t bring Emperor Wu Shi back, it should be able to utilize these items.

In the past, the Black Emperor had been almost obsessive, nearly insane, in its attempts to force the emergence of a Congenital Sacred Body Dao Embryo, never realizing it would prove so useful in the end.

“Indeed… everything Emperor Wu Shi said, even casually, had a purpose. It’s a pity I didn’t pay enough attention,” the Black Emperor regretted deeply.

There was no time to delay now. Ye Fan held the treasure bottle. When the stone box opened, the seal on the stopper had automatically dissolved; he just needed to pull it out.

This bottle of blood contained the laws of the Emperor’s Path, precisely what Ye Fan needed most right now.

Even so, what they had was likely insufficient for the coming battle, as these were merely patched-together resources. Yet, he believed this bottle of blood could certainly severely wound a Supreme.

“It’s not over yet. There’s also a formation here that seems capable of summoning something,” the Black Emperor said.

It was a miniature formation, truly tiny, just big enough for one person to stand on. Yet, it was complex and abstruse, seemingly condensed from the entire universe, with stars dotted and imprinted upon it, making it impossible to decipher.

The Black Emperor was stumped; it couldn’t discern or decipher anything. However, its profound knowledge of formations allowed it to read a line of text from the array patterns, indicating it was meant to summon something.

“What is this… what is it meant to summon?” The big black dog couldn’t fathom it; it was too mysterious. This formation was entirely unheard of, as Emperor Wu Shi had never revealed it in the past.

“It should be a powerful force, likely capable of severely wounding a Supreme.” This was the shared opinion of Ye Fan and the Black Emperor, who also agreed that for safety, it would be best to use it only when they reached the battlefield.

Ye Fan soared into the sky. His physical body was now incredibly powerful, capable of shattering starfields with a mere tremor.

He didn’t immediately enter the cosmos but instead rushed towards the Fire Domain from his memory. The entire planet had been torn apart, and many mountains and rivers no longer existed, making him wonder if he could even find it.

Upon arriving, his body stiffened, for a figure had already arrived before him, standing in the tenth layer of the Fire Domain, communicating with the ultimate immortal flame.

“Is someone here with the same goal as us?”

Ye Fan wanted to try something here. He desperately wanted to take that flame, as even the Desolate Pagoda could be tempered by it. It was conceivable that it could harm a Supreme, and although hope was slim, he was unwilling to leave without trying.

“It’s Senior Gai Jiuyou.”

Instantly, Ye Fan recognized him: Gai Jiuyou, the peerless figure who had once astonished the world and almost achieved enlightenment despite the suppression of the Azure Emperor’s Great Dao. Now, he was even more aged.

Gai Jiuyou was playing the Immortal Tribulation Melody, and a flame composed of immortal talismans danced before him, constantly moving, appearing utterly mysterious.

“You go. I will use my remaining strength to guide the immortal flame,” Gai Jiuyou’s divine sense conveyed.

Ye Fan’s heart trembled. Gai Jiuyou had indeed grown much older, with little life left. Had it not been for the Azure Emperor, he would surely have achieved enlightenment back then, for he had almost taken that final step even under such suppression.

The once peerless hero was now so old and frail, a heartbreaking sight. It seemed he intended to draw the immortal flame into his body and take it to battle in the cosmos.

“Senior… take care.” That was all Ye Fan could say. He wanted to stop him but hesitated, realizing it might be Elder Gai Jiuyou’s final, glorious battle.

He took Xiao Niannian and the Black Emperor, transforming into a streak of light, shattering the void, and then heading towards the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land. He hadn’t given up on the Desolate Lord and wanted to invite her to join the battle.

This place had naturally been preserved; it couldn’t be destroyed. As soon as they approached, they saw a tall figure pulling a massive immortal cocoon from the shattered abyss.

It was the Old Madman! After many years apart, his vitality was still vigorous and even stronger.

“You go ahead; I’ll handle things here,” the Old Madman said.

Now, with the Desolate Lord in slumber, this place had lost its power to strip away years. However, he was still struggling, as he was pulling out two ancient steles, seemingly intending to use some forbidden power they contained.

One was the Immortal Ascension Stele, and the other was the Six Paths of Reincarnation Stele.

“Alright, I’m going to battle now, Black Emperor. Take good care of Xiao Niannian…” Ye Fan said.

He knew Xiao Niannian was very mysterious and had immense potential, but she would be useless against true ancient Supremes, completely lacking any combat awareness.

The little girl suddenly hugged his leg, tears streaming down her face. She refused to let go, insisting on going with him.

“I don’t want Big Brother to die… Niannian is very strong, I want to go with Big Brother!” she cried, her little mouth quivering, because she knew that if Ye Fan left now, he would never return.

“Niannian, be good. Big Brother won’t die, and he still wants to… watch you grow up,” Ye Fan sighed softly. He gave them one last look, then a divine light emanated from his body, gently prying her small hand away, and he resolutely charged towards the outer reaches of the domain.

“No, I don’t want Big Brother to die!” Xiao Niannian cried loudly, stretching out a small hand towards the starry sky, trying to grasp something.

The Black Emperor sighed, standing outside the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Zone, gazing at the cold starry sky. It waved its large paw forcefully and said, “Blood will not be shed in vain. In later generations, someone will eventually destroy those Supremes. It’s just a pity for this era, where so many heroes have been buried in foreign lands, and too much has been lost.”